BSS 31

Chapter 31

[Master? Master!]

Something long and whip-like smacked my face over and over.

Ow— that actually hurt a little. Squinting, I realized it was Rai’s tail.

What kind of spirit wakes their sleeping master like this?

I grabbed the tail swishing in front of my eyes and flung it away.

“You’re getting bold… ngh…”

Rai hit the wall with a thud and slid down it. Satisfied, I burrowed back under the blanket.

I needed more sleep. We were traveling to the next city again in the afternoon, and who knew when I’d get to sleep in a real bed again.

[Master! You said you were starting mana training at dawn today! You told me to make sure to wake you!]

“Who did? Me?”

[Yes! Are you not doing it?]

…Now that I thought about it, maybe I did say that last night when I got weirdly motivated for a moment.

It was true that I chronically lacked mana. With a sigh, I finally opened my eyes and sat up, hair messy.

It was still too early for them to have prepared wash water.

I rubbed my eyes, stumbled to the window, and opened it to shake off the lingering sleepiness.

Cold dawn air brushed against my cheeks, pulling me into full consciousness.

The sky was still pale with bluish light— a sight unfamiliar to someone who loved sleep as much as I did.

“Yaaawn…”

I drew in the cold air deeply.

They say mana training is best at dawn, because the mana is purest then. I always did it mid‑morning because I slept in.

I’d never thought to fix that habit until recently— the desperate mana deficiency and my own incompetence forced me to change.

Well… my resolve was already shaky on day one.

“Training is such a pain. It’s not like I desperately want to get stronger…”

[But you hate being weak, don’t you?]

“That’s the problem. Being weak is humiliating.”

In the end, it was always my pride that moved me. Laziness usually beat pride, but when something was repeated enough, even laziness had to step aside.

I closed the window, leaned my back against the wall beneath it, and sat comfortably.

Most people sat cross‑legged, but I stretched my legs straight forward. My hands rested on my thighs as I closed my eyes.

I quieted myself and focused on the flow of mana around me.

Mana was always there.

To me, mana felt like a blue ocean— usually quiet, sometimes rough, sometimes silky smooth.

And always a little cool.

When I concentrated, it felt like I was sitting deep beneath the waves.

Maybe that was why I felt so drawn to Undine. Water spirits always felt like mana itself.

“Fuu…”

Mana had a nature— a desire to remain free. But it could be guided by a stronger will.

I slowly pulled the mana I sensed toward me.

The cold presence that hovered over my skin seeped inside, flowing slowly through my body. It circulated according to my will.

Once I felt it had settled enough, I guided the mana to the emptiest place within me.

The mana originally stored there repelled the new mana— it rejected mixing.

Making them merge was the hardest part of mana training. It always made me break into a sweat.

Only a tiny portion of the new mana fused with mine; the rest escaped my body. I couldn’t hold onto it.

Sweat dripped down my body like rain.

Mana training drained mental strength, so people usually did it first thing in the morning. Doing it at night was inefficient.

“Rai. How long did that take?”

[About 30 minutes.]

“Ugh. Still not getting shorter.”

Master-level mages could operate mana like this for hours, but for someone my age, it was impossible.

My spirit and stamina just couldn’t keep up.

I wiped the sweat from my face and stood up.

Then I opened the window again— the cold air cooling my sweat felt refreshing.

It did feel like I had a little more mana than usual. A grain-of-sand difference, but still.

[The sun is rising.]

“Mhm. Pretty.”

Leaning by the window, watching the sunrise, I thought maybe dawn training wasn’t so bad after all.

I was zoning out when Rai tilted his snake head— a familiar signal.

[Someone is coming.]

At this hour, there was only one possibility.

As expected, a young maid with brown hair wrapped in a kerchief quietly entered my room.

She looked too big to be a girl and too young to be a young lady— maybe around fifteen.

“Oh my, you’re awake.”

She seemed awkward, surprised to see me already up as she set down the wash water.

Rooms here didn’t have plumbing or private baths, so wash water was delivered like this.

If I wanted to bathe, I had to request a tub. Or go outside to the river.

“I’d prefer a bathtub rather than wash water. Can you bring one now?”

