A Mana Stone was a mass of mana found inside a monster’s body.
It was a precious object resembling a small reddish bead, found only in places where mana gathered, such as Mana Veins.
That, however, was a thing of the past. Since the invasion from the Outer Sea began, Mana Stones had become relatively easier to obtain than before.
Of course, the increased supply had not diminished their value. On the contrary, their consumption had risen sharply as the greater availability of Mana Stones made possible endeavors that no one had even dared to attempt before because of their exorbitant price.
Mana Stones, in particular, were like treasures to those who wielded mana.
Properly absorbing the mana contained within a Mana Stone of a sufficiently high grade allowed one to grow far more quickly.
Naturally, the higher the grade of the Mana Stone, the more eagerly the powerful and influential coveted it.
There were even people who made a profession of tracking down monsters solely for that purpose.
Ian himself had made a tidy sum from Mana Stones before his regression.
To be honest, they had been his primary source of income.
After all, it was impossible to discover intact, high-grade treasures every day within the fallen territory of the Zyle Empire.
Such finds came only once in a great while. Even then, they required extraordinary luck, and he had always been forced to risk his life.
His return to the past had erased all of it, but Ian had never forgotten the memories and experiences from those days.
He could not forget them. They had become part of his flesh and blood. They were things he must never forget.
Merely mentioning Mana Stones filled Ian with wistful nostalgia as he held out his hand. Mael, however, merely stood there staring blankly.
“What are you doing? Do you not have a dagger?”
“No. I do have one, but are you planning to do it yourself? There is no need for that.”
“Why? Are you going to do it for me?”
Mael readily nodded. Ian could not see his expression beneath the helmet, but judging by his voice, he seemed to be smiling broadly.
“It is not difficult, so I would be happy to do it. It will not take long.”
“I would appreciate that, but…”
“However, I will not be responsible if the arrows break.”
Ian nodded. It was only natural that some of the arrows would break. Even arrows imbued with numerous enchantments and mysteries—treasures in their own right—had to be treated as consumables. Ordinary arrows were hardly worth mentioning by comparison.
“Then please rest in the carriage.”
Since Mael had volunteered to handle the unpleasant work, Ian saw no reason to refuse.
Before long, heavy footsteps and the distinctive clatter of armor announced Mael and Marie’s return.
“Young Master.”
Ian opened his eyes at the knocking and opened the carriage door.
Marie stood outside, holding out a pouch and a bundle of arrows. Ian accepted them and tilted his head.
He had expected them to be stained with at least some blood, even if it was not dripping from them, but they were completely clean. Noticing his confusion, Marie explained.
“We used a Scroll.”
Now that he thought about it, Marie no longer smelled either. Her armor was as spotless as if it had just been polished.
As expected. Even at this point in time, its effectiveness had been beyond question.
There were no side effects, and it was not difficult to obtain. It was also simple to produce, so securing a large supply was easy.
There was a reason people said that keeping a stockpile of cleaning magic Scrolls could transform one’s quality of life.
“Why do you not use one as well, Young Master? It is not as refreshing as soaking in hot water and washing properly, but it still leaves you feeling quite clean.”
Ian stared at the paper Scroll Marie held out before accepting it.
“Do you know how to use it?”
“Do you take me for a fool? Of course I do.”
“Good, then. We are leaving for the village now.”
The carriage door closed. Ian first placed the arrows he held into the quiver. Many must have broken, as only six had been recovered.
It was unlikely that another Outer Gate would open nearby, but one could never be certain. If the village had a smithy, he decided that he should purchase some spare arrows.
He then examined the Scroll in his hand.
He untied the string, unrolled the tightly wound paper, and tore it apart. A refreshing wave of mana enveloped his body.
The bloodstains on his clothes disappeared as though they had been washed away, leaving everything perfectly clean. No matter how many times he witnessed it, magic remained endlessly mysterious.
‘No wonder mages are treated so well.’
Ian opened the pouch. It contained sixteen Mana Stones, each smaller than a fingernail. Despite their size, dense mana was compressed within them.
He poured them into his palm and tossed them all into his mouth.
CRUNCH, CRUNCH.
He tried biting them, but they were as hard as stones. They had no taste either.
Since he only needed to swallow them, he gulped them down.
Before the Mana Stones could even pass through his esophagus and reach his stomach, the mana condensed inside them unraveled strand by strand and seeped into his body.
At the same time, the energy of Evilbane rose from his lower abdomen and spread throughout his entire body. A faint, lukewarm heat began to build.
It was a sensation that occurred whenever he consumed Mana Stones, and one he had not experienced in a long time.
‘Just as I thought.’
A trace of greed stirred within him. He was already growing remarkably quickly, but advancing even faster would be impossible without the aid of a Mana Vein or Mana Stones.
Neither, however, was easy to obtain. Most worthwhile Mana Veins had already been claimed by distinguished families such as House Berger.
High-grade Mana Stones were also available only in limited quantities, and even those that reached the market were absurdly expensive.
