Chapter 11

Without realizing it, I clasped my hands close to my chest almost as if I was praying, while my mouth and eyes opened in surprise as I looked at the man in front of me.

Honestly, I somehow felt like I was seeing a marvel in humanoid form. Somehow, it was completely unreal, and yet it was there, just like any other human.

It was surprising, for several reasons, whether it was because a character from a game I know very well is in person in front of me, alive and well... or that I almost didn't recognize him at first.

The man, Arthur, was a young man with brown hair and strong features, with a beautiful Greek nose and perfect skin, free of blemishes.

The piercing sapphire eyes that captured her gaze, seemingly devoid of emotion as they appraised her, were absolutely beautiful and covered by elegant black-framed glasses that gave him the intellectual appearance of a scholar.

His hair was beautifully combed back, shining slightly in the sunlight streaming through the window, and looking very refined as his forehead was exposed. He was wearing an elegant brown aristocratic suit with a black shirt and dark-colored trousers; all made of excellent materials.

His body was in good physical condition, unlike what she remembered, with broad shoulders and a firm physique that was subtly emphasized by his clothing. And the way he sat... it was simply perfect; like the personification of what a worthy nobleman should look like.

If my father seems to embody the strength of a powerful monarch (when he is silent) with his powerful presence alone, then this man was like the very embodiment of the ideals of aristocracy, given his appearance and refined attitude.

And she didn't want to admit it, but she found him even more beautiful than in the game, since he was now flesh and blood.

Arthur the Great by Jairus

A man who looked like he should only exist in a painting by a famous artist slowly stood up from the chocolate brown seat he was sitting in as he continued to stare at me with an indifferent expression, bowing slightly with his hand on his chest as he introduced himself, “Good afternoon, Princess, my name is Arthur the Great von Jairus. As you know, I have been called to be hired as your tutor... though I must make it clear that I will only accept after proving that you have sufficient knowledge of magic.”

Wow, get straight to the point! And your way of speaking is so elegant in a place where only cuts are made!

His voice is also deep, masculine, and sexy… Wow… Is that really true? The game didn't do it justice, really…

"Princess?"

Blinking at his questioning tone, I quickly regained my wits as I bowed almost hastily like a noble lady towards him, introducing myself in a nervous voice, "Ah... it's a pleasure to meet you... Jairo-sama."

…Well… I was supposed to introduce myself by my first and last name, even though he already knew who I was, as is the etiquette. However, I was still too shocked by his appearance to care about such things at the moment.

Why?

Because Arthur looks very different from how he looked in the game, that's why!

I clearly remember this handsome young man, looking somewhat disheveled and with slight dark circles under his eyes due to the arduous hours of magical research, with completely wild hair and a slim physique, like a mad scientist!

In fact, it was the common sight of almost all genius-level magic masters who had lost interest in maintaining the dignity of a noble, if they were of noble origin in the first place! Though it was still surprisingly popular...

Anyway, why is it so different now?

What's wrong with this big, handsome man, full of dignity and exceptional physique? I mean, it's not that he looked physically powerful or anything, but he seemed to have accumulated some physical strength despite being a magician...

This is... incredible! From what I see, Arturo could easily challenge those handsome actors with his physique and be one of the most popular with just his face.

I mean, he was already a handsome guy, but now he looks even better and more presentable. What's up with that?! And I didn't know his eyes could be so beautiful...

"Fufu, could it be that my little princess was captivated by the appearance of her future tutor?" Mom said something scandalous while I felt somewhat stunned, incredulous, making me turn to look at her in astonishment and embarrassment while my cheeks turned slightly red at her insinuations.

Mother, it's not like that!

It's a misunderstanding!

I admit he's quite handsome and I think his eyes are incredibly beautiful like jewels, but that doesn't mean I was enchanted by him!

Listen to me, really!

I'm still a man at heart!

I'm not gay! (Definitely!)

I wanted to say all that, but I could only move my mouth awkwardly in response. I'm sure it's not my fault, but the system's, which prevents me from doing anything that doesn't fit with the normal behavior that Ekaterina is considered to be, according to her own criteria.

What a problem….!

—Duchess, excuse me for being rude, but whether I will be your daughter's tutor or not will depend on the princess's magical foundations and understanding, so saying that I am her future tutor so openly is too hasty.

Arturo spoke in a courteous tone as he made his point; his words to me clearly conveyed the message that if I wasn't worthy of his time, he would leave immediately without a second's hesitation.

Even though your appearance and overall attitude may seem different, you're still the same person, right? It's good that I'm not someone who mocks others' embarrassment, just their stupidity... or something like that.

“Is that so? Well, I think my daughter will surprise you a lot, Arturo-kun.”

