123. Make Bellatus Great
123. Make Bellatus Great
Pushing training hard made my magic skills shoot up too.
I don't really know if my skills actually improved, but Grandma said it's steadily getting better...
"Try not to have stray thoughts."
-nod
I refocused my mind and sank back into imagery.
"Does the water still feel cruel to you?"
Cruel... Cold, murky, like it could sweep you away if you're not careful.
But after days of repeated training, my thinking started to shift bit by bit.
It just felt... no big deal.
"It's just... all about how you use it, right?"
This water too—if you scoop out just a cup, isn't it just clear, refreshing water?
Other impressions... fluid, free.
On the first day, I got devoured by the water and was way too scared.
I shouldn't fear what's inside me.
Floating along with the flowing water, cool water entered my ears.
Normally it'd be unpleasant, but now it just felt like my head was getting washed clean.
A pleasant smile crept onto my lips, and Grandma patted my shoulder.
"Yeah. Any power is meant to be used. You're learning fast."
"Have I learned Water Magic now?"
"Nope? Now you gotta learn to draw the spell formula in your head. You think magic is easy?"
"Oh."
Guess I got too excited. I've just barely scratched the basics.
In Hangul terms, it's like I can read consonants now?
Well... even if I'd learned Water Magic, no alert sound popped up.
Grandma smirked and nodded.
"Don't be so disappointed. With no real talent, this stage alone takes years. Getting the gist like this is huge. The deeper you dig, the more endless it gets."
I listened intently to Grandma's explanation.
"Now that you've grasped your power to some extent, next comes drawing it out. Come on, follow me. First, how to shape one burst of mana..."
Drawing it out...
Like this?
I reached out my hand and scooped water from the imagery, splashing it out.
Like playing in water.
And then...
-splash!!
-ding!
[You have acquired the skill 'LV.1 Water Magic'!]
It just... came out?
Grandma, who was picking books from the shelf, turned around and blinked.
"...??? Huh?"
Grandma stared at the water on the floor and my outstretched hand with shaky eyes.
I activated Water Magic from my hand once more.
-splash!
".........Urk..."
Grandma's eyes rolled back, and she collapsed sideways.
The books in her hands crumpled like trash and fell...
-crash!!
"G-Grandma!!!"
"Urk... m-med... medicine...!!"
"Med? Medicine?? What medicine?!"
Grandma pointed at the desk with a trembling hand.
I grabbed the visible potion bottle, took it out, and put it in Grandma's mouth.
"Mm... gulp! Hoo... hoo... hoo..."
"G-Grandma, are you okay?"
Supporting Grandma's shoulders, I laid her on the sofa.
In a surprisingly calm tone, Grandma nodded.
"...The world's crumbling, how could I be okay."
I felt something was wrong.
Grandma, who should've been freaking out, was way too quiet.
Déjà vu hit, so I asked.
"Grandma... what did you take?"
"I kept a tranquilizer ready for a day like this... Works great. Didn't expect to use it so soon..."
She smiled awkwardly, and Grandma let out a deep sigh.
"Haa... Mana isn't supposed to burst out so chaotically. It needs perfect calculations clicking precisely, sliding out smoothly."
"It just gushed right out, though?"
"...Hand me one more pill?"
"You'll get in trouble. Stop it."
"Aigoo, my fate..."
Grandma squeezed her eyes shut a few times, then shook her head.
"Right, no circuits... No, then this becomes possible? Then... then..."
Grandma looked at me and glared.
Madness shone through that no tranquilizer could suppress.
"That's it for today—head back. I need to set up some hypotheses."
"G-Grandma, your eyes are scary..."
Grandma shot up from her seat and grabbed my shoulders.
"I can see the end of magic... With you... with you..."
.........She's nuts.
I gave a quick goodbye and bolted.
No way I could keep looking at Grandma.
Will she be okay from now on...?
No mere head butler would dare approach—the Duke's office.
"Do it, ah."
"...Ahem. Ah~"
-smooch!
Ryu-o strode in like it was his own bedroom, roasting sesame seeds with Hilda.
Daring to sit in the little duchess's chair, popping premium fruits into the little duchess's mouth.
Hilda was overjoyed, self-loathing aside.
She'd sworn she'd never end up like that with her mom and her concubine bastards...
"Hilda. This time?"
"Hmm... Grapes sound good."
Ryu-o plucked a plump grape, and with amazing handiwork, popped out just the flesh.
Using mana maybe—it split cleanly in half, seedless.
The flesh, nicely perched on the skin for easy eating, slipped right into Hilda's mouth.
"Mmm... ahem..."
Even pretending to be solemn and dignified, Hilda's lips kept twitching.
No wonder women lose their minds over guys!
