Shopping (1)
"Just a part of it...?" What kind of nonsense was that?
Julia stepped into the bathroom, turning Aslan's words over in her mind. No matter how many times she replayed them, they still sounded ridiculous. Mana separation was an advanced technique, something you learned much later. She could barely control her mana as a whole, let alone split it apart. That much was obvious, yet...
She had already memorized the theory behind separation. "What does he even know about me to be giving advice...? Fine. Just once. I'll try it exactly the way he said."
It was terrible advice—more like meddling—but she had hit a wall. There was nothing left to lose. She decided to give it a shot. The only problem was why she had come all the way to the bathroom to do it.
Because it was embarrassing. She couldn't bear the thought of anyone seeing her fail. She had always shown the orphanage children nothing but success. To them, she was the flawless genius who never stumbled.
'I don't want them to see me struggling.'
People only applauded true talent. A hopeless dullard could grind away with effort and still receive nothing but pitying applause. She had to be remembered as a genius. She would become one.
With tears welling in her eyes, Julia focused on the flow of mana swirling inside her chest.
"Separate the mana and control just a portion. I can do this. Let's try."
She wiped her tears and placed a hand over her chest. The first step was the same as always—gather the mana into a single point and condense it. Then, in one burst, ignite it. The only difference was the new step in between: peeling away a portion of the mana first.
How much should she separate? She decided to start with half. But could someone who could barely manipulate mana even manage to split it? Her confidence wavered, yet she sniffled and began again.
Split it. Separate it!
'I did it...!'
She had succeeded. The single mass of mana had clearly split into two. Yet an enormous force still bound the two pieces together. The slightest lapse in concentration would fuse them back into one. So this was why it was considered advanced training.
She had to keep them apart while condensing only one of the two. It was complicated and difficult, but—
'It's working!'
Progress was being made. She left one mass inside her chest and guided the other down her arm toward her fingertips. Then she clenched her small hand tightly, as if grasping the mana itself.
The sudden pressure caused the mana to condense rapidly. This time, there was no sign of it running wild. The process was going unnervingly smoothly.
'Huh? I've never made it this far before.'
The speed caught her off guard. Normally, the mana would leak and spiral out of control right around this point. She had reached the ignition stage for the first time. Depending on the spell, the method of ignition would change, but she was too flustered to even choose which magic to use.
'Aah! I don't even know what spell I'm trying to cast...!'
What should she do? If a fireball suddenly exploded and burned down the mansion—
Should she stop? While she hesitated, a voice echoed in her mind.
'You're doing just fine. I won't be disappointed, so just give it your all.'
Whose voice was that? She couldn't remember when she had heard it. Was it something her parents had said, or someone else...? She didn't know, but the warmth that came with the words was unmistakable. At the same time, her confidence—previously scraping the bottom—surged upward as if to pierce the sky.
'Here I go!!!'
Julia squeezed her eyes shut and thrust her arm forward. The mana that had been buzzing noisily vanished in an instant, and the world fell silent.
Was... it over? Julia cracked one eye open. What kind of magic had she cast? She looked at her hands and surroundings in confusion, then let out a hollow laugh.
"Did it run wild again?"
Nothing had happened. Nothing had changed. She had thought it was going well, but maybe it had spiraled out of control at the very end. With a bitter smile, she left the bathroom and trudged back to her room with heavy steps.
"You're late."
"..."
"Sitting on the toilet too long can give you hemorrhoids, you know..."
"That's not it! ...yo!"
Julia's face flushed bright red, but she failed to notice one crucial change—the mysterious voice that had constantly tormented her had disappeared.
***
"I want a sword!"
"What?"
"I want a sword!"
"...I heard you the first time. I'm asking why you're suddenly saying that."
Charlotte had barged in and declared it without warning. A sword?
"I want a cool sword just like the one Lady Silvia carries!"
"How about sticking with a wooden sword for now? A real blade would be too heavy and dangerous for you."
"But I want to go whoosh and shoot things like Lady Silvia does!"
"That wasn't from a sword. It was magic."
"What!?"
