Ferdinand remembers that day very clearly. It was about a month ago when he finished sword training and was desperately trying to use magic as well. However, everyone knew that he had not the slightest talent in magic. He's not talented in the sword either.
"Damn it!" Ferdinant threw his sword to the ground and threw himself under a tree at the edge of the training ground.
Coach Ferdinand looked on with a little fear. However, it had no intention of approaching the frustrated young man.
"Do you want me to tell you how to increase the magic capacity within you?"
Ferdinant grabbed his sword in surprise. He held it out at the man wearing an all-black robe who somehow managed to be by his side all of a sudden.
Instead of running away, the boy just laughed. With the tip of his index finger pushed the sword away from the neck. He blinked strangely and tilted his head to look at Ferdinand.
"Did I startle Young Master?" asked the man who suddenly appeared.
After releasing his shock, Ferdinant realized that the man's eyes were slightly crossed, and his body was bent. Even though he looks a few years younger than her. Maybe Adriana's age or even younger.
"Who are you?" He asked.
He brought the sword closer to the man's neck, scratching the thin and pale neck.
However, instead of being frightened, the man laughed again. Like a scratch wound that doesn't hurt, instead, it tickles him. "Please keep this treasure away from me, sir! You will not get the information you want by threatening!" said the man. "Just call me Ker, sir!"
"What do you mean by increasing magic capacity?"
Ferdinand had heard that earlier. It intrigued him. What if in the end, he will get his talent? That way he would inherit this residence eventually and no one would oppose him.
At the moment Ferdinant has no support because people are paying attention to Adriana, his half-sister in the capital. Aside from her talent for magic, Adriana also could attract the attention of the crown prince in the capital.
His mother said it must be because Adriana wiggled her ass at the crown prince. If not, how could the crown prince have power after the king was interested in making Adriana the crown princess and opposed the king.
"He did the same thing with his whore mother!"
The man whose eyes were slightly crossed and slightly stooped chuckled. "Yes, sir, there is a way to increase one's magic capacity. Although this has not been tested, in theory, it can be done!" Ker tilted his head in a slightly odd way.
"Follow me!" invite Ferdinand.
His trainer who was on standby not far from Ferdinant immediately approached when Ferdinant sheathed his sword. "Young Master, we can't bring him in! What if he is dangerous!"
"He doesn't have a sword and he will come with me! Sheath your sword!" Ferdinand ordered.
Coach Ferdinant's movements were languid as if reluctant to carry out orders. After that with a frown coach Ferdinant followed behind his master.
Ferdinant led the man to an unofficial living room which was located in the west of his residence. It was smaller than the main living room and had only been used a few times since he could remember.
"Please call my father!" Ferdinant asked one of the maids who passed him when he was about to enter the living room.
Just as tea was being served, his father, Count Affonso, came into the room. "What happened? Ferdinand?"
"Sit down first, Father, let's listen to what this person has to say together. He said there is a way to increase the magic capacity of humans! Isn't that a ridiculous word?" said Ferdinand, laughing.
What's even more ridiculous is that they are there to listen to the impossible.
Count Affonso listened to his son's request. He sat down on Ferdinant's right and received tea from the maid after a while. However, the slightly cross-eyed man named Ker was still speechless.
Ferdinant turned to the maid who was delivering the tea. "Go!" he said.
The maid left the tea-making equipment just like that and exited the living room immediately. As soon as the door was closed Ker smiled at them both.
"Thank you for shooing away the maid. You know that maids can sometimes spread a lot of gossip to other maids quickly. What if this valuable information reaches other people and they put it into practice before you?"
"Our residence maids don't do such things!" Count Affonso spoke up. "Tell me what you said to my son earlier about how to increase magic capacity."
Ker smiled. "Do you know how the black beast appears?"
Ferdinand tried to remember. It was not an official lesson, more formed as a fairy tale circulating the world.
"When a beast with a unique condition is polluted by dark magic," Ferdinant answered.
"You are a very clever young master. In the beginning, there was no such thing as a black beast. There isn't even magic in the world. Then comes the uniqueness in humans, that's called magic. It just appeared as if it was predetermined. Initially, this uniqueness was called a disease, but then we got used to it and made magic something that humans always have to have. When there are humans who don't have magic, then it's a flaw!"
Ferdinand didn't know about it. He didn't want to know either.
"Animals are like that, at first they were normal like dogs kept for hunting in stables, or cows raised for farming. Then they are born with a unique condition, which is to have a bit of magic. Their mother called them cripples and then threw them away. In contrast to humans who can easily adapt to magic, animals are the opposite. Those with magic will die quickly."
"You know how black magic is formed?"
"I don't care!" said Ferdinand.
Ker smiled again, this time filled with ridicule. "Magic is all the same, it was of no kind when it first appeared. Then humans pour their bad feelings in there, obsession, desire for possession, anger, curses, sorrow, and revenge. Magic used for that purpose is called black magic. If magic used under normal circumstances has no side effects for the surroundings, black magic, on the other hand, leaves a mark where it is used, stays there, and absorbs all the evil within it."
"What good is your story to me!"
"Of course! Because we will be using the compressed black magic in the form of power stones to increase your magic capacity!"
"Not!" Count Affonso babbled.
Ferdinand didn't agree, but he decided to listen a little more clearly. "Dad, listen to him!"
"All he said was bullshit! There is no way black magic can increase your magic capacity!" cried Count Affonso, Ferdinant's father.
Ker stood up, opened his robes, and showed him pulling off his top. "Sir, I had no magic at first. Then, the person who helped me gave me this." He pointed at his chest which was black and hard like a rock. Ferdinand knew that very well. Then Kere lit the fire in his hand, without saying anything. "I can use magic like this now!" he said with a smile.
This time it was Ferdinand's turn to smile.
Ker then took the clothes off and put them back on. She looked rushed with embarrassment, maybe because of her shape.
"How to find that petrified black magic compression? Tell me where it is!" cried Ferdinand excitedly.
"There is one in the Evort mine. Mine vibrated as it passed. It seems that his strength is even very great."
Ferdinand was even happier to hear that. "Then what are you waiting for. We have to get there soon!"
"No sir, let me confirm where it is first. I need permission to enter the Evort mine. Then, even though I already know where it is, I can't find it that easily. It takes high-level white magic to find it."
Ferdinand's smile vanished as soon as he heard that. As if he had just been given a glass of water in the middle of the sand but it turned out to be empty.
"Where are we going to find white magic?" complained Ferdinand.
"Has Count Affonso forgotten your daughter? You just have to call him after all the preparations are done!"