I looked at my mother in shock at the familiar way she was cheerfully referring to this guy while Arturo frowned slightly, but my mother paid no attention to any of it as she said to me with a smile, "Come on, Ekaterina. Don't stand there, sit down."

“Oh yes, Mother!”

I listened obediently to my mother and went to sit next to her, while Arturo returned to his seat without saying anything. Climbing onto a small stand I suppose they'd prepared for me, I smoothed down my skirt and sat down as a lady should—or so I think I did, never mind... I think.

At that moment, I glanced around the room with some curiosity. I'd been here in the game, but as expected, it's different.

The room we were in had a beautiful hardwood floor, a marble fireplace, a gorgeous gilded chandelier, and several paintings of the dukes and duchesses before Duke Astaroth and Mireia. It could comfortably accommodate 13 people.

The Dunan Guest Room is named after the late Grand Duke Dunan Sophrein von Dranalian, who was the last duke to help expand the territory of the Hazar Empire to what it is today.

That's all I know... really, does it make sense for a guest room to be named after a great historical figure?

Nobility is a rare thing... or perhaps it's a characteristic of the game's developers. I don't know, and honestly, it's not important; I'm just rambling.

"So, since Ekaterina is already here, I want to know what test you'll give my daughter, if you don't mind," the mother got straight to the point, looking him in the eyes with a serious expression.

However, the table between us made it a little more fun for me since there was some distance.

"It's nothing important. I'll just start with some questions that you'll have to answer in my notebook. This is so I can assess your level of magical knowledge based on your answers.

Once I pass that exam, then I will test the princess's understanding of magic... though first I would like to see if Princess Ekaterina truly has the talent to learn magic."

Arturo was also direct, adjusting his glasses, which were slightly shiny for some reason... maybe from the sunlight? Although it must be said, he was brilliant.

“Testing her ability to manipulate mana… Surely you must be puzzled by the fact that we asked you to be her tutor even though she didn’t go through that test in the first place.”

“No, not at all. I already demonstrated my ability to use mana properly at a young age, without having to wait until I turned 15, as is usual. The idea that a child can't use mana properly until they reach a certain age is, in any case, very wrong.”

“Do you disapprove of magic tests?” Mother was curious about that too.

"Completely. I think if there are children who can manipulate their internal mana so well to use Arcane Arts, then there should be no reason to wait to see if they can become mages in the first place," he answered frankly, showing no sign of annoyance at satisfying the Duchess's curiosity a little, while he did not hide his opinion regarding these practices.

I'm sure I'd be a little more grumpy in the future... I feel like my knowledge is becoming more and more useless every second...!

"But that's just the mana inside, isn't it? The test to see if you can use magic depends on whether you can manipulate the mana in the environment, and that's a big burden on the minds of young people."

“On the contrary, I firmly believe that helping children manipulate ambient mana from a young age strengthens their minds and spiritual energy, allowing them to become mages more easily. If one is willing to make them strive for it, the number of mages in the empire could grow significantly. I myself increased my ability to manipulate external mana in this way.”

"Wow, what a surprise..." my mother expressed her surprise without any filter, though she didn't seem particularly rude. I blinked in bewilderment too, since I hadn't known that. She never mentioned it in the game, perhaps because it was too trivial to mention; I didn't know.

“U-uhmm… Did Jairo-sama really improve his magic skills like that? Why?” Despite my initial doubts, I couldn’t help but ask curiously as I leaned forward. Arturo looked at me and answered leisurely.

“I just wanted to use magic quickly, that’s all. Since I knew magic required manipulating mana outside my body, I figured, ‘Why not?’ And practice a little until I got it right. It wasn’t much in the end, since I’m a genius.” His expression didn’t change much as he spoke with a faint smile, but you didn’t need to read his words to know how proud he was of himself, seeing his slightly smug eyes.

What a boy…

I just rolled my eyes without thinking and smiled for some reason, while my mom laughed amusedly, as if she found it cute.

Well, while some might say he's an arrogant jerk for saying that, I think it's pretty adorable how he brags about it so shamelessly... Bah! What was I thinking just now?

I can't believe she thinks a boy is cute... It must be the evil system doing its thing!

<Objection: That's the host's problem, not mine. You shouldn't blame others if you personally find a man attractive.

Please be quiet!

Resisting the strong urge to shake my head madly due to my sudden strange thoughts as well as the system's words, I close my eyes for a few seconds as I clasp my hands and look towards Arthur, “Could it be that manipulating external mana depends on how strong a person's perception is?

I was very curious about this, as I wasn't given any books that mentioned such a thing. As for how I came to that conclusion... perception was one of the stats that strengthened the power of magic, of course.

