I Was Just Having Fun With The Time Limit - Chapter 110

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

Biatone asked.
“How long have you had it?”
“I’m not sure. About twenty-one years, I’d say.”
Narbidal’s Mark was a curse bestowed by the god of death.
From that moment, a human was granted twenty-one years of life.
No matter how much one struggled, death came after twenty-one years.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Would telling you change anything?”
I was afraid.
Afraid that you would grieve.
“You should have told me regardless.”
“What would I tell a foolish child who can’t even manage himself?”
Biatone’s eyes turned bloodshot.
“What am I to Mother?”
“I have no desire to perform such melodrama.”
You are more precious to me than my own life.
You are the child I love most in this world, and therefore the one I fear for most.
“Why must I only learn this today?”
“Because you were too young.”
I was afraid to tell you.
I could picture you accepting it without question, nodding along as if it were only natural.
A colorless, odorless child—you were colorless and odorless about everything.
“As you can see, time is not abundant. Follow me.”
Beksah rose from her seat.
She pushed against the study wall, and with a soft sliding sound, it rotated open.
A secret chamber lay hidden within the wall.
“Inside here are all the things I have researched throughout my lifetime.”
“….”
Within lay the complete research records of Beksah, who had been a genius from birth and never once relinquished the title of the continent’s greatest mage.
“Some I seized, and some I stole.”
In her youth, Beksah had never forgiven those who challenged her.
She thoroughly crushed families that insulted her and took their secret techniques.
Moreover, she would not tolerate the strong oppressing the weak.
She took from those who wielded power unjustly, and when that proved insufficient, she stole.
As a result, this place contained countless grimoires and secret texts from fallen houses of magical renown.
“…Why are you showing me this?”
“Because adults need power as well.”
In Beksah’s eyes, Biatone was dangerous.
With such overwhelming strength, he could become pure evil.
Like a kind child innocently tearing the head from a dragonfly.
One who lacks deep reflection on life is unworthy of great power and treasure.
But now, that has changed.
The time had come to pass everything she had built throughout her lifetime to her grown son.
“If you search carefully, you’ll find records of Wilhelm’s family, the forbidden magics they researched, and related materials. And this side contains my investigations into Narbidal’s Mark.”
“….”
Biatone had begun to weep.
The countless documents gathered here possessed such tremendous scholarly value that even the Mirotell Magic Federation and the Magic Tower would covet them desperately.
Within this space lay so many mysteries that could transform an ordinary person into a Grand Mage.
‘I knew you would be happy.’
She had feared seeing her son’s joy upon receiving these treasures.
But her son was not happy.
Biatone bit her lip gently.
Gazing upon these countless treasures, Biatone could feel one thing with absolute certainty.
“How terribly lonely have you endured all this time?”
Beksah sat in a cross-legged position on a small cushion placed in the center of the secret chamber.
She remained silent for a long while before speaking.
“Are you grieving?”
Are you grieving?
It took twenty-one years to ask this question.
She lacked the courage, too afraid of hearing that she was not grieving.
It would have been better to find courage sooner.
“Is that what you call speaking?”
Her son, who seemed as though he would never weep no matter what trials befell him, was crying.
Fragrance had come to the colorless, odorless child.
“Do not grieve. We merely return to nature from whence we came.”
Beksah’s heart felt unburdened.
She had finally obtained what she had hoped for until the very end.
Her son now possessed meaning in his life, had become an adult, and would be able to live in the world as one should.
“To dispel the curse of Narbidal, you will likely need the heart of a dragon.”
“….”
“Listen well. These are the final words of the last head of the Pahello Family.”
Those words meant she would not pass the family to Biatone.
It was also a way of freeing him from the responsibility of bearing the family’s burden.
“Never forget the reason you became an adult. Protect with all your heart what you wish to protect. Even should you fail to protect it, the very process of striving to do so will make your life fragrant. My body….”
Burn my body and scatter it upon Lake Barkaldt.
She was about to say this when Biatone interrupted.
“Mother.”
In Biatone’s eyes burned a longing that had never once appeared before.
“Would you not hold me just once?”
Whether he was asking for permission to embrace her.
Or perhaps she was asking me to hold her.
If she was asking to be held, that would have been even more endearing.
The last grain of sand fell from the hourglass.
‘I have loved you, my son.’
A faint smile graced Beksah’s lips, and Biatone never heard her answer.
The space filled with silence, and through that silence came only the sound of an adult weeping.
