TSYMVF 80

Chapter 80

Kasillion Arcada created the masterpiece of his life—the Elixir.

It hadn’t been much use at the moment of ruin, but at least he achieved his personal wish before departing.

Could it be that the ingredient Kasillion was speaking of right now was…?

“……”

I looked up at the divine tree, glowing with radiant light.

Could it be referring to the roots of this tree?

Countless blossoms contained nectar-like essence within them.

“Cough.”

“Shasha.”

As I coughed again, spitting blood, Jin softly called my name.

“That one…”

I pointed a trembling finger at one of the flowers.

The divine essence. A rare herb I had read about in a book.

“I need it.”

At that moment, Evan drew the sword at his waist and made a light motion toward the air.

One of the blossoms fell and landed neatly in his palm.

Both Jin and I stared at him.

Evan strode over to me and held out the divine flower.

His gaze was fixed on me.

With a tense expression, I accepted the flower.

In the nectar pooled at its center, my pale face was faintly reflected.

Without hesitation, I swallowed it down.

The nausea inside me was worsening by the second.

The flower’s essence was sweet and fragrant.

The moment it slid down my throat, I felt heat spreading through my body.

The churning sickness inside me began to settle.

[Your Life Force has increased. +10]

At last—the message I had longed to see appeared before my eyes.

My Life Force was now 46—the same as before I had used my ability.

Even a dragon’s scale, worth 500 rubies, had only increased it by 15. Yet a single divine blossom restored 10! This was incredible!

As the color returned to my face, Jin visibly relaxed a little.

The divine tree was breathtakingly beautiful, almost sacred.

A tree wrapped in light—it was a sight ill-suited to the gloomy Winchester estate, but magnificent nonetheless.

“To think the world’s finest elixirs hang here, twenty in total. Coming to Winchester was the right choice.”

Kasillion’s voice echoed.

“The best ingredients here, and even my ‘ingredient sister’ to meet….”

I tuned out the rest of his overexcited rambling.

“…Have you recovered?” Jin’s voice asked.

“Yes, I think I’m fine now.”

Though the disappearance of the Cup of Darkness still left worries for the future.

“Are you sure you’re all right?”

“Yes.”

Since I had survived the worst of coughing blood, I felt relief as well.

Maybe it was the aftermath of the healing, but drowsiness pressed in on me.

Then Evan suddenly grasped my wrist.

Startled, I looked at him.

Those blue eyes bore into me, sharp and heavy.

Dark flames flared threateningly from Jin, about to lash out at Evan—

“Don’t you think there’s something to settle first?”

Evan spoke before he could.

Only then did I realize—the clan members were still watching us.

The situation was far from resolved.

It needed to be put in order.

Evan was an outsider. Jin had to remain.

Though still young, he had acted as the patriarch’s representative, and so the responsibility to settle this incident lay with him.

With a chilling gaze, Jin murmured, “Take her away.”

Evan’s hand still gripped my wrist.

I looked at Jin, then spoke softly, “Brother, that tree…”

“I’ll make sure it’s preserved. Don’t worry, just go.”

He answered as if he already understood what I wanted to say.

I nodded.

And then Evan began leading me away.

“Wait! You must explain what happened!”

“Wasn’t that girl’s ability supposed to be black flame? Then what was that power just now?”

“You can’t just leave without explaining that tree! Or that monster—!”

The clan’s voices clamored, but Evan ignored them and pulled me along.

I met the gaze of Permetis, who stared at me pale-faced, then quickly looked away and quickened my steps.

“We should have investigated that child with the Shadow of the Abyss from the start.”

“But… weren’t we all saved because of her? Didn’t she give Jin some sort of power—”

“Nonsense!”

“Shasha, say something!”

Some looked at me with open suspicion, others with reverence.

“Who do you think it was that allowed you to survive?”

But Basuron’s cold voice silenced them all.

“Th-that’s…”

Because they all knew he was right.

“Have some shame! Tch.”

In the end, everyone lowered their heads.

Wounded, Basuron clicked his tongue and muttered irritably.

“This once—I’ll acknowledge it.”

I saw Permetis shoot me a resentful glare.

I silently followed Evan.

……

We passed through the battered iron doors and stepped into the corridor.

The pitch-black night stretched out beyond the windows.

At last, a sigh of relief escaped me.

“…You.”

Evan stopped while still holding my hand.

I thought, So it’s come to this.

His sharp eyes pinned me as he asked,

“You used your ability again, didn’t you?”

