Adelheid Chapter 7 Part 1: Mana Mutation (Patreon)

"Your Highness, you seemed more excited than usual today," Matilda commented, seeing Adelheid gulping down the purple tonic in one breath.

"Do I?" Adelheid asked as she stopped herself from making a face and gagging. The last time she did that, Miss Sauer went on a tirade on how unbefitting such an action was for someone of her station.

Matilda and even Sofia nodded in agreement. Adelheid revealed a slight smile. "It has been nearly a month now. Of course, I am excited."

There were only a few days left before her teacher, Eric Redland, moved on to the next step of teaching her magic. Since that day, she had been practicing her mana control every single day, even on Voiday.

Adelheid spread her arms out, allowing Matilda and Sofia to change her clothes. While she waited, Adelheid raised her finger up, and from her finger, a thin string of mana a meter long could be seen.

The visible string of mana was formed using a technique called mana visualization. Although it only appeared to be a thin string, in reality, the invisible mana being emitted was enough to shroud her body several times. In other words, Adelheid could only manage to mana visualize that thing string.

"Your Highness, can you not generate wind while we change your clothes?" Matilda grumbled.

Due to Adelheid's actions, her billowing mana formed wind that caused Sofia and Matilda's jobs to be that much harder. Sofia should have rebuked Matilda, but she stayed silent, showing that she agreed.

Adelheid coughed and reigned her mana back into her body. She did not apologize because a member of an imperial family must not lightly apologize to anyone, even if they were wrong. She would lower the prestige of the imperial family or something, according to Miss Sauer.

After changing, Adelheid went to one of the dining rooms to have breakfast. Then she would train under Olga's supervision until thirty minutes before her lessons with the governess, Miss Sauer. The extra time was for Adelheid to take a bath and switch out of her sweaty training clothes.

As time passed, Miss Sauer was left with fewer and fewer subjects she could instruct Adelheid on, and as such, Adelheid had much more time since the lessons became shorter and shorter. Today was one such day. Adelheid would have focused her free time on practicing her mana control or browsing the books in the imperial library, but one of her father's butlers asked for a moment of her time.

The butler was already over fifty, but he maintained his body well and was slim, but not skinny. His mustache and beard were well-trimmed, coupled with his slick back hair and elegant demeanor, eight of ten maids secretly pined after him.

Much to Adelheid's amusement, his name was Alfred. She didn't know why she found the butler being called Alfred so amusing. She just did.

Alfred led Adelheid and her maids to a large room with a table filled with all sorts of fabric and precious gems, among other materials.

"What is this for?" Adelheid asked, perplexed as to why she was taken here.

Alfred chuckled and rubbed the tip of his mustache in a grandfatherly way. "Prince Albrecht thought it'd be best for you to choose the materials your new clothes will be made of."

"New clothes? What for?" asked Adelheid.

"Your brother, Prince William, will be returning from the eastern border soon. Your father thought it'd be best to make some new clothes for you to receive him," said Alfred with a smile as he closed his eyes. ‘I wonder how much the young prince has grown since I saw him.’

"Really?" Adelheid asked. "Has the tension between the empire and the Beast Kingdom been resolved?"

"Oh heavens, no," said Alfred.

"Then why is William coming back?" Adelheid asked, not understanding why her brother was coming back. Last she heard, he had been stationed at the border for over two years.

Alfred chuckled at Adelheid's bewilderment. "Because, Your Highness, his highness wishes to see his dear sister who had awoken after her three years of sleep. Not to mention that it will be your birthday in a month."

Adelheid blinked before what Alfred said dawned on her. "I see, that would make sense."

‘Although I wonder if he should prioritize my birthday over the safety of the empire. Well, it is not something a princess with no power should question. Besides, William is only seventeen this year, so he's still a child. Though, I am not sure how old people of this world assume responsibility. But I am certain that the empire won't wholly entrust the border security to him, so returning should have no impact.’

Adelheid began to inspect the materials presented to her after thinking things through. Alfred explained the origin and history of each material by the side.

"This," Alfred pointed towards a bolt of fabric that exuded a faint blue sheen. "is Traurig Fleece, woven from the wool of a species of goat native to the Traurig Mountain Range. Not only will it keep you warm in the harshest of winters, but it is also water-resistant."

With Adelheid's newly acquired sensitivity to mana, she could see that mana had been intricately entwined into the fabric, granting it magical properties. The seventh princess ran her hand through the fabric and was surprised at how fluffy it felt as if she was touching clouds. ‘If this were used to make pajamas, it would be heavenly.’

"I want it," Adelheid said as she brought the bolt to her face and rubbed her cheeks against it. It felt really good to the point that she considered just laying on the ground and falling asleep while hugging it.

"What kind of dress would you like?" Alfred asked with a smile, pleased that his prince's child was happy with the gifts. The materials were tributes that the nobles, officials, and merchants had offered to Prince Albrecht.

"Dress? I want them to be sewn into nightwear." Adelheid said, affronted that such a fluffy fabric would be made into a dress. She did not want to dress as a sheepkin, thank you very much.

