266th Episode
Jimy frowned.
In fact, Ray’s statement wasn’t entirely foolish.
No, it was indeed a foolish remark, but Jimy had seen much more foolish behavior in his life.
It just seemed particularly foolish coming from Ray, who usually excelled, and made Jimy feel sorry for him.
Ray cared deeply about others.
Because of this deep care, it was understandable that Ray was flustered upon realizing his life wouldn’t last much longer. It was understandable, but…
Jimy felt his chest tighten and couldn’t help but criticize harshly.
“You… how long do you plan to keep doing this? If you’re going to cut ties, do so decisively, or change your mind entirely. Are you just going to cling onto things half-heartedly until the end?”
“…”
Ray had no answer.
Seeing Ray remain silent, Jimy sighed deeply.
“Ray, try to consider the other person’s perspective. If you suddenly collapse one day after dragging this out, what do you think Karen will feel?”
Jimy could clearly picture how Karen would react.
She would regret the lost time and everything they didn’t share, blaming her past self for not holding on to Ray sooner.
After enduring Jimy’s reprimand in silence, Ray finally changed the subject.
“Let’s talk about something else.”
“Hmm, alright, let’s.”
“I got this.”
Ray took out the Empire Guardian Medal and handed it to Jimy while repeating the story he’d told Count Philip.
Jimy touched the medal and shook his head.
Thinking of it as payment for Ray’s life, he couldn’t feel any joy.
Another tough battle must have taken place recently; how much longer could Ray hold on?
He hesitated to ask outright due to fear.
“…So, ultimately, is it true that war will break out this winter?”
“Yes, it will.”
“And when do you think the war with the kingdom will end?”
“The war itself will end quickly. But once we depose the king of Rubia Kingdom and create a power vacuum… there might be some long-term issues.”
If various factions within the kingdom start fighting for more power, chaos will ensue.
The Empire might try to push an appropriate leader to stabilize the situation, but historically such efforts rarely went smoothly.
“So, even after the war ends, we’ll need to stay vigilant for a while.”
Ultimately, the Philip family would have no choice but to maintain or even increase their military strength.
In the past, this might have bankrupted their territory, but fortunately now it wasn’t too burdensome.
“Anyway… when evacuating, make sure to help control the residents to avoid confusion. And if there are important buildings, please let me know in advance. They’ll need protection with barriers.”
“How exactly will the barriers protect them?”
“Well… perhaps a barrier that lowers oxygen levels in a specific area would be easy to maintain and also keep out petty thieves. I should discuss this with Luna.”
“…Ray.”
“What is it?”
After much deliberation, Jimy asked:
“How’s your body really holding up?”
“…”
Ray habitually massaged his forehead and shrugged.
“Not good.”
“How bad?”
“You know, like I said before. Maybe two or three years at most…”
Feeling a headache coming on, Jimy pressed his temples hard.
Two or three years sounds like a lot, but it could happen any day now.
With a troubled voice, Jimy almost pleaded with Ray:
“Ray, I’m scared.”
“…”
“I’m scared you’ll ask me to take responsibility for Bella and Lea until the end.”
Ray remained silent.
There were many things he wanted to say to Jimy, but they all felt shameless and futile.
After a long silence, Ray handed over a sword he’d brought along with a bitter smile.
“It’s a gift.”
It was an expensive combat sword, renowned for its craftsmanship.
Upon receiving it and testing it briefly, Jimy responded without much enthusiasm.
“I’ll use it well.”
“Use it well. Haha… it feels like just yesterday I raided your emergency savings and headed to the blacksmith.”
“You practically wiped out my emergency funds.”
“Wow… time flies, doesn’t it?”
The headache worsened slightly.
As Ray felt uneasy inside, he asked Jimy:
“Jimy, are you still growing Brachia in the fields? Could you get me just one root?”
Realizing unpleasant memories, Jimy shouted:
“No, that thing is called Rapa, you idiot!”
“People call it that when they’re caught.”
Ray and Jimy chuckled softly in low voices.
*
Antimatter.
Certainly a powerful magic spell.
However, the amount of antimatter that can be generated at once is extremely minimal.
It’s incredibly difficult to produce large quantities, and even a slight mistake can cause it to react with surrounding matter and immediately vanish.
“…”
Luna intentionally disrupted the balance of the Antimatter magic she had manifested.
The invisible particles floating in the air instantly transformed into intense light and heat.
Whoosh!!
The shield Luna erected deflected the scorching heat.
As the heat subsided, the partially melted ground became visible.
Standing before the charred, crimson earth, Luna fell into thought.
Antimatter… from creation to maintenance and storage, it was indeed a finicky magic.
It carried great risks, and to effectively strike an enemy, several spells needed to be combined.
