Ramu, terrified out of his wits, jumped backward with a scream.
"ARRRGHHHHH—!!"
He staggered back in panic, his body trembling violently, his face deathly pale.
But when he opened his eyes again—
Everything was normal.
The ritual hall was the same.
The symbols on the floor were unchanged.
There was no shadow. No monster. No crimson eyes.
"Hah… hah… hah…"
Ramu stood there awkwardly, breathing heavily.
"…Ah."
He slowly realized everyone was staring at him.
He coughed dryly and straightened his robe.
Fear still clung to him, leaving him silent as he struggled to process the terrifying thing that had just happene
David glanced at him.
That was… weird. Was something wrong? he thought.
He then shot a sharp look at Al, but there was nothing strange about Al's body at all.
No abnormal aura. No reaction. Nothing.
Then why had Ramu reacted like that?
He had looked like someone who had just seen… the Angel of Death.
Edward and Sandra were just as confused. Ramu had suddenly screamed and jumped back without warning.
Instinctively, they wanted to step closer—but unsure whether the ritual had truly ended, they chose to remain silent, staying within their magic circles.
Only Aurielle, Sarah, and Dedy approached.
"What happened, Ramu?" Aurielle asked. "Why did you suddenly scream like that?"
"Don't tell me his misfortune can't be cured?" Sarah added, frowning.
Dedy said nothing. He simply reached out and helped Ramu steady himself.
Ramu didn't know how to respond.
He himself was confused about what had just happened.
What was that just now? That massive being… from that kid's body? Was I hallucinating? he wondered.
He swallowed hard, forcing himself to calm down.
But one thing is certain… that child is overflowing with bad luck.
I didn't even know a person like that could exist. And now… my body is filled with it.
I need to tell Father about this phenomenon. I need him to purge all this bad luck immediately.
He let out a slow breath and was about to speak—
When Al's voice came first.
"Hey—what's going on?" Al complained. "Why are you just standing there? Is the ritual finished or not? My legs are starting to go numb."
Ramu, still shaken by lingering fear, could only respond awkwardly, almost resigned.
For him, finishing this ritual and reporting everything to his father was now the top priority.
"Ah… y-yes. Yes," he replied. "The ritual is finished."
He then moved closer in slight haste.
"Please step aside. I'll take care of the rest."
With that, he quickly began packing up all the ritual tools.
Al watched him lazily, a faint sense of amusement bubbling in his heart.
A shaman who can manipulate luck…
That's extremely rare. I didn't expect to encounter someone like that here. A type of magic that's almost impossible to pull off.
But—Hehe… enjoy all that bad luck.
Just pray it doesn't turn you into a cursed human like me.
David walked over to Ramu, who was hurriedly packing up the ritual tools.
When he got close, he greeted him lightly.
"Brother Ram—"
"Huaaah!" Ramu jolted in shock once again, nearly slipping on the still-damp floor.
David reacted instantly, reaching out to steady him.
"Careful, Brother Ramu," he said, catching him. "Did I startle you?"
When Ramu realized it was David, he finally let out a long sigh of relief.
"Huff… it's you, David," he said awkwardly. "Sorry. I'm a bit… exhausted from the ritual earlier. I'm not very focused right now."
His gaze flickered briefly toward Al—then he quickly looked away.
The image of that terrifying figure resurfaced in his mind every time he looked at Al.
What was worse was that he could clearly feel it now—his body had become clumsier than usual.
Which meant only one thing.
His luck had already been affected by the bad luck he had absorbed.
David simply nodded.
He quietly analyzed the flow of energy within Ramu, but didn't sense anything strange—aside from his energy reserves being noticeably depleted.
Hmm… he really does look exhausted, David thought.
Absorbing luck from a child with great destiny must consume a tremendous amount of energy.
By then, Edward and Sandra had also walked over.
"You really look worn out, Ramu," Edward said. "Is it because Al is already seventeen? Does that make the ritual heavier?"
"Yes, Your face is so pale." Sandra added. "By the way… how did the ritual go? Was it successful?"
Ramu looked at them and nodded.
"A baby's body is much smaller, so it requires far less energy compared to an adult's," he explained.
"And… everything went smoothly. You can consider him purified," he added.
Edward and Sandra visibly relaxed upon hearing that.
"That's good to hear," Edward said. "Then stay for dinner. It's almost dinner time—you should at least eat before heading back."
"Yes," Sandra added quickly. "You've worked so hard. Please, at least join us."
Ramu stiffened almost imperceptibly.
"I—" He paused, then forced a polite smile. "I appreciate the offer, truly. But I'm afraid I can't. I have something urgent to take care of tonight."
