Kays Translations

Chapter 49: What Right Does She Have?

In the days that followed, Merlin continued to reap the rewards from his group of golden, dazzling “money plants,” carefully nurturing the profits like a seasoned gardener. He looked forward to the upcoming week’s holiday—it would finally give him the chance to visit his parents’ tavern. If the renovations were complete, they could begin preparations for the grand opening.

“Stacie… are you sure you’re okay? I feel like you’re even more exhausted than before.”

Merlin’s concern slipped out as he glanced at Stacie. Her aura of magic was dangerously depleted, her entire body radiating sheer fatigue, as if every fiber of her being had been wrung dry.

Stacie adjusted the documents in her hands, glancing at the contract she had just signed with the Beastmaster Academy. Forcing a small smile, she replied, “It’s nothing, Boss. I’m not really that tired.”

How strange… Merlin thought, furrowing his brow. He had explicitly forbidden Stacie from chopping trees, yet her magical energy seemed completely drained, as though it had been siphoned from her.

He could not fathom how she had ended up like this. Her reserves of magic were not only depleted, but they seemed to leak from her like a cracked vessel. And worse, a faintly grim aura clung to her, giving her an unsettling air.

“Stacie, you can’t keep working like this. Maybe you should go home and rest for a while.”

“No! No need! Boss, you have to trust me.” Stacie shook her head, her eyes blazing with unwavering determination.

Merlin’s heart clenched. I’m honestly scared you’ll drop dead on me…

He had been observing Stacie for several days and noticed her health seemed to be deteriorating. Though she always insisted she was fine, Merlin could not shake the suspicion that something had gone wrong with her training—or worse, that her body had developed a hidden flaw.

By the time the day’s work was done, Merlin’s enterprise was thriving. His magic crystal card brimmed with gold coins, increasing steadily each day. Perhaps in less than a month, he could finally repay the family debts weighing on him.

The villa was still under construction, so Merlin returned to the dormitory. He opted not to take the donkey cart on the way back—a personal requirement. After all, his current body, newly transported to this world, was still somewhat frail. He decided to jog back slowly, having arranged to meet Chris and Fitt to grab some food from the cafeteria.

Though the cafeteria meals were far from gourmet, at least they were filling.

Slap!

A crisp sound cracked through the quiet evening, causing Merlin to halt mid-stride. His curiosity piqued, he turned toward the source of the noise and began moving cautiously in that direction.

Passing through two dense shrubs, he glimpsed a small clearing in the forest ahead. A weak, slight elf girl was collapsed on the ground, her hands pressed to her face.

Merlin crouched behind the bushes, observing carefully. His sharp eyes soon recognized his star employee: Stacie, lying prone on the forest floor, her coin pouch overturned. Several gold coins quietly rolled out onto the earth.

What on earth is happening here? Merlin frowned, analyzing the scene. Across from Stacie stood a group of elves, their expressions haughty and disdainful. At the forefront was an elf man with long silver hair—eerily similar to Stacie’s.

His handsome face twisted into a malicious sneer as he glared at Stacie. Coldly, he taunted, “Stacie, if I were you, I wouldn’t linger at the Arcane Academy. I’d crawl back to your filthy little hut and never show your face again.”

Merlin’s brow furrowed at the cruel words.

Stacie lifted her head slightly, her eyes flickering with fear and caution.

The silver-haired elf pressed on relentlessly. “Do you even realize how much trouble you’ve caused us at the Academy? A half-elf like you, possessing such exceptional fairy mastery… it’s suffocating. Don’t forget, I am a pure-blooded elf, flowing with the noble, untarnished blood of the Isabelle lineage!”

“You know… the more outstanding you are at the Academy, the more you shame the Isabelle family. You are nothing but a half-elf! And yet, you dare to be more talented than us pure-bloods? More noble? More… worthy?”

Merlin rolled his eyes at the ridiculous jealousy dripping from the man’s words. Isn’t she just… better than you? This is pure envy in its rawest form.

“Brother… I’m sorry. I’ve been trying to keep a low profile at the Academy.” Stacie’s gaze refused to meet his. The man before her was no ordinary bully—he was her nightmare, her tormentor since childhood: Isabelle Kaelos.

“Stacie… you disgust me,” Kaelos spat, his voice thick with venom. “The Isabelle name is shamed by a half-elf like you… and yet, you shine so brightly. Even without your family’s backing, you are radiant… Damn you! How dare you shine so brilliantly! Shining in a way that makes others jealous!”

Kaelos’ eyes blazed with fury and envy. Stacie’s prowess in the dormitories and classroom had kept him from openly attacking her. Now, grown and with two powerful high-level fairies at her side, she had been untouchable.

But recent days had changed everything. According to his subordinates’ reports, Stacie had been mysteriously exhausting her magical energy daily, appearing fatigued and worn. Without her formidable fairies, she seemed vulnerable—a perfect opportunity to finally vent his long-held resentment.

Among the elves, Stacie’s exceptional talent was a source of shame, not pride, for she was only half-elf. The more extraordinary she became, the more it highlighted the inadequacies of pure-blooded elves.

Kaelos, hailed as the Isabelle family’s prodigy, could not surpass Stacie no matter how hard he tried. The family’s relentless expectations and his own internal pressures had twisted his character. His bullying was a desperate attempt to assert superiority over her.

But Merlin, observing from the shadows, could only think: This guy is a clown, pure and simple.

“Stacie, I want you out. Leave the Arcane Academy. Every day you’re here, it disgusts me!”

“No, brother… I won’t go back!” Stacie’s defiance blazed. At the Academy, she felt free, alive, and human. Return home, and she would be reduced to a tool for political marriage—an instrument for her family’s alliances.

Pure-blooded elves avoided mixing blood with outsiders, but half-elves like Stacie were valuable precisely because of their mixed heritage. She was a disgrace to the elven royal family yet perfectly suited for diplomatic marriages.

Indeed, if not for her mentor’s intervention, Stacie’s fate would have been sealed—a caged, gilded songbird.

Kaelos’ fury deepened as he saw her stubbornness. He crouched and grabbed her silver hair.

Such beautiful silver hair… Bathed in moonlight, Kaelos could see the truth: his sister was beautiful, noble—more like a true pure-blood than he ever could be.

Why her? Why does she shine so brightly?

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