Mikeal got inside the tree house with Anna by his side. He built up a wooden chair and a four-seater sofa by the side.
He wanted to hurry up to the four-seater wooden sofa when he collapsed on the floor with his face down.
"Your Highness!!". She hurried to him immediately.
"I am okay. Help me to the sofa". He says, unable to move even a muscle in his body.
Anna Princess carried him and comfortably laid his body on the sofa with his eyes facing toward the ceiling.
'So this is what it feels like to run out of mana!'. He thought.
Being a newly awakened, Mikeal has had a difficult time keeping track of how much mana he has in his pool, vital information that could prove crucial in certain cases.
Like say he is currently engaged in a battle with a formidable foe, it is important to note how long his mana can last on the battlefield.
That way, he will be able to time his attacks and keep track of how many spells and skills he can use before he exhausts himself.
"You have something to say". He asked, her eyes gleaming with questions.
"Your Highness, Do forgive me for asking so rudely but for what reason have we come here". She inquired, down on one knee.
"No need to be so dramatic Anna, I can already guess where your question is heading. Take a seat over there, it is uncomfortable having to talk with you on your knees".
"But your Highness".
"And enough with that. As we both know, I am no longer a prince. Referring to me as my lord would be better. That is after all my title now". He interrupted, correcting her smoothly.
She got up on her knee and took the wooden seat he had earlier built to sit on.
"You asked me why I came here, right". He says, watching her take her seat. "My answer is the same as what I told them. I came here to be the lord of Eworin land as ordered by my father". He added.
"If it is as you say, why then do you seek to antagonize the villagers".
She might have been wrong but Mikeal does not strike her as the tyrant kind who would forcefully impose his will on others.
If that was his goal, that speech he gave about saving them, he wouldn't have done that. He also would not have taken their hopes up with promises of rescuing their captured ones.
Anna wants to believe that there is something more to this. Perhaps a hidden view she isn't seeing clearly can shed light on his actions.
"If at all you killed the hostages for no reason, the least you could have done is to kill that man as well and make it seem as if they were killed by the bandits. Telling the villagers you killed them is...".
She didn't want to complete her statement as it would sound like blasphemy to her ears.
"Foolish. Isn't that what you want to say".
"Your Hi-... My lord, I would never dare". Anna says, defensively.
"It's okay Anna. I understand your point. Looking at things from your angle, it does seem foolish of me to do that". He said with a smile.
"Then my lord, why did you". She enquired, unable to get what he was thinking.
"Because Anna... Because I intend to be a lord to them". Mikeal replied, his tone showing that he had no thoughts of explaining further.
Anna doesn't get it. How can killing their beloved and confessing it straight to their faces make him a lord?!
No doubt, these are traits of a tyrannical lord. Mikeal intends to be a tyrant, to rule over the people with fear and unquestionable authority.
"Anna, I intend to rest a bit. Can you not disturb me during that time". He requested.
"Certainly my lord".
...
'Status'. He called, inwardly.
____________________
å STATUS DISPLAY
|Name:
|[Mikeal Emedia]|
.
|Years In Use:
|[15]|
.
|Race:
|[Human]|
.
|Blessing:
|[Divine Tree]|
.
|Magic:
|[Druid Magic]|
.
|Rank:
|[First Class Mage]|
.
|Inherent Skill:
|[Blessing Of The Druid]||[ Synthesize]|
|[Blessing Of The Druid]|: Grants the user affinity over all wood attribute, including the authority to manipulate wood attribute
|[ Synthesize]|: It allows the user to grow their blessing by nurturing it with external mana
|Synthesized Magic:
|[Flame Magic]|
|Flame Skill:
|[Flame Number Pierce]|: A skill attained after the process of divine tree synthesization. The skill allows the user to condense heat as an attack form.
|Extra Skill:
|[Druid Sense Share]|: A skill that permits its user to share senses with their created druid ability.
.
'As I suspected! A new skill slot has been added. Extra skill is it? And under that skill slot is a new skill, druid sense share!'.
Mikeal had already assumed what brought about the presence of the new skill slot and the new skill Druid Sense Share!
He felt it that time he had connected his senses to the vine as a way of seeing what was happening in the cave without actually going into it.
At that time, something happened in him, something he can't describe in words but could feel as different.
Turns out what was happening was him gaining a new skill slot and a new skill.
'Does that mean my actions can determine the skills I can get?'. He presumed.
Looking at the circumstantial evidence on the ground, the only reason he got the new skill slot and the new skill is because he thought he could do that thing and he did it! This led to the addition of a new skill slot.
There is no other explanation except for his actions directly influencing the skills he can attain.
'This is all still confusing for me. If only Siveth was here, she could shed light on the subject'.
Contrary to Mikeal, Siveth appears as an expert in the world of mages and is capable of explaining matters like this to him.
If he could, Mikeal would waste no time summoning Siveth. But he can't now. He has exhausted his mana and has to wait to regain it before trying to summon her.