Chapter: 72. You and I Are Well (5K)
Trying to go against the natural order of the world will always come with a “price.”
Princess Belis eagerly sought power to prove her worth, and that farce itself was a gamble.
When Princess Xue Fei spoke of this matter, a rare glimpse of fear flickered in her shining big eyes.
“Belis didn’t even inform Father King and Mother Queen… She entered the Forbidden Library on her own, using the excuse that ‘the Royal Family ensures the accuracy of the Forbidden Library’s catalog.’ The ancient magic she found that was lost, if I remember correctly… should be called 【Origin】.”
“Origin? I’ve never heard of this magic…”
“Of course you haven’t heard of it, because even I didn’t know before, and Belis knows even less. This is a forbidden magic that has been sealed in the Forbidden Library since the era of the first Demon King, and it has never seen the light of day. This magic… can trigger the user’s potential, allowing their future strength’s possibilities to be realized early, like a power leap, reaching the endpoint directly without training or fighting. It’s a crooked path.”
“……”
Xiya was already amazed just to hear about such a strange magic.
Further hearing of the magic’s effects, she understood it must come with a price.
If there were such a convenient magic, why hide it? The fact that it was hidden indicated there were reasons that shouldn’t be known.
Xue Fei recalled the details of the magic’s activation and squeezed Xiya’s hand even tighter.
“【Origin】 doesn’t allow the user to gain power beyond their potential, but it has a chance to directly expand the user’s magic to its limit. For instance, a Demon from a family inherently lacking magic will see little benefit even if they succeed with this magic, at most a change from one wing to two wings. But for Belis, it’s different… she is of royal blood; there are quite a few members of the Demon King family who historically reached six wings, not to mention having me as her six-winged sister at that time… so she chose to take the risk.”
“What about the price…? Xue Fei, you just said that this magic only has a chance of success, so what happens if it fails? Disability? Inability to use magic? Or something else…?”
“Death.”
“!!”
A single word, brutally simple.
The price of failure in using it is death.
And not just any kind of death, but a tragic form of death where one is burned by hellfire, leaving no bones behind, with not even ashes to be found.
This is not magic backlash,
but rather the 【Magic Origin】, as potential, collapsing under the pressure of this sudden leap, directly self-destructing in a blaze. One could say it is a nine deaths and one life situation.
“According to the records in the Forbidden Library…【Origin】 was personally designated as a taboo by the first Demon King, because a thousand years ago, her children, in pursuit of power to prove the strength of the Demon Race, had six out of ten die right in front of her, which was quite tragic.”
“But… but Belis definitely succeeded, right?!” Xiya’s mood became a bit tense as she listened to Xue Fei’s narration. “Because isn’t Belis doing well now? And she has successfully reached five wings… this means she must have succeeded with 【Origin】, right?”
“No, she failed.”
“……”
A short reply.
The gap between reality and the narration left Xiya quite confused.
Failed…? But didn’t Belis appear today?
“Of course she failed. She tried to decipher the ancient magic with just a bit of ancient script she had learned, which was definitely incomplete. Even royal members during the era of the first Demon King had less than a fifty percent success rate. How confident could she be? After barely finishing the incantation, her Magic Origin started burning.”
Xue Fei’s tone suddenly showed a slight tremor.
“At that time, there was no one in the Forbidden Library… even the administrator of the Forbidden Library was not allowed to step in due to the rules. Belis could only despair and wait for death, and her body would not remain; no one would know where she had died.”
“How could… no, wait…”
Even Xiya, despite her dim-wittedness, wouldn’t fail to consider reality.
She scooted closer to Xue Fei, their noses nearly touching, completely drawn into the story Xue Fei was telling.
“What you’re saying, Xue Fei… is just the conclusion Belis should have faced. At the moment her magic failed, something must have changed this outcome…?”
“Hah, it’s best not to use the term ‘something,’ because the one who changed this outcome is precisely me. I’m not an object… cough, regardless of whether I am one or not, I indeed have a sort of karmic bond with Belis! Dammit… that Forbidden Library is actually set in the cave next to Fishing Lake! With such strange and strong magical fluctuations so close, how could I possibly not notice it?!”
“So you mean…!”
“Yes, yes, yes, I definitely flew over to check the situation. I discarded all the big fish I caught; the administrator of the Forbidden Library couldn’t stop me. At the time, I didn’t know it was Belis, but I felt anxious because besides the magical fluctuations, there was also a strong desire to survive. I can’t quite describe that feeling… but it was very real.”
