Chapter 68: Jhordin (3)
Ronan cautiously picked up the book. On the slightly worn cover, there were large letters that could be assumed to be the title.
“On… resurrection…?”
Suddenly, dozens of ink bottles rolling around caught his eye. All of them were empty. On the desk, there were several feather pens stained with ink stains scattered around.
“Could he have written this himself?”
It seemed that Jhordin had personally written this book. Ronan slowly turned over the pages.
On each page, there were dates and records of each day. The first record was from the Imperial Calendar year 1031. It had been written a whopping 17 years ago.
[…Fortunately, preservation treatment could be carried out before corruption progressed. I agree with the opinions of the Dervat monks that the body is a vessel for the soul. If the vessel remains intact, Sunya will undoubtedly return.]
“Sunya? Is that a woman’s name?”
Ronan turned his head. Adeshan had her hand on the glass, staring at the woman as if entranced.
Earlier, he hadn’t noticed, but the woman appeared to be about the same age as Iril at most, or slightly older. Ronan, who had been silent for a moment, twisted his lips.
“…He was researching to resurrect his dead wife.”
As if to refute him, stories of death and resurrection were haphazardly scribbled in the middle of the book. It covered topics ranging from afterlife in myths and religions spread across the continent, to information about necromancy, a form of dark magic.
Ronan gently placed Jhordin on the bed next to him and picked up the book again. With delicate movements, as if handling a newborn baby, he began to skim through the contents.
[Today, Sunya was beautiful as always, and the 22nd attempt at resurrection failed. The money earned from selling medals is running low. Navirose came to visit after a long time. When I told her to go after seeing my wife, she punched me in the face.]
[I returned from my trip to the northern region, but there were no significant results. I resigned from all my positions and left Manwol Full moon tower. Honor is worth less than fallen leaves underfoot. I need more money.]
[With the help of Kratir, I was able to transfer Sunya. From today, I am a professor at Philleon. Currently, it is the job where I can earn the highest salary.]
As Ronan flipped through the pages, his expression grew darker. There was hardly any trace of cheerfulness in the handwritten diary.
[77th resurrection attempt: 2kg of adamantine + 432g of ogre’s heart (failed)]
As he read, it seemed he understood the reason for his obsession with money. The records of resurrection attempts were detailed across hundreds of attempts.
Mostly utilizing magic that required catalysts or alchemy, the issue lay in the materials involved. In the 102nd attempt, the expensive outer skin of a Gold Red scaled lizard was used as a catalyst, more expensive than an average house.
“Damn it, even if I were paid ten coppers per hour, it wouldn’t be enough.”
Ronan skipped through the middle content and went straight to the last pages. Judging by the date, it was written yesterday.
[I want to hear Sunya’s voice. I need to attempt the 144th resurrection, but I haven’t acquired the pure mana of a long-lived race and the essence of pure blood yet. I think i should accept their proposal.]
The diary was cut off there. A pristine white note was inserted between the pages of the book. Ronan raised an eyebrow.
“Their proposal?”
An uneasy feeling washed over him. Of all colors, it had to be white, another stroke of bad luck. He was about to turn back to the previous pages to find a clue when suddenly Adeshan’s exclamation came from behind.
“Profes-, Professor!”
“Dammit, you scared me.”
Unconsciously, Ronan grabbed the note. As he quickly turned his head, he caught sight of Jhordin sitting up with his upper body, his dry voice escaping irregular breaths.
“…You witnessed quite a scene.”
“Uh… Are you feeling better?”
“Yes.”
Jhordin slowly looked around. He saw his secret laboratory and the two frozen figures.
In Ronan’s hand was the report and diary he had been compiling throughout his life. Jhordin spoke.
“Very well done.”
Shu-a-a-ack!
Suddenly, mana from the surroundings gathered towards Jhordin. Adeshan, sensing the ominous energy, took a sharp breath. Ronan, placing his hand on the hilt of his sword, retorted.
“I hope you don’t misunderstand, but both Sunbae and I came down because you told us to.”
“Pr-professor Jhordin, please calm down!”
Instead of responding, Jhordin raised his hand. It was the moment when Ronan was about to pull his sword.
Thwack!
In the same instant he snapped his fingers into the air, the naked woman’s body was covered with a white dress. Adeshan’s eyes widened.
“Huh?”
Jhordin stood up. The gathered mana dispersed like mist. Walking toward the glass, he looked at the woman and spoke.
“I apologize, Sunya. I didn’t anticipate a guest.”
