Episode 9
Mana is something absolutely essential for mages.
Just like ordinary people die if they lose all their blood, mages will die if all their mana is depleted.
The amount and nature of mana differs from person to person, but that fact never changes.
Most mages possess a certain amount of mana, and it works a lot like stamina—when you use it, it decreases, and when you rest, it recovers.
Depending on their affinity, some mages recharge mana from the wind, others from water, and some even from light.
However, not using mana can also be a problem. If it just builds up inside the body, it can cause muscle pain or severe headaches.
…That’s what it said in the book Dante told me to read.
My case was a little—no, very—special.
The mana I possessed was ancient mana: pure mana, the power of the very beginning.
The amount I held was enormous—enough to cast even the highest-tier magic. Just breathing was enough for me to absorb mana from the wind, water, sunlight, and even wooden furniture.
And that was the reason I died.
Because I grew up indoors with a weak body and no mages around me, I had no way to deal with the mana piling up inside me—until it ran out of control.
But now, I had been reborn.
After many twists and turns, I met Dante—and he agreed to teach me magic. A private lesson from a great mage, no less.
I had massive reserves of mana. All I had to do now was unleash the ability I’d been hiding.
Except…
This was nothing like what I expected.
“Uh… failed again.”
I followed Dante’s instructions and tried to cast magic again and again—but I had already failed more than thirty times.
Dante, somehow not tired at all, repeated the same explanation patiently every time.
Kaiden, who had been giving “advice” from the side, was now nodding off.
“The sun hasn’t set yet. Try again.”
Time wasn’t the issue—my stamina was.
Still, Dante’s expression made it clear he had no intention of going easy on me.
In the end, I focused all my attention on my palms once more.
A faint white spark flickered above my open hands, appearing and disappearing like static.
That was all. No further progress.
“Ugh. I really can’t do this.”
My head throbbed from pushing myself without rest.
If I kept this up, I’d collapse again—right here.
“Let’s take a short break. Please?”
I was just about to pull my hands back with a deep sigh when—
Dante, who had been standing silently the whole time, stepped closer.
“Magician?”
Instead of answering, he moved behind me and spoke calmly.
“May I touch you for a moment?”
“…What?”
“To help you learn mana control through physical guidance.”
So this was Dante’s method?
If that’s the case…
“I’m okay with it.”
The moment I answered, Dante stepped in close behind me.
Despite his gentle personality, his much larger frame made him feel oddly intimidating today.
I could hear his steady breathing above my head, and my body tensed without me realizing it.
“Hold your hands like before.”
He tilted his head slightly as he spoke.
His low voice poured into my ears, making me suck in a sharp breath.
A cool, clean scent mixed with sharp herbs brushed my nose.
I spread my palms, trying to act normal, but the trembling in my fingers was impossible to hide.
Am I shaking…?
A soft rustling sound followed, and Dante’s large hand touched my arm.
Slowly, his hand covered the back of mine.
His body heat was warm—almost overwhelming in how deliberate it felt.
“Now, focus again. Try to gather mana above your palms like before.”
Focus?
In this situation?
I complained silently but forced myself to steady my breathing.
Once I calmed down a bit and concentrated, sparks appeared above my palms again.
And then—
“Ah!”
Something felt wrong.
The mana wasn’t moving by my will—it felt like it was being pulled.
The sensation started deep in my chest, traveled down to my feet, surged upward through my body, and finally reached my fingertips.
It felt like electricity running through my entire body—strange and unfamiliar.
Then, moments later—
“I–I did it! I did it!”
A glowing white orb floated gently above my palm.
“W–Whoa! Congratulations!”
Clap clap clap!
Applause rang out.
Kaiden, who had been drooling in his sleep just moments ago, was now wide awake, clapping enthusiastically.
As soon as Dante removed his hand and stepped back, the light faded.
“Did you help me, Magician?”
“I simply guided your mana so it could flow properly.”
“Wow… there really is nothing you can’t do!”
Kaiden suddenly shouted,
“Of course! Sir Dante is a genius! He could make fireballs before he even learned how to walk!”
Why did Kaiden look proud when Dante was the impressive one?
“Do you think I could become like that too? I want to at least gather mana easily, like you. It’d make potion-making so much easier.”
Dante, who had been scribbling something in a notebook, replied indifferently.
“You just need a trigger.”
“A trigger?”
“A moment that forces your mana to burst out. That moment will come to you as well.”
Kaiden chimed in eagerly.
“It’s true! I had one too! I thought I was just a normal guy with no mana. But on the night I turned twenty, I was walking home drunk with a friend and ran into a werewolf. I tried to escape—and suddenly, I teleported! That was my trigger.”
A trigger…
“Most mages have experienced something like that. Yours will come too.”
Dante’s eyes glimmered faintly.
“That moment.”
Knock knock.
“Miss, you called for me?”
Under the bright moonlit night, Lise entered after knocking, her voice unusually tense.
“What are you doing over there? Come here.”
She approached slowly, sneaking glances at my face.
“Miss… whenever you call me like this, I get chills for some reason. You know that?”
“Oh my. Really?”
As expected of Lise, the maid who had stayed by my side the longest. There was nothing about me she didn’t know.
I kept staring at her until she finally snapped.
“Why are you looking at me like that?! What are you planning to make me do this time?”
“Lise, why say something so hurtful?”
“Just say it—before I change my mind.”
They say you can’t spit at a smiling face, so I kept my expression bright.
I smiled sweetly at Lise, who stood with crossed arms and a sulky look.
“Please send this letter so it arrives as soon as possible.”
“Miss! Don’t tell me you still want to meet that crazy magician?!”
I bit my lower lip to stop myself from laughing.
Crazy magician—honestly, it suited Dante perfectly.
I almost burst out laughing imagining Dante alone on the lowest floor of the Mage Tower, absorbed in his research.
After steadying myself, I replied,
“It’s not what you think.”
“Then what is this…?”
Lise examined the envelope, then froze when she saw the name written on one corner.
She let out a short sigh.
“Miss… are you serious about sending this by mail?”
“Yes. Completely serious.”
“But why?”
Even Lise, who rarely got surprised anymore, raised her voice in agitation.
I knew she was worried about me.
“There are things I forgot to bring from the estate. And things I need to say to my uncle.”
The letter was a notice that I would soon visit the Quineardel estate.
“Miss… meeting that man again—I hate it. I know you’ll get hurt.”
“You think I’d just sit there and let myself be hurt? Don’t worry.”
Lise pouted and muttered, “Still…”
This conversation would never end if I let it continue. Time to change the topic.
“By the way, Lise—you said you’re close with Jean, the fruit vendor at the market, right?”
I suddenly remembered how they’d become friendly after bumping into each other while she was fixing my hat.
Jean was famous for having the loosest lips in the duchy—perfect for my plans involving Crown Prince Cain.
Lise glared at me suspiciously.
“…Well, yeah? Jean was the one who told me about the great mage you were desperately looking for!”
Somehow, that part wasn’t true.
“Really? He sounds impressive. Then please do me another favor.”
“When you hesitate like this, I just know you’re about to say something dangerous.”
I smiled brightly.
“It’s nothing big. Just casually mention that the Mage Tower recently developed a new sleeping potion—and that it’s incredibly effective.”
Lise stared at me with blatant suspicion.
“Miss… what on earth have you been doing outside?”
“Huh? Oh, just…”
Trying to survive while being terminally ill?
