He stood up and slowly demonstrated a stance.
I followed him.
The technique of the Sword King was quite complex.
We trained for over an hour.
When we stopped, I was drenched in sweat and collapsed on the grass.
My chest rose and fell as I tried to catch my breath.
"You lasted quite a while. It looks like your body is stronger than I expected." Dad crouched beside me, and grinned.
I gave him a tired nod.
He looked up.
"Drink’s here."
A maid approached, carrying two glasses of something cold and minty.
Mom waved at us from the pavilion.
I closed my eyes for a second, breathing in the scent of the garden and the faint breeze.
For a few seconds, I just let myself relax.
I had memorized the entire first stage of Varren’s Dominion Wall.
All of its the movements, stances, and breathing forms were in my head,
Now I just needed to practice it until it became second nature.
It was surprisingly efficient, even by the standards I held in my past life.
It made me wonder if I had been too stubborn back then.
’Maybe I shouldn’t have turned down the Sword King’s offer to become his disciple.’
While Dad and I were still sitting there, drinking, Mom received a call.
She answered it casually at first, but her expression changed almost immediately.
Her face turned pale.
Dad and I both noticed.
We were already on alert before she even ended the call.
She put the phone down slowly.
"That was Elira. She said... her daughter created an orb. A white gas-like orb."
"What?" Dad’s brows furrowed.
I was just as stunned.
"It’s mana, isn’t it?" Mom looked unsure. "Elira doesn’t know anything about supernatural things, so she described it oddly. That’s why I told her to bring Seris over. We need to check on her."
Preparations were made quickly.
Within a few minutes, Elira and Seris arrived.
We were all gathered in the guest room.
Mom sat beside Elira, holding her hand, speaking gently.
Elira looked like she was trying not to panic.
Seris sat quietly on another couch, her feet barely touching the floor.
Nisha Hall stood near her, observing with her usual calm.
"Seris, you said you made a white orb?" Nisha asked.
"Yes."
"How did you do it?"
"I was trying to gather the scent in my room. Then it just happened."
I sat nearby, listening closely.
My brows knit together as I tried to make sense of it.
She could smell mana? But she never mentioned it before.
’Maybe her ability to smell mana is her trait.’
’Doesn’t that mean she awakened her trait already?’
That was surprising.
It spoke at lengths about her talent.
And since her species had evolved, her sensitivity to mana and aura had increased even more.
Her trait and species evolution allowed her to sense the mana that was left in the room after my alchemy, and she gathered it.
’What a fearsome talent.’
It made me wonder how strong of an ally she could become in the future if I raised her right.
"Can you do it again?" Nisha asked.
Seris looked unsure. "I can’t. The scent is too weak in this place."
Nisha nodded.
Then, with a subtle motion, she released her mana into the room.
Seris blinked.
Her head turned slowly as if she was sniffing the air.
Her reaction confirmed everything.
She really could smell mana.
"Can you try now?" Nisha asked again.
Seris nodded.
She concentrated.
A few moments passed, and then white wisps started forming above her small hands.
Everyone went quiet.
Elira looked like she was about to lose it again.
Her breathing hitched.
But Mom gently squeezed her hand, whispering reassurances.
"It’s not dangerous, Elira. It’s okay. She’s just... special."
Nisha smiled and patted Seris on the head.
"Good job. As a reward, I’ll give you something nice. Go to the kitchen. I left some special chocolate there."
Seris’ eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Really. You can take him with you too," she added, glancing at me.
I understood what they were doing.
They wanted to have a discussion amongst themselves without us.
"Come on," I said to Seris, and we left the room together.
...
Nisha Hall’s POV
Once the kids were out of earshot, Nisha turned to Elira.
"Your daughter’s sensitivity to mana is extremely high. The orb she created was pure, raw mana.
"In most mage families, even trained children can only do that after the age of seven. Seris is five. And she’s untrained. That means she is extremely talented."
"Mana? Mage families?"
Elira looked from Nisha to Lyra, confused.
"Elira... the world you know isn’t the whole picture. There’s a hidden side to everything. People from our world—mages, warriors, even creatures from myths—they all exist. They’ve been here since ancient times." Lyra explained.
"Wait, are you saying things like... vampires, werewolves, magic... those are real?"
Elira shook her head slowly, as if trying to process Lyra’s words.
"They are. Odin, King Arthur, Merlin. All of them once existed, and some are still around.
"Over the centuries, people have traveled to other worlds. By the time they return, they become as strong as gods from the myths.
"Some of them hide among us, and create secret societies," Lyra said.
"So Seris... is one of them?" Elira questioned.
Lyra gently shook her head. "No. She’s not one of them. She’s still just Seris. But it seems she has a talent to become a Supernatural. It’s an incredible ability, and very rare even among children of hidden houses."
"But she’s just a child," Elira whispered. "She plays with dolls. She even sleeps with a night light sometimes. How can she be.... this Supernatural?"
"You don’t have to understand it all at once. Right now, the important thing is that she’s safe," Nisha said
Elira rubbed her forehead. "What happens now?"
Nisha looked at Lyra.
Her expression was more serious than before.
A flicker of concern passed between them.
Elira caught the look and narrowed her eyes.
"There’s something you’re not saying."
"Elira, the supernatural world is... closed off from the normal one for a reason. It’s because of monsters known as Anomalies."
The one who spoke wasn’t Lyra or Nisha, but Adrian.
"Anomalies?" Elira turned toward him.
He nodded. "The more people know about them, the stronger they become. It’s a strange phenomenon. That’s why we hide any news related to supernaturals. We can’t let the truth about Anomalies spread."
"What are you trying to say, Adrian? How is it related to Seris’ situation?"
"Normally, when a civilian stumbles into our world, we erase their memories and return them to normal life. But for Seris... it’s different."
Elira’s eyes widened. "How?"
"She’s talented. Even if we erased her memories, she might rediscover her abilities in the future. And that could put her in serious danger."
Nisha picked up from there.
"Every Supernatural has an ID. It’s either given by their clan or their mentor. It proves they’re legitimate. But someone like Seris, who doesn’t have a clan or teacher in the supernatural world? She’d be considered illegal."
Elira stared at her, waiting for her to continue the explanation.
"In some cases, illegal Supernaturals are treated as threats. Depending on how serious the situation is... they can be executed."