“I’ve come to win.”
“I know. Probably everyone in the neighborhood knows.”
“I’m on my way after completing the dismissal of even those vermin who signed the agreement.”
“Since you’re here, why not restore the playground too?”
“How long do you think it will take to restore it all by myself?”
“…”
This one…
I didn’t even bother hiding my annoyance anymore.
I turned around as if to say something sarcastic, but swallowed it when I saw Sylvia’s satisfied smile behind me.
“It was two years ago. That was the last time I used mana.”
“You went berserk and went wild, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“So, did it feel refreshing?”
“It did.”
Yeah, that’s enough. I don’t really care if the playground falls apart.
With a smile on my face, I closed the ledger.
It turns out it’ll cost around 100 million to restore.
“We’ll cover the restoration costs with your monthly salary. Another 50% deduction.”
“Yes!”
[Sylvia’s affection has increased by 5.]
That annoying…
Even if I look at her with a disdainful look, Sylvia just smiles cheerfully.
It’s almost funny.
“Oh. And you’ve got additional duties.”
“Duties?”
“We’ve fired a large number of knights and guards this time. I’ll try to hire replacements as quickly as possible, but until then, you’ll have to take on day and night guard duty and paperwork.”
“… Guard duty is understandable, but why paperwork?”
“Just do it well. Let me have some rest.”
“…”
Only then did the smile vanish from Sylvia’s lips.
Was that a joke?
Her face seemed to ask. Was this supposed to be a joke?
I smirked at her, and Sylvia’s expression twisted momentarily into despair.
‘She promised to wait until I reveal my true colors.’
If you were going to hit my neck, you would have done it a long time ago.
But Sylvia didn’t do that.
I decided to wait.
If she were going to strike my neck, I would have struck it long ago.
But Sylvia didn’t do that. She decided to wait.
Until the moment I reveal my true intentions.
Until I cross the line and become a frontline.
Of course, that moment might never come in my lifetime.
It was a declaration akin to a twisted romance of eternity by my side, in a sense.
Thinking like that made me chuckle, and laughter bubbled up.
“What’s so funny?”
“Look at yourself. Handling mana after so long, aren’t you clumsy now? Your clothes are all torn.”
“…?”
Sylvia looked bewildered, tilting her head in confusion.
Then she lowered her head to check her clothing.
A moment later, her face flushed red as she covered the torn parts with her hands.
Of course, those numerous holes couldn’t be completely covered…
“Clothes! I’ll go change them!”
With a rush, Sylvia dashed out at the speed of light.
She stood confidently, like someone who wasn’t embarrassed.
Maybe I just didn’t know.
‘Come to think of it, to increase her affection rating, should I tease her?’
It was a serious consideration.
From my perspective, Aslan would take decades to earn trust as a person due to his innate character.
So, rather than person to person, what about man to woman…?
‘Looking for a trick leads to useless thoughts like this…’
Will that work?
Realistically speaking, can I seduce a woman with this atmosphere?
It’s barely possible to cross the line from villain to protagonist.
Hmm. If not Sylvia, maybe Julia or Charlotte…?
‘They’re still kids…’
No, absolutely not.
Even if I tried, now is not the time.
Let’s stop looking for tricks and live faithfully.
I sighed, trying to regain my dizzy mind.
“Young master, a letter has arrived for you.”
“Where’s it from?”
“It’s from the Imperial Magic Academy.”
“Leave it.”
Is it a message from the headmaster?
Or maybe Yuri got into trouble?
Anxiously, I picked up the letter left by the maid.
“To Mr. Black?”
What on earth is this?
It seems like a letter sent by mistake.
Without much concern, I stuck the letter into the drawer.
If it’s important, the postman will come to collect it later.
***
“…What are you doing now?”
She seemed focused, so I tried to sneak a book, but got caught by Julia’s sharp gaze.
“You want to read together.”
“Isn’t it bad manners to just take it without saying anything? You should ask to borrow it.”
“They’re all originally my books. If you keep behaving like this, I might confiscate them all.”
“Oh, no!”
“…”
“You can take it. … Please.”
When I tried to take all the books, Julia urgently stopped me.
If I attach ‘you’ it would be an honorific all the time?
Still, it seems much better than speaking informally.
I chose one of the basic magic books and settled in a place away from Julia.
It shouldn’t interfere with awakening spirit magic…
[Recalling the body’s memories.]
