[What are you doing, Louie?]

I’m studying magic.

[Hmm... Using whose mana?]

Obviously, I’m using Master’s mana... Oof.

[I told you not to rely on my mana. If you keep depending on it, how will you manage when you have to become independent?]

Maybe I just won’t become independent... Hehe.

[Don’t say such nonsense. This place is too harsh for you to live in forever. You’ll need to leave it someday.]

...

[Until then, let’s find a way to compensate for your naturally low mana.]

Yes, Master.

...

I recalled a conversation I once had with my master. She found me in the middle of a snowstorm, exhausted and barely conscious, and brought me to her home.

I asked her to teach me magic, but she refused. That’s because my body, by nature, had an insufficient amount of mana, far too little to use magic.

But I pestered her, and in the end, I became her student.

...

[Louie, what’s that look on your face today? Ugh, you look filthy.]

Mmph, pffft. I’ve been trying to solve the task you gave me, Master.

[That book... wasn’t it locked away in the vault?]

I stole it, of course. Ouch!

[You rascal. So, what did you need that book for?]

I was researching the different types of mana. If there are multiple kinds of mana, maybe there’s one I can absorb.

[Hmm, an interesting hypothesis. So, what have you read so far?]

Here, I’ve gotten to moon mana, after reading about elemental mana.

[Moon mana is typically something witches have, so it won’t be easy for you to accept. And you don’t know how to absorb it, either.]

But maybe I could be a witch.

[...You’ve got the face for a girl, not a witch.]

Just wait and see.

[Alright.]

...

Master helped me with my desire to learn magic, and in the end, we discovered a kind of mana I could handle.

Star mana.

It was a mana that came from the depths of the cosmos, perhaps the purest form of mana.

Even though I couldn’t hold vast amounts of star mana in my body, it showed potential.

...

[Louie, star mana is extremely rare.]

More so than moon or sun mana?

[Yes. Most of it dissipates high in the sky. Only a small fraction reaches the ground.]

Hmm... then what if we gathered mana from the sky?

[Huh?]

We could use the star mana on the ground to send a magical tool into the sky, and then use it to collect the mana up there.

[That’s... something I’ve never thought of before.]

Of course not. I got the idea from satellites.

[Satellites...? Anyway, if you’re going to attempt this, there’s one thing to keep in mind: you won’t be able to use ordinary magic.]

Ordinary magic?

[Yes, the kind of magic most battle mages use. Pure water, for example, can’t nourish plants—it’s too refined.]

That’s an odd comparison, but I get it. I think that’ll be fine.

[Alright then. Let’s create it together. I don’t want to hear my student whining about being unable to use magic anymore.]

I never whined...

...

In the end, I succeeded in launching a prototype satellite, which I named Ultimate Star-spear, high into the sky. It was the biggest project I’d worked on since being reincarnated, so it was only natural that I was bedridden for days afterward.

Originally, it was meant to store and transmit star mana to me, but on my master’s suggestion, we added a semi-offensive function.

However, since it relied on stored mana, it took a long time to recharge, so I couldn’t use it recklessly.

Anyway, thanks to the Star-spear, I could seriously begin my research into magic. And soon enough, it was time for me to leave my master’s “nest.”

...

[It’s time for you to go now, isn’t it?]

Yes, Master.

[When I first saw you, you were just a stubborn little kid, but it seems learning magic has made you a bit more composed. That’s good.]

I might be even more composed than you, Master.

[I take that back, you cheeky brat.]

...

[Louie, take this.]

What is it?

[It’s something you should aim for and my parting gift to you as your teacher.]

A robe. Thank you.

[Yes. And... if you ever want to visit, you’re always welcome. I’ll always greet you warmly.]

Thank you, Master.

...

"Master..."

Slowly, I opened my eyes. Above me was a familiar yet foreign ceiling. It was the ceiling of the room I had been staying in at Count Alphares’ mansion.

‘The last thing I remember...’

The last thing I recalled was the sight of fifty fortresses rising. What happened after that?

‘We must have won.’

