TYLSA 09

Chapter 09

The next day.

I had prepared the room where I would receive my lesson and waited for Elijah Marakesh to arrive.

But… I looked at the clock and sighed.

‘He said he’d start the first lesson at 3 o’clock.’

The clock was already pointing to 2:58 PM.

‘Is he going to break his promise?’

I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt for breaking a promise once, but…

If he broke his promise like this, I could already see how delighted my stepmother would be.

‘This hidden episode of his—I can’t find a single thing I like about it.’

Just as I let out my second sigh.

With a soft rustling sound, as if something was settling through the air…

“…Here you are, sighing heavily before the lesson even begins.”

“!”

“It seems you’re not looking forward to your lesson with me.”

With a teasing voice, the Tower Master appeared.

“How did you get in here…?”

“To be precise, it’s not ‘how did you get in here’ but rather ‘how did I,’ but.”

Elijah looked at my flustered face and smiled with his handsome features.

“Look around.”

Dumbfounded, I looked around.

“!”

Looking around, it wasn’t my familiar study but a completely different place.

Judging by the high ceiling, it must have originally been quite a nice room, but it was a room where every wall—even covering the windows—was lined with bookshelves.

On the central table were an enormous number of books, bundles of paper with complex notes scribbled on them, flasks and test tubes scattered about in disarray.

‘Anyone can see this is…’

A mad mage’s laboratory—nothing more, nothing less.

“…Your expression is rather strange. You wouldn’t happen to have any disrespectful impressions of my room, would you?”

That was exactly right, but I couldn’t say it outright.

I hastily composed my expression and answered.

“…Of course not. I only just learned this was the Tower Master’s room.”

I knew it the moment I saw it.

I sighed and continued.

“I was just thinking—if you kidnap a lady of the Rozenheyer Ducal House, even the Tower Master might find himself in quite a predicament.”

“Kidnap! That’s…”

This man was trying to backtrack.

“You brought me to the Tower Master’s room without telling anyone, didn’t you?”

“Ha, when you put it that way, it does make me sound like I’ve done something rather strange.”

“That’s because you did do something strange.”

“Urgh…”

Elijah couldn’t argue further and pressed his hand to his forehead.

“…There is room for misunderstanding, but I didn’t do anything strange.”

He explained while holding his forehead.

“Hmm.”

“The Magic Tower is geographically located in an area where mana currents flow strongly, making it suitable for magical training. I simply brought you here for that reason.”

“If that’s the case, it would have been wonderful if you had included that information in your letter.”

“That’s…”

I grinned and shrugged.

“You made a mistake, didn’t you?”

“It’s not a mistake…”

Ha, Elijah sighed and stopped mid-sentence.

“Even if it wasn’t a mistake, it would be better for you to consider it one.”

The Rozenheyer Ducal House had originally installed an anti-mage mana barrier, so unauthorized teleportation was impossible.

But as in the original work, that barrier wasn’t sturdy enough to stop the Tower Master.

“I’m saying that bringing a lady of the house here like this without telling anyone could cause problems. Even if you are the Tower Master.”

If the Duke or Calix found out about this situation, there could be another uproar. Of course, not out of concern for me, but for security reasons.

“Right now…”

Elijah looked at me with a hesitant gaze and asked.

“…Are you worried about me?”

“…Pardon?”

No, how did the conversation get there?

The moment I thought that, a clear, pleasant “ping” sound rang in my ears.

‘Affinity went up!’

Just like that, so absurdly?

“Well, it’s not like that exactly…”

“So you didn’t?”

Ah, the affinity I barely gained is going to drop again!

“I did! Of course…”

After adding “of course,” I realized I didn’t have a proper reason.

And Elijah didn’t let that part slide.

“Of course?”

“Well… because you’re my teacher. If any trouble were to arise between you and my household, it would disrupt my lessons.”

If my speech skill had been unlocked, this would have been a fine excuse that would have raised it by at least 10 points.

“…Well, I figured it would be something like that.”

Elijah snorted. But he didn’t seem to be in a bad mood.

I cautiously added the main point.

“From next time, it would be better if you officially visit the ducal residence to pick me up.”

