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I Kidnapped the Hero’s Women Chapter 188

The Sword that Cuts the Past (5)

“Oh? What is this…?”
“First, let’s evacuate.”
“Ah, yes, my Lord.”

 

Sylvia paused only briefly, confused by the strange changes occurring in her body.
Trembling, she moved her shaking legs and decided to get out of there for now.

 

The staff quickly rushed over, carrying the injured in their arms.
As Sylvia struggled to walk, like a newborn foal barely finding its legs…

 

“Ah!?”
“Relax.”
“…”

 

Aslan’s arm slipped under Sylvia’s knees, lifting her in one swift motion.

She expected him to groan or make a snide remark about her weight. Instead, Aslan lifted her effortlessly.

 

“…?”

 

Had he gotten stronger? Now that she thought about it, his arms seemed more muscular than before.

Relieved, Sylvia sighed and allowed herself to relax in Aslan’s arms.

 

Though she had been fully conscious just moments ago, fatigue began to weigh her down.

Unable to resist, she drifted off into sleep.

 

“Wait, this is Knight Sister? Seriously?”
“How did this happen…?”
“Instructor…”

 

As consciousness returned, Sylvia’s ears caught the sound of sniffling voices all around her.
Her heart sank.

 

‘That’s right… I was hit directly by the mana storm…’

 

As the drowsiness faded and her mind cleared, she recalled what had happened before she lost consciousness:

Braving the mana storm to transport the wounded through the cave.

Running out of mana on her way back with the last injured person.

Being engulfed by the storm and struck by intense pain.
And then… the lord arrived and rescued her before she passed out.

 

All the memories flooded back at once, filling her with anxiety.

 

‘What’s happened to my body for them to whisper like that…?’

 

Surrounding her were Charlotte, Julia, and Yuri.

The snippets of their hushed conversation suggested something unusual.

Even lively Charlotte sounded deeply concerned.

 

What could have happened to her?

What kind of severe injury had she sustained?
Terrified, Sylvia hesitated to open her eyes, but she overcame her fear and slowly opened them, sitting up.

 

“Knight Sister! Are you okay? Do you recognize me? Can you count how many fingers I’m holding up? Huh? Huh??”
“Thank goodness… You’re awake… What a relief…”
“I’ll go get the Count right away!”

 

Before Sylvia could fully sit up, Charlotte threw herself at her, teary-eyed.
Fortunately, Sylvia hadn’t lost her memory or vision.

She felt no immediate pain either, though that could’ve been due to anesthesia.

 

Swallowing hard, Sylvia decided to check her body. Slowly, she pulled the blanket aside to examine herself.

 

“What… what the…?”
“Wow. Even your voice sounds younger.”
“What are you saying…?”

 

Were her limbs always this short and slender?

And why did her thighs seem so exposed?

 

Normally, her chest would obscure that part of her view.

 

Pat. Tap.

She pressed her chest, finding it… flat.

Sylvia froze, realization dawning on her.

 

“Do you want a mirror?”
“AHHHHH!”

 

She was younger!?

Seeing her reflection in the mirror Charlotte handed her, Sylvia nearly fainted.
It wasn’t the Sylvia she knew—it was her younger self.

 

A small, youthful face.
Not just her face; her entire body was smaller.

Her hands, feet, waist, shoulders—everything had shrunk.

 

Her height, now comparable to Charlotte’s, was shockingly shorter.

Had her body reverted to when she was thirteen?

Desperate, Sylvia pulled at her cheeks to confirm if this was a dream.

 

“Owwww…”

 

Her soft, elastic cheeks stretched painfully. This was no dream.
This was real.

 

Tears welled in Sylvia’s eyes as she rubbed her now swollen cheeks. At that moment, the door burst open.

 

“Sylvia, are you awake?”
“My Lord!?”
“Lie down and rest. There appear to be no severe injuries, but we need to monitor you for at least a day.”
“It’s not just about injuries! My body is…!”
“Calm down and listen, Sylvia.”

 

Aslan placed a firm hand on Sylvia’s shoulder, his serious expression making her swallow her agitation.

 

“You were exposed to concentrated mana within the storm, resulting in mana erosion.”
“…!”
“Most people who experience mana erosion suffer severe internal damage and die quickly, but you were fortunate. A rare side effect of mana erosion has caused your body’s age to regress. While your health is intact, your body will no longer grow—this is not just a side effect but also a curse.”

“A… curse…”

 

Sylvia looked at her body again, stunned.

She never imagined surviving a direct hit from a mana storm.
And yet, here she was, alive—albeit with some strange side effects.

 

Relieved at least that her life was spared, she let out a shaky breath, her tension easing.

