A couple of days passed after Lloyd's conversation with Sebastián.
During that time, the boy had regained some health. Sebastián had also brought him medicine, which helped Lloyd recover from some of his ailments.
With his condition now stable, Lloyd decided it was time to start his investigation. Dressed in a heavy but warm cloak, he headed toward the library.
The mansion was quite large, but thanks to the vague memories he had of the place, he managed to find the library without much trouble.
"Wow!"
The boy was impressed when he opened the room. While it wasn't as large as a public library, it was certainly adequate for a personal collection.
He began his search. With so many books, it would take a while to find what he was looking for, but he wasn't in a rush.
"Oh, young master! What are you doing here? If you wanted a book from the library, you only had to ask," a voice spoke.
Lloyd looked at the speaker. It was his "savior," and thanks to the Eye of Envy, he knew her name was Lucia.
"Don't worry, I came here on my own; I need to learn to move independently," the boy explained.
"Still…" The girl seemed conflicted. She knew Lloyd's condition, but it was also true that seeing him outside his room was encouraging. "I see. Are you looking for anything in particular? Since I usually clean this room, I know how the library is organized."
"I understand. Could you bring me everything you have on the fundamentals of magic?"
"Magic? Oh, no problem," the woman replied. Lloyd understood her confusion; someone without the ability to produce magical power would never be able to use magic, so reading about something you couldn't do would feel discouraging.
The boy sat and waited. Within a few minutes, Lucia returned with a large pile of books and set them on the table effortlessly. It was impressive that she had such strength, but in this "fantasy" world, it wasn't entirely unusual.
"Phew, I think that's everything." The woman sat across from Lloyd. "If you're interested in magic, I can help. While I'm not a mage, I've heard some things from another mansion where I worked."
"That would be very helpful," the boy commented, though a question came to mind. "You worked as a maid somewhere else? I didn't know that."
"Yes, I was hired as a servant in a wizard tower a few years ago. I think they were investigating some ruins or something, sorry, I don't remember much more, hehe," the young woman explained, letting out an adorable laugh.
For the first time, Lloyd noticed just how astonishingly beautiful Lucia was. Her straight black hair was tied in a bun, though he was sure it would look better loose. And her eyes? They were deep black, giving her face a mysterious charm.
Lloyd was momentarily captivated, but reality pulled him back a few seconds later. If not for his current state, he would have appreciated her beauty much more; instead, his illness was his constant focus, leaving little room for distractions.
"Mmm, is something wrong? You haven't stopped staring at me," she said, puzzled.
Lloyd refrained from making a flirtatious comment; after all, he was trapped in the body of an eight-year-old boy, and that would probably just make her uncomfortable.
"It's nothing, you can teach me if you wish," he replied, now attentive.
"Great!" she exclaimed enthusiastically. "Well, I don't remember much, but I know some basics. From what I've learned, magic is something unique that not everyone can do. We, the inhabitants of Avalon, can use it thanks to our roots, which allow us to produce magical power." She paused briefly, seeing that Lloyd was following her. "Magic can be learned through effort, using spells that over time become second nature, eventually allowing someone to perform magic without incanting. Though study is needed to use magic properly, there's also innate magic, which usually develops over time through inheritance, or one can be born with innate magic. For example, I'm a rare case of innate magic, though I can't do anything impressive with it."
"Really? That's surprising. What kind of magic can you use?" Lloyd asked, intrigued.
"Well, my magic is hypnosis, though my limited magical power means anyone with a certain mental resistance or Touki is unaffected," she said, slightly embarrassed.
Lloyd, however, shook his head.
"I think that's a wonderful magic. Even if you can't affect someone who resists, you could still use it for beneficial purposes."
"Beneficial?"
"Yes, for example, if someone has a trauma, you could help them forget it, or even help cure certain illnesses by 'tricking the brain.'"
"Tricking the brain?" the girl widened her eyes, unsure what he meant.
"Yes, it would be like a placebo effect. The brain thinks you're okay, so you improve; over time it could be very beneficial. You could also prevent people from feeling pain. Your magic could help a lot of people."
"Haha, wow, thank you. I hadn't thought of it that way."
The girl responded cheerfully, though in the back of her mind, she knew anyone using sacred arts could help much more than she could.
Still, she didn't want to say anything; after all, Lloyd was in a much worse situation. Being just a child, he was already much more positive than she was, which was progress.
[ -50 V.P • You attempted to make someone feel better without expecting anything in return. You moved away from your objective ]
"Huh?" Lloyd's expression darkened upon hearing that. The V.P. he had worked so hard to earn was disappearing just from a single comment.
The boy sighed. He would have to complete the secondary mission to recover the lost V.P.