1-Second Invincible Player in the Game

134. Magic Stone (1)

One day in my childhood.

A woman appeared in the garden of the mansion, claiming to be “your future self.”

Dorothian instinctively sensed, as she gazed upon her tear-streaked face and the impression it left, that this was the visage she would one day wear.

Yet, the absurdity of it all led her to dismiss it in her mind, thinking it must be some trickery by a woman who merely resembled her.

For indeed, she had acted like a charlatan.

Whenever she approached the nearby adults, clutching their hands, she would vanish as if by magic.

“Thanks to that, I’ve been suspected of being a madwoman since childhood.”

Even now, the thought of that unlikable woman made her teeth clench, but she had no choice but to accept that this was her future self.

Because she spoke as if foretelling the events to come, and every word she uttered came to pass.

Earthquakes in certain regions, newly discovered dungeons, the death of a high-ranking noble—these were the significant events she foretold.

Yet, even she, who had been so accurate, seemed to have erred this time.

“That fellow? Best not to get close. He’s fated to die at the hands of your stepmother in ten years.”

On that day, as the eldest son of the Tenest family visited the Grice mansion for socializing, the prophecy uttered by future Dorothian drifted by like a whisper…

* * *

The first thought that sprang to Dorothian’s mind was the “butterfly effect.”

It was the most plausible theory.

Indeed, a certain butler and maid were destined to marry, but by dismissing the butler, the maid had ended up with another man.

Thus, a future once set in stone could be altered by a mere gesture.

“The flow of causality tends to yield various outcomes.”

In this case, perhaps a single choice had rippled out to affect that man.

Nothing else could explain her survival.

She was likely close to certain. The paths of future Dorothian and her present self diverged from the very beginning.

“Well, even so, avoiding destruction seems impossible…”

Dorothian flashed a playful smile at Hessel. Then, with a light shrug of her shoulders, she greeted him.

“Has it been eleven years? How have you been?”

Hessel squinted his eyes slightly, wearing a somewhat indifferent expression.

“…Were we acquainted?”

Taken aback by his unexpected response, Dorothian blinked in disbelief.

“Even if it was long ago, you can’t possibly not remember me?”

“Is that so?”

From Hessel’s tone and expression, it was clear he truly did not recognize her. To Dorothian, this felt strangely unsettling.

“Did he really forget after all that happened?”

No peer among the nobility has faced Dorothy and emerged unscathed.

Though the severity may vary, none have been as thoroughly chastised as Hessel.

It’s no wonder; Hessel was not merely a reckless young lord, emboldened by his connections.

From their very first encounter, his words dripped with insolence.

—“With a face like that, you must be mad? Such a waste of looks.”

Dorothy had turned the wall into something akin to jelly, ensnaring Hessel within its embrace.

Only his face was allowed to surface, just enough for him to breathe, and then it hardened around him.

—“W-what are you doing to me? Are you trying to get me killed by my father?”

—“You’re annoyingly loud.”

After all, it was a world where living cautiously would only prolong the inevitable for a mere decade or so.

With a cruel tug on his lips, Dorothy crushed the pride that had him strutting about as if the world belonged to him.

Yet, he seemed to have forgotten that.

‘Is he pretending not to know?’

That thought alone was infuriating. Dorothy narrowed his eyes and reached out to grasp Hessel’s lips.

“Is this a disappointing reaction? Will this jog your memory?”

In that moment, his wrist was seized with a firm grip.

Dorothy’s eyes widened in surprise as he met Hessel’s gaze. Hessel glared back, his eyes cold, applying just enough pressure to convey his displeasure.

In a chilling voice, he asked, “Why are you trying to touch my face?”

“…What?”

Dorothy was momentarily taken aback by his defiance.

But as clarity returned, he half-opened his eyes and moved his empty hand.

After such a long time apart, he pondered what kind of magic he might use to punish him this time, when Professor Noh grumbled, clearly irritated.

“It’s been ages since everyone left; why are you two still lingering? Shouldn’t you be on your way?”

