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༺ Transformation ༻
The place where Irina and Frey arrived was in a lush forest illuminated by light from all directions.
"Ugh…!"
Irina, who was panting for a while due to the side effects of teleportation, began to scan the surrounding with a sharp gaze.
"W-Where are we?"
"I-Is he dead?"
In Irina's arms remained Frey's unconscious self as he tightly held on to her.
Irina frowned slightly as she looked at him. She laid him carefully on the floor and then she quietly placed her ear to his chest.
"…For now, he's alive."
Although his body was in terrible shape, Frey's heart was still beating albeit faintly.
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Irina, who heaved a sigh of relief after putting her head to Frey's chest, noticed his attire, which was torn by the undead.
"Well…"
Irina hesitated for a moment as she looked at it, but after momentarily glancing at Frey she carefully took off his top and muttered.
"I mean, his condition is kind of strange as well."
His body was supposed to be pretty normal except for the traces of burning mana circuits and the wounds he had just received from the horde of undead.
However, there was dark mana emanating from every nook and cranny of his torso.
– Rustle…
After briefly observing the phenomenon quietly, Irina started stroking Frey's bare body with her own hands.
Then she noticed a place where there weren't any visual wounds, the part of his body which she was about to touch last time. Now she felt a rough, patchy sensation in her hand.
Irina, who continued to caress Frey's body as she touched that part, opened her eyes wide for a moment.
"Hey, is this…?"
It was because the sparkling mana that Frey emitted during the intense battle he previously engaged in blended with the dark mana present in his torso, dissipating it in the process. His true body was revealed when the layer of dark mana was dispelled.
"Oh my God…"
The state of his body, which was soon revealed completely, was appalling.
His shoulder blades were bruised to the point that it turned deep blue. His body was riddled with wounds and scars from blades. Some of his wounds opened up again as blood oozed out of them.
There wasn't a single part of his body that didn't bear a wound.
'Most of them are wounds from monsters or demons… Besides…'
Since she was hailed as the best battle mage on the continent, Irina realized at a glance that those wounds were inflicted by demons and monsters. More precisely, upon closer look, she identified wounds that were inflicted by the demonic monsters from the 'Ashen Forest.'
"Why…? Why the hell did he do all this?"
Of course, she didn't receive an answer from Frey, who was unconscious.
After seeing Frey's condition, Irina returned to her senses, heaved a deep sigh, then began to lift him up again.
Because Irina was a mage, she lacked physical strength, but Frey was light enough for her to lift him up without much difficulty. She inspected the patch of grass that was trampled upon by their sudden appearance while she was exploring the unknown area.
'…How the hell did this happen?'
The scroll she bought was clearly an 'Attack Scroll'.
Irina was poor since her birth, and even with all the money she collected, it was not enough to buy an official scroll, so she bought an 'illegal scroll' in the back alley.
Of course, there were rumors that stated, 'Buying a scroll in the back alley is suicidal' as it was a place where scroll scams were frequent. But Irina was confident.
This was because she was a peerless genius when it comes to magic, and was destined to become an Archmage, who would be hailed across the world in the future.
So, although she couldn't use magic, her magical knowledge was still there, and she believed it was enough to confidently purchase a scroll based on that.
So, from morning, she searched all the magic scroll stores in the back alley, and finally was able to purchase scrolls from a shabby street vendor in the evening.
Because all the other stores sold only fake or nonworking scrolls, there was only one place left.
The owner's face was covered in bandage, and he seemed rather old. He handed a scroll to her with a meaningful smile, but she was sure it was an 'attack scroll' that was working properly.
However, why did the attack scroll become a 'teleportation' scroll? Did he really make a mistake?
'Come to think of it… this happened last time as well…'
Irina, who was still immersed in her thoughts, soon shook her head and began to move.
The strange magic scroll, the mysterious owner, and the relevance of the similarity between the current and last incidents. But for now, it was more important to identify the location they were teleported to.
"…What?"
Irina held Frey carefully and left the woodland. However, soon her expression hardened and she muttered under her breath when she witnessed the scene unfolding before her eyes.
