As Sam looked at Sarah, who sat across from him with an expression that bordered on lethargy, he realized something he had known for a long time: he was still out of his depth when it came to politics.
He understood that politics was a game he hadn't truly played yet, and therefore, it was impossible to draft a complete, flawless plan in a single sitting. It would be far better to deal with Lawrence directly to determine the actual course of action.
"I know it sounds like I'm explaining a plot from a cartoon series," Sam said, "but I really need some time with Lawrence to determine exactly what we can and cannot do."
Sarah understood Sam's words. After all, he wasn't a machine designed to churn out genius plans in a split second; anyone who believed that would be completely delusional.
In fact, her entire strategic planning department had stalled on this issue.
Their final "solution" was a desperate attempt to bribe the investigation leaders.
As absurd as it seemed to everyone, no one dared to propose a new plan, fearing they would be the ones held responsible if it failed.
Even if they couldn't acquire the Cresto Company, they would still hold their current market share no matter what.
Consequently, Sarah wasn't in a rush; she accepted that failure was part of the equation and that winning all the time was an impossible reality.
"I am perfectly fine with that... Do your best. You can enjoy your food, and I will arrange a meeting with Lawrence whenever you wish."
Sam thought for a moment.
Since Clara would inevitably be late as usual, he decided he would be happier doing something productive rather than just sitting around.
Tomorrow, he was scheduled to receive his rewards from the System, having opted to collect them on a weekly basis rather than daily.
This left him with some free time. So, why not spend it with Sarah? Whether it was for work or dinner, Sam ultimately enjoyed his favorite pastime: spending time with a beautiful woman.
Even though Sam was growing accustomed to Sarah, he didn't fully trust her yet.
While Sarah was wiser than Clara, Clara was someone he could control in one way or another. Sarah, on the other hand, was a massive "variable" looming on the horizon—and he wasn't willing to take unnecessary risks.
Meanwhile, the protagonist, Edmund, had gone on a leave of absence. It was strange for a student to request leave less than two weeks after the start of the semester, but the process was surely facilitated given his status as a Prince.
Edmund was currently on a journey to find equipment that would boost his strength, just as he did in the original novel.
However, it wouldn't be that simple; he would return in two months only to face severe punishment for his absence.
Because of this, Sam felt the field was now clear for him to enter the Academy without issues, especially since he would be forced to accompany Clara starting tomorrow. He decided to seize the moment, gather information from Lawrence, and settle the matter once and for all.
"The food was delicious, thank you."
Sam explained his schedule to Sarah, and she didn't object.
She had never argued about his service to Clara in the first place, realizing that Clara desperately needed Sam to guide her properly. Thus, she listened to his plan to head to Lawrence's house immediately to hold a meeting and determine their course of action.
Inside the car, Sarah shifted her glamorous appearance back into her usual "Loli" form. Sam already knew that she hid her true identity from everyone except her most trusted inner circle. Using a flash of brilliant, shimmering magic, she adjusted both her clothing and her physical stature.
Sam glanced at his status interface, checking his Mana stats.
Mana: 23
His Mana had indeed increased thanks to the Mana Absorption technique provided by the System, but he had no way of knowing how his current level compared to Sarah's magic.
"What is your magic level?" Sam asked. "I mean, does changing your clothes and appearance require a very high level of magic?"
"You wouldn't understand levels because you haven't studied Mana yet," she replied dismissively.
In response, Sam raised his hands, and a faint glow emanated from both of his arms. Sarah's eyes widened in surprise, and she looked at him with deep suspicion.
"How...?" she whispered. "When I examined you to check your health while you were drunk, I didn't see a single trace of magic in your body. When exactly did you learn to use Mana?"
Sam was caught off guard—he hadn't realized she had examined his body so thoroughly, and he felt incredibly foolish.
"It's been about a week," he muttered.
Sarah simply didn't believe him.
Sarah's eyebrows furrowed with even deeper suspicion, and Sam felt something strange happening within her gaze.
"So, you aren't lying," she muttered.
