Chapter 486 - A Nightly Discussion

"Of course not, but-" Interrupting Eldrian midst sentence, Jen cut in. 

"You can't hire someone and then not give them tasks to do. You might be thinking you are doing them a favor, but I bet you it just makes them feel awkward. Like they don't belong."

"Really?"

"Really really. You should make a schedule for them to work by, that way, they might actually feel like they are doing something that matters. Feel like they belong... Feeling like you belong is one of the most important things in the world."

Nodding in agreement, Eldrian mulled Jen's words and started trying to come up with a schedule. Though, honestly, he couldn't think of much that was actually important. 

...

"It doesn't need to be important. Even having them clean the empty rooms twice a week will be good. It shows a sort of care for your house, and something they can take pride in."

This sentence had stayed with Eldrian the most. 

'Indeed, something doesn't need to be life and death to be important. How did I lose sight of that again?'  Sighing, Eldrian climbed back into the cabin. Finding Maia waiting in the lobby for him. 

"Morning, ma-master."

'I shouldn't fight that, right?' 

Smiling, Eldrian nodded, "Morning Maia. How is everyone doing?"

"Well, thank you. Thank you for allowing us to use the ingredients we bought to feed ourselves."

"Of course, don't tell me some don't allow that?" Seeing her shy look, Eldrian realized the truth easily enough. 

"I can't believe that, you can't work if you aren't fed. Right, speaking of work. I realize I have been doing you a miss-service."

"No-no, never-"

"It's true, I should have given you work. Instead, I just told you to make dinner and then left you alone. You must have all felt so out of place."

"From now on, things will be different..." And so Eldrian started handing out the tasks he wanted to be done. He made sure to explain to Maia that she could decide who would do what, but everyone had to get at least 2 tasks a day. With two off days, if they wished, a week. 

Smiling and tail swinging side to side, Maia nodded and went to relay today's orders. 

...

For the following three days, Eldrian didn't have much he needed to do. He mostly kept to his study while experimenting with some non-destructive spells. Enjoying his time and waiting for Vivian to return. 

On the fourth day, he decided to give Myropsis another visit. She was far calmer this time, still diligently practicing. She was now managing to keep the stones stationary for a couple of seconds almost every time. 

Slowly, she was mastering how to gain control of her mana. Seeing this, Eldrian went ahead and shared the other things he had come to learn. 

"Don't just think of mana as something external, something separate from you. It is part of you, just like how your arms and legs are part of you."

This little piece of advice had been much more useful to her than Eldrian would have ever expected it to be. Unlike most people, she actually knew what it felt like when your legs felt foreign. 

It was a side-effect most royals went through when changing into their human form for the first time. Clumsy, sometimes not even able to walk. It took days to months to master walking with just two legs.

The time required to master this simple concept of walking on two legs depended on how weird the human form felt to them. For Myropsis, it had only taken four days to be able to walk without something to hold onto.

Yet, those four days were still vivid in her memory and she managed to quickly connect the similarities between back then and now with her mana. 

Just minutes after Eldrian shared that simple advice, she suddenly became able to stop each and every spell. She even managed to slightly alter the direction of one spell. 

Overcome with joy, she had rushed Eldrian again. Who this time didn't attempt to escape, instead he shared in her joy. His first student had managed to actually control a spell. He was almost just a thrilled as her. 

'This proves that others can do it too. I might still be more talented or have a special ability, but I am not alone!' 

With that, the two started theory crafting, night arriving before they even realized. Not wishing to stop the conversation, Eldrian invited her to his home. 

Of course, this all caused quite the scene in Miracle. 

...

"Vivian, you're back!" Eldrian smiled and quickly went to hug her and ask how the trip was. 

"Nothing special, which is great. Dad is also doing good, and who is this?"

"Myropsis, a pleasure," Myropsis answered, nodding in greeting. 

"Join us, we made a breakthrough in controlling mana," Eldrian said, and as soon as Vivian heard this all her questions about the beautiful lady disappeared. 

The three immediately went to the study, where Eldrian asked the maids to make them a bunch of snacks and tea. 

Enjoying the treats and tea while talking, the night flew by and the next day arrived. Sadly, they couldn't continue their conversation as tonight was the gala. They were all going, and everyone needed some rest and time to prepare. 

Waving them goodbye, Eldrian continued to mull over the discussion. However, just five minutes later Vivian barged into his room. 

"I knew it! Eldrian, you can't go like that. Did you even bother to get some proper clothes?"

"What's wrong with these?" Eldrian asked and Vivian felt like facepalming. 

"Are the stains invisible to you?" She asked instead and looking down Eldrian blushed as he realized how clumsily he had been eating while talking magic. "Besides, it isn't formal attire. You need to get something proper for the gala."

"How would I know what's proper?" Eldrian asked while Vivian was pushing him out of his study. 

"Go to a tailor specialized in noble attire. They will be able to help you, and don't come back before!"

'Hey, this is my house!'  Eldrian shouted, though only in his mind. Grumbling a bit in dissatisfaction, he headed to the noble district to get a change of clothes that would be adequate. 

While he wasn't stingy about his money, he did feel that the clothes were ridiculously expensive. They had nothing magical to them, yet they were comparable in price to some magical items. 

"Come on, there is no way this is 3 gold." Eldrian said, pointing to the black and bright blue noble 'suit' the person was offering him to try out. 

"But of course it is worth this much. Not only..." The tailor quickly threw a bunch of words at Eldrian that made no sense. Words such as it was made from this and this special fabrics and woven in this and this special way. 

"Ugh! Fine." Relenting, Eldrian finally agreed to try it on. Still unwilling to pay so much but not seeing another way back into his house. 

"With that, I recommend this pair of shoes. Made from the hide of drake, it is of the finest quality."

"Oh, it's made from a drake?" Eldrian quickly used mana sense, only to be disappointed when it showed him it was just normal shoes. 

The tailor wasn't trying to pull one over him, it was indeed made from a drake's hide. But, they had basically butchered the hide. Turning it into shoes and not armor. Certainly not a magical item. 

"How much?" Eldrian asked, already feeling his inventory wallet bleeding. 

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