The Knight of Clingy Young Ladies

024.

When Kalen was mastering the second-tier combat-attribute magic, ‘Explosion,’ a large crater was formed in the makeshift training ground at the backyard.

Magic varies drastically even between adjacent tiers. The sight of that crater would easily suggest that.

But now, it seemed that Blamia had filled it in.

The spot where the crater once was had been refilled with soil of a slightly different color.

Kalen turned his gaze back to Blamia’s retreating figure.

“Was that your doing, kid?”

The question wasn’t clear.

It could’ve referred to the breakfast from moments ago…

Or even one from much earlier.

But this was Blamia. She didn’t ask meaningless questions.

She avoided adding unnecessary details when speaking, so overthinking her words would be erroneous.

Given that she had mentioned Sinat earlier, her inquiry seemed quite specific.

“Are you referring to something related to Lady Lakatus?”

Blamia, who had been gazing up at the sky, nodded slightly and turned her body toward Kalen.

“Right. Word in the social circles has it that no one knows her these days. She also came to me a while back for confirmation.”

Every mage had to go through Blamia for verification. When the numbers grew, this might’ve slipped, but as of now, mages were nowhere near abundant.

Kalen thought about this but still felt something was missing.

He couldn’t pinpoint what exactly she was asking about in relation to Eliana.

“That masterpiece. I’m asking if you did that, young one.”

“Masterpiece? What do you mean?”

“Yeah. That masterpiece.”

Kalen was slightly surprised.

Blamia had never used such an expression before. No matter how beautiful something was, she wouldn’t compliment so casually.

The only thing that could possibly earn the title “masterpiece” from the Great Mage was singular.

The Winter Island etched into Eliana’s mind.

Blamia was talking about Eliana’s world.

“I saw the child’s world. I’ve seen the Winter Island, but this… there’s something far greater in there.”

“…”

“Why is your image imprinted there, boy?”

There shouldn’t be people in the mind’s image.

The world depicted there should not house human figures.

At best, for an exceptionally rare few, their silhouette might vaguely be present.

But Eliana’s mind was different. It wasn’t just that Kalen’s image was clearly printed within; the central figure was unmistakably a boy.

Those who didn’t get lost in the sight of the Winter Island couldn’t help but question.

“It’s extraordinarily beautiful. It nearly blinded me.”

“Indeed.”

“Though the claim that a mind’s image can be shaped by another’s influence sounds like a futile fantasy, seeing that masterpiece made me question otherwise.”

Blamia stepped toward Kalen and grabbed his wrist.

The familiar sensation of mana flowing returned.

Then, slowly unfurling, was Kalen’s dark world.

Blamia was stimulating Kalen’s mana.

The world revealed through this remained dark, burning, and fractured like broken lines.

Though advised by Blamia to hide due to its lack of beauty or grandeur, one aspect stood out.

“Hmm.”

An invisible energy twisted and convulsed violently, much like the ‘Disease’ that had pushed Eliana to her deathbed.

Already a dreadful scenery, the grotesque writhing only made it worse.

In a world where the beauty of a mind’s image is held in high regard, it was easy to imagine what would happen if Kalen’s was revealed.

“What you’ve done, it’s evident.”

Kalen couldn’t help but panic.

He had followed up on some clues from Eliana’s words, trying to heal her disease, but he had no intention of creating her mind’s image or shouldering her disease himself.

When Blamia withdrew her mana, Kalen’s world closed, and what appeared before him was the paper he had handed to Blamia upon his return.

The thesis and recordings he had received from Count Everchant, citing what he desired.

Every document that chased the traces of Eliana’s disease.

It was something Kalen had thought about while linking his peculiarities with Sinat and Eliana.

The absurd idea that emerged from his time with Sinat: forcefully pulling out his mind’s image to cut off mana.

And with Eliana: the observation that her pain lessened when he was by her side, owing to his mana-less constitution.

Kalen was an anomaly who could use magic despite lacking mana.

He sought Everchant’s help to understand himself.

For all his reading and pondering, he still found no answers, leading him to turn to Blamia.

And now, he faced an unexpected reality.

And the answer came from Blamia.

“I’ll teach you a magic spell. Try it.”

“Right now?”

“Yes.”

Blamia immediately began reciting a somewhat complex magical formula.

It wasn’t a first-tier calculation. Nor was it anything familiar.

Kalen tilted his head but methodically manifested the magic. From his fingertips emerged swirling cold winds.

Without adding anything more, Blamia instructed further.

“Cast Explosion.”

Following Blamia’s command, Kalen attempted the second-tier combat attribute magic, Explosion.

Click—

Normally, the spell would’ve smoothly manifested, but it was obstructed, unable to materialize.

“Stop. That’s enough.”

Blamia interrupted Kalen, who had tried a few more times, then spoke with a serious expression.

“What was the first magic spell you’ve ever cast? Know it?”

“No.”

“It’s ‘Frost Wind,’ a second-tier nature attribute magic.”

Kalen’s pupils dilated slightly.

