I kept my eyes closed and dove into my mana pool. While the amounts of mana I used against Kellaren were not even close to the power I had unleashed against the Lich, I expected the damage to be catastrophic. After all, little effort was required to aggravate an already existing wound.

The interior of my mana pool was completely different from what I expected. Before, my mana pool was like an underwater lake: obscure, calm, silent. Now, it was the opposite. Hundreds of thousands of bright pulsating runes covered every single space of the shredded walls of my mana pool. I watched the light show in awe.

[Mana Manipulation] allowed me not only to manipulate mana but also to detect it. With [Mana Mastery], a whole new plane extended before my metaphorical eyes. If I had to guess, mana pools weren’t just regular containers for mana. There was more to it. And I needed to know.

Against my better judgment, I grabbed a minuscule strand from the Fountain under my mana pool and powered [Awareness]. A section of the wall lit up, startling me. Interesting. It seemed the mana pool wasn’t just a container for mana but also for skills. [Awareness] filled my short-term memory with miscellaneous information. However, this time, I was looking for something in particular.

Mr. Byrne’s cabin. The eerie notes over the dinner table. [Awareness] used the memories buried deep inside my unconscious to create a projection of the room. My body floated freely over the floor, free from the laws of physics, and I saw myself leaning over the table.

I peeked over my shoulder. Just as I expected, the runes on the pages were the same as the ones on the walls of my mana pool, which was strange, to say the least. A bit unnerving even. Two possible theories popped into my mind, courtesy of [Awareness]. One, Mr. Byrne had discovered the runic language created by the System, or two, the System was designed using a manufactured runic language.

Excitement crept from my stomach; this discovery was huge.

Both theories came with problems, though. I couldn’t be the first Scholar to achieve [Mana Mastery], which meant others could have discovered the runes before me. Sure, when it came to Class progression, I was riding the shoulders of giants. Earth’s advancement in physics, mathematics, biology, and chemistry was infinitely superior to this world, which gave me hefty mana boosts. There were no Einsteins, Curies, or Newtons on this side of the portal after all. But there had to be geniuses in this world.

A discovery of this size had to be a world-class breakthrough in the understanding of the System, and yet, I haven’t seen any similar rune patterns anywhere. If someone discovered these runes before, it was only logical that, at least, they might be considered religious symbols.

A smile crept into my metaphorical mouth.

The runes looked like a language. A language could be learned. Once learned, the language could be used. If my suspicions were correct, Mr. Byrne had somehow used the runes to open the portal between both worlds. It made sense. The portal didn’t seem to be a [Skill]; otherwise, it would take a caster and lots of mana to remain functional.

The rabbit hole ran deep.

What if Mr. Byrne managed to tame the power of the Fountain without risking getting corrupted himself?

The implications would be world-changing. I needed to study the runes and gather any written pieces left behind by Mr. Byrne. Without a Rosetta stone, deciphering the runes would be nearly impossible, but maybe [Master of Languages] could help. There was much to do, years worth of investigation, yet the results would be worth every minute and more.

I watched the runes light and fade in no discernible order for a minute before deciding to get up. Kellaren’s attack had opened a door for a whole lot of new problems that I probably couldn’t solve on my own. I sighed. We needed Sir Janus's and the nobility's support now more than ever.

As I opened my eyes, pain assaulted me. Needles. Thousands of needles caught on fire, running through my veins. My sight was fuzzy, and for a moment, I feared I had gone blind. Fortunately, after a minute of blinking and rubbing, I managed to bring the familiar objects of Elincia’s bedroom to focus. The bookshelf with Mr. Lowell’s collection, the window, the desk and the chairs, and Firana’s messy hair. What surprised me the most was the fact I could see her mana pool. A bright pulsating red light in the middle of her chest, healthy, strong. When I blinked again, the vision disappeared.

The girl was sitting next to me; her upper body rested on the bed, and her wavy chestnut hair scattered over the white sheets. She was using my left arm as a pillow. No wonder why I couldn’t move it. The girl weighed more than it appeared at first glance. [Awareness] gave me one last piece of insight before disappearing. Maybe [Strong] individuals had denser bones and muscular fiber. It was a theory as good as any other.

