The Romance Fantasy Novel MC is Only Into Me

Ransell recalled a conversation he had long ago with his sister.

“Huh? Mana Circle? What’s that? There’s something like that?”
It vaguely revealed how little she understood about magic as a genre. His sister didn’t even know the concept of a “circle.”
“A circle is like a kind of number that classifies a mage’s power level, and as the circle goes up, stronger magic and so on…”

He explained at length, but his sister’s reaction remained lukewarm. She seemed uninterested and found the academic explanation boring.
“So basically it’s some kind of round thing?”
“…?”
In the end, the concept of “circle” was applied in a slightly unusual way in this game, according to his sister’s understanding.

The compass-shaped object Marigold held was exactly that.
“Uuuugh!”
Marigold strained so hard her face flushed bright red, but naturally the compass needle didn’t move at all.

“Haahhh!”
She pushed herself so much it seemed her face might burst, until finally Zenis declared a doctor’s stop.
“Enough, enough. You’ll pop your eyeballs out if you keep going, you brat.”
“…Master, I think this thing is broken. It’s impossible for it not to respond this much.”
“Let me see.”

As soon as Zenis took the compass, Marigold’s raised eyebrows immediately drooped toward the ground.
Vrrrrr!
The compass slowly started to spin. Precisely five and a half rotations.

“Circle 5.”
This was called the “fifth rank” here.
1st to 2nd rank were low-level mages.
3rd to 4th rank were mid-level mages.
From 5th rank and up were considered high-level mages.

Zenis himself was a high-level mage.
He was a senior of the school, a professor at the academy, and the benchmark for receiving the baron title from the royal family.
“Looks fine to me.”
“…Should be broken…”
Marigold, dejected, mumbled and looked thoroughly crushed.

Unable to bear it, Ransell intervened.
“Well, if you train hard, you might at least enter the basics of magic. Don’t be too discouraged, Mary.”
“…I shouldn’t take comfort from a knight…”
What?

“You little—!”
“Ow!”
Zenis swung a teaspoon that struck Marigold’s forehead.
“Stop spouting nonsense and bring me some tea again, you brat!”

Marigold clutched her forehead and headed toward the kitchen. Ransell quietly closed his eyes.
‘She has no talent but pursues becoming a mage, and even though she’s not a mage yet, she’s already filled with hatred for knights.’
Or maybe it’s the other way around. Because she hates knights, she wishes to become a mage.
He wasn’t sure.

“How can she possibly pass the academy like that?”
Zenis clicked his tongue.
“Academy? Mary applying to the magic department?”
“Of course she will. Applications are open, but at this state, passing is a dream.”
“What are the passing requirements?”
“Magic of at least first rank.”
“That’s easier than I thought.”
“Well, I wouldn’t call it difficult.”

Indeed, even those who use just barely magical abilities are considered first rank.
The problem was whether someone with no talent could really become first rank.
“When is the entrance exam?”
“In about three months. Mary’s sixteen this year, so if she fails this exam, she’ll never have a chance again.”

The academy.
Ransell stroked his chin.
‘This time, spending time at the academy might be good.’

Yes. “Fallen Noble Lady Simulation” was a game that held plenty of events inside the academy.
Since talented commoners and noble children gathered there, it was worth Ransell squeezing himself in once.
‘Might as well give it a try.’

Do it first. Then find a decent route inside. That was Ransell’s goal, so there was no reason to avoid it.
It wasn’t too hard to get in either.
‘No problem for me since I can enter as an instructor in knight studies.’

Marigold was brewing tea with a pout. That girl was the problem.
“If you prepare hard from now, maybe you can pass?”
Zenis shook his head.

“No chance.”
This was hopeless.
 
“I’m here again.”
“Sir Ransell! Welcome!”

Since that day, Ransell had visited Baron Zenis’s mansion from time to time. Under the pretext of investing gold coins in the airship research.
Since he could get money anytime through Baron Evil Shen, this was the most comfortable excuse.
Thanks to that, Ransell was always given a grand welcome by Baron Zenis.

“To think you take my research so seriously! If only all knights were like you, Sir Ransell! Please come stay anytime.”
After the investment abruptly stopped following the palace fire incident, Ransell had been the one to continue it voluntarily. After about a week, Zenis even gave him a room permanently.
Of course, Ransell had no interest whatsoever in Baron Zenis’s airship research. He only hoped it wouldn’t cause another accident if it ever worked for real.

“Where is Mary?”
He was only curious about the whereabouts of Marigold, who was practicing bizarre mana cultivation techniques every day.
———
[Fallen Noble Lady Simulation]

Schedule for the second week of August:
Mon – Magic class. (Location: Baron Zenis’s mansion)
Tue – Mana charging practice. (Location: Fallow field)
Wed – Mana charging practice. (Location: Lake)
Thu – Magic class. (Location: Baron Zenis’s mansion)
Fri – Mansion cleaning.
Sat – Assistant for Zenis’s magic research.
Sun – Assistant for Zenis’s magic research.
※Magic is awesome! Magic is the best! I want to use magic as soon as possible!
———

Watching Marigold’s daily life, she seemed 33% like a maid, 33% like an assistant, and 33% like a disciple.
She did simple household chores like cleaning and cooking, but occasionally received magic lessons from Zenis.
On the twice-a-week breaks when Baron Zenis left for the academic society,

Marigold researched her own mana cultivation method…
“What is she doing?”
To Ransell’s eyes, it looked like nonsense.

“The earth’s energy is coming to me… The earth’s mana is flowing in… flowing in… flowing in…! The earth god’s mana is raging… raging…”
Tuesday.
Her voice came from Marigold buried in the soil of the fallow field.

