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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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“I’m so sorry… I’m truly sorry… I’ve hurt you again…”
Sola muttered, rubbing the burn scars on my arm as if trying to erase them.
For some reason, she seemed even more mentally unstable than she had been during that mana rampage incident in the Demon Realm.
The way she spoke so formally, almost robotically, reminded me of her self-defense mechanism whenever she felt overwhelmed by guilt.
I discreetly checked the scar on my finger.
The rose-shaped mark had sprouted additional petal-like scars, scattered like fallen leaves.
The sheer number of those petals meant I was in for a few hours of agonizing pain, a dull ache that would come and go in waves.
As if on cue, a sharp, stabbing sensation, like a heavy weight piercing through my body, hit me a beat too late.
It was a manageable pain, a tightrope walk on the edge of endurance.
The curse of Moljin, the one that had left me with that rose-shaped scar, manifested as persistent physical pain.
Lian’s divine power had been ineffective against the curse, and as it started to hinder our progress, Sola and I had brainstormed solutions.
Sola’s suggestion was to completely deplete my mana reserves, disrupting its flow and essentially rewriting the curse.
If we could redirect the curse’s continuous physical pain, it might transform into an ability to convert instantaneous damage into sustained damage—an unexpected benefit from a curse.
However, no matter how much mana I expended, the curse showed no signs of abating.
Looking back, it was probably due to the constant influx of demonic energy from the Demon Realm, seeping into my body.
The moment we returned to the continent, the curse’s flow had shifted, as if it had been waiting for that moment.
Because of this curse, I had relied on Lian’s healing magic throughout our journey, enduring periodic treatments.
And after defeating the Demon King and disbanding, the moment I stepped foot on the continent, plagued by my newfound self-harm tendencies, the effects of my mana depletion finally manifested.
All the mana in my body vanished, as if it had been sucked dry.
The suffocating pain that had been constricting my body disappeared, but the depleted mana never replenished.
That’s how I became a man with no mana.
I had managed to deceive others by carrying mana potions, but if anyone ever found out… they would tear me apart, eager to uncover the secrets hidden within my body.
The thought sent shivers down my spine.
Well, that was a problem for another day.
“Our dear wizard, are you going to keep apologizing like last time?”
I endured the stabbing pain in my gut, forcing a smile as I stroked Sola’s head, just like I had done back then.
She seemed to understand, lowering her head so I could continue petting her.
Perhaps, Sola considered me someone special.
As our journey through the Demon Realm progressed, Sola’s usual arrogance and sharp tongue had softened.
Eventually, in my presence, she became almost docile.
If she acted that way only around me while maintaining her usual demeanor with others, it was hard not to interpret it as something more.
Well, it would be embarrassing if I was wrong.
Come to think of it, her usual prickly demeanor was mostly from our past, when we were constantly battling demons.
Maintaining that sharp edge in times of peace wouldn’t be good for her mental well-being.
Perhaps she had finally embraced her more human side.
Unlike me, who had witnessed countless gruesome scenes—severed limbs, disemboweled bodies—while traveling as an adventurer, Sola had spent most of her time secluded in the Magic Tower, researching magic.
It was safe to assume she had lost her tolerance for human suffering.
I waited patiently as Sola’s hiccups and attempts to stifle her sobs subsided.
After about two minutes of sniffling, she finally calmed down, wiping her eyes with her sleeve and gently removing my hand.
“I’m glad I met you again, Ron. …We reunited before anything worse could happen.”
“Worse? What do you mean, suddenly?”
My question went unanswered.
I only felt the slight pressure of her body against mine and the warmth radiating from her.
Sola hugged me.
Her face was flushed, as red as her hair and irises, and she held me tight.
Sola, who wouldn’t even let others touch her clothes, was hugging me—the thought brought a surge of joy.
“Ron… If you’re okay with it… I want to be with you forever. Yes, forever. To repay what you’ve done for me, time wouldn’t matter… I want to be by your side until our time runs out. …Of course, only if you’re okay with it.”
She spoke softly, averting her gaze as if trying to hide her embarrassment.
It wasn’t hard to decipher her true intentions.
Yes, this was atonement.
