For the tenth time today, my mana got depleted.

  And just like the last few times, I proceeded to make it recover by breathing in the ambient form of the energy. It's much easier to accomplish thanks to my magical awakening, which makes me so sensitive to mana that I can feel it enter the pores of my skin.

  Magic is everywhere and everyone is exposed to it on a daily basis. This actually explains why humans and animals here are so much tougher compared to earth, trees too. And rocks. Everything is essentially so much stronger thanks to the effects of ambient magic.

  Places where mana is concentrated amplifies this enhancing effect even more. Leylines are one example, the light house is another.

  When practicing magic, it's better for the mage doing so to be directly on top of the aforementioned magically enhanced areas since their bodies would become naturally capable of conducting mana and I am currently doing that but I don't think I feel any different?

  No stats would be gained from this but that's fine since this is more like an exercise anyway, and stats multiply the existing capabilities of a body, not define it.

  Similarly to how the callouses on the palms of warriors can block sword strikes, my already substantial 85 magic stat will become even more effective the moment my body has adapted to the side effects of casting spells.

  Corruption, while possible, shouldn't affect me despite sitting directly on top of a leyline for hours on end. My magical stat hasn't increased one bit throughout all of this so that means I haven't been exposed to enough raw mana to start mutating.

  Well I say "one bit" but the jump is actually pretty high, I think it gives me 10 magical stats per second? Something like that would have been so good if it didn't bear the risk of mutating me into an abomination.

  Once enough of my mana recovered, I picked up my wand and stood up. Casting [Icicle Spear] over and over again is the quickest way I can drain my mana and it's incredibly effective, my reserves have already started to deplete after just a minute of constant casting.

  Finally, my mana went dry again and I sat cross legged to start recovering my magic. I'd have to repeat this several more times if I want to get the [Magical Recovery] passive, which can turn me from a weak mage into a powerful caster who can spam her spells indefinitely.

  Eventually, I depleted my mana reserves the fifteenth time and I decided then that it's about time that I stopped. Spending any more time practicing like this will put me under threat of corruption.

  Mom had finished cooking when I got home, Laself and Howaph were there too.

  Lately, I've been talking to them about how Laself should be the one to take over my stall in Ghorise and even though they've been saying no to me, I'm confident I can convince them to agree with just a bit more persuasion on my end.

  "Laself, I'm glad that you're with my brother." Like a heat seeking missile, I made a beeline towards the two of them and sat down. Dinner hasn't been served yet so they're just sitting here, awkward.

  "Rontress, if you say that you're gonna stop selling food then don't bother." Howaph shook his head, his tone defiant. "Laself won't agree to it, and neither will I. Continue doing it at least until the end of the year. Maybe after the cull?"

  His suggestion was good, but also not really. I want the two of them to make money while the Day of Piling is at its precipice, where the number of visitors skyrockets to the point of absurdity.

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  "No." As always, my answer only made them both frown and their response caused me to grow the same expression. "Look, you need this more than I do." I tell them, "I'm still young, I have a lot of things I can make money off of, and I'm not saying that you're both incapable but this opportunity is something that you can never get again."

  "Which is why you deserve it more than we do." Laself responded resolutely.

  "I said that you're unable to get this opportunity again." My tongue clicked in soft tsks. "Me though? I can get them as many times as I want, you both deserve this, okay?"

  "Rontress."

  I glared at my brother. "Howaph." He paused, frowned, but ultimately went silent. "Trust me on this one, okay? I'm already a mage, I have my wand, that's a lot more than anyone my age can do! Than anyone your age is capable of even! I want to give this to you, just this once."

  Laself looked conflicted while Howaph looked constipated, but hey, at least they're listening right?

  "But about you?" Laself finally replied, she sounded like she's pushing herself to say that. "Aren't you losing thanks to us? You don't have to take care of us, you know?"

  "That's not why I'm doing this." Kind of. I did want to take care of them, but I also want them to have some source of income since it gives me peace of mind. "And losing? As I said, I'm not losing out on anything."

  "We can agree." Laself finally said, meanwhile Howaph looked like he just got stabbed in the back. "Right as long as you stop doing any more of this afterwards."

  "Yes, that. You should stop this once we take over your stall." Howaph stopped looking like he had a frog in his throat and is now eagerly nodding. "You don't have to take care of us, Rontress, you can focus on yourself."

  "Believe me, I know what I'm doing." Why are they insisting that I'm losing out on this? I'm not. "Okay? So, with that being said, how about you stop spear fishing for now Howaph? You need to go with Laself."

  "Huh?" Howaph raised an eyebrow. "Why would I even?.."

  "Just listen, okay?" I poked him on the chest. "Think about it, Laself will be going to Ghorise alone." That's not true, Wardcruncha will be there, but for how long? "Do you really want that? You need to think about her safety, too. And also she's the one who's going to be cooking soon so she needs someone to man the stall in her place."

  Howaph wasn't bad looking, he can probably attract a customer or two if he tried but I didn't plan on letting them work through that on their own. And besides, I'm sick of seeing my stall next to an alley anyway, it needs to be relocated somewhere better.

  "Right... But will dad be okay with that?"

  "Of course?" Why wouldn't he? It's not like dad wasn't doing it way before Howaph was born, does this guy think our father can't spear fish without him?

  "That was a stupid question, sorry." Howaph added with a sigh, "so I guess this means that I'll be going with Laself in the future? Is that okay?"

  Laself met his gaze and nodded, she reached out and held his hand. "More than okay, thank you for being there."

  God why are they so sickeningly sweet? Howaph hasn't even gone to Ghorise with her yet and she's already saying thanks? What the hell? Some people here are single, you know?!

  "Now that that's settled, we should tell dad about it during dinner." I stood up, unable to take this lovey-dovey atmosphere any longer. "He won't mind, I'm pretty sure he'd be proud that you'll be helping out Laself, even."

  Like I said, he didn't mind. Dad came home an hour after we talked and as we ate, Howaph told him about our plans and he only paused for a moment before he nodded, saying: "that's okay, if you want to support Laself then you should."

  See? I told Howaph that our dad wouldn't really be affected by it and I was right. The fact that my brother looked relieved meant that he expected the worst but our dad isn't so controlling that he expects Howaph to take after his job in the future.

  "Thanks, dad." Howaph smiled before going back to eating.

  "As for me, I'm planning on selling monster cores soon." My words caused the table to go silent, I expected this much. "Don't worry, they're only medium in quality."

  "You already have them?" Laself asked, perplexed that I have monster cores in my possession.

  "Yeah? I don't really need to kill monsters personally, I can just make traps and leave them in the forest, I occasionally check them and sure enough, there's a monster held inside. Already dead." Really, being a trapper is one of the best things that could have happened to me. "I have a small pouch of the stuff."

  "And this is why you decided to give your brother the stall, then?" Mom asked, her expression shifting to one of understanding. "Because you found a better source of money."

  "Yep!" I grinned lightly, that and because I'm planning on selling scrolls soon, and those have a better market cap.