“So I’m thinking of staying in Lupus for a while. It will take a considerable amount of time to restore the broken administrative system.”
The inn hall on the ground floor.
Over breakfast, I informed my party members about my upcoming schedule.
“I feel sorry for you two. Even — and I know it is — if it’s frustrating, I hope you two, please bear with me.”
Eri and Ophelia had been waiting for me in Lupus while I was waltzing around the continent. They would have liked to finally get out of this damn city, so it must have come off as exasperating hearing to my prospects.
But what else to do?
“If hero says so, I would gladly stay.”
“It’s fine. I’m myself, a bit reluctant to waste time travelling anyway. I’m in the middle of an important research work.”
They showed no signs of discomfort. I could figure out Ophelia, but what about Eri? She was the one who always grumbled and nitpicked.
“If you say so, it must be pretty important, yes?”
“Right. If you didn’t bring it up, I was going to talk about delaying our stay in the city first.”
“Oh, since you have already said, I wonder what kind of research got you so interested.”
Leslie, who had been quietly eating next to her, suddenly stated her curiosity. Perhaps surprised that she had asked about her research, Eri’s eyes widened slightly. But then she glared at Leslie with a sullen gaze.
“Why are you curious about that?”
“Research that a brilliant mage like you values. As a fellow mage myself, how can I not be curious?”
She must have subtly added the praise, the way it worked for Eri. Just, instead of Eri’s expression improving, it became even more distorted.
“As a fellow mage? Uh huh. If you consider yourself to be a fellow mage, you should also know how uncouth it is to pry into a mage’s research, wouldn’t you?”
“Hm? There’s such a culture? Sorry. I didn’t know that. I was really curious, so I just asked.”
“Uhh! You didn’t even know the basic rules of the Mage Tower, and you claim to be a fellow mage? Funny.”
Eri spoke vehemently, but what came back was a nonchalant answer.
“Aw, what rules of the Mage Tower? Sorry, but I’d have never heard of Mage Tower before today.”
“…You’ve never been to the Mage Tower? You mean, all your magic is self-taught? What are you? Once in a thousand-year genius?”
“Geniuses are overrated. I just worked on a inspiration copied in a magic tome.”
“Inspiration? Do you mean to say you use ingenious, self-made magic?”
“Self-made? Depending on your perspective, maybe. Because no one can imitate my magic.”
Eri narrowed her brows as if offended.
Leslie smiled and spread her palms.
– Wrrr.
A whirlwind of breeze churned on her palms. The cold air solidified, changing from a sword to a spear, from the spear to an axe, and then from the axe to a horse.
The horse’s mane flickered as if someone was combining through its mane. It was as if a living horse had been placed in the palm of her hand.
“As you can see…”
“How can your mana control be so…”
Eri’s face no longer held any displeasure. Instead, with a frozen expression, she stared as if she was seeing the impossible.
Leslie tilted her head.
“Mana control? Are you talking about this?”
The shape of the horse that was prodding on her palm scattered, and an eagle took shape. The eagle beat its wings and flitted through the air.
Eri’s eyes twitched without a word.
Turning to her, Leslie spoke, her voice as if it were nothing.
“Just this?”
“Just..?”
“Yes. Just. It has been so since I was born.”
“…you are lying.”
“Lying? Why would I? Do I have anything to gain by lying to you, Eri?”
Silence.
Eri bit her lower lip and banged at the table, got up from her seat and strode expressly toward the stairs.
“Eri, where are you going? You haven’t finished your breakfast yet.”
“I have no appetite.”
Huffing, she climbed the stairs.
I looked, then turned my eyes to Ophelia.
“Ophelia, I’m sorry to disturb your breakfast, but can you go up and comfort Eri?”
“Yes, sure. I’ll make sure she finishes her food while at it.”
“Thank you. I’ve bothered you.”
“You don’t have to thank me. Hero just state.”
Ophelia bowed her head before hurrying off to the second floor with Eri’s unfinished plate in hand. After making sure she out of our earshot, I opened my mouth.
“Did you do that on purpose?”
“On purpose? What are you talking about?”
“…”
As I narrowed my eyes and stared at her, her puzzled expression turned into a smirk.
“You knew.”
“Of course. There’s no way a mage who doesn’t even know what mana control is can reach that level.”
“My talent could’ve just been outstanding, no?”
“The more outstanding people are, the more faithful they are to the basics. You know?”
“Um, true.”
Leslie folded her palms over. The air picked up, and the eagle was scattering into icy flakes.
“Apart from that, it is also true that I have been able to do this since I was born. I want you to believe this.”
I nodded.
This time around, her words held truth.
Because her powers were closer to psychic energy than magic.
Converting the mana in the body into icy mana and manifesting it in turn.
It was the so-called mana constitution.
Thanks to which, it was possible for her to skip the roadblocks faced while learning mana control and chanting, but there were also clear limitations.
Because all her mana was transitioned into icy attribute, other branches of magic were harder for her.
Live example of which was she couldn’t manifest an energy shield or even a basic fireball.
“So, what was it for?”
“There isn’t really a good reason. I just did it because she seemed a little cheeky.”
“And weren’t you cocky, too?”
“Ow, I just didn’t like how she put her words. As if she wasn’t extending her lodging in this city because you wanted her to, but because she wanted it herself all along.”
“Is that what it sounded like? You have a very twisted point of view.”
“…it’s not just because of those words. I have an eye for assessing people. First impressions are important to such people. Like, if I looked down on you, would you’ve considered me to be someone not worth associating with?”
“How do you know that?”
“I am that type.”
Leslie grinned.
“Adding into that. Cloud deary, you knew my intentions, so why didn’t you stop me? A single word from you and I would have zipped my mouth shut.”
Hm, why didn’t I?
Yes, why…
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