Chapter 276

Ding—!

Extra Chapter

Stage 1 opened!

Along with the familiar notification sound, a window of unknown English appeared. I had no mind to interpret it. My gaze turned to the person beside me.

“…….”

Leo looked down at me with eyes sunk in shock. The sudden light made my optic nerve ache with illusion. Though I tried to squint and say something, no sound came out, as if dust clogged my throat.

Leo spoke first.

“…You’re awake?”

“…Ah. Yeah.”

Thud—

As I cleared my throat, Leo jumped up from his seat with a face as if seeing a ghost and took one or two steps back. I opened my mouth in bewilderment and looked at him. Bewilderment chilled his eyes. Only after a long while did a hollow voice come from his parched lips.

“Lukas.”

“…….”

I turned my head again and let out a long breath.

I didn’t particularly feel like replying. I understood why he treated me with that face, that voice. Something thudded down in my stomach. I didn’t think my faith had been excessive or that my friends’ faith was only this much. None of us had anticipated such an incident actually happening. Until experiencing it directly, no one knows anything. It might not be then but could be now, or not now but then—it could change. Change was sufficiently natural.

I tried to rise but thudded my head back onto the pillow. Using muscles felt unfamiliar, making my body heavier than after just waking.

“Don’t get up.”

“…….”

“Lukas.”

He kept calling my name in that dazed voice.

“Say something.”

An unfamiliar voice not like mine came from my mouth. I hadn’t meant to get angry, but it could sound like anger. I cleared my throat more and slowly raised my body. Only now did the linen patient gown I was seeing for the first time enter my eyes.

‘Come to think of it, a hospital….’

Not a hospital. As my gaze turned there, a hollow mutter came from beside me.

“Do you know how many days have passed?”

I looked at him. Having little interest in people’s appearances, I hadn’t paid much attention, but now I saw his face wasn’t in good shape. Weight loss was visible. His mouth corners were set downward, and hair he usually combed neatly now hung unkempt over his forehead. Between the strands, the dark circles under his eyes faintly showed. As I didn’t reply, Leo continued on his own.

“Three days have passed.”

“…….”

I had to ponder for a moment what I had heard.

Three days? Bewilderment rose. I thought at most three or four hours.

Another possibility for his earlier reaction now came to mind. I frowned and, without thinking, said as if explaining myself.

“…I just felt like I woke up from sleep. More than that, I…”

“Lukas.”

Leo cut my words. I had been about to talk well about the incident three days ago, but he kept skipping the main point and just calling my name, making me wonder what this was. As I smiled soullessly meaning to stop, Leo sat again in the chair beside and cautiously said.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Not thirsty?”

“Not yet.”

“Not yet?”

Whether I had stolen his sleep too, Leo repeated my words. Just seeing the dark circles under his eyes told me he hadn’t slept. Having slept three days, I now wanted some water, but truthfully, I was tired even for that.

But Leo seemed to have more to say on this topic. He rolled his gaze around and moved his lips.

“…What I mean.”

“What.”

“Aren’t you needing magic power.”

“…….”

As my face twisted, Leo quickly opened his mouth.

“No, I’m not trying to brand you like that. You, well, are alive… haven’t died, and you’ve never drunk human blood by your will, I know. Of course, not now either.”

His words didn’t enter my head.

That was what he meant by thirsty. My head chilled coldly.

My eyes turned to his arm and hand. Bandages I didn’t want to know why were attached in several places.

Though outwardly resembling Old Humans, New Human bodies operated entirely differently from Old Humans, and among various fields, injury recovery speed was incomparable to Old Humans. Thus, these wounds were all from just hours ago.

With a finger snap, Leo’s arm was caught by magic power and pulled. I seized his hand. Scratches from a knife were visible on his fingertips. They seemed just starting to scab. Similar traces on other fingers too. I stared piercingly at him and opened my mouth.

“Tell me.”

“You’re the same.”

The rudeness intact, was it? Unimportant. I slowly enunciated each word.

“Tell me, Leo.”

“It was just needed for the experiment.”

“What experiment.”

Leo glanced behind. His gaze full of wariness circled the room and, finding it insufficient, turned around again.

The door was locked with Old Human locks and several defensive magics. The windows too. The wall where windows should be gave subtle incongruity, and looking at the ceiling, only this part lacked molding. They had spaced for curtains not to arouse suspicion outside and erected a new wall with magic.

Who might they have worried would enter that they prepared so thoroughly.

Leo swept his haggard face with his hand and said.

“Having slept three days, it’s right to call medical staff. But, sorry. Can’t do that. I have much to talk with you about.”

“No need to be sorry. Grateful you didn’t call.”

“You know how you collapsed.”

