MDRH 74

Chapter 74

The massive amount of mana was one thing, but amidst it, there was an odd aura.

At first, I hadn’t noticed it.

It was so faint, so thin, buried under the vast amount of mana, that detecting it wasn’t easy.

But the more time I spent with the child, the stronger that aura hidden within her mana became.

It wasn’t aura, nor was it divine power. Yet, it wasn’t anything negative either.

In all the long years I’d lived, I’d never once encountered such a thing.

It was like the kind of aura only an untouched, unknown forest could possess—where no human hand had ever reached.

There was a name for that…

I remembered reading about a similar aura in a book, long ago.

Yes.

“Those mages with strong affinity to nature became spiritists, serving as intermediaries between spirits and humans.”

That’s right. Such an aura used to be called Affinity with Nature.

But that was in a distant past.

Now that spirits had vanished from the world, it wasn’t a particularly useful power anymore.

In fact, it was closer to useless.

Arkel’s eyes lowered with regret as he spoke.

“Within your mana, I sense something beyond mana itself. It’s very pure—close to the very source of life.”

“Oh?” Lucillea’s eyes sparkled.

“The source of life? Then it must be really useful for growing herbs, right?!”

“……”

Arkel, momentarily at a loss for words at her question, eventually burst into laughter.

He realized then—his worry was nothing in the face of this child.

“Hahaha! You’re right. For cultivating herbs, nothing could be better!”

“See?! That’s actually great!”

Lucillea beamed with genuine joy.

“I haven’t even chosen my attribute yet, but at least I’ve got that! Lucky me!”

“What? You still haven’t chosen an attribute?”

At Arkel’s question, Lucillea, still mashing herbs, nodded.

“Yep! But it doesn’t matter anymore. I’m fine just like this.”

Arkel raised his brows.

“It doesn’t matter?”

Lucillea answered brightly.

“That’s what I said!”

In truth, she didn’t feel particularly drawn to any one attribute.

They all had their own unique sensations, and she liked all of them.

“Besides, why should I force myself to pick one? It’s not like I’m aiming to become the continent’s strongest mage or anything.”

“……”

So, Lucillea decided not to stress about attributes.

Arkel sat down beside her and asked quietly,

“Do you know why one chooses an attribute?”

“Yes, my teacher told me.”

The reason for choosing a single attribute was efficiency and safety.

The human body was like a vessel for containing powers like mana or aura.

But the size of that vessel varied from person to person, and so did the total amount it could hold.

So rather than clumsily handling many attributes, focusing on one allowed for far greater strength.

“Even more important than efficiency is stability. Every force in this world is in opposition, locked in destructive relationships.”

As Lucillea looked at him, Arkel extended his palm toward her.

Above his hand, four flames of different attributes appeared. They spun around, unable to merge, maintaining a distance from each other.

Then, suddenly, they grew and shrank, unstable, before trying to consume each other.

And then—BOOM!

The flames exploded above his palm.

“……”

Lucillea’s face went pale at the sight.

Arkel chuckled.

“Imagine something like that happening inside your body.”

Though his tone remained calm and steady, Lucillea could only swallow hard.

The scene before her was far more terrifying and intuitive than Noah’s explanations.

What the…

So aside from Serdian’s blade, now there was also the risk of exploding to death from mana?!

Lucillea was speechless. That explosion could very well be her future.

Not just the “beheaded by Serdian” ending, but now also the “boom” ending had been added.

Her lips trembled as she asked,

“Then… does that mean I have to choose an attribute?”

By any means necessary?

But Arkel gave an unexpected answer.

“Not necessarily.”

“Huh?”

Stroking his beard slowly, his eyes distant as though recalling an ancient memory, he continued.

“I never saw it myself, but there once was a mage who handled all four attributes without being destroyed.”

“R-Really?!”

“Yes.”

Lucillea’s face lit up, but Arkel added with a laugh,

“Just one.”

“…One person?”

“That’s right. Most of the records were censored or lost, and history remembers that person as a ‘calamity.’”

“……”

Arkel’s eyes twinkled mischievously.

“Well? Would you like to give it a try too?”

“……”

“With your capacity, you just might succeed. Who knows? Maybe you really could become the continent’s strongest mage.”

Lucillea shouted, face turning red,

“I told you I don’t want to be the continent’s strongest mage!!”

No way! Absolutely not!

“Besides, you said there was only one! Which means everyone else died!”

And a calamity?! No thanks!!

“Exactly. So wouldn’t it be better to pick an attribute?”

“Yes! I’ll pick one! I will pick one, for sure!”

“Hahaha!” Amused by her childish reaction, Arkel roared with laughter.

Wiping tears from the corners of his wrinkled eyes, he soothed her.

“Alright, alright, you’ll choose one. But since that’s not something you can do right away, how about we head to the market today? I’ll buy you a tasty lunch, and show you which herbs are the rare ones.”

“……”

So this is what they mean by “giving the disease and the cure.”

He teased me all he wanted, and now he’s offering something nice.

Still grumbling, Lucillea crept up and tugged lightly at his robe’s sleeve.

“Let’s go.”

Looking down at the small weight tugging his sleeve, Arkel’s eyes crinkled with a smile.

“Very well.”

**

That evening.

After returning from the market with Arkel, Lucillea felt unusually exhausted.

She sat down on the sofa to rest a moment before dinner, but soon dozed off—falling into a very strange dream.

Before her appeared that suspicious wooden door she had once glimpsed in the library.

The very same door that had vanished after she’d only briefly seen it—it was now quietly standing there.

At the end of the library, past towering bookshelves like tree trunks, filling an entire wall.

What the… Why is this door here again…?

Lucillea didn’t realize she was dreaming.

It all felt far too real.

The smell of old sap seeping from the wood, the vividly clear rings etched into its grain—it all felt tangible.

Even when she placed her hand on the wooden door, she thought she felt its warmth.

Then, suddenly, the usually calm necklace began to hum—WUUUUNG—!

At the same time—CREAAAAK—.

The wooden door opened.

Huh?!

[Lu, Lucy! The door opened!!]

Cookie, on her shoulder, leapt up in shock before landing again.

Lucillea froze in place, hand still outstretched.

Wh-Why is it opening?!

Back when she first found it, no amount of pushing, pulling, or shaking had made it budge.

As she stood there wide-eyed, the door opened wider.

A burst of brilliant light poured out first, followed by a rush of wind.

WHOOSH—!

The dazzling brightness stung her eyes, and she raised her arm to shield her face.

Then, after a moment—

The familiar library air shifted into the scent of a strange forest.

Only then did Lucillea lower her arm.

“Huh…?”