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maboroshi-no · 3 months ago

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Hamefura LN14 Chapter 2 Part 1 Summary

I am currently reading Hamefura LN14 and will post summaries after each chapter.

Previous Chapters: Chapter 1: The Encounter at the Party: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Chapter 2: What Dark Magic is

After a night of sleep, Katarina has recovered from the exhaustion from the party.

Going to the Ministry

Today too, Katarina will go to work at the Ministry. As always, she is woken up by Anne, gets ready with Anne's help, sleeps in the carriage on the way to the Ministry, gets off the carriage upon arriving, greets the gatekeeper, and heads to the department room.

Today, the weather is nice and she wishes she could work outside, but today too, she has her dark magic training in the morning and deciphering the Dark Covenant in the afternoon.

Dark magic training is one thing, but Katarina is apprehensive about the Dark Covenant deciphering session. It comes after lunch, so she has to fight drowsiness during it. She doesn't think she can keep herself awake by pinching her hand. She could hold back on food during lunch, but she looks forward to lunch every day and won't be able to focus on deciphering the covenant with an empty stomach anyway.

Katarina has arrived at the department room and knocks on the door. A female's voice invites her to come in. Katarina is surprised since she thought only Sora would be here at this hour.

Katarina Talks With Larna

Katarina enters the room and is surprised to see Larna alone there.

Larna is the department's director but she is missing most of the time because she is absorbed in her magic research. But Katarina wonders if Larna might not be actually working as "Susanna Randall" when she is missing.

Larna explains that she came here yesterday because something bothered her after the party and she wanted to investigate it.

Katarina realizes that Larna spent the night at the office to investigate things. Looking closely, Katarina can see lots of consumed sweets and documents scattered on her desk.

Larna feels sleepy. She will go take a nap in an empty room.

Before she goes, Katarina asks Larna about the person who gave her magic books when she was a child.

Larna is alert and asks Katarina why she is suddenly asking her this.

Katarina is surprised by Larna's reaction since she casually talked about it before. She wonders if it is a sensitive topic.

Katarina tells Larna she was curious about the circumstances of her entry at the Ministry of Magic, and wondered if it all started with the magic books she received from that person. She asks Larna if it is a sensitive topic.

Larna's expression softens and she apologizes. It is not a sensitive topic but she has been high-strung because of the dangerous incidents lately. This seems to have led her to react sharply to it.

Katarina notes that it is still a topic that will cause her to react sharply.

Larna confirms that it might indeed be because of that person that she entered the Ministry of Magic. If she hadn't met that person, she would have probably remained Marquis Randall's pawn. She has a pained expression and a distant look.

Larna adds that this person is special to her. She hasn't forgotten about them at all but she can't talk about them so easily.

Katarina is surprised.

Larna explains that there is a class of people who will frown just by hearing that person's name.

Katarina wonders if that person did such horrible things. She gulps.

Larna adds that this is what the official history says. Even so, she believes in that person.

Based on what Larna said, Katarina wonders if someone might have rewritten the history to their convenience. There are many things she wants to ask but decides to listen closely instead.

Larna tells Katarina that, after talking so much with her, she has realized Katarina is really similar to that person.

Katarina is surprised and can't help asking if it is because of her face.

Larna bursts out laughing and replies that it is not her face, but the inside, like her way of thinking. That's why she was planning on telling her about that person one day. But it is a long story, so she asks Katarina if she can tell her another time.

Katarina accepts.

Katarina is curious about the person and really wants to hear about them.

Katarina and Sora Talk About Cyrus's Love

Someone knocks on the door. It is Sora. Larna goes to an empty room to take a nap.

Sora and Katarina exchange greetings, and they lightly clean the room.

Sora tells Katarina "Good job attending the party". Katarina replies "Good job escorting Maria to the castle".

Katarina asks Sora how Maria returned home.

Katarina remembers Cyrus was extremely nervous at the party, so she wonders if he could really ride in the carriage alone on the way back with Maria.

Sora tells Katarina he also escorted Maria on the way back. Cyrus rode in another carriage that followed them.

Katarina is not surprised that Cyrus wouldn't ride in the carriage alone with Maria.

