The Demon Lord's Bride (BL)
Chapter 362: The prerequisite of becoming a cupid is having a pair of wings

Chapter 362: The prerequisite of becoming a cupid is having a pair of wings

People said visualization was good for learning, so that was what I did.

I tried to visualize mana in the way people visualized atomic particles. All this while, I had been looking at it too abstractly, looking at the environment like I was looking at a painting. Perhaps because at the start, I saw this world as a novel. And when we looked at things too broadly, it was hard to focus.

But now, rather than looking at the whole picture, I tried to look at the centerpiece. Rather than feeling the whole mana, I tried to focus on the tip that led the whole flow, imagining them as those atomic particles and trying to lead them inside my body by moving those particles. A concentrated effort rather than relying on my druid genetic instinct.

By following the movement of a certain part keenly, I kept my mind busy enough from wandering around, even as the characteristic of mana was knocking on my mind palace persistently.

But for that, I needed to make sure I was in a deep concentration state first--which was why I started the whole lesson by practicing the new breathing exercise as a warm-up.

Once my mind entered a focus state that I built up as a habit for the past ten days, I immediately moved toward the next step; absorbing the mana.

The thing about the air was the difficulty; the way the mana was scattered everywhere. Catching millions and trillions of particles scattering in the sky was like trying to catch confetti with a bare hand; not impossible, just hard and tiring.

Thanks to Amarein’s last lesson, I managed to narrow my spreading consciousness--the room where the confetti was sprayed--to a single lane in front of me. I guided the visualized particles into my body, and made the other particles follow the one I guided inside.

In other words, rather than catching those particles by hand, I sucked them with a vacuum cleaner.

It was easier now because I only had to guide and absorb the mana contained in a designated area. And I worked, worked hard to keep my focus on those particles of mana. And just like the breathing exercise, I did not let my body process the mana automatically. I guided and followed them throughout my mana circuits and mana core.

It was exhausting.

Keeping my focus at all times was draining me more than battle training with the Castle’s soldiers--which I felt like I should start doing again--focus, Val!

Ugh--yeah, the point was that I couldn’t keep it long. I had no idea how long I was maintaining it, but I knew it was shorter--way shorter--than usual. And when I opened my eyes, I was drenched in sweat as if I was just visiting Ignis’s cave, almost breathless.

[Master alright?] Jade patted my cheek lightly, moving its wings as if wiping the dripping sweat.

"It would be easier if you expelled the purified mana directly to the environment," Amarein brushed off the stray hair sticking to the side of my face.

"Yeah, but..." I looked at my palm, where a marble-sized energy was condensed. "I won’t be able to measure the progress, then."

Amarein smiled and nodded with a proud smile. "That’s true, and congratulations," she whispered, stroking my chin. "You succeded."

My mouth stretched into a grin automatically. Yes, the output was small, or rather, I ran out of steam before I could procure much.

But hey--I’m not floating!

"I think we could try doing it while riding the wyvern tomorrow," Amarein said, helping me to my feet again.

"Oh! Vrida will be elated!"

Jade was also chirping cheerfully, and after I caught my breath, Amarein made a staircase on the side of the cliff leading to Ignis’s cave, who had been waiting for us in the Salamander form.

Like the time in the volcano, Ignis was swimming around the pool of magma. It moved to the edge of the pool to greet us, raising its flaming head on the scorched ground. The flame was hot, but not unbearable, and it didn’t affect me nor Jade. I stroked the salamander’s head and Jade jumped onto Ignis’s back.

"What a place!" Amarein exclaimed in awe. "You don’t need to purify the mana, but you can hone your control over fire, Valen."

"Come swim with me," Ignis told me with a rare eagerness.

"Not that much," Amarein shook her head, to the salamander’s disappointment. "Only after you were sure you could transmorph well."

Patting the disappointed Ignis, I looked at Amarein with raised brows. "You permit me to transmorph?"

"Fire is fine; it’s a limited and controlled environment," Amarein nodded while patting my head. "And you’re contracted to the owner of this domain, so--Ignis, isn’t it?--could become your anchor."

"Oh!" I looked at Ignis and Jade with a grin. "Let’s do it someday, when I’m proficient enough," I paused then, and added sheepishly. "Although...I...don’t know how to swim..."

"Flame doesn’t need to know how to swim in liquid fire," Ignis told me dryly. "But I’ll wait," it said, before adding after a few seconds. "You have to come here often to train."

Ah, I wanted to pinch the scaly cheek. "Of course! I’ll visit a lot with Jade."

