13 (13) A mountain

'What? The result did not change at all?!' Nicokel felt a headache feeling all the mana within his body exhausted. 

Nicokel had activated his talent, but like before it used up all of his mana in mere two seconds. Thinking his mana had not increased by a lot, Nicokel sighed in disappointment. 

However, his eyes froze, realizing a difference from his first time. 

'I understood the world's mana flow more than my first time! I see now, so my talent wasn't working at its full potential before.' This fact made him relax. 

Nicokel got up and ordered a nearby servant to bring his lunch. He had to rest up to recover his mana now, he realized that it was not possible to raise any more mana through meditation too. It could only be done once a day.

Hence, there was not much for him to do. 

.....

Afternoon, the same day.

Flip~

Nicokel flipped the thin book's page with a serene expression. 

'I can't wait to set foot on the war ground...' Nicokel excitedly thought to himself. 

In the past month, he had read almost all the books having some connection to the war. Reading them, Nicokel was enlightened that there were not many restrictions on the battlefield, unlike the situation on Earth. 

'Poison and mass destructive type items are prohibited, but I can already find hundreds of ways around them. The water of the war is not something anyone can get into, however once inside, it's hard to get out. The trauma either drives you crazy and breaks you or either makes you stronger.' 

Nicokel smirked viciously with his eyes turning crescent, a cold light flashed deep within his pupil. Nicokel was without a doubt someone who went crazy but at the same time grew stronger. 

Nicokel was in a really good mood. 

'Now that I have awakened my mana, nothing is holding me back from going to the battlefield. Even if I am not leading the army, it's alright, I just want to go there.' Nicokel just couldn't feel like he was living within the walls of this mansion. 

To others, living in the safe haven of this mansion might be a blessing. However, to Nicokel it was just a life filled with melancholy. He had already made up his mind to live to the fullest this life, wasting it here was out of the question. 

'I can think of what to do next after staying on the battlefield to my heart's content. Building a mercenary group and moving around the world do seem to be at the top of my list. I can join the war in almost any country as long as I am a mercenary after all.' 

There was another reason which pushed Nicokel to choose a Mercenary job if the time calls for it. 

Galven, his old comrade, had dreamt of roaming around the world for sightseeing once the war ended. It was in the end a vain dream. 

'Galven...I will fulfill your wish for you. Hahaha, He always bothered me by asking me to tag along when the time came too...but I think I will stick to the southern border battlefield for at least a decade. By then I should have enough strength to survive in this world alone.' 

Nicokel was someone who cared for his comrade, but at the same time, he acknowledged their decisions. That was the reason he never stopped them whenever they made up their mind to sacrifice themselves. 

'They have the right to decide what to do with their lives. Just like what I am doing right now.' 

Nicokel got up and put the book back in its place, before moving out of the library. It was already time for his evening training. 

Nicokel couldn't increase his body's strength like before, but he still planned on exercising even harder now. His body was like a vessel, as long as it was strengthened, he could wield more mana. 

'My growth has slowed down dramatically, but it should still be a little faster compared to normal people....' 

Nicokel's train of thought was suddenly halted, he could see two people walking the opposite side of the corridor. It was the first time he saw them, but he felt that the past host knew them. 

A wave of memory flowed into his mind like a tide. 

'Heirich merchant group...a merchant group that works for the Verskein family due to a covenant. They are famous throughout the empire.' Nicokel remembered and then feigned ignorance toward the two people before him. 

One was a beautiful woman wearing a dark purple dress and golden hair tied into locks on each side of her crown, flowing freely on her back. 

She was the vice leader of the Heirich merchant group. Her name was Jane.

Along with her was a girl who appeared to be 14, a year older than Nicokel. She too wore an expensive dress and had golden hair pointing out that she was Jane's daughter. 

Suddenly, When Nicokel was three meters away from them Jane's daughter stopped in her tracks. 

Nicokel too stopped, feeling a strange sensation rising from deep within him. His face grew cold seeing Jane's daughter's eyes shining in azure, before returning to normal. 

'That's the sign of her activating her talent...' Nicokel coldly scanned the two people before him. 

Jane closely looked at her daughter too, because she had already seen such a phenomenon occurring multiple times. 

At that moment, Jane's daughter lifted her finger and pointed at Nicokel with wide eyes. 

"A mountain." 

Nicokel tilted his head confused hearing the word come out of the girl before him. 

However, Jane was not the same, she had an inconceivable expression, thinking she had heard wrong. 

"...can you repeat again, Katlyn?" Jane asked her daughter for confirmation.  

"A mountain," Katlyn repeated as if humoring her mother. 

Hearing their conversation, Nicokel got an idea of what Katlyn was talking about.

'She is most likely talking about my potential. Hmph, such a talent can be considered a cheat for the merchant's society.'

At the same time, Jane's mind was a complicated mess. 

'A mountain...? Wait....is he a dragon who is taking the form of a human?' Jane couldn't help but think such nonsense. 

It was understandable, after all, Katlyn had called Gelen's talent to be equal to a one-meter-radius rock. Gelen had awakened his mana at the age of six, which was already comparable to the best among the other pillars in the empire. 

And now, the same Katlyn labeled Nicokel as a mountain. 

"Don't use your talents on others without permission. It won't just end with a warning the next time." 

Nicokel's cold voice broke Jane's train of thought. 

"I am sorry for my daughter's rude attitude, I hope that the young master would find it in your heart to forgive her." Jane bowed immediately, having guessed Nicokel's position from his clothes. 

It was made of material only available for nobles and was stitched by a talented tailor too. 

"I said I will let it slide this time, don't ask me to repeat myself." Nicokel began walking past the duo. 

"Please wait a second, Might you be willing to bless me with your wonderful name?" Jane continued with a smile. 

Seeing her, Nicokel couldn't help but be speechless. 

'She sure does have an eloquent tongue. Is she trying to butter me up after seeing my age? Well, whatever....' 

Nicokel gazed at Jane for a second before turning back, "Nicokel Verskein." 

Jane froze immediately listening to the name. 

It seems like the rumor of Nicokel awakening had not spread yet. He did awaken this very morning after all.