Ambient Mage

What did I do to deserve being hunted by the duke himself?

Well…

I have no idea

Why is one of the most important characters in 'Total Brake' hunting me?

Let's do some simple math.

I saved his daughter.

I get compensation.

Should've ended there.

But it didn't and now my life is in danger.

He's skilled. Unreasonably so. Therefore why am I still alive?

Think. Think. One of 'Total Brake's' Grandmasters is hunting me.

I can feel his intent to kill me bearing down on my body.

I should be dead. His attacks are barely missing me.

Why?

My body is tired. I don't even understand.

He would've sent knights, or his assassin squads after me.

Why is he here?

Even with I'm just barely dodging. Barely.

God I'm so tired.

Schling.

My arm. It's warm and cold. It's wet.

I instinctively look. A large gash lies over my arm.

Why am I even enduring this?

I am so tired I could die.

Thraakk.

My back feels wet and cold. Like after a cold shower.

Oh man I miss showers.

Ryying.

Another cut appears on my leg.

Except this time, it burns.

"Why the hell are you doing this?!!?"

He finally relaxed his stance at my statement.

"I thought you'd never ask."

This. Was this a test?

Anger, I was angry.

I was suffering because he wanted to test me?

No. My head cooled off as my blood dried on my skin.

We stared at each other. Waiting for the other to lose their nerve.

Think. Why would the Duke himself come here.

If it was to test or capture me, he could've sent his own subordinates.

If he wanted to kill me he could have already.

He wasn't the kind of person to personally watch over a person being tested by his subordinates either.

He stopped when I talked.

Why?

Does he want answers?

"What do you want to know?"

I sputtered out as fast as I could.

"Relax. I'm just seeing how you react to this type of questioning."

I did not relax. His aura not even the aura around his sword, but the literal atmosphere he exuded was terrifying. I mean it's not everyday you stare down a sword grandmaster. One of the 9 in the entire continent, and one of 3 in the empire. 

It's just terrifying. I want to turn and run.

I'm not going to though.

I know what kind of skill he's using.

If I turn and run now, I'll die. His body will lunge towards mine and skewer me.

I've seen the animation too many times to be fooled.

He wants me to turn and run.

So I'm going to stand my ground.

Calm down. Identify the information he wants.

"Why do you need to see my reaction?"

His leg twitches and I instinctively dodge backwards.

"She didn't mention you having such acute senses."

"You mean your daughter?"

"Of course. She spoke much about you."

Well damn.

Can't say I blame her though.

I mean if I was raised in a noble household and some commoner held me, even if to protect me, I might do the same. Not to mention she's the daughter of the duke.

She's probably never had that kind of contact with the opposite sex aside from her father and maybe brothers.

Wait. If the Duke is here. There's a probability one of the Duke's sons is here too.

I'll really die if that's the case, and not in a nice way.

"What did her highness say?"

"Still using honorifics even though you held her in such a manner huh?"

Now that I think about it, the Duke's way of speech was appalling.

Just completely different from the one I knew when he was finishing documents or talking with other nobles.

This was the tone he took with enemies and prey.

Naturally I'm weak so I fall into the latter category.

"She spoke about you having an interesting magic ability."

"I can see what she was talking about now."

"You really mask yourself well with the surroundings."

He didn't mince his words.

He knew.

"Great, so can you stop trying to kill me?"

"Nope."

Worth.

Alright new plan, I'm going to use .

Hopefully I can outlast his search radius and time.

Let's go.

His eyes narrowed.

He can sense my mana moving and gathering.

I need to move faster.

Schwing. He slashed nearly separating my head from my body.

I started to meld into the environment.

He still swung.... and I got hurt?

How?

I lost part of my concentration and began to rematerialize.

No I can't stop here.

I need to lock in.

I started to disperse my thoughts.

I am the wind, the cold stone road. 

I am the night sky that looks down on the earth.

I am not a person, but part of nature.

I belong to this world.

And that's how I escaped the Duke.

***

*Duke Svarmet's Pov*

That boy. He interests me.

His body is naturally attuned to the world. He dodges like a martial artist.

Not a seasoned veteran, but like an amateur learning from a master.

It's intriguing. Let's test him a bit.

I shifted my leg a little bit.

He pushed back and squinted his eyes at me.

So he really can feel my intent and the disparity in our power level.

What an interesting child. My daughter definitely held some information from me.

However, I'll forgive her since she brought me such and interesting boy.

Hm....

What is he trying to do with that mana?

I need to prevent it from exploding and damaging the surrounding area.

Dammit, this boy's mental state has collapsed. Is he trying to die with me?

No I can see it in his eyes.

He's trying to escape.

I won't allow it.

I'll cut through the mana.

What?

How did he?-

I can't feel his presence anymore.

I need to take this boy underneath me. He will be a valuable asset.

Time to move.

"You there!"

I yelled to the garrison guard.

"Give me information on this boy."

I drew a picture.

"Your excellency, are you perhaps talking about the boy who had your daughter?"

"Yes. I would like to know where he resides."

"He lives here, at this farm."

"Good work."

"Thank you, s-"

I left before the guard could finish his sentence.

I found myself before a humble house behind the farm.

I should knock right?

These people wouldn't know who I am. And it is night.

They wouldn't be able to hurt me, but if they attempted to, they would be executed, so for their sake, lets knock.

"Knock, knock".

"Who's knocking at this time of night?!"

I may have knocked too loud.

A tall and stout man greeted me.

"And who may you be mister, knocking on my door?"

