Chapter 161

Chapter 161

Spendthrift Necromancer (161)

The connection between herself and the Griff family.

That was information known by only a tiny handful even within the Academy.

Yet Kim Minwoo, an outsider, suddenly brought it up.

Han Sia's thoughts grew complicated.

Kim Minwoo, looking at her, was feeling much the same.‘Was she always that thin?’Either way.

Kim Minwoo continued.

“Are you going to spend the rest of your life mortgaged to the family head? If you go back this time, you have no future. He'll drain you dry without leaving so much as a splinter of bone behind.”

“…….”

“I, and Korea, will help you. So you can reclaim your freedom.”

Han Sia listened in silence, then sighed. Laura had told her to keep her mouth shut, listen quietly, and come back, but that was already impossible.

“……

Cough! I don't care. Talent? He can have it. It's nothing but a curse to me.”

Talent.

A shackle that had bound her entire life.

She was sick of it.

She hated magic too.

What was so special about it?

Why had it ruined her life this badly? Was it really worth that much?

Han Sia didn't know.

Nor did she want to know.

Even attending the Academy and manifesting magic had all been at the family's urging.

Otherwise, she never would've even attempted this fucking rehabilitation treatment.

She remembered what her mother had always told her since she was little.―All Mom wants is for the two of us to live happily together.―Don't oppose the family. Obedience is the best choice.―Talent? Why does that matter? Just give it to them and live an ordinary life with Mom. Okay?

To Han Sia, her mother was everything.

The only person who had loved her since childhood.

The person who had protected her from that horrific man called her father.The person who had won her even ten short years of freedom. What her mother wanted wasn't for Han Sia to fight Griff.

To live an ordinary, peaceful life.

That was what she wanted.

Han Sia agreed.

Fight the Griff family?

Their power was unfathomably deep. And the very existence of her father was practically a trauma to her.

A terror so immense she couldn't even imagine opposing him.

That was why Minwoo's promise to give her freedom didn't stir much in her.

That was when.

Kim Minwoo spoke with a cold smile.

“Did I phrase that in a way you could misunderstand?”

“Misunderstand what?”

“When I said he'd drain you without leaving even a splinter of bone. I mean you'll die.”

“Die……

?”

“Did you think he'd just drain your talent and let you walk away? Did that process ever look like something that could work that conveniently?”

“Cough! Cough! I'm still alive. Right now.”

“Because he left half. More precisely, because he had no choice but to leave half. That's why you're still alive. Even now. But…… do you normally cough this often?”

“……

It's gotten a little worse lately.”

Kim Minwoo frowned.

It was true that Han Sia had always been in poor health. She'd had her talent torn away and suffered all kinds of hardship from childhood.

But even accounting for that…….‘This is pretty bad.’She was much thinner than he'd expected.

Her physical condition didn't look good either.

“What about checkups?”

“……

They said there wasn't anything especially wrong.”

“Either way, the fact that you'll die is true. Your health is already bad.”

“The family said these were side effects from that.”

“Side effects from tearing away your talent?”

Han Sia nodded.

“They said taking only half destroyed the balance. That I'd return to normal once they took everything.”

That was when.

Kim Minwoo snapped his fingers.

Merhen appeared inside the counseling room and asked.―Minwoo. What's wrong?

“This is Han Sia, a student at the Academy. Can you take a look at her?”―Yeah.

Merhen narrowed her eyes.

After staring intently at Han Sia for a moment, she tilted her head.―Someone ate away at your talent? No wonder your soul is incomplete too.

“You mean her soul?”―Right. Its foundation is unstable. Hold on.

Merhen approached Han Sia.―You. Can you manifest magic properly?

“More or less…….”―With a shoddy soul like that, it shouldn't work very well. Am I wrong? You've lost your entire identity too.

“……

Identity?”―Yeah. In other words…… you're not a Mage anymore.

“……

What?”―Your foundation as a Mage is gone now.

“But I can still manifest magic……?”―Of course you can. You're forcing it out through what little remains.

“Wait. You're saying she isn't a Mage?”―That's how it looks to me. Seriously. Too much of her foundation was eaten away.

“How much?”

―More than eighty percent?

