TIEH | Chapter 26

‘Could Jayden be an angel?’aaa720357f9dd63e

Considering his appearance, it wasn’t such an absurd guess. Whatever Jayden’s true nature was, Calix was happy at the thought that he could finally become friends with him.47585f513f324da2

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However, contrary to his expectations, Jayden continued to avoid him as before. Frustrated by the continuous actions that made no sense, Calix eventually barged into Jayden’s room with a trolley, just as Jayden had done.51cea454b489ca65

“To be precise, I don’t need friends. No, I don’t need any relationships involving affection.”d7d65486134fc7b4

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“…Why?”52ffcd13f84f5ed5

“Because there are things you have to do even if you don’t want to, and things you shouldn’t do even if you want to.”f1596e638c6c8511

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Calix understood that there were things you had to do even if you didn’t want to, as becoming the head of the family was such for him. But he couldn’t understand why avoiding relationships was necessary. So, despite Jayden’s warning that he would regret it, he stubbornly became his friend.6cdda70cb1555adf

And as Jayden 268dddeab1 had said, Calix d3326f0374 regretted it several df59bb3bcb times after learning 283819cb95 that Jayden had 1837f57825 mana sclerosis.7b779bfa6b6a8e70

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Instead of e4330c0460 being happy 3faea35c6a that he 8111573cdc had finally 2fa1f83aed become friends 8e6d381f15 with Jayden, 6a532e7ce0 he should 8b35d07605 have hugged fc1aadbc69 him when 264188e983 he said 8a5b7a2438 those words.c610f9fa5fbec47b

Once again, Jayden was 33b564c7c1 right.1438fb537faec88b

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Jayden had already known he was going to die. How must he have felt, pushing everyone away at such a young age when even accepting death was overwhelming? While Calix was being drawn into Jayden’s kindness, Jayden was constantly worried about the shock his friend would receive.6792f8b0f06887f1

“I don’t know what you mean by ‘someone who says such things,’ but as time goes by, someone better who says ‘such things‘ as naturally as breathing will appear. Unlike me, that person won’t hurt you.”5d01158c3425904b

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Jayden already knew bdf8e0fbee what weight his 951f500008 death would carry 36e24a8868 for others. He also knew c65fcbb0d0 it would inevitably 27ba92f45d be a wound 28cf993463 for him.1545f33426a75bf9

Calix hoped all of abc9395ce5 this was just a 30095ea837 bad joke by Jayden. Even though he knew cb1663a919 Jayden never said anything da1ef1878d that could hurt others, 2032e9c29e he still hoped.baa6d9224c72a0e3

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“See, I told you you’d regret being friends with me.”dcf913b722b4ea13

Watching Jayden laugh softly, as if feeling sorry for him, Calix unconsciously looked down at his hands. His hands, once much smaller than those of his peers, were now almost the same size as Jayden’s.04cad019da745b20

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Once called a defective product, he had become someone who excelled in all areas, unmatched by anyone his age, and was smoothly becoming the heir everyone wanted. Yet, he knew it was okay not to be a perfect head of the family, but just ‘Calix Balmore.’7c0b5e6d036b89ac

He didn’t know what was right or wrong, but at least Jayden had guided him down a path that wasn’t unhappy. But unlike him, Jayden was constantly moving toward death at this very moment.8ad9d2af4d9a4ed6

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“…Did you buy the gift knowing you were sick?”ba1630fb28dc022b

“My illness and the gift are separate.”e46734973d205f8e

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“Because of you…! Because of you, I….”2a3ddd45c7299a32

I can’t help but like you.59a0180dc2fd1806

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The truth he couldn’t bring himself to say was something even Calix had been trying to ignore.d15d0594c19ba67d

“I made it sound like it was your fault, but it was actually a joke. Sorry for making you upset.”cece57c0529842db

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“I, I….”7ef8438abc3358e9

“So don’t come to the marquis’s castle anymore. Don’t send letters either. I told you, someone really good will appear for you in the future. So break up with a sick friend who only hurts you. Got it?”54ab0c0777ac9a61

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Even while 8e55041f30 revealing his 496194c8b0 death, he 4683d6c876 was as a001fd92e2 kind as 25891c7bfd usual.d94aab38016dac02