Still, in terms of instantaneous effects, it was superior to any other magic.
Though difficult to generate, even a gram could reduce a mountain to nothing.
While it hasn’t reached expectations yet, with proper improvements, it could become an extremely powerful spell.
Luna turned her gaze away from the 0.5 g of antimatter suspended within the tetrahedral space and noticed Ray approaching.
Upon spotting Luna, Ray waved with a cheerful expression.
“Good to see you! Working on new magic?”
“…”
Luna looked at Ray with an unreadable expression before calmly speaking.
“…Did you come back well?”
“Yeah, it went fine.”
“…I want to hear your story.”
*
Ray walked along the mountain path with Luna.
As they walked, Ray explained in detail the events that occurred during his recent visit to the Imperial Capital.
Of course, he omitted the part where he broke through the massive barrier in the center of the capital and fought for his life.
Instead, he downplayed his role, saying he contributed by breaking the barrier using his special abilities.
However, Luna easily guessed what parts of the story were missing.
Interrupting Ray mid-story, Luna asked:
“…Did you push yourself again?”
“What do you mean ‘push myself’?”
Ray laughed awkwardly.
Seeing that smile, Luna closed her eyes momentarily.
When she opened them, images of the past flooded her mind.
In those memories, Ray always recklessly consumed his life.
With relentless determination, Ray wasted away his own existence, leaving behind only an unstable heartbeat.
Luna knew Ray wouldn’t change.
She understood that he would continue to waste away the little life he had left.
Luna lacked the confidence to persuade him.
Since she respected and loved Ray completely, she couldn’t force him to stop either.
But still.
“Ray.”
“Yeah?”
“I cannot lose you.”
Hearing this, Ray stopped walking and turned to look at Luna.
Luna faced Ray with her usual emotionless expression.
“I’ve reviewed past records. Many people died trying to inherit the techniques Ray uses.”
Techniques that place immense strain on the heart, blood vessels, and entire circulatory system.
Even with an extraordinary physique, anyone using these techniques would collapse instantly.
Would Ray be safe?
No, he wouldn’t.
Despite getting closer to death each day, Ray continued to overwork his body.
By now, Luna knew all too well how lightly Ray regarded his own life and how easily he squandered it.
“…How much time does Ray have left?”
“…”
Ray couldn’t answer.
He couldn’t even muster a laugh or feign ignorance to hide his discomfort.
Luna’s cold tone silenced him.
She asked again.
“…Does Ray trust me?”
“…”
“Do you believe that I can protect the people Ray cherishes most?”
Ray’s eyes wavered significantly.
Anguish, worry, regret, doubt, sorrow, guilt…
These were the emotions Ray always harbored whenever he faced Luna.
And Luna had struck right at the core of these feelings.
“Ray, I…”
Looking into Ray’s eyes, Luna managed a dry, twisted smile for the first time today.
“I can’t completely ignore Ray’s requests.”
“…”
“But… if Ray truly wants to protect the people he values, then Ray needs to be here.”
This was Luna’s warning.
A warning that she couldn’t guarantee to protect the things Ray held dear.
However, if Ray ignored her pleas and continued to sacrifice himself…
If that happened…
“I will find a way to hold onto Ray. Because I cannot lose you.”
This wasn’t persuasion; it was a declaration.
Approaching the frozen Ray step by step, Luna rested her forehead against his chest.
“Is your heart hurting?”
Your whole body must be damaged.
But the most urgent issue is your heart.
To buy even a little more time, we need to address the heart problem first.
“…I’ve been working on ways to use the Dragonheart left by Valerius to protect Ray’s heart.”
And there has been progress.
Luna developed a procedure to transplant the Dragonheart, absorb the shocks inflicted on the heart, and assist its pumping action using the absorbed energy.
This procedure could drastically reduce all burdens on a biological heart.
It was something Ray desperately needed, and something that could sustain his life.
However, there were problems.
The procedure was still incomplete, and Ray’s unique mana properties were bound to introduce variables.
Moreover,
“Most experiments have been conducted using Wildboar hearts.”
Monsters and humans are different.
Even if their anatomical structures are similar, they’re not identical.
Luna could never perform a procedure tested only on monsters on Ray.
Therefore, it was absolutely necessary.
“I need to verify the stability and effectiveness of this procedure using human subjects.”
Avoiding Ray’s gaze, Luna finally looked him straight in the eye.
Looking at his reflection in Luna’s silver eyes, Ray finally realized how close he was to death.
Luna cupped Ray’s cheek and whispered softly.
“Answer me, Ray.”
“…”
“For you… how many evil people must I sacrifice to remain a virtuous mage?”
Mirror (4)
