"So you're the cause of all those ghost stories going around in the palace?"
I blushed a little at the accusation, I was proud of my little trick. Something so easy yet effective was worthy of praise in my book. There was also the fact that we were in the duchy of disorder, so I was pretty sure my pranks wouldn't have any big consequences.
"Let's forget about this party trick and get going with the curse removal, it seems my son is ready to have you in his bed at any given moment."
Yom didn't say anything, but his eyes were a tell tale, he also gulped a couple of times. And now I was in a dilemma, did he like my kiss because of the curse and I was actually really bad at it or not?
While I was thinking that I needed more experiments to decide on that, I was also presented with another crossroad. Which Rune should I go for next? What effects will it have on how the other perceive me? Will it change the way people see my mana?
If so I needed to find a way to mask it and replicate the confusion mana of my current employer.
My spiraling thoughts seemed unending, but when we reached our destination at the top floor of the hotel I forcibly shut my brain.
We were in the same room where I had met the Elders, and once again, those three were sitting there drinking spiked tea.
"Ooooh? The patriarch, the heir and the bastard son?"
The fuck? Don't they remember the spirits said I had no blood of disorder?
"I'm pretty sure those shadowy things explained I have not a single drop of blood from your clan though? Why call me a bastard son?"
Everyone, even the patriarch, smiled. They smiled and completely ignored me.
"Elders, prepare a ritual to dispel a curse from Yom."
"Of course, what curse are we talking about?"
Duke Morvane pointed at me and I simply gave my explanation a little more extended then when my neck was at risk.
The result? They started laughing again.
Guys, your heir is cursed, shouldn't you do something about it?
Then one of them spat out his judgement like poison.
"Patriarch, it honestly serves the heir right. Nobody should mess with another's partner."
"Yeah, sure, but poor Crow here is the object of obsession. I can't continue with my plans if the boy merries into the family. Especially not if it's because of a curse."
What plan? What marriage? Wasn't it a big deal for the main family to always have children?
I couldn't help myself.
"The fuck? I'm seventeen, virgin and definitely not in love to even think of marriage. I only want to study magic."
"You heard the boy. Now get to work."
The elders shifted a little but soon they encircled Yom and started some weird chanting.
"Is it that easy?"
"No that chant is part of the ritual to create a counter-curse, it will give them informations on the 2 necessary catalysts."
My eyes were sparkling, ritualistic magic was something I realised existed only recently, I never studied it before and although it seemed extremely similar to alchemy and couldn't really be used in battle, it was definitely potent.
"There are books on ritualistic magic in the section you're granted access to, study well Crow Mo…"
"Mo?"
"They're done, focus."
Above the circle of elders, smoke started to rise and form letters.
Pardon stolen with trickery.
The three bloods.
"Well, that is interesting… how do we even consider a pardon stolen with trickery? Do we need it in a written form? Or a verbal promise is good enough? And what about the three bloods?"
I was spinning words like a mad scientist. All this shit was simply too interesting. It didn't occur to me for a second that people might take it as a disrespectful act.
"Whatever case might be, can I try obtaining the pardon with trickery? It might help me with my research!"
That was probably too much to ask, but I was experimenting with sound illusions, if I could perfect my mastery over illusory sound, that would help me by leaps and bounds,
But of course, it was not well received by the elders that immediately tried to pressure me with their mana, only to be repelled by the Duke himself.
"Patriarch! What's the meaning of this? No research is worth the risk of a failed counter curse!"
"Crow, can you elaborate? Surely you don't expect me risking my son's life without a proper plan? Especially when we can easily trick everyone with confusion."
"Of course Master Morvane. In the three weeks I've been studying and researching my fake magic, I've noticed 3 major flaws!"
The elders were indignant, the duke ecstatic.
Then he jumped a gun I didn't know I needed, but welcomed nonetheless.
"I will share with them the school of magic you're studying, they are part of the ducal family after all."
I barely nodded when all hell broke loose.
"He's studying [mirage] magic."
"WHAT THE FUCK? MIRAGE? THAT IS THE GREAT ANSWER?! THERE HAS NOT BEEN A SUCCESSFUL MIRAGE SPELL IN EONS!"
"But he's already made 2 of them and I'm pretty sure he has more."
An eerie silence descended into the room, forgotten was the young master, forgotten was the curse as well as the ritual.
"Now, Crow. If you could continue."
I was a little hesitant, I was grateful for the excuse of mirage instead of illusion, they were similar alright, but all this silence was bothering me.
"Well… I noticed 3 major flows: touch, smell and of course sound. I know that I can't replicate them with [mirage] magic, but I'm pretty sure I can recreate the response those senses give to the human brain… if my opponent is a Walker like me at least…"
My words felt like thunder in the eerie silence of the room. What I didn't know was that this first wall I was reaching was so far an advanced problem for the previous researcher that were still on the sight wall, that my claim seemed like blasphemy.
"Are you, a mere orphan that started his magic studies three weeks ago, saying that you have already corrected the problems of sight and taste?"
"Taste? Ohhhhh I didn't even think of feeding people mirages! That's so interesting!"
I went down on the floor and took out my research booklet to write it down.
Feeding illusions? That's a masterpiece in and on itself.
I really resembled a crazy scientist and I didn't notice the duke and the elders talking.
"So? Did that boy break the sight wall?"
"No, he broke the sight wall and the pain wall."
"That's impossible."
"Crow, do you mind showing us those green flames again?"
I didn't even move from my engrossed writings on what should be done to create illusory food, just gave a mental command to my mana and the will o' wisps appeared again flowing and flying through people, leaving the elders mouth wide open.
"Crow, can you make the little green fires painful?"
That got me up and looking at the duke in the eyes.
"I can, but that's not the point of the spell, this is to play pranks on people. Not hurting them."
"Just do it."
"But… pain is not funny…"
"Just do it Crow, it's only to prove a point, not like you're rewriting the entire spell."
I exhaled a little dejected, but did as I was told.
With a wave of my hand I dispelled the green flames only to reproduce them again with the additional [burning] rune.
"You will need to touch them for a couple of seconds, and considering your strength I'm not even sure you'd feel shit, but have fun."
I returned to my booklet.
The elders were the first ones to touch the new flames and exactly after two seconds their hand retracted.
"Ouch…"
And realisation hit them.
"No way in hell."
A realisation so out of their mind, they didn't even react when I yelled in epiphany.
"I NEED TO TASTE MORE DELICIOUS FOODS!"