“The incantations for ‘Ancient Magic’ exist to compress the mana within your body,” Iris explained from my lap, her small head resting against my chest. “Humans can only hold a small amount of mana, so you adjust where you gather it depending on the spell you want to use. For fire magic, you gather it in your stomach; for earth magic, in your lower abdomen. After that, you draw the sigil with your fingertip to activate the spell.”
“What about when people draw two sigils at once?”
“Those are people with excellent mana control. They can gather mana in two different parts of their body to attack and defend simultaneously, or to stagger the timing of their attacks. Also, some higher-tier ‘Ancient Magic’ requires two sigils for activation. Only high-ranking mages can do that, though.”
I see. So Alex Kielce, the man I fought, was a fairly powerful mage.
“However, it is said that the most important factor in ‘Ancient Magic’ is the strength of one’s mana.”
“So the stronger your mana, the higher the success rate and power of the spell.”
“Correct. The incantations are a means to compress and strengthen your mana, after all.”
“Does that mean someone with naturally strong mana doesn’t need incantations or mana manipulation?”
“That would be correct.”
“Like with my ‘Mistel Blood,’ for example?”
Iris nodded. Now I understood why my ‘Ancient Magic’ activated just by drawing a sigil. My ‘Mistel Blood’ was a concentrated mass of powerful mana. That’s why I didn’t need incantations or mana manipulation.
“By the way, my Lord, how many ‘Ancient Magic’ spells can you use?”
“Hold on, let me check.” I called up my status.
Yuuki Nosferatu
Age: 13 | Race: Unknown
VIT: B+ | STR: B+ | AGI: AA | MANA: S+ | DEX: B++
Skills: Flight, Mistel Blood, Presence Concealment, Ice Magic, Follower Creation, Interspecies Communication, Hacking, Purification, Ancient Magic Aptitude.
Acquired Ancient Magic: Boosted Enhancement, Ifrit Blow, Anti-Magic Shell, Force of Earth, Burning Meteor, Familiar Summoning.
My stats had increased slightly thanks to my recent combat experience. My ‘Levitate’ skill had evolved into ‘Flight,’ probably because I’d been flying around so much lately. As for the ‘Ancient Magic’ I’d learned…
“—Looks like I can use six ‘Ancient Magic’ spells right now.”
“You’ve already surpassed a C-rank mage.”
“But it’s all just by imitation. The only ones I can use reliably are Boosted Enhancement and Ifrit Blow.”
“Can I try to see if I can do the same thing as you, my Lord?” Iris picked up the staff that had been resting on her lap. “I was reincarnated with your blood. I might be able to use magic just by drawing a sigil, like you.”
“Alright. Let’s give it a try.”
“Then…” Iris got off my lap and stood by the door. She pricked her fingertip with a small knife and drew the sigil for Ifrit Blow on the staff’s grip. I stood opposite her and drew the sigil for Anti-Magic Shell on my palm.
“Keep the power to a minimum. And be quiet.”
“Understood. Activate: Ifrit Blow—”
Poof.
A puff of smoke came out of the tip of the staff. That was it.
“How disappointing. It seems my blood doesn’t hold as much power as yours, my Lord.” With a sigh, Iris held out her bleeding fingertip to me. When I didn’t react, she unceremoniously shoved it into my mouth. “I think it will heal faster if you lick it, my Lord.”
“Mgh, mgh (Hey…),” I mumbled.
“Please, my Lord.”
…I guess I have no choice. I used ‘Purification’ on the blood from her wound. Then, I offered Iris my own finger, from which my ‘Mistel Blood’ was seeping.
“You want some?”
“…Eh?”
“If you drink this, you’ll become my familiar—or rather, my vassal. You’ll be able to use ‘Ancient Magic’ just by drawing a sigil with my blood, and your physical abilities will increase. It should raise your chances of survival in a pinch.” The royal palace wasn’t necessarily safe. With Princess Salvia around, I wanted to power Iris up, even if only a little.
“Yes… I accept.” Without a moment’s hesitation, Iris took my finger into her mouth. She sucked the ‘Mistel Blood’ that flowed out before releasing it. I had just confirmed that her blood was similar to my own. By giving her my blood, I could make her my vassal. Just like with Dick and the others, if I drew a sigil on her body, she should be able to activate ‘Ancient Magic.’
“Display Iris Liestia’s status.”
As I spoke, her status appeared before my eyes.
Iris Liestia
Age: 13 | Race: Human
VIT: C+ | STR: D+ | AGI: C+ | MANA: A | DEX: B+
Skills: Quasi-Mistel Blood, High Mana, Ageless, Water Magic.
Acquired Ancient Magic: Boosted Enhancement, Ifrit Blow.
“…‘Quasi-Mistel Blood’ and ‘Ageless.’”
“I have such skills?” Iris looked puzzled. I was viewing her status as my vassal, which meant I could see a deeper level of information. It seemed I could perceive skills that were hidden even from the person themselves. Just in case, I taught Iris how to conceal her status. It would allow her to hide her stats and skills from others.
“Well, at any rate, this confirms that you’re ageless.”
