Chapter 53 — Heavenly Restriction
Ren helped her search for the glasses.
They first looked inside the crashed cabin, but found nothing. After that, they moved into the surrounding bushes and grass, continuing the search.
Ren didn't know why she cared so much about that pair of glasses.
But seeing how anxious she was, he didn't ask any questions. Instead, he focused on searching with her.
"Found it!"
Before long, Maki suddenly cried out.
After rummaging through the bushes for a moment, she straightened up and turned toward Ren.
Her pale, oval face was glowing with the joy of someone who had just recovered a lost treasure.
Ren, however… felt a bit speechless.
The old-fashioned purple glasses were now sitting proudly on her nose again.
But their condition was even worse than before.
One lens was completely missing.
The other lens was cracked with several obvious fractures.
At this point, her appearance wasn't just "hiding her beauty."
It looked more like she had just been in a fight and had her glasses smashed in the process.
"…Alright. Let's get going," Ren finally said, nodding without commenting further.
He led the group toward the main road.
Since the cable car was obviously no longer an option, the only choice was to walk up along the mountain road.
Fortunately, Ren had already figured out their direction while flying earlier, so they wouldn't get lost in the forest.
Several tourists followed behind him.
Some were calling the police.
Others were contacting the travel company to file complaints.
One man was repeatedly making the sign of the cross over his chest while murmuring:
"Hallelujah… Amen…"
He kept thanking God for protecting them.
After all, falling straight down from dozens of meters in the air and coming out completely unharmed really did seem like a miracle.
Meanwhile, Maki removed her glasses, wiped them with the corner of her shirt, and happily put them back on.
Ren finally couldn't hold back any longer.
"Are you nearsighted?" he asked curiously.
Although he asked the question, he had already noticed something earlier.
Even without the glasses, the girl's gaze had remained sharp and focused—nothing like someone with poor eyesight.
And it had been she herself who accurately spotted the shattered glasses in the bushes.
That meant her vision was perfectly fine.
"N-No," she admitted.
But her tone sounded strangely awkward.
"Then why do you wear glasses?" Ren asked naturally.
"W-Why does it matter?" she snapped, slightly annoyed.
"It doesn't," Ren replied honestly.
"I just think… you actually look pretty good without them."
"Y-you…"
The girl bit her lip lightly.
Her cheeks flushed faintly red, but she didn't say anything more.
Silence fell between them again.
Before long, they passed through the forest and reached the main road.
From there, they continued climbing up the mountain path together.
Walking through the mountains was a completely different experience from watching the scenery from inside a cable car.
Ren gazed at the streams cascading down rocky cliffs, the towering ancient pines lining the roadside, and breathed in the crisp, refreshing mountain air.
The sensation was invigorating.
He felt his mind clear and his spirit lighten.
…After a long while, Maki suddenly spoke.
"Ren… actually, I kind of envy you."
"You not only have powerful cursed energy, but you can also use it so skillfully."
"Unlike me…"
She turned toward him and removed her glasses.
Her eyes—clear and bright like autumn water—met his gaze directly.
"These eyes of mine," she said quietly, "can't see curses."
"What?" Ren's expression changed.
"Only jujutsu sorcerers can see curses, right?" she continued.
"That's because sorcerers have cursed energy inside their bodies."
"And I… don't."
She lowered her head and looked at the battered glasses in her hand.
"This pair of glasses is actually a cursed tool."
"Only through them can I see curses."
Her lips curved slightly into a bitter smile as she spoke softly to herself.
"Only people with cursed energy can be called sorcerers."
"And only sorcerers can see curses."
"So someone like me—without cursed energy, unable to see curses…"
"…isn't even a qualified sorcerer, right?"
Ren fell silent.
He hadn't known things were this serious.
He already knew she had no cursed energy.
But he hadn't realized she couldn't even see curses.
Thinking it through now, though… that actually made perfect sense.
Still—
If that was the case…
If the situation was already this extreme…
Why insist on becoming a sorcerer at all?
After a long pause, Ren spoke slowly.
"Normally, yeah… a situation like that wouldn't really be suitable for becoming a sorcerer."
"But since you still chose this path anyway… then you must have a reason you absolutely can't give up on."
Maki raised her head and looked at him.
Her bright eyes flickered slightly.
"If that's the case," Ren continued with a small smile, "then just keep going."
"Actually… even if I didn't say anything, you'd still keep going anyway, wouldn't you?"
He chuckled lightly.
A girl with no cursed energy and no ability to see curses had still made it this far.
The amount of doubt and ridicule she must have endured along the way was unimaginable.
Because of that, her determination must also be something beyond imagination.
She didn't really need anyone adding unnecessary encouragement.
"…No. Thank you for saying that," Maki replied quietly, lowering her gaze.
"Actually," Ren continued, shifting away from empty encouragement and instead analyzing the situation, "having no cursed energy isn't necessarily a bad thing."
"Your physical condition is extremely strong. That's also a special kind of talent."
"And I'm not just saying that," he added with a smile, looking at her.
"Mai told me the same thing."
His expression made it clear he wasn't just being polite.
"She really said that?" Maki asked, slightly surprised.
"Yeah," Ren nodded.
"She was the one who recommended you as my opponent."
But the girl's expression suddenly became strange.
It was a complicated mixture of anger, embarrassment, resentment, and awkwardness.
Anything except gratitude for recognition.
"What's wrong?" Ren asked, noticing the change.
"N-Nothing."
Maki fell silent for a moment before continuing.
"Anyway… if I had a choice, I'd rather not have this kind of 'special talent.'"
"It's less like a gift… and more like a curse."
"Heavenly Restriction."
Ren looked at her in surprise as she continued.
"That's the name of this ability I was born with."
"Most binding vows are things sorcerers choose to create themselves."
"But Heavenly Restriction is different."
"It forms automatically before a sorcerer is even born, completely ignoring the person's will."
"The one placed on me is exactly that kind of curse."
"It took away all the cursed energy from my body…"
"…and in exchange, gave me this physical strength.