CHAPTER 42……………………………..
I ate a quick lunch and headed straight to the Kereis mansion’s library.
“Wow… this is incredible.”
It was the first time I’d seen a library this enormous.
Bookshelves stretched endlessly in every direction, packed full of books.
How many volumes were even here?
How was I supposed to find anything about swordsmanship?
I stood there blankly, overwhelmed, when the butler, Devuier, approached me.
In his arms, as always, was the little white puppy, Roro.
The tiny, fluffy paws squirming in his embrace were unbelievably cute.
A beautiful young man holding an adorable creature—now that was a delightful sight.
“Out for a walk?”
“No, miss. I’ve just finished Roro’s bath and massage.”
Britta’s defeated, tearful expression flashed through my mind.
Both she and Devuier adored Roro so much.
Sometimes they even fought over who got to care for him.
It seemed Devuier won today.
“Mmm, he smells nice.”
Roro carried a lovely scent.
Thanks to him, Devuier and I had grown much closer.
Since I was technically Roro’s guardian, the Roro-loving butler visited me often.
“What book are you looking for, miss?”
“Something about swordsmanship.”
Without another word, Devuier fetched several books for me.
Then he shyly asked if he could spend a little more time with Roro.
I gave him permission and gathered the books.
“It’s hard… too hard.”
White parts were the paper, right? And the black parts were the letters?
It was so difficult, but I forced myself to read and remember.
By the time I finished one thick volume, the next morning had already arrived.
The floor was completely covered in sheets of paper filled with sword techniques.
“Miss, your eyes look hollow,” Britta said, worried.
She returned with a towel soaked in warm water and began gently wiping my face as I lay slumped on the sofa.
“You’re still growing, miss! You need good sleep and proper meals for that!”
I was half ignoring her when—
suddenly, bam, something clicked in my mind.
I sat up straight.
“That’s it—the most important thing!”
Ron was only just beginning to learn swordsmanship.
Teaching fancy techniques or complicated forms would be pointless.
A proper foundation was what mattered most.
“Britta! Bring me fresh paper!”
“Yes, miss!”
I copied the first passage written in the sword history book directly onto the letter.
[One must first control the mind, so that the sword and self can become one.]
I hoped he would take those words to heart.
I would do everything in my power to guard Ron’s gentle nature.
“Miss! Miiiiss!”
A loud voice rang out, making Britta’s expression twist in irritation.
The door burst open, and in came Kauts.
“Kauts! You can’t shout like that in the duke’s residence!”
Chastised by the young maid, Kauts demurely covered his mouth with a jeweled hand and nodded—
but only for about three seconds.
“Miss! Miss! Miss!”
The moment he saw me, he grew excited again and hurried to my bedside.
“I came with good news!”
“Good news?”
“Give me your hand, miss.”
I opened my small palm.
Kauts placed a beautifully crafted round gemstone necklace onto it.
A rosy glow radiated from the pendant.
“This is…!”
“Yes! The magic stone you’ve been searching for. It’s been crafted into a portable size. The artisan condensed the stone, so it took ages.”
Britta clapped joyfully beside us.
“Wow! Congratulations, miss!”
“Thank you. It’s really beautiful.”
When I hung it around my neck, the gem shone even more brilliantly.
At last—I had received a magic stone.
The time for Marianne the Mage to rise had come.
That night, Kauts and I sat facing one another, training intensely.
“From here on, it’s real combat training.”
We found the magic stone that resonated with the mana flowing in my body.
It had been processed to suit the physique of a thirteen-year-old like me.
Everything was ready.
I clutched the stone on my necklace tightly and closed my eyes.
“Miss, feel the energy flowing through your body. Draw it all together—into one.”
I followed Kauts’ instructions slowly, steadily.
The mana scattered through every corner of my body gathered near my heart.
Suddenly my upper body swayed.
My own mana tangled around my heart collided with the incoming flow.
But I calmed the knotted strands as gently as untangling a snarl of thread.
Marianne, you can do this. This mana belongs to you. You can do it.
Who knows how long I breathed in and out in ragged rhythm?
Sweat formed on my forehead.
The stone grew hotter and hotter.
My hand gripping it began to ache.
