When we stepped out of the tower, the world was bathed in a dull twilight. It wasn't quite time for the sun to set, but a thick layer of clouds had swallowed the sky. Judging by the heavy humidity and the scent in the air, a downpour was imminent. We retreated to the building where we had stayed the previous night to discuss our next move.
In the end, we agreed to stay one more night and head back to the city the following morning. We took several factors into account: the weather, the late hour, and the fact that the curse didn't seem particularly urgent. I wasn't showing any alarming symptoms, and our trek through the Execution Ground of Hunger and Thirst had taken longer than anticipated. After a string of battles, we decided it was best to let our bodies rest, knowing we had a way to return home quickly once the rain subsided.
Even with the sudden free time, however, there wasn't much to do. It was far too early to start on dinner. As we chatted idly, Sebas prepared tea, and an elegant tea time began. Eventually, a light pitter-patter of rain began to strike the ground, steadily growing into a heavy drumming sound.
The downpour was much stronger than I had expected. I felt a surge of relief that I’d already returned the Goblins and my slimes to the Dimension Home.
"How are you feeling, Ryoma-kun?" Reinbach-sama asked.
"Let's see... I don't feel unwell. In fact, it feels like my mana is recovering unusually fast. I thought I used quite a bit in the tower, but I’d say I’m already back to ninety percent."
"That's likely because this land is so rich in mana," Remily explained. "The mana within your body recovers by drawing in the natural mana from the environment through breathing and eating. In places where mana is abundant, the recovery rate increases even with the same quality of rest. It would be a different story if there were Miasma present, but right now, the land is actually working in your favor. lands with high mana densities are dangerous because Undead and strong monsters appear easily, but many mages seek out these locations specifically for training and research."
It made sense—faster recovery meant more time for magic training. I considered the idea of building a base suited for training somewhere. I was planning to visit the Shulls Great Forest soon; if the conditions were right, perhaps I could establish a secondary base there.
"If the recovery is just an environmental effect, then I'm not worried," I said. "That really was the only thing I'd noticed."
"In the past, during a mission where I was injured, I once had someone place a curse on me that dulled my sense of touch to ease the pain," Sieber noted. "While curses are fundamentally meant to cause harm, they can occasionally be beneficial depending on the effect and the situation. Perhaps whatever Ryoma received is a similar case?"
"It's a possibility," Remily said, sounding unconvinced. "Though I’ve never heard of a curse that facilitates mana recovery."
"If curses are meant to be harmful, yet this one restores mana... perhaps the act of recovery itself is the trap," I mused. "The first thing that comes to mind is 'Mana Sickness.' Could it be a curse designed to accelerate absorption specifically to trigger a mana overdose?"
If that were the case, I might be able to confirm it by intentionally burning through a massive amount of mana. But as the thought crossed my mind, Remily interjected.
"I wouldn't recommend that. We can't deny the possibility, but we have no proof, and there’s no reason to risk making the situation worse just for the sake of confirmation. As long as you feel fine, the safest thing to do is maintain the status quo and avoid using magic. Above all, you need to rest."
"Indeed," Reinbach added. "Ryoma-kun, it would be best for you to take it easy until a specialist can examine you. The rest of us are more than capable of handling the watch."
I was touched by their concern and was about to accept their kindness when the realization of what "resting" actually meant hit me.
"Ryoma-sama? Is something wrong?" Sebas asked.
"Everyone... I just realized. If I have to avoid using mana, that means my magic training and experiments are..."
"It would be best to refrain, wouldn't it?" Sieber said with a smirk.
"Ryoma-kun does have a tendency to get a bit too absorbed in his work, after all," Reinbach added.
"Ugh! I knew it..."
I finally had some free time in a location where my mana recovered at record speeds, and I was forbidden from using magic? This truly was the greatest curse of all.
"I wondered why you looked so devastated," Reinbach chuckled. "It must be hard for someone who enjoys the act of training as much as you do."
"When the Young Lady asked for advice previously, he was the one who suggested she try playing with magic," Sebas recalled.
