The Sage that the Sword Saint is Obsessed With

38 – 9. The Witch’s Curse (11)

1.

He completed conquering the dungeon and returned to the village.

“I’ve arrived. Get up.”

Evan tapped the opposite seat lightly.

Leuen, sleeping soundly with a snore.

Still asleep since we left the dungeon.

No sign of waking up.

Since he had used up all his mana, he would sleep until it recovered somewhat.

Evan got off the carriage alone.

“Welcome back safely.”

As Evan got off the carriage, Karen, the vice captain, saluted.

“How was the dungeon?”

“It wasn’t as dangerous as I thought.”

Hundreds of dark knights.

Dozens of traps.

And a witch presumed to be from the 8th to 9th tier, but he had never felt in danger.

“Let’s talk about the details later. I’m tired, so I’ll go in.”

Yawning, Evan headed back to the inn.

2.

Someone knocked on Evan’s door three days later in the evening.

-Knock, knock

Evan, having a leisurely break with a plate of meat and a bottle of liquor, analyzing the beads found in the dungeon, got up and opened the door.

“What’s the matter?”

Raven was standing in front of the door.

“Sorry for the late hour.”

Raven saluted to Evan.

Breathing heavily.

Sweat beads on his forehead.

He seemed to have rushed here.

Raven caught his breath and said, “I have something to ask, do you have a moment?”

Evan nodded.

“Was there anything unusual in the dungeon?”

“What do you mean?”

“For example, getting caught in a trap, being attacked by enemies, or getting injured. That sort of thing.”

Reflecting on the events in the dungeon for a moment, Evan turned his head sideways.

“Nothing. Didn’t the guild master report to you?”

It had been three days since the dungeon exploration, and Evan assumed that the guild master, Leven, would have received a report.

“Well…,” Raven’s expression darkened.

“The guild master hasn’t opened his eyes… since returning from the dungeon exploration.”

“What?”

“Since coming back from the dungeon, he’s been sleeping continuously. No matter how much we shake him, he won’t wake up.”

“So, you came to ask if something happened in the dungeon?”

Raven nodded.

The leader of the Star Knights and Evan’s older sister, Leven, showed no signs of waking up. She fell into a deep sleep, unresponsive to external stimuli.

“Hmm… nothing happened, indeed.”

Strange.

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Evan thought he could sleep all day after using up all his mana, but sleeping for two or three days straight was problematic.

Yet, no matter how much he pondered, nothing unusual had occurred in the dungeon.

Although he had fallen asleep once due to the witch’s magic, the effect had disappeared completely after defeating the witch. Evan had even opened his eyes on his own.

“If it’s not too much trouble, could you please check the guild master’s condition once?”

Raven bowed, making a request.

“Don’t the knights have healers or priests?”

“We do.”

However, Raven added with a sigh.

“The priest couldn’t figure out the cause. That’s why we sought the help of a wizard.”

Thinking that it might be a curse causing the deep sleep, they had even conducted a curse inspection, but nothing had been found.

“…Understood.”

Evan donned his robe.

“Come with me.”

A woman whose fate started with a connection and ended with a tragic entanglement.

Until recently, she had hoped for unhappiness, but after hearing Le Wen’s honest story, she felt emptiness and decided to live as a man.

The emotions she feels towards Le Wen right now are emotionless.

No anger.

No disgust.

Getting caught up in such emotions would still be a loss for herself.

“Yes!”

Evan followed Raven.

They arrived at a two-story house in a secluded corner of the village.

“Oppa…!”

As they entered the house, Lea, Le Wen’s younger sister, whom they coincidentally met before, was waiting for Raven’s return.

“Is the mage here?”

“He’s coming.”

Raven pointed behind him.

Unlike the two people who seemed urgent with each passing minute, Evan was walking leisurely.

Although he wanted to urge him to come faster, he couldn’t say such words as someone receiving help.

Evan greeted Lea lightly and spoke.

“Could you guide us right away?”

“Yes. Please come this way.”

Evan followed Lea up to the second floor.

There were people gathered on the second floor.