Sora can't believe that, despite his looks and image, Cyrus can't ride in the same carriage as the girl he loves. Cyrus doesn't seem intent on making things progress between him and Maria either.

Katarina agrees: even kids these days can approach the one they love better.

Katarina suddenly realizes that Sora is aware of Cyrus's feelings based on what he said. She asks him how he knew.

Sora explains that anyone would notice. Cyrus may be able to hide it better in the workplace but anyone who is not extremely dense could tell based on his attitude yesterday. But Maria appears to be that dense, so she hasn't noticed his feelings.

Katarina feels sorry for Cyrus since, as the heroine, Maria is equipped with extreme denseness. When she played Fortune Lover 1, Katarina found it cute that Maria wouldn't realize the capture target's feelings, but in reality, it is so sad.

Katarina: It is hard when the one you love is so dense.

Sora (distant look and sad voice): …Yes, it really is.

The Senpais Arrive to the Department Room

The senpais arrive in the department room.

Nix greets Katarina with "Good job attending the party" with a narcissistic pose. Since Nix is a noble, Katarina asks him if he also attended the party. Lisa replies using her raccoon doll that Nix doesn't get invited to parties since he would bring shame to this family. Nix corrects her: it is because he would charm all the girls there that he doesn't get invited to parties. Katarina thinks it is probably Lisa who is right.

Nix and Lisa go into a banter.

Laura asks Katarina if she was approached by weird people at the party.

Looking at Laura, Katarina can't help wondering where she can find goth-loli clothes that fit her muscular body. She wonders if she makes them herself.

Katarina replies she wasn't. Laura is reassured: she can't help worrying about Katarina since she is so cute. Katarina disagrees with Laura.

Laura usually looks after Katarina and treats her like a younger sister but she has completely turned into a dotting parent.

Laura Makes a Scene

Nathan arrives and tells Laura he wants the report of her mission from the other day by end-of-day since the higher-ups are urging him.

Nathan is said to be the best at paperwork in the Ministry but he has such a terrible sense of direction that he can't go anywhere alone, not even the bathroom. He often works on missions with Laura and the two of them get along well.

Laura remembers the mission where she had to put on a disguise. She panics because she hasn't written a single line yet.

Nathan tells her it is her own fault for not writing it immediately and she must now work hard on it.

Laura protests. People pile work on her since she is competent, so she had no time to write the report. She pretends to wipe tears with her lacy handkerchief.

Nathan's glasses glint. He retorts that Laura didn't have any difficult missions recently. She also happily went to lunch and took tea breaks. In other words, she forgot about the report!

Laura dejectedly admits that Nathan is right. She regrets that Nathan is so smart. While she admits it is her fault, she can't possibly write the report by end-of-day. Writing reports is the one thing she hates. She just can't write the report in a single day.

Katarina would have said "okay" to Laura here but Nathan won't let Laura coax him so easily.

Nathan firmly tells Laura that this won't do. He needs the report by end-of-day because they are already late in submitting it.

Laura gives in. She will steel herself and write the report. But she will need Nathan's help. She clings to Nathan. Nathan tries to tear her off him to go to his seat.

Nathan tells Laura to do it herself because he has work to do. Laura replies that it won't take him much time to write one document. But Nathan would like Laura to learn to write her reports herself instead of always pushing them on him.

Katarina is surprised that Laura always pushes her paperwork on Nathan. No wonder Nathan tells her to do it herself.

Laura desperately begs Nathan. She only asks for this one time! She will treat him to lunch! She will return twice the favor!

Katarina can't bear to see Laura make a scene like this. She asks Nathan to help Laura.

Laura feels moved that Katarina is such a sweet girl concerned for her senpai. She pretends to wipe a tear.

Nathan makes a deep sigh and finally accepts. But just for this time.

Katarina is not surprised that Nathan gave in. Like Laura, he is good at taking care of people.

Laura thanks Nathan and hugs him. Nathan's face twitches.

After watching the whole scene, Nix laughs at the two. Nathan remembers that Nix was also part of the mission and asks him to submit his report by end-of-day too. Nix's face twitches and he pretends to have some work to do outside. Lisa captures him and takes him to his seat.

Katarina realizes again that her senpais all have colorful personalities. But each of them is also competent.

