Chapter 260: Contract Signed

Scribble— Scribble— Scribble—

After a very long while of discussion, Marzana signed the final draft of the contract.

Fortunately, their resources were close at hand. Not only was Aurum’s house— complete with equipment— right next door, but Aurelia’s pocket also seemed to be a factory in its own right.

Thus, they were able to immediately collect the necessary stamps, seals, and rewrite the final draft of the contract within the day.

"Finally..." Killian could not help but mutter under his breath.

His back was still drenched as he could vividly sense the pressure around Marzana, ’Just what is wrong with her? Why do I feel like I’m underwater?’

Nevertheless, he felt happy as he thought that it was finally over.

However, all his hopes vanished right away as soon as he noticed that the strange black-haired elven girl remained seated.

Marzana looked at Regis in the eye.

Although she tried her best not to show any emotion, the sparkle of hope deep within her pitch black eyes could not be hidden.

Knowing what she wanted to say, Regis smiled, "When do you want to start?"

"Now, if possible—"

Grrrrr~

Just as Marzana finished responding, she was cut off by a loud rumbling sound.

"A monster!?" Killian immediately stood up, his eyes filled with wariness as he looked around.

THUD—!!

However, Pandora’s comically large book connected with his head.

He slumped instantly, knocked cold onto the single-seater couch behind him.

"Idiot." Pandora quietly said before she turned to the blushing Marzana, "Don’t mind him. He must’ve been hearing things."

Aurelia also got up while picking up the documents on the low table, "I’ll go keep this first. Oh, and I’ll bring food on the way back."

Right at the moment, the people left in the living room were Regis, Pandora, and Marzana.

Though there was also the sleeping Killian.

Regis glanced at Pandora and said, "I’ll go to the training ground with Marzana first, okay?"

"Alright." Pandora replied plainly as he walked over to her comically large book, picked it up, and sat back down at her spot.

Regis stood up, "Let’s go?"

"Okay." Marzana tried to maintain a calm expression, but the blushing tips of her pointed ears were an obvious indication of her embarrassment.

Still, no one present mentioned anything about the matter.

Regis then led Marzana towards the door to the underground training space.

However, just as they were about to go down, he seemed to have realized something before looking at the elven girl beside him, "Wait a minute. I need to get something."

"Okay..." Marzana tilted her head, curious about what he needed to do urgently.

She did not show an ounce of impatience as she stood by the door, ’Well, I’ve lived my life being hated by the people around me and even by mana itself. Waiting a few minutes is fine...’

"Hmmm, this house isn’t too bad. Though I guess it’s to be expected for someone who had a connection with the Midas Family..."

Marzana could not help but mutter as she observed the interior of the house.

In fact, even Aurum’s house next door was not luxurious at all.

Although it was very spacious and the house itself could not be called simple, compared to his stature, it was already humble enough.

It was the same for the house he gave Regis and the others.

"I’m sorry for the wait."

After around three minutes, Marzana perked up as she heard Regis’s voice behind her.

However, just as she looked at him, her face immediately turned red.

The culprit was the plate in his hand: sandwiches of buttery toasted bread, packed with fresh vegetables and thin slices of roasted meat.

Their smell was so tantalizing it tickled Marzana’s nostrils, yet her lingering embarrassment kept her face carefully neutral.

Regis smiled, "I’m sorry about earlier. Everything just happened too fast, and I forgot that we were supposed to discuss the contract over lunch..."

"It’s fine. I ate earlier on the way here." Marzana immediately composed herself and kept a graceful smile.

"It sure didn’t sound like that earlier. If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve thought that you were a monster of some sort—"

"Can’t you stop?"

"If only you didn’t lie~"

"I’m just trying to preserve my dignity."

Regis stopped as he noticed her reddening face once again, "Oops~"

Covering the smile that crawled up his lips, he handed the plate to Marzana, "Here you go, eat this while we wait for Aurelia. Just don’t expect too much since it’s something I made in a hurry."

The two of them then started going down the stairs under Regis’s lead.

"Thank you." Marzana lowered her head as she took a bite of the sandwich while following behind him.