No matter how special she considered me, Sola, with her high standards, wouldn’t actually fall for someone like me.
Let’s face it.
There was no way that Sola, that Sola, would develop feelings for a walking pile of insecurities, covered in unsightly scars and constantly hurting himself.
I had to be realistic.
She was already burdened with guilt over the burn scars she had accidentally inflicted on me.
Witnessing me get stabbed and cut again today must have amplified that guilt beyond her capacity.
Even so, the decision to spend her entire life with me was not something she could have made lightly.
My sharp intuition, almost frighteningly accurate, had deduced the truth.
Of course, my answer wouldn’t change.
“Let’s take care of business first. We’ve been idling in the Labyrinth for too long.”
I gave her a reprieve, and Sola, with a glimmer of hope in her eyes, nodded silently.
At that moment, the entire Labyrinth began to tremble as if an earthquake had struck.
It felt similar to the time I had detonated the core of a mobile fortress—a foundation crumbling from within as its essence was extinguished.
“Did they destroy the core?”
Sola, sensing the change as well, signaled to me.
She seemed a bit overwhelmed, suggesting we use a return scroll—one she had prepared herself, since the academy didn’t sell them.
Based on her recent behavior, her claim seemed genuine.
Thank goodness we had come prepared.
I retrieved one of the scrolls from my meticulously organized bag and tore it in half.
But nothing happened.
The magic embedded within the scroll remained dormant, blocked by a tingling sensation that spread from my hand.
…But I wasn’t going to panic so easily.
/After all, I was a member of the party that had taken down the Demon King.
Maintaining my balance on the unstable ground, I scanned the floor.
Leaving markers at regular intervals was a basic part of labyrinth exploration.
The mana stones I had placed were slightly out of alignment due to the tremors, but not enough to render them useless.
I finished assessing the situation and clapped my hands, looking at Sola.
“Can you run?”
“…I’m not going to act like a fool like last time.”
Sola was back to her usual self.
Yes, that was the Sola I knew.
I smiled, conveying my approval, and she…
“Ugh… Don’t smile like that!!”
…Well, at least she was trying.
“Anyway, I don’t mind if you’re ready. Just let me know if you get tired. I’ll carry you.”
“I’m tired.”
“This is not the time for jokes. No matter how strong you are, if you get crushed by debris while you’re in an unstable state, I won’t be able to save you.”
“…Okay…”
Sola, who had responded so readily, seemed a bit off.
I spoke to her seriously, and she nodded.
It seemed she was trying to lighten the mood after that heavy moment.
We began to retrace our steps, relying on the scattered mana stones as our guide, like we had done countless times before.
The Labyrinth was collapsing, starting from the central point and accelerating with each passing moment, so we picked up the pace.
I briefly thought of Sola struggling in the Labyrinth, but true to her word, she was keeping up with ease, her steps lighter than before.
Perhaps it was because she wasn’t being affected by the demonic energy?
I didn’t ask, choosing instead to focus on the path ahead.
“I’m not dead weight anymore, physically. It’s no problem for me to travel with you now.”
“Haha, really? Our dear wizard has achieved incredible physical growth!”
“I told you. So… how about we leave this academy behind and travel together? What do you say?”
“Hmm… I’ll think about it.”
“There’s nothing to think about. I’m asking you to be with me. What more could you possibly want…?”
“It’s not that I want anything more… I just think I’m the one who’s lacking.”
In the past, Sola would have been panting between each sentence.
I casually responded to her claims of “greatness,” and before I knew it, we had reached our destination.
Without a word, we leaped into the writhing, pulsating grass tunnel that served as our exit.
We felt a brief sensation of weightlessness, followed by the soft rustle of grass against our skin, before landing back where we had started.
The moment my feet touched the ground, Sola landed on top of me with a soft “plop.”
“Huh?”
“Ah…”
She had landed right on top of me, and instinctively, I had caught her in my arms.
If I had been any stronger, her waist might have snapped.
…Even though we were close, wouldn’t this kind of physical contact be frowned upon?
As if defying my thoughts, Sola, still in my arms, looked at Rain and the others who were waiting for us.
Then, she…
“Hmph.”
…Scoffed.
It was a condescending scoff, like a victor looking down on her defeated opponents.
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