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chapter 24
The first impression of the Duke Venbolio’s mansion was surprisingly neat.
It wasn’t plain, but it lacked any excessive decoration. It maintained dignity without flaunting the family’s influence.
I couldn’t help but think of Mor, who always had his robe fluttering. Now that I thought about it, Mor also didn’t wear any accessories except for a single earring that looked like a magical artifact.
The atmosphere of the mansion closely resembled its owner.
Mor was standing right at the mansion’s main gate. He had come to greet us just as we arrived.
He extended his hand and personally helped me down from the carriage. As expected, he didn’t miss his usual buttered-up lines.
“Miss Asha, have you been well under the protection of the White Dragon? You are, as always, beautiful today.”
“Yes. Master, you’ve also been well under the grace of the White Dragon.”
From today onward, we would have a master-disciple relationship, so I called Mor “Master.”
Mor naturally lifted my hand, which I had offered, to his lips and pressed a kiss on the back of it.
I felt that this greeting was a bit excessive for a first meeting, so I looked at him with a questioning expression. But there was nothing readable in his crimson eyes.
‘Was that a formal greeting… or a gesture from fondness?’
Just then, Q hurriedly got off the carriage and quickly bowed his head.
“Master, I am honored to meet you under the grace of the White Tiger! Thank you for accepting me as your disciple!”
Q’s excitement made his voice even louder.
Mor became unusually serious as he faced Q, embodying the stern demeanor of a master.
“Thank Miss Asha for that. I only agreed to your request. Remember, if you don’t work hard, I will revoke your disciple status.”
“Yes! I will work hard!”
Q responded loudly and bowed at a 90-degree angle.
However, though Mor’s voice was stern, his eyes still carried mischief. Q was so tense that he didn’t notice at all.
“Now, let’s go directly to my personal training room.”
Mor continued to speak politely to me, while using a more casual tone with Q.
Was he already showing favoritism among his disciples?
Q seemed to accept Mor’s unequal treatment naturally.
Following the stairs inside the mansion for a while, we reached a steel door.
When Mor opened it, I couldn’t help but gasp. I hadn’t expected such a vast space in the mansion’s basement.
The walls on all four sides were completely lined with books, resembling a library.
Mor led us to the center of the training room.
“There isn’t much time, so let’s start the lesson immediately. First, we’ll conduct a mana test. I need to accurately assess both of your abilities.”
Mor tapped the floor with his staff, and a white crystal orb appeared in front of us.
I widened my eyes at the unfamiliar object. The transparent orb was so clear that you could see straight through it, and it was larger than the combined heads of Mor and Q.
Q whispered to me from the side.
“Miss, that’s a mana gauge. It changes color depending on the amount of mana. I’ve tried it before.”
“So, what color did it turn?”
Before I could finish asking, Mor called Q. Q, still nervous, approached the orb and placed his hand on it.
The clear orb shimmered with a rainbow of light, then shifted to a deep purple.
Q looked somewhat sullen.
Mor silently stroked his chin and spoke to console him.
“Having innate mana between 6th and 7th grade and being able to perform magic visible even in the southern slums means you’re quite a diligent student. I like students who work hard.”
Q’s expression brightened slightly at Mor’s words.
I tilted my head subtly, observing the situation, and Mor then gestured for me to come forward.
I stood before the orb, placing both hands on it.
At first, there was no reaction from the now transparent orb.
Mor suddenly came close behind me, and I could feel his breath at the back of my neck. His unexpected proximity made it harder to concentrate.
“Excuse me, Miss Asha.”
Mor placed his large hand over the top of my head.
“You need to focus your mana here for the orb to respond. Imagine channeling your mana into it, trusting yourself completely.”
I tried to follow his instructions. But how was I supposed to know where my mana was and send it there?
“Miss Asha, discard all doubts and trust yourself absolutely.”
It seemed Mor could read my thoughts.
I cleared my mind and tried again. Rainbow light began to flow from the orb.
As I waited, the light unified into a single color.
However, Mor and Q both had strange expressions. After seeing the orb’s color, I understood why.
