Chapter 118
Chapter 118
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 118
Chapter Title: Mana Restraints and Desperate Cravings
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Already throwing down like this... imagine when he grows up..."
Sir Evan glanced at King Sedes, who muttered gravely with a serious look on his face, before shifting his gaze to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister was earnestly debating whether to tie a silk ribbon or a lace one to his own head.
"Your Excellency, he asked me to pass this along. He said not to take Sirentea outside on the night of the full moon. More importantly, has Sirentea become yours now?"
"Ah, His Majesty personally gifted it to me out of pity for my dear friend who's been stuck at the 3rd Circle for ten years. But isn't today the full moon?"
"It probably is. He said since your body can't handle consuming Sirentea, you need to hold off on the fruiting for a while."
Having heard the explanation, Abel nodded vigorously, then his eyes lit up as he asked,
"Was there anything else? Like when he'd like to meet again, or confirming the classified magic circles, or drawing new ones, or maybe taking me on as a disciple..."
"...Pardon?"
"If disciple's too much, tell him assistant is fine."
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Your Excellency. Does that kid know magic?"
"I haven't seen him cast any, but he seems to have knowledge of it. No, he definitely does! There's no way he doesn't! Aaaah! I should've called that kid instead of you, Sir Evan! Seddy, go get that kid!"
"...Calm down, Abel."
"Uwaaaah! I want to cast magic! I want to do research!"
Abel even grabbed the mana restraint collar around his neck and began writhing all over.
Sir Evan found it utterly alien to see the Prime Minister—who was widely known for his mild temperament—acting like this, and he unwittingly took a step back.
King Sedes shook his head slowly and spoke up.
"Sir, you must understand. He's been having these fits every hour since yesterday. Looks like I've overloaded him with work."
"You should cut back his duties a bit."
"I know, but somehow the work just keeps piling up."
As he said that, King Sedes shot a resentful glance at the sack full of daily necessities made from hot stone that Sir Evan had brought.
Formal mass production of those daily items could proceed at a leisurely pace, but they needed to secure enough stock right away for rollout on Sharton Street.
Sir Evan nodded knowingly at the king's expression.
"Come to think of it, that kid's the one who exposed the pirate ships, the auction house, and Sharton."
"..."
"I'll tell him to rein it in."
"...Still better than letting crimes fester, isn't it?"
"True, but..."
"He won't be leaving the palace for a while, so no need to worry."
"What if he blows up the palace?"
"..."
King Sedes's eyes began to tremble faintly. It was far too plausible to deny.
Of course, he didn't think the kid would cause incidents. He just dragged existing problems into the open. But the palace was always rife with events and mishaps, and who knew what might be brewing somewhere right now.
"Guess I need to get on that kid's good side."
"He said anything's fine as long as he's not hungry, so you'll be good."
"Weak to food, huh?"
Kid's still a kid, after all.
King Sedes pondered what to prepare. Maybe some sweet desserts—fancy cakes from the palace patissier would satisfy him.
At the same time, he wondered why he was scheming like this instead of just ordering the kid around. He was a king of a nation, after all. A royal decree should make anyone comply...
King Sedes thought it over briefly, then shook his head. The kid would probably freeze up. No, he'd probably go berserk. He'd thumb his nose at royal decrees and all that. Bribing with food was the way...
As he mulled that over, Sir Evan spoke up.
"Your Majesty, don't try bribing him with food. To that punk, meals are just fuel to fill his stomach. He won't turn it down, but he'll eat it whether it tastes good or not just to sate his hunger."
"Is that so?"
"Sir, then what does that kid like?"
Abel asked with sparkling eyes. His intent to lure Nihil in by any means was plain as day. Sir Evan wondered if this craze was really good for the kid.
"Winning his favor isn't that hard. Just... be young or cute."
"...Sounds awfully difficult."
King Sedes let out a groan. Young or cute? It was genuinely, really tough. Was there anything harder? Cuteness aside, being young was impossible from the start.
In contrast, Abel whipped out a pen like he was ready to take notes and asked,
"Sir, so he's weak to children?"
"He likes small, young, cute things."
"I can't exactly shrink or de-age myself... Does he like toys?"
"...No. More like animals... Ah, don't gift him any animals, please. He's already swamped just taking care of His Highness..."
"Hmm..."
Abel nodded in understanding. Even tending a single potted plant was a chore for him. No need to hand over a boulder, but he had to find something small, young, and cute.
"I have two nephews. If I offered them up..."
Abel pictured his sister—the princes' etiquette tutor and Countess Tarandrus—and her sons, then shook his head. The eldest was sweet and gentle but already sixteen, so less cute, and in poor health. The youngest was small and cute but a bit... no, very feral. Sorry as he was to his nephews, offering them might backfire spectacularly.
Sir Evan eyed the Prime Minister, who was willing to sacrifice his own nephews, and spoke awkwardly.
