“This is a mana stone.”

He pointed to the turquoise gem on the handle and answered calmly.

Adel, forgetting her determination not to be impressed by whatever he showed, swallowed slightly. The mana stone was the heart of a demon.

Extracting and refining it precisely at the moment of death was crucial. Due to the disappearance of the soul through ashes and smoke, a mana stone of this size was valuable.

“It’s rare. If you keep it with you…”

“If you possess a mana stone, it maximizes the innate power of a person. I know. Especially, a mana stone of good quality with a bluish color is considered better.”

Adel looked at the mana stone with admiring eyes and lifted her head.

“But why are you giving this to me?”

“Why, you ask.”

“You may not know, but I have rare innate power. My healing skills are poor. Trying something like this won’t make any difference for me compared to a blade forged with hammer and anvil. I don’t understand why you would give me this.”

“It’s different. The mana stone has the effect of filling a ‘vessel.'”

Valentin tilted his head.

“What humans call ‘mystic power’ is the power of the Moirae. On the contrary, what is called ‘mana’ is… the power of demons.”

His words were accurate. Only demons could handle mana.

In ancient times, chosen humans wielded mana, and there were records of them casting terrifying magic.

However, the records were cut off, the humans born with mana disappeared, and their stories were handed down to future generations, embellished and exaggerated.

“I see. Adel’s vessel is filled with the power of mana. Since the vessel is already filled, there is no room for the power of Moirae.”

Adel’s eyes narrowed at Valentin’s words. Every human possessed mystic power.

The reason why she was regarded as a repugnant woman by Count Reihenau, and the reason she was considered an unwelcome woman every year by the Count, was all because of that.

Adel’s scarcity of mystic power.

“But I don’t completely lack mystic power. According to what you say, it should be normal for me not to have any room for mystic power.”

“You received a baptism.”

“Please be precise. It’s a very important issue for me.”

“I, well…”

“Please, Valentin.”

Faced with Adel’s pleading expression, Valentin closed his mouth.

His face seemed indifferent, but judging by the slight trembling of his fingertips, there seemed to be a fierce internal struggle.

When he reached out with both hands this time, Adel didn’t shrink away. Instead, she actively approached his hand.

As their foreheads touched, a tremendous force surged through her mind.

[Baptism is the act of engraving the name.]

A powerful force swept her like a whirlwind. Her legs wobbled, and her back shook violently.

Despite thinking she was well-prepared, it was challenging to stand upright.
Valentin traced her upper lip as if inducing her deep breath.

She blinked her teary lashes slowly. Examining Adel’s complexion carefully, he eventually spoke.

[Even if Morrig engraved her name on the surface of the vessel, it doesn’t mean the power contained in the vessel disappears. Since Morrig’s power has seeped in, you can feel the mystic power.]

“Are you saying that I inherently possessed mana from the beginning? Even though I’m a human?”

[Humans can also be born with mana. However, most ordinary humans are born with an empty vessel. In such cases, they choose what power to accept. Generally, they accept what is familiar to me.]

“If it’s the familiar side…”

[Doesn’t Morrig place newborns on my altar?]

Adel realized something and sighed. The meaning of placing a newborn on the altar was a baptism ceremony.

In Denburg, if a child did not receive the priest’s blessing within a fortnight of birth, there was a strong belief that demons would seize the child’s soul.

The higher the nobility, the more grandiose the baptism ceremony, while commoners received blessings, even in a simple form.

In the process, anyone exposed to the sanctity of Morrig naturally prioritized accepting mystic power. Everything made sense, except for one thing.

“Why was my vessel filled from birth?”

[…….]

“I heard that I received the priest’s blessing immediately after birth. I heard that the priest was guarding me. However, I don’t understand how I was exposed to mystic power first.”

[…….]

His selectively silent response infuriated her. She stared at him with large eyes, as if scolding him.

“Silence is a cowardly choice.”

[…Choose another question. I’ll answer anything else.]

He looked troubled, his expression cloudy, but he didn’t yield.

Adel chewed on her lower lip, changing the question to something more uncomfortable for him to answer.

“Fine. Why did you attack me last time?”

[I… I didn’t want to make you afraid.]

Through consciousness, Valentin’s melancholic and anxious emotions were conveyed without filtering.

Adel wanted to shout that she wasn’t afraid no matter what he said, but even after learning every truth, she wasn’t confident that her attitude toward him would change.