Eric grumbled as the blue screen suddenly appeared, but at the same time he felt a little relieved to finally be free from the influence of Mahito's murderous intent.
"It's a bit of a shame to let go of this power… but beggars can't be choosers."
Time remaining before the power is lost… 1 second…
He steeled himself for the pain to come, and just as he'd feared, excruciating pain assaulted his entire body. He knelt near his bed, determined not to lose consciousness this time.
"Gughh!! Arghhhkh!?!?"
Screams of agony erupted from his throat, he growled while clenching his fists so hard. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead, soaking his back. He collapsed to the floor, his consciousness beginning to fade.
"Damn it!!"
Through sheer willpower, he managed to endure the pain and regain consciousness. Though he lay weak and helpless on the floor, he had managed to stay conscious.
"Haahh...hahh...is it...done...?"
He lay there for a few moments until he was fully certain he could get up. Slowly he propped himself up, then stared at both of his hands. Eric could feel it—his body sensing a void from the loss of something.
"Great... just great. What's next...? Ugh..." He stood up wobbly and sat down on his bed. A moment later, the blue screen reappeared before him, starting a new countdown.
Generating random power...
Time remaining...23 hours, 59 minutes, 55 seconds...
Eric held his head, which still ached a little. He stared at the screen, furrowing his brow. "Don't you dare give me another psychopath user, damn it..." he grimaced as he thought that, not wanting to possess the power of an evil anime character.
After that, he lay down fully on the bed, not bothering to change his clothes, which were soaked in sweat. "If there's still time, I can use it to experiment with my new powers."
He slowly closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
***
The next day, Eric went about his usual routine. The only difference was that he was also packing his supplies and clothes for the trip back to the Academy. The administrative matters had already been handled by Sebastian, the Head Butler, and his staff, so all Eric had to do was leave the following day.
Eric was at a tavern on a corner near Little Twister. With Ferguson and Millie sitting across from him, Eric casually broke the ice.
"You guys must've heard about my departure tomorrow. As for you two, I'm giving you the freedom to go on adventures or do whatever else you like. But make no mistake—our agreement still stands: my requests must take priority over everything else. Got it?"
Ferguson and Millie nodded slowly and seriously.
"Of course, Master Eric."
"Yes, Sir Eric!"
Eric was satisfied with their answers and got up to leave. "I have to prepare a few things, so that's all for now. See you." He waved and nodded toward the father-daughter duo and left the tavern.
Next, he paid a visit to the old woman at Little Twister. He walked straight into the candy shop without knocking. "Hey! Old bones!" he shouted as he entered through the front door.
"Shut up! You're disturbing my concentration, you little brat!" a grumbling voice came from the kitchen. Eric chose to sit on a chair near the counter. Shortly after, Grandma Seeva came out of the kitchen and grumbled when she saw Eric treating her shop like his own home.
"Tsk, tsk! Youngsters these days have no respect for their elders at all!" she sat across from Eric and immediately asked him. "You need something?"
Eric just snorted at the old woman's words. "Nahhh, I just wanted to tell you I'm going back to the Academy. So, see you next season, I guess?"
Grandma Seeva squinted her eyes and smirked. "Aww, be honest, brat. You're actually here to ask for pocket money, aren't you? Too bad! I'm not your grandma! Bahahaha!!"
Grandma Seeva laughed heartily at her own joke, while Eric just sighed at the old woman's teasing. A few moments later, they exchanged banter as usual—for instance, Grandma Seeva teasing Eric about his still-clumsy technique for handling sugar dough, and Eric taunting Grandma Seeva about her often incoherent way of speaking. When he felt he'd had enough, Eric went home and returned to his room to double-check the items he'd be taking the next day.
Time passed and night had fallen. After Eric had dinner and read a few books in the library, he returned to his room to prepare to receive his new power. He relaxed his body and took a deep breath.
This time, he had no intention of losing consciousness while receiving his new power.
Generating random power...
Time remaining...00 hours, 00 minutes, 8 seconds...
"Okay...here goes nothing!" he braced himself as the countdown grew closer. When it hit zero, new text appeared on the blue screen.
Generating random power...success.
Chosen random power...:... Leonardo Watch.
Eric stared in silence at the name. He began to think that the system could also grant him the power of an obscure supporting character since he didn't recognize the name.
"Who the hell is th-" Before he could finish his complaint, his eyes were struck by excruciating pain. The pain was even worse than usual, causing him to collapse to the floor.
"What the fuck!? It hurts so much more than usual!! Arggghhhhh!!!"
His whole body ached, but for some reason, his eyes hurt the most right now. Something burned through his very eyes, as if trying to burrow in and replace them with something else.
He could feel it… slowly, he was losing consciousness no matter how much he fought against it. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly while grinding his teeth, making it clear to himself that right now he was struggling against the pain.
His clenched fist slammed into the floor. He still wanted to hold on... but his body betrayed his expectations. After some stubborn efforts, he finally gave in and let go of his consciousness, cursing himself once again for being weak and lenient.
***
Eric's eyelids fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes. He groaned as he held his head and looked around. "Sleeping on the floor isn't a good idea… no matter how old you are…"
His body felt stiff, and he tried to stretch it out. Once he was fully awake, he sensed something different. His vision was much sharper, he could even see his surroundings in incredible detail.
