Chapter 30

The owner was her, yet the mana was being used elsewhere.  

Iberia felt somewhat indignant. Seeing her inevitable gloominess, the Mage Tower Master curved his eyes into a smile.  

“Mental magic users are greedy, you know. Lavish spenders. They don’t want to give up what they’ve been using.”  

In truth, the way mental magic consumed mana was due to Iberia’s memories, but Ruanes deliberately chose not to mention that part.  

Iberia’s gaze fell to the floor.  

What should I do now? Should I seal off the mental magic? Would it improve if I did?  

As if reading her thoughts, the Mage Tower Master spoke in a resolute tone.  

“Think about mastering your mental magic.”  

“Yes…”  

“Mental magic users don’t want to lose what they’ve been using. From the perspective of a mental magic, it’s for your sake, but…”  

The Mage Tower Master trailed off. Iberia straightened her posture.  

Even if it was for her sake, in the end, it was something that harmed her. Iberia’s brows furrowed on their own.  

“Still, you need to practice controlling it little by little.”  

“Yes.”  

“I can help you.”  

At the Mage Tower Master’s words, Iberia couldn’t hide her surprise. Her heart raced.  

The Mage Tower Master met her blue eyes, smiled faintly, and continued.  

“From now on, whenever I join a class, would you stay behind for a bit after it ends?”  

Fortunately, the classes the Mage Tower Master taught were always followed by free time. Iberia gave a small nod.  

She didn’t know why the Mage Tower Master was suddenly being so kind to her, but if things continued as they were, she didn’t know when she might collapse again. Even though she knew the cause, it wasn’t something she could prevent on her own.  

If she collapsed again, Cynthia would probably set the academy on fire. She couldn’t just stand by and let Cynthia become a criminal.  

The Mage Tower Master slowly removed the barrier. Then, as if he’d just remembered something, he suddenly spoke.  

“Could you avoid telling Ermite that you’re a mental magic user?”  

“Yes, yes.”  

“Thanks.”  

He smiled as if he were genuinely grateful. Iberia didn’t bother asking why.  

After that, her busy life continued. Even amidst the chaos, Iberia found herself with more peace of mind than before.  

It felt reassuring to have half of her future decided.  

Iberia pressed the tip of her pen against her cheek. That was that, and this was this. The immediate problem in front of her wasn’t being solved.  

She could feel Young Master Nesferos’s gaze on her. Having just listened to his explanation, it was embarrassing to now show that she was stuck on a problem.  

Thinking it would be better to quickly fill in the blanks, she started scheduling more frequent study sessions with him. If their schedules aligned even a little, she’d arrange a meeting, but during moments when her brain felt overloaded like this, she sometimes regretted it.  

He asked calmly, a faint smile on his lips.  

“Want some help?”  

“I’m fine.”  

Her ears warmed slightly. Iberia firmly refused his help, almost harshly, and lowered her gaze back to the problem.  

He didn’t say anything for a while. Only the sound of scribbling filled the wide self-study room.  

“Are you really fine?”  

“The answer, excluding the unit, is 137.14, right?”  

“Yeah, that’s correct.”  

He smiled softly. Iberia glanced at her answer, then looked back at him. Young Master Nesferos spoke as if it were nothing.  

“You have a class afterward, right?”  

“Yes.”  

“Is it Ruanes’s class?”  

“That’s right.”  

So, she would have to stay behind for a bit after the class ended. Iberia checked the time and began organizing the books she had brought.  

To leave her books in her locker and head to the magic practice room, she needed to leave the self-study room now.  

“Alright. Have a good class, and I’ll see you at dinner.”  

He waved slowly at Iberia.  

He knew that Iberia was meeting with the Mage Tower Master for something. Since it was likely related to her health, he didn’t want to burden either of them unnecessarily.  

Lowering his gaze, he remained silent.  

***

The Mage Tower Master was an excellent teacher. Iberia had felt this not only during academy classes but also during the control practice sessions that followed.  

Iberia, drenched in sweat, drank water. Although she was using mana and controlling her mental magic, it was physically exhausting.  

The Mage Tower Master approached Iberia, who was sitting in the middle of the lingering traces of mana. He was holding something in his hand.  

“Iberia, could you choose one of these?”  

They were rings.  

