I Married the Dragon I Killed

Morida was working there.

Five minutes earlier.

Valdrova Castle Library.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

She was an A-rank talent they had been unable to hire due to a lack of resources.

Her task was to document and archive the records gathered in Hestia Village.

She also handled legal consultations and document reviews.

But at that moment, she was nothing more than Echidna’s toy.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

— Hugging me during work is inefficient. abandon Productivity has decreased by 12% compared to optimal working conditions.

“Yes? adjust What is it?”

— Miss Echidna.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

Do not allow the drop in efficiency to exceed 15%.

There was a rule established for whoever took care of her.

Anyone else would have interpreted that warning as a sign that they should only interact with her when necessary.

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Her mindset was to get as close as possible to 14.99%.

“Then there’s still a 3% margin left?”

But Echidna, a witch starving for affection, was different.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

Echidna’s emotions continued growing even while she hugged her, and eventually she roared like a beast.

“Grrrr, I can’t take it anymore!”

But if she could control herself that well, she wouldn’t be a witch.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

— I recommend that you stop.

“Sniff, sniff.”

And she buried her nose in Morida’s head.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

Wham!

— Stop…

“Sniiiiiiiif!”

“Snifffff…”

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

Her body staggered violently backward.

A critical hit landed directly on Echidna’s philtrum while she was absorbed in inhaling the scent of Morida’s crown.

“Guhhaaaak!?”

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

She ended up collapsing against a wall while a mountain of books crashed onto the floor.

Echidna rubbed her philtrum with tears in her eyes.

“Uwaaaah… how cruel… there was no need to resort to violence…”

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

— That action just now increased work efficiency by 5%.

Morida’s gaze as she watched her seemed strangely satisfied.

“Really? meadow Does Miss Morida have sadistic tendencies? action Does Miss Morida also want to become a witch? sphere I can’t allow thaaaat!”

She wrote something and showed it to her.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

— I do not possess an ego. meadow Therefore, I cannot become a witch.

Books and documents were scattered across the floor.

Morida returned to her work.

Echidna also stopped acting like an idiot and returned to reality.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

“Uuuu… why are there so many papers…?”

If she left it like that, it was obvious she would get scolded.

It was a complete disaster.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

As though rewinding time, she returned the books to their shelves and carefully organized the documents.

With a simple wave of her hand, the scattered books and documents floated into the air.

So she began cleaning up.

“Who’s going to read such boring things anyway…?”

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

“This is…”

While grumbling and continuing to organize things with her hands, Echidna found something trapped inside a book.

It was a sheet folded into a square shape.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

It was magical parchment capable of absorbing mana.

The material alone was different from ordinary paper.

A magical parchment mixed among normal documents.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

She ended the sentence as a question.

That alone was enough to awaken Echidna’s curiosity.

“A magic circle…?”

She unfolded the sheet.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

Many basic elements did not fit.

“Is it?”

The characters engraved within the circle resembled the magic circles she knew.

However, there were far too many strange parts for it to be a magic circle.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

As if she had never received that blow to the face, she smiled and called out to Morida.

Scratch scratch.

As she observed it, an idea occurred to her.

“Mori~”

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

Scratch scratch.

“Come on, don’t be so cold and take a look. canvas What kind of magic circle do you think this is?”

Showing her the magic circle, she asked.

“It seems Lord Regent Perda drew it.”

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

The pen stopped.

Scratch.

She examined the circle from top to bottom as if scanning it.

Morida’s eyes reacted upon hearing Perda’s name.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

After several minutes of thought, she replied.

— Correct. atomic It does not exist among the records I possess.

“Even you don’t know, Miss Mori?”

— I do not know.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

The Universal Library.

Echidna knew the contents that existed within Morida’s mind.

“If even Miss Mori doesn’t know…”

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

Morida wrote.

— First. athlete It is a type of magic that has never been recorded on the continent of Serdes.

It contained records of virtually all known magic on the continent of Serdes, along with countless pieces of information about humanity.

— There are three possibilities.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

Thinking rationally, the third option was the most likely.

— Third. legend It is a type of magic created directly by its author.

— Second. amber It is a type of magic too complex to be recorded using the languages of the continent of Serdes.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

Unusable magic circles often receive that designation.

“I think so too. antenna At first glance, it just looks like a drawing…”

A magic created by Perda.

— Based on its shape and structure, the third option appears to be the most probable.

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— Furthermore, this cannot even be considered a magic circle. agent It lacks geometric elements, and its form is indefinite.

“Right?”

Mages who study geometry sometimes draw circles at random in hopes of stumbling upon something.

But barely one in ten thousand ends up functioning.

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Unlike refined and meticulous circles, this one was crude and inefficient.

But this one did not give off that feeling.

Some magic circles that appear to be simple drawings eventually work if studied enough.

