Won't All the Mana Get Drained?
Yohan had been holding Aria's hand for a long time.
⋯Of course, the purpose was to receive her mana, but as he spent time with her, Yohan began to feel something slightly different from his original intent.
⋯What is this?
Yohan tilted his head.
[Why? Has something gone wrong?]
⋯No, it's not that.
Yohan quickly denied Zeno's question.
It wasn't that at all.
Rather, the opposite.
⋯Not only had the tightening sensation around his heart disappeared, but the discomfort that had been wrapping around his body was gone as well.
If anything, he now felt a sense of comfort that hadn't been there before.
The warmth transmitted through his hand somehow felt gentler⋯.
No, that's not it.
⋯There's no way something like this could make that discomfort vanish.
Yohan calmly shook his head.
⋯Then what is it?
Is it just because my mana has been replenished?
Yohan raised his other hand and clenched it into a fist.
He could feel his physical condition had clearly improved.
The mana filling his body as well.
⋯It seemed a positive change would soon appear in his body's condition too.
It's true—once my mana recovers, my body feels much more at ease.
[That is a welcome change. And what of the Mana Void Syndrome?]
Further research will be necessary.
Yohan shook his head with a troubled expression.
⋯The fact that it was someone else's mana seemed to be the issue.
There was a small problem.
A very small one, really.
[Surely you cannot retain it?]
No, that is not the case.
It wasn't that he couldn't retain the mana at all. It was simply that he couldn't keep all of it.
⋯The amount he could retain was roughly half of what he had received.
[What happens to the remaining half?]
For now, it remains inside my body. It doesn't escape immediately. However, it feels difficult to use.
That was exactly it.
Though it existed within him, when he tried to move it for use, it refused to obey his will.
⋯A sensation of rejecting movement.
If anything, the more he attempted it, the more it felt as though he had been struck once.
— Don't do that, you fool. Focus on recovery for now.
Or so it seemed to say.
It appears the reason is that it belongs to someone else.
At least the fact that the mana wasn't escaping right away was fortunate.
If it were to leak out while I'm receiving it like this, I'd definitely be questioned.
⋯It might escape someday, but if it happened at this very moment while he was tightly holding her hand, he would surely face interrogation.
There's no way she would miss it.
If they were apart it might be different, but right now she would certainly notice.
[I see.]
Well, even this much can be considered progress.
Yohan smiled as if to say, "Don't you agree?"
Receiving mana—let alone recovering it—was something he had never experienced before.
There was plenty of room for further development ahead.
Tap.
Hm?
Yohan turned his head at the sensation of Aria tapping his shoulder.
Since he had been holding her hand the entire time, guessing the direction she was in was easy.
— Aren't we going to eat?
Aha.
Zeno, do we have anything to eat?
[We do. I saw the Tower Master bring food earlier.]
So that's how it was.
Yohan nodded.
⋯No matter what we're doing, we should eat first.
Time to eat. Food.
Changes had begun to appear in Yohan's body.
Numerous changes had occurred, and all of them were positive.
And among those many changes, the greatest one was⋯.
"If. You. Talk. Like. This. Can. You. Hear. Me!"
— Yes.
Yohan's hearing had begun to return.
And the fact that he had started communicating by writing on Aria's hand was another significant change.
[You said you disliked it, yet here you are doing it just fine.]
⋯I have no choice, do I?
Once Yohan's hearing began returning, Aria stopped writing on his hand.
It seemed she had found it inconvenient all along.
Naturally, the frequency of Aria speaking to Yohan increased, and Yohan had no choice but to move his fingers to respond.
⋯Haah.
No helping it.
Yohan let out a sigh and began writing on Aria's hand.
— You must have been uncomfortable.
"Of course. Do you have any idea how frustrating it was not being able to talk?"
⋯She must have been extremely uncomfortable.
Her voice was filled with complaints.
From her tone alone, Yohan could guess how much she had been inconvenienced, and he calmly moved his hand.
— I'm sorry.
