<Chapter 3>
If my memory was correct, this was an early symptom of manifestation.
No—it was unmistakable.
Something called Magi Addiction Syndrome.
A rare disease that hadn’t yet been revealed to the world, and existed only in the North.
Its first discovery wouldn’t happen until a year or two from now, found by an alchemist who had been studying the North. It was an incurable disease discovered purely by chance.
And this illness only appeared in outsiders who stayed in the North for extended periods.
It began without the patient noticing—magi would slowly contaminate the mana in their bodies. Since mana was like a second heart, it was natural for the body to begin failing. Yet, for some reason, as long as one remained in the North, everything remained fine.
That was because the magi would replace mana and sustain the body in its place.
In the end, that meant the North was the only safe place. The moment one left, the ticking time bomb inside them would begin to activate.
So even if someone did leave, they had to return to the North before it was too late.
This was why, in the original novel, Aiberg couldn’t stay by the protagonists’ side. He had realized he wouldn’t be able to remain by his sister’s side much longer.
“…Aha, and I only realize this now.”
At first, I had only been concerned with bringing the main characters together.
After all, Magi Addiction Syndrome had nothing to do with the main characters. It simply served as a narrative device to explain why Aiberg had no choice but to let the two be together.
But seeing this with my own eyes—can I really say the happy ending I wished for was a true happy ending?
If things continued like this, Aiberg would definitely die before long.
And at that thought, I remembered Seren, sobbing while hugging Aiberg in the waiting room. If Aiberg returned to the North even now, his life could still be saved.
However, now that the Raffaello siblings knew about the disease, they would have to live forever hiding their inner wounds.
Aiberg would be tormented by not being able to remain by his sister’s side. Seren would suffer from the guilt of living a peaceful life while her brother suffered.
“I can’t just leave them like that.”
Was it pity that moved me?
Initially, I had only planned to beg him not to take Seren away. Of course, I wouldn’t let on that I knew his true identity—I’d simply ask him to deliver the message to the duke on my behalf.
But now, the plan had changed.
Yeah! Why shouldn’t I be able to fix this too?
Starting from that moment in the waiting room, I couldn’t ignore the pain of the Raffaello siblings. Reading it in a book and watching it unfold in person as a character were two completely different experiences.
I vowed to myself—I wouldn’t sit back and let their tragedy unfold before my eyes.
And to do that, the first thing I needed to do was move Aiberg somewhere safe. I started by attempting to put his helmet back on.
I adjusted the angle of his head and managed to shove it on, more or less.
“…Just how heavy is this armor? It won’t budge at all.”
That was just the beginning of my problems.
There was no longer that sharp pain when our skin touched. But every time I touched his armor, my hands felt numb—as though plunged into icy water—and then hot to the point of burning.
Still, I couldn’t just leave the unconscious Aiberg lying there…
There’s always a solution, one way or another!
“Please put him up here.”
“Young lady, are you really going to carry a full-grown knight on your own?”
“It’s fine. Thank you for your help.”
Just in time, the stable hand who had gone to rest returned. I paid him for a horse and, with his help, managed to lift Aiberg safely onto it.
All right, now let’s get going.
At times like this, I was grateful for the memories from my past life.
Fortunately, I remembered exactly who I needed to find for help. His name was Fernando Dare, the alchemist who would one day first announce this disease to the world.
Unfortunately, I didn’t know his exact address.
All I had to go on was a brief description from a side story: the entrance to an alley where a chimney never stopped smoking and a laboratory that looked like a chaotic mix of colors.
That was all.
This has to be the place, right? Yeah—it must be.
As soon as I entered the back alley, I knew instantly.
There was only one house with a rainbow-painted entrance, as if someone had used leftover paint and slathered it on each time it rusted.
Knock knock.
I grabbed the knocker shaped like a bull’s nose ring and banged hard on the door.
“So annoying! Who the hell is it!”
A man with long hazelnut-colored hair and dark eyes flung the door open with a scowl.
“No newspapers, thank you.”
“It’s not that—”
SLAM!
Despite his soft, latte-like appearance, the alchemist was surprisingly sharp. He didn’t even let me speak, slamming the door in my face with an annoyed wave.
No matter how many times I knocked, he wouldn’t come back easily.
Eventually, he opened the door again—but this time he tried a different tactic. He was clearly trying to chase me off with a burst of sarcasm.
