It’s soul-sucking because after a few weeks of research and drowning myself in books, there are no methods of unlocking one’s mana. I thought there would be a way to unlock mine, but apparently, that kind of method is yet to be discovered, or it's practically impossible. Maybe, I really don't have any mana inside my body. That’s why I’ve been depressed these past few days.

Nothing pretty much happened to me. I had the same routine for the last week. Exercise, eat with the Hart Family, that’s the family of Stephanie. I’ve been eating with them every day from breakfast to dinner. Jessy, Stephanie’s mom, was overjoyed when I came to their house for the first time. She’s just a matured version of Stephanie, although both of them have small breasts—Probably genetics, nonetheless still an attractive person, the mother-and-daughter pair.

After a few weeks, I finally started gaining some weight, of course, with the help of Jessy. When I told her about my plan, she immediately gave me some support and started creating dishes that would help me with my workout. At first, I was skeptical of her because of the kindness she’s showing but her response was something else.

“Why are you so kind and sincere to me?”

“Do I need a reason to?”

“Yes?”

“There’s no reason to help someone. If you feel sympathy towards someone needed, then help them. That’s been the motto of mine.”

“Ah...”

Since that day, I’ve been always in her care. Although I noticed something odd, I haven’t seen the husband or the father of the family. It’s quite bothering because they’re two girls living alone in that house.

On a side note, my relationship with Jessy had been always good because of her personality. However, the daughter of hers, the one with whom I had a bad affinity. We’re like oil and water, no matter what we do the thing won’t mix together at all. Perhaps because the bad blood of our first meeting was the cause of it, so Claude’s fault not me.

But, unlike last time, we’ve been having normal conversations with each other although the distance between us is still large. I don’t mind since I can just crawl slowly into her heart. Probably will take years, but I’ve got time in my hands so I won’t mind it.

Since I’m done explaining it, right now I’m having a huge dilemma because someone rang the doorbell. I thought it was Stephanie. But I was wrong. I’m so far off. Because the person right behind the door was none other than Irene. The creepy woman from that day.

Irene’s viridescent hair that was tied up last time was let loose on her shoulders, wearing a casual blouse dress and skinny jeans. Although I feel something is up because her verdant eyes are staring deeply into my eyes as if trying to devour my soul completely. But it changed straight away into her usual face when she saw it was me, the person who opened the door.

“Oh, h-hello, Ms. Irene...”

“Where did you go, Claude? I searched the whole park, but I didn’t see you anywhere. I thought you got kidnapped or something.”

“Um, I got home because I’m not feeling well...”

“Through that narrow window? Just tell me the reason. I swear I won’t get mad. I really got worried.”

“Uh... Um...”

I then explained the things on how I felt that day, especially her over-the-top affectionate touching that made her creepy. Of course, I didn’t forget the words she said. I’m the only person in the house. Plus she probably has a beast. If she suddenly became hostile because of me, then I’ll probably be going to die... Regardless of the things I just said, she surprisingly took it well because she’s laughing while holding her stomach.

“Hahahaha...”

I tilted my head in confusion.

“Hahaha, sorry, sorry. I shouldn’t have acted like a creep sorry, hahaha.”

Why is she laughing like a crazy person?

Then she started patting my shoulders while laughing. Afterward, she started explaining how she didn’t mean to scare me like that. She’s just extremely worried about what I said because she’s an orphan herself, that's the reason.

“Sorry about that. My irrationality always gets ahead of me because I loathe people who abandon their own children. Especially, the people who do it for their selfish own gain. They’re disgusting people that shouldn’t be allowed to exist in this world.”

When I saw how much she detest those people, I genuinely agree with her sentiment about those people.

“Well, then. Will you let me in your lovely home?”

“Oh, of course, please come in.”

“Oh wow, do you clean this house by yourself?”

Irene’s eyes wandered around the house.

“Yes, no one will clean it for me so I needed to do it.”

Irene then inspected me close-up, from my head to toe.

“Claude, you look healthier than the last we’ve met. But, you haven’t gone to the park for a few weeks. Every day, I was hoping to bump into you.”

“Oh... I actually had a gym in the garage that I used, and there’s a treadmill so I started using that instead of running outside.”

We ended up sitting on the sofa. Irene put one leg on top of the other. She looks like a seductress... Suddenly; I remembered the name Irene—She’s the Onee-san type in the harem! Yep, I don’t have anything about her. The only thing I knew was that she’s a heroine, but I have no clue who she is at all. Goddess of luck gave me a faithful encounter with one of the heroines of the game, and I’m extremely thankful for this wonderful coincidence.

“That’s so convenient, but you still need to get out because the sun rays give nutrients to your body.”

“Yeah, although just outside of my house. I bathe my body under the sun in the morning before doing workouts.”

“Then that’s good. Anyhow, I have a question for you.”

“What is it?”

“You’re Claude of the Belmont family right?”

“Eh... How did you—”

“It’s obvious, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t do any diggings about you. You’re the only few exiled children of the Belmont family. For the past hundred years, they exile any talentless children who will not be useful for them. Only a few people in the world know about this, they keep it pretty well-hidden from the public because it will only worsen their condition after their credibility started declining.”

Where did Irene learn all of this? Then I remembered that she's a heroine, which she's probably related to the higher hierarchy of society. It's better not to ask questions about her learning this and just act dumb.

“Yeah... Since the white dragon has chosen no vessels from them and remained in slumber, they became obsessed with powering up the family because of their chivalric pride. Desperate and greed are what they are right now.”

Irene’s eyes widen with her mouth hanging open. “I’m surprised that you handled it pretty well. From the information that I gather, you’re aggressive and a rascal to other people. That’s why I went here to confirm all of these, but I didn’t expect you to be so calm-mannered. Don’t you have great hatred towards the Belmont family?”

“Yes, I do have. My parents abandoned me because of their selfish pride, leaving me to rot in this place. And the amount of money they gave me isn’t even sufficient enough to last until I became 18. Calls or messages from them? I received none of that. I’m just an unwanted child of them because I’m incompetent and inferior—A child with no mana. In their eyes, I’m just a useless piece of baggage that can be just thrown off.”

“I-I—Sorry, about that. Sorry for talking about a sensitive topic for you.”

“It’s fine. I have no care about that crap family, anyway.”

“You mentioned that you’re an inferior person with no mana.”

“Yeah?”

“Have you considered training swordsmanship or any kind of weapons to at least alleviate that part? Because in my experience, I met someone like you who doesn’t have a spirit but can fight without a spirit or mana. That person could go toe-to-toe to anyone with the thing she lacks, just by her sword.”

“I do... But, I don’t know how to train with a sword in the first place. And how did that person could even do that without any mana? Doesn’t mana enhance a person’s physical capabilities?”

I did some basic kendo training, but that’s all I have.

“Great! Then I’ll train you!”

“Wait, didn’t you just hear what I just said? And, why not the person you mentioned?”

Irene squinted her eyes and said. “You don’t have trust in my swordsmanship?”

“I don’t even trust you yet...” I muttered under my breath.

“What?”

“Nothing. How can I even compete with the people who have great physical abilities and have spirits who can cast spells? It’s like you’re telling me to do the impossible. People with mana are stronger, faster, and can use the power of the spirits. Even right now, if I fought someone with just their mana, I’m screwed.”

“Oh, come on, don’t be that pessimistic. The world doesn’t really revolve around mana.”

“Yes, it is...”

With my deadpan face looking at her, she just smiled brightly. The thing she just said is absurd. How can a normal person go to fight someone with superpowers head-to-head? It’s like batman fighting superman with his bare fists only. That’s insane, no matter how I think of it.