The moment Marcus turned to face the man, he activated his [Inspect] skill.
It was at this point that Maney took the chance to quickly bow to the young lord.
Putting a hand out to shake the prominent man, Marcus felt his mana draining way too quickly, as though a flood door had been pushed open.
From its peak, it quickly dropped to fourteen points.
Marcus promptly stopped his skill. It wouldn't be good for him to pass out here and get nothing from this.
He could very well tell that even if he had more mana in his reserves, he wouldn't be able to force this man's details.
This made him realize that he was more dangerous than he thought. Marcus felt a murky aura permeate his body, as though it was trying to drill into his mind.
He almost lost his ability to breathe. That was when his title activated.
[Lord With A Will (Lv1)].
The pressure slowly vanished, making Marcus appear normal, as though he felt normal and sensed nothing.
Even that devilish mutant didn't drain my mana this fast, nor did it exert this much pressure on me.
Though Marcus couldn't feel the pressure on his mind, his body seemed to be under a certain type of suppression, to the point where he could feel his bones shake.
He's strong, very strong. It's a good thing I chose not to attack after getting information from Egar.
Both parties shook hands with a friendly smile on their faces.
"You look healthy… and strong, Lord Marcus." Maney picked up a cup of wine from the table and handed it over to Marcus.
Collecting the cup, the young lord put it aside, saying, "I don't drink, Sir Maney. Almost running mad made me realize how much my sanity matters."
"Oh, I see. That's reasonable, I apologize if my actions have displeased you."
"No offense taken. It's my own fears that might seem offensive to customs. I hear that your business has expanded to a few other states. You might soon be competing with the top dogs of the kingdom."
"Hahaha! Lord Marcus, if only it were that easy. The business of slavery is losing its touch." Maney replied softly.
"But you've set foot in other businesses. For example, a little birdie told me that you have invested quite a lot of money in the fashion industry." Marcus picked up a biscuit and placed it in his mouth, looking casual as he spoke.
Maney wasn't surprised that Marcus knew this. That was public information.
Quite a few prominent merchant houses that deal with fashion had openly tried to bring his business down.
"It's only a thing of interest." Maney smiled, picking a cup of wine for himself.
He took a sip.
"Over 63,000 gold coins for just a thing of interest. Dare I say, why don't you take an interest in my endeavors?"
Maney's brows jumped. "What endeavors might that be?"
"I have a development plan for Agard. But most of it will come after winter. For now, I'm focusing on food and shelter, but I lack the capacity in the financial sector."
Maney found this interesting.
This young lord… might not be so different from what he thought.
Perhaps I can drag him into our circle. Wouldn't that be lovely?
With a chuckle, Maney placed the wine back on the table, secretly eyeing the cup with disgust.
"You're looking for a donation?" he asked.
"As embarrassing as it is, yes I am."
But the smile on your face says otherwise. You truly aren't that much different from us. This might not be too difficult.
"How much then?"
This response came so easily that it stunned Marcus.
What do you mean how much, you're not that generous, are you?
Regaining his demeanor, he said, "I don't have an accurate estimate. But ten thousand gold coins would go a long way."
"Hmm… that's quite a lot." Maney scratched his chin. "But it's something I can afford. I'll have someone send it to your abode."
Once again, Marcus was outplayed and rendered speechless.
What the hell are you trying to play, you cultist bore!? That's ten thousand gold coins we're talking about here. Has my mentality changed from being poor for so long or is it just that cheap that you can afford it? There's definitely something attached to it.
"Sir Maney… I… don't know what to say."
Despite all his suspicions, Marcus didn't refuse him.
"Hahaha! Don't worry about it, Lord Marcus. It's all for the suffering masses of Agard. As one blessed with wealth, it's an obligation of mine to provide for the poor.
"Forgive me, as I'll have to greet a few more important guests. I suggest that you do so too. They are scions from Ulha Academy, and quite a few of them have the sagacity to donate as much as I will, with the permission of family or backers of course."
With a bow, Maney left.
Shit! Damn it, I've been cursing way too much tonight. This entire place is pissing me off. I need some fresh air.
