Chapter 47

North Rabbit From now on, one must absorb the mana within Denok's body like drinking an elixir and fill it with one's own mana to control it properly. I looked at Kaila with a tense expression. "Uh, ah, uuugh…" Kaila still seemed to struggle, perhaps still suffering from remnants of pain. Even so, she did not give up. Her body was soaked in sweat to the point of taking a bath in it, and a strong scent of mana was emanating from her entire body. Considering most of it was mana that couldn't be absorbed, it felt wasteful, but as mentioned earlier, that wasn't what mattered. Then, at a certain moment. Kaila's agonized writhing stopped, and the scent of mana flowing out of her suddenly vanished. "...Kaila?" She was motionless. At that moment. Crack. Creak, creak! Various parts of her body bulged and then settled with the sound of bones. Physical reconstruction. Something that 7th-class wizards or master-level warriors undergo in the process of breaking through walls.... I had heard about it. Although extremely rare, the top-quality elixirs, particularly those of a high grade, could evolve the consumer's body to the next level. Essentially, this was similar to the physical reconstruction experienced by master-level warriors or mages above the 7th class, but the slight difference was that the reconstruction due to realms took into account the paths they had walked, reconstructing the body accordingly, whereas reconstruction due to elixirs could result in a directionless, all-around strengthening of the body, making the efficiency inevitably lower. However, I heard that not everyone could do this even after consuming the best elixirs. Some called it luck, others said it was about being chosen. Since there were so few cases, the exact cause was unknown. 'Could Kaila have...?' What could happen next was uncertain. If she was incredibly lucky, she might no longer need suppressants, or, if even luckier, Denok's body might disappear, and hers could have regenerated. The latter was considered better because there was no need to worry about other side effects. 'This is something opinions will vary on.' Suddenly, an awful smell began emanating from her body. But I had no mind to react to that. It was an unexpected situation, and since it was unclear what might happen next, I couldn't let go of the tension. Sifting through every piece of knowledge I had, I could not take my eyes off her until her physical reconstruction was complete. "Uuum…" The physical reconstruction took several hours. However, Kaila only opened her eyes almost a day later. "...Master? Where is this...?" "You fainted during treatment. Or should I say 'fainted'?" "Treatment... Ah!" Kaila made a startled expression and lifted her body. Her face was filled with frustration and anxiety. Understandably so. If she had fainted during treatment… it likely meant failure. It was a treatment eagerly awaited, and to have failed due to her own lack could cause unbearable frustration. "Ugh… What's this smell… On my body…. How did the treatment go?" "I don't know." "I mean, we'll have to find out how it went now." I looked at Kaila and asked. "First, I suppose I need to let you know what happened." I calmly explained the scenes I had witnessed. The success in absorbing Denok's body. How she struggled in her own way to follow my instructions. How the scent of mana flowing from her body disappeared at one moment, and she lost consciousness. The subsequent physical reconstruction. "Physical reconstruction… you mean...!" "While rare, consuming a high-grade elixir, even if not attaining such realms, can lead to physical reconstruction," I had mentioned. She was lucky. That's just how I put it. "Then, the spiritual herb you gave me…" "Yes. It means it was something valuable. Anyway, since an unexpected situation occurred, we don't know how the treatment went. We have to check now." "Then, you stayed and watched me until I regained consciousness?" "What else could I do, knowing something might happen?" "...I've caused you trouble." "In such cases, just thank me and move on. Now, let's quickly check." Kaila closed her eyes as if to observe the inside of her body, then, in just a second, her eyes widened in shock. "Master?" "...My body has generated a mana heart." "Just as I suspected…" Mana heart. If mages have circles, then warriors have mana hearts. While mages require circles to use and learn magic, warriors can enhance their bodies using mana or create auras without mana hearts, marking the difference. One might wonder if a mana heart is unnecessary, however... 'To surpass limits, this is essential.' The efficiency of mana use differs with or without a mana heart. Master-level warriors all possess a mana heart. I had heard of cases where even those not at the master level had a mana heart, though such instances were extremely rare. 'That exception is... Kaila.' It was an incredibly curious feeling. Though I thought it possible since there was physical reconstruction. "What about… my legs?" Instead of answering, Kaila stood up. She then carefully touched the ground, appearing somewhat unsteady. "I can't move it as I wish. It's not that there's no sensation, though..." She says it hurts if pinched. 'We'll have to… try rehabilitation.' Still, I considered it hopeful. After all, this was within the expected outcome. Even with the sudden event of physical reconstruction, it was still within expectations for the moment. Thus, Kaila didn't seem too disappointed. "If you can feel pain, then consider it a hurdle crossed. Just in case... let's try rehab with suppressants for a month." Hope dawned on Kaila's face. "Then, let's get cleaned up first." Kaila's face flushed red. **** I assisted Kaila with her rehabilitation, traveling back and forth to the pioneering fortress. Baron Owalan seemed to have no intention of moving as long as Langbingk's recovery was not assured, continuing to lay low. In the meantime, I attempted to contact Count Siglen's family in some way, but it seemed to result in failure every time. One day, two days, three days. During that time, there was no significant progress. "The mana seems to be well-received. Still no movement, though." A hint of anxiety remained on her face, and I comforted Kaila, telling her not to worry, there was no need to be hasty. "Ah, it twitched! Master, it twitched!" A week into the rehabilitation, her toes moved for the first time. It was merely a twitch, but it signified improvement day by day. 'It's slower than I thought…' Still, the fact that it moved was significant. Hope was restored on Kaila's face, and she repeatedly thanked me. Two weeks in, not only her toes but her ankles had begun to move as well. Once there was movement, rehabilitation seemed to accelerate as if gaining momentum. Soon, she was able to walk around, and for the first time, she cried in front of me. Three weeks passed, and she picked up a sword again for the first time in a long while. Since she could run without overexerting herself, I allowed her to take up the sword. She completed her basic training in a stable posture, and although the training wasn't particularly hard, perhaps due to tension, she was drenched in sweat. By the fourth week, she was able to handle intense training. When the 30 days were fully up, and we had run out of suppressants, I acknowledged that the treatment was a success. And on that day, Kaila kneeled before me. "...Why?" "Master, you have kept your promise." When I initially extracted a mana oath from her, I said if I could heal her legs, she would become my sword and shield. "So, as promised, I will serve you for the rest of my life. Even in death, forevermore." "You do know I'm a necromancer, right?" "Of course. If I were to die before you, you can make me into an undead. I’ll continue to protect you by your side to the very end." With a completely serious voice, devoid of any jest, Kaila spoke these words. "...Suddenly. Even though I have taken a mana oath." As a dark mage, or even before becoming one, I had never heard such words, and I felt a bit awkward. "All that doesn’t matter. Whether it’s a mana oath or a slave's mark, those are not important to me. What's important is that I have chosen you as the one I will serve for life." Kaila looked up at me, continuing, "I will be your sword, striking down those who insult you." "Your shield, blocking all threats that come toward you." "Your servant, forever guarding by your side." Faced with her earnest demeanor, I was left speechless. "I know I am still lacking. My legs have just recovered, and in many ways, my body is inadequate." She had yet to train using mana to strengthen her legs. Not that she couldn't use mana to do so. It was just a matter of time. We had already confirmed she could properly receive mana. Even though her rehabilitation was progressing unbelievably fast, it still required time. "Yet, I couldn’t wait any longer." Kaila's eyes were resolute and unwavering. "Master. Will you accept my oath?" "...Yes." Nothing would really change in our relationship. It was just that her sincerity had deepened. There was no reason to refuse. Not that I took her words lightly. It was just a little awkward. "Thank you. Really, thank you." "Stand up now. You're still in the middle of rehabilitation." I grabbed her arm, helping her to stand, and she accepted my help with a happy expression. Even after receiving her oath, our daily lives hadn’t changed much. Perhaps wanting to regain her past strength as soon as possible, she continued her daily rehabilitation, so much so that Athena received little guidance from her master despite Kaila's legs being healed. "...I can't even ask this of her..." Athena and Thea, upon hearing that Kaila's legs were healed, came all the way to the exterior residence to congratulate her, but it was because I wanted to keep the fact of Kaila's recovery hidden. 'If she suddenly recovered, it would be odd, and there’s no need to reveal it now.' Keeping her full recovery a secret would provide a significant informational advantage should we later face off against Langbingk. 'It'd be helpful even if not against Langbingk.' Though some might say what worry exists when a mana heart has been formed, my nature is to prefer being overly sensitive rather than complacent. I asked Kaila to continue acting for a while, and she gladly agreed to my request. During a visit to the pioneering fortress for the estate matters and to repair magic circles, I found Kaila sitting with a serious expression. "What's wrong?" "Ah, Master. Have you arrived?" "Yes. But why such a serious face? Is there something wrong?" "Ah... It's... not a bad thing. I’m just thinking that maybe I need to adjust my training direction." "Huh? All of a sudden?" "Yes. It's just that the muscular strength in one of my legs, especially around the ankle, is increasing abnormally fast."