“Why, let’s wait a little longer…”
Dighton said with a hint of disappointment, but Yerina shook her head.
“We’re almost out of time for the hospital appointment. We need to go now.”
“Hospital? Luke-unni, are you feeling sick?” Diana asked, trembling at the mention of the hospital.
Yerina, to reassure Diana, gently stroked the child’s head as she spoke.
“No, Diana, it’s just a routine check-up…”
But Yerina knew the results roughly.
Luke had Mana Accumulation Syndrome, meaning she was engraved by Circle.
To expect the test results to come out fine was wishful thinking. It meant she was well aware that Mana chains were circulating around her heart.
‘In truth, it wouldn’t be strange if he suddenly died…’
No one knew how long a Circle patient had. If they couldn’t handle the Circle’s outburst, they could die tomorrow.
If lucky, they could live with a stabilized Circle for a long time.
Of course, such cases weren’t very common.
Those for whom Circle removal procedures were impossible had to endure the pain of Circle outbursts solely with their own patience and willpower.
‘It’s a harsh life for a child…’
Contrary to Yerina’s dark thoughts, Luke merely nodded towards Diana with a calm expression.
“Alright, see you next time, Luke-unni!”
“Yeah, see you next time.”
Yerina thought as she watched them.
‘I wish I wasn’t worrying too much…’
Since the results hadn’t come out properly yet…
As Yerina began to descend the stairs, Luke suddenly spoke to Dighton.
“Despite the sudden visit, I deeply appreciate today’s exceptional treatment, Dighton. I hope you recover soon and we can meet again.”
“Huh? Uh, yeah. Get well from your check-up too.”
“Goodbye, Luke-unni!”
As Dighton waved goodbye to Luke, she lightly turned and disappeared out of Dighton’s sight.
‘Anyway, that guy’s way of speaking…’
It’s never something one can get used to.
***
The place they arrived at was the hospital where Luke had been hospitalized before.
As it was originally equipped with emergency facilities, it was quite large, and it was also close by.
“Luke Irushi… Yes, there’s a record. You’ll have to wait for about an hour.”
“An hour?”
“Yes, the appointments are a bit delayed. It’s usually busy during the transitional seasons.”
“Oh, I see.”
Well, the weather suddenly changed, after all.
Yerina nodded at what the nurse said and sat down next to Luke, who was already sitting.
“Luke, we have to wait for about an hour. Can you wait?”
“It’s okay. It’s not that urgent.”
Luke replied as if it were obvious.
Waiting for about an hour wasn’t that difficult.
“There are quite a few things to read here.”
Luke pulled out a magazine and started reading.
It was a good textbook to acquire knowledge about fashion, makeup, or travel.
As Luke didn’t know much about this era, everything was fascinating to her.
“Hmm, I hope I get a chance to experience this ‘airplane’ later. Oh, ‘Warp Train’… This is also very interesting…”
Using the knowledge she had acquired from her classes in magic, Luke briefly recalled how technologies like ‘airplanes’ or ‘Warp Trains’ would work.
‘Is there a magic arrangement and a spell for flying? I don’t know that knowledge yet. But I haven’t fully grasped the basic principles. Ultimately, depending on the combination and arrangement, I can adjust the effects as needed, so flying and warping shouldn’t be impossible…’
Luke quickly became absorbed in the magazine like that.
And watching it from the side, Yerina smiles, thinking wherever she goes, she’s always reading.
About twenty minutes passed like that,
“Luke, guardian of the child would you come over here for a moment?”
“Oh. Just a moment.”
The nurse in front called Yerina as if she had something to say, and she got up from her seat, telling Luke, “Just a moment, I’ll be back soon.”
Luke nodded slightly and returned to her reading.
Luke, focusing on her reading, doesn’t move from her spot unless someone disturbs her. She probably doesn’t need to worry about suddenly disappearing.
***
As Yerina expected, Luke was concentrating on her reading.
Until a certain moment.
“……”
The mana waves she’d been feeling since earlier were unsettling.
It felt like…
-Luke, …?
Pie, a mana-sensitive spirit, would have felt it too.
“Yeah, Pie. I know.”
The existence of a First Circle.
The unstable mana, unable to be contained, was slightly volatile, flowing from an imperfect circle that couldn’t hold onto the First Circle.
“Hmm.”
Luke lowered the book slightly and followed the direction of the mana.
Its source was quite close.
‘An elf.’
Although elves are adept at mana sensing, few actually become wizards.
They prefer spirits over magic, which is more efficient for activities in the forest.
“An elf with a engraved circle.”
Curiosity couldn’t be avoided.
Luke subtly got up from her seat and approached the elf who caught her attention.
With white hair and red eyes, he was a rare albino among elves.
He sat with crossed arms and legs, wearing a comfortable hoodie, looking bored.
He was barely half a head taller than Luke.
‘Quite arrogant.’
You could tell his character just by his posture.
He’s probably quite stubborn and assertive. In a negative light, you could say he’s a bit of a dictator.
But Luke doesn’t dislike such stubbornness.
Such arrogance and stubbornness are truly the traits of a wizard.
“What, what is it?”
The elf boy in the silver hair, perhaps sensing something, suddenly shot back in surprise.
“Sir, may I sit beside you?”
He seemed quite flustered, glancing around once before realizing that the question was directed at him, blushing with inexplicable embarrassment.
“Uh, sure! You can sit wherever you want, can’t you?”
“Then, pardon me.”
Luke sat down next to the little elf with the soft gesture characteristic of a silent noble.
‘Why does this woman speak like this? And her gestures…’
He was still confused by Luke’s unusual appearance.
Still puzzled, Luke asked him a question.
“Is that hair dyed?”
“It’s been like this since I was born.”
He replied with a slightly annoyed voice.
As if he’s answered several times.
Has he answered many times before?
‘Then it must really mean he’s an albino.’
“Silver hair among dark elves is a fairly common phenomenon, but it’s a rare genetic trait among the white-skinned high elves. And such albino traits typically manifest as a result of fervent high elven blood.
Luke opened her mouth with a hint of caution.
“I am Luke Irushi, you may call me Luke. And what is your name?”
Slightly taken aback by the sudden introduction, he widened his eyes slightly and, upon scrutinizing Luke’s face, he thought, ‘…This is a bit embarrassing.’
Upon reflection, being approached by a stranger was quite uncomfortable. And the girl herself seemed quite surreal.
Avoiding eye contact, he reluctantly replied, “Sirud Trifind.”
“Trifind… as I suspected.”
Trifind, a surname known to Luke as well. It was a high elven surname.
That meant their lineage had persisted for 5,000 years.
The nostalgia of the past crept in.
High elves were not only exceptional leaders in terms of mana resonance, but they also possessed exceptional spirit resonance.
But that was for typical high elves.
For an albino whose blood was not pure, one of the resonances, either spirit or mana, would be sacrificed, while the opposite tendency would be enhanced even further.
Luke from 5,000 years ago would have never had a proper conversation with an albino elf, being a spirit wizard herself, but he was a promising young mage who had reached the first circle at a young age.
‘It might be possible to communicate with this. Perhaps I can even offer advice.’
Now that class magic governed the world, he was no longer a user of the declining circle magic.
Perhaps he even had an interest in ancient magic.
“Shirud, would you prefer to be called?”
“Call it as you wish.”
Luke lifted the book slightly and thought as she felt the fragments of magic flowing from Shirude.
‘The circle of the heart is unstable. Sensitivity is excellent, but the circle is too shallow.’
At this rate, it will inevitably go out of control.
Longest a year, shortest a month.
If lucky, it might be suppressed, but with such shallowness, even a slight emotional fluctuation could be dangerous.
“Shirude, how long has it been since you engraved the circle on your heart?”
“What are you… How did you…!”
“Just a moment, calm down. Your circle is very unstable right now. Don’t let emotions sway you.”
“Ugh! Haah… This is because of you.”
Shirude took a deep breath and slowly calmed his emotions.
“Did you say your name was Luke? What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?”
Feeling the pain in his heart subside as he calmed his emotions, Shirude frowned and shot a glare at Luke.
Perhaps due to the proximity to circle meltdown, Shirude’s expression clearly carried irritation.
‘Even if it goes out of control, I can stabilize it, but…’
Luke had enough authority to interfere with the second and first circles.
Using that principle, it was possible to forcibly stabilize the circle, but that was a last resort.
“I apologize. It seems I’ve developed a personal curiosity about you.”
“Curiosity about me?”
On the other hand, Shirude was dumbfounded.
How did she know about his circle, and why was she suddenly approaching like this?
‘Could it be…?’
If it’s curiosity, there’s nothing else it could be.
Although she was a girl he had never seen before, knowing about the circle, she might be a stalker.
‘This strange girl!’
Shirude raised his guard sharply.
He wished his mom would come back from the bathroom quickly.
‘A strange beast girl is stalking me!’
How, when did it start? He had no idea until now!
Cold sweat began to trickle down.
“I have a favor to ask of you.”
Shirude glanced lightly to the side.
A girl with an indifferent expression reading a book casually.
Platinum hair neatly divided, with cyan and golden eyes emitting a rather subtle light. And there were mysterious horns and ears of some monster being.
Plus, an adult-like outfit that kids wouldn’t normally wear…
‘Huh? Looking at her like this, she seems somewhat cute…’
But her face was cute.
“That’s quite unrealistic.”
“Well, what is it?”
“Can I touch your chest a bit?”
“W-What did you say!”
From Luke’s perspective, she merely wanted to place her hand on the heart’s circle to feel it more closely, but to Shirude, it conveyed an entirely different meaning.
‘Is this… sexual harassment!?’
His heart began to race wildly.
Confusion ignited within his heart turned into shame and fear.
“Ugh…!”
He collapsed.
The pain felt like his heart was tearing apart, his magic was running rampant.
The agony also produced a flood of fear.
Eventually, Shirude lost control of his emotions.
He would die like this.
“Ugh… agh…!”
He couldn’t even make a sound.
Conveniently hidden between the chairs, it seemed that even the adults didn’t notice him. He remembered that when he collapsed, the sound wasn’t that loud.
‘Am I going to die like this…?’
He felt resentful.
He had only come to get the circle removal surgery, but because of this girl, whether she was Luke or Ricky, he seemed destined to die.
‘Save me…!’
He gasped for breath, and amidst the agony, he felt something pressing on his abdomen.
Although he was too consumed by pain to pay attention, he felt something touching his chest too.
And then, a warm and soothing sensation enveloped him.
It gently untangled the loops of his racing heart.
Like a mother gently removing a thorn from her child’s foot, with a feeling of compassion.
“Haa, haa…”
“Hmm, are you coming to your senses?”
As he opened his eyes, he saw an unreal girl sitting on top of him, finally placing her hand on his chest.
She smiled slightly and said,
“You’re too emotional.”
“Y-You…!”
Before he could ask who she was,
“Luke?! What on earth are you doing!?”
An astonished adult’s voice echoed.
“Yerina?”
“Why, let’s wait a little longer…”
Dighton said with a hint of disappointment, but Yerina shook her head.
“We’re almost out of time for the hospital appointment. We need to go now.”
“Hospital? Luke-unni, are you feeling sick?” Diana asked, trembling at the mention of the hospital.
Yerina, to reassure Diana, gently stroked the child’s head as she spoke.
“No, Diana, it’s just a routine check-up…”
But Yerina knew the results roughly.
Luke had Mana Accumulation Syndrome, meaning she was engraved by Circle.
To expect the test results to come out fine was wishful thinking. It meant she was well aware that Mana chains were circulating around her heart.
‘In truth, it wouldn’t be strange if he suddenly died…’
No one knew how long a Circle patient had. If they couldn’t handle the Circle’s outburst, they could die tomorrow.
If lucky, they could live with a stabilized Circle for a long time.
Of course, such cases weren’t very common.
Those for whom Circle removal procedures were impossible had to endure the pain of Circle outbursts solely with their own patience and willpower.
‘It’s a harsh life for a child…’
Contrary to Yerina’s dark thoughts, Luke merely nodded towards Diana with a calm expression.
“Alright, see you next time, Luke-unni!”
“Yeah, see you next time.”
Yerina thought as she watched them.
‘I wish I wasn’t worrying too much…’
Since the results hadn’t come out properly yet…
As Yerina began to descend the stairs, Luke suddenly spoke to Dighton.
“Despite the sudden visit, I deeply appreciate today’s exceptional treatment, Dighton. I hope you recover soon and we can meet again.”
“Huh? Uh, yeah. Get well from your check-up too.”
“Goodbye, Luke-unni!”
As Dighton waved goodbye to Luke, she lightly turned and disappeared out of Dighton’s sight.
‘Anyway, that guy’s way of speaking…’
It’s never something one can get used to.
***
The place they arrived at was the hospital where Luke had been hospitalized before.
As it was originally equipped with emergency facilities, it was quite large, and it was also close by.
“Luke Irushi… Yes, there’s a record. You’ll have to wait for about an hour.”
“An hour?”
“Yes, the appointments are a bit delayed. It’s usually busy during the transitional seasons.”
“Oh, I see.”
Well, the weather suddenly changed, after all.
