I stayed in the infirmary all day, catching up on some much-needed sleep.

  After all, this body had just survived a life-and-death ordeal; a little extra rest wouldn't hurt. Moving forward, I’d also need to focus on physical conditioning. Being sixteen and still looking this scrawny and weak just wouldn't do.

  Thinking back to my first isekai experience, I hadn't given this any thought, which led to a lifestyle of erratic habits and poor nutrition. My body never developed properly because of it. By the time I died, I hadn't even reached 5’7”.

  Back on Earth, I was 5’11” tall. I didn't exactly have a six-pack, but I was fit, and I refused to settle for less here.

  When the afternoon bell tolled, I was already standing outside the Class A door to pick up my “young master” after school. Even after an entire day, the hype surrounding the Holy Mark recipients hadn't died down. Glancing at the mob swarming Jullius, I figured I’d be stuck waiting for at least another thirty minutes.

  I don't like waiting. And now that I had a new plan forming in my head, I had to reconsider my status as Jullius's "plus-one."

  Being glued to Jullius's side brought plenty of opportunities, but it was also incredibly restrictive. Furthermore, my plan didn't just involve propping up the right people, it also involved tearing down the wrong ones.

  Yes, I was planning to scout five other candidates better suited for the Hero roles and then boost their stats until they occupied the top five spots on the leaderboard. At the same time, if I could drag down the stats of the original five, even better.

  And I only had one year to pull this off. One year from now, the official investiture would take place, immediately followed by the crusade.

  Approaching other Hero Candidates while acting as the confidant of another candidate didn't make much sense. So I had to distance myself from Jullius first.

  Next, I needed to boost my mana rapidly over the next two days. The third day following the Awakening Day would be the official debut of the Hero Candidates. It usually takes that long to verify the total count across the kingdom, and I needed to see everyone's stats before making my final selection.

  Oh, and I had to recover my strength and train this body.

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  With so much to do, I couldn't afford to waste a single second here!

  With that in mind, I decided to head home early, by Jullius's carriage. I convinced the driver that Jullius was tied up with a professor; he dropped me off at the manor before heading back for the young master.

  What I needed most right now was mana. From what I knew, there were two main ways to replenish it: natural recovery or external absorption. A third, less common method involved a direct transfer from another person, which is actually the mechanism behind healing magic.

  The most common external sources were mana stones and elixirs distilled from them. They were available on the market, but at prices so exorbitant that commoners could barely dream of touching them. Most mana stones were stockpiled in the hands of the Church and the nobility.

  Before burning bridges with Jullius and the Griffin family, I intended to milk every resource they had.

  Upon arriving at the mansion, I walked straight to Jullius's room without a hitch. Since the age of seven, Asher Griffin had been the young master’s most permanent assistant. His presence in Jullius’s private place was nothing out of the ordinary.

  Jullius's private bath contained a secret chamber. In the past, even Asher hadn't been permitted inside. But during my first isekai ten years ago, I’d snuck in once out of pure curiosity. It turned out to be a mana bath pool.

  It’s a secret known to few, but nearly every Great House has a mana pool within their estate. It’s a basin filled with mana elixir intended only for the heads of the family. This is precisely why the rate of mana users among nobles is significantly higher than that of commoners.

  The place was enchanted to allow entry only to those with a high concentration of the family's bloodline. Luckily, my blood was "pure" enough.

  Time was short. I stripped down and dove into the small pool, which radiated a mystical blue light.

  The sensation was beyond words.

  Imagine a cool morning with a light breeze and crisp air, birds are singing in the sky. You’ve just had a perfect night’s sleep after finishing all your deadlines, your bank account has a nine-figure balance, and you’re sitting in a lush meadow sipping a sweet juice.

  This felt even better than that.

  Has Jullius been experiencing this every single day? I was starting to get a little jealous.

  When I felt my mana had stabilized, I pulled up my status board again. Sure enough, the mana gauge had changed to 32/???.

  Then 44/???.

  Then 60/???.

  Hmmm. This level of bliss could be addictive.

  I stopped checking the board and just closed my eyes to savor it. Based on the carriage travel time, it would take at least thirty minutes for Jullius to return. I could indulge a little longer.

  However, only ten minutes later, a problem arose.

  The mystical blue glow emanating from the water was slowly beginning to fade.