Chapter 20: Private Attribute Lessons (1)
Rattle, rattle.
Carriages in this era generally had a reputation for being uncomfortable, but that only applied to the standard ones.
Wealthy merchants and nobles could afford to coat their carriages with all sorts of magic, like shock absorption and spatial distortion, making them fairly comfortable.
Like the one I was currently riding in.
I shrugged my shoulders while looking at the receding city of Gef through the window.
“See? What did I tell you? We even got a reward on top of everything.”
“Hmm… If you had told me that you’d already done your research, I wouldn’t have worried needlessly.”
Carla replied, brushing her chest as if relieved.
I wondered if game research could count as a preliminary investigation.
The methods of the bandits had not changed, even if some of the details had been lost due to the time difference. They still operated under the teachings of their evil Gods, a habit that the Gods seemed to have, never altering their plans until they had no choice.
Thanks to my knowledge, I was able to string along the captain of the guards, and even got a few expressions of gratitude.
I received a fair amount of gold, which I didn’t really need, and even got a VIP membership card to the auction house.
And being able to borrow this luxurious carriage was another part of the reward.
Such convenient carriages required a lot of time and money to make since they were usually being custom-made.
Up until now, I’d been like a treasure goblin, without the means to make such an extravagant purchase. But this time, the city of Gef lent us this high-class carriage.
Although it was just a rental and must be returned upon arrival at the Academy, it would make our journey comfortable.
Stretching out my legs, I began to hum to myself on this comfortable, steady ride. Meanwhile, Carla suddenly started tapping her chin thoughtfully.
“Come to think of it, we really did have good luck this time.”
She said.
“A bishop was just stopping in Gef for maintenance during a top-secret mission, and right as we were unearthing a hideout, clearing the dungeon, and taking our time getting out, we found a guy putting up a barrier and preparing to teleport…”
Carla looked at me with eyes full of certainty.
“This was all according to your plan, wasn’t it?”
“Really? It was just luck, you know?”
What was she talking about?
Despite my sincere denial, Carla just nodded as if she knew everything.
“Alright, if Master says so, then it must be so. Yes, I’ll never speak of it to anyone. We were just lucky!”
“……”
She was really pushing the narrative of, ‘I understand my master’s intentions well. I’m a considerate slave.’
That wasn’t a lie, though. It was the truth.
My goal was merely to acquire the Radiant Lion’s Dagger, which is convenient to have early on.
Everything that happened related to Pietro was totally unexpected.
Well, she probably wouldn’t believe me even if I told her that.
Carla’s sparkling eyes were making me uncomfortable, so I absentmindedly played with her platinum-blonde hair.
“Hehe…”
She seemed to take that as a compliment, smiling happily.
Honestly, Carla’s misunderstanding wasn’t a bad thing for me.
I was wondering what to do if someone became curious about the source of my game knowledge. I guess I could just continue to imply that it was top secret and should not be leaked.
“Speaking of a secret mission…”
According to the interrogations of the captured Cultists, Pietro was on a mysterious solo mission.
That mission was probably the planned attack on the Academy, but he died before he even got there.
…Wait, what would happen to the planned attack now?
With the leader, Pietro, dead, would the attack just fizzle out?
Or maybe someone else would take over Pietro’s role.
What was certain was that the situation was better than what I saw in the game tutorial.
Stepping out of the scenario I was familiar with was a bit unsettling, but it was more dangerous to give the Cultists an opportunity.
The H&A story was quite entertaining as a game.
To put it a bit differently, the story was quite contrived.
Every time the protagonist and side characters were in a crisis, they would awaken through the power of love and friendship. That was only possible because it was a game, right?
Instead of relying on uncertain elements like awakening, it was essential to create better conditions than the original scenario to achieve a happy ending.
I became more critical than I initially thought, and even Carla’s acquisition was part of that plan.
…With the original story about to start, my thoughts were racing.
Whatever I decided to do, I would have to take the first step eventually.
In that regard, I lightly flicked Carla’s forehead, who had been pampering herself by touching her own hair.
Thwack!
“Ah! Huh? Uh…?”
Carla, looking bewildered as if she didn’t know why she was flicked, blinked rapidly.
Seeing her like this, I broke into a slight smile and spoke,
“It’ll take about a week until we reach the Academy. Do you plan to keep doing that? I should teach you how to use this.”
I tapped my chest, right where the mana core was. Carla then peeked through her palm, which she was holding against her forehead.
“So, just like you said before, I should teach you magic, Master?”
“Exactly. You could probably pass the entrance exam as you are, given your innate mana level. But even so, you’ll likely end up in the lowest class. Learning now could help us avoid that, right?”
“Uh… Magic isn’t exactly something you can learn based on attributes, but… preparing in advance is always good!”
Carla, who had been gleeful at the talk of magic, straightened her slightly slackened posture.
