Chapter 36

I felt strangely light-headed, probably because I had been sweating a lot. I opened my eyes, feeling the sensation of untidy long black hair tickling my ears. Normally, I find long hair annoying, but what can I do? This long black hair is Werner’s trademark.

With a grunt of discomfort, I sat up and realized I wasn’t in a carriage but inside a mansion. The furniture and scenery looked no different from Glacia’s room in the game… But I was sure it was supposed to take several days to reach the mansion…

“You’re awake.”

A clear, melodious voice—it was Glacia. She bent down, placed the back of her hand on my forehead, and then on her own to check my temperature.

“The fever has gone down a bit.”

“Can you tell me where I am?”

“My mansion. To be precise, it’s the mansion owned by our Winterheart family.”

So, it seems I’ve been unconscious for quite a while. Probably three or four days. Honestly, I’m jealous of those pouch creatures that just go *beep beep beep* in a machine and get healed. Come to think of it, their medical bills are free too.

“How long was I unconscious? Three days? Four?”

“No, about a day.”

“Huh?”

What’s that supposed to mean? I was sure it would take three days and nights by carriage to get from where I collapsed to the mansion. Unless they used some magical school bus or something.

“It was definitely a three-day journey by carriage…”

“I carried Lord Werner on my back. It only took half a day.”

She just went full-on marathon mode. She probably broke some records too. How is it even possible to carry a grown man and cross snowy fields at that speed? What kind of superhuman physical ability is that? Then again, she’s the descendant of a northern barbarian warrior and a Vampire Queen, so her physical stats are top-tier in the story.

“I should thank you. You’re practically my lifesaver…”

“Why are you saying that… It’s all my fault…”

Glacia, who had been sitting on the edge of the bed, suddenly stood up, her hands trembling. I could guess why. The reason I collapsed was likely due to that magic-sealing restraint.

The magic-sealing restraint, a tool that seems common in fantasy to restrict a mage’s magic, had a slightly different mechanism. To use magic, one must expel mana from their body and offer it to spirits. But the magic-sealing restraint Werner created blocked mana from being expelled, sealing magic use. That might not sound like a big deal, but for an Archmage, it’s a different story.

To become an Archmage, one needs a wide range of knowledge, a sense for handling mana, and communication with spirits. But the most important thing is the maximum mana capacity and recharge rate. In games, resources are crucial, and the workers who gather them are essential. So, an Archmage’s mana is like a 4-drone setup.

Werner’s mana recharge rate is among the highest in the story, so even in non-combat states, a little food or a short nap would fully recharge him. Plus, his maximum mana capacity is in the top five in the story. In short, he’s a top-tier battery with great cost-performance.

But unlike a mage’s machinery, when mana is fully charged, it doesn’t stop supplying and keeps accumulating inside the body. If a mage is like a hose connected to a water supply, the magic-sealing restraint is like stepping on the middle of that hose. The water can’t flow out and keeps building up until it bursts. A mage’s body works similarly. For a regular mage with minimal mana capacity, it’s manageable, but for an Archmage with a fast recharge rate, it’s like playing a deadly game of chicken.

A gamble where mana keeps building up inside, ready to explode at any moment. It was briefly mentioned in the game, and only those knowledgeable about Archmages or human anatomy would know about it. I didn’t feel like blaming Glacia. Everyone makes mistakes.

“I put that restraint on Lord Werner, causing this to happen. But why…”

“It’s not your fault, Glacia.”

“But…”

“I scold others for their faults or sins, but not for mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes.”

I forced myself to sit up and patted Glacia’s head. Like dogs, people seem to calm down a bit when you pat their heads.

“I also forgot that the restraint I made could have such an effect on the body. So… let’s call it mutual fault.”

“But since it’s my fault, I should apologize.”

Glacia bowed her head. The fact that she, who had inherited the position of Duke of the North, was bowing to me, now officially just a commoner, was significant. If other vassals or nobles saw this, they’d probably foam at the mouth, screaming about losing dignity by bowing to an orphan commoner.

“Because of my foolishness, I put that monstrosity on Lord Werner, and in my haste to meet you, I didn’t even bring medics.”

But calling something someone else developed a monstrosity feels a bit… I mean, I almost died, but the intention behind it wasn’t bad. Still, I can’t protest. The other person feels guilty, so there’s no need to bring it up and make things worse. Magic-sealing restraint, you little brat, from this moment on, you’re no longer my child. What kind of child tries to harm their father? If you admit that, even Arthas is a filial son.

“Don’t worry too much. As you can see, I’m fine.”

At that moment, my body swayed. Suddenly, my legs gave out, or maybe I lost my sense of balance, or perhaps there was something wrong with my muscles or bones. There were many possible reasons, but I couldn’t pinpoint the exact one.

Glacia caught me as I swayed, her eyes still filled with guilt. She really doesn’t need to feel so sorry.

“The doctor said you need to rest until tomorrow or the day after.”

“Is that so…? Guess I’ll take a break for the first time in a while.”

“So we’ve decided to postpone our engagement a bit.”

Oh, so it’s still happening? But thanks to the aftereffects of the magic-sealing restraint, the engagement date can be delayed. How touching. Magic-sealing restraint, you’re truly my child. Forget future daughters, you’re my real child. Protecting your father like this, you’re nothing like that brat Arthas.

“So when is it…”

“Four days from now.”

That’s all the delay? Magic-sealing restraint, you useless piece of trash. You’re not my child, you rebellious brat. I shouldn’t have even created something like you.

“Four days from now… Hoo…”

“Father and Mother have adjusted their schedules to come around that time, so you can look forward to reuniting with them.”

“No, I’m not really…”

I don’t want to meet that muscle-brained younger sibling or that vampire who loves teasing Werner. They’ll probably hug me so hard my back will break and mock me for taking their daughter.

“I’ll handle the engagement preparations, so just rest and wait.”

“But Glacia…”

“You’re going to be my husband. I read in a romance novel that the Duke of the North shouldn’t burden their future spouse with trivial matters. So I’ll take care of everything.”

I don’t know who wrote that novel, but I want to find them and punch them 5,700 times. Not 5,700 words, but 57,000 punches.

“By the way, is my disciple safe…?”

First, my lifeline, Airi’s safety, is a priority. Why a lifeline? If something happens to her, I’m screwed. So Airi is as good as my life.

“Well… I’ve heard she’s on her way here.”

With the engagement issue already giving me a headache, if Airi joins in, it’ll be twice as troublesome. I hope my disciple doesn’t make things worse. What is Camellia even doing, not controlling her?

No, Camellia would definitely mediate Airi. There’s no one as rational as her in the world…

“And Lady Camellia is also accompanying your disciple.”

This is why you shouldn’t trust nobles.