It was morning. I woke up a bit late because of the fight yesterday. I did get my stamina reduced. My journey which I literally did on foot had also drained a lot of my stamina. as it happened, I didn't have enough spirit energy to last me the whole fight, even though I could regenerate my spirit energy fast, it seems when I fight, my body takes in a lot more than I thought, so the only way to replenish that was using the energy I had from Ridge, but I found out the drawbacks, the more I borrowed from her, the more my stamina decreased, of course it was a manageable amount, still, while fighting, if your stamina drained just like that, it was pretty hard to keep the same pace.
I should start practicing to conserve stamina again… seems I have really let loose and gotten soft in these few days.
After the fight yesterday, my bruised body got healed. In an hour, I had already started to work and by work I mean the wild game that I hunted, I butchered them. Then I handed down things that I had bought for everyone. I didn't really have much variety, there were close to 50 people in the mansion, but I did try to guess what some groups would want more, so I gave gifts suggesting groups like those that were younger, I gave them some types of sweets and other necessary stuff that they could need. The older ones that were young adults or past 20s, I gave them material stuff that they could need in their everyday life. but wine from the capital was the most hit for them, and as you guessed, the younger maids took a liking towards sweets more. maybe they really didn't value material things that much, it is a good realization for the future.
Thanks to me finding some stuff in the royal capital, I had finally made the soap I had always wanted. Only time will tell if the girls like it or not. ooh yeah, I also gave some Accessories to those 4 that were personally there for me, like in the event tomorrow, Mai and her group helped me add ice to my wounds, since I didn't use healing magic on me and my body had its own healing capabilities, I just try to add ice on the sore spots. It may not work for healing much but it does stabilize the body more, the Miasma that was mangling up inside my body released from the cool sensation of the Ice, also after I was burned to a crisp, adding ice was specially active.
After all that, I was now stretching in my bed. When I looked over to the corner of the room, I saw Systy standing there exuding her usual calm air. The maid that I helped before I went to see the overlord.
"Good morning Young master."
"Good morning.." I replied groggily, maybe I could sleep more but I tried to wake myself up. There was a ton of stuff that needed to be done.
I got out of bed and Systy came over to help me change. She was performing her maids duty. but someone else helping you change, I just never could understand nobles thinking. Still it was better than Mai doing it, she tends to tease me a lot, since I am still a kid, I know I am gonna grow more in those aspects but still… can't a girl let me grow before commenting on my body? although she said it was sufficiently hard... the comment made me feel as if I was being tortured!
"I knew you were this resilient powerful young master but after seeing it with my own eyes, I could only guess what else you could do." I know Systy was talking about my battle prowess but can you please not say it in a time like this? I am still half naked you know? Although Systy is refined and tactful enough to never look at me directly… even I see her flushed cheeks from the sides. I can't say if that she was flustered from seeing me naked or from comment on my power that surpassed her imagination.
"I am not strong though, I think myself to be weak." Composing myself… I said in a way not letting out my true embarrassed feelings.
Hearing me, she was a little surprised.
"Then what do you consider strong?" asked Systy
"Hmm…. someone who could stand up over and over again….. Yeah like that girl, she is already strong in a sense…...or maybe she's just an idiot…. I can't believe she was able to stand even after I showed her what I was capable of. In a sense.. I think I can respect her even a little. Although… I am a bit pissed off of her. There is nothing to gain from standing up to me..." I know I carry the cursed sword of destruction, but I don't like destruction for no good reason, why do I have to show my power just because some bratty girl wanted to test her self?
"Hehe, Young master. Sometimes you really do talk like a grown man. But I think you are a lot more interested in Lady Alice than before.."
"Ooh sorry, as for your concern, I find Alice a crude girl at most." I was telling the truth. The girl was too violent for her own good.
I moved to the dining room after I freshened up. I saw that everyone was getting ready to have breakfast.. I took a seat at the table, finding my Gramps and Granny looking happy.
I didn't see our bratty guest today. It seems she still is asleep, although injuries could be healed, stamina couldn't be restored like that..
"I hope Lilith forgives me, even though I beat her daughter to a pulp." I said letting out a sigh…
"Hmm so you did meet the overlord?" asked Gramps
"Yeah we talked a lot, she was someone level headed but I can't think how Alice can be so different from her mom." I replied.
"Hehe.. Yeah…" Gramps and Granny sighed…as they avoided my eye's
"It was you guys fault wasn't it?" I asked with a blank tone. Both of them made a wry smile. They must have spoiled that girl so much that she became like that, well in this case. Maybe her potential made people think that she was some kind of all powerful. In turn, day by day she became something like this. For Alice, her pride had made her so stubborn that she couldn't even see her opponents' full potential. It was like she was trying to refuse the whole idea of someone being more powerful than her in any way. Me being a human just like her only made it more difficult for her to bear.
As I started eating, it was bread butter and fried eggs today but today's bread was something different. It was fluffy, and unlike before, there was an aroma about it.
"Wow! I didn't even explain about the ingredient, but it seems our genius chef had already figured that out."
