Chapter 3

Do not touch Eldmia Egar - Chapter 3 (3/599)

It had been a hectic day.

After sorting out the thieves' equipment and belongings, tying up the horses, and clearing the bodies of those fools far from my parents' graves, we arrived at my house in the mountains.

Originally, I lived in a cave, not knowing when or how an attack might come, but Ashlye said there was no longer any threat nearby.

The house was tidy.

Suddenly, a wave of sadness washed over me, as if saying that if my mother hadn't gone down to the village that day, our whole family would still be alive.

"Let's go. We need to clean up first. Cleanliness is the most important factor in life."

I'm not sure if she noticed my emotions from my slow movements while gathering some simple clothes, but Ashlye, who had collected ash to replace soap in a small wooden bucket by the fireplace, gently spoke and embraced my shoulder. It felt like I hadn't felt such human warmth in a long time, even though it had only been three days.

The valley was close, so we didn't need to go far, but it was dark. I thought we should make a torch, but Ashlye naturally summoned a sphere of light, surprising me.

The valley, bathed in the light of a full moon on a cloudless night, was bright enough that the sphere of light wasn't necessary. The thought of washing in the cold mountain stream made my heart stop, but once again, Ashlye surprised me.

When she gestured, the stream water rose in a spherical shape and flew toward us.

"This is with the help of the spirits."

Before I knew it, small creatures like tiny lizards had flown from Ashlye's fingertips and began circling the floating water sphere. I was amazed just by watching.

Hot water...! Hot water in such an environment! Ashlye smiled at my amazed face and began to wash my hair.

"There's a village not far from here. In terms of size, it's closer to a city. Selling the thieves' equipment and horses will bring in some money."

Looking at the moonlit valley, everything that happened today felt like a dream. The constant flow of warm water on my head made it feel like I was dreaming. I listened to her as she washed my hair.

"Keeping the sword, dagger, and gauntlets would be useful. The thieves didn't have much, but my original captor, the slave trader, had a lot of money."

It seemed like something I could think about on my own, but she kindly explained everything to me, perhaps out of concern for the contract or the conversation itself. It was very nice, but the formal language was a bit uncomfortable.

"Big sister, just speak casually."

"Eh?"

"No, since it's a contract, I'm not your superior, and we'll be seeing each other for the next eight years, so it feels a bit strange for you to use formal language."

"O-Okay...?"

"Yes, please speak casually."

"Alright, but I haven't heard your name yet."

Oops. I had forgotten to introduce myself in the chaos.

"My name is Eldmia Egar, the son of Radan Egar and Evisha Ruina."

"You... You don't seem to be unaware of the significance of introducing yourself like that, but I never imagined hearing such an introduction from someone your age. You really are a fascinating child."

"Not childish, right?"

With a smile, the hand washing my hair paused briefly before continuing.

"Do you realize that yourself?"

"I know. I've been trying hard to hide it."

"Hide it from whom?"

"From the villagers and my parents."

As a result, I was treated like a quiet child. I don't have an incredible memory of how I behaved as a child, but I followed the behavior of the other children around me. Without explicitly explaining, Ashlye sympathized, saying it must have been quite difficult. Is this the wisdom of 120 years?

"By the way, your skills against the thieves were impressive. How did you do it?"

The topic changed suddenly. She seemed to be considering my tendency to become depressed when thinking about the past. There was no reason to reject her consideration, so I followed the conversation.

"I enhanced my body with mana."

"Huh? Can you already use magic?"

"No, I can't use magic. I can only sense mana and use it to strengthen my body."

If I had held on for one more year, I might have learned. As I thought this, Ashlye suddenly stopped washing my hair, turned me around, and faced me. Her expression was serious.

"How long have you been able to sense mana?"

"I don't know the exact date, but it's been about three years?"

"Three years? Since you were five? Did you ever get sick or have a fever during that time?"

"I've always been healthy."

Her reaction was unusual. Could it be that I have a talent? Could there be a reason for my reincarnation?

But why? When I asked, the answer was shocking.

"Let's not talk about that. This might not be a coincidence, but it could be fatal."

"…What?"

With a serious face, Ashlye covered her mouth, pondered, and nodded.

"Really... It's ambiguous to say this in your situation, but it's normal to die. If you do this, you will die."

The skill I thought was my ultimate move was actually a suicide technique. After composing my expression, the content she told me while washing me was shocking.

Mages manifest magic with mana. Knights enhance their bodies with aura. These are not just synonyms but fundamentally different.

Refining mana into aura and refining mana into mana are different processes. Mana is just a raw material.

"Battle mages and magic knights are very rare. If they used the same mana, there would be no reason for them to be rare."

I didn't think an analogy was necessary, but when I heard it, it made perfect sense.

It's not just that they are difficult to learn. Some people specialize in one path, while others try to master both.

Yet, they are few. Even fewer are those who have made a name for themselves. The reason is that these are fundamentally different skills.

I thought it was like a baker aspiring to be a cake maker, but it turned out to be more like the difference between a steak chef and a sushi chef.

That's right. What I'm feeling now is unrefined, pure mana. A lump of mana that no one uses as is.

"To put it in an analogy... it's like rock salt. You're eating a lump of salt that should be broken down and ground into powder and eaten in small amounts."

It was a vivid analogy. The thought of eating a lump of salt made me feel it would be really bad for my health. When I said this, Ashlye's expression became even more puzzled.

"Really, the more I see, the more unexpected you are. Humans often save expensive things and even believe that the more you eat, the better it is for your health."

While drying my body and hair at home, I thought about it and realized it might be true, but it was already spilled milk, so I let it go.

"They're just uncivilized."

"Hehehe. Your eight years don't seem boring. Perhaps it's the guidance of Asha."

The guardian of the World Tree and the goddess of elves? I wondered if there were religious teachings, but I decided to ask later.

Anyway, it's rock salt now.

It's obviously not good for your health. There are records of hundreds of people who died on their first attempt to gain stronger power.

They literally exploded and died. What a terrifying thing!

"Strong mages and knights gradually become familiar with the refinement techniques and increase the amplification of mana. Even those who reach the position of archmages don't use raw mana. The same goes for knights."

The method the mage taught me to sense mana was just that—sensing it. No matter how many years I practiced, it was just a matter of feeling it in my whole body instead of just my fingertips. The method to directly control the sensed mana is different. In other words, I should be unable to do anything.

It's like having a driver's license but being able to fly a plane without any problems. So, what am I, exactly?

"Let's see. I need to know more about you. You might be a prodigy unprecedented in history, but I don't want to risk my benefactor's life on such a rare possibility."

"Understood."

There's no need to be anxious, so I accepted it calmly. I am Eldmia Egar, who is approaching a mental age of thirty. I am a patient man.

Ashlye, who seemed to be expressing concern at my calm response, ended up gently stroking my head with a faint smile. I took it as a sign of trust.