episode_0005

If the body is the land, then mana is a building.

From the moment of birth, buildings are constructed on the empty land that is a person. Buildings each have their purpose, and perform various roles according to that purpose.

For example, a person with the mana of fire is innately passionate and has a warm body.

If they can feel and manipulate mana, then they could use fire magic, right?

But a body already adapted to fire mana.

Accepting new mana is quite difficult.

Some are innately blessed with two or more attributes, but there are no examples of this being achieved later in life.

However, if a person only has bare land, nothing else.

Would they be able to accept new mana?

***

That’s what I understood from the research journal I read all day.

No, but did they spill ramen while writing the journal? The conclusion was completely omitted.

Did they reach a conclusion but run out of paper?

Would they be able to accept new mana, so what am I supposed to do with that information?

…I have no choice but to find the answer myself.

I’ve already taken notes of everything I thought was important while reading.

– Mana exists anywhere in this world. – The first step to learning magic is feeling the flow of mana. – The body is land, and mana is a building. – It is difficult for a body already blessed to accept new mana.

And so on.

…I don’t have a clue.

Thinking I should at least try, I immediately went out to the balcony.

Mana exists everywhere, right? So, can I feel it this way?

I spread my arms wide to greet the cool breeze blowing from the mountain ridge. The wind lightly ruffled my collar, caressing and then dissipating against my skin.

I closed my eyes and greeted the moonlight illuminating my room. It exerted itself, making its way through the gap in the curtains and into the crevices of my eyes.

I greeted the rustling grass and the buzzing of courting insects. It tickled my ears; I decided to ask Yuri to clean my ears tomorrow.

Finally, I took a deep breath of the night air. The refreshing smell of dew…actually, I didn’t feel any particular smell at all.

“…I can’t feel anything.”

Was my method wrong? Since I wasn’t properly learning from a magic teacher and just tried whatever came to mind, I actually knew it wouldn’t work.

– The important thing is feeling the mana.

How can I feel it…

Ah! A sudden idea flashed.

‘But… that requires considerable preparation.’

Without waiting until tomorrow, I immediately rolled up my sleeves and prostrated myself on the floor.

I pressed my toes and forearms to the floor, bending and straightening them repeatedly. I began to awaken the muscles of my whole body, which had softened during my hikikomori life.

“One, two, three, four…”

One million twenty-one, one million twenty-two…

My writhing muscles excite me.

. . .

For several weeks, despite eating my fill, my satisfaction was zero.

The reason…could there be more than one? My appetite returned now that I’ve returned to a more active life. I ate because I was hungry, but Yuri’s cooking skills…to be honest, were dismal.

No, her cooking itself seems competent, but the taste is strange. What do I mean by that? I don’t know much about cooking, so I’m not sure, but that’s how it felt. It tasted like a strange mix of potent fragrance masked by perfume.

So now, I’ve snuck into the kitchen.

Hoping to find some delicious leftovers. Especially lately, since I’ve started exercising, my appetite has increased, making it unbearable.

My muscles have started to regain tone, and my swordsmanship basics, [Footwork], have also revived. I tiptoed silently towards the kitchen table.

Suddenly.

“Please!”

Jerk!

Oh my god, what a fright. I flinched, startled by Yuri’s voice that popped out from the space right next to me.

What’s going on?

“Please let me use proper ingredients!” “You’re not even skilled, what are you complaining about ingredients for! You only make one serving each meal, what do you think you are?” “That one person is Her Highness!”

The guy next to Yuri…is that my former maid? It was a familiar voice.

“…Anyway, that shut-in doesn’t eat properly. Using good ingredients would just be wasteful.” “No! Even though the food I make is tasteless, Her Highness pretends to enjoy it…!” “How dare you lie…!!”

I roughly understood the situation. So, the strange taste of the food was due to the poor quality ingredients?

I was more bothered by my former maid viewing me as a shut-in than Yuri receiving this… what is it called…

Ah, right, I can’t think of the word.

This shitty treatment Yuri was receiving bothered me. It’s true I am a shut-in.

So I held back my anger. I silently waited for Yuri and the senior maid to leave the kitchen.

‘Tell me if something’s bothering you…’

Yuri’s tears, clearly visible even through the small gap, made my heart sink. I gritted my teeth.

Not long after, the kitchen was empty, and then someone entered.

I confirmed their face through the gap in the sack of grain where I was hiding and then came out.

Swish.

“Chef.” “Whoa…!! What a fright. What are you doing there, Your Highness…?”

I shyly waved.

The dashing orange mustache and white chef’s uniform. This man is the chef who manages all the royal food. Except for occasionally creating experimental dishes that surprise everyone’s tongues, his skill is something I can vouch for.

“Long time no see. How have you been?” “I’ve been fine…Lately, I’ve been worried because Her Highness Narita hasn’t been appearing at mealtimes.”

