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Chapter 23
The garden behind the Marves Viscount’s residence was so small it looked unimpressive compared to the one at the Graham Ducal Estate.
Even back when I had been staying at the Graham estate, gardeners had been regularly sent to maintain this place, but the difference in scale was undeniable. No matter how much effort went into decorating it, the comparison was inevitable.
“It’s smaller than you expected, isn’t it?”
Surely the Mage Tower had a garden just as magnificent as the Graham estate’s. Feeling a bit embarrassed, I gave an awkward smile.
“For learning magic, this amount of space is more than sufficient.”
Master Cesare, who had been scanning the garden with an indifferent gaze, shrugged lightly.
“Then let’s begin right away. Would you turn around?”
“Yes.”
As instructed, I turned my body, and he stepped closer behind me.
“I’ll guide your mana at first. Would you close your eyes?”
I did as he said. I could feel Master Cesare’s hand touch my back.
The only thing I could feel was his hand, so I wondered what exactly I was supposed to sense—until suddenly, an indescribable and strange energy began to flow from his hand and spread through my body.
“Don’t be startled. Just stay still. Otherwise, it’ll only become more difficult.”
As I flinched and tried to move away, Master Cesare added that warning. I stopped myself mid-step, suppressing my fear.
Fortunately, the energy flowing from him was warm and gentle, making it bearable.
“This is my mana. Since it’s probably your first time accepting someone else’s mana, it may feel unpleasant or uncomfortable… How is it?”
“…It feels soft and warm.”
“That’s a relief. It would have been troublesome if it felt unpleasant. Now, I’ll start moving it, so remember the flow carefully.”
His warm, calm mana lightly swept through my body before forming a small circle near my heart.
“Hmm, your mana is flowing rather erratically. Usually, when guided like this, it tends to follow along to some extent… This may be what you mentioned in your letter. I’ll repeat it a few times, so memorize it well.”
It seemed that the routine was for the mana to circulate once through the body and then gather into a sphere near the heart. Master Cesare repeated the same process several times, imprinting the pathway into me.
“Have you memorized it?”
“I have, but I feel like I’ll forget it quickly.”
At my uncertain reply, he nodded as if it were only natural.
“That’s to be expected. For now, the trace of foreign energy passing through your body makes it feel vivid, but as time passes, you’ll forget it again. To account for that, I’ll guide the pathway at the start of each lesson, so there’s no need to worry. Now, let’s move on to the next step.”
At the mention of the next step, I turned to face him.
“Mana doesn’t exist only inside the body—it exists everywhere, like air. You must learn to sense it.”
“How can I do that?”
“You need to find something similar to the mana I just infused into you. For a while, I’ll move the surrounding mana, so try to feel it as much as possible. After that, it should become clearer.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the air around me grew heavy. Startled, I opened my eyes wide, and Master Cesare let out a small chuckle.
“Now, close your eyes and concentrate as much as possible. Try to sense the mana flowing around you as delicately as you can.”
Following his instructions, I focused with all my effort.
The air around me did feel heavy, but to me, it was nothing more than dense air. I couldn’t grasp how to sense the mana within it.
It was after prolonged, intense concentration.
“I’ll wrap it up soon.”
The heavy air surrounding me suddenly became light again. At the same time, I felt Master Cesare’s hand rest on my shoulder.
Only then did I open my eyes and lift my head. The sky had already turned red with the setting sun.
“Time passed faster than you expected, didn’t it?”
“Yes. I thought it had only been an hour or two, but it’s already evening.”
I answered with an awkward smile. I felt guilty for having taken up so much of his time.
He had kindly agreed to teach me magic without asking for anything in return, yet I hadn’t even noticed how much time had passed.
“I’m really sorry. You must have set aside time for me, but I ended up keeping you for so long.”
“Not at all. It’s common for beginners to lose track of time like this. I had already anticipated it would take about this long. If I had other obligations, I would have ended the lesson earlier.”
After finishing his sentence, Master Cesare suddenly shifted his gaze toward the boundary of the estate.
“By the way… it seems there’s an uninvited guest who has more free time than I do.”
His voice was laced with amusement.
“An uninvited guest?”
If someone had arrived, the servants should have informed me, yet I hadn’t heard anything—even considering I was in a lesson.
Confused, I looked at Rivet, who was waiting nearby, but she only shrugged, equally puzzled.
Master Cesare smiled faintly at our reactions.
“What I meant is that it might be wise to reinforce the boundary of the garden. For example… over there.”
He pointed toward the fence marking the edge of the garden. Compared to other areas, the trees there were sparse, making it easier to see outside.
Even so, the fence itself looked sturdy, with no visible need for repair.
That only made his words more puzzling.
“I’ll take my leave now. I’ll return tomorrow at the same time. In the meantime, Viscount, you should continue trying to learn how to sense mana.”
“Yes, I will. Master Cesare, thank you so much for coming all the way here to help me. I don’t know how I can repay you.”
“As I mentioned before, serving me good tea will suffice.”
He repeated it as if he truly meant it, then gathered his coat.
“There’s no need to see me off. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
With that, Master Cesare left the garden. I had intended to escort him, but he disappeared too quickly for me to do so.
Only after he was completely out of sight did I bend my knees and sit down, collapsing onto the ground.
“Milady!”
Rivet rushed over and began pulling out a handkerchief. I raised a hand to stop her.
“Let me stay like this for a moment. I’m just really tired.”
“But the ground is cold—it’s not good for your health. Wouldn’t it be better to go inside and rest?”
“…Alright.”
Grateful for her concern, I accepted her help and stood up.
“Milady!”
The moment I rose, dizziness struck me, and my legs gave out. I staggered, but thankfully Rivet caught me before I could fall.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes. Thank you, Rivet. Let’s go inside. I’m so tired I can barely move.”
“Yes, I’ll support you.”
Leaning on her, I slowly made my way inside. At first, my legs were too weak to walk properly, but after a few steps, I managed to steady myself.
With Rivet’s help, I reached my bedroom and lay down on the bed.
Fatigue crashed over me like a wave, but at Rivet’s insistence that I needed to eat for my health, I forced myself to have a light dinner of stew and salad.
Only after finishing the meal did I quietly reflect on the day.
The strange, foreign sensation of mana that had freely moved within my body still lingered vividly in my memory.
If I could eventually sense mana… would there come a day when I could calm and control the wild mana inside me myself?
For now, it was a doubtful thought.
Even after Master Cesare had increased the density of mana around me all day, I hadn’t been able to feel anything. I couldn’t help but question whether I could ever reach that point.
Then suddenly, I recalled the meaningful words he had said before leaving.
He had clearly mentioned an “uninvited guest.” Yet no one had entered the estate, and the fence he pointed out seemed perfectly intact.
Did that mean someone had been there?
“…Who?”
A face suddenly came to mind—Ains.
If he had come all the way here himself, it must have been for a reason. He wouldn’t visit me without one. Perhaps he had come to question me further about what we discussed yesterday.
But I soon shook my head, dismissing the thought.
If that were truly the case, he would have come formally.
