“Gasp.”
“That’s…”
What emerged from Cain’s hand was the massive head of a snow leopard.
Gasps could be heard from all around as they watched Cain holding the head of the dead snow leopard by its fur.
‘What, what? Is that really Young Master Cain?’
‘That doesn’t seem like the Young Master Cain I knew.’
‘He didn’t usually go out much, but this past month we barely saw him at all… What on earth happened during that time?’
Before they could even process the fact that Cain had hunted a snow leopard, they were frozen by the sight of him casually lifting up the blood-dried snow leopard head without any hesitation.
They didn’t even have time to question whether Cain had really hunted the snow leopard himself.
While no one could speak, Blake Sears was the first to collect himself.
“…What exactly are you holding right now?”
“A snow leopard’s head.”
“I mean, why are you holding it?”
At those words, Cain’s expression became slightly sullen.
“Didn’t you tell me to hunt one, my lord?”
“I did?”
At Cain’s words, everyone’s gaze focused on Blake Sears.
Whispers could be heard from various directions.
“The family head ordered the young master to do such a thing?”
“Hunting a snow leopard is a test that requires at least the proficient stage of 2nd Circle.”
“Right. Wasn’t he not even sure if he could complete a circle, let alone take a test?”
“The family head must have really made up his mind to banish him this time…”
They seemed to think Blake Sears had finally made a truly ruthless decision this time.
“Quiet!”
When Blake Sears couldn’t stand it anymore and shouted, silence fell again.
Blake Sears waited for Cain’s answer.
Cain spoke calmly.
“Yes. You clearly declared that if I didn’t bring results within a month, you would banish me. There are exactly two days left until the deadline, and I was planning to quietly complete the test beforehand and report to you separately, but…”
Cain looked around as he spoke.
“It seems the timing was unfortunate. I didn’t know there would be an event that would bring everyone out and gather like this at this hour.”
“…”
Blake Sears let out a deep sigh.
He wasn’t sure where exactly the story had gone wrong, but he felt it was already too late to correct everything one by one.
“Fine. Good. Let’s say I told you to hunt one. So you’re saying you really achieved at least 2nd Circle in just one month and hunted that snow leopard by yourself?”
“Yes.”
“And you expect me to believe that now?”
“Yes.”
Cain lifted up the snow leopard’s head without hesitation.
“That’s why I brought evidence.”
The fur singed in places by Fire Needle flames. And inside the snow leopard’s open mouth, traces where Fire Arrow had pierced through remained intact.
As the head of the Sears family, he would be able to clearly picture the battle without seeing it, just by looking at those traces and knowing what magic was used and how.
Blake Sears alternately looked at the snow leopard’s head and Cain, then nodded as if he understood what had happened. After a moment, he spoke.
“Good. But it’s also true that no one directly witnessed you hunting the snow leopard. So, cast the spells you used when hunting the snow leopard right here. Since you hunted it, that should be simple enough.”
“Understood.”
Cain set down the snow leopard’s head and lightly extended one hand with his palm facing the sky.
“Fire Needle.”
With a clear incantation, over ten Fire Needles were generated almost simultaneously above his palm.
Creating more than ten Fire Needles so easily was impossible with early 2nd Circle ability.
Moreover, each Fire Needle held an even amount of mana, and their sharpness was no less than well-forged steel needles.
Of course, only a few including the family head immediately noticed such details, but the disciples and servants present were wide-eyed just from the fact that Cain had successfully cast Fire Needle, a 2nd Circle spell.
“…My goodness. It was real.”
“The young master cast 2nd Circle magic…”
“Then he really was the one who hunted that snow leopard…?”
“And judging by the size, it looks like an adult.”
“Someone who didn’t even have a circle achieved 2nd Circle in just one month? Does that make sense?”
Blake Sears glanced at the Fire Needles and gestured.
“Next.”
“Yes. Fire Arrow.”
The Fire Needles instantly disappeared like a mirage, and mana immediately gathered again to form an arrow.
Though it was just one arrow, the density of mana contained within it was thicker than over ten Fire Needles combined.
The brilliantly blazing Fire Arrow was impressive even to servants who knew little about magic.
Even the disciples who had been uncertain after briefly seeing the Fire Needles had to acknowledge the Fire Arrow.
“To think that guy could really use Fire Arrow.”
“Damn it. Since when has that bastard…”
“The magic itself is decent, but still, for someone with no combat experience to hunt a snow leopard in actual battle…”
“I’ve never even tried hunting a snow leopard alone…”
But this time too, Blake Sears just glanced at the Fire Arrow and nodded slightly.
