Chapter 168

Chapter 168. Blessing of Frost (1)

After calming down Lanes, who couldn’t be reached because I was sleeping right after waking up, I headed straight to Professor Jade’s Laboratory.

“Huh?”

The laboratory, which I hadn’t visited in a long time since the last incident, was no longer the ruin it once was. Instead, it was neatly decorated, resembling the entrance of a café.

‘Professor Jade wouldn’t do something like this, would he?’

Tilting my head in confusion, I opened the door and quickly realized why the exterior of the laboratory was so neatly arranged.

“Sophia, senior?”

“Huh? What are you doing here?”

“That’s what I want to ask you.”

Why was Sophia in Professor Jade’s laboratory?

“I’ve been helping the professor with his research lately.”

“Ah.”

Now that I think about it, she did mention she wanted to assist the professor with his research before.

“If it’s the professor’s research…”

“It’s not the Artificial Holy Mark research. That still needs more time.”

Sophia continued in a low voice.

“Right now, we’re also working on general magic research alongside the Holy Mark-related studies.”

“Any significant results?”

“Well… sort of?”

Sophia, with her short red hair, twirled a strand with her finger and averted her gaze slightly.

Given that Sophia, of all people, said “sort of,” it was clear there had been some significant progress.

‘The descendant of the Great Sage and the future Archmage working together.’

Just imagining the synergy between these two brought a smile to my face.

While chatting with Sophia, suddenly…

Thud.

“Eh? What brings you here, brother?”

Berald walked out of the laboratory, carrying a stack of boxes.

Behind him, Professor Jade hurried out with a frantic expression.

“B-Berald, candidate! Those are precious research materials, aren’t they?”

“Hahaha! Don’t worry! I’ll safely organize them with my ‘Levitation’ magic!”

Berald said this while tossing the boxes up and catching them repeatedly.

It was like watching a magic trick as the research materials inside the boxes shot up into the air and then neatly fell back into place.

“My, my research materials!!!”

Professor Jade, pale-faced, screamed in despair, while Berald laughed heartily.

“Ah, and Berald is also helping with the research.”

“…Is he really helping?”

Looking at Professor Jade’s anguished expression, it seemed more like Berald was tormenting him rather than helping.

‘Well, at least they seem to be getting along.’

I had been worried about how Sophia and Berald were doing after their last date(?), but fortunately, it seemed their relationship hadn’t deteriorated.

‘If only we could fix Berald’s twisted taste in women.’

But that was beyond my control.

All I could do was hope Sophia could handle it.

“Ahem. Anyway, Candidate Dale, what brings you here?”

“I came to ask the professor for a favor.”

“A favor? What kind of favor?”

Professor Jade tilted his head in confusion.

“Is there any way to prevent the awakening of a Blessing?”

Once a Blessing is awakened, there’s no way to erase it, no matter what.

But perhaps there was a way to prevent it before it awakened.

“Hmm.”

Professor Jade crossed his arms and pondered.

“It’s impossible.”

After a moment of thought, Professor Jade shook his head.

“The conditions for awakening a Blessing are too variable. Some heroes awaken their Blessing on the brink of death, while others awaken it during a simple walk.”

“I… know that.”

“A Blessing before awakening is like a seed buried in the ground. Unless you dig up and disturb the ‘soil’ that is the Holy Mark, there’s no fundamental way to prevent the blooming of the Blessing.”

“……”

To prevent the Blessing of Frost, it would mean damaging Lanes’ Holy Mark itself.

‘That’s no different from killing her.’

A hero’s Holy Mark isn’t just a vessel for magic power.

The Holy Mark and the hero are closely connected, both physically and spiritually, so recklessly damaging it could lead to severe consequences.

‘That’s why techniques like the Holy Mark Replacement Technique, which greatly affect the Holy Mark, are forbidden.’

Of course, in Yuren’s past life, the side effects were limited to physical changes, but there were also cases where people became completely incapacitated.

I couldn’t risk turning Lanes into a cripple just to prevent the awakening of the Blessing of Frost.

“…However.”

Professor Jade continued.

“It is possible to suppress it to some extent.”

“It’s possible?”

Professor Jade nodded and continued.

“Statistically, heroes awaken their Blessings when they undergo significant emotional changes or feel threatened. Cases where a hero suddenly awakens their Blessing during a walk are extremely rare.”

“…That’s true.”

Certainly, in my case, I awakened my Blessing when I was attacked by monsters, and in Yurina’s case, she awakened hers when she finally escaped the shadow of the sun that had been oppressing her for so long.

“It’s like a kind of stabilizer. At the very least, it should prevent the Blessing from awakening during a walk.”

“How soon can you make it?”

“I can make it right away. It just needs to stabilize the magic power of the Holy Mark.”

“Please do.”

“Hoho. How could I refuse a request from Candidate Dale?”

