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墨書 Inktalez
"Alright, no problem!" Upon hearing this, she almost immediately agreed without hesitation.
"..." He didn't expect Freya, who had just been troubled, to respond so decisively now. It left him momentarily stunned. However, looking at the confident girl, he quickly understood that her earlier expression had been feigned.
"Well, seeing you so confident, I hope it's not just an act." He smiled at Freya's cleverness and then said, "Now, let me help you clear your vision..."
As he spoke, Hegel walked over to Freya and extended his right index finger.
In Freya's line of sight, that ordinary-looking finger suddenly glowed with a green light, and a series of indistinct whispers seemed to reach her ears from nowhere.
The old man's unhurried pace gave her a sense of unavoidable dread as she could only stare blankly at the finger pointing towards her forehead, a drop of cold sweat trickling down her temple.
'Clang!'
A sound like metal clashing echoed in her mind.
In a daze, the colorful particles that had been bothering her for a long time seemed to be swept away by a hurricane, disappearing without a trace in no time.
"This..." She gently opened her mouth, looking at the old man, wanting to say thank you, but a sudden wave of fatigue overwhelmed her mind.
In her final moments of consciousness, she saw the old man's gaze directed at her, filled with an inexplicable sense of hope, reminiscent of the look Baron had given her when he left.
There was no time for further thought as darkness enveloped her.
Hegel retracted his finger, a faint sickly flush appearing on his aged face. He looked at the girl who had closed her eyes and fallen into slumber, feeling a complex mix of emotions within.
"...I never expected to encounter you in such a remote place as Dragon Harbor after all these years. I wonder if it's your luck or mine..." he murmured to himself.
...
Not sure how long she had slept, Freya slowly opened her eyes.
The sudden clarity of her vision took her by surprise. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief, yet the image remained clear.
It felt like waking up from being severely nearsighted to suddenly having perfect vision, leaving her in a state of disbelief.
"You’re awake?" Hegel, sitting on the sofa, put down the thick book in his hands and glanced at his pocket watch. "Hmm, it's half an hour earlier than I expected."
Perhaps seeing Freya's embarrassment, Hegel did not waste any words and continued.
"Each Cursed Item has different effects, methods of use, and levels. Cursed Items have no effect in the hands of ordinary people; instead, the radiation from the Cursed Items continuously erodes their bodies, ultimately leading to death. However, those who have broken the shackles of the human body, like Knights, can resist this ongoing radiation with their strong physiques. But if you want to use them, you need to know how and also pay a certain amount of life energy while bearing the backlash afterward. After all, Cursed Items are not meant for mortals."
Freya listened somewhat dazedly to the old man's information. Besides the details about Cursed Items, she could vaguely sense his familiarity with wizards from his words.
"Can you tell me how to remove the backlash after using it?" she asked earnestly.
"Of course, there are many aftereffects associated with using Cursed Items. The violent sensation in your chest is a more severe case. If you delay for another ten days or half a month, you might be consumed by your own sensation and turn into a killing machine that only knows instinctual combat until your strength is exhausted and you die," Hegel said softly as he gently tapped the round table. "However, there are ways to resolve this. You can either disperse the sensation yourself or endure the days when your reason is being consumed with your willpower, or find a wizard..."
"…"
Freya frowned slightly. The first method—dispersing her own sensation—was equivalent to crippling herself permanently, which was undoubtedly something she did not want. But the second option...
She suddenly raised her head, her gaze fixed intensely on the old man before her.
"Since you provided these two methods and judging by your attitude, it seems you can help me solve this... or perhaps you are..."
"You are very clever!" Hegel laughed and praised her. "However, you guessed wrong; I am not a wizard. I am just an ordinary administrator who happens to know some knowledge about wizards."
Hearing the old man's words, her eyes brightened.
"So, you really can help me...?"
Hegel waved his hand to interrupt her next words and continued.
"I can help you remove the aftereffects, but... as for Equivalent Exchange, this is not as simple as asking you questions like before."
"...Then what do you want this time?" Freya suppressed her joy and asked with a serious expression.
Hegel seemed to appreciate the serious look on the young girl's face. After a long moment, he straightened up; his posture under the soft yellow candlelight had a mysterious aura.
"I greatly admire eager young learners. The price I ask is... that you read all the books in the entire library within six months and remember them well. How does that sound? Can you do it?"
"Six months?" Freya made a somewhat troubled expression but felt a slight joy inside; given her current photographic memory intelligence, this price was practically free.
"If you accept, I can temporarily suppress your sensation and the Energy Particles that are interfering with your vision right now. However, completely removing what’s inside will still take some time. Have you thought it over?" Hegel observed the somewhat troubled girl before him and intentionally relaxed some of his requirements.
Seeing the old man's slightly pale face, Freya immediately stood up from the sofa and bowed respectfully.
"Thank you!"
According to the information he provided about the Cursed Items, removing the aftereffects of their use was undoubtedly a troublesome matter. However, regardless of his motives, the old man had temporarily cured her.
Hegel did not refuse Freya's gesture but nodded in satisfaction as she straightened up.
"I only cleared away what was in your line of sight, but the energy in your chest cannot be resolved so easily... During this time, just come here as usual."
After saying this, Hegel's already sickly complexion seemed to worsen a bit. He waved his hand, signaling Freya that she could leave.
"Okay, I understand!"
Knowing that the old man needed rest, she wisely refrained from asking too many questions about how to treat the aftereffects before sleeping. Instead, she picked up the round top hat from the side of the sofa and placed it on her head.
Finally, she took a deep look at the old man still sitting on the sofa before turning to leave.
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