And I'm back with a new chapter about a week later. I said a month, but I think you've realized at this point that I can't be trusted with dates. And I'm really bad at coming up with names. Also, since I have some work to do, there might not be an chapter for a while. So I decided to publish an chapter early. Also, your comments were very motivating. This is a slightly shorter chapter than the others. But I hope you enjoy it.

But first, the comments. The ones I couldn't answer.

Jay Shawn Green: It's always a pleasure to see the many shades of Subaru's IF counterparts, since at the end of the day, despite the actions they took (Wrath, Greed, Fake Lust? , Gluttony, Pride and Sloth), they are still, somewhat, Natsuki Subaru.
The Whole impromptu showcase of Pridebaru just screams "Character Teaser" when they are ready to present a New Character on Genshin Impact, 10/10.

Thanks. I really like adding Ifbaru's tones to the story. They are all basically the same person after all. Even Lustbaru is basically Subaru. Seriously. Lustbaru is going through his own depression. He feels guilty for taking the future and dreams of the candidates for the throne away from them. It is said that he usurped the throne. But according to Tappei, they have no problem giving him the throne. Because of Subaru's achievements. So Subaru basically took the throne by force but he ruled it so well that the others eventually agreed to it. It's interesting.

Also, Subaru has a few new characters in mind. Of course not using the robe of secrecy. I hope it will be better since it will not be improvised. We'll see.

Mugetsu345: W chapter as usual

Thanks.

Eldevero:

1) amother great chapter , now for my next question can pridebaru inflict/ applie curse to other people . given that he spent a lot of time trying new ways to kill reinhard.

Thank you. Yes, this Subaru knows curse techniques. He even researched many shinobi techniques. But of course he needs to prepare to apply them. His own gate is not very good. But these will come into play. Because there are very useful things here.

2) Since i am boared , i am willing to give you an idea i had in my head when i started to read this fic ( you dont have follow this or anything , this is just the rambling of a boared man ). Since subaru was a part of the witch cult ,he should be able to do the shadow sinking thing , we have seen the cultise do to travel short distance quickle . or perhaps store iteams in his own shadow ( although we havent seen cultis be able to do that).

This shadow wandering thing feels like something that was added in as an anime thing. But now that I think about it, I don't see any reason why Subaru couldn't do it. After all, teleportation and subspace are among the things that yin magic can do. Of course, that requires preparation. But thanks for the idea of hiding something in the shadows. I had forgotten about that. This could actually be used in many places. It's ideal for solving a problem I've been thinking about for a long time.

UgoWriting: I fricking love the story, though I do find it a bit weird at times when he, she, his, and her gets mixed up. If you need a beta you can sure as heck find more than a few (including myself) willing.

Anywho keep it up!

Thanks for your comment. I'm working on fixing this problem. But if this keeps happening I may need to find a beta reader. But I'm a little busy for now. Thanks again for your offer to help.

And that's it. Let's get to the chapter.

Chapter 2 Part 1: Teach

Subaru sighed as he studied the Liyue plant ecosystem in his chair. It was already midnight. The guy who was watching him was long gone. Of course, a piece of Antares was also following him. Unfortunately, the other piece was too far away for Antares' pieces to continue communicating. So there was nothing to do but wait. However, no matter how far apart they were, the connection between the pieces was not completely broken. If one of the pieces was destroyed, the other piece could sense it. 'In such a case, I must reset immediately. This is more than just secrecy. I can't risk Antares losing any more power.' When Antares divided herself, she also divided her power. If we were to calculate percentages right now. Eighty percent of the Antares was in the piece next to the Subaru. The other twenty percent was in the fragment on the follow-up mission. If this small piece were destroyed, twenty percent of Antares' power would be destroyed. This wasn't something impossible to fix. After all, Subaru's spirit affinity was very high. But the real problem was the mind. There was a possibility that some of Antares' memories would be lost when the pieces died. after all, these were parts of her existence.

"Whatever," Subaru said as he put down the book he was holding and picked up a new one. This time, the book was about Liyue-Sumeru trade agreements and the taxation systems required for merchants to do business between the two countries. But Subaru kept thinking about the man watching him.

'I'm pretty sure this recruit is from the government. The other possibilities seem very unlikely. Of course, I don't think this recruit could cause me any trouble. But if it happens often, it's a problem. I'm not perfect. Sooner or later, I'll make a mistake that I haven't noticed. What should we do? There are many possibilities, but there are basically only three options. The first is simple but annoying. I'll just stay passive for a very long time and prove that I'm not a threat. It's not a very viable option. I don't know how long this will take. I especially need to start training Gaspard. I also need to organize my sect. And- what the hell is going on? This is literally scamming Sumeru. How did Liyue get such a capitulation from Sumeru? In exchange for the right to research the ruins. These guys really care about knowledge. Wait. This isn't the time for this.' Subaru thought as he put down the book in his hand. However, standing idle is boring, so Subaru took out the sewing materials and fabrics he bought from the market today. He bought these to repair his robe. But of course, he had to buy fabrics and threads in all colors to avoid suspicion. Even though he worked like a donkey, all his money was about to run out again. Subaru continued to think while repairing his robe.