With that, Professor Jade went into the laboratory and quickly concocted a Holy Mark stabilizer.

“The effect will last about two weeks.”

“Do I need to take it again after two weeks?”

“Come back then, and I’ll make more for you.”

Although it was a hassle to take it every two weeks, it was worth it if it could reduce the risk of Lanes awakening the Blessing of Frost.

“Thank you, Professor.”

After thanking Professor Jade, I left the laboratory.

* * *

After leaving the laboratory, I called Lanes to a secluded area on campus.

Lanes, upon receiving my call, ran to the meeting spot, panting heavily.

“Y-you called?”

“…You didn’t have to run.”

“Hehe. You called, so I had to.”

Lanes smiled brightly and sat on a bench.

“So… what’s up?”

She clutched her skirt nervously, looking tense.

“If it’s about yesterday… I’m sorry! I won’t bother you like that again!”

“It’s not about that.”

“Then… what is it?”

“Here, take this.”

I handed Lanes the Holy Mark stabilizer I received from Professor Jade.

“What’s this?”

Lanes tilted her head, looking at the blue liquid in the glass bottle.

I had prepared an excuse while waiting for her.

“Your stamina isn’t great, right?”

“Y-yeah. Sorry.”

“No need to apologize. I just brought you a health tonic as a gift.”

“A… health tonic?”

Lanes’ eyes widened at the mention of a health tonic.

“It’s not that precious. Just think of it as a vitamin supplement.”

“Dale…”

Lanes clutched the bottle with both hands, her eyes glistening.

“Thank you… I’ve never received a gift like this before.”

Lanes sniffled and hugged the bottle tightly as if it were a precious treasure.

Seeing her so happy, even shedding tears, made me feel a pang of guilt.

‘Well, it is good for her health, after all.’

The Holy Mark stabilizer not only prevented the awakening of a Blessing but also stabilized the flow of magic power, making it easier to control.

It wasn’t something you’d miss if you didn’t have it, but it was nice to have.

Kind of like a vitamin supplement.

“I’ll treasure this until the day I die!”

“No.”

Please just drink it.

“But… it’s too precious…”

“I’ll give you more later, so drink it now.”

“Ugh.”

Reluctantly, Lanes finally gulped down the Holy Mark stabilizer.

“How is it?”

I watched her nervously, and Lanes licked her lips with a blissful expression.

“I can feel Dale’s… essence spreading through my body.”

“No.”

What on earth are you talking about?

“Hehe. Just kidding. Hmm… I’m not sure, but I feel more at peace? Something like that.”

Fortunately, the stabilizer seemed to be working.

‘At least… we’ve set up a minimal safety measure.’

Of course, this didn’t guarantee 100% prevention of the Blessing of Frost awakening.

But it did reduce the possibility, which was meaningful.

“By the way, Dale… have you had lunch?”

Lanes glanced at me and asked.

“No, not yet.”

“T-then, would you like to have lunch with me? I’ll pay for everything!”

Lanes leaned toward me, her eyes sparkling.

I chuckled and shook my head.

Seeing me shake my head, Lanes flinched and trembled.

“S-sorry. I was being presumptuous again, wasn’t I? I’m sorry. I won’t do it again, so please forgive me…”

“No. It’s not that.”

I sighed and continued.

“I’ll treat you.”

“…Huh?”

“Lunch is on me.”

Lanes was probably living on a tight budget with the school’s stipend.

I couldn’t ask her to pay for the meal.

“…Oh.”

Lanes let out a short gasp, her eyes widening.

Tears welled up in her round, black eyes again.

“Thank you…”

“It’s nothing. What do you want to eat?”

“I-I’m fine with anything! I’d even eat dog food if you’re treating!”

“No.”

Why would you eat dog food for lunch?

“Let’s decide what to eat at the candidate’s cafeteria.”

“…The candidate’s cafeteria?”

Lanes trembled like a primitive human who had just discovered fire.

“Why?”

“I-I’ve never been to the cafeteria before…”

“…?”

You’ve never been to the candidate’s cafeteria?

“Then where do you usually eat?”

“I buy bread from the convenience store… and eat it in the bathroom.”

“……”

This won’t do.

“Let’s go to the main building cafeteria.”

“T-the main building cafeteria?! Isn’t that really expensive?”

“I’m treating, so it’s fine.”

Thinking of Lanes crouching in the bathroom, eating alone for four years, I wanted to take her to the expensive main building cafeteria instead of the usual annex cafeteria.

“B-but…”

“It’s fine.”

I dragged Lanes to the main building cafeteria.

As we were heading there…

“Oh, Dale? What brings you to the main building cafeteria?”

“Dale, don’t you usually go to the annex cafeteria?”

Iris and Yuren, who had spotted me, approached with bright smiles.

“Huh?”

“…Dale? Who’s the girl next to you?”

Let me correct that.

The bright smiles were gone.