[ Location: Realm of Candida Aeternitas ]
" Mana, you say? " Yukino asks the Lord as he tells her.
" Yes, Mana, you know what that is, you should've learned it from your Clan's teachings. "
" Isn't that the thing, the energy the so-called 'Manahuman' or 'Mage' once used to defy the gods? "
" Yes, they used it back in the Holy Wars, that Energy of your Realm's Physical Nature. "
" The Mana itself is actually not that bad, but it became bad, due to the ones who were renowned to use it against the gods, the Mages. "
" Even the other gods used their Gift Cores to prevent more humans from being able to absorb the Mana from nature because of that. "
" Then it must be a bad thing, right? " Yukino asks which the Lord sighs.
" Good and bad is about perspectivity and relativity, my dear, not constants. "
" Those things are a complex matter that shouldn't be benchmarked by simple patterns, for that matter, it need more depth to understand it. "
" Goddamn it, do my other comrades inject you all with the radicalization meaning of 'good' and 'evil' too well? "
" I know this may sound blasphemous to you, but it is not. "
" Just because you have the Gift Core or perhaps become your Gifter Gods' aide, doesn't mean that you're 100% good or even pure. "
" There are many cases of Gift Core users who were in fact evil, are there not? "
" Like for example... " the Lord looks at Yukino.
" Are you going to refer my Mother-Sama? " Yukino asks.
" What easier example is it? " he tells Yukino.
" Speaking of examples, I believe you already smell the stench of your mother's activities hence why you move to Trinia back then, did you not? "
" Despite your doubt and disbelief, you feel inside your gut that something is wrong with her that slowly spread to your elder sisters and slowly to your younger sister... "
" You really feel it, do you? " the Lord asks as Yukino nods with doubt.
" Was it, true? " she asks politely which the Lord simply tells her.
" Yes, it is. "
" Your mother..., she's the member, no... "
" One of the 'leaders' of the Demonic Sects. " the Lord tells her bluntly, without any hold or trying to keep things secretive.
" Preposterous, my mother... "
" Search your feelings, you know what I tell it's true. "
" You even sensed it during your return to the 'White Snow Bastion Fortress'* after meeting with your mother, you know, some weeks after the Abyss Tower Event? " the Lord asks which made Yukino stutter as she began to jog and scour her memories more about it.
As she tries to remember, she remembered once walking in an aisle inside the fortress that made her feel scared for the skin of her body shivered. At that time, she remembers her eldest sister Makino appearing behind her back and telling her that the aisle she went through is restricted, only those with permission could walk around.
" But, I am one of Mother-Sama's daughters? " Yukino asks her.
" Yes, but you haven't been here for a long time, know your place! " Makino tells her at that time with her glare.
As she remembers, Yukino wonders if that place she went to is where her mother store her dark secrets and she then looks at the Lord again.
" You finally remember? " the Lord asks which Yukino responds in silence.
" Good, after this, promise me you'll go investigate it again. "
" Now, return to the main topic, do you know why I had to mention 'Mana' earlier? " the Lord.
" I do not know. " Yukino asks in confusion.
" *SIGH*!!! "
" My dear, because I want to make you able to absorb it from Nature. "
" As for now, I already allowed you to able to absorb it, go ahead and try. " the Lord orders.
" Huh!? you allowed it, when!? "
" The control is on me, so do as I say!? "
" Feel everything around you, I knew you could. " said the Lord, instructing Yukino to close her eyes and began to increase her feelings towards her surroundings, telling her to feel the energy that slowly enters her lungs and skin.
" It feels, natural. " Yukino says, but then, she stops for a while.
" Why do you stop? " the Lord asks her.
" Why are you allowing me, no, teaching me this? "
" I suddenly remember that this is all... "
" Don't worry, it won't be forbidden once you show it to your Patron God, Loki. " the Lord tells her.
" He's more of a considerate type and trust me that he will simply allow this to happen. " the Lord says to the still doubtful Yukino.
" Hey, about this... "
" You may not trust me but trust that your Clan's Patron God will allow this to happen. "
" Now, perhaps you should continue on doing so while you're here. "
" Meeting me is a rare instance my dear, so please use your time well to do what I've told you. "
" Okay, okay... "
" It is not in my right to defy a god's orders, my Lord. " Yukino responds, being a faithful human to the gods she is, she continues what the Lord tells her to do as she slowly absorbs the Mana into her body.
" As you know, the Gift Core's Divine Power is meant to prevent any other energies from entering the mortal's body. "
" But since I am a god myself, I am able to reduce the prevention feature of the Core to let you absorb the Mana as much as possible. " the Lord says, seeing Yukino's quick progress which astounded him.
"( Such a Gifted One, aren't you? )"
"( Guess all of Loki's patronage are all this excellent. )"
"( Not just that, you're also part of the Blue Blood Clan, which means you are Gifted with so many Talents since birth. )"
" Okay, stop. " the Lord tells Yukino as she stops absorbing the Mana which made her feel, different.
" I feel different, my body feels fresh, it was... "
" It was refreshing, I know. "
" Even we gods knew how refreshing the Mana was that's why despite we hate its previous users, we still try to understand it. "
" Some of us even learned and mastered it. " the Lord tells.
" Really? "
" Yeah, some of the gods you probably knew could also use Mana and Magic. "
" Why do you think some of the gods are able to control nature to the greatest of its extent in the first place? "
" Do you think it is simply because of the Divine Power we had? no! "
" We simply add something to our disposal while preventing humans like you from ever obtaining it. "
" I..., see... " Yukino shivers as she hears this, being not the conspiracy believer she is as she already had full faith in the gods' teachings. Making her feel fear after hearing this.
"( I am doomed, if I hear more of this, I will sure be a blasphemer. )"
"( But, the one who taught me this is a fellow god. So this still counts as faithful, right? )" Yukino wonders.
" Okay, stop daydreaming, my dear! " the Lord suddenly raise the voice.
" Now, after you absorb a great amount of Mana, it's time to continue to the next phase. "
" To learn, the 'Aether'. " said the Lord which made Yukino confused as he tells her.
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Extra:
*White Snow Bastion Fortress.
Read Chapters 217-219 (Volume 3 Extra Part 5: White Shadow Part 1-3).