"Oppa! Don't leave me behind, please!"
Arte cried at me tearfully like a top actress in a morning drama. As to why she did that...
'Probably because I was packing my things and preparing to leave.'
I smiled at her and said.
"I'm not leaving you, so let's go."
"Yes, Oppa! Let's stay together until death!"
Arte tottered up to me and stuck close like a cicada, as if afraid I would change my mind in a heartbeat. It was the day after I had completely healed Arte.
We had a deep talk last night about the way Arte called me. Even after introducing my name, I felt embarrassed to hear Arte kept calling me hubby. So I told her to call me Oppa instead. Of course, she just tilted her head about why she should call me Big Brother.
'I tried to convince her in many ways...'
It was only when I told her that "Oppa" is a word for calling someone closer to you than a "Hubby" did she finally call me that.
"(Even closer than a hubby?! Then I'll call you Oppa and you'll call me Oppa!)"
Of course, it was chaotic in many ways. But it was surprisingly fun to be with her.
'Is this how it felt to have a troublesome little sister?'
I shook my head and smiled at the silly thought. Anyway, I managed to coax her to call me Oppa, which is less embarrassing than having her call me "hubby", "dear", or the likes.
'Still, staying together until death is probably too much, isn't it?'
I decided to said something about this as we walked in the forest side-by-side.
"Let's stay together only until we find an orphanage, okay?"
"What's an orphanage?"
"It's a place where children your age gather."
"Oh! Ooh! Orphanage is good! Is the food tasty?"
"Well… maybe not?"
"Orphanage is bad!"
That was the moment Arte learned the horror of orphanage.
"Still, it's better than eating fruits and fish, right?"
"Oppa's cooking tastes good! So even grass is good!"
"Even I wouldn't cook grass, you know?"
"But they're tasty?"
"You… what did I say about putting things in your mouth?"
"Ah! Oppa is angry! Run! Hehe."
I shook my head and followed her in a state of stealth. She hid behind a tree and closed her mouth and nose with both hands as if trying to hold her breath.
Then, like a professional suicidal assassin, she took a peek at where I was standing from behind the tree and--
"Boo!"
"Kyaaa!"
I showed up like a ghost, and she jumped back in fright.
"Ah, sorry, was that too much?"
It's been a while since I played with children, so that might be too much after all.
"Oh! Oppa! What was that, what was that? Just now, you suddenly went poof and swoosh!"
But was it because she realized it was me and not a real ghost? Instead of being angry, Arte ran up to me with sparkling eyes.
"It's a skill called [Perfect Stealth]."
"Skill? I don't know what it is, but it sounds cool! Teach me! Teach me!"
"My mastery is still low, so I can't teach you, sorry."
"Hieeeng, that's not fair… Then show me again! I'll learn to play hide-and-seek by myself!"
"Oh! I like your spirit! Then, look properly, cadet Arte!"
"Yes, sir!"
She was staring at me without blinking. I smiled and slowly activated [Perfect Stealth].
"Oh! Ooh!"
Then, Arte began to look around as if trying to find me. I positioned myself to where she was looking and undo my stealth.
"Wow! That's so cool! You can be the best hide-and-seek player with that!"
What kind of title is the best hide-and-seek player? I smiled wryly as Arte circled me and praised me.
"Then, it's my turn! Let me show you, Oppa!"
"Yes?"
"I'm going to do it too! Now!"
"Oh? Then, cadet Arte. Show me what you've got!"
"Yes! Hehe. Now watch!"
Arte closed her eyes and frowned as if concentrating deeply.
"Hngggh!"
And then--
"Oh! Ooh! I can feel it! I can feel the power surging!"
It was as she said. It's not stealth, but I, too, can feel a surge of power from her.
'Mana?'
It was a familiar power.
'A mana user at her age? She must be very talented, too.'
However, there's something weird with this sight.
'Why is her mana flooding out like that…? No way! Did she just awaken her mana?! '
I can feel my face stiffening as I run up to Arte. Everything in this world has mana, including living beings. This is true whether or not those living beings can use their mana.
If I have to make a comparison, mana is like water for the body. Lose a bit, and you'll get dehydrated. Lose too much, and you'll start to get sick.
'So what will happen if all of that mana leaves their body?'
At best, they would receive mana exhaustion and faint. At worst, they would wither up and die.
