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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: A Captivating Voice
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In the morning, he cleaned the floors, sorted new books, created and organized lists for checked-out and returned books, mended torn pages and covers, dusted the shelves, read, and had his reading proficiency checked by Amy.
That was Loan's daily routine.
He neglected neither his assigned tasks nor his studies, and as a result, he often felt his body tire quickly, leaving him drained of energy.
'Even in winter, I never felt this cold outside. It's not like it used to be.'
Meditating with mana breathing before sleep offered some relief from his fatigue, but it was only a temporary fix.
The next day, the same exhaustion would return.
When he was a beggar, it had been nice to practice mana breathing while working, but here, he had to be constantly on the move, making it impossible.
So, Loan changed his approach.
'What if I do it while moving?'
The mind's eye had been a self-imposed constraint, one he had eventually broken on his own.
This time was no different.
Just because he had always explored mana while sitting still didn't mean it was an absolute requirement.
'There's no reason I can't. I tried to relax and not consciously focus on my breathing.'
The key was to synchronize his body with the floating mana.
'I must not resist it, but let the mana flow through my body naturally.'
Whether he was sweeping the archive floor, moving books on a cart, or arranging them on the shelves according to the catalog, Loan focused on his mana breathing.
He felt the incoming mana spread and flow throughout his entire body.
It was a shame that the mana didn't accumulate and simply passed right through him.
Instead, he focused on circulation, trying to send it to every corner of his body.
He repeated this every day after entering the main building.
Eventually, he reached a point where he could circulate mana even while reading a book aloud.
He had inadvertently achieved a state of constant training and circulation.
When no one was looking, Loan lifted a tall stack of books with one hand.
For a fleeting moment, it was possible to exert strength beyond his own.
'But why isn't my mana density increasing? It never gathers; it always scatters or passes through.'
Nothing had changed since the first time he had looked inside his body. Then and now, external mana simply passed through him naturally.
Hoping to find some help, he searched the archives for books related to mana, but there was nothing he could read.
Loan contented himself with observing his own body more deeply to quell his disappointment.
* * *
Time passed, and as the warmth of spring settled in, the reading sessions were held almost every day.
Each session involved two to five children, who would take turns reading parts of a single work.
The method of selecting the day's readers was unique.
It began with the morning roll call.
"Assemble!"
At the command of Amy, the reading session manager, the children lined up in front of their respective rooms.
Loan was among them, standing with the other children who couldn't hide their nervous expressions.
A moment later, the director's wife, the deputy director, made her appearance.
She wore an incredibly ornate dress adorned with lace, and a brooch on her chest caught Loan's eye.
The deputy director walked slowly down the corridor, carefully inspecting the children.
"Now, let's see who will be our preliminary readers for today."
Based on the children's condition and appearance for the day, as well as the personalities and tastes of the visiting patrons, she would select ten candidates. These children would then get ready and wait in the reception hall.
The guests would then choose a few of them to be the day's readers.
"Theo, Lily, Noah…"
The children whose names were called couldn't hide their joy.
One had to at least be chosen as a candidate to have a chance to read and possibly become a special reader.
The child who had left the relief society just yesterday was one such case.
In contrast, Loan, who had never even seen the reception hall, let alone been chosen as a preliminary reader, felt no particular desire for it.
There were still many books he wanted to read in the archives; strictly speaking, he was more inclined to stay at the relief society.
'There are still a few more volumes of *A Gourmet's Stroll Across the Continent*, and I haven't finished *A Compendium of Etiquette and Speech*. I need to find some books about the human body, too…'
As he was lost in his own thoughts, a voice called out.
"Loan."
"Yes?"
Not only Loan, but most of the other children were startled by the final name called.
The deputy director continued.
"I can't send you to a reading session when you've just finished with children's picture books. If you make a mistake, it would put us in a very awkward position."
"Yes, I understand, Deputy Director."
Loan replied very politely, a smile on his face.
The deputy director stared at his face and shuddered slightly, but she didn't let her feelings show.
"However, your presence would certainly be pleasing to the eye. So, for today, why don't you observe and get a feel for the atmosphere?"
"Ah… thank you for your consideration, Deputy Director. I will learn well."
Seemingly pleased with his response, the deputy director lightly patted Loan's head and departed.
Amy gave Loan a slight nudge with her body and a small smile, then clapped her hands sharply and spoke in a dry tone.
"The ten of you, change your clothes and gather in the reception hall."
Loan headed to the waiting room, receiving congratulations from his roommates, including Theo, and enduring the jealous glares of those not chosen.
Some couldn't understand why Loan had been picked, but their doubts vanished moments later.
With his messy hair neatly combed, his face washed again, and dressed in a clean shirt and slim-fitting trousers, Loan was quite a sight to behold.
Feeling the high-quality fabric of clothes he had never worn before, Loan entered the reception hall in a daze.
"Wow…"
A gasp of awe escaped him involuntarily.
Watching his reaction, Amy smiled faintly.
"Loan, go and sit over there."
Loan did as he was told, taking a seat in one of the chairs arranged in a row and looking around.
Sunlight filtered gently through windows veiled with chiffon curtains, enveloping the hall in a warm glow.
