After calming Laneige down, telling her that I hadn’t ignored her messages but simply slept through them, I headed straight for Professor Bastion’s laboratory. It had been a while since I last visited, and to my surprise, the place looked completely different.

I couldn’t help but exclaim, “Hm?”

What used to resemble a rundown ruin now looked like the entrance to a stylish cafe, clean and neatly arranged. However, Professor Bastion wasn’t the type to do this sort of thing. Tilting my head, I pushed open the door and immediately understood why the place had changed so much.

“Senior Sophia?” I said.

“Oh? What are you doing here?”

“That’s exactly what I was going to ask you.”

Why in the world is Senior Sophia in Professor Bastion’s lab? I wondered.

“I’ve been helping him with his research lately,” she answered.

“Ah.”

Now that she mentioned it, she had said something before about wanting to help him with his work.

“Is this about the Artificial Soul Stigmata research?” I asked.

“No, not that one. That project still needs more time.” Senior Sophia lowered her voice slightly. “For now, we’re working on more general magic studies, not necessarily tied to soul stigmatas.”

“Any results so far?”

She fiddled with her short red hair and turned her gaze aside, her voice hesitant. “Well, kind of?”

But since it was Senior Sophia of all people saying “kind of,” it almost certainly meant the results were promising. The descendant of the Great Sage and a future Archmage, just imagining the synergy between those two brought a grin to my face.

While I was chatting casually with Senior Sophia, the door flung open. Berald came trudging out from inside the lab, carrying a mountain of boxes on his back. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

“Eh? Brother Dale! What brings you here?” he asked.

Right behind him, Professor Bastion rushed out in a panic. “B-Berald! Those are valuable research samples!”

“Hahaha! Don’t worry, Professor! My Levitation spell will keep them perfectly safe!” Berald replied.

Berald tossed the boxes lightly into the air, catching them again as if juggling. The papers and tools inside floated up in a swirling spiral, then dropped neatly back inside like a magic trick.

Professor Bastion let out a heartbroken cry. “M-my research materials!”

Berald just laughed heartily.

“Oh, Berald’s been helping with the research too,” Senior Sophia added.

“Are you sure he’s helping?” I asked.

Judging from the professor’s horrified face, it looked a lot more like torturing than helping.

But, at least, they all seemed to be getting along. After that bizarre date between Berald and Senior Sophia, I had been a bit worried about how things were going between them, but thankfully, they didn’t seem distant. If only Berald’s twisted taste in women could be fixed somehow. But that was well beyond my control. All I could do was wish Senior Sophia the best of luck.

Adjusting his glasses, Professor Bastion said, “Anyway, Dale, what brings you here today?”

“I came to ask for your help with something,” I asked.

He tilted his head. “A favor? What kind?”

“Is there any way to prevent a Blessing from awakening?”

Once a Blessing had awakened, there was no way to erase it, but maybe it could be stopped before then.

Professor Bastion crossed his arms, thinking deeply. He finally shook his head and said, “I’m afraid that’s impossible. The conditions for a Blessing’s awakening are far too variable. Some heroes awaken their Blessing at the brink of death, while others do so in the middle of a casual walk.”

“I know that much.”

“A dormant Blessing is like a seed buried in the ground. Unless you dig up and disturb the soil, that is, the soul stigmata itself, you can’t truly prevent it from sprouting.”

In other words, to stop Laneige’s Blessing of Frost, I would have to damage her stigma directly. That was no different from killing her. A hero’s soul stigmata wasn’t just a vessel for mana; it was an integral part of their being, connected to both body and soul. Tampering with it recklessly could cause devastating side effects. That was why things like soul stigmata replacement techniques were banned in the first place.

In my previous life, Yuren had suffered only minor physical changes as a result of that, but many others ended up crippled for life. There was no way I would risk turning Laneige into a cripple, not after finally saving her.

Professor Bastion continued, “However, suppressing it to some extent is possible.”

“Suppressing it? Really?”

He nodded. “Statistically speaking, most heroes awaken their Blessing under emotional extremes or life-threatening conditions. Awakening it out of nowhere is exceedingly rare.”

“That’s true.”

Even I had awakened my Blessing during a demon attack, and Yurina’s came when she finally escaped the oppressive shadow of the sun.

Professor Bastion continued, “If we can induce a stabilizing effect, something like a sedative for the soul stigmata, it should minimize spontaneous awakening.”

“When can you make it?”

“It won’t take long. All it needs is a formula that keeps the soul stigmata’s mana flow steady.”

“Please, then. I’m counting on you.”

“Fufu. How could I refuse a request from you, Dale?”

Professor Bastion disappeared into his lab and started working on it. Before long, he returned holding a small vial filled with a faintly glowing liquid. “This should do it. The effect will last about two weeks.”

“Two weeks? So, she’ll need another dose after that?”