Then—
A sudden surge of energy shot upward, and my back straightened violently.
“…Haa… hah…”
A great breath burst from my lungs, as if everything inside had been expelled at once.
Ah—refreshing.
Like swallowing cold radish water after choking on dry sweet potatoes.
The tangled mana had burst free.
When I opened my eyes, Kauts was staring, stunned.
“Miss! Are you all right?”
“Haa… ngh…”
I let out something close to a burp and released the stone.
Marks from the pendant remained on my small palm.
But something felt strange.
It was my hand, but it didn’t feel like mine.
My entire body felt like it had a thin layer covering it.
No way…
Kauts met my gaze—
he seemed to be thinking the exact same thing.
We sprang to our feet simultaneously.
Kauts set up a large practice wooden board against the wall.
I stood on the opposite side and shouted:
“Zelous!”
Fwoosh!
A flash of light shot forth like lightning and struck the board dead center.
The board shattered into pieces.
“That’s it! It worked!”
“Heavens! Miss! Our Lady Marianne is finally a mage!”
Overwhelmed with joy, I yanked the door open.
As usual, Britta stood guard outside—and nearly jumped out of her skin.
“Britta! Come inside! I have good news for you!”
She had always helped me quietly from the shadows.
But every time, I had to keep secrets from her—and I always felt guilty.
I had promised myself that one day, once I could properly use magic,
I would tell her.
“I—I can finally use real magic!”
“Oh my goodness! Oh dear! Oh my goodness!”
Britta burst into tears as if it had happened to herself.
“Don’t cry, Britta.”
Tearing up myself, I joined Britta and Kauts, and the three of us hugged in celebration.
Then, in front of Britta, I performed another demonstration.
Britta was wide-eyed with disbelief, calling me a genius and adding:
“Miss, I’ll serve you even more faithfully as your mage attendant! Just give the command!”
It sounded like the oath of a soldier pledging loyalty to a superior.
I laughed for a long time, smoothing down her neatly braided hair.
After that, my growth was tremendous.
Just as Kauts said—and as I had read in the original story—Marianne’s magic attribute was darkness.
Anything I cast shattered, collapsed, or destroyed.
A terrifying, overwhelming force.
It was dark-attribute magic.
“Hahahahaha!”
Even I couldn’t fully control my strength yet.
I watched a huge boulder split cleanly in half,
and a tree crack straight down the middle,
and laughed in exhilaration.
Every day, I was getting stronger—strong enough to fear nothing.
Killing the occasional assassin was trivial.
Fwish—one flick of my finger.
Easy.
Khahahaha!
At this rate, no one could frighten me.
I was the best!
Of course, it was still a secret within the duke’s estate.
I wanted control over where and how I used my power.
I refused to become the villainess Marianne who would bring down the Empire.
I need to wait a little longer.
It still wasn’t time to relax.
Meanwhile, Ron was undergoing days of relentless training.
Gurter put him through outrageous exercises.
Yet Ron had never failed—not even once.
“Kahahahahaha!”
Gurter’s laughter echoed through the forest.
He lay sprawled across a thick tree branch, lazily laughing as he looked down.
Below him stood his only disciple—a young boy, Ron.
“Ugh… gh…”
From dawn until the sun hung high overhead, Ron swung his sword nonstop—
ten thousand times.
That was the task Gurter had assigned.
Of course, he never expected Ron to complete it.
It was supposed to break the boy’s spirit.
“Ron, you can’t possibly finish this one. Go on, give up already.”
Ron shot him a sharp glance—
but then silently corrected his stance and kept swinging.
Thwack.
At one moment, his sword slipped, brushing against his own arm.
Thankfully, it was only a wooden practice sword—otherwise he could’ve been seriously hurt.
“Kahaha! The brat hurt himself again! Hahaha!”
The more Ron struggled, the more Gurter laughed.
But only outwardly.
Inside, he was tense every moment of every day.
He’s not normal. His innate energy is extraordinary… and he’s got the stubborn drive of someone possessed.
Just like the duke’s son should.
Gurter dropped lightly from the tree branch.
“That’s enough.”
His staff stopped Ron’s sword mid-swing.