'Where was I? Option two. To create chaos within Liyue to increase the density and workload of the intelligence network. Basically, diversion. Too risky. If I leave a trace behind, I'm done. Also, if something like this suddenly happens, they may blame the newcomers in the country. For this option to work, I would have to create an extremely large problem for them. I don't know the size of Liyue's intelligence network either. It's risky. and contains an excessive amount of unnecessary violence. There's no need for so many innocents to be affected for something like this. Actually, this option is basically diversion. But since my connections here aren't good enough yet, I can only achieve diversion through violence. In other ways it would be inefficient. It's annoying. Now-'

Subaru's thoughts were momentarily interrupted by a message from Antares. The other piece had successfully completed her mission and was returning here. Subaru smiled and continued repairing his robe until the next piece arrived. The other piece of Antares arrived shortly after. Antares wasted no time in piecing herself back together. She didn't like being torn apart. it was as if her self-concept was being damaged. Disturbing. After the merger, Antares immediately began imparting what she had learned to Subaru.

Subaru was happy with what he learned. He had sort of achieved his goal. The person watching him is named Gang. At least that's what his colleagues were calling him. Apparently he seriously works for the government. Mini Antares had followed him to a secluded house. Antares had been observing the house for a while. 'A safe house' Subaru thought as he grinned. This was a magical World. There are so many types of unexpected dangers. If this country wanted to remain stable, they had to be able to stop these threats before they took root. and this could only be possible with an advanced intelligence and espionage network. 'The Lugnica government was disgusting and corrupt in every way. But even they had an advanced and loyal espionage and intelligence organization. The Six Tongues. Of course... the leader of that organization, Russell, had technically betrayed the crown and started working for me in part... so they weren't very loyal, I guess. But still, the situation doesn't change. There must be a similar intelligence network here.' A network that covered the entire city. All these watchdogs could not take action from a single point. This would create a very dangerous security vulnerability. That's why there had to be bases spread throughout the city. safe houses. Safe houses. Subaru had just found a small one. It wasn't a very important one. Subaru thought it was just a temporary house. But it was enough to get him started.

Subaru got up and went to the maps he had taken. One was the encrypted map of Liyue, where Liyue had recorded its mineral deposits. The other was a detailed map of the capital city. Subaru bought them to make it easier to organize. He even bought different colors of ink. 'I must buy a few more of these maps when I have the money. I wish I had bought a few more when I caught them on sale. If it continues like this, I will have to feed only on nuts from the forest for a week or two. At least my memorization of edible plants has improved. Lack of money is really bad.' Subaru took the map of the capital city and spread it out on the table. He placed one of the blank Chinese scrolls next to him. He marked the location of the safe house Antares had found on the map with green ink. And on the scrolls, this time in the Lugnica alphabet, he began to write down everything Antares had seen and heard there. The appearances of people. The names heard. and everything they talked about among themselves.

'There is no vision user among them. The number of vision users in this World is low compared to the general population. But still, common sense would expect those with vision to be busy in such jobs. But I think I understand why. Most vision users already have a dream that they want to realize when they receive their vision. So it must be very difficult to find a vision user who will give up their dream and accept to become an agent. Of course, there must be agents and spies who are vision users. But they are few. And they are not responsible for such small tasks. And even among vision users, the ability to sense Mana, called elemental vision, seems to be rare. If this information is true, it means my job will be much easier. That means there are very few people who can detect Antares. I can send one of the pieces of Antares to constantly monitor this house. Allows me to find other bases. And more importantly, I can learn about the identities of these spies and the reports they write. I can basically steal information from the government's intelligence network and use that organization to my advantage. I can even use it to find new members. Of course, I can only do this in small bases. I'm sure there will be vision users in larger and more important places. Even if that doesn't happen, there may be magical protections there to detect Antares. For now, we'll just steal the data that the most basic level spies have seized. If there are spies, I should try to learn about their own homes and families. Even that is valuable to us. And once I know the identities of enough of the government's spies around here, I'll have a trump card to use when they start to suspect me too much.'

After finishing his recordings, Subaru examined the secluded caves near a certain location. After choosing one of the caves, he placed the maps and scrolls under his bed. Even though these were encrypted, they were still risky items. If someone got their hands on them, Subaru would have to reset them immediately. Subaru got up and opened his window. He continued to think as he breathed in the fresh air. 'Option three. Sabotage the intelligence network itself. Once I have enough information, I can refute them inside and out. Little by little. I can regularly leak information that a certain person knows, exposing them to the accusation of being a mole. Or, I can reveal everyone's identity and create a small-scale disturbance. I can reduce the success of the intelligence network by informing those they follow in advance. This will draw attention away from me in case there is a problem. I can also approach someone who is victimized by increased insecurity when they are at their most helpless. It would be very useful if I could recruit them. Of course, this is very risky at my current level. But I also need members who are in the government's cadres. a paperwork clerk. a private soldier. a government office cleaner. we'll start with the little ones. I need to collapse here like a parallel state. hmm... now that I think about it like that, I feel like a terrorist... whatever. let's speed up while I don't have many eyes yet.'

Subar ordered Antares to tear her apart again and ignored Antares' childish reproach. More precisely, he asked her to tear off a small piece of hersefl. The small piece would go to this safe house to conduct surveillance. The large piece would find Gaspard. After giving the commands in detail, Subaru sent Antares' pieces. The two pieces flew out the window invisibly and began to go to their duty stations. Meanwhile, Subaru took out his pocket diary and started writing down what happened today. Of course, what was written was either completely distorted or false.

"It's too late." 'I hope they don't come to conduct surveillance tomorrow either.'

Halfway through the same hot night, Gaspard was shivering inside his tent. Not from the cold, of course, but from fear. from fear of the unknown. He was truly involved in something way beyond his depth. This couldn't be normal. Yes, Liyue was a nation of contracts. But Gaspard had never heard of such a contract. Fear brings caution. When Gaspard had to come to this country, he had researched this country with everything he could. "There is no such thing. Magical oaths don't work that way. Of course, that's just what my tiny mind thought. Fuck! What have I gotten myself into? How dare I use magic!'