Only then did Hessel release his grip. He turned sharply, saying, “We should be going.”

Dorothy was momentarily struck dumb.

Here was someone who had just nearly been attacked, yet he casually turned his back.

As if he assumed that Dorothy would graciously let it slide…

‘Has he truly forgotten? About me?’

—

It cannot be explained otherwise.

The fear etched deep within the bones inevitably seeps out, even if unconsciously.

Yet, in his demeanor, there seemed to be a profound calmness woven in.

Dorothian fell into a moment of contemplation as he gazed at the back of Hessel, who walked ahead.

“Hmm.”

In the time I had not seen him, he had transformed into a creature of considerable curiosity.

Alive, yes, and the man who had once been too timid to meet my gaze now exuded a certain vigor, offering a refreshing change.

‘This might not be so bad after all.’

Above all, it seemed less tedious to keep at least one conversation partner around.

Just moments ago, when I had dispelled the invisibility spell, they had all slinked away with faces twisted in fear.

Dorothian finished his thoughts and followed Hessel with a chuckle.

‘For now, perhaps I shall watch in silence.’

In Dorothian’s eyes, Hessel’s presence began to appear quite intriguing.

* * *

As Dorothian reached to touch my face, I ignited the “Embers of Noble Blood.”

Should I call it a battle of wills?

Had I retreated, the remainder of my academy life would have turned tiresome.

Dorothian was a woman who did not lay hands on those who piqued her interest.

Had I not known how to handle such a situation, a commoner would have suffered greatly.

I continued to speak as I walked ahead, guiding her thoughts elsewhere.

Of course, there was an underlying motive of gathering information.

“Was it your choice to come to the Shulafe Ministry of Magic?”

“Me? I merely came because the professors told me to.”

Setting aside the reasons behind the professors’ decision, I couldn’t help but wonder if this was permissible.

For Dorothian had never once been assigned to the Shulafe Ministry of Magic.

The likelihood of complications in the narrative was high, yet there was a silver lining.

That being, her significance in the Frost Heart was not particularly great.

…Hmm, not much comfort in that.

Finding myself frequently encountering a dangerous individual was hardly a welcome situation.

“Is that so? Ah, speaking of which… Did you say we met when we were young?”

—

When I asked, Dorothian cast a deep, searching gaze upon me.

Then, with a slight brush of her lips, she smiled and returned my question with one of her own.

“Seems you truly remember nothing at all. Have you perhaps fallen into amnesia?”

Reluctantly, I decided to adopt the comfortable narrative she had presented.

I had used it many times before, and it was no longer surprising.

“Well, something like that did happen.”

As I replied flatly, Dorothian murmured softly, her eyes glinting with intrigue.

“Somehow…”

To me, that expression felt ominous.

Just as I began to regret my choice, Dorothian extended a palm toward me.

“Take it.”

“Hmm?”

“We used to hold hands and wander about when we were young. Who knows? This might jog your memory.”

…It seemed I had stepped on a landmine.

I glanced at the hand she offered, quickly diving into my thoughts.

Dorothian is a bad woman.

Hershel is a bad b*stard.

Perhaps there was something that connected the wicked.

No, that felt like an overreach.

I couldn’t even picture the arrogant Hershel treating a woman like Dorothian with any warmth.

Based on the data I had gathered, I was certain that this fool would have been clueless and ended up getting thoroughly thrashed.

Thus, I found myself doubting Dorothian’s claim.

“Is it the chains making your arms heavy? You should grab my hand quickly.”

Under her urging, I conjured a wise response.

It wasn’t some nerve-grating retort like, “How can I trust that we were close?”

“Didn’t you hear what the professor said? It’s the time when the beasts awaken from their slumber. It’s best to keep both hands free.”

Dorothian pouted, her gaze dropping, then flicked a glance at my waist.

“But you. Why are you carrying a sword as a member of the Ministry? Wasn’t the Tenest family renowned for their swordsmanship?”

Revealing a weakness to this woman would bring me no good.

I decided to end the conversation there and shifted the topic once more.

