Chapter 54

Episode 54

I activated ‘Mind’s Eye’ and bowed my head.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by Your Excellency. I am O’Brien Walker, serving in the Lucius Inspection Unit.”

“Why call yourself a humble servant when you’re an honorary knight? You’re younger than I expected. I’ve heard many rumors about you. They say you possess both sharp insight and formidable strength.”

“You flatter me, Your Excellency. I still have much to learn.”

As I replied, I subtly raised my head. His eyes were glowing purple, indicating that ‘Mind’s Eye’ couldn’t read him.

It was a shame, but not a complete loss.

During our mission in the Cliff territory, ‘Mind’s Eye’ had worked on Hamilton, the lord of the territory. It had also worked on the Oracle of House Mayruns and Baron Roman of the Gerard territory.

On the other hand, it hadn’t worked on Lady Lucia, Lord Hylix, or Count Apellai.

Based on this, I could infer that ‘Mind’s Eye’ was effective on individuals below the rank of Viscount.

Without a clear manual, I had to rely on statistical analysis. I would need to gather more data to confirm this hypothesis.

I had become certain that there was a leveling system for abilities during our second mission. I had received a system message about sensing demonic energy.

Therefore, it wasn’t far-fetched to think that there was a level restriction in the system.

This was a game world, after all.

Anything was possible.

“Don’t be too modest. The person who created the Inspection Unit is right here. Isn’t that right, my Lady?”

“I appreciate Sir Aubrey’s humility.”

“Ah, he must be a valued subordinate. You even use a nickname for him.”

The Lady smiled and nodded.

“He’s one of my most trusted aides. He’s been taking good care of me since my days as an assistant. He’s very capable.”

“Then, it’s likely he’ll be staying in the capital. He might even join the Imperial service…”

The way he casually dropped such a bombshell confirmed his reputation as a master politician.

An ordinary person, someone with a moderate amount of ambition, wouldn’t have been able to maintain their composure. It was a tempting offer.

But I knew it was a trap.

And I was determined to prevent Lady Lucia from entering the Imperial Family. I couldn’t be happy about this.

However, my reaction seemed to have impressed Count Apellai.

“He’s a rare young man indeed. I’m envious. The Lucius Inspection Unit is setting a good example for many lords. They have a strong image of justice and integrity. Ensuring the well-being of the people in the Dukedom is no different from stabilizing the entire nation.”

Count Apellai paused and took a sip of his tea.

Based on my observations so far, I concluded:

‘As expected, he’s not ordinary.’

Despite his status as Foreign Minister and Count, he was careful with his words. He was completely different from Foreign Affairs Officer Moros.

He must have heard about how I had put Moros in his place, but I couldn’t sense any hostility from him.

In my experience, people who were good at hiding their true intentions were the most difficult to deal with.

He seemed to be one of the best.

“By the way, Sir O’Brien… No, I’d like to call you Aubrey, if you’ll allow it.”

“Of course, Your Excellency. Please, call me Aubrey.”

“Thank you. It seems my Foreign Affairs Officer was rude to you earlier. I apologize on his behalf.”

“Apologize? It’s not necessary, Your Excellency. Please, don’t mention it.”

“A true man apologizes when he’s wrong. My father, who also served as Foreign Minister, often told me that. It’s rude to make a mistake, but it’s also rude not to apologize. Please accept my apology.”

I was just on my third mission, and I was already dealing with the Foreign Minister, an Imperial Count.

The difficulty level had suddenly increased, but I had no choice but to embrace it.

“I gratefully accept your apology, Your Excellency. I’ll keep your teachings in mind.”

“Hehe. Thank you. Now, my Lady, I’ll take my leave. I’ll see you again at the banquet.”

“Thank you for your concern. I’ll convey your regards to my father.”

The Count left. The Lady personally escorted him to the mansion’s entrance.

On their way back, the Lady asked me something unexpected.

“Were you upset when the Count mentioned titles earlier?”

“No, not at all. Is there something bothering you?”

“You looked gloomy.”

There was another reason, but I didn’t need to explain.

“I’ll ask my father to grant you a barony when we return. You’ve accomplished so much, he’ll surely agree.”

“I’ve heard that excessive ambition leads to misfortune. I’m content with being an honorary knight.”

“It’s only excessive if it’s beyond your capabilities. You have the potential to achieve great things. Don’t decline my offer.”

Well, if you insist.

There was something I wanted to try if I was promoted. I wanted to test ‘Mind’s Eye’ on those it hadn’t worked on before.

If I could see into their minds, it would be worth pursuing a higher title.

I also had another possibility in mind.

I planned to learn how to sense mana from Jericho tonight. Ultimately, I wanted to master magic.

Even if I gained a new skill before being promoted, I would still conduct experiments. I had to rely on trial and error until I understood this game’s core systems.

“My Lady, we received information that Lady Rosalyn will be arriving in the capital tomorrow. Have you heard anything?”

“Lady Rosalyn? No, I haven’t.”

“We don’t know why she’s coming. Judging from the lack of contact with the family mansion, she’s planning to stay elsewhere.”

I subtly hinted that this wasn’t an ordinary event.