Gaspard had thought about running away after Ceibo left. After all, he still had some acquaintances in Fontaine. He would have gone through a lot of hardship, but he could still come back. But the moment he thought about it, he collapsed to the ground. This pain. He had felt such pain. This pain was unlike anything he had ever felt before. It was like something that had attacked the very core of his existence. He only felt it for a moment. Then the pain instantly disappeared without a trace. And he could both feel and see the light of the seal on his chest stir. He knew why in his mind. It was forbidden to even think about breaking the rules. At least, the seal's punishment did not activate until he was in the process of deciding to do so. After all, a person could not always control his thoughts. When you told someone not to think of a wild boar, they would think of a wild boar.

"The seal," Gaspard whispered. He brought his hand to his chest under his bed. The light of the seal had begun to fade a little since that pain. Indeed, in time the seal would become invisible. But it would still continue to chain him. Still, this wasn't such a bad thing for Gaspard. Deep down, he knew that the other side was also bound by the rules. Even he didn't know how he was so sure of it. But if that was the case, Gaspard had no problem. After all, he had willingly accepted the deal. but that still didn't comfort him. Gaspard had so many questions in his mind. Who was that man called Ceibo?

'The sixth archbishop... that means there are at least five other archbishops. Archbishop. What does that mean? Do they come from Mondstadt? Now that I think about it, the patterns and symbols on his torn robe resemble the symbols of the Barbatos Church. Freedom is the foundation of Mondstadt. but he didn't seem to like Mondstadt. He said there was no equality there. the power he has. Is this really something that was learned later? I-'

Gaspard's thoughts were interrupted by a series of sounds he heard from outside. It was as if something heavy had fallen to the ground. He immediately took the crossbow he kept next to his bed and took cover at the door of his tent. After waiting a long time to regain his courage, he stepped outside. Since it was a cloudless, full moon night, it was still partly bright outside despite being night. There was something shining outside. Gaspard noticed that it was a rectangular ice sign as he approached. It had many things written on it. And the air around it was unusually cold. Gaspard sat next to the ice as he read what was written. The message had come from Ceibo. He was telling him to go to a nearby cave and wait for him there. His training would begin soon. It could take a few days for him to arrive. So he had already given Gaspard a series of instructions for running practice.

"Running practice? What does this have to do with using magic?" The moment Gaspard said this, the temperature of the air around the ice returned to normal. The ice slowly began to melt. Gaspard looked around. Ceibo seemed not to be here. "Did he do this from afar? Is that possible? What am I saying. At this point I guess I shouldn't be surprised anymore. huh...'

Gaspard saw no reason not to do as he was told. And if he tried to avoid learning, the seal would probably punish him again. 'The hour is very late. I'll leave tomorrow.' Gaspard yawned as he thought. And he broke some of the ice and took a few pieces with him to cool himself and his food.

Subaru headed up the mountains. The morning sun was just rising and even the roosters weren't fully awake. It had been about three days since he had sent Gaspard a message. And he had finally managed to find a day when he wasn't being followed. Having a man following you was very disturbing. Luckily, this guy named Gang hadn't learned anything bad or suspicious about him. Subaru had been very careful. But on the other hand, Subaru hadn't learned much either. He hadn't found a new spy base. And since this base was temporary, it would be evacuated soon. He had learned enough about at least a few of the low-level scouts. But other than that, not much. The most valuable information he had learned was about a merchant from Sumeru who was evading taxes. That merchant's business was obviously not going to end well. 'I can't achieve anything good using this information. What I'm going to get isn't worth the risk. I hope I can find something more important soon.'

Subaru had reached his destination, the cave. He left his spear and unnecessary belongings outside and hid them, changed his clothes and put on his robe. He ordered Antares to become invisible again and entered. The cave was large and no one was visible in front of its entrance. However, Subaru could hear the snoring coming from inside very clearly. 'I hope I didn't accidentally come to the bear cave or something. It would be a great shame if my first cultist was eaten by bears.' he thought as he continued walking into the cave. and after a while he found Sleeping Gaspard. In order to hide himself, he settled in a place where the cave had a ledge and could not be easily seen from the entrance. but this ingenious camouflage was of no use because of his snoring. Subaru approached and nudged Gaspard hard with his foot. In the second second, Gaspard woke up in pure panic and threw himself out of bed. Just as he was about to grab his crossbow and shoot, he saw Subaru and froze. But his heart still felt like it was coming out of his chest.

"A zero with a potential of seventy six." Subaru said, confusing Gaspard even more.

"Eee? seventy six?"

"I admit, your camouflage is good. You used the structure of the cave skillfully. You've also arranged your belongings to match the color scheme properly. Your sleeping position is also defensive. If someone came here to find you, they would probably not see you and would continue to move further into the cave. And so you could make an unexpected attack. You were a little lucky with the location and there are a few flaws, but it was really a good camouflage considering the resources you had. I would probably give it seventy-six points," Subaru elaborated as he examined his surroundings.

"Um.. Thanks?" Gaspard said, not knowing how to react to the sudden compliment. But Subaru raised his hand and stopped him.

"I didn't finish it. This camouflage was good. Of course, if you didn't spoil it with your snoring. Anyone passing by the cave could hear it. Zero points. zero points. If we hung a sign outside the cave saying Gaspard is here, it would attract less attention. At least the illiterate wouldn't come. We really need to fix this problem."

"But... I don't snore anyway," Gaspard instinctively protested.

