Chapter 233

Chapter 233

“Then, this strange purple thing must be opium from Yanghwa’s body. Ah, Master has gone to check again, so maybe it isn’t…”

“Do you think that this is opium, a type of drug?”

Hamal kept asking me questions. I wasn’t sure why he was interrogating me. It wasn’t like we were playing a game of riddles or 20 questions. But he persisted, as if he already knew the answer and was only testing me.

I did my best to examine the purple substance on the cocoon. It gave me a creepy, disgusting feeling, like contamination that was staining clean healing magic. Kaichen had felt something similar before, and he had described it as the filthiest thing he had ever smelled.

The magical power surrounding the purple substance reminded him of the magic circle that prevented him from using magic in the north.

“Could this be magic?” I asked, hoping to get some clarity from Hamal.

Hamal smiled softly, and even I, who didn’t know him well, could easily see that he agreed.

I frowned, realizing that if it was purple magic, it belonged to the wizard under Princess Exchetra, who was aiming for Kaichen. An unknown sorcerer, he was a black magician who had similar magical abilities to Kaichen and knew all kinds of terrible magic. It occurred to me that the information about Exchetra’s lackey wasn’t enough.

“Is it possible to confuse magic with opium? If not… Was magic mixed in when the opium was made?”

“……”

“Can Yanghwa recover?”

“She can recover.”

Hamal, who didn’t answer the first question, replied about her recovery.

Looking at the cocoon, which was now two-thirds covered in purple magic, I bit my lip. My knowledge was narrow, and there were too many things I didn’t know. I only made uncertain guesses every time, and I didn’t predict anything properly.

“You seem to have lost all of your old memories,” Hamal said.

I suddenly felt nervous. “Ah… yes, I’m sorry. The memory of meeting the great sage… I seem to have lost it.”

“You can just call me Hamal. You used to call me Grandpa.”

“Gra… s-sorry.”

“Hoho! Weren’t you young. It was at a time when you didn’t even know who I was.”

I met him without knowing his identity. What kind of story did we have? I was curious, but it was embarrassing to ask, so I only smiled awkwardly and said nothing else.

A moment of silence followed, and this time, Hamal spoke first.

“About Kaichen. What would you like to do… with that kid?” Hamal asked me.

I was taken aback by the question. “Huh?”

“Didn’t you hold his hand because there was something you wanted to do?”

“Kaichen was an innocent child. He grew up studying magic in the Mage’s Tower being oblivious about the world and even less about people. I was always worried about that.”

“……”

“I could tell immediately that he is no longer the child I cared for. Children grow up. Just like you have.”

I did not immediately understand what Hamal was saying. Hamal was something like a wise man, teacher, or something in a fantasy world, who used simple words but made you ponder about the hidden meaning to them.

“So, I grew curious. What did you want to do with Kaichen, since you were holding hands?” Hamal pressed.

I remembered holding hands with Kaichen the first time we met. It wasn’t a physical gesture, but rather a symbol of our connection. Normally, I would have joked about it, but for some reason, I felt like if I didn’t answer this question seriously, Kaichen would be taken away.

I sighed, feeling a bit annoyed that I had to explain myself to Hamal, but I knew I owed him an answer. He was Kaichen’s teacher, the great sage, and the master of the tower. He was like Kaichen’s parent after all.

“Do you know where Master hides in? I call it the Willow House.”

“……”

“I’m staying here because I have work to do, but I want to live in the willow tree house with Master. I will live happily with Master until my hair turns white and my skin sags with wrinkles.”

“……”

“I want to do that, so I held Master’s hand. I want to live happily. Master is essential to my happiness.”

I smiled and answered confidently. It was embarrassing to admit, but it was true.

“Does Kaichen feel the same way?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t talked to Master properly yet. Even so… I believe we’ll stay together.”