If it were just a maid accompanying the Duchess, there would at least be a letter. The lack of any communication was strange.

The Lady simply nodded and entered her room.

There were no maids inside, so we could have a more private conversation.

“You mentioned monitoring Lady Rosalyn before. You suspected her.”

“Yes. It’s still a hypothesis, but it’s highly likely that she’s involved in the illegal activities happening in the Kalisto Dukedom.”

“The ‘land of opportunity’, you said.”

I nodded. There was no further reaction from her.

Before, she would have told me to investigate. Now, she didn’t give such orders unless I brought it up first.

It was a significant change, considering I had to be mindful of the mastermind’s every move.

Did she want to spend more time with me? No, that couldn’t be it.

And that night…

Jericho came to my room, carrying various items.

“What are all those things for?”

“Oh, you think sensing mana is child’s play? I’m not even sure if our family’s method will work. You haven’t eaten, have you?”

“I haven’t eaten anything since lunch.”

“Good. That saves us the trouble of checking your stomach.”

I had heard that the process of sensing mana was quite painful. It could even lead to fainting.

“How long does it usually take to sense mana?”

“Even with talent, it takes several months. Maybe half a year? There are geniuses who can sense it from birth, but that’s irrelevant to you, so don’t worry about it.”

“Isn’t it a bit early to make such assumptions?”

“No way. If you can sense mana within three months, I’ll buy you drinks for life. I’m serious.”

“Including snacks?”

“Of course.”

“No need for witnesses?”

I was confident.

It wasn’t arrogance. My experience in the Cliff territory was the basis for my confidence. Just as I had gained the ‘Demonic Energy Detection’ skill, I might gain the ‘Mana Detection’ skill.

“Hahaha. This is Jericho speaking. I swear on my family name.”

“Add Selendis’s share too.”

“By all means! And Lady Lucia’s share as well.”

“Isn’t it unfair if it’s only my share?”

“Not at all. You won’t be able to sense mana within three months. It’s just a joke.”

He was very confident.

Jericho locked the door, drew the curtains, and activated his mana slightly. He waved his hand.

*Whoosh!*

A gust of wind blew, extinguishing all the lanterns in the room.

In the darkness, Jericho’s hand formed a series of hand signs.

『Light.』

『Enclave.』

A sphere of light appeared, and a barrier enveloped the room. ‘Light’ was a spell that emitted light, and ‘Enclave’ isolated the space from the outside.

It made sense. Activating a large amount of mana in the capital might attract the Imperial Guard.

Jericho then took out a stone, explaining that it was a sacred stone, and drew a pentagram on the floor.

“Don’t worry, it’s easily erasable. It’s like chalk.”

He placed a sacred candle at each point of the pentagram and lit them with his mana. A cozy firelight, like a campfire, filled the room.

“Now, sit in the center. Not there, right in the middle of the pentagram. This is where the mana converges.”

I obediently followed his instructions, sitting cross-legged with my hands palms up on my knees.

…

I think I feel something?

“Listen carefully, because I’m about to tell you something very important. To sense mana, you need to create a mana circuit. Just as a carriage needs a road to travel, mana needs a path to flow. So, here’s a question: do you know where mana gathers?”

“Skip the questions and tell me what to do next.”

“Hey, don’t be so impatient! You won’t be able to do it within three months anyway. Give up on the drinks. You need to approach this slowly, focusing on sensing each mana particle. Let’s start with meditation. Three hours should be enough.”

“…”

“If you keep resisting, I won’t teach you. I’m sharing a secret technique of my family.”

He had a point, so I closed my eyes.

The key to meditation was to clear your mind. I had never done it before, but I followed Jericho’s instructions, focusing on my breathing and letting go of all thoughts.

“Hey! Not good enough! Your breathing is still as rough as a northern barbarian. Be more gentle. Imagine the state of perfect nature, slowly…”

And then…

The unexpected happened.

— You sense the energy of nature.

— You have acquired the ‘Mana Detection’ skill.

— You have acquired the ‘Mana Recovery’ skill.

— You have installed a ‘Mana Circuit’. You can now sense and gather mana.

The system was still as unhelpful as ever.

But gaining not only mana detection but also a mana circuit was a stroke of luck.

“Why are your eyes twitching? Sigh, you’re good at your job, but you’re terrible at meditation. Come on, try again. Imagine you’re breathing like a fish, take a deep breath…”

Jericho’s voice faded away.

I focused on the natural energy gathering in my heart.

*Drip, drip*

The mana, gathering drop by drop like water from a faucet, soon surged through my circuit like a waterfall.

*Buzz!*

The condensed mana solidified into a sphere, settling in my heart.

I opened my eyes.

Jericho was staring at me, jaw agape.

“…Inspector? What did you just do? Why can you sense mana?”

“You’re going to have to work hard from now on.”

“Why?”

I stood up. I extended my hand and focused my mana. A blue flame ignited with a *whoosh*.

“You’ll need to earn a lot of money to buy me drinks for life. I should share this good news with Selendis. Oh, and you said Lady Lucia’s share was included, right? Don’t forget your promise.”