"Wow, so this was the ingredient you were talking about?" said Gramps in return.
"This makes the bread soft and gives it a new level of taste, isn't it great this way?" as I explained.
"That certainly is the most delicious bread I have eaten so far." Granny gave her reviews too. I gotta say, this chef of ours was someone special. Indeed, my Idea of yeast only took her some trials to figure it out.
After I finished breakfast, I moved towards the training grounds where I saw Ridge. She was moving around looking at the places here and there. Our fight really wrecked the field and my last strike had just sealed the deal. since Alice couldn't accept her defeat. if I had left it like that she would have bugged me again in the future, so even though I hated the idea of threatening a girl like that, I pushed out all the power I had and demonstrated the difference between us.
I had shown her my strength, it literally destroyed my arm as the burden was too much for the muscles, but that was certainly my strongest punch until now. I needed more time to fortify my body! then someday I could make that power more easily usable, right now it was just too over the limit for me.
"Hey, what are you doing here early in the morning?" I asked Ridge. She looked my way after hearing me.
"Ohh you're up? That's good, it seems you can recover fast too." I thought Ridge would have been a bit more worried looking at all my injuries after the fight, but she was unusually calm. although as a spirit I don't know what injuries are to spirits though?
"Well I try to stay fit whenever I can." as I answered, she came over to me fluttering in the wind. actually it seemed as if she was swimming through the air. her white one piece dress looked elegant and cute, and the charming smile could wash away any and all worries from anybody who sees it.
"I was just seeing this wreckage. I didn't really think that humans can show this level of power."
"Well, everyone can't do it, but it isn't really impossible you know? people just have to try." I heard that the lords of this country can easily dish out this level of physical might. so I think it isn't that overwhelming.
"Then why are you here so early in the morning?" Ridge asked me moving on from the conversation.
"Ooh, I was here to fix these craters and that wall, maybe even flatten out those craters behind the wall too." That's right, it was the perfect way to see how I could control earth magic and use it.
"Really? okay I'll observe you then, after seeing you for some time, I feel that I could really see some interesting stuff. "
"Okay I don't mind but hey don't treat me like a time pass for yourself." well that really can't be helped... spirits are known to be only where their interest stays.
Ridge floated to my head and sat there. It seems she has fully accepted her mini form.
Okay System Can I use earth magic now?
{Affirmative}
Okay is there any need for spells or magic circle stuff? Or chanting?
{Answer: any of the above not needed. system can cover all those criteria's. Master just has to think about what Master wants to do and earth can be manipulated. Using spirit energy to manipulate earth based properties is possible as of now. becoming more familiar with the attribute would result in finding more varied uses.}
Then what about creating an earth element itself or maybe using the existing earth?
{Answer: Both are possible, creating earth matter will consume spirit energy. manipulating existing earth matter possible with less spirit energy. In this case, spirit energy consumption is close to none because of master's fast mana recovery quality.}
"I thought so, but I think your affinity for earth is truly great, Rekka, let me tell you, the first time I got in contact with you, it was very easy for me to pass on my power as a spirit onto you." Ridge who looked at me manipulating her spirit energy voiced out her thoughts, so I guess having a good affinity was also something.
Okay then let me see....
Hmm this is not mana, its spirit energy, the purer form of mana. I could feel that mana had many limits in its usage but this spirit energy, it has close to no limits to it. but there was one thing I could see. this spirit energy was only able to manipulate earth, hmm I see. It is focused to work with only one thing. unlike mana that can change into any properties, this had only one property but varied uses in a single aspect.
Soon I released some of my spirit energy. It was basically Ridges spirit energy but she gave me her full stock of energy so I could use it by my will. For now, my own energy reserves were barely anything to the huge energy that Ridge has. but what was this? my stamina isn't being consumed?
{Notice; Spirit Ridge's power is not entering master's body, it is just being manipulated by Master, as long as Master uses Spirit energy like this from a contracted spirit, there will not be any extra stamina consumption, caution, Master would still drain his mental prowess, and the burden will increase the larger amount of energy Master uses.}
thanks for the easy explanation, now I understand.... so if I want to increase my battle prowess, I can't just lean on Ridge like that... I need to increase my spirit energy reserves.
The energy powered with my thoughts was then directed toward the crater in the middle of the field. It was 5 meter deep. I made some earth with the energy and slowly it gathered in the crater and filled it up, 5 minutes later, the crater was filled. I fine tuned it to the way it was because of the system's help, even the minute changes were fixed and the field went back to the way it was. I tried to see how much I used up but I saw that it was already filled out again. I thought I used a lot of energy when creating earth but somehow my spirit supply was barely hinged.
"Don't worry, my spirit energy would take more than that to deplete. Your fast recovery ability also affects me don't you know? we are connected, you're not the only one getting benefited. Although having this much recovery ability is truly unheard of."
Ooh I see, that's great, alright time for round 2....!
Ridge saw me manipulate even more earth. I didn't stop at small changes, I spread my senses and simultaneously manipulated all the craters. As earth appeared out of nowhere, the deep holes covered up making the whole scenery look as if time itself had been reverted.