Otherwise, I wouldn’t be lying here so peacefully. My body felt weak, probably from mana depletion.

“I should call for someone... Wait, huh?”

As I tried to get up, I realized that my right hand was being held by something. Instinctively, I turned my head to the right and saw someone slumped over in a chair, sleeping.

“...Hero?”

It was the hero.

Could he have been taking care of me?

Upon closer inspection, it didn’t seem that way. The neatly folded wet cloth was clearly the work of the maid who’d been looking after me.

So, it must mean that he had simply come to check on me and fallen asleep.

‘But why?’

Why had he fallen asleep here, holding my hand?

I didn’t pull my hand away for fear of waking him. After all, he had fought in several battles, so he must have been exhausted.

There was no way he’d fallen asleep in such an uncomfortable position otherwise.

‘...His hand feels warm.’

Or maybe it’s cold.

Regardless, it wasn’t the rough hand of someone who only ever handled a sword. His hand was somewhat soft, not uncomfortable to hold for an extended period.

I didn’t know how long he had been holding my hand, but since he hadn’t let go, it must have been for quite some time.

‘Now that I think about it, I entrusted the Star-spear to him.’

The Ultimate Star-spear was something I had never told any of the empire’s magic organizations about. To avoid confusion and attention, I asked him to claim credit for its use.

By consuming all of the star mana stored in the Star-spear, we managed to destroy the fortress. Since the Star-spear was connected to me, the sudden depletion of mana caused me to collapse as well.

‘We did it.’

Honestly, I hadn’t wanted to use the Star-spear’s attack function. Passing out from mana exhaustion was bad enough, but it also meant I wouldn’t be able to use magic properly until I had sufficiently recovered.

But I had to use it this time, all because of something that wasn’t in the original story.

‘I didn’t know the Twilight Fortress wasn’t the end.’

In the original, Baal, unable to accept death, had turned the entire area into a lake of blood. But this time, instead of a desperate last stand, he had spent his time summoning other fortresses from the demon realm.

‘So that’s why the second bloodline didn’t show up.’

My head felt muddled, so I decided to stop thinking for a while.

In the end, we won.

‘And with the fortresses gone, the enemy must have taken a massive blow.’

In the latter part of the story, when the hero’s party ventured into the demon realm, vampires appeared in both the Demon King’s assault on this world and the final battle.

But now, we could assume they were gone for good.

It was all thanks to the hero's party trusting me.

Rustle.

I leaned in and ran my left hand through the hero’s hair. Was it naturally curly, or did it only seem that way now?

His soft hair brushed against my hand, tickling my fingers.

Outside the window, I could hear the sounds of the household staff, but the room itself was silent. The only ones in the room were the hero and me.

I quietly stared at the sleeping hero.

Thump.

“...?”

Was one of the side effects of mana depletion an irregular heartbeat?

Hmm, I don’t recall seeing anything about that in my research.

In that case, this must be a new symptom, one worth reporting to the magical community.

Thump.

Thinking of the new recognition I might receive made my heart race again.

‘Sorry to the others, but...’

Since we destroyed the entire fortress, I think I’m allowed to be a little selfish.

I looked at the hero once more, and a few minutes later, he woke up.

“Mm... Louie...?”

“Yes, Hero.”

“...Huh? You’re awake? Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“Oh, good. Um, if you need any help or anything, just let me know. And...”

His gaze shifted downward. He noticed our hands and quickly tried to pull his away.

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t even realize...”

“Hero.”

But I grabbed his hand in return and looked him in the eyes.

“Thank you.”

“...What?”

“For trusting me. And for saving me.”

“...”

“I know it’s a little late to say it, but... thank you for accepting me into the hero’s party.”

For the first time, I expressed the gratitude I hadn’t realized I was holding in. And the reason I was saying it now? Nothing special.

I just felt like this was the only chance I would have, after such a big battle, while my emotions were still raw.

“...I should be the one thanking you.”

The hero, too, spoke earnestly, meeting my eyes. I smiled at him lightly.