“Mm… Xue Fei, you’re so good, so gentle.”
“Hah?! Ugh… don’t suddenly pat my head! It doesn’t make me happy at all!”
“Mmhm, I just suddenly wanted to pat~ please forgive my willfulness~”
Although Xue Fei is powerful, her awareness of others’ desire to survive… that is not something that can be realized with just magic.
Xue Fei, whether in her past life or now, has always had a profound kindness buried deep within her.
Just like in her previous life when she was nearly late for school, running in the rain with an umbrella, yet she noticed a small cat by the roadside almost drowned by the rain.
——She held the umbrella over the cat but ended up running to school in the pouring rain, resulting in catching a cold and taking several days off.
Xue Fei said she wouldn’t be happy about such things, but as Xiya’s hand moved gently over her head, the little feet underneath her bed sheet were joyfully swaying, completely betraying her cheerful mood.
At this point, the conversation’s atmosphere became less tense.
Xue Fei’s telling of her past brings Xiya such a sense of security.
“That time was rare for Belis to speak some heartfelt words… When I arrived, she was lying on the ground, barely breathing, the books from the Forbidden Library scattered all over, and her Magic Origin had been burned to pieces. I feared that in just a minute, her body would be burned away, and there would be nothing left.”
Xue Fei recalled the state at that time, and her gaze was undeniably moved.
At that time, Belis was actually nearly unable to speak.
But her blurry vision saw Xue Fei’s arrival, and suddenly became somewhat clearer, stained with tears.
It was as if she saw the happy times in her childhood, running outside the Demon King’s Castle with her Queen Sister, carefree and without hearing any worldly words…
How beautiful it was then…
【Ah, Queen Sister, so amazing!! Caught a big fish again!!】
【Queen Sister, look, look! I picked a four-leaf clover; they say this can grant wishes…!】
【Mm? What should I wish for? I will definitely wish to always be with Queen Sister! Queen Sister loves to play with Belis the most! Right, right?!】
The flames in her chest burned hot, almost burning the memories completely.
Continuously stepping on the road to seek her worth, Belis, at this moment, finally shed tears.
With her silver hair dirty, she reached out dramatically toward Xue Fei with a pained arm and hand, almost pleading as she prayed.
【Queen Sister… please save me… Belis doesn’t want to die… wants to live… doesn’t want to die…】
This scene had a tremendous impact on Xue Fei.
Seeing her family begging and crying in front of her, Xue Fei would not blame her for recklessly opening the Forbidden Book.
Xue Fei’s angry expression was as if she wanted to burn all the mad magic in this place to ashes!
The raging winds swept through every corner of the Forbidden Library, venting Xue Fei’s wrath.
Holding her fury in check for the moment, Xue Fei naturally prioritized saving her family.
“The situation at that time was dire; all four of Belis’s wings were burning. That is where the Demon Race gathers magic, and it would first burn the wings. Belis cried tears of pain, but she could no longer speak or move. I just kept watching her mouth, as she was continually pleading for me to save her, that she would become an obedient child in the future.”
“Xue Fei… don’t cry.”
Xiya reached out to wipe the glistening tears from the corners of her eyes.
Despite Xue Fei often complaining about how annoying her sister Belis is, her feelings of concern for her family have continued since that evening filled with burning magic flames, never forgotten.
Xiya recognized Xue Fei’s efforts.
“You did it then; you saved Belis.”
“Yes… I did… but it wasn’t perfect enough.”
“Not perfect enough…?”
“That’s right… actually that year I had achieved eight wings, but that same year, all of my magic became difficult to control, unlike how free I can use it now.”
“Of course; a leap in strength requires a period of adaptation. This is true for both the Demon and Human Races. Not to mention… Xue Fei, you have directly surpassed the level of common sense in your increase in strength.”
Difficult to control does not mean impossible to control.
The 【Healing Magic】 released by Xue Fei could quickly restore even the burned Magic Origin of Belis.
The magic flames gradually extinguished, and Belis’s pale cheeks regained color under the gentle glow of healing magic.
Just as Xue Fei breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to lecture Belis properly once she woke up as a sister…
——The pure white flames unexpectedly reignited.
Moreover, the fire grew even larger.
