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‘This is real mana…’

Sylvia felt a surge of energy filling her body.

Overflowing strength.

Yes, this was it.

This was the sensation of mana coursing through her body.

Sylvia closed her eyes, trembling as she was enveloped by memories of the past.

The mana she had gathered was only a quarter of her full capacity.

But for Sylvia, who hadn’t felt any mana for years, even this amount was overwhelming.

As the strength surged through her, an ironic sense of helplessness also washed over her.

‘I was so weak all this time…

She had forgotten.

She had forgotten what it was like to live with such power and dignity.

The effort it took to suppress those memories was being undone by the mana now flowing within her.

Ironically, the one who had made her forget and the one who had brought these memories back was the same person, Vermont.

‘They destroyed my mana core and crippled me…’

Grind.

Sylvia’s teeth ground together, producing a harsh sound.

With the return of her old sensations, unpleasant memories resurfaced as well.

The day she lost her power and became a subordinate to this family.

It had been two years since she was offered the chance to remove her brand and receive a mana stone, in exchange for swearing on her sword to fight and die for the Vermont family.

Sylvia had never been able to utter such a false oath.

Despite the increasing offers of wealth and status, her resolve never wavered.

But ironically, while she claimed she would rather die than serve the Vermont family, she lacked the courage to remove the brand herself.

She couldn’t muster the will to face death.

‘You, of all people, know what it means to give me mana…’

Yet Aslan had injected mana into her.

Casually, as if it was nothing more than a toy.

Mana, the fuel for all magic.

And no one knew better than Aslan that Sylvia excelled in magic related to branding.

That’s why he had meticulously monitored her to prevent any contact with mana stones or spirit mages.

And now he gives her mana just like that?

What if she broke the brand and escaped?

He was too defenseless.

No. Maybe he was just pretending to be defenseless…

‘He’s changed. He’s definitely changed.’

At first, she was unsure.

Aslan seemed the same as always, yet subtly different.

His sinister aura and eerie smile remained unchanged, but something about him had altered.

Whether this change was positive or not, Sylvia couldn’t tell.

‘What are you up to…’

She wondered if there was some trick in the mana Aslan had given her.

Maybe a hidden trap that would activate upon use, but no, it was just pure mana.

Did he want her to escape?

Had he suddenly taken pity on her?

That didn’t seem like Aslan.

Sylvia’s mind grew increasingly chaotic.

There was a simple solution to all this.

She could remove the brand, use the remaining mana to destroy the mansion, and escape.

No more entanglements, she could be free.

“The duel is about to begin. Stop hiding in the shadows like a child of darkness and get out there.”

“…Yes.”

Aslan ordered without even looking back.

He seemed so unconcerned, as if he knew she would win and didn’t even care to watch the duel.

His usual indifferent attitude.

He must know that she could remove the brand and strangle him at any moment.

He must know that his fate and the fate of his family rested in her hands.

While her mind was in turmoil, how could he remain so calm?

Grind.

Her teeth ground together again.

‘That bastard. What is he plotting this time? Why is he coddling the children? Why is he entrusting his life to me?’

Aslan had schemed many times before.

He had pretended to be reformed countless times, but it never lasted. He always revealed his true nature.

But this time, it was different.

It had been four days.

Why hadn’t he shown his true colors yet?

What was his plan?

Could it be, he had really changed?

Down to his very core?

‘Argh.’

That couldn’t be.

That shouldn’t be possible.

Sylvia felt a surge of frustration.

Even as she repeated to herself that it couldn’t be true, she couldn’t help but cling to a sliver of hope, which made her angry at herself.

“Hahaha! You actually showed up on time instead of running away! Or is it because of the brand that you couldn’t run? Hah!”

“…Shall we begin the duel?”

“Why the rush? If you kneel before me now and beg for mercy, I might spare you a bit. If you get caught for embezzlement, you’ll likely be sentenced to death, but if you become my concubine…”

Ugh. How annoying.

Her mind was already a mess thinking about Aslan.

