That's Enough Mana Breathing
"That's enough mana breathing, I think."
Estelle, who'd been wearing a vague expression for a while now, finally suggested we call it quits on the mana breathing.
"Oh, already?"
It felt like we'd spent nearly the whole day on mana breathing, but even so, it seemed to end quicker than expected—probably because of my recent memories of swinging that sword for a solid three days straight.
"Yeah, definitely. I have to admit, you pick things up pretty fast."
"Wasn't really trying to impress you or anything, but thanks."
Man with a Large Mana Pool
Working hard must've paid off; reading it felt oddly satisfying somehow. Anyway, it was a decent title. Of course, I had no idea what effect it gave. But if titles kept piling up like this, one by one, wouldn't they just go on forever without end? It wasn't nothing... but still, handing out a title for every little thing meant that eventually, I'd have a ridiculously long list stretching out. Weirdly, though, they hadn't split the farming titles into super specific categories. Compared to when I first started farming, my skills had definitely improved a ton.
...Maybe it just wasn't title-worthy yet? Fair enough—I'd only ever heard "you're not getting an earful anymore" for my hard work, never any actual praise like "you're good at this."
"It's getting late out."
"Yeah, it is. Guess we should wrap up for today? I've got some errands for my parents anyway."
I was still running little chores every time I headed out, partly because my parents kept assigning them, but mostly because I wanted to. Having parents—something I never had in my previous life—turned out to be way warmer and more comforting than I'd imagined.
"Errands for your parents? What kind?"
"Nothing big, just picking up dinner stuff from the market."
I said it casually, since it really was no big deal, but Estelle's eyes lit up.
"Can I come too?"
"...You sure that's okay?"
"Why not? Why wouldn't it be? I taught you magic today and everything! I'm basically your master now!"
"Duncan already paid you."
Honestly, in my past life, I'd never gotten tangled up with a beauty like this, and since getting close to the saintess was in my best interest, part of me wanted her along...
"Still! Saying no to this one thing is just petty!"
"Look, Estelle. You're out here flaunting your saintess status all over your forehead and body— you really wanna walk around with me? Even in a backwater like this, people recognize the saintess!"
This was seriously pushing it. Our village? Yeah, it was deep countryside—you'd need a carriage ride of two or three hours from the city. And sure, it was full of old folks. But that didn't mean they were idiots who couldn't spot the saintess, crown princess, or emperor. In this empire-obsessed era, regular people knew all the high nobles' faces and names, down to the royals, like the back of their hand.
"Oh, yeah... you're right. You've been treating me so casually that I kinda forgot and thought it'd be fine. What if I change my appearance a bit?"
Change her appearance? Was she talking about using polymorph magic, like dragons or high-level mages? Estelle, the saintess, was that good at magic? No matter how I thought about it, that didn't add up. I'd never seen game Estelle cast spells like that, and I'd sure as hell never heard rumors of her being that skilled!
"...Yeah, sure. That should work."
"Great! Hang on a sec!"
My heart was pounding a little. Sure, Estelle's carefree vibe and pretty looks might've had something to do with it. But more than that, the idea of seeing high-level polymorph magic up close had my pulse racing harder.
Was I always this hungry for magic and raw power?
"Ta-da! How's this?!"
"Huh?"
She suddenly tied her hair back, yanked the hoodie she was holding over her head, and flashed a cute grin.
"See? Forehead's hidden now, right? And the hair color's hard to make out too."
She wasn't wrong. With the hood pulled all the way down, her face was mostly obscured—her eye color was just a passing glance at best.
"...I thought you were gonna use polymorph."
That was why I was thrown off. It felt like she was about to show something amazing, but nope—just flipping on a hood.
"Huh? How could I use high-level magic like that? I'm not some grand mage!"
Oh, right. No one ever said Estelle could pull off spells like that. I'd just hyped myself up with "Whoa, for real?!"
Damn, did I just come off like a total nerd...?
"Ahem. Yeah, makes sense. Ridiculous idea anyway. Alright, let's go. That should be disguise enough—no one'll clock you as the saintess."
"Yay! Market trip! This is gonna be fun!"
I had no idea what got her so excited about a simple market run when she was the saintess who could do whatever she wanted anyway.
"I'll ask my parents—wanna stick around for dinner?"
I did the mental math: inviting her to eat might bring us closer. Might as well maximize things before the academy entrance—befriending at least one side would make mediating between royals way easier for a commoner like me.
"For real? That'd be awesome! Oh, and if you've got a spare room at your place, staying over sounds perfect. You don't do lodging or anything?"
"...Nah, we don't, but I'll check."
This wasn't about some stupid "boys and girls shouldn't bunk together past seven" crap. Our house was old but had plenty of rooms. She wasn't asking to share my bed or anything—why overthink it? And even if she did! Wait! This wasn't Confucian Korea—it was a monarchy! If a royal liked someone, they just... no, screw that. Get a grip.
I was supposed to bridge the saintess and crown princess, save the world. And she wasn't even suggesting sharing a bed—why was I jumping ahead like a total loser? Snap out of it.
"Yay! I didn't have a place to crash—this solves everything!"
"Didn't Duncan set you up somewhere?"
"He did, but I didn't like it."
Ditching some random guy's place to crash at a stranger's? What an odd girl. Then again, a saintess like her could probably protect herself just fine.
If things had gone as planned, Estelle would've wrapped up training with Theo and teleported back to the Holy Empire, only to return to Duncan's backyard the next day at the agreed time. For someone who could use teleportation magic, it wasn't a hassle, so Duncan had casually invited her without arranging lodging.
"Duncan already prepped the meat, so we just need a few veggies."
Yet her choice to stay by Theo's side instead of returning to the Holy Empire was entirely her own. She was simply curious about the guy named Theo. Sure, being the same age, it could've sparked romantic feelings, but that wasn't it—not yet.
She was just curious.
"Uncle! Onions, eggplants, and cabbage, please!"
"Oh, Theo! Out on an errand?"
"Yeah, Mom's swamped, so gotta help out!"
"Good kid! Eggplants on the house!"
He hadn't freaked out or anything despite her openly showing off her saintess mark. That alone was intriguing. He treated her just like anyone else.
"You like eggplants?"
"Nah, not really."
"Try my mom's fried eggplant—you'll change your mind."
Being with him made her feel like an ordinary girl.
How long has it been since I felt like this?
It reminded her of her younger, wilder days—running away from home, getting taken in by Duncan and his crew, adventuring together. She was the saintess, but to them, she was just Estelle. That normalcy? She loved it.
She could do anything from her position, yet she couldn't do whatever she wanted. That suffocating "freedom" always choked her to the brink of madness.
"Theo."
"Yeah?"
"Any plans to enroll in the academy next year?"
The thought of parting with Theo kept bubbling up, even after just one day. But next year meant academy for her too—back to dreaming of days like this being impossible, dragged there with a noose of repressed freedom around her neck.
If Theo were there too... I'd be okay, for sure.