---
"So, what I want to tell you is that you'll have to go to Elysium, the Royal Academy. But before that, you'll need to work for my wine since I don't have any money right now. We only have food and drinks—just water and cheap wine—that have been preserved in this sanctuary."
After he finished, I sat there staring into space. Deep down, I already knew what I had to do. To regain my noble status, I would have to go to the academy. To succeed, I needed to learn how to wield weapons and master magic, all while working for the geezer (Denim) to earn his damn wine.
After his speech, he told me I had the whole day free to explore.
I wandered into the study, then the observatory, and eventually the cultivation room. The concentration of Mana in the room was so dense I could almost touch it.
"This is definitely not a normal sanctuary," I muttered. "The other kids who grew up in sanctuaries never mentioned anything like a cultivation room, let alone one with this level of Mana density."
After marveling for a while, I decided to check out the lake behind the sanctuary.
The lake was stunning, its surface shimmering like glass, with flowers blooming along its banks. I tore off my clothes and jumped in.
Just as I was about to submerge myself fully in the water, a girl's face surfaced before me.
"Mermaid!" I shouted, completely losing my momentum. I twisted mid-air, landing flat on my back in the water with a loud splash.
As I sank beneath the surface, I caught a glimpse of her entire figure before something hard hit my head, and everything went black.
---
### Girl's POV
This pervert suddenly appeared out of nowhere, saw me naked, and shouted, "Mermaid!" Should I kill him before he wakes up?
I came here to relax after training, and this good-for-nothing had to ruin my peace. Still, there's something unusual about him. His right hand has a strange, dark Mana radiating from it. Is he injured? Or is he charging a magic attack?
---
### Eason's POV
I slowly opened my eyes to see a girl standing over me, holding a **jian**. She unsheathed it as I sat up.
"Why did you come here? Why are you charging Mana in your right hand? And what are you going to do to compensate for seeing me naked?" she demanded, her cheeks turning rosy.
"I'm really sorry about that! I didn't mean to! I didn't even know you were here!" I stammered.
"Do you think I'd believe that? Everyone around here knows this is *my* spot," she retorted.
"Well, I'm new here," I said, trying to defend myself.
"Then why are you still swirling Mana in your right hand?" she asked, still on guard.
"The thing is... I was poisoned by someone, and their Mana residue is still there, even after the injury was healed," I explained nervously.
"Scram and never come here again. If you do, we'll fight for ownership of this spot—and if you lose, you'll die," she said with a maniacal smile.
Her blade, now sheathed, gave off a strange energy. She grabbed my arm, pulling me to my feet.
"Get dressed and get out," she ordered.
"Where are my clothes, mermaid?" I asked, unsure of what else to call her.
She pointed to a bush nearby, glaring.
"And never call me 'mermaid' again. My name is Leah."
"Okay, Leah," I said quickly, pulling on my clothes before running home. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.
---
I carefully snuck into the house, shutting the door as quietly as I could.
Just as I was about to relax, a hand gripped my shoulder.
"Where have you been?"
"I… I was just swimming in the lake," I stammered.
Denim smirked. "Do you think I didn't see you? You were out there peeking at showering girls."
"I was not!" I yelled, my face turning red. "You ballox!"
He laughed. "You see why you need to learn how to use a weapon? She messed you up real good."
"Anyway, go eat dinner, brush your teeth, and sleep. You've got training tomorrow," he added, walking away with a grin.
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