His old residence, the manor, is now being used as a Branding Centre. Fortunately, it's quite large so it could serve as a temporary centre while the rest of the buildings are being constructed after the estate is expanded.
According to predictions, those will be finished by next year. For now, large white tents were set up around the estate and outside of it. Since there's no oncoming traffic, the tents could just be placed in the middle of the street as a temporary base.
If possible, Arnold would've liked having the centre outside the city so that people can come and go, not clog up his streets where business is supposed to happen.
Arnold climbed out of the carriage, with Bethany following behind him. Since his carriage isn't anything to look at, everyone probably assumed he's just some rich kid here to get his own magic core today.
"Eh, w-wait, sir!" Arnold heard Bethany's panicked shout as he walked right through the crowd of people standing around the tents.
He was about to enter the mansion's premises but was stopped by two magicians—
"Sorry, bud, but the inner centre is full as usual. If you want a spot, wait for the outer centre to accept new people."
"What's causing the delay? Is it not as simple as putting the rune on someone?"
The two looked at each other with faces that asked if he was stupid. That's how it works in the game, though…
"Listen, kid. Sure, we can slap the rune onto anyone but Madam Ersa made it clear that the rune has a higher chance of breaking if it's not infused with mana. That process is a delicate procedure that can't be rushed."
That's strange. Runes don't typically need anything in order to function. Maybe the Larantheus Great Rune is an exception.
Or, the rune is incomplete.
'Hm, I'll need to ask Sylphy to take a look at the version of the rune Ersa is using.'
But first he'll need to hear what Ersa has to say about it.
"I'll go ask Ersa personally."
"W-What!?" surprised by him walking through them, the man couldn't move for a second but then yelled for someone to stop Arnold.
Then again, he's using his intangibility so that's impossible.
As expected, this created quite a commotion.
It seems that while he was away, people were put in charge of the branding centre to help Ersa with managing the vast responsibilities that come with such a gargantuan task.
"What kind of strange magic is it that you're using, young man? If you have that kind of power, what do you seek here?" a tall brunette in a lab coat, leggings, and black heels stood in front of the door just as Arnold was about to enter the mansion.
The attendees, volunteers and employees all turned to the cause of the commotion.
True, from their perspective, he probably did seem like some high-level magician.
"I'm only here to see Ersa."
"You expect that to just happen because you wish for it? Why would she, one of the most important people in this city, second to only the city lord and Lady Lunaria, agree to throw aside her work and come down from her office to give you attention? Are you here to gloat about your magic?"
Arnold scratched his head. This is why you let people know you're coming beforehand. Well, it's his fault for not even taking a carriage that makes him stand out.
"—Everything is fine, Ava and everyone." The door behind the tall brunette opened, revealing a young woman with a vibrant smile on her face, "This is the man who made all of this happen—Lord Arnold, welcome. I am honored to have you here today."
**
"Today seemed like a bad time to come, huh?" as he followed after the tall brunette and Ersa, he remarked.
Ava lowered her head and quietly walked, ashamed at her attitude earlier.
"If you sent a notice beforehand, we could have stopped operations for the day since every day is like this, my lord. Everyone is busy working, including me." Ersa said with the same kind smile.
She opened the door to a lounge and headed inside.
After sitting down, she had Ava stand behind her.
"I hope you have time to sit and talk, my lord. I was waiting for the day I got to meet you. It is just a shame it couldn't have been in better circumstances." Ersa lowered her head, her colleague following suit.
"This is Ava, my second-in-command and the top scientist part of the Branding Program."
"It is an honor to meet you, Lord Arnold." Ava bowed her entire upper body.
"Yeah, likewise. So, why is a scientist needed?" Arnold sat back on the couch and asked.
"There have been some… issues lately."
"Issues?"
"Truth be told, we're noticing signs of the rune affecting us in various ways. I was the first to notice these signs since I was the first person to use the rune to create a magic core within my body. Ava, can you take it from here?"
It would seem the Larantheus Rune isn't working as well as they had hoped. It's a creation rune, so it literally creates something out of nothing and isn't magic-oriented per se. In gamer language, it's not coded for any specific role as it can fit any role it wants to like a hybrid class like a magic swordsmen or tank priest, among other variations.
As such, failures in some areas are to be expected.
"Certainly. As Madam Ersa said, the magic core reacts differently depending on the person. We can't list the various reported issues just yet as they seem like regular human behavior and ailments that could happen regardless if you have the rune or not but we suspect that the body is trying to adjust to having mana flow through it. We have done a few tests and confirmed that a sort of spiderweb nerve system, similar to the human nerve system, is developing within everyone's bodies. It's better if I show the lab results that the team were able to put together." Ava took out a device from her chest pocket and clicked it. A hologram soon appeared above, showing a human body under the scope of a special magic lens that lets you read traces of mana, miasma and other energy within a human body. "It originates from the core, as you can see. Here's day one." Click, "And here's day four."
