Chapter 71 What happened to Lana?
My father, King Grey, along with my half siblings - Genny, Jericho, Arthur, and Micah, led me into the grand mansion. But their typically jovial expressions had been replaced with looks of utter devastation. Their grim faces concerned me greatly.
Earlier, I had inquired about Lana - and that was the reason we were here. I assumed the worst, believing that she must have died. But, as I noticed, they wouldn't be taking me to her room to see her if she had already passed.
With every step down the spacious hallways of the royal estate, I could feel my stomach tighten in anticipation. On the journey to her room, the servants bowed their heads to us in servitude.
"Genny, what's going on?" I asked, my heart racing with anxiety.
She took a deep breath before answering, "Lana's condition has worsened. Bluestella is probably with her in the room right now."
Finally, we reached Lana's room.
"Prepare yourself, Lumiere." Jericho placed his hand on my back.
This only made me more tense, and it seemed they were feeling it too.
My father opened the door to Lana's room, and a wave of sadness engulfed me in an instant. Bluestella, Lana's mother, sat beside her daughter's bed while Lana lay there, barely active. Yet, something else caught my eye - Lana's eyes were wrapped with a bandage.
"Her eyes... what happened to her eyes?" I asked, unable to stop staring.
Arthur forced a smile at me. "It's hard to put to words."
Then, Micah placed his hand on my shoulder, trying to comfort me. "We didn't know you were coming today, but I'm sure Lana would've been happy to 'see' you."
I felt tears forming in my eyes as I moved closer to the bed. "Lana," I whispered, unsure if she could even hear me.
Bluestella, who had been sitting silently beside Lana, suddenly stood up and turned to face us, her eyes red from crying. "What are you all doing here?" she snapped, her voice laced with anger.
I was taken aback by her outburst. "I... I wanted to see Lana," I stuttered, shocked by her sudden outburst.
"She doesn't need any visitors right now," Bluestella retorted, turning her back to us and returning to her daughter's side.
I felt helpless as I watched her tend to Lana. I didn't know what to do or say, and my siblings seemed just as lost for words.
After a few minutes, Micah placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Let's go," he said softly. "Mother needs some time alone."
I shook my head, my throat too tight to speak. I wasn't just going to leave the room like that.
"I need to see how she's doing.." I repeated.
However, Bluestella exploded with rage. "Why did you bring him here? He's probably happy to see Lana like this!" she screamed, pointing accusingly at my father.
"Honey, calm down." (Grey)
I found myself in the midst of an anxious atmosphere. Bluestella's critical attitude towards me was palpable, and she seemed determined to pin outrageous accusations on me. Her spiteful eyes burned into mine, but I chose to disregard her negative energy.
Instead, I turned to Jericho, seeking some clarity regarding her current situation. Jericho gestured towards our father, King Grey, who gave him a nod of encouragement, signifying it was alright to speak freely.
"What happened to Lana?" I inquired with a deep concern for my sister.
"About two weeks ago Lana started to experience some issues with her eyesight," Jericho replied with a deep sense of sadness written all over his face.
"Her eyesight?" I repeated, sounding more surprised than anything.
Arthur chimed in before Jericho could continue. "She was complaining of impaired vision and said she could barely see anything. We tried using holy water and bandages from the church, but we barely made any progress," Arthur added.
I was taken aback by this unexpected news. "And? Did she get any better?" I asked.
Unfortunately, it didn't get any better. "After a week of bandage removal, she claimed she lost her vision entirely. Lora hasn't been happy ever since," Genny added.
I wouldn't expect Lora to be. Lana was her twin sister after all.
Bluestella's expression turned angrier, accusing me of taking delight in Lana's misery. "Wow, he's acting like he cares about her... filthy bastard!"
"Bluestella!" my father chided her.
I shrugged off her comments, choosing to ignore her cold energy. Instead, I turned to my father. "Have you sought the help of any clerics or court mages?"
"We have, but they didn't have enough experience with [Purification Magic] to get rid of the curse," King Grey replied with much sadness in his tone.
I nodded. "I see. Have you tried finding alternative solutions?"
"We have, but so far we haven't been successful," said Michah solemnly.
My father cleared his throat, his eyes heavy with sorrow. "We still have one option left. We need to look outside the kingdom for clerics who have the necessary experience to purge the curse from Lana's body."
I nodded, understanding the gravity of our situation. "But finding the right cleric won't be easy, right?" I asked.
Arthur let out a heavy sigh. "You're correct."
"But even finding a willing cleric isn't a guarantee," Jericho added.
I furrowed my brows, unsure of what to do.
The concept of [Purification Magic] didn't merely rely on the amount of mana wielded, but instead required experience in utilizing that mana to effectively counteract the specific curse at hand. It was painfully evident that court mages and ordinary mages alike lacked the necessary level of expertise to execute successful curse removal procedures. On the other hand, clerics held the necessary know-how, but locating one with an impressive track record proved was almost impossible.
Sure, I wasn't a cleric, nor did have prior experience in the matter, but my sub-skills [Higher Full Potential] and [Lord of Theorems] eased curse extraction processes.
The curse plaguing Lana, while still a precarious situation, paled in comparison to the severe Fire Demon's Curse. Nonetheless, even a B to A ranked [Purification Magic] wouldn't guarantee a successful operation in the absence of total comprehension of Lana's particular ailment.
"How long will it take for the clerics to arrive?" I asked, desperate for a timeline.
"Given the weather conditions, two weeks to a month," King Grey replied.
I sighed, rubbing my chin, deep in thought. "But can we really make Lana wait that long? Is there anything else we can do in the meantime?"
King Grey's face turned grim, and he shook his head. "I'm afraid not. We have tried everything we could. Getting a skilled cleric is our only remaining option."
The present moment was hardly an ideal one, but I knew I had to seize it.
I turned to my father, determined to make him understand my intentions--I would be the one to rid Lana of the curse that had claimed her.
"Father," I said, my voice firm, "I will purge the curse from Lana's body. You must let me do it."
Bluestella erupted, her anger palpable. "Do you think this is some kind of joke?" she snapped. I met her gaze, refusing to back down. "No," I replied coolly, "I do not."
Clearly taken aback by my unwavering determination, Bluestella fell quiet.
Meanwhile, King Grey's desperation was palpable. "Can you really do it?" he asked me, his voice strained.
I projected my confidence, sure I would succeed. "Yes," I insisted. I was quickly taken up on my offer by Lana's brothers, Micah and Jericho, who grabbed me tightly, their skepticism giving way to relief.
"Is this for real?" Jericho asked me, his eyes wide.
"It's not a joke, right?" Micah chimed in, echoing his brother's incredulity.
I smiled at them both, shaking my head. "No," I said, "it's not a joke."
Genny, always the voice of reason, sidled up to Jericho, patting him on the back. "Trust me," she assured him, "if he says he can do it, he can."
Jericho pulled me in for a tight embrace, his gratitude clear.
Micah, unable to contain his excitement, rushed out to tell Lora the good news.
As for me, I turned my attention back to the task at hand.
King Grey was waiting, his gaze searching. "Tell me," he said. "How, exactly, do you plan to purge the curse?"
"Let's see.."
I took a deep breath, pretending to consider my options.
I read of three ways to purge a curse--[Water Magic], [Purification Magic], and [Holy Magic].
While [Water Magic] could certainly be used to rid Lana of the curse, it would require an immense amount of mana--far more than most people could muster.
As for [Purification Magic], it demanded a deep understanding of the curse in question.
And as for [Holy Magic], it was the combination of the requirements for the aforementioned two.
Still, with rank SSS+ [Purification Magic] this would be done in a cinch.
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