It’s Been 500 Years as an Extra, and the Original Story Still Hasn’t Begun - Chapter 156
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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500 Years as Just an Extra,
The Original Story Still Won’t Begin
Episode 156
‘It’s not even affecting me.’
Those times with Ailesia were truly wonderful.
Even though he was already finishing one bottle, he only felt his mind becoming clearer instead.
Far from getting drunk, not even a corner of his empty heart had warmed up.
Clink.
Where had all the alcohol he’d poured disappeared to again?
Only the dull sound of half-melted ice clinking echoed from the glass that had already shown its bottom.
‘…Let’s stop.’
Setting down his glass, he left the office without hesitation.
What was the point of drinking more alcohol that wouldn’t even get him drunk anyway?
He’d just get more pointless nagging about drinking too much.
‘To think I’d even miss that nagging…’
Termion returned to his room and sat on the sofa. He fumbled around his neck area and pulled out the pendant that had been hidden beneath his clothes.
It was something he hadn’t taken off for even a moment since receiving it as a gift, just as Ailesia had asked.
“Ailesia, can you hear me?”
He channeled aura into it and tried speaking, but the pendant showed no response.
It only emitted a faint blue light as vivid as her eyes.
“Try not to take it off your body if you can help it.”
“How can you know when something might happen?”
If she made it anticipating such situations, shouldn’t it at least work properly?
They say witches don’t lie, but master and disciple are exactly alike.
He sprawled on the sofa and covered his eyes with his hand.
“Elenora. Ailesia.”
A gloomily sunken voice lingered around his lips.
He had tried to endure it somehow, but once the thoughts arose, they showed no signs of subsiding.
Memories of the past few months spent with those two were completely ransacking his mind.
[Did you call me?]
Was he even hearing voices now?
The moment he shook his head several times and got up from the sofa, a sulky voice pierced his ears.
[What’s this? You call me and then don’t answer?]
Startled, Termion hurriedly checked the necklace.
“…Ailesia?”
[Hello, Termion.]
It definitely wasn’t a hallucination.
The pendant that had only been glowing faintly was now blinking in a slightly brighter color and vibrating softly.
“Are you safe? What about Elly? Where are you now? Did you break the curse?”
[Speak slowly. You’re going to suffocate at this rate.]
“Hah…”
Thud.
His legs gave out and he collapsed back onto the sofa.
When he channeled a bit more aura with trembling hands, Ailesia’s voice came through much clearer.
[Elly and I are safe. It’ll take a while for the curse to be lifted and my body to recover though.]
“Thank goodness…”
[Don’t be too curious about where I am. It’s somewhere you can’t come anyway, and you shouldn’t come either.]
“That’s fine. Being able to talk like this is more than enough.”
[I don’t have much time, so listen carefully.]
For some reason, Ailesia’s voice had lost some strength as she paused briefly.
[That desk Duke Kaif gave as a gift – you broke it and there were remains, right? What did you do with them?]
“I collected every bit of it.”
[That white powder was made by refining dragon bone. The same stuff we sold at the auction house.]
“…What did you say?”
This was also why Ailesia had ultimately failed to detect the trap.
Contrary to her expectations, the dragon bone had been used to disguise demonic energy.
Dragon bone had the same essential roots as Dragon Heart power. For Ailesia, it was a perfect blind spot.
[I don’t know what trick they pulled, but they obviously did something with dark magic.]
“It would be important evidence.”
[There probably won’t be any demonic energy left in that powder. But just in case, be careful.]
“Yes. I’ll deliver it to Lord Dayford.”
[…I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.]
At the sudden apology, Termion tilted his head toward the pendant as if she were right there in front of him.
“What do you mean?”
[If I hadn’t put the dragon bone up for auction, none of this would have happened.]
“It’s not your fault.”
Termion firmly dismissed her self-blame with a resolute voice.
“There’s someone else who caused the harm, so why do you speak as if you were the one who provided the cause?”
[But…]
“Duke Kaif attacked us, and you saved Elly. That’s all there is to it.”
[No, but still I…]
Ailesia trailed off and fell silent for a while.
Just when he was getting anxious wondering if the connection had been cut, the pendant blinked and her words continued.
[…Take Whitey and Blanky to Chernil Forest by May. If you release them at the entrance, they’ll find their own way.]
“Understood.”
[And… I won’t be able to contact you for a while.]
“What? What do you suddenly mean by that?”
[This dark magic is literally a curse. Even now, the demonic energy is rampaging inside my body trying to break free.]
She couldn’t have imagined that the power of pure demonic energy Melbarik had warned about would be this vicious.
Moreover, this curse had the property of contaminating the surroundings with demonic energy like a contagious disease.
The curse transferring from Termion to Kalior in the original work might have worked on this same principle.
[Simply destroying it is entirely possible.]
But in that process, Elenora, unable to withstand the backlash, would lose her life.
Moreover, since Elenora was also depleting her life force due to the curse’s influence, they couldn’t carelessly break the pact either.
[So I decided to create a barrier. I’ll completely cut off the surroundings and enter inside with Elly.]
“And then what?”
[When biological activity stops, the consumption of magical power and life force is minimized. Think of it like animals hibernating.]
In that state, she would accept natural mana and slowly dilute the demonic energy.
Until the curse could be completely severed and the demonic energy destroyed without shocking Elenora.
This method was the safest and only solution available for now.
Having heard the full explanation, Termion barely managed to open his reluctant mouth.
“How long… will it take?”
[Well… I don’t know if it’ll take months or years. Honestly, I can’t guarantee it either.]
“…It doesn’t matter. As long as you and Elly can return safely together.”
He was already experienced at waiting.
So he was confident he could endure it no matter how long.
“Not just me, but everyone will wait with smiles.”
So that when the two who will return someday come back, he won’t have to send them away like this again, having made complete preparations.
“I’ll become stronger than I am now… and protect you and Elly. Once is enough for this kind of farewell.”
[Hehe, are you really thinking of becoming an Aura Conjurer?]
“So you also need to make a firm promise here.”
Taking a deep breath, he spoke as if making a vow to himself as well.
“That you’ll return safely with Elly, without fail.”
[Yes.]
“That when you return, you’ll never leave my side again.”
[…Yes.]
“You’ve promised.”
[Mm… Promise.]
Termion heard a soft laugh from beyond the pendant.
He felt as if he could vividly see that expression that always smiled bashfully in front of him.
[I’m a good witch who doesn’t tell lies or anything like that.]
Ailesia’s voice became fainter than before. The pendant’s light had also clearly dimmed.
…Surely not.
A vague anxiety surged up, approaching like it was squeezing his heart.
[Termion.]
“Yes, Ailesia.”
[I’ll miss you.]
“…”
A tender voice he had never heard before branded itself into his ears like a mark.
Afraid he might miss even a single word, Termion stared at the pendant while holding even his breath.
[Really, so much.]
With those words, the pendant’s vibration stopped completely.
“…Ailesia?”
She must surely be listening, so why.
He tried channeling aura into it several times again, but the pendant only emitted a faint light.
“Ailesia.”
He should have said something.
That he would miss her too, or at least given a short answer like “yes.”
“I miss you.”
Muttering words she couldn’t even hear, alone and too late… wasn’t that too cowardly.
Lowering his head, he gazed down at the pendant and smiled faintly.
“What should I do now?”
Drop.
The emotions he couldn’t convey in the end moistened the pendant and pooled in his palm.
“Even at this moment, and from now on.”
Though spring had come even to this cold land.
There was no sign of flowers blooming in his heart.
“When I miss you… so terribly much.”
It was the end of a belated winter that Termion faced.
【Part 1, End】
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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