“Isn’t it my freedom to learn whatever I wish? More importantly, we are in class right now. Let’s focus a bit.”

This place was somewhat removed from the fortress.

With the snow melted, it was no different from the wild woods, where one could never tell when a monster might emerge.

To seek out mana stones with taste in such a place…

I cast a sidelong glance at Dorothian. She wore a fox-like expression and grinned slyly.

“Why? Are you asking me to find your share too?”

“…No. I just thought, if I awakened my senses, I might catch some clue.”

Dorothian covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled softly.

“Oh, right. You awakened your taste first, didn’t you? I’ve never seen someone like that in my life.”

“If you don’t want to answer, then don’t.”

Turning my head away as if I had no interest, I noticed Dorothian let out a soft hum. It seemed she was considering it seriously.

“Hmm, so you mean feeling mana through taste?”

Dorothian licked the air with her tongue, letting out a sultry sigh. It was clear she was trying to appear enticing.

From the way she glanced at me, it seemed she wanted to revel in my reaction.

To be toyed with is a danger. If I let her think I was an easy plaything, the outcome would not be pleasant.

I maintained an indifferent expression, waiting for Dorothian to speak.

“Try licking the air periodically. If you start to taste something increasingly bizarre, like strange fruits, then you’re probably heading toward a mana stone.”

“Thanks for the tip.”

I too briefly licked the air with my tongue. It was faint, but there was indeed a hint of fruitiness.

Using this as a clue to set our direction, Dorothian followed behind, her chains jingling softly.

We walked in silence for a while.

It seemed she had no intention of interrupting my careful observation of the surroundings, as she kept her mouth shut.

Whenever I spotted suspicious thickets, I traced the telekinetic spell with the staff I had taken from the assassin.

Peldira’s staff was tucked away in my inventory.

I feared that using it, even in a class where stealth was passive, would cause quite a stir.

Rustle—

There were no mana stones. Dorothian seemed to find my failure amusing, chuckling softly.

“Not there, is it?”

“…You knew and didn’t say anything, did you?”

“Weren’t you trying to find it on your own?”

“That’s true.”

I never expected much help to begin with.

I set out to search again, only to draw blanks one after another.

By the time I tasted my sixth failure, Dorothian asked,

“But why are you checking one by one with telekinesis?”

“Because it could be a dangerous poison just by touching it, or there might be monsters lurking.”

“Is that so?”

“Originally, searching is the domain of wizards. It’s common knowledge among adventurers.”

In my case, I had Limberton with his keen eyesight and Asley, who was well-versed in the wild, so I hadn’t taken the lead.

But if there was something that needed to be checked up close like this, I did use telekinesis for safety.

Dorothian seemed to find this knowledge not entirely dull, nodding as she listened.

“I thought this was something soldiers usually did. So that’s how it is?”

She fell silent again.

We repeated the fruitless search a few more times, and a while passed.

No more signs of life in the thicket. The others must have already found the magic stone.

“Yawn.”

Dorothian lowered her hand, which had covered her mouth while yawning, and spoke to me.

“Finding it by taste is the hardest, right? Among the five senses, the mana sensitivity is the dullest.”

“I wouldn’t know; I have no point of comparison. I should have awakened my other senses to understand.”

“Still, it’s strange, isn’t it? You’d think we’d be finding something by now.”

Dorothian licked the air with her tongue again. This time, she didn’t make any sultry sounds.

“Indeed, the flavor is rich. But if we still can’t find it, maybe that one awakened sense is below average?”

Her accurate and bitter assessment made my insides sting.

Dorothian seemed to take delight in this, chattering sharply.

“From how delicately you drew the telekinesis spell earlier, it seems you really put in a lot of effort. But you were born without even a hint of talent, am I right?”

It seems a genius can read such things easily.

Anyway, I was no stranger to such evaluations; by now, I was just numb to it.

“Yeah, I have no talent. So what?”

As I replied nonchalantly, Dorothian began to draw closer.

Then she leaned in, her face near my ear, and whispered.

