24-Hour Reincarnation Counseling Center, Episode 23
Laura roughly guessed what the problem was. She had already seen it twice.
“But that damned wizard!”
His voice grew louder, as if his emotions were running high.
“He keeps telling me to destroy the empire…!”
More and more anger seeped into his voice.
“Words keep slipping out from his perspective, out of nowhere! And those moments are unpredictable; once I start speaking, I can’t control it!”
Cross, who had been speaking with huffs, soon drooped his shoulders as if deflated.
“Of course, I can control it better now than at first. So I thought I just had to live while keeping it under control going forward.”
Unlike his taciturn appearance at first, perhaps because he finally had a place to talk, he poured out his innermost feelings openly.
“Well, at work, there were people who worried about me like the Viscount, and those who sued me claiming I’d gone crazy from overwork, so I did drift a bit from my quiet office life, but it was still manageable.”
Still unable to look Laura properly in the eye, he picked up his teacup.
“I’m someone who’s used to solving things alone.”
Then, as if something had suddenly occurred to him, he stopped mid-motion with his teacup.
“Ah.”
And he added in a nonchalant voice.
“For your information, I’m from the Imperial Orphanage. So I’m used to making decisions alone. It’s also awkward to seek advice from others. I suppose that’s partly why I didn’t come to see the Countess sooner.”
Laura listened quietly to his story. She hadn’t had a chance to speak from the beginning. She had something she wanted to say about reincarnators, but Cross’s words wouldn’t stop.
‘Let’s just listen.’
It was a good thing for the client to talk on his own.
“The problem is that I’m gaining the power to actually do it.”
“Pardon?”
What had appeared? Power?
“I’m saying I’m gaining the power to destroy the empire.”
“What do you—”
Laura was genuinely surprised.
“Phew.”
Cross sighed as if he had expected her surprise, then extended one hand forward.
Swoosh—
Suddenly, wind blew inside the mansion.
Laura’s eyes widened.
“This is—!”
Above Cross’s outstretched palm.
“Isn’t this mana?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
Laura saw a red mass of light gathering above Cross’s palm.
‘…Kalien, the Wizard of Death. And—’
Fire.
Laura muttered unconsciously.
“Hellfire.”
It was the name of the magic Kalien used.
Hum— hummm—
The red mass of light gathered while emitting deep groans, and it was very small.
But the power flickering in vivid red was by no means something to be underestimated.
After all, it contained that dangerous and ferocious magic which had seized the ankle of Ren, the first Emperor of the Klann Empire, the great hero.
‘Good heavens!’
Laura was confused beyond surprise.
Reincarnators were usually competent. That was because they inherited the knowledge and wisdom contained in their previous life’s memories.
But there had never once been a case where the previous life’s power was inherited.
“Are reincarnators supposed to be like this?”
Cross carefully asked Laura, who wore a calm expression. Laura was currently concealing her surprise through superhuman effort.
Click.
Laura picked up her teacup and took a sip.
‘I’m calming down a bit now.’
The warm tea spreading through her body made her feel alive.
Soon, Laura calmly opened her mouth.
“It is not normally like this.”
She continued speaking to Cross, who avoided her gaze.
“In records spanning thousands of years, there has never once been a case where a reincarnator client inherited their previous life’s power.”
Hmm.
Cross let out a deep murmur.
“Mr. Cross, did you originally have magical talent?”
“No. I even received a mana examination as a child.”
“I see.”
Laura pondered for a moment before continuing.
“…Usually, reincarnators continue their previous life’s abilities through training based on their previous life’s memories.”
“Since they have the memories, they can do it more skillfully.”
“Yes. But talent that did not exist does not appear without any effort. Now—”
Laura swallowed imperceptibly and asked.
“Now, have all the abilities been inherited?”
If Cross had inherited all of Kalien’s power.
‘There could be trouble.’
Given that Kalien’s hostility toward the empire popped out from time to time.
Cross shook his head.
“No. I haven’t received all the power.”
He gazed at the red mass of light above his palm, then clenched his fist.
Crack.
The mana disappeared.
