RMA 09

Chapter 9

#1

“Haaaah—!”

Lawrence gasped heavily.

It was only a short run around the small training yard, but sweat poured down his entire body like rain.

His muscles twitched, his joints creaked.

You’re not supposed to put a child’s body through this kind of abuse.

But I believe in the potential of the Eden family. It’s necessary for the subjugation battle.

Winter would soon arrive, and Lawrence would have to march beyond the territory.

That hadn’t happened in his previous life, but this time would be different.

He had already shown magic and beaten a noble child into a pulp.

Goldbane was connected to Medeia’s side, after all.

So of course they’d try to rope him into the expedition.

And in that harsh environment, they would find a way to get rid of Lawrence without staining their own hands with blood.

“That’s why—! I’ve got so much! To prepare for! Damn bastards!”

The first step was physical training.

Abuse, followed by transcendent recovery.

By repeating those two, the Sword Saint’s family built unshakable bodies, and later became one of the greatest houses in the world.

With such proven data, Lawrence gritted his teeth and endured the pain.

It felt as though dozens of grown men were piling onto his body—every muscle fiber straining under the weight.

Surviving that was the true beginning of training.

“Huff! Huff!”

The human body was a mystery.

As long as the damage wasn’t total failure, it endured, adapted, and grew.

The Eden family had mastered that principle with their unique swordsmanship, rising into a fearsome sword lineage.

But Lawrence was a magician without mana.

Once his artifacts ran out of charge, the only thing he could rely on was a hardened body.

So he deemed physical training essential.

When pain exceeded the limit, hormones that dulled it would kick in.

Soon enough, Lawrence was running without even a grimace on his face.

“Young master…”

Rachel clasped her hands, ready to dash forward at any moment to catch him if he collapsed.

Her young master had changed.

And it was her responsibility to care for him through that change.

Taking a deep breath, she called out to him as he ran.

Better to cheer him on than stand idle.

“Young master, hang in there! I’ll be rooting for you!”

“Haaah! Haaah!”

Lawrence waved with a smile.

Yes.

It was excruciating, but the path ahead felt clear.

There were people who supported him—so for their sake, he would grow stronger.

Even in a cramped warehouse, a monster could be born.

He donned the Chains of Mana and finished the first day of training.

The goal was adaptation, and with it, he had managed to walk and run during the regimen.

And one more thing—

[Dragon Body grows.]
[Hatchling: 10%]
[The number of implantable Artifacts has increased.]
[Current implantable Artifacts: 4]
[Implantable Circles: 2]

“Good.”

He could now implant another Artifact.

Lawrence, the human battery.

It felt like he had just gained another USB port.

“Well then, time to recover?”

“Young master, are you going out right away? In that condition?”

“I’ll stop by the temple.”

“Ah, understood. I’ll get ready too.”

Better to accompany him than let him go alone.

Rachel hurried inside to change, not forgetting self-defense gear and the family crest.

“These clothes Madam gave me…”

The outfit she wore whenever going out, to “look the part.”

They were bought by Anise, Lawrence’s mother, who had cared for her.

Rachel wore them only outside—noble clothes looked different enough from commoners’ that most instinctively avoided laying hands on the wearer.

Especially if it was a child or woman, since retaliation was feared.

Meanwhile, Lawrence swapped out his Artifact—removing the Chains of Mana and equipping a Manifestation Artifact.

If ambushed, at least he could respond.

“Young master, I’m ready.”

“Good, let’s go!”

Throwing on fresh clothes, Lawrence strode out of the annex.

He had to reach the temple before it closed for the night to restore his body.

So light. The contrast is incredible.

He’d need to memorize this sense of lightness.

In real battle, he’d be fighting with exactly this shift in sensations.

If you weren’t used to it, you’d slip up trying to use it.

Only relentless training and repetition could grant complete control over a strengthening body.

Lawrence already knew that—he had once been a master of 3D-pen crafting, after all.

Far ahead, the temple came into view.

#2

“My, what an honored guest we have.”

“Greetings, Sister.”

“You’ve worn down that little body terribly. Children shouldn’t push themselves like that. Eat plenty, rest well, and you’ll grow tall and strong.”

Temples of this world worshipped the goddess Seicria.

Her divine power was channeled into many forms of magic.

Lawrence paid the offering and entered the inner chambers for treatment.

“Please sit, young lord.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll begin the treatment.”

White light filled the air.

Joints ground from overuse returned to proper function, and torn muscle fibers knitted themselves back together.

Holy magic—basic [Healing].

The body, which had been screaming under pressure, gradually recovered.

At the same time, the negative energy Lawrence had stored was rapidly consumed.

Crack—!

Growth.

He could feel his body growing stronger in real time.

