Chapter 30
When I raised my hand, the adorable little owl that naturally settled on my wrist was my master’s spirit familiar.
“Long time no see, Snowy. Have you been well?”
“Hoo, hoo.”
“If I’d known you were coming, I would’ve prepared some snacks in advance.”
I was gently stroking the tip of Snowy’s beak as it acted cute toward me when its jet-black eyes suddenly turned golden.
—Cecil. It’s been a while.
The voice that flowed from the tip of Snowy’s firm beak was no longer an owl’s hoot, but the mature voice of a seasoned woman.
I beamed.
“It’s been a long time, Master! Have you been well?”
—Well, of course. And you? I hear you’ve had some surprising news.
“Surprising news?”
I tilted my head, unsure what she meant. A faint sound escaped from between the owl’s beak—half hoot, half laughter.
—Your engagement. Should I be congratulating you, or offering my condolences?
“Ah! That. Congratulations will do—for now.”
—I see. Congratulations, then. It seems you like your fiancé. For now.
“Yes. For now.”
As I giggled, Snowy spread its wings wide toward me. I ducked my head beneath them, and Snowy—no, my master—gently stroked my hair.
—Let’s discuss the details face to face. Come inside quickly.
“Yes!”
Snowy’s eyes returned to black, a sign that my master’s consciousness had withdrawn. The owl immediately soared into the sky and slipped through the curtain-fluttering window as if urging me to follow.
Judging by the location, it was the drawing room. Mother and Master must be there.
I hurried inside.
“I’m back!”
“Welcome home, Cecil. Did you enjoy your outing?” Mother asked.
“Yes! I had this sudden urge to buy lots of souvenirs—I must’ve subconsciously known Master was coming today.”
After kissing Mother on the cheek, I ran to Master and threw myself into her arms.
Her hair, tied high, was pure white—proof of her age—but her radiant golden eyes and smooth skin made it impossible to guess how old she truly was.
My master, Melania—the mistress of the Frost Tower—replied by gently stroking my head.
“You’re probably the only person who would gift a sacred hawk to a mage.”
“Well, sacred hawks are already filled with divine power, so they’re useless for magical research! But they’re pretty, aren’t they?”
I eagerly unpacked each souvenir the footmen had brought into the drawing room, explaining in detail how lovely they were. In the meantime, a maid added a serving of refreshments for me, and I crumbled a cookie to feed Snowy.
“And this one—”
“That’s enough, enough. I was willing to listen politely, but there’s no end to it. Did you empty out the entire shop?”
“Not all of it. …Just slightly less than half?”
I was aware I’d made a few impulse purchases, so I smiled cutely in hopes of smoothing things over. Master and Mother both shook their heads at the same time, as if to say I was hopeless.
“Enough of that. Let’s get to the main point.”
Setting down the sacred hawk ornament she had been holding, Master looked at me seriously.
“Is it true your mana has returned?”
That was the real reason she had suddenly visited our home. I had written to her saying I thought my mana had come back.
She immediately replied that she would come at once. That had been three days ago.
“I’m not entirely sure. A magic tool that had completely run out of mana did activate in my hands, but…”
The activation time had been extremely short—about thirty minutes at most.
“After that, it wouldn’t work again. If I had to describe it, it felt like I only had the amount of mana contained in a single low-grade mana stone.”
“A low-grade mana stone… I understand the quantity. Hold out your hand.”
I extended my hand, and Master clasped it gently before closing her eyes.
“My mana will enter you. Relax.”
“Yes.”
I loosened my body and took slow breaths. From our joined hands, a cool energy began to flow in.
It felt like breathing in the crisp air of early dawn—a refreshing chill that drifted along the surface of my entire body.
The sensation felt so pleasant that I found myself inhaling and exhaling deeply several times. Before I knew it, Master’s mana had completed its circulation and slipped back out through my fingertips.
“That’s enough. You may open your eyes.”
The moment her mana fully withdrew, I felt an immeasurable emptiness.
It had been ten years since I lost my mana vessel, so I was used to the hollow space within me. But whenever outside mana entered and then left like this, the gaping void became painfully real again.
Mother, who knew me well, sat beside me and gently rubbed my back.
“Lady Melania. How is it?”
“For now… Cecil’s mana vessel has not recovered.”
My shoulders slumped.
Of course not. A shattered mana vessel couldn’t simply restore itself…
“However.”
…However?
Hope flickered in my eyes as I looked at her.
Master closed her eyes and stroked her chin thoughtfully, as if reviewing what she had sensed within me. After a moment, she opened her eyes.
“There are traces of mana having lingered in your body.”
“Really? So it wasn’t my imagination after all?”
“That’s right. But your mana vessel hasn’t recovered. The mana flowed in from elsewhere. Since you have no vessel to contain it, it quickly leaked out.”
“Ah! I think I understand.”
In other words, my body was like a bucket with a hole in the bottom.
But even a leaky bucket was still a bucket, wasn’t it?
“Still, that means mana can remain in my body, even if only briefly. That means I can use magic during that time.”
“Correct.”
Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!
A person who loses their mana vessel can no longer truly be called a mage.
Yet I had continued studying magical knowledge and crafting magic tools. Partly because I enjoyed making them—but mostly because I still hadn’t let go of magic.
The thought that I might be able to become a mage again made my heart swell uncontrollably.
“Master, then if you would just share a little of your mana with me—”
“Our mana attributes differ. You cannot use mine. I told you that before.”
Ah. Right. That’s true.
The balloon of hope inside my chest deflated with a soft hiss. Seeing my slumped shoulders, Master asked,
“So then—what happened on the day you gained mana?”
“What happened?”
The day I regained mana, what I did was…
‘I made a drone-type magic tool and spied on Lionel.’
Even if it was my master—no, especially since Mother was listening too—I absolutely could not say that.
‘Come to think of it, I’ve been wondering why the bluebird magic tool activated on its own and used a spell I’d never even inscribed into its circuits…’
To seek her advice, I would have to confess everything I’d done.
…
…
…
Nope! Can’t confess!
“Well, um… I went to the Imperial Palace.”
“And what did you do there?”
“Nothing much. I had a conversation with my fiancé, His Highness the Second Prince… and that was about it.”
I stroked Snowy’s feathers as it flew to my side and cautiously glanced at both Master and Mother.
“Be more specific. Did you meet anyone new? Touch any unfamiliar objects?”
“I’m not sure. I wasn’t paying attention to things like that.”
“So nothing particularly memorable?”
What stood out most was the conversation I had with Lionel about the bluebird…
But Lionel wasn’t someone new. So I probably didn’t need to mention that.
“No. I’m not sure.”
“Hm… It seems there’s no obvious clue.”
Master sighed, saying there wasn’t much we could do for now.
“Somewhere within the Imperial Palace, there must be a person or an object that shares your mana attribute… something that lent you mana.”
“Then if I keep that person or object near me, does that mean I can continue receiving mana?”
“I cannot say for certain yet. For now, if mana flows into you again, make sure to record exactly what you touched, whom you met, and where you went. You understand?”
“Yes, Master!”
My heart felt like it would burst.
I didn’t know exactly who—or what—had shared their mana with me.
But if I could just secure that source—
I could become a mage again.