"No need for that. Anyway, it seems you're fine now? You weren't saying anything earlier."
Aria had flinched whenever Yohan wrote, as if it tickled, but she retorted sharply, as though trying to hide that fact.
— I'm fine now. I needed time to adjust. I'm sorry.
"⋯Tsk. I have so many questions I want to ask."
Aria made a sulky face at Yohan's apology and lowered her voice, grumbling with dissatisfaction.
— I'm sorry. I didn't hear you. What did you say?
"I didn't say anything!"
Aria shouted and turned her head. Of course, Yohan couldn't see it.
[She seems to be sulking.]
That was why Zeno relayed the situation instead.
⋯Good grief.
Yohan let out a sigh.
He had seen this sort of thing several times back at the academy, but now that he couldn't see, he had no idea what action to take.
[Why not simply say thank you? She has been supplying you with mana, after all.]
That⋯ is true.
Yohan nodded.
⋯In truth, even bowing his head in gratitude wouldn't have been enough.
He had simply been too preoccupied with research to express it earlier.
So this seemed like a good opportunity to do so.
After pondering what to say for a moment, he made his decision and wrote on Aria's hand.
— Thank you for helping me.
A simple expression of gratitude.
It was the most courteous thanks Yohan could manage in his current state.
"Hey, if you say it like that, then I⋯."
Aria couldn't continue.
⋯Huh?
Professor?
When Aria suddenly fell silent, Yohan tilted his head, but no further words came.
Only.
After a very long time.
"⋯Haah."
A small sigh was all he heard.
Yohan couldn't understand why.
"Alright, you've recovered to some extent now, haven't you?"
Aria spoke without hiding her proud expression.
The mana she had transferred to Yohan wasn't as much as before, but it was enough for his ears to fully recover.
⋯Of course, his eyes still hadn't recovered. But even so, this was enough to resolve a great deal of inconvenience.
[How is the condition of your eyes?]
In response to Zeno's expected question, Yohan spoke calmly.
I can't distinguish anything yet.
The view that had been pitch black had changed to the point where faint shapes seemed visible, but it wasn't enough to make anything out clearly.
⋯It was disappointing, but not something to be discouraged about.
If anything, even this much was something to be grateful for.
[It seems your eyes require more mana.]
Yes, it appears so.
Still, this was sufficient.
He could continue his research on Mana Void Syndrome while exploring ways to utilize this mana, and he could also study methods of transferring mana.
It was a satisfying enough result.
He couldn't ask for more help.
⋯It might become a burden, after all.
After that, Yohan nodded in response to Aria's words.
Aria wore a satisfied expression and released Yohan's hand.
Yohan, who had been holding her hand for a very long time, calmly shook his hand out.
It had gone numb.
"What was that reaction for?"
— It's nothing.
Yohan wrote on his own hand and showed it to Aria. She stared at him for a moment before relaxing the tension in her eyes.
Then she spoke abruptly.
"Anyway, let's stop here for now and get moving."
⋯Excuse me?
Yohan tilted his head.
⋯Move? Where to?
⋯Weren't we done, Professor?
When Yohan remained still, clearly confused, Aria frowned and said,
"Don't tell me you thought I'd end it with just this? Your eyes still haven't returned. Do I look like that kind of professor to you?"
Yohan couldn't react at all.
Silence was as good as affirmation, but Yohan couldn't think of any other way to respond.
⋯Honestly, it was more accurate to say he simply couldn't come up with anything else to say.
"⋯Hah?"
Aria let out a disbelieving sound, and only then did Yohan hurriedly move his hand. He needed to calm the situation first.
— I'm sorry. It took me time to understand. Where are we going?
⋯Whatever it was, this was an opportunity to come into contact with more of this mana.
The more he could obtain for research, the better, so he thought it would be good to go along.
After that, Yohan calmly waited for Aria's answer.
Aria pouted and spoke in an irritated tone.
"We're going to the Magic Tower."
⋯Excuse me?
If we go there now, won't all the mana get sucked out, Professor?
The color drained from Yohan's face.