Dinner

Mana? If Libertas didn't remember it wrong, Mana was a type of spiritual energy. The Mana naturally generated by the world was called the Natural Mana. Due to it, there will be an endless Mana supply in a world. But in return to this, the Natural Mana wasn't pure and contained countless different types of Mana.

However, if an Imaginary World then absorbed the Natural Mana, it will be purified and converted to a special type Mana. With other words, the different types of Mana will be converted or, if it was necessary, discarded. Due to this processing, the special type Mana was pure. Following, the Imaginary World then stored the pure Mana inside it.

Could the father have sensed the discarded Mana? But it shouldn't be possible to sense it if several conditions weren't triggered. Even if the different conditions were fulfilled, who would go around, concentrating to sense the Mana someone is releasing? Although a Transcendent could go around while sensing the Mana someone is releasing without concentrating…

Was the father at the Transcendence Stage? Libertas glanced at the blue mist around the hands of the father, then in the eyes. They didn't glow. At the foundation stage, the eyes always glowed if they used their law, but it was different at the transcendence stage.

Nevertheless, even if Libertas released Mana, there should be no reason to be this wary, as it wasn't dangerous. However, it was likely different if he cast magic. The only problem was, Libertas didn't know any magic! Hell, he didn't even know what exactly magic was!

As such, Libertas took irritated a deep breathe as he wrinkled his nose. Following, he sighed helplessly, "Sir, I really don't understand. Isn't it normal to release Mana? Furthermore, what do you mean with 'casting magic'? I don't even know what magic is!"

The father glared at Libertas. He similar felt irritated by Libertas. Nevertheless, it was strange how someone didn't know of magic in this world. Did he lie? It didn't seem like that. Closing his eyes, he sensed the Mana dissipated by Libertas.

It was strange. Somehow a part of the dissipated Mana was orderly and steadily dispersed to the surroundings. It was as if Libertas was currently preparing a large scale incantation. However, another part was disorderly and erratically thrown into the surroundings. Due to this, any possible incantation would definitely have been disrupted by that.

Usually, it was impossible to do this. It was like a regular human was trying to draw with one hand a square and with other a triangle. Although the father saw the impossible happening with his own eyes, he couldn't believe it. Suddenly a scary idea surfaced in his mind, and he muttered unwittingly, "Is a spirit taking over his body?"

As the father thought of this, a pitying expression emerged on his face. However, a genial smile quickly replaced it. His frown eased up, as sincerity shined brightly from him. The blue mist around his hands dissipated. Soothingly, he said with a kind voice, "Child, come over here. I am sorry about what I have done earlier."

Libertas stared stunned with wide eyes at the father. Why has the hostility towards him suddenly disappeared? Seeing him standing there stunned, the father spoke out once more, "Child, is something wrong?"

"Ah, no!"

Libertas walked dazedly toward the father. Occasionally his gaze wandered to his hands. Around a metre, he halted in his steps. The father kindly smiled before he turned around. There was a small campfire. A pot was gradually heated up by the crackling fire under it. Faint steam rose from the bubbling soup. From time to time, the little girl let a piece of meat swimming inside the soup vanish in her stomach.

The father opened his arms wide, "Child, aren't you hungry? Come eat with us!"

The father led Libertas forward. However, Libertas only followed hesitatingly. Soon a bowl and a spoon were given to him. He glanced at the bowl, then at the father. It was odd how the situation unexpectedly changed to this. As he smelled the fragrance of the soup, his stomach growled.

Libertas sighed and took a spoonful of the soup. It was delicious. Somehow, it reminded him of Igor. Whenever he and Caesar were going on a trip, Igor had always cooked for them. However, Igor wasn't here with him. Libertas sighed before he shoved another spoon in his mouth. Where was Igor now? Was Igor waiting for him? Or did Igor abandon him? At least he knew, he missed Igor.