"Weird..." Eric didn't need to get close to see the small wad of paper across the room—it was as if he were looking at it up close. Then he sat up on the bed, crossing his arms.
"I can assume... the power I gained is ocular abilities..." he scratched his head in frustration. "...but who the hell is Leonardo Watch? Judging by the name, he's from an anime set outside Japan...? Fantasy? Sci-fi?"
Eric was confused by the Western-sounding name, since many anime are set in Europe or countries outside Japan across various genres. He looked out the window, the sun hadn't fully risen yet, but light was beginning to appear on the horizon.
"I can think about it while packing my things…" he stood up and began gathering the items he deemed essential for returning to the Academy. Faintly, he could also hear the sound of carriages pulling up in front of the main mansion, horses neighing, and the stomping boots of knights and servants busy with preparations for his departure.
"Western names... eyes..." he began to remember something. "I know this guy! Leonardo Watch... he's the protagonist! He came to Hellsalem's Lot and joined an organization... what was it called again? Libre...? No... ah! Libra!"
"Besides that, he also came to that strange city to seek a cure for his little sis—" Eric then froze, recalling details about something. A foreboding sense of crisis enveloped him.
"The power of Leonardo Watch's eyes... is indeed unique and strong. But it comes at a very high price..."
A sense of urgency filled Eric's chest, his breathing quickened. "In exchange for the user being granted 'the eyes'... the closest person to the owner of those eyes will lose their sight..."
Eric dropped his bag and bolted from his room, running out toward the dining room. There he found several people, including his family, who had just woken up and were getting ready for breakfast.
"Hm? Oh my, Eric? Come join us for breakfast before you leave." Melissa looked at him with affection, while James, Lucas, and Laurene also looked his way. He could tell that all of them could still see just as they always had. He felt a little relieved, yet something still felt off in his heart.
"The closest person… what exactly does that mean? Does it have to be a family member?"
He stood frozen, lost in his internal debate. "Ferguson and Millie? No, I'm not that close to them. Rudy and Emilia? No. Then… Silvia, my ex-fiancée? Maybe… but she actually hates me… so who?"
A figure came to mind—someone who was always arguing with him but at the same time always listened to him whenever he spoke. Eric ran toward the main door, ignoring James's calls.
He channeled his Mana throughout his entire body, and he blurred so fast, leaving a trail of distortion in his wake. He desperately prayed it wasn't 'her,' because of all the people connected to him… that was the one who always listened to all his ramblings and always joked around.
"Fuck! Fuck!"
He stopped when he reached Little Twister, and found that the shop's entrance wasn't locked. Eric opened the door slowly, without a sound. He saw Grandma Seeva carefully arranging her candy jars.
"Old bones?" he called out in a low voice, different from usual. Grandma Seeva knew Eric had arrived and only turned when called. "Huh? It's you, brat. I thought you'd left?"
The old woman's tone was as sharp as ever, but when she turned around, Eric choked at the sight of her eyes. Both eyes had turned dark like the night sky, Eric could tell Grandma Seeva was also moving more slowly and cautiously than usual.
Eric couldn't speak at that moment, realizing the person whose vision had taken was an old woman as a trade for his divine eye power.
"No...no...no...! This wasn't supposed to happen!" He clenched his hand so hard it turned pale. He clutched his head, beginning to think he didn't want to accept his new power. "Damn it! Damn it, system! Why did it have to be you...Seeva!"
His chest began to ache, he wanted to scream… he wanted to apologize to the old woman. "Seeva… your eyes… I'm sor—" before Eric could apologize, Grandma Seeva was suddenly right in front of him and gently flicked her cane toward his forehead. He could see the cane coming, but he remained frozen in place.
"Hmph. I don't know what you were going to say, but just because I can't see anymore doesn't mean I'm helpless, you damn brat!"
Then Eric could feel it… a raging vortex of Mana from inside Grandma Seeva's body. It was so thick and intense it reminded him of James and Ferguson. The old woman stood in front of Eric, leaning on her cane.
"If I were weak and frail, I wouldn't have opened a shop in a place like this, you snotty-nosed punk. Eric only realized it after hearing that. The old woman was right, this shop was near a slum area notorious for robberies and trespassing, but while he was here, he hadn't encountered any of that at all. It was as if the thugs avoided this place.
She coughed a little, and continued. "I guess my life is nearing its end. This fragile body already ruined beyond saving, losing a sight is already within my expectation in the future."
"I'll be fine, boy. Go back to studying at that fancy whatever-it's-called." Eric saw the tenacity of a woman in her sightless gaze. He could even feel the strength in the old woman's words and posture.
He took a slow breath and calmed himself. For now, there was nothing he could do to help the old woman regain her sight. He pursed his lips, trying to find the right words.
"Just... I'm sorry. I... I'll see you again. If you... need anything, I'll tell Millie and Ferguson to come here." His words were laced with worry. Grandma Seeva huffed, "I understand if it's Millie, but not with that stubborn man."
Eric reluctantly turned around, and before the door, he once again glanced at the old woman. Grandma Seeva was now steadily heading toward the kitchen. Eric kept watching her until he could no longer see the old woman's back.
He then returned to the main mansion with mixed feelings, and for the first time, he found himself hoping that the next roulette would come sooner.