"What does this mean?" Sean asked.
At that moment, various mental states like 【Thinking!】 and 【Speculating!】 flickered above Freya's head.
"I had them investigate the surrounding towns earlier to see if they had the same problem as Koga City," Freya said, looking at the note in her hand.
The same problem?
That probably referred to the hidden threats lurking in the shadows, like in Koga City. He remembered she had mentioned earlier that day that the companions traveling with her had all been dispatched to scout nearby towns.
"How far are you referring to when you say 'surrounding'?" Sean suddenly asked.
"Why are you asking that?" Freya didn't answer, but the little witch stepped forward to speak instead.
At least the red dragon witch before him was their leader, and his way of speaking seemed too disrespectful compared to theirs.
"It's fine!"
Freya stopped the little witch's 【Dissatisfied!】 mood. It was clear the red dragon witch held high prestige in her organization—even a minor underling wouldn't allow anyone to offend their leader.
A smile still lingered on her face, but the favorability above her head had already dropped to 【Cold!】.
This was the first time Sean had seen favorability decrease instead of increase during normal conversation...
"He'll be one of us from now on. As long as we're discussing matters, anything can be said," Freya explained.
"Yes, Leader."
The little witch lowered her head in agreement, still wearing a gentle smile, though the attribute 【Disgust!】 had appeared in her status.
Hmph. Women.
Sean cursed inwardly but kept his focus on Freya.
"I had them check various areas in the south earlier, especially those remote little towns, to see if anything was going on... and sure enough, something's wrong." Freya stared at the three stiffened bodies before her.
She tried using magic to undo their condition...
In Sean's eyes, she cast a 【Dispel~】 spell, but when it was applied to the three, it had no effect.
Not a single reaction!
She stared at her own magic in disbelief.
"I've tried various methods to restore them before, but nothing worked. I sent word to headquarters three days ago requesting reinforcements... but..." The little witch glanced at Freya.
"We didn't tell anyone about our departure, and I ordered them not to spread it, so it's normal you didn't know. This isn't your fault." She handed the note to Sean.
"Sean, what do you think?"
He took the note and read the text again.
He had read some books from this world before. The rhetoric was strange, but if you stripped that away, the direct meaning was clear. The writer had clearly jotted this down in the shortest time possible—even the handwriting looked awkward.
"If even you can't undo this magic, how many people in the south could manage it?" He glanced at the note in his hand. How could he find the cause based on something like this?
A small village!
There were too many places like that. Even his own territory counted as a small town.
"Not many that I know of, but I can't be sure about the unknown ones," Freya said.
Three of her subordinates had been inexplicably cursed, and she couldn't lift it herself. This situation had even brought out 【Rage!】 in the usually easygoing Freya.
"Kalyana."
"I'm here!"
"I want you to send a letter to the Sky-Covering Wings headquarters, summon all members... Even if we have to search one by one, we'll find the enemy." It seemed Freya was truly furious.
Sean looked at the three motionless bodies sitting in chairs, their skin as dry and stiff as withered wood.
"Hold on a moment!" He suddenly called out to the two.
Freya and the little witch turned their heads simultaneously...
"What are you doing touching them!" Kalyana said discontentedly.
"Maybe this condition of theirs isn't completely without a solution..."
The little witch dared not look at the organization's leader and could only glare at Sean.
"What do you mean by that, Sean?" Freya didn't quite understand either.
"I mean they might still be savable!"
He gently stroked the back of the 【Stiffened~】 girl before him. Apart from her clothes, her body was completely solidified—slapping it felt like hitting a wooden post.
"You have a way?"
"At least I can't say there's no way at all..."
Sean's ambiguous words left the two women puzzled.
It really couldn't be said there was no way!
Because in Sean's eyes, when he cast the 【Dispel~】 spell, it didn't show 【Ineffective!】—instead, the magic was released, just without much effect.
Like when Freya had cast her spell earlier, there was no obvious result, but notably, it didn't display 【Ineffective!】. That meant it was working... just not very noticeably.
"What are you doing?" Freya couldn't understand Sean's current actions.
She knew he was using magic, but based on her observations over the past few days, his magic level was very low—not even Orderer Level 3, probably just Level 2 or a bit above. Even in her organization, she couldn't find anyone with such a low level.
"It's useless. If even my dispel magic has no effect, you're just wasting your mana," Freya said.
"Is that so? But have you ever tried persisting with the dispel to see what happens?"
【Magic Proficiency: 125】...
【Magic Proficiency: 126】...
【Magic Proficiency: 127】...
He kept trying without any excessive prompts, and similarly, no signs of improvement appeared.
The two standing behind Sean probably had no idea what he was doing...
"Freya, keep casting dispel magic on them."
"If you want them to wake up, do as I say..." Seeing no response, Sean's tone grew firmer.
The little witch beside him wanted to argue but was stopped by Freya. It was just a spell—casting it again wouldn't hurt!
"Even if we try again, the result will be the same. They're my subordinates, and I care about their lives more than anyone, but I don't have the ability to undo this magic." She cast it twice more with the same result. Sean clearly saw Freya's mana drop from 【6000】 to 【5800】.
A few small spells didn't drain much of her mana, but for someone who couldn't see an 'endpoint,' giving up after several failed attempts was natural.
"Is that so? I may not have your magical power, but I know one truth."
Sean turned to look at them.
"No magical effect in this world can last forever. No matter how long, it will eventually come to an end."
This was a conclusion Sean had drawn from his long life in this world...
Whether it was the burning time of wood, the shift in weather, or firearms, steam, and fuel-powered machines—everything had fixed physical properties. Anything that appeared was constantly being consumed.
Not only did Freya cast spells, but Sean joined in as well. After a moment, a time count appeared behind the 【Stiffened~】 skill.
【200:00:00】
A second later, it became...
【199:59:59】
That meant 200 hours, or ten days!
But once a countdown appeared, it meant they could observe changes over those ten days, breaking it down minute by minute to see the progression.
"It seems to be working!"
Even the little witch noticed it now.
On the three girls' originally stiff and rigid skin, the fine hairs suddenly softened.