Chapter 16: Mana Disruption

Aelian pushed through the blizzard the whole way, following Mia to the academy infirmary.

The infirmary sat in the most secluded corner of the academy. It was called an infirmary, but its scale rivaled the hospitals run by the Church in the city.

Mia pushed the door open. A sharp medicinal smell hit them.

The room was plain and clean. Only the bed in the center, covered in pure white sheets, held a girl lying quietly. Her blue hair cascaded to her waist, her ears tapered to slight points. Even unconscious, she gave off a noble, untouchable elegance.

Aelian recognized her at once.

The elf princess, Stella Moon.

“Mia, why did you bring this young master here?” He feigned ignorance and kept his expression calm. The villainous young master in the original work should not know Stella at this point no matter what.

“This is the elf princess, Stella Moon.” Mia looked at the bed. “She fell into a deep sleep at noon and hasn’t woken since.”

“And it’s not just her. Since noon today, every elf in the academy has fallen asleep without exception.”

His heart stirred. He suddenly remembered the nymph he had picked up at the goblin camp: Vero.

Could it be because he had taken Netherforge from the museum, and some seal had been broken?

‘Little Nether! Is this related to you… to us?’ he called urgently in his mind.

‘You brat, I just got out of prison. Where would I find the time for something like this?’ Netherforge’s voice was full of impatience. ‘This is obviously mana disruption, you ignorant brat. You blame everything on old Netherforge…’

‘Then why are humans fine, and only elves… and nymphs affected?’

‘Like I said… because they’re the most sensitive to mana fluctuations. Mana disruption for elves is like you humans suddenly going to a high plateau with thin oxygen. Altitude sickness. Only this reaction is stronger, strong enough that they need medication to stabilize.’

After hearing Little Nether’s explanation, he turned to Mia beside him. “Mia, what do you mean?”

“The infirmary teacher has already confirmed it. The symptom is ‘mana disruption,’ similar to altitude sickness in humans.”

This old thing Netherforge really knows a lot. Aelian grumbled inwardly.

‘Hey, hey! This great one is still young. I’m not some old thing! Can you show your elder some respect, kid?’

‘Heh… if you were a beautiful girl, I might consider it.’

‘Hah? I’m a weapon. What gender would I have?’

Mia ignored his moment of distraction and continued. “Initial speculation is that this blizzard is also the work of the blasphemers. According to the headmaster, this is likely the chanting phase of the fifth-circle spell, ‘Frozen Domain.’ In other words, the academy has already been infiltrated by blasphemers.”

She looked quietly at the blizzard outside the window. Her expression was calm, and no one could tell what she was thinking.

At this point, Mia’s meaning could not be clearer.

“Mia, are you suspecting this young master has some connection to the blasphemers?”

Aelian raised an eyebrow and spoke with disdain.

Mia turned her head. Her gaze carried killing intent so thick it was nearly solid.

He met those eyes and immediately lost any desire to keep up his persona. Countless thoughts flashed through his mind.

Mia’s suspicion of him had clearly started tonight. More precisely, from the moment she learned of his magic aptitude.

From her perspective: he had appeared at the blasphemer crime scene that night, which was suspicious on its own. Tonight, his double over-limit magic talent basically confirmed that being knocked unconscious had been an act. A physical explosion of that scale could be easily blocked with a third-circle shield spell.

How could someone with that kind of talent fail to cast even a third-circle shield?

Ah, but he really could only use a first-circle shield. Though that was mostly because of the time pressure.

But Mia didn’t know that.

This test was as good as openly accusing Aelian of being a blasphemer.

“Mia, I’d like you to explain. Why did your mana fluctuations change so much in a single afternoon?”

Mia’s voice remained calm, but the killing intent in her eyes had not lessened at all. Aelian had no doubt that if he answered poorly, they would start fighting in this sickroom the next moment.

‘Am I really going to fight a beautiful girl? No! Even if I have to fight, it should wait until I’m fully transformed into a beautiful girl. Should I use Aeliana’s identity now? Wouldn’t that completely equate the two identities?’

‘Ugh… I forgot to hide your mana. That was indeed this great Netherforge’s mistake.’

Netherforge spoke in his mind without the slightest tension.

In its view, the beautiful girl before them was no trouble at all. Whether they could win was another matter, but they could definitely escape.

Netherforge’s human masters through the generations had all been rats crossing the street. Its escape skills had been maxed out centuries ago.

Aelian didn’t know Little Nether’s calculations, but he had no desire at all to fight Mia.

“Mia, how do you want this young master to prove it?”

Mia didn’t answer immediately. She lowered her eyes slightly, and her long lashes cast a small shadow on her cheek.

After a moment, she raised her eyes again. In those clear, water-like eyes, the killing intent quietly faded a little, replaced by a more dangerous calm.

“Mia, I don’t need you to prove anything.”

Her voice was light and steady, like a bell echoing through a church.

“I only want to hear the truth from you.”

He looked into Mia’s eyes. Her pretty pupils shimmered with persistence.

If the matter with Netherforge was exposed, he would be confirmed as a wolf even if he wasn’t one. He couldn’t tell her no matter what.

‘Little Nether, help!!!’

‘Now you know to call for help? Weren’t you pretty tough when you were badmouthing me earlier?’

Netherforge’s voice sounded in his mind, clearly gloating.

‘There is a way… it’s not like there isn’t one.’ It spoke slowly. ‘Have her…’

Halfway through, it suddenly went silent.

‘Hey, where’d you go? The thing I hate most in this life is…’

Aelian was jabbing at Little Nether in his mind when he was stunned by the person entering the infirmary.

The newcomer wore a crisp black suit. His silver-white hair only made him look mature, and his face showed no sign of aging.

Moso Link looked at the two facing off with a smile.

“Mia, Aelian has nothing to do with the blasphemers. I can guarantee that.”

The newcomer’s gaze turned to Aelian, those eyes deep enough to pierce a soul.

“Headmaster.”

The two bowed at the same time.

“Wait outside for a while.”

Moso said to Mia.

Mia was silent for a moment, gave the headmaster a slight nod, turned, and left the infirmary.

The door closed softly.

Only Aelian and the headmaster remained in the room.

And an unconscious elf princess lying in bed.

“Well… I had planned to talk to you after everything was over each day. But it looks like fully resolving this will take a while, so I’ll give you a brief explanation here.”

The headmaster spoke while looking out the window. He clearly meant something by it.

“Your mother Lily also had over-limit mana affinity.” He took a sip of water and continued.

“She didn’t die purely from difficult labor. That year, your father Herman came to me, hoping I could find someone to solve your mother’s over-limit mana affinity problem.”

“No one could solve it at the time. Your mother was only twenty-three when she died. The day after you were born, she died because her body was extremely weak.”

“Your father mistakenly believed your mother died in childbirth. From what I know of Herman, you’ve probably suffered no small amount of his cold looks over the years.”

“He loved Lily more than anyone, including himself. Before she died, Lily wanted to go north with him once, but the north was still controlled by demons then.”

When Aelian heard this, he couldn’t help but remember the title the Empire had granted Herman in the game: ‘Grand Marshal of the Northern Campaign.’ For a moment he fell silent, unsure what to say.

He also understood why the character Aelian was so disliked by Herman. In Herman’s eyes, Aelian had undoubtedly caused Lily’s death.

He had to admit it. In the original work, Aelian was a complete and utter unlucky bastard.

“Your father is my superior. There are some things I can’t say to him, but I can say them to you.”

The headmaster’s expression was calm. His gaze was sharp and firm as a blade, but when he spoke of Herman, complex emotions leaked through despite himself.

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