Because Elijah had brought me here without a word, today’s lesson had to be kept secret.

‘If I say the lesson was canceled, my stepmother would be quite pleased…’

Oh well, nothing I can do about today. I sighed softly.

“…Understood. I’ll keep your words in mind, my Lady.”

“Thank you.”

“Then, let us begin the lesson.”

That was what I wanted.

—

<system> Your first lesson with Elijah begins.

<system> You will gain results based on concentration and lesson completion rate.

—

Elijah snapped his fingers, and the items on the central table began to move on their own.

After a moment, space was made for us to sit across from each other at the desk.

“Before we begin the lesson, I must ask that you absolutely follow my instructions within this space.”

Elijah had somehow put on a pair of glasses.

“Accidents caused by magic are destructive, and the consequences are highly likely to leave permanent scars. If you do not listen to me, I may not be able to guarantee your life in this lesson.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

I smiled lightly.

“But I won’t be scared. Above all, I’m a beginner, and the Tower Master will be right beside me.”

I sent a sparkling look, hoping his affinity might go up, but Elijah just sighed.

“I meant that you shouldn’t take it so lightly.”

But there was no second stroke of luck.

‘Tch, what a difficult person.’

Despite the bloody warning at the start, the lesson wasn’t as big of a deal as I’d thought.

That was because I was still a beginner who hadn’t yet become aware of my mana circuits.

Elijah first scribbled on the floor with chalk, drawing a magic circle.

The magic circle, which even at a glance had an incredibly complex form, he completed in one stroke without ever looking at anything or hesitating.

“Stand inside this circle.”

“Ah, yes…”

I stood on the magic circle as he instructed.

Once I was standing in the center of the magic circle, he carefully placed a feather in front of me.

“When you become aware of your mana circuits, this magic circle will activate and move the feather.”

“…How do I become aware of my mana circuits?”

“Hmm…”

Surprisingly, Elijah seemed a bit stumped there.

‘Could it be?’

Could it be that he’s such a genius that he doesn’t know how to teach a beginner who doesn’t even know the basics of mana circuits?

As I was looking at him with suspicious eyes, Elijah, after a moment of thought, suddenly snapped his fingers.

“!”

“I’ve activated the mana current in this room with my magical power. Can you feel it?”

“Ah, yes…”

Goosebumps rose on my skin. Even though my hair wasn’t stirring, it felt like a strong wind was blowing.

“This is the mana current. First, start by feeling this mana current…”

“…?”

Elijah extended his hand to me as if at a ball. I tilted my head but reached out my hand to him.

“!”

But what Elijah took wasn’t my hand—it was my wrist.

“…Can you feel it?”

From the captured wrist, I could feel a warm energy surging in.

“…Yes.”

“Concentrate. The path this mana follows is your mana circuit.”

“My mana circuit…”

I could feel a ticklish yet cool energy, cool yet warm, make a full circle through my body and wrap around the area near my heart like a ring.

But that feeling disappeared as soon as Elijah released my wrist.

At the sudden, cut-off sensation, I unconsciously rubbed my wrist.

Interpreting my action somehow, Elijah cleared his throat.

“That… it was a necessary action for the lesson.”

“I know.”

“Hm, hm. I’m glad you know.”

He explained that the first step as a mage was to absorb mana from the surrounding mana currents and build it into the circuits connected to the heart.

‘Good.’

I had been on edge because I was with a conquest target, but this was magic.

Magic—the very thing I had admired in novels I read as a child. I was now learning that magic.

“I’ll do my best.”

With that resolve, I started enthusiastically, but…

—

<system> Failed to detect mana circuits.

<system> Failed to detect mana circuits.

<system> Failed to detect mana circuits…

—

“…You don’t need to be so disheartened.”

Only after confirming the failure message several times did my first lesson end in ‘failure.’

“But…”

“Cases of becoming aware of one’s mana circuits on the very first day are rare.”

“…’Rare’ means there are cases, right?”

“Well…”

Seeing Elijah vaguely trail off, I was instantly certain.

“You’re one of those rare cases, aren’t you?”