Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 156

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 156

* * *

“You’ve been through a lot. So, shall I kill them?”

Terry, whom I was seeing for the first time in two weeks, asked casually as if suggesting a stroll.

I didn’t need to ask who she was referring to.

I answered as I accepted her escort and climbed into the carriage.

“When you say things like that, it doesn’t sound like a joke, so stop it.”

“It’s not a joke though.”

Terry sulked and glared at the roof of the Grand Temple that was slightly visible over the high wall, as if venting her frustration.

As soon as I leaned back into the seat of the Blanche Family carriage, the familiar texture of luxurious velvet comfortably enveloped my body.

‘Ah yes, this is exactly it.’

While savoring the sweet air of the secular world and watching the bustling streets outside the carriage, Terry handed me some documents she had placed to one side.

“There are several things to report, but I brought this since you were probably waiting for it most.”

“This is…”

Monster attack on merchant caravan. Royal Capital subjugation force dispatched but missed golden time, resulting in numerous casualties.

The document Terry handed me contained a brief summary of an incident where a large merchant caravan traveling between the North and the Royal Capital was attacked by monsters.

Common folk who rarely leave their territories pay good money to traveling caravans to accompany them to their destinations when heading to foreign lands.

Leo was one of the commoners who had entrusted himself to a caravan to travel from the North to the Royal Capital.

21 out of 24 total deaths. A young child was found among the survivors and transferred to an orphanage in the Royal Capital. Guardian presumed dead…

Even after I finished reading all the contents, I couldn’t take my eyes off it, so Terry carefully added,

“When he was transferred to the orphanage, he couldn’t live normally for several months due to psychological trauma. Fortunately, his condition gradually improved, but he seemed unable to remember previous events.”

That was probably true.

“I think I was at the orphanage when I was five, but I don’t know what happened before that. I don’t remember it well.”

Leo himself had said he didn’t remember much from before age five.

Of course, there are individual differences in first memories, but Leo couldn’t easily recall the appearance of messenger beasts, which supposedly take the form of animals they find familiar.

Doesn’t that mean Leo has forgotten memories?

For instance, memories from the North before age five, where he would have been familiar with white weasels.

I pointed to one part of the document and asked Terry,

“What kind of people are the Harpers Couple, who are presumed to be Leo’s guardians?”

“That will take more time. The North is very distant and closed off, and since the identities of the deceased were determined based on survivors’ memories, the accuracy is quite low.”

While Sewer Rat’s intelligence network was flawless, it inevitably had the limitation of being concentrated in the Royal Capital.

It would take much time and legwork to retrace the route the caravan took four years ago and find out about the Harpers Couple living in the North.

I carefully spoke while watching the Blanche Estate, now like my own home, gradually approaching.

“Along with the Harpers Couple, could you also look into the branch families of House Baluashten?”

“You mean the ducal family of the North, correct?”

Terry asked in surprise at my words.

I nodded with a heavy heart.

The target of the monster’s malice is the target of the curse.

However, none of the people in the dungeon that day had their eyes turn red, and the Temple and Magic Tower concluded that the monster’s curse had been weakened by being equally distributed among those present.

But my thoughts differ, having faced that creature head-on at the moment of its death.

The monster’s red eyes, blazing with murderous intent and madness, were directed at Leo until the very moment before death.

As if trying to clearly see who had pierced its heart.

Though I desperately denied it, I could instinctively sense that the monster’s curse was directed at Leo.

‘If the monster’s curse affected Leo, I can’t send him to the Temple. Not to Giuseppe.’

I couldn’t entrust Leo’s safety to someone who had carried out summary execution without hesitation as soon as the Priest was revealed to be a Dark Mage.

The reason I desperately protected Leo from Giuseppe at the time, and later sent the child to the Magic Tower, was all for this reason.

And during the past two weeks, I gathered information from inside the Temple in my own way.

As expected, the library in the Temple was full of monster-related books and papers that couldn’t be taken outside, but.

…Eyes turning red and being consumed by murderous urges and madness are characteristics of the curse.

Meanwhile, young children are more vulnerable to monster curses… even divine power cannot completely purify the curse… currently, there is no known method to completely eliminate monster curses.

Nowhere was there anything about methods to weaken monster curses.

‘Fortunately, Leo is safe, but…’

Then I need to find out ‘why’ he could be safe.

And there was only one reason I could currently speculate.

“Do you think Jui-bam-tol is from a branch family of House Baluashten?”

“Nothing’s certain and the evidence is weak. But it’s not entirely impossible.”

The vigorously running carriage passed through the main gate of the Blanche Estate and began crossing the well-maintained garden.

Among the autumn flowers that had bloomed fully in the past two weeks, words that Cheri had once whispered softly echoed in my ears.

“The direct line of Baluashten is born with the ability to resist curses.”

As far as I know, only the Baluashten Family’s ability can provide freedom from monster curses.

‘If the reason Leo is safe is because he possessed that ability.’

Whether the Harpers Couple are Leo’s biological parents, what connection they have to the Baluashten Family’s ability – everything is still shrouded in mystery.