"Even over the last few days, we've seen him tinkering with spells incessantly. Being too studious can be a problem in its own right," Sieber noted.
The men of the party shared gentle, slightly exasperated smiles. I knew they were right, but that didn't make it any easier to accept. This expedition had given me so many new ideas that I was practically vibrating with the urge to test them.
Remily let out a soft giggle. "Don't look so tragic. It won't kill you to use a little bit of mana. You shouldn't push yourself to exhaustion, but forcing yourself to endure total abstinence isn't good for your mental health either. If your heart is heavy, it’s easier for a curse to take root. That’s bad for both mind and body."
"Really?! Thank goodness."
"It's true. But until you get a proper diagnosis, I’ll have you do your magic studies while I’m watching. Like Reinbach-chan said, you tend to get so focused that the rest of the world ceases to exist."
"That's..." I couldn't exactly argue with that.
"It’s a good thing to be passionate," Remily said kindly. "It’s healthy for the soul. Oh, that's right. I promised to teach you magic to counter curses. Shall we start once we've finished our tea?"
"Yes, please! This incident has made me realize how vital it is to have those tools in my repertoire."
"Good. Then I'll teach you the light-attribute Dispel and the dark-magic Anti-Curse."
After finishing our tea and conversation, we moved to a corner of the building to begin.
"First, let's have you experience a curse firsthand," Remily said. "Illness."
She casually picked up a nearby stone and chanted the spell. I felt a vaguely dark, ominous mana coil around the object.
"Here, hold this. If it gets too uncomfortable, just drop it."
When I took the stone, a wave of feverish heat washed over me. The moment I let go, the sensation vanished.
"There are several categories of curses. I placed a Curse of Disease on that stone. If you are struck by it—or if you hold an object it was cast upon—you will suffer the symptoms of an actual illness. The specific symptoms and their severity depend entirely on the caster's willpower and imagery."
"I understand. Experiencing it makes it much easier to grasp."
"I used a light, simple version for your first time. Now, use that to practice Dispel."
The technique for Dispel involved saturating the target with light-attribute mana and then permeating it to nullify the dark-attribute mana of the curse from both the inside and out.
The dark mana used in curses is similar to Miasma, as it is transmuted from the natural mana in the environment or the body. The trick to Dispel is focusing specifically on that distinction. If your skill is high enough, you can remove a curse from a dark-attribute mana stone without affecting the mana contained within the stone itself.
Dispel proved to be significantly more difficult than my usual magic. I failed eight times and only managed to make it take form on the ninth. Even then, it was a precarious success, achieved only by concentrating on the sensation of the cursed stone and the memory of when Remily had cast Dispel on me in the execution ground.
"Just so we’re clear, being able to give it form by the ninth try is exceptionally fast," Remily assured me. "The potency will increase with practice, and I know you aren't the type to slack off. Now that you've got the hang of that, let's move on to Anti-Curse."
She proceeded to teach me the dark magic used for protection. This involved wrapping the body in a thin membrane of dark-attribute mana to deflect curses. Using the principles of Chantless magic, I managed to form it on the first try. By the third attempt, it felt completely natural—almost as if it were a second skin.
Because it had been so effortless, I worried if I was doing it right. I asked Remily to test the strength of the film with her curse.
"Yes, I’d say you’ve mastered Anti-Curse," she said, sounding impressed. "Your familiarity with Chantless magic certainly helped, but you might simply be more naturally suited for the dark attribute than the light. Even with the right knack, most people don't succeed on the first try if they don't have an affinity. Since you still have some energy, do you want to try casting a curse yourself?"
"I'd like to. To truly counter a problem, I think it’s best to understand it from the source."
"Spoken like a true researcher. Then let's try the same Curse of Disease I showed you. While I hope you never have to use it, the symptoms can be quite versatile. They can even be used in combat to subdue bandits.
The process is simple: first, decide on the symptoms. Then, hold a strong, vivid image of that state. For a Curse of Disease, you generally draw on the sensations of a real illness—fever, lethargy, things like that. Up to this point, it’s just like normal magic.
