IEGM 10

Chapter 10

“Me too. It feels like a dream just being able to talk face-to-face with you, sister after so long!”

Ansharie, who had been chatting with a bright smile, suddenly turned gloomy.

“Ah… is this a dream? I mean, I’m always asleep when I come to the nursing room. But I’ve never actually dreamed before…”

She trailed off from a question into a mutter, looking as though she might burst into tears at any moment.

I had just been quietly watching her, amused by how she was cheerfully talking to herself, when a thought suddenly crossed my mind—perhaps, having grown up in such a strange place, her sense of reality and dreams had become blurred, making her anxious.

Before her confusion could deepen, I quickly pinched her cheek.

“How about this? Does it hurt?”

“Eh?”

“In dreams, you don’t feel pain. But right now it hurts, right? So this is reality.”

“I… I see.”

Ansharie, startled by the sudden pinch, widened her eyes and responded awkwardly.

“Now that we’ve confirmed it’s not a dream, let’s decide what to do for fun.”

“Yes!”

And so our discussion began—and went on endlessly.

In truth, there wasn’t much in the room besides a bed and a candle, so there were very few things we could actually do. Because of that, there weren’t many games I could think of for Ansharie either.

When there’s nothing to do, talking is the best option.

We continued chatting under the topic of “deciding what to do for fun.”

By the time we started running out of things to say, we naturally shifted topics, and before I knew it, Ansharie was nodding off.

Checking the pocket watch I had brought, I saw it was already nearing five o’clock.

“Ansharie, should we sleep soon?”

“…Are you going back, sister?”

“If I stay too long, I’ll get caught by your father.”

“I’m… going to miss you so much.”

She spoke dejectedly, her large eyes welling up with tears.

“I’ll come again.”

I reflexively answered.

She looked like she would cry at any moment.

Damn it… I originally planned to only observe through Lira so I wouldn’t get caught by Cain or the Marquis…

Even at night when no one was around, opening the iron door made noise, so there was always a risk of being discovered. I had intended not to enter the room directly for a while.

But seeing Ansharie’s tears, I had blurted out something different from what I intended.

“Really?”

Her tears vanished instantly, and Ansharie’s face bloomed like a flower in full spring. She looked up at me with sparkling, expectant eyes.

I couldn’t take back my words now.

No choice. I’ll just have to be more careful from now on.

Wanting to preserve her smile, I nodded and extended my pinky.

“Yeah. I promise.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

Ansharie smiled brighter than ever and hooked her pinky with mine.

I gently kissed her forehead.

“Good night, Ansharie.”

“Yes. Sister, please return safely.”

I pulled the blanket up to her neck and stood up.

I was worried about leaving her alone, but I really had to go now.

“Lira, I’m counting on you.”

“Kyung.”

I wanted to leave without using mental magic, but Cain or the Marquis might come to inspect at any time.

So I had to endure it for now.

I turned off the magical lamp, and at Lira’s cue, a violet flame ignited.

I will definitely save you.

In a Drowsy Consciousness

A strange sensation of being forcibly pulled away overtook me.

I couldn’t move at all, as if I had been tightly bound in chains.

What is this?

I struggled, but whatever was holding me didn’t budge.

An uneasy feeling rose within me, and a warning kept echoing in my mind:

“You can’t stay like this!”

Please, move—my body!

With all my strength, I struggled desperately.

And then—

[Kyang!]

A sharp sound rang out, and suddenly I was free.

Sleep paralysis? My vision was pitch black…

I couldn’t finish the thought when I saw the scene before me.

Because Tiamia’s body was right in front of me.

So it wasn’t sleep paralysis—I was a ghost.

No wonder I felt so light, as if I had no body, and my perspective was close to the ceiling.

It seemed I had undergone astral projection.

I stared blankly at Tiamia’s motionless body, then suddenly realized something—I was not in my bed.

Where is this?

I looked around, but there were no windows, and not a single ray of light entered the room. The only illumination came from a bluish flame.

