Chapter 65: Execution, Seris’ Adoption, First Great Disaster
"Marianne, the Exorcist world is... closed off from the normal one for a reason. It’s because of monsters known as Cursed Spirits."
The one who spoke wasn’t Lyra or Nisha, but Adrian.
"Cursed Spirits?" Marianne turned toward him.
He nodded. "The more people know about them, the stronger they become. It’s a strange phenomenon. That’s why we hide any news related to Exorcists. We can’t let the truth about Cursed Spirits spread."
"What are you trying to say, Adrian? How is it related to Seris’ situation?"
"Normally, when a civilian stumbles into our world, we erase their memories and return them to normal life. But for Seris... it’s different."
Marianne’s eyes widened. "How?"
"She’s talented. Even if we erased her memories, she might rediscover her abilities in the future. And that could put her in serious danger."
Nisha picked up from there.
"Every Exorcist has an ID. It’s either given by their clan or their mentor, and verified by the Exorcist Union.
"It proves they’re legitimate. But someone like Seris, who doesn’t have a clan or teacher in the Exorcist world?
"She’d be considered an Illegal Exorcist."
Marianne stared at her, waiting for her to continue the explanation.
"In some cases, Illegal Exorcists are treated as threats. Depending on how serious the situation is... they can be executed."
The words landed like a hammer.
Marianne sat still, pale and shaken.
Her usual confident, and sharp demeanor was nowhere to be seen now.
"That won’t happen to Seris. She has real talent as a mage.
"Once people find out about her, powerful families will be eager to bring her into their fold. She can be protected and trained properly," Adrian said quickly.
"But that’s not necessarily a good thing. There are many kinds of people in our world. We can never trust Seris with others unless we know they have good intentions," Lyra added.
Marianne slowly looked between them, her voice cracking just slightly.
"So, what do I do?"
There was a short pause.
Nisha straightened her back slightly.
Her expression turned formal.
"Marianne, I’m a member of the Hall Family. We’re descendants of the Grand Mage Merlin.
"Our family is one of the leaders of the [Round Table], which is a Major Hidden Clans that rules the world from behind the curtains.
"The Round Table is one of the strongest forces in the Exorcist world, and it’s known for its discipline and integrity."
Marianne’s eyes narrowed with uncertainty.
"And?"
"I’m saying I would like to recommend Seris to join the Hall family.
"If you allow it, I’ll use my authority to sponsor her entry.
"She’ll train with children from our main and branch families. She’ll be taught how to use her talent safely and properly," Lyra explained.
Marianne didn’t answer right away.
She looked at the floor for a long moment before finally whispering, "Will it be dangerous?"
"Yes. It will be hard, and possibly dangerous. But letting her train in a weak house or without any protection would be far more dangerous.
"The world she’s about to enter... it’s not safe. However, we can make sure she has the tools to survive in it. And thrive," Nisha said.
Nisha glanced briefly at Lyra, who gave her a small nod in return.
"You can also move into our family with her. We won’t separate you. You’ll still be her mother. Nothing changes there," Nisha added.
Marianne still didn’t speak.
Her hands were now clasped tightly again, this time trembling slightly.
She was clearly overwhelmed, and for good reason.
What she didn’t know was that Nisha’s offer wasn’t simple.
Recommending someone into the Hall Family meant taking responsibility.
If Seris turned out to be a failure or broke the family’s rules, it would reflect directly on Nisha.
She was putting her own reputation on the line.
And yet, Nisha had done it anyway.
’I never expected a chance like this would come,’ Nisha thought, casting a side glance toward the closed door Seris had exited through.
’I was worried Seris and his story would end here after they will be separated today.’
’But this... this must be a divine sign.’
’Just as he was returning to Daelthorn House, Seris awakened her talent as mage.’
’Now, both of them can become Exorcists and meet as equals in the future.’
’Their childhood love story’s is going to bloom into amazing story as they grow up!’