“I told you. I’d stay by your side.”36708c6e0f747510

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Watching Jayden, b2ce00cb43 who laughed fbe6818bcb brightly instead 45e51415e5 of chasing a25cb0e05a him away 590a92a3c9 when he 7a1dd50e02 barged into f8e6f45ba4 the castle b93e529873 again, Calix 7fc4d0a080 realized like d7cf02ace0 a bolt 82dc34eb69 of lightning.a3adffa0cb07f237

‘I can never give up on Jayden.’4690e5e82f5f4065

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Perhaps it would 627b19ed55 be no different a60f6dd39a even after he 50eb7a7a05 died.e1403f7275ea8c89

Returning to the fief, Calix began to take over the fief’s affairs from Leon. Once called a defective product, Calix handled both swordsmanship and the duties of the head of the family without any trouble.df8fa9d0972e6ed9

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And the first thing he did after proving his abilities was to take over the authority of Balmore’s intelligence agency. To hear news of Jayden even from afar, he needed the intelligence agency’s expertise in stealth and information gathering.f3d48ddd7184e21d

Instead of 17cc3fa7f7 constantly worrying b88a60f7f1 about Jayden d6a181776c disappearing in 12a4ea9ef1 his absence, e79ef20384 he wanted fa55165af7 to be 75965e86eb able to da8a0c937e watch over 3dcfbb1962 every moment 7f11a1cb2a of his 222d6b0f37 suffering.98e472f2590719b9

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But that was 891790fc16 the last thing 9bccc17571 Jayden wanted.3d94a9e18b93f09b

“Why should I—give the same pain?”d7a39e5c6efcb17a

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“What? What does that….”24ce6cc8219722f9

“Because I don’t want to. So get out.”5837d776108be5ca

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Unless Jayden told him directly, he would never understand Jayden’s fears and anxieties. So Calix chose to stay by his side in whatever way Jayden wanted.4bb472593e3595b1

Even if he eventually 66f314ef52 collapsed imagining a life 8892ceaf17 without Jayden.e8ca18973d2ac9d2

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“The wish I made was for you to be happy.”1be3de396e00b6ef

But when he wished for his happiness, it was a bit hard to endure. He didn’t even know how he managed to return to the ducal castle.ac9a06d1f5b2c64a

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Calix, who cb5052236d locked himself da8dffa4d9 in his 31bd78dd34 room without 416a5c8cb5 even eating, a04d386886 decided to 5d81bfe988 admit it 7747ed57cb now.a21151af0f1dea87

That nothing could stop Jayden’s death.38bcd53bd42ef48b

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But if that 3ec5959aae were the case, a132fe98a4 he just had 86c67b7f2d to prepare for 1eee69e62a after his death.6e54a13a6ecbfab4

‘First, I need to preserve the body intact.’6ac41e4120974ab4

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If he could preserve Jayden’s body intact, he could figure out a way afterward. He might need to bring in a black wizard to bind the soul or, if he needed a new body, he could enlist the help of Jayden’s older brother, Lucas Liddell, to create a homunculus.a34e2e0084245b98

‘As soon as the day breaks, I need to find a skilled black wizard.’52774f3a7a7df325

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Although black magic was banned in the empire, it could be found if one looked hard enough. He didn’t like the idea of joining hands with the vermin that plagued the empire, but if it could save Jayden, it was worth it.b98cca4e25584b45

While reviewing 5f26c73880 his plans cb780dd454 in his edb0790942 head, Calix ea33287a3f suddenly thought 7009d6195c of his a2ef0d57cc father.f10593dd1f592595

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‘You are like me.’7c1377eff8c66654

He hadn’t understood his father’s words when he saw him particularly anxious after returning to the fief, but now he had a vague understanding. Perhaps his father had also been broken after failing to find a way to bring back his mother.5db146837cf4287b

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‘…Then will I end up like my father?’e40ec891878b5c73

He didn’t want to live like his father. He didn’t want a life where he just endured, unable to find a reason to live, continuing a shallow duty. Instead, he would rather live foolishly, embracing a cold, lifeless body, researching ways to bring it back, even knowing it was a futile hope.c6a1411a54a1b6cb

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Calix, unaware that 03bd7442d9 his thoughts were 4184dfc82b becoming increasingly distorted, bb13e12b35 eventually stayed up 36679b8540 all night.d20017251a3a3803

