“Who taught you how to draw out your mana?”
At Elvadin’s question, Lucillea couldn't hide her excitement. Her voice bubbled over with enthusiasm.
“No one taught me! Honestly, even what I did just now barely worked! I was desperately wishing for it, you know?! I wanted to be chosen by the Elite Corps so badly! I squeezed out every last bit of strength I had—I seriously thought my head was going to go boom! and explode!”
Stretching both arms high above her head, Lucillea drew a huge circle in the air to emphasize just how difficult it had been.
“But anyway, I guess my heartfelt wish got through!”
“Hehe.”
Sweating profusely, she flashed a sheepish grin.
Yet even after she finished speaking, Elvadin and Riat remained silent.
The atmosphere immediately made her uneasy.
What is this?
Don’t tell me they’ve changed their minds already?
Come on... he's the head of a Grand Duke’s house. Surely he isn't that fickle.
But the longer the two men remained silent, the deeper her anxiety grew.
Then again, what do I know about him? Maybe he’s the most fickle person in the world.
He did call my mana insignificant earlier...
What if he really takes it back? What if he decides not to bring me with him?!
Growing increasingly desperate, Lucillea hurriedly added,
“W-Well, you know, I’m actually really good at moving that energy inside my body! The thing you called mana! It’s only bringing it outside that’s a little difficult. But if someone teaches me, I’m sure I’ll learn quickly!”
She began explaining in detail.
The faint warmth that spread from around her heart.
The way that warmth flowed through her veins.
And how she could direct exactly the amount she wanted to exactly where she wanted it.
Lucillea carefully described how she manipulated the mana inside her body.
Yet the two men still said nothing.
Is even that not enough?
Then...
“Actually, besides that, I’m really, really good at laundry too! I always handled all of my adoptive father’s washing! I don’t mind even if the river’s frozen solid! I’m good at breaking ice too! Ah, and I hardly eat much. I can get by eating only once every two days! Oh—and if I can avoid the rain and wind, I can sleep anywhere. I’m not picky at all! I’m good at cleaning horse dung too. Cleaning in general is no problem! I can adapt anywhere you throw me, so...”
Carefully watching Elvadin’s expression, she continued.
“...Please take me to the Grand Duke’s estate. I’ll do anything so that you’ll never regret choosing me.”
Her eyes drooped pitifully as she looked up at him.
“Please...?”
“......”
“......”
Meeting her gaze, a tiny crease formed between Elvadin’s brows.
The change was so subtle that only Riat noticed it.
Turning his eyes away from Elvadin, Riat studied Lucillea instead.
Just what kind of child is this...?
Mana was an innate gift.
But simply being born with mana did not make one a mage.
Talent, perseverance, patience, and effort all determined how far a person could ultimately rise.
More importantly, the first step is recognizing the power sleeping within yourself.
Yet the girl standing before them was already astonishingly close to a completed masterpiece.
She had discovered on her own that her gift was mana.
And she had even managed to draw it out and use it.
She doesn't seem to realize how extraordinary that is...
She merely lacked proper guidance.
If she were given the Grand Duke household’s education and training—
By the time she reaches adulthood, there may not be a single mage capable of matching her.
The thought sent a thrill down Riat’s spine.
Only moments ago she had seemed suspicious and questionable.
Now she looked like a variable capable of overturning the established order of the world itself.
I didn't even feel this way when I first met the Young Master.
Then again, comparing the Young Master, who wielded aura, with Lucillea, who possessed mana, was hardly fair.
Suddenly, Riat’s gaze landed on the thin wrist peeking out from her short sleeve.
...That.
As his vigilance faded, he finally began noticing things he had overlooked.
The reason she had desperately hidden herself aboard the Grand Duke’s carriage.
The truth behind her claim that she had done so simply to survive.
Skin stretched tightly over bone.
Wrists and fingers covered with faded bruises and scars.
Time had softened the marks, but they were clearly not injuries from innocent falls.
If the visible parts look like this, the hidden ones are probably worse.
And just how badly had they starved her for her to become this thin?
Riat resolved to investigate Lucillea’s past more thoroughly.
Clearing his throat, he asked,
“You’re from Mille Village, correct? If you possessed such an ability, why didn't you appear in the village square? If you'd gone there, you could have taken the Elite Corps examination in front of everyone.”
It was a reasonable question.
Unless there was some other motive, there was no reason not to appear.
Lucillea lowered her eyes sadly.
“If you check, you'll probably find that my name wasn't even on the list. I wasn't recognized as one of the villagers.”
“......”
She calmly began recounting her story.
How she had lived with her grandmother in a cabin on the northern mountain outside Mille Village.
How the villagers had called the woman who raised her a witch.
And then—
“A year ago, my grandmother passed away. After that, the villagers drew lots and decided who would become my adoptive parent.”
Riat’s eyebrow twitched.
“Wait. They chose your guardian by lottery?”
“Yes. Nobody wanted to take me in. They said I was an ominous child raised by a witch. But it’s okay! I'm not the kind of weak child who gets hurt by words like that!”
“......”
A frown settled across Riat’s face.
Why is she talking about this like it happened to someone else?
Anyone could tell her life had been miserable.
Yet the child who had lived through it spoke with complete composure.
Was such calmness even possible?
She was unlike any child he had ever met.
She recounted a heartbreaking life story beneath Elvadin’s intimidating gaze without trembling or shedding a tear.
Was she fearless? Or simply incapable of worrying?
Given her understanding of mana, she certainly wasn't stupid.
Then again, geniuses are often eccentrics with a few screws loose.
Riat shifted his gaze to Elvadin.
“Your Grace. In that case, it seems there is no guardian whose permission must be obtained before taking the child to the Grand Duke’s estate.”
Elvadin looked at Lucillea and spoke.
“In other words, there’s no need to ask anyone’s permission at all.”
“Correct.”
“Even so, send Edmund back to Mille Village.”
Edmund was the commander of the Elite Corps.
Having handled countless cases over the years, he was known for settling matters cleanly and preventing disputes.
“There’s no harm in being certain. It would be troublesome if someone appeared later demanding the child be returned.”
Riat nodded.
“Yes, Your Grace. ...I’ll ensure there are no complications in taking her with us.”
Elvadin answered with a slight nod.
"Don't worry, my little one. Remember what this old grandmother always told you?"
"You are a very precious child."
The earth beneath your feet will guide you toward a good path.
The wind that brushes past you will lighten your steps.
The flowing water will wash away your thirst.
And even fierce flames will carry away the anger in your heart.
"You are the only child capable of embracing the world."
So do not worry about anything.
Live exactly as your heart desires.
“......”
Lucillea slowly opened her eyes.
A familiar voice had been speaking to her just moments ago.
A voice she missed dearly.
But now that she was awake, it had vanished like a bubble bursting into nothingness.
I feel like she was telling me something...
Yet just like the fading voice, the words themselves slipped away from her memory.
Something about water... and fire... maybe...?
Huh?
Blinking in confusion, Lucillea suddenly noticed an unfamiliar ceiling above her.
And all thoughts came to an abrupt halt.
...Where am I?