The woman who revealed herself wore a pure-white dress and a flower crown woven from white blossoms.
Rendered in unreal, translucent hues, she slowly walked toward Leo and took a seat across from him.
Incongruously for such a dignified gait, she was barely tall enough to reach his knee.
-You really can see me?
“Wouldn’t it be stranger if I couldn’t see you when you’ve been following me so openly?”
-An ordinary person can neither see nor sense me, because I am a Spirit.
A Spirit?
Leo stared at her in silence.
“Why is a Spirit following me? I left you alone because you didn’t seem hostile, but I’d like you to leave now.”
-That is because of the person I am contracted to.
“The person you’re contracted to?”
-Yes. Allow me to introduce myself once more. I am Adite, the Spirit contracted to Aria.
“Aria? You mean my mother?”
-Yes, that is correct.
She dipped her head slightly, then gave Leo a gentle smile.
Had he been an ordinary person, her smile would have been beautiful enough to stop his breath.
Leo, of course, was not particularly moved.
“Why is a Spirit contracted to Mother following me?”
Even at Leo’s question, Adite answered with an unruffled expression.
-Even if I do not answer, you intend to seek out your mother and ask her, do you not?
“Of course.”
-Then I will tell you in advance. Now that you have discovered me, there is no reason to keep it hidden. I bear no ill intent.
Adite let out a small sigh and collected herself before continuing.
-I am Adite, a Wind Spirit. At the wishes of the one I am contracted to, I am currently protecting Leonard Valantes.
“At Mother’s wishes?”
-Yes. Aria often cannot sleep because she worries about you. When you fell from a horse recently, she worried terribly. Even though I told her you avoided serious injury because I cushioned your fall with the wind, she is still worrying about it.
At Adite’s words, a flash streaked through Leo’s mind.
‘That’s right…… Strangely enough, I was never injured.’
Even when he had fallen from a horse countless times while learning to ride under his father’s unspoken pressure.
Even when his drunken brother had attacked him.
Not only that, but even in situations where he clearly should have been badly injured, he had usually escaped with only minor wounds.
And now, at Adite’s explanation, he felt as though every piece of the puzzle had fallen into place.
-More importantly, since when have you been able to see me? You certainly did not seem aware of me until yesterday……
Leo nodded at Adite’s words.
‘I’m far more sensitive than I was in my previous life.’
‘From Adite’s perspective, I, whom she’d been watching over all this time, suddenly became aware of her. At a time like this…….’
“I suddenly started seeing you today. I couldn’t see you until yesterday, and I don’t know exactly why”
There was certainly a reason. He had fought on battlefields for years.
And he had been a knight stronger than anyone else.
His body had returned to how it had been ten years ago, but his keen senses remained intact.
In his previous life, he had no interest in mana at the time, but now he could already sense it, allowing him to detect Adite.
“More importantly, how long do you plan to keep watching me?”
Leo asked as he took hold of the quill.
Now that he thought about it, his mother had known his every move despite rarely being able to see him.
He had assumed it was merely because of Hans, never imagining Adite had been there.
-Would it be all right if I stayed? If I return, Aria will worry.
“I’d rather you left. I have something important to do right now.”
-Hmm…….
“More importantly, is there really any need for you to be here?”
As Adite sank into thought, Leo slowly rose from his seat and walked to the bed.
He drew the sword he had received at his coming-of-age ceremony from the sheath beside his pillow.
Gripping the hilt more tightly, he sent the mana rippling within his Mana Circle into the sword.
Then—
HUMMM!
-Huh?
Adite’s eyes widened at the faint vibration coming from Leo’s sword.
-A Mana Sword?
A Mana Sword manifested, with a white veil enveloping the blade.
It was still at a novice level and had barely taken shape, but Adite could not hide her astonishment.
Yet the person most surprised of all was Leo himself.
‘To think it’s already at this level…….’
Until only a few days ago, he could not have imagined such a sight.
Even Leo was impressed by how much clearer the Mana Sword was than he had expected.
‘As expected, my mana’s purer because I’m younger…….’
As soon as he realized he had regressed, he had begun training at the 1-Star stage, and his Mana Circle had already settled into place quite well.
Even so, he had not expected to be able to use a Mana Sword immediately.
Yet it was this distinct. It was even clearer than when he had possessed a similar amount of mana before his regression.
-How……?
“Do I still look like I need protecting?”
At Leo’s words, Adite cleared her throat before slowly speaking.
-Is what you are about to do something I should not see?
When Leo nodded, Adite smiled gently and answered.
-Understood. Then I will take my leave.
Adite vanished like sand scattered on the wind.
-May the swiftness of the wind dwell within you…….
After sensing Adite’s presence disappear with those final words, Leo sheathed his sword again and returned to the desk.
‘A Spirit…….’
It was something he had never known in his previous life.
He had never imagined his mother was a spirit mage who commanded Spirits.
He had only ever heard of Spirits and had never seen one in person.
He had merely heard that only the legendary Elves could command them.