And when he 42103f0c20 was about to fcd5e2d0bc leave the castle 3206900ae5 to find a ba0b8703f3 black wizard, a 2b5dc061e9 man dressed entirely 01b1b80961 in black blocked cfcede0f46 his way and d2564b4f3e delivered the news 909a6c050f that Jayden had f27dbe428d disappeared.b26a541f20758159

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Feeling as if 8735ab4002 the ground beneath 4cdb5857aa him had collapsed, a9018fc4d3 Calix closed his c5750be861 eyes tightly. The occasional ominous 87b766074e feeling had been 4c9bb85f90 pointing to this 39f0e68339 moment.61c81fdba9d728c4

“…Find him immediately.”afd47758ae7bf564

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At his fierce command, 3b1a082c33 the intelligence agency began e026a6bf81 to search the marquisate 74c32a6522 and its surroundings thoroughly.1eef44faefff35f1

But even after a day passed, and another day, they couldn’t find a trace of Jayden.c5a97e3ca99cfd57

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If it were the clever Jayden, he wouldn’t have used teleportation magic to avoid leaving a trace. It required a resident wizard to activate the mana and record all users.481a9a08c3232908

Moreover, if 8cb7ecc460 someone with 8a2648f86b mana sclerosis e99c0a5eb7 used a e7f9cfe8b8 teleportation circle, 8fab9987ba even for 84ad9e27b6 a short 02651de278 distance, their 4bc0fabb5c condition would dda67b90fd worsen significantly, 8a67711f98 so he 5fe14fcb62 likely used 5de0b36b81 another method.664172b37cfb17f5

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But he wouldn’t have had the stamina to ride a horse, and there were too few traces for him to have taken a carriage.b730002f19d19062

‘Then….’e0fb05940e7a0fe1

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Calix suddenly recalled the man who used to enter Jayden’s room through the window.95790b6e623d32c4

‘Anyway, Damian is a skilled wizard and has many valuable items. He often contacts me for help, so don’t worry.’d077894ff20ccf5e

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The owner 39462a6d81 of the 023bc2f885 sharp, probing 36bfb9a69e violet gaze cae50d51ad who seemed b83361e381 to know c936903721 him well.ac66e86e2099703b

Damian must have 0c49dc47fb helped Jayden.ed21e042c85556fc

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It was still just ab907b9184 a suspicion, but if 0ea077e92c he was skilled in 34300ab421 teleportation magic, he could 624e6478d2 have traveled much farther f3590a9f15 than using a teleportation 085cc7e98c circle. Of course, teleportation 1d94801c08 magic also used feb10c8c1e mana, so his 809feea45e condition might worsen, 35a3a9f783 but if he 031ef000df could reach his f31a96cb12 destination immediately, it 96c25b3712 was worth the deb9b37fb2 risk.af65187d6f6525ab

Calix summoned the intelligence agency again and ordered them to find “Damian.” All he knew was his name, appearance, and that he was a wizard, but those were the only clues he had.84af51d96023b781

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‘…Or is there one more?’86e9149fd5b8fbf8

Come to 7c826c5a2a think of b1da780009 it, Jayden 6e83004101 had said dd3703ad25 something cryptic 25dc98686e on the d551b8b958 mountain where b731d6e764 they went 817da3412c to release 15a9c70e51 lanterns.448ad56014657654

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‘This is a real secret I’m only telling you, but I have a habit of putting important things in the drawer of the nightstand next to my bed. If monsters invade the marquisate or the castle collapses, make sure to get that first. Got it?’54e4a6a7288e65dd

‘The castle collapsing? That won’t happen.’6a36a9e700fcf3fa

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‘You never know.’eb3c50b2fdc56b85

‘Is it okay for me to see something so important?’3930abf6a01544e2

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‘That’s why I’m asking you.’827c021d9facbe0b

‘…Okay.’8b0f097955a71979

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Even though Jayden 50fb036409 sometimes said incomprehensible 43a061e2eb things, he had 340fe793ba never acted like 7f5dd1786d someone with a e4186047e9 safety obsession. Jayden knew better than ff96b89886 anyone that the marquis’s 8d80a77edd castle was the safest ee1f99e138 place if anything happened.991c27f19e5794aa

Convinced that Jayden e8b6bffa9d had left something 80a673c70f for him, anticipating 7259c1ed19 this situation, Calix 2d0844522f headed straight to b30a003373 the marquis’s castle.3d1e6f22a00c1516

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