-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: The Third Son, Arius
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Oblivious to Ann and Anna's thoughts, Daphne was out in the training grounds from early morning, sitting in a formal meditative posture.
She was there to practice mana breathing.
[Daphne Akion]
Stamina: 10 Charm: 300
Strength: 1 Mana: 0
[Daphne Akion]
Stamina: 10 Charm: 300
Strength: 1 Mana: 0
All to somehow improve this wretched body of hers.
Every being in the world possesses a certain amount of mana. Even a newborn human infant holds a faint trace of it. Yet, Daphne’s body had a mana level of zero.
This was undoubtedly the curse's doing.
‘So, the first step is to create a mana vessel.’
The mana stat represented the amount of mana one possessed.
And a mana vessel was where that mana was stored.
The larger the vessel, the more mana it could hold, resulting in a higher mana level.
Back when she was a dragon, the vessel imprinted upon her soul had been so enormous that she had almost never run out of mana.
‘But that's not the case now.’
She had to build it from scratch, step by step. And she couldn't push herself too hard. The body itself was simply too frail.
Therefore, the priority was to make a mana vessel take root in this goddamn body.
Only then could she begin to draw upon the 'Dragon's Mana' imprinted on her soul.
‘Nothing is ever easy, is it?’
Still, it was bearable, knowing it was a stepping stone toward her future.
“Hooo.”
Daphne took a slow, deep breath.
Then, she fixed her gaze on the mana stone resting on her thigh.
She had commanded Teiti to give it to her before they parted yesterday.
—Hey, infuse some of your power into this mana stone.
—Of course. I exist only to do as the great Lady Daphne commands.
Utilizing.
Teiti had channeled his mana into the stone, trapping a vortex of power within it.
Daphne took a deep breath and popped the mana stone straight into her mouth.
*Crunch.*
The crushed fragments of the mana stone traveled down her throat. In that instant, a searing pain engulfed her body.
“Gyaaaaaah…!”
Daphne immediately curled into a ball, her hands clawing at the sandy ground.
It hurts. It hurts so much. This is excruciating!
‘Damn it all!’
Anyone else who witnessed her swallowing a mana stone whole would have been horrified.
Lesser beings, after all, would have no idea what this act signified.
Consuming a mana stone directly was the most effective method for creating a mana vessel. It forcibly introduced mana into the body, compelling it to take root.
This was a secret Seluseu had discovered by occasionally munching on mana stones, a fact unknown to other beings.
“Hah, hah…”
After writhing in agony for some time, Daphne felt the pain gradually subside. She quickly returned to her meditative posture and composed herself.
The mana stone fragments settled in the center of her chest.
The vortex that had been churning inside the stone burst forth, swirling through Daphne's chest and resonating deeply.
[Analyzing the amount of mana consumed.]
[A small amount of mana has been detected.]
She could feel the mana flowing through her veins, but it couldn't move freely. Her vessels were completely blocked.
It felt as if a narrow path were clogged with house-sized boulders. Daphne focused her concentration even harder.
She could feel her vessels gradually clearing. The blocked mana began to advance. Slowly, a reaction began.
“…”
Hm?
Something was wrong.
But she had no time to dwell on it.
Daphne’s hands and arms began to tremble uncontrollably. Her chest started to heave and churn.
“*Cough, hack!*”
*Splat!*
Something shot out from her throat. A jet-black liquid splattered onto the ground.
‘That's…’
She had no time to think. The black liquid began to stream from her eyes and nose as well. It gushed from her pores.
‘Get a hold of yourself. Don't let it overwhelm you.’
Daphne focused with all her might.
Pain flooded her chest, an agony that twisted her entire body. Daphne clenched her fists, accepting the flow of mana.
And then it happened.
[Absorbing mana.]
“…It worked.”
Daphne cheered, feeling her body become significantly lighter.
[A mana reservoir, the Mana Vessel, has been formed.]
Her mana stat was now 1.
Now, if she just continued her mana training as planned, she could raise her mana level even further!
“Oh, this is awesome!”
Having taken her first step toward her goal, Daphne cackled and praised herself. *You're amazing, Seluseu. You're the best.*
“That aside, this black liquid…”
Daphne cautiously reached out to the liquid pooled on the ground.
“A remnant of the curse.”
Her suspicion that the curse was the reason for her zero mana had been correct. The curse had been consuming her body, preventing her from absorbing even the slightest bit of mana.
“I should probably keep some, just in case.”
Daphne took out a small glass vial, collected a sample of the liquid, then covered the rest with sand to erase any trace of it. She couldn't risk anyone seeing it and drawing unnecessary conclusions.
“What a vile curse.”
Even she, the great dragon Seluseu, could feel an unpleasant aura emanating from it.