"Excuse me. I didn't know you could use advanced wind magic."

"What?"

"Unless you were subconsciously creating artificial noises with wind magic while you were sleeping, that means you were definitely snoring. Anyway, we'll talk about that later. We've got a long day ahead of us. Okay?"

"Okay," Gaspard whispered timidly. That made Subaru sigh.

"Look, Gaspard. No need to fear. We're on the same side. I won't hurt you. Because of our agreement, I can't do it even if I asked. Do you understand?"

"I understand," Gaspard said with a bit more confidence. He was slowly getting over his shock.

"Good. It would be good if we could get you to stop talking in one word. Anyway, change your clothes and prepare our breakfast. I'll be outside the Cave. I'll be back in a minute."

"Our breakfast?"

"After all, dinner is not possible at this hour. I don't know why you're surprised. I'll question your intelligence if it continues like this." Subaru said as he turned away. Gaspard stared blankly for a moment, then decided to get to work.

Subaru stepped out of the Cave. He stretched slightly. 'I hope it's ready quickly. I'm really hungry. Look at the state we're in. I'm hoping for help from my own follower's food. Let me just find the money... let's get back to business.' Subaru quickly ordered Antares to find a small animal nearby and trap it. At this point, he took out the old daggers he'd just bought from his bag. Of course, these weren't daggers.

While Subaru was doing this, Antares jumped without wasting any time. She opened all her senses to complete the task given by her master. She went through every obstacle she came across, looking for a small animal. When she couldn't find anything on the ground, she scanned the tops of the sparse trees. and soon she found what she was looking for. a squirrel nest. a mother squirrel was bringing food to her babies down in the tree. She was about to climb the tree and reach her nest. 'Perfect,' Antares thought. as she formed a series of small ice crystals in the air. Before even a second had passed, the squirrel was surrounded by ice crystals. Before the mother squirrel in the open-top ice box could understand what was happening, a layer of ice formed on the top of the box. There were several small holes in the new layer of ice that was the ceiling. In a second, the floor had also frozen over. the squirrel was scared. The walls and floor were extremely cold, but something unknown was keeping her body warm. the squirrel felt the box moving. Judging by the light passing through the ice walls, he was lifted into the air. the box was flying. Antares had already sent a message to Subaru by this time.

After a while, Subaru saw a flying ice box coming towards him. He picked up the box and examined it. He could see the squirrel inside through the transparent ice. The squirrel was already struggling to get back to its young. "Good. But I wish it was something quieter." Subaru whispered as he placed the box outside the cave. Then he sent Antares into the cave, invisible. To secretly inform Gaspard as soon as he finished his work. In this way, he approached Gaspard from behind just in time and frightened him with his sudden arrival.

Gaspard said nothing after recovering from his surprise. At this point, he had stopped being surprised by such a small thing. Gaspard stepped aside to make room for Subaru. There wasn't much. Just plain breakfast food… a few olives, a little salad. Still, the presentation was nice. And Gaspard had made some fried eggs. It was clear that he was trying to make the best of what he had. Subaru sat down and started eating what was prepared. Of course, he didn't show that he was hungry. Gaspard looked at Subaru as he ate. He could see the man's mouth open. He could even see the movement of his tongue. But he couldn't make out the man's appearance. Even the man's voice seemed indefinable.

"It's impressive that you can focus your attention on my face. Many people subconsciously encounter resistance to focusing there due to perception filters and illusions. Are you motivated by your fear?"

"Um... That wasn't my intention. I-"

"It's okay. It's natural to be curious about it," Subaru said with a comforting voice and smile. But in a split second, that smile went from friendly to scary. "But don't you dare try to spy on me. This will only bring you pain." He said with a voice full of pure menace. Gaspard shuddered at the sudden change. Ceibo's voice had returned to the way it was when he first met him. Gaspard remembered his helplessness at that moment.

Fortunately, Subaru's voice and face quickly returned to their original state. And Gaspard breathed a sigh of relief. "Ask me if you're curious about something. I'll answer anything that needs to be answered to a certain extent. But secrecy is my red line. That's my whole thing. Got it?"

Gaspard just nodded.

"Good. Since you don't seem to be in a position to ask questions right now, I'll answer the question on your mind. I use an advanced spell to hide my identity. It's that simple, no need for details. So don't bother trying to learn my face or my voice. It'll be a problem if your mind explodes."

"..."

"I'll take that as a yes. Please calm down. Anyway, let's change the subject if you want. Good job. This egg turned out much better than I expected. How did you do it?"

"Ah.. nothing much. I just added a spice mix that I made from some herbs I had lying around. It would have been better if we had some meat other than dried meat or if I hadn't run out of peppers." Gaspard explained. He was more confident because he was talking about a subject he knew.

"It's a shame. Food is not enjoyable without hot pepper." Subaru lied. "How did you learn to cook, Gaspard?"

"To myself. I'm usually the one cooking at home. I'm actually better at it than that. I wish we had some seafood.

"Your skill range isn't bad for your age. You're twenty, aren't you?"

"Yes. About three weeks and two days from now, to be exact. I'll be twenty on my birthday."

They chatted like this for a while longer. Subaru was slowly trying to make Gaspard feel more comfortable and trust him. Of course, he was also trying to squeeze in a few sudden mood swings. After the meal was finished and Gaspard had cleared the table, Subaru stood up. He slowly walked to a place near the cave wall and sat Gaspard down across from him.

"Alright Gaspard. We both know what you're waiting for. We'll start magic lessons today." Subaru said in a bored voice.