On another note, beastkin existed within the empire, but most of them were prisoners of war with the Beast Kingdom that had been turned into slaves. Adelheid was quite interested in meeting one someday.

"Nightwear, Your Highness?" Alfred repeated, slight disbelief in his voice.

"Mhm," Adelheid nodded. She specified that the finished product had to be a loose shirt and jacket. With pajamas, she'll be equipped to deal with the changing seasons. ‘Come to think of it. It is almost the Month of Darkness. Fall will end, and the cold wind of winter will arrive soon. Without realizing it, I’ve been here for almost a year.’

Putting the thought away, Adelheid continued to peruse the fine offerings. Most of the items did not catch the seventh princess's interest. Not even the intricate brocade woven by the master weavers of the Holy Seraph Kingdom caught her eye.

"Hm?" Adelheid's steps stopped as she spotted a plain white bolt of fabric. Against all the other bolts of fabric, it stood out for being pure white without any embellishment. At the same time, Adelheid felt the mana that was imbued within. It was even greater than the famed Traurig Fleece.

"Has the renowned silk caught Your Highness's eyes?" Alfred asked as he stroked the tip of his mustache.

"Yes," was Adelheid's curt response.

"What does Your Highness plan for this bolt? We have common silk, but mana silk like this is incredibly rare, and we do not possess much of it." Alfred asked.

"Mana silk? Common silk is just plain fabric without any attributes, correct?" Adelheid asked as she stroked the white silk. The silky texture was extremely comforting against her fingers, but what Aldeheid liked more was the soothing chill transmitted.

"Indeed, but calling it common silk does not make it any less rare. Only the island nations of the east know the secret to its creation. Even after all these years, no one else could steal the secret." Alfred said with a sigh. "Had it not been for Earl Auor's company, only the imperial family would have been able to afford to tailor new clothing out of silk every year."

"Oh, why is that?" Adelheid asked. She also had knowledge of silk in her memories, but she wasn't sure the silk under her hand was the same as the one in her head.

"Distance and location. The Vuldar Empire is located on the western side of Veles, so distance is always a problem. The only water route that leads through the Vuldar Empire also crosses into the Beast Kingdom. Your Highness can imagine the difficulties of using such a route." Alfred explained with a sigh.

"Hmm," Adelheid made a noncommittal sound and her eyes became unfocused as she processed the information. ‘Even if it is not the same, I should also be able to process something similar to the silk of this world. It is a possible future venture.’

"I want this silk as well. What other properties does it have?" Adelheid asked as she continued to caress the silky fabric.

"As it is mana silk, with the proper treatment, it will offer greater protection than most leathers. It also has a high resistance to low-level spells and greater resistance to water magic. This is just a conjecture, but it is hypothesized that silk comes from a type sea creature, hence it is more commonly known as sea silk." Alfred explained.

Adelheid nodded, and she thought of a question. "How much would this bolt of silk cost?"

Alfred held his chin and sank into deep thought. "I'm not an expert, but I would estimate it to be fifty thousand Kronen at the very least."

Krone, Kronen for plural, was the national currency of the Vuldar Empire. It was minted in gold which was worth a thousand Kronen, silver which was worth a hundred Kronen, and copper which was worth one krone.

The seventh princess blinked as she realized she couldn't compare it to anything, so she could not comprehend what the number meant. "How much is my monthly stipend?"

"A thousand Kronen." Alfred's reply was instantaneous.

"Urk!?" Adelheid made a sound unbefitting of her stature.

There were fourteen months in a year, so Adelheid's yearly stipend was fourteen thousand Kronen. That meant that Adelheid had to save for at least three and a half years for the bolt of silk under her hands. And that was the lowest estimate. Most likely, the bolt of mana silk was far more costly.

‘There goes my plan to make pajamas out of mana silk.’ Adelheid thought.

"W-what about common silk?" Adelheid asked. Common silk should be far less than mana silk, right?

Alfred held back a noticeable chuckle upon seeing Adelheid’s reaction. "Much cheaper."

Adelheid released a sigh of relief but immediately stiffened when the butler finished his sentence.

"For a bolt that size, only nine thousand Kronen."

Adelheid looked at the ceiling. ‘I never realized that a princess could be so poor.’

Of course, the thought was in jest. Compared to the commoners of the empire, a thousand Kronen was most likely a fortune that they might not even be able to earn in their lifetime.

After that little episode, Adelheid perused the rest of the materials, but none of them caught her eye like the silk. Just as Adelheid thought she was done, the butler brought her to another room. This time, it was to choose the materials for her jewelry. Adelheid had no great love for jewelry and arbitrarily chose a few red gems.

The red gems were a type of mana absorbant stone known as ichorite because of its beautiful red luster. It was a precious gem known to store vast amounts of mana. The legend behind it said it was the condensed blood of the gods, hence its name.

In fact, all the gems brought before the seventh princess were known to be able to store large amounts of mana. They were probably gathered to make new mana suction magic tools for Adelheid.