In a mere four days, the magic nervous system was branching its way within the person's body, like a vast tunnel network. Its origin? The magic core.
A peculiar detail stood out to Arnold—there was a difference in size between the core on the first day and on the fourth day. It shrank in just three days. But the "tunnel network" also varied in size.
"How long have you had your core, Ersa?"
"About a few months, my lord."
"Have there been any difficulties using magic? Also, do others who reported their conditions have difficulties casting as well?"
"I feel… lightheaded most of the time. Sometimes I lose my balance and have to sit down. My stomach turns if I cast for too long, and then I can't concentrate anymore. Others said it's the same for them."
Ava, standing beside her, added quickly, "We believe that since the core first develops the magic network near the stomach, this is what causes the nausea and internal discomfort everyone's reporting. After several tests, we found the veins coil up the spine and reach the brainstem — that's the cause of the dizziness. For most subjects, the stomach pain fades after one or two weeks. The lightheadedness, however, seems permanent."
Arnold crossed his arms, silent for a few seconds before responding. "That's dangerous for magicians. If they can't focus in battle, they're liabilities to their units."
Ava and Ersa nodded, though unease flickered across both their faces having heard him.
What did he say wrong exactly?
"If I may speak frankly, my lord," Ava said carefully.
"Go ahead."
"My lord, there's… concern among the staff." She glanced at Ersa, then continued. "Many fear that the children who've received cores will be drafted into your forces. The centre's reputation rests on providing this procedure freely, without discrimination. But people worry there's a cost that hasn't been named yet."
'Hm, I should've worded my response better when I said they would be liabilities.' Now she assumes he'll throw them onto the battlefield.
"Most of those who come here — the old, the young — they only want to know what it feels like to use magic. Some just want to light a fire for their hearths or protect their families in the border villages. They see this gift as hope, not as a burden of war."
Arnold's gaze shifted toward Ersa. The girl met his eyes, nervous but resolute.
He studied her face in silence — the faint dark circles, the trembling hands as if on edge.
"I have no interest in using talentless commoners to boost my military strength."
Ersa's tired eyes seem to spring to life as a light flickered after hearing his response.
"…Is that true? No one will be forced to go to war…?"
"There are no disadvantages to letting every citizen receive the Great Rune. On the contrary, the fact that I am allowing this for free will spread my name to the whole world. This will aid in my city becoming the greatest nation in Diacree's history without wars."
"Without… wars?"
"That's right. None of them will be expected to fight in a war. You have seen the Shadow Demons and Red Knights and what they can do—why put my trust in commoners that might not cast past the first rank of magic when I can have level 90 knights roaming my kingdom?"
Ersa and Ava looked at each other, then the two smiled softly.
"You are… very kind, my lord." Ava said with reverence flickering in her eyes.
"…I am the most wanted man on this continent so save that praise for someone else."
Ersa shook her head, "Everything else you do is just noise to your people, my lord. You have shown them kindness no other lord will even think of sparing. Children from the slums can now become magicians and feed their families, farmers can now grow their crops even in drought as mana is abundant and can be turned into water, slaves who bought themselves back from their masters and are penniless can be pursue adventuring or mercenary work… All three of these groups of people will say the same thing—you are kind. None of it would have been possible without you, my lord. For that," both Ersa and Ava bowed again, "we are eternally grateful and will follow you until our dying breath."
-Condition: Infatuation
-Condition: Reverence
Arnold has been punching himself a bit too long. Every time he says he doesn't deserve the praise, someone praises him regardless.
Maybe he should just embrace this new feeling.
It's not that bad for a fated villain to feel happy, is it?
**
The sound of laughter reached his ears before they even exited through the backdoor.
Ersa had insisted on showing him how the children who'd received the rune were doing. Arnold followed — he was curious anyway. Inspecting the branding centre was the point of his visit, after all.
Gathered outside, in the sunlit courtyard, was a crowd of people all dressed in white uniforms — adults, children, even the elderly. Each of them bore the class "Magician" beneath their name.
Despite the imperfections in the procedure, the rune worked.
Children were laughing as they tossed serpents of water at each other, the liquid glinting like silver ribbons in the air. Seeing magic used as a plaything would've made Lufulur weep, but even Arnold couldn't deny their joy.
When one of the boys spotted them, he shouted, "It's Madam Ersa!"
In moments, the quiet order of the yard broke into a flurry of cheers. People swarmed around her—smiles, bright eyes, and hands reaching out to touch hers.