Gaspard straightened up. He gave his full attention. What could be more important to him than that? He would get what he wanted.

"I'm not very good at teaching, to be honest. The ninth and his men usually handle these matters. But unfortunately, since our organization in Liyue is still new, I will be the one to give the initial training. And I will register your skills to be sent to the center."

"Ninth?" Gaspard asked.

Ninth Archbishop. To avoid compromising confidentiality, we never tell others' names to those who do not know each other's names. We refer to each other by our serial numbers. By the way, if you have another question, raise your hand. If we are going to do something, let's do it right. Okay?"

Gaspard nodded

"Good. Where were we?" Subaru snapped the fingers of his right hand and suddenly a large, two-legged classroom blackboard began to form behind him, made of ice. Gaspard was speechless once again. "Before you ask, this technique is called Ice Brand Arts. Its purpose is basically to make ice objects etc. Let's get back to the topic." A smooth ruler formed from ice in Subaru's hand. Subaru extended the ruler towards the blackboard and a small human figure formed there. There was also a rectangle on the figure's chest. "When we made the deal with you, you must have felt something in your chest, right?"

"Yeah, it was a very strange thing."

"Every living being with a soul has some kind of magical organ. This organ is called a magic gate. But it doesn't have a basic name. You can call it whatever you want. gate, door, converter. The contract was connected to your soul through your gate. That's basically what you felt. By the way, if you break the contract or try to break it, your soul will be painfully torn apart and destroyed. There's no escape from this. Please don't try."

"Wait? What?!" Gaspard shouted in pure terror. It was probably the loudest voice he had ever made while talking to Subaru.

"Don't worry, this also applies to the other party. This is a confidentiality measure. Please don't disrupt the class." Subaru replied with pure indifference. "This rectangular thing is the Gate. Of course, this is a representative image. One of its functions is to store Mana. Mana is the magical energy in our universe. It is the energy we use for our spells. It is found free in our atmosphere. It is pure and unaffected energy. It is collected and stored by our Gate." Subaru tapped the chalkboard once with his ruler. From the rectangular shape, veins began to spread throughout his body. "You could call them magic lines. Or magic veins. They simply allow Mana to spread and circulate throughout the body. It also works unconsciously. It's important for strengthening bones and muscles. Can you follow it so far?"

"I guess..."

Alright. Of course, this organ's only function is not to store. Mana is also produced in the body to some extent. The Gate also ensures that the stored Mana is safely discharged to the outside. Of course, this is the unconscious part. But it is also possible to consciously control this organ. Of course, the Gate must first be opened for this. Subaru tapped his ruler on the blackboard once again, and a few more figures appeared next to the human figure on the board. A pile of small beads. An arrow coming out of it. A gate is where the arrow is. Another arrow coming out of it. And across from that arrow were several ice crystal shaped images.

"There are reasons why Gates are also called converters. Gates can transform pure non-elemental mana into elemental mana. And we can use this elemental mana to cast elemental spells. However, the rest is a bit unclear. Magic is something that requires some imagination. It also requires an instinctive mastery to use this organ. How do you explain how to use your arms to someone who doesn't have arms? So this type of magic can only be taught by those who know how to cast this type of magic. The door must be opened by someone whose door is open. do you understand? Got it?"

"It seems simple. But if Gates can only be opened by someone whose Gate is open, how did the first person discover this method?"

"There are always geniuses who think outside the rules. That's all I can say. Maybe one day you'll meet that genius if you prove yourself. Okay then. Everyone's gate is unique to them. And each gate is more prone to some elements than others. That's why learning magic in your own propensity is important for a start. Of course, with enough practice, you can learn magic from other elements, even if you don't have a propensity. And of course, using spirit arts is also an option. But that's a whole other topic. Let's not stray from the topic for now. The predisposition test is quite simple. Actually, I measured your elemental propensity when I made the contract with you. I suppose you want to know which element you are prone to? Your element is Hydro. And you really have a strong propensity."

"Hydro… seriously?" Gaspard asked incredulously. and involuntarily chuckled bitterly at the irony of life.

"It really is. But please remember one thing. The powers you will gain will only come from our knowledge and your hard work. Using water magic doesn't change anything. You will owe nothing to the useless God called Furina. You must understand that very well and remember it. Okay?"

"Yes. I won't forget."

"I'm sure you won't forget it. Okay then. We can use this elemental Mana in two basic ways. The first is the simple and familiar method. We can process it and transform it into the element it represents." Subaru said and raised the hand that wasn't holding the ruler into the air. A few pieces of ice formed on his hand and began to fly. When Subaru closed his hand, the ice shattered and disappeared. "The second method is a bit more tricky. Using Pure Elemental Mana as it is." A red, translucent shield appeared around Subaru. Gaspard, not expecting this, backed away a little in surprise. Subaru continued. "This method is much less efficient in terms of Mana consumption. Of course, this method has its own advantages. But you will learn them over time. Now, let's get to the technical part." Subaru said and threw the ruler in his hand into the air. The ruler melted instantly and then evaporated. The ice board behind him also disappeared in the same way.

"Wait a minute? Was that all for the lesson?"

"Of course there's more. But for now this is all you need to know. Like I said before. This is mostly practice. You'll understand better when I open your door." Subaru said as he slowly approached Gaspard. "Undress from the waist down and turn your back, please."

"..." Gaspard looked like he was going to question it for a moment, but decided to obey silently.

