“Ah……”
At Lucas’s words, Iberis visibly hesitated. Although he had decided to imprint, he seemed to waver due to the deeply rooted subconscious belief from long experience that his mana would harm others.
“Go on.”
“But……”
“Don’t worry too much. I’ve never had any problems with it so far, unlike others.”
Lucas, understanding why Iberis was hesitating, smiled confidently.
“……Alright.”
Finally seeming somewhat reassured, Iberis nodded slightly and put on a determined expression. Then, like Lucas had done, he poured his mana into him.
“Ugh……”
Lucas gritted his teeth as a fierce coldness that felt like it could freeze his entire body swept over him like a cutting wind. He shivered, wondering if this was how it felt to fall into an icy winter lake. It was a fierce cold, enough to make him feel pain for the first time after his senses had dulled.
“A-are you okay?”
Iberis faltered as Lucas furrowed his brow. He couldn’t decide whether to continue or stop.
“Keep going.”
Lucas hugged the restless Iberis tightly, hiding his contorted face. Realizing that Iberis had always lived in this kind of chill, his heart ached.
“Really?”
“It’s fine, so pour it all out.”
“Mmm……”
Thinking it would be better to end it quickly, Iberis released his mana all at once. As the cold mana spread, the heated air in the room rapidly cooled.
Lucas clenched his teeth against the energy that swept over him like a blizzard. He felt like he might faint if he lost focus even for a moment. As Iberis’s mana invaded his body, the area around his shoulder blade where the name was inscribed ached with cold.
“H-how much longer should I do this?”
“……That’s enough now.”
Lucas closed his eyes and then opened them, feeling the energy filling his insides. Would this really work? Could they end it like this? He thought hard.
While waiting for Iberis to make a decision, Lucas searched for ways to increase the success rate and effectiveness of the imprinting. Finally, he came up with an idea, inspired by how Regina had treated Iberis.
Lucas thought that just as Regina had used life force to revive Iberis’s dead areas, he too could guide it in the same way.
Although mana and life force had different properties, they were fundamentally the same power, so it wasn’t theoretically impossible. Moreover, his mana control ability was unparalleled.
Of course, it was very risky and not something that could be done every time, so Lucas approached it very cautiously. He also contacted Regina’s teacher for advice and consulted with Winfried several times.
And he secretly practiced drawing on life force instead of mana a few times. Fortunately, all were successful.
This gave him confidence that he could do it. The problem was how to broach the subject with Iberis. He was unlikely to agree to the use of life force when he was already resistant to imprinting itself.
It was a plan he had put aside, but now he thought he might try it again. No, this was the only chance. If the imprinting succeeded today, there would be no opportunity to try it again later.
“Lucas?”
Iberis looked at Lucas quizzically as he suddenly fell silent.
“Iberis.”
“Yes?”
“I’m about to do something crazy… Can you trust me?”
“Huh?”
“It’s for us. So please don’t refuse, Eunsu.”
“W-what……”
Just as an uneasy Iberis was about to say something, Lucas hugged him tightly and thrust forcefully into his inner walls. Then, once again opening his mana, he drew on his life force.
“Hnngh! This is……”
Iberis’s eyes widened as he felt an energy different from mana flowing into him. Having experienced it once before, he knew what Lucas was doing.
“You, now……! No, stop, don’t……”
“Don’t reject it, accept it. Then everything will be fine.”
“N-no……”
“If we stop here, it’ll be even worse.”
“Ugh.”
Iberis, who had been struggling, paused at Lucas’s words. Meanwhile, his faintly shimmering hair rapidly lost its luster. The lifeless, withered hair soon began to break off on its own.
“Hic! You fool!”
Having failed to stop Lucas, Iberis burst into tears. He cried like a child as he watched his lifeless hair fall onto the sheets.
“Stop, sob, stop it……”
“Just a little more……”
When Lucas finally stopped transferring his energy, Iberis’s hair, which had reached below his waist, was now shortened to around his shoulder blades. In some areas, it was so severe that it only remained above the shoulders.
“Phew……”
That’s enough. Lucas, his complexion pale, exhaled tiredly. Realizing his gamble had succeeded, he unconsciously smiled.
“What are you smiling about?”
Seeing this, Iberis glared at Lucas with reddened eyes.
“Do you think, hic, sob, I’m happy about this? Why are you always so selfish!”
Iberis hit Lucas repeatedly, tears streaming down his face. Despite his angry words, there was no strength in his hands. He couldn’t truly be angry, fearing Lucas might be in pain from using his life force.
“What if something had happened to you……! Waaah……”
Iberis wailed, overwhelmed by guilt and anger towards Lucas, as well as self-loathing and remorse.
“I’m sorry.”
Lucas held the sobbing Iberis in his arms, patting him gently. This time, he had no excuse for his excessive desire.
“Sniff…… hic.”
It took a long time for Iberis to calm down after crying so much. His eyes stung and his head felt dizzy from all the crying.
“Are you feeling a bit better now?”
“I don’t know……”
Lucas kissed Iberis’s reddened eyes and tear-stained cheeks, watching his reactions. He slowly began to move his hips again.
“Ugh, why again……”
“The ritual is over…… we need to finish. I’ll end it quickly since you must be tired.”
“Mm, nngh, haa, ahh……”
As the act resumed, heat crashed over them like fierce waves. Iberis groaned, his reddened eyes contorting.
“Luke, I, I can’t…… haa, hic.”
“Nngh……!”
A short moan escaped Lucas’s lips at the intense pleasure. Shortly after his low groan, both of them reached their peak simultaneously.
“Hic, hah, ahh……”
Iberis panted, his vision turning white. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he tried to regain his ragged breath. He wheezed, enveloped in intense exhaustion.
“Is it, is it over now?”
“Yes, you did well.”
Lucas kissed him softly, holding Iberis’s limp body.
“You can sleep if you’re tired.”
“……Mmm.”
Having reached his physical limit, Iberis closed his eyes as soon as Lucas gave permission, making a sound that was half moan, half reply. A powerful drowsiness overtook him, and he fell into a deep sleep as if losing consciousness.
* * *
‘My child.’
Mother? Iberis, sitting alone in the darkness, raised his head at the familiar voice.
‘My one and only treasure, Eunsu.’
It’s a dream. Realizing this was a dream as the voice from a distant memory echoed, Iberis became aware of his surroundings.
‘My beautiful son, you know mommy loves you very much, right?’
Yes, I love you too. Iberis responded enthusiastically to the voice full of affection. A gentle laugh was heard in response.
‘Spring has returned, so you won’t be cold anymore. Be happy, my child……’
A warm, cozy warmth brushed Iberis’s cheek like a spring breeze before disappearing.
‘Live, Iberis. Somehow, live and be happy. Forget about us and live well on your own.’
Team leader? Following his mother’s voice came the words of the man who had been more of a father to him than his unknown biological father. Even knowing it was a dream, his eyes stung at the vivid last words that felt as recent as yesterday.
‘Someday, you’ll find a guide who suits you better than a misfit like me. You might even find your Name partner….. Anyway, you’ll definitely be happy. I guarantee it.’
Feeling a hand patting his head, Iberis eagerly shared recent news. He told them that as they had said, he had met a perfectly matching guide, and that he was his Name partner.
‘So live a long, long life for my share too…… Understood?’
As the warmth gradually faded, Iberis, feeling urgent, hurriedly moved his lips. At that moment, there was a sound like the ground, frozen all winter, melting away, and the frost clinging to new buds eager to welcome spring cracking with a crisp sound.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