“Yeah. Not from drinking the Precious Blood like that.”

“…Hm, for Precious Blood, usually it’s not ‘drinking’ but ‘receiving.’”

I knew. Anyway, even in my right mind, I said ‘receiving.’ With patience, I slowly explained to Leo. I couldn’t speak fast because my breath hitched.

“Yeah, spiritually so, but anyway, in this situation of ‘drinking and collapsing’ physically, it’s not intuitive, right. No mind to say precisely one by one, so just understand. Anyway, I know I collapsed after receiving the consecrated wine in the chalice.”

“Haha… Yeah. Hearing such expression from someone like a cardinal feels fresh.”

Leo smiled brightly as if returned to daily life for a moment. Seeing his usual expression eased my tension a bit. But that innocence quickly faded. Gradually, worry clouded his face, soon returning to earlier. In a sunken voice, he said.

“Since you know, talk will be fast. As you know, after receiving the Precious Blood, you absorbed Elias’s magic power. Fortunately, others don’t know. Those who know this fact are only Narce and me, Elias, …and Mother.”

“What did His Majesty say.”

“Same position as me, no need to worry. Now, no reason to change attitude over such an accident.”

“…….”

No reason to change.

Then my earlier worry wasn’t reality. If so, I understood exactly where the traces on Leo’s arm had been mobilized. Good information to grasp other friends’ reactions and the outside situation.

Then now, I didn’t know what I should be thinking. Grateful? Relieved? Sorry? Unfortunately, my head was still blank.

With gaze fixed on my hand, I said.

“…Fortunate. So, exactly what happened to me.”

“Your core is getting stronger.”

At the unexpected words, I silently looked at him. Leo smiled slightly with his still haggard face and said.

“That’s all. Be happy, Lukas. Now, theoretically, you can have more magic power than me and Elias combined.”

“Why is that.”

“Because your core and magic power can accept everything.”

As I kept looking, he properly understood it meant more explanation and continued.

“From observations over the past three days, we detected you absorbing faint magic power flowing in the air. And we did some direct experiments too.”

“Experiments.”

“Of course, that doesn’t mean you accept everything. Having the ability and actually executing are different. From experiments, if you blindly absorb others’ magic power, you get attacked too. So your core didn’t particularly try to absorb others’ magic power.”

That I already knew. Right now, Leo’s magic power was wrapped around my core, but my core wasn’t absorbing it.

Leo hesitated whether to say, coughed, and continued.

“I named the state where your magic power or core is as usual ‘not hungry’ state, but you probably won’t like it. I don’t either.”

“You know well. But it’s intuitive. Continue.”

“This state continued after your recovery. We did experiments like me or Elias touching you, sending magic power or trying to draw your magic power, but you didn’t attract any. Meaning your core doesn’t want magic power in that state. Probably because magic power is sufficient. So, in daily life, you won’t absorb others’ magic power like last time all day. That was truly an accident.”

I slowly nodded.

“There were times your state worsened midway, and we confirmed that when urgent measures were needed, you absorbed even human magic power. But in this case too, your core suffers the same damage.”

I muttered while retracing his words one by one.

“Drawing magic power.”

“You had to live, so natural. Of course, ordinary mages lack the ability to draw others’ like you and would just die. You showing this exceptional phenomenon remains. But I wanted to say this is just your pure ability.”

Leo kept twisting his fingers as he spoke. It sounded like talking to himself.

“…That’s just it. You just struggled not to die in a near-death situation, and fortunately, you had an ability specialized for survival. A person certain to die—what can’t they do. If others had your ability, they’d go around extorting people’s magic power on purpose.”

“…….”

“I don’t know what you felt before losing consciousness, but since I can guess the confusion you feel now, let me say something helpful… Strictly speaking, you don’t crave blood. You crave magic power. Blood is just the medium.”

“Yeah.”

After that, no one spoke.

This time too, Leo spoke first.

“It’s not the end here. Your core has started to have extensibility.”

“Extensibility meaning?”

“Your core is growing. Whether due to your magic power or your core’s trait, we haven’t figured out yet… but there’s sufficient possibility you’ll periodically feel emptiness. Because the nutrients needed for growth can’t be filled with yours alone.”

“Why conclude that.”

Instead of replying, he stared at me. Then continued from earlier.

“I don’t know how long this growth period will last. If it’s your magic power or core’s inherent trait, perhaps it’ll never end. Of course, it could grow close to infinite then.”

“…….”

“I wonder if this is a side effect of suppressed growth all life finally appearing. Of course, why now and not last year, I don’t know, but from now, we have to find out.”