It was the Order of Knights, including the Vice Commander Karen.

When the gloomy-faced individuals saw Evan, their complexions brightened a little.

“Mage…!”

Karen rushed towards Evan.

“We’ll talk later; let’s check on the commander’s condition first.”

A gloomy atmosphere filled the bedroom.

In the middle of the room, there was only a large bed alone.

There was no femininity and it was no different from an inn room.

On the bed lies Leven, with a priest by his side, attentively observing Leven’s condition.

“How is he?” Evan inquired about Leven’s state from the priest.

The priest spoke cautiously, shadows casting heavily on his face.

“…The situation is not favorable. Not only is he not waking up from sleep, but his vitality is diminishing as if under a curse, even though he isn’t cursed.”

The situation was more dire than anticipated.

Sure, if he were just sleeping, it would be fortunate.

But like embers dwindling, Leven’s life force was also fading away.

“If it continues like this… I estimate, at best, a month,” the priest said solemnly.

Evan, comprehending the severity, nodded gravely. “Understood. Let me see.”

Sitting beside Leven, Evan examined him.

Leven looked lifeless.

Dry lips.

Pale skin beyond the usual fair complexion.

The once plump face now seemed gaunt.

Uncertain of how to react.

There were times when he had wished for death, but now that death was imminent within a month, the feeling was strange.

Could it be described as affection?

Human emotions are irrational.

Having ruined his own life, yet on the other hand, Leven had given him the happiest moments in his life, making it difficult to hate even when there was a desire to hate, and challenging to love when there was a desire to love.

Thus, attempting to forget everything and start anew…

It remained entangled.

Setting aside mixed emotions for now, Evan decided to focus on Leven’s condition.

“Hmm…”

As the priest had mentioned, it wasn’t a curse.

There are various ways to confirm a curse: inscriptions of curse sentences on the body, mana intermingled with curse mana, or magic circles permeating the body. Yet, none of these were found.

Evan clenched his fist and closed his eyes.

Given the symptoms, it’s certain that he’s under a curse.

If it were an illness instead of a curse, the priest would have detected it with divine power.

“A curse that’s not a curse…”

He delved into the library in his mind.

A library with dozens of neatly organized books.

There, Evan took out a book.

It was Raven Matopju’s [Advanced Alchemy Analysis].

He distinctly remembered reading about a phenomenon similar to this in the book.

“…Right.”

It clicked.

Among curses, there is one that affects the inner world of humans.

Such curses are extremely rare, with fewer than five discovered to date, and a curse that nearly killed the third princess a long time ago was of that type.

Commonly, its existence cannot be discerned through the naked eye or mana.

There is only one way to find it.

It’s to enter the inner world directly and confirm the existence of the curse.

“Miss Raven.”

Evan called Raven.

“Yes?”

“To accurately assess the situation, I need to enter the lord’s inner world. Will you allow me?”

Entering the inner world of a human is not something to be done casually.

“I don’t know much about it… What happens if you enter the inner world?”

“It’s not about what happens, but I’ll be able to see everything about the lord. For example, secrets that only family should know or secrets that even the family shouldn’t know. In addition, I’ll see all the memories. Normally, I should get the consent of the party involved, but since the party is currently unconscious, I’m asking you, Miss Raven, as his family.”

It exposes everything about a person.

Moreover, if misused, it can be exploited endlessly.

It’s possible to change a person’s personality.

One can manipulate memories.

Entering the inner world allows one to modify a human according to their liking.

Of course, Evan wouldn’t do such a thing.

Raven scrutinized Leia’s expression.

Lea, who was holding her younger sister, hesitated for a moment and then nodded.

“If there’s no other way… please.”

“Understood.”

Evan took off his robe and hung it on the chair.

He rolled up his sleeves.

“I’ll start right away.”

Evan gently took Rwen’s hand.

I don’t know if this will work.

Though I know it in theory, entering someone else’s inner world is a first for me.

He closed his eyes and focused his mind.

It became increasingly hazy, as if falling into sleep.

“…Huh.”

He opened his eyes, exhaling.

Before him unfolded Rwen’s world.