“Is that person Ogine?” Marga asks as we walk. Today we’re going to train together before heading out—apparently their habit of wanting to beat me is deeply ingrained. It’s already become a routine whenever we’re together.
“Yes, it’s her—she’s with her father.” Brendu recognizes the person beside her.
I focus on identifying Ogine’s father. It’s the first time I’ll meet someone from her family. It feels a bit strange not having met him before, considering how close we are as friends—though thinking about it, I never really had the chance.
They’ve already noticed us too. I suggest we approach to greet them—everyone agrees instantly. I’m curious about her father. He recently reached diamond rank and is a very well-known doctor in this city. His name is even famous across the empire—many nobles trust his abilities.
“Hello, Ogine. Good morning, Mr. Ogi. How are you?” Brendu is the first to greet them—she takes the lead since she already knows him.
“Hello everyone, it’s a pleasure to see you.” Ogine smiles as naturally as always. “This is my father, his name is Ogi.” Everyone in our group greets him politely.
“Father, this is Maki—you’ve heard me talk about him.” She doesn’t just introduce me—she introduces the three girls perfectly as well.
“It’s a pleasure to meet all of you.” Mr. Ogi bows formally—he must have a lot of experience dealing with nobles. After greeting everyone, his gaze focuses on me. “I’ve heard a lot about you from my daughter. It seems her words fall short.”
I look at him, confused—I’m not sure what he means. “What do you mean, sir?” I also glance at Ogine, equally confused. I have no idea what she might have said—she can be a bit strange sometimes.
“She didn’t say anything bad. And please, call me by my name—you’re my daughter’s friend. She only mentioned your healing magic and how impressive it is. Now that I can see you, I realize she either underestimated you or you’ve grown tremendously in a short time.” His eyes scan my body as if he had X-ray vision.
I think about it for a split second—I wouldn’t rule out such an ability in a doctor. This fantasy world offers far more than we can imagine.
“Thank you. I’ve worked hard to improve.” My gratitude is completely sincere, just like his words. It feels good to be recognized by someone of his level—he’s a true authority in life magic.
“Though I must say, I’m a bit disappointed and saddened.” I can see a hint of regret in his gaze, as if he’s looking at something unfortunate.
“Why?” Marga asks before I can. She isn’t the only one confused—everyone looks surprised.
“Don’t misunderstand me, miss—I don’t mean to be rude. It’s just disappointing to see such great talent not devoted to improving life affinity to help others. I can tell your healing ability is focused on self-recovery.” His eyes lock directly onto mine.
“It’s a bit sad to think about how life must have treated you during your childhood for you to take that path. Though I imagine that same circumstance made you as strong as you are now. It’s very rare to see healers like you.” Ogi truly looks saddened.
“What do you mean, Mr. Ogi? I don’t understand.” Arisa asks—everyone is still confused.
“Usually, healers are the last line of support in battle. Very few are brave or strong enough to fight on the front lines. The best option is to keep them safe so they can assist when needed. Maki is the complete opposite—he’s a top-tier warrior whose affinity is focused on self-healing.” Now I understand his point a bit better.
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“Most cases like this happen because the person had no other choice—perhaps they were in a difficult situation or had to fight alone. Those are the most common reasons. I sense Maki fits the first example. It’s unfortunate to think someone so talented didn’t have the chance to become a great doctor.” He’s right—his first example fits me perfectly.
I learned life mana out of necessity to survive in Sus’s dungeon. After that, I mostly moved alone or never had the chance to use my magic on others. I was also a bit afraid of doing it wrong and ruining someone’s life.
“Yes, it was a bit complicated.” I answer honestly. “But I wouldn’t change anything that happened to me. Now I have incredible abilities and I’ve met people very special to me.” One of them is Sus, and the other is my little sister Glia.
“That reassures me a bit.” Ogi looks more relaxed after hearing my answer. “Don’t you have any interest in learning to heal others? Have you never wanted to?”
“I’ve thought about it, but I’ve had so many things on my mind that I haven’t found the time.” It’s something I do want to learn. My mana control will improve a lot when I reach the next rank—I was already planning to develop my life affinity further.
“If that’s the case, then it’s decided.” Ogi claps his hands with a wide smile. “Come to my clinic whenever you want to learn. I’ll train you personally—it’s the least I can do for my daughter’s friend.”
We’re all stunned again—especially me. “I’d love to! It would be a great honor.” Being trained by one of the greatest figures in life magic feels like a dream. I never asked Ogine for something like this because I know how busy her father is.
I can’t refuse his offer—it would be completely foolish. I look at Arisa, and bitter memories come to mind. I’ve never stopped thinking about her uncle—maybe he would still be alive if I had better control over life affinity back then.
I never blamed myself for not saving him—I couldn’t have done anything at the time. But… a small thorn remained in my heart. I don’t want to experience something like that again. I have to make the most of this opportunity.
“Whenever you want, contact Ogine or come directly to the clinic.” Ogi tells me. We talk about casual topics for a few minutes before Ogine and her father leave—they’re short on time and have a meeting to attend.
“That was unexpected.” Brendu comments as we walk toward the training dome. “I’ve never seen Ogine’s father so talkative and enthusiastic—he’s usually more calm and reserved.” She looks at me like I’m some kind of strange creature.
“Anyone changes when they meet Maki—as if they’re seeing some kind of phenomenon never seen before.” Marga has the same look, though with a teasing smile.
“He’s always been a magnet for trouble… though it seems he’s also a magnet for people.” Arisa looks thoughtful, though she still sees me like some kind of oddity.
“A magnet for people…” Sol repeats. “I think it’s more like a magnet for women. We should be more careful—there might be a way to understand his heart in more detail. I should ask my father and uncle.” She looks completely serious.
“That’s not a bad idea. Maybe I should ask my father too, or perhaps some mental mages in the family.” Brendu nods at Sol’s comment.
“We might be able to find an object linked to his cube—that way we could know more. I’ll have to read some books to see if that’s possible. Maybe some of the empire’s best artisans know something.” Even Marga joins in.
At this point, I don’t know if they’re joking or serious—they’re blocking their Imra so I can’t read their emotions. I do what any intelligent person would do: listen and ignore. That way, they’ll eventually change the topic.
I was completely wrong—they keep talking about it. They continue even until a second before training begins. I’m starting to think they’re actually serious… but I know they’re not like that. I want to believe it’s just a joke.
These last training sessions have confirmed it—my natural affinities are well balanced. They’re already at ruby-rank level and will improve significantly once I ascend. I need to focus on my supreme affinities—they’re falling behind, and I feel they have much greater potential that I need to unlock.
Death affinity is the one that intrigues me the most—it fits perfectly with my fighting style and skill set. It would be a huge advantage if I can strengthen or refine it.
“What do you think about getting married soon? A ring could scare off a lot of troublesome women—they’d hesitate to approach someone who’s already married.” Arisa’s suggestion surprises me—she usually doesn’t care much about this kind of thing.
“That’s a great idea! We could plan it and make it happen soon. It could be a symbolic ceremony for now, and later we could have a grand celebration.” Marga hugs Arisa tightly.
“We need to find a way to leave the mark of all our families—that would be a natural deterrent for any other girl. They’d think twice.” Brendu already looks like she’s planning something—I recognize that expression.
The jokes continue all the way back home. I keep telling myself they’re just jokes.
Would it be a bad idea to escape and go see Ogine’s father? It wouldn’t be a bad idea to start training now. I lift my gaze and see the faces and smiles of the four girls. No… I can’t refuse them.