Sarah rested her face in her hands and let out a short laugh before looking at him again. "Do you realize what this means? If my eyes aren't deceiving me and this is real... I think we should be careful."
It was quite shocking for Sarah.
Although Sam's current level was mere child's play to her, it was certainly not the level of someone who had only been learning Mana for a single week.
What made it even more difficult to grasp was that he lacked a magical foundation—meaning his Mana was forming naturally within his body without a magic circle.
So, what is the source of his Mana?
After a moment of thought, Sarah spoke up. "Can you give me the technique you're practicing?"
Sam looked at her, seeing the doubt in her eyes.
Damn, she probably thinks I'm practicing some kind of demonic technique or something, he thought.
He wondered if the System allowed its techniques to be handed over to outsiders.
[ The System authorizes the request of the Masters from the host and approves it, provided it is not for sale. ]
Good.
Sam leaned in toward Sarah's ear and whispered the rules of the "Exclusive Servant's Mana Absorption Technique."
When he finished, he found her expression to be complex.
Finally, she parted her lips to speak.
"Did you rob the tomb of a Seventh-Circle mage?"
Sam shook his head vigorously, waving his hands in total denial.
"No, no! I swear, I'm the one who invented this!"
Even though it was a creation of the System, he felt entitled to claim intellectual property rights.
After all, the System belonged to him in the end. While it seemed illogical, it was the closest thing to the truth.
As Sarah reflected on it for a moment, she realized his words weren't entirely far-fetched. She felt something was off about his claim, but as she analyzed the exact formula of the technique and its core principles, she found it to be incredibly beneficial—specifically for servants.
It focused on strengthening joints, increasing physical longevity, and completely cleansing the lungs and limbs of any human impurities.
It was terrifyingly precise, measured to a degree that felt entirely natural, as if it had always existed this way.
If the full formula could be extracted from Sam, they could market it to every servant to train in Mana, yielding immense benefits.
As she looked at him, she calmed her racing thoughts.
Ultimately, she didn't want to exploit him, even for purely financial gain.
"Congratulations on the technique," she said with a light chuckle. "Since you've invented one for yourself, surely the next one will be for me, right?"
Sarah was merely joking.
Though she suspected Sam hadn't created the technique from scratch but rather modified an existing one—which was the most logical conclusion—it was still a terrifying prospect. She joked only to lighten the mood, but on Sam's end, someone took the joke very seriously.
[ WARNING! WARNING! ]
[ The weekly reward for master Sarah Smorguth has been determined. Based on the Master's request, the host will be granted the 'Fire Queen's Mana Absorption Technique' book ahead of the original scheduled reward time. The remaining penalty will be imposed on the host. ]
The System had automatically taken Sarah's joke as a formal request for a technique.
Even though Sarah, in reality, would never need a technique from someone like Sam—who was, after all, just a servant—the System granted it to her.
It treated the request as part of the weekly reward he was supposed to receive in three days.
The problem with daily rewards was that if no major or pivotal event occurred during the day, the "Master" would feel no satisfaction, and Sam would end up with nothing. He had experienced this enough to decide on accumulating his rewards weekly, just to ensure he received something substantial. But now, this damn System had snatched his hard-earned reward and handed it to Sarah instead.
Damn it all... Sam cursed inwardly.
When the two arrived at Lawrence's manor, the car doors opened, and they stepped out together. As they reached the gate, Sarah signaled Sam to ring the bell. Seconds later, the door was opened by an elderly servant with an icy, emotionless expression.
"What do you want?" the servant asked bluntly.
However, as soon as Sarah stepped into view, the servant's demeanor shifted instantly. "Ah, Lady Sarah Smorguth! My sincerest apologies for not recognizing you immediately..."
Sarah ignored the apology and went straight to the point. "Where is your master?"
A look of deep anxiety crossed the servant's face, and he struggled to find the words. "I am sorry, Lady Sarah..."
"Sorry for what? Where is your master?" she demanded.
The servant sighed, his voice heavy. "The master went to the hospital this morning... and he is currently on his way to the airport with his family to leave the Kingdom."