Katarina Talks With Tank Top

It will soon the the start of work, but Raphael aka "The True Department Director", is still not here. Katarina is supposed to have her dark magic training with him but he often cancels it since he is so busy. He has especially been busy dealing with the aftermath of Maria's incident, so she still hasn't resumed her dark magic training with him. As a result, she has been helping Tank Top with deliveries instead.

Tank Top arrives in a yellow tank top. He has a message for Katarina: Raphael will be late but they will have their training, so Katarina should go to the usual room ahead. Katarina worries about Raphael being busy with work even before work hours.

Katarina thanks Tank Top. Then she asks him why he is wearing a yellow tank top today.

Tank Top usually wears a white tank top, so Katarina wonders if he just decided to wear another color for a change. Still, she is expecting a pointless reason like last time, when she asked him why he always wore tank tops.

Tank Top replies that it is his autumn tank top. Katarina is confused. Tank Top explains that the yellow of his tank top is the color of leaves in autumn. It gives an autumn feel. He proudly says that he tries to match his tank tops to the seasons.

Katarina thinks to herself that a tank top doesn't give an autumn feel in the first place. Especially since it has started to become chilly lately. What's more, she doesn't think the color will remind people of autumn. Katarina hesitates to make a retort since Tank Top is so proud of his idea.

Laura discreetly advises Katarina to leave Tank Top alone. He sometimes does this kind of thing depending on his mood but goes back to normal right after. Katarina decides to follow Laura's advice.

Katarina tells Tank Top it is a good idea then leaves.

Katarina has learned something: Tank Top changes the color of his tank top depending on his mood. Again, it is a useless information.

Katarina Reviews Her Dark Magic Notes

Katarina heads to the dark magic training room.

Once there, she sweeps the floor a little since she is bored. But it isn't enough to kill time.

Katarina decides to review her notes on dark magic:

She can summon a dark familiar (Pochi). He can become big.

She can summon a wand (in the form of a skull).

She can summon a clump of darkness. The size can go from a speck to a mandarine.

She can suck up darkness

Katarina adds at the end what she did the other day:

She can summon a huge lump of darkness (in the form of a snake). Using it, she can constrict people.

Her writing is distorted on that line.

When she came to rescue Maria, she made her magic go out of control and used it to constrict the men who harmed Maria. She still clearly remembers the sensation she felt then. She felt cold, and the scene unfolding before her didn't feel real, like she was seeing it through a TV screen. She was fine when she talked about it with Larna and Cyrus right after the incident, but after calming down for a few days, she became scared.

She identified several measures with Larna and Cyrus:

Don't be emotional

Don't accumulate negative emotions

When you absolutely need to use dark magic, be careful

Katarina has every intention to follow them.

Katarina Is Scared of Dark Magic

After remembering the feeling of being completely engulfed, Katarina starts feeling terrified. She can't decisively assert that she will not be engulfed in darkness anymore. Everyone ignores it but her role as the original villainess of this otome game scares her. Maybe she will be engulfed by her fate? If she gets engulfed by that coldness and snowstorm and her current self disappears, what will happen? She didn't think deeply about dark magic before and now it greatly scares her. Will she ever be able to control it properly? What if she gets engulfed by this coldness and hurts someone precious to her…

???: It's okay.

After someone has said this and touched her shoulder, Katarina realizes that her whole body is shaking terribly.

The person touching her shoulder with their warm hand says this with a gentle voice.

???: It's okay… It's okay, so take a slow breath.

As the gentle voice suggested, Katarina takes a slow breath and repeats it several times. She can feel her shaking gradually calm down. When it finally stops, the hand that was on her shoulder softly touches her head and strokes it.

???: You did well. It's alright now.

The gentle grey eyes in front of her are looking at her fondly.

Katarina: Thank you, Raphael.

Raphael's grey eyes look fondly at her again.

Now that Katarina has calmed down, Raphael calmly asks her this:

Raphael: Did you feel scared because of dark magic?

Raphael is looking at Katarina's opened notes and can see the distorted letters she wrote.

