Author: 冬瓜茶仙人 / Winter Melon Tea Immortal
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 11
Transformation magic wasn’t impossible to achieve, but its principles were very complex. Not only could terrifying accidents occur during the process, but it also involved evil motives and ethical issues, making it taboo in every continent and country. A rule-abiding mage might never come across such information in their entire life.
Charlie casually added a log to the fire. The flames reflected in his large, round eyes, showing no discernible emotion.
“It doesn’t necessarily require proper magic. A curse can also accomplish it,” he said softly.
Shivers fell silent.
Mages capable of such advanced magic were very rare, but the scope became much broader if it involved a curse.
Everyone knew that there was a significant difference between magic and curses—regardless of the type of magic, it all originated from the mage’s own magical power, hence the system of classifying mages based on talent and the amount of magical power.
However, the threshold for curses was somewhat lower. Although they also required a certain amount of magical power, curses often involved various evil forces, and the results depended on whose power was being utilized—having a demon from the abyss or a lost spirit perform the same curse could lead to vastly different outcomes.
“When I met Columbus, he had already been in this form for thirty years. He was very young when it happened, and he has forgotten many details since then. I hope you won’t ask him directly. Even though he’s generally cheerful, he’s always lacked a sense of security.”
Everyone was surprised.
“I thought he was a child?” Shivers said hesitantly.
Perhaps it was his cute and amusing appearance that first gave off an impression of childlike innocence, plus his personality was exceptionally lively—honestly, a bit too lively, like an energetic little locomotive.
“The last day he lived as a human was on his fifteenth birthday,” the rabbit-headed shopkeeper said, staring into the jumping flames. “Strictly speaking, he was still a child, just like other kids his age, always running around getting into trouble, never full, lying in bed each night looking forward to what breakfast would be the next day.”
Then, this vivid and full life abruptly ended, and Columbus’ soul was placed into this colorful, cold tin soldier shell, with time forever stopped on that hot summer afternoon many years ago.
“What exactly happened?” Eugene couldn’t help asking.
“That’s something you might have to ask your old friend,” the shopkeeper said with a wry smile.
Eugene looked puzzled.
“The witch, Elena,” Dwight said softly.
“A tin soldier’s body doesn’t feel pain or age, but the wear on Columbus’ soul is more apparent with each passing year, and his memories are gradually fading,” Charlie said. “He doesn’t remember much about the past, including the reason he became a tin soldier.”
The Duke looked at him. “How did you meet him?”
Charlie’s long ears twitched. The other’s keen, almost inhumane way of thinking was what he was least adept at handling.
He thought for a moment and said slowly, “My meeting with Columbus was purely accidental. If you’re asking how I know Columbus, you might as well ask…”
Charlie paused, casting a mischievous glance at the fully attentive Eugene. “How I know Elena.”
Eugene, who had been drinking onion soup, spilled it all over the front of his shirt. Shivers, shocked, instinctively placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
The rabbit-headed shopkeeper raised his hands innocently. “Calm down. I never said Elena and I were friends.”
Dwight sized him up, his tone eerie and eager, as if about to explore a new toy. “I think I’m starting to understand what’s going on with your head.”
Charlie coughed uncomfortably.
“At that time, I was also fifteen, handsome, dashing, and elegant,” the shopkeeper reminisced with emotion. “Attractive and intelligent. I entered Monterey Academy at eleven—don’t make that face. It’s a very, very famous school on the Doran continent. Many historical figures came from there.”
“I think what everyone’s questioning is the ‘attractive and intelligent’ part,” Dwight drawled.
Charlie ignored him and continued, “Because I was so outstanding, every teacher wanted to personally instruct me, so I was the only student that year who chose all the courses—a truly remarkable record that I think has not been broken to this day… The point is, this of course included magic classes.”
While there weren’t many qualified mages on the market, the threshold for studying magic was actually lower than most people think.
Magic wasn’t just the well-known skills of transformation, flying, or summoning various weather effects, which were visually stunning. It also included many minor branches like hypnosis, concocting magic potions, prophecy—including magical theory as a part of the magic curriculum.
In reality, humans were born with a basic aptitude for magic, but for most, this talent was so slight that it was almost negligible, and they never had the opportunity to systematically explore and learn it. That was the real difference between mages and ordinary people.