"...Your Excellency, you don't need to try so hard to impress him."
"Pardon? Why not?"
"His Highness likes you."
"So if I ask to be his disciple, he'll accept?"
"I'm not sure, but if you request it, he'll at least give some advice. He even agreed to look at mine..."
At those words, Abel slammed the table and shot to his feet.
"Sir! What exactly did he look at?"
"Pardon...? Just the mana flow..."
"How does that kid check mana flow?"
"Uh, um?"
"Can he see it even in a natural state without circulation?"
"I, uh, don't really..."
"He figured out my mana circuits just from the bird I sent—ask him how!"
"Y-Your Excellency, please calm down first..."
As Abel's questions poured out, Sir Evan broke into a cold sweat. One knight, glancing at King Sedes, timidly raised his hand. That sparked the others to cautiously follow suit. They all had burning questions.
Seeing this, King Sedes rubbed his forehead. He couldn't fathom why knights who usually lurked in the shadows without a peep were now itching to speak up.
Of course, he understood. As a swordsman himself, even King Sedes had questions for the kid. Regret washed over him—maybe he should've summoned the kid from the start. But regrets were always too late.
Worried the unsatisfied knights might sneak into the 2nd Prince's Palace and cause trouble, King Sedes eventually waved his hand to permit questions.
The knights beamed and unleashed a barrage.
"Sir, can you ask him to check our training too?!"
"Is that little friend helping with your mana training, Sir Evan?"
"What does he look at to judge strength?"
"What'd he say about your skills?"
"Can he check my mana too?"
"Sir! Spar with me later!"
"P-Pardon?"
Bombarded by the rapid-fire questions, Sir Evan faltered back in bewilderment. Fellow knights or not, he had no duty to answer, but with His Majesty's approval—and them technically his seniors—he couldn't ignore them.
Sir Evan missed his cute, adorable little prince. He yearned to gaze into those sparkling eyes and chubby cheeks for some peace. The eager stares from these burly men a decade his senior felt alien and oppressive.
Desperate to say something, Sir Evan rattled off what came to mind from the kid's words.
"...First off, his criteria for strength are physical conditioning, mana control, and mana attraction."
"Is mana attraction different from control?"
"Yes, I asked. It's similar yet distinct. 'Control' is like freely rolling a ball, while 'attraction' keeps it from rolling even under external force."
"Attraction... keeps the... ball... steady... force..."
Abel muttered as he jotted notes. Sir Evan wondered what a mage like the Prime Minister wanted with aura notes, but another question cut in.
"How do you build attraction? Does it grow with mana control training?"
Sir Evan shook his head.
"Simple spars or mana drills won't cut it. You need brutal fights pushing to mana exhaustion to strengthen it bit by bit. That's why masters emerge more in wartime. Without that crucible, some of it's innate."
"So no innate attraction means no mastery?"
"No. Boost your mana capacity to compensate. It's a well-known method, just inefficient. But he said innate attraction lets you wield or burst aura with minimal mana."
"Sir, what exactly does 'checking mana flow' entail?"
"He just... looks. Literally."
Sir Evan nearly mentioned the kid's promise of attraction training but backpedaled. Spilling that would invite headaches—not for him, but for the cheeky rascal. The kid might blame his loose lips if hounded by knights.
But King Sedes caught the subtle shift in Sir Evan's expression. As a swordsman himself, curiosity burned.
"Why trail off like that?"
"It's nothing. I misspoke."
"As I said before, cutting off mid-sentence isn't a good habit."
King Sedes crossed his arms and arched a brow, signaling no more leniency after the first pass.
Just then, Abel shot his hand up.
"Sir, mind if I cast a spell?"
"...Why ask me?"
"Because that kid told me not to."
"Abel, behave. I'm not removing the restraint."
"But you're blocking Seddy from meeting him!"
"Just exchange letters."
"What if he doesn't reply?!"
The king and Prime Minister began bickering.
Sir Evan's face paled. Was this their daily routine? He yearned to escape the chaos and return to the 2nd Prince's Palace. Feigning exhaustion, he tentatively raised his hand.
"S-Sorry to interrupt, but... the kid won't get mad just because you cast magic, Your Excellency. Though I doubt he'd forbid it without reason..."
"The kid agreed to treat me. Said I need to empty my mana circuits, so no spells or circulation. That's why the restraint—and he won't treat me if they worsen."
"Your Excellency, just follow his advice. Disobeying could cause issues. He's not one for empty words. Besides, you can see him tomorrow—why the rush?"
"Well, actually..."
Abel rolled his eyes guiltily, choosing his words.
"I cast a little magic before putting on the restraint yesterday. What do you think, Sir Evan? Will he notice?"
"..."
"Hm? Sir Evan, what's wrong? Think I'll get scolded? Badly?"
"Haa..."
King Sedes and Sir Evan sighed in unison. At this point, Sir Evan even missed the impudent little wildcat.