I Couldn’t Afford to Buy Mana, so I Started Streaming

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“Fuu, it’s hot. Thank you, Security Guard! Goodbye!”

“Hey, you’ve worked hard today too, Wizard.”

I draped a damp towel around my neck and gulped down ice water.

It’s been three days since I started serious training at the Gaepodong Citizen Comprehensive Training Arena.

Swoosh—

A group of foreign individuals were bustling inside the building.

“What’s up with that?”

They definitely seemed to glance my way.

The very act of trying to avoid my gaze felt suspicious.

And the next day too.

A group of foreigners had booked right after my time slot.

They were waiting in the audience seating for my training to finish.

“Is this for real?”

I hadn’t really cared if the Magic Duel Club members watched my training.

It was kind of a fan service, and as long as they weren’t filming, it didn’t matter.

‘Still, this is way too blatant.’

They were probably coaches sent over from Austria or Egypt.

It hasn’t been long since the news about the National Exchange Tournament spread, and already they were spying and checking me out.

This was a stark contrast to last year when absolutely no one cared.

‘What am I supposed to do now?’

It was no good trying to operate in Korea, and the US was no different.

The training arenas in Texas were probably booked solid with local adaptation training going on at this time.

I couldn’t exactly go to Luxembourg, which lacks training facilities.

On the way home in a driverless taxi,

I accidentally caught sight of an ad on the rear monitor.

An animation featuring an increased number of polar bears drinking cola and being happy together.

Whoosh—

The crisp carbonation sound hit my eardrums.

I found myself opening my internet browser and started searching for something.

* * *

[Wow, you’ve suffered for a year without me. How lonely must it have been?]

[You know… Sigh. I’m just so happy to have been born in the same world as Mom.]

Honk honk—

“Hwaah…!”

A car zoomed past Luri.

A vehicle just out of the parking lot was racing through the apartment complex at quite a speed.

Zap—

[Next time I see you, I’ll kill you, SBN허8511 Kia Nexus 5…]

My pupils turned into long vertical slits.

On the way back from the mart after grocery shopping,

Luri looked all lost in thought, unable to even look straight.

And understandably so.

[Zanjeol CEO NoName unveils tanning feature at the VaRia Dream Capsule event]

[The hot topic program ‘The World’s Best Magic Duel Tournament’… The ‘Bloodline Skill’, trendy in the US]

[NoName, confirmed participation as a member of the Luxembourg National Exchange Tournament Committee in Texas]

Na-me was extremely busy.

‘You’re so busy we hardly ever get to face each other.’

Luri lamented.

But as her loyal attendant, it was absolutely unacceptable to obstruct Mom’s path.

And there was a reason Luri had emphasized the word ‘each other’ here.

Ding ding—

Luri opened the entrance door and returned home.

She rolled her eyes around, checking her surroundings before heading straight for Na-me’s Room.

Knock knock—

If there’s no response, it means Na-me is deep in the capsule.

Both Professor Cheon and Cheon Saetbyeol were out of the house at the moment.

Luri hopped onto the capsule and leaned over it.

“Ahhh, so refreshing.”

She kept reassuring herself that it was only to cool off her body, heated by the summer sun, and

soon found herself staring blankly at Na-me’s face through the transparent panel.

Those neatly closed cherry-like lips.

The rhythmic rise and fall of her chest as she took deep, steady breaths.

Observing Na-me, who was deeply asleep, had long since become a familiar hobby and a small secret for Luri.

‘Wait. Was the fan noise this quiet originally…?’

That thought barely crossed her mind when—

“Luri luri luri.”

“Gah…!”

Na-me looked up at Luri with wide, curious eyes, unlike before.

“Uh, since when? Have you been connected to virtual reality this entire time…?”

“Hmm? Oh, right. I was waiting for a software update. I just dozed off for a bit.”

“Ah-ha! I see…”

“What were you doing there?”

“Just… your capsule is so cool. I’m sorry, I’ll get off right away.”

“Hmm…”

Na-me’s lips curled into a smile.

Luri’s heart started racing; she worried that her embarrassing secret had been discovered.

“Were you sitting on the BLD figure because I told you not to?”

“Eh?”

“Okay, I’ll let you sit on it. If it breaks, I’ll just order a new one.”

“Haha, okay… thank you.”

“You’re really cute, Luri.”

Luri forced a shy laugh in response.

Still, it was a hundred times better to be called cute rather than creepy, and she felt relieved as she started to sneak out of Na-me’s room.

“Wait a minute.”

“…!”

That monotonous voice caught Luri again.

