Bab 45: The Fiancée (3)
Seven years ago.
There was an eight year old girl in the Morg family who was broken.
Morg Camu.
The youngest member of House Morg, a renowned mage family.
Her extraordinary talents were evident from the earliest days.
The young children of Morg gathered for a lesson in magic.
"Now, the road to Magehood is hard. As you look into the abyss, the abyss looks into you. You must always be careful and cautious because if you look into the depths, you might be eaten by a giant demon."
When the children heard the tutor's words, each of them felt a vague sense of fear and terror.
Only one. Camouflage snorted.
"Nonsense."
The tutor furrows her brow.
"Mr. Camouflage, why do you say it's nonsense?"
"You said that when I look into the abyss, the abyss looks into me. That's bullshit."
Camouflage gives you a stern look.
"The Abyss of Mado is so wide and deep that no human mind can comprehend it."
"...."
"Because I look into the abyss, the abyss looks into me? Nonsense. Just because an ant can see me doesn't mean I can see the ant, and the abyss doesn't know I'm looking into it, and it doesn't care. It doesn't care, so being afraid of the abyss looking into you is overly self-conscious."
"...."
"Well, maybe once you get to a certain level, but don't instill fear in kids who can't even handle their mana yet."
At that, the tutor fell silent.
The tutor's jaw dropped.
In all the years he'd been able to reach Class 5 and roll five mana circles, he'd never once fallen into the abyss of Mado.
Unless, of course, you're knocking on the door of Class 7, the ultimate in Mado.
When the tedious lesson was over, the camel shook himself out of his seat and stood up.
"What's my uncle up to?"
The only person in the family who understood his talent and whom he felt comfortable confiding in.
Camu favored her younger brother, Morg Adolf, even more than her mother, Morg Respane, the head of the household.
Then.
Camu overheard her mother, Respane, and her uncle, Adolf, talking in the parlor.
"You say that a ruby vein runs underground on the Baskerville family estate?"
"Yes, sister. It looks like a collision is inevitable."
"That's a big deal, Hugo, and I don't want to have to bow down to that bastard... Plus, that's where the barbarians are raging, so does that make it a three-way war?"
"Well, for one thing, the lode runs into the Baskervilles' territory, so we're at a legal disadvantage. Also, your barbarians are a group that the Baskervilles have been struggling with for years, so a local conflict would be very damaging to the family in more ways than one...."
Respane and Adolf looked grave.
Then Camus stepped forward.
"I'll take a look."
Lesparne and Adolf gasped in surprise.
"Does he know what's wrong with this...!"
"Wait. Sister. Let's hear what the kid has to say. He's a genius, you know, and maybe he can point out something the grown-ups don't see."
This is why the camel likes his uncle Adolf.
Respane and Adolf nodded in disbelief at what the camel was saying.
"Hmmm. Let's give it a try, shall we?"
"After that, let's solidify our cooperation and push for joint development? Hmm. Not a bad idea."
It's hard to believe they came from the mind of an 8-year-old.
And then.
"And wouldn't it be great if we also discussed the issue of nepotism? I like the idea of in-laws going into business together, rather than just bowing out."
A.k.a. the 'prenup strategy'. Camu had another good suggestion.
Lespane's eyes lit up and he asked.
"You mean a pact with the Baskervilles? Who do you think we should send?"
"Well, what about the triplets, Highsys, Middlesys, and Lowsys, who are useless to anyone?"
Camu answered nonchalantly, not giving it much thought.
Morggar immediately begins to negotiate.
Adolf took Camu with him to Baskerville, and Camu used his status as a child to talk to Hugo.
He used his status as a child to speak to Hugo, comparing the underground veins to his hands and forearms.
But. for the first time in his life, Camo had to suffer a bitter defeat.
'That one'.
From the opposing camp came an eight-year-old kid.
I don't know the logic behind it, but he was definitely outgunned.
The camel was so angry that he started crying and almost lost his mind.
I've never experienced anything like this in my life.
No one else, not even his 8-year-old peers, not even teenagers, had ever done this to him.
Not even adults.
Everything in the world had always gone the way he wanted it to, and he had never been caught off guard.
But that day was different.
Everything had gone against Camu's will.
And the reason for this was the dark-haired boy she had met that day, 'the one'.
"If it weren't for you...!
So the camel was furious. He wanted to show the first person he'd ever met his true colors.
So he challenged him to a fight in the training grounds, where swords and magic clashed.
He fought with all his might.
But the creature was cowardly and dodged the blows.
…Crackle! …Crackle, crackle, crackle!
He flicked his fingers at his forehead, as if he was just playing around.
And it really hurt, too, as I kept getting hit.
His face zoomed in for a close-up.
I felt blinded by anger. You feel like it's just you and him in the world.
All I could think about was punching him in the face.
... Right then.
Boom!
There was an accident in the next room.
There was a huge explosion and my clothes were burned to a crisp.
I hastily tried to hide behind the dust and smoke, but it only saved me a few seconds of nakedness.
It was only then that she became worried.
There are tons of people here besides me and 'him'.
What an embarrassment!
Morg's supernova, her genius, her next big thing, the person she respected and trusted, all in one moment, naked in front of everyone.
Even eight-year-olds have their virginity. He has his pride.
Camou fought desperately to keep the tears from falling.
He was about to be stripped naked in front of all the kids his age who had always looked down on him.
Especially when the sneaky sisters Highsis, Middlesis, and Lowsis were in the next room!
I didn't want to cry naked in front of them. They would make fun of me for the rest of my life.
'... But what can I do?
But there was no way out of this situation.
Soon the dust would settle and she would be the laughing stock of the world.
"I should die.
