Tia’s Smooth Life After Regression - Chapter 94
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Tiya’s Smooth Regression Life
Chapter 94
When Valentina hesitated to step forward, Seolpyo looked back at him with confusion.
“Wildcat?”
“…It’s nothing.”
Then Valentina crossed the boundary of District 7, gritting his teeth as if stepping into filth.
There was no attack from the invisible giant crocodile, nor whispers from demons coveting souls.
However, Valentina stepped more cautiously than ever before, speaking carefully as if walking on thin ice.
“Let’s split up and gather books about curse magic first.”
“Will you be alright alone?”
Valentina didn’t even answer and quickly disappeared between the bookshelves.
【Look at that, he ran away because he has something to hide.】
Winter clicked his tongue while looking where Valentina had disappeared.
However, it was Tiya who flinched.
‘Something to hide… I have that too.’
To be honest, Tiya still couldn’t shake off the demon’s words.
Separate from trusting Winter, a strange uneasiness remained in her heart like smoldering embers.
And just then, she encountered the rule that ‘one cannot tell lies.’
If she confronted Winter right now asking ‘You’ve lied to me, haven’t you!’…
“Winter, perhaps…”
Slap!
Tiya slapped her lips that had opened without her knowing.
She almost acted on that incredibly petty and terrible thought!
After severely punishing her wicked mouth that nearly moved on its own, Tiya immediately shook her head.
“It’s nothing.”
【You really need to get out of here quickly. Your condition is getting worse.】
Winter, who shook his head, examined the bookshelf and pointed out the necessary books.
Tiya focused only on collecting books about curse magic as Winter indicated.
Though she was ashamed of being swayed by the demon’s words, his words had already become a thorn of uneasiness lodged under her fingernails.
Tiya knew how to pull out this thorn cleanly.
By asking Winter honestly.
Whether he was always truthful to her.
But the place to ask that question was not here, where the rules dominated.
‘That would be no different from getting a perfect score on homework by copying from the answer sheet.’
Because it would be too petty and unjust.
* * *
“This is the only chance after all.”
Valentina, holding a few books in his arms, gazed with sunken eyes at Seolpyo who was leaning against a bookshelf in the distance.
While collecting the necessary books, he had thought of ways to use this situation.
It was a dangerous situation for him who had much to hide, but conversely, it could also be an opportunity.
An opportunity to expose that woman called Seolpyo’s true nature completely.
‘What about it? When others are happy, I’m happy too, and when I’m happy, others are happy too.’
Those words made him think of Tiya again when looking at Seolpyo, and though he was always swayed by her because of that, this time it would end.
‘There can’t be another kid like Tiya.’
This time he would definitely hear the real intentions from that suspicious woman.
Hiding such inner thoughts, Valentina approached Seolpyo.
“I found a manuscript written by a Moras Mage.”
Saying that, he sat down next to Seolpyo.
And while pretending to read the manuscript intently, he casually asked at an appropriate timing.
“Come to think of it, how long have you been a mage?”
Though this was the first time he’d asked such a personal question, Seolpyo answered nonchalantly.
“Not even a few months.”
…She said she’d become an archmage. She’s more of a newbie than I thought.
“Then you must be very interested in magic right now. Were you interested in curse magic from the beginning?”
“That’s…”
He could feel Seolpyo turning her head to look at him.
Valentina pretended not to notice that gaze, examining the manuscript while waiting for an answer.
While Seolpyo hesitated to answer, clear bell sounds rang out from somewhere.
Clang- Clang-
The intervals between the bell sounds began to shorten. As if urging Seolpyo who was delaying her answer.
Both of them instinctively realized this was a warning about violating the rules of the arcane tome 【Divine Law】.
It was an inflexible rule that treated even silence as a lie.
After a brief groan, Seolpyo answered.
“Mmm… That’s not it…”
As expected. She had some ulterior motive.
Valentina looked back at her with an innocent face.
“Then?”
“To, to help the wildcat! So don’t ask anything more. Originally, good deeds are silent like snow falling at dawn.”