Leaving the ballroom, Marcus searched for a balcony he could use.
"This Maney… I can't afford to face him unprepared. If I can't use Inspect on him because of my mana reserves, I'll have to increase my reserves or use the same method I used against that mutant."
Marcus muttered as he stepped through an open door leading to a balcony that overlooked a part of the Eastern District.
He leaned on the rail and looked below. A few minutes passed before he sighed.
Marcus inhaled deeply as the cold night air brushed his face.
The tension in his chest slowly loosened.
His mind had been troubled by a lot of things. Elisa, her wedding, and his nephew.
Maney, his cult, and his willingness to donate ten thousand gold coins.
His powerlessness and uncertainty about the future.
"Father… if it was you, what would you have done?"
Looking up at the starry sky, Marcus wondered out loud.
"Are you the son of the sky?" A soft voice cut through Marcus's solemn mood.
His head quickly whipped to the side, thinking that it was an ambush.
But when he saw a red-haired teenager standing by the edge of the balcony, he calmed down.
Hmm, red hair?
"A descendant of El Salvador?" Marcus said.
The young man didn't find it surprising that his identity was figured out that easily.
Rather, he would have found Marcus incompetent if he didn't.
"The young governor of a failing State, a viscount… and descendant of Sirdi." He returned the revelation with an uninterested tone.
This guy speaks like he's seen through me.
Marcus shook his head, not even provoked by his jabs, and leaned on the rail again. "I'm not in the mood. Find another balcony."
I'll be damned if I have to add a skinny boy-girl to my list of problems.
Ron blinked at Marcus, wondering if he was in over his head.
I got here first. Ron thought.
"Unfortunately for you, I was here first. So you might have to leave to find another balcony."
Marcus ignored the young man. Despite his tone, no offense was taken.
Even if he did take offense, there was barely anything he could do about it.
"Suit yourself then. Just don't disturb my thoughts." Marcus gave in.
Silently, or passively, Marcus's mana was quickly recovering.
It was so subtle that it was hard to sense, even for powerful mages.
But Ron…
What is this? Is my mind playing tricks on me, why is this talentless buck surrounded by mana?
He frowned.
I thought they said he didn't inherit anything from his father. How is he a mage?
Minutes passed and Ron continued to observe.
I see… they weren't wrong when they said he lacked talent. Mana has continuously circled him for a while, but he hasn't been able to absorb any.
As though relieved, Ron's chest fell a bit.
An exaggeration, however, many would have reacted this way if they could see what he was seeing.
The act of absorbing mana wasn't a normal or easy thing to accomplish.
One would need to be still and focused, absorbing, refining, and storing mana.
An arduous activity.
If Marcus could casually do all of that…
But still, why has mana been gathering around him?
Unknowingly to Ron, Marcus had silently used his Inspect on Ron.
His mana's recovery had improved to the point where filling his reserves would only take a bit over half an hour.
After over a hundred points vanished, leaving Marcus with less than ten in his reserves, translucent words appeared before his eyes.
[Veronica El Salvador. A Battle Mage (Peak Tidal Wave Knight and Level 2 Mage). Excels in Fire and illusory spells. Possesses a unique body constitution. Can see the flow of mana].
He's a girl!?
Marcus jerked back a bit, staring at Ron… or Veronica.
"What?" Veronica, taken back by his sudden jerk, asked.
"Are you a boy-girl or a girl-boy?" He blurted out.
"Huh!?" Veronica was caught off guard by that question, unable to answer right away.
Realizing what he had said, Marcus slapped his forehead and said; "You know what, forget that I said anything… this night just keeps on getting better."
The sarcasm in his tone was clear, however, Veronica was too confused to pick it.
Just as she was about to say something, a third voice interrupted.
"Milord! There you are, I've been searching all over for you." Bradley was so excited that he didn't notice Veronica.
He grabbed Marcus's hand and pulled. "Come with me sir, I have someone I would like to introduce to you."
"Unhand me Bradley," However, this steward was so excited that he didn't hear Marcus speak.
"Bradley?"
"Bradley!"
Marcus called out several times but still no response.