So this is what it feels like.

Negative energy, the Chains of Mana, and Eden’s training method—

Together, the perfect trio for building an indestructible body.

While his mind drifted, the nun finished treatment and sat across from him.

“All done, young lord. May the goddess’ blessing be with you…”

“Thank you.”

Rising, Lawrence stepped outside.

On his way back to the annex, he noticed children playing.

“Haha!”

They laughed brightly, while his own expression was stiff and cold.

Same age, but entirely different inside.

He compared himself—standing alone—to the boisterous children, and felt a faint twinge of envy.

That’s the happiest time of life.

Shaking his head at the thought, he was about to leave.

But then he caught sight of the words faintly inscribed on the object they were playing with.

[Extracted – Manifestation: Healing]

He froze, and without realizing it, muttered a phrase that would become common in the future among Seicria’s devotees—

“Seiya, my god…”

That meant he didn’t need to keep paying offerings.

Lawrence strode toward the children.

Their curious gazes quickly turned to fear.

“A noble…”

“H-hello?”

“Hey there. I’m Lawrence, of House Montemere.”

He smiled warmly.

Now then, let’s take a look at that antique.

His smile grew even brighter.

#3

“You really want to take these antiques?”

“Yes. Think of it as… a hobby.”

“Well, it’s fine with us, but…”

Lawrence offered a deal: he’d donate leftover supplies after extracting the curses.

He would take what he needed and leave the rest with the temple.

There were many children, and supplies were always scarce.

Small temples like this were always strapped, even in wealthy cities.

“I don’t know what you plan to do, but the temple has no reason to refuse. Very well. The goddess will surely be pleased.”

“Then I’ll bring them next time.”

“Here, the contract.”

Even a temple could not ignore material dealings.

Despite his Montemere name, procedure was followed strictly.

Lawrence signed with a smile.

“And in return, the children shall have better toys.”

“I never knew the young lord of Montemere was so considerate.”

What can I say? I’m only doing what benefits me.

Today, he left with the small sphere the children had been playing with.

Likely for ball games—but tougher than expected.

“Young master,” Rachel spoke.

“Mm?”

“Won’t the household find it odd if you keep requesting supplies?”

“You figured that much out?”

“…Yes. I’m not stupid, you know.”

She puffed out her cheeks.

Of course—he had been clearly sick, then perfectly fine. Only a fool would miss that.

His mother had chosen her as his maid for good reason.

Rachel was intelligent and quick-witted.

“What do you think? How can we keep extracting supplies without raising suspicion?”

“Hmm…”

She propped her chin, thinking.

Medeia was thorough.

If she suspected something, she would act immediately.

Even cut off the supply of basic goods.

Not that it matters much…

Cursed items could always be found.

But giving up steady, convenient supply wasn’t appealing.

Then Rachel spoke.

“Well, I was thinking of when you were sick before…”

“What about it?”

“What if you just pretended to be crazy?”

“…”

Sharp. Convincing.

Madness…

It might just work.

“Now that I think about it, that’s actually pretty good.”

“Right? I read it in a book—about taming a mad prince!”

“Alright, we’ll go with that. Whether they notice or not, it’s worth trying.”

“Yay! I always dreamed of doing secret spy work like this!”

Go ahead, dream all you want.

Lawrence chuckled as they returned to the annex.

Having Rachel there made life far less lonely.

Now, what day was it?

Heading toward the bathhouse, Lawrence checked the date.

The air was already turning chilly.

“In winter, the wolves run rampant.”

The subjugation battle.

Driving out those who threatened border territories and protecting imperial citizens—a sacred duty.

That year, yes, they had hunted wolves.

And a tragic event had occurred.

If I can prevent that, I’ll strengthen my position.

Earning followers wasn’t complicated.

You either gave them unforgettable inspiration—or left them in your debt.

Absolute trust was another method, but not easy for a child.

And most important of all—

Vision.

How clear, vast, and bright was the vision of the future?

That’s what drew people to join an organization.

In this subjugation battle, he would show his vision, so that later, when crisis came, he would have help.

Scratch, scratch—

Lawrence worked once more on crafting an Artifact.

The extracted holy magic made for powerful material.

[Artifact: Broken Reliquary]
[Manifestation: Healing]
[Uses: 30] [Cooldown: 30s] [Simultaneous Casts: 2]
[Implantation: Possible]

“Done.”

Crackle—!

All conditions for training were in place.

Lawrence was now both magician and knight—and one who could wield holy magic.

“See you in six months.”

Time passed quickly.

Rumors spread through the territory that a lunatic from Montemere lived in the annex.

Every day came the sound of things breaking, and a maid’s screams.

Soon, no one dared set foot near the place.

And thus, winter arrived.