[System Message: You have discovered the boss room—Altar of the Goblin Test Subject.]
Evan bent over to examine the magic circle for a moment before shifting his gaze to the altar.
‘Was this prepared to create a mana core? But this setup… it’s different from what I remember.’
The magic circle looked nothing like the ones typically used to make mana cores.
In fact, it resembled the ancient relics often found in ruins from his previous world.
‘Still, whatever it is, it must be designed for the purpose of creating a mana core. That altar must be the activation device for the circle.’
Evan approached the altar.
The structure of the altar had a central groove at the top, with several slots carved into its sides—clearly meant to hold specific materials.
It seemed that inserting the necessary materials into these slots would activate the altar.
‘An unusual method… Where did that thing even learn a technique like this?’
Evan felt a rising sense of unease along with his curiosity.
‘Are there really that many monstrous beings in this world?’
His face briefly twisted with concern.
But only for a moment—he soon returned to his usual composed expression.
‘Still, thanks to that creature’s preparations, I don’t have to do the hard part.’
What mattered was that he could now create a mana core.
All he had to do was use what the goblin test subject had already prepared.
‘Looks like everything is ready overall. I just need to insert the materials into the altar…’
Evan checked the items in his inventory.
He reviewed all the materials he had obtained from the goblin storage.
‘A Freck horn. A Drake’s heart…!’
He had almost all the essential materials needed for crafting a mana core, except for one critical item.
‘I don’t have a mana stone. Is that why the creature couldn’t finish creating the mana core?’
The mana stone was the key component in the process—a rare crystal that resonated with mana.
In his previous world, it was a rare find even in mineral dungeons, making it incredibly expensive.
He assumed it would hold similar value in this world.
But Evan wasn’t too worried.
‘Since I’m with the Count’s family, money shouldn’t be an issue. I’ll have to track down a mana stone—and maybe do a bit of investigating while I’m at it.’
With that thought, Evan turned and made his way back to the estate.
***
As soon as he arrived, Evan immediately went to find Alburton.
“Alburton, I need you to get something for me. It’s urgent, so I need it quickly.”
Alburton gave Evan a worried look.
He had a bad feeling.
But there wasn’t much he could do about it.
“Understood. What do you need me to find?”
“It’s nothing too big. Just a mana stone. About the size of a human head?”
Alburton’s expression immediately became troubled.
“Young Master…”
“What? Is there a problem?”
“I don’t know where you heard about it, but… mana stones can’t be obtained in the Lupes Kingdom anymore.”
Evan frowned in confusion.
“What do you mean we can’t get mana stones?”
“It’s because the Seiram Kingdom cut off all trade with us three years ago. I heard that’s why mana stones are no longer available.”
“Wait, so you’re saying there’s no way to get them anywhere else?”
Alburton nodded.
“Unfortunately, all the mana stone mines in the central region are located within the Seiram Kingdom.”
“Ugh.”
Evan’s face darkened.
‘Damn it. I expected it to be hard to find, but I didn’t think the entire supply chain would be cut off.’
This time, Alburton asked Evan a question.
“Young Master, may I ask what you plan to do with the mana stone?”
“Oh, it’s nothing special. I just heard you could draw mana from it, that’s all.”
“I see…”
Alburton looked at Evan with a hint of pity.
He always made that face whenever Evan brought up anything related to mana.
As Alburton fell silent, Evan continued the conversation.
“Alright then, forget about the mana stone. I’d like to read some books about the Spring of Mana. Do you know where I can find any?”
“The Spring of Mana, sir?”
Alburton looked at Evan with a surprised expression.
Usually, only nobles in the political scene or high-ranking mages were interested in such things.
“Yeah. I heard that mages study the Spring of Mana to research the nature of mana itself. I want to learn more. Who knows? Maybe I’ll figure out a way to obtain mana.”
Evan’s eyes gleamed with determination.
Alburton looked at him with a mix of sympathy and sorrow.
‘Ah… the Young Master still hasn’t given up hope…’
In truth, the Count had already made an official request to the Mage Tower long ago.
But the answer had been a firm declaration: it was impossible.
Alburton had chosen not to tell Evan at the time—he hadn’t wanted to crush the boy’s dreams.
Now, that choice had come back to haunt him.
But it was too late to reveal the truth.
All Alburton could do was fulfill his role as a loyal butler.
“You’ll find a good collection of materials at the library on the eastern side of the city.”
Evan gave a quick gesture of acknowledgment and left immediately.
Alburton stood there for a long while, his head lowered.
***
At the library, Evan immersed himself in studying the Spring of Mana.
Before long, a mountain of books had piled up on the desk.
Of course, he hadn’t read each one thoroughly—many were filled with useless information.
‘The Spring of Mana is the divine key that unlocks the world and the blessing of all mages.’
Muttering a quote from one of the books, Evan closed it and paused to organize his thoughts.
‘Is this just another mythological tale? Seems like the mages of this kingdom practically worship mana cores.’
Still, it hadn’t been a fruitless search.
He had gained some basic understanding of how mana cores were used in this world.
Apparently, magic towers were typically built near sites where mana cores were found.
‘Magic towers are structures powered by mana cores.’
They allow the use of facilities that run on mana and ancient magic circles that consume enormous amounts of mana.