“At that moment, I probably realized that the effects of 【Origin】 are irreversible; to activate it means to accept the price of failure, just like a curse. A taboo magic won’t rest until it burns someone to death; this is not something that can be resolved with Healing Magic.”
“Indeed… the reason taboo is taboo is that the magic itself does not play by common rules. If it weren’t, the first Demon King’s offspring wouldn’t have been burned to death. The ancient court surely had no shortage of healing magicians.”
“Yes, if it were now, I would have many ways to lift the curse for her, but at that time… I was a bit flustered and didn’t know what being eight wings could bring me, so I chose the dumbest method.”
“What… what?”
“Hehe… I can’t really say it was the dumbest, in a certain sense it was clever because it was effective. I used 【Magic Element Link】 to directly transfer the curse on her to myself~ The flames on Belis indeed disappeared immediately!”
“Xue Fei, what are you saying?!”
Upon hearing this, Xiya shot up from the bed with a spring!
She directly grabbed the hem of Xue Fei’s nightgown, clearly intending to lift it up to check!
“Wah…?! Xiya, what are you suddenly doing?!”
“I want to check if you’ve been burned by the fire! Are you injured? Seriously… Xue Fei, how can you be so reckless! Can you just transfer a curse like that? The consequences could be catastrophic!”
“Well, at that time I didn’t think of any other way…! Ahhhh stop! Don’t pull at my underwear…! Stupid Xiya! This was a thing from many years ago! If I had issues, wouldn’t I have been burned to death earlier?!”
“Right… ah, ow!”
You get a knife hand, a light punishment is actually mild!
Seriously…
Xue Fei lightly stood up on the bed to adjust her underwear and nightgown, which had almost been directly pulled off.
After arranging everything neatly, Xue Fei nodded in satisfaction.
She leapt into the air, landing with her backside on the bed, the soft bed springs creaking under her, making Xiya sway left and right.
Pressing Xue Fei’s shoulders to stop the bouncing for the moment, Xiya’s worries didn’t diminish in the slightest.
“So what happened in the end… there was no way with Belis, but it worked when transferred to you?”
“I honestly didn’t think of any way… The flames of 【Origin】 transferred to me, and I saw tiny sparks popping up on my wings, and then it seemed to hide like a game of hide and seek. I confirmed with perception magic that the burning curse indeed did not take effect on me. I thought that was a bit weird too…”
“Uh… could it be that the curse was scared away… like how an ant can bite an insect, but when it climbs onto a giant beast, it can only scurry away?”
“Who are you calling a pig!”
“I’m just giving a comparison… where in the world is there such a cute little pig like Xue Fei?”
Gently poking Xue Fei’s nose with her finger, Xiya sat on the bed, wrapping her arms around her knees, the soles of her feet rubbing against the bed sheet making a rustling sound.
Xue Fei’s words made her feel much more at ease.
But some things still need to be asked for further reassurance.
“The curse disappearing in this way could be considered a blessing in disguise… it’s great that your sister was able to survive. But Xue Fei, did you not feel any other discomfort afterwards? I’ve heard that the effects of taboo magic don’t dissipate easily…?”
“Can there be no price? There is indeed still a price. How can things be so cheap~ If 【Origin】 were that convenient, would Belis need to work hard? I could have let her use it infinitely and then help her remove the curse if she failed, until she succeeded, and that would be the end of it. However, the reality is~ I did experience some impact.”
“Ah, ah…! Xue Fei, are you trying to kill me with anxiety?! Don’t say that, I just want to know that this impact doesn’t harm you!”
“The harm is too great!! This is my eternal pain! Belis can never repay what she owes me!”
“So serious?!”
Xue Fei didn’t idle afterward; she carried the already fainted Belis back to her room for recovery, and after confirming she was in no danger, Xue Fei returned to the Forbidden Library to study 【Origin】 and its related content.
Xue Fei scoffed at these ancient forbidden magics since they harmed her family.
However, thoroughly understanding them would be of no harm for protecting those around her.
It was unknown until she studied…
Upon research, Xue Fei’s small face suddenly turned pale!
It turns out that during the era of the first Demon King, there were indeed those who had survived using taboo 【Origin】 and endured fibrous pain through sheer luck. Even if they managed to avoid the abyss of death, they simultaneously suffered a different form of curse.
——These individuals, without exception, after experiencing the cleansing of 【Origin】, all stopped growing physically.
