We exchanged greetings over tea, including the fact that there was still no improvement in my mana adaptation.

He couldn’t hide his disappointment.

“I see… If there were even a small clue, we might be able to find a breakthrough…”

Actually, I know the cause.

‘The contaminated mana coexisting with my mana. If I eliminate it, my mana adaptation issues will disappear.’

But I can’t tell Marcel.

Marcel, who was so loyal to the Archmage and Magic Tower that he sacrificed his life for them in ‘Marino’.

But since he’s not my person, he has no reason to be loyal to me.

“Well, it’s not an issue that can be easily resolved. More importantly, I’d like to see the Marquis now.”

“Ah, right. You mentioned having a gift for the Archmage?”

“Yes. I brought a flower bouquet.”

Marcel, who had been quietly observing me, spoke gently.

“Then I’ll deliver it on your behalf.”

“…Hmm?”

“These days, we’ve heightened security around both the Magic Tower and the Marquis’s quarters to guard against potential dangers. Outside visitors aren’t allowed to enter freely.”

“……”

Though he was asking for understanding on the surface, there was a certain emphasis on the word ‘outside visitors’.

He had been friendly after treating me like a gold mine at the grand meeting, so why this sudden change?

I gave him an annoyed look, but Marcel soothed me like a kind guidance counselor.

“Please understand. It’s not that we don’t trust you, but it’s for the Marquis’s sake.”

“But I’m not really an outsider, am I?”

“Well, in my opinion, someone who hasn’t requested to visit the sick until now is no different from an outsider.”

…Now I understand.

‘He’s upset that I’m only now coming to visit the sick.’

It seems Marcel likes Marquis Offensa more than I thought.

“Moreover, we detected contaminated mana from items collected from illegal magical tool organizations. Since then, we’ve been even more strictly limiting sick visits.”

He’s being more sensitive since it involves Marquis Offensa’s safety.

‘Marcel’s priorities are clear now. I understand, but.’

Ding!

[Quest Generated!]

[Raise Vice Archmage Marcel’s affection to visit Marquis Offensa.]

[Condition: Marcel’s affection 30 or higher]

[Failure: Loss of opportunity to visit Marquis Offensa, Loss of Marcel’s trust]

I wondered why quests hadn’t appeared for a while.

But this quest had something different added.

[Displaying affection levels of key characters for smooth quest completion.]

Affection?

‘In ‘Marino’, you could only roughly guess, it wasn’t shown numerically.’

Unlike the original work, Marcel’s affection was displayed numerically above his head.

[Marcel: ♥ 5/100]

Good heavens. Only 5 affection.

We really were just business acquaintances.

I wonder about Noah?

Noah looked up at me, feeling my gaze. He smiled shyly, somewhat puzzled.

[Noah: ♥ 90/100]

…It was this high?

‘I didn’t expect much since the filial piety was still low.’

Moved, I ruffled his hair vigorously.

‘Then what about Lynen?’

Not that I’m particularly curious.

I’m just checking if the system is working properly.

‘Even 30 would be considered high.’

I secretly glanced above Lynen’s head.

[Lynen: ♥ 7/100]

7? Is this for real?

‘So all that rubbing his lips on my hand was just acting!’

Feeling somehow wronged, I secretly stepped on Lynen’s shoe under the table.

Lynen, who didn’t even flinch, looked at me.

“Do you have something to say to me?”

“No. Just looking.”

“Just?”

“I’ll look if I want to. What, got a problem?”

“……”

Lynen furrowed his brows.

[Lynen’s affection +1]

[Lynen: ♥ 8/100]

“Wow, this is ridiculous.”

“That’s exactly how I feel right now.”

[Lynen’s affection +1]

[Lynen: ♥ 9/100]

Why does he like it?

‘What’s with this nonsensical affection increase? Ah, my blood pressure.’

Anyway, what’s important right now isn’t their affection, but Marcel.

“Hmm……”

Marcel was pressing his temples with an expression of barely contained discomfort.

Feeling my gaze, he quickly smoothed his expression and returned to his usual gentle face.

However, his eyes were full of disapproval.

“Are you done with the chitchat, my lady?”

“It’s not chitchat.”

“Leave the gift for the Archmage. I’ll make sure to deliver it well. The exit is this way.”

Marcel stood up and gestured toward the door.

A clear dismissal.

I sighed and got up from my seat.

“…Alright. I’ll come back another time.”

“Please do.”

His response was hollow.

He had clearly decided not to let me in again. But I brought something in preparation for this situation.

I walked past Marcel toward the door. As I did so, I dropped the pouch I had loosened beforehand.

Thud.

As the glossy brown pouch fell, a small doll spilled out from inside.

Marcel picked up the fallen items for me.

“Just a moment. You dropped your belongings. But why a doll……”

A subtly strong scent spread through the air from the small doll. A scent that only those with elven blood can detect.

“…!”

Marcel’s eyes widened as he inhaled the scent.

‘As expected.’

I smiled inwardly.

What I had stuffed in the doll was fairy mint.

A wildflower that only grows in elven forests.

‘In ‘Marino’, you could gain Marcel’s affection by giving him fairy mint.’

I remembered because it was necessary for the Archmage ending.

But I didn’t know why Marcel liked fairy mint. I just thought it was because he liked the scent.

‘It’s good I looked up information about elves separately.’

It wasn’t well-known information, but it wasn’t exactly a secret either. Thanks to searching through various materials, I was able to find out why.

‘Half-elves are half-elves. So to maintain their elven abilities, they need to return to their homeland periodically.’

They need to receive the mana emanating from their homeland’s earth and forests. They need to purify their disturbed elven mana back to its original state.

‘That’s why they built the Magic Tower with Luminasil.’

But Luminasil is just a stopgap measure.

What’s really needed is fairy mint.

‘It’s essential for elves who’ve left their homeland to maintain their magical abilities.’

Especially for half-elves, fairy mint is even more precious.

Fairy mint only grows in elven territories, and half-elves can’t enter those territories without the elves’ permission.

Even their birthplace is the same.

So Marcel too hadn’t been able to visit his home forest for a long time.

‘According to the original work, he had run out of his fairy mint stock five or six years ago.’

Without Luminasil, he would have collapsed long ago.

That’s why the scent of fairy mint must have made his eyes pop open.

It must have felt like someone who could barely breathe in a big city’s pollution suddenly inhaling the phytoncides of a great forest.

“This, this scent…”

Marcel leaned his face closer to the doll.

Just before he could inhale more of the scent, I quickly snatched the doll and pouch from his hand.

“I received these wildflowers as a gift somehow, and it felt wrong to throw them away. So I stuffed them in the doll instead of cotton.”

“I-is that so?”

Marcel answered anxiously.

His eyes remained fixed on the doll. I could see him constantly gulping, desperate.

I slowly put the doll back in the pouch.

“I’d like to stay longer, but since the Vice Archmage seems busy, I won’t disturb you further.”

“…Y-yes. Please take care.”

“Yes. Then I’ll be going.”

Click, click.

Each time I stepped toward the door, my heel clicks echoed on the wooden floor.

Marcel behind me kept his mouth tightly shut.

Five steps.

“……”

Three steps.

“……”

Finally, when I opened the door and left the room.

“W-wait!”

At last, Marcel called out to stop me.

I turned around with a slight smile.

“Yes, Vice Archmage. Is there something else?”

Now he was the one in need, not me.