Charlotte's expression collapsed as if the world had ended, her shoulders slumping. So she had genuinely believed it came from the sword.
"Th-then! I'll start studying magic from now on!"
"Weren't you the one who said you hated magic and picked up a sword instead?"
"I've decided I like magic more now!"
"..."
She had been so certain Charlotte would become a swordsman, but that conviction was already beginning to waver. This kid... had even less patience than she had imagined.
"So you're going back to studying magic?"
"Yes! But was Lady Silvia originally a mage? Why does she carry a sword around?"
"Silvia is both a knight and a mage."
Silvia was a magic knight who wielded both sword and magic. She wasn't officially registered with the Magic Association, however, because she had taught herself. She had never received formal training and used mana in ways that didn't align with any established system, yet she could still cast spells—an odd girl, to say the least. Though that was all before she damaged her mana core.
'If she says she's going to study magic, Silvia will be pleased.'
It seemed sword training could be put on hold for a while. Silvia would probably be delighted to have some time off.
"A knight and a mage at the same time! That's awesome! I want to do that too!"
"What?"
"From now on, I'll study magic and train! I'll become a magic knight just like Lady Silvia!"
"..."
For a moment, Aslan was speechless. Did this child even understand what being a magic knight entailed?
'Magic knight. One of the job options the protagonist could choose.'
When starting the game, there were several classes to pick from—swordsman, mage, martial artist (for entertainment purposes), and so on. Among them, the special class unlocked only for pre-order players was the magic knight. While it sounded like a knight who used magic, it was actually the opposite: a mage who used a sword. Ordinary mages cast spells through their own bodies, but magic knights were fundamentally different—they used weapons as their medium from the very beginning.
'Wait a second. Don't tell me...'
Could Charlotte have the aptitude for a magic knight? If so, it would explain why she had shown little talent for either swordsmanship or magic. A magic knight's abilities wouldn't manifest until they found a sword that matched their constitution. Most people in this world lived and died without ever holding a sword, and the majority of those with magic knight potential would never realize it, spending their lives farming until they grew old and died.
But he had more than enough money to buy her as many swords as she needed.
"Very well. Let's go buy you a real sword."
"Huh? Really? You mean it? No take-backs!"
He might as well make a proper investment.
...
"Leon was dismissed?"
The report in Irene's hand crumpled with a sharp crackle. Sir Leon Vercus had died in a duel, and a large number of employees, including the head chef, had been fired. It was the result of a notarized duel, so no one could complain. Aslan, that brat. How dare he do something like this without permission?
"My, my... Our little brother has grown quite a bit. I thought he was just stupid, narrow-minded, and dull, but did he notice the spies I planted?"
She had been certain he wouldn't. She had hidden each one so cleverly that he should never have found them. She had expected the family to collapse without anyone ever realizing who was responsible. Then, one day, he had simply removed them all. Every single one. In one clean sweep.
It made no sense. The Aslan she knew could never have done something like that. Even if he had figured it out, he would have stubbornly insisted it wasn't Leon. That was how short-sighted he was.
"So I went to check for myself, and it really was Aslan..."
Suspecting he had changed, she had gone to see that disgusting face of his after a long time. The moment he saw her, he trembled like a dog meeting a dog seller and couldn't meet her eyes—just like the old Aslan. His gaze and atmosphere were the same, yet...
"Should I call it a smarter Aslan? That's what it felt like."
There was definitely a strange sense of dissonance. Had he finally come to his senses? If not, then...
"Someone has started interfering."
It was far more convincing to assume someone else was pulling the strings from behind Aslan. Who could it be? Kali? No, that one seemed rather low in intelligence.
"Another evil god..."
Had he made a contract with a different evil god? That would explain it. An evil god actively intervening, offering advice, and controlling Aslan. Nothing else could account for what was happening.
"Who exactly is getting in our way...?"
Irene ground her teeth. The plan to bring Aslan down and execute him for ruining the family was falling apart in real time. Who was it? Which evil god was responsible? Whoever it was, they must be prepared to die for making an enemy of them.
An evil god versus evil god war... This might actually be a little exciting. Irene chuckled as she grasped the black mist creeping up from behind her.