"Now the walls….hmm….. How about I use my Miasma to help create the missing ingredients."
I focused again. This time letting spirit and Miasma out simultaneously. Miasma could convert to become any matter that I knew the constitution of. Thankfully with the system's help, I could recover even the minute detailed knowledge of my 1st life. Since it was never tempered with unlike my 2nd life which was vogue, with the system, I could look up the information I needed. In my 1st life I had read many types of science books so I knew such information but to tell the truth, if it wasn't for systems help, this would be impossible to achieve.
{Negative: System can only do as per master's orders.}
hmm .. humble much…. But thanks, maybe you're the most powerful thing that god gave me.
{System is the Ultimate helper but gratitude is wasted on System as it only does what Master orders}
Alright… it seems the day System does something on it's own would be the day when it would accept any of my complements.
It feels as if somehow the system is a bit more lively than usual maybe because it has accepted me as her master that's why. But I did like the way it gratified itself like nothing could compare to it.
I created bricks and used Miasma to make cement solutions. Then I manipulated it all in the form of a wall. I tried to picture the way it was like before. but at the end, the new wall looked different. maybe because of the age of the old ones, so with Miasma, in the end, I coated all the surrounding walls with off white color. Now they all looked the same.
After all this was done, I looked at the sun. It had already reached high up. That means 2 to 3 hours had passed. I stopped the spiritual energy flowing and suppressed it again.
"You know, looking at you doing all this stuff I sometimes feel inadequate…." Ridge was sulking for some reason but without her power I could never do these things.
"What do you mean? It's because of your power and authority that I was able to do this."
"Yeah I know but I thought I could help you learn stuff, the way you used the spirit energy now, I am thinking maybe I could learn from you!?" she was literally throwing a tantrum on my head.
Maybe it hit her pride after seeing me use magic like this but what can I do? I know how to do these things. My knowledge about materials from 1st life gives me more of the information that I may have needed. I doubt even a spirit could rival 21st century science. And in my 2nd life I was a magic caster mainly. Using magic came naturally to me.
"Well sorry about that, I guess I am just familiar with this power."
[heh but I had to teach you how to use Miasma.. Guess these spirits are just a mana stone to store power!]
"You devil of a sword!!!" oh man the two of them are bickering again.
"Come on Amanori, stop taunting Ridge."
[Pillar spirit or not you're just a mana stone…]
"Hnnnng!"
Amanori, your polish is canceled for today.
[what !! ]
"Heh he! that's what you get…"
[you damn mana stone!]
Huuuuuuh.....
As these banters went by as I went to the mansion again. I had just stood there and used magic so my body didn't really get dirty but I still washed my hands and feet, then went to relax in my room.
I was heading to my room when I saw Mai coming toward me. She gave me a towel.
"Oo thanks, how'd you know I needed that?" I was surprised but maids of this world were psychic like they knew some deep stuff. What if someday I was horny what would they do... I wonder….
"Young master, did you forget I am your personal all time maid? I will always know what you need…. Even those matters can be handled…. morning is a time when many things came to be hard, I would arrange any and all so you may feel soft again." She said, showing me the other maids that were behind her.
My god….! She can read minds. I have to be careful of her… and what was this lewd way to putting it! her words made my ears red just from hearing it.
My face had become flushed. I mean I was just thinking what they would do if I got horny. I mean I was growing up into a young man and changes would happen.... But she read me like a book. My heartbeat was getting fast too.
"Hey.. do.. do ..don't read my mind." I said in a panic but she just nodded with a smile.
Hell no, I gotta be careful around Mai from now.
"Don't worry, young masters, all needs will be seen by us, becoming wary is the farthest thing you should do."
"Okay okay bring me something cold to drink okay…." I tried to avoid the subject. Mai went with the other 3 maids and I left for my room.
.................
"Master likes those kinds of stuff too huh?"
"Well… those are human instincts just like wanting to eat and sleep… you can't avoid it for long can you?" I answered Systy who was now at my side.
"Eeeeh…. What a justifiable explanation…" Systy said while she looked at me skeptically…
Even with my explanation filled with wisdom… Systy had seen through it…
"Well… right now I won't be approaching anyone… in particular, so you don't have to look at me like that."
"Yes, young master."
"You don't believe me?" as I asked Systy since she looked unconvinced…
"Of course, I have to believe your every word as a maid."
"Then I guess as a friend you don't have that much faith in me."
"I've seen master charm so many of the maids, I have proper cause to look at you with doubt shouldn't I?"
"Sigh… it seemed that my handsomeness really is a sin…" as I exaggerated my answer and went on to my room, Systy followed towards me. she did say that her duty was to always stay by me for some reason. Apart from Alice, I even felt that Systy was someone strong but the strength was unnurtured somehow… It was too straightforward.
Anyway, it seemed that my rep in front of Systy had gone up as much as it had gone down… well sorry that I looked at some of the older maids okay!? I can't help it… they are beautiful.
As the day went on with my silent protest, a fine peace surrounded me making it a place worth calling home.