This news was simply a bolt from the blue for Xue Fei…!!
Xiya was shocked and sympathetic.
But there was one thing she didn’t quite understand.
“But… at that time Xue Fei was already close to adulthood. Hasn’t your height always been like this? If there were no curse, wouldn’t Xue Fei have grown… I think not.”
“Shut up!! No one likes to have their age pointed out like that! If you speak that way, who will like it! Raise your emotional intelligence!”
“Ugh… okay.”
In any case, this time the 【Origin】 curse encountered a hard nut to crack.
You could say it’s infuriating.
It can’t burn you to death, suppressing growth, and hey, the result is facing a shorty.
Xue Fei frantically swung her little arms, she had to lodge a complaint about this issue!
“That’s not necessarily true…! Mother Queen told me that those within the Demon Race who quickly increase their strength usually grow slowly. It is said that this is because their nutrition also feeds into magic growth, which causes them to be short! She said I reached six wings… even eight wings in a short time. It’s normal not to grow taller, but I would slowly catch up afterward. And then what? I encounter this damn bad luck curse! Now I have the ability to lift it, but it seems like the curse has already hidden away very deeply! Does that mean I’ll forever stay in this childlike body?!”
“I’m starting to feel like this counts as a blessing…”
“What?!”
“No, I mean, Xue Fei, you’re just so cute like this. You should have more confidence; your big sister really likes you.”
“Ugh… thanks… wait, so you’re a loli-lover?!”
“You say I have low emotional intelligence! Is what you say any better to hear?!”
When will grievances be settled?
This argument over who speaks more harshly was bound to have no conclusion.
Anyway, if given the chance, Xue Fei would definitely look for the possibility of growing taller again, even an inch would do!
At this point, there wasn’t much left to say.
As for the follow-up to this whole matter, it’s pretty much what Xiya already knows.
“Should be a side effect of the 【Origin】 magic being lifted; after Belis wakes up, she will have no memory of the Forbidden Library. She won’t be able to go in again, and I’ve strictly demanded that the Forbidden Library prohibit Belis from entering. She also doesn’t remember that I saved her. So, she still has that cold demeanor, fearless of heaven or earth, and I’m too lazy to say much. Anyway, when I tell her these things, she will surely think I’m trying to get close to her again, but…”
“But she seems to have recently remembered those things, right?”
“Yes, her attitude towards me has changed somewhat ridiculously recently… Last time I tried to test her, she probably remembered this matter and realized I bore the curse for her, but why… she shouldn’t be able to remember after all.”
“Who cares… hey!”
“Ugh?”
Xiya wrapped her arms around Xue Fei’s flat chest, gently laying her back down onto the pillow.
The two of them huddled under the same big blanket in the bed.
In Xiya’s bright, pure blue eyes reflected Xue Fei’s image, with nothing but the peace of snow and the moon, with no worldly worries.
“Don’t be troubled; after all, sisterly reconciliation is a good thing.”
“A good thing…? That’s true, but I still find it hard to talk to Belis properly… That girl has really irritated me over the years!”
“Mm, instead of worrying about this, why not think about how to interact with Belis the next time you meet her? Ugh… of course, you need to pay attention… to prevent her from suddenly kissing you; that’s quite frightening…”
“Is it? Well, let’s do this.”
Kiss~
Moonlight over the lake, and flower fragrance falling through the shallow window.
Xue Fei leaned forward and gently kissed Xiya’s lips, as a response to her earlier statement and to the sudden kiss before their conversation began.
This should balance things.
After performing this action, Xue Fei quickly spun around to face away from Xiya, mumbling quickly to herself.
“Good night… I won’t say more, time to sleep. We can talk tomorrow, sleep sleep sleep.”
“Ugh… mm? Mm… Xue Fei, good night.”
Xiya blankly touched her lips.
After that initial surprise, a hint of a satisfied smile gradually surfaced.
Xue Fei… sometimes can suddenly become shy.
Gently hugging this adorable and strong little one from behind, pressing her chest closely against her back.
Ignoring her slight shiver, Xiya dotingly wished for her sweet dreams.
May this sleep soothe the pains of her once-troubled heart.
Wishing for the two sisters to reconcile soon, to run and play together again under that clear sky.
Picking up the same four-leaf clover, waiting for dawn to break, saying, “You and I are well.”
