"I won."

"I know. The whole neighborhood probably knows by now."

"I've also dismissed all the pests who signed the agreement on my way back."

"Since you were already there, you could’ve restored the training grounds while you were at it."

"How am I supposed to restore that whole thing by myself?"

"..."

This girl... She doesn’t even bother hiding her laziness anymore. I turned, ready to give her a piece of my mind, but the look of satisfaction on Sylvia's face made me swallow my words.

"It’s been two years since I last used mana."

"So, you lost control in your excitement?"

"Yes, that’s correct."

"And? Did it feel good?"

"It felt amazing."

Good. That’s what matters. Who cares if the training grounds got wrecked? Smiling, I closed the ledger. From what I’ve gathered, it’ll take about a hundred million to restore everything.

"The cost of repairs will come out of your paycheck. I’m deducting an extra fifty percent from your salary."

"Yes, sir!"

[Sylvia's favorability has increased by 5.]

Annoying girl... Even when I glare at her with contempt, Sylvia just keeps smiling back at me, all cheerful.

"Oh, and there’s a new task for you."

"A task?"

"With the mass dismissal of knights and guards, there are plenty of vacancies. We’re hiring as quickly as possible, but until then, you’ll be on day and night patrol, as well as taking care of paperwork."

"... I can understand the patrols, but why the paperwork?"

"You’re good at it. Just do it so I can take a break."

"..."

Finally, that smile faded from her face. She looked at me as if to ask if I was joking. Does it look like a joke? I grinned, and Sylvia’s expression instantly twisted into one of utter despair.

'She said she’d wait until I reveal my true nature.'

If she was going to kill me, she would’ve done it already. But she hasn’t. She’s decided to wait.

She plans to wait until I cross the line, to bring me down when I show my true colors.

Of course, that moment will never come. In a way, it’s a twisted declaration of loyalty, like a morbid romance from the underworld. The thought made me chuckle.

"What’s so funny?"

"Look at yourself. Using mana for the first time in a while, you’ve gotten rusty. Your clothes are all torn up."

"...?"

Sylvia cocked her head, confused. She looked down at her clothes, then her face flushed red as she hastily tried to cover the torn parts with her hands. Not that she could cover all those holes...

"I’m going to change!"

Sylvia bolted out of the room at lightning speed. I thought she might be one of those tomboyish types who don’t care about modesty. Turns out she was just oblivious.

'If I want to increase favorability, maybe I should consider romance?'

It was a serious thought. Judging by Aslan’s character, it wouldn’t be surprising if it took decades to gain someone’s trust as a person. But what if I approached it as a romantic interest instead?

'I must be getting desperate if I’m considering ridiculous schemes like this...'

Would it even work? Thinking realistically, could anyone be attracted to this face and this demeanor? I’d barely be able to seduce a villain, let alone someone on the good side. Perhaps if not Sylvia, then maybe Julia or Charlotte...

'But they’re still kids...'

No, absolutely not. Even if I ever attempt it, now is definitely not the time. I need to stop scheming and just live an honest life. I sighed, trying to regain some composure.

"Young Master, a letter has arrived."

"Who’s it from?"

"It’s from the Imperial Magic Academy."

"Leave it here."

It’s probably from the principal. I hope it’s not trouble with Yulia again. Anxiously, I picked up the letter the maid had left behind.

"To the dark mister?"

What is this supposed to mean? It must have been misdelivered. I shrugged and stuffed the letter into a drawer. If it’s important, the courier will come back for it later.

"... What are you doing?"

I was trying to sneak a book, but I got caught by Yulia’s stern glare.

"Let’s read it together."

"Snatching it without saying anything is rude, isn’t it? You should ask before taking it."

"Technically, they’re all my books. If you keep being so disrespectful, I might just confiscate them all."

"No, don’t!"

"..."

"You can have it... please."

I moved to take all the books, and Yulia quickly stepped in to stop me. She’s tacking on a “please” at the end now, trying to be polite. At least it’s better than her usual attitude.

I picked one of the basic magic books and sat down a little distance away from Yulia, careful not to disturb her spirit awakening.

[Recalling the body’s memories.]

[Syncing...]

[Sync failed.]

[Unknown error halted sync.]

[Sync rate: 2%]

The moment I opened the book, a series of opaque screens appeared. Only 2 percent synced... It’s not a system error; it just means Aslan’s understanding of this book is at a pitiful 2 percent.

'Hopeless.'

Magic is still a type of magic, right? I should at least master the basics. This pitiful fool knows as little about magic as I do. I really have to start from scratch.

Wait a minute. Usually, when you get possessed, aren’t you supposed to get a natural talent for magic? Some kind of genius-level intellect? Instead, I’m stuck with useless traits I don’t even want...

'This is beyond hopeless.'

If even someone as talented as Yulia is struggling, it would probably take me ten years to make any progress on my own. Maybe it’s time to ask for help.

"Yulia."

"What? ...sir."

"Would you mind tutoring me?"

"Huh? I don’t need tutoring. I’ve already mastered the basics and moved on to advanced texts. If you’re curious about my knowledge, why don’t you find someone else to show off to... sir."

"..."

She scoffed at me, but she’s genuinely skilled. Still, she’s being arrogant without even listening.

"I’m not offering to teach you. I’m asking you to teach me."

"... What?"

"No need to repeat it. I asked if you’d teach me basic magic."

"...?"

She stared at me, clearly confused. It took a moment for the information to process, then her face fell into a state of disbelief.

"Why would I?"

"Because I lack the foundational knowledge of magic. I’d like to borrow your brilliant mind and expertise. Would you be willing to help?"

"Well, if that’s the case, sure! Hmph, lacking the basics, huh? Where should we begin...?"

Got her. Easy target. A little praise and she’s ready to play teacher.

"How does mana summation work? It’s like fuel! The way you burn it determines the type of magic, like fire magic..."

Actually, the idea that intelligent people make good teachers isn’t true. I was worried her genius might make her a poor teacher, but she’s explaining things in a way that even I can understand.

"That’s the basics of Volume 1. How was it? Was the lesson helpful?"

"Excellent. Let’s move on to the next chapter."

"What? You weren’t just testing me? You mean to go through all the basics... You! You’re mocking me!"

"...?"

"That creepy smile! You’re laughing at me, aren’t you? Thinking, how can someone so good at the basics not know how to use mana!"

Is my smile really that off-putting? I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and quickly looked away. Yeah, I really do look unpleasant...

"I never thought that."

"Liar!"

"Believe what you want, but let me offer you some advice. Try using only a portion of your internal mana."

"What? The basics say to gather all of it for your first mana exercise..."

"That’s what the book says. I’m talking about you."

As I absorbed the basic principles, I began noticing Yulia’s problem. The basics recommend gathering all one’s mana to one point initially, but it’s a simplified approach. For someone like Yulia, with an overwhelming amount of mana, trying to use it all at once would lead to overload. She needed to start with advanced techniques.

"What do you know about me...?"

She stood up abruptly, her eyes red with anger. Without another word, she stormed out of the study, almost leaving, but then stopped at the door, looked back, and yelled:

"Bathroom! I’m not leaving because I’m angry!... sir."

Who’s questioning that?