“That much was taken?”

Kim Minwoo's eyes widened.

He knew Han Sia's talent had been drained. But normally, it had been around fifty percent.

Only then did he understand why Han Sia looked so sickly.There was a world of difference between having 50% left and less than 20%.

Merhen nodded and added.―Yeah. Whoever did it neatly carved out only the core. I think they used some kind of tool.

“A tool?”―Otherwise you're saying an Earth Mage did this. Even I'd have trouble cutting it away this cleanly unless more of my Authority had returned.

Lucas couldn't possibly possess talent at that level, so had he used some sort of tool?

It was plausible.

That was when.

Han Sia asked desperately.

“I have a question.”―Go ahead.

“……

If all of my remaining talent is absorbed, will I die? Instead of living?”―You know trees? They can live if you leave some of the trunk. But if you rip out even the roots, do you think it'll survive?

“That's…… ripping out the roots? They said I'd return to normal if they took everything…….”―You're seriously stupid, aren't you? Your soul is already wobbling around.

“That's a lie…….”―Can't you tell from the condition of your own body?

Han Sia fell silent.

She couldn't believe it.

No.

She didn't want to.

From a childhood so distant her memories were hazy until now. She had endured all this time while waiting for the day she could live freely with her mother.

And the result was death?

Lie.

A lie…….

“Cough! That's a lie!”

It made no sense.

Otherwise, she'd have spent more than twenty years suffering just so she could die.

That was when.

Kim Minwoo spoke.

“Did your mother tell you that? Give up your talent and live an ordinary life.”

Han Sia's eyes narrowed.

“How much did you investigate me?”

“You rely on your mother quite heavily. I understand. She must've been the only person who's loved you until now.”

Han Sia sprang from her seat. Her mind was already close to overloaded. She couldn't endure any more of this topic.

“I'm leaving. The counseling's over.”

“But tell me. Is that love real?”

“Cough! Don't insult my mother!”

Blood vessels stood out in Han Sia's eyes.

She could endure everything else, but not someone insulting her mother. Yet Kim Minwoo had crossed that line in a single step.

It went beyond rudeness into outright tyranny.

Kim Minwoo shrugged and continued.

“Family Head Lucas. He has quite a lot of illegitimate children, doesn't he? Have you ever considered that the whole thing itself might be a transaction?”

“…….”

“Have a child. Then the mother, or her family, receives compensation depending on that child's talent. That kind of transaction.”

“……

Even if that's true, it doesn't change the fact that Mom loves me.”

Han Sia's eyes gleamed.

Her mother had stayed with her ever since she was a child, even after they left the family. She loved her.

No, she had to love her.

Denying that was no different from denying Han Sia's entire life.

“You know syllogisms? You use two known premises to infer a conclusion.”

Then Kim Minwoo spoke words like poison.

“Han Sia will die if more of her talent is taken. Her mother tells her to give up her talent. So what conclusion follows from that?”

Han Sia's hands trembled violently.

Her quick mind had already reached the conclusion.

“……

No way. Mom didn't know. She must've been deceived. By those demons.”

They must've told her that if Han Sia handed over her talent, the two of them would be allowed to live happily.

That they would no longer bind mother and daughter.

The Griff side must've poured honeyed lies like that into her ears.

Her innocent mother must've fallen for them completely.

That was as far as it went.

As far as Han Sia could accept.

That was when.

Kim Minwoo handed her a document.

“Take a look.”

Han Sia glared at him warily, then snatched the paper. It was filled with information about her mother, ‘Kim Haeun.’‘……

Gambling?’It said that she'd gone to Germany in her twenties to study abroad, drifted through the theater scene, and accumulated a massive debt.

Then she'd formed a connection with the Griff family and given birth to Han Sia.

The endless ‘tokens of sincerity’ piling into her account, and the limitless luxury that followed.

There were even records showing she'd continued visiting all kinds of gambling halls until recently.

“The support payments are pretty large, aren't they?”

“……

It's only what she deserved. It's no different from child support. Do you think attending this Academy costs pocket change?”

“Not hundreds of billions of won, though. Aren't you curious? Whether she really loved you, or whether she loved the money?”

Han Sia's hands shook.