‘Come to think of it, didn’t Cheri say he was looking for a child?’

How much connection could there be with the information I have?

Just as I was wondering whether to send Cheri a letter asking about the situation, the carriage stopped.

“Your return after two weeks. Everyone has been waiting for you.”

When Terry opened the carriage door, what I saw was Leo running toward me.

“Belinda!”

Leo, whose face was flushed red from the autumn sun from waiting outside for me for who knows how long, ran to me in one breath.

The complex thoughts that had covered my mind like dark clouds disappeared with just one smile from the child.

I spread both hands to create shade over Leo’s forehead and asked,

“Leo, did you stay strong and well without me for two weeks?”

“Yes!”

“Really? You were fine without me. How disappointing.”

“Oh, a-actually, I was a little less strong than usual.”

Leo, who was showing how much ‘a little’ was by spreading his thumb and index finger, started glancing at me and gradually widening the gap between his fingers.

Then he finally confessed, “Actually, I couldn’t stay strong.”

I burst into laughter and lightly kissed Leo’s eyelid.

The child’s blue eyes, filled with autumn sunlight, were shining as blue as summer fruit, as they always did.

* * *

The Blanche Family Annex Library.

Wondering if there might be other abilities I didn’t know about that could counter monster curses.

With such thoughts, I had stopped by the library late in the evening to look for related books.

It happened to be when the book I was looking for was far above my eye level, so I was standing on tiptoe and reaching out my hand.

“You’re trying to get this one out, right?”

I felt a familiar presence behind me, and someone pulled out the book for me instead.

I turned around to look at the man who placed the book in my hands, tilting my head curiously.

His shameless yet bright smile was no different from before, but how should I put it.

The view looking down at me seemed a bit higher than before, and it felt like his clothes fit him better somehow.

“Chaser, did you grow taller?”

“Does it look that way?”

Chaser smiled mischievously.

It wasn’t my imagination – he really seemed to have grown taller in the few months I hadn’t seen his face.

“Well, you’re still in your prime growing years after all.”

At my casual muttering, one of Chaser’s eyebrows shot up crookedly.

“Who says that? That I’m in my growing years.”

Oops, did I hurt his pride?

From my perspective with accumulated experience from my previous life, he’s still just a little kid, but at that age, he probably thinks he’s already a full-grown adult, so he might be upset.

I cleared my throat and hurriedly moved to the table, changing the subject.

“By the way, is it okay for a Magister to be lounging around so leisurely like this?”

Chaser, who followed me with a sulky expression and sat across from me, quickly regained his usual relaxed expression and rested his chin on his hand placed on the table.

“I’m not exactly free, but I can always make time for my master.”

And he smiled with his eyes crinkling softly.

This guy, it seems like he’s become even more of a guilty human being in these past few months.

I stood up the book I brought to block Chaser’s intense gaze and spoke reproachfully.

“Someone who says they can make all the time in the world for me, why didn’t you send even one letter all this time? When you were writing letters to Leo.”

I had been curious about Chaser’s news the whole time.

I don’t know much about the inner workings of the Mage Republic, but it couldn’t have been easy to become the master of a tower without any support base.

There must have been difficulties along the way, and times when he needed help.

He kept sending letters to Leo regularly, but not a single contact to me, so honestly, I felt a bit hurt.

It was probably like the feeling of waiting for news from a younger brother sent to the military.

Soon, a voice as sweet as honey came from beyond the book I had propped up.

“So you’d think about me just a little bit more. If I sent letters saying I was doing well, you’d feel relieved and not think about me as much, right?”

Well, look at this?

I peered at Chaser with just my eyes peeking over the book.

Before I knew it, he had cupped his face in his hands like the day we first met and was whispering in a lowered voice as if sharing a very, very secret story.

“I really missed you so much, master, but didn’t you miss me?”

This kid keeps teasing an adult.

I glared at Chaser who was playing tricks.

Unfortunately for Chaser, I had now developed some immunity to his beauty.

That means I wouldn’t fall for his flirtatious eye-smile when he wanted something.

Besides, using charm isn’t his exclusive specialty.

I lowered my head to compose my expression, then closed the book with a sharp thud.

And I smiled with my eyes crinkling and whispered back as if responding to his secret story.

“I missed you, Chaser.”

“…!”

“…is what I’ll gladly tell you, so could you give Leo a discount on his tuition fees?”

Chaser, whose face had instantly traveled between heaven and hell, covered his face with both hands and made a crying sound.

“Master, you know that’s really too much, right?”

That’s what you get for teasing an adult.

I snorted and opened the book again, and Chaser kept his forehead pressed against the desk for a while before quietly speaking.

“Master.”

“Chaser, are you really not busy?”

Why is someone who’s a Magister sprawled out in someone else’s house like this.

However, my indifferent expression instantly hardened at Chaser’s next words.

“You asked me before. To find out who was behind the black magic that remains on you.”

Finally, my gaze turned back to Chaser.

“I think I found out who it is.”

Chaser, who had lifted his head, had an unprecedentedly serious expression.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————