025. Distortion (6)
“Entire forest…?”
Owen responded as if Kyle’s words didn’t make sense, his expression devoid of reality.
“Yeah.”
Whether Kyle knew or didn’t care about Owen’s bewilderment, he remained casual.
Nodding, Kyle shrugged after a moment.
“I saw it earlier, and it seemed like it was within your control. If you decide and release all the restraints on your power, wouldn’t it be possible?”
Kyle’s nonchalant comment about it not being his problem made Owen feel somewhat irritated.
Owen furrowed his brow slightly and spoke.
“If that’s the case, you should be able to do it as well.”
It wasn’t that Owen wasn’t confident; it was more that he wasn’t truly ‘Owen.’
The ability to use his power had only come to him suddenly due to memories that surfaced earlier.
Using the power more than what was in his memories, well, that was uncertain.
Unless ‘Owen’s’ memories resurfaced again.
In his current state, it didn’t seem like he could summon enough power to engulf the entire forest.
“That’s…”
Kyle trailed off at Owen’s observation.
It seemed like Kyle wanted to see the maximum potential of Owen’s ability at any cost.
The reason was unknown, but it seemed like he had found something interesting after a long time.
“Ah, darn it.”
After pondering excuses, Kyle, unable to find a suitable reason, clicked his tongue.
Owen, seeing Kyle disappointed, looked at him with a somewhat incredulous expression before turning his gaze straight ahead.
Thunk!
At the same time, he swiftly stabbed the heart of the approaching monster.
The pitch-black power, like a swirling mist, easily brought down the massive creature.
“It’s not that difficult. Can’t you just give it a try?”
Creating a large flame above his hand with a disappointed expression, Kyle eventually spoke.
In response, Owen let out a sigh and spoke.
“Whose standards are we talking about, anyway?”
It seemed like a good idea to befriend the sub-protagonist when they first met.
Owen looked at Kyle, who seemed disappointed. Owen couldn’t comprehend why Kyle wanted to know the maximum potential of the power he possessed.
Even if he had met the sub-male lead, he found it strange that the child suddenly clung to him, persistently asking him to demonstrate his abilities.
‘I wish this child would stick to the female lead as originally intended.’
Even if it was before the original story started, it was still strange.
If the female lead Bella had appeared, attention should have been focused there.
As for sub-male leads, I couldn’t understand why they were fixated on the male lead.
And why of all things, they were obsessed with my abilities. It was a headache since it wasn’t something I could easily handle.
“According to your standards?”
Owen asked, his expression indicating bewilderment. Kyle responded as if it were obvious, with a shameless face and even a twisted expression, as if to say he would find a way to draw out Owen’s abilities, no matter what.
Unfortunately.
“… Somehow, I’ll have to see it through.”
Owen sighed deeply to himself.
He had thought it would be nice to make friends with one person, but the child turned out to be abnormal.
He had thought they were only fighting over Owen, with a rift between Owen and the female lead Bella, but now it seemed the child had somewhat peculiar tastes.
He initially thought the child was just deeply into magic, but perhaps it was because they liked strong individuals.
‘Did Bella also like it for the same reason…?’
As he pondered, such thoughts came to him. Bella was also a character with considerable abilities, so perhaps…
It probably wasn’t true, but given that it was said that she ‘fell in love at first sight’ in the original work…
“Stop talking nonsense. Come up with a practical solution.”
Owen, who had been lost in thought for a moment, organized his thoughts and spoke firmly. If he didn’t cut it off decisively, Kyle seemed likely to keep prying and coaxing.
“Stop with the nonsense. Honestly, in the current situation, it’s the most ideal solution.”
As Owen spoke in a somewhat pitiful voice, Kyle argued back.
“Well, that’s… not unreasonable, I guess. Honestly, it’s the most ideal way in the current situation.”
These words from him this time were undeniable. It seemed he wanted to see the maximum potential of Owen’s ability no matter what.
The reason was unknown, but he seemed to have found something entertaining after a long time.
“However, if that happens, the residents will suffer in the winter.”
Although Kyle’s words this time were inevitable truths, if either Owen or Kyle erased the forest, the monsters would die along with it. It was the most realistic and ideal solution at the moment.
In the original story, Kyle and Owen had the power to do that, but they left the northern forest as it was because the forest was necessary.
The forest played a role in somewhat blocking the harsh wind that hit the villages in the north.
Therefore, Owen and Kyle used their cruel abilities to take away all life only in the depths of the forest.
In other regions, they had personally killed each creature one by one to protect the trees. Those trees, which had been protected, were now to be completely eradicated.
If all the trees in the forest died, this winter would be extremely difficult. Kyle tilted his head slightly when Owen expressed concern about this point.