“That’s enough.”
Then he turned around and spoke in a booming voice to the people watching him.
“Listen, all of you here!”
Though it wasn’t an official declaration in Sears Hall, everyone closed their mouths and focused on the family head’s words.
“Cain Sears has produced appropriate results within the deadline, so as declared, I will withdraw the banishment. And…”
Blake Sears looked at Cain and said.
“Starting tomorrow, prepare for Cain Sears to receive education on the second floor of the East Wing. That is all!”
The family head’s seventh son, who had been driven to the brink of banishment and had been hiding around without completing even one circle.
The disciples were momentarily frozen by the fact that he had not only avoided banishment but had been recognized as a mage by the family head and would immediately enter the second floor of the East Wing.
‘Even though he can use 2nd Circle magic, going straight to the second floor without even going through the first floor.’
‘I struggled on the first floor for half a year before passing the test and barely moving up…!’
‘Still, it’s East Wing business, but can even the family head make such a decision without saying a word to the instructor?’
‘I’m jealous…’
When the disciples hesitated, Blake Sears frowned.
“What’s wrong? Do you have complaints about my decision?”
“N-no!”
“Then we’ll be going inside!”
“Oh right, I had some work I was doing earlier, I need to go finish it quickly…”
The disciples who made eye contact with the family head immediately fled the scene.
The servants also returned to work, leaving only Alice and Nefti watching Cain and Blake Sears from a short distance away.
Blake Sears spoke to Cain, who was standing there blankly.
“Cain.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Seeing Cain still answer without hesitation, Blake Sears sighed.
“The achievement you showed was truly remarkable. The precision of Fire Needle and Fire Arrow reached a proficient level, perhaps even beyond. You’ve been out of sight, so it seems you had your own thoughts.”
“Thank you.”
“However, there was no need to take such risks and cause such a commotion.”
Blake Sears thought Cain had deliberately used his vague words of ‘show results’ to prove his abilities to everyone at once.
In fact, Blake Sears had vaguely said ‘show results’ in his declaration in case Cain succeeded in casting ‘Fire’ but failed in coordinate changes and couldn’t move it, or in the worst case, couldn’t even maintain it after implementation.
Since he had made the declaration officially in Sears Hall, even he as the family head couldn’t reverse it, so he had prepared some leeway.
But he hadn’t expected that those words would be used to cause such an incident.
“If you were going to do this, you should have reported privately and quietly taken guards with you. Didn’t you know everyone was looking for you because no one knew where you were?”
At those words, Cain showed a surprised expression for the first time.
“You were looking for me? Surely…”
And then.
“I’m sorry, my lord!”
Alice ran over and knelt before the family head, her face pale.
“It’s my fault. This happened because I misunderstood the young master’s words. The young master clearly said he was going to show results, but I made my own judgment…”
“Enough. I understand. So that’s what happened.”
Blake Sears nodded, confirming that it had been planned so meticulously that even Alice was kept in the dark.
“Since you returned safely, I won’t hold you or Alice responsible for this matter anymore. However, Cain. Since you’ve caused such a commotion, you’ll need to continue showing solid results going forward.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Blake Sears finished speaking with a stern face and returned to the family head’s quarters.
Returning to his office, he collapsed into his chair and leaned back.
Perhaps from busily running around looking for Cain and worrying, fatigue was already washing over him.
But there was an undeniable smile hanging at the corners of his mouth.
Knock, knock.
“My lord, it’s Rowen. May I come in?”
“Come in.”
Blake Sears quickly composed his expression back to normal.
Soon Rowen, the instructor who would be teaching Cain, entered and paid his respects to the family head.
“I heard you’re sending Cain Sears straight up to the second floor. I didn’t see it myself, but has Cain really reached that level…?”
“Yes. If you can’t believe it, you can confirm it with your own eyes tomorrow.”
Rowen saw Blake Sears’ mouth twitch slightly upward and immediately bowed his head.
“No. If it’s your judgment, my lord, it must be correct. More than that…”
Then he raised his head and smiled.
“Congratulations, my lord.”
“Oh come now. What do I have to be congratulated for? If you’re going to congratulate someone, go to Cain. It’s his own achievement.”
“Understood. Then.”
When Rowen withdrew, silence fell over the room again.
Blake Sears let out a low chuckle again.
“…The boy can do it when he tries. Heh heh.”
The Fire Needle and Fire Arrow that Cain used were at the level of perfect proficiency in the 2nd Circle.
There was no way he could have reached this level in just one month from having no circle, so Cain had probably been steadily training and waiting for this moment even before the declaration.