"This… is…?"
The sight of the shabby secret base she had built with Frey when she was young stood in front of her eyes.
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"Sigh…"
Lying on the worn-out bed of the secret base, Irina stared at Frey, who was grunting. She frowned and looked at the setting sun on the horizon.
"…This is problematic."
This was the place where Frey and Irina's childhood memories were melded together, the forest near the Starlight Duchy, where her face got scarred in her desperate attempt to save Frey from a wolf.
When she first realized that, Irina grabbed her head and pondered for a moment as to why the magic scroll had sent both of them to such a place. However, soon she quietly lifted Frey and swiftly began heading down the mountain.
It was very easy for her to descend from the mountain because of her familiarity with the route since she was young, and after going down for a long time, she finally managed to make it to the street with Frey.
However…
"T-This is…"
Seeing the Imperial newspapers scattered across the street forced her to become frozen stiff with Frey still in her arms.
Meanwhile, it has been revealed that 'Fray Raon Starlight,' known to be the prime suspect in this case, is currently resting in his dormitory as a result of the aftereffects of the 'Raid on Commoner's Dormitory' incident.
The newspaper reported that Frey, whom she was holding now, was identified as the prime suspect in the 'Holy Undead Knight Incident.' However, soon when he was found to be resting in the dormitory he was freed from all suspicion.
'…Did Kania or Serena do something?'
Irina, puzzled for a moment by the contents, soon assumed that either Kania or Serena, who were apparently helping him secretly, had created an alibi, and continued to read the newspaper.
The 'Sun God Church' is officially protesting against Saintess Ferloche and the Third Imperial Princess, who gave false testimony. However, the Saintess and the Third Imperial Princess also announced that they would expose the lies hidden in the depths of the Church, causing a big stir…
"…Ugh."
But when the political nonsense she hated the most came out, Irina, whose brows furrowed, covered her face with the newspaper, and fell into deep thought as she gazed at Frey, whom she held in her arms.
'After all… we can't afford to stand out right now…'
Although she had not yet figured out why Frey did this or what his purpose was, it was undoubtedly true that he saved Ferloche's life and the lives of thousands of children today.
So, for now, she was determined to hide him. Irina climbed the mountain again and returned to the most familiar place, the 'Secret Base'.
"Ugh…"
So, watching the setting sun, Irina cautiously approached him as Frey, who was lying on her bed, moaned.
"This… I need to treat him…"
Convinced that his wounds and physical condition will become critical before long, she began rummaging through her backpack, which she had been carrying until then.
"…Sigh."
But when she found only one healing potion in the bag due to her lack of money, she lowered her head in disappointment and sighed.
"Ugh…"
"…Drink."
After cursing her own poverty for a while, Irina began pouring the potion down Frey's lips.
"Um…"
Then, perhaps because of it, Frey's expression slightly relaxed.
'This isn't enough…'
However, since the potion wasn't enough to treat his grave injuries, the look on Frey's face soon changed to that of an expression of pain. Irina, who looked at him in silence, put on her backpack and muttered as she walked out of the secret base.
"…I guess I'll have to look for some herbs."
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"Frey, calm down."
"Gasp… gasp…"
Knowing the geography of the mountains, Irina, who picked up potent medicinal herbs in a matter of minutes, encountered an unexpected hurdle.
"Damn, I can't feed him the herbs like this."
Since the potion was in a fluid form, she could somehow make him drink it, but she had no way of feeding him the herb as long as he was unconscious.
If she tries to force it into his mouth, his airway might get blocked, and even if she grinds it into powdered form, Frey needs to chew thoroughly before finally eating it, unless he follows all these steps the herbs will have no effect.
"Heugh…"
Irina finally heaved a deep sigh and sat across the bed where Frey was lying, and looked down at his pale face drenched in cold sweat. She then quietly opened her mouth.
"You… what on earth are you dreaming about?"
Frey, who she wanted to kill like crazy until a few months ago, is dying in front of her eyes.