He had thought the only powers available in this world were the sword and magic.
‘Maybe…….’
Leo was about to move his quill again when a thought suddenly occurred to him.
‘Could I command Spirits too?’
No, he wanted to.
If he could, he would gain another source of tremendous power.
‘Father said he was leaving the territory this evening, didn’t he?’
His father, who disapproved of him meeting his mother, would be away from the territory.
‘I should visit Mother then.’
***
Leo alternated between writing quickly, pausing to think, and filling in more.
By the time roughly half a day had passed, he had mapped out the broad course of the events to come.
There were still quite a few things he needed to do within the territory.
Once he organized them roughly, they were tasks he could handle alongside building up his body and ingraining the fundamentals.
After mastering the fundamentals completely, he intended to go straight to Rutoa.
Rutoa.
It was a fortress belonging to the Valantes Domain at the southernmost edge of the Kingdom of Brahms, and the place where Leo had served as commander in his previous life.
As an illegitimate son, the laws of the house would send him there.
This time, however, he intended to go there on his own two feet, not at someone else’s behest.
To win his father’s favor?
To prove his strength?
It was not out of such bravado. There was something he needed.
‘I need to find Zenix.’
Zenix had been his cherished sword in his previous life, as well as Akedos’s sword.
And—
‘It’s the finest Famed Sword on the continent.’
A sword had to meet countless conditions to earn the designation of a Famed Sword.
How light was it?
While remaining light, how great was its destructive power?
Its hardness, durability, the sharpness of its blade, the material used for that blade…….
There were many conditions, but the most important among them was mana responsiveness.
It was the single most essential factor in forming a Mana Sword.
Depending on that mana responsiveness, swords that met all those conditions were classified as either Famed Swords or Demonic Swords.
Demonic Swords that failed to become Famed Swords often drained all their masters’ mana and drove them mad.
In that regard, Akedos’s sword, ‘Zenix,’ was certainly a trustworthy fellow.
After organizing his thoughts, Leo covered the parchment and placed his palm just above his navel.
A small Mana Circle formed a ring around his navel.
He could clearly feel its presence.
‘The 1-Star stage is complete.’
The 1-Star stage was the stage of sensing mana and forming a Mana Circle.
His body had never even properly gripped a sword, yet he had managed to form a Mana Circle in only one day.
It was thanks to the power of his bloodline and the power of his experience.
‘Now for the 2-Star stage.’
Leo sat cross-legged on the bed.
The 2-Star stage was the stage of reinforcing the Mana Circle.
To reach the realm known as Mana Blade, he needed not only a vast amount of mana, but also a sturdy Mana Circle capable of controlling it.
Just as a castle built on sand easily collapsed, an unstable Mana Circle could lead to death from mana poisoning, making this the most important stage.
Unlike conventional cultivation methods, this method rapidly circulated mana only within the Mana Circle.
It inflicted wounds on the Mana Circle, and as those wounds healed, the Mana Circle hardened and grew larger.
It was certainly more effective than other cultivation methods.
However, it was also an extremely risky method.
Because mana circulated so rapidly within the Mana Circle, the moment one lost concentration and control faltered, the Mana Circle would burst.
Of course—
‘I did nothing but this for ten years.’
That warning did not apply to Leo now.
***
After remaining holed up in his room for half a day, Leo slowly opened the door and stepped outside.
“Young Master.”
Hans startled at the sight of Leo drenched in sweat, then stared at him in even greater shock when he felt the heat billowing from the room.
“What in the world were you doing in there? With this much heat, did you secretly cook a steak or something?”
Leo chuckled at Hans’s silly joke and spoke.
“Prepare my bathwater.”
“Shall I prepare ice water?”
“I don’t think it needs to be ice water.”
“Yes. Understood.”
Leo watched Hans hurry away with a satisfied smile.
‘Remarkable.’
He was pleased with the results of his training.
He had reached the 2-Star stage.
Moreover, he was now training at the 3-Star stage, which tempered the Mana Road—the pathway through which mana released from the Mana Circle flowed throughout the body.
‘It’s only been a day, yet I’ve already made this much progress.’
His growth was faster than he had expected.
Of course, each stage after the 3-Star stage would take longer, but even reaching the 2-Star stage meant he had already laid a sufficient foundation.
‘My body’s become fairly decent too.’
As he trained in the Mana Cultivation Method, his body naturally began to change.
The impurities obstructing the flow of mana had been flushed out, and much of the excess flesh on his body had disappeared.
Of course, he still lacked muscle, so his body was not the same as it had been in his previous life.
Even so, it had become far more agile and solid than before.
‘Starting tomorrow, I should go to the training grounds in earnest.’
Training at the 3-Star stage and above was more effective when combined with swordsmanship.
He had established the fundamentals in a single day, so from tomorrow onward, he intended to begin physical training as well.
A short while later, Leo finished bathing in the water Hans had prepared, dressed, and left the room.
“Let’s go see Mother.”
“Yes. The timing is perfect. The Head of House is away from the castle. Hehe.”