With my free hand, I softly shook Firana’s shoulder. The girl slowly opened her eyes; they were swollen as if she had been crying. She mindlessly wiped off the drool from the corner of her mouth and looked at me.

I held my laughter; it was relieving to see her well.

Firana’s eyes suddenly shot open, any trace of slumber violently washed away. It seemed as if she had seen her sleep paralysis demon. Before I could utter a word, she jumped forward and hugged me tight. If I had been any weaker, she would’ve probably broken my neck.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I did it again.” Firana repeated again and again as her tears wet my nightgown.

At first, I was confused about why she asked for forgiveness, but then I remembered. It was the second time she ‘brought’ bad guys to the orphanage’s door. Neither had been her fault, and neither Elincia nor I blamed for that. If anything, the fight against Kellaren helped me understand the System's true nature.

Firana's cry broke my heart.

At that moment, I decided to overrule the no-hug policy. Firana and the rest of the kids weren’t merely my students anymore. It had taken me a while to understand that I wasn't in the orphanage just to teach them. I wanted them to be happy and successful in a way that was hard to describe. I couldn’t even imagine putting my well-being and desires over theirs. I felt, if only a little, that they were my own kids. I wondered if my father felt the same after he met me.

Before I could say anything, Firana let me go and ran away. I tried to say something, but my mouth was completely dry. It hurt. Sighing, I grabbed the water jug on the nightstand and poured myself a cup. It tasted great. Then, I tried to get up, but my body felt strangely weak.

My talk with Firana will have to wait.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Gathering all the bravery I could, I peeked under my pajamas. The Corruption had grown —a lot. The black patch went from my shoulder to my hip and covered half of my chest. I gritted my teeth. The orphanage was in danger, and I urgently needed a way of getting rid of the Corruption if I wanted to protect it.

The silver lining was my shoulder and my leg wounds being completely healed. I wonder if Elincia’s potions had suddenly taken effect or if the healing had come from another source. In any case, at least I could fence.

Suddenly, as if I had summoned her with my thoughts, Elincia broke into the room.

“Three days, Robert, for fucks sake! Three days!”

Three days?

“Language, lady!” I replied just as the army of kids entered the room after her. They were quickly approaching. A moment later, I was at the bottom of a mountain of orphans, and even Loki joined the pile in his dog form. Elincia pressed her lips against mine, even in the presence of the kids.

The sound of bawling soon filled the bedroom. Only the older ones remained at a respectful distance. Ilya and Zaon were crying, and even Wolf shed a tear, although he tried to hide it. Firana was nowhere to be found.

I held my breath until I thought I was going to die from asphyxiation.

“Mister Clarke needs to breathe, please move.” Ilya finally said as she removed the younger orphans one by one from the pile of bodies.

Elincia stayed by my side for an extra moment before sitting on the chair. I had seen her concerned before, but never to this extent. Deep dark circles framed her bloodshot eyes. Her words resonated in my mind. Three days. I have been sleeping for three whole days? It didn’t feel like that.

It did feel awkward to be the center of attention, though.

“I thought you died.” Shu was the first to air her fears, and the generalized bawling increased.

“Die? How could I die when there are so many classes to teach? I was resting. I happened to exhaust all my mana at once and got struck by a severe case of [Mana Exhaustion].” I replied with a smile. “But I feel great now.”

The burning sensation in my chest gradually faded until it was a mere afterthought. It wasn’t a surprise, though, that my body felt so unresponsive after three days of being bedridden.

“I’ll be more careful next time, I promise,” I quickly added.

“Okay, promise,” Shu replied.

Seeing I was alive and well seemed enough for the little kids to calm down, but not so much for Elincia and the older ones. They were mature enough to suspect something strange was happening behind my facade of nonchalance.

“Alright, kids. I need to catch up with my class. Would you be so kind as to give us a moment?” I asked, and after a little push and pull and a couple more promises, the little kids vacated the room.

Then, I sat on the edge of the bed. My sleeping gown was ridiculous compared with the gravity of the atmosphere, but there was little to do about it. I look at the worried faces of the older kids. Almost adults now. They deserved to know the current situation in the orphanage.