Regardless, magic sounded very cool—who didn’t want to command the elements or fly?
So when various schools first offered magic courses, nearly 100% of students enrolled.
However, after generations of testing, most students eventually realized that some could command crows without even opening a textbook, while others could study magic textbooks for years and only manage to make a feather quill struggle to turn over on a desk. People gradually accepted the fact that talent couldn’t be forced and made rational career choices.
But young Charlie wasn’t driven by a desire to become a powerful mage who could summon storms. He was simply curious about all subjects. To him, even if he couldn’t make his mark in this area, studying magical theory and history was quite interesting.
“Elena and I are different. She was very talented and had clear goals early on. In fact, she was one of the students our teachers had great hopes for,” Charlie said. “She enrolled when I was fifteen and was quickly attracted by my charming demeanor, expressing her affection for me fervently, even after I graduated. Because I consistently rejected her, she turned her love into hatred and turned me into a rabbit-headed being.”
He concluded briskly, “That’s the history between me and the witch Elena.”
Everyone: “……”
“Forgive my bluntness, but that curse seems quite extraordinary.” Shivers hesitated. “If she was going to curse you, why not turn you into a complete rabbit?”
He logically skipped over the part about unrequited love, as Charlie seemed very eager to continue elaborating on his romantic adventures.
“Because she liked me too much,” Charlie stated decisively. “Thus, at the last moment of cursing me, she was still pleading with me, saying if I would be with her, she would lift the curse. Such a vicious spell requires firm belief and strong willpower to be fully successful, but unfortunately, she couldn’t help but waver when she saw my handsome face, so the curse was only half-completed.”
The group fell silent again.
Although everyone was eager to know more about the reasons and details, they tacitly chose not to give him the stage anymore.
At this point, however, the rabbit-headed man was visibly excited.
“Actually, Elena hasn’t completely forgotten about me to this day. Whenever I appear within her sight, she chases me relentlessly. This kind of life is really too burdensome, which is why I left Doran to escape from her.”
“I heard Elena is a seductive beauty who was once a mistress to a king.” Dwight pondered. “Why did you always refuse her?”
Charlie replied righteously, “The first time she confessed to me, she was only twelve years old, not even developed yet. As for later…”
He suddenly paused.
What happened later?
Honestly, Charlie realized at that moment that his memory of the past was also a bit vague.
Why had he never felt any affection for Elena from the beginning to the end? He barely remembered Elena before she became a witch, when she was still properly dressed in a school uniform, holding textbooks, because by the time they became enemies, Elena’s radical actions had left a much deeper impression on him than her face.
“Would you fall in love with a woman who could turn you into a rabbit at any time?” he retorted. “Elena is a genius and willing to put in the effort, but she was tempted in her pursuit of excellence and strayed from the right path. She had the potential to become a great mage but chose a path filled with thorns instead.”
What Charlie left unsaid was that Elena had paid a price beyond most people’s imagination to obtain the powers of a witch. Many people thought that selling one’s soul was a simple and effortless act, but in reality, the more evil power one gained, the more terrifying and painful experiences one endured. And the most terrifying part was that there was no turning back from corruption; once you lightly hooked a finger with a demon extending from the darkness, you could never let go again.
“I graduated a few years before her, and during that time I traveled around. When I met her again, she had already become the heir to some evil power. She had inherited powerful forces, hatred, and a castle not meant for her. Columbus came from there.”
“Our mutual mentor once investigated where Elena was led astray. He believed the power she obtained came from an evil queen in history. Legend has it this queen committed countless atrocities to achieve immortality, building her dominion with human blood, and after her death, her powers and spirit lingered in something that wouldn’t fade away. Some speculate she managed to separate her spirit from her human shell, becoming a malevolent spirit, or in layman’s terms, a demon. This queen continuously seeks an heir among humans, continuing her wickedness through a shared soul. Columbus was probably a ‘creation’ of Elena’s previous heir.”
Finally tired from talking, Charlie stretched out his long legs as the night unknowingly fell. Outside the church was very quiet. Once they stopped talking, the only sound was the crackling of burning wood, making it hard not to feel sleepy.
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