“Could we consider the duel to be settled?”
“A duel? Are you insulting me right now? How can you justify calling this a duel when I’m facing a halfwit?”
“If you’re fighting over something, anything, isn’t it a duel? If you win, I won’t ever touch paperwork again. Instead, if Sylvia wins, everyone who signed here will have to leave the mansion.”
“Are you serious?”
Leon chuckled wryly, with a sly smile on his face.
It seemed like he was doubting whether he heard correctly.
Yes, it’s a duel.
A duel between a sword expert and a washed-up knight who can’t even use mana.
“Perhaps we need a notary.”
“If it’s a notary, we’ll write it up here. The conditions and outcomes of the duel will be guaranteed by imperial law and strictly adhered to.”
“Excellent! That’s great!”
Leon quickly changed his expression and signed the notary document.
Even though it contained hardly any details, he scrutinized it meticulously as if he were adding conditions in small letters or being wary of invisible writing.
There were no such tricks.
They weren’t necessary from the start.
To Leon, this duel itself was the trick.
“The duel will take place tomorrow morning at 8 o’clock at the Vermont Mansion field. Armor is prohibited, and weapons are limited to single-edged swords.”
“Really? Are you sure about that? With a body that can’t even use mana, you should use some kind of enhancer to stand a chance.”
“That remains to be seen.”
“I’ll visit you again tomorrow! I’ve stayed here to avoid being kidnapped overnight!”
With a hearty laugh, Leon departed.
Only then did Sylvia reveal herself completely in the darkness.
Her face turned pale, trembling lips struggling to speak.
“Why, why…?”
“Speak clearly. It’s hard to understand.”
“But why… Why has the decision been made without even hearing my opinion on my duel?”
“If you don’t duel, you’ll be treated as a thief and sentenced to death. You had to do it anyway.”
“If I duel, I’ll die? It’s not Leon Verkus who will miss this opportunity! He’ll definitely pretend to make a mistake and kill me…”
She seemed worried about her own death.
It’s the opposite.
Sylvia should worry about killing Leon.
I hope he dies without hesitation.
“Oh! Oh! Is that so? Actually, the sword you’re supposed to tell me about is a legendary sword!”
“There’s no way that exists.”
“Then what on earth…?”
Sylvia looked at me with shaking pupils.
A face that believed there would be a trick against me.
Still, have a little faith in me.
“You can’t create mana because you hurt your heart, but that doesn’t mean you can’t handle mana.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Then if you had mana, could you win?”
“Of course! Even though we’re both sword experts, Leon, who has no practical experience, can’t match me!”
Sylvia’s pride was slightly hurt.
Yes. If only Sylvia had mana, she would dominate.
The problem is how to pass that mana to Sylvia.
There is no way to pass internal mana to others in this world.
“By the way, where do I get mana…? Ah!? Are you going to give me that precious mana stone?”
“Am I crazy? It’s illegal to use strategic resources like mana stones for other purposes.”
Mana stone. It refers to a stone that emits mana.
And mana stones are considered strategic resources by the empire.
Because there is concern about military use, permission must be obtained to use them.
Of course, permission will not be granted for use in a duel.
There is no economic room to waste such a valuable item in such a place.
“Then how do I get mana?”
“There’s one. An entity that generates and expels mana externally.”
“Are you talking about spirits? To get mana from spirits, you need the help of a spirit master, right? I know there are few valuable personnel even in the empire, but where is such a person…?”
“There is one. Among those I know.”
“…?”
Sylvia’s expression became bewildered.
Surprisingly, there is one.
And it’s quite close by.
“What? A spirit master? Me?”
“…”
Julia frowned and closed the book.
She seemed to react as if she didn’t understand what was being said.
It’s hard to believe, but…
“Were you stuck in the library all day?”
“Stuck in? That’s a bit harsh. I was studying… There were so many books you gave me, I couldn’t help it.”
“But how come you still haven’t mastered mana operation?”
“I-I’m sorry! I’m slow at learning!”
Julia turned away with a cry.
[Julia’s affection has dropped by 1.]
A drop in affection is a bonus.
There was no intention to press.
Oh, that’s right.
Before the duel tomorrow morning, Julia must become a spirit master.
‘This was not part of the plan.’
Julia’s awakening is around the end of Chapter 1, quite early.
In the game, even though Julia was in an unfavorable environment, she was still that fast.
If all the necessary books had been provided, she would have expected it to be much faster, but it was avoided.
‘The plan was perfect.’
Using the spells of a spirit master, induce the spirits to generate mana.
The main goal of the plan was for Sylvia to absorb that mana and use it in the duel.
It went terribly wrong from the very beginning.
“Where exactly, how did it get blocked? Tell me.”
“Huh, huh? What does that have to do with you?”
“Because it’s beneficial for you to cast magic sooner. Tell me right now.”
“Ugh. I managed to sense and feel the mana within my body as written in the book, but whenever I try to touch it, it keeps disappearing like it’s about to explode…”
Julia explained with embarrassment, lips pursed as she described.
But really, if mana keeps disappearing like it’s going to explode, isn’t that mana surging?
It’s a phenomenon that occurs when the mana core’s performance is too good, resulting in an excessive amount of mana.
‘Something that exceptionally talented individuals often face in their early years.’
But simply knowing the tricks won’t solve the problem.
Mana surges require spending time to become familiar with mana.
Even if Julia is a genius, it’s not a problem that can be solved overnight.
“Eat well, sleep well. That’s all I can advise.”
“What!? That’s not helping at all!”
“It’s not helping. I’m telling you not to insist on sleeping alone like you did yesterday.”
“Hmph. I tried sleeping alone yesterday, and I fell asleep easily.”
“What do dark circles have to do with this? Growing children need their sleep. You need to sleep well to grow well.”
“…”
A frightened expression immediately spread across Julia’s face.
I could also feel Sylvia’s fierce glaring gaze from behind me.
No, I definitely don’t think I said anything strange.
Julia hesitated for a moment as if thinking about it.
She then raised her eyes, looked up at me, and whispered.
“Then… can I take a nap right now?”
“Why do you need my permission for that?”
“Because I can only sleep well when you’re around. Hurry up, give me your hand.”
“…”
“Hurry!”
Julia hurriedly grabbed my hand and placed it on her forehead.
The cheeky brat.
I sighed and used the skill ‘Touch of Death’.
The air around us suddenly cooled, and as Julia fell asleep as if fainting.
“Hmm?”
“What’s going on?”
“Young master, my mana has increased a bit. My mana core was supposed to be broken…”
Sylvia emerged slowly from the darkness, looking bewildered.
Is it because the mana is rising?
At that moment of confusion, I understood the reason upon seeing my hand on Julia’s forehead.
‘Spirits are beings made of mana. So, when you kill a spirit, its body disintegrates into mana.’
I had an epiphany.
All those incantations and spells of the spirit master were unnecessary.
Why bother with such troublesome things when you can just kill them outright and convert them into mana?
“Sylvia, come closer. Do you feel anything?”
“I feel the darkness of the young master’s hand on the forehead of a sleeping child.”
“Besides that.”
“Huh? Mana… My mana is rising!”
Julia was born loved by spirits.
And my skill is an area attack skill that annihilates surrounding spirits.
I lure the spirits with Julia and kill them to generate mana.
Isn’t this essentially infinite energy?
“How much has it filled?”
“About a quarter already.”
“Do we need more?”
“No. This much should be enough to handle Leon and then some. But, young master, are you okay with this?”
“What about?”
“You mentioned if it’s alright to give me mana.”
Sylvia looks at me with astonished rabbit eyes.
Why all of a sudden?
It’s not like I started doing something unexpected just a day or two ago.
“Shouldn’t you win in a duel? That’s how you and the family survive.”
“The family… Are you serious?”
“Is there a problem?”
“…No. It was a slip of the tongue. Please forget it.”
[Sylvia’s affection has increased by 1.]
Huh? Suddenly?
It’s not like her affection went down and then came back up; it seems it just went up purely for the first time.
I have no idea at what point her affection increased.
“Um, Mom.”
“…?”
She flinched.
Julia’s fern-like grip on my arm tightened.
“Mom… I’m sorry… Please don’t be disappointed. I’ll do better. I’ll do better…”
“… ”
Julia clings to my forearm, whimpering.
I thought she had woken up.
It seems she was just having a nightmare.
Perhaps she can’t even sleep peacefully.
Seeing her pitiful state, I brushed her trembling hair, damp with cold sweat.
“You’re doing well enough. I won’t be disappointed, so just keep doing your best.”
“Uh… ”
Only then did her trembling subside.
Her breathing became regular.
The problem is, she seems to have developed a new habit in her sleep.
…If I don’t brush and stroke her head, she keeps whimpering uncomfortably.
“Such a needy little one.”
I couldn’t help but laugh wryly mixed with a sigh. It’s troublesome, but at the same time, adorable.
Only during sleep, it feels like an angel has descended from heaven.
Whoever came up with the idea to torment such a creature must be out of their mind…
