Magic Academy Bans Harem

Chapter 330 Curse and Blessing

In the memories, Charlotte and Ritas's ages don't seem to have changed much from their fairy tale counterparts. So, they're probably from around the same period.

Perhaps due to some kind of self-filtering effect, the Xia Luoluo in the memory appears significantly cuter than her more objective image. However, both the Bathing Goddess and Millie tacitly refrained from discussing this matter.

What's wrong with girls wanting to be cute?
"Your tree-climbing speed has improved quite a bit."

Under the fruit tree, Ritas, holding a thick book in his hand, looked up at Charlotte, who was leaping up the treetop like a monkey, and gave her a very objective evaluation.

"That's right! If you don't climb faster, won't you just run away like before?"

"It's not that I'm deliberately running away, it's just that I have no reason to stay. Besides, perhaps you could use this energy in something more worthwhile."

"Stop talking nonsense and stand still!"

Perhaps thinking that moving targets were difficult to aim at, Charlotte gave the order again.

However, knowing that the other party was going to throw fruit from the tree at him, Ritas was naturally not going to be stupid enough to just stand still.

As Ritas turned and walked away as usual, Charlotte in the tree began to get anxious.

It was at this moment that an accident occurred, one that is hard to describe as either unfortunate or inevitable.

As the branch where Xia Luoluo was standing broke at the end, Xia Luoluo fell from the tree.

Her location, in terms of the building, is roughly two stories high, which is a height that seems acceptable but could actually cause very serious consequences.

As Xia Luoluo predictably fell, Ritas, who hadn't gone far, instinctively let out a helpless sigh.
boom!
In the end, Xia Luoluo, who was terrified and turned pale, found that she was not seriously injured.

However, Ritas, who was pinned beneath her, was clutching his arm and curled up in pain.

The images in my memory began to change.

In an indoor room whose owner was unknown, in addition to Charlotte and Ritas, Roland also appeared.

Judging from the timeline, it shouldn't have been too long since the previous accident.

Roland, who had probably rushed back from somewhere else, exuded an air of travel weariness.

In the eyes of the goddess of the bath and Millie, Roland was sloppy, carefree, and outspoken, with quite a few flaws. But at the same time, he was also a man of many virtues. Especially towards his children, he was always full of patience and kindness, unconsciously revealing a gentleness that was completely opposite to his rugged appearance.

But now, looking at his own daughter who had injured Ritas, Roland's face was ashen, his eyes blazing with fury, looking like a demon ready to devour her alive.

The swordsman, who has fought against demons for many years, unreservedly displays his inner rage, radiating his aura.

Standing before him, Xia Luoluo felt a sense of fear that made her tremble all over, probably for the first time in her life, emanating from her father.

"you"

"My bones are more fragile than I imagined, which really surprised me."

Just as Roland was glaring at Charlotte and about to explode, Ritas's voice rang out, interrupting his build-up.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it. After all, during your first growth period, you basically have to scavenge for food all over the streets."

Turning their gaze to Ritas, Roland, who had been brewing his thunderous fury, suddenly looked like a deflated balloon.

However, the sound he made was still quite unpleasant to hear.

"."

"what!"

Seeing Ritas's speechless expression, Roland slapped his forehead in self-reproach and, as if changing the subject, said...

"Does your hand really have to be in a sling like this? It's just a minor fracture; the healers at the Cross Hall should be able to treat it easily, right?"

Hearing Roland's words, the goddess of the bath, who was in the audience, couldn't help but look at Millie, who had been a disciple of the Cross Hall for two months, with a strange gaze.

In your Cross Hall, is a broken bone considered a minor injury?

Millie just scratched her face and chuckled dryly.

"The therapist said that although it wouldn't be a big problem to heal in a short time, that kind of treatment might affect my future physical development. So, I should heal naturally using traditional methods."

Ritas paused for a moment, his expression complex, before continuing,

"She also said that to prevent my arms from becoming asymmetrical after healing, she could break my left arm as well. She..."

Is she really a good doctor?

Ritas seemed to be being tactful, but not entirely so.

"Well, ever since her fiancé was torn in two by a monster, things haven't been quite right here. So don't take her words too seriously. As far as the healer's skills are concerned, she's quite skilled."

Roland gestured with his fingers at his temples, indicating that his sister had mental health issues.

But if he had to say, Ritas felt that Roland was probably more abnormal than Mint Elsen.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that the entire Elson family can't be found to be any normal people.

After successfully diverting Ritas's attention for a while, Roland looked at Charlotte again.

He closed his eyes and remained silent for a moment, but in the end, he was unable to muster any more anger towards his daughter.

"Why didn't you have your Aunt Mint treat you too?"

It wasn't until Roland said this that the two bystanders, whose attention had been focused on Ritas, realized that Charlotte had also been injured in the previous tree fall incident.

As she rolled up her sleeves, everyone saw that Xia Luoluo had bloody abrasions on her knees and arms. Furthermore, her ankles were not only bruised and swollen, but also extremely so.

Although it was his own fault, and although it wasn't as bad as Ritas's injuries.

However, for a young child, she was enduring pain that was far beyond what was bearable.

However, she never dared to say a word about the trouble she had caused.

Now, seeing her father, who had previously displayed a terrifying, stranger-like expression, finally showing concern for her again, Xia Luoluo's emotions burst forth like a dam breaking, and she cried loudly.

"She cries herself to sleep, so who does my daughter take after?"

A short while later.

Looking at Charlotte, who was lying on the bed with her back to him, snoring softly, Roland sighed helplessly.

In the same room, separated by a coffee table, Roland and Ritas sat facing each other on either side.

This scene looks less like a father and son talking and more like a scene of welcoming a guest.

