Episode 4
It was still early enough that calling it morning felt a bit of a stretch.
Alicia woke up just in time, putting on her clothes while embracing the faint morning sunlight.
Once she opened her eyes, she was set to get moving.
⎯⎯Clack, clack.
It had already been four months since she arrived at this grand mansion. She walked quickly through the now-familiar opulent hallway, making sure to maintain her poise. Her steps passed by a room where freshly laundered towels were neatly stored and the special well that perpetually bubbled up with cold, clean water.
“Alright.”
After gathering various items from here and there, Alicia stood before a particularly large door filled with an odd assortment of strange things.
⎯⎯⎯!
Suddenly, sounds from just outside the door tickled her ears.
The soft sound of shoes gliding against the floor, a rugged breath with each inhale, and the dull yet booming clang of metal meeting metal.
It was all a form of art created by one man.
When does he even wake up? He seems to go to sleep late; it must be cutting into his sleep time. So where does he get such drive and endurance?
While appreciating the sounds from outside the door, Alicia carefully opened it a crack to peek into the cramped space.
A hot wave radiated from the bare-chested man, his muscles shifting up and down with every breath he took.
He was so drenched in sweat that it felt like he had already taken a shower. A droplet clinging to the tip of his hair fell with a plink, splattering in multiple directions on the floor.
The owner of that face, seemingly carefree, was actually an enormous hard worker, slicing his day into countless pieces and living in a whirlwind of busyness. Truly exhausting.
‘He’s a world away from my first impression.’
That thought lingered in her mind.
At that moment.
“What are you doing?”
His piercing gaze met Alicia’s.
“Ah, um… I thought your training might be done, so I brought a towel and some cold water for you to wipe off the sweat.”
As the man boldly approached, he swung the door open with enthusiasm that could not conceal his true nature.
“Are you hiding to say that?”
The heat radiating from his training seemed to engulf her.
“F-Forgive me, Lord Vargan! I didn’t want to disturb your training. I just peeked in to see how it was going.”
“Well, it seemed that way.”
Wham.
He snatched the towel right out of Alicia’s grasp.
Although he was watching her today, it didn’t seem like he’d impose any severe punishment on her.
He lightly patted his head with the towel and walked away, glancing back at her after a few steps.
“At this point, you should have developed some insight. Shouldn’t you be bringing that cold water over here soon?”
“Ah, I’m sorry!”
“Honestly, it’s frustrating how many things I still have to teach you. You sure are a handful.”
“…I will be more careful moving forward.”
As expected, he had a sharp tongue. She would likely have to endure more of his harsh words as usual.
“Besides, how can I have a pervert spying on me while I train? Ugh… there’s just no hope. Absolutely hopeless.”
“Y-Yes?! Th-that’s…!!”
Today started off with an unusual bang.
*
“Young Master… where exactly is this…?”
In the mansion’s basement. A dark and chilly place that sends shivers down one’s spine.
“Ah, it’s nothing to worry about. It’s just something I did when I was young, so there’s no need to be so tense.”
“But… the inside is filled with…!”
Alicia’s face turned pale as she stared into the deep pit. The darkness made it hard to see, but that wasn’t the only reason.
“It’s just some bugs that are a bit disorganized.”
“A bit… you say.”
Of course, calling them ordinary bugs would be a stretch. The adults are at least 30cm long.
Alicia surveyed the mass of creepy-crawlies with trembling eyes.
Their armor glistened ominously. While they look like the pests you find at home, their oversized mouths make them even creepier.
“They’re called Scavenger Bugs. As the name suggests, they’re greedy little things that eat anything and everything, but they play an important role in decomposing, benefiting the ecosystem.”
“Decomposers… like fungi?”
“Yeah, but what sets them apart is that they also eat living creatures. Be it mana or flesh, they’ll consume anything. Of course, if an ordinary person encountered them in the wild, they’d be devoured whole and die a painful death.”
“……”
What are you staring at so hard?
It’s not like it doesn’t concern you.
“Why are you still standing there? Hurry up and get in.”
“…Inside there?”
Alicia gulped, echoing her unease.
“This is all to awaken your talent. The last time we used the Magic Circle to check how long it lasts, today is the deeper part of that.”
