Come to think of it, ever since I acquired the Mastery of Mana skill I can sense distinct waves of mana coming off of other things. It’s like a geiger counter but for detecting mana.

Combined with my sharp senses it allows me to recognize and distinguish mana signatures inside people. And if I can sense the mana inside them, my skill should be able to influence them.

I use the mana mastery skill and try to pull on the mana coming from within the guards. It resists my pull initially but the skill has mastery in the title for a reason. The mana leaves their bodies and they fall like rags. I’ll call this technique Mana Drain.

According to Cheshyr’s lesson on mana, it composes the energy in all living things. When one runs low on mana they feel devoid of energy and stamina. Running out of mana is a caution for those using magic, as that can cause consciousness to black out.

What I’ve done is drain their mana, causing their MP to hit zero and lose consciousness. I haven’t hurt their HP and as I understand it, MP will recover in time leaving no side effects. Perfect solution.

Guard Captain 「 What did you do … you monster … 」

Well it seems the guard captain managed to resist losing consciousness. He leans on his sword like a cane to keep him upright but his legs look unsteady. Even if he didn’t crash asleep, the guard captain in his current condition can’t move a muscle.

Becca 「 Calling a girl a monster is rude. I didn’t do anything, really. All I did was drain their mana. 」

Guard Captain 「 Drain mana?! Impossible! 」

Becca 「 But it is possible. I mean you saw it. 」

The guard captain gives up and accepts the unreasonable words I speak.

Becca 「 Sorry but I have business to attend to. I’m not your enemy, I just need to have a word with …. where’s Cheshyr? 」

She vanished sometime during the scuffle so I’ve lost her, or at least I would have if I wasn’t tracking her GPS position via Map magic. The way she ran off was very much like a losing villain. That’s kind of praiseworthy.

Let’s see, the map spell shows two dots, Alice and Mirenda, and a third dot enclosing. I hope Cheshyr isn’t planning to do something stupid now that she’s wanted by the guards.

I leave the unconscious guards and the immobile guard captain laying around. Once I move out of sight I warp to the Baroness’ estate. A glance of Cheshyr as she quickly enters the front door, too late.

Maybe I should stay hidden with illusion magic and observe the situation. I use the illusion magic Ghost to become temporal. In truth my body is on another plane of existence, sort of like being in a different dimension. All it really means is that I’m like a ghost, invisible, untouchable, and able to phase through walls.

I sneak into the estate to spy on the family of elves. There I find Alice cowering behind Mirenda and Cheshyr standing against them.

Mirenda 「 Cheshyr! What is the meaning of this? 」

Alice 「 Mother, I’m scared. 」

Cheshyr 「 I don’t know either, but I just know it’s her fault. It’s always been that way. 」

Mirenda 「 What are you talking about? 」

Cheshyr 「 Whenever something goes wrong you always blame me. Alice gets away with everything. When there’s something I like, she always takes it away. And if I try to take it back she cries and everyone treats me like the bad guy. 」

Mirenda 「 Cheshyr, dear, that’s ridiculous. Your sister Alice would never do something like that. 」

Alice 「 Never. 」

Cheshyr 「 There she goes again! It’s like she’s got you guys under her spell or something, nobody ever listens to me. I don’t know what she did, but it’s definitely her fault this time. 」

Mirenda 「 What is going on? You come here throwing accusations at poor Alice, that’s no way for a lady to act. 」

Cheshyr 「 Oh you are just full of it, mother. 」

Time to use Analysis. Taking a peek at Mirenda’s status, my hunch and Cheshyr’s guess proves correct.

Name: Mirenda Realight (Charmed)

Mirenda is under the charmed status effect. It’s like being infected with a magic poison, or in this case a mental suggestion type of magic. That was another thing I noticed back with the guards. While the rest of the guards had nothing wrong with them, the guard captain had charmed within his status.

I didn’t have time to check on it, but focusing on charmed brings up a description that reads: Target is more susceptible to allure and being captivated by the caster. Normal thoughts and reason are suspended in favor of obeying the caster.

This explains how Alice was able to twist the facts and make people like Mirenda and the guard captain take her side.

Mirenda is being charmed by her daughter Alice, like brainwashing. I appear in a timely manner to interrupt this moment.

Becca 「 It’s no use Cheshyr. Your mother can’t hear you. Not while she’s under the control of charm magic. 」

Cheshyr 「 What? Then are you saying Alice did something … 」

Becca 「 The answer is simpler than you think. That girl there isn’t your sister Alice. At least not in spirit. 」

Name: Alice Realight (Possessed)

Race: Human (Demon)

Level: 5 (150)

The information I gleam from Alice’s status is shocking. It seems this whole time she’s been influenced by something demonic and powerful. Something that can possess and control people’s thoughts. A level 150 demon.