Yerina nodded at what the nurse said and sat down next to Luke, who was already sitting.
“Luke, we have to wait for about an hour. Can you wait?”
“It’s okay. It’s not that urgent.”
Luke replied as if it were obvious.
Waiting for about an hour wasn’t that difficult.
“There are quite a few things to read here.”
Luke pulled out a magazine and started reading.
It was a good textbook to acquire knowledge about fashion, makeup, or travel.
As Luke didn’t know much about this era, everything was fascinating to her.
“Hmm, I hope I get a chance to experience this ‘airplane’ later. Oh, ‘Warp Train’… This is also very interesting…”
Using the knowledge she had acquired from her classes in magic, Luke briefly recalled how technologies like ‘airplanes’ or ‘Warp Trains’ would work.
‘Is there a magic arrangement and a spell for flying? I don’t know that knowledge yet. But I haven’t fully grasped the basic principles. Ultimately, depending on the combination and arrangement, I can adjust the effects as needed, so flying and warping shouldn’t be impossible…’
Luke quickly became absorbed in the magazine like that.
And watching it from the side, Yerina smiles, thinking wherever she goes, she’s always reading.
About twenty minutes passed like that,
“Luke, guardian of the child would you come over here for a moment?”
“Oh. Just a moment.”
The nurse in front called Yerina as if she had something to say, and she got up from her seat, telling Luke, “Just a moment, I’ll be back soon.”
Luke nodded slightly and returned to her reading.
Luke, focusing on her reading, doesn’t move from her spot unless someone disturbs her. She probably doesn’t need to worry about suddenly disappearing.
***
As Yerina expected, Luke was concentrating on her reading.
Until a certain moment.
“……”
The mana waves she’d been feeling since earlier were unsettling.
It felt like…
-Luke, …?
Pie, a mana-sensitive spirit, would have felt it too.
“Yeah, Pie. I know.”
The existence of a First Circle.
The unstable mana, unable to be contained, was slightly volatile, flowing from an imperfect circle that couldn’t hold onto the First Circle.
“Hmm.”
Luke lowered the book slightly and followed the direction of the mana.
Its source was quite close.
‘An elf.’
Although elves are adept at mana sensing, few actually become wizards.
They prefer spirits over magic, which is more efficient for activities in the forest.
“An elf with a engraved circle.”
Curiosity couldn’t be avoided.
Luke subtly got up from her seat and approached the elf who caught her attention.
With white hair and red eyes, he was a rare albino among elves.
He sat with crossed arms and legs, wearing a comfortable hoodie, looking bored.
He was barely half a head taller than Luke.
‘Quite arrogant.’
You could tell his character just by his posture.
He’s probably quite stubborn and assertive. In a negative light, you could say he’s a bit of a dictator.
But Luke doesn’t dislike such stubbornness.
Such arrogance and stubbornness are truly the traits of a wizard.
“What, what is it?”
The elf boy in the silver hair, perhaps sensing something, suddenly shot back in surprise.
“Sir, may I sit beside you?”
He seemed quite flustered, glancing around once before realizing that the question was directed at him, blushing with inexplicable embarrassment.
“Uh, sure! You can sit wherever you want, can’t you?”
“Then, pardon me.”
Luke sat down next to the little elf with the soft gesture characteristic of a silent noble.
‘Why does this woman speak like this? And her gestures…’
He was still confused by Luke’s unusual appearance.
Still puzzled, Luke asked him a question.
“Is that hair dyed?”
“It’s been like this since I was born.”
He replied with a slightly annoyed voice.
As if he’s answered several times.
Has he answered many times before?
‘Then it must really mean he’s an albino.’
“Silver hair among dark elves is a fairly common phenomenon, but it’s a rare genetic trait among the white-skinned high elves. And such albino traits typically manifest as a result of fervent high elven blood.
Luke opened her mouth with a hint of caution.
“I am Luke Irushi, you may call me Luke. And what is your name?”
Slightly taken aback by the sudden introduction, he widened his eyes slightly and, upon scrutinizing Luke’s face, he thought, ‘…This is a bit embarrassing.’
Upon reflection, being approached by a stranger was quite uncomfortable. And the girl herself seemed quite surreal.
Avoiding eye contact, he reluctantly replied, “Sirud Trifind.”
“Trifind… as I suspected.”
Trifind, a surname known to Luke as well. It was a high elven surname.
That meant their lineage had persisted for 5,000 years.
The nostalgia of the past crept in.
High elves were not only exceptional leaders in terms of mana resonance, but they also possessed exceptional spirit resonance.
But that was for typical high elves.
For an albino whose blood was not pure, one of the resonances, either spirit or mana, would be sacrificed, while the opposite tendency would be enhanced even further.
Luke from 5,000 years ago would have never had a proper conversation with an albino elf, being a spirit wizard herself, but he was a promising young mage who had reached the first circle at a young age.
‘It might be possible to communicate with this. Perhaps I can even offer advice.’
Now that class magic governed the world, he was no longer a user of the declining circle magic.
Perhaps he even had an interest in ancient magic.
“Shirud, would you prefer to be called?”
“Call it as you wish.”
Luke lifted the book slightly and thought as she felt the fragments of magic flowing from Shirude.
‘The circle of the heart is unstable. Sensitivity is excellent, but the circle is too shallow.’
At this rate, it will inevitably go out of control.
Longest a year, shortest a month.
If lucky, it might be suppressed, but with such shallowness, even a slight emotional fluctuation could be dangerous.
“Shirude, how long has it been since you engraved the circle on your heart?”
“What are you… How did you…!”
“Just a moment, calm down. Your circle is very unstable right now. Don’t let emotions sway you.”
“Ugh! Haah… This is because of you.”
Shirude took a deep breath and slowly calmed his emotions.
“Did you say your name was Luke? What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?”
Feeling the pain in his heart subside as he calmed his emotions, Shirude frowned and shot a glare at Luke.
Perhaps due to the proximity to circle meltdown, Shirude’s expression clearly carried irritation.
‘Even if it goes out of control, I can stabilize it, but…’
Luke had enough authority to interfere with the second and first circles.
Using that principle, it was possible to forcibly stabilize the circle, but that was a last resort.
“I apologize. It seems I’ve developed a personal curiosity about you.”
“Curiosity about me?”
On the other hand, Shirude was dumbfounded.
How did she know about his circle, and why was she suddenly approaching like this?
‘Could it be…?’
If it’s curiosity, there’s nothing else it could be.
Although she was a girl he had never seen before, knowing about the circle, she might be a stalker.
‘This strange girl!’
Shirude raised his guard sharply.
He wished his mom would come back from the bathroom quickly.
‘A strange beast girl is stalking me!’
How, when did it start? He had no idea until now!
Cold sweat began to trickle down.
“I have a favor to ask of you.”
Shirude glanced lightly to the side.
A girl with an indifferent expression reading a book casually.
Platinum hair neatly divided, with cyan and golden eyes emitting a rather subtle light. And there were mysterious horns and ears of some monster being.
Plus, an adult-like outfit that kids wouldn’t normally wear…
‘Huh? Looking at her like this, she seems somewhat cute…’
But her face was cute.
“That’s quite unrealistic.”
“Well, what is it?”
“Can I touch your chest a bit?”
“W-What did you say!”
From Luke’s perspective, she merely wanted to place her hand on the heart’s circle to feel it more closely, but to Shirude, it conveyed an entirely different meaning.
‘Is this… sexual harassment!?’
His heart began to race wildly.
Confusion ignited within his heart turned into shame and fear.
“Ugh…!”
He collapsed.
The pain felt like his heart was tearing apart, his magic was running rampant.
The agony also produced a flood of fear.
Eventually, Shirude lost control of his emotions.
He would die like this.
“Ugh… agh…!”
He couldn’t even make a sound.
Conveniently hidden between the chairs, it seemed that even the adults didn’t notice him. He remembered that when he collapsed, the sound wasn’t that loud.
‘Am I going to die like this…?’
He felt resentful.
He had only come to get the circle removal surgery, but because of this girl, whether she was Luke or Ricky, he seemed destined to die.
‘Save me…!’
He gasped for breath, and amidst the agony, he felt something pressing on his abdomen.
Although he was too consumed by pain to pay attention, he felt something touching his chest too.
And then, a warm and soothing sensation enveloped him.
It gently untangled the loops of his racing heart.
Like a mother gently removing a thorn from her child’s foot, with a feeling of compassion.
“Haa, haa…”
“Hmm, are you coming to your senses?”
As he opened his eyes, he saw an unreal girl sitting on top of him, finally placing her hand on his chest.
She smiled slightly and said,
“You’re too emotional.”
“Y-You…!”
Before he could ask who she was,
“Luke?! What on earth are you doing!?”
An astonished adult’s voice echoed.
“Yerina?”
