Chapter 13
Kai took a deep breath before speaking, the tension still racking him.
Is this how it feels like going on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
“Is the answer to what makes me feel scared mana?”
The corners of Virya’s mouth lifted slightly in what could barely be considered a smile. “It depends. Explain.”
Kai started going on with his speculations, “It all became clear when I used Mana Sense…”
After a good five minutes, Kai had told her all the hypotheses he could think of.
Virya put down the notebook she had been scribbling on and looked at him.
I bet she is enjoying this.
“I suppose I can consider that a good enough answer, if a bit messy. Now let me make things a bit clearer to you, child. This will be your first lesson, so listen carefully. I won’t repeat myself.
“First of all, you must understand how the Mana Sense skill works. Every human has the potential to perceive mana, but most people never cultivate that ability and some are more talented than others. To obtain the skill you must learn to use that innate ability consciously, like you did the first time you felt mana.
“The Guide helps ‘guide’ you and grow that natural ability through the skill. When you actively use the ability, the skill channels all that you have consciously and unconsciously learned. If you didn’t have Mana Sense, you would have to deeply focus like the first time you perceived mana to obtain any result at all.
“However, just because you learn the skill, that doesn’t mean actively using the skill is the only way to perceive mana. You didn’t lose the ability to do it the ‘natural way’ like your first time. On the contrary, the higher the skill level, the keener your mana senses will become, making unconscious awareness of mana also easier.”
Virya paused and Kai nodded to show he was following. He would need time to wrap his head around all the implications, but he understood.
“As you must have noticed by now, the mana concentration around my house is much higher than what you’re used to. Your body is overwhelmed by the mana in the air. It can feel like the air is almost solid and hard to breathe in.”
Kai nodded along. He had almost been blinded when using Mana Sense earlier, as if the brightness of the world had been increased tenfold, but it was still nothing compared to what he saw when he looked at Virya. People had a noticeable mana presence, but standing beside her was like staring at the sun. He immediately got a stabbing pain in his head and had to deactivate the skill.
“So, since you have the Mana Sense skill, you are more sensitive to the mana in your surroundings even if you are not conscious of it. When the mana density is extremely high, the next natural reaction is fear. As you stand in front of me, your subconscious is telling you to get as far away as possible. Usually, understanding how this works helps mitigate the reaction, as does repeated exposure.”
Virya then interrogated him to make sure he had listened and Kai successfully answered each question. She didn’t look impressed and proceeded to test his understanding further, asking about things she had not explained, but that could be deduced from her words.
This was a bit harder, but speculation and deduction from limited information were his bread and butter. He finally earned a small nod, but nothing else.
“Child, do you know why my earlier question was the most important one?”
Thinking about it for a moment, Kai confidently spoke. “Because the higher my Mana Sense level the more sensitive I should be and the easier I would notice and make the connection. So you were testing how good my skill is.”
“That is part of the reason, but I could have asked you directly and it doesn’t truly matter anyway,” Virya said, casually halving his ego.
“Always remember the level of your skills is important but it isn’t everything. They are all for nothing if you don’t know how to use them properly. The skills in your status are part of you each moment of the day. After having Mana Sense for four years that skill should be part of you. Your subconscious was probably screaming at you to use it all along, you must be able to listen.
“To give the correct answer you either need talent, good instincts or a sharp mind.”
Kai wasn’t sure if he understood what she was saying completely, but he nodded like a good student anyway.
“Now let’s call your mother back to discuss what to do.” Virya had already stood up when Kai gathered the courage to speak.
“You said I could ask you some questions later.” His voice more squeaky than he intended.
She paused as if wondering if she should turn him into a chicken for speaking up. Kai started sweating again, then she gracefully sat back down, “I indeed said that, come on then, ask away.”
Without wasting a moment, he immediately obliged.
“Why are you living here?” It was weird she chose such a remote place in an already remote archipelago.
“I like the quiet and tropical climate. It was a good place to retire before the governor started messing around.” Kai waited for her to go on, but she didn’t look like she was going to elaborate.
“How can you increase the mana density around your house?”
“It’s an array, I could explain it to you, but you don’t have the knowledge to understand it.”
There was no scoff or ridicule in her tone. It was a matter-of-fact statement, so Kai tried not to get deterred.
“Do you have a skill to tell if someone is lying?”
“No, but I can hear your heartbeats.”
That’s very disturbing.
“Would you have sent me away if I answered the last question wrong?”
“Not unless your answer was particularly stupid. I have a lot of free time and I need a fresh supply of children's blood for my dark rituals.”
His expression must have looked comic, because her stone facade crumbled into a laugh, “Rest assured child, I was only joking. You’ve been looking at me like I was about to eat you from the moment you saw me.”
“I thought you used the blood to keep yourself so young.” Kai rebutted, trying to get back a bit of his dignity.
Virya smiled, showing all her teeth, “I usually prefer to use their tormented souls for that, but I’ll try with blood next time.”
Her smile turned into a snarl that showed her ivory teeth, while her hand moved forward like claws ready to grasp him.
Kai jumped back and fell out of his chair.
Virya's laughter sounded more loudly than before. “You’re too easy, child. Now let’s go see your mom.” She stood up and pinched his cheek.
Kai couldn’t see it, but he was sure he must be red like a tomato. He begrudgingly followed her, barely keeping himself from pounding each step with his feet.
He never felt more like a child than right now.
Following Virya inside the main building, Kai almost didn't notice the beautiful interiors. They had entered a large hall with big glass windows that let in plenty of natural light. A large crystal chandelier hung unlit over their heads.