If she shoots even the slightest amount of mana at his heart, even if she strangles him for a split moment… no, she doesn't have to go that far. Even if she just leaves him like this, he'll eventually succumb to his death.
And no one will ever find out or blame her for it.
Even now, he is vilified as the 'Greatest Scum of the Empire,' a heinous man who has committed countless crimes, destined to become Greatest Villain in the history of the Empire, the one who will be the cause of the Empire's downfall.
However…
"…I haven't discovered the truth yet."
Perhaps the whole assertion was false from the start..
As long as Frey continues to commit evil deeds in the public while keeping his good deeds under wrap, giving up on him like this would be frustrating for Irina.
After much deliberation, Irina made a decision. She put the medicinal herb in her mouth and started chewing it.
"Heup…"
Irina, who had been chewing on the herbs for a long time, hesitated for a moment before kissing Frey on the lips.
"Hmm…"
Then she pushed down all of the herbs into Frey's mouth and repeated the action for a while.
"Heugh…"
So, after she had chewed through all the herbs she had found and fed them to Frey, Irina wiped her own lips and began examining his condition.
As if her efforts had paid off, Frey's complexion had improved, and the bleeding from his wound had stopped.
'Were the effects this prominent in the past?'
Irina, who was watching Frey, turned around and started heading towards the entrance to gather more herbs to feed Frey.
"Cough! Cough!"
"W-What?"
But at that moment, Frey suddenly began to tremble while coughing up blood, and Irina rushed to him and started examining his condition.
"I-Irina…?"
"…..!"
But when Irina met Frey's gaze, she panicked, and she froze on the spot.
"Here… where am I…?"
"Uh, that's… so…"
Frey, who questioned Irina in a quivering tone, began looking around him as Irina stuttered.
"What… Another dream?"
Eventually, he realized where he was, and muttered in a frustrated tone.
"Recently, after every battle, I always have dreams like these… I wonder what kind of memory it is this time around…"
"You… Do you know where this is?"
She didn't want to ask Frey in his current state instead wanted him to lie down, but she unknowingly blurted out that question.
"Of course I know… It's our secret base…"
"Do you remember that?"
"Once upon a time, I caught fish here… dug traps… and used to play in the water… Now only memories remain…"
Frey, who answered Irina's question with a dazed expression on his face, soon coughed out blood once more and began muttering.
"But you…why are you an adult? And where's the cat doll?"
"What?"
"And… even though it's a dream, why do I feel so drowsy…"
Frey, who continued to speak with a strained voice, soon closed his eyes again as his consciousness faded.
"Ha…"
When Frey's visage, who was narrating the memories of the secret base with the same kind and innocent look she liked when she was a child, flickered in front of her eyes, Irina muttered to herself with a resolute expression.
"It can't go like this."
Having said that, Irina was about to go out to gather herbs for him, but she halted for a brief moment and added a few last words.
"I'll find out the entire truth tomorrow."
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"Student Irina, where did you go and why did you return just now?"
"…I apologize."
Late in the morning, Irina bowed her head and apologized to the guard at the academy's gate, and then she quietly entered the academy.
'Frey… he'll be fine.'
The secret base in the forest is imbued with the security spell that Irina had cast from her childhood, so that no one can get inside except her and Frey.
And after feeding him five more herbs, Frey recovered considerably and should regain his consciousness by tomorrow morning.
So Irina decided that it was her turn to take advantage of this opportunity as she started heading to the aristocratic dormitory in haste.
"Wait a minute, commoners can't enter the aristocratic dormitory…"
"You should know why I'm here."
"Ah…"
Eventually, blocked by the maid at the entrance, she uttered a sentence in a subdued voice with an ashamed look, and the maid, who was well aware of the rumors about the relationship between Frey and Irina, avoided her gaze and moved away from her.
'Does Frey not care about rumors concerning him?'
Irina, who had been trying to get inside Frey's room, racked her brains rapidly over the questions that suddenly arose in her mind.
'He could have suppressed rumors with his influence.'