“I can exert roughly one-fifth of Kalien’s strength at his prime.”
Without any magical training, already one-fifth.
“Honestly, that is truly remarkable.”
At Laura’s honest words, Cross smirked and looked at her briefly.
It was an unconscious eye contact.
“Remarkable, my foot. It’s a power that only knows destruction—”
At that moment, Laura realized a strange light flickering in the gray pupils beyond his glasses.
‘Red!’
A red light revealed itself in the gray pupils for the briefest instant.
Her hand moved toward the dagger at her skirt hem.
‘He’s losing it!’
After the red light, Cross’s pupils slightly unfocused. It all happened in an instant, lasting less than a few seconds.
“…Descendant of Bisil… to eliminate the empire, first that must—”
It was then.
Smack!
Cross struck his own cheek once more.
“I’m sorry!”
Smack!
“I realized it earlier! When I try to look into the Countess’s eyes for too long, the devil inside me—no! Kalien tries to rampage!”
He spat out urgently.
“It’s been quiet lately, but in front of the Countess, I can’t control it!”
“Client! Please stop hitting yourself for now. Calm down.”
Soothing Cross in as calm a tone as possible, Laura cautiously approached him.
“Even when I try to calm down, Kalien inside me keeps talking!”
Cross’s pupils met Laura’s pupils exactly.
“He says the Countess will save the empire!”
He frowned and shouted while hunching his body.
“He says you’re the greatest enemy, that your ancestor is more of a problem than that bastard Ren, that if it weren’t for that ancestor bastard, Ren would have been destroyed!”
Thwack!
At a cheek slap of a completely different magnitude than before, Laura’s eyes widened as she tried to stop him.
“To call him a bastard! Such outrageous words! I’m sorry! To insult your ancestor!”
Seeing him try to strike his cheek again, Laura decided this wouldn’t do and abruptly reached out her hand.
“Mr. Cross.”
And she caught his hand that was about to strike his cheek.
“…!”
Cross’s eyes widened.
“Do you want to get fired?”
Laura spat out those words according to the advice Violet had given her. Then, some strength left Cross’s eyes.
‘The method the Viscount taught me is quite good.’
She made a mental note of that.
Meanwhile, Cross looked at his own hand in surprise.
‘What kind of strength is this—!’
It was as if a solid lump of iron had grabbed his hand.
And that hand soon lowered his arm and patted his hand, which had turned red from slapping his cheek.
Cross looked at Laura.
‘Ah.’
Laura was not looking at him.
“You mustn’t hurt yourself.”
The gentle tone containing sorrow and firmness held more strength than expected.
Pat, pat.
Laura patted Cross’s hand with both hands.
Cross blurted out his innermost feelings without realizing it.
“…Can I be all right?”
It was a voice completely drained of strength.
Laura wanted to check Cross’s condition, but she did not look at him.
“Mr. Cross. You are currently experiencing difficulties, but your case has unusual aspects and features that are appearing for the first time.”
“…Damn, I wish I were a little more normal.”
Pat, pat.
Laura unconsciously patted the back of Cross’s hand, as if comforting his stifled heart that spat out such rough words.
“If we find a method based on various past cases, an answer will surely emerge.”
“I want to live a quiet life in administration. Is that possible?”
At the question filled with earnestness, Laura’s face turned resolute.
“Mr. Cross. There is something a reincarnator must keep in mind.”
This was also something a counselor had to tell a reincarnator.
“…What is it?”
Unable to see the pupils of Cross as he asked back, Laura instead placed her hand over the back of his.
“A reincarnator’s life belongs to the reincarnator, not to the person from their previous life.”
Cross could not look at her, but he could see Laura’s upright gaze.
He unconsciously followed along and recited.
“…A reincarnator’s life belongs to the reincarnator.”
“That’s right. So surely, Mr. Cross, you will be able to live the life you want.”
He saw the gentle smile blooming at Laura’s lips.
“Because your memories belong to you, Mr. Cross.”
Laura recited the maxim that a reincarnator must always remember.
“The memories of your previous life are knowledge. Therefore, it is your will, Mr. Cross, that decides their use.”