Katarina: …The other day, during the incident where Maria was harmed…

Katarina hesitates to tell Raphael about her magic going out of control because she isn't sure that he has been informed about it. Normally, only Larna and Cyrus (and apparently Geordo) know about it. Even Keith doesn't. If Raphael hasn't been informed, she won't be allowed to tell him.

With her face downward, Katarina struggles to say something.

Raphael (gentle voice): I heard from Lady Larna what happened to you during Miss Maria's incident.

After hearing this, Katarina suddenly raises her face. She sees Raphael's gentle face, as gentle as his voice. Katarina's shoulders drop out of relief.

Katarina had fights with people hostile to her many times before, but each time the people around her or Pochi took care of it without her having to do anything. When people told her "Please stop" then, they weren't so injured. But this time, she mercilessly tormented the people shouting "Please stop" at her without any fighting spirit left. If Cezar hadn't stopped her, she could have…

After this, Katarina has not only been scared of dark magic, she has also been scared of "Katarina Claes". That's why she has been afraid that people might be scared of her after hearing this story. She was afraid that people might look at her with fear in her eyes as they would with Katarina Claes in the game.

But Raphael's grey eyes didn't look like that at all.

Raphael gently pats Katarina's shoulders.

Raphael Shares His Experience of Dark Magic

Raphael: The first time I used dark magic was a little after I had become Sirius Dieke. At that time, I only had my mother's vengeance in my mind and I thought I could do anything for it. I had no hesitation in using the dark magic I had obtained. I could also do horrible things that the current me can never consider. Even so, I didn't feel anything. I think I was already engulfed by darkness at that time.

It's the first time Katarina hears about when Raphael used dark magic.

Marchioness Dieke kidnapped both Raphael and his mother, his mother got killed, Sirus Dieke's memory was forcibly put into his head with dark magic, and he was made to become "Sirius Dieke".

But the marchioness's plan didn't work: Raphael didn't become Sirius Dieke, he just became someone possessing Sirius's memory. Because the last memory of his mother was distorted by dark magic, Raphael swore to avenge his mother. He lived on pretending to be Sirius so he could fulfill his vengeance against the marchioness and her marquesal family.

Then during his second year at the academy, Raphael conquered dark magic and recovered the true memory of his mother. Now he is living again as "Raphael Wolt".

It was Raphael himself who told Katarina all of this when he started working at the Ministry, but she didn't hear anything besides it in detail.

Even if Raphael has told his story dispassionately, Katarina doesn't want him to remember any more of these heartbreaking events. There were times before when he talked about it in drops but it is the first time Raphael talks about dark magic anew like this.

Raphael: The me at that time could do things that the current me can never do. There was no sense of reality, as if it wasn't me but another person who was doing these things.

Katarina opens her eyes wide. It is just like what she experienced at that time.

Raphael nods and continues.

Raphael: When I heard what happened to you from Lady Larna, I also remembered what happened to me at that time. When I was engulfed in darkness, it was like it wasn't me, like I was watching the actions of someone else through a glass pane.

Katarina: …Me too, at that time, it was exactly the same feeling. It was like I was watching the actions of someone else. And because it felt like it was someone else doing things, my heart didn't react. Normally, if I saw someone suffering in front of me, I would worry even if it was a stranger, but I didn't. I really didn't feel anything.

Katarina has said this in one go. It is the first time she can clearly speak about what she felt then. It is thanks to Raphael that she can concretely speak about what happened.

Raphael: I see. So it really is the same.

Raphael makes a deep nod.

Raphael: The people who had dark magic used on them were all dazed and often had vague memories. That's why it might apply to the dark magic wielders too: if they get engulfed by darkness, they could also end up in that fuzzy state.

Katarina: …I see.

Katarina thinks about what Raphael has said. If a dark magic wielder gets engulfed in darkness, they could end up affected by dark magic. And even if they hurt people, they won't feel anything.

Katarina: …Dark magic is bad after all. I wonder if I should stop using it.

Katarina remembers Nathan told her before that she might be able to save someone with dark magic. She reviewed her opinion on dark magic at that time but it might be a bad thing after all.

Raphael Shares His Findings About Dark Magic

Raphael: Miss Katarina, you asked me before what the creator of dark magic was thinking. It got me very curious, so I investigated all kinds of things after.