Seolpyo quickly hid her face behind a book.
Valentina calmly waited for the divine hammer the rules mentioned to fall upon Seolpyo.
1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes passed like that.
He waited for a long time, but no matter how long he waited, the outcome he expected never appeared.
‘Really for that reason? To help me?’
It was so absurd that Valentina was speechless.
No, no. Maybe she’s someone who knows me.
She said it was to help, but perhaps there were other intentions hidden in those words.
Unable to shake his suspicion until the end, Valentina opened his mouth again.
“Do you know me…”
“Didn’t I tell you not to ask anything more! I didn’t ask the wildcat why he’s looking into curse magic either!”
“…”
“Gasp, I didn’t just ask a question! I’ll, I’ll cancel it! Cancel, cancel!”
Perhaps because the answer was so different from his expectations.
He was trying to subtly probe, but unintentionally pushed the other person too hard.
And the inflexible rules did not accept Tiya’s cancellation.
Clang―
The countdown began again.
Valentina hid his sense of defeat and calmly spoke the answer he had prepared in advance.
“Someone I know is under a curse spell, so I’m looking into curse magic. I want to help lift that curse, but as you can see, nothing is known about it.”
It was true that someone he knew was cursed, and it was also true that he desperately needed to avoid that curse.
He hadn’t lied, just hidden the truth a little when speaking.
So he was confident he hadn’t violated the rules and turned his gaze back to the manuscript.
That’s enough for now. If he pushed further, he might end up in trouble himself.
But after a moment.
Clang―
The bell sound that he thought had stopped devoured the silence of the Forbidden Book Area once again.
“…Wildcat. D-did you perhaps lie?”
“No.”
The intervals between the bell tolls grew shorter and shorter.
Even so, Valentina didn’t change her expression one bit and looked straight at Seolpyo.
She truly showed a confident expression, but Seolpyo’s slightly frightened look showed no signs of clearing up.
Instead of adding more words, she quietly raised her index finger to point at the ceiling.
Valentina followed that finger and raised her head toward the ceiling.
And finally came face to face with it.
A massive hammer large enough to crush the entire library in one blow was floating above her head.
Truly a fitting majesty that could be called God’s iron mace.
Compared to the giant hammer, humans looked far too small and insignificant.
Clang, clang, clang—
Now the bell tolled frantically like an angel’s trumpet announcing the end times.
God’s iron mace, as if receiving God’s call, began moving slowly in proportion to its size, yet steadily targeting Valentina.
Seolpyo screamed out as if shrieking.
“Wildcat! Q-quickly, the truth!”
“I didn’t lie! It’s the truth!”
Whoooosh.
As the hammer’s head rose up, strong winds were unleashed in the Forbidden Zone.
Even as book pages flew wildly about, Valentina stubbornly held her ground to the end.
Seolpyo stood in front of Valentina as if protecting her and drew out her magic staff.
Just as God’s iron mace was about to fall down upon Valentina.
“Fine! I’m cursed! I’m under a curse!”
Valentina’s shout echoed throughout the Forbidden Zone.
Valentina’s confession became a small nail that shattered God’s iron mace to pieces.
Immediately the hammer cracked with a splitting sound, then scattered as particles of light.
“…”
“…”
District 7 was in complete chaos after being swept by tremendous winds.
Heavy silence descended upon District 7 where even the bell tolls had disappeared.
“Wildcat…”
Valentina couldn’t bear to face Seolpyo and turned her back.
“Since I was in the wrong, don’t ask me anything more.”
Then she moved to pick up the notebook that had flown some distance away.
She had tried to be clever but couldn’t even recover her initial investment.
Of all things, to have her most shameful weakness discovered by a complete stranger.
‘It’s okay. I can still turn this around.’
The notebook crumpled in Valentina’s hand.
Though it would be a last resort, if she fed Seolpyo an herb that could temporarily confuse memories…
“Regarding methods to break curses, I saw it in this book.”
She froze.
Words that absolutely couldn’t be ignored had slipped out from Seolpyo.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————