“Apprentice, why are you messing with the bones of a rat?” Belna does not sound amused.

  “Ah, you don't think he looks cute, mistress?”

  “I fear my customers will think this place is unsanitary, and that there might be more living ones nearby.”

  “It’s just a golem, it's to help me train my mental mana. Look if I use this rod, Ratagin does a flip”

  I tapped with the rod and Ratagin did a small back flip. It is delightful. It hasn't gotten old yet.

  You have gained [Mana Manipulation:Self] Apprentice 9

  Gain 2 exp

  I may have made Marie tired of it though. Proud to say fifty backflips is only half my mana.

  “You even named it, just try to keep it near you so my customer will just assume the princess has a new toy.” Rude. Ratagin is more than a toy. He is joy itself.

  I tend to the fire. Another bucket round and I see Tom and Johnston with Belna. Tom was brought here by my mom after our father's murder. She hired him as a guard apprentice. I would have been annoyed at the thought that she didn't hire me when we first met but the circumstances edged out any of my pettiness. Belna waved me over.

  “Apprentice, come, there are receipts to write and a ledger to fill.”

  “Hey, Tom” zap, damnit.

  You have gained [Resist Lightning] Apprentice 1

  Apprentice - you can negate a lightning attack at twice the cost of the mana attack

  Gain 2 exp

  “Ha, you pushed me into apprentice, now I can negate your lightning.”

  She is smiling at me, I don't like that look. Zap, o system that one really hurt.

  “Not sure how you plan to negate something you are incapable of reacting to, a proper greeting, young miss”

  “That one really hurt.”

  “Of course, your skill is higher, I must adjust to ensure continued compliance, the greeting, young miss.”

  She is readying the rod again, I quickly turn to the guardsman, and curtsy.

  “Good afternoon guardsman Johnston and guardsman apprentice Tom.”

  Marie nods and puts the rod back in her dress. Tom is holding his laughter and Belna isn't. Johnston turns towards Marie.

  “I prefer you don't use mana attacks in front of the guard ma'am.”

  “I have permission of both the [Lady] and her mother, the Guard Captain, to ensure proper decorum. It is for the young miss's benefit.”

  Tom winces at the mention of mother.

  “Its only a side perk that you so thoroughly enjoy it.”

  She looked at me, her hand in her dress again, I hid behind Tom. Zap, I yelp again. Damnit she can bend lightning. She smiles satisfied. Belna is full on laughing now.

  “O it is tough to be a princess isn't it, come I need you to be an apprentice for now and write a receipt back to the guard for spear maintenance, fifty copper.”

  Paper work complete, Belna begins her work on the spears, I drag Tom over to my chair.

  “Look this is mister Ratagin, I can make him do flips.”

  I tap, he flips, I tap again, he flips again. I do it a third time.

  “Can I try?”

  I shrug, hand him the rod.

  “Just focus your mana through the rod.”

  He taps, another flip, he is smiling. He does it twice more before he hands the rod back, he looks winded. I flip Ratagin again.

  “Not sure how you can do it so much, I'm already spent.”

  I shrug, and make Ratagin flip again.

  You have gained [Mana Manipulation:Self] Competent 1

  Competent - you can now choose which passive skills to supply mana

  Gain 4 exp

  I ran to Marie excited, leaving Tom confused. I grab her hands.

  “Marie, Marie, I did it. My [Mana Manipulation:Self] is competent, though I don't understand what choosing passive skills to supply means. Can you teach me external now? What about the conversion technique? O can I start learning custom commands for Ratagin with external?”

  “Calm yourself young miss. I will explain it after you are settled.”

  She retracts her hands from me. It's hard, but I breathe. I am so excited, but I calm myself. Tom walked up to us in the time it took for me to settle.

  “Good young miss, first an example of a passive skill that takes mana is [Arcane Mana Sight]. Observe.”

  Both her pupils turn white, then red, then yellow, each time it feels like they are occupying a separate space in her eyes.