Ransell watched from a distance.
“Hoo-ya… hoo-ya…”
She soon started snoring.

‘Sleeping like that.’
Mana cultivation methods varied slightly among academic societies and mages in this world, but Ransell had never seen anyone like her. Only Marigold showed such eccentric behavior.
Burying herself in mud to gather mana. Even after hundreds of years alive, this was a first for Ransell.

============
— Congratulations! Marigold’s skin gained beauty effects from the mud pack! Her skin is sparkling and marble-like!
※Charm and allure increased! Grace decreased!

============
‘…Well, something did go up.’
Better than nothing at all, right? Ransell forced himself to think so as he looked at Marigold sound asleep.

“Is there a woman here?”
“What? A woman?”
Ransell had just shooed away some loitering ruffians nearby.
“Hm?”

Marigold suddenly jolted awake. The sun was already setting.
“I feel… I feel like my mana is building up!”
Clenching her fists, Marigold’s eyes burned with determination.

‘Has it really built up?’
Ransell chuckled dryly.
...

The next day.
“Hey! I heard there’s someone floating in the lake! You’re coming with me to the guard station!”
“Yes, yes?! I’m just practicing magic…”
“Don’t talk nonsense and come out!”
“Ah, wait!”
Marigold, who was floating in the lake gathering mana, was being apprehended.

She was charged with trespassing in a noble-only area.
“Stand straight. You’re coming with me to the guard station.”
“I-I’m just an apprentice mage researching magic…!”
“Shut up!”
‘Mary sure gets into trouble.’

Eventually, only after Ransell intervened was Marigold released from the dungeon.
She emerged with tear-streaked eyes, holding a bowl of oatmeal porridge.
“You should say ‘thank you for rescuing me,’ Mary.”
“…Thank you for rescuing me.”
“Should I add ‘Sir Knight’ at the end?”
“…Sir Knight…”
“I can’t hear you.”
“Knight… Sir Knight…”

Her voice was so soft it sounded {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} like a mosquito’s buzzing. Her expression was soaked with shame.
Apparently, being helped by the knights she hated so much completely shattered her pride. Probably.
“Go return the oatmeal porridge.”
“…Yes.”

Ransell took the defeated Marigold to a nearby restaurant.
They waited quietly amidst the noisy atmosphere for their food.
“Here’s your order.”
“Bring me some honey wine as well.”
“Yes!”

Ransell pointed to the table for Marigold.
“What are you doing? Not eating? You must have starved all day.”
“Won’t you eat, Ransell?”
“I’ll eat when I want, so eat up.”
“Yes…!”
When a plate piled high with meat and bread was placed in front of her, Marigold visibly regained energy.

Watching her eagerly chew and swallow her food, Ransell suddenly spoke.
“Mary, you know you don’t have magic talent, right?”
Cough!
Marigold choked on the blunt question.

“There’s no way you don’t know.”
Ransell sipped the honey wine and continued.
“Magic is a realm where even if someone without talent tries for a hundred years, they might barely master the basics. Mary, wasting time on impossible things is a waste of life.”
“…”
“In my view, Mary, you’d be better off taking an easier path. With your diligence, you’ll find something that suits you better.”

Give up magic.
Ransell tested the waters.
No matter how much the protagonist buff might fix things, Marigold’s talent wasn’t enough to become a great mage.

At best, an average mage.
That was meaningless.
That was just a normal ending.

A chapter where she was naturally born with talent would definitely come along at some point later. Aiming for that was much more efficient.
If she had talent, she might become a great mage and reach the true ending.
Judging by Marigold’s limitless potential, it wasn’t impossible. Whenever that chapter came.

“I’m saying this because I don’t want you to waste your life, Mary. Even if you don’t like a knight’s advice, take it to heart.”
Right.
Marigold’s time was too precious to waste on talentless things. It was obvious she’d just end up unhappy without accomplishing anything.

Ransell didn’t want to see her like that. That was his true intention.
“I have a goal, Sir Ransell.”
Marigold put down her fork and said,

“I want to become a great mage, someone all the empire’s knights would respect… I want to change my future. I want to do things that only magic can do.”
“That’s too grand a goal for an apprentice mage with no talent.”
“Ugh… I know my dream’s big. But I want to try until the end. Luckily I have a master. Maybe if I learn well, I can do something…”
Being chosen by Baron Zenis was lucky.

Ransell took a sip and gazed at Marigold’s face. He suddenly sensed impatience there.
Her previous experiences from past chapters must have affected her somehow.
‘Because of the war? Though it’s not guaranteed it will happen within ten years.’

He only speculated quietly.
“…Is that strange?”
Marigold’s eyes glittered with unexplained moisture as she stared back at him.

“Eat first.”
“…Yes!”
...
The next day.

============
[Fallen Noble Lady Simulation]
Charm 45 -> 49 UP!

Morality 41 -> 39 DOWN.
Grace 30 -> 29 DOWN.
Sensitivity 29 -> 33 UP!

Allure 16 -> 19 UP!
Mana 2.
Strength 16.

Stamina 8.
Faith 31.
Condition 48 -> 29 DOWN.

Karma 0.
Mana Affinity (New!) 0 -> 11 UP!
============

“Huh?”
Ransell doubted his own eyes.
A strange stat appeared.

‘Mana Affinity?’
It was a status he had seen before. But it was somewhat strange that Marigold had it.
And for good reason.

“Isn’t that a stat only for the Ain race?”
Marigold… it seemed she had gone beyond human standards.