She wondered why the Mage Tower Master was suddenly showing her such things, but upon closer inspection, she could sense the flow of mana from them. They were undoubtedly tools designed to help control mental magic.  

Some rings gleamed with a smooth metallic sheen, while others were rough like gemstones, radiating a soft glow. There was even a plain black ring.  

Among them, there was one with an intriguing color. Iberia’s gaze was captivated by it.  

At first glance, it seemed black, but depending on the angle, it appeared purple or blue.  

Noticing her lingering gaze, the Mage Tower Master smiled knowingly and picked up that ring.  

“Do you like this one?”  

“Yes.”  

“Then we’ll go with this.”  

The Mage Tower Master put the other rings back into his pocket and placed the chosen ring in his palm. Soon, dark mana began to gather around it.  

Iberia watched the scene, her mouth slightly agape. A moment later, the light subsided, and the Mage Tower Master handed the ring to her.  

After holding the ring tightly for a moment, Iberia asked with a hint of certainty.  

“Did you perhaps imbue this with mana to help control mental magic?”  

Ruanes looked momentarily surprised before smiling. Iberia’s skills were better than he had expected.  

“Yes, that’s right. So, it would be good for you to keep wearing it. Ideally, on your left ring finger.”  

In truth, the choice of finger didn’t matter much. But Ruanes was curious about Ermite’s reaction if he saw Iberia wearing the ring on her left ring finger. It was a slightly mischievous curiosity.  

However, Iberia had no way of knowing the Mage Tower Master’s hidden intentions. Obediently, she slipped the ring onto the fourth finger of her left hand.  

The Mage Tower Master suppressed the corners of his mouth from curling upward. Just in case that perceptive fellow, Ermite, noticed the ring’s origin, he carefully concealed the traces of mana. To most people, it would appear to be just an ordinary ring.  

Iberia looked at the ring on her hand, opening and closing her fist repeatedly. She liked how the subtle changes in light made it look different depending on the angle.  

If Cynthia or Young Master Nesferos asked her about the ring, she decided she’d say she found it on the street.  

It was the kind of statement that usually made no sense, but coming from Iberia, it was surprisingly convincing. It was far more believable than saying she had gone out to buy a ring or that she suddenly had a lover.  

After thanking the Mage Tower Master again, Iberia hurried to the dining hall. She was running a bit late, and Young Master Nesferos might already be waiting.  

Walking briskly, she slowed her pace as she spotted Young Master Nesferos and caught her breath. When he saw her, he smiled and waved.  

“Hello, Iberia.”  

“Hello.”  

Everything was as usual. Iberia picked a menu that would fill her up adequately, while he ordered something that always included meat.  

Once or twice a week, some of the meat from his plate would end up on Iberia’s. Though it had felt burdensome and overwhelming at first, she had recently grown accustomed to it.  

Iberia fiddled with the ring on her left hand. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but she felt oddly at ease.  

Young Master Nesferos, watching her, slowly spoke.  

“Iberia.”  

“Yes?”  

“…Do you want this?”  

It didn’t seem like this was what he had meant to say. The pause before his words made that clear.  

Iberia didn’t press him for details. Knowing his personality, if it were something important, he would have said so directly.  

Nodding, she pushed her plate closer to his and quietly resumed eating.  

Although she had learned basic etiquette at the academy, she didn’t strictly adhere to it. She had seen commoners who tried to use noble etiquette get caught up in gossip. However, the sound of her utensils was almost inaudible.  

He silently watched Iberia’s hands as they moved.  

Her left ring finger. The sudden appearance of the ring unsettled him.  

It was probably just a simple ring. There was no way Iberia had a lover. It was probably… most likely related to the Mage Tower Master.  

Still, just in case, he couldn’t bring himself to ask directly.  

The ring didn’t suit her long, slender fingers. Ermite scowled as he stared at the ring on Iberia’s finger.  

The ring itself was elegant and sophisticated, with a mysterious glow, but the situation displeased him. The mere thought that Iberia might have someone precious to her filled him with unease.  

The emotions born from that unease directed a resentful gaze toward the ring.  

It was an unwelcome mix of jealousy and anxiety.  

He had always been a mess, but lately, he felt like he was becoming even more pathetic.  

Ermite let out a small sigh.