I Already Know My Magic Power Is Ridiculously High! Now I Just Need a Cute Wife... - Episode 61

After listening to Nephthys’s story about the past, I let out a deep sigh.

For a young girl, the terror of suddenly being attacked by a brother twelve years older must have been unimaginable.

At some point, the gold coin I had been holding in my right hand had bent out of shape.

If I had been Luna’s father, I might have twisted Barbatos’s neck just like this coin.

“That must have been a painful experience…”

I said, but then reconsidered.

Perhaps because of our letter exchange, I was getting too emotionally involved.

Naia was the sworn enemy of House Ortenos.

And Luna was one of its key figures.

If I didn’t keep my emotions in check, I would be in danger.

“…Yes, it was truly tragic. Even though a gag order was imposed within the castle, the story leaked out from somewhere, and soon the entire kingdom knew that Lady Luna had developed a fear of men.”

“What happened to Barbato?”

“…He was put under house arrest for a while.”

Well, that’s not surprising.

The second prince attacking the first princess was a major scandal.

But no matter how much he was despised, Barbato could not be sentenced to death.

—As a rule, there is no law that governs those of the Stellar Rank.

There were two reasons for this.

One was a practical issue: their physical strength was beyond ordinary, making execution extremely difficult.

The other was a traditional reason: The Stellar Rank had been revered since ancient times as rulers of the land.

The most severe punishment for them was imprisonment at best.

Assassination was an option, but it was likely deemed not cost-effective.

“Is Luna struggling to gain support because of the rumors?”

From our letters, Luna did not seem mentally unstable at all.

Perhaps she was just putting on a brave face, but I believed she was a strong-willed girl to begin with.

If there was a flaw, it must have been something outside of her own nature.

“…That is part of it, but… Lord Shalka, are you unaware of the symptoms of fear of men?”

“The symptoms of fear of men?”

“…Yes. In noblewomen, when they are forced into unwanted sexual acts, they sometimes unconsciously develop the ‘Mark of Chastity.’”

It seemed I had completely misunderstood something.

The unfamiliar term Nephthys had mentioned caught my attention.

“The ‘Mark of Chastity’? I’ve never heard of it…”

“…Indeed. It’s a delicate matter, so it’s not discussed with nobles before they come of age. The Mark of Chastity is a type of sigil magic that envelops a woman’s private parts in a solid crystal of magical power to protect her purity.”

“What… did you say?”

The private parts—in other words, the female genitalia.

Encased in a crystal of magic?

…Would she still be able to urinate like that?

I set aside that simple question for now.

“The Mark of Chastity cannot be placed voluntarily. It only manifests when a noblewoman feels an extreme sense of distrust or disgust toward a male noble. A unique sigil appears on her lower abdomen as a result.”

“I-Is that so…”

This was quite a heavy topic, and I had no idea how to react.

From what I was hearing, the Mark of Chastity was essentially an automatic chastity belt.

“…Yes, and its strength varies from person to person. It is said that the more knowledgeable someone is about sigil magic, the stronger the seal becomes.”
“Is Luna’s Mark of Chastity strong?”

“…Yes. Since childhood, Lady Luna has studied ancient languages and sigil magic extensively through the records left by the former Ortenos royal family. Her Mark of Chastity must be extremely strong.”

“I see…”

I suddenly wondered—what exactly we’re talking about?

Nephthys, perhaps due to being in a hypnotic state, was explaining everything with a straight face, and because of that, I found myself asking more questions without hesitation.

Thinking about it objectively, it was rather strange—some unknown man was casually discussing the chastity belt of a princess he had never met.

“As long as the Mark of Chastity remains, she cannot bear an heir. Since Lady Luna may become the Queen of Naia, this is considered an even more serious flaw than for an ordinary noblewoman.”

“Since it’s a sigil magic, can’t it just be removed?”

“…The Mark of Chastity is an irreversible sigil. It cannot be forcefully removed from the outside. In some cases, attempting to do so can even lead to death.”

I was taken aback by Nephthys’s words and asked again.

“Death…?”

“…Yes. According to historical records, there was once a nobleman who tried to forcefully remove the mark, but his entire body turned into a crystal-like substance, and he fell into an eternal slumber.”

“He turned into a crystal…? Did he never wake up?”

“…No, that noblewoman never returned to life.”

What the hell.

Was this so-called ultimate chastity belt something that could even bring death?

“I don’t quite understand… What was the real cause?”

“…It’s unclear. Perhaps the removal process was flawed, or perhaps the noblewoman had someone she truly loved.”

If—though it was absolutely impossible—Elmia were to be embraced by another man, would she also develop the Mark of Chastity?

…No, I shouldn’t think about this any further. My brain was about to melt.

“So, how can the Mark of Chastity be undone?”

“…They say it can only be removed through ‘Thawing.’”

“‘Thawing’?”

“…When the Mark of Chastity is lifted, the crystal covering the woman’s private parts melts away like dew. Those who have seen it describe it as resembling snow melting, hence the name.”

The man in front of me explained this with a completely straight face.