I Was Reincarnated As The Older Brother Of A Villainess Destined to Die, So I Want To Change The Future By Raising My Younger Sister With My Own Hands. I Am The Strongest In The World, But My Little Sister Must Be The Cutest In The World - Volume 3 Chapter 4.7
I could have easily used a Phase Link Gate to quickly move to the center of the curse, but since I had the opportunity, I decided to investigate the ripple effects of the curse on the mountain.
Although I didn’t have any specific mountaineering gear, it wasn’t a problem for us who had acquired “Physical Enhancement.” We effortlessly climbed the steep mountain path. As Orca had mentioned, it felt more like a light hike than anything else.
“Hmm hmm hmm,” I hummed a tune while Orca skipped alongside me. He seemed to be in a very cheerful mood.
I chuckled and said, “Just make sure you don’t trip.”
“I know I’ll be fine, you know?” Orca replied.
“Even so,” I said.
“Alright,” he said.
He understood that we weren’t in a situation to fool around. Though his response was somewhat relaxed, the atmosphere quickly became more serious. His expression still appeared joyful, but it was evidence that he was enjoying our mountain climbing adventure, and I didn’t want to spoil it by pointing it out too much.
“By the way, there are a lot of signs of creatures around,” I remarked.
Even though we had only just entered the area before the curse’s effect, we encountered many animals and magical beasts in the mountains. It gave the impression that they were fleeing from something. If we hadn’t used magic to move stealthily, we might have been significantly delayed.
Then, Noma, who had calmed down her excitement from earlier, spoke up.
“Everyone is avoiding the curse. It’s proof that the curse hasn’t been around for long,” she said.
“Is that so?” I asked.
“If it were an ancient curse, the animals and magical beasts would have long since moved far away,” Noma explained.
“I see, that makes sense,” I replied.
I had completely mistaken it for a long-neglected curse due to its remote location. If that were the case, I might have considered asking for Calon’s purification. But it’s no use saying that now.
Even a short-term curse seems to have the power to affect trained knights. If it were something related to mental magic, I could understand, but it’s quite troublesome.
While being cautious of encounters with wildlife, we walked along an unmarked path.
And finally, after a while, a glimpse of our destination came into view.
“It’s definitely a curse,” I remarked.
“Ugh, it feels creepy,” Orca added.
We were about a kilometer away from the center of the curse, just before its effective range, and we couldn’t help but voice our thoughts.
Both Orca and I can use “Mana Sight,” so we can visualize the curse. It’s not as bad as the “Witch’s Curse,” but the black mist-like mana is uncomfortable to look at.
Since we’re at the very edge of the range, we can’t grasp the details yet. We still have to see the center of the curse if we want to deal with it properly.
“I’ll cast a mental defense spell,” I said.
“Okay,” Orca and Noma replied.
I cast the spell on the three of us. With this, we should be able to enter the curse without our health being affected.
With determination, we moved forward. The air touching our skin felt heavy, but for now, everything seemed fine.
“As expected of our Lord. You can completely block the influence of the curse,” Noma exclaimed in awe.
I tilted my head in response.
“Can spirits not manipulate mental magic?”
I had been curious about this since I asked Orca about it earlier. If Noma could manipulate mental magic, she could have resolved the situation without sending me. Therefore, the current situation indicates that either spirits or Noma individually cannot use mental magic.
However, I couldn’t understand why a spirit, who is an expert in mana, couldn’t perform mental magic. She can even activate magic in realms that are considered impossible for humans.
Noma replied, “We can’t manipulate it. In the first place, as spirits, we can’t comprehend the concept of mental magic.”
“I can’t comprehend it?”
“For spirits, everything that constitutes ourselves is mana. We don’t understand what humans refer to as the physical or mental aspects. Of course, we understand the meanings of words, but fundamentally, it’s an unknown entity.”
“So, because it’s a quality we don’t possess, we can’t imagine it as magic?”
“That’s right.”
It was somewhat understandable, yet also confusing.
Anyway, I accepted the fact that spirits are different beings from us. The fact that the “Calm” spell didn’t work properly before was likely due to those differences.
“It’s similar to how we can’t understand what a ‘mana body’ is.”
“That’s correct.”
I obtained rather incomplete knowledge, but as Orca said, I had to accept it as a difference in species. The more precise definition should be left to specialized scholars.
While engaging in idle conversation, we didn’t neglect observing our surroundings.
As we approached the range of the curse’s effects, the number of creatures decreased. Once we entered, we couldn’t even spot a single insect. It seemed like everything had fled from this place. Even if there were any remaining, they would likely die due to the curse.
On the other hand, there seemed to be no impact on the plants. It appeared to be a typical mountain forest. Even when taking photos of the surrounding scenery, it was hard to believe that it was a cursed land.
Since there were no notable wildlife or other concerns, our progress accelerated significantly. As a result, we quickly arrived at the center of the curse.
“Wow,” Orca exclaimed, sounding disgusted, as he grabbed onto my arm. I think the creepiness got to him, causing him to react involuntarily.
While gently stroking his head, I observed the source of the curse. In the center, there was a large rock, about ten meters in diameter. Given the nearby cliff, it was likely a result of a rockfall.
This rock was the key to generating the curse. It contained a dark and potent magical energy that it couldn’t contain, releasing it into the surroundings.
Orca seemed to struggle due to his first encounter with it, but I could still endure. That was because this magical energy was more straightforward compared to the “Witch’s Curse.”
Although it was a murky magical energy, it was less chaotic than the witch’s curse. It could be described as a pure negative force.
In addition…
“Ah, I see now.”
By directly observing these two curses, I arrived at a possible explanation.
It seems that magical energy has classifications distinct from attributes. Roughly speaking, there are two categories, tentatively called “Pure White” and “Chaotic Black.”
Ordinary magical energy has a balanced distribution of “Pure White” and “Chaotic Black.” However, intentionally tilting it toward “Chaotic Black” leads to the formation of a curse. While it becomes highly unstable, the effectiveness of the curse dramatically increases.
However, it is inefficient to tilt the distribution too much. After all, it becomes too unstable and fails to activate properly. The “Witch’s Curse” likely overcomes this drawback by imposing constraints such as mental confusion.
On the other hand, the “Land’s Curse” seems to be a natural disaster that occurs as a result of the disruption in the flow of magical energy in the atmosphere. In this case, the rockfall caused a halt in the flow of magical energy in the mountains.
Furthermore, I discovered why curses resembled psychic magic.
The nature of magical energy, the “Pure White” and “Chaotic Black,” can be equated to the positive and negative aspects of the mind. As negative emotions intensify, the “Chaotic Black” aspect of magical energy increases. This means that when emotions are disturbed, it becomes a cause for a higher probability of failure in magic.
In other words, curses can be seen as a form of psychic magic limited to the positive and negative aspects.
Once the mechanism is understood, manipulation becomes easier.
I improvised a spell. Thanks to years of practice and dedication, I have unparalleled confidence in my ability to handle psychic magic.
“Harmony Adjustment.”
The magic I cast towards the rock successfully takes effect. For a brief moment, it shines brightly, and then the black magical energy it contained dissipates.
“As expected of the Lord.”
“You’re amazing, big bro Zex!”
Noma is astonished, while Orca enthusiastically showers me with praise.
While expressing my gratitude to both of them, a smile naturally forms on my face.
The information I obtained this time was a great harvest. It not only contributes to countering witches but also, with further refinement, can lead to the advancement of magical techniques.
It was an unexpected joy. I couldn’t help but feel delighted by the fact that the possibilities for the future have expanded.