For a curse of such wickedness, the fury of the black mage who cast it must have been immense.
It didn't seem to be simply because the Hero had killed the black mage…
“Well, it's none of my business.”
She had created a mana vessel and raised her mana. All that remained was to steadily accumulate more through mana breathing. Then, she would swallow the Hero's family whole! And then the world!
“Hehehehe.”
Just as a wicked smile spread across Daphne's lips, it happened.
“*Smack!*”
Clutching the stinging back of her head, Daphne snapped her gaze upward. There stood a boy, arms crossed, a triumphant smirk on his face.
The boy had reddish hair with a subtle pink hue, swept back neatly. Despite the mature hairstyle, his cheeks were still plump with baby fat, giving him a rather cute appearance.
But the sharpness in his blue eyes was no less intense than an adult's.
“You insignificant little whelp…!”
Daphne's face contorted into a scowl.
“How dare you strike me? You must have a death wish.”
Daphne clenched her fists.
“State your name. I'll consider it your last words before you die.”
“Huh?”
Despite the murderous intent lacing Daphne's words, the boy merely twisted his lips in disbelief.
“Hey, you.”
The boy crooked his finger.
“You really have gotten weird, haven't you?”
He was the third son of the Hero's family.
Arius Akion.
***
Arius Akion was the third son of the Hero's family, House Akion.
He had a sister one year his senior and a brother five years older. Younger than him was his sister, Daphne Akion, by three years.
But Arius never thought of Daphne as his sister.
It wasn't just because everyone but Daphne was adopted. Nor was it simply because Daphne was the legitimate heir, the only one to inherit the Akion bloodline.
The reason Arius hated Daphne was that she was the cursed child whose birth had killed their mother!
His mother had been a wonderful person. She had saved him when he was just waiting to die in an orphanage, without even knowing who his birth parents were.
And not only that. She had shown him a love deeper and warmer than his birth parents ever could have. Arius had been happy, and he prayed that this happiness would last forever.
But that happiness was fleeting. The moment Daphne was born, it shattered into a million pieces.
His mother died after giving birth to Daphne.
‘If you're going to kill Mom just by being born, shouldn't you at least try to live well?’
But Daphne had an incurable disease.
A terminal illness that left her with little time to live.
Strangely, Arius felt no pity for Daphne. Not a shred of sympathy or compassion.
It was as if someone had erased those feelings from his mind entirely.
Just looking at Daphne filled him with anger and irritation. He hated her. He loathed her. All he could think was that he wished she would disappear.
Logically, he knew he shouldn't feel this way, but instinct drove him. He found Daphne repulsive.
So, from then on, he treated Daphne as if she didn't exist.
Five years passed like that.
Daphne, knowing she was the sole heir to the family, had used her illness as a weapon, living the life of a tyrant.
It was so bad that they said screams never ceased in the annex where she resided.
Then, one day.
She suddenly died.
Just like that, her breathing had simply stopped.
When Arius heard the news, he felt a sense of profound relief, as if a nagging tooth had finally been pulled.
So, she finally died.
*Ptooey.*
That's what he'd thought…
‘To think she'd come back to life.’
Arius narrowed his eyes, staring at the seated Daphne.
It had been a while since he'd last seen her, and her face looked gaunt.
Of course, her shimmering blonde hair and lovely green eyes were still cute… but she was so emaciated it was hard to believe she was only five.
‘…She does look pitiful.’
But the thought was fleeting.
As he'd reminded himself, Daphne was the wicked child who had killed his mother. There was absolutely no reason to feel sorry for someone like her.
“Hey, you.”
So, Arius deliberately plastered a mocking sneer on his face as he looked down at her.
“You really have gotten weird, haven't you?”
Based on what the maids were saying earlier, it seemed Daphne had changed a great deal.
She wasn't throwing tantrums; instead, she was even trying to train.
But Arius was convinced this was just a fleeting change.
Because Daphne was a tyrant, the most insolent brat in the world, and the evil child who had killed his mother!
“Hey. It doesn't matter how much you struggle, you're going to die anyway. So stop this pointless act and go back to your room and torment the maids like you used to, why don't you?”
“…”
Daphne slowly rose to her feet. Then she stared daggers at Arius, her green eyes filled with killing intent.
*Flinch.*
Arius felt a flicker of fear at her gaze.
I mean, why does a five-year-old have killing intent in her eyes?
Arius prided himself on being a promising young swordsman and was confident in the intensity of his own gaze, but Daphne's was on another level. Just looking at her made his knees feel weak.
*Gulp.*
Arius swallowed nervously without realizing it.
“First things first.”
Staring intently at him, Daphne slowly opened her mouth.
“Let's start with a punch.”
*Thwack!*
Arius's body went flying.