‘Actually, just looking at the traces left on the snow leopard’s head, there was no need to demonstrate the casting.’
He had him cast directly to show his skills to the disciples and servants with their own eyes.
“Right. Whose son is he that he wouldn’t have talent?”
Finally, Cain had bent his stubbornness and learned flame magic.
His eyes had deepened somehow, and his attitude had become more serious than ever before.
Blake Sears was more than satisfied with the current situation.
Now things had gone as he wanted.
Things had gone as he wanted, and as he thought was right for the family.
However.
‘It’s a bit bitter.’
The smile that formed at his lips at the end carried a slight bitterness.
* * *
After the family head left, only Cain, Alice, and Nefti remained in the northwestern clearing.
“Young master…”
Alice looked at Cain with a face that seemed ready to cry at any moment.
‘The young master got in trouble because of me.’
Whether Cain had misunderstood the family head’s command or had done it deliberately didn’t matter.
Alice had interpreted Cain’s words on her own, caused a commotion within the family, and put Cain in an unwanted situation.
“…”
Cain looked directly at Alice but said nothing.
‘He must be angry.’
It was fortunate that Cain had successfully hunted the snow leopard and demonstrated magic, but if he hadn’t been able to, Cain would probably have been severely scolded by the family head and humiliated in front of everyone.
She deserved any punishment for this incident.
With that thought, Alice opened her mouth.
And tried to apologize.
“I’m sor…”
Then Cain spoke.
“I’m sorry, Alice.”
“What…?”
Alice’s eyes widened at the unexpected words.
“I made things difficult for you due to my poor communication. I should have explained in more detail.”
In his previous life, he had been a mage with the greatest talent on the continent. He never forgot any technique once he saw it, and he never made calculation errors.
When he solved formulas according to theory, one fixed answer was derived, and that answer was the same anywhere, anytime, as long as no additional variables existed. Cain liked that.
But conversation with people was different.
Even the same words, spoken without a single particle wrong, could be interpreted completely differently.
He sometimes faced misunderstandings because of this, but in his previous life, he ultimately failed to improve. It wasn’t that he didn’t try, but according to his disciples’ testimony, nothing seemed to change.
And there was only one thing such a Cain could do.
Simply express his thoughts and feelings honestly.
Cain approached Alice, who was still kneeling, and helped her up.
“Don’t blame yourself. I’m always grateful to you. Don’t you always cheer me on and try to assist me by my side?”
-Young master! Fighting today too!
-You can definitely do it!
-Is your lunch box enough? If it’s not, I’ll bring more to the training room anytime!
-Nefti, the young master likes lemon madeleines… Could you teach me how to make them?
-The young master has such a pretty smile, but I haven’t seen it at all lately. Nefti, should I try telling a joke? What happens when a radish cries? It becomes blunt!
-Sister, stop it.
“I also know you’re always working hard where I can’t see. So… hm?”
Cain was about to continue when he looked at Alice with a flustered face.
Tears were streaming down Alice’s eyes.
“Why, why are you crying? Was it that troublesome? The family head said he wouldn’t hold you responsible anymore. If he happens to change his mind, I’ll petition the family head…”
“Young master!”
Alice hugged Cain as she was and burst into tears.
Those tears contained all the worry she had carried until now.
“No, young master. Don’t apologize to me. sob Just knowing you returned safely puts my mind at such ease. sniff Looking and looking for you… when I returned to your room, sniff the dagger on your desk was gone… I was worried you might have had bad thoughts sob…”
Alice continued to mutter through her tears, but from the middle onward, her pronunciation became so garbled that it was impossible to understand what she was saying.
But Cain quietly listened to Alice’s words until the end.
“sniff Oh, s-sorry, young master. Without realizing…”
Alice, who had been hugging Cain tightly, hurriedly stepped back and corrected her posture as soon as her crying subsided.
Cain didn’t mind and bent down to pick up the basket placed beside Alice.
“This is… lemon madeleines. I was just getting hungry, so this works out well.”
“Ah, young master! Those have already gone cold…”
She had carried them around the entire time searching, worried that Cain, who hadn’t even eaten breakfast, might be hungry, and because of that, the madeleines had already become hard and crumbly from the cold wind.
“When we get back, I’ll make fresh ones right away…”
“Mm.”
Alice tried to hurriedly stop Cain from eating the madeleine, but Cain had already taken a big bite.
Soon, Cain chewed and swallowed the crumbly madeleine, smiled at Alice, and gave his honest opinion.
“It’s delicious. Really.”
