NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2
Crunch, Crunch.
Marquis Patrick Asteri of the Asteri family was busily processing documents as usual.
Knock, knock—
That was, until a servant entered and handed him a document.
“…….”
As he read through the words one by one, the marquis’s expression grew cold.
“This isn’t even worth reading further.”
Fwoosh!
Using his magic, the marquis incinerated the document completely.
“That fool still hasn’t come to his senses?”
“Y-yes… Ever since he woke up, he has been continuously pulling out weeds.”
“Anything else?”
“He still… does not seem to be able to sense mana.”
The servant wiped his sweat as he answered.
It was a serious issue for the eldest grandson of the great mage family, Asteri, to be unable to perceive mana.
Most wizards undergo mana shock and awaken between the ages of eight and ten at the latest.
The direct descendants of the renowned Asteri family, known for their extraordinary talent, were said to awaken as early as three years old.
Even Marquis Patrick Asteri himself—
Rumors had it that he performed a levitation spell on his own first birthday. That’s how extraordinary his talent was.
But… his eldest grandson, Leon?
He was already in his twenties and still couldn’t sense any magic.
Mana shocks continued to occur, so there was a slim chance he might awaken eventually, but—
It was only natural that Marquis Patrick’s patience was running thin.
The Asteri family did not accept those without talent as part of the family.
That rule had remained unchanged both before and after the war.
In truth, the only reason Leon had been given this much leeway was because Marquis Patrick had a particular fondness for him.
But this was already the third time…
As the marquis’s gaze fell upon him, the servant instinctively shrank back.
The overwhelming presence of an archmage, estimated to be beyond the eighth circle, was too much for an ordinary person to bear.
A primal fear surged, making him want to flee on the spot.
“Aside from that.”
—Aside from that?
The servant took a deep breath before cautiously responding.
“He is in good health, and there are no apparent issues with his memory.”
The servant answered while carefully observing the marquis’s reaction.
“Tsk, leave me.”
After the servant, drenched in nervous sweat, hurried out, Patrick let out a deep sigh.
“……Sylvia.”
Swoosh.
From the surrounding darkness, a figure emerged.
An elderly woman, dressed neatly in a uniform.
She was Sylvia, the most trusted hand of Marquis Patrick.
“For you to call me, you must be quite worried.”
Patrick Asteri did not respond, but the deepening furrow of his brow made the truth apparent.
“I was aware that the boy was researching various ways to overcome mana shock, but…”
Patrick pressed his fingers to his temples, muttering.
“This time, it’s getting excessive. Herb collecting? He hasn’t even been out of bed for long.”
“Perhaps he feels burdened by receiving continued support from the family?”
“That’s ridiculous—”
—Or is it?
“You’ve always treated him strictly on the surface.”
At Sylvia’s calm remark, Patrick’s expression turned grim.
After a moment of silence, he spoke again.
“Sylvia.”
The loyal attendant bowed slightly.
“Your orders?”
“Find out exactly what that fool is doing.”
Patrick seemed more perplexed than usual.
Sylvia observed him quietly before smiling subtly.
“Shall I also invite him to come see you?”
Even if he pretended otherwise, the marquis clearly cherished his grandson.
Perhaps even more so because he was a frail child.
And yet, as soon as he had recovered, the boy had gone off doing… this.
“If he wastes any more time, tell him I’ll rip out every single blade of grass in the estate!”
“I shall deliver the message as is.”
Once Sylvia had vanished entirely into the shadows, Patrick muttered to himself.
“You ungrateful brat. If you’re feeling better, shouldn’t your first stop be to see your grandfather instead of spending weeks pulling weeds?”
* * *
At that moment.
Pop!
[You have obtained Aqua Rosemary.]
Pop!
[You have obtained Coriander.]
Mimir Forest, located within the marquisate’s woods, not far from the Asteri estate.
A frail young man with a sickly complexion crouched down.
His neatly tied golden hair, amethyst-like eyes, and pale skin made him look every bit like an aristocrat.
However, his hands were covered in dirt and smeared with plant sap, and his flawless cheeks were streaked with sweat mixed with dust.
Pop!
[You have obtained Root Star Anise.]
The young man, whose hands were trembling as he pulled out herbs, let out a faint smile.
His name was Baek Ihyeon—no, he was now Leon Asteri.
‘Just pulling them out gives me herbs? This place is heaven!’
It had already been a month since he found himself possessed by Leon Asteri in the world of
At first, he was, of course, completely shocked.
Another world. And not just any other world, but the world of
To make things worse, although he had passionately played
‘At least I was lucky that I ended up as the eldest grandson of the renowned magic family, the Asteri, and that I retained this body’s memories.’
And then there was this ability—
Expert’s Eye.
While taking a walk to assess his situation after waking up in this body, he had noticed a patch of herbs glowing. When he pulled them out…
Herbs landed in his hands with ridiculous ease.
[Aqua Rosemary]
Unlike regular rosemary, this herb carries a strong scent of the sea.
When consumed raw, it has a salty taste, as if drinking seawater.
[Usage: Cooking, Potion]
[☞Click here to view the recipe.]
[Beginner Herbalist (1) Achievement Progress: 1/100]
And then came the notification that he was progressing toward an achievement.