The floor was covered with polished tiles of a warm ochre and white rock, so smooth you could see your reflection. Paintings of strange marine creatures and cities decorated the hall, alternated by curiosities and artifacts hung on the walls or seated in small alcoves. With a glance, Kai observed what looked like an obsidian horn that shimmered in the light.
He momentarily forgot his wounded pride and started to admire it. There were dozens of objects demanding his attention just on this wall. His gaze jumped up and down the hall, he didn’t have enough eyes.
Right then Alana called out to him, she was sitting at a long table. Elijah was also there busy scribbling on some papers.
He reluctantly walked towards her. The table was another masterpiece, a light gray lacquered wood with a hypnotic texture and fourteen matching chairs.
Virya sat at the head of the table and asked Elijah what they had decided.
“How did it go?” Alana whispered to him, Kai gave her an edited summary, there was no need to tell every single detail.
“I knew you’d make me proud, sweetie.” His mom looked radiant. It was now his turn to ask her what happened.
Elijah had asked her to tell him anything that could be found in Greenside. They then drafted a list of the goods they wished to acquire. Alana would be responsible for finding them, negotiating the prices within the budget given and delivering them on time.
After she showed him the list, Kai blanched, “Mom, how will you be able to transport all those goods by yourself?”
“Don’t worry, Elijah lent me a spatial bag." She picked up a brown bag lying behind her chair. It looked more like a case with some leather straps, so simple and unassuming he had not noticed it before she picked it up.
“Your father had told me about them, but I had never seen one before. He said they were extremely expensive.” His mother proceeded to explain how it worked. It was more or less how he imagined. On the inside, it was far bigger, but you would feel about a third of the weight of what you put in.
As the first truly magical item Kai could touch, it felt a bit disappointing. It still looked like an ordinary old bag to him. Alana instead looked like a giddy child on Christmas morning, she held the bag with more care than she ever used with him.
They quietly waited for Virya and Elijah to finish speaking. Even if they were beside them, they couldn’t hear a thing. Kai tried to stretch his hand to see if there was some invisible barrier blocking the sound, but his mother stopped him with a stern glance.
A few minutes later Virya turned to address them, “Alana, you should get going, there are still a few hours of light and I expect the delivery in a week.”
“I must thank you for your kindness now, Lady Virya.” Alana bowed her head as a sign of respect.
“Your gratitude is appreciated, but you must not misunderstand. I'll keep considering your employment separate from your request for a teacher for your son. You can keep whatever remains after you buy the items on the list.”
Wait does that mean she won't take me—
“The child can stay here for now. I’ll provide everything he might need.”
Dang it! He wasn’t sure if he should be happy or not. He had come here not expecting anything, now he was going to stay with these strange people for the near future.
“Elijah will show you out. If I find the child lacking, you will take him with you when you come back.”
With that, the conversation was over. Alana told him her goodbyes, kissing him on his forehead and making him promise to be on his best behavior.
Kai watched her back as she slowly disappeared among the trees.
Well, if this doesn’t work out, I only have to last till the end of the week.
“Follow me.” That annoying butler appeared behind his back, making him jump.
The smirk on his face showed it had not been an accident.
“Don’t worry I’m sure your mother will come back. That spatial bag is worth more than she will ever earn in her whole life, but I’m sure she’ll be back.” He smiled coldly at him.
Mom, why did you leave me here?
Elijah led him out of the main building towards a much smaller annex on the side. Maybe it had been the servant quarters once, but now there wasn’t anyone there. Besides its much bigger neighbor, it looked quite modest.
“As long as you stay with us, you’ll live here.”
The butler gave him a tour of the house. It had two bedrooms three times as big as the room he shared with his sisters, an even bigger living room with a small kitchenette in a corner and lastly—but definitely not for importance—a bathroom with actual running water.
When he saw it Kai almost cried tears of joy. He had no idea how they made it work, but all that mattered was that it worked. His stay here suddenly seemed more appealing.
With the switch of a lever, water started to flow out of a tube. It wasn’t heated, but it was already an extreme luxury for him, there was even a bathtub. Elijah looked at him weirdly for all his antics, but then he shook his head and moved on.
“That is all. Choose a room and try not to make a mess. You should also clean yourself before going to bed, you’ll find soap in the bathroom. You stink.”
Kai was too overjoyed by having running water in his house to care about the comment. He nodded his head smiling.
A moment later the butler was gone. Kai didn’t waste any time, took off his clothes and filled the bathtub. The water was chilly, but he hardly noticed.
“This is extreme luxury,” he sighed. Rubbing his body with a coarse piece of soap he felt like a king.
Once he was clean, he felt much better, but now he had a problem: he had not brought any extra clothes with him. He only had the dirty clothes he had worn on the way here. It told a lot about how high of a chance he gave to this gamble.
Looking outside a window that had actual glass panes, Kai judged he still had a few hours of light. He quickly washed his clothes and hung them outside to dry in the sun.
Looking around he didn’t see anybody, so he walked naked along the shore. It was nice to walk on a beach of real sand. It wasn’t as beautiful as that in Whiteshore, but it was a close second.
The bay wasn’t very big—relatively speaking—a few kilometers long at most. The mansion was on the southern end, so he walked north for half an hour before turning back. His clothes were perfectly dry by the time he got back and someone had even left a plate of food in the living room.
It looked like someone reheated a few leftovers and added a mango as a dessert. Kai ate everything in minutes. There were even a few pieces of meat that weren’t fish. It was all delicious.
With his belly full, he did a quick session of meditation to calm his mind. After getting to Greenside, he had stopped doing daily meditation; now was a good time to regain the habit. He wasn’t far from level 50.
Half an hour later he was ready for bed. Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day, whether pleasant or awful it was still hard to tell.