“I understand the Young Master’s profound intentions…”
It’s impressive she’s trying not to lose her smile. But even with that effort, the tremors in her facial muscles revealed her true feelings.
“…Young Master, if I have to go in anyway, I need to prepare my mind—”
Alicia, you’re taking too long to get ready.
—Thump.
I push her lightly.
Given her light frame, she offers no real resistance as she’s nudged forward.
As Alicia’s body tumbles, she spins once in mid-air, her shocked expression fully visible. Her mouth hangs open, unable to finish her sentence as her eyes widen.
“Aaah—!”
Following her scream, Alicia vanishes into the darkness.
Moments later…
Boom! A blinding blue light erupts with a gust that could dazzle the senses. Even someone my size would flinch at this power. The mana emitted from Alicia overwhelms everything around.
The mana, having concentrated, bursts forth, creating a whirlwind. Although it’s a drastic move for her considering it’s a recent discovery to wield her mana, the sheer brilliance of it is impressive.
It hasn’t been long since she started properly manipulating mana, and yet here she is releasing such strong and pure mana. She deserves respect.
Once the storm passes, the light fades, and I no longer need to squint.
Looking into the pit, I see the bugs slowly gathering around her radiant aura. In no time, black bugs encircle Alicia, filling the gaps from which the light escapes.
But that’s not all.
Chomp, chomp. The bugs eagerly munch away as if there’s nothing more delicious in the world than the crystallized light.
Seeing this, Alicia’s face turns to one of horror as she widens the purity and radius of her mana. On the outside, it looks like a balloon inflating with air.
“Young Master, do you know how long we need to stay in here?”
Amidst the clamor of buzzing, her usual meek voice transforms into a panicked shout.
“Won’t the bugs stop eating once they feel full?”
“Wouldn’t they stop eating once they’re full?”
Well, it’s not going to be a quick thing.
Alicia looked at the massive army surrounding her, seemingly paralyzed with fear at the thought of how much mana she would need to drain to satisfy them all.
“I’ll do my best to hold on.”
Gnaw gnaw.
With those final words, Alicia’s surroundings were so packed there wasn’t even a space for light to escape. Bugs were crawling everywhere. And then came the sound.
Click clack.
The distinct sound of heels echoed. A woman’s silhouette came into view.
“Why are you here?”
“I came because I was worried about you, Alicia. Young Master, that’s just too much! Throwing her into that mess with no explanation?”
The woman, wrapped in a long robe, was the Magic Instructor Paula.
“It’s not just about the bugs feeding on mana, is it?”
She pointed to the very thin threads attached to the bugs. It was clear that continuous activities were happening in real-time from those thin strands.
“The mana the bugs consume through Alicia is being funneled to you, Young Master. In other words, no matter how much mana Alicia extracts, she can’t fatten them up.”
Oh ho, even though her mouth runs a mile a minute, it looks like this Magic Instructor is sharp. Impressive observation skills.
“Yeah, you’re right. No matter how much mana Alicia pulls out, she can’t escape from inside there. I guess she’ll figure that out soon enough.”
“And meanwhile, you torment her with words of hope… let’s see… ugh! This is really gross, isn’t it? Alicia is in there, right? If I were her, I would run away immediately… wait, the bugs’ condition….”
Paula squinted, focusing intently. Soon, she let out a laugh as if she couldn’t believe it.
“Young Master… you’ve added an extra trial to the mana-sucking, haven’t you?”
Hearing her question, I replied with a smile.
“Of course.”
I grinned.
*
This is strange.
No matter how much mana I draw to form a barrier against the bugs, they don’t stop eating.
In fact, that’s not all.
“The speed they’re eating is increasing….”
The consumption rate of the mana blocking her is far too swift compared to the beginning.
Alicia was pouring her mana out in desperation. It had been several hours since she first sensed something was off. Yet, with no viable solution, she was squeezing out her mana to the limits.
Alicia operated her mana frantically, without even a moment to wipe the sweat pouring from her body. The headache and dizziness made it feel like she might lose consciousness at any moment, yet she poured every last drop of mana from the depths within her.
Four months ago, when she checked the duration, she could still absorb the mana floating in the air, but now, the bugs were not allowing that.
Only the mana she possessed remained. That was the only means of survival.
“Ugh…!”