 

At least… she had survived.

 

She can stay with the Lord without dying.

 

Just that thought alone made Sylvia feel as if tears would burst forth at any moment.

 

“But…”
“Yes? Is there more?”
“Because your mana-sensing organs absorbed the full impact of the mana erosion… your body likely can no longer handle mana.”
“…What?”

 

Sylvia’s eyes widened in shock at the devastating revelation.

Desperately, she stretched out her arm and tried to feel for mana.

 

The absence of mana in her body—surely it was just because she was drained.

She was certain she’d be able to sense it again.

Repeating that thought in her mind, she focused as hard as she could, but…

 

“Ugh…”

 

There wasn’t even a trace of mana at her fingertips.

It was as if mana no longer existed in her world.

The mana she had wielded so effortlessly until yesterday was entirely gone.

 

‘Does this mean… I’m useless to my Lord now…?’

 

Her combat ability had already diminished due to her younger body.

Now, without her magic and barrier techniques, what was left?

Overwhelmed by the thought of being utterly worthless, Sylvia spiraled into panic.

 

***

 

The mana storm crisis was resolved more peacefully than expected.

When word arrived that people were stranded due to the storm, I had rushed to Ester, only to find Sylvia fighting alone.

She had been tirelessly carrying the injured, a sight as foolish as it was stubborn.

 

Thanks to Sylvia’s efforts, the wounded received treatment in time.

No lives were lost, it seemed.

I wanted to scold her for risking her life on such reckless behavior, but how could I? She had saved a full wagonload of people.

 

‘Born a fool, what else could you expect?’

 

This was the same person who, in the original timeline, sacrificed herself by tearing out her own magical sigil to save the children.

I hadn’t fully appreciated it until now, but Sylvia really was the kind of person who could make a noble sacrifice.

It wasn’t just about enjoying suffering—there was something more.

 

“Count Vermont! Thanks to your knight, my soldiers’ lives were saved! I owe you my gratitude!”
“You should thank her directly, Your Grace.”
“Of course, I’ve already expressed my thanks to her! And look at this!”
“…?”

 

The Northern Archduke strode over and unfolded a crumpled letter.

Looking closely, I saw it was a letter from Merilda.

 

“My dear daughter! Merilda! She learned of this incident and said she now understands the importance of barrier magic. She’s committed to studying it even harder in the capital! Isn’t that wonderful? My daughter, who thinks only of the territory and family every single day…”
“Ah, yes.”

 

Sensing another endless wave of daughterly praise, I quickly shook his hand and ended the conversation.

 

With that, the Ester expedition concluded.

The mana storm had made exploration impossible, leaving nothing else to be done.

As soon as Sylvia regained her strength, we left Ester.

 

“She’s about as tall as Yuri now.”
“I can’t believe Knight Sister was this adorable as a child!”
“Instructor, could you get just a little closer to Julia and Charlotte? Khuhmp!”
“Y-Yuri! Your nose is bleeding!”
“…”

 

Surrounded by the girls, Sylvia seemed visibly drained, her expression tired.

When I gestured for her to come, she scurried over.

Her awkward gait showed that she still wasn’t used to her smaller body.

 

“My Lord… I am truly ashamed… to have ended up like this…”
“Why should you feel ashamed? You’ve brought honor to Vermont. But… I can’t say you were entirely right either. Don’t even think about dying without my permission.”
“Yes…”

 

Thump.

I raised my hand, intending to flick her forehead, but instead gently placed it on her head.

As I stroked her head, Sylvia’s expression turned peculiar.

She looked up at me, her eyes welling with tears.

 

“My Lord… Without mana, I must be a huge loss to your strength, right…?”
“Well, that’s true.”
“Then I really am… useless to you now, aren’t I?”
“What?”
“You’re not going to abandon me… are you?”

 

With that, Sylvia clung to me, tears streaming down her face.

Her sudden outburst wasn’t just from this moment—it was everything she’d held back until now.

 

Abandon her?

How could I abandon Sylvia, especially now that she was this cute?

What a ridiculous question… It made no sense to me at all.

 

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I Kidnapped the Hero’s Women

I Kidnapped the Hero’s Women

용사의 여자들을 납치했다, 저 빌런 아닙니다
Score 7.4
Status: Ongoing Type: , Author: Released: 2024 Native Language: Korean
I’ve possessed the mid-boss who tortures the protagonist and receives true education. Am I crazy? How dare I do such a thing to the person who is supposed to be the protagonist? I even planned to treat all the protagonist’s friends hospitably…   “Everyone, wait for me! I will definitely become stronger and come to save you!”   Oh. Running away.

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