I looked at Elincia, and she gave me a thoughtful nod.

“As you might have noticed, I’m not doing well lately. During our trip to the Farlands, we faced an unexpected foe, and I got infected by Corruption, so most of my skills are useless now.” I said as I unbuttoned the first few buttons of my nightgown to show the black patch under my skin. The kids paled, and even Elincia looked at me in surprise, seeing the corruption’s growth. “Don’t worry, it's not fatal as long as I don’t use my skills too much.”

Ilya covered her face with both hands.

“I’m sorry… I tried to push the matter the other day, didn’t I? When Miss Elincia’s potions didn't work?” She muttered, her voice full of guilt.

Corruption was really the worst diagnosis on this side of the portal.

“It’s okay, Ilya. It might look bad, but I’m not worried about it.” I replied.

“B-but you have been training us. How’s that possible? Without proper skills, people shouldn't… I mean… do things.” Zaon asked.

Wolf replied before I could. “Mister Clarke is like us orcs. He’s a good fencer even without skills.”

I appreciated his words, but they weren’t entirely true. Most of my perspective stemmed from being born in a systemless world rather than a deeply personal and philosophical evolution. Losing my skills hindered me, but I believed in my ability to do things without them. My class and my skills didn’t define my identity. I wondered whether I could pass those ideas to the kids. Zaon, in particular, needed to understand that a Class was merely a tool, not a reflection of his worth.

Elincia cleared her throat and sat uptight. Suddenly, her gentle governess expression turned into the other Elincia, the one who loved to roam the woods and mountains.

“The orphanage is going through a dangerous period. Rob and I have tried to keep it a secret, but you will be considered adults soon, so you deserve to know the real situation. Thieves are lurking in the shadows, the Marquis can always try to act before the examination period, and Firana’s extended family wants to abduct her.” Elincia raised her voice. She wasn’t doubtful anymore. “To weather the storm, we need the support of the nobility. I suggest we participate in the Stephanis Cup.”

Elincia’s words caught me by surprise. The last time we had discussed the matter, she had been adamantly against mixing the orphanage’s issues with the nobility. My fight against Kellaren, however, might have been the breaking point. To deal with an enemy like a mercenary group, we needed everyone to know the orphanage had the support of the nobility.

With my mana pool in shambles and my skills corrupted, there was no other solution.

“I will not force anyone to participate. The stakes are high, and you will have to fight skillful opponents. I will not be disappointed if you believe you can’t do it.” Elincia said. “But know that by participating, you will be helping save the orphanage.”

The room fell silent. Her words carried the weight of an impending destiny.

“I-I’ll do it,” Zaon said with a trembling voice. “B-but I don’t know if I will advance from the first round.”

“I’ll do it too! If Istvan Kiln is participating, be sure I’m kicking his stupid ass.” Ilya jumped. Her eyes were on fire.

The gnome girl’s expression was so fierce that I overlooked that she had used one of the forbidden words.

“What about you, Wolf?” I asked.

“I’ll do anything to help my family.” The half-orc kid gave me the thumbs up.

Elincia reached for my hand, which didn’t go unnoticed by the kids.

“It is settled then. We have preparations to make.” I said, slapping my legs and standing up.

The first item on my list was to order new sparring uniforms and practice swords. Our current ones were serviceable, but if we wanted to create a strong impression, we needed more than a ten-year-old hunk of steel. We also needed a uniform, not just any padded jacket, but something that separated us from the rest of the contenders. And I had the right craftsmen to design them.

“I’ll meet Ginz immediately!” I said, reaching for my cloak.

“You’ll remain in bed until I say so.” Elincia pulled my arm back to the bed.

“But the fashion!” I complained.

“I’ll call Ginz and Miss Nasiah to see what we can do. Deal?” Elincia asked, but I knew it was more an order than a question.

I sighed.

“Alright, Miss Rosebud, I’ll stay in bed.”

With the corner of my eyes, I noticed the children attempting to hide their grins.

Finally, we would demonstrate to the Marquis what a group of orphans could achieve.