Rumors of evil people are very common in the Empire, but in recent years, Frey has remained as the true public enemy.
According to the information that arrived in the academy, although Frey's innocence was proven in this case, many still believe he was the culprit.
'Is he committing evil deeds on purpose so that such rumors kept circulating? But why? Why does he need to go that far?'
Irina, who was immersed in such anguish thoughts, arrived in front of Frey's room. She then gently knocked on the door.
"This is Irina. I'm here to serve you."
However, there was no sound from the room.
"Please open the door. You said that if I don't serve you today, you will kill me."
Irina frowned and tried to lie, but the door still wouldn't open, and after heaving a deep sigh she settled down in the hallway and began to sob loudly.
"You… what's going on?"
Then the head maid, who was managing the aristocratic dormitory, hurriedly approached her and began to yell at her.
"What are you going to do if the nobles wake up?! Then both of us will die…"
"B-But…! If I don't serve Frey today, I'll be killed!"
Irina, who shouted at her with an appalled expression, grabbed the maid's leg and began pleading.
"Please! Head maid…! I don't want to die!…I endured this terrible life…! It's just too unfair to die because I can't serve him…!"
"Sigh…"
The head maid also heard of the rumors floating in the academy, so she began hesitating when she saw the desperate expression on Irina's face.
Irina knew well that the head maid had died in the previous timeline while taking the lead in helping the commoners escape when the academy was invaded. Thus, she began to plead even more realistically.
"Please help… I'm begging you… I want to live. I don't want to die like this. So please…"
"Let me check for a moment."
"Ye-Yes?"
Then the head maid started checking Irina's body. She quietly looked at her and said.
"There are no weapons."
"Of course! If I did something like that…!"
"All right, come in. Your mana is also lacking, so I'm making an exception for you."
Head maid said so, then carefully handed over the key and whispered.
"…Even if you're going to die soon anyway, don't bother killing yourself and ruin your life."
Having said, the head maid soon faded into the darkness.
"…Gulp."
Irina briefly watched her fading back, then she opened the door with the key and cautiously entered the room.
"You, wake up."
Irina muttered coldly to the person who was lying on the bed, pretending to be Frey. However, when he didn't get up, she began shaking him.
"I don't know who this is, but wake up. I want to know the truth."
"Mhmm…"
"Wake up! Right now!! Get up!!"
However, the fake Frey remained silent.
"Damn, what? Was it a doll and not a human?"
Irina, who was expecting to find out the truth from the person disguised as Frey, was confused when the fake Frey did not move.
– Press
– Press
"It's strange. It feels similar to real skin… and it even has a heartbeat."
Irina, who was inspecting the body of the fake Frey by poking at him, unintentionally pressed down on his belly …
"Mew… meow!"
Suddenly, a strange sound came from somewhere.
"Wait, what? Is it coming from the cat doll?"
Irina stepped back in horror. However, when she found the cat doll at his bedside, she picked it up and tilted her head in confusion.
"Meow, meow…!"
"Why is it meowing when I am poking a fake Frey?"
Irina realized that when she pressed the fake Frey's belly, the cat doll was letting out a cry.
"Aha… it was like that…"
"Ah, ah, ah… meow!"
Irina opened the cat doll's mouth and muttered with a smile, feeling pleased upon her discovery.
"…If I use this well, couldn't this work?"
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"Ugh…"
When morning came, Frey, who had been unconscious for a while, groaned and tossed around before eventually opening his eyes.
"Young Master, are you awake?"
"Ka-Kania?"
Then Kania, who was in front of him, bowed her head in greeting, and Frey, who was looking at her in a daze, immediately smiled broadly and began asking a barrage of questions.
"Were you the one who saved me?"
Kania bowed her head and answered.
"Yes, Young Master."
"Sigh… I'm so glad… I thought I was really going to die."
Then, with a relieved expression on his face, Frey thanked Kania profusely. Kania looked at him calmly and muttered quietly to herself.
'…All right, I tricked him.'
You can read 505 episodes for $10. p.*atreon.com/Astrid02