Chapter 275: Aeola

’Everything’s screaming that the problem is her eyes...’

Regis was in deep thought as he watched the beastkin fox girl glance at Marzana before she slowly removed the bandages covering her eyes.

’There it is again.’

He had already found it strange earlier that, despite her eyes being covered, she seemed to be able to ’see’ without any problems whatsoever.

Doing it once or twice could be passed off as coincidental, and that she relied on her hearing.

After all, beastkins had terrifying senses.

However, not only did she do it once or twice, Aeola had done it throughout the conversation in the private training room.

Still, even when it was completely silent, beastkins could still rely on their terrifying senses to sense the slight vibration in their surroundings, while some could even use echolocation.

’Even if I make excuses for all her actions, the bandage on her eyes gives it away!’

Regis thought as he inwardly felt intrigued as to what kind of power this fox girl held.

Even though the document in his hand did not mention anything regarding the matter, Marzana seemed to know something she did not take the initiative to report.

Thus, he decided to see it for himself.

As Aeola removed the white bandages, a pair of bright orange eyes revealed themselves to Regis.

There were also orange markings under her eyes that accentuated the beauty hidden beneath her sunken face.

Furthermore, there were orange, whisker-like markings on her cheeks that had been previously covered by her hair and the white bandages as well.

Coupled with her dirty white clothes, the contrast held a dissonance that had a tinge of strange beauty within.

’Strange...’

Regis felt like his very soul itself was being stripped naked before those pair of bright orange eyes, though it disappeared soon after, along with the feeling of his Perfect Adaptation’s activation.

Similarly, a weird look appeared in Aeola’s eyes as her pupils slightly constricted, ’I can’t see through him...’

From the moment she opened her eyes, she had been able to ’see through’ every person she encountered without fail.

’Seeing through’ meant that she could instinctively judge a person’s personality, tendencies, and character with just a glance.

Moreover, she could ’read’ the thoughts of whoever met her gaze.

But now, facing this strange young man she had just met, the understanding she had of her eyes throughout her life seemed to be all for naught.

Seeing the interest emerging in Regis’s eyes, along with the shock in Aeola’s, Marzana secretly smiled.

’I’ve done here.’

Thinking this, she stepped forward and spoke, "According to our agreement, you will provide unconditional support for the development of the fifth party for as long as it is within reasonable boundaries, correct?"

"Of course," Regis replied, returning to his senses.

"Then I ask for your support now. Aeola here is the one I have personally chosen to become the second member of Equilla. Please help me resolve her curse. I trust that this request is not too unreasonable, considering she is to become a member of the party."

Seeing his nod, she continued, "Then I will be on my way. Moments before coming here, I received a lead regarding someone I am considering as a member of the party."

"All right. Leave her to me. I cannot promise anything, except that I will do my best to resolve her situation."

"That alone is enough."

Marzana bowed before leaving the room.

Seeing the elven girl shut the door, Regis heaved a deep sigh while massaging his temples as he looked at the beastking girl before him.

"Alright, shall we start?"

Still feeling a little confused, the fox girl absentmindedly nodded in response.

Seeing him approach her, Aeola flinched as she tried to stand, "S-Should I stand up?"

"No. I’ll need to observe you first." Regis spoke in the calmest tone he could muster.

After all, as someone who grew up in the slums, he knew that she must be quite apprehensive at this moment due to the sudden change in environment.

’She’s nervous... Although she’s not really trembling, her two tails looked quite stiff...’

Various thoughts circled his head as he observed her current situation, ’Anything else aside, her eyes...’

’W-What’s happening?’ Aeola thought as she could feel a pair of blood-red eyes seemingly dissecting her from head to toe.

She even unconsciously stopped breathing due to the sheer amount of anxiety she was experiencing.

Although Marzana had already been briefed that her days as a slave were now over, the mannerisms engraved in her and the mindset that she had from when she was born were not things that could easily be changed.

