Chapter – 49
For a moment, it felt as if aura was stimulating Hikim’s body.
But it was an unknown way, and it didn’t seem like anything had changed drastically. There was no pain to speak of.
Then it happened.
Tap… tap… shhh, shshhh…
Sounds that hadn’t been there before began to reach his ears.
Drops of water fell from the moisture clinging to the stone walls, and tiny insects crawled through the straw, their sounds piercing his hearing.
It wasn’t just his hearing that was affected. Hikim’s body began to shiver. The damp air brushing against his skin was cold like rain, unbearable.
And the smell. The stench emanating from his own body was nearly suffocating.
He tried to breathe through his mouth instead of his nose, but then the air itself tasted… revolting, like a filthy sewer.
“W-what… is happening…?”
“There is a method of communication passed down in the Hispenril family for generations. It’s very effective for befriending those who dislike talking,” the king said.
“Ugh…!”
Hikim clamped his hands over his ears.
The king spoke as if it were normal, but it felt as though his eardrums would tear apart. The same went for sounds coming from Hikim himself—he couldn’t even scream properly.
That wasn’t all.
When the king poked Hikim’s head with his index finger, he writhed in pain as if his skull was splitting apart.
“It’s a method of aura control that heightens all the senses. Except for sight, it sharpens hearing, smell, taste, and touch to an extreme degree.”
“Huff… huff… huff…”
“Now, shall we learn to love one’s enemy?”
“Huh…?”
The king opened his arms wide and approached Hikim.
His twitching pectorals and biceps drew near.
“Let’s have a hug.”
“N-no… don’t…!”
“Here we go! Let’s… love… your enemy!”
“Gyaaah!”
Hikim’s screams echoed through the underground prison of the royal palace.
Long. Continuous. Repeated.
While giving him a thorough dose of “love,” the king’s green eyes sank deep with intent.
No one had ever endured the Hispenril torture method with a sound mind.
An hour was enough to turn even a trained assassin into a wreck.
The king never intended to let Hikim leave here intact. If he did, he would have ended up committing the same crimes again—stealing someone’s success, ruining a life and a family—regardless of whether it was through alchemy or some other field.
“Hmm… is that enough?”
After about fifteen minutes, the king threw the slackened Hikim’s body onto the floor and exited the prison.
After the king disappeared, the quiet underground cell was filled with Hikim’s pitiful voice.
“Hii… hihi… let’s… love… the enemy… hikkk…”
Chapter 11: Job Change Complete
The tutorial area, Gillette White Estate, was peaceful and safe as always.
It was morning, and I was doing a height-growing exercise in the open space behind the alchemy lab, bathed in sunlight.
My father came running toward me, beaming.
“Child! Your mother said we should have lunch at the pond garden today. How does that sound?”
“Outside? Sounds great!”
“What do you want to eat? Just say the word!”
“You’ll cook, Dad?”
“Of course! Since it’s a little family picnic, I’ll show off my skills!”
“Wow! Dad’s cooking! I’m excited!”
I raised both arms, and Dad mirrored me, raising his arms as well.
We clapped our hands together.
“Ah! Your hands are strong!”
“Oops, sorry!”
I forgot to control my strength.
When Dad’s palms turned bright red from my vigorous clap, he shared some exciting news.
“Ahem, your mother is preparing the snacks.”
“Mom is making snacks?”
She can’t cook. How badly? So badly that she’s making pastries in the alchemy lab instead of the kitchen.
‘Is that really safe?’
While pondering, a blast of light suddenly shot from the lab window, followed by an explosion.
<That’s aura light…?>
“…”
Why would baking require aura?
Before I could solve the mystery, a sugar-scented breeze swept over my father.
Better take a digestive potion just in case.
I returned to my stretching exercises, feeling like a dutiful and clever daughter.
Then I recalled everything that had happened to our family since returning to the Gillette White Estate with my mother.
✠
A month ago, when I first introduced Mom to the estate, Bianca was genuinely happy, as if it were her own affair, and congratulated us.
She even persuaded the count and countess to provide our family with a private annex, ensuring we could live comfortably apart from the main household staff.
It was an unusually generous treatment.
Bianca, probably worried I might feel awkward, always provided a plausible explanation in front of outsiders.
“The success with the Rodel Potion, for instance. Any resident alchemist should have received at least this. Besides, you’re my only playmate, and your brother is an aspiring aura user.”
Of course, I didn’t refuse the courtesy but welcomed it with both hands. Since we couldn’t leave the estate during the tutorial period, having a comfortable residence was wonderful.
Meanwhile, my mother adapted remarkably well to the Gillette Estate.
“Pleased to meet you, Viscount Carmel. I hear you’re the sword master training our son, Lintz?”
“What? Who are you? Viscount Carmel is my mentor…!”
“Haha! Young Master Romdio, excuse us, please step aside for a moment. It’s an honor to meet you, ma’am. I am Andimion Carmel.”
Though now a middle-aged man with a thick mustache, Viscount Carmel had once been a famous young prodigy swordsman with short hair.
Mom and Viscount Carmel bypassed the rowdy sons of the estate and greeted each other warmly.
“Please call me Lady Eltea rather than Madam. I am a knight as well.”
“Indeed! I see why you seemed formidable. Please call me Sir Andimion.”
They shook hands firmly, assessing each other’s skill. The first to speak was Mom, with a face saying, “Impressive.”
“Lintz has an excellent mentor. I didn’t expect someone so close to an Expert-level aura user.”
“Haha, Expert level… well, not yet… wait, how did you notice at a glance?!”
After the handshake, Viscount Carmel, now slightly more respectful, was surprised.
“Hmm… quite close to the threshold. If it’s not too much trouble, may I help Sir Andimion cross that boundary?”
“Of course! Please, I’d be grateful!”
“Very well, let’s begin.”
“Oooh!”
Mom surpassed the threshold that Carmel had been unable to overcome for ten years.
Since then, Mom and Viscount Carmel occasionally sparred, forming a bond through swordplay.
Observing these duels was a valuable learning experience for me and Prinz.
“Dad, those are aura users, right? Another name is Sword Masters.”
<Should I really explain aura user ranks to my classmate? Hurry, Ailet!>
Meanwhile, someone was watching the duel with admiration.
“Dad, you’re here again?”
“Yeah…”
My father’s gaze followed my mother, half entranced.
It was understandable. With a spear in his right hand and a short spear in his left, she moved gracefully like a dancing sword, beautiful and cool.
Even Agnes was awestruck by Mom’s footwork.
Viscount Carmel, the unfortunate opponent, was suddenly cast in the role of wild beast.
Dad said something unexpected.
“Oh no… I might fall for her…”
“You already did, and got married, didn’t you?”
“That’s the problem. We’re married, with kids, and yet I feel like I could fall again. What should I do?”
“Do what you already do—live happily together for a long time.”
Love makes you want to see someone even while looking at them. This feeling wasn’t only Dad’s.
“Leo! You came to cheer me on again today.”
After the duel, Mom immediately sought out Dad. After drinking the potion he gave her, she suddenly brought her face close to his.
“What’s this? You smell so good, Leo.”
“Huh, Eltea?”
A casual observer might think a young, pretty knight was flirting with a slightly older alchemist.
But the scent was real. Recently, Dad had been applying beauty potions diligently, lamenting the age gap between him and Mom.
As their noses touched, their eyes met, and their cheeks flushed a deep red.
“Eltea…”
“Leo…”
I quietly stepped aside, wishing them a lifetime of happiness together.
