The Demon Really Did Write

Although conjuring a larger water ball didn't seem like a big deal, it couldn't be used to attack enemies or protect himself, much less lift the curse Michelle had placed on him.

But the significance behind the water ball was far greater than the water ball itself.

It had shown Benjamin a path—a path that could lead him to power.

Although he still didn't know how to learn new magic or sense other types of elements, he was beginning to believe in his talent for magic. A sense of confidence was slowly taking root in his heart.

At last, magic wasn't a complete mystery to him!

"What's there to make such a fuss about? All you did was let the magic rune absorb elements and grow. Was that really so hard to figure out?" The system refused to learn its lesson and kept popping up to pour cold water on him.

"You've been getting more and more punchable lately," Benjamin said in a low voice, unable to take it anymore.

"I was wrong. You're a genius," the system said, instantly falling back in line.

"..."

Benjamin couldn't be bothered to deal with it.

But back to the point. He finally came out of his magical training and returned to the concerns of the real world. He raised his head and looked at the tightly shut iron door.

He'd been in this basement for quite a while: first, he'd rested; then Mary had come to visit; after that, he'd spent more than ten hours studying magic... If his calculations were right, it should be early morning on the second day outside the door.

But since he was stuck in the basement, with no way to tell night from day, he couldn't be too sure.

When would Claude finally cool off and let him out?

His manservant, Jeremy, should have returned long ago after completing the task he'd been given. Benjamin couldn't remember what he'd asked Jeremy to do, but he needed to send him out again to keep the Church distracted and get Annie's inheritance as soon as possible.

There was no immediate rush, but time wasn't exactly on his side, either. Michelle's curse was like a ticking time bomb. Who knew when it would go off? He was afraid danger would strike again before he had the power to stand up to Michelle.

But... there was no point worrying now.

He had no way of knowing what his father was thinking, and he had no idea how much Mary would be able to talk him around. Anything could happen in the world outside that door. He sighed, then did his best to relax and stop fretting.

No matter how anxious he got, he couldn't walk through walls or pass through the door to escape this tiny basement.

So instead, he began to feel more at ease.

He stared at the ceiling for a while, letting his mind wander as he recovered the energy he'd used up during his "meditation." Come to think of it, Benjamin had just decided to call the practice of absorbing water elements into the character "meditation."

It sounded a bit old-fashioned, but a name only needed to be easy to remember. Besides, he wasn't writing a novel. Why bother being so imaginative? Coming up with some flashy, over-the-top name wouldn't make his "meditation" any more effective.

After spacing out for a few minutes, he started to run out of things to do again. He was a little hungry, but not very; a little sleepy, but not very.

After thinking it over, he decided to keep "meditating."

He lay on the floor and closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep in case someone came in and thought something was wrong. In his mind, though, he had already sunk back into the Consciousness Space, once again urging the water elements to strengthen the blue triangular rune at its center...

The process of meditating was quite slow. He wasn't happy about that, but he couldn't find a way to improve it.

This time, though, his meditation wasn't as long as the last one, and he didn't absorb all the water elements in the Consciousness Space.

That was because, well over halfway through, someone suddenly interrupted him.

It was the first time anyone had called him out of the Consciousness Space.

It didn't feel good. It was a little like being woken up soon after falling asleep. His head was fuzzy and spinning, and he felt a bit annoyed, too. A voice kept echoing in his ears, pulling him out of his haze whether he liked it or not.

"Young master! Young master! Wake up! Young master!"

Benjamin opened his eyes and saw a huge face right in front of him. He jumped in fright.

He instinctively scrambled backward, then recognized the person.

It was Jeremy, his manservant.

Jeremy wasn't alone. Another person stood in the basement, too. Benjamin's mother, Mary, was by the doorway, looking at him with a gentle smile. Behind her, the iron door that had been shut all this time stood wide open, and the dim basement was much brighter.

Benjamin paused, then quickly came to his senses.

He could finally leave.

But he didn't rush. He glanced outside and, seeing no one there, asked, "Where's Father? Didn't he come? Has he forgiven me?"

He deliberately made his voice sound a little uncertain, pretending that he was afraid of Claude.

"Something seems to have happened at your father's fief in the south, so he went there. He probably won't be back for about a week," Mary replied with a smile. "But before he left, he told us to let you out. So don't worry. Your father isn't angry anymore."

Benjamin let out a sigh of relief.

It wasn't just because he could leave the basement. Claude going away was good news for him, too. Although his fear was only an act, he really did find Claude a nuisance and didn't want to face him.

"Thank you, Mother. I really couldn't stay here any longer." Benjamin got to his feet and continued to give Mary a pitiful look.

"It's all right now. We can leave." Mary smiled, then turned to Jeremy and instructed him, "Take the young master back to his room. It's late, so get him something to eat from the kitchen, then help him wash up and get ready for bed."