Her throat felt constricted, making it difficult to breathe. She tried forcing her body to expand, but it felt like there was no air filling her.
Nausea welled up. The agony of wanting to vomit was boiling inside her.
She wanted to give up right there.
With this much effort, wasn’t she holding out longer than a hopeless person should?
A weak thought began to swell in her mind, one that had started to creep in at some point. Despite trying to suppress it with both hands, it showed no signs of stopping, much like the bugs over there.
Still, Alicia did not cease her mana release. What she needed to do now was fulfill the command given by her master. If she didn’t comply properly, her worth wouldn’t even cover the 100 gold she was sold for.
She raised the intensity further. Since she was now close to the bugs, a brilliant light erupted as if expressing her will.
The bugs recoiled from the thickened layer. Good, if she continued like this, she could endure a bit longer…
Thud. Her forehead hit the ground. She had been maintaining all the strength in her body, but in this extreme situation, she had poured out the last of her strength, exhausting all her mana.
She had maintained her stance, but having poured out all her strength in an extreme situation, her mana was completely exhausted.
“This is bad… at this rate….”
Alicia had no strength left even to move her fingers. Turning her head, which was stuck to the floor, was the extent of her effort.
Her heavy eyelids couldn’t even block the cold, and she watched as bugs approached through the gaps.
Is this how I’m going to die?
That fleeting thought didn’t strike Alicia with despair. On the contrary, it felt like if she could just take a bite out of that sweet notion, everything would turn to happiness.
She’d be able to see those she missed, too.
Her past flashed before her. Memories of the happiest moments in her life before meeting her second mother. Alongside those nostalgic faces rose the horrors of that day.
“…….”
The memories kept flowing. Recently, it had been a whirlwind of astonishing events. It was all due to one person, whose light steps changed everything.
Dying like this wouldn’t be so bad. Living was a constant cycle of suffering, filled more with hardships than good things.
But there were two entities that wouldn’t easily let go of her fragile heart.
Her second mother, who must be spending her days alone and lonely.
Even if she had experienced tough times with her. The person who took her in when she was a starving orphan with nowhere to go. The grateful mother who raised her to adulthood.
And the other person, surprisingly, was that man who had suddenly barged into her life recently.
Though he was arrogant and cold, he was the first person to believe in her worth. Letting down the expectations of such a person meant that if she died in such a vain manner, he would likely be very disappointed. That was what held Alicia back.
Yes, she must live.
She cannot die like this.
She tried to strengthen her trembling soft muscles. She couldn’t move properly, but she had to muster all her strength, even to shake a little.
“Do… Do…”
Alicia called out for him who would be waiting above. Her throat trembled in response.
“Young Master….”
“Alicia has been mumbling in her sleep for a while. Well, she used up all her mana, so even if she’s asleep, she won’t know what’s happening.”
“It was a good opportunity to check Alicia’s current condition and forcibly increase her total mana, so this much must be endured.”
“You’re still cold, Young Master. No, you actually rescued me just before I was covered in bugs, so maybe you’re actually kind.”
“Shut your unnecessary mouth and just move her properly. Tomorrow’s schedule is going to be very busy, so she needs to recover her state to the original.”
Paula didn’t speak any further and used magic to levitate Alicia. Once they moved to the room, she would help restore Alicia’s mana. It wouldn’t take long before she would recover her state.
Then, with this training, the Alicia who had stepped a little further could be moved on the game board.
⎯Now, this part is perfect.
It is no exaggeration to say that everything is proceeding as desired. But she must not let her guard down. The real moment of change is just beginning.
From the next hardship that follows, everything in Alicia’s life will be turned upside down. Forcing that moment, which should have still been far off, would bring considerable backlash.
But it didn’t matter.
One must bear the risks that correspond to any reward. The greater the reward, the greater the risk. Thus, it becomes even more valuable when achieved.
He approached the levitating Alicia. Her bright skin was striking.
He then tucked the hair sticking to Alicia’s sleeping face behind her ear. It was the face of a fool who didn’t know what was about to happen to her.
“Sleep well.”
And welcome the morning.
The basic preparations have been made, so shouldn’t she show a transformed appearance? As her audience, I await that. Do you understand what I’m saying?
Cowardly Alicia.
