The seventh day of training.
We arrived at the frontier town of Grayhouse.
Elle's efficiency had risen to 58%.
Mana Ledger: Active
Elle Alshera: Magic Efficiency Progress
Day 1: 0.004% Day 3: 15.1% Day 7: 58.4% Ash Output Reduction Rate: 99.3%
In one week, she'd cut her ash emissions by over 99%.
A remarkable achievement on its own.
But—seeing this town drove reality home once again.
Grayhouse was more devastated than I'd imagined.
Building roofs crushed under the weight of ash. Walls cracked from ash corrosion.
Over 30 centimeters of ash blanketed the streets. People waded through it up to their knees.
No magic lighting. The whole town sat dim even at midday.
Ash particles drifted in the air. Everyone covered their mouths with cloth.
Mana Ledger: Active
Grayhouse
Population: 8,200 Annual Mana Ration: 42,000 MP (5.1 MP per person) 31% of kingdom average Average Lifespan: 43 years (Capital average: 72 years) Primary Causes of Death: Ash Lung (48%), Freezing (31%), Starvation (12%) Deaths Last Winter: Estimated 340
"Mr. Kai..."
Elle clutches my sleeve anxiously.
"This town is really..."
"Yes. This is the reality of the 'Mana Waste Prohibition Act.'"
As we walk through town, eyes turn toward us.
Frightened eyes. Exhausted eyes. Eyes that have given up.
Children have gray-tinged skin and cough like old men.
Ash Lung.
Treatment requires 50 MP per person.
More than half this town's annual ration.
"Mr. Kai, those people..."
Elle points to an alley.
Men in black hoods are making some kind of exchange.
Mana Ledger: Active
Detected: Illegal Mana Crystals × 12
Estimated Value: 36,000 MP equivalent
"Black market."
"Black market...?"
"Private sale of mana is prohibited by law. But some people can't survive on rations alone."
"But that's... a crime, isn't it?"
I think for a moment before answering.
"Who's the criminal, Elle?"
"Huh...?"
"The parent who buys mana to save their sick child? Or the nobles who monopolize mana and squeeze the rations?"
Elle couldn't say anything.
We headed toward an old church in the town center.
Our goal was to gather information.
But—
I stopped in front of the church.
Mana Ledger: Active
⚠️ Warning: Powerful mana signature detected from underground
Output: Estimated 50,000+ MP Attribute: Dark Pattern: Forbidden magic activation in progress
"Something's down below."
"Something... what do you mean?"
"Forbidden magic. Let's go."
We circled behind the church and found an entrance to the basement.
Old stone steps descended into darkness.
The underground space was vast.
Torchlight flickered against stone walls.
And then—
Cages.
Iron-barred cages lined up in rows.
Inside them—people.
Mana Ledger: Active
Detected: 23 humans
Status: Restrained, weakened, terminal mana deficiency Estimated Purpose: Mana extraction / Human transmutation
"Mr. Kai, this is..."
Elle's voice trembles.
"Human trafficking. They extract mana from people and sell it—or—"
Beyond the cages, an even more horrifying sight.
An altar inscribed with a magic circle.
A man bound on top of it.
A mage in black robes chanting a forbidden incantation.
Mana Ledger: Active
Detected: Forbidden Magic Soul Dissolve — Activation in progress
Effect: Severs target's soul from the cycle of reincarnation and converts it to mana Conversion Efficiency: 2.1% (extremely low) Estimated Mana Yield: 200-300 MP
"Stop!"
I deploy my magic.
"Mana Disruption!"
Consumption: 5 MP
The black-robed figure's magic circle shatters.
"—Who's there?!"
The black robe whirls around.
His face bears tattoos mimicking demon markings.
A fake. Not a real demon.
"A human playing pretend as a demon?"
"Shut up! We're doing this to survive!"
"To survive? By killing people?"
"Because the nobles monopolize all the mana! We have no choice—"
That's when it happened.
The air changed.
No—it was overwritten.
Mana Ledger: Active
⚠️ CRITICAL WARNING: Extreme mana signature detected
Output: Exceeds measurement limits Attribute: Dark — 100% purity Threat Level: SSS+
My Mana Ledger froze for an instant.
And then—
A young voice echoed from the darkness.
"—You grown-ups are being naughty, aren't you?"