Liberation of The Slaves

Chapter 84 – Magic Swordsman (Part 2)

“Haa… haaa…”

I sprawled on the grass, chest heaving, arms like jelly. The sun had only recently risen, but I already felt like a roasted corpse.

Combining magic, mana, and aura training was a nightmare.

Did Selena really endure this insanity for seventy years?

As I wiped the sweat from my forehead, she casually approached, holding out a glass of water like a saint.

“Here. Drink.”

I grabbed it like a lifeline and gulped it down in one go.

“Puhaaah… Thanks, Master.”

Selena crouched nearby, her silver hair catching the light as she watched me thoughtfully.

“So,” she said, “have you figured out how to regain your aura yet?”

I wiped my mouth and groaned. “I heard it's possible to convert mana into aura… but I don’t know how.”

“Mm, correct.” She nodded approvingly. “Have you tried channeling mana to where your aura resides?”

The mana pool was located around the chest, while the aura pool lay slightly lower abdomen. If it’s a martial art world, they would be called Middle Dantian and Lower Dantian. But unfortunately, not only was this world not a martial world, they didn’t have official names for these places either. We only call them ‘mana pool’ and ‘aura pool’.

Anyway, I thought swapping mana and aura between these places would be easy. But…

“Yeah. I tried... but something blocked it. Like… a wall.”

“How about moving your aura toward where your mana is?”

“Tried that too. Same problem.”

She smiled faintly. “That’s normal. Think of it like a door—only letting certain things pass through.”

A door, huh?

Like one of those security scanners that block anything suspicious.

“So, the trick is related to that door?” I asked.

“Exactly.” Selena shifted to sit cross-legged. “There are two methods to pass through.”

I perked up. "Wait, wait. You mean... not just mana into aura? You can do the reverse too?”

“Of course.” She shrugged. “You know how aura dissipates into the air and turns into mana naturally? It's just reversing that process, internally.”

“Whoa… Okay. What are the methods?”

“The first one,” she said casually, “is brute force. Smash the door open.”

I immediately frowned. “...That sounds dangerous.”

"Not really," she said with a small chuckle. "It's dangerous... only if you mess up.”

I flinched.

“Just kidding.” She waved a hand dismissively. “You break the door, mana passes easily, and it transforms into aura. But—there’s a disadvantage.”

She raised the glass.

“Like a glass filled with water. If there’s a hole, then the water will flow out. Our aura will leak through the broken door and fill our body with it. It will be harder to control our aura at will because we have to focus all over the place instead of only focusing on one place.”

“Ah… so it becomes harder to control big techniques, right?”

“Correct.” She smiled. "If your aura spreads too thin across your body, it’s harder to gather a big chunk of it for a powerful attack.”

I rubbed my chin. “Then what’s the second method?”

“Disguising your mana,” she said simply, “so the door mistakes it for aura.”

“...Huh?”

I blinked stupidly.

“Disguise mana… how?”

She giggled softly at my dumb face, then leaned closer.

“Do you know the difference between mana and aura?” she asked.

I scratched my head. “Uh… mana feels like a breeze? Aura feels... warm?”

“Yes.” She grinned. “So all you have to do… is make your mana feel warm, like aura.”

I stared at her.

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.” She flashed a thumbs-up.

I thought hard.

If it needs warmth… then…

“Wait. Are you saying… use fire mana to pass the door?”

“Bingo again!” She laughed.

Damn. I actually got it right?

“But…” I hesitated. “Doesn’t that mean people without fire element can’t do it?”

She tilted her head. “Who knows? Maybe they break the door instead. Maybe they found another way. But I figured this trick out myself—because my past world had similar systems.”

She said it so lightly, but that’s actually kinda insane.

“I see. And you said we can convert aura to mana with a similar method, but how? We can’t adjust the fire temperature to be as cold as the breeze, right?”

“Yes. That’s why I can’t do it. It’s just a theory that I made by myself and I don’t have any way to prove it. Hehe.”

She let out a small chuckle. I thought it had been proven because she said it with confidence. But it turns out it’s just her theory.

<“Aza, is that true?”> I asked inwardly.

【Yes, Master.】 Aza answered immediately.

【In fact, it’s something only otherworlders would think of. In any human academies, the books only explain about break the door method.】

【Also, light element can be used too—not just fire. And if you want to reverse it, converting aura back into mana, you need water, wind, or dark elements. Only earth element is useless for that.】

So it’s real after all.

I refocused on Selena, who just stored the glass into her magic bag.

“Anyway,” she continued, “even if you can make mana feel warm, there’s another hurdle.”

“Another?”

“Normally, you only apply elements to mana as it leaves your body, right?” she said, glancing at me.

I nodded.

“So now you have two options.” She raised two fingers. “First: apply the fire element the moment the mana exits the door, then move that fire mana to your aura pool. Second: let fire mana out as usual, then immediately absorb it back before it dissipates.”

I blinked.

That second option sounded familiar.