While some use them for research purposes, many mages utilize them to reach greater heights in their craft.
Of course, there have also been cases of misuse.
‘It looks like I won’t be able to find much more information related to that… but figuring out how mana cores are generally used should be enough.’
The one fortunate thing is that no one in this world knows how to create mana cores.
Since only naturally occurring mana cores are used, they are incredibly rare.
‘Maybe Alan wasn’t exaggerating after all.’
In any case, magic towers inevitably attract mages.
‘If I can bring their forces under my control… that would become Evan’s greatest asset. It might even serve as a stepping stone to aim for a higher title.’
‘I must secure a mana core no matter what.’
Evan began thinking of ways to obtain a mana stone.
‘If I can’t acquire it through official channels… then I’ll have to use unofficial ones.’
Fortunately, the original owner of this body was a well-known scoundrel.
And like most good-for-nothings, it was highly likely that Evan had a few connections in the underworld.
He began combing through his memories—and soon found something interesting.
A memory of being a VIP at an illegal merchant guild.
‘Wait… was this guy a known regular at the black market?’
The original owner had lived a life of gambling, drinking, and chasing pleasure.
Trying to forget that he was nothing more than a disposable figure in the count’s household.
He wandered in search of places where he felt needed—where people welcomed him.
In those places, he felt alive.
He burned through his overflowing wealth to relieve his stress, wasting it recklessly.
And through one of those indulgent ventures, he was introduced to a black market merchant.
‘The Berna Trading Company.’
A massive organization with influence spread across the entire Central Continent.
They dealt in smuggling, trafficking, and information brokering—you could get almost anything from them.
Ironically, it’s said that countries stay afloat because of markets like these.
Most nobles are involved in some way, so kingdoms often turn a blind eye to it all.
Evan was listed as a VIP customer there.
At one point, he had used his overflowing funds to buy smuggled mana-related ingredients from them.
‘Well, lucky me. I guess this body is useful sometimes.’
Evan stood from his seat.
***
Guided by vague memories, Evan made his way down a shadowy alley.
‘Was it this way?’
The streets were packed with gambling dens, bars, and all kinds of adult entertainment.
Some people, strung out on drugs, lay collapsed on the roadside with empty eyes.
It was clear this whole area was a red-light district.
Evan kept walking until he stopped in front of a particular building.
There, a man in a ragged robe stood guard at the entrance.
“What do you want?”
The man immediately questioned Evan.
Instead of answering, Evan silently pulled a black card from his inner coat and held it up.
“…Ah, you’re a distinguished guest.”
The man’s attitude changed as soon as he saw the card.
He opened the door and respectfully ushered Evan inside.
“Please, come in this way.”
Evan walked into the building without a word.
At the entrance, two attendants and a manager were waiting.
“Please wear a mask before entering.”
One of the attendants bowed and handed Evan a mask.
‘For identity protection? They’re thorough.’
Evan put on the mask and followed the manager inside.
A large hall unfolded before him, filled with masked customers.
‘There are so many of them.’
As Evan scanned the area, the manager asked, “Is there something in particular you’re looking for?”
“I’m here to buy an item. I want to get it right away if possible.”
“May I check your membership card, sir?”
While the Berna Trading Company was open to anyone, access to certain goods was limited based on membership tier.
Of course, Evan had nothing to worry about as a VIP.
He took out his black card again and showed it to the manager.
The manager examined it and gave a small nod.
“A VIP Gold member. For immediate procurement, there will be a threefold surcharge. Is that acceptable?”
“I don’t mind.”
“Understood. Then please follow me.”
Evan followed the manager once more.
***
Now seated in a reception room, Evan sat across from a middle-aged man.
This was the manager in charge of VIP clientele.
He had the appearance of a professional butler—brown hair neatly slicked back, defined features, small but sharp eyes that gave him a strict impression.
His name was Reind.
He was responsible for processing client requests and arranging deals.
Evan pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it to Reind.
“I’m looking for a mana stone. Something about this size should do. Can I get it today?”
Reind glanced over the measurements on the paper and stroked his beard thoughtfully.
“Hmm. That’s quite large. We should have one in stock, but with a size like this, the price—and the handling fee—will be a bit high. Are you fine with that?”
“That’s fine. I came prepared for that much.”
“Very well. Including our intermediary fee… the total comes to 200 gold.”
Two hundred gold—a ludicrously high price.
But with no alternative source, the cost was naturally inflated.
‘Doesn’t matter. Arguing over this would just waste more of my time.’
Evan paid without hesitation.
“Thank you for your patronage. We’ll prepare the item immediately. Please wait a moment.”
Reind signaled someone to begin preparations.
While waiting, Evan sipped some tea.
Then, as if something had occurred to him, he looked back at Reind and asked,
“I’d like to purchase some information.”
“Yes, sir. Please tell me what you need.”
Since he was already here, Evan decided to gather intel on mages as well.
These would be the people involved in trading mana cores.
They would also be the shields that would protect him in the future.
So he had to choose them carefully.
Evan took a deep breath before speaking.
“I want information on the top ten mages in the kingdom. I’ll buy everything you have.”
This world was different from the one where he had to do everything alone.
In his second life, he would make full use of every privilege available to him.