Since he had nothing else to do, he naturally followed that notification and continued collecting herbs.
After pulling out about a hundred of them, he made a discovery.
[Beginner Herbalist (1) Achievement Unlocked!]
[You have obtained 1,000 Shillings!]
There were achievement rewards!
[Once you collect a certain amount of shillings, the Shilling Shop will be unlocked.]
And there was even an exclusive shop!
What happened next was obvious.
There were achievements. Achievements gave money.
That meant, of course, he had to clear as many achievements as possible, using every bit of knowledge he had.
“How much have I gathered so far?”
Leon opened his inventory to check the money he had collected.
“I’ve already saved up 20,000 shillings.”
20,000 shillings.
He wasn’t sure if that was a significant amount in the Shilling Shop… but for him, it was a meaningful milestone.
‘Effort being properly rewarded…!’
Leon clenched his fist.
How miserable had he been at his job before?
Endless work, co-workers constantly playing politics, management refusing to hire more staff, and instead of acknowledging his contributions, they stole his achievements…!
Thinking about it now made him dizzy.
It was a miracle he hadn’t burned out.
But now, receiving a fair reward for his labor was incredibly reassuring.
“…Ahem.”
Leon quickly calmed himself down.
Since it was a shop system, he figured he’d probably need at least 100,000 shillings to unlock it.
Until then, he would just keep using his skills to complete achievements.
“At this rate… I should be able to make a living anywhere.”
Leon was well aware that he could be kicked out of the Asteri household at any moment.
A firstborn son who couldn’t sense mana? That was the definition of useless.
“Still, I should stay as long as I can.”
Even if he somehow managed to sense mana later, it was obvious he wouldn’t have enough talent to use magic properly.
That meant his fate as a failure in a magic family was already sealed.
Fine by him.
‘The next head of the family will be my younger brother anyway.’
“Well, for that to happen, I’ll need to make some moves first… huh?”
As he muttered to himself, hands on his hips, he instinctively scanned his surroundings.
And then—
Shine!
‘That’s…!’
A single plant was standing out, gleaming even more brilliantly than the rest.
It shone so intensely that it almost seemed to be emitting light on its own.
He knew instantly.
‘This one’s special.’
Gulp.
Swallowing his anticipation, Leon knelt before the plant and carefully dug around its roots with his hands.
His already dirt-covered hands grew filthier, but he didn’t care.
Because to his eyes, this herb was worth gold!
He gently grasped the plant’s base and pulled—
Shuuuuk!
A deeply satisfying sensation surged through him as a unique herb emerged from the ground!
Even now, it was still glowing like gold!
[Red Sun Fern (★)]
The tips are red, curled like the sun. Unlike regular ferns, it can be eaten raw.
Rumored to clear the mind of distractions when consumed through a special method.
[Usage: Cooking, Potion]
[☞To view the recipe, reach Alchemy Apprentice LV.4.]
[‘Three Stars!’ Achievement Progress: 1/3]
“Yes!”
“Young Master.”
Hearing a voice, Leon turned, expecting one of the usual attendants.
But instead—
“Sylvia?”
Yes. It was Sylvia, the head maid.
A woman who had served the Asteri family for decades.
To Leon, she was like a grandmother.
[Lv. ?? Sylvia]
Oh well, not important.
“Look at this!”
Leon proudly held up the still-glowing fern.
“Hm…”
Sylvia, smiling warmly, examined the herb.
‘A top-quality herb.’
There was no damage to its magical properties, and its roots were intact. It must have been carefully harvested.
With those delicate hands, no less…
“It’s a fine herb.”
“Look closely! It’s glowing!”
Sylvia felt a pang of sorrow.
Could she blame him?
With all the stress he was under, of course he’d start saying things like this.
She took out a handkerchief and gently wiped Leon’s hands and face.
‘At least he looks happy…’
So what if he couldn’t sense mana?
As long as he was happy, that was all that mattered.
And yet… why did her heart ache every time she saw him?
Even with the lord and herself looking after him, the absence of his parents must have left an immense void.
“You don’t see the light?”
“No, Young Master.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Haha, I guess I’m the only one who can see it.”
“……”
He’s definitely making excuses.
He probably doesn’t have the face to meet the Lord.
Sylvia was certain of it.
Meanwhile, Leon was thinking—
‘So Sylvia can’t see it either. That means it really is just me.’
He had only asked to confirm.
“The Lord is worried about you. It’s time to return. I’m sure he will be pleased with your efforts.”
At the mention of the lord, Leon finally looked away from the herb.
‘Doubt it.’
From both his memories and the little knowledge he had of the game, Patrick Asteri was a strict meritocrat.
Only the most capable deserved everything.
That rule applied even to family.
Patrick Asteri.
Potential favorability target number one.
‘I do need to meet him eventually, but I’m not ready yet.’
Not until he made use of this herb.
‘Now that I’ve gathered most of the ingredients, it’s time to make an impression.’
And how would he do that?
By making a potion, of course.
Because right now, that was the best possible gift he could offer.
“Sylvia.”
“Yes, Young Master?”
“Tell Grandfather I’ll visit him tomorrow around noon. Also… can you get me some supplies?”