— It is nothing more than a drawing resembling an inactive magic circle. absorb That is my conclusion.

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The more you know, the more things you can see.

And Echidna was an expert capable of creating runes.

Morida closed the matter.

But Echidna did not.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

“This works.”

She was convinced that this crude and inefficient magic circle functioned.

Morida turned her head.

Because of that, she perceived far more than others.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

“Well… no. anxiety It’s intuition…”

— Then there is no point in discussing it.

— Do you have proof?

Morida judged things based on facts recorded within the Universal Library.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

And debating something illogical was a waste of time.

The conversation ended.

She lost interest in the magic circle and continued working.

Human intuition lacked logic.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

“How the hell does this work?”

Now she was questioning her own intuition.

Echidna regretted that it had ended and looked back at the parchment.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

She dismantled the elements one by one, trying to reveal the mystery.

She moved all of her knowledge around inside her mind.

She tilted her head and began analyzing it.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

But strangely, the further she progressed, the more a massive wall appeared before her.

Like the existence of a utopia.

Like the theory of mana’s destiny.

A problem impossible to interpret through logic or reason.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

The idea that some mysterious and incomprehensible power existed there excited her.

Echidna’s eyes gleamed.

Something impossible to solve.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

Her curiosity finally led her to the idea of dismantling the magic circle.

“I’m going to take it apart.”

And that excitement ultimately pushed her toward an impulse.

Disassembling a magic circle without its creator’s consent was an absolute taboo.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

But the desire was so intense that she ignored even that.

“…I’ll only touch it a little.”

Just a little.

She thought Perda might get angry.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

Even though she said that, her finger ultimately came to rest on one of the central runes.

Nothing would happen if she touched a single rune.

In terms of importance, it would be like removing a gear for a brief inspection.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

Echidna copied that rune and reproduced it in her own hand.

Up until that moment, she had no idea she was about to pay the price of her curiosity.

Now she only had to dismantle it and read its code.

The traces of mana engraved into the parchment were transmitted clearly through her fingers.

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Suddenly.

“Huh?”

The rune melted before it could even react and flowed into her arm.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

Echidna panicked.

She felt a reverse current running through her mana channels.

“Huh?”

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

“Huh? ability Huh? action Huh?”

Although she let out a sound worthy of an innocent young lady, she reacted immediately.

As an expert witch and mage, she cast a fifth-tier sealing spell to stop the absorption.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

That was impossible.

Her sealing spell nullified any magical effect of the fifth tier or below.

It didn’t work.

The fact that it failed meant that rune belonged to the sixth tier or higher.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

“Kughhhh!”

The Price of Curiosity

The limit of the runes humans could create and handle was the fifth tier.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

***

And there was absolutely nothing she could do to stop it.

Echidna paid the price for her curiosity.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

“Explain exactly what happened.”

“She was absorbed by a rune she created herself?”

Morida began writing what she knew.

— Miss Echidna touched one of the runes in the magic circle and was absorbed by it.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

— According to her own words, the magic circle was drawn by Lord Perda.

Perda frowned.

“A magic circle drawn by me?”

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

He had a feeling this was going to turn into an unpleasant problem.

He had stored several magic circles.

‘Even if it was mine, it makes no sense for Echidna to die because of it…’

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

Perda lowered his gaze to the floor to identify what it was.

But none of them possessed the power necessary to kill Echidna.

Especially not through runes, which were precisely her specialty.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

‘This is…’

It was the one he had drawn when he was confused about mana.

He recognized that magic circle.

And he found it among the scattered books.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

That complex and crude circle he had copied and stored just anywhere.

Perda examined the runes drawn upon the circle.

There were seven runes in total.

‘She died from touching this?’

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

Echidna had touched only one of them.

It was difficult to believe according to common sense.

‘Was a single rune enough to do something like this?’

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To die because of a rune created by Perda?

“And after that? voyage Did you also see how she died?”

And on top of that, an expert known as a Rune Maker.

A 5-Circle witch.

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— I cannot determine that.

— After touching the rune, she displayed symptoms of respiratory failure and then disappeared.

“Because of the rune?”

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

Things that only mages could perceive were beyond her capabilities.

Ruri voiced her hypothesis.

Morida made predictions based on knowledge.

“It was probably a Circle overload.”

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

For low-level mages, it was something impossible to perceive, but among 5-Circle mages and above, it was a terrifying phenomenon that could never be ignored.

“I don’t think it was that.”

It was an explanation that even Perda could have accepted.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

A Circle overload literally meant becoming a bomb.

“If it had been a Circle overload, Morida would have died in the explosion as well.”

“Why?”

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

No matter how much Echidna cared for Morida, she would not have been able to keep her that safe.

“Someone cast a spell.”

Perda’s hypothesis was different.

There had been a major vibration, but nothing more.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

Magic circles were something even Morida could see.

“Of course.”