Why did this mosquito keep buzzing in her ear?

“It’s 8 o’clock. I consider the duel started.”

“Don’t be so cold, Sylvia. You might act rough, but if you just…”

“Shut your mouth and pick up your wooden sword, you worm.”

“…!”

As Sylvia gathered mana at a single point, her eyes widened, and her hair stood on end.

At that moment, Leon’s body froze as he met her gaze.

Anyone with even a bit of mana sensitivity could feel it.

Her aura radiated from her body, coloring the entire area.

Though Aslan remained unaware, engrossed in his books in the study, Charlotte and Julia felt their hair stand on end and chills run down their spines.

Leon, who had to face this aura directly, turned pale.

‘What… what is that! She was supposed to be crippled!’

What filled Leon was pure terror.

Strictly speaking, nothing had happened yet.

Sylvia had just stirred her mana slightly with a hint of killing intent.

Leon instantly lost all will to fight, his legs gave way, and he collapsed.

“Aaaaah…”

Ssshhh.

A dark stain spread across Leon’s pants.

Falling into the yellow puddle he created, Leon foamed at the mouth and fainted.

Sylvia couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity.

“Hah. It ended before I even used mana.”

She hadn’t even fully utilized her mana, yet this was the result.

She felt embarrassed for being so afraid of losing to such a person yesterday.

Besides, she still had mana left.

Not a drop had been used from the amount she received yesterday.

‘It’s not too late yet.’

Even now, if she wanted, she could remove the brand, destroy the mansion, and escape with the children.

She could be free.

At that moment, Aslan’s words flashed through her mind, and Sylvia squeezed her eyes shut.

‘You have talent, so you should understand. Those kids, they aren’t ordinary. Can you protect them from falling into the hands of evil if you take them outside? Can you?’

‘You’re so naive and upright, it’s pathetic. Wouldn’t it be better to keep them close to a certain evil you can see rather than an uncertain danger? Think about it, you dull-witted fool.’

Is this really the right thing?

Taking them out, would it really make them happier?

Had Aslan… changed…?

‘Ugh! I don’t know!’

Swoosh.

As Sylvia’s mana gathered again, her aura burst forth.

“Aslan! I have no idea what you’re plotting! What you’re scheming! I don’t understand at all! Like you said, I’m stupid and clueless, I don’t get it!!!”

She didn’t know what Aslan was thinking.

She didn’t know why he returned this power to her.

She couldn’t understand anything clearly.

In that case, wouldn’t it be best to find out?

Wouldn’t it be best to wait and see until she understood?

“You! You said I was impulsive! I’ll show you I can change too! I’ll wait and see! I’ll watch what choices you make! And while waiting, I’ll watch over you!”

Her curiosity was unbearable.

If she beheaded him and fled now, she would be left with a lifelong unease.

She needed to confirm his intentions.

She would watch over him until he revealed his true nature.

Boom!

The gathered mana ignited and exploded.

Light burst from Sylvia’s outstretched palm.

In a flash, the area was enveloped in bright light, turning everything white.

When the light subsided, a giant crater was revealed in the middle of the grounds.

“Hoo…”

The area within ten-meters of where Leon had fallen was reduced to ashes.

Not even a trace of a body could be found.

It was the first magic cast by the Sword Expert and unofficial 8th Circle Mage in two years.

It was clearly excessive.

Sylvia laughed weakly and collapsed.

“I’m such a fool…”

She had expended all her mana.

She had reverted to a state where she couldn’t remove the brand herself.

After cooling her head, she realized it was an impulsive act.

It would have been wise to save a little mana for emergencies.

“But I feel relieved…”

For some reason, she didn’t regret it.

She felt lighter, as if everything had become simpler.

This was right for someone like her.

Sylvia closed her eyes and laughed convulsively.

“Daring to mess up my training grounds like that. I don’t remember ordering such a flashy duel… Your pay will be cut again. Silly girl.”

Why was she laughing like an idiot?

Aslan clicked his tongue while looking out the window.

A small, amused smile escaped him.