"Oops."
Mizeria, standing directly behind him, caught Ryoma as his body went limp.
"He fell asleep in an instant."
"The medicine certainly helped, but I believe his physical exhaustion was simply that great," Sebas noted.
"He kept a brave face, but it seems he was actually at his limit," Welanna added.
"I've never seen Ryoma put slimes on the back burner before, nyan," Mizeria said.
"Usually, the Owner would say something like, 'This will only take a moment, so let me check on them before I have a drink,'" Syria remarked with a soft sigh.
"Given how Ryoma-sama usually acts, this is nothing short of an emergency," Sebas said.
The group members who knew exactly how much effort Ryoma poured into his slime research—everyone except Rosenberg and Eleanora, who had only met him recently—nodded in profound agreement.
"Um... is Rosenberg-sama alright? During the supervision, you seemed incredibly high-strung," Eleanora asked.
"You are very observant, Lady Eleanora."
Throughout the training session, Rosenberg had used his own magic to monitor the situation and prevent accidents. He had been ready to intervene the moment the spell went out of control or Ryoma reached his breaking point. However, something unexpected had occurred. When Rosenberg activated his sensory magic, information regarding the target spell and Ryoma himself had flowed into him with terrifying clarity.
"I believe I was overwhelmed by his spell and his mana. My technique is designed to analyze the fine details of a target’s magic power. Because I was focusing more intensely than usual on Ryoma-kun to prepare for an emergency, and because he released such a massive quantity of mana, it backfired. It felt as though I was looking through eyes blurred by extreme fatigue, but for the first time in my life, I perceived someone else's technique as a visual landscape and a collection of sounds."
"Is that... a problem? Perhaps you should rest as well, Rosenberg-sama," Eleanora suggested.
"If I had surrendered myself to that sensation, I think I would have been dragged into his imagery. Fortunately, I instinctively recoiled before that could happen."
Rosenberg continued, noting that in hindsight, his retreat had been the correct decision. Yudam, noticing a faint trace of "fear" in the man's voice, asked the question on everyone's mind.
"What exactly did you see?"
"I cannot say for certain. Nothing was clear. To use a metaphor, it was like a painting rendered only in shades of black ink, or perhaps a shadow play with blurred outlines... but I saw long lines stretching from a dark ground toward a dark sky. Compared to those, there were remarkably short, thin lines—tiny silhouettes like grains of sand. These small lines were moving restlessly between the long ones, so I assume they were people. The long lines were buildings... it looked like a great metropolis that far surpassed the Royal Capital."
"A city that surpasses the Royal Capital... we’ve been there for work before, and I can't even imagine a place bigger than that," Welanna said.
"It was merely an image, so it may not reflect reality. Since Ryoma-kun was raised in the Sea of Trees, perhaps those were trees rather than buildings. The real issue was the countless people writhing between them... I felt an immense, various malice directed from them toward Ryoma-kun. It was as if every one of them was pushing their own frustrations, misfortunes, and sins onto him, forcing him to act as their substitution. It was an unfathomable weight of ill will that an ordinary person would never encounter in a lifetime. I felt something intentional in the way that malice was gathered. It makes me suspect that Ryoma-kun was raised specifically as a curse specialist's sacrifice. Sebas-dono, you said he was an orphan, but were his former guardians truly trustworthy?"
Sebas thought for a moment before nodding firmly. "There is no reason to doubt the grandparents who raised Ryoma-sama. I have never heard a single story from him regarding cold treatment at their hands."
"Then perhaps it was from before he was taken in by them... No, this is merely speculation based on a fleeting sensation. I should not jump to conclusions without proof. However, the negative emotions fueled by that spell were so potent they were on the verge of a total meltdown. As a supervisor, I have failed. This went far beyond my expectations. I thought I had prepared for the unexpected, but he leaped past my predictions with ease."
As Rosenberg voiced his evaluation, Jeff stepped forward.
"Hang on a second... is he really going to be okay? Sorry for butting in, but is this going to hurt Ryoma’s standing? I'm a total novice with curses, but just watching from the sidelines, I could feel that those emotions were dangerous. If even a specialist is calling it 'unexpected,' isn't he going to be viewed as a threat? You're not going to turn around now and say he's 'unmanageable,' are you?"
"Come on, Jeff, why are you being so confrontational?" Welanna chided.
Jeff directed a sharp, questioning glare not only at Rosenberg but at the nobles as well. His eyes demanded an answer. Rosenberg, however, met Jeff’s gaze without flinching.
"I may have spoken too loosely. Ryoma-kun was able to control the technique until the very end. His self-restraint against negative emotions is remarkably high, and he has shown no signs of behavioral issues in his daily life. Though it happened in a flash, Ryoma-kun already possesses enough skill to proudly call himself a curse specialist. Should he desire it, he would likely receive active support from the House Cashel, which protects the rights of curse specialists. His position and safety are guaranteed. Furthermore, he is already under the protection of the Jamil Ducal House. Attempting to force a change in his environment against his will would be a foolish move that could break his currently stable spirit. For these reasons, my answer as a curse specialist is that his will shall be respected, so long as he does not commit evil acts. However, that is strictly my professional view. Sebas-dono, what is the stance of the Jamil Ducal House?"
"Nothing changes. No matter what his past may be, or how dangerous his magic, as long as Ryoma-sama’s character remains as it has been, we will continue our support and our relationship. This is the formal policy established by Reinhardt-sama, the current head of the house."