Katarina remembers talking about it with Raphael after her talk with Nathan. But since he never spoke about it afterward, she thought the conversation had ended at this.

Katarina (shyly): And so… Did you learn something after investigating it?

Raphael shakes his head.

Raphael: Nothing definite.

Katarina: I see… Of course. After all, dark magic is a magic that has been concealed.

Dark magic had always been concealed by the royal family until its existence was revealed after the previous king's succession strife. It is not something someone can investigate just because they want to. Katarina knew it but it would have decreased her fear a little if it appeared dark magic was created for people's sake.

Raphael: You're right. The royal family is concealing dark magic, so the literature about it is forbidden literature. However, I know about the existence of dark magic and was using it before. Currently, the royal family understands that I am giving you dark magic training as a member of the Ministry. Given this situation, I could get them to show me the forbidden literature.

Katarina: Eh, really?! So you could see it!

Raphael: Yes, the royal family understands our situation, so if you speak to them I think you will also be able to.

Katarina: I see!

Raphael: But it is written in ancient script, and a very ancient one, so it is very hard to read.

Katarina: …I see (so it might be impossible for me).

Katarina has already a lot of deciphering to do with the Dark Covenant.

Katarina: But if you read it and didn't learn anything, then I won't learn anything either even if I read it.

Katarina feels like there is no point in trying to read the forbidden literature if even Raphael couldn't learn anything from it. Besides, it is not like she needs to investigate it.

Raphael: It is not like I didn't learn anything.

Katarina quickly turns her head towards Raphael.

Raphael (troubled face): I couldn't learn anything definite even after investigating the forbidden literature. They are very old records and there are many fuzzy parts on a number of them, so I can't make any definite conclusion. But I have one hypothesis.

Katarina: A hypothesis?

Raphael: Yes, a hypothesis. It is something I have imagined after reading the records, so it is not definite. It may just be my imagination, but will you still listen to it?

Katarina nods.

Raphael: Then I'll start by talking about the ancient times as I understood it from the forbidden literature.

The history of the Sorcier country started when people with magic powers traveled to this land from far away and settled in it. No one lived in this land and it was not rich at all. These people coming from far away used their magic to make the land rich and developed it. Magic development and research flourished as they improved their quality of life. People brought forth various magic. Before long, they made this land into a country.

The country rapidly prospered with the power of magic. Its wealth caused magic to develop even more. But as the country gradually developed, greedy people from another land gathered and tried to steal its riches. The Sorcier people used their magic to drive the greedy people away but it didn't decrease their numbers. Some even attacked after joining forces with insiders. Since they were invaded, the Sorcier people had no choice but to fight to protect their livelihood. They fought using magic as a weapon.

After they fought to protect their country again and again, the invaders eventually gave up and left. But after the fight, both the rich land and the people living on it were left heavily wounded.

Then a certain magic wielder appeared among them. A powerful magic wielder that brought hope to the wounded land and people. Like a genius, that magic wielder rapidly brought forth new magics and healed the ruined land and the people's wounds. That magic wielder was praised as the pride of the country.

But one day, the magic wielder created a magic they should have never created. This magic stole many lives and dried up the land. Because it was such a dangerous magic, the surviving people were kept silent and the magic wielder was confined until their death.

Following this incident, magic research became taboo and magic declined. Eventually, people without magic power from nearby regions came to live in numbers in this country, so the number of magic wielders decreased and their magic power weakened.

Raphael: Did you listen from start to end?

Katarina: Yes. I think I learned in history class the beginning part and how magic wielders decreased and magic power weakened. But the parts about the conflict and the magic wielder, it's the first time I've heard them.

Raphael: It is the same for me. It was the first time I learned about such a conflict happening and about that genius magic wielder born after. And I think the dangerous magic that the magic wielder brought forth is most likely dark magic.

Katarina gulps and waits for Raphael to continue.

Raphael: And then, I thoroughly searched if there wasn't any other document mentioning this magic wielder. When I did, I found a similar story. It was written as a tale.

That person had strong healing magic. They healed the withered land and the people's wounds and turned back things to how they were. But they couldn't heal the people's hearts wounded by the fights.

