Inside the royal carriage, silence settled between us.
I sat across from Alfred, his gaze locked onto me with heavy expectation.
Finally, Alfred broke the silence.
"Tell me everything you know about my daughter's illness," he said. His tone was calm, but there was an undeniable urgency beneath it.
I nodded
"Think as body as a glass and mana as water, So when water keeps being poured into the glass, it will eventually overflow, right?"?" I asking to see if Alfred understand what I'm saying
"Right."
"okay great, now imagine our surrounding is a box, that's mean the glass is trapped inside a box and when the water keep spill from the glass it will slowly drown the glass inside the box. That's mean your daughter currently drown in mana."
Alfred's brows furrowed.
"This illness… The Devouring…" Alfred repeated the name as if testing how it felt on his tongue. Then, his face twisted in confusion.
"I've never heard of such a thing," he admitted. "Not even my court mages have mentioned it."
That was expected.
"Most people don't know about it," I said. "Even most kings and scholars aren't aware. Only a handful of very high-level mages and scholars have knowledge of it."
Alfred's hands tightened into fists.
(He's realizing how dangerous it is that I know this.)
"And yet, you—a child—happen to know?" His voice was sharp, but there was a hint of unease behind his words.
I simply smiled. "Does it matter? After all, I'm Regis's disciple"
A long silence stretched between us.
Then, Alfred exhaled, rubbing his temple. "…Fine. If what you're saying is true, then how do we stop it?"
I met his gaze. "I have a method, but it's dangerous. And it won't be easy."
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Three days passed; the carriage finally passed through the massive gates of Araulia.
The moment we entered the city, I felt overwhelmed.
The cobblestone streets stretched endlessly, lined with towering stone buildings, colourful banners fluttering above. Merchants called out their wares, noble carriages rolled past, and the air smelled of freshly baked bread and blooming flowers.
(So, this is a kingdom's capital…)
Even after three years of training in the forest, this place felt like another world.
The castle loomed ahead—an enormous structure of marble and gold, far grander than I expected.
As we pulled up to the entrance, a line of royal servants stood in waiting. The moment Alfred stepped out; they bowed deeply.
"Welcome back, Your Majesty."
The butlers and maids barely spared me a glance, but Alan subtly positioned himself between them and me.
(He still doesn't trust me.)
Alfred barely acknowledged the greeting. "Prepare everything for my daughter's treatment."
The head butler bowed. "Right away, Your Majesty."
But before anyone could move—
A maid burst through the doors, her face pale with terror.
"Your Majesty!" she cried. "The princess—her condition is worsening!"
Alfred's eyes widened in alarm.
Without another word, he ran inside.
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I followed Alfred down the grand hallways, passing stunned servants and panicked physicians.
When we entered Princess Flora's room, the heavy scent of medicine and sweat filled the air.
The queen was kneeling at her daughter's bedside, her hands tightly clutching Flora's limp fingers. Her teary eyes shot up to Alfred.
"Alfred—!" Her voice cracked. "She's getting colder… The healers can't do anything!"
Alfred hurried to his wife's side, gripping her shoulders. "We've found someone who can help."
The queen turned, noticing me for the first time. Her expression shifted from hope to doubt.
"…A child?" she whispered.
I ignored her hesitation and stepped toward the bed.
Flora's skin was deathly pale, her breathing so faint it was almost non-existent. The mana leaking from her body was suffocating—even without touching her, I could feel it.
There was no time for explanations.
I reached for her hand.
"Wait!" The queen's voice was sharp. "What are you doing!?"
The physicians in the room looked horrified, but Alfred raised a hand, silencing them.
"Trust him," he said.
With that, I closed my eyes and focused.
The moment I touched Flora's hand, raw mana surged into my body.
(Shit… It's worse than I thought.)
The mana I absorbed was wild, unstable, almost violent. It burned through my veins, as if my own body was being crushed under its weight.
The pain was unlike anything I had felt before.
I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to endure.
As more mana flooded into me, my bones creaked, my muscles tensed, and a sharp cough racked my chest—
Blood splattered onto the bedsheets.
(Too much…! If I keep going, my body might break.)
Without a second thought I focus the mana to neutralize it into my body
And then—silence.
I staggered back, gasping for breath.
Flora's breathing had stabilized.
Her skin, once pale, had regained a faint glow of life.
The room was deathly quiet.
Then—
The queen collapsed to her knees, sobbing.
"She's… She's breathing again…" Her voice trembled. "Flora… my sweet Flora…"
"Thank you… boy"
Alfred exhaled sharply, pressing a hand over his face.
I wiped the blood from my lips. "It's not a full cure. But she'll be stable for now."
"Are you fine Yuuya?" Alfred grab my shoulder checking my condition.
"This is nothing."
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Later, in Alfred's private chambers, he faced me seriously.
Alfred turned to me, his eyes filled with restrained emotion.
"You saved my daughter's life, thank you so much. What must we do next?"
I crossed my arms. "I'll need to check on her regularly. This isn't a one-time fix. If I don't absorb the excess mana, it will start leaking again."
Alfred clenched his jaw but nodded. "I see… I will prepare a room for you to stay."
I continued. "Before I help with the treatment, I have three conditions."
Alfred's brows lifted slightly, but he gestured for me to continue.
"First, I want access to the Royal Library."
He frowned. "The Royal Library contains centuries of knowledge… You want unrestricted access?"
"Yes."
Alfred exhaled. "Unrestricted access to the library... That's a bold request." He leaned forward, watching me carefully. "You must be planning something."
He nodded slowly. "And the second?"
"I want an assistant that will stay by my side and help me while I'm here."
Alan's expression darkened slightly, but Alfred remained calm. "And the last?"
"I want to keep my identity secret."
A long pause. Then, Alfred chuckled.
"You're smarter than you look."
I only smiled. "Do we have a deal?"
Alfred sighed but extended his hand.
"Deal."
As I shook his hand, I couldn't help but smirk.
(Let's find my way back home.)