“First, let’s assess your current situation, Master. How much do you know about magic?”
“I know the types of magic and their capabilities, but I don’t know how to use them. I also haven’t gotten the hang of manipulating mana.”
“Hmm…? That’s closer to someone who commands a magician than being a magician… Ah! In that case, we should start with mana manipulation!”
Carla, who had tilted her head, suddenly became alarmed and quickly changed the subject.
Even so, she kept sneaking glances at me, as if worried that her attempts to figure out my identity could become a problem.
From Carla’s perspective, I must be an incredibly mysterious person.
I was a commoner with no connections, but I looked more aristocratic than most nobles and had a propensity to spend gold extravagantly. Moreover, despite claiming to be a dungeon explorer, I had an average level of physical ability, knowledge about high society whose origins couldn’t be identified, and even inexplicable hostilities.
Even I admit that I was quite suspicious.
With a reassuring touch, I poked Carla’s thigh and opened my mouth.
“So, what’s the deal with this ‘mana manipulation’ you’re talking about?”
I could circulate mana following the path of the Lintblum Breathing Method.
But that was about it.
I couldn’t move mana to any other area except the mana circuit that Carla initially opened up in my body when she transferred her core to me.
After hearing this, Carla nodded with a relieved expression.
“That’s to be expected. It’s like waking up one day with an extra arm. How could you naturally handle it immediately? You actually managed to circulate your mana on your own in just one day. That alone is impressive.”
“Are you flattering me?”
“No, I’m serious. It took me three days just to barely circulate my mana after receiving a core from my father. I was praised a lot for that when I was young…”
Her voice trailed off, perhaps remembering her now-absent father, Lord Lindelheit. Her expression clouded for a moment.
However, Carla soon shook her head and forcibly brightened her voice.
“Anyway, you might even have more talent in mana manipulation than me! Would you like to try following me as I guide you on manipulating your mana again?”
“Is that possible? The first time you transferred the core to me, I had nothing. But I now have a core, albeit a weak one. Wouldn’t it reject it?”
“Usually, yes. But we’re using cores created by the same breathing method, right? If you don’t reject it, it’s entirely possible.”
I didn’t know that people with the same cores could guide each other’s mana.
In the game, players learned magic on their own and cast spells with a single shortcut key.
Of course, they had to attend classes, train, and study magical books.
Magic-related activities were necessary to learn, but one didn’t need someone else’s help.
Such detailed settings weren’t necessary in the game, so it was a good thing for me.
I had bought and read a few basic magical books for future use, but I couldn’t understand what they were talking about.
I understood that imagination and willpower were important, but I didn’t see what intuition and formulas had to do with each other.
However, if I could experience it physically, it would be a different story.
If I just followed along and got a feel for it, I would be able to understand it somehow, right?
“Alright, let’s give it a try. What should I do? Just sit still?”
“Yes. I’m going to channel mana into your core now. Just take it in a relaxed and natural posture.”
“Relaxed posture, you say…”
I looked around for a moment.
Inside the carriage, the spatial expansion magic made it feel like a small room.
The seating where Carla and I were was more like a sofa than a chair.
Finally, I turned my gaze toward Carla, sitting next to me.
“???”
Perhaps a habit from her noble upbringing, Carla was sitting very primly. She slightly tilted her head at my glance.
I couldn’t help but smile at her confused look, and I lay down beside her.
Sinking deeply into the plush sofa, I rested my head on Carla’s thigh.
“Uh? Um…”
Suddenly finding herself acting as my knee pillow, Carla started to stammer.
Unfortunately, looking up from this angle, her face was obscured by her ample chest.
“Master? Do you really intend to proceed like this?”
“Yep. You said to be comfortable, right? So I lay down comfortably. Is there a problem?”
“No, no, there’s nothing wrong on your part! …But are you really going to stay like this?”
She asked the same question again, so I nonchalantly reached up and tugged at Carla’s top, exposing her pale stomach.
Seemingly having digested the potion, I stared at her now slim stomach and pressed my face against her cute belly button.
“Heek!”
Before a startled Carla could say anything, I blew a little puff of air onto her stomach.
“Fwooo~”
“Ahhaaah…!”
Carla squirmed like a freshly caught fish, startled by the unexpected tickling. She couldn’t bring herself to push me away, enduring the tickling sensation as best she could. I relished her discomfort for a moment before lifting my head.
“Haah… Uhh…”
Carla exhaled a ragged breath, as if she’d been through a lot in those few seconds.
Turning to her once again, I made my request clear.
“Do it in this position.”
“Uhh…”
“If you ask whether this is okay again, I’ll go so far as to stick my tongue in.”
“Okay, okay! I’ll do it this way. But please, no more playing with my belly…”
Carla said with a quivering voice, placing her hand on my chest.
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