Bad? Not bad. But this amplifies doubts more. Exactly what led me that day to here. Exactly why the Precious Blood that didn’t react to others reacted only to me. If ‘drinking the wine’ had no issue, then was ‘receiving the Precious Blood’ the issue.

“Leo. How’s the investigation.”

“Meaning if there was a problem in the church.”

I nodded.

“There was no issue with receiving the Precious Blood. We investigated everyone in the church that day over the past three days, but no one colluding with Adrian Askanian, nor anyone from the list you got from Jürgen Beck or recent contacts or letter correspondents.”

“…….”

“Still, clearly, Adrian Askanian sending you the medicine was preparation for this. He knew this would happen. Can’t say he didn’t.”

“You don’t suspect.”

“…….”

It could feel out of nowhere. But Leo stared at me, then gave a reply matching my intent.

“Why should I suspect. I believe what I’ve seen.”

“…….”

“If I suspected you, I wouldn’t be here, Lukas.”

Yes, that would be so. No reason for those many injection marks on his arm either.

Now, the one to center himself was me. The one to find truth was me too. That much, I couldn’t pass to my friends’ shoulders.

“I have something to bring. I’ll be back shortly. Wait.”

Leo said while rising.

I nodded. Instead of warping, he unlocked and went out. As he left, I leaned back against the headboard and sighed deeply.

‘Let’s think.’

I needed to finish thinking what I was thinking earlier.

Previously drunk Precious Blood had no issue. The Mass right before was about two weeks before the day I collapsed. Counting even the mandatory Protestant Lord’s Supper from Imperial Second Academy, it shortens to a week ago, but since that doesn’t acknowledge transubstantiation, exclude for now.

What change happened to me between the two reception dates.

Experiencing Pentalon terror and waking? 1898 Ash Wednesday? The former was a big incident, but if foreseen, Adrian Askanian would have used every means to return home and lock me up or resolve the incident himself long ago. No human can act on unforeseeable events. Then the latter. Ash Wednesday is quite appealing spiritually if ‘after receiving Precious Blood’ is certainly the cause, but realistically, unconvincing.

Or perhaps a curse Adrian Askanian laid long ago? If so, Bavaria Medical Center’s check would have caught it long ago, but since his poison uses ingredients even Bavaria doesn’t know, worth considering.

‘…Problem is, no hypothesis fits with confirming clues. As archbishop said, now find.’

Ideally, since I can rewind time, better to find now with various experiments possible.

But how?

I swept my hair back and took a deep breath.

With nothing I can do right now, first need to examine what I received before collapsing. I opened the status window, looked at the unfamiliar name in the trait slot at the bottom, and muttered. A new window appeared.

Extra Chapter

Stage 1: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come!

Stage 2: ―

Stage 3: ―

Below were rows of slots written ‘―’ similarly.

‘…Hm.’

What’s this? Need to know something to attempt, but no explanation. What Extra of meaning.

‘For now, that first stage opened today.’

If same as Chapter system I know, means I’m at that stage now. But no reason to duplicate existing system. Since ‘opened,’ perhaps something different.

I pondered long while glaring at the text.

‘Staying still won’t drop information.’

For now, press it.

At that thought, my center vanished. A horn tearing ears blared.

Hoooon—!

“…!”

I snapped open my eyes. Sky visible. Below my shoulder, a small carry-on was pillowed.

‘…?! Wait. Until just now, I was in the hospital room?’

“There! Come out!”

“What are you doing!”

No time for long bewilderment. Now I saw everyone around staring at me. Right above my head, carriages and cars passed. I had collapsed in the middle of the road.

“Get up!”

Someone grabbed my arm and yanked me up. I hurriedly grabbed the carry-on and apologized to the driver standing before me.

“Sorry.”

“Hey!”

“Why lie there? Young person already lost it….”

The middle-aged Old Human who raised me dragged me to the sidewalk while scolding, then widened his eyes. He gaped at me, then tilted his head with an expression like seeing all kinds in life. Already mind scattered, this too added bewilderment. I squinted and asked.

“What’s wrong.”

“Why is your eye color like that.”

“Pardon?”

“Pink. How can human eyes be…”

Well. I didn’t know why either.

I was about to reply that, then at a sudden thought, opened my mouth.

“…By chance, what day is it today?”

“March 20th.”

March 20th? No way. Still early March.

Had I come to the future? I looked around quickly. The cars passing on the road looked a bit old. Benzend Co. 3rd gen magic power engine car announcement. The article I saw this year flashed in my mind. All cars on the road now were old-generation.

The person before me slowly backed away with a face like meeting a madman. Before he bolted, I seized his arm and asked.

“…What year is it now.”

“…1886? Hoho….”

“…….”

As I let go, he swiftly vanished.

I stood there blankly looking at the street. Laughter began bubbling up.

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