Fate awoke just after Liza had exited the room and seemed mostly unaware of what had happened while he was unconscious. However, he immediately noticed that the bloody cloth which had been acting as bandage had been removed and that salve had been coated all over his wounds. 

 

He didn’t know why, but he felt strangely warmer than he had before he fell asleep, in contrast to the cold skin that one would generally expect of a nearly dead person. 

 

-...She was here, wasn’t she? 

 

Fate: “...Damn...I suppose I’ll let my...feelings pass for today. I can’t believe that I was that angry…”

 

He had unconsciously begun stroking his knuckles, although he had no desire to pick his skin or open his wounds. It was an unknown feeling, however, Fate savored it and allowed his anger to exit his mind, it was similar to throwing a rock that you suddenly got attached to into the sea. 

 

『You have acquired the skill 『Meditation』!』

 

Fate let out a small gasp, but quickly inhaled and made a short sigh. 

 

-Just like with 『Fire Magic』...I guess some things just come easier than others. It’s weird though,   『Fire Magic』& 『Meditation』, are they trying to make me into some sort of weird monk class?

 

Fate: “Journal, skill description for 『Meditation』.”

 

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『Meditation - (lv.1)』: Meditation is a skill that has long been associated with numerous schools of thought, magic, and martial arts. It is commonly used among all of these practices to cleanse their minds of outside distractions that could hinder them, letting negative emotions flow away from them like water washing over their bodies. However, one requires true focus and patience to tune out the mundane matters of life.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Fate: “That’s all? I don’t think that this kind of skill will be particularly useful in combat though? I mean...I guess if I could use it to decrease ‘cast-time’ for a spell or skill, but it doesn’t seem to have any other functions than getting rid of negative emotions.”

 

-Then again, it is the fifth skill that I’ve acquired so I guess I should be happy...proud of myself...a bit weirded out that this came after my emotional episode? 

 

Fate placed his head in his hands and stared off into space, having seemingly forgotten his worries thanks to his new skill. However, something kept bothering him…

 

Fate: “I definitely feel like I’ve forgotten something...It was definitely important...Oh, yeah! Journal display HP bar!”

 

--------------------------------

HP: 44.31/172.10

--------------------------------

 

-That’s pretty low, but how did I survive losing so much blood? My body is quite small and the blood on the walls and floor...paints a picture of quite a large quantity I’ve spilled from my own hands. Yet, I feel well-rested and even feel slightly better, is this some sort of otherworld mechanic?

 

A world where a person didn’t die from wounds that would normally be fatal, could such a world exist? Fate calmly pondered the validity of such a claim but shrugged it off as he usually did with most things that confused him.

 

-I don’t need to waste my effort trying to figure out a system that keeps its players from dying. If it helps me survive, I’m all for it.

 

Fate: “Still though, a world where I won’t die even if I lose most of my blood? I’d be slightly more for it if weren’t perhaps a nod to a sadistic ‘god.’”

 

He gazed at the spot underneath the cabinet where the tin of salve should be. The tin was indeed there, however, there seemed to be a dent in the visible part of it. Fate generated a mana bubble next to his index finger, influenced the bubble to become thin and long, and threw it with what force he could muster towards the dresser!

 

The thread of mana drifted through the air and landed next to the cabinet, forcing Fate to feed more mana into the thread to wrap around the tin and drag it to himself. This left Fate a bit winded, however, it was much more efficient than the first time he tried it.

 

Fate: “Let’s see how much of the stuff I have left. The patch-job on my hands is kind of messy so I’m probably in for a terrible kind of surprise…”

 

Fate grasped the tin of the lid with bated breath before opening it to reveal that only half of the tin was left remaining. Although he was calm, he still grimaced at his newfound lack of first-aid supplies.

 

-If I can injure myself this bad, I’m sure someone else can and will do far worse. I should save the rest of this for a real emergency and hope that for anything else, I can try to rest and recuperate.

 

Instead of sticking his mind to his own medical inadequacies, he chose to focus on the thing that had improved right before he passed out,  『Mana Manipulation(Minor)』.

 

This skills' had gone up a level after had attempted the creation of various shapes to retrieve the tin earlier. The effects of the level up were plain to see, in that Fate’s conjuring of his new mana-whip was surprisingly easy whereas before, he could barely drag the tin halfway across the room.

 

-I didn’t think I’d get it on the first try, but now I’m excited about what happens at the next level-up! Wait...what happens when it goes up to standard grade instead of minor?!

 

Indeed, if such improvements could be made with one level-up when the skill was minor, what effects would be produced at the standard level or something beyond that? Such prospects excited Fate beyond belief, making him completely forget about his own near-death folley.

 

Fate: “I wonder though, what happens from here? Liza helped me...I think? How am I supposed to feel about that...no, I just need to treat it as a tradeoff. I used the salve on her, she used the salve on me and I’m...fine with that, I guess?”

 

Fate shrugged it off and continued his, excited delve into his own magical powers!

…

 

Atlas: “Damn!”

 

Atlas stood in front of a wooden training dummy, which was about the size of an adults' waist and was covered in shallow slashes and scratches. He had been practicing his magic and attempting to raise his ability to the next level, however, unlike when he had used his power against Fate, there were no violent winds brewing.