He kept digging into the wound.

It hurt too much.

She didn't want to hear any more.

Yet the words kept driving into her ears like a devil's whisper.

Her eyes reddened sharply.

“Why…… why are you doing this to me……? Why……?”

“Are you going to trust only your mother and walk to your death like this? Checking isn't even that difficult. Haven't you suffered enough already?”

“Wh-What do you know……?”

“At least one thing is obvious. You don't want to die pointlessly like this.”

Han Sia fell silent.

She had suffered her entire life.

She had cursed living.

Even so.

Kim Minwoo was right.

She didn't want to die.

Even though her life was pathetically insignificant.

“Cough! How are you planning to check?”

“Your mother spent a lot of time in theater, didn't she? She's probably an excellent actress. Simply asking her won't reveal the truth.”

She'd spent twenty years gaslighting Han Sia.

Her acting skill was easy enough to imagine.

Minwoo had simply ignored it and pushed ahead because he was a player.

Han Sia wasn't.

It wasn't strange that she'd react this way.

To her, her mother was practically her entire life.

Han Sia remained silent.

Minwoo smiled at her.

“But no matter how good someone's acting is, they can't fool the senses. Their pulse speeds up, their mouth dries, their pupils shake—things like that.”

“……

S-So?”

“From now on, we're going to cast magic on you, Miss Han Sia. Magic of truth.”

Merhen snapped her fingers.―Whenever you want, your senses will amplify. Enough to see every pore opening. But don't use it too long. It'll strain you.

“You heard her. Go check for yourself. Find out what the real truth is. Today's counseling is over.”

Kim Minwoo then handed her a business card.

“Keep it in your inventory. You'll need it eventually.”

Han Sia's heaviest shackle.

That was her mother.‘Carrot and stick.’When everyone else looked down on her coldly.

Her mother alone had been different.

That was the carrot.

Conditioning from childhood had eventually grown into dependence.

The one person who had ‘pretended’ to give her love. Which was precisely why Han Sia gave her the most blind love of all.‘Break that first.’Otherwise, there was no way to save Han Sia.* * *After the counseling ended.

She returned to Laura.

“How was it?”

“……

Nothing much. Merhen? That summon was kind of interesting, I guess.”

“Hmm. Really?”

“Yeah.”

Well.

Things might've been different if Han Sia had been any kind of impressive Mage, but in truth she wasn't an especially attractive prospect. Of course nothing happened.

“I want to see Mom.”

“Has it been a while?”

“Three months.”

“Fine. Let's go out.”

Laura readily nodded. Han Sia's mother was under Griff management.

She was one of the most important tools used to control Han Sia. Letting them meet wasn't particularly difficult.

All they had to do was arrange it.

She might be gambling-crazy, but when the money source summoned her, she'd return on her own.

And so Laura and Han Sia obtained permission to leave.

Once they were sitting in the car.

Laura casually asked.

“What's gotten into you? You haven't gone to see her at all lately.”

“……

I've just been sick.”

Her condition had been noticeably worsening lately. She hadn't wanted her mother to see how thin she'd become.

That was the only reason she hadn't visited.

She still missed her just as much.

When they arrived at the house.

Laura smiled and said.

“I'll give you plenty of time today. Three hours. That should be enough, right?”

“…….”

Han Sia nodded and headed toward the penthouse elevator.

Once inside, she took a deep breath.

Her mind was tangled with all kinds of thoughts. Her conversation with Kim Minwoo and Merhen.

And her doubts about her mother.

Everything tangled together, confusing her.‘No way. Mom loves me. She definitely does.’Even though she believed that, doubts kept rising from somewhere inside her. Give up your talent. What had truly been behind those words?

When the elevator stopped, Han Sia's heart pounded.

The doors would soon open, and her mother would be waiting ahead.‘What if what he said is true? What if Mom deceived me…….’After hesitating, she shook her head. No. There was no way.

Mom was the only person who had ever been on my side.

At least that love had to be real.

With a trembling hand, she pressed the doorbell. The door would open soon and she'd see her mother.

Then.

“My daughter, you're here?”

Her mother, Kim Haeun, appeared.

Gulp.

Han Sia swallowed.