Exquisite furniture, the likes of which he had never seen, was placed around the room like decorative art, and on top of them, freshly bloomed spring flowers released their fragrance.
While Loan was briefly lost in appreciation of the floating mana, the door clicked open.
Amy opened the door and spoke to the children.
"Compose yourselves. The guests are arriving."
As the children rose from their seats, a group of noble ladies in fine dresses entered the hall, led by the director and deputy director.
The patrons of the relief society settled comfortably into the chairs opposite the children, who smiled sweetly and awaited their selection.
Loan followed suit, and his eyes met those of a certain lady.
"Oh, you're…?"
They recognized each other.
It was the woman who had wrapped a scarf around his neck on a cold winter day when he was begging. The same woman whose eyes had welled with tears, calling it a miracle when she asked if he could see again.
Loan, too, was delighted and greeted her with a bright smile.
"Hello. It's nice to see you here. I've been grateful for your help that day ever since."
The children were flustered by Loan's sudden greeting.
Children awaiting selection were supposed to just stand there and smile like dolls.
The adults, including Amy, were just as surprised.
The deputy director smoothly interjected.
"My, Lady Caroline, do you know our Loan?"
"Yes, so his name is Loan? How could I forget such a lovely child? I saw him begging at the Brien intersection last winter, and now I see him here. It's quite a miracle."
The noblewoman, addressed as Caroline, replied with great emotion, then turned back to Loan.
"I was so worried when I didn't see you anymore. I'm so glad you were here."
"Yes, yes… so you were. That is what our relief society does, after all. We take in children in unfortunate circumstances."
Once again, the deputy director cut in before Loan could answer, worried he might say something strange.
"You truly do wonderful work. Look at him. He was so thin back then, but still so pretty… he looks even better now."
"Yes. Thanks to your support, we've been able to pay special attention to the children's health and education. Loan learned to read here as well."
"Oh, did he? In that case, could I entrust the reading of this book to him today?"
Caroline's face lit up as she offered the book she had brought to the deputy director.
*I Can't Forget That Hot Night*
A look of trouble flickered across the deputy director's face.
Judging by the title alone, she knew it would not be easy for Loan to handle.
"Ah, Loan has only just learned to read. He was only meant to observe today…"
"Is that so? What a shame. I was so hoping to hear it in his voice."
Seeing Caroline's deep disappointment, the director nudged his wife in the ribs.
Glancing at her husband, the deputy director narrowed her eyes and forced a smile.
"Well, if you insist, perhaps we could have him read just the last chapter? He's still inexperienced, but it would be a good experience for the child."
"Yes, yes. Wonderful. Let's do that."
Caroline beamed with joy and sat back down.
Soon after, the guests finished their discussion and selected two more children as readers.
They were Theo and Lily.
Having been unexpectedly thrust into reading on his very first observation, Loan received envious looks as he sat down next to Theo and composed himself.
A short while later, after refreshments and tea were served to the guests, Theo began the first reading.
"*I Can't Forget That Hot Night*. I will now begin the reading. On a pitch-black night, in a quiet place in the suburbs…"
His voice was a bit tense as he read the first line, but Theo soon settled into a familiar rhythm.
The guests listened, some with their eyes closed, others whispering to each other behind fans, all engrossed in the story Theo conveyed.
Loan listened to Theo's reading, his eyes on the pages, while also observing the flow of mana that permeated the hall.
It was a natural habit for him now, to see both the physical world and the world of mana simultaneously.
"The memory of that day remained with Verdi like a phantom. A memory forgotten with the passing of winter, it bloomed once more with the sprouting of green shoots…"
In the midst of this, Loan witnessed a phenomenon.
The mana, which had been floating like a mist, was being pushed by Theo's voice, tracing repeated curves in the air.
The effect was minuscule, but Loan's perception was deep and wide enough to notice it.
'Does sound have power, too…?'
The vibration of mana reached the guests and resonated with them. The timing of their emotional reactions to the story felt as if it were an echo created by the mana itself.
This new discovery was so fascinating that Loan lost all track of time analyzing and understanding it.
He grew excited, eager to try it himself.
And finally, his time came.
After Theo and Lily had finished their parts, the moment Loan had been waiting for arrived.
Tasked with reading the final chapter, Loan took a moment to steady his breath and began.
"I never thought we would meet again like this…"
Captivated by his first words, the guests stared intently at Loan's face.
Loan continued to read, observing the ripples his voice made in the mana.
"It's not that I tried to think of you… but whether my eyes were open or closed, you were always on my mind. I don't know why I suddenly started feeling this way. It just happened."
A voice tinged with sorrow trembled as it flowed from between his small, full lips, which moved without rest.
The only sound in the hall was Loan's voice.
Everyone held their breath, waiting for the confession that was sure to follow.
"It wasn't something I could control, so trying not to feel this way was also beyond my power. That's why I decided to just say it…"
Pausing for a moment as if to gather his emotions, just like the protagonist himself might have, Loan focused more intently on the mana circulating through his body.
Then, with the will to push the mana even further, he spoke.
"I love you."
"Haa…"
A collective breath, almost a sigh, escaped from all around the room.