The news that I returned to Shio-ram spread like wildfire.
Thanks to that, my hologram was bombarded with greetings from students I didn’t even know.
Though it was through a hologram projector instead of a smartwatch, the account was the same, so my contacts and settings were intact.
“Huh?”
I was sitting on the bed, sifting through a mountain of messages.
▶ Elia Slade (new message)
There was also a cautious message from Elia, asking if I could spare some time when I had the chance.
I didn’t know what it was about, but I decided to leave the dorm anyway.
I had a lot to do.
While I was hesitant to move my body too much out of fear for Professor Atra’s retaliation, I still needed to catch up on the lectures I had fallen behind.
“Ugh…”
I was really behind. I was already worried about the notes for the midterm evaluation…
“I need to quickly adapt to moving with just one arm.”
With one arm gone, my whole body felt sluggish. It was a significant imbalance.
Now that the arm that used to attach my smartwatch was gone, I had to carry around a portable hologram projector.
Should I tell the association to modify it so I can wear a smartwatch around my neck?
I sighed at the absurd thought and groped where my left arm used to be.
I could only feel the fabric of my clothes flapping helplessly in the occasional breeze.
The feathers of the Heavenly Wing, which had become a rag alongside its owner, were reclaimed on the spot.
Now it was devouring my magic and fluttering behind me along with my sleeve.
Before leaving the dorm, I considered just cutting off or tying up the left arm area, but it felt overly dramatic, so I abandoned the idea.
“……”
However, the eyes currently fixated on me…
Especially the gazes concentrated on my fluttering sleeves made me regret not just cutting it off.
It’s said that humans are creatures of adaptation.
Surprisingly, I, a total introvert, was adapting to the sudden attention on me.
Ever since my identity as a special transfer student was revealed, I had gotten used to the overwhelming curiosity and jealousy directed my way. Now, I could walk around fairly nonchalantly.
Such attention varied from curiosity, jealousy, confusion, to greed.
Right now, it was a very ambiguous feeling.
Admiration? Envy? Sympathy?
It was an excruciatingly embarrassing gaze that made me feel like running away…
With late regret, I hurried my steps.
Not long after, I arrived at the café Elia had sent me the address for.
Elia was already waiting in a private room.
Entering that café’s private room.
“Ha, Ha-yul…”
Elia trembled her eyes when they met my empty left arm.
Her eyes quickly became moist, and she began to cry like a chicken dropping tears.
“Yikes.”
It took a moment to calm Elia down given the awkward situation.
.
.
.
Regardless of anything else, the curse I needed to resolve first was the curse of short lifespan.
At this point, even breaking just one curse was uncertain; aiming to unseal my senses felt overly optimistic.
The dungeon of the Silence was more of a suicide mission than a conquest.
Even the dungeon where the Heavenly Jewels were located had a dangerous threat rating of level 1.
A level 1 dungeon meant that the standard tier of monsters appearing would be around tier 5.
Though they weren’t as bad as the Aeolus that turned me into a corpse in the Shifnah, there were similar mobs wandering around.
A level 1 dungeon is hardly seen in areas where human influence has faded or the association’s reach is weak.
Finding the Heavenly Jewels in such a dungeon is immensely challenging.
Therefore, it was practically impossible to break the curse of Silence that had a backlog in the queue.
Silence Curse.
One of the three curses placed on me, it robbed me of my voice.
From the get-go, the Silence Curse had the lowest priority, compared to the curse of my shortened lifespan.
The curse of shortened lifespan drastically reduces my life span.
The curse sealing my sight, smell, and taste robbed me of convenience and enjoyment in life.
Compared to those two, the Silence Curse wasn’t a critical issue.
But experiencing it firsthand was quite inconvenient.
During my days tucked away in my room, not having my voice wasn’t a problem, but now, while attending Shio-ram, there were many moments I had to communicate with others.
Putting aside my low social skills, it was truly terrifying to think what would have happened without the hologram function.
Also, if I accidentally spoke, immediate pain and retribution awaited me.
Hence, I tried to obtain the Confession Necklace to bypass the Silence Curse… but I failed miserably.
Hong Yeon-hwa or Professor Atra…
I had a small desire to let those around me hear my voice, but considering the reality of even breaking a lifespan curse was overwhelming, I was resigned to it.
“My family isn’t a prestigious clan, so this is all I can give you, heh… But I really think it’ll help you!”
…or so I thought.
My mind felt rigid.
Slowly retracing the events that unfolded.
For reasons unknown, I calmed down Elia, who burst into tears upon seeing the spot where my left arm used to be.
She seemed to collect herself for a moment before suddenly expressing her gratitude along with something held out.
A rugged silver necklace lay in her palm.
Because of its rough exterior, it wasn’t the kind of necklace that catches attention, but its simple charm was well executed.
If I had to point out a feature, it would be that it had a quartz-like ore attached as decoration.
I recognized this necklace.
“The Confession Necklace.”
My mouth dropped open in shock, unable to process the situation.
“Why is this here?”
I didn’t know. The Echo of the Dungeon had been raided many years ago.
“Why does Elia have this?”
I don’t kn…
“Ah?”
At that moment, memories from the past surfaced in a corner of my mind.
The stone monument that stood tall where the Echo of the Dungeon was.
───────
On a dark day, may this trace become a beam of light.
Georok Grass
Denis Bardon
Richard Carlyle
Artovan Maxwell
Trian Slade
───────
The culture of leaving behind traces of those who conquered the dungeon. Among the names inscribed on the monument.
A familiar name? A surname, perhaps.
“Trian Slade.”
Trian Slade.
Elia Slade.
The comment about our families being connected…
Those three things linked together.
Elia’s family conquered the Echo of the Dungeon. The Confession Necklace obtained from there is now in possession of their clan… their household.
That solved one mystery.
Another question remained.
I struggled with the hologram projector.
[Why are you giving this to me?]
“Oh, I’m sorry. I wasn’t clear.”
Tears still clinging to her eyes, Elia explained the situation.
[Your younger sister? In Shifnah?]
“Yes… At the time, my heart sank, and I thought I was going insane.”
Elia’s family… her youngest sister visited Shifnah for a field trip and got caught up in the dungeon’s rampage.
That younger sister was saved thanks to my help on the scene.
Since I received a favor, it was only right to return it.
As Elia and her family pondered how they could repay me, they happened to find the perfect artifact left behind by her grandfather, so she hurriedly brought it.
It was incredibly coincidental that it happened to be the Confession Necklace.
I absentmindedly wiggled my fingers. The cool surface of the necklace reminded me this was no dream.
“Ah…”
I hadn’t searched for any artifacts and hadn’t obtained the much-needed Confession Necklace either.
I felt like I had accomplished nothing for all the trouble I went through.
Though I saved a lot of people, there was still a feeling of regret in a corner of my heart.
But now that regret had lessened.
Because I fought rather than fleeing, I was able to save Elia’s sister.
It felt as though such a repayment had been returned to me in the form of this necklace.
Just like the letter, it felt like proof that my actions weren’t wrong.
Maybe it was an overinterpretation… but who cares? Ultimately, it’s about how I accept it.
Emotions surged within me.
Fueled by these emotions, my body moved.
“It works like you said, and if you don’t need it, you can sell it or… oops, ah… Ha-yul?”
I pulled Elia into a hug.
“W-wha?”
Elia blinked in surprise before watching my expression and tenderly patting my back.
It became a habit over the recent days. Whenever I was overwhelmed with emotion, Professor Atra would hug me tight.
Having spent all that time in the healing room held in Professor Atra’s embrace, like this…
Like this… ah…
“Wait…”
With Professor Atra, that was how it was. If my emotions strayed to an odd place, she always told me to come for a hug with open arms.
“But right now, who am I hugging?”
My body froze in realization.
The gentle hand patting my back felt strangely unfamiliar and awkward now…
.
.
.
Thud— I hit my head on the table. The late onset of embarrassment spread through my whole body.
I had just done something crazy. I thought my sanity had returned, but maybe I was still a bit out of it.
Professor Atra was right about everything. My body may have been back to normal, but my mind was definitely still a bit unhinged…
“Don’t worry too much; it’s fine. You looked cute, like a younger sibling.”
I attempted to thank Elia, who sat across from me with an awkward smile while fiddling with her coffee cup.
Her words trying to reassure me, calling me cute like a younger sibling, were appreciated, but that embarrassment was still unbearable.
