Claudia had become my guardian without complaint from the moment my adoptive parents were lost in an untimely accident.
Strictly speaking, it’s me but not me...
As time passed, Damian’s memories slowly began to merge with mine, allowing me to vividly feel the sensations from that time.
Even though the debt of gratitude from my adoptive parents ended there, no one would have blamed Claudia if she had abandoned me and fled in the night.
Yet, she stayed by Damian’s side.
At a time when her beauty was in full bloom and she should have been planning her future as a woman, she remained by my side without a care. In a corner of Damian’s heart, there was gratitude, a sense of indebtedness, guilt, and even affection.
Having endured such turbulent times, I steeled my heart and pulled myself together.
That’s why I can’t falter here and give up everything!
And if there was someone Damian would unhesitatingly sacrifice himself for, someone as precious as his own life—
They’re also precious to me, the one who made my existence possible!
I don’t know what twist of fate or what trials led to this, but I believe that this human connection is one of the significant markers that make my once-empty life meaningful.
And...
If I miss this moment, it’ll take an enormous amount of time, resources, and manpower to make contact again!
With that, I made my decision, turning away from Claudia’s sorrowful face, though it pained me.
Instead of causing friction and falling into a dilemma, I decided to compromise, allowing both of us to achieve our goals to some extent.
"Claudia, I’ll say it again—I have to meet that person this time.“
"N-no, you can’t. The atmosphere around here has been so dangerous these past few days—it’s completely different from before. Please, don’t go out, Damian." Perhaps deciding that pushing wouldn’t work, Claudia pleaded with me.
Seeing her appeal to my emotions in an attempt to stop me, I sensed that the problem would be resolved more easily than I thought.
"If you’re that worried, why don’t you come with me?“
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"I’ve told you over and over, it’s not allowed... Wait, what?"
Claudia froze, her face blank with disbelief at my suggestion.
I repeated myself.
"If we go out together, your worries will disappear, and I can worry less about my condition. It’s good for both of us, right?"
I paused to gauge her reaction.
Almost there. Good...
"If you still say no, I guess there’s nothing I can do."
Claudia suddenly turned away, as if the emotions boiling inside her—like a volcano on the verge of eruption—had been quelled by Damian’s simple proposal.
Swipe swipe
She wiped her tears with an old handkerchief from her apron, regaining her composure before turning back to me. Her face was dignified, showing the usual beauty and innocence as she looked at me and said,
"Alright, young master."
If I do this, the master and madam in heaven will rest easier.
"What?"
"Oh, nothing, young master."
Claudia had muttered something in a voice too soft to hear, but judging by her eyes, it wasn’t anything bad, so I decided to let it go without further questioning. "I’ll get ready to go out as you suggested, so please wait a moment."
"How long will it take?"
I unintentionally recalled someone’s vivid account of how women take great care in dressing up even for a simple walk.
Unable to suppress a faint anxiety, I blurted out to her as she turned to go to her room.
Smile
"It won’t take long, so don’t leave first—you have to wait for me, okay, young master?"
"I’m not a child, don’t worry."
"You must wait."
"Alright, alright. Hurry back."
Click clack
As she walked away, giving me warnings twice, I watched her retreating figure absentmindedly.
What is this?
From the moment she disappeared into her room, I felt a burning sensation in my heart.
I should take precautions to ensure my condition doesn’t disrupt the upcoming plans.
I took out the magical device stored in a leather pouch at my waist. In the game Ether Punk, it was never named or explained—a magical tool called the Arcane Orb.
I held it in my hand.
Where’s the formula for checking my physical condition? Ah! This should work!
I found a suitable spell in the Arcane Orb’s internal record space to check my status.
Casting magic still felt unfamiliar and complicated.
I took a deep breath and calmly adjusted the amount and flow of mana passing through my palm into the Arcane Orb, aiming for a consistent output.
Then came a silence that made me think my efforts had failed.
The silence, which felt eternal, was broken by an unnatural yet clear sound.
Ping!
An artificial but crisp sound rang in my ears.
The magic had succeeded, and I could feel the invisible energy of mana scanning my body from head to toe.
Hmm...
But the results of the scan were highly unsatisfactory, and I couldn’t help but frown.
I had clearly emphasized that something was wrong, but the dry result showed no abnormalities.
So, was I just overreacting?
Unable to accept the results, I decided to check my physical condition again with magic.
This time, a bit more precisely...
I realized that the previous scan was like a quick scan in a computer’s antivirus program.
Adjusting it to a detailed scan, I hoped to find even a small clue about the earlier symptoms.
And...
Again, no abnormalities?
I was baffled that the results were the same as before.
But since they were consistent, I wondered if I was being overly sensitive.
In that case,
I’ll investigate again later... Wait, what’s this?
I belatedly realized that the detection range of the scanning magic had expanded to include my surroundings.
But more importantly, through the scanning magic I had cast, I saw suspicious figures—clearly different from ordinary passersby—approaching the house in a group.