After Vera drew closer to the child, she took the opportunity to observe her carefully.
She had heard that Heidi suffered from black magic erosion and had always been in poor health, but the Heidi before her eyes, aside from being a bit frail, didn't look like those so-called 'black mages' who had been consumed by corruption.
"Mr. Valger," Vera couldn't help but speak up, "Heidi's current state looks quite good, doesn't it?"
Valger let out a sigh as he gently rolled up his daughter's left sleeve, revealing a large area of shocking black rot that was faintly emitting an uncomfortable, filthy aura at its edges.
"It's been several years..." Valger's voice dropped, filled with a heavy sense of powerlessness.
"My wife died from mana backlash years ago, and the black magic corruption she caused before her death accidentally tainted this child... It started as just a small black spot, but now... it has spread and become increasingly severe."
Freya had already sensed that filthy aura, and her brow furrowed slightly without her realizing it.
She knew that without intervention, this condition would only worsen; either the rot would spread across her entire body, leading to exhaustion through prolonged agony, or her mind would break first, turning her into a crazed, twisted thing before the erosion was complete.
Seeing that the atmosphere had turned heavy, Valger gently pulled down his daughter's sleeve to hide the horrific marks.
He looked down at his quiet daughter with a complex gaze.
"Actually, Heidi has magic talent—exceptional talent, even... but I've never dared to let her learn. The surging of mana might stimulate the corruption to accelerate. Sigh..."
"If only she were a truly ordinary person. Sometimes I really wish... I could make her lose her magic talent entirely. At least as an ordinary person, she could live a safe and peaceful life. That would be for the best."
Ansu shook his head slightly upon hearing this. "Whether she becomes an ordinary person or not, her fate isn't entirely in your hands... There are some things, Valger, that you simply cannot avoid."
As he spoke, under Valger's increasingly surprised gaze, Ansu lowered his voice to reveal a rumor—the impending, incredibly strict Magic Prohibition Decree.
"What? Are you serious? Doing magic experiments... even being a mage itself will be illegal?" Valger's eyes widened in shock, and he instinctively looked around before lowering his own voice.
"This is a massive matter, Ansu. Is your information reliable?"
"The information is certain," Ansu said with a firm and sincere expression.
"But how did you find out..."
"Don't underestimate my big brother's intelligence network~" Vera said with a light laugh.
"To be involved in a major project like Professor Duncan's and to be able to donate so much precious alchemy equipment to the association—regardless of which it is, you can't underestimate my brother's influence!" Vera crossed her arms and huffed. "My brother is risking himself to tell you this now to save you, and to save the entire Northern Magic Mutual Aid Association."
"Is that so? Then I truly am grateful..." Valger nodded tentatively, his gaze deepening.
Afterward, as Valger listened to the additional details and further inside information Ansu provided, his expression became more and more shocked.
"The decree aims to completely expel all mages, magic apprentices, and demihumans with innate magic affinity from the territory... and prohibits all unofficial magic research and related trade..."
But Valger still couldn't understand why such a thing would happen.
"Norvigel... has always been very lenient toward magic?"
"Furthermore, the reason this city was able to develop and gain the momentum to catch up with Benalu City is precisely because it gathered a large number of mages and magitech scholars, isn't it? The Alston family used to tacitly permit or even encourage this..."
His face was filled with confusion and indignation. "Wouldn't the Count's move be a sudden reversal of policy? It's like digging up his own foundation!"
"What else could it be for?" Ansu scoffed. "It's all for power."
In the simulation, the truth had long since been revealed.
The two powerful figures in Norvigel who were about to join forces to stir up this storm had many deeper calculations and exchanges of interest behind them. But stripping away all the high-sounding excuses, the core driving force was still power—more power.
"Then won't Norvigel become extremely dangerous very soon?" Valger's face turned pale as he instinctively gripped his daughter's hand. "Heidi, we need to pack our things quickly, take your grandmother, and head to the countryside to hide for a bit..."
"No!" He suddenly realized something. "The countryside isn't safe either. We have to hide further away. Maybe we should just head south..."
"Hiding anywhere is useless!" Ansu's tone was cold, like a bucket of ice water poured over him. "With the new Pope, Eugene IX, coming to power, de-magicization is the trend of the times. The entire magic world will be in a state of panic. You can hide for a moment, but can you hide for a lifetime?"
Valger's mood grew increasingly pessimistic as he asked pleadingly, "Ansu... what should I do?"
Ansu and Vera shared a silent look before Ansu 'thought for a moment.'
"How about this, Valger."
Ansu quickly came up with a solution. "I'll take you, Heidi, and her grandmother into my Lawrence Manor. When the day comes that the Magic Prohibition Decree is truly implemented, my place should be the only one capable of protecting you."
Valger hadn't expected such a solution. He looked at Ansu in surprise, his face instantly filled with gratitude.
"Really? Ansu! Thank you so much!" Valger truly didn't know how to thank Ansu for such kindness.
"It's nothing. We're friends, after all," Ansu said with a nonchalant smile.
"Besides, I also highly value your research skills. Oh right, speaking of which... has that benefactor of yours contacted you lately?"
"Um, well..." Since it involved revealing information about his benefactor, Valger hesitated for a moment. "He has contacted me, but only to urge me on my research progress. Ansu, why do you ask?"
"Nothing much." Ansu shook his head. "I was just thinking that perhaps you should just work for me directly in the future."
Valger was even more surprised. He was naturally delighted that Ansu valued his academic level and was even willing to provide him with a related job.
"But, but I still have a major project on my hands that isn't finished..."
He looked troubled and hesitant. "Maybe... Ansu, could you wait for me? Let me finish this commission first, since this benefactor has been quite generous... After that! Once I'm done, I can definitely work for you!"
"That won't do." Ansu's smile deepened. Between himself and Barcas, Valger could only choose one.
"I need people urgently right now. The opportunity only comes once."
Ansu smiled, his voice dropping lower and becoming more seductive: "But you can think about it—how can a short-term project compare to a stable livelihood? Which is more worth it? Valger, go home today and consider it carefully..."
"Alright..." Valger's expression was complex, both tempted and conflicted.
"Oh, right." As if remembering something, Ansu suddenly pulled a small glass medicine bottle from his pocket.
"This is a stable inhibiting serum developed from our previous project. It can effectively alleviate the erosion symptoms caused by black magic corruption. You can take it back and let Heidi try it."
Ansu finally played his ultimate trump card.
Valger's gaze was fixed intently on the small bottle. He reached out and took it with extreme care, his tone almost unbelieving.
"Did I hear that right? Can it really, truly...?"
"My teacher's husband had symptoms even worse than Heidi's!" Vera continued to assist her brother, her eyes curving into a smile. "If even he could get better, Heidi will surely get better too! If you don't believe me, you can visit my teacher's home and see for yourself~"
A surge of ecstatic anticipation suddenly welled up in Valger's heart. If it really could... treat Heidi's symptoms!
Then whatever Ansu said was law! He was willing to pay any price!
Ansu watched the middle-aged mage before him, who was trembling slightly with joy and hope, and the smile on his face grew even deeper.
He would naturally accept this 'explosive genius' that Barcas had discovered.
Protecting Valger's family would prevent that future Novalon Explosion, resolving a major hidden danger, and would also help his future career...
Yes, a win-win.
Rate on N.U.