 

-Without Mother, I am forced to rely on my own mana and it is paltry in comparison! However, I will defeat that trash and make Mother proud of me!

 

Atlas: “Haaaaaaa...『Wind』!”

 

A small gust of wind appeared before Atlas and following the motion of his fingers, molded itself into a smaller slash, which lashed out at the dummy! The slash closed the distance quickly but faded slightly before it hit, causing it to only leave a small scratch.

 

Atlas breathed heavily, clearly exhausted yet forcing himself to remain standing. He angrily clenched his fists and slowly stomped out of the small room he had been training in, causing the servants to nervously bow to him. He glared at both of them, which they responded to by flinching before they could muster the courage to speak to him.

 

Servant: “Young Master Atlas, how was your training…!”

 

Before the servant could finish speaking, however, Atlas closed the short distance and kicked them in the knee and knocked them down to meet his eyes.

Atlas: “Who said that you could look down on me or speak before I tell you to speak?!”

 

The servant on the ground quivered in pain, while the one left standing quickly knelt to the ground as they shivered in fear…

 

Atlas switched his gaze between the two, but gave a short sigh and motioned for them to rise. He still looked displeased and neither of the servants wished to incur his wrath, however, he began to issue his orders regardless.

 

Atlas: “Bring a tub of warm water to my room along with a towel and a fresh change of clothes. I’ll forgive your insubordination today, but I shall not stomach it a second time so make sure to perform your duties properly.”

 

He spoke in a cold tone and left the servants to scatter and retrieve the items that he had requested for, before stumbling back to his room. 

 

-I shouldn’t have...kicked them. I have weakened myself enough for today, there’s no need for me to...waste my energy on worthless servants…

 

After a decent while walking, Atlas reached his room and opened it to reveal his comfortable bed, a small table, bookshelf, various other amenities, and an open window with curtains flapping due to a breeze. He walked to the window and allowed the wind from outside to cool him down. 

 

A few minutes later, the servants from before entered the room with a metal tub filled with water, a large and small towel, and a folded set of new clothes. Atlas strode to them and carefully inspected the items before giving a short nod.

 

Atlas: “These are acceptable, now please place them down and remove yourselves from my presence.”

 

The servants placed the tub on the floor and other items on the table before bowing to Atlas, to which he turned around and shook his hand towards the door. They left the room and quietly closed the door behind themselves. 

 

Atlas removed his sweat-soaked apparel and cleaned himself using the small towel and the tub of warm water, scrubbing every inch of his small body. 

 

-Damn! They don’t truly respect me, but I know...I will make them fear me, enough so that they shall have no ambitions of disobeying me! This is all because of that trash that I am forced to take these measures, it is because of him that they doubt my strength!

 

Since his battle and two-time loss at his brother’s hands, his servants had seemed to have a change in respect towards their master. He had been using fear and physical force to restrain their idle chatter over whether or not he was the superior sibling and as a result, he had a massive headache brewing.

Atlas reached his hand to his forehead and pressed into his temples, massaging them gently. It took him a while to get finished with his scrub and get dressed, but after doing so, he flopped on his bed and began to replenish his mana.

…

The two servants who had left Atlas’ presence walked down the hall in silence. Once they were a few corridors away from his room, however, they began to chatter in earnest.

 

Servant 1: “Have you noticed it?”

 

Servant 2: “Noticed the young lord’s change in behavior? Of course, it’s become quite clear that ever since the Lady visited, he’s changed and not for the better…”

 

They looked towards each other with sorrowful glances and heaved a sigh at their current state. It was not but a week ago that theirs had been a position still envied by many within the manor, for they had been assigned as attendants to the second son and official heir to the Schneider household. 

 

Taking care of the young lord was pleasant since they were only required to tend to its basic needs while their lady, Agatha, was the one handling his education. 

 

Servant 1: “Back then it was always strange how the young master’s tone and attitude kept becoming more warped and self-centered the more time he spent with the Lady...He seemed to grow even more disgusted with that...disowned child…”

 

The other servant nodded in response.

 

Servant 1: “When he was but two years old, he was still crying whenever he heard what his brother had done to the Lady. We were saddened as well for it is not every day when the family loses their first-born son even before his passing…”

 

Servant 2: “We were saddened by what happened to the lady, let’s be honest about that. I couldn’t care less about that ‘little monster’ that the master disowned. Still though...the young lord was to confront that thing days ago…”

 

The gossip had spread fast at the news of Atlas’ apparent defeat once it became known, but the servants’ reaction had been unexpected, to say the least.

 

Servant 1: “Now everyone mocks us while they’re not busying themselves with their own tasks...It...It’s not fair!”

 

They hung their heads low in shame. However, they brought them up to meet each other’s eyes and ask the question.

 

Servant 1: “Should we...attempt to support the firstborn?”

Instead of rejecting the proposition as a joke like she would have usually done, the second servant cupped her chin with her hand and pondered the idea carefully. It was indeed true that favor towards the second born was souring and that the first’s condition or temperament was unknown.