Here is where it differs from other dark magic. When you convert your internal mana into the dark attribute, you must imbue it with 'negative emotions'."
"Negative emotions... the same thing that causes the birth of Undead, right?"
"Exactly. That's why mementos or houses of the deceased sometimes become cursed. If the conditions are right, even someone without magic training can trigger a curse. In a way, curses are the simplest of all magics.
To go on a bit of a tangent, curses were born long before the elemental magic we use today. They’ve existed since the dawn of human history. They are often called 'the oldest magic created by humans,' born inevitably from the weight of human intelligence and emotion."
"The oldest magic... that history is fascinating."
"If you're interested, you should buy a book on the subject. The 'General Magic History' published annually by the Magic Guild covers the basics. There are more specialized books as well, though the Guild is quite elitist and doesn't sell those to the general public. You should be able to acquire them if you go through the Ducal House, though."
That was good to know. If I received a reward for the Grave Slime project, I would ask for magic-related literature.
"Now, back to the lesson. The only unique part of the casting process is the mana conversion. Once you have the symptoms and the conversion down, you just project it—either wrapping the target or permeating it like Dispel. Whichever image works best for you. But before you try... there are a few things you must be very careful about."
Remily’s expression hardened, her playful smile vanishing. Every tool and technique has its dangers, and I braced myself to ensure I didn't miss a single word of her warning.
"I suspect you’ll pick up curses almost instantly. As long as you don't use them for evil, I have no problem with you practicing or researching them. There are a few spells forbidden by law, and I won't allow those, but otherwise, do as you like. However! Do not let yourself get too absorbed in curse training. Because curses rely on negative emotions, the caster is at high risk of becoming trapped by those very same feelings."
It made sense. Constantly dwelling on anger or resentment toward someone would be exhausting and would surely take a toll on one's mental state.
"Even if you think you're fine, you must take frequent breaks. Do something that cheers you up. Many professional curse specialists lose their minds to their own negative emotions. If you were a normal child, I would have stopped at Anti-Curse. I'm teaching you this only because I believe you have the mental maturity to handle it."
I understood her concern. Casting curses wasn't exactly a lesson for a child. After giving me some advice on how to handle the magic and examples of curse specialists who had fallen into darkness, we moved on to the practical.
The result was... unsettling.
"This is a success, right?" I asked.
The stone I’d used for practice was radiating a foul, terrifying aura. I didn't even want to look at it, let alone touch it. I felt a sudden, urgent need to dispel it. It wasn't quite as bad as the mana gemstone we’d found, but it was close.
"It's definitely a success," Remily said, her voice strained. "But what kind of sickness did you imagine? It might not kill instantly, but this feels more directly dangerous than the curse you're actually worried about."
The image I had used was the influenza I’d contracted in my previous life. I’d generally been quite healthy, so I rarely suffered from severe symptoms, but that specific bout had hit me during a hellish "death march" at work. I’d just been promoted to Chief, and the stress had likely wrecked my immune system.
Just as we thought the project was over, the client had demanded sudden, massive specification changes. My Section Manager had accepted them with a smile to save face, keeping the original deadline intact. At that moment, everyone on the development team had harbored murderous intent toward him. I certainly had.
I pleaded with him to negotiate for more time, but he just barked, "Don't be lazy! It's your job, so do it like your life depends on it!" That was the breaking point for our newest recruit. The next morning, he called in sick.
Under that much pressure, even one missing person was a crisis, but you can't force someone to work when they're ill. I told him to rest and recover. But in the afternoon, the boy showed up at the office. His face was flushed crimson behind a mask, he had a cooling sheet on his forehead, and he was bundled up in a suit and a heavy down jacket.
When I asked why he was there, he replied in a pained voice that the Section Manager had called him. He’d bypassed me entirely, calling the boy's cell phone repeatedly to scream abuse and demand he come in.
