After a few seconds of astonishment at what I said, The Queen proceeded to step forward towards me. The maid behind her spoke in a loud voice immediately after the first step.

  "Your Majesty please allow me, your humble servant to administer the mana jolt!"

  I was stunned by the suddenness of her loudly requesting to do it instead. The Queen simply stopped walking in front of me and spoke to the maid while turning her head ever so slightly to her.

  " My Husband risked his Life in order to bring this man before us to save our Beloved Daughter. I have no right to do anything less than he, Trish. Seeing as how this is a safe procedure for all involved, there's no reason to fret over it. Please respect my wishes as Queen but more importantly, as a Mother."

  With an authoritative touch to her softening voice, she left no room to argue. Trish, as she was called, looked on as if she realized she had overstepped her boundaries. I'm still not too sure at the reason for this response. I suppose I should just ask? Just to be sure. Even after she said it was safe, it wouldn't hurt to do that, right? So, I opened my mouth.

  "What is your maid so concerned about, Queen Aqua? If there is a danger of some kind I won't be scared away, you have my word on that."

  The Queen looking bemused at my question. She flashed a smile and answered it with a cheerful voice.

  " I believe you don't need to deal in pleasantries with myself or My Husband, John. Let alone the fact that a Paladin holds the same Status as a Hero in our world, The man who saves Our Daughter from her Fate will no doubt be a Family Friend forever and always. Besides, to become a Paladin, not from training but from your very nature says a great many things about your personality. I trust your words, John."

  The King and Queen... Or should I say Warrick and Aqua? Both of them look at me with an understanding and warm gaze. It feels similar to my Foster Parents if I'm being honest. It makes me feel a bit melancholic. Seeing as how I can't ever see or talk to them again. But perhaps I shouldn't focus on what has been lost, I should focus on what I can save in the present. To help with that, Warrick continued on from Aqua's train of thought and began to speak to me as well.

  " To perform the " mana jolt", as we call it, Requires two people to hold hands in order to complete a Temporary Mana Circuit, John. Don't worry about the terminology for now. More or less as it were, one hand is there to control the mana going through the body and the other hand is there to return said mana to back to the User. Usually, it's a grave crime for any man besides a King or bloodkin to touch a Queens body, but considering Aqua is our finest Magic User in Diablos... And we're doing this to save Our Daughter, I'll allow it."

  Warrick's eyes seemed to contain a hint of bloodlust in the last part of his explanation. I decided it was best to let Aqua do as she pleased, it wouldn't be kind to refuse her after understanding the meaning behind her actions... Or how she still intended to go through with it, despite what could be said about her if it leaks out that it happened.

  After readying herself, Aqua asked me to join hands with her. I did as I was asked without a fuss. Her hands felt cold and surprisingly delicate to the touch. I guess she doesn't do hard labor? I suppose that is befitting of a Queen isn't it?

  " Okay! I am now going to start the process. I will not lie to you, John. This is going to hurt, I'm basically forcing open pathways in your body that are supposed to be opened slowly through delicate meditation."

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  I nod my head up and down to confirm I understand. Then I Take a deep breath and exhale. With that done, I only had one thing to say.

  " Ready when you are."

  Aqua nods her head to me now and before long, she started to speak softly to me, obviously, she's trying to focus at this point.

  " Okay, on my count... 1..2..3."

  At first, I felt nothing, then I felt a cooling sensation, like cold ocean water, touch the outside of my hand. Then I felt the sensation enter inside my hand. Once it reached my wrist is when the pain started. It felt like someone shoved hot needles up my arm and rotated them slowly. The cooling sensation was replaced with a burning sensation that slowly approached my elbow. once it touched my elbow the pain started becoming even worse. It felt like a shock to my system as the needles started dispersing like shrapnel at my elbow all over the place. It felt like from my Elbow down had a grenade explode inside of it. I grimaced, perhaps noticing the look on my face, that being scrunched in pain trying to breathe. Aqua spoke to me.

  " The pain will amplify from here. Are you sure you don't want to stop?"

  I looked at her, most likely with bloodshot eyes. And I responded with the only words I could really muster.

  " No matter what happens, push through and complete the circuit... Ple...ase."

  She nodded her head, or at least I think she did as I shut my eyes so tight I felt like I might rip off the skin from the back of my head. Ten minutes felt like Ten days. I'll spare the gory details but safe to say I've found out that there are pathways all around the body. The most painful being the eyes and the chest. I could have sworn I felt my heart stop beating from the pain. I thought I felt a needle pop out my eye as well. But no blood came out and my ticker was still ticking. A half an hour later, after I was given a drink of water to help calm down my ragged breathing and I could actually see after the pain had subsided, I saw it.

  / Woosh!/

  It was pure white like someone had wrapped me in a cloud on a sunny day... I could swear I heard a sound like a gust of wind as well... I could barely see through what now looked like a thick fog all around me. As I began to try and collect myself, I heard Aqua's voice from in front of me.

  " From the look on your face, John, I'm assuming you're lost in what seems like a fog right? don't worry, everyone who has their Mana Pathways forcibly opened like this has it happen in one way or another. What has happened to you is the body can't handle the sudden change that has happened to it. So it's Mana runs wild for about a day after the jolt. Seeing as how you wish to save My Daughter as fast as possible though, we can help your body adjust to its new abilities quicker! The assimilation to your now Opened Pathways is easier than one might think! You just have to suppress your Mana Leakage through Control."

  " And how do I do that Aqua?"

  I responded quickly. It's not like I want to live in a cloud for the next day after all.

  "Simple, you need to grasp your own Mana and learn how to turn it off. As you are right now, your body is like a flooded stream, which is your Mana Leakage, that leads to a raging waterfall which is your newly Unlocked Mana Center. So, you have to calm the stream and calm the waterfall. The easiest way to do this is to meditate to help your concentration. Then you feel for your Mana."

  I immediately sit in the cross-legged style I've seen monks do in documentaries and movies. Next was closing my eyes to try and focus... I think this is how you do it?

  "Ah! So this style of meditation exists in your world as well, John?"

  Warrick spoke in a surprised tone, his guards also letting out surprised sounds for whatever reason. Aqua meanwhile began trying to cheer me on with words of encouragement such as...

  "Not bad at all John!"

  And...

  " You're close to doing it!"

  My concentration was starting to break, after all, when I would concentrate on studying, for instance, it would be in a quite library or my room until Laura would come in to play one of my games or read one of my comics I had. At one point she tried to watch a movie while I was studying... Seriously, what was she thinking!? Ah! Now I've completely lost my focus. A little frustrated from recalling the past and the noise around me and the irritation made my actual thoughts leak out of me.

  "Guys! I understand there is a lot to be impressed about from having an Otherworlder in front of you, but! Please be quiet. I'm trying to focus."

  I spoke through clenched teeth.

  "Sorry"

  Everyone apologized in unison. Except for that maid... Trish I think her name was? Granted I didn't hear her speak, so there's at least that, I guess?