Chapter 57- Mana Does Not Like That

I stretch out my mana just like with Mana Survey and trying to get a feel for the anything in the radius of my skill.

I was assuming that much like all other forms of information; I would get some kind of picture on what me was around, but it was just a blank slate.

I knew I was doing something wrong, so I did a brief assessment to the process,

I had to repeat doing the action of spreading my mana and focusing on my surrounding before I noticed that my mana didn't return back to me like it should.

Now understanding the problem, I made another attempt by spreading out my mana once again, but this time, willing it to return when it made contact with something.

Instead, all mana sucked back into me along with the surrounding mana, which is not what I wanted it to do.

I make more attempts but instead try commanding or asking the mana to do as I order, which all yield the same result of not doing what I want.

A bit frustrated, I lay down on the cold stone floor and think deeply about how to go about getting this skill.

I felt like my execution was correct, the problem was getting the mana do what it was supposed to.

My earlier assumption that mana was a child that needed guiding was incorrect. I was now thinking that it was just plain dumb and lazy.

I bring up my let my mana flow outwards in a very commanding way, with the only thought on my mind being, 'Listen here you useless shit. You better do what I want right now so I can move on to more important things.'

The surrounding mana stills, stopping my mana flow as well, not moving.

I bring my mana flow to a start again, spreading my mana to the surroundings but there is no response.

'Well, it'll be a while before you can will the mana again so I guess you can go ahead and get some rest.'

While about to drift off to sleep, I think about how all my shadow spells require soul power now.

I had to start being lenient with my usage of shadow spells unless there was a way to recover soul power.

Thinking of some possibilities, the exhaustion takes over and I start to dream.

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Back in Iankia, at the capital.

A slightly nervous elven man pauses before two guards who glance at him before each flashing a look of pity.

They didn't need to see his identification, for they recognized him prior visits and knew that he was in deep trouble with the queen so this could be their last time they see him.

As they open the double door to the throne room, the man takes a deep breath and prepares himself for what might be his last day.

Walking in he takes one last appreciative look at the white columns that lined all the way to the throne room, with multicolored panes of glass that reflected the greatest moments of elven history.

I stop well before the red stairs ascend to a throne with a gorgeous elven woman who looked to be in her mid-thirties wearing a crown that was gold with a large feather on front of it.

I quickly bow and await her approval to speak, because I have no idea how she'll feel about this news I bring.

"Well?"

Hearing her impatience, I speak quickly, "Lord Abin has executed his son, Eric."

I steal a glance at her because I'm worried that she didn't respond to see she has her eyes closed, pondering about what I just told her.

"Can you confirm its him?"

"We confirmed that he matched the description provided by other residents and his mana residue matches the mana signature he had at the Crystal."

"Very well. Anything else to add?"

"Yes, Your Highness, he has paid a large sum of gold as a fine and has offered thirty more years of allegiance for the transgression."

"If that is all you're dismissed."

The elf is excited at the turn of events for him. When the queen first learned of one of her lords in her domain picking a class that caused her so much trouble, she was livid.

Her fury turned to me as I was the one who first suggested Abin take the position, so I needed to clean this mess up.

When I heard that he immediately took action and executed his own son, my heart dropped. I was sure that the queen wanted to punish him herself and I was going to get punished as well.

The man quickly left the throne room in case the queen changed her mind.

Tapping her finger on her throne room while deep in thought she speaks out, "What's your thoughts?"

The elf who was by her side the entire stepped forward, "I also looked into this matter, just to make sure he spoke the truth. Which he is. The boy was beheaded in front of the entire city no less. When we interrogated the guards, they revealed no one visited the boy save for the guards who brought him food.

His mana signature was in line with that he showed at the Crystal, and he was identified by the guards. The father paid 1,000,000 gold in fines with a pledge of his soldiers to our aid for another thirty years. All in all, everything checks out."

She turns towards her advisor, who she knew was the smartest in the country. "But?"

"You've met Abin before, did he strike you as the type of man who wouldn't hesitate to execute his only son that they've been struggling to birth for years?"

"No, he seemed like the type to instead try to bargain his own life for his sons."

"So, what happened to the son?"

"I can only assume that he still lives but isn't here on Iankia, because he would have already gotten caught."

"Which continent is on and don't say Fairleigh. Anything but Fairleigh."

"Abin is a very popular man with a lot of connections. Most of them being in Fairleigh. A man like that would send his son to the safest place which would be out of our reach. He's most likely on Fairleigh Your Majesty."

She sighs in annoyance, rubbing her temples as she contemplates her next move.

"Can I trust you to handle this in a manner that won't cause a crisis overseas?"

"I was hoping you would ask me that, because I do in fact have a way of handling this manner as delicately as possible."

"And just so we're clear, I want him dead, before me so I can see his body. If you mess this up, I will feign ignorance and might even have to execute you."

"There will be no need for that, he's as good as dead."

"Very well, you leave immediately. Don't come back without that sage."

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An unknown amount of time later, I wake up, slightly confused as I know my eyes are open but I can't see.

The memories of prior events come back and I touch the visor sealing my deadly eyesight once more.

Testing to see if I'm still shunned, I find that I could cast mana flow if I wanted to cast any spells, but the surrounding mana was still ignoring me, keeping me from doing what I was planning on doing.

With nothing left to do, I start to think about all that went wrong with my attempts.

I would start my mana flow as I would when casting any spell, then will the surrounding mana to follow my command which would be to spread out then come back whenever it made contact with then come back to me with what it made contact with.

The mana would then not follow my command and do whatever.

It seemed like the mana was accepting my command, but not recognizing what to do with it and just doing anything.

It reminded me of how a computer would view new inputs that weren't yet coded in so they wouldn't understand what to do with the input.

Hmm…. There's no way I was incorrect with my assumption that mana was like a child but instead, behaved like a computer.

To test my new theory, I would have to find out what the "language" mana used to properly command it.

Which would require me to examine one of my spells to see how its written, then go off of that information to try to decipher it.

I had an idea on how to go about trying this, so I summon a clone right next to me.

I activate Mana Survey, stretching out my mana in a radius until I come into contact with my clone identifying it which brings up paragraphs of information before my eyes.

As I scan the information before me I can't help but think, 'I'm going to need more than six days for this.'