The Section Manager eventually strolled back from a long, elegant lunch and immediately began berating the sick recruit. I stepped in to stop him, but while we were arguing, the boy's condition worsened. I finally ignored the manager and told another junior to take him to the hospital and see him home.
A few hours later, we got the diagnosis: influenza. The virus had been thoroughly spread during our argument. One by one, the entire team—myself included—fell ill. I truly thought the project would collapse.
But the Section Manager refused to push the deadline. Instead, he claimed that because managing the team was my job, the fact that people were sick was my fault for neglecting them. He then told me to take responsibility and finish the work on time alone, from his safe position over the phone.
If he hadn't been so afraid of catching the flu himself and had dared to say that to my face, I might have actually killed him. In the end, I worked alone until the rest of the team recovered enough to return, and we somehow met the deadline.
When the Section Manager heard we’d made it, he launched into a tirade: "See! You made it after all. You were just being lazy! You need to put in more effort!" If I’d had an ounce of physical strength left at that moment, it would have ended in a crime scene.
"Ryoma-chan? Come back to us."
"Ah, sorry. Roughly speaking, the symptoms were a high fever, chills, intense lethargy, joint and muscle pain, a runny nose, a sore throat, and difficulty breathing... I tried to imbue the mana with the sheer resentment and misery of being forced to work for five days without sleep while suffering through all of that."
"Your darkness is quite profound..." Remily said, seemingly at a loss for words.
She quickly dispelled the stone and called an end to the practice. We did one final check of my condition to see if casting the curse had triggered any symptoms, but I still felt fine. For the rest of the evening, the adults were notably more solicitous and gentle with me than they had been before.
The next morning, I woke up with the sunrise, feeling completely refreshed. I still had no symptoms to speak of. The weather was beautiful, and an hour after finishing our morning preparations, I found myself soaring through the sky.
"Ooooh... this is incredible..."
"Don't talk too much or you'll bite your tongue!" Reinbach called out from the front.
Sebas was seated between us. The sensation of flying was like being on a perpetual roller coaster; it was hard not to let out a cry of excitement. Most people would have the same reaction their first time on a dragon's back.
Since our business in the Town of Ghosts was finished, we’d decided to return as quickly as possible so I could be examined. At that point, Reinbach had summoned a dragon as casually as one might call a pet dog.
The creature was an Ignis Dragon, its entire body covered in thick, reddish-brown scales. This individual was about twenty meters long—a massive beast with more than enough room for the five of us and our specialized seating, yet Reinbach mentioned it was considered a "young, small" specimen. Its presence was so overwhelming that I found it hard to believe it was considered small.
With its gargantuan size, flight, shield-like scales, and claws that could shred plate armor—not to mention the ability to breathe fire—it was a terrifying prospect to face as an enemy. Ignis Dragons were ranked A-Rank, sometimes even S-Rank depending on the individual. When it had first been summoned and let out an intimidating huff during our introduction, it had truly chilled my blood.
Reinbach had calmed it down, and despite my initial anxiety, the flight was remarkably stable. The seats were bolted firmly to its back, providing a sense of security as solid as the ground itself, along with the gentle warmth of a living creature. Honestly, it was more comfortable than a carriage.
As I settled in, I looked out at the horizon. It was my first true journey through the sky since arriving in this world. I’d flown on planes in my past life, but this was a world apart. There were no mechanical hums or cramped cabins—just the roaring wind and the vast, open world.
The Town of Ghosts shrank rapidly behind us. Below, the majestic canyon looked like a sprawling, intricate maze. The rocky mountains were surprisingly beautiful when viewed from this height.
The dragon's path gently curved to the right. Looking out, I could see the Town of Teressa in the distance. Even though this was Reinbach's tamed monster—wearing accessories with the family crest to prove it—a dragon was still a dragon. We had to detour to avoid causing a mass panic among the townspeople.
The journey that had taken us several days on foot was being covered in mere minutes. Even with the detour, the speed was staggering. It was, quite literally, the perfect vantage point from which to see the world.
I decided to lean back and enjoy every second of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.