“Basically, it’s like this. If a person’s perception is good enough, they only need to concentrate enough to sense the mana around them and use the power of their mind to subconsciously guide the soul’s spiritual energy to control atmospheric mana. It’s much easier when you consider that external mana is constantly being absorbed into the human body and use that knowledge to visualize it, which makes it simpler.”

—Oh… —I nod.

What he said made perfect sense. Aren't we constantly absorbing mana from the atmosphere to replenish the mana in our magic circuits? If so, I think it's a simple matter to use my perception to try to sense the process and use that sensation to manipulate the mana outside of myself...

Thinking about it that way, I closed my eyes and concentrated while breathing deeply, trying to visualize that strange substance that surrounds the entire world entering my body. It didn't bother me too much that I was being rude by doing something like that in a meeting with my future magic tutor, and I put all my attention and focus on it.

In just 13 seconds, I felt a familiar presence of a sea of ​​countless blue-white particles coursing through my skin from the outside, entering my body and flowing toward imaginary lines within me; the magic circuits, being absorbed and stored in various 'Points' after flowing out like a dense river of magic particles.

I quickly realized it was mana. Honestly, it wasn't that difficult... perhaps because my perception is only inferior to that of a normal adult in this world? Those 10 points of perception are amazing...

—I think I got it… —The mouth spoke and I said without thinking as I raised my hands, the feeling of mana still lingering in my senses as it flowed into me slowly but steadily.

"Hmmm? Really?" Arthur looked at me with complete doubt, which made me frown.

“Ekaterina, how about you show us your ability to manipulate external mana? I trust you, but unless you can do that, everything you say will be treated as empty words by the other party,” my mother suggested as she placed her hand on my shoulder, and I nodded seriously.

Mom smiles as she places a hand on her cheek, seeming to find my seriousness adorable, but I decide to ignore her as I focus again on the mana flowing around me, entering my body.

It took a few seconds, but I managed to get the mana to flow slowly into the palm of my hand, gradually taking the form of a ball of energy. Arthur, who ultimately has superior perception to ours, clearly noticed the growing concentration of mana and opened his eyes.

“Incredible… he really did it in such a short time…”

His eyes turned a little somber as he muttered to himself, dazed, how it had taken him a week to do the same thing, and with terrible results...

"Are you okay, Ekaterina?" My mother looked at me with some concern. She was the one who told me to do it, but she seemed a little annoyed at the stress that manipulating out-of-body mana might cause me, a 12-year-old girl.

"I'm fine, it was very easy," he smiled at her without showing any particular discomfort, making her sigh in relief and smile proudly as she looked at Arturo, who remained silent, immersed in his thoughts.

“You see, Arturo-kun? My daughter is a genius… No, a magical prodigy! I’m sure you wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity to teach such a gem, would you? So, what do you think?”

“Mother, that’s a little…”

“Calling your daughter a gem is a bit…”

We both couldn't help but speak at the same time in response to the absurdity, and as a result, we looked at each other. Arturo grimaced, as if trying to hold something back, and spoke again while coughing.

“Fine, I admit that a young woman as talented at mana manipulation as the princess is definitely a very attractive teaching target for me, but being a mage requires much more than that. Whether or not she can be a mage in the future will depend on her magical knowledge and your understanding of it, as I already mentioned.”

"I think his words were somehow off…" I murmured softly as I tilted my head, slightly confused. There was something a little off about what he said… But what was it?

In response to my murmurs, Arturo looked at me with his shiny glasses: “Yes?”

"Oh, nothing"

Mom just laughed at our interaction, making us look at her as she spoke again.

—Well, before we start Ekaterina's exam, I'd like you to answer a few things for me, okay?

“…I guess I could,” he replied, with some hesitation.

I remained silent.

After that, there followed a series of strange questions and harsh answers that made it seem as if Mom was interviewing him or something (Maybe), and finally I thought it was my turn to talk again when Mom, with a smug expression, suggested something to eat before starting my exam and Arturo was considering turning it down (From my perspective).

"We have frozen dessert and spicy food. Which would you like, Jairo-sama?" he asked with apparent curiosity while smiling at her, causing my mother to look at me for my sudden interruption.

Sorry, Mom, I need to confirm... Do you still like spicy food? It's important to know!

“A little spicy food wouldn’t hurt…”

Hearing those words spoken after a brief pause of silence, I smiled even wider, feeling happy and satisfied.

He still likes spicy food!

My knowledge is not useless!

What a relief!

<Affection Points Acquired 4+. Arthur the Great von Jairus's total affection towards the player: 9/100 (Stranger)>

Huh?