<“Wait... Isn't that what you did, Aza? When analyzing her curse?”>

【Correct. We used light mana into her body, then pulled it back in your body before it returned to neutral mana.】

Right!

I remembered Aza pulling light mana back into me that day.

If I remember correctly, that light mana doesn’t turn into normal mana right away when it gets absorbed back into my body.

Instead, it transforms to normal mana when it reaches my chest, the place where my mana resides.

So… It should be possible to change the target destination to the place where my aura resides.

“But is there any big difference between the two methods?” I asked.

Selena shrugged. “The first is faster. But harder. The second is easier to learn—but your mana might dissipate if you’re too slow.”

“I see…”

“How about you, Master?” I asked curiously.

“At first I used the second method,” she admitted easily. “Once I got the feel for it, I practiced the first.”

“Got it.”

Selena smiled brightly, ruffling my hair like I was a puppy about to do a new trick.

“Well then, try it! Start with the second method. Easier that way.”

“Yes, Master!”

I sat cross-legged, grounding myself on the cool morning grass.

Drawing a deep breath, I absorbed the natural mana around me into my body.

Then—I pushed it out, adding the fire element… and tried to pull it back in immediately.

The mana reintegrated into my body retains its fire element.

But…

The mana instinctively shot toward my chest, where my mana pool resided.

I gritted my teeth. Again!

“Ugh…” I groaned.

“It’s harder than I thought…” I muttered.

“Try again. You’ll get it.”

She stood up, dusted off her clothes, and added casually.

“In the meantime, I’ll go hunt something for our lunch.”

“Yes!”

【MEAT!!】

Both Aza and I shouted at the same time—but for very different reasons.

I wanted to shout "Yes!" for progress.

Aza clearly just wanted lunch.

I couldn't help but laugh under my breath.

<“You seem pretty excited about lunch today.”>

【Of course!】 Aza practically squealed in my head. 【The meat she cooked was absolutely divine!】

Aza wasn’t even trying to hide her excitement about meat anymore.

The so-called "angel" who once spoke in emotionless, robotic tones was now just a glutton girl who loved meat like any ordinary soul.

It was kind of… funny.

<“Well… that’s true.”> I chuckled inwardly.

The memory drifted back—a month ago, when Selena had roasted that massive Frenzy Boar. It wasn't just good. It was amazing.

Of course, that single boar was enough for us to eat meat one whole week, along with some vegetables for more flavor.

The boar meat was way better than the occasional deer my mother used to roast back home. Even the Gray Wolf meat I’d tasted at the Zenith restaurant—a D-Rank monster delicacy—couldn’t compare.

Not that I could explain it properly.

If someone asked me what made it different, I’d probably just fumble around awkwardly.

‘This food is delicious.’

‘That food is not delicious.’

That’s about the extent of my gourmet expertise.

Maybe Aza wasn’t much better.

【The food she makes…】 Aza murmured thoughtfully, 【it reminds me of your mother’s cooking.】

<“Huh? What do you mean?”>

【I don’t know how to explain it exactly.】 She sounded a little flustered. 【Maybe… they both cooked with love?】

<“...Love?”>

【Yeah.】 Aza’s voice softened. 【I’m an angel, you know? I can sense emotions. And Selena’s cooking feels different from restaurant food. It carries the same feeling your mom’s cooking had.】

【I read somewhere on Earth that food tastes better when made with love for the people you care about. Maybe that’s it.】

I tilted my head in thought.

Honestly, I didn’t really get it. I’d rarely cooked in my life—only pour hot water in some instant noodle cup when I lived alone.

But when it came to Selena...

She could wield magic like a prodigy.

Swung her sword faster than eyes could see.

Craft magic tools like a master craftsman.

Research complex theories like a scholar.

And now, apparently, cook like a professional chef too.

Was there anything this woman couldn’t do?

As I continued my training, trying to ignore the drool-worthy thoughts of grilled monster meat, Aza suddenly spoke again.

【You know…】

She started, her voice sounding way too casual.

【You should just marry Selena.】

<“HUH!?”>

【Think about it!】

She insisted brightly.

【She’s strong. She’s smart. She can make magic tools. She can protect you. She can cook like a master chef…】

I narrowed my eyes.

<“You’re just saying that because you want to eat her cooking every day, aren’t you!?”>

【Pfft.】

【Of course.】

She answered without a shred of shame.

I nearly face planted into the dirt.

<“You fake angel! You're supposed to be my moral guide or something!”>

【Correction: I'm here to make sure you live happily ever after. Preferably drowning in meat. Delicious, juicy meat. Every. Single. Day.】

I buried my face in my hands, groaning.

Meanwhile, Aza was practically dancing in my mind.

【Marry her, Master. Make me—I mean, yourself—happy!】

<“I KNEW IT!”>

Meanwhile…

Somewhere out in the forest, I could faintly hear the sound of trees rustling.

Probably Selena finishing off today's "lunch" in her usual monster-slaying princess style.

I sighed deeply.

Living with a monster princess who slaughters boars before lunch and a fake angel who wants to marry me off for meat…

Why are there just abnormal women around me…?