Chapter 46

Specter I felt none of the usual presence or fear that is said to come from specters. The one floating aimlessly even appeared somewhat cute, which says it all. However, Kaila, perhaps because she was someone else, seemed slightly affected by the distinctive presence or the fear that the specter induced. I had thought Kaila would be less affected, knowing I was an ally.... ‘Is the specter being cautious?’ …It would be fine once she got used to it. At least it wasn’t showing any hostility. “Here, take this.” I handed Kaila a blue root of Trenelsi. “It’s been soaked and processed with a potion. Blow your mana into it and replace the mana inside with your own.” “What does that even mean….” “You’ll understand once you try. Think of it as dyeing the mana within the Trenelsi's blue root with your own mana.” Taking my word for it, Kaila grasped the blue root and closed her eyes. Soon, the blue root began to vibrate and started emitting a faint glow. After focusing like that for about ten minutes, Kaila opened her eyes, breathing heavily and soaked in sweat. “…I see what you mean. It feels like performing mana breathing with this as the target. But the mana contained within is so vast, it seems like it will take quite some time.” “Of course, it’s going to take a while. You weren’t expected to do it all at once. Just focus on that for now.” This was no ordinary herb. A treasure coveted even by royals, it wouldn’t be something Kaila could dye in her mana in just one attempt, despite her once being a knight. I started to turn the last remaining root into an elixir while Kaila was busy dyeing the Trenelsi's blue root with her mana. ‘This one is for Athena.’ It wasn’t meant to be consumed immediately. The timing would be decided after consulting with Kaila. It was just something to prepare while there was time. ‘If war breaks out… it’ll be hard to keep this place safe.’ Plan was to use everything that needed to be used and gather what could be gathered before abandoning this place. Two days passed when, “Master, I’ve finished.” Kaila showed me the Trenelsi's blue root, now fully dyed with her mana. ‘I thought it would take three days…’ I did process it to change faster as more mana was added, but even considering that, it was a day early. She reduced her sleep to infuse the Trenelsi's blue root with her mana, exceeding my expectations with her desperate effort. “Well done. Here.” “…Master? This is…” “You might remember me mentioning it? Another root for you to use.” “There’s still one more. Finish this. Another two days should do, right?” Seeing my words, she looked at me with a puzzled expression. Healing Although I spoke jokingly, the fact that it needed to be done remained unchanged. With a never-before-seen expression of void, Kaila took the root I handed her and began to concentrate once more. “Kaila, I was joking. Rest well first and then take it slow. Give it to me within four days.” “…No. I will do as much as I can.” Then she looked up at me somewhat defiantly and said, “I didn’t know you had such a side to hide, Master. Today I see something new.” “Hmm… being serious is good, but you seem too tense. Oddly excited, too. Just to let you know, this doesn’t guarantee a 100% success rate. Like I said initially, there’s a chance of failure.” “…I understand.” “But you seem to believe it’s impossible to fail.” “…Well, can’t help but have expectations, can we? Everything you’ve shown since the beginning never once failed.” ‘Did I?’ Since my return, unexpected events had occurred. However, I believe in those situations, I managed without showing panic, always moving in a direction beneficial to me. Such demeanor must have seemed like always succeeding to Kaila. “I’m human, too. I could fail someday. Though I hope it’s not this time.” Should we fail despite such preparations… it was uncertain when the next opportunity would come. ‘At least it would require waiting for years.’ And by then, Kaila might become weary. ‘Athena and I will continue to grow.’ Relative deprivation. That could lead to despair. If caught in a sense of powerlessness and depression... even if her legs were healed then, it might be too late. Hence, I was planning to do my best to maximize the chances of success in this attempt, while also preparing for the worst to keep expectations low. That’s why I didn’t explain how much effort I poured into this task, how miraculous it was to have such an opportunity at this time, and how much longer we might have to wait if this doesn’t work out. Still, Kaila wasn’t a fool, so based on the preparation period, my demeanor, and the herbs used, she realized this was a tremendous opportunity. That’s why she cooperated, pushing her body to the limit, and that became a pressure on me. ‘Not that I’d crumble under a bit of pressure.’ “And even if you fail, there’ll be another chance. Don’t put everything on this attempt. Give yourself some margin.” “…Understood. It won't be easy, but if you say so….” “Rest first, then start again.” Ultimately, I succeeded in convincing her to take a rest. While Kaila was resting, I connected the Trenelsi's blue root she had handed me to the vessel containing Denok's body. The surrounding magic circle began to emit a faint light, and mana started flowing from the root, now dyed with Kaila's mana, into Denok's body. The aim was to fully adapt Denok's body with the Trenelsi's blue root filled with Kaila's mana. ‘The one I’m making now is for Kaila to consume directly.’ Dyeing the mana with one's own does enhance absorption, but it makes it impossible to create a better elixir using a recipe. Since the essence of the herb itself has changed, the existing recipes could not be used to make an enhanced elixir. Creating a dedicated recipe is necessary, but original elixir recipes aren’t just made up on the fly. They often come with many failures, and thus, making a personal recipe ends up being a colossal waste of time and resources. It would be more cost-effective to just purchase a few elixirs. Some herbs have strong properties, making dyeing them a significant loss in some cases. But this situation was a bit different. More than the elixir’s effect, it was essential to ensure Denok's body could effectively assimilate with Kaila. For that, I intentionally created a situation where they would be affected by the same herb, adding variables to have something in common. In addition to the preliminary preparation, another variable was added through the elixir. Even so, success couldn't be guaranteed. The problem didn’t end there. There could also be physical rejection, but I prepared for it to gradually assimilate over time. ‘The first month will be the issue.’ I planned to continuously administer suppressants to prevent Denok's body from rejecting during this time. If a rejection reaction occurs despite the suppressants… it’s a failure. However, since this method was adapted from creating chimeras, if we could get through a month without issues, it could essentially be deemed a success. While Kaila slept, I completed Athena’s elixir and started making the suppressants to be used later. Upon waking, Kaila, seeing me still working, asked. “Didn’t you tell me to rest… Aren’t you tired?” “The specter is providing me with energy, so it’s bearable.” Of course, that didn’t mean I could completely forgo sleep. There were limits to recovering through energy drainage. No matter how much one recovers, not sleeping increases tiredness and wears you out mentally, so sleep is necessary from time to time. “You’re up… You know what to do.” To prevent any needless nagging, I reminded her of her tasks, and Kaila, knowing what was needed, obliged. Thus, managing her schedule and immersing in my work, we managed to fully dye the second blue root with Kaila's mana around the fourth day. Denok's body was almost fully absorbing the mana from the first root. ‘Preparations are… almost complete.’ Maybe it’s because I advanced to class 3. I felt the work that should have taken longer was significantly shortened. The parts that would normally take longer were done much faster. After instructing Kaila to focus on maintaining her condition without doing anything else, I began absorbing a portion of the second root she dyed into her body over a few days. This would reduce the efficacy of the elixir, but as mentioned before, the elixir’s effect was secondary. The most critical thing was healing her legs. Her mana increased slightly, but more importantly, the healing properties of the blue root circulated through her body. ‘Preliminary preparations are… complete.’ The suppressants were ready, and within a few days, Denok's body absorbed all the mana from the first root. On the day promised to attempt the fusion, I looked at Kaila lying on the synthesis circle and said, “It’s going to be incredibly painful.” “I’m prepared.” Ideally, I’d put her to sleep, but I couldn’t manipulate Kaila's mana on her behalf. There were things Kaila needed to do during the synthesis process, so she had to endure the pain while sober and follow my instructions. “As mentioned, you’ll consume the remaining part of the second root. Absorption through mana breathing will begin, and from the midpoint, the fusion will start.” The fusion would commence absorption of Denok's body into Kaila's, a process incredibly painful. The original body would dissipate, and Denok's body would take its place. The external appearance wouldn’t change, but the insides would. This had to succeed. Despite much preparation, if Kaila's body rejects it… ‘It’s simply a failure.’ The problem is, succeeding is difficult enough, but it doesn’t end there. “If we succeed in this process… Kaila, you will have to accept and control the mana inside Denok's body. …Think of it as consuming two elixirs at once.” Consuming two elixirs at once is hazardous. Moreover, it’s not just any herb, but one rich in mana coveted by the nobility and royalty, and consuming two at once. I disclosed the dangers, saying, “So don’t be greedy. It's okay to let most of it pass through. What’s important is…” “Healing my legs… I understand.” That’s the goal, so let go of anything else. That’s what I imbued in her. “Then, we begin.” With my word, Kaila swallowed the second root whole. She closed her eyes and began to concentrate. A refreshing scent of mana flowed throughout her body. After a bit of time, I too started moving. “Uh…” A pained groan slipped through Kaila’s clenched lips. I engraved a small magic circle on her ankle with a blade. Magic infused into the wound, stabilizing its form, and as magic seeped into her body, Kaila's mana rebelled to push it out, causing intense pain. ‘Contamination is not allowed.’ The amount of magic infused wasn’t much. It was just enough to keep the magic circle on the skin, so this much was safe. I quickly finished the magic circle and activated the chimera fusion magic circle engraved on the floor. The circle began to glow with a dark red light, and I picked up Denok's body, prepared for this moment. “We start now.” Kaila’s brow furrowed. “Uh, ahhhh!” Kaila let out a pained scream. Her body trembled terribly, indicating she was experiencing unimaginable pain. However, I couldn’t afford to be preoccupied with Kaila’s pain. I had to continuously monitor the process for any abnormalities or unexpected variables, focusing on supplying magic to the magic circle and checking the progress. Through the magic circle engraved on Kaila's ankle, Denok's body slowly dissolved and was absorbed. “Argh! Eugh! Aah!” ‘Just a bit more…’ So far, the process was progressing smoothly. Fortunately, Kaila was holding on well, and her body wasn’t rejecting Denok's body. Time passed, and finally, Denok's body in my hand disappeared, and Kaila's screams gradually began to subside. ‘This far… is a success.’ But this is merely the first checkpoint. “Concentrate!” Now, it’s Kaila’s turn. The complete absorption means that Denok's body has properly settled in Kaila's foot.