Sat across one another in Theodore's room, Theodore and Albatross stared each other down. While Theodore held an unbreaking gaze, Albatross's glare was stone cold, as if she was glaring at her family's killer which, in a sense, wasn't necessarily untrue.
"Not a chance!" Albatross eventually uttered, spitting out those words as if venom.
"Well, that's a stronger reaction than I expected. All I asked for was a physical examination."
"I don't trust you, simple as that. There's no telling what you're going to do while probing inside of my body."
"I'll give you my word that I won't do a thing, but I suppose that not much of an insurance, is it?"
"Of course, it's not!"
"Even so, is it as I said, if you're 'cursed' using modern magic, then something must have been left in your body. If I can just get a good look at what it is, I may be able to solve your curse. I don't want or need to do anything to you after that. I simply desire the secrets you keep in your head. You've been in this city for nine years, I'm sure you know a thing or two that could be very useful in the right hands. Why else would they impose such a curse on you?"
"......"
Albatross fell silent, her eyes staring into Theodor's as if she were searching his soul.
"No, it's fine. I'll stick with the original plan of raising my Aether density," said Albatross after lengthy consideration. She appeared to have learned her lesson about letting her guard down too easily. Learned it too well, perhaps.
"If you insist, then that will be that."
After loitering around for a bit longer and making some idle talks, Albatross went on her way. She had left sooner than usual for some reason. Perhaps she had sensed that Theodore was up to something. Maybe him giving up so easily was a sign that indicated that he was after something else. Either way, Albatross did not stay long.
Soon after Albatross's departure, Kalman descended from his study.
"Something the matter, Kalman?"
"'Something the matter?' You certainly have a talent for playing dumb. You used to be so careful in soundproofing your room, not just against me but also others who might have snuck in. You've done none of that today. It was as if you wanted someone to listen in."
"You got me there, but I knew you'd be listening regardless. I neglected to put up the barrier for another reason," said Theodore as he looked upon Kalman with a look of expectation.
"Well, the lack of a barrier certainly did make it easier for me. I did make a cursory scan of the courier girl's body. Just as you've mentioned, the secrets she holds may be of use to us. She's been in this city for nine long years, surely there must be something."
Theodore smiled at Kalman's words, not only because they have now obtained information that might reveal the nature of Albatross's curse, but also because Kalman indirectly admitted that he did in fact possess the diffusive type Aether-form. Of all the Aether-forms, only the diffusive type could have so easily bypassed the detection of the person themselves as well as their magic resistance to obtain information in regards to their bodies. As far as Theodore was concerned, he had just gotten two birds with one stone.
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***
That night, Theodore, Kalman, and Fiana sat down at the same table for dinner for the very first time. Fiana could not remember the last time she sat down with her father at the dinner table, rather, she couldn't remember if he had done so even once for as long she had lived. It gave her some mixed feelings, knowing that her father had not done so because of her, but for Theodore.
"The recipe you gave me," Theodore spoke up amidst dinner, "the one for the Berserk Potion in particular. I noticed that wyvern blood was amongst the ingredients."
"Make no mistake, Theodore, I wasn't trying to trick you into poisoning yourself. In fact, without the wyvern blood, there would be no potion. The blood was supposed to be the main ingredient while everything else is supposed to render the poison in the blood impotent. When consumed, if concocted properly, the potion was supposed to have the body mistake it for deadly poison without actually being poisonous, thereby forcing the Aether within the body into a hyperactive state in an attempt to get rid of the poison."
A deep wrinkle formed over Theodore's forehead as he listened to Kalman's explanation, a variety of thoughts racing through his head.
"That's rather ingenious," said Theodore, his expression not matching the enthusiasm of his words. "*If* that is true."
"I'll be more than happy to test it for you if you'd like, though I doubt you'll have much luck gathering the ingredients at the moment."
"F-father!" Fiana, previously content to eat in silence, cried out. "If there's a need for testing, I'll do it. If the potion is not mixed properly, it can still be dangerous. You're not young anymore, let's not be so rash."
At Fiana's words, Kalman's bushy brow twitched ever so slightly, something that did not escape Theodore's notice.
"I don't recall asking for your thoughts," Kalman said without a hint of emotions, rather, it sounded as if he was suppressing his emotions as he spoke.
"I... I apologize," Fiana uttered as she shrank away.
Paying no more attention to Fiana, Kalman turned back towards Theodore. Previously, Theodore thought that Kalman's indifference towards his daughter was just part of his guise of apathy, to make Theodore believe that Kalman truly didn't care for anything outside of his research, a belief that caused Theodore to make his gamble and throw caution to the wind in regards to Kalman. However, now Theodore wasn't so sure if all of it was an act.
"Are the ingredients particularly rare?" Theodore asked, pretending to not have seen what just unfolded.
"Never mind wyvern blood, everything else on the recipe is quite rare. Had it been the old days, I could send out the apprentices to search far and wide for them, but with the empire's edict against the mages, only a limited number of us can leave the city at this time. As such, it'll be a while before you'll get to concoct a batch."
"That's a shame, but it's of no matter I suppose. Potion making is hardly my main concern right now."
"Right, the courier girl. I mean to ask after the meal, but since we're on the topic, have you made up your mind regarding her yet?"
"...... Even if it benefits everyone overall, the plan is rather forceful."
"Are you growing a conscience, or is the mind of 'the child' affecting you? You should know that those who are weighed down by feelings of guilt won't make it very far in this city, and as mages, this city is all we've got. There is no escape, not anymore, not yet. Besides, you've already dragged her into this mess. There is no point stopping now."
Briefly, Theodore shot a glare at Kalman only to turn away. Rather than focus his ire towards Klaman, Theodore turned inwards.
(To think that a Demon Lord would get emotional over a mere girl... No, I'm still Theodore. I won't have the Demon Lord take me yet.)
"Let me think about it some more. I'll give you my answer at the end of the night."
"I didn't think that the Demon Lord would be so indecisive, but out of respect for our future partnership, so be it."
Listening in on the conversation of the two from the side, Fiana could not help but feel uneasy at the implications of their words.
***
End of Chapter 75
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