"You have done so much for my family through your simple kindness, lass. These old bones may not be able to carry farm tools anymore," an elderly man said, clutching Ersa's hand as tears welled in his cloudy eyes. "But now I can move them with my mind! I can still help my son in the fields now!"
"Teacher Ersa, look!" a girl no older than ten called out, conjuring a tiny ball of fire that hovered above her palm. "I can light the lanterns now! Papa said we'll never need oil again."
Another man, his hands calloused and face rough, bowed deeply. "I was a miner all my life. When I lost my leg, I thought it was over for me. But now—" he raised his prosthetic limb, glowing faintly with magic formations "—I can walk again."
Arnold stood silently among them, his eyes scanning the gathering.
Every face here—whether aged, scarred, or innocent—looked toward Ersa as though she were a saint.
He wouldn't forget what those kinds of expressions mean.
He thought back to a certain young girl from his past, younger than him by probably five years, who used to look at him like that. She had same expression on her face when she confessed to him.
…
Ersa tried to smile, but her lips trembled as she clasped her hands to her chest.
"Please," she said softly as she gestured at Arnold, "you should thank the lord of this city, Lord Arnold. He made all of this possible. I may have deciphered the rune but it is only through his kindness I could give the gift of magic to all of you."
Maybe it was his usual stoic and cold expression but instead of smiles, what he received were uneasy stares. The crowd, which had been lively moments ago, fell into awkward silence. A few even stepped back, lowering their eyes.
Then, from between two adults, a small figure hesitantly stepped forward.
A boy—no older than eight—clutched the hem of his tunic and looked up at Arnold with wide eyes. His voice wavered but didn't falter.
"T-Thank you, Mister Arnold," he said.
The adults froze, terrified of how Arnold might react.
He lifted his hand… and placed it on the kid's head.
"?" he froze up as if he didn't know what to do.
"Don't get lazy, believing that this is your ceiling just because you weren't born with the power. Train your magic and maybe one day you can cast beyond Third-Rank."
There has to be a major difference between those who were born with mana and the one who received the Great Rune. Something created from a Great Rune will always produce the best results—meaning, they will have better magic control, mana purification, a larger mana pool, stronger spells, among many other things, compared to "natural born magicians".
"Yes! I will!" the boy's enthusiastic shout broke Arnold's line of thought.
Ersa stepped in and spoke to the rest, "As you have heard from Lord Arnold, don't underestimate yourself and think this is your ceiling. To those who will pursue an education in magic, like I have, never let others bring you down when they say the power you have is borrowed. The power may have been given to you but the fact that you can use it means you are worthy of it."
All of them nodded to her words.
"Please excuse us. I'm showing Lord Arnold around the compound."
Soon after the three were alone again and continued walking around.
"In a span of less than a year, you've won them all over." Arnold said from the side.
"…I can't believe how far I've come, to be honest. I used to be shunned by all my colleagues and past professors, now I'm receiving invites to workshops, labs, and institutions all over the country."
"Have you thought about going?"
She smiled wryly, "Many of those places used to reject me because I did not 'fit in' with them so I'm a bit conflicted about going. I know this is an opportunity to spread word of your kindness and the wonders of this city… but I need to think about it first."
It really is strange to just accept invites to places that used to treat you like their inferior just because she wasn't a magician. Magicians are quite elitist so their behavior doesn't surprise Arnold. This must be partly why the Republic absolutely hates them and shuns their kind.
Then again, her life has been turned around. She's now the most influential "magician" in the world, giving the gift of magic to all who seeks it. In an elitist circle like magic, she would be offered a spot at the very top of the hierarchy.
"I just know that…" Ersa spoke again, "I'll be sucked dry and discarded once they realize I'm not anything special. All I did was decipher a rune."
"Please don't think of yourself so poorly, Madam Ersa." Ava grabbed her shoulders and said strongly, "These people you are helping don't see a walking sea of knowledge that they can leech off of, like the suits at every magic institution. They see a woman who gave them hope. They can live out their dreams of using magic all because of you."
"…Hope," she repeated under her breath. "That's… not something I ever thought I could give."
"Yes, you are the moonlight that brings us hope, casting away the shadows. Don't you agree, my lord?"
"Hope alone won't keep this city alive. But it does make them believe in something worth protecting. That's just as important. I would rather rule over citizens that have a source for their hope than those without. If there is hope, I will never need to use fear to rule over this city."
Ava nodded with a smile.
A soft breeze passed through, carrying the laughter of the children playing nearby.
Imagine how dull and boring their lives would've been without something to connect with others.
Arnold may have desired to cast magic as well, but his desire is probably nowhere near as deep as the people who have now made Ersa a symbol of their own hope.