“Of course.”

“I won’t need the water.”

Sweat-dried skin felt sticky, and I flapped my pajama collar. Morning baths were one of my favorite routines.

“Pardon me… did I hear correctly? Just the bathtub…?”

“Yep. I’ll take care of the water.”

I had a little hobby— having Undine fill the bath for me. It was also a privilege only a water spirit mage had.

She still looked confused when she bowed and left. Soon she returned with a boy carrying a wooden tub. It was dry and clean— I nodded approvingly and gestured for them to go.

But she hesitated.

“Um… you really don’t need water?”

“Nope.”

“How will you… wash?”

“Undine!”

If she wouldn’t accept it, I had no choice but to show her my adorable Undine!

[Yes, Master? You called?]

Undine appeared in the air with bubbles sparkling around her.

“Can you fill this with warm water? Not too cold.”

Spending time together was important for bonding with a spirit. Trust, affection, and real-time practice were all crucial.

Undine raised her small hands and swept them upward. Steam rose as water filled the tub rapidly— it consumed maybe five percent of her mana? Not much.

One thing was certain: Rai consumed a ridiculous amount of mana compared to her.

“…My goodness! Amazing— is that a fairy?”

“A spirit. Is this your first time seeing one?”

“Yes! It’s beautiful. I didn’t know such a creature existed!”

“Hmph, my girl is quite pretty.”

Her awe made me feel complimented. Technically spirits weren’t creatures, but commoners wouldn’t know the difference.

I tossed my pajamas aside and slipped into the tub.

Unlike the tiny academy tubs made for children, this one was big and comfortable— perfect for me.

I sank up to my neck, and Undine perched at the rim, watching me.

Even with her tiny form, I could tell she was smiling.

“Hey, Undine? Can you move the water and make a heart shape?”

[Yes.]

A handful of water rose into the air, forming a heart.

“Now a star.”

[Star.]

“A moon!”

[Moon.]

She was good at this, so I applauded generously.

Summoning water required more mana— manipulating existing water was about ten times more efficient and faster.

“That means in battle, it’s better to move nearby water than summon it… hmm.”

I dipped my head under the water and popped back up.

“So I’d be strongest if I fought by the ocean or a river!”

Not that I’d get such a convenient battlefield.

Wind spirits were probably the most efficient— wind was everywhere. Earth spirits too. Fire seemed the most disadvantaged.

“Puuuuh.”

I brainstormed ways to use spirits more efficiently.

Spirit mages were like magicians— they rarely shared research results. Spirit books only contained the most basic, obvious things.

Spirit mages almost always learned everything on their own. Having a teacher like I did was extremely rare.

And spirits themselves weren’t beings fully explained by theory.

“Undine? Can you shape it like an arrow now?”

[Like this?]

“Thinner. Yes, like that. Good girl, Undine.”

I giggled with Undine as we played— no, trained— peacefully.

[ Tch. ]

…Did he just click his tongue at me?

A snake— no, a spirit— clicked his tongue!?

“What is it? Do you have complaints, Rai?”

[I do! Of course I do! It’s sickening to watch!]

“You’re jealous again.”

[But—! Master is blatantly biased! If that were me, you’d totally—]

“Totally what?”

[‘Hey, make a heart. Hey, a star. A moon. You idiot, you can’t even do that?’ THAT’S what you’d say!]

…That was a surprisingly accurate imitation of me.

I clapped to soothe him— he definitely wanted praise.

“You know me well! Smart Rai. Undine, clap too.”

[Clap.]

Undine shaped water hands and mimicked me— clap clap clap. Rai grew even more furious.

[Graah! Don’t mock me!]

“Fufu… Rai is jealous~ of Undine.”

[Urrgh…!]

“Undine, who do you like more? Me or Rai?”

[Master!]

[I don’t like you either!]

Even though I teased him, I really did like Rai.

Useless, inefficient, and mana-hungry— but somehow he’d grown on me. Like family.

Resting my chin on the edge of the tub, watching Rai sulk, made me smile.

Yes— never being alone was the best part of being a spirit mage.

Being able to call on someone who was wholly on my side— at any time— was one of the things that made me strong.