Mmm-hmm...

　Amu jerked away with a faint grunt.

'Oh, did you notice?'
This is ... what's wrong with me?

　Amu picks himself up and looks at me sitting next to him with his back to the wall.

'Unfortunately, we're still in the dungeon. You were knocked unconscious by a hobgoblin.
"...I just remembered. Why did I have to be that big of a monster...

　Amu touched the blood wetting his hair and frowned.
　Next, he touched his head here and there and made a strange face.

''That, the wound...''
I fixed it for you.
...You were able to use healing magic as well?

　Amu then looked at the goblin carcasses scattered at the end of the corridor.

'Could it be that was you too?'
Well, yeah.

　The Big Hundred Foot is a terrible mess because of the way it eats.
　Instead, they ate the monster in the back, so I guess we should be safe for a while.

What are you?　

　Amu began to suffer again, suddenly clutching his temples.

'Are you okay?　Is that a pre-existing condition of yours or something?

　Amu shook his head with his eyes tightly closed.

'Do you have any idea what caused this?'

　He shakes his head again.

　I take out my heater.

　If this were a disease, there's nothing I could do about it, but I've just transferred the wounded to a new one. I'm not sure how quickly the symptoms appear, but it's a strange thing.
　Then, it might be that one.

　I place the Hitogata and set up the markings.

''........Ah.
How's that?　Does that make it easier?
Uh, yeah...

　Amu slowly picks himself up.

'What did you do?'
I've set up a ward. The curse can't reach you while you're in here.
The curse...?
Yeah. When did you start having these symptoms?
"Well ... just about a month ago. At first I was just dizzy, but then my head started to hurt...

　It would be a month ago, or since I entered the school.

But I don't think this is ... it's not a curse. I thought it might be, too, and looked for the curse mark once, but I couldn't find it anywhere on my body.
Some places you just can't find on your own.
....
No, I didn't ask to see it, okay?
"All right. Can you look at it now?　That should make it clearer.
Yeah.
Turn around.

　As I turn around as I'm told, I hear the sound of my clothes scraping.
　Me waiting without words.

"...fine.

　I turn around and see Amu's naked white body with his back to me.
　She turns her face to the side, looks at me with only her gaze, and says

'Well?　It's cold, can you make it quicker?

　As he was told, he looked from the nape of his hair parted to his white back, from his small buttocks to his calves, but he didn't see anything in particular that looked like a curse mark.

''No ... no.''
Yeah. Yeah. So can you turn around again?

　When I turned around again, I heard the sound of clothes scraping again.
　I feel myself sitting down, so I turn around and see Amu sitting next to me with his clothes on as they were, against the wall.
　He seems unconcerned.......but if you look closely, his face is a little red.

''I told you. ''No,''

　His voice trembled just a little bit.
　Maybe Amu himself had been worried all along.
　But I have to say.

No ... not necessarily. For example, the line may be made close to the color of the skin or made very small to make it difficult to find.
Don't tell me you're going to show me again!
No!　I mean, there are plenty of loopholes!　I can think of many other ways to hide the curse mark, such as in the scalp, deep in the throat, or, well, later on, in various holes. There's no denying it.
So what did I just show you naked for?
No....
I don't remember being cursed in the first place.　Ms. Cullen said in class that in order to cast a curse, you have to be relative to the object. Can't you deny it at that point?
If you thought that, why did you take it off earlier?
'Huh!　Shut up, or I'll kill you!
I'm sorry...

　I don't want you to take it out on me.

''Anyway, as long as the wards are currently in effect, it's best to assume it's a curse.
Is that also the knowledge passed down to the Lamprog family?
Well, sort of.
'Hmm... then what?　Do I have to stay in your wards all the time?
'Not really. Just as there is a loophole for the surgeon, there is a loophole for the one being called.......can I have a strand of hair?　The more blood on it, the better.

　Amu pulls out a strand of blood-soaked hair and holds it out to me.
　I tied it to my Hitogata and chanted the mantra, writing letters on top with my curse power.
　Okay, that's it.

Yes. Keep this spell with you. It will take your place.

　Amu looks furtively at the Hitogata he received.

''Is this really how it works?''
It works. It's only consumable, though. It's no good after a certain amount of curse protection.
Then....
I'll make more, but I'll take care of it first. I'll take care of it.
Yeah, yeah...

　After a short period of silence, Amu stood up a moment later.

''Let's proceed. If that doesn't happen again, I'll be able to fight properly too.

　Amu tries to walk away.
　I grabbed his hand.