Interestingly, despite having one arm in a sling, Ritas, with his upright posture, looked more like a native nobleman, the owner of this mansion. Meanwhile, Roland, lounging on the sofa, appeared more like a lost adventurer who had wandered into a nobleman's mansion.

Roland muttered to himself for a while, then, seeing that Ritas didn't react much, he seemed to struggle internally before slowly saying,
"I'm so sorry, Ritas."

As he spoke these words, looking at Ritas's injury, Roland, who already looked old, seemed to age even more instantly and appear even more dejected.

Roland, who rose to fame at a young age and remains at the pinnacle of several fields, possesses a self-esteem far exceeding that of ordinary people.

In the past, Roland, who would never apologize even if he knew he was wrong, could probably count the number of times he sincerely expressed remorse in his life on one hand.

And now, in this situation that is not really important at all, facing a mistake that he didn't even make, he can only dejectedly utter words that he despises from the bottom of his heart.

"It's not like you did anything wrong, so it's not your place to apologize."

"Tsk, that's not entirely true. It's not uncommon for children to grow up to be 'monsters' because their parents didn't raise them properly. And Xia Luoluo doesn't have a mother, so if she wasn't raised well, it'll probably all be my fault in the end."

Even when he was speaking seriously, Roland was still sitting there with his back slumped, not sitting up straight.

What Ritas really wanted to say was, "Is it too late now?"

"Sigh, if it were a son, I might have fewer concerns. When he does something wrong, all I need to do is give him a good beating."

As Roland spoke, he noticed that Ritas was watching him with a subtle expression, and a smile immediately appeared on his face.
"You're just too sensible, even more so than I am about what's acceptable and what's not. But believe me, I promise you, if you ever do something terribly wrong, I'll be the first to come and give you a good beating!"

"Who needs your assurances about something like that?"

"Hahahaha. Sigh."

Roland, his face full of sorrow, only managed a few hearty laughs before his melancholy returned.

"Besides, Xia Luoluo's matter isn't about sons and daughters, is it?"

"yes."

As he spoke, Roland straightened up slightly.

"What you've been going through has probably been going on for almost a year, right? I've always known. And I've always... No, now that things have come to this, it's unfair to you to attribute those half-hearted pieces of advice to what I did. Even if you've been trying to stop me, you should have stopped her sooner and more firmly."

Roland gently covered his face with his hands.
"I'm really not a good father. I'm probably worse than most people in the world. It's laughable now that I used to call myself a 'second-hand' father. What experience do I have to offer? Facing you, facing Xia Luoluo, all I feel is helplessness."

"It was just an accident, Roland."

Seeing Rolande seemingly overwhelmed by guilt, Ritas simply shook his head.
"As you said, Xia Luoluo's hostility and targeting of me has lasted for a year. But this time is no exception. If I hadn't interfered, Xia Luoluo would have suffered even more serious injuries as always. Although I wouldn't say I hate her, I certainly don't like Xia Luoluo very much. So, my evaluation of her should be relatively objective. In my opinion, she is a very peculiar being, so peculiar that I can hardly understand her."

Compared to his more taciturn self in the future, Ritas unusually opened up during this period.
"The idea of ​​someone hatching a Gugu just to throw a rotten egg at me is probably unheard of anywhere else on the continent. Rather than attributing it to sheer stupidity, I'm more inclined to believe in Xia Luoluo's innate kindness—kindness so profound that even towards someone she considers an enemy, she can't truly harm them. It's as if she possesses a natural limiter within her, one that exists even beyond morality and emotion. Therefore, when choosing a way to 'make me look bad,' she constantly hesitates, carefully selecting her method, ultimately settling on the most ridiculous and absurd approach, triggering a truly comical farce."

When talking about Xia Luoluo, Ritas seemed to be shaking his head involuntarily.
"Furthermore, since you are all willing to acknowledge my intellect, you should also understand that silently enduring suffering is not a wise approach. You should also understand where I come from in the past. Therefore, when I truly feel threatened, I will devise a better way to deal with it."

"you"

Roland was momentarily speechless.

He knew very well that for Ritas, even with Charlotte constantly breathing on him, the Elson mansion was still a paradise compared to his past experiences.

That's why he could never tell whether Ritas was making excuses for Charlotte or whether he was enduring it.

"Also, I think you've been an excellent father. So, if you'd like, I can change how you address me from now on."

"No. Even if you're willing to acknowledge it, I have my own principles. So, until I truly consider myself a qualified father to you, please just call me by my name."

Roland made an arm-raising gesture, spoke seriously, and then said with a smile,

"It's precisely to achieve this goal as soon as possible. If you have any requests for me, please feel free to let me know. We can work together towards that goal."

"Don't I feel strange striving towards your goal? And what about the expectations placed on you and on our father?"

Ritas's gaze flickered for a moment.
"Don't die in front of me?"

"Hmm, considering the age difference between us, isn't your request a bit unreasonable? Or do you hope that when I'm about to die, I'll quietly find a hole and bury myself?"

Roland, seemingly genuinely wanting to fulfill all of Ritas's requests, couldn't help but scratch his head.

"Then try to live a long life, Roland."

"ha"

Roland gave a wry smile, then stood up and stretched vigorously.

At the end of the conversation, he seemed to express his feelings with a sigh, and remarked with emotion.

"So, I really can't accept the reason why Xia Luoluo has always hated you. What kind of inexplicable 'cursed child' is this? Even if there really is such a title, you should be the 'blessed child.' Because after you came to this family, you not only 'cured' Xia Luoluo, but also saved me from near despair."

"Mingming, before I adopted you"

Sofia is already dead.

"?"

On the bed in the room.

Xia Luoluo, who wasn't actually sleeping soundly, opened her eyes wide as if she had been suddenly doused with a bucket of cold water.

(End of this chapter)