“But not immortal, right?”
“It’s ‘Quasi-Mistel Blood.’ Your lifespan should be much longer, but I don’t know if you’re truly immortal…”
“…I see.”
“Can I try one more experiment, Iris?” I asked. “I want to see if I can use ‘Summoning Magic’ to call you to me, now that you’re my vassal.”
“Summoning magic?”
“When I fought Alex Kielce the other day, I saw him use it and learned it.”
“Come to think of it, he did summon that Flare Garuda.”
“The tutor Kachel also summoned a griffin. The sigil he and Alex drew was the same. Seeing it twice is enough for me to remember the shape. As long as I have a catalyst, I should be able to summon you to my side.” I pulled a silver hair clip from my pocket—the one she had given me when I saved her in the barony. “This belonged to you, right? If I use this as a catalyst for the summoning spell, I should be able to call you to my side, no matter where you are.”
“You’re going to… summon me, my Lord?”
“That way, I can always come to your rescue, right?”
“…As your vassal?”
“I can remove the vassal setting if you don’t like it.”
“Why would I not like it?” Iris squeezed my hand. “For 200 years, I’ve been one of Dean Nosferatu’s people, his family, and his fiancée. Why would I ever refuse to be by your side now?”
“Alright. Then let’s do it.” There was no danger. I had already tested it on Dick the bat yesterday, and a subsequent physical check had cleared him of any issues.
“First, get as far away from me as you can.”
“Okay.”
Iris and I moved to opposite ends of the room, she by the window and I by the door.
“Ready?”
“Ready~!” Iris’s voice came from behind me.
I placed the silver hair clip on the floor in front of me. Then, using my ‘Mistel Blood,’ I drew the sigil for the summoning spell on both my right and left hands.
“Activating summoning magic. Come forth, my vassal, Iris Liestia!”
“—Ngh!”
A magic circle appeared on the floor before me. The hair clip I was using as a catalyst began to glow. Slowly, Iris’s form materialized from within the circle—
Rustle.
Huh? Did I just hear a noise behind me?
“Your servant, Iris, answers the summons—”
“Wait.”
Iris’s bare white back was right in front of me. I turned around to see her dress lying in a heap where she had been standing just moments before.
I see. So anything not clinging tightly to the body isn’t recognized as part of the person. That’s why Iris was summoned in her underwear.
“Summoning magic is a deep and mysterious art.”
“H-Hey! W-W-W-W… My Looooooooord!”
“Sorry. A slight miscalculation.”
“It’s not a ‘slight miscalculation’! Geez… just close your eyes!”
I did as I was told and heard the pitter-patter of Iris’s footsteps. A few minutes later, I was given permission to open my eyes. Iris was now wearing loungewear. Her dress was hanging on the wall; apparently, it was too difficult to put on quickly.
“My Lord!”
“Yes?”
“Your thoughts?”
“Summoning magic only recognizes objects that are in direct, tight contact with the body as part of the person. So, if you were to press your clothes firmly against your body with both hands, I think you’d be summoned with your clothes on.”
“That’s not what I meant! You saw, didn’t you?”
“Your underwear?”
“Yes! Your thoughts?!”
“Well, I saw it plenty of times when I was treating your ‘Death Mark Disease’ in your past life.”
“…You’re a tough one to fluster.”
“But you have matured a bit.”
“Huh?”
“The Iris of today is more developed than the Alice I knew in my past life. To be honest, I never thought I’d get to see a grown-up Alice, so I’m quite moved.”
“…………If that’s how you feel… then it’s fine.” Iris pressed a hand to her chest and sighed. “But next time you use summoning magic, give me a proper heads-up, okay? So I can prepare.”
“Alright. I promise.”
“However, it’s a different story when it’s time to wash your hair, my Lord. You’ll get wet anyway, so it’s fine if I don’t have clothes on. Feel free to call me without hesitation.”
“…And how do I send you back?”
“I’m sure there’s a ‘Return’ spell somewhere, don’t you think?”
“Got it. I’ll look for it while I’m exploring the dungeon.” I patted her head. She narrowed her eyes as if tickled, and with that, our meeting for the day came to an end.
The summoning magic was a success. Now, if the need arose, I could summon Iris at any time. I had secured an escape route for her, just in case.
“My Lord… no, Lord Yuuki.”
Finally, Iris’s expression returned to that of a princess, and she stopped me. “In a few days, there will be an orientation for the Magic Guild. Please be prepared.”
“An orientation? What’s it about?”
“An exploration of the great dungeon, ‘Elysium, the Capital of Ancient Magical Civilization.’ Trainees will only be exploring the upper levels, though.”
“Thanks for the heads-up. I’ll be ready.”
With that, I left Iris’s room. She didn’t see me off, since she was no longer in her dress. It would certainly look suspicious if a princess saw off the illegitimate son of a baron in her loungewear.
“—A Magic Guild orientation, huh?”
If it involved exploring Elysium, I might be able to look for ‘Ancient Artifacts’ on the side. I should ask Rhodelia to help me prepare some equipment.
With that thought in mind, I left the western villa.
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