Regis smiled, glancing back at her, "You’re welcome, Cursed Miss. I hope it’s at least barely up to the standard of a royal princess’s palate."

Marzana rolled her eyes, not having the capability of replying due to the food she was eating.

The two of them soon arrived at the underground training hall.

They settled on a wooden bench first, as Regis said, "Take your time eating."

"Mhm." Marzana nodded.

Meanwhile, upstairs...

After hearing the door to the underground training hall close, Pandora lowered her comically large book and said, "You can stop pretending now."

"Huhp—"

Like a corpse who rose from the dead, Killian immediately sat up straight, "Do you think she noticed?"

"We all knew." Pandora replied plainly before going back to reading her book.

"Argh—"

Killian wanted to punch himself in the face, "Why am I so unlucky today!?"

Just as he was about to continue ranting, he looked at Pandora, "Didn’t you feel it too?"

"I did."

"But how come you don’t look like you suffered?"

"I withdrew all my mana."

Hearing her answer, Killian fell into deep thought, "That elf is too strange... How come, Regis is like a magnet for abnormal girls—"

THUD—!!

Killian slumped back in his single-seater couch as he was once again hit by the comically large book in the head.

The only difference was that, this time, Pandora seriously knocked him out.

***

Back in the underground training hall...

Marzana had just finished eating and was now sitting on a wooden stool with her back facing Regis.

"Aurelia’s case was just like yours..." He commented as he placed his hand on her back.

"What do you mean?"

"Your so-called ’curse’. The only difference was that she had gloves made of a special material that covered her hands. But yours..."

"Hmmm..." Regis thought for a moment, "While Aurelia’s concern was her hand, yours seems like the whole body instead."

He withdrew his hand from her back, then moved to stand directly before her.

Looking at Regis, who seemed to be scrutinizing every part of her, Marzana could not help but shift uncomfortably.

Still, her eyes remained hopeful as she stared at him.

Regis thought for a moment before suddenly raising his right hand.

Mana came out of his heart, influencing the mana in the surroundings, before finally forming a sphere.

This process merely took an instant before the mana sphere shot towards Marzana.

Swoosh— Poof!

However, just as it reached within her arm’s length, the mana sphere immediately dissolved as light blue particles scattered into her hair.

"Hmmm, just as expected."

Wide-eyed, Marzana heard his muttered words and saw the look of deep thought on his face.

’To think that he could pinpoint the main effect of my curse so quickly...’

She remembered that all she mentioned about the curse while talking to him was about how she was ’hated by mana’.

’Maybe he discovered it when he investigated me?’

This thought was quickly discarded by her, ’The royal lineage strictly kept this confidential, so I doubt it.’

’Then is it...’

The hope in Marzana’s eyes intensified, ’Maybe he really can help me.’

Regis finally raised his head as he asked, "You have tried mana circulation methods, right? To nurture a star?"

"Of course." Marzana replied affirmatively.

"How about aura circulation methods?"

"Eh?"

For a moment, Marzana was speechless.

Although elves were generally loved by mana and often awakened to be mages, they did not lack experts of aura.

"Y-Yes, I did. Why?"

Without a word, Regis raised his hand once again.

This time, pale red energy began to gather in his palm before it quickly shot towards Marzana.

’What!?’

The elven girl flinched in shock and lowered her head.

After not feeling anything for a few seconds, she opened one of her eyes and slowly raised her head.

What greeted her sight was Regis’s smirk, "It turns out that you’re not just hated by mana, but aura as well."

Marzana pouted, "Can’t you at least inform me before you do something like that agai—"

"For the next test..." Regis spoke before she could finish.

He looked her straight in the eye, "I need you to keep everything a secret."

Marzana tilted her head, "Isn’t that in the contract already? Of course, I wou—"

"It’s not enough. I need you to make an oath to the World Tree."

"Is this really neede—"

"Yes."

"But swearing under the name of the World Tree is—"

"This is optional. You can choose not to, but resolving your issue will take a long time."

"Can’t you at least let me finish speaki—"

"Do you want it or not?"

Marzana gritted her teeth, ’Is he messing with me?’

However, seeing his serious expression, she decided to trust him.

"Alright, I will."