The light in the orb was a dull gray, like smoke rising from burning charcoal.
After a long silence, Mor spoke with a composed expression.
“Why does your mana carry the aura of a demon, Miss Asha?”
The playful glint in his eyes had completely vanished. I hadn’t realized crimson eyes could look this cold.
‘Well, I’ve met a demon, participated in the demon’s game, and possess a demon’s mana field…’
I rattled off the possible reasons in my head, but my mouth remained closed. I had never imagined that my mana could give off demonic energy.
I quickly muttered, hoping to avoid misunderstanding.
“I’ve met demons before. Could that be why? Does my mana feel demonic?”
“Yes. Mana is graded by seven rainbow colors. Red is the highest, and purple is the lowest.”
“So that’s why Q’s deep purple was classified between 6th and 7th grade.”
“Yes. Correct. However, there are colors that don’t fit into standard grades. Let me show you mine.”
Mor placed his hand on the orb. Rainbow light flowed through his long, bony fingers and soon unified into a pale pink, close to white.
“The power of the White Dragon, pure mana, emits light close to white.”
I noticed vigilance in his eyes as he explained.
“My innate mana is high, so the red appears closer to white, showing this pinkish hue.”
Mor removed his hand and guided mine onto the orb. Even without much focus on my part, the color shifted easily.
“On the other hand, the power of a demon is black. This grayish color, a mix of the White Dragon and demon’s power, is the first time I’ve seen it.”
I stared blankly at the murky gray orb. I couldn’t reveal that I was playing the demon’s game—it would be a violation of the rules.
How should I explain this? My mind went blank.
“I occasionally encounter demons,” I blurted out in panic.
The atmosphere grew tense. Q fidgeted nervously while Mor raised an eyebrow, silently urging me to explain further.
The playful boyish side of Mor was gone. His usual buttered-up lines were nowhere to be heard. I sighed.
“I cannot explain further, so I hope you won’t ask more.”
It was a weak answer, but my mind had gone blank, so it was the best I could do.
“How can I be certain that you are not acting as a demon’s servant, Miss Asha?”
“Have you ever seen a human acting as a demon’s servant?”
I countered. Mor, the skilled debater, responded immediately.
“I have never seen mana of a gray shade like yours, Miss Asha. But it exists right before my eyes. I always keep possibilities open.”
He sounded as if he was making a very rational assessment. Q looked anxiously between us.
I sighed. Mor clearly expected an explanation from me, and there was no easy escape. I didn’t think I could win an argument against this master of logic…
“I never act on the side of demons. I can stake my family’s honor on that.”
I deliberately met his eyes, letting him know I was not hiding anything.
“If I were a demon’s servant, why would I have fought the incubi in the slums?”
“…….”
After a long pause, Mor’s sharp gaze softened, and he returned to his playful, mischievous expression.
The sudden shift in attitude felt almost jarring. My sincerity likely hadn’t influenced him at all. Regardless of how I felt, Mor maintained his lighter demeanor.
“Now that I think about it, that makes sense. Perhaps Miss Asha is just an exceptional individual. Let’s leave this matter for now.”
Mor’s tone was gentle again, but his gaze remained sharp, as if he planned to examine me carefully, layer by layer.
I did not avert my gaze. Compared to the icy blue eyes of the emperor, Mor’s crimson eyes felt warm enough to endure.
“Now that I’ve assessed my disciples’ abilities, we can begin formal training.”
Mor was clearly keeping an eye on me. For the first time, I realized his playful smile was just a mask. My true situation remained unresolved.
Yet, I felt relief that he was willing to let it slide for now.
For a while, I had to practice concentrating mana at my fingertips. Q, already adept at casting spells, didn’t need to learn new ones from Mor.
Occasional screams and crashes could be heard from Q, but the training hall was so vast that I couldn’t see them.
In a quiet corner of the enormous training hall, I focused on my own task. I needed to master this to help the people of the southern slums.
This was a priority, so I trained this before learning the basics of other magic.
I silently hoped for success, biting my lips as I recalled the suffering of the southern slum people at the hands of the incubi.
