* * *
During the four days that Cadel was unconscious, Lumenâs life was a living hell.
When he awoke, he found himself in the White Kingdomâs royal chambers, receiving intense care, while Cadel and Van were in another room, receiving intensive healing.
He was the first to regain consciousness. When he awoke, he went straight to the King, and then to Garuel to tell him what had happened.
He went to the annex where Cadel was resting next. His stomach, which had been in a bad condition since heâd woken up, twisted even more when he saw Cadelâs face, sleeping as if he were dead.
Cadel, who had been âbrought back from the deadâ, as Garuel put it, hadnât really been brought back from the dead. His skin was as pale and lifeless as a wax figureâs, and his lips were pursed tightly. His chest puffs rose and fell without even showing it.
Lumen didnât stay by his side for long. It was hard to breathe whenever he looked at Cadelâs dead, sleeping face. He felt like Cadel was dying in his place, and he didnât like that feeling at all.
Instead, he visited Cadelâs bedroom at the same time every day.
It was the second day that Lumen discovered Lydon, and he left him with Cadel because Lydon seemed to be trying to stay out of the public eye in his own way. He didnât think Lydon would listen even if he told him to stop.
Three days passed, and on the fourth day.
ââ¦â¦Youâre awake.â
Finally, Cadel regained consciousness.
Lumen had spent days and days thinking about what to say to Cadel when he woke up, and he still hadnât come to a conclusion.
Even if he had decided what to say, he wouldnât have been able to convey it properly. Because.
âLeader?â
âLumen, Iââ
Cadel, who was supposed to be sleeping, was standing at the side of the bed, while Lydon, who had driven the bedâs occupant away, was lying on his back, showing off his dazzling wings. It was a strange sight, but even stranger was Cadelâs reaction.
He raised his right hand with a painful face as if he had been stabbed, and then spoke in a trembling voice.
âI donât feel it, I canât feel the mana.â
Even Lydon, who had been biting into his cookie carelessly, stopped moving. The two menâs steady gazes fell on a single point.
Cadel collapsed, his empty hands hanging limply. Lumen reflexively ran to him. He felt a shudder as he wrapped his arms around the crouching Cadelâs shoulders.
âWhat do you mean, you donât feel the mana?â
âI canât feel anything. No matter what I do, I canât draw out the mana.â
âAll of a sudden whyâ¦â¦.â
Suddenly, a hypothesis flashed through Lumenâs mind.
âNo way, is it because of that magic spell?â
The village and surrounding forests were burned to the ground. The intense heat would not abate for days on end, making it difficult for the knights who traveled to investigate.
A magic spell of such power. Cadel was a great magician, no doubt, but there was a reason he saved it for last.
And Lumenâs prediction was correct.
âEven if youâre lucky enough to pull off the mimicry, the impact will be severe. If you donât die, youâll be on the verge of it, and youâll be drained of all the mana in your body, and you wonât know if your mana will return or if itâll be gone forever.â
Cadel remembered Mamilâs warning and despaired at the horror of the situation.
âThe mana didnât come back for four days after I rested. Is it gone forever? Am I really losing my powers like this?â
It was unacceptable. Of course, it wasnât that he didnât expect this at all, but he thought it would be solved somehow if he was still alive.
That was because he was âCadel Lytosâ.
âThis canât be happening, this is ridiculous.â
Cadelâs head snapped up and he opened the âMy Informationâ window.
Titles : [7-star Magician], [Commander of the Scarlet Scales Mercenary], [Mercenary of the Smog Plains], [The One Who Blocked the Dark Shadow], [Demon Slayer]
Magic Attributes : Fire (10), Wind (20), Lightning (10)
Equipment in possession : [Check Inventory]
Knights in possession : Van Herdos, Lydon
Knight Order Cost : 9/10
Capital in possession : 125 Gold 20 Silver
Quests in progress : â
Reputation : 57/100
After scanning the profile, Cadelâs eyes moved to the top again. What caught his eye was the title.
âI havenât lost my 7-star magician title yet.â
If his mana completely disappeared, wouldnât the title of [7-star Magician] also disappear?
ââ¦â¦Yeah. Itâs too soon to tell.â
Even if he really did lose his mana and become a normal person, his goal was still to see the end of the story.
If he couldnât live as a magician, he had to start training his body now. He couldnât fall apart here.
âThere must be a way.â
As Cadel gathered his thoughts, determined. Lumen, barely out of shock, tightened the hand on his shoulder.
The way he looked at Cadel was firm.
âIâll look around for it. How to regain the mana.â
Cadelâs gaze shifted from the system window heâd been staring at, and the breath heâd been holding escaped as his tense muscles relaxed.
ââ¦â¦In the past, I would have worried about whether my incompetence would cause my subordinates to leave.â
It was strange. For some reason, as far as Van and Lumen were concerned. Even if he loset all his power and returned to the starting point, they seemed to still be by his side.
âI donât know about Lydon though.â
He would think that a normal human being was boring and run away. As soon as his mind wandered that far, he became anxious again.
Lydon took another bite of the cookie heâd set down while pondering something, his jaw working, his face contorted into an odd expression. He swallowed his leisurely chew and opened his mouth to say something, but just then.
âHmm? The door is open?â
Another guest came to visit.