I need to test my skills with a weapon next, but let's wait half an hour for my mana to regenerate.
I sit down on the concrete, just staring at the gashes in the floor—proof that this is all real… or I'm in a coma and I'm going to wake up sounding crazy about living an entire life in another world.
The princess just stands there silently, arms crossed, staring at the silhouette in the sky, not saying anything. Most likely aware I'm low on mana—must have a high perception stat.
"What happens when you run out of mana? Am I gonna pass out from mana exhaustion or something?"
"No, you just won't be able to use your skills."
She doesn't say anything else, and I don't either.
***
Thirty minutes later, I get up and walk to the other side of the courtyard, toward the weapon racks, looking for something that'll complement my skills. The first weapons I see are spears. I pick one up and try to send my mana through the weapon. It splits in two and falls to the ground.
"Huh. That's interesting."
Before I pick up another weapon and try again, the princess speaks up.
You need a weapon with runes engraved on it to channel mana.
"Then what are these here for?"
The princess's face contorted—her brows raised and her mouth hung slightly open in disbelief...
She was looking at me like I was stupid.
"This is a training yard. Of course it has weapons. It wasn't built specifically for you. It has been here for decades."
"Oh... Then what's next on the agenda?"
"Mana control training."
She paused, and I swear I could see the slightest smile at the edge of her lips.
"Like I said, your control for someone who has never wielded mana is impressive. But compared to everyone else in this world, it's lacking.
"I didn't guide you when you were trying to activate your skill because I wanted to see how creative you were when it came to wielding mana.
"And you didn't disappoint. So from now on, I will guide you.
"Right now, you're going to do a couple things. First, split your mana into two equal parts. Do it now."
I nodded and gathered all the mana that was naturally spread through my body, pulling it together into a ball. Then I willed the mana to split into two equal parts. It immediately broke apart into two equal orbs.
Before I could even tell her I'd completed it, she spoke.
"Now turn one of them into gravity mana."
I willed the mana on the left to become gravity magic, and it worked.
But my body felt weird. The cold and the weight individually felt the same as before, but together it felt suffocating—like I was at the bottom of the ocean, underneath something cold and heavy.
"Stay like that. All day, every day from now on. You have to get used to channeling both affinities at the same time. No matter how fast you get at it, having to switch between affinities mid-fight is inconvenient and could cost you your life. And although speaking the skill triggers it instantly, the split second it takes for you to even speak the word could get you killed."
I just nod.
"Now activate your gravity skill."
I focus inward, trying to separate my gravity orb—but while maintaining the original mana split, keeping the two mana types distinct, and then trying to split the gravity orb again to activate the skill, it proves too much.
Everything falls apart. The mana orbs collapse, and a headache crashes into me like a brick to the skull.
"That headache you feel—that's from a lack of will. But doing this every day, eventually your will stat will go up. As well as your intelligence…"
"Again."
I try again.
And again.
And again.
Each time, the moment I start to separate the gravity orb while holding the dual mana split, my focus shatters. The orbs collapse. The headache builds. There's no surge of energy, no dramatic mana backlash—just the low, constant throb behind my eyes.
"Again."
The princess never moves from her spot.
I try again.
And again.
No slight improvement, no progress i just fail over, and over.
"Again."
She doesn't raise her voice, but she says it each time with the same calm tone. Cold. Unyielding.
The sky shifts. The sun starts to set.
"Again."
My head pounds like a war drum now. But I keep going.
No system message. No stat increase. Just me. Failing. And doing it again.
And again.
And again.
By the time the sky turns orange and the shadows stretch long across the courtyard, I'm still no closer than I was this morning.
I don't say anything. Neither does she.
Finally, as the sun dips beneath the outer wall and the castle lights flicker to life, the princess speaks.
"That's enough. Dinner's being served in an hour. Shower and eat if you want. Your friends will be there."
***
I walked down the marble hallway alone, tracing the route I'd memorized earlier, when the blonde knight in black armor had led me and Sito to the showers. The castle felt different in the evening—quieter, emptier. The stained glass windows were darker now, the light from outside barely passing through.
I walked into the showers.
Just like this morning, the runes glowed softly across the floor and ceiling. Orbs of water floated lazily in the air.
I stepped into one of the empty shower stalls—really just a circle of space marked by runes on the floor—and activated it.
Immediately, a stream of water formed and wrapped around me like ribbons, floating and falling all at once. Warm. Clean. Comforting—
And then, just like this morning, it got weird.
The water started pressing in closer, slinking down my back, tracing along my arms and chest like it had a mind of its own. Not violent or harsh… just too much.
It didn't hurt. It didn't even really violate. It just felt… invasive. Like the shower itself was curious. Watching. Touching.
"Okay. That's enough," I muttered.
I stepped out before it could get stranger. The water receded without resistance.
When I turned to grab the towel I'd brought… there was something else waiting for me.
Neatly folded brown pants, a white shirt, and black boots—same clothes as before, fresh and clean.
I hadn't brought them.
I looked around. The room was empty. No footsteps. No doors creaking. No magic runes activating.
Just me. And clothes someone left without saying a word.
I dressed quickly.
As I stepped out of the shower chamber and into the hall, I flinched slightly at the sight of someone waiting for me.
The knight from earlier—tall, blonde, clad head to toe in black armor—stood at ease beside the doorway.
He didn't say anything at first. Just gave a polite nod.
"Dinner's in the Grand Hall," he said simply, turning on his heel and motioning for me to follow.
We walked in silence, my footsteps echoing faintly down the massive halls though were silent. The castle really was a maze of opulence—long carpets, flickering wall sconces, towering statues, and oil paintings of dead nobles glaring down like they still ran the place.
Eventually, the doors at the end of the corridor opened inward.
The scent hit me first—roasted meat, fresh bread, spiced vegetables. And fruit. The kind that made your mouth water before you even saw it.
Then I stepped inside.
The Grand Hall was enormous. Vaulted ceiling, chandeliers that floated without chains, tables laden with more food than I'd seen in weeks combined.
Nobles and knights sat spaced out at different tables.
Where the hell were all these people all throughout the day I haven't seen anyone walking through the castle the ssme time as us just the knight.
The princess was here too, sitting with the same robed mage from the summoning. Talking about something.
But my eyes went straight to one of the long side tables—where they sat.
Joe. Omar. Sito.
All three stared at me the moment I entered. Like they were checking the door everytime someone entered, waiting for me.
I didn't go over there yet.
'Im grabbing some food before I have to listen to this shit'
This was going to be another conversation.
Probably the same one.
Repackaged. Recycled.
Another round of "We need to go home" and "I dont understand why you want to stay"
I sighed quietly and started walking toward them.