Then all of a sudden, someone placed his hand on his head and startled him out of his thoughts. Frowning, he turned around to see whose hand it was as he brushed it away. Then he stood up to sat at another place further away. Following he spoke annoyed, "Thanks for the food, but please don't touch me whenever you want, okay?"

The father awkwardly raised his hands, "All right, all right. Sorry about that. It is a habit of mine. I always do that if my daughter looked depressed like you just now."

Thereafter, he sat down beside Libertas with another bowl and spoon in his hands. After a while of silent eating, the father opened his mouth. However, this time wasn't to shove another spoon into his mouth, but to ask, "Aren't curious about why my attitude suddenly changed towards you?"

Libertas nodded his head while he continued to eat. The father smiled as he saw that. Following, he resumed to speak, "I believed you had some evil intention against me. Maybe even my against daughter. Nonetheless, you didn't. I am sorry for that. However, I need to tell you that you won't live long any more."

"What? Why?"

"The spirit of a deceased is trying to take over your body."

"What? How is that impossible?"

"I don't know, but this is likely happening to you."

"Oh… When will I die?"

The father sighed. He raised his hand to pat Libertas gain. However, Libertas raised his own hand to hinder it. The father sighed, "I am sorry, I don't know."

Libertas continued to eat silently. Seeing this, the father stood up before once more sighed, "Take care of yourself. Think about what you wish to do before you enter the eternal sleep. I will try my best to help you."

Following the father left, leaving Libertas alone behind. Libertas' stomach still growled after he finished eating the bowl. He glanced at the half-full pot over the crackling fire. Then he sighed and laid the bowl with the spoon inside on the ground.

What was that thing which took over Libertas' body before he then fought in the colosseum? A deceased spirit? However, didn't Friedrich said something about law demon? Was that thing a spirit or a law demon? Libertas sighed. Furthermore, what exactly was after all the law demons?

Libertas glanced at a bracelet around his wrist. It was a miracle how he survived until now. Even more so, now that he survived the jump from the cliff. And it was undamaged too. His life should have ended long ago, but it didn't. Was it due to that thing in his mind? Should he be grateful and let it take him over?

All of a sudden, he looked behind him. Then he smiled wryly. The daughter of the father stood there beside a tree, frozen in shock. She had a bowl in her hand, which tilted slightly towards the tree. Due to that, the soup inside it nearly flowed out of it and dripped on the tree. Recovering, she stammered, "Ma, Maria is a good girl! She did, didn't throw food away! I, I didn't lie!"

Libertas chuckled, then waved his hand at her, "Come."

Her voice shook as she was beside Libertas, "W, what do you want?"

"Give me that bowl."

Instantly her eyes brightened, "Really?!"

However, instead of waiting for a reply, she shoved the bowl to Libertas before she quickly took several steps back. It was as if she feared Libertas would go back on his words. Chuckling, Libertas began eating.

Then no one spoke. It was quiet. After a while of restlessly sitting in the ground, Maria could bear the silence any longer. Eagerly she opened her little mouth and asked away, "We are going to the capital! Are you going too?"

"Yeah, I am going too. What are you going to do there?"

Unexpected, Maria angrily pouted and raised her little fist indignant, "An evil daddy forces the sweet little Maria to attend a magic academy! Maria doesn't want to learn Magic! It is boring! Maria wants to become a great Merchant like daddy!"

Chuckling, Libertas took another bite before he said, "What will Maria do if she one day needs magic?"

Maria raised her nose proudly high up, "Then Maria will call her daddy!"

"What if he is one day not by your side?"

"No way! Daddy said daddy will always be by Maria side! Enough about Maria! What do you do?"

"I think I will..."

Libertas then frowned. He laid the spoon back into the bowl as he sunk into his thoughts. What did he want to do? Did he wish to live peacefully until the end? As it was unlikely he will be able to accomplish anything in his short rest time to live. Or did he wish to solve the riddle around that thing in his mind? After all, if he succeeded, he may live on longer.