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “Wait, everyone been poking fun at me when I had my white dots before.”

  “Of course, we wouldn't want you to become enamored with the change that you would change yourself. It's highly unusual to receive a mana sight without first being able to decide when to turn it on or not. It's surprising that it even worked at all. Now mentally focus on your [Arcane Mana Sight].”

  But I have been seeing mana right now, I mean it's still super blurry and all but still. What does she mean to change myself? Whatever, I focus on the skill. Suddenly the mana objects on Marie are as clear as day. Ah my right eye feels stretched again. Then my left eye tears open, it's excruciating, I'm clutching my left eye now.

  You have gained [Arcane Mana Sight] Competent 1

  Competent - a matching hole has opened on your other eye, you now can see mana depth

  Per raised to 24

  You have gained the skill [Mana Manipulation:External] Basic 1

  Mana Manipulation:External - the ability to control mana outside your body

  Basic - able to project mana out of your body

  Gain 2 exp

  I think I screamed. Tom is gripping my shoulder asking if I'm okay. The pain subsides. I look at him and he rears back. I blink.

  “Sorry, the initial opening of my mana sight tends to be a lot, I think it was more so since my left had to match my right. What do you think of my white dots Tom?” I give him a shaky smile.

  “They're cat eyes” he replies in a murmur.

  Damnit, that meow, … I kinda wanna see it.

  “My feline apprentice, the fire.”

  No rest for the exasperated.

  -----

  By the time I am back with my bucket of water, Tom and Johnston have left. I don't return to my chair but instead head to Marie.

  “So how is it that I have cat eyes but you don't.”

  “Young miss, how one's mana eyes manifest differs from person to person, mine are as the moons at their fullest.” Sounds like someone fed Marie a pickup line.

  “And I'm just a cat.”

  “You do seem enamored with playing with that rat corpse.”

  I squint at Belna, I see unaspected mana channels in her body, they are flowing to her hand and into her hammer. It's like night and day now with my sight.

  “I do suggest you turn them off for now young miss, it does affect your mana recovery.”

  Aw, but I do as she says. Now with it turned off, I see no mana at all, was I in some sort of pseudo state prior. I wonder if I supply a little I could go back to blurry mode. I think it would be useful to have it somewhat on. I try and it seems the amount I put in controls how sharp I can see mana.

  “Young miss, are you having issues cutting off the supply of mana to your eyes, their intensity keeps fluctuating.”

  “Oh sorry, before this I was seeing mana before but it was blurrier. I was seeing if I could return to that level of vision”

  “Even while they were not being supplied mana, young miss?”

  “Thats the thing, I don't think they ever was truly off. Could you watch my eyes and tell me when you can't see the cat eyes.”

  I proceed to lower the amount of mana flowing to my eyes, Marie tells me she no longer can see them. The mana I can see is a tad sharper than before all this. I think I'll leave them at this level if only to keep up my awareness. Marie's own eyes go white.

  “Ah, so I see the barest traces of mana focusing in your eyes. Thank you, young miss, it has been said that by teaching one can arrive at greater understanding.”

  Her eyes slowly match my own in mana flow.

  “Though I must admit I don't think I could maintain any of my other sights at this level.”

  Huh, other sights must cost more, perhaps it's due to them requiring a specific mana aspect.

  “Alright, young miss, for your next lesson we will have you sit in your chair, this will be rather uncomfortable.”

  She has no smile on her face for this. I sit in my chair. She picks up one of the rods for Ratagin.

  “I will be pushing mental mana into your body so that you may get a feel for it. It will feel awkward at first, try to keep it separate from the rest of your mana, otherwise it will diffuse into your arcane mana. Once the initial discomfort passes, study it, you will need to convert your own mana into that feeling. I am starting now”

  The rod is tapping my chest, at first it was nothing then a heavy lead ball is forming where the rod touches my skin, it still felt gross. My left eye flares.

  “Do remove the flow to your [Mental Mana Sight] please, young miss, this is not sustainable for me.”

