GSTB 09

Chapter 9

“I heard you were looking for me.”

The moment he stepped into the reception room, the face that came into view was, as expected, a woman he had never seen before.

“…I kept you waiting. Pleased to meet you.”

At his formal greeting, the woman seated slowly rose to her feet.

“Not at all. I was just taking a look around.”

She had black hair and sharp, cat-like eyes.

Haon instinctively sensed that she was no easy opponent.

As he gestured for her to sit, the woman tilted her head in acknowledgment and sat back down.

“Hello, you are Haon Leonardo, correct?”

Haon also took a seat across from her.

“Yes, that’s right. And you are?”

“My name is Adel Catherine. I used to be a researcher at the Magic Tower.”

“Used to be?”

He asked back in puzzlement, and the woman answered calmly.

“Ah, I’m no longer affiliated with the Tower now. I came today because I have a personal proposal to make to you, young master.”

Haon’s gaze sharpened.

“…A proposal? Did my father send you?”

“His Grace the Duke? No, nothing like that.”

“I think you should start by explaining exactly what purpose brings you before me.”

At his wary gaze, Adel simply shrugged nonchalantly.

“Hmm, since I’m an engineering student… I mean, a researcher, I’m not very good at beating around the bush. Do you mind if I speak bluntly?”

“…Go ahead.”

Haon replied grudgingly.

Usually, when he lowered his voice and tried to intimidate people, most would shrink back—but this woman showed no sign of fear. If anything, she looked far too composed.

“Young master, have you recently experienced any sudden loss of strength or numbness in your knees or legs?”

A brief silence followed.

Struck right in the sore spot, Haon fixed Adel with an even stiffer stare.

“It’s fine when you’re resting, but it tingles with even a little exertion… And when you walk, it seems fine, but then suddenly gives out. Am I right?”

Adel’s words continued without giving him a chance to interrupt.

“At first it was your left hand, then your right leg… and by now, you’re probably feeling discomfort even just standing up and sitting down.”

“…How do you know that?”

Haon’s voice cracked terribly.

The fact that this woman knew about his illness wasn’t all that surprising in itself.

After all, the ducal house had been making inquiries everywhere in search of a cure, so it wouldn’t be strange if someone had caught wind of his condition.

‘But I’ve never told anyone about the symptoms I’ve been experiencing lately.’

Yet this woman wasn’t just repeating hearsay—she was pinpointing the progression of his illness with the uncanny accuracy of a fortune-teller.

‘What in the world?’

He had sought help from countless physicians and mages, but very few had truly understood his condition.

It was, after all, a rare disease whose very cause and progression remained unclear.

Even his own family was busy sweeping his existence under the rug, and now a complete stranger had seen through his condition with such precision.

Haon instinctively held his breath in front of this unfamiliar woman.

Adel cleared her throat and continued.

“Actually, while I was at the Magic Tower, I once saw a patient with symptoms similar to yours. At the time, I conducted separate research into ways to improve the patient’s condition.”

“And?”

“To cut to the chase, I found both the cause of the illness and a solution.”

“And you expect me to believe that?”

“What’s not to believe? I’m this talented, you know—a genius.”

“What…?”

Calling herself a genius to his face.

An incredulous laugh escaped him, but Adel remained utterly brazen.

“If you don’t believe me, ask anyone at the Magic Tower about Adel Catherine. I’m quite well-known over there.”

At that point, Haon could vaguely sense that this woman’s visit was no trivial matter.

At the same time, he realized she was by no means an ordinary researcher.

“…Go on, Miss Adel Catherine.”

Now drawn into her words, Haon nodded seriously.

“So, um. There’s a very simple reason why you’ve ended up like this.”

Haon’s eyes wavered.

“And what is that?”

“Simply put—’there’s too much mana in your body.'”

Adel spoke clearly and steadily.

“When mana accumulates beyond what’s necessary, the body’s flow gets disrupted, and that irritates the nerves. Over time, your senses dull and pain occurs. Exactly the condition you’re experiencing right now.”

Haon was speechless.

No one had ever explained his illness so clearly before.

They said she was a genius at the Magic Tower.

Perhaps her claim of being a genius wasn’t entirely unfounded after all.

“So I call this condition ‘mana-excess nerve damage.'”

Mana-excess nerve damage.

It was the first time he had ever heard a proper diagnosis for his illness.

Until now, he had only heard things like stress-induced paralysis, or that the cause was unknown, or suggestions to get more sleep and eat better.

“So, if we just deal with the excess mana in your body, we can cure the illness.”

“…So.”

Haon asked, narrowing his eyes.

“You came to me just to tell me that?”

“No, my real purpose is something else, of course.”

Adel continued without a moment’s hesitation.

“I will cure you completely. But there’s a condition.”

“…A condition?”

Haon repeated, his tone noticeably different from when she had first mentioned a proposal.

For the first time since appearing before him, Adel looked slightly sheepish.

“Ahem! Well, you see, I have a business I’m currently planning. The thing is, I’m in need of quite a bit of startup capital.”

“Startup capital, you say.”

What emerged from Adel’s arms was an old notebook.

Inside it were complex blueprints.

She then launched into an explanation that, to him, was utterly incomprehensible no matter how many times he heard it.

“…So, in exchange for curing your illness, I came to propose that you invest in this venture.”

Unlike her earlier confidence, the woman now wore a slightly cowed expression.

She seemed worried whether this deal could even be made.

“An investment, hmm.”

Glancing down.

Haon silently looked over the research materials she had brought.

A subspace pocket large enough to easily fit an entire house.

And apparently, the space could be replicated infinitely under the right conditions.

‘…Ridiculous.’

To be honest, until she pulled out those blueprints, he had half-believed her.

The theory about nerve damage caused by excess mana had sounded fairly plausible.

But there was no need to hear any more now.

Haon clicked his tongue lightly.

Every now and then, there were people who tried to sell useless trinkets at exorbitant prices by spinning tall tales—elixirs of immortality, treasures from foreign lands, and the like.

It seemed one such individual had appeared before him as well.

‘She must have heard somewhere that I’m desperate because of this illness.’

What made it worse was that she had a rather youthful and harmless-looking face.

Well, not that swindlers usually wore their intentions on their faces anyway.

Haon let out a scoff, as if he had never taken her seriously to begin with.

“How amusing. A complete stranger asks me to invest in a business in exchange for curing my illness. Don’t you feel like a fraud yourself?”

“I know it’s hard to trust. So I’m not asking you to believe me right away.”

“…”

Toward the silent man, the woman pulled a small medicine bottle from her pocket.

“When the symptoms come on, try taking this. It’s on the house.”

Inside the translucent glass bottle was a clear liquid with a faint bluish glow.

“…What is this?”

“It looks like plain water, but it’s a mana-absorbing agent brewed from refined ores.”

She set it down on the table and continued.

“This will gradually absorb the excess magical energy in your body and slowly correct the disrupted flow.