Jeremy hurriedly replied, "Yes, ma'am."

With the two of them accompanying him, Benjamin left the basement. Seeing the pitch-black sky outside, he realized that it was already the night of the second day.

He'd spent a whole day and night in that tiny basement. That showed just how sluggish his sense of time had been while meditating.

He walked up the stairs and along the long corridors of the Riser Family estate, following Jeremy back to his bedroom. After wishing Benjamin good night, Mary turned and went back to her own room to rest.

"Please wait here, young master. I'll go ask the cook to get you something to eat."

After they entered the room, Jeremy said this to Benjamin, then turned and left.

Benjamin had wanted to call after him and ask how the errand he'd given him had gone. But since Jeremy would be back soon, there was no need to rush.

After that long stretch of meditation, he couldn't bring himself to hurry, either. Fatigue swept over him like a tide. All he wanted was to collapse onto his soft, comfortable bed and sleep until the end of time, no matter what happened.

So he walked to the bed, flopped onto it, and stretched as he rolled around.

"Ah, I'm never getting up again!" he cried lazily.

"Really?" the system asked.

"...No, I wish I could, but reality won't let me. Conditions are too harsh. The revolution hasn't succeeded yet, so comrades still have to keep fighting." Benjamin sighed.

At that, the system fell silent for a moment. Then it suddenly changed the subject and murmured, "I see. I thought you'd found what was under your pillow."

Benjamin stopped rolling.

"What?"

Hearing how serious the system sounded, he grew serious, too.

"You're asking me? Go look!" If the system had a face, it would have said this while rolling its eyes.

Benjamin didn't waste time. He flipped his pillow over at once. On the white sheets lay a white envelope. It was sealed neatly, with no sign that anyone had opened it.

At the sight, Benjamin seemed to realize something, and his heart sank.

"God, please don't let me become a jinx."

Nervous, he took a deep breath and gave the letter a quick once-over. But the worst had happened. On the back of the pristine envelope, someone had written that nightmarish name in black ink:

Michelle.

Benjamin felt his vision go dark.

Still hoping he was mistaken, he examined it carefully twice more, checking that he hadn't misread the name because of the messy handwriting. But the result was just as disappointing. The word was "Michelle"—without a doubt, "Michelle."

Was this karma?

To sneak a letter into his bedroom and tuck it under his pillow without the Church noticing, Michelle had clearly used some unexpected methods. And for Benjamin, this was very bad news.

After confirming with the system over and over that he didn't know anyone else named "Michelle," he regretted making up that story for the bishop.

"What's coming will come," the system said, suddenly adopting a warm and enthusiastic tone. "Whether it's a letter, a greeting card, or a text message, the voice of the dreamer will never stop. Share your yesterday, record your today, and make your tomorrow. Don't let distance make your dreams feel out of reach."

"..."

The system's rambling left him speechless, but it did make him feel less nervous.

Once he'd calmed down, he realized he was no longer Michelle's hostage. She had long since lost the power to decide whether he lived or died. With the Church's support, he could take the initiative.

When she'd kidnapped him, Michelle hadn't been able to get the better of him. Now that he was free, there was even less to fear.

No matter what Michelle had written in the letter, whatever traps she had waiting for him, he only needed to stay calm and deal with them. Besides, there were Church officials around, weren't there? He could simply hand the letter over to the Church and let them handle it. The most powerful force on the continent could serve as his backing.

It wasn't that he trusted the Church so much. He just knew it wouldn't let a noble come to harm right under its nose.

All he had to do was give the letter to the Church!

With that thought, Benjamin didn't hesitate. He reached out and swiftly opened the envelope.

But, to his surprise, the very first line on the first page struck like a bolt of lightning and completely derailed all his plans. It read:

"You have a real talent for magic. I'll come teach you magic in ten days."

After a brief moment of shock, Benjamin realized he'd lost the option of handing the letter over to the Church.

He understood what lay behind those words.

With one short sentence, Michelle had cut off any chance Benjamin had of asking the Church for help. He couldn't give the letter to the bishop. If the bishop saw those words, he'd immediately discover Benjamin's magic. Benjamin would die faster than he could blink. So he had no choice but to bear this evil witch's malice alone.

It was as if Michelle could read minds. She knew exactly what he was thinking.

That was what bothered him most.

At that moment, Benjamin realized his situation hadn't improved at all. No—it had gotten worse. At least Michelle hadn't known he could use magic before. That had let him gain the upper hand and escape to the Riser Family. But now Michelle had started using that very fact against him.

Would Michelle really teach him magic?

Maybe she would, maybe she wouldn't. Either way, Benjamin's life was still firmly in Michelle's hands. Unless he lifted the curse, he could only bow his head and do whatever she said.

In just that brief moment, cold sweat soaked through Benjamin's shirt.

The game of death had begun again.

The game of death had never ended.