  She is starting to breathe heavier now, I quickly do as she says. She stops and I feel like there is a peach sized ball of lead in my chest. I am keeping the rest of my arcane mana away from it. Just as it feels like it's my own mana it’s pulled into my mana core. I pat my chest as if it will somehow bring it back. It does not. I look up at Marie scared to admit the truth.

  “Um, my mana core ate the mana you placed in me.”

  “That is unfortunate, young miss, it is still basic, yes?” I nod. “Then drawing from it is not yet possible, do you have a feel for how full it is?”

  “About a quarter.”

  “I have over spent myself to provide this much and cannot provide you more, I will be fetching your mother to escort us home at the end of your day. Miss Belna would you please excuse the young miss from further fountain visits as I can not provide for her safety alone.”

  “That is fine, I was thinking tomorrow we will increase her load to two buckets at a time.”

  And I know I'll have to do it with perfect poise.

  -----

  Mom decided dinner at the tavern was in order. We dragged Tom and Belna with us. Marie went to the estate to bring back Ratagin and take care of grandma's meal. Sencea was happy to see that I wasn't leaking any aura. I got extra mashed taters on my plate.

  Still only water though in my mug.

  “Not till you have 20 constitution.” Admonished by Mom.

  “Do not worry apprentice, we will get you [Resist Heat] soon enough.” Feel the burn Sara, feel it.

  “And since you are still too slow, I am sure our spars will provide plenty of [Resist Blunt] to come.”

  “You spar with the captain?” Tom gave me wonder eyes.

  “No, I mostly stand there waving a wooden sword while mother finds new places to hit me.”

  “You blocked two blows in a row today honey.”

  “And took another ten to my side in quick succession.”

  I ignore the conversation for a bit, mashed taters are just too good and Marie is not here to zap me. I'm enjoying it all, even with no wine. Though I think I'll skip intoxication while still living other lives. Hard enough to keep who I am straight while sober. I'm nudged in my shoulder, I look up and my mood turns sour.

  “Mister Lancas, how unfortunate to see you.” I'm really glad Marie is not here. Mother pokes me.

  “Sara, I have come to apologize.”

  I take a breath. “Alright lets hear it.”

  “I'm not sure I understand.”

  “Your apology, why are you regretful?”

  “I feel you're being rather hostile to me.”

  “I have some rather poor ideas on what your goals were. So I am hoping for a better explanation than what I came up with.”

  “What explanation are you looking for?”

  I pinch the nose bridge again. “Why did you cancel your open request?”

  “I wasn't going to have time to process the herbs while I was searching the town for you.”

  Am I being gaslighted, is that what's going on. Did I assume wrong, in the worst possible way? Did no one believe I could figure a way through the barrier? A hand is on my shoulder, I look up at my mother.

  “Bart, it's rather in poor taste to lie in front of the guard captain.”

  “Fine, I had tracked you to the barrier and knew you would have to get the guards to let you back in and I was making sure I wouldn't be blamed for giving you the idea to leave in the first place.”

  Covering his ass is better than child bride I suppose. Guess he is a fool and not a schemer.

  “Still misleading, but I feel it is closer.” Mother again.

  Bart is scowling at that.

  “O it’s okay, mother, Bart wasn't afraid of my return, but that I wasn't going to return at all.”

  His eyes narrow on me, then he lets out a sigh.

  “It is as you say.”

  I look at my mother and she nods at me. Guess all clear to twist the knife a bit then.

  “I suppose I should apologize to you then Bart, I had assumed that this was all an elaborate ruse to secure me as a child bride, when really you were making sure no adventurer would find my corpse, how many days were you going to wait until you felt it safe to open the request again?”

  He sputters, then gets up and leaves. I get up and follow him.

  “Bart, you still haven't apologized for the most grievous thing you have done to me.”

  He turns to me, “and that is?”

  “You told me that mandrakes are edible.” I then promptly kicked him in the shin.