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The path of taking in followers had gone surprisingly smoothly.
Edgar was in a good mood.
Next on the list was heading back to the town. Along the way, nothing much changed—every time a monster appeared, it was slash, slash, slash.
For the Star Spirit and Freya, the experience gained wasn't anything special. Barely noticeable, really.
But for Anna? It was a huge leap forward in strength.
So when the Star Spirit finally realized that Anna had just been an ordinary human until yesterday, she fell into a heavy silence.
"You… you really only became the Master's follower yesterday?"
Anna smiled and gave a small nod.
The Star Spirit's jaw dropped. This rate of growth was… what, straight-up cheating?
"Actually, let me tell you a secret."
Anna leaned closer, whispering with a playful glint in her eyes. "The only reason I'm leveling up this fast… is because of the Master."
The Star Spirit's eyes lit up.
Ha! I knew it. No way someone could get this strong just by killing a few monsters. There had to be some trick behind it.
"Come on, hurry, tell me everything."
"Don't worry. All followers seem to know about this."
Anna's cheeks flushed, but she still explained, hesitating a little: "It's actually because of the Master's…"
"Huh?"
The Star Spirit stared wide-eyed.
Wait. What? You're kidding. Body fluids? That's way too much!
Her worldview cracked right down the middle. She could practically hear it shattering.
By evening, back at Anna's home—
"Phew!"
The moment she stepped inside, Anna's body swayed and nearly gave out.
"Anna, are you okay?"
The Star Spirit rushed forward, grabbing her arm before she could fall.
"It's fine… I just ran out of mana."
Anna let out a shaky breath. Her head was spinning, her vision blurring. Today had been even crazier than yesterday.
The monsters they'd faced—both stronger and more numerous than the kingdom's soldiers they'd fought before—had nearly pushed her to the edge.
If not for the sheer joy of her rapid growth, she might have collapsed much earlier.
"I know some recovery magic," the Star Spirit said, lifting her hands as light began to gather. "It should make you feel better."
"No need."
Anna shook her head, her face turning faintly pink. "I've got a better method."
"You… have a potion?"
"No. Mana restoration."
"…Huh?"
The Star Spirit blinked in confusion. Mana restoration? A way to replenish magical energy?
Then why did Anna's expression look so… suggestive?
Across the room, Edgar was listening, of course. He didn't even need to step in—Anna had already walked right up to him.
She tilted her head back, eyes serene yet shimmering with something indescribable.
"Master… mmm…"
"This… this is what you call 'magic replenishment'?"
The young Star Spirit—newly bound as a familiar—stared wide-eyed, her pupils shrinking hard.
For a few-hundred-year-old pure and "innocent" spirit, this kind of scene was way too stimulating. Her heart thundered in her chest so loud it almost leapt out of her throat.
Seeing her reaction, Freya smiled."No need to look like that. It's pretty normal among familiars."
"…Normal?" The Star Spirit blinked.Normal?Was this familiar contract actually legitimate?It all looked seriously sketchy.
She glanced over at Anna. Her expression twisted into something complicated.Why did it feel like… Miss Anna was looking more and more… off?
"This actually has a lot to do with the master," Freya added, clearly picking up on what the Star Spirit was thinking. Without hesitation she launched into a full explanation of magic replenishment—and all the "extra" knowledge that went with it.
Wait… that's what it is?The Star Spirit stared, stunned.Saliva can do that?
Yup. This familiar contract was definitely weird.Was it even appropriate for her to be here right now?Too late to back out, though.
"Freya, come help me out—give Anna a hand," Edgar's voice called over.
"Got it!" Freya answered quickly, a flash of joy crossing her face as she jogged over.
Having someone else to share the pressure with made her a lot less nervous. Right now, all she wanted was to draw in more power—grow stronger, faster.
"Miss Freya…"
That suffocatingly familiar sensation surged over Anna again. It felt like she was being dragged down into the deep sea, the crushing weight making her instinctively reach for her companions.
[EXP +5]
[EXP +10]
[EXP +25]
Watching the stream of experience points flow in, Edgar could feel his own magic creeping upward bit by bit. It made him all the more excited.
As expected—his strength really did come from his own effort.
He tilted his head back, gazing at the sky, and felt sure that one day he'd break through this stifling ceiling.
Meanwhile, the Star Spirit had fled to another corner of the room, muttering under her breath.
"Seriously? I'm still here, you know! A living, breathing person!""And this place is way too small…"
She let out a long sigh, her head starting to feel fuzzy.The noise faded at last.Finally, she could sleep.
—
Next morning.
The Star Spirit cracked her eyes open groggily. In the mirror, dark circles stared back at her, and her gaze all but dripped with resentment.
Seriously? Why me?
Seventeen times.It had gone on seventeen times.
Every time she managed to drift off, she'd be woken up again.Her whole head was now filled with Freya and Anna's voices.
If this kept up, she was going to have a full-on nervous breakdown.
And right on cue—like a nightmare—their voices started up again.
Still here?
Seriously, when does this end?
After lunch, Edgar finally set out with his companions trailing behind him.
"Master, are we really leaving this place?"
That was at noon.
Anna stood in front of her little hut, reluctant to go.
It was tiny, shabby even—but so many of her "firsts" had happened here.
"Don't worry. I've already left a marker," Edgar said, patting her head with a smile. "Once you learn teleportation magic, all you have to do is think about it, and you can come back anytime you want."
"Mm-hm!"
Anna's face lit up with a bright, genuine smile.
"Master, where are we going next?"
Freya cut in, frowning. "But… after the mess we made, I doubt Father's going to let us off so easily."
"No big deal," Edgar shrugged. "Anyone who comes after us will just be wiped out."
"Master, you really shouldn't take this so lightly."
Freya hesitated, then added quietly, "Even if a Hero came after you, your power is beyond theirs. But… there's still one person you need to be wary of."
"Oh? Who's that?"
"My father."
Her eyes flickered with something complicated—fear, doubt, maybe even hatred. "Or rather… I don't even know if I can still call him that."
As the Hero of Magic, she'd spent countless years by his side. Enough to sense something was… wrong.
Behind that frail, aging body, there was a power beyond description. Once, she had even caught a trace of a monster's aura from him.
"Relax," Edgar replied with a careless shrug. "You just have to follow me. I'll handle the rest."
To him, this world's "power levels" weren't worth worrying about. Even its strongest fighters weren't outside his reach.
Meanwhile…
Anna glanced at the Star Spirit. "You still look worn out. Are you sick or something?"
"And whose fault do you think that is?" Freya muttered, exasperated. "Besides… how are all of you so full of energy? It's not normal!"
These people definitely slept less than she did. By all logic, they should've been exhausted.
"You'll understand once you try," Edgar chuckled.
"…Heh. Ha ha."
The Star Spirit's lips twitched.
Figures. This perverted master definitely had designs on her too.
"..."
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