"I am Stephen von Svarmet, the Duke of this territory."

"Yeah, right, of course you are."

He looked down and closed the door.

Smack.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Kelsy? That man may very well be the duke and you go and shut the door in his face! Did you want to die?"

"It's not him. Why would the duke arrive here?"

"Oh I don't know maybe he's here after his daughter?"

"She's already back home probably."

"Kelson, honey, I love you, but sometimes you are quite the simpleton."

"Hey, wait what does that-"

A tall and stout lady opened the door.

A fitting couple.

"I apologize for my husband's affront your highness."

"There was no inconvenience to me".

"I'm terribly sorry but we have nothing prepared for you."

"Where is that boy Kelson?"

"He hadn't come home yet."

Oh?

"Actually, that's what I'm here for."

"First the daughter, then the father, next thing you know that boy's going to involve the royals."

"It's quite alright, I'm only here to ask a few questions. I apologize for imposing."

"No, not at all your highness. We're honored you'd visit us."

"I wish to take that boy with me back to the Duchy's main residence."

The couple gasped. The wife almost passed out, and stumbled into a chair.

The husband glared at me.

Interesting.

"Are you opposed?"

"Your excellency, I'm sorry but that boy is like a a son to us."

First closing the door on me, then grinding his teeth while talking.

Justifying his death would have been child's play at this point.

Hm..

I can't. That might upset the child.

The wife put her head in her hands, and began to silently cry.

"I don't know how he feels, but I will not give him up without his say so."

"And what if I took him forcefully?"

The wife began to sob out loud.

"You'd have to step over my dead body first."

"I see."

He tensed up.

"I will visit again when that boy returns."

"Thank you for your leniency."

I left their little cottage.

What an interesting family.

Wait, they said like a son right?

So they aren't his biological parents then?

There is some investigation to be done here.

***

*Lucas' Pov*

I feel warm, like I'm being held by Annelise and Kelson.

Or being sandwiched between the cows.

I wanna see Moomoo and her son.

They were so warm.

Where am I?

What was I doing?

Does it matter?

My head started to hurt.

"Hmm".

I hummed aloud to myself.

Where am I?

I woke up. 

My body started to rapidly materialize in my bed.

But how did I get here?

Didn't I use in the town?

Aghhhhh.

Pain rattled through my body.

"Mana rebound."

I quickly shot around to look at the voice.

"Calm down."

How the hell was I supposed to calm down when the dude who was trying to kill me was in my room?

"Mana rebound."

He repeated.

"You've used all the mana in your body, and put a strain on the mana pathways."

That was a useless comment. Even I knew that from the games.

Kelson and Annelise entered the room.

"Lucas? How are you? Where have you been?"

She hugged me.

"I've been worried sick!"

I wanted to see how Kelson looked right now.

Probably miffed he wasn't included.

"You've been gone for 3 days."

What.

How?

"Where have you been?!?!"

Her worried voice slowly turning into anger.

"Where!?"

She shook me, sending shocks of pain through my body waking me up from my stupor.

"I'm sorry"

She put her head on my shoulder and started crying.

I was angry. At myself. How much did she worry over me?

How many times did she cry because I left without a word?

I glared at the duke and he returned a neutral glance.

I looked at Kelson.

"So where have you been you little runt?"

His voice softer than normal.

"I was.... I don't really know."

"The best way to describe it was halfway between death and life? I guess"

I got pinched.

Sorry. I didn't realized mom still heard me.

But I guess I deserve her pinches for what I've done.

"So what was it exactly you did?"

The duke questioned me.

"I became part of nature", I asserted.

"No, you didn't", he refuted.

It's true. In 'Total Brake' to assimilate with nature requires a high affinity with spirits and a spirit contract. 

What I did was closer to becoming a ghost. Or rather assimilating with the natural flow of mana.

So I guess dying? But not actually? Man this was confusing. I became part of the environment.

Part of the ambience, part of the moving world, not the live parts, but part of the cycle of energy.

"I became mana."

"You what?"

So....

I haven't been entirely truthful.

There is actually something close to what I did.

It's called a or mana projection.

They're both bodies made of mana.

is a 6th tier spell.

Mana projection is an application of mana.

But instead of casting a spell or applying mana, I was simply gathering my own mana and dispersing it.

Theoretically, it shouldn't work.

Mana dispersers exist in this world.

Usually one of two things occur when they are used.

The person who's mana is being dispersed, either exists in a mana deficit unable to use it, or dies, because the dispersal of the mana is too violent and rips apart the body.

Yet here I am.

Should I be thankful I didn't die?

Probably.

Thank Nyx above.

"I was using ".

"Don't lie to me I can see through them."

Damn I forgot the Duke had that setting.

How to get him off my back. How should I?

"So why did you try to kill me?"

"I merely tried to tear apart the mana you were gathering."

I see. That's why I felt the sense of impending doom.

But why did none of my injuries from my fight carry over?

Did I heal in the mana?

"So why were you after me to begin with?"

"I had a few questions for you."

Annelise's hands tightened around me.

"Like what?"

She smacked me on the back.

Right, manners.

"Why did you save my daughter from those assassins?"

"Assassins?"

"Yes, they were hired to kidnap her."

I thought they were just trying to make a quick buck, but I guess it makes sense now.

Why would any random street gang dare to touch a ducal lady?

"Because I felt like it."

I shrugged.

He looked me over, before opening his mouth.

"How would you like to come with me to the main ducal residence?"

Um. What.