The Youngest Son of the Northern Grand Duke Decided to Divorce - The Youngest Son of the Northern Grand Duke Decided to Divorce chapter 42

42

“I don’t want to associate the past with this matter. However…”

Allaune did not outright deny those words.

If Uriel hadn’t helped her then, she would have faced death.

That’s why, even as she remembered the name Uriel Astille, she had to maintain an objective stance.

“The welfare of Alter Radiant comes first. Uriel Astille is secondary.”

Allaune was already considering the confrontation with the Frost Witch.

Though the results of the backtracking had not yet come out, the caster of the curse was likely to be a rather threatening magician.

Ordinary magicians would be no match, so someone as strong as herself had to step forward.

“Are you saying you’ll consider Uriel separately?”

“Alter Radiant being Uriel’s offspring is just a point of connection. I move according to my own convictions.”

“It’s a bit annoying… but fine. In the end, it amounts to the same thing, so I’ll let it slide for now.”

“How long will the preparations take?”

“Hmm… Two to three days? You can bring Uriel’s son around then.”

Erze left those words behind and exited the council chamber.

Allaune continued her contemplation for a while before slowly rising from her seat.

‘I am not bound by the past. Because it’s superficial and illusory.’

Allaune always lived in the present, striving towards the future.

A person called a Grand Magician cannot regress by dwelling on the past.

But if one does not reflect upon the past, they will eventually repeat the same mistakes.

‘Uriel Astille. I owe you a debt… but you are no different. Haven’t you also received help from me?’

Initially, Allaune did not feel indebted to Uriel.

She had driven out all those who slandered her in return for saving her life.

Despite advising against going to the northern territories, in the end, it led to a tragic demise.

‘I must take your son as my apprentice. Only then will I be satisfied.’

Of course, Allaune had no intention of favoring Alter Radiant.

No matter how talented, without effort, one would quickly become obsolete.

Like the other disciples, he must start fairly and prove his potential to be chosen as a successor.

‘Your son has… qualities even superior to yours. That’s why I cannot help but make him my ward.’

Of course, as Uriel’s senior and alumnus, I could have cooperated in the recovery of Alter Radiant.

But that was merely a connection from the past, too weak to be touted as a justification.

There had to be a reason for me to intervene, only then it could be deemed a valid justification.

“Now that things have come to this… I will reveal the cause of your death along with the solution. You were not a talent to be lost in vain.”

Allaune finally shook his head, swept away by the past.

Surely, Uriel must be entangled with the curse of Alter Radiant.

If the solution is aimed at, then naturally, the cause of Uriel’s death must be clarified.

“If I have to face the Frost Witch once more… then I will prove that I am superior.”

***

Alter confirmed the content from Allaune’s letter, intending to attempt the solution.

The ingredients for the solution would be ready within three days, and an authority on curse studies had been invited.

As malevolent as the curse was, it might entail considerable risk, but it would be better than dying in agony.

“If only the curse can be removed…”

Alter neatly folded the letter and placed it in the desk drawer.

Still, things were progressing faster than expected.

Since the Grand Magician was leading the initiative, its importance must have increased.

Moreover, with the involvement of his mother, it’s possible that those he had known for a long time had made contact.

“Still, shouldn’t we at least know the reason for the curse?”

Even if the caster of the curse is revealed to be the Frost Witch, the relationship with his mother remains unexplained.

Perhaps a direct explanation from the Frost Witch or a thorough investigation up to the northern territories is necessary.

Of course, if the Frost Witch is not found, the reason for that might remain a secret forever.

“The Grand Magician said he would handle it, but… could he be planning to visit the northern territories?”

Allaune had once explained that there are two ways to solve the curse.

Analyzing the curse perfectly to solve it, or understanding the method from the caster of the curse.

Naturally, if we only consider the solution, the latter would be easier, but the caster of the curse is unlikely to reveal the method.

However, if the former does not work, then the latter must inevitably be chosen.

“It doesn’t seem like it will end easily.”

Perhaps Allaune is foreseeing even a battle with the Frost Witch.

Having fought once already, and needing to discover the method of solution.

If the location of the Frost Witch can be deduced through backtracking, then an encounter is possible.

“It seems the situation has escalated beyond my expectations. How did it come to this?”

Alter, though deeply troubled, was determined to accept the outcome.

All he had wanted was to restore his frail body to its original state.

But a curse was etched into his heart, and even his mother was indirectly involved.

Now, it had come to a point where lifting the curse alone would not suffice.

“Still, having come this far, I must see it through to the end.”

Alter gazed out the window, a newfound serenity within him.

Even if he did not break off his engagement with Brillié, the curse must be eradicated at all costs.

Compared to his own life, competing with the male lead or the original story’s plot was of little importance.

Only by living does one have opportunities; death leaves nothing behind.

“… Better to marry and survive than to break off an engagement and die.”

***

Alter found himself face-to-face with just two individuals in the laboratory.

Archmage Alloune, and Erze Kartia, the authority on curse studies.

While Alloune stood alone, Erze was bustling about, keeping Alter standing.