For the rest of the day, Adelheid didn't even practice her mana control, shocking even Matilda and especially Sofia. It was only after Adelheid repeatedly assured the two that nothing was wrong did the two stop relent in their worry.

In fact, another matter was on her mind. ‘Should I try to recreate silk? If I could, with how difficult it is to procure silk from the island nations, I'd be sure to make a fortune. The only problem is that I need to find a silkworm or something similar. Another issue is that I can't exactly order people to search for these insects. How would I even do that in the first place? Is my monthly stipend enough to hire these people? Speaking of which, I wonder if I received any stipend during my three years in a coma.’

It all came down to the same issue: money. She needed to spend money to earn money. Adelheid was not a true child, and she over twenties years of experience of living in society. People may disdain money, but the truth of the matter was that there was little that money couldn’t buy, even loyalty. As someone who knows this and spent her earlier years robbed of all her inheritance, Adelheid knew that she needed to amass a fortune for her goal.

Besides, relying on the whim of another did not sit well with Adelheid. Even if that someone was her so-called father.

‘For now, I’ll brainstorm some ideas to make money and send some people to search for silkworms. I'll also need to scout the city and see what people lack.’ Plans of business nagged at Adelheid throughout the next few days.’ It wasn't until Adelheid's lesson with Eric Redland that she placed her money-making scheme aside for the time.

"Show me your progress, Your Highness," Eric said with the same fawning smile he always had when the two met.

Adelheid nodded. She hadn't noticed the first time, but the room she took her lesson in was not Eric's laboratory where he studied magic. Adelheid came to this conclusion because the residual mana was sparse. Certainly, it was denser than other parts of the palace, but the mana was pitifully sparse for a mage's laboratory. She couldn’t detect it the first time, but after a month of practicing mana control, she could now.

Closing her eyes, the seventh princess rid her mind of excess thoughts. When she opened them again, there was a clear determination in her eyes. She held out her hand and cupped the air in front of her chest. Moments later, the tips of her fingers began to glow as strings of mana emerged and formed a ball between her hands.

"By Iras's eyepatch!" Eric Redland exclaimed.

As if discovering some sort of strange creature, Eric began to observe the ball formed from strings of mana before circling the seventh princess. His eyes were like an x-ray, analyzing and storing all details of the petite girl.

"Mister Redland, is something wrong?" asked Adelheid. The court mage's gaze was making her hair stand on end.

"Wrong? Absolutely not! Why, if anything, I believe this far more than outstanding. The act of making mana visual is called mana visualization, but you are not visualizing mana. What you are doing is an advanced technique known as mana manifestation. Although it is called an advanced technique, all mages need to know it before casting a spell." Eric Redland said.

"I thought advanced techniques took years to master. Is that the reason why mages are so rare?" Adelheid asked.

"Oh heavens, no." Eric chuckled as he stopped circling Adelheid. "If mages needed to learn mana manifestation before casting spells, then the number of mages would be even more pitiful than now."

"That doesn't make sense. You just said that mages need to know mana manifestation before casting a spell." Adelheid scrunched her eyebrows in confusion.

"That was my fault, I wasn't clear in my words." Eric reached towards a shelf and held his wand. The tip of the wand began to glow as a string formed of mana came out. The biggest difference between Eric's and Adelheid's string of mana was no turbulent winds as a result of no excess mana.

It only took a moment for Adelheid to discover why. "I see. Wands are a tool that helps focus and control mana. With it, advanced mana control such as mana manifestation is easier to master."

Eric nodded his head in satisfaction. "As expected of his highness's child. Wands are a crucial tool for every mage to cast spells. Mages are able to cast spells without wands, but there is a higher chance of the uncontrolled mana disrupting the spell and causes the mage to tire easily."

"But you can cast mana without wands if you master mana manifestation?" Adelheid asked.

"Your Highness is partially correct, but the time needed to master such a feat would be wasted. Casting a first circle spell is already ten times harder, but the difficulty exponentially rises with the number of circles. It isn't worth it." Eric said.

"Oh," Adelheid was slightly disappointed.

"But with Your Highness's talent, it isn't impossible, just extremely difficult. Mastering such a skill will it make it easier to cast higher circle spells. Among the empire's forces, the current Imperial Guard Knight-Captain Griselda Ritter is famed for her ability to wandlessly cast third and fourth circle spells." Eric encouraged the seventh princess when he saw her dispirited state.

"It's not one of the court mages?" Adelheid asked. She'd expected a mage of renown to be able to cast wandless spells over a knight.

Eric Redland chuckled. "Mages are creatures who run on logic. We won't needlessly divert our attention to a usele—niche skill such as wandless magic."

‘You were about to call wandless casting useless, weren't you?’ Adelheid inwardly snarked but didn't say anything. She had already stopped her manifesting her mana. "What do I do now, Mister Redland?"

"Now, we make your wand." Eric Redland said with childish glee unsuitable for his age.