"Urgent?" Edward frowned slightly. "Can't it wait until tomorrow?"
Ramu shook his head, a bit too quickly. "No… it really can't."
Edward understood.
Whether Ramu truly had other matters to attend to or not, the fact that he already looked utterly exhausted was explanation enough.
It was clear he should leave and rest.
They exchanged farewells, and David escorted him outside.
As Ramu turned to leave, his foot slipped on the still-damp floor.
"—!"
This time, David didn't react fast enough.
Fortunately, Ramu managed to catch himself against the wall—but his foot clipped a small decorative vase. It crashed to the floor and shattered loudly.
"Oh—no… the vase… I'm sorry. I'll replace it," Ramu said hastily.
"Ah… there's no need," David replied.
"Yes, no need Ramu, it's just a vase." Edward added. "Hmph... You really look exhausted. Don't worry about it—go home and get some rest."
Normally, Ramu would have expressed his gratitude properly. But this time, he felt an overwhelming urge to leave as soon as possible. He bowed once.
"Thank you for your consideration. Please excuse me."
Edward and Sandra could only watch as Ramu hurried away, his steps unsteady, his figure disappearing far quicker than expected.
Al, already dressed again, watched the scene with an amused look. He almost laughed—but held it in.
That wasn't even one percent of my bad luck. If you'd absorbed any more, a simple slip like that might've killed you, he thought with a faint grin.
But his thoughts were interrupted when Edward called out,
"Al. Come with us to the dining room. It's already gotten a bit late because of your ritual. It's time for dinner."
"Oh? Dinner?" Al muttered cheerfully. "Finally, something positive happens to me."
He answered aloud, "Alright, Father," and followed them toward the dining room.
---
Outside, the night air felt heavier than usual.
As Ramu reached his car, the key slipped from his fingers and dropped straight into a puddle.
"…Tch," he muttered irritably.
"Hm? This place is usually fine," David said, glancing down.
"There's suddenly a puddle here, even though the rain this afternoon wasn't that heavy. That's strange," he added.
For some reason, hearing David say that made Ramu feel like he was being mocked.
"Haha… yeah… you're right," Ramu let out a strained laugh. "Pretty strange, isn't it?"
He knew exactly why.
It was the bad luck he'd absorbed.
Regret churned heavily in his chest.
David could only give an awkward laugh at Ramu's reaction.
"Oh, right… how did it go?" he asked. "You've been acting kind of weird since earlier."
Ramu straightened up after finally retrieving his car key, then let out a deep sigh.
"That kid…" He paused, unsure how to even begin explaining it.
"Huff… I should talk to father first before explaining anything to you," he said at last.
"...There's something strange about that boy. Something I don't even understand myself," he added.
"Hm?" David frowned. "What kind of thing would make you this uneasy? He's just an ordinary kid with no magical energy at all."
Ramu shook his head.
"That's exactly what makes it even stranger."
He reached out and lightly patted David on the shoulder.
"For now, just listen to me," he said quietly. "Be careful around that kid. If possible, keep your distance. You can mess with him subtly if you want—but don't go any further than that."
David felt uneasy about the warning, but he nodded anyway. He understood that even if he pressed for answers, Ramu wouldn't be able to explain properly.
By the time Ramu finally got into the car and shut the door, his breathing was uneven.
David stood outside and tried to send him off lightly.
"You look like you're in a real hurry, brother," he said. "Can't wait to enjoy your harvest of luck? You must've gotten a lot this time, right?"
Instead of reacting the way David expected, Ramu snapped his head toward him, teeth grinding, his brow tightly furrowed.
"Luck my ass!" he snapped.
The engine roared, and the car sped off instantly.
David could only stand there, dumbfounded.
Then, slowly, a faint smile curled at the corner of his lips.
For someone who's nothing more than an energy reserve for me, you're pretty arrogant, he thought.
Heh… enjoy whatever you got while you can—before I come to claim it.
With that, he turned and headed back inside to join the family for dinner.
Meanwhile, Ramu leaned back in the driver's seat, staring blankly at the road ahead—his mind drifting elsewhere.
That thing…
That presence…
His hands tightened around the steering wheel.
What did I see back there? A hallucination?
And that boy… that much bad luck shouldn't even be possible. Anyone else would've died long ago. And yet… he's alive.
Ramu swallowed hard.
I absorbed it… far too much of it.
Just thinking about it made his chest feel tight.
I hope Father can deal with all this bad luck inside my body.
CRASHH!!
Lost in thought, he nearly slammed into another car on the road. He stomped on the brakes just in time.
The other driver got out, shouting angrily.
Ramu could only curse his own misfortune, slamming his fist against the steering wheel.
"Arghhh!"
---