If he had heard correctly, this shouldn’t have been possible.

The difficulty of handling multiple attributes of magic lay in the complexity of their mastery.

It was akin to drafting several complex blueprints simultaneously.

And yet, Kalen had accomplished it effortlessly.

He recognized it as a second-tier magic.

He had only assumed it was combat attribute magic.

It had taken him a long time to learn Explosion, but Frost Wind he had mastered almost instantly.

Clearly, something was amiss. Second-tier magic wasn’t so easily accessible.

And now, he could no longer use the Explosion magic.

“What’s Eliana’s recognized magical attribute?”

“Nature attribute…”

A chill ran down his spine.

Too coincidental to be mere chance.

“I assumed you had an affinity for combat magic from how you awakened it, but evidently, that wasn’t it.”

“So the reason I can’t use Explosion magic is because of the nature attribute you just mentioned?”

“You didn’t awaken combat affinity to begin with. Rather, no attribute, any attribute, probably suits you.”

Blamia gestured toward the various documents Kalen had handed her.

“Though it took you months to learn Explosion, you instantly mastered Frost Wind once I explained the formula to you. Your aptitude appears to lie beyond the five main attributes.”

“So the reason I can’t use Explosion is because after using the nature attribute magic…?”

“What did you hear, boy? I already said you don’t belong to the five-attribute system. And this is likely connected to the peculiar occurrence with Lady Lakatus.”

“Image of the Mind.”

Blamia had inferred that Eliana’s mind’s image existed because of Kalen.

“The reason you possess this mana-less constitution and the horrifying mind image, I don’t know. But the fact that you managed to cure that convulsing, debilitating condition is because of it. Simply put… Yes, this explanation fits best.”

Blamia placed down the documents and picked up a random pebble from the ground, brushing off the dirt before placing it in one of her palms and extending both hands.

“Can you see?”

“Yes.”

“One hand has the pebble, the other does not.”

Blamia alternated her hands while continuing.

“Simply put, this is the difference between existence and nonexistence. The hand with a pebble is already full, unable to hold anything else. But the empty hand can hold anything. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“You belong to this category.”

Blamia casually tossed the pebble aside and maintained only the empty hand.

“Because you lack mana, or anything for that matter, paradoxically, you consume anything and everything.”

“…”

“Things that already exist are filtered and nibbled on slowly, but empty vessels, like you, consume anything without hesitation. You must survive, after all.”

The memory of his days before Blamia, when he scavenged the streets, resurfaced.

“But as you indiscriminately consume, you may suffer consequences. And the hunger doesn’t easily go away.”

Blamia withdrew her other hand and strode toward Kalen.

“Eating whatever that mess you got from either Eliana’s disease or whatever it was, you ended up acquiring the ability to use nature attribute magic, young one.”

Behind Blamia, glimpses of the documents were revealed.

They were filled to the brim with Blamia’s handwriting.

Kalen had no words to respond.

Or perhaps he felt ashamed.

Through Blamia’s scolding tone, her concern for him was faintly discernible.

“Look at your mind’s image, and the state of your body. Does this seem normal to you?”

The darkened heart center and the fracturing lines spreading outward were anything but normal.

“You’ll end up losing your life if you keep doing these dangerous stunts.”

“What should my attribute be called then?”

“What? Need me to name it for you too?”

Kalen’s name was bestowed by Blamia when she took him in.

But Kalen felt a pang of solitude.

Thinking of Blamia, he knew they would eventually part ways.

His hometown, his constitution, his mind’s image, his magic.

Even his name.

Everything about him was abnormal, perhaps even bizarre.

“Attribute of ‘Void’.”

Blamia, stroking her grayish beard, gave it some thought before offering an answer.

“The ‘Void’ attribute seems fitting.”

Fortunately, Kalen had someone to provide him with names.

*

Kalen lacks vigor.

That’s what suddenly occurred to Sinat.

It might’ve been because the gifts of the monocle and cane suited him so well that it took longer to realize.

Kalen is somewhat calm…

No, he’s cold, but he’s also serious and, fundamentally, warm-hearted.

She could claim to know that better than anyone.

Yet to Sinat, Kalen looked a little lonely.

And she too felt drained because of it.

What had happened during her conversation with Grandfather earlier?

She hesitated to inquire about anything so secretive without prying.

“It’s not right…”

Could Kalen feel their playtime was not as enjoyable for him?

Or perhaps he was in excruciating pain from his heart injury and was refraining from mentioning it?

“It’s not right…”

Unconsciously, her fingertip slipped between her lips,

Tock Tock…

Could it be that Kalen was longing for the world outside the small cottage and not her company?

Crunch!

“Ow.”

Looking down at her fingers, she noticed them bleeding from the worn-down nails.

Sinat’s expression, looking at this, was devoid of any surprise.

She stayed like this for a while.

“Ah!”

Clapping her hands together, she promptly rose and began walking sprightly with her usual cheerful smile.

“I should go play with Kalen!”

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