When I was working as a civil servant, I was found out to be a muscle-brained knight by the princess knight and got sent to the front lines - Episode 59

Episode 59

In the heart of the Tashman Grand Cathedral towering over the old town of Nevorista, bureaucrats, the saint, and the archbishop gathered in a room close to its central area.

“What’s this room for?” Jez, who had been wandering along with Lucretia’s guidance, asked.

“This is the meditation chamber. It’s usually used for meditation and light training. It’s one of the places in the Tashman Grand Cathedral where the divine energy is most abundant,” Lucretia answered Jez’s question. Watching her, the archbishop smiled and said, “Lord Norman, this room has become a pseudo-sanctuary thanks to the saint’s daily prayers for someone’s safety and dedication to the gods.”

“Edelmar!! Stop saying unnecessary things!” Despite being embarrassed by the archbishop’s words, Lucretia continued with the room preparations.

“Well, anyway, this room is perfect for examination and treatment right now. That’s all. Understand?” blushing, the saint continued her explanation to the bureaucrat. Jez couldn’t help but feel warm seeing how Lucretia had turned out to be a good kid through and through, no matter what.

Jez’s gaze towards Lucretia was that of an uncle looking at his niece. However, Lucretia herself found this lukewarm gaze quite uncomfortable.

“Now then, first, let’s check the mana circuit. I’ll handle everything, but Edelmar, you’ll standby just in case,” Lucretia instructed, preparing for examination and treatment by herself, the saint, with the archbishop on standby. It was quite a luxurious setup, akin to the comprehensive medical care that even nobles rarely receive.

Seating Jez in the center of the room, Lucretia approached from behind and placed her hands on the bureaucrat’s shoulders before closing her eyes.

Then, in a quiet moment, Lucretia began to chant softly, almost as if singing. “O Guardian above, spread thy sacred wings and protect this sanctuary. Let this barrier safeguard my secrets and prayers to the heavens.”

With Lucretia’s prayer, the entire meditation chamber began to glow faintly with a gentle light.

“May the light and shadow seen by the eyes of God purify my heart. Let this inviolable holy wall repel all malevolent forces and keep our prayers pure.”

Lucretia’s hands, resting on Jez’s shoulders, also began to emit a faint light, gradually enveloping Jez’s entire body.

“Respond to my call, o winds of the four directions, the power of the earth, the water of the heavens, and the burning flames. Become an eternal barrier in this sanctuary.”

The particles of light throughout the room gradually converged on Jez and Lucretia. Then, as a particularly bright light filled the room, Lucretia completed her chant.

“As I dedicate this place to the gods, may it become a sacred sanctuary known only to you. Let my voice reach the heavens and my wishes be entrusted to the stars.”

Once the gentle light and chant concluded, a gentle mana flowed through Jez’s entire mana circuit. Lucretia, who had been concentrating with her eyes closed for a while, finally opened her eyes.

“Hmm? Hmmm? Yeah…” Lucretia tilted her head curiously while making those sounds. Jez felt extremely anxious seeing her reaction during the examination.

After a while, having apparently reached some conclusion within herself, Lucretia opened her eyes, pondered for a moment, then patted Jez’s shoulders while saying, “Alright, the examination is over! It seems there are no particular issues. It’s just fatigue in the mana circuit. If you rest properly, it’ll naturally heal.”

“But… you were making some weird sounds, weren’t you?” the bureaucrat asked Lucretia with an indescribable expression.

The saint, when questioned, wasn’t sure how to respond.

“There’s definitely no problem for now. The fatigue is severe, so rest is necessary for a while, but it’ll naturally heal with time. But there’s something that caught my attention.”

“Caught your attention?”

“Yeah. Haven’t I conducted examinations and treatments on you several times before? Compared to those times, the mana output of your mana circuit has increased significantly. And it’s not just a margin of error or something like that. It’s potentially doubled, if not more.”

“Uh huh…”

Mana circuits. They are the internal mechanisms used to wield mana and are possessed by almost all humans. When mana and mana circuits are aligned, people become capable of using magic.

The relationship between mana and mana circuits is akin to that of a gasoline tank and an engine in a car. The amount of mana each individual possesses is equivalent to the capacity of the gasoline tank, and the output of each individual’s mana circuit is equivalent to the engine’s displacement.

For example, even if two individuals have the same amount of mana, if one’s mana circuit output is twice as much, the potency of their magic will be doubled. However, mana consumption will also double.

The capacity of mana itself and the output of mana circuits grow during childhood and adolescence, much like the growth of a normal body. It’s said that this growth stops around the ages of 18 to 20. In other words, just like height or shoe size, once one becomes an adult, their output generally doesn’t change.

Lucretia’s curious noises were precisely because of this point. It’s evident that Jez’s mana circuit output has increased. And it’s not just a slight change; it’s at a level where it can’t be dismissed as mere imagination.

It’s undoubtedly the work of Conceptual Armament and that potion. Victor’s laughter seems to echo in the background…

To put it in car terms, Jez used to ride in a family car equipped with a friendly 2000cc engine, but without realizing it, the engine alone has been replaced with a slightly sportier one with a 4000cc capacity.

To reiterate, the output has nearly doubled. It’s also crucial to note that the capacity of the gasoline tank hasn’t changed.

In essence, Jez can now use stronger magic than before, but at the same time, their endurance has decreased even further… Where exactly is this bureaucrat heading with their increasing peculiarity?

Jez, sporting a somewhat subtle expression, despite feeling a bit sweaty, couldn’t help but confirm with Lucretia, “Is this… for sure?”

“Unfortunately, it is for sure. Isn’t that good news? Now, teacher can become even stronger. …It’ll probably require starting training from scratch since it feels completely different from before,” Lucretia shrugged.

If it’s about getting stronger or training, Jez figures he just needs to do his best, so he doesn’t worry too much. However…

“…Should we keep this quiet?”

In society’s common sense, once you become an adult, the output of your mana circuit doesn’t increase. That’s common knowledge. But what if it’s discovered that there’s a way to artificially increase mana circuit output?

“Well, yes. It’s definitely better to keep quiet about it. If this were to be known, teacher would be targeted by various institutions worldwide, wouldn’t you?”

“Indeed. Let us all swear to the gods to keep this a secret. Lord Norman, Lady Saint, and I. No one else needs to know,” the archbishop agreed with the saint, maintaining the solemn atmosphere.

While listening to Edelmar’s statement, Lucretia couldn’t help but think, “This is a pain,” and shrugged her shoulders, not bothering to hide her feelings.