Chapter 56

“Maxwell is?”

“Talented. He has good acquisition and application skills, and when he’s taught one thing, he learns even more than that.”

I let out a sigh of relief at the positive answer that wasn’t all that different from what I had already expected.

The novel did say that he was a ‘misfortune’s prodigy’, but, again, I couldn’t help but wonder if that was true.

“Right, that’s good to hear.”

“To be honest, I had certain doubts about… how Maxwell could possibly be raised to that position. That’s why I was at first against the idea of the Madam cooperating with you, Princess.”

“Why? Were you scared that I’d rely too much on her?”

“Yes, you’re right.”

At the straightforward answer, a small exclamation was let out.

Well, if I was Logan, I’d be worried about the same thing, too.

Madam Blanca was the leader of an entire guild.

And it was a fairly large guild.

If such a person was too preoccupied with just one request, problems would definitely arise.

And it was an absurd, improbable request to boot.

A large-scale, futile request would only tarnish and leave a flaw to their reputation.

There’s no such secret that would stay a secret forever, and the bigger the secret was, the bigger the possibility of it leaking out as well.

Even if the secret was kept within the guild, there’s no stopping the other party from talking.

In addition, if even from the beginning it already sounded impossible to do, then it was likely that the client would rely on Madam Blanca more and more.

Blanca’s hand in this matter would be all the more heavy since it would be like she’s making something out of nothing.

Logan was perhaps concerned about that.

Any person who had their wits about them wouldn’t want to be saddled with something that wouldn’t bear fruit.

“How is it now? This means you’ve changed your mind a little since then, right?”

Logan nodded.

“Yes, I thought it was simply impossible, but now, I don’t think so anymore. With the current pace of his growth, it will be possible to aim for the top. It’s just that…”

“Not enough material to work with, huh?”

There. At my response, Logan was momentarily surprised.

There was a smile on his lips that seemed to say, how do you know the answer?

‘Right, it’s only natural for you to be surprised.’

The only people who could feel a mage’s flow of mana was another fellow mage.

People who didn’t have mana, like me, wouldn’t even be able to sense the presence or absence of another person’s mana.

Well, while I’m just using the power of a completely different worldview, it was an exception to what was ‘predetermined’, so it was of course surprising for anyone who didn’t know this to see.

Still though, I wasn’t going to explain that, so I just shrugged as if I knew nothing.

Whether or not Logan had any intention to pry into the matter, he soon erased the doubts that had formed in his gaze.

“Yes, there’s not enough. No matter how many dishes you know how to cook, if there’s not enough ingredients, there will naturally be limitations.”

I tapped the cup in my hand with a fingernail.

Inside the stagnant cup, waves of circles moved within.

‘Not enough ingredients…’

Of course, there was a solution to this. Didn’t I already do it before?

To open up his pathways and then make his mana flow.

Even so, it was a cause for concern whether Cassion’s body would be able to withstand a sudden influx of mana.

Last time—that is, the day I saved Cassion—was when I first opened up one of his blocked pathways.

Just from that, Cassion was left gasping and suffering terribly already, wasn’t he?

And I could still see the image of him being in pain.

Closing my eyes, I recalled how Cassion was back then.

Beyond the darkened field of vision, I could hear footsteps.

It was the sound of Cassion and Diana’s sparring.

The lighter steps were Diana’s, and the heavier steps were Cassion’s.

A step to the ground, a turn, a short dash, lowering the stance, twisting away.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

His lithe movement and light breathing were telling of his physical condition.

As if to say, I’m extremely healthy.

‘He did say he’s fully recovered.’

His wounds had all been healed a long time ago.

After all, it’s been about a month since Cassion entered this household, so that was only natural.

His body was in good condition, his physical strength had improved a lot, and he also gained some muscle.

Besides that, the mana that’s flowing in him now was stable.

‘Right about now… I think it’s a good time to try once more.’

Some time or another, all his pathways would be unblocked. If he manages to gain power enough to support it, wouldn’t his colossal talent be able to shine through?

Even if there was little risk in the process.

I opened my eyes.

As the world around me came into view once more, I heard powerful steps.

Listening to that sound, I answered.

“If it’s like that, then I’ll try to figure it out.”

His eyes had turned away from me for a moment, but he looked back at me again.

“Are you talking about the mana amount problem?”

“Yeah.”

“But the amount of mana a person has is innate. If you must, the way to increase it is… forbidden ancient ma…gic…”

He was speaking seriously until now, but he slowly trailed off.

The strange doubts about me gradually arose in the gaze that was directed at me.

“I don’t use forbidden magic.”

“Ah, yes. If that’s how it is, well. I guess there’s another method that I don’t know about. I’ll trust you and leave it to you.”