After stating this clearly, Sebas added that he had suspected Ryoma was carrying a great darkness from the very day they met.
"As the saying goes, 'The home reflects the heart.' By observing the state of a house, one can generally understand the state of its inhabitant. The first time we met Ryoma-sama was at his home in Gana Forest. The interior and exterior were kept tidy and radiated warmth. There was only one discrepancy: the mountains of loot taken from bandits stacked in his warehouse. It was certain that he had fought bandits, and given the quantity of goods, it was clear it had happened many times. Yet, outside of that warehouse, his life looked like a picture of a humble, warm family home. There wasn't a single trace of conflict or a single grave in the vicinity. I am not so dull that I could fail to notice that something was amiss.
"Furthermore, though he was likely unaware of it himself, Ryoma-sama’s speech was extremely formal when we first met. He only relaxed his tone after the Master told him he could speak comfortably. Some might think that dropping formalities so quickly shows a lack of manners, but I saw it differently. I believe it was a 'check' to see if we were the type of people who would persistently find fault in trivial things—a way to determine if we were worth trusting. Had we rebuked him for his informality, he likely would have apologized and then vanished from our lives. It was a minor thing, but I saw a deep-seated vigilance against others flickering behind his polite attitude."
"Now that you mention it, Ryoma-kun is based in Gimul now, but he kept saying he would 'return to the forest' at first," Welanna recalled.
"That's right. We all had to stop him after work, telling him it was dangerous for a kid to live in the forest alone," Mizeria said.
"Back then, he definitely had an air about him like he might just vanish into thin air if you looked away, nyan," Syria added.
"Even if something happens, Ryoma-sama rarely reacts with open opposition. He quietly weathers the situation, and if it crosses a certain line, he simply leaves without a word. I saw this firsthand in the Town of Teressa. Besides, haven't many of you felt some kind of darkness from him?" Sebas asked.
"I have..." Yudam admitted as the group’s attention shifted to him. "I haven't known him for long, but I've always felt he has a 'dual nature.' Everyone has a bit of that, but with the shop manager, it’s like two opposite people—a pure child and a weary adult—are sharing one body. Usually, the child side is in control, but during work, emergencies, or combat, the adult side takes over completely."
"Yeah, I get that. He was like that all the time near the end of last year," Jeff muttered.
"Exactly. I suspect this 'adult side' and what Sebas-san calls 'darkness' are the same thing. I feel like those sides are constantly shifting their balance within him. Perhaps because of that, while he is generally mild-mannered and kind, he isn't soft. Just like the incident at the end of last year, I feel he’s actually someone who shows no mercy to those who cross the line."
"...That's true," Eleanora murmured.
"Oh? Does Lady Eleanora have something in mind as well?" Rosenberg asked.
Eleanora hesitated for a few seconds before choosing her words carefully. "Last night, I spoke to Takebayashi-sama about my family's home—how criminal organizations are gathering there and public safety is collapsing. He told me that if I wished for it, he would personally assist in the demolition of those organizations and the binding of the criminals. At that moment, I felt..."
"I think I understand," Yudam said with a small smile. "It's hard to talk about, so I won't pry, but I can easily imagine the shop manager jumping in to help a subordinate in trouble. And if he does, it'll go exactly as I described."
"Ryoma-sama is a person of action who does not begrudge the effort... so please, make your decision with care," Sebas advised.
When Sebas implicitly hinted at the sheer scale of the chaos that would follow if Ryoma intervened, the group shared a wry smile.
"Is this going to be a repeat of the grand rampage at the end of last year, nyan?"
"It certainly seems possible."
"But things worked out for the best in the end, didn't they?"
"Yeah, Gimul survived last year somehow."
The female adventurers’ comments turned the heavy atmosphere into one of lighthearted camaraderie, even if they acknowledged that being dragged along by Ryoma was exhausting work.
"I have taken many liberties speaking about his past," Rosenberg declared with a bright expression, "but the essence of that spell was 'Substitution.' By taking on the burdens of evil, he releases others from their suffering. That inhuman arm he manifested at the end—hideous though it appeared—was in truth a 'Hand of Salvation.' Whatever his past may be, he is striving to use his power correctly. With your trust and support, Ryoma-kun will be fine. I, too, promise to do everything in my power as his teacher."
Jeff let out a snorting breath and relaxed his shoulders. "Fine... sorry for being a pain about it."
"I don't mind. You were simply worried about Ryoma-kun, weren't you?"
"I wouldn't call it 'worried'... I just see him at the guild all the time. The slum brats look up to him, too. It’s better for everyone if things stay quiet."
"That's exactly what being worried means, nyan," Mizeria teased.
"Shut it! Instead of cracking wise, we should be getting Ryoma to bed."
"He's right. Jeff, you should be the one to carry him. It'll be easier for a man to take him into the living quarters, just in case," Welanna said.
"Fine, fine. Mizeria, hand him over."
Looking sullen, Jeff took Ryoma from Mizeria, hoisted him onto his shoulder, and began walking back toward the lodge. Watching his back, Welanna sighed.
"Honestly, he's like a kid himself. It would have been much faster to have him sent by space magic."
"Shall I call him back? I may be a bit awkward to talk to, but Takebayashi-sama’s health is the priority," Sebas offered.
"Nah, just let him go. Space magic is faster, but it's not like the walk will take them long."
With Ryoma safely in Jeff's care, the remaining members at the Experiment Ground began assisting Rosenberg with a survey of the surrounding area to ensure the curse magic had left no lingering negative effects.