Magenta did not look kindly on Leo and Aria meeting.
That was because he wanted her to pay more attention to Jamie, the heir.
His logic was that because Leo was Aria’s biological son, she would naturally pay attention to him, whereas Jamie was not, so she would not.
Looking back, it was absurd logic that only a father could have devised.
“But when will the Head of House return?”
At Hans’s question, Leo glanced at him.
“That seems like a question I should be asking you.”
“Hehe. Young Master, what could a lowly servant like me possibly know?”
Hans wore a sly smile.
‘He hasn’t changed one bit.’
He was no different from the Hans of Leo’s previous life.
He still did his utmost to attend to Leo, and he was still as slippery as a snake.
“He’ll be back in two days.”
At lunch that day, Magenta had mentioned that he would be visiting Talisha Castle, which lay within the Valantes Domain, for about two days.
“Um, Young Master. You seem to have changed somehow…… Is that just my imagination?”
At Hans’s question, Leo slightly raised the corner of his mouth.
“Yes. It’s just your imagination. Just like your belief that because Father will be away longer, you’ll be able to go on a date with May.”
At Leo’s words, Hans’s eyes grew twice their usual size.
“……What? What are you talking about?”
“Hans, are you trying to play innocent in front of me right now?”
“……H-how did you know?”
How did he know? Because he had regressed.
Swallowing the answer, Leo smiled gently.
“I know everything. So don’t try to hide anything from me.”
“I am truly sorry, Young Master…… The truth is, my relationship with May…….”
Looking at the dejected Hans, Leo smiled mischievously.
“It’s fine. Because, as I said earlier, thinking May likes you is just your imagination.”
A romance between servants.
It was an unthinkable thing.
But neither was there any law forbidding it.
“It isn’t just my imagination. May puts flowers in my wardrobe every morning.”
“Then I ought to personally teach May how to read.”
“What? For what reason……?”
“She might be putting flowers there because she can’t read the nameplate.”
Hans thought for a moment, then spoke with a tearful expression.
“Oh, honestly, Young Master. You are too much.”
Leo laughed heartily at the grumbling Hans.
‘I’m happy.’
It was nothing more than trading hollow jokes with no substance, but sometimes conversations like this left a person more deeply sated with happiness.
Before long, they entered the inner courtyard.
On the way to the wing housing his mother’s chambers, Leo saw the entrance on the right to the wing housing Jamie’s chambers.
Unlike the other gates, where knights stood guard, no one guarded that place.
“What has my brother been doing lately?”
Jamie Valantes.
The lawful wife’s son, born two months before Leo.
He also possessed talent every bit as remarkable.
However, in Leo’s previous life, Jamie had never brought that talent to full bloom.
It was because Jamie longed for the lawful wife who had passed away not long after he was born.
His once-bright golden eyes had grown clouded from drink, and the talent God had bestowed on him had become not a divine blessing, but a devil’s talent.
“Young Master Jamie…….”
“Still the same, then.”
He was probably guzzling liquor in a tavern, being led around by a woman’s skirts, then lying sprawled across a bed.
“When my brother returns, tell me. I have something to discuss with him.”
At Leo’s words, Hans’s pupils trembled faintly.
‘Don’t worry, Hans. I won’t just keep getting beaten this time.’
Leo understood Hans’s concern.
Whenever the brothers met, blood was shed.
To be precise, only on Leo’s side.
‘This time, Jamie also has to change.’
His brother Jamie’s talent could undoubtedly become an asset of tremendous use to Leo.
And to turn that talent into an asset, Jamie’s mind would need to be overhauled.
“Go back early today.”
“No. I will wait until you are finished.”
As they talked, they arrived in front of Aria’s room.
“Our conversation will be long, so go on ahead.”
“But Young Master…….”
Leo shook his head at Hans’s words.
“If I come out and find you waiting, I’ll take it as you ignoring my order and won’t let you attend to me anymore.”
“Would you truly do that?”
“Of course. Naturally.”
“What? You truly would?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
Hans let out a deep sigh and lowered his head.
After patting Hans on the shoulder, Leo turned and stood before the door.
KNOCK, KNOCK!
“The Second Young Master is here.”
At the words of the knight guarding the door, his mother’s voice came from inside.
-Come in.
When Leo opened the door and entered, his mother and Adite were seated inside.
Leo took a seat across from his mother.
The moment he sat down, she spoke.
“I heard from Adite. When did you learn the Mana Sword?”
“I have been practicing it little by little. I thought it was something I absolutely needed if I was to protect you someday, Mother.”
Many thoughts stirred within Aria at Leo’s answer.
She was proud of him, but at the same time, it had not quite sunk in that her frail son had somehow grown into such an adult.
Looking into Aria’s trembling eyes, filled with many emotions, Leo spoke with an unwavering, resolute gaze.
“Mother, may I ask you something as well?”
Aria nodded.
At that, Leo immediately spoke without hesitation.
“Mother, how did you come to command Spirits?”