Chapter 426 - The Paradigm Shift in My Left Eye
In the room left to Layla and me, I lie down on the bed and close my eyes.
The Talisman on my left eye provides such relief that I truly appreciate the power of holy artifacts. Removing it, however, makes the physical discomfort so severe that I'm plunged back into despair.
"President, I didn't realize your condition was this bad."
"...Sigh, yeah. But I won’t die."
"Are you sure it’s safe to leave it to those Exorcist Priests? They mentioned sealing or a harsh treatment, not a cure... I’m not confident they can be trusted if they have ulterior motives."
That was something I wondered when Moore told me about it, but now I believe it’s not a problem.
"You saw their reactions. If they had any ill intentions toward me, the best course would be to do nothing. Without intervention, I’d just be forced into a corner. They’re not foolish enough to provoke me."
Leaving the curse untreated would only worsen my condition. A high-ranking Exorcist Priest, representing the Church, has no need to dirty his hands. If he boasted he could handle it, he must have a way. That’s why he’s trustworthy.
Besides, I’m the one under pressure to seize this opportunity. No matter how many objections I raise, trusting them is the only option.
"Worst-case scenario, if the curse worsens, I’ll make them pay with their lives. And I’ll take my revenge on the Royal Palace and Intelligence Department as well."
"I’ll accompany you. We’ll cause as much chaos as possible and then retreat to Exembra. Even if the curse worsens, I believe you could bring about the downfall of Beltoria."
"I’m not selling my life cheaply, but with the right resolve, there’s nothing I can’t accomplish."
While total annihilation might be an exaggeration, the Kikyo Society, as a violent organization, won’t remain silent. The goal would be to target a few individuals.
No matter who they are or how far they flee, pursuing them to the ends of the earth and exacting retribution is the way of the underworld. The Church knows this as well.
As I’m discussing this with Layla, a side door opens.
"Don’t talk about such dangerous things in the Church. You know they could be overheard."
"That’s why I’m saying it. I’m not suspicious, but I’m entrusting my life to you. Please, take care of me."
The old woman stands beside the bed and places a large bag on the side table. The old man and middle-aged man also return to the room and begin setting up magical tools near the bed. It seems they’ll be working on me together.
"Stay still, and it will be over soon. Layla, you need to leave the room."
"Why?"
"To concentrate. Even a faint magical aura from an extra person can be a distraction. The ritual we’re about to perform is delicate. Any disruption will cause me pain."
I realize the three of them have almost no detectable magical auras, likely due to the effects of magical tools.
"If the magical aura is the issue, I can suppress mine almost completely. Will this work?"
"Suppress it? Impressive. To be able to suppress it to that degree without magical tools…"
"I’ll move to the wall and observe from there. I won’t let my voice or magical aura leak out. It won’t be a problem."
"You’re persistent. Fine, if you keep your word, I’ll allow it. But if you break it even once, I’ll throw you out. Understand?"
"Layla, I don’t know what ritual they’re performing, but no matter what happens, don’t intervene until I’m on the brink of death."
Layla nods firmly and steps back as the three continue their preparations.
Suddenly, some magical device activates, creating an invisible barrier around a very small area, including the bed. I can immediately tell the magical energy within the barrier is perfectly stable.
It must be blocking even the faintest magical auras from the surroundings. Given the barrier’s output, it likely only blocks faint auras, which is probably why they asked others to leave.
"Drink this."
I take the vial offered to me, lift my head, and observe the contents visually while sensing its properties.
"...A magic potion. It seems to have strong anesthetic effects."
"You can tell just by looking. Your body will be numb, but drink it anyway."
If they’re going to tamper with my left eye, which is the source of the curse, even I, who can usually endure pain, won’t be able to handle it. There’s no point in resisting, so I drink it all in one go.
As the purifying magic takes effect, my body gradually loses sensation.
"You’re still conscious? I’ll explain the procedure before we start."
I feel unusually tense. Despite my ability to heal injuries and illnesses with recovery potions, I’m not used to such a situation. I lie still and wait for her to explain.
"To put it simply, we’re replacing your left eye with a magical artifact. In your case, we’re going to seal the curse by fixing a gemstone blessed by the goddess and then making it function as your left eye. It’s a high-tech artifact developed in the Holy City, and I can assure you it’s in perfect working order. Adjusting it has taken us until just now. Second-level recovery magic can fully heal physical injuries or disabilities, but it’s impossible to restore something that was never there to begin with. However, a magical artifact can make up for that. The procedure I’m about to perform on you is an application of this principle."
In other words, they’re going to gouge out my left eye and replace it with an artificial eye made from a Talisman.
"You won’t lose your sight. The artificial eye will be superior to a biological one. We’re using top-tier materials from the Royal Palace of Berliza. Such materials are rare."
"...So, using second-level recovery magic later won’t cause any problems?"
If I lose my left eye and use recovery magic, it might return to its original state, making the artificial eye redundant and potentially harmful.
"No, that won’t be a problem. To integrate the artifact with your body, we’ll perform a special magical ritual. In the Holy City, there’s a demand for intentionally replacing body parts with magical artifacts, so we have plenty of precedents. There are even cases where such procedures were used to contain the after-effects of curses."
This must be a unique technology of the Holy City. I’ve never heard of it in Exembra, so it likely requires special magic, techniques, and materials. I doubt they mass-produce cyborgs casually.
Hmm, the world is indeed vast. I’ve developed a positive interest in the Holy City.
