By Zephyria 
Hugh Benson’s hollow and parched face regained its glossy shine.
Not content with adorning his own fingers, Hugh Benson fitted dozens of ring-shaped Artifacts onto Elvin Brooks’s ten fingers as well. He then layered a protective collar resembling a dog’s and a couple of gold necklaces around Elvin’s neck, and pinned five brooches to his chest.
Even with such a broad chest, it looked cramped and devoid of space when filled to that extent. Whenever Elvin fiddled with his rings, as if trying to remove them, Hugh would make a “tsk” sound, like one would to a dog, and fasten another jeweled bracelet onto his wrist. Elvin looked less like a person and more like a display stand for jeweled Artifacts.
I couldn’t suppress my laughter and watched him with amusement. Then, Hugh cleared his throat and glanced at me furtively.
“Hmph, hmph. You really didn’t have to go this far. Khm, khm.”
“Not at all. If our seniors are safe, then we are safe too. It’s still not enough. Please choose more.”
“My, then… I’ll buy a few more Healing Artifacts? It’s not like I’m the only one who’ll use them, you know.”
“Yes. Please give us everything you have here.”
The merchant, whose face was as brightly lit as Hugh’s, beamed and swept the Artifacts from the jewelry box into a pile. Marianne giggled and called out to Hugh from the side.
“Senior! Buy this too. I think this would look absolutely perfect on you. This chest strap holds 48 Flying Daggers! Shall we get a set for all six of us? It has Lightweight Magic cast on it, so I think I can carry it too.”
“Uh… Khm. Shall we, shall we?”
“Yes! I think you’d be better at judging the Flying Daggers… Between Type A and Type B, which do you prefer?”
“Ah, of course, Type B. A is too thin; it’s good for throwing, but it’s useless against monsters.”
“Then, please give us six sets of these.”
“Ah, khm. Khm. This is also…”
While Rubel’s personal treasury was difficult to touch as it was meant for when he became Emperor, it was different for me.
I was well aware of Ernhardt and Valentia’s wealth. The money allocated to me grew larger with time. My siblings had similar arrangements. Artifacts like these, even thousands more, could be bought with plenty of money left over.
Now I understood why Jegal Amugae and Moyong Amugae had been so eager to support me in my past life. When one has surplus, one can also give.
Seeing Hugh Benson wagging his tail like a puppy who’d found a bone, utterly delighted, I felt satisfied and happy, readily buying various things.
Although the merchant here said he could have his employees deliver the Artifacts to our lodging, Hugh Benson insisted that such expensive items couldn’t be entrusted to others, so we each carried our purchases, our hands full.
Still, we were all martial artists, strong enough to carry a horse each with ease. We dutifully served as porters, letting our seniors lead the way as we bought our goods.
We also purchased various poisons and antidotes from an alchemist tucked away in a corner, and bought high-grade healing potions, said to rival elixirs, from a renowned wizard.
Watching the items Hugh Benson eagerly purchased, I felt no hesitation, as they were all things necessary for survival. His actions clearly showed how he had lived.
I even saw him sniffle as he bought skin regeneration potions.
How could I not feel a pang of pity? Watching him contort his lips and fasten the potion belt with impatient hands, I also picked up a few more of the same.
Rubel, who had been looking around at everything else, slipped a ring onto my finger. It seemed he was imitating what Hugh was doing to Elvin. I didn’t stop the child and bought it as well.
❖ ❖ ❖
Two days passed.
Rubel and Marianne’s mana sickness symptoms gradually lessened each day. Marianne chattered that she felt less chest tightness and dizziness even when breathing normally. However, I knew Rubel had fully recovered even before that, judging by his soft, even breathing while he slept.
During that time, the two seniors, who had grown closer through frequent meals and outings around the Widdrow Duchy, bought us a bag of round, sugar-coated bread to celebrate their recovery.
The bread, with a firmer texture than the cake I had eaten in the capital, had a plain taste that, while not remarkable when eaten, was occasionally missed afterward.
Since the grand shopping spree, the two seniors, especially Hugh Benson, had been very generous with us.
The man who used to complain about morning training and refuse it would now show up every morning, offering advice, and if we got dusty during training, he’d bring us a wet towel, telling us not to mistreat our precious bodies.
I was grateful to be able to give what I could and to obtain what I could not easily acquire. I was busy absorbing the experience and knowledge he casually threw around.
Hugh Benson was the one who declared the children’s mana sickness fully recovered after examining their complexions early in the morning. He, who I didn’t fully understand the purpose of, but who had tested Artifacts bought with my money, declared it with vigor.
“Hey, you pretty little chicks. You’re quite fast, even so. Today, let’s go on an outing to the Crystal Cave with your seniors.”
“The Crystal Cave?”
“Uh-huh. It’s a cave about half a day’s journey northeast from the Duchy’s east gate. It’s filled with concentrated mana. You need to practice encountering higher concentrations of mana.”