Gaspard took off his shirt and undershirt. Gaspard's body wasn't overly fit. The effects of malnutrition were only partially visible. But he was still good for his age. Subaru sat down, put his hand on Gaspard's back, and spoke. "Focus on what you're about to feel. My mana will circulate and spread through your gate and body. And this time, you'll be able to feel your gate better. I want you to focus on that." and so Subaru slowly began to open Gaspard's gate with Antares' help.

It was a very strange feeling for Gaspard. It was as if something was writhing and playing inside his body. It was a feeling beyond his five senses. Not only was the world inside him different, but the world outside him felt different as if he could see the world differently. He was about to fall into a trance, but Subaru's voice brought him back to his senses. "You feel the mana. Focus on the place in your body where these sensations are most intense. That is where the mana is stored and where the gate is located." Gaspard closed his eyes and concentrated with everything he could. He could feel the Mana behind the seal on him, inside his ribcage. He could feel its gate now.

"Now the most important part. Imagine. Imagine pushing the Mana in this Mana tank through his gate. Imagine moving the Mana towards your hands. and that water was formed in their hands. A clear instruction would be bad for your future development. Just imagine what these words mean to you. Imagining is one of the most important parts of this process. And don't try to do it frivolously. You have to believe it yourself."

Gaspard swallowed and tried to do as he was told. He tried to imagine that he was moving the mana in his body and that he was releasing it as water from his fingertips. He felt that the mana was really moving towards his gate. but it wasn't a strict thing. As the mana progressed, it dispersed and strayed from the path. But Gaspard continued. Of course, Subaru and Antares were also helping him a little bit. Everyone needs help on their first try. Unless they are specially born. The process was much easier, especially with the help of a great spirit. And after a while, the expected happened.

"!... Huh? This is... hehe.. hehaha!"

Water began to flow from the fingertips of Gaspard's right hand. And Gaspard's reaction to it was quite dramatic. It started with pure surprise. Then it turned to excitement and then pure joy. His magic had stopped because his concentration had been broken. But Gaspard wasn't thinking about that right now. Such a thing was possible. It was really possible. Gaspard believed in ceibo because of what he saw. but there was a doubt inside him. But even now, despite his excitement, he wasn't completely sure.

"You didn't do this, did you?" Gaspard asked Subaru. Subaru just told him not to talk nonsense.

While Gaspard was going through his own spiritual and mental transformation, Subaru took out two old daggers he had taken earlier. but actually their full name was butterfly swords. Butterfly swords are short, double-edged weapons used in southern Chinese martial arts, typically wielded in pairs. They feature broad blades about 11 to 15 inches long, with handles equipped with D-shaped knuckle guards for hand protection. These swords are designed for close combat, allowing for quick, agile movements and simultaneous blocking and striking. It was present and common in Liyue on this World as well. Of course, Subaru didn't care about these things. They were the best he could get for a low price. And he threw the short swords in front of Gaspard.

"Take these. We will start physical training."

"What? But we've just started magic training!"

"First of all, don't ever raise your voice at me again."

"I'm sorry..."

No problem. I understand your excitement. Secondly, Magic training is quite tiring. Especially at the beginning. After a little practice, you will not be able to move a finger. That's why we will do physical training first. Otherwise, you will not be able to do it later. Now, pick up your new weapons from the ground.

Gaspard picked up the old and partially dull butterfly swords on the ground. "Aren't they a bit worn and old?" he asked, not understanding.

"This is another lesson you must learn. You cannot trust weapons. You cannot trust anything in war except your own strength. Remember this. Of course these will help. and you must use everything you can in battle. But you should be able to fight without quality and powerful equipment. That is why you will train with these weapons. It was hard to find such old ones." He said as he picked up the cross-shaped daggers he got from the witch cult.

"Okay. But I'm more skilled with a crossbow. These things are really not for me," Gaspard said while awkwardly holding the short swords.

"I am aware of that. But you need to be close enough to touch your enemy," Subaru said as he ran towards Gaspard. Gaspard only froze in response to the sudden movement. In the next moment, Subaru had already put his dagger to Gaspard's throat. "Okay. There are no words to describe how bad this is. Let's start with baby steps. Pull yourself together," Subaru said as he backed away.

Subaru had knowledge of using daggers and short swords. He had learned from the cultists and Elsa. Mostly from Elsa. So he had no trouble teaching Gaspard the basics. Of course, Elsa's style didn't include any precautions against injury, so there weren't many safe defenses. After all, getting injured was not a big deal for Elsa, and she usually covered that part with her speed. 'It's okay though. Gaspard can heal himself quickly with his water affinity.'

Gaspard was good at following instructions. His skill wasn't bad. He was also good at running practice. He was very good at dodging. but his cowardice was causing a lot of trouble. He would always close his eyes or freeze when he was about to be attacked. He wasn't really a close-range fighter. But Subaru was sure that he could only show his full potential at close range.

'Except for the Yin and Yang elements. Water is the supreme element in terms of hax.' The water magic in this World didn't look exactly the same. Subaru had observed this thoroughly when they returned to magic training after physical training. He had done a few tests with Gaspard. The water magic was still similar to the previous World. But this one had much poorer temperature manipulation. It could still be used to create boiling hot water. Of course, it consumed more mana than normal. And with this element, the temperature of normal water could also be increased. But the real problem was cooling the water. Cool water could be created to a certain extent. But there was a barrier after a certain point. The structure of the mana changed. With his Hydro Mana, further cooling was impossible. "I guess these properties of water magic were separated into the cryo element. It's really annoying that ice is a separate element. It seems like water magic got a heavy nerf. But despite this, water magic is still very op."

