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I blinked my eyes open.

A strange ceiling.

Well, to be precise, it was a familiar ceiling I had seen many times before, but the room’s scenery felt oddly different from what I remembered.

I sat up.

My clothes were still on, and it looked as if my body had been neatly laid on the bed.

The blanket was spread out perfectly with not a wrinkle in sight, and compared to an ordinary guild’s second-floor lodging, it felt a bit softer and a bit more luxurious.

“Skylar?”

I called his name, but there was no answer.

I turned my head, taking in the entire view of the room. On the table, there was a mysterious glass bottle shimmering with a blue light, and Skylar was sprawled on the chair in front of the table, fast asleep.

He must have triggered my narcolepsy when he led me into the room.

…It couldn’t have been heavy, right? My body feels light. I’m underweight, after all. Yeah.

It’s not like I’m concerned about the weight because I’ve become a woman. I was just worried that I might have inconvenienced someone by making them carry a heavy load.

Yeah. This isn’t a very feminine action.

‘…Should I wake him up?’

I briefly placed my hand on Skylar’s back. He stirred slightly, then adjusted his position and returned to his deep slumber.

For some reason, I felt as if I was overlapping Skylar with another figure.

Not a metaphorical expression, but literally.

The mature young man with Skylar’s face was a handsome guy with a slightly taller than average height and a lean physique. He was good-looking to the point where I couldn’t help but admit it.

I couldn’t understand why the image of future Skylar appeared intermittently in my vision, but each time I saw it, I simply brushed it off as a suitable eye candy.

Anyway, right now, I wanted to watch him sleep a little longer.

‘He’s cute when he keeps his mouth shut.’

Unlike his usual prickly and angry demeanor, he looked like an ordinary child lost in sleep.

I moved my hand and rested it on top of his head.

Contrary to his prickly personality and even pricklier hair, it felt soft. It was fascinating.

Skylar’s eyelids twitched, and then he slowly opened his eyes.

“…What are you doing?”

“Oh, I was lost in thought.”

“Just wake me up.”

“You were sleeping so soundly.”

“It’s not too late yet. I have a few hours to spare.”

Skylar, estimating the current time based on the angle of sunlight coming in through the window, began to chat with Selina, looking relieved.

Before he even opened his mouth, a sense of dread washed over me.

The fact that he mentioned the time implied that I had broken a promise or that I had tasks that required attention.

As expected, my ominous premonition hit home.

“Let’s see how effective the melody is by trying it out ourselves.”

“…Sure.”

“Impressive, isn’t it?”

“Hmm? What is?”

“I’m surprised that you’ve accepted my suggestion so easily.”

“It’s not like I completely ignored your suggestion.”

“To be precise, you have a knack for dodging only the proposals that put you through a tough time.”

“Hey.”

Skylar wore a gentle smile. His expression seemed to indicate that he had no intention of fighting, as if to say ‘calm down.’

It didn’t exactly quench my anger… but surprisingly, it faded quickly.

“Anyway, let’s give it a try.”

“Alright.”

“It doesn’t matter what kind. Then please start.”

I picked up the lute.

–

The Lute of Legends.

A prized possession entrusted to one bard by another.

It plays the sounds you wish for.

–

I cleared my status window and focused on my senses.

Crossing my legs, I gently placed the lute on my lap. I could feel a slight weight resting on my legs. Holding the neck of the lute, I pressed my body against it as if lying on it.

I placed my fingers on the strings and plucked gently.

♩ㅡ

The sound caressed my ears.

Playing for someone else in clear consciousness felt way more embarrassing than I had anticipated.

I had definitely played in front of Skylar before. I had also played in front of many people. But for some reason, this performance felt more special.

The reason was undoubtedly that this performance was meant solely for one person.

In this cramped room, the two of us sat facing each other across the table while playing and listening to the music.

Considering that one of the many purposes of music is to share and express one’s emotions… the atmosphere felt quite strange. My thoughts began to drift in a peculiar direction.

I was… a bit blushed. It was embarrassing. Performing just for that one person felt like a confession.

