Chapter 94: The Price of Acceleration

My prediction was spot-on.

While Vigdis was displaying her swordsmanship, I was able to activate the Mental Acceleration skill whenever I wanted. But even so, it wasn’t like I’d succeeded in controlling the flow of Aether.

‘Forget about controlling it, just tracking the flow itself is a struggle…?’

I pressed my throbbing temples and sighed inwardly.

Even while analyzing someone else’s movements and maintaining the skill, chasing the flow of Aether was so hard, it felt like I was grasping at straws.

And that wasn’t even the end of it. Once I caught the flow, I also had to intentionally slow it down.

‘Wouldn’t it be easier to draw a square with my left hand and a triangle with my right at the same time…? And on top of that, move my own body to spar?’

This wasn’t just difficult—it was flat-out impossible.

Of course, it was something I’d have to pull off eventually, but rushing it would only make things worse.

Rather than dashing blindly for the final goal, I should set detailed objectives and build up a solid foundation, step by step.

First, I need to succeed in controlling the flow speed of Aether while maintaining the skill.

Once I’m comfortable with that, then I’ll start sparring.

So, even after moving to Reysir Daudabina’s Private Training Hall after lunch, I had no choice but to choose the option of sitting and watching.

“I did receive some instruction from Professor Skadi last Friday, but all I did was learn and practice a few basic movements needed for real combat. So sparring right now wouldn’t mean much—I’ll just watch today.”

After all, I was only here by chance; I wasn’t the main character of this event.

Vigdis, who had come to spar with Reysir Daudabina, had no reason to be disappointed with my decision.

And the same went for Reysir Daudabina, who already had experience sparring with me.

Thanks to that, I could lean back against the wall, just like I did this morning, without facing any objections from anyone.

I was trying to decide whether to analyze Vigdis’s movements again, or perhaps analyze Reysir Daudabina’s this time.

That was when—

“Ka, Karbaldr-nim…”

Liolikin Tremmler, with teary eyes, hunched up his massive frame and sat down next to me.

‘He’s not expecting me to comfort him, is he?’

Liolikin knows better than anyone that My Possessed Body isn’t the type to do that.

But before we go any further—let me explain for readers who might’ve thought only myself, Reysir Daudabina, and Vigdis were participating in this sparring session.

It’s not strange at all that Liolikin is here right now.

Because he even wormed his way into the Midterm Exam study group I’d dropped out of. So it’s only natural that he would follow me here too.

Judging by the way he had his face buried in his knees, it didn’t look like he was ready to overcome his fear and actually spar.

Still, it seemed he wanted an excuse along the lines of, ‘I tried my best, but it just didn’t work out.’

‘I was kind of hoping he’d hear something from Reysir Daudabina in the morning and finally muster up the will to change… But I don’t see any signs of it!’

‘Was Liolikin truly hopeless, to the point that even a power-up event inspired by the main character’s guidance failed?’

‘Or was it that Reysir Daudabina never intended to advance the event by following Liolikin in the first place?’

I glanced at the one who would know the answer.

[Hangul jamo: Aren’t you sorry to Karbaldr? Not grateful? Just resentful?]

As if anticipating my curiosity, Yor pulled out the Whitenboard and wrote that line on it.

Apparently, Reysir Daudabina had asked Liolikin if he only felt resentment toward me, with neither gratitude nor remorse.

It was something worth thinking about.

If I pondered it, I’d surely trigger the Mental Acceleration skill.

So, before sinking into thought, I closed my eyes. I figured I could focus more on the flow of Aether if I blocked out visual information.

‘What did Liolikin say in response to Reysir Daudabina’s question?’

Of course, I could just ask Yor or Liolikin directly for an immediate answer.

But instead, I chose to deduce it on my own.

The more I had to think about, the longer I could maintain Mental Acceleration.

‘Most likely, he couldn’t give any answer at all.’

It’s not that Liolikin doesn’t feel gratitude or guilt. He just has an extreme tendency to avoid things.

And yet, he always felt terribly sorry for himself.

Of course he’d dodge the question with some evasive attitude.

He might even have thought that Reysir Daudabina was tormenting him just by asking.

Simply because the question made him feel uncomfortable.

He doesn’t want to reflect on his mistakes or admit that he’s trying to reap the benefits without making any effort himself.

No, it’s not ‘maybe’—I’m sure that’s exactly what happened.

‘That’s why he’s curled up next to me, sulking, isn’t it?’

Liolikin often played dumb, but rather than actually being clueless, it was more like he pretended not to notice.

Even if he truly was oblivious, it’d be the same.

There’s no way he doesn’t know Karbaldr isn’t the kind of person who’ll offer comfort to someone.

‘Or…is he? Back during the Hailga kidnapping incident, while riding in the carriage, Liolikin overheard me saying some comforting words to Reysir Daudabina…

Maybe he’s actually more perceptive than anyone else.

Maybe, unlike the old Karbaldr, the current me might offer him comfort, so he came to sit by my side?

‘Or maybe it’s just a habitual action!’

So far, Liolikin has always stuck close to Karbaldr to escape the anxiety that others would torment him.

It would even make sense in terms of story logic if My Possessed Body was a source of peace for him.

‘In that case, why did Reysir Daudabina ask Liolikin that question?’

Since the flow of Aether was just within reach, I decided to try to figure out Reysir Daudabina’s intention as well.