“But we can’t let people get hurt by monsters right away.”
Owen couldn’t help but agree with Kyle’s words. If those in the forefront couldn’t stop the monsters, it would be the nobles in the fortress who would be harmed.
Since Bella was there, the monsters would undoubtedly first attack the fortress.
If that happened, Lucia would be in danger. They couldn’t allow such an event to occur.
“And if we pour out money and magic stones as much as we have, couldn’t we solve it?”
Kyle said this while throwing a fireball at an approaching monster, interrupting Owen’s deep thought.
“If we purchase a large amount of magic stones and magical ores and scatter them, recovery might be relatively fast. It will still take some time, but with the Crown Prince in our group, the Imperial Family should support us. They might handle the aftermath as a reward for saving lives.”
Kyle’s argument was quite convincing. The Emperor genuinely cared about his son, the Crown Prince Richard.
The person who, at the slightest injury, would call a priest and hold a sword was someone without a single scar.
Moreover, it seems the Emperor sent his cherished son to this dangerous hunting competition for that reason.
Also, the Crown Prince’s participation in this perilous event this year was to gain public favor.
If he sent the Crown Prince, whom he cared so much about, into a dangerous place to gain public favor and that plan went awry, he wouldn’t just stand idly by.
If the forest disappeared entirely, they would surely hear the resentment of the empire’s residents in the north. Before they could be resented, they would have to find a solution somehow.
“Yes, that makes sense.”
In response to Kyle’s explanation, Owen eventually nodded his head. If I don’t step up, well…
To him, it didn’t really matter. Whether the residents struggled through the winter, their health, or the situation in the north—everything was important, but still not more important than Lucia.
For him, the priority was Lucia. There was no one more important to Owen than Lucia. Even if the northern residents struggled through the winter, he would choose Lucia’s safety.
It was a selfish thought, but he couldn’t help it.
Lucia was an absolute presence to him.
“Anyway, you don’t have any intention of stepping forward, do you?”
As Owen quietly mumbled, Kyle, exhaling deeply, asked.
Owen nodded as if affirming.
Unable to do anything about it, Kyle generated magic from his hands, unlike before, where a blue magical light spread widely through the air.
“Everyone, step back. Just in case, lend some support from behind.”
In response to Kyle’s voice, the knights and wizards in the front and those in the back all began to hesitantly step back.
Among them were also Viscount Keres and Louis.
Perhaps everyone sensed it instinctively.
The ongoing persistent battle with the monsters could not be resolved in a normal way.
And even if they killed and killed, new monsters kept appearing, indicating the need for a powerful presence to suppress the situation.
As everyone withdrew, Kyle remained at the forefront, with Owen a few steps away from him.
Continuously releasing magic into the air, Kyle, when the violet gases became vividly clear, flicked his fingers at the right moment.
Thunk.
With a brief sound, the dense violet gases instantly turned into raging red flames.
And then, the forest began to burn.
“Unbelievable…”
“Seriously, this is—”
“His Majesty didn’t say that for no reason.”
As the entire vast forest was engulfed in red flames, various comments emerged among the retreating knights.
While there were occasional positive reactions such as astonishment and admiration, they were not many.
Most seemed to experience negative emotions like shock, fear, or helplessness.
Even—
“Monster…”
“Humans possess such abilities.”
“Perhaps, it’s not human? It seems like a power that could be from the lineage of demons.”
Hurtful words that could be wounds for Kyle poured out.
Perhaps he had been subjected to such looks and words since childhood, given his magical talents.
Yet, for some reason, Kyle did not let a single expression falter and only intensified the flames that were burning.
As if this were all too familiar to him.
He seemed indifferent to the current situation.
“Noisy.”
Owen turned around with a chilly gaze to the voices of the knights that continued to reach them.
Having seen the original work multiple times, he was aware.
The looks of the nobles towards Kyle were never flattering.
But actually hearing it was more shocking than he had expected.
They shamelessly displayed words and actions that were too direct and hurtful, and the person in question didn’t react at all.
As if this were an everyday occurrence.
Owen found that unsettling.
So, he spoke up.
“I don’t understand why unnecessary words are needed in the current situation.”
The knights were taken aback by Owen’s cold and stern voice.
Only after he warned them did they bow their heads.
“We apologize.”
And finally, they apologized.
Of course, those words were not genuinely heartfelt.
Owen knew that, and he also knew that it was impossible to make them sincerely apologize.
They only lowered their heads because the owner of the Verdun Duchy was intimidating.
Owen was a noble, and unlike him, Kyle was a commoner.
It was evident that the knight attendants, being nobles themselves, looked down on him.
This was a problem of the basic mindset of people.
No matter how much I shout and point it out, it won’t change unless Kyle reacts directly.