Fortunately, losing all of your mana can only happen when you awaken your mana, a once-in-a-lifetime event for mana users. Of course, it's very rare for someone to die from mana awakening because they subconsciously know they should leave some mana behind.
But there is always an exception to everything. And what I'm seeing now might be one of such exceptions.
'It looks like all of her mana will really leave her!'
I can't delay any longer.
"Arte! Listen to me! You must stop all of your mana from leaving!"
She opened her eyes.
"Mana? You mean this?"
"Yes! I'll help you form a circle in your mind, so you must suck the mana back into your body, okay?"
"Okay~! Here goes… Eii!"
Arte let out a cute shout and sucked the mana that leaked out. Heck, she even sucked the mana from the atmosphere!
'What?! How could she absorb mana from the atmosphere just like that? And she is actually fine?!'
I checked with my vision skill, and she was indeed okay. Absorbing mana from the atmosphere was similar to drinking polluted seawater without getting sick or poisoned.
You can do it, sure. But without following an annoying procedure, you might even receive permanent damage to your body.
Which is why alchemists are really sought after, because they can create mana potions from nature that anyone could consume. However, even mana potions can elicit side-effects depending on their grade.
So absorbing mana from nature directly like this, without receiving any side effects, is really absurd. And that's not everything surprising about Arte--
'Such precise mana control. And being able to circulate this much mana without a circle… is she talented in magic?'
Not only was she talented as a mana user, did she also have an aptitude as a magician? If so, this is a big deal.
As I dumbfoundedly watched Arte guide the mana to her body, she looked at me and asked.
"I did it! So what was it again? A circle?"
"Ah, yes. It's formed within the mind and not in any particular organ. I'll explain later, but can you trust me and follow my lead for now?"
"Of course, Oppa! I'll put my trust in you."
"Okay. Then, excuse me."
I pressed my forehead to hers, roused my mana, and closed my eyes to focus.
"Eh? Eh?! M- My first kiss. No, since it's only the forehead, is this a new play?!"
… I seemed to hear something weird, but I closed my eyes to ignore it and regained my focus. And then--
"Ah…"
It seemed like Arte had also seen the mental image I had sent to her. This was a very crude way to use mana. Since I was trying to forcefully attune her mind with my own by having both of our mana circulate and resonate.
'If I can use [Telepathy], then it would be easier, but…'
[Telepathy] was in the domain of talent and not something anyone could attain from learning or hard working. In fact, even Bianca could barely do it, and that's only if the distance was short.
'The Seer can do it, though.'
If I have to make a comparison, The Seer was probably the most similar existence to me when I was still a player. Why? Because we share many similarities in terms of abilities.
We could send messages into other people's heads. We could see far and wide with [Clairvoyance]. We could even find almost any information we want when in trouble. By doing an internet search in my case, and by reading the [Akashic Record] in her case.
'There are many other similarities, too, but...'
It would be much later before I could even meet her, so I should just focus on Arte. I told Arte what to do next, and she successfully formed her 1st-level mana circle.
Maybe because of the exhaustion, Arte let her body relax and fall onto my chest as I held her small waist with both hands. Her face was flushed, her hair was messy, she was sweating and breathing heavily, and she even had this enraptured gaze as she looked at me!
What is this? If anyone saw this they would definitely misunderstand what happened just now as something erotic!
Arte regained her smile before long and dropped another bomb.
"Wow! Oppa, Oppa! What was that? It seemed like you just poured something hot and sticky inside me… it felt good…"
What is?! She's talking about the imagery just now, right? So why is she blushing and squirming as you said that?
"Also, also! My mind has become clearer and I can think faster! Have I become smart, Oppa?"
Fortunately, her mind was very innocent and pure. So I nodded my head vigorously in an attempt to drive away the bad thoughts.
"Yes, yes. Arte is not only smart but also a genius."
"Hehe. Oppa praised me."
Arte blushed and giggled. She then jumped around in my arms.
"Praise me more! Praise me more!"
If she had a tail, it would probably be wagging right now. I smiled at the thought and continued to praise Arte as she's smiling the entire time.
It was an eventful day in many ways. I never thought the random girl I saved would end up being a talented magician that could even suck mana from the atmosphere.
That was the moment Arte became a mana user.