“If the magic circle had activated, wouldn’t she have said exactly that?”

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

A blue glow flickered in Perda’s eyes.

He began seeing something beyond the obvious.

“But when we’re talking about a witch bearing the Philiaz surname, the story is different.”

“I see.”

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

But those traces did not show only a magical manifestation.

Perda infused mana into the faint marks, defining their colors and outlines.

At the place where Echidna had been, traces of mana still remained.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

“It’s a Mana Signature that only high-level mages can use.”

“That rose bush is a mana trace?”

They were shaped like a rose.

When Ruri saw them, she was surprised.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

“Lucy Philiaz.”

Perda nodded.

“Then do you also know who it belongs to?”

It was a signature impossible to forget.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

That meant she had personally intervened inside the castle to take Echidna away.

Only she left behind a signature like this.

The First Witch.

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“She already had a magic circle implanted inside her body. palette It only needed a small stimulus to activate.”

And in order to do so, she had violently altered the magic circles installed throughout the fortress.

All that was needed was a tiny spark to ignite the fuse.

“So you’re saying someone infiltrated the castle from the outside? accent The castle’s barrier shouldn’t allow magic of this level.”

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

Killing a witch was difficult.

“As a member of the Philiaz family, it was probably a magic circle engraved by Big Sister to recover the corpse.”

And Lucy Philiaz had provided that spark.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

Some used Life Vessels.

But ultimately, they all lived under Big Sister’s protection.

Others kept their original bodies safe through clones.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

“But Echidna is an expelled witch. admire Does that protection still apply?”

If she could break into even a dragon’s nest, what sealing magic could stop her intervention?

Unlike the others, who hated men, Echidna loved them.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

Perda answered simply.

So why bother recovering her corpse?

Her ideals were incompatible with those of the other witches, which was why she had been expelled.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

A Rune Maker.

“What they have inside their heads doesn’t distinguish origins.”

No matter what, Echidna was still one of the most valuable craftsmen on the continent.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

“Not just witches.”

“Absurdly obsessive. orbit That’s what witches are like.”

Because he himself had once been the same way.

Ruri nodded.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

Perda could not take his eyes off those traces.

“Is something bothering you?”

“Even so, there’s something that doesn’t add up.”

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

And that was precisely why it was strange.

The only thing left behind was that rose-shaped mark.

Other than that, nothing else seemed to have been altered.

“Everything ended too cleanly.”

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

“Witches don’t usually finish things in such a clean manner…”

Ruri’s words made sense.

“She only managed to infiltrate for an instant. amber Wouldn’t it be difficult to leave anything else behind?”

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

He thought for a few moments and then asked.

But Perda was unwilling to ignore that feeling.

“Have all the people inside the castle already been evacuated?”

“Yes. portal They’re gathered in front of the inner gate like frightened meerkats.”

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

Ruri looked puzzled.

Did he think he would find an answer among them?

“Let’s go there.”

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

“Zed Swallow.”

Among them, he even spotted Zed and Penelope yawning peacefully.

Perda observed the crowd gathered beneath the fortress.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

Perda beckoned with a finger.

Zed approached wearing an expression full of annoyance.

“You’re from the Red Eyes tribe, right?”

“Yes?”

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

“Excuse me!? atlas Do I look like someone who can’t live without women?”

“Then you’ve probably been flirting with the women who work in the castle as well.”

“That’s right.”

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

Ruri looked at him with a gaze filled with contempt.

“Isn’t that exactly what you are? adjust Every time I pass by your room, I hear those damn moans.”

Zed protested indignantly.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

“Huh? abstract That probably wasn’t because of m— Mmph!”

“Then answer.”

“Shut up already. athlete The adults are talking.”

“…I only know them a little.”

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

“Is there any woman you’ve never seen before?”

Perda ignored him and pointed toward the assembled group.

Zed scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

“There’s one I don’t know.”

“What is it?”

“No matter how much of a womanizer I am, I don’t know the face of every woman in the castle… Huh?”

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

The direction he pointed revealed an utterly ordinary woman.

She was so normal and lacking in distinguishing features that she was impossible to remember.

Only one.

There was one woman who completely escaped Zed’s radar.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

Zed was convinced.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. altitude I’ve never seen her in this castle before.”

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

The contempt in Ruri’s expression deepened even further.

“Everyone, show your respect!”

“The Regent is coming down!”

Perda began walking toward her.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

Upon seeing him approach, the crowd shouted and knelt.

He walked directly through the crowd until he stopped in front of her.

But Perda’s eyes remained fixed solely on that woman.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

Whoosh!!

She could not finish the sentence.

“It is an honor to meet Regent Valdrova, Lo—”

The woman saw his boots before her and raised her head to greet him.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 112: The Price of Curiosity published by TrungTu Reads.

Before that, a sphere of mana created at the tip of Perda’s finger pierced straight through her forehead.