“How much do you know about Uriel, young master?”

“… I only know that she passed away after giving birth to me.”

“My guess is… she wouldn’t have let the curse take hold of you. I believe Uriel would have surely prevented it.”

Erze, drawing a magic circle on the floor, responded indifferently.

She had been studying curses even before becoming a disciple of the archmage and had learned various methods of lifting them.

This allowed her to understand how curses worked and even infer the caster’s intentions.

“Isn’t it difficult to use magic while pregnant?”

“If it were Uriel’s nature, she would have protected her child first. Was there any sign that Uriel fought before she died?”

“I haven’t heard anything about a fight.”

“If she had no intention to fight, then the curse must have been meant only for Uriel. That way, it would be easier to escape.”

“Then why did my mother die?”

“There’s much to consider. She might have been too weak to withstand the curse… or perhaps the curse on Uriel affected you as well.”

Erze began placing stones engraved with ancient characters around the perimeter of the magic circle.

Being Uriel’s offspring, she had procured quite rare materials for lifting the curse.

If the results were satisfactory, she could bill either Alloune or the Duke of the North, so she decided to spare no expense this time.

“Then why am I cursed?”

“You must have misunderstood me. I said you weren’t the target of the curse, but that doesn’t mean you couldn’t have been the purpose of it.”

“That sounds strange. In the end, am I not cursed? Why do we need to distinguish between the target and the purpose?”

“It’s quite important. A curse doesn’t always work out the way one wants. It can get twisted by the caster’s intent or if the target resists too much.”

Erze scattered a special solution over the magic circle, pacing back and forth.

A special curse requires thorough preparation before the dispelling can proceed.

If mishandled, the curse could amplify or even spread to others, hence the magic circle serves as a containment.

“Engraving a curse onto the heart is difficult. Given the circumstances at the time, there wouldn’t have been enough time. How could such a thing have been done?”

“… Are you saying I was cursed unintentionally?”

“That’s how I see it. If you think about it more… It seems like Uriel’s curse was transferred to you. The curse must have twisted, changing its intended target.”

Erze calmly explained while checking the magic circle.

Even a slight disruption in the magic circle could weaken the components of the dispelling ritual.

Proceeding in such a state would only stimulate the curse haphazardly.

“Have you ever thought about this? When a newborn is cursed, they often die instantly. But how did you survive?”

“…”

“Even the archmages and the heads of the academy couldn’t figure this out. Your heart… has it been under a protective spell all this time?”

“…?”

“To speak of it now… huh…”

Allaune finally spoke up and approached Erze.

Of course, Allaune had sensed something foreign while verifying Alter’s body.

But without certainty, he had not mentioned it, yet Erze had already identified its nature.

“However, you wouldn’t have thought it was a curse. Perhaps… you felt it instinctively. Maybe it was cast out of a fear that your child might be in danger?”

“…”

Alter swallowed his silence, lost in thought.

If he had been under a protective spell, the damage from the curse would have been mitigated.

But why then did he perish so vainly in the original story?

“We’re about to start the dispelling… but I can’t guarantee the outcome. It would be great if the dispelling works, but the curse might just end up weakened.”

“Does that mean the dispelling might not work?”

“It means the process could become more complicated. The more tangled a curse is, the harder it is to dispel. Your curse is quite entangled… it’s going to be a struggle.”

Erze took out a straw doll for the last time and breathed magic into it.

As the magic circle emitted a green glow, it began to merge with the special solution.

The stones laid at the perimeter of the magic circle were dyed yellow, revealing ancient characters in sharp relief.

“Do you see this? There’s something like a red dot embedded here. This is your curse.”

Erze pointed to the straw doll and showed it to Alter.

Alter noticed the red color embedded in a part of the straw doll and nodded.

Judging by the human form, it was located on the left side of the chest, essentially marking the heart.

“When the ritual begins, the heart will react first. You’ll vomit the tainted blood… and you must spill it all to end it.”

“Vomit blood? I don’t think I’ve heard such a thing before?”

“That’s right. It’s the first time I’ve mentioned it.”

“What? Wait a minute…”

Alarune tried to stop Erze, but the ritual magic had already been activated.

At the same time, Alter was seized by an intense heat, and his heartbeat rapidly accelerated.

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The heat turned into pain, and his heart thrashed as if it would burst at any moment.

“Erze! What are you doing! We should have discussed this…”

“Discuss it? And you think the Northern Duke would allow it? If he feels like his child is dying and can’t go through with it, should we just give up on everything?”

“But still…”

“I don’t particularly like the Northern Duke. He’s partly to blame for Yuriel’s death, isn’t he? But his child is innocent, right?”

“Ugh… Cough!”

Alter suddenly flinched and then began to spew dark, crimson blood.

It was blood corrupted by the curse, akin to a clot that had been accumulating somewhere in the body.

If it had continued to accumulate inside, he would have suffered severe injuries or even sudden death within a few years.

“Just remember this. I think of this child as Yuriel. I’ll do whatever it takes to save him, so don’t interfere and just stay put.”