Biatone held the unresponsive Beksah and wept for a long time.
Only after a truly long while did Biatone finally rise to his feet.
“Mother remained Mother until the very end, didn’t she?”
Beksah sat in a cross-legged position without the slightest disturbance.
It seemed as though she might open her eyes at any moment and scold, ‘Should I insert the lightning bolt?’
Biatone bowed before the upright corpse.
“I held you in reverence, Mother.”
* * *
I was startled.
“Good heavens.”
Michael’s eyes were a deep blue.
Whether red or purple, his eye sockets had swollen enormously in a garish color.
It looked as though a single prick with a needle would burst them.
Michael sat down in a chair with a huff.
“How frustrating. I lost again.”
“Come sit here. Yuri, bring the medicine.”
The resident priest happened to be away on business, so I applied some medicine as a temporary measure.
Michael clenched his fists tightly.
“Don’t be discouraged. I’ll win next time.”
But I just heard a crack sound.
It seemed to come from his shoulder.
Did his shoulder just dislocate?
Yet Michael didn’t seem to feel much pain.
“Get some rest for now.”
“You’re not disappointed, are you?”
“I don’t get discouraged over something like that.”
“That’s a relief. Hehe.”
“But doesn’t your shoulder hurt?”
“Why would my shoulder hurt?”
Michael tried to rotate his shoulder with an innocent expression, then let out a shriek.
Embarrassed at having screamed, he suddenly let out a loud yawn instead.
“I was just yawning.”
“…Yes. I’ll ask the priest to treat it later. For now, let me just get some sleep.”
“Understood. If you’re asking so earnestly, I’ll make a special exception.”
Michael shuffled over and flopped onto my bed without ceremony.
‘Ah….’
Here he was, covered in dirt from head to toe, sprawling across my bed.
Sigh.
A deep breath escaped me unbidden, but I decided to let it pass.
There was something pitiful about how utterly exhausted he looked.
‘I wonder if Brother Kaman is alright?’
Leaving Michael completely passed out behind me, I made my way toward Brother Kaman’s barracks.
Since I’d been there once before, finding the way wasn’t difficult.
“Brother, are you inside?”
“….”
No answer came, but I could sense a presence within.
“I’m coming in.”
Upon entering the barracks, I was taken aback.
‘My goodness.’
Kaman’s physical condition was remarkably pristine. It was as though he’d merely returned from a leisurely stroll.
The gap in our abilities still seemed considerable.
“What brings you here?”
“Just thought I’d visit.”
“Just?”
“Yes. I simply wanted to see you.”
Kaman rose from his seat.
He showed kindness in his own way.
“So you wish for me to treat you harshly?”
“No!”
It was frustrating, yet pitiful all the same.
He could only express affection in such a manner.
“Isn’t there another way for us to become closer?”
“Another way to become closer?”
Kaman tilted his head in confusion.
“I don’t know.”
He seemed somewhat bewildered.
He apparently believed that the normal way siblings interacted was to charge at each other and say, “Let’s fight!”
“Sit down. I brought dessert. We can talk while having dessert and tea.”
It didn’t need to be anything grand.
Just that something happened today, and it made me feel this way.
I’m thinking about it—what are you thinking about?
That kind of conversation was enough.
“Have you ever sat face to face and talked like this before?”
“….”
Kaman closed his eyes as if lost in thought.
His brow furrowed slightly as he seemed to be searching through his memories.
“I don’t know. It doesn’t seem like it happened.”
“Have you ever shared dessert together?”
“No.”
Kaman appeared deeply confused by this unfamiliar situation.
“Have you ever exchanged warm and affectionate words?”
“Why would I need to do something like that?”
I could fully understand Kaman’s confusion.
His mind clearly believed that such things were entirely unnecessary.
Yet deep within his heart, he must be yearning for exactly this.
Ah, thinking about it that way made my heart ache for him.
I just wanted to take care of him.
“Because we’re family.”
“….”
“It’s fine if you’ve never done it before. We can learn together from now on.”
I offered my most harmless smile, as I always did.
It wasn’t difficult at all to smile beautifully.
Looking at that handsome face, laughter naturally spilled out.
“I was a bit startled when my brothers fought, but I decided not to interfere since it was their matter. However, I was shocked and saddened when Michael was badly injured.”
“….”
“That’s why I came here out of concern. I was worried you might be seriously hurt too. I feel sorry toward Michael, but I’m relieved that you, my brother, aren’t badly injured. Hehe.”
Kaman had almost no injuries.
Just one place.
Only a small scrape near his elbow.
I rummaged through my belongings and pulled out some medicine.
I applied the medicine to Kaman’s elbow, and surprisingly, he didn’t resist.
“I hope we can all get along well—you, Michael, and me.”
“Listen.”
Since I hadn’t expected him to call my name warmly, his use of “listen” didn’t stir any particular emotion in me.
“Yes?”
But what he said next left me utterly bewildered.

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