Chapter 137: Can’t thank enough

These few years since leaving her home, Jean’s thoughts had been occupied mostly with the struggles of finding food, securing shelter, and simply surviving.

Yet, somewhere in the back of her mind, the label of a failure had never truly left her.

She vividly remembered those days when she would lie awake, staring at the ceiling and cursing herself for being unable to awaken mana. For being the only black sheep in her family.

All of it... those sleepless nights, those scornful gazes, the countless moments of self-loathing, it was all coming back to her. But this time, she wasn’t crying out of grief.

No. She was smiling, her eyes moist with tears of happiness.

She... she had finally awakened.

"Kai."

She suddenly wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly.

Kai smiled softly, gently rubbing her back. "It worked, thankfully. You can use mana now, too."

Jean sniffled. "I can’t... I can’t even begin to tell you how I feel right now."

Kai gently soothed her. "You don’t need to say anything. I know how much this means to you."

For Jean, it was like living in a nest full of birds, watching them spread their wings and take flight while she remained grounded. But now, she could finally fly, too.

For Kai, it had never really mattered whether she could use magic or not. But he understood how much it mattered to Jean. It was as though she had finally been liberated from the curse of being a failure, a burden she had carried for years.

Kai sat down in front of her and asked, "Do you feel anything different?"

Jean tilted her face towards him as he gently wiped away her tears. "Not... really. Is that a bad thing?"

Kai shook his head. "If I remember correctly, when I awakened magic, it was quite an underwhelming experience. I woke up one day covered in sweat and absolutely starving."

Jean remained silent for a moment before speaking again. "I don’t feel hungry, though... Am I really fine?"

Kai wanted to reassure her that everything was alright and that not everyone experienced the same symptoms. But then, another idea occurred to him.

’System, use Link Click.’

This was his first time using the skill, but he believed it would be the best way to help her.

A clicking sound suddenly echoed in his mind. Jean flinched as well, blinking in surprise.

"Kai..."

’Yeah?’

She flinched again when she heard his voice inside her head.

Kai chuckled inwardly. ’Don’t worry. It’s one of my skills. I can use it on you now that you possess mana as well.’

Jean felt her heart flutter at his explanation. At the very least, it reassured her that she really had awakened mana.

But that wasn’t all.

’Follow my lead, Jean...’

Before she could even hear his voice, her hand was already rising, moving almost on its own.

’Focus on this sensation. Don’t try to see it. You can only feel it.’

Guided by Kai’s soothing voice, she concentrated on the strange warmth spreading through her arms and chest. It felt like wearing a comfortable sweater, its warmth wrapping around her from within.

She closed her eyes and focused on its movement. The sensation was a little rebellious, much like Elara, wandering wherever it pleased without any particular direction. However, she soon began trying to take hold of it.

’Be its friend, not its commander, Jean.’

His gentle voice eased the tension she had been putting herself under. Slowly, something began to change. It wasn’t perfect, not yet, but she could feel the difference.

Rather than trying to suppress its wandering nature, she began guiding it, allowing herself to move along with it instead of forcing it into submission. And then, ever so faintly, she felt it respond.

It was cooperating with her.

"Haa... Haa... Haaa..."

Jean breathed heavily as she stared at her hand.

The connection with him had been severed, she could tell, but Kai had already helped her realise something that had seemed impossible just a day ago.

She had truly awakened mana.

She slowly leaned forward and hugged him again. This time, there was no uncertainty or desperation in her embrace. It was pure, unrestrained joy.

"I can feel it. Magic is wonderful... and it’s all thanks to you that I finally understand it."

Kai hugged her back, closing his eyes with a gentle smile.

Thankfully, despite the series of unexpected events, things had turned out well for Jean.

....

Kai was in the living hall, with Jean sitting beside Mia while Mark occupied the seat across from them. The three were engaged in a conversation, or rather, Mia and Mark were mostly occupied with asking Jean about her health and how she was feeling.

Elara was still asleep, recovering from the ordeal. She had woken up a little while ago after soiling her diaper, but once she had been cleaned and changed, she had promptly fallen asleep again.

His skill ’Medical Monarch’ gave him the assurance that she was perfectly fine and just needed time to recover. So yes, he would let her rest for another hour before making his little princess something delicious to eat.

Kai had moved a little away from the others, wanting some privacy as he contacted the man who might finally have answers to the questions he had been desperately searching for.

However, things hadn’t gone quite as he had hoped.

"He has already left, Hunter Kai," Adam informed him over the phone.

Kai let out a sigh. Still, he should have expected as much. A man in the Chairman’s position wasn’t likely to remain in one place simply because Kai might need his help at some point.

After a brief pause, he asked, "Is there any way to contact him?"

"The Chairman generally doesn’t share his contact information with anyone. If there’s someone who might be able to help you, it’s the Vice-Chairman."

Kai hummed thoughtfully. "Can I talk to him?"

"Yes. Tomorrow, when you come over for training, he’ll be there as well."

Kai was taken aback. "Wait... he’ll be there too? I thought there wouldn’t be anyone."

Adam sounded a little hesitant. "...Hunter Kai, there are only a handful of people whose requests I cannot refuse. Sir Daniel is one of them."

Kai let out a long sigh.

So much for a quiet training session. It seemed he was going to have an audience tomorrow.