That wasn’t a concern for me. In fact, because I had the most discerning palate in the royal family, he must have been worried that his skills had deteriorated in my absence, with the elevated standards of taste at the table.

“But what brings you here?”

I pondered how I could solve the problem as cleanly as possible, when a group I used to belong to suddenly came to mind.

“Actually…the food is really bland lately.” “…!!!”

The chef’s gentle gaze changed.

“That is unacceptable. Surely the person responsible for Her Highness’s meals…” “It’s the maid. The junior maid, Yuri.” “That can’t be! Yuri’s cooking skills are excellent. I tasted it myself.”

I’d seen it online before, that kitchens have strict rules. It’s a dangerous place dealing with knives and fire, so the chefs have a malicious glint in their eyes, and even the surrounding air is intimidated by their aura, aligning itself in the air like a formation.

So I chose the most effective method for this kitchen.

“I overheard earlier…that the senior maids aren’t providing Yuri with proper ingredients.” “Goodness…why would they do that?” “Probably because they don’t like Yuri or me.”

On the surface, this looks like typical backstabbing, but. The nuance is a bit different.

“…Chef.” “Yes, yes.”

I also changed my gaze slightly.

“Things have been easy in the kitchen lately, haven’t they?” “…?!” “Things are too easy, which is why the kids’ training is like this. That’s affecting my table.” “…It’s a thousand times true. It’s all my fault…”

The more skilled a person is, the stronger their self-esteem compared to their pride, and they tend to be strict with themselves. In the case of the chef, ‘the taste of food’ would be something they could absolutely never compromise on.

I poked at that weakness and used my skill. It’s called [The Descent of Scolding].

“I’ll assume you understand everything and I’ll be going now. Oh, and one more thing.”

The art of achieving results without lifting a finger. Finally, to prevent the problem from affecting Yuri.

“I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t touch our kid again.” “…I swear on my honor as a chef.”

. . .

From that very evening, without waiting for another day, Yuri’s expression when bringing the food was different.

A bright, confident expression. A feeling of relief that she was finally able to give her all as she intended. That was what I felt.

Sure enough, the meal that day, after I took a bite…

“Ooh…Ooooh…!!”

It was truly delicious.

“Delicious…So delicious…!! You’re the best, Yuri!!” “Hehe…”

I buried my face, unable to tell if the bowl was me or I was the bowl, and devoured all of Yuri’s cooking. With my belly full, I lay in bed, read Yuri a fairy tale before falling asleep.

Those days continued countless times. With sufficient food and exercise, lean muscles once again took root in my body.

I picked up my sword again after a long time.

*Shing!*

“Haah!”

*Swish!*

“Haap!”

Based on what I learned in the past and the swordsmanship manual, I completed training to a satisfactory level.

『Skill level has increased. [Swordsmanship Lv. 30]』

My body remembered what that meant.

The memory of swordplay remaining in my muscles. At this level, I could knock down most soldiers in the kingdom with a wooden sword.

‘The preparations are complete.’

All this was to learn magic.

I prepared outfits with Yuri and went to the Royal Knights.

“Who’s this…?! Isn’t that Princess Narita?!” “Hey! The princess is here!” “…Really? You’ve grown quite tall since I last saw you.”

The young trainee knights whom I used to swing swords with as a child.

“How are you all doing?”

It was usually called the “Swordsmanship Hall”. Most of their faces didn’t change, so I was quite glad.

And the elite knight who taught me swordsmanship.

“Long time no see.”

The man who now stood at the top of the Knights, the Kingdom’s Second Knight Commander, Philips Carmore. He knelt and kissed the back of my hand.

Clink.

“…Did you dislike this?” “You know that.”

Putting aside the awkwardness, since my mind has now become that of a fully grown man…

We sat around the table, and Carmore was the first to speak.

“So, what brings you here today? And so suddenly?” “I thought we could have a sparring match.” “Oh…”

He pretended to listen to me, but he was scanning my body with his eyes.

It wasn’t a lecherous gaze, but rather him reading my skill. Reading my posture, the subtle tremors in my muscles, and things like that.

… Right, damn it?

“You haven’t gotten rusty, it seems.” “I did get rusty. That’s why I started over from scratch.” “I understand. Then—” “Wait.”

I stopped Carmore from getting up. Normally, there would have been a mock swordsmanship duel clashing swords.

But that wasn’t why I came today.

“I want to try sparring against a different kind of opponent. Is that alright?” “What kind of opponent do you mean?”

I picked up Carmore’s spare practice sword and checked its condition.

Whirr, whirr.

It fit well in my hand after a light swing.

After glancing at the trainees around me, I answered him.

“I want to spar with a magician. Preferably, several with different mana attributes.”