Overwhelmed by her feelings, Aeola involuntarily shut her eyes tightly, only to hear Regis’s voice in the next moment.

"Open them."

"I-I’m sorry, what?"

"Your eyes. Open them."

"O-Okay..."

Aeola flinched as she slowly opened her eyes, only to see the pair of blood-red eyes just centimeters away from hers.

"Huhp—" The shock led her to stop breathing once again.

’It looks like it contains its own world...’

Regis thought as he observed the pair of otherworldly bright orange eyes before him.

Noticing that she seemed uncomfortable, he gradually backed away as he fell into deep thought.

After a short while, Regis spoke, "Do you mind me asking questions about your eyes?"

Aeola responded with a shake of her head.

"Alright. First and foremost, what do you know about your eyes?"

"Hmm... I can judge a person accurately and even read their thoughts when they meet my gaze."

"Second, do you feel any strain in your eyes?"

"Yes."

"Since when did it start?"

Aeola tilted her head at the question before answering a moment later, "Hmm, I don’t know. I think I have it for as long as I can remember."

"Understood..."

Regis kept asking her questions about her eyes, wanting to know everything about them, to which the fox girl answered honestly with her heart.

...

A few moments later...

Regis stood in front of the sitting Aeola with a thoughtful expression.

The latter shifted a little at the former’s gaze, but the short time they spent together made her a little more comfortable with him.

"S-Sir Regis, do you really have a solution for my curse?" The fox girl asked carefully.

Regis nodded affirmatively.

Since he felt that ’Lord’ was overkill, he told her to address him as ’Sir’ instead.

Aeola did not mind whatever she had to call him, for as long as she could resolve her condition.

After all, her malnourished look was not just a ’look’.

She truly felt weak, even if she had moved a little and done a little housework, one of the major reasons why her previous masters had been harsh on her.

Not only that, but she could also feel pain as her bones trembled the moment she exerted even a bit of strength.

Thus, she longed to live a normal life.

Seeing her hopeful expression, Regis spoke, "Based on what I know, your special eyes seemed to be a gift."

"G-Gift? Like what humans have? But I’m—"

"But you’re a half-human, right? Since that noble is your father as well."

Remembering that man, Aeola’s eyes were instantly filled with a myriad of emotions, though it was mostly despair and hatred.

Nevertheless, she calmed herself down, ’I don’t want to be held back by my past anymore. With Sir Regis’s help, I’ll be able to move on.’

The determination that filled her eyes moved Regis, making him smile.

"Your situation shouldn’t be too complicated."

Remembering the various books he had read in the past few years, he was confident, "Your situation should be because of the incomplete awakening of your gift, which was caused by your mixed blood.

So, the problem itself is simple.

We just need to complete the awakening of your eyes through rigorous mana circulation training. From there, your situation should improve bit by bit as you regain control of your eyes."

Issues regarding mixed bloods had been common due to the copulation between races.

After all, the causes for such were quite messy.

They were either born because of two people from different races falling for each other...

...while some were the fruit of violence, exploitation, and other aspects of the ’coin’s’ dark side.

And obviously, Aeola was from the latter.

Nevertheless, these issues resulted in the conflict between the power within the blood of the two races.

Mixed bloods could awaken one ability of the race their parent was from, depending on whose bloodline was more superior.

However, some could awaken both abilities from their parent’s bloods.

As for Aeola’s situation, Regis judged it to be the former: ’It seems like her father’s blood was more potent than her mother’s, which is quite rare, considering that her father’s a human...’

After all, it was common knowledge that when it came to the potency and pureness of blood, humans were inferior to other races.

Still, rare cases like Aeola’s arose from time to time.

Regis then took a wooden stool and sat in front of the beastkin, making her flinch.

"W-What are we going to do now?"

"We’ll resolve your ’curse’ in the fastest way possible."

As he said that, Regis got to work as he explained the plan to Aeola.

Just like that, the ’curse’ that had made the fox girl’s life miserable to the point that even living daily was painful was resolved by the young man before her.