Healing magic. Water was still the main element of healing magic. Of course, through his readings, Subaru knew that in this World, people with vision from some other element also had healing properties. but water was still the most competent in this matter. It could even heal magic gates. 'Since Odlaguna's limitations don't exist here. Perhaps it's even possible to resurrect the dead with this power.' But that wasn't all. Water magic could do more than just healing. A truly skilled water mage with high water affinity could damage an opponent's magic veins and gate with a single touch. This would prevent the opponent from using magic. 'But the ones here use vision-type items to cast their spells. So, it wouldn't completely prevent them from casting spells. However, partially blocking their magic perception would make their magic abilities somewhat difficult. And that's not the most important part of this technique anyway. Damaging mana veins would cause great pain. A level of pain that is not negligible even by my standards. It would also temporarily paralyze the person and put them into spasm. It blurs thoughts. Mana also carries thoughts and feelings. It reflects partial will. You can force your will on someone by forcing your own water Mana into their gate. In short, Water magic and healing could be used for emotional and mental manipulation. A truly superior power.' But of course, there's more to it than that.

It was also possible to heat and boil the opponent's blood with a touch. And also, it seemed easier to hold the water created by the water magic in this World together. 'Making and using things made of water. Like water arrows or water daggers. An alternative to ice magic. But time will tell. Gaspard needs to improve.' Subaru was definitely sure that Gaspard could do all of these. He had studied him. He was talented at this. In fact, he was abnormally talented. It was as if the Water Mana was already automatically circulating throughout Gaspard's body. 'It is spreading through another system in the body. A movement of this speed and scope. It could only be the blood circulation system. There is an abnormality in Gaspard's blood.'

The magic training that Subaru had prepared for Gaspard was simple. First, he would consciously try to circulate the Mana within him throughout his entire body over a period of time. This would allow him to better understand and manipulate his own magic veins and gates. The next step was simpler. The training to transform Mana into water. It was the simplest spell for him for now. Unfortunately, since water could not be used to make ice in this World, Subaru could not even teach him simple huma spells. Still, this was a step towards creating new spells. The last step was a bit more interesting. Subaru brought the squirrel that Antares had caught and gave it to Gaspard. The aim was to learn how to forcefully penetrate the Mana lines in the squirrel's body and try to infuse his own Mana into the squirrel. This was the basis for learning healing magic.

Subaru also gave a program about running and weapon training along with magic training. All Gaspard had to do was follow the programs. Subaru said that he would provide and bring needs such as supplies.

'Now I have one more person to feed. I swear, if someone had said 'your biggest problem will be money in the future, Subaru' two months ago, I would have laughed at him. And I probably would have burned him for safety... well... let's focus on work.' Subaru thought as he processed the latest data from Antares into his map. After leaving Gaspard, he went to map the underground mines. He did this whenever he had free time. He even sent Antares alone on nights when he wasn't being watched. He had made a lot of progress. And he had found a few mines that fit his target perfectly. He was getting closer to solving the money problem soon.

'But those eyes will soon turn to me. Especially because of the way I planned to do it. I hope our little Antares piece found something while observing the little rookies today.'

'As of today, it has been exactly 48 days since I came to this World. And my only major achievements were getting permission to sell mayonnaise and manipulating an abnormal coward into joining me.' Subaru thought depressedly as he stood alone behind the sales counter waiting for his customers. Antares was with Tianbao today. shee was helping with a mission. Subaru had been selling mayonnaise here since the morning. It was now evening. Mayonnaise sales were good, but not as high as he needed. He couldn't find much from that safe house either. 'I admit, whoever controls this country's intelligence network is definitely a very successful person. Even communication between small units is almost non-existent. I'm sick of this nonsense. Apparently there is a date when they collectively report to each other. Until then, they obviously know about each other as little as possible for safety. I have two choices. I can either wait until this uncertain date. Or I can give them a reason to notify their superiors. It doesn't have to be anything big. All that matters is that the people I'm watching report it. If I can find out the location of a base higher than this and infiltrate it just once, no one can hide from me. I just need one loophole. Just one crack. Fuck it. I'll take care of this nonsense tonight. At least our book sales are good. I think I'll have to look at the accounting for this tomorrow. There's a lot going on.'

He knew what to do. Create an anomaly. It would take a few sacrifices today. The real problem was to do it without drawing attention. Subaru closed his eyes and leaned back, taking a breath. He would rest while he had the chance. At least he would try to rest. Because just as he was about to relax a little, he suddenly opened his eyes when he heard a voice. He looked around quickly. The first thing he noticed was that one of the mayonnaise jars was missing? 'Thief? Seriously?' he thought. But then he saw where his jar was. Or rather, who had it.

She was a young girl. A little younger than Subaru. The girl had short, dark blue hair styled in a bob cut with buns on each side, adorned with orange-red tassels. Her large amber eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. She wore a sleeveless yellow and brown chef's tunic with intricate patterns, paired with brown shorts and fingerless gloves. Her outfit included brown boots, and arm guards with red and gold accents. She had a pouch on her hips and a teddy bear-shaped ornament. The outfit was Chinese-style, as expected of Liyue. and there were big and small red and orange ribbon ornaments.

The girl was holding Subaru's mayonnaise jar in her hand. She had opened the lid and had already tasted it with her finger. The mayonnaise was dripping from her finger. The girl's eyes were shining with an unusual passion. It was obvious that she was imagining something. She didn't seem to notice Subaru very much. Subaru stood up. And just as he was about to say something to the girl, he saw something even more peculiar in front of the counter. It was a small panda-like creature. But instead of black, it had light orange fur. He had short squat limbs and a chubby face. The bear was leaving some Mora on the counter. The price of the jar. Subaru quickly shook off his surprise and focused on the situation. This thing was not normal. Subaru could sense a strange Mana surge in this bear. Since the people around did not react excessively to this creature, it could not be something foreign to this city. But then again, it definitely couldn't be an ordinary bear.

"Ah! Sorry. I got carried away for a moment," the girl apologized when she noticed Subaru. She pulled her hand away from the jar and tried to introduce herself. "Nice to meet you! My name is Xiangling, I'm a Chevre... no, I mean!" The girl nervously stumbled as she introduced herself as if she had memorized it beforehand. But before she could correct herself, Subaru interjected.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Rubing." he said with a smile. 'After all, a corny joke always helps to buy time to think. But the girl seemed to find it really funny. She chuckled a little.

"hehe... Sorry, I practiced so hard, but I still get nervous when introducing myself... Heh."

"I'm the same, don't worry. Let's try again. My name is Alcor. Alcor Hoshimoto. I'm a simple refugee from Inazuma and a sauce vendor," Subaru said as he extended his hand and tried to smile sincerely. But when his eyes fell on the red jewel on her waist, he tensed for a thousandth of a second. 'Pyro Vision' fortunately, no one here had the perception to notice this tension.

The girl smiled unawarely. "As I said, I'm Xiangling. I'm a chef from Wanmin Restaurant. Nice to meet you," she replied while shaking Subaru's hand excitedly. Then she turned to the little bear next to her and introduced it with the same excitement. "This is Guoba! My best friend!"

The bear seemed to be looking at Subaru strangely. But Subaru pretended not to see it and got down on one knee. He reached out his hand to Guoba in a friendly manner. The little bear was about to reach for Subaru's hand, but stopped at the last moment. He slowly approached, sniffed Subaru's hand, and immediately pulled back as if he had smelled something disgusting. He held his nose and looked into Subaru's eyes. Xiangling didn't seem to understand what was happening. Guoba had never acted like this before. Xiangling looked at Subaru with innocent curiosity. But Subaru didn't seem to understand either.

But of course Subaru understood. This bear had smelled Miasma. He was sure of it.

'I guess you're more important than I thought. Or more annoying. I wish Antares were here.'

Chevre: Goat cheese. Rubing: A type of cow cheese in China. Yes, a corny joke. That's the point anyway.

And we've come to the end of another chapter. It was a short episode compared to the others. I hope you enjoyed it. Our first playable character entered the story. To be honest, I was going to end this episode with the end of this scene. But I hesitated a bit while writing this last scene. If you have any ideas on how the conversation with Xiangling will go, I'd love to hear them. After all, comments are a source of motivation for me.

In this episode, there was actually a lot of dice rolling in the background. Ironically, it was pretty unlucky for Subaru. Especially while watching the safe house. I rolled the dice three times in the three parts of the chapter and none of them could find anything useful for Subaru. But I think we'll get to see Subaru take action thanks to this.

Water magic is truly something superior. Felix can do everything I said he could do with water magic. The mind control part is from arc3 by the way. It's hard to see without reading the novel. It's what Felix was trying to do when he was trying to heal Subaru in the Capital. He was trying to wash Subaru's mind. You remember when Rem started to hold Subaru against her chest, right? Rem was trying to break Felix's Water mana there. It's actually pretty disgusting. Felix trying to do this secretly by breaking the agreement between the two camps. nasty. That's why I can't feel sorry for Pridefelix.

anyway... there's something i want to mention before i finish. Subaru's madness. well this is nothing new. we all know that subaru is mad from the very beginning. so this is practically shouted in our faces in arc4 and arc6. but the inconsistency of subaru's actions is also interesting. according to arc6, subaru's deaths are not normal. it is described as the destruction of his existence beyond death. louis arneb was by far the most strong-willed character in this universe after subaru. i don't count Al because there is so much uncertainty about him. louis experienced rbd indirectly only once. and went completely crazy. but why doesn't subaru react this way. doesn't subaru seem to be traumatized by the pain he experienced during his deaths? the answer is no. subaru is basically described as an incomprehensible thing in human form trying to act like a normal person. even the witches say that he is a madman that even the witches can't understand. minerva. did you notice? Subaru doesn't react to pain or disgust unless he realizes that not reacting is normal. Think about arc1. Subaru didn't react at all to being disemboweled twice. He only started reacting after he realized he was really dead. Rabbits don't react at first in the novel. After a while, when he realizes he's not reacting, he hits his head on the ground and starts reacting. Greedbaru is a being that has died countless times. hundreds of thousands of times. Greedbaru breaks Echidna's neck in the LN. He doesn't react for a moment. Then he starts vomiting. Greedbaru! He would never react to something so simple normally. But he does here. Because that's what a normal person would do. As far as we know, the only time we can be sure that Subaru isn't acting is the madness scene in arc3. Because Tappei said that he actually went mad here. Ironically, he goes mad a few seconds after he comes back. But that makes sense. because in this death, Puck directly froze and destroyed Subaru's soul. but for some reason Subaru doesn't react when he dies the same way once again.

Acting and imitating is Subaru's main character trait. He's been doing this since he was a kid. "I don't have a character!" was directly said. Remember, Subaru's energetic and exaggerated movements are all just acting and imitating his father. That's why ifsubaru who stopped acting don't have such energetic movements. In fact, Wrathbaru is described as so calm and commanding that a normal person could become ill just by being in the same room with him. so says the narrative. It's an interesting thing to think about.

Anyway, good day everyone. Take care until the next chapter. And don't forget to comment.