Needless to say, her motives weren’t entirely pure.
Lyra leaned in and gently took Marianne’s hand.
"You don’t need to decide right this moment. Think it over tonight, with a calm mind.
"If you choose to accept, it’ll be a good path for Seris.
"The Hall Family is respected. It’s the kind of opportunity most people dream of."
Marianne nodded slightly, though her face was still pale.
She looked like she wanted to say something, but the words never came.
Lyra stood and smiled softly.
"Come. Let’s get some tea. Your head’s probably spinning."
"Yeah..." Marianne said, almost absently.
As they moved toward the other room, Adrian stayed behind for a moment, looking at the seat Seris had been sitting in.
"I was overwhelmed with just my son’s talent, but to think Seris would have talent as an Exorcist too."
Adrian chuckled.
He didn’t need to be told why Nisha was helping Seris.
...
MC’s POV
In the kitchen, Seris swung her legs from the chair as she waited for her reward.
She spotted the chocolate bar Nisha had promised and grinned, trying not to snatch it too quickly.
I sat beside her, leaning back slightly in the chair.
The light buzz of the kitchen machinery was a calming contrast to the serious conversation that had just happened in the other room.
"Did I do something bad?" Seris asked, unwrapping her chocolate slowly.
"No. You did something really good. You just surprised everyone, that’s all."
"Right? You can do what I did too, so you would’ve been punished already if it was bad."
"...What did you say?"
"You can create that white orb too," she said, tilting her head. "Right?"
I looked at her more closely, trying to gauge if she was guessing or if she’d really figured something out.
"...I can’t do that."
She frowned.
"You can’t? But I could smell the scent on you sometimes." She leaned closer, sniffing exaggeratedly. "See? It’s kind of faint now, but it was there."
I stiffened.
’Damn it. I was careless.’
Normally, I always used the Mana Concealment Technique to hide the mana flowing through my body.
It worked by using the Stars inside the Mana Core to absorb all the stray mana that would naturally leak out, masking your presence completely.
No one could tell I had a Mana Core unless I actively used magic and mana started flowing through my body.
But Seris had spent quite a time with me.
Sometimes, faint traces of mana would remain on me after the night’s training.
Seris must’ve picked on those traces.
A few hours later, I found out about the decision Marianne had made.
Seris and Marianne would be joining the Hall Family under Nisha’s recommendation. It was fast, but I wasn’t surprised.
From how things were going, I had expected this to happen.
Nisha had a smug look on her face as she passed the news to me. Like she expected a thank you.
Seris had been reluctant to leave her friends.
But Nisha knelt beside her and told her, "If you train properly in Hall Family, you can meet this brat regularly in the future."
That alone made Seris brighten up.
I just watched her, shaking my head.
’We’re going to meet as competitors from different houses, Seris. Not as friends.’
Even if Nisha tricked her with half-truths, I wasn’t really upset about it.
This was still the better path for Seris.
She would get proper training, access to resources that wouldn’t come out of my pocket, and she would be protected.
I didn’t doubt that she’d grow quickly.
’I’ll have to work hard to poach her in the future.’
’But it’s not a big problem since I don’t need to spend a single penny to raise Seris.’
After they left, Mom, Dad, and I headed out as well.
Our destination was House Daelthorn.
’My sweet, lovely stats. I’m coming for you.’
’I need you all for my Cursed Spirit Hunter License test.’
I was looking forward to seeing the House Daelthorn estate.
In my last life, I had heard a lot of praises about it.
Many people had said it was one of the most beautiful places on earth.
Unfortunately, I never got the chance to see it for myself.
By the time I returned to Earth in that life, House Daelthorn was already gone.
’The First Disaster.’
It would happen nine years from now.
House Daelthorn’s destruction was the [First Disaster].
In many ways, it was the worst disaster.
The reasons house Daelthorn was targeted first was because they were the strongest house, which meant removing them would be the biggest blow to earth.