Reysir Daudabina has insisted more than once that I deserve an apology and thanks from Liolikin.

So the question isn’t why Reysir Daudabina pressured Liolikin.

‘Why did he ask that now? That’s what I need to consider!’

Reysir Daudabina could have pressured Liolikin to apologize and thank me at any time.

But instead, he’d only ever reminded me that I deserved those words.

Up to now, I figured he was just hoping I’d eventually claim what I was due on my own.

But maybe, he was actually watching Liolikin all along—not me.

Wondering when Liolikin would finally, sincerely reflect and come to me with a heartfelt apology and thanks.

But since Liolikin was only blaming me for being cold and not reflecting on his own mistakes, Reysir Daudabina couldn’t hold back any longer and brought it up.

‘But that’s not the only possibility!’

‘If he nudged Liolikin into apologizing and thanking me, but I mistook those words as genuine and forgave him, that would be a problem.’

‘If he had to get those words out of Liolikin by force, it would be better to do it himself, so I wouldn’t get the wrong idea about Liolikin’s sincerity.’

That way, I’d never be fooled into thinking Liolikin was truly remorseful.

‘And yet, instead of giving him encouragement, Reysir Daudabina actually scolded him…

It’s not that the main character didn’t try to trigger the growth event.

It’s just that the target wasn’t Liolikin—it was me.

Normally, I would have stopped thinking the moment I realized that.

No, I’d have given up long before now.

Because if I realized that Reysir Daudabina had been worrying, hesitating, and acting for my sake, and had finally snapped at Liolikin on my behalf, I’d want to look away.

But since I felt the flow of Aether was right within my grasp…

And I didn’t know when another chance like this might come, I forced myself to keep thinking, even as I faced this uncomfortable truth.

‘Reysir Daudabina is incredibly forgiving, so he must have long since forgiven Liolikin for what he did to him. But even so, he can’t overlook how Liolikin treats me…’

I kept denying it, over and over.

But Reysir Daudabina doesn’t see me as just a ‘friend candidate.’ He’s already included me in his inner circle.

And, it seems, he treasures me quite a bit.

‘That’s probably why he helped me separate my Aether. Why he came to the Dagger Arts lecture room during the exam period to check Professor Skadi’s status window.’

At the time, I’d deliberately avoided thinking too deeply about it, but Reysir Daudabina doesn’t have any free periods on Wednesday afternoons.

He said he was attending a theory class, which means he would’ve had to take a written test at that hour.

So that means Reysir Daudabina probably filled out his test in a rush, turned it in quickly, and then hurried to the classroom where I was.

Wanting to arrive before I had a private meeting with Professor Skadi, since he figured I’d request one right after the Dagger Arts practical exam.

Maybe he acted that way because Professor Skadi’s past trauma made him worried someone around her might die.

But even after throwing away a test out of concern for me, he never made a show of it.

He didn’t demand anything in return, either.

‘On the contrary, he even watched my reaction to see if I was uncomfortable with his meddling… Maybe because I was dragging up old memories and pushing my thoughts to the limit to keep the Mental Acceleration skill going’—

I finally managed to catch the movement of the Sky-Blue Aether as it slipped out of my dantian on its own.

Just as I decided to ride this momentum and try to control the Aether—

“…!”

A ringing, ‘ping—’ sound exploded inside my head, followed by excruciating pain.

Naturally, there was no way I could keep thinking.

Before I knew it, I was clutching my head and groaning in pain, but then I hastily moved one hand to cover my lower face.

Because I felt something hot running from my nose.

“Nyaaahk!!”

The first to notice something was wrong was Yor.

I don’t know how shocked he was, but the little dragon shrieked and threw the Whitenboard he’d been holding.

Then he wrapped his long body tightly around me, anxiously mewling as he squirmed.

“Kar…baldr…? Why did you suddenly…?”

“G-goodness…! Blood, blood…!!”

The two who’d been standing, facing each other and holding their weapons to spar, now had all their attention on me.

If there hadn’t been blood, I might have been able to brush it off.

But despite my efforts to cover it up, blood seeped between my fingers, dripping from my chin and staining my white shirt with red.

There was no way Reysir Daudabina and Vigdis wouldn’t be horrified after seeing a sight like that.

“H-huh…?”

Liolikin, who’d been sitting with his face buried in his knees, looked up and was visibly shaken by the sight of me.

Except for Yor, who was bawling, Liolikin was physically closest to me.

But not only was he late to understand the situation, once he did, he just froze in confusion.

So in the end, it was Reysir Daudabina and Vigdis who stepped up.

Of the two, Reysir Daudabina, with his higher physical stats, reached me first.

He suddenly placed his hand on my forehead, but instead of warmth, I felt a strange coolness.

That’s when I realized my head was burning, and Reysir Daudabina freaked out.

“Why is your head so hot?!”

“I’ll wet a towel and bring it!!”

Vigdis, arriving a step late, crouched down beside Reysir Daudabina, and upon hearing his words, sprang up and dashed into the shower room.

Quick thinking, but not exactly wise.

‘Wouldn’t it be cleanest and most efficient if I just went into the shower room myself, stopped the bleeding, wiped away the blood, and cooled down before coming back…?’

I wanted to put that thought into action immediately, but couldn’t.

Because Yor’s body was wrapped around me like a rope, restricting my movement.