“Yes. Come back when it wears off, and I’ll make more.”

Having to renew it every two weeks was a bit troublesome, but if it could prevent Laneige from awakening the Blessing of Frost, that was a small price to pay.

I politely bowed. “Thank you, Professor.”

Then, I left the laboratory, clutching the vial carefully in my hand.

***

I called Laneige out to an open field on the outskirts of campus. The moment she got my message, she came running, panting so hard it looked like she had sprinted the whole way.

“H-hey! You called me?” she said.

“You didn’t have to run here, you know,” I replied.

“Hehe. Well, since you called me...” Laneige smiled shyly and sat down on a bench. “So, w-what is it?”

She gripped the hem of her skirt nervously, her eyes darting around. “If this is about, um, yesterday, I’m sorry! I won’t bother you again, I promise!”

“It’s not about that.”

“T-then what is it?”

I handed her the small glass vial Professor Bastion had given me. “Here, take this.”

Laneige tilted her head, peering curiously at the faintly glowing blue liquid inside. “What’s this?”

I had already prepared an excuse while waiting for her. “You’re not exactly in the best shape physically, right?”

“Y-yeah. Sorry.”

“No need to apologize. I just brought you a tonic, something good for your body.”

Her eyes went round. “A... tonic?”

“It’s nothing fancy. Just think of it like vitamins. Drink it whenever you feel tired.”

“Dale...” Her eyes glistened as she clasped the little glass bottle with both hands. “Thank you. I’ve never gotten a gift like this from anyone before.”

Sniffling, she hugged the vial to her chest as if it were some kind of treasure. Watching her cry from happiness made guilt prick at my chest.

Technically, it was good for her body. The Soul Stigmata Stabilizer not only suppressed the awakening of a Blessing but also smoothed the flow of mana, making it easier to control. It wasn’t a big deal if she didn’t take it, but it was definitely helpful. It was basically a magical vitamin.

“I’ll treasure this until the day I die!” she said.

“No.”

Please drink it, not enshrine it.

“B-but it feels like such a waste...”

“I’ll get you another one later. Just drink it.”

“Ugh!” she groaned.

Looking reluctant, Laneige finally raised the vial and gulped it down.

I watched her anxiously and asked, “How does it feel?”

She licked her lips, her eyes half-closed in bliss. “It feels like... Your essence is spreading inside my body.”

“What?”

Where the hell did that come from? I thought.

She replied, “Hehe, kidding! Um, I don’t know exactly, but it feels calming. Peaceful, even.”

Thank goodness, the Soul Stigmata Stabilizer seemed to be working. At least, I had set up some kind of safety measure. While it wasn’t a perfect guarantee against the awakening of the Blessing of Frost, even reducing the risk was better than nothing.

She then glanced sideways at me. “By the way, Dale, have you eaten lunch yet?”

“Not yet.”

She leaned in with hopeful eyes. “T-then, um, do you want to eat together? I-I’ll pay!”

I couldn’t help but smile and shake my head.

Laneige froze. Her shoulders trembled as if she had just committed some terrible sin. “S-sorry! I shouldn’t have been so forward! Please don’t be mad! I won’t do it again!”

I sighed softly. “No, that’s not it. I mean, I’ll pay.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll buy lunch.”

Laneige probably lived off the small stipend the academy gave her, so letting her pay didn’t feel right.

Her eyes widened. “Oh!”

Tears welled up in her eyes again. “Thank you!”

“It’s nothing. So, what do you want to eat?” I asked.

“I-I’ll eat anything! If it’s from you, I could even eat dog food!”

“No.”

Please, let’s not eat dog food for lunch.

“Let’s just go to the cadet cafeteria and decide there,” I said.

She stiffened like a caveman seeing fire for the first time. “The cadet cafeteria?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Uh, nothing. I just... have never been there before.”

“What?”

Never been to the cadet cafeteria?

“Then how do you usually eat?” I asked.

“I buy bread from the campus store and eat it in the, um, bathroom.”

This won’t do, I thought.

“We’re going to the main building’s cafeteria,” I said.

“T-the main building’s cafeteria? But that place is super expensive!”

“I’m paying. Don’t worry about it.”

When I thought about how Laneige crouched alone in a bathroom stall for years, eating bread by herself, I couldn’t bear it. She deserved at least one proper meal in the nice and warm main building’s cafeteria.

She looked hesitant. “B-but...”

I gently took her by the hand. “It’s fine.”

I led her toward the main building. We were almost there when two familiar voices called out to me.

“Oh my, Dale? What brings you to the main cafeteria?”

“Wait, doesn’t Dale eat at only the annex cafeteria?”

Iris and Yurina had spotted me, both approaching with bright smiles. However, I knew their smiles wouldn't last long.

“Huh?”

“Dale? Who’s the girl next to you?”

Yup, I was right. Their bright smiles were nowhere to be seen now.