Chapter 23
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Scene 023: Practical
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The next day dawned.
When I returned to the mansion from school yesterday, it was already night.
Wendy had fallen into a deep sleep starting then and still hadnt woken up.
Probably mana exhaustion.
Given her stamina, shed be out until tomorrow.
I sank into the chair in my office.
Then I examined the books placed on the desk one by one.
They were books on ancient magic I had borrowed from the Great Wall of Truth yesterday.
Time for some practical training.
I closed my eyes.
First up: mana detection.
Manathe energy present in all things, the raw material that makes miracles possible.
I pictured it.
I visualized the mana around me.
Supplementing it with the knowledge Id gained through Greed, the concept of mana grew clearer within me.
I closed my eyes.
Then the mana around me began to glow.
Starting from the desk in front of me, the ballpoint pen, wallet, watch, bookseverythings mana was faintly emitting light.
It was mana.
Among it, I focused on the faint glow enveloping the books.
Got it.
I connected the mana of my body to the mana of the book.
Mana was warm.
It had taken root in every nook and cranny of the object, like blood vessels.
And those vessels were connected to me as well.
Now, I decided to try lifting one of the books in front of me.
Using only the mana surrounding the book.
It was clumsy at first, but I was gradually getting the hang of handling mana.
Hmm.
But I couldnt lift the book.
The book felt heavy.
It was unsteady, like trying to hoist a heavy object with a single thread.
The reason was obvious.
The mana contained within the book was woefully insufficient.
I need more mana
To move an object with magic like a regular mage, there simply wasnt enough mana in the object itself.
Thats why mages use the mana inside their own bodies.
The human body is like a spring of magic, endlessly surging as long as the heart beats.
I decided to change my approach.
There was no need to use only the mana possessed by the book to move it.
I took a deep breath.
I tensed every nerve in my body.
As if my body had become a transparent mirror reflecting the world.
The motif of Moon Magic is the mirror.
I became a mirror, reflecting the outlines of the objects around me.
Mana began gathering in an instant.
In a fleeting moment, warm blood welled up inside my body.
I didnt miss that instant.
!
The book floated up lightly.
But it lasted only a moment.
Plop!
The book fell powerlessly to the floor.
I had used up all the mana Id just gathered to lift it.
As my concentration broke, a slight fatigue set in.
Whew
There had been some success.
For the first time, I had cast something resembling proper magic.
Though all Id managed was to lift one thick book.
I had also learned my limits.
Both Tristans body and my mind were inexperienced with mana, making fine control difficult.
Thus, there was a limit to the amount of mana I could handle.
Well, I could build it up step by step.
The more I polished it, the clearer the mirror would shine.
I would hone myself to reflect the mana present in all things.
I focused my mind once more.
Just like when I had sensed the mana around me earlier.
Then my senses expanded.
I couldnt see it with my eyes, but I could feel the mana.
If I practiced mana sensing from time to time, the amount I could handle would increase as well.
I checked the remaining days.
351 days until service start
There was still time.
Id train this body as much as I could until then.
I looked in the mirror.
The fat noble who looked more vicious the longer I staredTristan.
In any story, a character like this would be a villain nine times out of ten.
However, I had glimpsed Tristans past in the space of trials.
Probably from before his fall.
Back then, he had been a handsome boy, enough to surprise even me.
Well, his father, Millium, had been quite the looker too.
It wouldve been stranger if his son Tristan hadnt been handsome.
Annoying, but no helping it
Now that I knew the truth, I had no choice.
I had caught a glimpse of hope that I could remake Tristan into a completely new character, so all that was left was action.
I loosened up my body once and left the room.
Next?
Um The next candidate is Marquis Walles. He has territory in Szaal and is 30 years old this year.
Too old. Rejected.
Bella spoke with half her face buried in the bed.
...
What about Count Spread?
Too ugly. Rejected.
Then how about Viscount Bibes?
Too poor. Rejected.
Then how about Baron Ri Han? Hes not too old, not ugly, and his familys finances are solid.
Too short. Rejected.
Miss
When Bella looked up, there stood a woman with a cold expression.
You can call me Isabella when were alone.
Its working hours. My job is as your guard knight, so I must use honorifics.
Yes Thats our Blanche, all right.
The woman called Blanche swept back her neatly tied black hair.
Revealing long eyelashes and ice-cold blue eyes beneath.
Ive told you all the names of the men who have proposed to you so far. Is there not one among them to your liking?
Then theyre all rejected.
Bella flipped over indifferently on the bed.
Recently, the number of nobles proposing to her had surged.
The timing was, naturally, right after the rumor that her engagement to Tristan had been broken off.
They were the ones who hadnt even dared to speak to Bella while watching Tristans mood.
Perhaps thinking they now had a chance, they sent letters and gifts several times a day.
For Bella Izarkhel, it couldnt have been more exhausting.
Partly due to her personality, but replying to each one and rejecting their proposals was draining.
Yesterday had been her limit.
Bella didnt want to get out of bed.
She vowed not to reply to anyone today.
As she resolved this, Bella suddenly thought.
But its too strange
She should have been thrilled to escape the clutches of that wicked man.
Ironically, why did she miss the days when she had been his fiancée?
Bella muttered without thinking.
Sigh How is it theyre all worse than that guy
That guy, you say?
Oops.
She felt Blanches gaze from above.
Ignoring it, Bella played dumb.
...Did you mishear?
No. You clearly said that guy.
Youve got sharp ears, our Blanche.
From what you said, it seems that guy refers to your former fiancé, Count Tristan Ruelverta. Am I correct?
You already know and youre asking? Our mischievous Blanche.
Quite the opposite.
What do you mean, opposite, out of nowhere?
That guy is no good.
Bella sat up straight on the bed and faced Blanche.
Her guard knight, the tall woman known as Iron-Blooded Blanche, looked down at her expressionlessly.
Why is he no good?
Dont you already know, Miss?
I dont. Why dont you tell me instead, our Blanche.
To the giggling Bella, Blanche replied with unshakable composure.
Count Tristan has a bad reputation. Hes always angry, abuses his servants, thinks he can buy the whole world with moneya hopeless brute. And moreover
Blanche hesitated for a moment before continuing.
The Ruelverta family is the most dangerous house in the kingdom. You should keep your distance from him.
Hmm
It was sound advice.
No, Bella already knew that.
The Ruelverta family wielded far too much power for a mere noble house.
And Tristans unfathomable darkness was something Bella had witnessed firsthand, so she knew the danger.
Bella buried herself in the bed again.
But
The Tristan she had seen recently was somehow different.
No, his arrogant personality was the same.
Even on the day they went to Eden, he had abandoned her and returned to the mansion.
He hadnt even replied to the letter she sent in protest.
It was blatantly strange.
He no longer obsessed over Bella and showed no lingering attachment.
When you followed me around saying you loved me to death Is this all your love amounted to?
It felt like her pride was being trampled.
Yes! This had to be another of Tristans schemes.
Not content with insulting the Izarkhel family, now he was toying with her pride like this.
Truly a genius of villainy.
Bella writhed on the bed, convinced she had fallen for his trap.
Because of that, she completely missed the dangerous glint in Blanches eyes.