Chapter 9
And… I have one more special assignment for you.
The regimental commander held up a report. It concerned Corporal Hanna.
"Someone with the Mana Detection ability… What a precious talent. When nurturing a talent like this, it's important to provide the right environment while it's still budding. Someone at the initial awakening stage can absorb mana in its purest form and in the greatest quantities, after all."
His gaze fixed on a section of the map. It was a rear area far from the front.
"There's the 7th Mana Spring in the rear of the unit. It's a strategic source of mana assigned to the regiment. Take Corporal Hanna there. The Mana Spring's pure energy will greatly help stabilize her talent and promote her awakening."
"Understood."
"Security is paramount there. Escort her yourself and oversee the procedure."
The regimental commander's gaze turned to me once more.
"I trust you to handle this matter well too, Lieutenant."
*
The next day, Hanna and I got into a jeep, just the two of us. The journey to the rear was peaceful, without incident. Hanna, however, remained restless the entire way. She sat in the passenger seat, staring out the window.
'Status Analysis.'
[Name: Hanna Meyer]
[Emotion: Anxiety about heading to an unfamiliar place, nervousness at being alone with the lieutenant]
"This is not an opportunity given to just anyone, Corporal."
Hanna jumped and turned to look at me.
"There's no need to be so nervous. This is both a reward and an opportunity given to you."
"…But I still don't really know what I'm capable of."
"You're going there to learn because you don't know. The pure mana there will show you how to use the power sleeping within you."
After driving for several hours, we arrived at the Mana Spring, which lay deep within a massive rocky region. The entrance was blocked by a massive steel door, and magical patterns were carved into various parts of the cliff face.
Heavily armed guards soon appeared.
"Verification complete!"
After the regimental commander's written orders and my identification had been checked, the iron door opened with a deafening rumble. We entered under the guards' guidance. The inside was an entirely different world. Faintly glowing mana crystals were embedded along the cold cave walls, and the air was thick with an almost spine-chilling concentration of mana.
As we walked, one of the guards recited the precautions.
"The Mana Spring is both a pure source of life and a source of rampaging energy. An awakened person can accept its power, but an unawakened person exposed to too much of it may suffer mana poisoning and, in severe cases, lose their life. Lieutenant, you must remain a certain distance from the spring."
We soon arrived at a huge cavern. The cave ceiling was open, allowing starlight from the night sky to pour in, and at its center lay a lake glowing emerald green. This was the Mana Spring.
The guard turned toward Hanna.
"Before entering the spring, you must remove all your clothes."
"…What?!"
Hanna was flustered by the sudden statement. Her face flushed bright red.
"The rule is to eliminate artificial elements that interfere with the pure flow of mana. In particular, Imperial military uniforms are treated to resist trace amounts of mana, making them seriously detrimental to awakening."
The guard finished speaking, turned away, and disappeared toward the far side of the cave. Only Hanna and I remained in the cavern. Silence fell. Unsure what to do, Hanna kept glancing at me.
"...Lieutenant. I…."
I turned my back and said,
"Corporal Hanna Meyer, I'll stand watch here. I don't know what might happen to you, so I won't go far."
Hanna seemed to hesitate for a moment at my half-hearted show of consideration. Soon, I heard the rustle of fabric and the sound of buckles coming undone behind me. Hanna's breathing seemed unusually loud.
I leaned against the cold cave wall and closed my eyes. But even without looking, I could picture what was happening.
Splash.
A faint sloshing sound followed. Hanna seemed to have entered the spring.
"Haa…."
Before long, a heated moan reached my ears. Her voice sounded as though it might be from pain—or perhaps pleasure.
"Hngh, ah… Ah!"
But I soon changed my mind. The moans that followed were unmistakably cries of pain. I couldn't stand it any longer and turned toward Hanna.
I caught my breath for an instant at the sight before me.
Moonlight and the blue light from mana crystals illuminated the surface of the water. Hanna was at its center. Delicate shoulders and back, a slender waist flowing into full, voluptuous curves. Despite being honed by training, her body was unmistakably feminine.
Her wet brown hair clung to the nape of her neck and shoulders, and her entire body was wrapped in a faint emerald glow like that of the spring water. It looked as though the spring's mana were forcing its way into her body. She covered her breasts with both arms and trembled. She was writhing in pain.
I immediately activated the skill.