[Synchronization in progress.]
[Synchronization failed]
[Synchronization was interrupted due to an unknown error.]
[Synchronization Rate: 2%]
As soon as I opened the book, an opaque window quickly scrolled up.
The synchronization rate was only 2%…
It’s not some system error; it means Aslan’s understanding of this book is exactly 2%.
‘Hopeless.’
Even though black magic is a type of magic, shouldn’t he at least have the basics down?
This pitiful excuse for a guy knows as little about magic as I do.
Looks like we’ll have to start from scratch.
No. Normally when you possess someone, you match their aptitude for magic!
A genius-level brain! Shouldn’t that be the norm?
Instead, he’s stuck with bizarre traits that he won’t even use even if given.
‘There’s no hope.’
Even talented Julia is struggling.
If I just struggle alone, there won’t be any progress even after ten years.
I should take advantage of this chance.
“Julia.”
“What… yes.”
“I’m requesting tutoring.”
“Huh? I don’t need tutoring. I already understand all the basics and I’m devouring specialized texts beyond the books you picked. I’m not curious about how well you teach, so if you want to show off your knowledge, why not find someone else? Yes.”
“…”
Julia snickered arrogantly.
Well, she’s right to be confident.
But this girl. She’s being rude without even listening properly.
“I’m not offering to tutor you; I’m asking a favor of you.”
“…What?”
“If you understood correctly, there’s no need to repeat it. Teach me basic magic.”
“…?”
Julia looked at me with a face that showed she didn’t understand.
Maybe the sudden, unexpected request delayed her processing of the information.
After staring blankly in shock for a while, Julia’s lips quivered.
“…Why me?”
“Because I lack basic knowledge of magic. I want to borrow your outstanding knowledge and genius brain, why wouldn’t I?”
“Well, if that’s the case, it’s entirely possible! Hehe, lacking basic knowledge? Then where should I start teaching…”
Got her. She took the bait.
Easy prey.
A little praise and she immediately puffs up and switches to teacher mode.
“When calculating total mana… ”
“No. Before that, please. Assume you’re teaching someone who knows absolutely nothing.”
“What? You’re really going to test me?”
“Smart people are said to be good at teaching.”
“Hehe! If it’s basic magic, I’m already proficient. I can perfectly explain it to a blank slate!”
Praise can make even a whale dance, right?
If I seem a bit skeptical, she launches into mindless praise and starts her lecture promptly.
“Mana is like fuel for this body! And magic is the result of burning that fuel called mana! Depending on how you burn it, the type of magic changes; for example, fire-type magic is…”
Actually, it was a lie that smart people are good at teaching.
Instead of worrying that Julia is too much of a genius for me to teach, it’s more like teaching a child who doesn’t even know the basics of mana.
“This is the content of Volume 1 of the basics. How was it? Was it a good lecture?”
“Excellent. Then I’ll ask for the next part.”
“What? Did you just want to test my skill for a moment? Why the entire basics… Ah! You! You’re teasing me, aren’t you!”
“…?”
“Your smug grin was so irritating! You were laughing at me, thinking how well you understand the basics while wondering why I still can’t handle mana!”
I might lose it.
Why am I even thinking all this just because of my smile?
Suddenly I looked at the mirror, then turned my head silently.
It really did make me feel unpleasant…
“I’ve never thought like that.”
“Liar!”
“You’re free to believe what you want, but let me give you one piece of advice. When handling mana, try using only a portion of the mana in your body.”
“What? During the first mana usage, you must definitely draw out all the mana in your body smoothly…”
“That’s what the book says. I’m speaking from your perspective.”
As I was being injected with basic magic knowledge, Julia’s issues began to surface.
Basic textbooks demand that during the first mana operation, all mana should be concentrated into one point.
Using only a portion is a more difficult, advanced technique.
But Julia is different.
Because of her vast amount of mana, using all of it could easily lead to chaos.
So she should leap into the advanced course first.
“What do you know about me…”
All of a sudden.
Julia, whose eyes were suddenly red, stood up from her seat.
And then Julia, with firm steps, left the desk abruptly.
She opened the door and was about to leave, then hesitated and stopped, glancing back briefly before saying,
“Bathroom! It’s not like I’m leaving because I’m angry! …”
Who said that?
(TLN: Sorry about the wait, I had to get up to date with the raws. Updates will be ~once a day from now on. Also Charlotte cover<3)