The gentle person worried about it and before long, they brought forth a new magic to help the people suffering from their wounded hearts. With that magic, they could heal the wounds in people's hearts. They created a tool where they infused their magic. Then they healed the hearts of many more people. Thanks to this person, everyone could be happy.

But to get hold of that person, the greedy people stole someone precious to them. The person grieved after losing that precious person and their healing magic became tainted with evil.

Raphael: This was inside the tale book. It was a story written in an inconspicuous and hard-to-understand way as if it hid something. At a glance, It didn't seem related to the story I told you before, but after investigating more, it was written in a similar era and the situation was also very similar. In the other literature, the "magic wielder" created an evil magic and was made evil. But this tale was different. "Magic wielder" wasn't written in it, as if to hide them inconspicuously. Maybe someone who loved the "magic wielder" secretly left this tale behind to clear the name of the "magic wielder". That's what I thought.

Katarina: In other words, the magic wielder who created dark magic created it to heal people's hearts? But dark magic power is created by feeding on people's lives. Isn't it wrong to steal people's lives for healing?

Raphael: That's true, but I wonder if it isn't a misunderstanding in the first place to think that dark magic power necessarily requires people's lives. I could use dark magic with the magic power of another person, and you too Miss Katarina, because you obtained a dark familiar, you didn't steal someone's life.

Katarina: That's true now that I think about it.

Raphael: Besides, the old documents among the forbidden literature didn't mention that part. I could see "the person's life is used as a vector" in the recent ones, but it is possible that it was different in the beginning.

Katarina: …I see.

Raphael: In other words, it is possible that the original dark magic was created without stealing lives and that it was meant to heal people's hearts.

Katarina: But now it is completely different.

The current dark magic is a bad thing that steals people's lives and manipulates the people on whom it is used.

Raphael: That's right. At first, the original magic was something that healed people. It was working but it went out of control.

Katarina: It went out of control?

Raphael: When I heard your magic went out of control the other day, I remembered the sentence, "The person grieved after losing that precious person and their healing magic became tainted with evil." I wonder if the "magic wielder" lost control of their magic after losing someone precious.

Katarina recalls what happened during Maria's incident. After Maria, Maria's mother, and Cezar were harmed, "something cold" appeared deep inside her and engulfed her, and then she doesn't know what happened to her. What if the "magic wielder" was also engulfed by that thing, lost control of their magic and stole the lives of many people as a result… Katarina can't help feeling concerned, so she feels scared and incredibly sad about it.

The "magic wielder" healed the people wounded by the conflict and brought forth a new magic because they also wanted to heal their hearts. They probably was a gentle person. Even so, after losing someone precious, they lost control of their power and stole many lives as a result. Then they were imprisoned their whole life as a criminal. If it was true, they must have felt incredibly hurt.

Katarina clenches her hand in front of her chest.

Raphael: Sorry, I didn't mean to make you sad.

Raphael continues.

Raphael: What I wanted to tell you is that it may be anger that causes dark magic to go out of control and thus engulf you.

Katarina: Anger? Come to think of it, Lady Larna also said this when I talked to her.

Katarina remembers that Larna and Cyrus also said the same thing.

Raphael: That's how it seems. Hearing this, I remembered how it was with me, and me too, when I felt strong anger because of what happened to my mother, I felt like my consciousness was strange. And after recalling this, I thought it was possible that dark magic might grow with anger, maybe also with sadness or other negative emotion, and go out of control whether you're used to it or not.

Katarina: It will go out of control even if you're used to it?

Katarina thought it would be like with the other magic: if you use it well then it won't go out of control. But dark magic seems different.

Raphael: Considering what happened to the "magic wielder", I think it is very likely.

Katarina: Then as long as I use dark magic, I will always have to be afraid it might go out of control? In that case, I don't want to use it anymore.

Katarina doesn't want to feel that scary feeling anymore.

Raphael: That's true. But conversely, if you use dark magic when you're not angry, cancel it when you're getting angry and don't use it when you're feeling angry, if you can respect these conditions, then it won't go out of control.

Katarina: "not feeling angry", "cancel it"... I wonder if I can do this.

Katarina remembers that at that time, it was because she was overcome with anger that she used dark magic in the first place. She wonders if she can stop her anger herself.