[The skill 'Status Analysis (Lv.2)' is being used on 'Hanna Meyer'.]
[Name: Hanna Meyer]
[Status: Excessive influx of mana. The mana circulation within her body has not stabilized, causing the energy to clash. (Danger!)]
[Emotion: Extreme pain, unfamiliar pleasure, fear and confusion caused by an uncontrollable influx of mana]
[Hidden Trait: Mana Detection (Forced Awakening)]
The (Danger!) warning displayed in the status window was starkly visible.
'If I leave her like this, she could suffer mana poisoning or even lose her mind.'
I shouted, taking care not to get too close to the spring.
"Corporal Hanna! Get a hold of yourself! Focus on my voice!"
At the sound of my voice, Hanna barely opened her eyes. Her unfocused gaze turned toward me. Only then did she seem to realize I was watching her; her face flushed with shock and shame, but soon contorted again as another wave of pain overcame her.
"Breathe! Inhale deeply through your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth! Imagine the power running wild inside your body. Imagine gathering it below your navel, in your lower abdomen!"
Hanna's expression changed when she heard me. She was still grimacing, but at least she looked as though she were trying to get a grip on something.
After a long time, the harsh light surrounding Hanna gradually diminished. The tangled flow of mana that had coiled around her body began circulating through her like a gentle river.
"Haa, haa…."
Soon, completely exhausted, Hanna let her body drift on the surface of the water. Her face flushed, she said,
"…Th-thank you, Lieutenant…."
With those words, she lost consciousness. Fortunately, she was near the edge of the spring, so I pulled her out. I reached beneath her armpits and behind her knees. Her smooth skin pressed against my palms. It was hot as a furnace to the touch.
Only after carefully laying her on the ground did her body come fully into view.
Droplets gathered on her collarbones before trickling down over her prominent breasts. Her nipples stood firm from the cold surroundings. Dark pubic hair covered the space between her legs. Droplets seeped between her wet labia majora. A hot desire rose instinctively from my lower abdomen. But the skill held my reason in check.
[The skill 'Strong Mind' is active.]
[It suppresses unnecessary emotional agitation and induces the most efficient thinking.]
Along with the sensation of cold water being poured over my head, the impulse surging through me subsided as if it had never existed. But the front of my trousers remained heavy. Even [Strong Mind] apparently couldn't do anything about that.
I took off my military tunic and wrapped it around Hanna's wet body. Then I carefully carried her to her room.
*
The next morning, I went to Hanna's bedroom door. I knocked lightly, but there was no answer from inside.
I hesitated for a moment, then cautiously turned the doorknob just in case. The door was unlocked. When I stepped inside with a creak, I saw Hanna sleeping deeply on the bed. My military tunic barely covered her upper body like a blanket.
I placed the tray of soup and bread I'd picked up from the mess hall on the small table beside the bed. Hanna reacted to the small sound and slowly lifted her eyelids. The moment our eyes met, her eyes widened. She hurriedly pulled my military tunic up to cover her bare chest.
'Status Analysis.'
[Name: Hanna Meyer]
[Status: Severe exhaustion and muscle pain as aftereffects of a mana rampage. Slight fever]
[Emotion: Embarrassment over the sudden situation, extreme shame at having been seen naked]
I checked the information and said,
"Don't move. You have a fever."
Hanna jumped at my words. With her face flushed, she lowered her head and murmured in a tiny voice.
"I'm sorry... And... about yesterday... thank you very much, Lieutenant."
I replied impassively.
"Eat. You need to regain your strength."
I spoke while Hanna ate.
"There's a mana examination today. We need to check the effects of entering the Mana Spring yesterday."
"What? You mean a mana examination?"
Perhaps because she remembered entering the Mana Spring yesterday, Hanna's body trembled faintly.
After Hanna finished eating, I took her to the small clinic inside the facility. A medical officer in a white coat was waiting for us inside. While I waited outside, the officer seated Hanna in an examination chair and conducted a thorough examination using several devices.
A short while later, she peered into a glowing crystal plate and reported in a stiff tone.
"Lieutenant. Corporal Hanna's body has begun transforming into a vessel capable of accepting mana. But her condition is still unstable. To complete the awakening safely..."
She paused for a moment, then delivered her conclusion.
"...she needs to enter the Mana Spring several more times."
Hanna's face turned deathly pale.