Camu thought to himself.
... Just then.
Flutter!
His vision went black.
Something heavy but warm and cozy covered the camel's naked body.
She looked up and saw "him" right in front of her.
He had removed his own clothes and covered her, leaving her naked.
"Isn't he ashamed?
The camel thought so, but 'he' didn't seem to think so.
He flaunted his nakedness for all to see. Without a trace of shame.
The camel felt his heart pound in his chest as he stared at his naked body.
The first time he'd ever seen his number, the first time he'd ever suffered a defeat, the first time he'd ever seen a confident demeanor, the first time he'd ever seen the naked body of someone his own age.
So many firsts were jumbled together in Camu's mind.
For the first time in her life, her good hair stood on end, and so did the time that flowed around her.
For what seemed like an eternity, she stared at him.
Secretly thinking to herself that it was a good thing that she had brought out the 'marriage pact strategy' before she left the clan.
And then, one after another.
He was pitted against his uncle.
The camel had always liked and followed his uncle, but for that moment, he thought he was being unfair.
"He's a grown man, and he's persecuting a child.
She had always been grateful to her uncle for treating her like an adult, but not as much as she was at this moment.
What?
'The kid' continued to challenge his uncle.
An indomitable spirit that refused to back down in the face of such a stark disparity in skill.
Camu felt mixed feelings.
He knew of his uncle's strength and greatness, but he couldn't stop his gaze from drifting to....
Inwardly, he was surprised that he was hoping for such a ridiculous situation, that 'that guy' would defeat his uncle.
And then.
The fantasy became a reality.
In a situation that even the strongest camo thought was hopeless, 'the one' surprisingly overcame his uncle.
chirp chirp chirp...
A broken water jar, a stream of water, and a dazed uncle.
The camo cheered at this shocking outcome.
It even jumped up and down in place.
Her uncle looked shocked and expressed his disappointment, but it was none of her business.
She had always despised the frivolous laughing and jumping of 8-year-olds her age, but before she knew it, she was laughing and jumping like a normal 8-year-old.
After the negotiation went well.
Arriving home, the camel went to bed.
The stuffed animal she always hugged when she went to sleep, she decided to put it aside.
"I'm not a child anymore."
Instead, her usual cuddle had changed.
Baskerville's black blood.
The cloak that "he" had wrapped her in became her first love.
Camu slept in it every night, always burying his face in it as he fell asleep.
The smell of musty sweat was somehow thought to be a good thing, and I slept better with my nose buried in it.
Sometimes my heart would suddenly thump in my chest, other times I would feel a tingling sensation all over my body, and other times I would nibble my collar with my teeth on a sudden impulse.
When the nanny would suggest doing the laundry, Camu would raise his hand and firmly stop her.
"These things aren't worth washing.
After that, she never washed it.
And so the seasons changed, and a few birthday cakes came and went, and the camel always thought the same thing.
"Where would she be now, what would she be doing, and how tall would she be?
And just like that, the little girl became a lady.
She went to the ruby mines all the time because she loved rubies, but she never saw 'him'.
She had only heard rumors on the wind that he had gone on a long training run.
And time passed.
One day, Camu heard a rumor.
There was a fairly large city on the edge of the Baskerville estate, adjacent to the Morg estate.
It was rumored that a young deputy had been appointed there.
Apparently, he caused several major accidents upon his arrival.
Of course, by accidents, I don't really mean accidents, I mean mega-achievements.
Upon hearing that he had burned 10 billion on a single stick, the camel slapped his knee.
"You've grown up.
She made her way over to Gajusil.
"What, you want me to send you on a joint operation with the Baskervilles?"
"Yes, mom. Right now."
Camouflage pawed at her patriarch, Lespane, as they made their way to the Baskervilles' estate.
Before doing so, he made sure to identify the new deputy magistrate of Underdog City as his partner in the joint operation.
And a day before the Baskervilles were due to arrive.
Camo had made all the arrangements.
The fort's watchtower, with its many beautiful cotton blossoms, was chosen as the meeting place.
A little embarrassed, he kept Morg's prying eyes as far back as possible.
There, among the white flowers and their delicate scent, the seven-year wait would end.
The camel went to bed with a puffed-up chest.
...And that day.
The camel was furious.
He had picked an atmospheric spot, but it was already in shambles.
His sisters, who had been so disrespectful when he was younger, and who now dared not even breathe in his presence when he was older, had ruined it.
"What the ... do you think you're doing?"
Camu asked with infernal fury.
The aftermath of Romantic's destruction was horrifying.
Morg's three sisters sobbed, unable to speak English.
"Kaa, Camu, my sisters are..."
"Woohoo, we just wanted to keep the intruders out...."
"Well, they started the fight!"
But Camu's mood was already low.
The reunion he'd been waiting seven years for had been ruined.
"Camo, are you talking to me, sisters?"
"Hic! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!"
"Get out of the way. If you don't want to be like that."
The camel didn't really intend to kill the three sisters, but he did intend to spank them really badly.
But he didn't have to, because they scurried away on their own.
Then.
Camou reined in his horse and stood in front of 'him'.
"Welcome, partner."
Seeing him again after seven years, he didn't look much different than when they first met.
He wasn't much taller than her, as if he was still growing, but his face had changed slightly.
His jawline was more defined, and his nose was more prominent.
It was better than the version that had been glorified and beautified in Camu's imagination.
'You've grown a lot. Mmm. You've grown.
The camel nodded. His face flushed red of its own accord.
Why did the naked body under the blood wind of the eight-year-old suddenly appear in his mind?
"...Mo, has your body changed a lot?
It was a camouflage that didn't use any magic, but it was unnecessarily hot.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone