The Heart Matters More Than Size
A few days after the monster extermination incident, my father and mother had once again left the mansion.
From what I heard, they claimed they had business up north in the Empire.
“Move everything else to the warehouse and write up the remaining list.”
When I stepped out into the corridor, Sebas was giving instructions to a handful of servants.
“Sebas.”
“Yes, young master.”
Sebas.
I had no idea who had named him, but the man had nailed the job perfectly.
“When will Father and Mother return?”
“At least a month, it seems.”
“A month?”
I wouldn’t be able to see Mom for a whole month?
“It’ll take that long?”
“Yes. Just the journey to the north takes over two weeks.”
From what I knew, most of the Empire’s north was snowy mountains. Beyond that lay the Demon Continent.
It was not a place worth going to in the first place.
“Do you know what the business is?”
“I haven’t heard the full details.”
“Hmm.”
As expected. When you reached count level, there were more than a few things to handle.
“All right, keep working.”
“Yes, young master.”
I continued walking down the corridor.
My sword mastery was steadily climbing, and magic was about to be taught by Elena, so there was no problem.
Itchy, itchy. Magic itches.
Thinking about it, I was just leeching off Elena for free.
Not good. Definitely not good.
The way I viewed our relationship wasn’t like that.
Ramen and kimchi.
Samgyeopsal and soju.
Potato fries and ketchup.
Anyway, the best duo.
You can’t form a relationship like that if you only receive.
“Sebas?”
Sebas, who had been issuing orders from behind, lifted his head.
“Yes, young master.”
“I’m going out for a bit.”
Sebas’s hand, which had been flipping through the ledger, paused for a moment.
“Going out, you say?”
“Yeah.”
The answer didn’t come immediately.
Now it didn’t surprise me anymore.
If I stepped outside, I would cause nothing but trouble.
“Where are you planning to go?”
“The shopping district.”
“Understood. I will prepare the carriage. Shall I assign escorts?”
“No, one helper is enough.”
“Yes.”
Sebas summoned a maid nearby.
“Assist the young master with his outing preparations.”
“Yes, butler.”
At the front gate, a carriage and a maid were waiting.
Upon closer inspection, it was the same maid I had seen upon reincarnation—the first one.
“You?”
“Ah, yes!”
Even then, she still seemed terrified of me.
“What was your name?”
“It’s Lily, young master.”
“All right, Lily Lily. Please take care.”
“Yes, young master.”
When I stepped down from the carriage, the first thing I noticed was the neatly arranged street.
The clothes of the passersby clearly showed they had money.
“Is there something you’re looking for?”
“A gift for Elena.”
“Ah, it’s a gift for Lady Erbein.”
Lily scanned the shops around her.
“Then, how about the jewelry shop from before?”
Accessories…
“Let’s try there first.”
With Lily’s guidance, I entered the shop.
On the display shelves, high-end jewelry embedded with gems stood neatly arranged.
The prices were all dizzying.
Starting from five million Vera, climbing into the hundreds of millions.
‘One Vera is roughly one won…’
The cheapest necklace alone was five million won.
Whoa.
“How is it, young master?”
“Well…”
They all sparkled, but…
Did Elena actually like these things?
In my memories, Elena always smiled and said thank you when given a gift.
Necklace, earrings, ring, bracelet, gloves, and even underwear.
“……”
Underwear?
I might have misremembered. Let me think again.
No.
I really gave it.
I chose it myself.
I never imagined micro bikinis existed in this era.
How did I know?
I didn’t want to know either.
I quietly buried the memory.
Let’s pretend I never saw this.
“Let’s try somewhere else.”
“Was there nothing you liked?”
“Yeah.”
I left the shop and walked down the street again.
“Lily.”
“Yes, young master.”
“What do women usually like to receive?”
Lily’s mouth opened slightly in surprise.
“…Flowers or perfume, perhaps?”
As expected.
Because there was a record of her saying thank you with a smile no matter what I gave, it was hard to guess her tastes.
Even when I gave that problematic underwear.
Was she a good person?
Anyway, the reactions in my memories of Elena couldn’t be trusted.
Then, what about in the game?
Elena was a student and served as the bridge between Erbein Trading Company and the academy.
So she wasn’t a character the player could train, but there were plenty of things to trade.
“Hmm.”
What did she buy often?
Potions, mana stones, rare ingredients.
Most of the necessary things could be obtained through the trading company.
Conversely, when I wanted to dispose of useless items, I often went to Elena.
Things I picked up from dungeons or leftover materials.
Wooden dolls were especially expensive.
“Ah.”
This is it.
“Lily, do you know where wooden dolls are sold?”
“Wooden dolls?”
“Yeah, why not. Carved from wood.”
Lily thought for a moment.
“I don’t think there’s been any around here.”
“Really?”
It would be like that.
When I looked around, there were only jewelry and perfume shops.
It was a neighborhood where things sparkled too much to sell a wooden doll.
“Perhaps in other shopping districts.”
“Where?”
“I heard there are shops selling handicrafts near the Central Market.”
“Then let’s go there.”
After about ten minutes by carriage, the Central Market had a different atmosphere from the entrance.
Merchants lining up goods in front of shops, people haggling in the middle of the street.
“Oho.”
The bustling atmosphere was enjoyable to watch.
“So where do I go?”
“Go a little further inside.”
After walking a bit, shops selling handicrafts began to appear one by one.
Porcelain, leather products, wooden decorations.
Then I found a particularly eye-catching signboard.
『Flawless Woodcraft Shop』
Okay, I’ll give you an art score of 7.
This is worth entering.
“Welcome.”
The owner looked me over once and immediately bowed.
“Oh my, a noble?”
“I want to see some wooden dolls.”
“If it’s wooden dolls, you’ve come to the right place.”
The owner pointed to one side of the shop.
On the shelves, palm-sized animal carvings were densely packed.
Rabbits, monkeys, foxes, bears.
Varied in kind.
“These are all handmade?”
“Yes, all the ones here were carved by me.”
Looking at the rabbit nearby, it was delicately carved from ear to foot.
Hmm.
Thinking about it, giving something made is better than buying and giving, isn’t it?
These are important for showing sincerity.
Who am I again.
The strongest among third-rates. (Just third-rate)
This kind of thing is something I can learn quickly.
“Uncle.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Can you teach me how to make this?”
“Eh?”
The owner’s eyes widened.
“You mean wood carving?”
“Yeah, just simple ones.”
I told Lily to bring the money.
“How much is it?”
“W-well, this is still the capital for business…”
“One million Vera is fine?”
“From when do you want to start?”
Fast.
“Now.”
“Perfect. Please come this way.”
The capital for this shop’s business was one million Vera.
On the day of the promise with Elena, I waited in the reception room for her to come in.
“Young master is inside.”
After a while, the door opened and Elena appeared.
“Sorry, did I keep you waiting?”
Actually, Elena had nothing to apologize for. It was still thirty minutes early from the promised time.
It was just that I had been there since an hour ago, excited because I was learning magic.
“No, I just got here too.”
I threw in a reasonable line.
“Then shall we start right away?”
“Yeah.”
Elena sat on the opposite side of me and asked cautiously.
“Excuse me, but have you ever felt mana before?”
“I did learn from someone before, but I failed.”
I remembered a strange old man who looked like Gandalf always saying to close my eyes and concentrate on what’s inside my body.
It was said to be a quite famous archmage.
How long had I done it?
“How did you learn?”
“By closing my eyes and feeling what’s inside the body, I think.”
“Ah.”
A short answer came back.
“It’s not a wrong method, but for those who are feeling mana for the first time, it might be a bit difficult.”
So that’s why, you little cheat.
Archmage my ass.
“Then is there another way?”
“Yes.”
Elena extended her hand.
“Will you look at my hand?”
“Hand?”
“I’ll let a bit of mana flow to you. It’s much easier to feel it directly.”
Following the instruction, I extended my hand, and Elena gently held my hand.
Then, a subtle sensation rose from the touching part a moment later.
It wasn’t warm nor cold, but there was definitely something.
“Do you feel it?”
“Yeah.”
“Remember that sensation and try to find similar things inside your body.”
Aha.
It seemed a bit understandable.
I closed my eyes and focused on the sensation as is.
├─ Tier 1:Basic sensing of ambient mana ✓
├─ Tier 2:Visualizing mana ✓
└─ Tier 3:Pulling mana closer — UNLOCKED ★
[New field experienced.]
[Field: Mana Sensitivity]
[Current proficiency: 1%]
[Current proficiency: 3%]
Good?
A little more.
[Current proficiency: 5%]
“L, Rian-nim.”
[Current proficiency: 7%]
“Huh?”
When I opened my eyes, Elena’s gaze was directed downward.
“You can let go of the hand now.”
“Ah.”
Only then did I realize I was still holding her hand.
“Sorry, I got lost in concentration.”
As soon as I let go, Elena also withdrew her hand.
“It’s okay.”
Her voice seemed a bit smaller.
“Then what do I do now?”
“This time, try feeling the mana around you.”
“Mana isn’t only inside the body.”
I recalled the sensation I felt from Elena earlier and slowly expanded my consciousness to the surroundings.
At first, nothing.
But after a while, something very faintly floating in the air was felt.
“Do you feel it?”
“Yeah, it seems like something is floating.”
“You’re doing well.”
[Current proficiency: 9%]
It’s rising. The fastest among the proficiencies I’ve seen so far.
I might have talent in this area after all?
“Then think of pulling one of them closer.”
“Don’t try to grab it forcefully, slowly.”
The words are easy.
I focused on one of the mana floating around.
Illuait!
“……”
It wasn’t coming.
Concentrated a bit more.
Come on.
[Current proficiency: 11%]
Then, the mana that was floating blankly moved a little towards me.
“It seems to have moved a bit.”
“Really?”
Elena asked with a surprised face.
“Why are you surprised?”
“……”
“…This time, gather the mana inside the body and the mana around into one place.”
I was ignored.
“Like this.”
Elena spread one finger and gathered mana at the tip.
After a while, a faint blue light began to form.
“Oh.”
“This much can be gathered, then mana becomes visualized. Basic magic starts from here.”
If this is the case, now I can use magic?
Good, let’s go.
I closed my eyes and focused simultaneously on the mana inside and around my body.
I pulled up the mana flowing inside the body and slowly pulled in the mana floating around.
This far was fine.
The problem was after that.
When trying to gather in one place, it quickly dispersed as if pushing against each other.
Again.
It disperses again.
Again.
“……”
No matter how many times I repeated, the result was the same.
“That’s enough for today.”
“Already?”
“Just feeling and moving the mana is already amazing enough.”
I sadly chased the sensation of mana dispersing in the air.
“If you force it to move and the flow gets twisted, you might get a headache or feel nauseous.”
The teacher said so, what can I do.
“Thanks for today.”
“You’re welcome. If it helped, that’s good.”
Elena stood up from her seat.
“Ah, wait a second.”
“What?”
I picked up a small box placed on one side of the table.
“Take this.”
“…What is this?”
“A gift.”
I didn’t mention that I made it myself. When I actually tried to say it, it was a bit embarrassing.
Elena blinked.
“Can I open it?”
Carefully receiving the box, Elena opened the lid.
Inside was a cat wooden doll carved by me over two days, carving again and again.
My masterpiece.
“……”
No words.
Perhaps wooden dolls weren’t the answer?
I was wondering if I was too excited thinking I made it myself.
“If you don’t like it, you don’t have to take it…”
“No.”
Elena looked at the wooden doll quietly and smiled slightly.
“I like it. Really.”