“Are you going to keep being this persistent?”
“I’m just asking you to say it one more time. The thing you said to me back then.”
Chester was sticking close to Ruite’s side, directing a relentlessly focused gaze at him.
The cause of this behavior dated back to the night three days ago.
Ruite, having realized the depth of his feelings anew, had visited Chester’s room first, and amidst their intimate moments, he had explicitly told him, “I love you.”
Since it was the first time Chester had ever heard those words from Ruite’s lips, he had been begging to hear them again at every possible opportunity since then.
“You shouldn’t overused words like that. It loses its sincerity.”
“You just have to say it with sincerity. I love you, Ruite.”
“You, really…”
Ruite stopped in his tracks and stared at Chester with a flustered expression.
Chester simply shrugged his shoulders playfully as if to say, “See? Like that.”
“Forget it. Rona is supposed to arrive soon, so don’t say anything unnecessary. And control your pheromones.”
When he met Rona last time, she hadn’t just noticed that Ruite had a lover—she had sensed that lover’s pheromones on him.
Since every trail led back to Chester, she might figure out his identity in an instant if they weren’t careful.
Honestly, Ruite didn’t mind telling the truth.
Rona would surely be shocked by the combination and ask what on earth happened, but he had no intention of hiding it from a friend, even if he wanted to keep it secret from the other Knights for now.
However, he felt it would be better to tell her in a more relaxed setting, not at a meeting arranged for official business.
Besides, his relationship with Chester involved their respective families, so a bit of caution was warranted.
“I understand.”
No sooner had he spoken than a familiar face appeared at the headquarters’ entrance.
After a brief conversation with the guard on duty, Rona spotted Ruite and Chester and waved.
“She’s the botanist consulting on the case. I personally received a visitation permit in my name, so you can let her in.”
While Ruite shared a warm greeting with Rona, Chester showed the guard the permit he had obtained and explained the purpose of her visit.
“Understood.”
Once the guard cleared the way, Rona stepped into the Knights’ headquarters in earnest.
She seemed fascinated by the sights, her eyes busy scanning the surroundings.
The three of them headed straight to a small conference room in the main building.
“By the way, Chester, it’s been a long time.”
“Yeah.”
Chester nodded in response to Rona’s greeting.
“How have you been? You’ve become quite famous.”
“I think the same could be said for you. You’ve become an outstanding botanist.”
Rona’s eyes widened in surprise.
This wasn’t the reaction she had expected at all.
She had offered a polite greeting out of habit, assuming Chester would blow her off with a cold “Not really” or a short “I guess?” while radiating an icy aura.
That was certainly how the Academy-era Chester would have reacted.
A bit bewildered, Rona glanced at Ruite, but he only tilted his head as if asking, “Is there a problem?”
He acted as though Chester’s pleasant response was the most natural thing in the world.
“Hmm, I’m still learning a lot.”
“Still, you figured out what we asked for in just three days.”
It was just as Ruite said.
Rona had sent a letter to Ruite this morning, stating that she had found the answer and would visit the headquarters in person.
She added that the information wasn’t appropriate to discuss out in the open.
Ruite had relayed this to Chester, who immediately requested the permit to arrange this meeting.
“So, about that…”
Rona pulled a glass bottle from her robe. It was the item Ruite had asked her to investigate.
“Why on earth do you two have something this dangerous?”
The two men exchanged glances.
Dangerous.
It definitely wasn’t a pleasant word to hear.
“Rona, we’re the ones who asked for your counsel, but we can’t share the specific details of the case.”
If the news leaked that someone was artificially evolving monsters, the fallout would be unimaginable.
Therefore, the Knights were keeping all details strictly classified as Top Secret until the case was solved.
“Yeah, I figured. I expected as much.”
“So? Rona, what kind of plant is this?”
Ruite got straight to the point.
“The name of this plant is Puro. Currently, its cultivation is strictly prohibited within the Empire. To put it simply, it’s ‘gone bad.’”
“‘G-gone bad’?”
“Ah, it’s slang used among botanists. We use it to describe species that are harmful to humans—kinds that simply shouldn’t coexist with mankind.”
So, the root powder from the black market was dangerous enough to warrant such a description?
“Puro roots can be ground into a fine powder like this and ingested. However, the reason cultivation is banned is because it causes Madness Syndrome.”
Madness Syndrome.
Ruite recalled the man he had seen at the black market.
That definitely wasn’t a symptom one would see from a simple hallucinogen.