She used to scorn the young ladies going crazy trying to hook a man...
"This time?"
"......♥♥ Ahh~♥"
"Huh?!"
"Slurrrrp!♥ Pwah... ahem..."
Now she gets it. All for this happiness.
Hilda felt Ryu-o's arms around her slowly creeping up.
"W-Wait. Work first. It'll be quick."
Ryu-o flashed a heart-fluttering smile and bent Hilda over the desk.
"Hilda works. I'll handle it alone."
"...? W-Wait! This is..."
Her skirt hiked up, and her pussy quickly prepped like it knew the pleasure coming.
And...
-squelch~
"Hgyaaaah?!?♥ N-Now... official... hiiiiaaaan♥♥♥"
The reins-off pair dove vigorously into heir-making offi?C?IAL? duties.
♥♥♥
♥♥♥
Naked and sitting on my lap, Hilda handed me the last document.
"The investigation you requested. Finished on the Hardin Count House."
I picked up the document and read; Hilda furrowed her brow.
"...It's true. Found someone with the Hardin Count House's tattoo from the South. Still secretly monitoring."
As expected. Something's up with the Hardin Count House.
With evidence like this, no denying it. But...
"Just a tattoo..."
"Yeah. What if... they say they just tattooed their servants? Or grab a faker and beat 'em. Ends with some backtalk about bad hobbies. Tracked the tattooed guy for days... no kid-napping? Just like it says. Southern druggie foster kid. No Dark Elf like you mentioned."
Still missing something key.
Ask Jenin...? Dumb idea.
From how she talks, she knows nothing. Even if she did...
No. Jenin's my comrade. Don't suspect her.
"Thanks anyway, Hilda. Finding it matters."
"Only natural. Beyond our relationship, a blemish on a Raid Member's family could hurt. Duchy knights on 24-hour watch—something'll turn up soon."
Always so giving—thanks, Hilda.
"Hilda. What does Hilda want?"
Hilda cleared her throat, turned, and hugged me.
-swish...
"Ahem... Got it all. Right here, no?"
-rub rub♥ poke♥
She's too damn cute.
Wanted to go at it right then, but we'd be at it all day.
"Always thanks, Hilda. Still, got any personal dreams?"
"Personal dreams..."
Hilda's vibe shifted instantly, eyes sharpening.
"An achievement no one can surpass etched into the family. One no one dares top. One that lasts forever."
Felt that intimidating aura from first meeting Hilda.
Her fighting skills are just healthy gym-rat level... how's she got this presence?
"Hilda. Wanna hear Hilda's past."
Hilda blinked, then grinned.
"You're interested... Feels good. Hope you don't get bored—it's nothing special."
Hilda kissed me with a face cute enough to kill, then started her story.
Born destined to lead countless souls.
For such a person, mine was... smooth. Yeah. Just smooth.
Mother's the duke. Father's...
Huh? Right, duchies are matrilineal. Suddenly that's... boring.
Anyway, both pure noble stock of the best kind.
Born their eldest daughter.
Got all the insane education from young.
No martial training? Eldest daughters are pre-destined for admin leadership education. Talent doesn't matter.
Silly, right? Thought they'd nurture my talents like I would?
Me too. But family tradition. Let even a sliver of flexibility in, forget roots, history becomes a joke.
That's ruling. Uphold traditions strictly, enforce 'em yourself—that's your mandate to rule.
That's... the education I got.
I count myself blessed. Toughest was building Poison Resistance.
Concubines' kids swallowed poison and died, or proved themselves dying on missions. Only 2 left now.
Selana's the legit second, so the youngest... offed herself learning ill-suited magic.
Turned to dark magic from pressure. To power-level fast.
Suicide... probably suicide... Coldly, family measures might've stepped in.
............
My blood siblings died off one by one.
After that, I stopped getting attached to people.
How to put it... Felt pointless.
People around me died too easily since childhood... that's how it felt...
Ow... poke poke, I'm fine. Ahem... That's when I got my goal.
Screw a bit of tradition—build a family that shines eternally.
Don't become the monster sending kids to slaughter under tradition's name.
I don't resent Mother.
Just a woman lacking the vessel, merely conforming and upholding the system.
I just aim to shatter the system with achievements.
That tradition I mentioned... damn tradition...
A history massive enough to bury all the thickly piled past.
"Should've secretly learned the sword? Heh heh. Better look supporting a hero or jumping in myself?"
"You're plenty cool now?"
"Future hero says so—satisfying."
Hilda pressed her forehead to mine and vowed.
"Won't freeload on your halo. I'll become a woman worthy of you."
"???? What??? You're already too good for..."
"Ahh~♥♥♥ Slurrrrp♥"