The candlelight surrounded Tiamia’s body, and a large magic circle was drawn on the floor.

There were no other furnishings, making it hard to identify the place—but the atmosphere was clearly ominous.

And didn’t I just hear Lira’s voice earlier?

But Lira, who had been sleeping beside me, was not here.

While I worried something might have happened to her because of me, a familiar voice cut through my thoughts.

It was Marquis Serentia.

“Has her soul left her body? Why is she still breathing?”

He stepped into the magic circle from the darkness and placed a finger under Tiamia’s nose.

Wait—soul leaving the body? Is this black magic already?

I had thought I still had time because there were no rumors of Ishtar performing silent casting magic.

But either something had changed, or I had simply been unaware.

Either way, it was clear—my life was in danger.

Just as I was thinking of how to escape this crisis, the Marquis continued.

“Her mana circle hasn’t expanded either. Did the ritual fail?”

That was strangely good news.

So maybe the black magic failed and caused this astral projection state?

It was a plausible theory.

Instead of having her soul absorbed, the ritual had likely failed midway, leaving Tiamia’s soul stranded outside her body.

As I was forming conclusions, the Marquis spoke again.

“You said Tiamia’s mana circle was stable?”

Then Cain’s voice answered.

“It may be due to the familiar.”

“What does a familiar have to do with this?”

“The intention of enslaving Lady Tiamia was not only to use her as a sacrifice later, but also to control her comfortably until then. However, the more important purpose was to erase her self-awareness.”

“I know that to separate soul and body, the sense of self must be removed first.”

“Yes. That’s why children’s souls are easier to extract than adults’.”

“Tch. I’ve already heard that when absorbing Siera’s soul. Stop explaining and tell me why the ritual failed.”

Siera was the name of the Marquis’s wife.

So he didn’t absorb her soul immediately due to succession and public scrutiny—but instead kept brainwashing her?

It seemed long-term mental magic had delayed the process instead.

While I was shocked by information not present in the original story, Cain slowly approached the magic circle.

“I’ve never performed this ritual on a mage with a familiar, so I can’t be certain, but theoretically, familiar magic connects master and familiar through mana.”

According to Cain, communication and shared senses with familiars may exist because parts of their souls are connected through mana.

“So you’re saying Tiamia’s sense of self became stronger because of the soul link with the familiar?”

“That is my hypothesis.”

“I don’t buy it. That’s only your speculation.”

“Of course, but there is no other explanation for the failure.”

“No excuses. You should know that in the current situation—where a genius mage has emerged from that detestable Acherlaide—my position will be at risk unless I reach 6th circle.”

The Marquis’s voice suddenly sharpened.

So Ishtar succeeded in silent casting magic!

I hadn’t heard the news, but the story was progressing as expected.

As I traced the original plot, I suddenly felt something off.

If what the Marquis says is true, then today is supposed to be the day Tiamia dies!

But why is she still alive?

Could Lira be the variable that changed everything, as Cain suggested?

Or maybe the incomplete fusion between my soul and Tiamia’s body caused the black magic to fail…

Various hypotheses surfaced, but no clear answer emerged.

Meanwhile, their conversation neared its end.

“I will give you one last chance. Prepare everything by next month.”

“Yes. I will not disappoint you.”

As the blue flame extinguished, my floating consciousness sank like it was being submerged underwater.

Later

After learning how to open the iron door, I confirmed that no one besides Cain—who brought meals—ever came near the nursing room.

So I visited Ansharie about twice a week.

It was partly because of my promise, but honestly, I also wanted to talk to my favorite character who hadn’t appeared much in the novel.

Well, even if my life is as fragile as a candle in the wind, there’s nothing I can do until I meet Ishtar at the imperial tea party anyway.

There was no point in rushing.

The problem was—

“Sister? Are you listening?”

“…Huh? What did you say?”

I had been lost in thought and reacted a beat too late.

Ansharie stared at me silently, then puffed her cheeks and said in a sulky voice: