Autumn passed without incident, marked by steady progress. I checked my status again, quickly scanning the unchanged details like age, level, and race. Status.
Name: Damiano (Callahan O'Shea)
HP: 30/30
MP: 35/35
SP: 6/6
Strength: 1
Agility: 2
Fortitude: 6
Intelligence: 5
Wisdom: 2
Charisma: 5 (+46)
Unspent points: 0
Status: Awake. Alert.
It appeared that each season spanned about fifteen weeks. I earnestly began my mana absorption efforts in the early weeks of fall, realizing I was already lagging behind. Despite the HP regen not completely healing the damage taken in two weeks, I managed to gain only five extra MP by the season's end.
Overhearing the Duchess and Duke Calo discussing my mana growth, especially noting my already substantial amount for someone so young, initially concerned me. However, observing their lack of continued discussion or peculiar behavior after this revelation led me to believe that while rare, such a phenomenon was not unprecedented.
Duchess Calo seemed to echo my urgency to grow quickly. She often spoke about raising the most powerful mage in the world, relishing the idea of flaunting it in everyone's faces. I pondered what fascinated her so much about power.
Despite her somewhat extreme enthusiasm, I believed that as I grew older, she would support my quest for power by any means necessary. Our picnics in the cool fall air were frequently punctuated by Duchess Calo's infectious, almost maniacal laughter.
Over the course of the season, my relationship with Mona became strained. What had once been a warm and nurturing bond had slowly morphed into something more tense and distant. By the beginning of winter, her demeanor had shifted to almost hostile.
I didn't know the specifics, but I had overheard snippets from the other servants suggesting that Mona was facing challenges in her personal life.
I found myself wondering about her life outside the confines of our manor. What trials and tribulations did she face? Mona was the only servant I felt close to, and the thought of losing her weighed heavily on me.
Despite my efforts, even my 1000-watt baby smile seemed to have lost some of its charm on her. I could only hope that whatever troubles she was facing would pass, and our relationship would return to its former warmth.
On the bright side, Duke Calo remained a consistent source of delight, his demeanor softening with every visit as he succumbed to my innocent charms.
As the days grew cooler, I observed the city's climate, noting its remarkable temperance. Despite the season progressing towards late fall, the weather remained pleasantly cool, devoid of any hint of snow.
It struck me as unusual, considering the previous world, which had experienced a significant lack of snow in its later years. This scarcity was largely attributed to the widespread use of weather control devices, which effectively prevented snowfall. The planet's climate had undergone drastic changes, especially after the 21st century's global warming, leaving it unable to recover fully.
Meanwhile, I dedicated my time to honing my magical skills and enhancing my mana sense, both of which showed promising improvement.
Magic Basics. Rank 3.
You know the basics of manipulating mana into casting magic. Effect of spells is increased per rank above 1.
Basic Mana Sense. Rank 3.
You can roughly sense and manipulate mana out to a range of 7 feet. Effect diminishes nearing the end of the range.
As my mana sense advanced in rank and its range expanded, I noticed a slight improvement in the resolution of the sense in my immediate vicinity.
It became apparent that as your mana sense broadened its scope, the level of detail gradually diminished. This phenomenon mirrored how our perception of sounds and smells diminishes as their sources move farther away.
During a picnic with the ducal couple, I decided to observe them both with my mana sense.
Duchess Calo appeared to be overflowing with mana. To my mana sense, ambient mana resembled a cloud of powder, while the Duchess felt like a solid piece of steel in comparison.
Surprisingly, the Duke possessed more mana than both Mona and me, despite not being a mage himself. It seemed that mana accumulation increased with age.
One evening, in a daring experiment, I expelled three MP worth of mana from both my palms and attempted to collect them simultaneously.
The experience was akin to trying to rub your belly and pat someone else's head as they evaded your touch. Each attempt to condense one mana clump seemed to accelerate the dissipation of the other, creating a frustrating back-and-forth.
Achieving dual casting seemed to require a monumental amount of practice. The ideal method would involve simultaneously compressing both clumps, applying the correct ratios to each spell, and finalizing the visualization for both spells at once.
The realization of what achieving dual casting would entail left me devastated. The complexity only deepened when I considered that if I wanted to dual cast ice and a fireball, I would likely need different mana amounts and elemental ratios for each spell.
Nevertheless, I persisted in my practice, noticing incremental improvements with each attempt.
In addition to the candle flame, I had devised a sort of explosion spell. While I called it an explosion, given the small amounts of mana I was manipulating, it was more akin to a miniature firework.
What intrigued me was that the spell's steps mirrored those of the candle spell, yet it culminated in a different visualization. I speculated that I could potentially create a small firebolt by incorporating some space mana to propel it. However, that would have to wait for another time.
The potential for combining skills, their strengths, and elemental properties filled me with anticipation. I eagerly anticipated fully grasping these possibilities. However, practical application at this scale proved to be very mana-intensive. I realized the importance of fine-tuning the ratios before the system finalized the spell.
While engrossed in my mana sense practice, Mona abruptly entered the room, causing the door to bang loudly.
Mona's arrival was marked by a sense of frustration. Upon entering, she muttered almost to herself, "Wake up! We're being relocated to Sampagnanoli! Apparently, it's too dangerous in the city, so you and I are being hidden in the Duke's island villa."
I remained silent, understanding that her words were more about venting her personal frustrations than seeking a response. However, her announcement did give me pause. The manor is too dangerous? Between the ducal couple and all their guards, I think this is the safest place ever. Also, where is this Sampagnanoli?