 

Servant 2: “I agree that the young master’s temperament could use work, but…!”

 

The two servants suddenly heard footsteps from behind and turned their heads to see a shadow creeping from the darkness in the unlit part of the hall…

 

Jacob: “Good evening, I believe you two are those assigned to young master Atlas, am I correct?”

 

The two hurriedly bowed, but were dragged up by their necks and hung in the air! They gasped for breath and desperately gazed into Jacob’s eyes, begging for mercy, however, Jacob seemed unperturbed. 

 

Jacob: “While I agree that the young master could do with an attitude adjustment and some reconditioning, our duty as servants is to always look after our lords and guide them on the proper path, something which you two seem incapable of.”

 

Both servants continued to flail around in his grasp, tears flowing from their eyes. However, they soon began to slow their movements and were nearly still by the time Jacob dropped them to the floor.

 

Jacob turned his back to them and crossed his arms behind his back.

 

Jacob: “Now, when I turn around, I want both of you to be tending to whatever the young master may need. It is your duty to understand, adapt to, and correct his personality, understood?”

 

Servant 1 & Servant 2: “...Y-yes...sir!”

 

They replied in hoarse voices and were rubbing their hands across their throats nervously. They prepared to walk or run to do exactly as they had been told, but Jacob suddenly placed hands on their shoulders and turned them to face him. 

 

He had a sinister smile spread across his face with squinted eyes that resembled a hawk examining its prey…

 

Jacob: “If I get wind of anymore...doubts, I think I’ll know who to find. You know the price of betrayal to the Lord, do you not?”

 

They both continued to tremble in fear but still made sure to nod appropriately and immediately left his presence after he let them go.

 

Jacob: “Now then, I suppose I have another individual to visit while there’s still time before midnight…”

…

Liza sat in her room, stitching the torn sleeve that she had used as a bandage for Fate’s wounds back onto her maid uniform so currently, she was a simple, yellow nightgown. 

 

 She bit into her thread, cutting the connection between her mending and her needle, then proceeded to examine her work thoroughly, smiling at her handiwork.

 

Liza: “This came out better than I thought! No one will even notice the difference.~”

 

On the outside, it looked just like it had before Fate had attacked her, but one the inside his blood was still clearly visible. It was unknown whether Liza had attempted earnestly to clean out the inside, however, it was still there and it didn’t matter why.

 

She lifted her nightgown’s sleeve and gazed at the burn and the bloodstain inside the sleeve of her uniform, which caused her smile a little more. 

 

Suddenly, there was a knock at her door, forcing Liza to fold up the outfit and cover her burn with her sleeve once more. She quickly ran to the door and opened it with her good arm. Jacob was standing in her doorway, smiling gently at her.

 

Jacob: “Greetings, young miss, Liza.”

 

Liza: “Greetings, sir Jacob.”

 

Jacob: “No need for formalities. I understand that you had your third day serving the young master, how did it go? He’s quite a handful, but he’s rather quiet I should say.”

 

-Oh, really? I think he’s just bashful when it comes to talking to other people, but I think I’ll just keep that detail to and for myself.

 

Liza: “I suppose, but...I think in time he’ll open up to me. I did notice that he had some vÿd herb salve though, should I assume that you were the one that gave him that?”

 

Jacob gave an amused chuckle at her response, contrary to thorough ‘chat’ that he had with the other servants a while ago. Then again, this was talking of the disowned son, who need care about such an unsavory individual?

 

Jacob: “Even in the entire year that I served him, he barely showed any signs of opening up to me. The furthest I got was when he cried over some food…”

 

Liza gave Jacob a confused look while he stared off into space, seemingly having a flashback. Jacob seemed to snap back to reality in a few seconds though and promptly resumed his questions.

 

-What was he thinking about? I didn’t think the young lord could have moments so memorable with others, but...I guess I’ll always hold today’s encounter close to my heart.

 

Jacob: “Had he displayed any signs of having magical abilities?” 

 

Liza: “...I was able to observe that there were traces of mana in various parts of the room, but no clear signs that would lead to the conclusion that he could have caused the orb to explode.”

 

-There were indeed magical traces, but the young master actually knows magic! He’s self-taught and maybe he knows some tricks those stuff adult magicians won’t even try.

 

Jacob: “So you knew that was what I wanted to know, you’re quite intelligent for one so young. Now, has he been the aggressor in any situation recently?”

 

-I think he’s just being truly honest with his feelings.

 

Liza: “He hasn’t taken kindly to my presence, however, he hasn’t taken any truly violent actions. You can inform the Lady of it and give her my regards.”

 

-I won’t let anyone else have him and...I don’t think I'll ever trust her. Whatever has caused him to be so fearful of others...myself included...I feel that it must come from her somehow. But I’ll trust the young lord to tell me whenever he feels he’s ready.~

 

She waved him out of the room nonchalantly, which he abided and in turn, waved her farewell and left the room. After the door was shut and Jacob’s footsteps faded, Liza grabbed her uniform and flopped into bed with it. She fell asleep clutching the sleeve that had been torn and stained with Fate’s blood...

Liza: "Young lord..."