Trust and leave it to me, huh.

Truthfully, the person who he should trust with this wasn’t me.

It’s Cassion.

“Right, me too… I’m going to trust that guy over there,” I replied.

Trust Cassion to please, come through.

Instead of answering, Logan instead shook his head and poured cold tea into my empty cup.

Trickle.

A fragrant scent came up as the cup was filled with tea.

“Ah, I have something for you.”

As that fragrance pervaded the air, as Logan recalled something, he rummaged through his coat pocket.

Soon enough, what emerged from his long white doctor’s coat was a document.

He smoothed out the creases and then held it out to me.

“It’s the result of what you asked to be investigated the other day, Princess.”

“The other day…? Ah.”

Now that he mentioned it, I remembered. Of course, it was none other than the amazing report that Diana, who was in the dark guild, had procured.

I had a rough idea of what lay ahead, but detailed information was still needed.

That way, it’ll be cleaned up properly.

“Are you going to take care of it yourself? There’s no need for you to do that—please just leave it to us to clean it up nicely.”

“No.”

Despite the kind offer, I answered firmly.

Of course, the method Logan proposed just now was the more convenient option.

In a way, it was also the more efficient option.

However.

“Why, you know what they say. The best form of revenge is forgiveness.”

“…Yes.”

At the answer that seemed thoughtful, the corners of my lips were tugged up. Then, after cradling my chin with one hand that’s propped on the table, I leaned forward a little.

I could see his face approaching closer as well. His smooth glasses, which fit his personality, glinted.

“I don’t believe that. If it’s up to me, I’ll retaliate with my own two hands just as much—no, even more to the point that I’ll gain profit.”

When I whispered, a faint hint of curiosity was ignited in the eyes of the man who didn’t move.

As expected, he resembled his master exactly.

“Then, will you be allowing that woman to exact revenge personally?”

“Of course I will. And, the other thing is…”

There, right there.

Let’s give that inexperienced man some real, hands-on experience.

With my chin still resting on my hand, I turned my head and looked at Cassion.

My eyes met with the gaze of his black irises as he was looking this way.

As if he was a child caught doing something naughty, Cassion’s shoulders flinched.

I picked up the folding fan on the table and threw it at him.

His eyes grew wide open as his gaze turned here.

Then, at the same time,

Clash!

With the ringing sound of metal and wood colliding, the two objects met in the air near Cassion’s face then fell to the floor.

“What are you doing? You can’t look away!”

Then came Diana, who scolded him sharply.

His expression became grim.

“Ah…”

Only then did Cassion’s gaze, as he was looking this way, return to where it should be looking.

Towards Diana, whose anger was stoked like fire, and the two objects that fell to the floor.

One of the two objects that flew at him was my fan, and the other one was the wooden dagger that had been so close to reaching the area between his eyes.

“Be careful now. Don’t get hurt.”

Sure enough, I gave him advice and the dark gaze headed this way again.

Cassion glanced at Logan and me, then nodded before he picked up the fan.

And he strode this way with the fan in hand.

He didn’t have to bring it back to me though.

While surprised, his face felt strangely stiff.

* * *

Cassion’s subtly hardened expression was from ‘surprise’, just as Rosetta had guessed.

However, the core of it was slightly different from what Rosetta had surmised.

That is, the ‘reason for his surprise’ was different.

Ta-dak, ta-dak, ta-dak.

His steps were heavy.

Cassion was confused because of an unfamiliar emotion within him. His heart was pounding, the back of his neck felt hot.

It annoyed him to see that pair staying together, a man and a woman.

For some reason, he didn’t like it.

No, actually, that wasn’t exactly it. Just the fact that a man and a woman were sitting together wasn’t what set him off.

In fact, he had often seen such a pair many times before, but he had never felt this way back then.

So, what was it that’s bothering him.

What was he dissatisfied with.

Ah, right.

It was when Rosetta propped her hand upon the table, rested her chin there and the distance between them inched closer.

That was the problem.

When he saw the two people facing together so closely in his periphery,

Then, he got distracted.

Then, he began to feel strange.

The distance between their faces were so close that it’s likely that they could see each other’s features with such detail.

In the end, if that man were to notice just how beautiful and lustrous her golden eyes were… If he would…

Thud. His steps came to a halt.

Clatter. The fan he was carrying had fallen to the floor.

“Maxwell?”

When Rosetta called out to him, Cassion blinked in a daze. He leaned over to pick up the fallen fan.

However, it wasn’t easy to raise his head once more because the back of his neck was extremely hot.

‘Why.’

Exactly. Why the hell.

Just what was this strange emotion.

Why on earth did he have such a strange though.

Truly, it was a complete mystery to him.