But I couldn’t just bury my head on the table forever.
Trying to regain my composure, I raised my upper body.
I lifted the Confession Necklace that I was still clutching tightly, wracked with shame.
“The Confession Necklace.”
I knew its function. I had the original knowledge and Elia had also explained it to me.
It reads the wearer’s feelings and expresses them vocally. The engraving feature ensures that until the wearer dies, no other being can use it.
Elia knew the function of the Confession Necklace.
So, I found it curious.
[Wouldn’t it be better to give it to your younger sister?]
I wished I could wear it right away, but I remembered Elia’s younger sister was mute, just like me.
Furthermore, among the people I met in Shifnah, there was a girl that probably was Elia’s sister.
The girl who circled nearby, worried about me as I sat in the park looking drained.
She had remained deeply etched in my memory because, like me, she communicated through holograms.
That part tilted my head.
Since I had nothing to give away, why didn’t her sister just wear it instead?
“Recent until now, my grandfather was wearing it, so I couldn’t do anything. Right now, my sister doesn’t want to wear it. Even without the artifact, her day-to-day isn’t a significant issue, and she doesn’t want to use something she might end up using later…”
“Ah.”
When she said that, it made me hesitate about wearing it myself. Maybe it would’ve been better to just return it.
“You don’t need to hesitate at all, Ha-yul.”
While I fumbled with my thoughts, Elia took my hand and said.
“This is just the least I can do to repay the benefactor who saved my family. So please don’t feel guilty? Not even a little.”
I could feel her sincerity in her words.
Anyway, it was a gift that brought me nothing but benefits.
And given how profound her insistence was, further hesitation might make Elia feel uncomfortable instead.
Nodding, Elia beamed a warm smile and let go of my hand.
With that, I took the necklace in hand to wear it.
“Uh oh…”
But then I recalled that I had never properly worn a necklace in my life.
“…So, do I unfasten this loop to wear it? Do I swing it around? Or do I pull it from the front to the back?”
“Should I help you wear it?”
As I fumbled with the necklace, Elia, who instantly sensed my discomfort, asked.
Nodding cautiously, Elia chuckled and stepped closer, holding me out the Confession Necklace.
With a flick, she loosened the loop, standing behind me.
“Now, stay still…”
Her soft voice whispered in my ear.
Delicate hands briefly tidied up my hair before slender arms embraced my neck.
My skin brushed against her arms, causing me to shudder.
– Click
The wearing was done in an instant. The sound of the clasp clicking was especially pronounced.
– Vroom…
The necklace vibrated.
The sensation connecting to the artifact caused my body to quiver.
It felt similar to the phenomenon with the Heavenly Wing, but the intensity seemed a bit lower this time.
Unlike the Heavenly Wing that resonated well with me, it seemed like the Confession Necklace didn’t resonate at all.
The vibration stopped. I could hear a click inside my body.
The engraving was complete. My heart pounded anxiously, a strange sense of unity washed over me.
I tilted my head. Elia, who had taken a few steps back after fastening the necklace, was smiling warmly at me.
She was truly a generous person.
She had helped me at the Gate Terminal, and even after that, at Shio-ram, she provided assistance for trivial matters.
The Confession Necklace I received now was yet another gesture of her kindness.
Though she and her family regarded it as a repayment for saving them, someday, I wanted to return such kindness in kind.
Let’s try using the Confession Necklace.
Reading feelings to express vocally. I just needed to speak my thoughts silently, right?
“Thank you.”
I said inwardly. At that moment, the Confession Necklace vibrated slightly as it absorbed my magical energy.
[Thank you]
A voice emerged from the necklace. It carried a much blunter tone than the smartwatch’s voice.
“Whoa.”
It really worked. I was in awe at that moment.
The necklace vibrated once more, but this time it seemed to consume a bit more energy than before.
[That’s amazing]
[I’m hungry]
[I want milk]
[I’m in pain]
[I’m afraid]
[I’m sleepy]
[I don’t want to study]
[Dungeon Conquest]
[Heavenly Jewels]
[Lifespan]
[My arm hurts]
[I’m cold]
[My life]
[Choked]
[I like Elia]
[I like you]
“?”
“Hmm?”
I opened my mouth in shock, while Elia blinked in surprise.
[What is this?]
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