Even in darkness, his green eyes shone clear and bright.

― Yes, I did.

Those unwavering eyes gazed at me.

So piercingly pure it was almost unsettling.

― In all my regressions, I never once saw a divine tree. And now…

― Sorry, but I don’t feel like talking to you.

He should have felt suffocated by the pressure of my ability seeping out, but I remained unfazed.

― So… you’re drawing a line.

At Evan’s low, threatening tone, I stared back at him.

― You know, for a so-called protagonist, you’re incredibly shameless. Hiding all your own secrets while prying into everyone else’s.

― ……

― I may know your past, but I don’t know what’s in your head.

Even as he walked, the image of Shasha Winchester lingered in Evan’s mind like an afterimage.

― So if you want a truly constructive partnership, you should start by cooperating properly.

He knew she had been oddly angry at him ever since he told her to keep away from Kasillion.

And now, her accusations came sharp and timely.

He remembered the way her brows had furrowed upward—an expression as frightening as an eight-year-old could possibly muster.

― Selfish.

Evan unconsciously placed a hand over the sudden ache in his chest.

He had only wanted to keep Kasillion from getting involved because he thought the man could become a danger to her.

But now… it couldn’t be helped anymore.

Soon after, he stepped out of the darkened estate.

Somewhere within, Jin Winchester was surely still settling the aftermath.

“Snake…”

Evan recalled the slain Leviathan.

Then the Behemoth he had cut down in the snowy mountains.

“……”

And now, he could smell the coming of the Bird of Death.

Unlike in previous rounds, the aura of Persetos was already thick in the air.

Normally, Persetos hid his presence, avoiding the risk of his body being discovered before resurrection.

But this time, it seemed he intended to wage all-out war, his scent of death heavy and bold.

For Evan, that was welcome.

Up ahead, he spotted a group of riders.

At their head, mounted on a powerful steed, was the Dark King—Ricardo Winchester.

An enemy across twenty-seven regressions, but now, for the first time, an ally.

Their relationship had changed drastically in this round.

Ricardo was now helping Evan control his ability and gather information.

……

Born of darkness, innately cruel and powerful, master of black flames.

Taylors and Winchesters had always been like oil and water, eternally hostile.

But now, for one central cause, they stood together.

“Why are you out here at this hour?”

Ricardo’s horse halted before Evan.

With a cold voice, he looked down at him.

Evan met his gaze.

“Because we agreed to move.”

The black flame’s hue, which had always seemed so different, looked no less pure than starlight in the night.

“I intend to act.”

Ricardo’s brows twitched.

Cold winter winds swept between them.

In that wind, it felt as though Shasha’s voice lingered.

“Now then… let’s do the math.”

Back in my room, I sat at my desk and began scribbling across a sheet of paper.

Evan’s maddening ambiguity still irritated me, but I couldn’t waste time brooding with nothing to show for it.

Nineteen blossoms remained.

If each one restored 10 Life Force, that meant nearly 200 in total.

The proper range was between 30 and 70, and even at 40 one’s condition felt livable…

“I don’t have to worry about dying anymore!”

It was a moment worthy of celebration.

At the very least, I had now evolved from the “Sickly Youngest of the Villainous Family” to simply the “Youngest Daughter of the Villainous Family.”

A lifetime of worry since the age of eight—finally solved.

The frailty of my body, the looming end like a death sentence.

Of course, even with my Life Force restored, one major problem remained.

We were all under a death sentence.

Because of Persetos.

“And also…”

I recalled Jin, who earlier had been strengthened by my ability.

His strength had doubled, easily exceeding his natural limits.

My ability, the Key of Mecchius, provided immense amplification—but at the cost of draining my Life Force.

Even if I had divine essence to recharge it, situations like earlier would surely come again. And I’d be forced to intervene, losing more Life Force.

I was only eight now. And in the original story, I died at twenty.

Ten years left. Who knew how many more crises like that awaited?

“…I’ll have to manage it carefully.”

I jotted my thoughts down on the paper.

Avoid such situations whenever possible. First, investigate how the Leviathan appeared.

Even with nearly twenty divine essences, it might still not be enough for the final battle with Persetos. I’d need to ask Kasillion for detailed plans on his Elixir.

Still, it felt like I’d bought myself some precious time.

“…This much should do.”

“Milady!”

Maya’s voice came from outside.

Startled, I looked toward the door.

“The Duke has returned!”