♫ㅡ♬-♬♬ㅡ♩-♫♬♪

It seemed to represent my heart. The pace of the music gradually picked up.

I couldn’t even tell what piece I was playing. I merely followed where my fingers led. Like a wagon moving along a predetermined path.

“That’s enough now.”

Skylar grabbed my wrist and forcibly stopped the performance.

Suddenly, the strength left my whole body, and the instrument fell from my hands. Skylar grabbed my lute with his other hand and carefully placed it on the table.

“…Okay.”

Huff… ha…

Before I knew it, I was panting heavily.

As if I had forgotten how to breathe while playing.

“It seems like a sign of mana exhaustion. You unknowingly poured your mana into the performance. You’ll need training to consciously control it, but since we don’t have time, I’ll just briefly explain the trick.”

“Got it. But… I can’t seem to put any strength into it.”

“……”

Skylar stared at me in silence for a long moment.

How would I appear if viewed through the eyes of a third party?

A slightly thin beauty panting heavily, her face flushed, wearing a white shirt slightly damp with bodily fluids that allowed for a glimpse of what was underneath…

Skylar’s gaze immediately made sense.

“D-Don’t look at me like that!”

“No, I didn’t mean to—?!”

“Then what’s your intention?!”

“Honestly, even if I didn’t intend to, it’s hard not to look!”

“Hey!”

“Ugh… Just drink the magic supplement or something.”

An awkward silence followed.

The conversation had abruptly stopped.

We merely glared at each other.

Even while drinking the magic supplement, I couldn’t focus at all on the unique… energy-drink-like flavor.

A slight fizz traveled down my throat, and my strength was gradually returning.

Nevertheless, I continued to glare at Skylar. It wasn’t a resentful gaze, nor was it filled with anger. It was just… embarrassing.

No, it would be more accurate to say I felt shame.

The fact that I, who defined myself as a man, had engaged in such feminine behavior that others could only see as feminine… was utterly humiliating.

Why? Why did I act this way?

Men don’t scream at others for looking at them when their clothes get damp and slightly see-through, right?

As I hardened my face in deep thought, Skylar spoke to me.

It wasn’t an apology.

You shouldn’t expect a socially conscious response from Skylar, the prideful wizard. I had already known this fact. I wasn’t disappointed just because he didn’t apologize.

“Anyway, it seems that the efficiency and range you mentioned to the adventurers are the same. Did you already know about your performance and mana?”

“No. This is the first time I’ve played properly.”

“Hmm… Is that so?”

“I played alone in my room before, but not to this extent.”

“Anyway, let me share a tip about mana consumption.”

“…Okay.”

Perhaps to ease the earlier awkward atmosphere, Skylar began explaining to me in a slightly friendlier tone than usual.

To summarize, it went like this.

Mana is something between liquid and gas contained in the vessel of the body. It doesn’t get affected by gravity, doesn’t sink, but it moves like a liquid in a weightless state.

Honestly, I had my doubts. His explanation violated several physical laws in a couple of ways.

I asked a few questions.

Skylar’s answer was, “I don’t know either.”

“Anyway, so what’s the trick to conserving and controlling mana?”

“It means you keep going until it works, you know?”

“…Huh?”

Skylar pointed to his bag.

I heard the sound of glass bottles clinking together inside the bag.

Yeah. It was a lot.

He opened the bag, and dozens of mana supplements were inside.

“What about the money? Wouldn’t it be better to save a bit?”

“Mana supplements can be obtained cheaply. The Mage Tower handles everything from production to distribution and sales.”

“You monopolized it.”

“If we raised the price just because we have a monopoly, the wizards would burn the Mage Tower to the ground. Some of them drink several bottles a day, you know.”

“…You said you’d give me tips! Were you implying you were just going to trick me?!”

“There are no shortcuts or tricks in magic. Only the proper path exists.”

In the end, I continued to play until it was time for us to depart, the mana supplement firmly in my mouth, trying to control it.

Even if my mana was continuously replenished, my stamina and mental strength were at rock bottom.

—

With my tired body soaked in sweat, I was dragged along by Skylar.

It was finally time to set off for our quest.