The source of the curse.
When Lovell and the others arrived at their destination, they stared in disbelief at the sight before them. The area should have been obscured by dense woods, but now the presence of the target was unmistakable—thick with curses, so palpable it was almost visible. A black mist, centered around where Agiel and the others were, spread out and filled the surroundings.
The unnatural scene—like the forest itself had been cursed—made Lovell and the Great Spirits frown.
“Is this a spirit curse?”
“Likely influenced by a soul possessed by a curse. If it’s gotten this bad, it’s hard to say if they’re even human anymore.”
One of the Great Spirits muttered quietly. Lovell turned to the spirit, clearly wanting an explanation, and the spirit glanced sideways at Gadiel, who stood a little apart.
"We enchanted the human king, making death easier for him. But our comrades' sorrow and fury mixed and amplified, turning into a curse that clung to us. We cannot curse our descendants forever. That was the work of the cursed comrades themselves."
"Power of intent... cleansing... I didn’t quite grasp it, but I suppose that’s it."
I must’ve heard Lovell and the Great Spirit’s words. Gadiel, standing a little apart, stepped closer.
"What about the curse... what’s happening with it?"
The curse was still on the spirit itself. I’d heard I might be freed from the king, but that only I would be—wasn’t exactly a joyous thought.
If Gadiel’s curse was lifted, I couldn’t help but wish the same for my family.
Gadiel approached, but the spirits didn’t flee. He paused, surprised, then stepped back a little of his own accord.
Normally, the Great Spirits wouldn’t come near the Tembar royal family—more like, they actively disliked them. Gadiel, who’d seen that firsthand just recently, was now keeping his distance carefully. The Great Spirit, sensing his caution, finally answered the question.
“Child cursed by fate… don’t you *feel* it? The wrongness of this forest?”
“…Yes.”
“Your Highness?”
The guards didn’t notice anything odd about the woods. While Lovell and the Great Spirits grimaced at the sight, they noticed Gadiel’s pale face and frowned.
Gadiel realized he’d been caught. Panicked. He was here to clean up family messes—being treated like a burden because he looked unwell? That was the last thing he needed.
"It's not that I'm afraid of heading into the enemy's heartland. I don't know how to put it... there's something deeply unpleasant about this forest."
"Even without seeing it, Your Highness can sense it, can't you? Regardless of form, you're connected to the spirits."
The guard captains grew even more confused as Lovell continued speaking.
"Lord Lovell... what do you mean by that?"
"The curse upon Lord Agiel and the others is intensifying. The range where the cursed are repelled has spread to encompass the entire forest."
"What?!"
They'd heard spirits couldn't approach the cursed. But Lovell and the Great Spirit were the strongest assets here. The fact that even they couldn't approach meant a loss of strength—and that was clearly what the guards were thinking, their confusion plain on their faces.
If things have come to this, we’ll have to rebuild our strategy from scratch. Sauvel tried to gather everyone in one place, but Lovell stopped him.
"I’ll set up a barrier with the spirits—no need to worry. But, Prince, you mustn’t come near."
"Why not!?!"
Gadiel’s face twisted in panic, afraid he’d be treated as dead weight.
"I’m family. A royal. The elders’ behavior can’t be forgiven, not when I’m meant to stand above the people! That’s exactly why I’m here!"
It had always been decided that royal transgressors were to be judged by another royal.
Which is why Helgner, too, had wanted to carry out the purging of Tembarr himself—because they shared the same blood.
"Prince, please be quiet."
Lovell held a finger to his lips, calm as ever, not the slightest hint of agitation or urgency in his demeanor.
Gadiel, having shouted too loudly, muttered an apologetic whisper.
When asked if we should move locations, Lovell replied, “We’ll be fine,” smiling faintly. “If anything gets too close, the spirits will let us know.”
Overwhelmed by Lovell’s calmness, Gadiel took a step back.
The Great Spirit, watching silently from the side, answered why Gadiel shouldn’t approach.
“Regardless, you’re tied to a spirit. If that spirit is drawn to the curse, you won’t escape unscathed.”
“Wha—?”
Speechless at the revelation, Gadiel froze in place. Behind him, the guards stirred with alarm.
“Prince, stay put!!”
Almost swept up in their urgency, Gadiel still searched for a solution. Then—something clicked. He turned sharply toward Lovell.
“Lovell, please… let me have a barrier too!”
If spirits can protect, then I can too, Gadiel pleaded.
Lovell narrowed his eyes and made a face like he’d bitten into something sour. Gadiel flinched at that—shocked, but grasping at straws, desperate. There was no other way left.
Finally, Lovell sighed, grudgingly admitting defeat.
“Honestly, we were planning to set up a barrier for you all anyway.”
“Huh?”
“The curse’s density… it’s dangerous for anyone nearby.”
The words of the Great Spirit made everyone around them pale instantly.
Lovell glanced sideways at their grim expressions, then sighed again.
“Prince… do you know why the Monster Tempest happens?”
“W-what…? I mean… I don’t really know. Just that it happens every 200 years or so…”
Gadiel blinked, thrown off by the sudden shift in topic. But he answered honestly. Something deep inside him whispered this wasn’t just idle talk.
“Yeah… Let me explain. The source of magic you can wield through pacts with spirits is called mana. Spirits are beings blessed with that power by the goddess. Everything—plants, animals, humans—comes from mana. This world is saturated with it, flowing like a river. When it gets blocked, it builds up, seeking an escape, exploding outward. That’s what we call the Monster Tempest.”
The principle of a flood. And when mana concentrates in one spot, it becomes dangerously dense—so dense that every living thing feels it.
"Animals saturated with mana become monsters. Humans are no different. Most of those sent to the front lines of the Monster Tempest are spirit mages—because, thanks to their contracts, they can withstand a certain degree of mana saturation."
Everyone listened intently to Lovell’s explanation. It was clear, even without saying it outright, that in a moment like this, no one would bring up anything unrelated. The idea that mana—the force—wasn’t tied to curse was, well, kind of a stretch. But still. You could feel the tension in the air, thick enough to cut with a knife.
"Mana is the source of all things. By the way, what was the spirit’s power again? That power… cursed you."
Lovell’s playful question hung in the air. Gadiel, who’d figured it out, went pale.
"Mana…?"
"Exactly. And humans are made from mana too. That’s why we’re affected. So the curse’s influence is just mana’s influence. A cursed amplification of mana—power so strong it affects humans…"
"Impossible... This place...?"
"If we leave it like this, a monster tempest caused by Lord Agiel and the others is bound to erupt."
The unexpected words from Lovell hit the others like a physical blow—everyone knew exactly what they meant, and it made their faces go deathly pale.