“Jhordin?”
“Forget it.”
“What?”
“I mean forget what my wife’s form looks like.”
Suddenly, Jhordin turned and stared at Ronan. His blue eyes burned fiercely from within. As Ronan observed the mana surging above his shoulders, he swallowed hard.
“This isn’t a joke.”
He was one of the most powerful wizards Ronan had ever encountered. Unable to predict the outcome, and with no reason to fight, Ronan raised both hands and stammered.
“Alright, I understand. I’ll forget.”
“Really, you think so?”
“Yes. So please calm down a bit. You’re not planning to tear us apart with magic, right?”
“Why would I do such a thing? It’s a consequence of my carelessness.”
The tension subsided. From Jhordin’s words, it seemed he remembered to some extent what he had done. Jhordin pointed to the book with his chin and spoke.
“By the way, why are you holding that?”
“Ah, well…”
“Never mind. Did you happen to read its contents?”
“No, I just picked it up a moment ago.”
“That’s fortunate.”
Jhordin, approaching unsteadily, snatched the book away. His gait was still unstable, indicating that the aftereffects of the curse lingered. As he sat down on the bed as if collapsing, he spoke.
“…You two are the first students to come in here.”
“It wasn’t intentional.”
“I know. And if you’re not idiots, you probably have some idea of what I’m doing.”
Ronan and Adeshan nodded at each other while facing Jhordin. Jhordin let out a deep sigh.
“I’m asking you to keep this a secret.”
“Of course. Who would we even tell in the first place?”
“That’s true… And one more thing, Ronan, do you currently have the ring?”
“Yes?”
“Since things have come to this point, it might be better to extract it now. Is that okay?”
Ronan let out a bitter chuckle. Even after regaining his senses, the obsession hadn’t changed.
He retrieved the ring from his pants pocket. The gem-studded ring emitted a faint aura of Sarante’s magic.
“Feel free to proceed. It’s been a while since I detached it from my body anyway, so this works out.”
“Thank you. Let’s do this as quickly as possible.”
Taking the ring, Jhordin sat down at the desk. He started the process of extracting the magic using precise tools.
Ronan and Adeshan stood side by side in front of the glass. Adeshan, gazing at Sunya with a regretful expression, spoke.
“She’s incredibly beautiful, isn’t she?”
“Yes, I suppose.”
“She’s still so young… I wonder what happened to her.”
“Well… I’m not sure.”
Judging by her clean body, it was likely a soldier or poison that ended her life. Ronan clicked his tongue softly. Although he had never experienced the love between lovers himself, he couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable. He couldn’t fully empathize with the concept of love, but the feeling still troubled him.
The two of them strolled through Jhordin’s secret space as if taking a walk. Adeshan scanned the surroundings with an energy that seemed like she would mentally transplant this place as a whole. It was a habit that formed the foundation of her insight.
“It seems quite uneasy.”
On the other hand, Ronan walked in silence, staring at the ground. An unfamiliar anxiety. His gut feeling, so to speak, was sending him warnings.
“Even though I haven’t experienced love… I’ve seen many people mess up their lives because of it.”
Among his fellow disciplinary unit members, it wasn’t difficult to find those who killed wayward lovers or who were led astray by killing someone for their beloved. Ronan saw love as a form of poison.
Love kills dragons, turns empires’ shining stars into dementia patients, and can turn even the kindest person into a ruthless criminal.
Jhordin was already a person consumed by an irreversible obsession. From the contents of his diary and his actions, it was clear that he would do ‘anything’ to resurrect his wife.
‘If those bastards try to tempt him…’
That’s what heightened Ronan’s unease. If Nebula Clazier approached him with a certain way to save his wife, if they offered to help in exchange for something, Jhordin would likely go along with it, even knowing it was wrong.
‘I have to prevent that scenario.’
Ronan put his hand into his pocket. He touched the note he had grabbed earlier. At that moment, Jhordin’s voice echoed in the darkness.
“That’s… enough.”
“Already?”
The two returned to Jhordin. He took off his bifocals and handed over the ring, which had completed its extraction. Indeed, the mana flowing out as Jhordin had said showed no noticeable change.
“Did you extract it properly? I don’t see any difference.”
“I was surprised too… It’s not the outward flow that matters… There’s much more magic contained within…”
Jhordin stood up. His thin legs trembled like a newborn animal trying to stand.
He seemed even more exhausted than before, likely due to expending significant energy in extracting the magic. He placed his hand on Ronan’s shoulder and took a deep breath.
