"Andreas, do you know why the mana of the stone furnace and the mana of the heart are not distinguished and both called 'mana'?"
His words made me pause for a moment and think.
Why do they both have to be generalized as 'mana'?
Just like petroleum and coal are different fuels, the mana of a knight and the mana of a sorcerer have different uses, yet they are given the same name.
"It's because they are literally the same energy source. There's no need to think too hard about it."
"Well, I guess..."
There was nothing to say in response to such an obvious statement.
But if I delve deeper, I wondered how they came to know that they are ultimately the same energy source.
"Discovering that is the work of the sorcerers' research. And they probably uncovered this fact."
As if expecting my dull reaction, Salem added.
"Now, think about it. If they are indeed the same energy source, couldn't they be interchangeable?"
"Are you saying that using the mana of the stone furnace, one can perform magic, or using the mana of the heart, one can strengthen the body?"
"What do you think?"
I pursed my lips in response to his question.
If that were possible...
"If it's possible, people like me would become the bellies of ordinary individuals."
"It depends on which mana is more developed, but that's the idea."
Salem nodded his head.
In the game, I had never even thought of such a possibility.
Even though I had a high level of freedom, the game still had its limitations, and my imagination was confined within those boundaries.
"Of course, as you know, there is a property to mana, so using the mana of the heart to enhance the body has side effects. Depending on the nature of the mana, the aura color changes. Conversely, using the mana of the stone furnace for magic weakens its power. In this case, it's due to the unfamiliar nature."
"Are you saying that it's currently possible to switch?"
"No, it's more like a transfer. Let me teach you. It's the original magic I created."
Salem started drawing on the floor as he spoke.
The explanation of the diagram and the arrangement of mana were easy for me to understand.
"It's simple, right? There aren't many people who can use this magic in the first place. People like us are rare cases."
He said that and suggested that I take notes.
Since only people with a dual-core could use it, it didn't matter if the information spread widely.
"The name of the magic is 'Mana Transfer.' But honestly, you can call it whatever you like."
Mana Transfer.
Looking at the diagram, it felt like moving mana to the heart or to the stone furnace.
"It may not seem like much, but I struggled quite a bit to create this. It may not look like anything special, but when you create this magic, you might have to shed some blood two or three times."
"Can I try using it now?"
"Yes. The diagram itself is easy, so the activation should be easy too."
After confirming that the activation of the diagram didn't consume much mana, I immediately sent the mana from my heart to the stone furnace.
"It's quite strange."
"Are you doing it?"
"Yes. It's not moving as much as I thought."
"Oh, really? Do you feel any pain?"
"I can endure it."
"As expected, you're a weirdo I've acknowledged. Hahaha!"
Although I didn't understand what he was saying all of a sudden, I left him laughing and activated the mana.
The mana that was originally in my heart mixed with the mana of the stone furnace and enhanced my body.
"It feels sticky."
The energy surrounding my body felt humid and sticky, unlike usual.
Then, I drew my sword and infused mana into it, and the black mana enveloped the blade.
"Well, that's a bit interesting."
"Don't worry. No one will suspect you. Besides, the mana of the stone furnace has various colors, so it doesn't mean anything."
It was true, but the color itself still felt ominous.
Still, I felt a sense of security as if I had taken out an insurance policy, regardless of the color.
"Thank you once again, Salem."
"This is nothing. In fact, I feel like it's not enough."
He expressed his dissatisfaction and then put the spear back on his back.
"I'm going now. The toys are a bit far away."
"Are you leaving already?"
"Why? Do you want me to stay longer? You can take care of the rest yourself, whether you fry or boil it."
"Wait a moment. Can I ask one more thing?"
"What is it?"
I asked him something that I had been curious about since our last meeting.
"You said you know about my father. What do you know about our family?"
"Well, your father was a student of Morun. Did you really not know?"
What is he talking about?
Was my father a student of Morun? Does that mean my father was a necromancer?
This was a secret that was not revealed even in the game.
My father didn't leave any last words when he passed away, so I had no way of knowing.
"Was it that he didn't leave anything, or that he couldn't leave anything?"
I lacked information.
The only people who might know are Salem and Morun.
The fact that I was able to learn magic from Salem was a shock that overshadowed the joy.
"For now, let's go home."
There are no answers to be found by pondering here.
I decided to head to the Welton Territory.
After parting ways with Salem, I immediately headed to the Welton Territory.
Although my mind was filled with complex thoughts, I didn't forget to practice the magic Salem taught me along the way.
"Yes. Let's calm down for now."
What's the use of worrying?
Perhaps my father left something behind at the Apple Tree Mansion.
Although the mansion had been auctioned off, I shouldn't have high expectations.
Soon, I got off the train and hailed a carriage to the Apple Tree Mansion.
"It's been a while..."
Or should I say that?
As I passed by familiar landscapes that I remembered, it felt hazy as if I had seen them in a dream.
Returning to the Welton Territory after almost three years, nothing had changed.
The long road stretched out with fields on either side, and the sporadic apple trees extended their branches desolately without a single leaf.
As I arrived at the entrance to the suburban town of Welton, the guards checked my identity.
"Thank you for your hard work, even late at night."
"It's not a problem. We get plenty of sleep during the day."
"Who's the guest?"
"Please wait a moment, sir. Guest?"
Just as the guard was about to speak, I opened the carriage door myself.
"You can drop me off here. I'll walk from here."
After saying that, I approached the guard who was standing to inspect the carriage.
"Oh, Andreas?"
Then, he immediately covered his mouth and hurriedly lowered his head.
Now that I looked closely, I recognized him as someone I knew.
"Ah, excuse me. Your Highness Cromwell."
"It's been a while, Adam."
Since I set foot in this place to establish myself apart from Cromwell Territory, he had been one of the guards from the beginning.
He was a man who had a carefree personality and often drank alcohol with my father, and to me, he was like an uncle.
"How have you been all this time?"
"Oh, Adam, you've grown a white beard. I guess you can't fool your age."
"Hahaha! I'm embarrassed."
Adam burst into laughter and looked at me.
"You seem to have changed."
"Is that so?"
"In the past, Your Highness seemed like someone who was always in a hurry."
He must be talking about the time before I became Andreas.
I understand well.
The previous Andreas, who was always in a hurry, and the changed Adam.
We were both talking about ourselves at different times.
Slowly, I thought it was time to go in and said goodbye to Adam, heading into the city.
As it was late at night, the entire village, except for the mana lamps, was dim and quiet.
I walked through the streets slowly, taking in the surroundings.
Familiar landscapes.
But somewhere felt unfamiliar.
"I guess I'll have to get used to it gradually."
Now I am Andreas Cromwell.
As I reached the residential area, I could see the Apple Tree Mansion in the distance.
A low fence, a lush grassy garden, and a mansion with a rustic design that only appeared large.
I don't even know why it's called Apple Tree Mansion.
There aren't any apple trees around.
The fence was low, so I simply jumped over it and approached the entrance of the mansion, knocking on the door.
After knocking and waiting for a while, I heard someone's voice.
"Who is it?"
It was the voice of Alki, Lupin's husband, who was the butler.
He had a strong and fit body, as befitting the head of the blacksmith's workshop.
"It's me, Alki. It's Andreas."
As I spoke, the door opened slightly, and someone peeked out from the gap.
Then, it swung open wide, and Alki, with his robust physique, looked at me.
"My lord, I didn't expect you to come like this. Please come in."
"I'm sorry, it's late."
Upon my words, Alki's eyes widened, and he quickly lowered his hands.
"No, no, please come in. Shall I wake up my wife? Should I prepare anything, just in case?"
"It's fine. Don't bother waking her up. Is there a guest room?"
"Yes. Allow me to show you."
Judging by his expression, he seemed flustered and surprised.
It was a look that seemed as if I had eaten something wrong, but considering the previous Andreas, it was a reaction that could be expected.
"Rest here."
"Yes. My lord, please rest comfortably."
Alki led me to the room, which happened to be the one I used before.
Surprisingly, the furniture and belongings were just as they were.
Of course, the memories were a bit hazy, so it wasn't entirely accurate.
"It finally feels real."
The place where I spent most of my time before entering the Academy.
I quietly organized my belongings, feeling the emotion of finally reclaiming my home.
"I'm glad you're safe."
It was morning, and the people in the mansion welcomed me back.
To be precise, only Amy welcomed me, while the others remained reserved, but it didn't matter.
Amy, who seemed to be working in the capital, knew about the attack incident during the Academy evaluation.
Since I had sent a message in advance, assuring them of my safety, their worries were somewhat alleviated, but seeing me in person seemed to put them even more at ease.
After having a light breakfast at the restaurant and getting up, Amy stopped me.
"Oppa, guess what I found at home?"
"What is it?"
"Come and see."
Was it because of the letter asking me to come quickly?
I followed her for now.
The place she led me to was Father's study.
As far as I remembered, I had never been inside the study because the access was strictly restricted.
"Come to think of it, Amy went in once when she was young and got scolded severely."
As I entered the study, a neatly organized room came into view.
Books were neatly arranged on shelves on both sides, and the desk in front of the window was clean.
"I'm coming here for the first time."
"Right? But there's something even more amazing. Press this once."
I examined the small indentation that Amy was pointing to.
Well, it wasn't exactly a dent, but something rather ambiguous.
"What is this?"
"Just press it once."
I scratched my head, but following her words, I touched the indentation.
Then, a sharp pain surged through my finger, and it began to bleed as if pricked by a needle.
"What is this?"
"Look, Oppa!"
As I pressed my finger to stop the bleeding, I reflexively turned my head at Amy's words.
Then, I noticed a huge magic circle being drawn in the study, centered on the floor.
"It seems like it works for you too, Oppa! I tried it with Lupin, but her finger only bled, and nothing like this happened. Maybe it only works for Cromwells!"
Amy's excited voice echoed in my ears.
This is...
"Dangerous...?"
Through the experiences I had gone through, I discovered that our family had a hidden secret.
It was clear that this incident was also related to that.
Did Father hide something?
Soon, a round door appeared on the floor, filled with mysterious magic.
The door was attached to the floor, but it transformed into a form that could be opened.
Carefully, I tried opening the door, and unlike before, it opened smoothly.
As the door opened, I saw a staircase leading down.
Given the structure of the house, there shouldn't have been such a staircase. It seemed that some sort of magic was at work.
"I should check it out."
After telling Amy to leave the room, she hesitated for a moment but nodded when she saw my serious expression.
"If there's anything, call for me."
"Okay."
As she left the study, I immediately approached the door and placed the ring into the indentation.
Then, I felt an unknown magic being activated within the door.
The door, like a snake, moved with a subtle sound and transformed into a form that could be opened.
With caution, I opened the door, revealing a staircase leading downward.
Even without any light, it was brightly lit, and along with it, a strong aura of mana was pulsating.
"This aura..."