“Puro… that name sounds familiar…”
Chester muttered quietly under his breath.
“Chester, do you know this plant?”
When Ruite asked, Chester shook his head.
“I’m sure I don’t know it, but strangely, the name rings a bell.”
“It might. The reason it was banned is that it was heavily abused in the magic community a long time ago. Since you’re mages and part of that world, you might have heard of it at least once.”
“Rona, tell us more.”
As Chester looked at her with an unwavering gaze, a slightly flustered Rona cleared her throat.
“Madness Syndrome is a phenomenon that occurs when a person’s nerves are subjected to extreme stimulation. You know how we get emotionally excited when something happy happens or when we’re in a scary situation? Think of it as that reaction continuing to an extreme, uncontrollable degree. Puro triggers that reaction. So, what happens if mages ingest this?”
“…Mana amplification.”
Rona nodded at Ruite’s words.
“I only found out after identifying it as Puro and asking some experienced seniors. Before we were born, it was quite common for mages to ingest this plant to artificially amplify their mana.”
Then, as now, the reality among mages was that the more capable one was, the better they were treated.
Being a mage had always been a prestigious profession.
However, there were limits to how high one could rise.
No matter how hard one worked, it was impossible to beat those born with vast amounts of mana or innate talent.
Those thirsty for power eventually reached into forbidden territory, and this plant was what they used.
But such a method could never be stable.
While those who ingested Puro initially experienced an increase in mana and skill, the aftermath was catastrophic.
Their minds crumbled, and they became unable to control their bodies, living like madmen.
Ultimately, the Imperial Palace’s Magic Management Department designated the plant as a prohibited species for cultivation and handling.
Since then, it had almost completely disappeared from the Empire.
“So that’s why.”
Ruite nodded as if the final piece of the puzzle had clicked into place.
He remembered the moment at the black market when the man with the Puro began acting strangely.
Ruite had sensed it then—a sudden, massive surge in the man’s mana.
He had thought it was incredibly unnatural, but knowing the identity of the plant, it all made sense.
Ruite and Chester exchanged looks. They had finally identified the culprit’s tool.
‘Mana amplification via plants.’
This fit the current situation perfectly.
In other words, the culprit was using this plant to target not human mana, but the mana of monsters.
Monsters were a different race from humans in every way, but the core of the mana they possessed was the same as a mage’s.
It was only natural that Puro, which reacted to humans with mana, would produce a similar reaction in monsters.
“I’m asking just in case… but you two aren’t planning on using this, right?”
Rona looked at the two active mages with concern.
“No. It’s nothing like that, so you don’t have to worry.”
Ruite waved his hands in denial, and Rona let out a sigh of relief.
“Well, there’s no way strong guys like you would need this. Oh, and I’ve organized everything I just said into a document.”
Rona pulled some papers from her bag and handed them to Chester.
“I think my job here is done, so may I head out? I’m planning to leave the capital today.”
“Sure.”
As Chester nodded, Rona packed her bags as if she had been waiting for the moment.
Chester watched her as she exchanged farewells with Ruite.
“Rona.”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for the help.”
“Uh… don’t mention it.”
The Chester Callaway was offering a thank you?
And with such a soft expression, no less.
Rona pushed down her internal shock and replied calmly.
“Well, I’ll be going now.”
Walking toward the door, Rona paused and looked back and forth between the two of them.
“Rona? Did you leave something behind?”
Looking at Ruite’s innocent face, Rona gave a smirk.
“You two actually look really good together.”
“Uh…”
“Tell me how you started dating later. It’s such a fresh combination, I really want to hear the story. Oh, and Chester.”
Passing by Ruite, who had frozen in shock, Rona turned her gaze to Chester.
“So the one you liked wasn’t ‘Number 4,’ it was Ruite?”
Chester kept his mouth shut and couldn’t say a word.
The memory of his somewhat embarrassing past behavior came rushing back.
“Well, good luck to you both!”
Only after the sound of the door closing echoed through the room did the dazed Ruite snap back to reality.
“What was that? How did she know? We weren’t even close to each other, and we didn’t kiss. You didn’t say anything embarrassing either… is this the dignity of the youngest scholar?”
Ruite could only marvel at Rona’s incredible insight.
“But Chester, what was that about liking ‘Number 4’?”
Ruite didn’t understand Rona’s last comment.
Number 4, all of a sudden?
However, Chester simply looked away and said, “You don’t need to know.”