“…Hmm.”
That did not mean there was no other way.
Ian remembered a certain cache of unclaimed Mana Stones.
It was information he had gathered while working as a treasure hunter.
At this point in time, they should still be buried underground. He briefly considered going to retrieve them, but soon abandoned the thought.
‘There is no need to rush.’
It might have been different if his growth had stalled, but that was not the case. Besides, he planned to remain at the main family estate for some time.
He had little choice if he wished to learn Evilbane in earnest.
In his previous life, he had run away from home and never learned it properly. All he knew was a single cultivation method that served as the foundation and basis of Evilbane.
It had allowed him to wield the power of fire, but he had suffered greatly because he could not use any proper techniques.
At first, merely projecting flames outside his body had been difficult, and causing an explosion had been utterly impossible.
He had eventually grasped the necessary tricks and learned to perform a variety of feats, but even those had been severely lacking compared to the techniques of his family.
That was why he could not afford to waste this opportunity.
HURRAH!
“…?”
A thunderous cheer interrupted his thoughts. It seemed they had already arrived at the village.
Through the window, he soon saw people rejoicing. Their reaction was understandable. They had witnessed an Outer Gate open right before their eyes, yet no one had died.
Ian’s gaze met those of several villagers. The moment it did, they began shouting the name Berger at the tops of their lungs.
Listening to them was unbearably embarrassing.
Ian let out a quiet laugh and waited. The cheering soon subsided, and Mael appeared to be speaking with the village chief.
From what Ian overheard, the chief was expressing his gratitude, welcoming them, and telling them to ask for anything they needed.
The carriage, which had briefly stopped, moved again before coming to a halt in front of a building.
Judging by its appearance, it seemed to be both a restaurant and an inn. Mael opened the door, and Ian asked as he stepped down from the carriage.
“Is this the place?”
“Pardon?”
“The place with the good gratin?”
Mael suddenly burst into laughter, looking utterly delighted.
“That is correct! This is the place! Come, let us go inside first!”
“What about Marie?”
“She is leaving the carriage behind the building. She will join us immediately.”
When they opened the door and entered, a middle-aged couple was waiting with their young daughter. They immediately bowed in greeting.
“It is truly an honor to welcome our saviors! We have prepared a table for you.”
They spoke as though they had rehearsed the words after learning in advance that Ian’s group was coming.
They were guided to a round table covered with a clean cloth. Before Ian could even place an order, the couple spoke first.
“We will do our utmost to prepare our finest food!”
“Please make yourselves comfortable!”
With that, the couple entered the kitchen side by side. The sound of a knife striking a cutting board soon followed as they began preparing the ingredients.
Mael removed the helmet he had been wearing and beamed.
“I am looking forward to this.”
“Was it truly that good?”
“Not only the gratin. Their other dishes are also excellent. I do not say this to boast, but I have rather discerning tastes, and when it comes to food, I cannot conceal my true feelings.”
“You mean they show on your face?”
“That is correct.”
“In other words, you are honest. But is that not true of everyone?”
People frowned when they ate something unpleasant and smiled when they ate something delicious. It was only natural.
Mael nodded.
“It is true of everyone, but most people control their expressions according to the atmosphere and circumstances, do they not?”
“Because that is polite.”
“Of course, if someone else were treating me to a meal, I would also make an effort to do so. There would be no reason to offend someone who was showing me kindness. However, the situation is different when I am paying for the food myself. Am I not free to express my opinion like a true gourmet?”
“…And your point is?”
“I only recently finished my time as a trainee, so I have not visited many villages, but I have yet to find another place as delicious as this one! That is what I wished to say. It is far better than most restaurants in respectable cities.”
Marie arrived while Ian was listening to Mael’s pointless chatter. She removed her helmet and sat down.
“Has the food been ordered?”
“They said they would bring whatever they thought best.”
“…Hmm. Is that so? I wonder whether it will suit the Young Master’s tastes.”
The food arrived after a short wait. A rich, appetizing aroma spread throughout the room, and the portions were so generous that Ian could not help but be impressed.
Mael quietly pushed the gratin toward him, signaling for him to try it first.
Indulging him, Ian picked up a wooden spoon and took a bite.
It was pleasantly salty and rich. The texture was satisfying as well, and his hand naturally reached for another spoonful.
“It is delicious.”
When Ian gave his honest opinion, Mael grinned, while Marie calmly began eating.
The other dishes were excellent as well. The cooks appeared to have used spices generously, giving everything a remarkable depth of flavor.
There was only one problem: there was not enough food.
Ian was at an age when his appetite was especially strong, and both Mael and Marie were also capable of eating nearly as much as he could. It could not be helped.
Marie glanced at him.
Ian knew exactly what her gaze meant.
She wanted more. She wanted him to buy it for her.
Reading the situation, Ian was just about to reach inside his coat for some money when the closed door flew open and an unfamiliar man rushed inside.
“S-Sir Knight…!”