“Shall I offer you a piece of advice? No matter how hard you try, it’s all ultimately meaningless. I don’t know how far you wish to reach, but you’ll likely perish before you ever achieve it.”

Dorothian’s voice carried a hint of weariness, as if the weight of her words pressed down upon her.

Her statement was laced with the premise of ruin, just as I had anticipated.

“Why not just give up and live comfortably? Life is far shorter than you think.”

To unravel the subtext, it was clear: ‘You’ll all be dead before your twenties are over, so live as you’re drawn to.’

“So, how about this?”

Dorothian withdrew her head, extending her palm once more as if to propose corruption.

“Take my hand. Then, I shall guide you. A fair offer, wouldn’t you say?”

Five mana stones swirled around her hand, floating in the air like ethereal orbs.

I could sense their presence, drawn to her by telekinesis, no doubt.

If I could grasp even one of those, I could surely complete this lesson unscathed.

Yet, to my ears, it sounded only like an invitation to become a well-behaved dog.

“I refuse.”

The answer burst forth without hesitation, causing Dorothian to clench her delicate fingers tightly, like a budding flower.

Crack!

A sound like bones and flesh being crushed echoed, and droplets of blood splattered across my face.

Around us, something heavy seemed to topple, thudding to the ground, and soon a stream of blood began to flow beneath us.

Dorothian’s gaze remained fixed on my eyes, her sultry smile returning as she opened her palm once more.

“I’ve slain all the beasts nearby. Surely, it’s acceptable to use one hand for my sake now?”

I felt a strange stubbornness emanating from her as I scanned the surroundings.

Blood dripped from the nearby foliage and trees, pooling on the ground.

In the oppressive atmosphere that suggested refusal would lead to dire consequences, I ignited the ‘Noble Ember of Blood.’

It wasn’t that I had resolved to die as a human rather than live as this woman’s dog… not in such grand terms.

As a former user, I understood that she had reached her limits.

No matter how much mana the trait ‘Mana of the Sea’ emitted, there were still boundaries when three layers of the cursed armor were filled.

Yet, she had unleashed enough magic to slay all the nearby beasts.

It was only natural that her mana would be depleted.

Dorothian smiled with an air of nonchalance, but the essence within her was a hollow state of mana exhaustion.

It was a moment when I could scratch my nerves and feel at ease.

“Heh heh heh.”

I let out a scoff, as if finding it all ridiculous.

Then, locking my gaze onto hers, I spat out the words I had kept bottled up inside.

“Dorothian. Remember what I’m about to say from now on.”

These were words I truly wished to convey to Dorothian.

“Do not be like those who give up after a single failure. If it’s not truly over, then rise and challenge once more.”

A statement that would surely resonate with her.

Had I, perhaps, touched upon the hidden thorn buried deep within?

Dorothian narrowed her brows, displeased, and spoke softly.

“You say that so easily? You know nothing of it…”

Yet, this was something she needed to understand.

What set me apart from Dorothian, the next Grand Sorceress.

It was not merely my character.

“Is that so? I have faced dozens, hundreds of failures, yet I have always risen to challenge again.”

This woman had seen but a single ending.

In contrast, I had witnessed that scene countless times, enough to stop counting.

When it came to the experience of defeat, I would never yield.

“Of course, it must seem laughable for me to speak of such things over merely finding a magic stone. I know my words may not resonate with you. You might wonder if I’ve lost my mind. Still, I speak this because…”

I averted my gaze from Dorothian and turned my back to search for the magic stone once more.

“I hope that one day, you will recall the words I just uttered.”

After that, I said nothing more, merely tasting the air. This time, the flavor of mana felt a bit more intense.

As I pushed through the underbrush and walked for several minutes, I unleashed my telekinesis.

Amidst the parting grass, a glimmering stone caught my eye.

I picked it up and looked at Dorothian. Her gaze was cold, yet for a fleeting moment, there was a flicker of intrigue.

I curled my lips into a smirk and said,

“See? I found it.”

I wished to prove that finding the magic stone was just the beginning.

That there must be at least one way to save this world.