“Thank you… I never imagined I’d obtain something like this…”
“Not at all. Thanks to you, I succeeded in sensing mana.”
“You… You have no idea how long I’ve been searching for this… Since you’ve kept your promise, I’ll fulfill the rest of mine… If you face difficulties, come to me anytime…”
“Thank you.”
“Well then… Should we call it a day for today? I’m sorry, but… I can’t keep my eyes open any longer…”
“That’s right. Let’s go back, Adeshan.”
Ronan turned his back. It was a fortunate turn of events given his tension due to the note. He was just about to take a step when Jhordin’s voice caught him. Without turning his head, Ronan replied. In that moment, a chill ran down his spine as if a ghost had brushed against him.
“Wait…”
“Yes?”
Jhordin’s voice held him in place. Ronan answered without looking back. An eerie feeling, as if he’d been caught, crawled up his neck.
‘Did I get caught?’
Cold sweat trickled down his spine. Jhordin spoke slowly and intermittently.
“Don’t forget… Mana training… You must do it every day… Don’t let talent make you complacent… Twenty years might not be enough if you slack off due to indulgence…”
“Ah, of course. Don’t worry.”
“Skilled masters can practice mana manipulation even in the midst of battle. You should strive for that goal too…”
Only then did Ronan turn his head. Jhordin seemed like he could collapse any moment, nodding off as he spoke. His gaze shifted to Adeshan.
“And you… Navirose’s assistant…”
“Yes, Professor?”
“Your name was Adeshan, right? You… I think I need to have a closer look at you…”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Last time, I couldn’t sense anything, but… It’s strange… I sense a different energy from you than from Ronan…”
Adeshan’s eyes widened. After finishing his words, Jhordin lowered his head. Not long after, a faint snoring sound began to spread.
Together with Adeshan, Ronan left Tower 41. It wasn’t until they reached a side street where the tower was no longer visible that he finally let out a relieved sigh.
‘I thought I got caught.’
“Are you okay? You look pale.”
“It’s nothing. Just a moment…”
The weather remained overcast. Shadows cast by the clouds blanketed the surroundings. Ronan put his hand into his pocket and retrieved the note he had sneaked a glance at earlier.
“What’s that?”
“I don’t know. Maybe just a note about what to eat for dinner…”
It could be an overactive imagination, but Ronan was envisioning the worst possible future. He could only hope that the identity of ‘them’ mentioned in the diary wasn’t limited to just Nebula Clazier.
Ronan took a deep breath and unfolded the note. Contrary to his expectations, the slightly rough paper held no writing at all.
“Huh?”
However, there was a reddish stain on the otherwise empty space. The color seemed unusual, not like ink or paint. Ronan raised an eyebrow in confusion.
“What’s that?”
Adeshan, who had been examining the note, furrowed her brow.
“Hmm… Isn’t it bloodstains?”
“Blood? Ah, yeah, it kind of looks like that.”
Ronan nodded, but his sense of unease deepened. There must have been a reason this item was carefully tucked amidst the pages of the important book. The bloodstain placed right in the center of the paper seemed deliberately positioned, giving off an arbitrary sensation.
“There’s definitely something about this…”
Ronan squinted at the bloodstain, trying to discern any meaning. However, he couldn’t make anything out. It seemed to be something magically altered, yet he couldn’t grasp any sense of it.
‘Should I show this to Elizabeth too?’ Ronan pondered, considering whether to take the note to Elizabeth. Just as he was about to fold the note again,
– Shuaaak!
“What the hell?!”
“Ah!”
He almost dropped the note. Suddenly, the bloodstain started spreading as if exploding outward.
The reddish traces that had been spreading across the paper began to take on a specific shape before finally coming to a halt. Adeshan steadied her startled heart and mumbled,
“A… a map?”
“What did you say?”
Hearing the word “map,” Ronan examined the note. Indeed, upon listening to Adeshan’s words, it seemed to resemble a map of some location. Just then, a familiar voice reached them from behind.
“Long time no see, Ronan. And the young lady by your side.”
“Huh?”
Ronan turned his head. There stood a girl with her hood pulled tightly over her head. From beneath her hood, with her brows furrowed deeply, she addressed Ronan and Adeshan with a mix of confusion in her voice.
“…Ophelia?”
“Yeah. Have you been waiting long?”
It was a face he hadn’t seen in a very long time. It was Ophelia, the one who had left to research blood magic with the feather of Cita. Her red eyes glinted from within the shadows cast by her hood.