"One more question. Don’t Exorcist Priests specialize in undead creatures? I didn’t expect them to handle such specialized procedures."
"What do you think an Exorcist Priest is? Only a select few can bear that title. The average person you’re thinking of is an Exorcist."
Exorcist Priests seem to be a small group of elite individuals. That’s why they possess extensive knowledge and skills, allowing them to advance from Exorcists.
"Do you understand? There’s no risk of the ritual failing, but the only issue is that it may take some time to adjust. Expect intense pain and discomfort for a while. If you accept all of this, I’ll seal the curse."
"...Fine, just do it."
"The anesthetic is finally taking effect. The procedure won’t take long, but I need to observe your recovery. Stay here until morning. Also, send the others away. They’re a distraction."
"...Did you hear that, Layla? You’re enough here, so send everyone else away."
I hear her faint reply as my consciousness fades. The old woman’s confident attitude is reassuring. I’ll just trust her.
I stop overthinking and decide to sleep.
---
I open my right eye as soon as my consciousness returns.
The light and air quality suggest it’s probably past noon. I’ve overslept more than usual.
More importantly, I feel wonderful.
There’s no disturbance in my internal magical energy, and the usual discomfort is gone. It’s been a long time since I woke up feeling this peaceful.
The left eye, which I can’t open, must be covered with a bandage-like material. I can feel the texture.
I touch my face with my left hand; the material is surprisingly hard, likely some kind of magical artifact.
"Onee-sama, how are you feeling?"
"...Valeria?"
"Yes. I took over from Layla this morning. Are you alright?"
My concerned younger sister peers into my face.
Since I feel fine and am fully awake, there’s no reason to stay in bed. I slowly sit up, stretching my body to check my senses.
Yeah, I feel great.
"I’m fine, surprisingly good. But, could you call the Exorcist Priest?"
"Right away!"
She must have sensed my energy and mood. Valeria left the room with a relieved smile.
By the time I put on my boots, Valeria and the old woman were already back.
"You seem to be doing alright?"
"Can I take this off now?"
The bandage on my face is getting in the way.
"As I said yesterday, you should expect significant pain and discomfort for a while. This magical bandage suppresses those effects. You can try taking it off, but it’s best to keep it on for a few days. Here, you can borrow it."
"Wow, it’s a great magical artifact. But I’ll try taking it off... It’s a bit tricky to do it myself."
"I’ll do it for you."
Valeria carefully removes the bandage.
The left eye area, now exposed to the air, feels different. I can sense a significant foreign sensation.
However, it’s not painful. It’s not just my imagination. Maybe it will feel different once I open my eye.
I decide to open my left eye cautiously, a bit nervously.
The light that filters through my eyelid enters directly. Closing my right eye to test, everything seems fine.
So, this is a magical eye. Despite the foreign sensation, it functions normally, so the realism is impressive. This is incredible technology.
"Yeah, I can see. And it’s not painful."
"No pain? Really?"
"The foreign sensation is intense, but other than that, everything’s fine."
"Hmm, perhaps you have a high affinity with the minerals used? For the pain to subside so quickly..."
They did say it might take time to adjust. With my aptitude for mineral magic, I suppose my compatibility is good.
"If it doesn’t hurt, that’s great. Is there anything I need to watch out for?"
"...Just be careful with your left eye. If it’s injured, the curse might break."
I almost forgot, but the curse is just sealed, not gone. Focusing my magical senses on my left eye, I can feel an extremely strong, curse-like force at the center of the eyeball. It’s probably invisible to others, but now that I’ve recognized it, it feels like a bomb inside me.
"Damn, so that’s how it is. If I get badly injured, I’ll have to come back to you, won’t I?"
"As I said before, your left eye is now a part of your body, though it’s a magical artifact. If you get injured, recovery magic can heal it, but you’ll suffer from the curse until it’s healed."
I see, so that’s not a major issue. Still, it’s unsettling to have this strange force in my left eye. It seems to have fully integrated with my body, so the curse won’t likely weaken or fade.
Well, I guess I just have to get used to it... Wait, can I interfere with it using magical manipulation?
Given my ability to control vast amounts of magic at a highly precise level, it might be possible to do something with it.
"Is something wrong?"
"Nothing, anything else?"
"Your left eye contains a different kind of cursed power. Although it’s fine now, it might change in the future."
"...Change? Not in the sense of the seal breaking?"
"If it’s not damaged, the seal won’t break. However, changes in color or shape are possible. Just be aware of that. There’s no issue with its function as long as it doesn’t hurt."
That’s fine. A little change is no big deal, as long as it’s not too bizarre.
"Got it. Thanks for everything. I owe you one."
"We have our reasons, but if you insist, I’ll accept it. Come to us if you need help."
"It’s a rule of my trade to repay favors. If you ever need anything, I’ll help."
I’m in a remarkably good mood right now.
An Exorcist Priest is unlikely to need help from someone like me, an outlaw. Offering lip service to an old woman with limited time left is the least I can do. If they do need help, I’ll handle it when the time comes.
Well, that’s that.
I stand up with a smooth motion. It feels great.
"I’d prefer you stay in bed, but since you seem fine, we can go. Ready to leave?"
"I can’t sit still. Besides, my body feels sluggish, and I want to regain my full strength as soon as possible."
"Onee-sama, should I tell Layla and Heidi to find a suitable opponent for you?"
"That sounds perfect!"
I feel like starting a fight with anyone. A good brawl will get me back to my usual self.
Hurry up and give me someone to punch!