“I’m not religious. Please don’t bother me while I’m working.”
Not this time.
I wedged my hand into the door so he couldn’t close it.
“I’m not here to preach or sell anything.”
He must’ve heard me, but his face was still full of irritation.
“I’m here to make a request.”
“A request?”
Was he a little intrigued? Fernando crossed his arms and stared at me.
Every time Magi Addiction Syndrome was explained in the book, Fernando was always mentioned. That’s how obsessed he was with the magi of the North.
So much so, he personally traveled to the North and, after years of effort, successfully developed a cure.
Although this was only briefly mentioned in a side story set years after the main novel ended.
“Yes. It’s a request involving the North—something I think you’ll find interesting.”
“…”
“There’s an incurable illness related to the North that most people don’t know about. I’d like to request your help regarding that.”
Fernando narrowed his eyes—full of suspicion.
He looked me up and down, even scoffing. My dress was a bit too extravagant—it was a formal engagement party, after all.
I sighed and pointed toward the horse I’d been holding all this time.
“Lift the robe and take a look.”
Aiberg lay draped over the horse like luggage, covered in a black robe.
At first, Fernando lifted it half-heartedly—but then his eyes widened in real time.
I had checked Aiberg’s condition several times on the way here.
The symptoms had worsened. Frost now formed on his body, and smoke was beginning to rise through his armor.
“Bring him in, quickly.”
Fernando’s attitude changed in an instant.
The fortress-like door that seemed it would never open swung wide. He even carried Aiberg himself as if he were precious research material.
“Ah! Be careful of the floor!”
Inside, the lab was a complete disaster.
Clothes lay scattered on a bed, and research materials were everywhere—on the floor, the tables. I couldn’t even step properly for fear of breaking one of the multicolored glass beakers.
But it was clear how deeply Fernando was immersed in alchemy.
Even without a word from me, he immediately laid Aiberg down and began inspecting him.
He pulled out every tool available, mumbling to himself like a madman.
“How could a body be this saturated with magi? And this is perfect northern magi! Oooh! Then my theory must be—”
“Fernando Dare? Fernando?”
So passionate.
It took several tries before I finally got his attention.
“I want you to cure this illness.”
“Hmmm… That’s difficult. This is my field of study, yes, but until recently, I had no confidence in my findings. So I haven’t developed a cure yet. If he dies, though… can I have the body—”
I cut him off before he could finish.
“I already know all the ingredients for the cure.”
“…You do?”
“But I don’t know the proportions. That’s why I came to you. First, I want you to treat him. Then, help me create a complete cure later.”
A noblewoman showing up, claiming to know a cure she didn’t fully understand?
Anyone would be suspicious. So I had prepared an excuse in advance.
But—
“Oooh! What are the ingredients?”
Apparently, that didn’t matter to Fernando.
“Erm, you’re not going to ask how I know?”
“Why would I? You brought a living specimen! Hehehe, as long as I can use him as a test subject, I’ve got nothing to complain about.”
So now he wanted a living test subject instead of a corpse?
He was the perfect image of the mad scientist stereotype found in novels. It was honestly a little chilling.
But what choice did I have? He was my only lifeline.
“First, we need a small amount of ice crystal, born and raised in the North and contaminated with magi. Into that, we inject a fixed amount of holy water. Then, using fire, we melt the crystal and let it absorb into the patient’s body. That’s what I know.”
Even after I finished explaining, Fernando didn’t answer for a while. It seemed like he was waiting for more.
“…That’s all?”
“Yes.”
Fernando frowned.
But that was truly all there was to it. Luckily for me, the ingredients weren’t complex, so I could still remember them from my brief glance in the book.
But there was another problem.
I had no idea how much of the crystal to use, how much holy water to inject, what temperature the fire should be, or how long to apply it.
That’s where Fernando came in.
When I entered earlier, I had glanced around the lab and confirmed that he already had the materials, including the ice crystal.
There couldn’t be a better environment.
But unlike me, Fernando’s expression became more and more conflicted. Finally, as if he’d spotted the biggest problem, he spoke firmly.
“Northern ice is famous for being unmelting. You can’t melt it with ordinary flames.”
I smiled and casually snapped my fingers.
Like a scene from a comic, the candle on the desk flared up. I flicked the flame on and off like a toy.
“Don’t worry about that. As long as I’m around, fire is the easiest material to get.”