At least, when Izzi wasn’t visiting for the project. I couldn’t leave Zia alone to watch the two inventors working. I needed to distract her from time to time--and observe them while at it.

But anyway, my problem was no longer the anchor, but focus endurance. So I had no problem with doing the purification again on top of Vrida. Just like the day before, the output was still small, but succeding twice meant it was legit!

I let myself eat a piece of my favorite honeycomb candy as a celebration afterward.

"We will try the water next time," Amarein said before going back. "It should be easier to manage than the air, but keep practicing the breathing exercise so you may retain your concentration longer."

"Yes, Mam!" I gave her a salute with a hand over my left chest.

"Good luck, my dear," she stroked my cheek once before turning into a bird again, leaving with one of my wedding outfits to be embroidered by the druids.

* * *

The next time Natha came back, he came together with Izzi, who didn’t seem to really want to be there. But paying debt came before comfort!

He spent a while checking on the progress of the project with the other two in the ante-library, making me feel rather useless. I mean, I was the client and the overseer, supposedly. But then again, Natha was the one who paid their salary, so...

Not to mention, my knowledge about this stuff was very surface-level. I could read the formations, but understanding the depth of the application and the flaw in it needed years of academic class--which I did not attend, of course. Eruha was more inclined to teach me about the social-economy-political condition of the Demon Realm.

But since we were all gathering in the library anyway, Angwi made an exception and served the afternoon tea there. Otherwise, those two inventors would just holed up in their new research headquarters until dinner time.

I shall not be charged with neglecting my employees’ welfare, thank you very much.

Once again, Jade turned into the human form; but not so he could argue with Natha. Quite the contrary, Jade wanted to show that he would talk with everyone but Natha--even the silent Angwi and the newcomer Neel. It only made the Demon Lord smile in amusement, however, thinking that the little brat was acting cute.

That being said, Izzi and Neel were still busy huddling together with a chart and a blueprint in hand, even while their other hand shoved cakes into their mouth. I scooted closer to Natha, who looked at me with a raised brow. But I just gave him a silent stare before glancing toward Zia, who was looking at the inventor duo silently.

Natha looked at his distant niece and the corner of his lips twitched. "Interesting," he muttered quietly behind his cup.

"Right?"

"Zia? Zia?" Jade tugged on the succubus and whispered. "Zia? Why Zia ignore Jade?"

The little boy, who didn’t want to talk to Natha, wanted to play with the others. Unfortunately, the others were quite busy in their own world, so Jade was rather annoyed.

"Huh? What?" Zia flinched and looked at Jade, who pouted and instantly sulked.

"See? Succubus ignored Jade!" the little boy grumbled and stomped away to the other side of the table to...smack the elf.

"What?" Izzi widened his eyes in confusion, turning away from the blueprint in his hand. "Why are you hitting me?"

"It’s Elf’s fault!"

"What is?"

I unconsciously grabbed a savory popcorn that Angwi so kindly made for me this afternoon, scooting closer to Natha while seeing this unfold.

"It’s because Elf never play with us anymore! Always look at paper and paper!"

"Huh?!"

I didn’t think that was it, Jade, but continue.

"Now Zia don’t want to play with Jade too!"

"Jade, that’s not--"

"Succubus, quiet!" Jade pointed a small chubby finger at Zia. "Succubus ignore Jade! Only look at Elf! We always play together in the past! Jade don’t like this!"

A pair of small palms slammed the table, and I almost choked on my popcorn. Both Zia and Izzi blinked in confusion at the sudden outburst that seemed to be coming out of nowhere.

"Wait..."

"...uhh?"

And then, Zia stood up; the pink face went deeper in red. "I...I’m not looking at him! I’m looking at them!"

Doesn’t that mean you admit you were looking, Sis?

Izzi, looking flabbergasted, raised his head and met Zia’s glare. "Umm..."

Abruptly, Zia turned around and ran out of the library. Izzi blinked in a daze of confusion and fluster, while Neel tilted her head--having no idea about what was just happening. Jade widened his eyes and ran to me.

"Master? Why Zia go? Zia is angry at Jade?" the little boy asked with a voice full of concern.

I pressed my lips to hold back my laughter and pulled the little boy to my lap. "I’m not sure, Jade. Let’s leave Zia alone for a bit, and then we’ll go look for her, okay?"

"...okay," Jade nodded before hugging me and sighed. "Jade will give Zia candy."

"Alright, alright..."

Beside me, the old man Natha just sipped on his tea while murmuring. "Youth."

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