The young dragon turned her head with a creak.

“Luri, you… You didn’t mean…”

Luri closed her eyes tightly.

So, this is how I get caught with my tail stepped on, huh.

“You really can’t take the heat, can you?”

“?”

“Right! Dragonia Nascentia can’t change your constitution. Should we go somewhere cooler for a getaway?”

“A getaway… You mean?”

“Yeah. Our whole family. Of course, I’ll be training alongside it.”

“Is the travel destination decided? What’s the duration? What’s the schedule…?”

“I’m thinking about roughly two weeks. It happens to coincide with our company’s vacation season. Plus, I want to avoid using the capsule too much in between.”

Luri almost let out a squeal.

A long-awaited trip with Na-me!

The thought of leaving a silver-haired cat behind surged to her throat, but she quickly exercised restraint.

“Ahem. Sister, is there anything I should prepare? I’ll do my best to help.”

“No need to go that far. Uhm… But if you could just finish the application for Sephiron Academy by this weekend—”

“I’ve already done it.”

Luri handed Na-me the paper.

With a suspicious gaze, Na-me looked it over.

“Did you write it well? If you just write what you think, it could be a disaster. If it says something like, ‘Dragon super-duper humans are all primitive,’ the admissions officers… wrote it well?”

“Fufu.”

Her unexpected well-written piece had elicited admiration from Na-me.

Luri quickly grasped Na-me’s hand.

“If it’s your training… Can I help as well?”

“You?”

“Though it would pale in comparison to my past life, I don’t want to miss the chance to serve you. If you’re satisfied with even me, please feel free to use me as much as you want.”

Being recognized as family by Na-me?

That’s obviously wonderful; it felt like my spirits were flying.

But Luri soon realized.

The fact that she could spend more time with Na-me was not just because they are family but also as comrades.

‘Mom! I need to prove that I, Luri, am necessary!’

If humans pursue success and happiness, Black Dragons chase status.

That’s probably why their ancestors loved war.

On the battlefield, one could discover souls more distinguished and noble than any living creature.

Standing before such souls made it feel like all facades peeled away, exposing the core of existence.

Even the most dignified beings become innocent children.

Life holds no meaning without Na-me.

For Luri, losing Na-me meant that.

The noble soul smiled gently.

“Since we’ll focus on physical training, we won’t be using much aura. That means there will be plenty of areas where Luri can help, right?”

“Yes! I’ll prepare the physical training program right away.”

“Yep, look for good routines. Oh, right, Luri. Please refrain from staring at me like that while I’m sleeping. It’s embarrassing.”

“Ah…”

At that moment, Luri froze in place.

“Meow meow meow? Are we going on a trip?”

Cheon Saetbyeol popped into Na-me’s room all of a sudden.

She placed her hand on Luri’s shoulder, who was maintaining a stiff posture.

“Yeah. It’s summer, so it’s both training and family vacation. You just had your graduation ceremony, didn’t you?”

“Yay! A trip! Where to this time? Where is it? Over there? Here?”

She climbed onto a chair, sliding around, then bounced on the bed,

Cheon Saetbyeol darted around the room with excitement.

“Wahahahahaha! Free at last!”

The girl, liberated from the infinite self-study hell, reveled in her newfound freedom.

* * *

Shuuuuuuuuuuuuun—!

A sharp wind seemed to pierce through to my bones as it howled fiercely.

[Norwegian Svalbard Archipelago]

[North Sea Ice Palace Extreme Magic Training Base]

Drrrrrrr—

“Atchoo! Shoo.”

“Even in summer, it’s cold.”

“I’m sure the North Sea Ice Palace I know was in Russia…”

“Right.”

“But why are these guys suddenly established in the Arctic…?

Saetbyeol’s question was quite valid.

Even I hadn’t known until a few days ago why the descendants of martial artists had been chased as far as Norway.

“Dad?”

The answer came swiftly from the smart Professor Cheon.

“So, about 120 years ago, approximately from 1937 to 1938, people opposed to Stalin’s regime were purged. There were over a million of them; it must’ve been terrible. Those refugees ran all the way here to Norwegian territory.”

“I see… But why did they specifically…”

Cheon Saetbyeol continued to glare at me with a resentful look.

“Oo! Is this the place? Is this the reservation in the name of NoName?”

“Yes! It’s nice and quiet here!”

“Haha. How many would go through the trouble of coming all the way here?”

“But isn’t there anyone?”

“Well, just a bit. We make enough to maintain a signboard for the clan. Hahaha, come on in; it’s cold.”

Norwegian generosity is indeed great.