As Marianne asked with wide eyes, Hugh Benson explained in a gentle voice.
Looking at him now, it was hard to recall the prickly person he had been at first. I chuckled briefly at the thought, and Elvin glanced my way. When I looked back at him, he indifferently averted his gaze again, which I found odd, but I didn’t press the matter.
Hugh continued his explanation.
“It’s not far, and the horses get sick for about a week after going there, so it’s better to walk. Let’s go now.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to have lunch beforehand?”
“The first-timers will throw up everything, even their guts. Just make do with the donuts you ate earlier, and we’ll have a proper meal when we get back.”
“Ah. Yes, we will.”
Still, it was fortunate that a senior who had experienced it before was guiding us on what to do. Rubel had regained his appetite after a long time, and I wanted to feed him something, but since it was bad for his stomach, I decided it was better to listen to him and readily agreed.
Following Hugh Benson’s advice, we left only the Artifacts that would be heavily affected by mana at the lodging and set off immediately.
Everyone in the group had good stamina and walked quickly, so we reached our destination before lunchtime.
At a point where the Yuil Mountains ridge touched the land, the hole, which looked more like an underground tunnel than a cave, was as large as a well, wide enough for two people to enter at once. Rare Flowers and Herbs bloomed abundantly around it, requiring careful observation to spot. If one were to misstep and fall in, it would be a great disaster.
Hugh, who had checked a portable mana concentration meter Artifact with a “click” sound near the entrance, gestured with his chin.
“I’ll go in first, so follow me. Elvin will be the last one in. If you feel so dizzy you can’t stand it, raise your hand immediately. He’ll pull you out.”
“What is the mana concentration here?”
“28 mp. The floor is slippery, so be careful.”
“Yes, yes.” Everyone answered obediently. I entered right after Hugh Benson, followed by Rubel, then Marianne, and then Benjamin. I was accustomed to the formation where I led and Benjamin guarded the rear.
Indeed, as soon as we entered the sloped tunnel, a tingling sensation spread through my entire body.
The energy that enveloped me wasn’t entirely pleasant, but it was sweet. I could clearly feel my Dantian greedily churning to absorb the mana that penetrated deep into my lungs. My heart pounded. I wanted to sit down right there.
However, the sweet energy that was pleasant to me was not good for the other children.
A sudden thought made me turn back worriedly. Rubel’s face was already pale, and Marianne was muttering to herself, rotating her Circle to expel the mana that had entered her body. Only Benjamin met my gaze and gave an embarrassed smile, as if to say he was fine.
“…Are you alright?”
“Yes. Hoo, I’m fine. But… knowing it beforehand helps…”
Worried that Rubel might slip and fall, I reached my hand back. He quickly grabbed my hand, leaning on me as he walked. From Hugh Benson’s hands in front, there were successive “click, click” sounds.
And then, at some point.
My vision opened up.
It was a vast cavern. It would look just like this if you were inside the belly of a large, inflated toad. Slanted throughout the round cavern, dozens of meters long, clear and murky crystals were embedded like windows, supporting the floor and ceiling.
What we stood on was also a milky white crystal, and the crystals shining from the distant ceiling flashed in five colors.
Could the inside of an underground tunnel be this bright?
It looked as if Night-Illuminating Pearls were embedded everywhere, so I looked around a few times, but there was nothing that looked like it had been touched by human hands. Hugh Benson drew an invisible line with his toe somewhere on the floor and declared.
“Beyond this point is 35 mp. The two in the middle, don’t go past here. You two… did you grow up drinking mana potions instead of milk? Why are you so fine?”
“Mmm… I think it’s thanks to the mana cultivation method I’ve practiced.”
“Mmmph… Still, it’s your first time, so let’s stop here.”
Then, Hugh Benson sat down on the line he had drawn, crossed his arms, and held his ground.
With him saying that, I had no intention of breaking the rules he had set. As Rubel, who was leaning halfway against my back, panted shallowly, I worriedly stroked his forehead. Hugh spoke again.
“Don’t breathe too fast. Slowly, slowly. With each breath, the mana… well, think of it as bad sand dust entering your mouth. Close your mouth, narrow your nose, inhale less, and exhale more.”
“…Yes.”
“The Yuil Mountains foothills rarely have mana concentrations above 40 mp, so it’s normal to just breathe, do some stationary running, push-ups, and chat here. Just like it took you a week to adapt to the 20 mp range, it will take about a week here, three to four hours a day.”
As soon as they heard this, Marianne collapsed onto the floor and began to push herself up, bracing her hands on the ground. Rubel, seeing her, tried to follow suit, but Hugh shook his head, looking at Rubel.
“Our weakling Prince needs breathing exercises first. Do it slowly.”
When had the top-tier Sword Expert, Rubel, ever been treated like this?
Seeing the child’s eyebrows furrow in indignation, I couldn’t help but let out a laugh. Seeing his gaze lock directly onto mine, I gently stroked Rubel’s back, as if to say, “Don’t be upset.”