Raphael: It isn't such an easy thing, is it?

Raphael makes a little troubled face.

Raphael: To be honest, when we were at the academy, I tried to manipulate you with dark magic, but I couldn't. At that time, you didn't have anything like anger or jealousy in you.

Katarina is surprised.

Katarina: Oh, you did? But the other day, it was because I felt incredibly angry that I was engulfed in darkness. I can have anger in me.

Raphael: That's true, but it was because Miss Maria and the others could get harmed that you got angry, right?

Katarina: Yes, that's right.

Katarina can't forget how her anger burst out from inside her body at that time.

Raphael: Miss Katarina, back at the academy, when you were about to fall into disgrace, you didn't get angry. But when the people precious to you are harmed, you get angry. Your anger is not something you feel for yourself but for someone. That's why you felt so angry the other day that you got engulfed in dark magic.

Katarina remembers that when she was about to be doomed at the condemnation event, she was scared about what would happened to her but she didn't feel anger erupting. To begin with, she believed at that time that she was the only one in danger and that the others would be fine. That's why she didn't feel anger.

But after learning that Raphael went through painful events, that Keith was kidnapped and harmed, and that Maria was harmed, she felt strong anger. Now that this feeling has sprouted in her, she doesn't think she can make it disappear. After all, even now, she can't forgive the dark organization who did cruel things to the people precious to her.

Katarina: Hmm… I can't forgive anyone hurting the people precious to me. That's why I can't forgive the dark organization. If those people do something to my precious people again, I think I will get extremely angry.

Katarina knows she must not get angry so she won't be engulfed in dark magic. But she has no confidence she can remain calm if something similar happen again.

Raphael: Well, you are this kind of person. Besides, it is not simple to hold back your anger. But since you get angry for people's sake, can't you go back to your senses if you recall them?

Katarina: Recall them?

Raphael: If you remain engulfed in darkness and out of control, the one you tried to protect will get even more hurt. That time too, if you hadn't come to your senses, Miss Maria whom you had finally saved would have gotten even more hurt.

This renders Katarina speechless. She wonders how much she would have hurt Maria is she had remained engulfed in darkness. She didn't thought so far.

Raphael: If you ever use dark magic while overcome with anger, recall the people precious to you right away.

Katarina remembers Larna told her the exact same thing.

Katarina: Ah!

Katarina realizes her last exchanges with Raphael have been the same as the ones she had with Larna after the incident. She wonders how she could forget about it.

Raphael: What's wrong?

Katarina: No, I just remembered Lady Larna told me the same thing.

Raphael: I see, so Lady Larna thought the same thing.

Raphael shows mixed feelings but smiles.

Katarina takes from this conversation that she will be fine if she remembers her precious people when she uses dark magic. Rather than keeping in mind that she doesn't want to hurt her friends, she prefers to remember that she wants to use her magic to protect them. That way, she feels like she will be able to think a little more positively of dark magic.

Raphael gives her a gentle look.

Raphael: And so, to come back to the original discussion, the hypothesis I could finally make after reading the forbidden literature is: "Dark magic was at the beginning something meant to help people, just like you said. It actually was a gentle magic meant to heal people and not a bad thing in the slightest."

Raphael makes a pause, then continues.

Raphael: Also, I've always thought this during the training but the dark magic you use is somewhat different from that sordid thing I was using. It gives off some kind of gentle feeling. Then I thought this after finding that story in the forbidden literature: your dark magic is not an evil thing and might be the original gentle magic that healed people.

Katarina (mutters): …gentle magic.

Raphael: In short, I just wanted to tell you that you're fine. Sorry it took so long.

Raphael pats Katarina's head.

Until earlier, Katarina didn't want to use dark magic anymore but thanks to the gentle Raphael, she feels like she can do her best a little more.

Raphael pats her head for a little while, then they do their usual dark magic training.

Once the training was over, the fear and the anxiety that Katarina felt greatly decreased.

#hamefura light novel #hamefura #my next life as a villainess: all routes leads to doom #katarina claes #larna smith #sora smith #nix cornish #lisa norman #laura hamefura #nathan hart #tank top hamefura #raphael wolt

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