Chapter 29
Calyphe's face flushed crimson in an instant.
“Wh-what are you doing?!”
Smack!
In her shock, she smacked Rynen’s head. But it was Calyphe who winced in pain. Rynen shot her a disgruntled glare, his silent protest clear. Yet this lasted only a moment. Soon, Rynen began gasping as if suffocating, forcing Calyphe to hastily offer her hand. Only after pressing his lips to her palm did his breathing steady.
Calyphe muttered in exasperation, “Hah. Is this how wolves act when drunk on catnip?”
“……”
Rynen, too dazed to process her words, simply buried his face in her hand. His slightly narrowed gray-blue eyes locked onto hers, their thirst-glazed intensity unmistakably... wolf-like.
This could get dangerous.
Calyphe’s spine stiffened. Not only that, but the pressure of his bites grew stronger by the second. A primal instinct warned her not to let this continue. She yanked her hand back and barked, “Hey! Stop!”
“……”
“Behave! Hold on!”
Her sharp tone seemed to briefly snap him back to sanity. Rynen froze, though his gaze now dripped with disdain... Whatever. It worked. The tension eased slightly.
“No biting! Just keep your face close, got it?”
“...I don’t need your help. And stop treating me like a dog.”
His coherent retort confirmed he’d regained his senses. Calyphe smirked.
“Oh? Really don’t need it?”
“I don’t.”
She teasingly hovered her hand near his cheek. Rynen jerked his head away, but after a tense pause, he let out a frustrated groan and rubbed his face against her palm.
“Of all people... why you…” he muttered before nibbling her fingers.
Calyphe snatched her hand back. “I said no.”
“You’re doing this on purpose… Ugh. Insufferable.”
Rynen squeezed his eyes shut, taking a sharp breath. When they reopened, shame clouded his gray-blue eyes—as if he’d just realized his actions.
Huh. He can feel embarrassed. Almost cute—
No!
“Are you insane?! This is disgusting!”
“...Are you?”
“Yes! I must’ve lost my mind! The cute one’s Noah. Noah, Noah, Noah!”
Chanting the name thrice, Calyphe’s eyes suddenly widened. Rynen flinched at her fierce expression, but she’d already moved on, piecing together the banquet’s monster incident and mana shortage.
Someone’s suffering mana thirst.
The puzzle clicked: The silver-haired man was Rynen all along. He’d disguised himself with magic—explaining his absence from caregiver candidates. But why hide?
“...Ugh.”
A pained groan snapped her back. Rynen trembled, drenched in cold sweat.
“Hold on,” Calyphe urged, digging through her bag. She produced an illegal magic tool, pre-programmed with her own commands.
Click.
The moment she clamped it onto Rynen’s wrist, his movements stilled.
“Ghk.”
“R-Rynen?”
“I’m... fine.”
Thankfully, he hadn’t collapsed. Instead, the tool’s magic soothed his raging pain. As calm returned, he noticed Calyphe’s relieved face—an unexpected sight.
“Better now? Sane again?”
“...Didn’t expect you to worry.”
“Of course I worried!”
She jabbed a thumb toward the door. “Who else will handle the monsters? Take what you need and go.”
“……”
Rynen’s opinion of her teetered, then held. Monsters had to be dealt with. But when he tried rising, he grimaced.
“Can’t... move.”
“What? Why?”
“No strength.”
He flexed his fist weakly. “Might adjust... in ten minutes.”
“Too late.”
Calyphe gritted her teeth. The mana-control tool halted pain but immobilized him—like shackles blocking mana flow. With seventeen minutes left on the quest timer, they’d never clear the banquet hall in time.
[Sudden Quest!]
[Help the ‘Silver-Haired Man’ resolve the monster outbreak.]
[Reward: His favor + ??? ally]
[Time left: 00:17:14]
If they failed, guards would storm in. No penalties, but no rewards either. And with Rynen as the silver-haired man... securing his cooperation was crucial.
Unless… my unique skill?
Calyphe summoned her system window:
[Unique Skill: Villainess’s Training Method]
[Strike someone to boost a related stat.]
Uncertain but desperate, she ripped the control tool off Rynen.
“Ghk—! Give it back!”
“It’s illegal junk. Could fail any second.”
Agony slammed into him. He collapsed against her, crushing her under his weight.
“H-Hey! Rynen!”
“The tool… now.”
He tried rising but crumpled again. “Can’t... see.”
Calyphe grimaced, then embraced him from behind.
“Wh-what are—?”
“This’ll hurt. For your own good.”
Might as well go all out. She channeled her frustration into a punch.
Thud!
“...?”
“Ow…!”
Thudthudthud! Her fists rained down uselessly. Rynen sighed.
“Do you think a civilian can harm a Swordmaster?”
“I-I wasn’t trying to! Quit assuming!”
But the system flashed:
[Rynen Ortega’s Mana +0.01]
[Mana +0.01]
[...]
Pathetic gains, but progress!
Calyphe switched to dual-handed pounding. Rynen stiffened, bewildered.
“What are you doing?!”
“Shut up… and take it!”
Then—
Rynen’s pain ebbed. Vision sharpened.
Mana’s… recovering?
Not just refilling—his capacity was expanding. Impossible... yet undeniable.
“Calyphe Orfensa. Did you... restore my mana? What are you?”
She grabbed his collar, snarling:
“Ten minutes left. Move.”
