“What a sight to behold.”
Hayden, Richter, and those Bederman family bastards too.
When he made a circle, they said he needed to be at least 2nd Circle, and when he reached 2nd Circle, they demanded he prove his skills by sending him to snowy mountains where Ice Trolls ran wild.
When he brought back the head, they couldn’t accept it and pathetically clung to his trouser legs, whining for a duel.
In the end, the sight of them scurrying away in panic after losing everything they had staked was quite entertaining to watch.
This was probably what they meant by “serves them right.”
No matter how he looked at it, it didn’t seem particularly good, so he had once asked his disciples in his previous life why they said “serves them right,” and they explained it should be understood as “serves them right (in my opinion),” which made sense to him.
“Serves them right.”
Speaking it aloud actually seemed to make him feel a bit better.
“Phew. Though I pushed myself a bit too hard just now.”
The technique he used at the end—connecting Fire Walls to create a Fire Road—was actually quite an inefficient method when you thought about it.
It would have been simpler and clearer to set up Fire Walls further forward as defensive barriers to buy time, then compress and accelerate multiple Flame Spheres for a single-point breakthrough.
Or he could have summoned a Flame Sphere right above Hayden’s head and struck down on his crown.
And if it had been a normal duel, Cain would naturally have chosen the efficient method.
But
“This duel required an overwhelming victory.”
An overwhelming and decisive victory that no one could dispute the results of.
“And among the various methods, crushing them head-on with firepower—which the Bederman bastards value most—was the best approach.”
For those who think firepower is truth itself, there’s no simpler way to shut their mouths than to beat them with firepower.
So Cain chose a method that would let him overwhelmingly defeat Hayden, even if it meant pushing himself a bit.
However,
“It feels like all the blood has drained from my body.”
Connecting countless Fire Walls while maintaining control required tremendous mana and mental energy consumption.
Because of this, Cain was now feeling considerable exhaustion.
In his fire-attribute Circle Room, his mana was running low, whimpering as if it would go out at the slightest breath.
His mana circuits, having weathered the storm, were bone dry.
If it weren’t for his steadfast 5th Circle ice-attribute circle, he might have already collapsed.
“Still, this isn’t too bad. I didn’t even need to draw on the mana I had separately stored in my Circle Room.”
Moreover, many eyes were watching the current situation.
Not only the family head and elders, but also instructors and disciples from each floor, even servants had gathered to watch this one duel.
If he could dispel people’s doubts about Cain’s abilities with this opportunity, his future actions would become somewhat easier.
—Having stirred up such a commotion, I’ll need to continue showing solid results going forward.
“I’ve decided not to live only as the quiet, well-behaved, kind, and exemplary disciple I was in my previous life.”
To restore the Sears family to its place among the Four Great Houses and to achieve the unknown realm of 10th Circle himself, there was a mountain of work to be done.
Sigh.
Cain slowly inhaled.
When he flowed non-attribute mana very lightly diluted with high-purity water mana through his mana circuits, vitality gradually returned to his body like a plant stem that had absorbed plenty of cool water.
His slightly blurred vision quickly became clear again.
“Well done.”
While he was briefly savoring that coolness, someone extended their hand in front of him.
It was Instructor Rowen, who had served as the referee.
“Ah, here it is.”
Cain returned the brooch-type protective artifact he had removed after the duel to Rowen’s hand.
“Not that—I was offering to shake hands.”
“Ah.”
When Rowen smiled awkwardly, Cain stiffened for a moment. Then he immediately grasped Rowen’s hand and shook it awkwardly.
Rowen burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! You look like you wouldn’t bleed a drop if cut, but you have surprisingly cute sides too.”
“I’ve heard that fairly often.”
“Hmm? The former, or the latter?”
“Both.”
“I don’t know when you heard that, but those people weren’t quite right in the head either.”
“…It seems like they weren’t.”
Rowen looked at Cain’s serious face and cleared his throat.
“Well, anyway. You did well. Thanks to you, I got to see quite a show.”
Whether he meant Cain’s magic or the sight of the Bederman bastards fleeing with their tails between their legs.
Or perhaps both.
In any case, Rowen patted Cain’s shoulder with a quite satisfied expression.
“The family head will be pleased too. No, he’s already pleased.”
Only then did Cain turn around to look back.
Blake Sears wore a warm smile across his face, unsuited to his rough and stern appearance. He looked truly relieved.
“I don’t know how he managed his expression earlier when the Bederman family head was here.”
The atmosphere that had been briefly dampened by Richter was quickly regaining its vitality after all the Bederman people had left.
“They’re finally gone…!”
“Hey, honestly I couldn’t really feel it until just now. But after seeing the Bederman family head’s expression, it started to feel real.”
“Me too. If anyone had said anything more there, it looked like fireballs would come flying.”
“Earlier I was jumping around excitedly but almost made eye contact for a moment, so I immediately sat down quietly. My spine is still chilled.”
“Why are you so scared? If they didn’t like it, they should have won.”
“Right. Our young master Cain smashed them so thoroughly that they couldn’t find a single fault. That precious Hayden of theirs.”
“Ugh. The way he just crushed 4th Circle magic with pure firepower still gives me chills when I think about it.”
As things quickly became noisy, Blake Sears stood up and turned around, quietly settling the audience.
“While we should naturally be happy that our Cain won the duel, victors should always know how to consider the defeated. Everyone should refrain from showing excessive joy.”
Blake had already managed his expression again.
The audience quickly settled down at his words.
“Ahem, maybe that was a bit much.”
“It was, though.”
“That’s our family head for you. Even when the opponent acted so disgracefully, he’s still magnanimous.”
And while they whispered and marveled.
“Separately from this, although the Bederman family head said we didn’t need to come out, we can’t fail to see off a family that supports us, as a matter of courtesy. Everyone come out and see the Bederman family off to the end.”
Blake Sears said with a slight smile.
Unfortunately, when the Sears family members quickly cleaned up the scene and came out to see them off, the Bederman carriage had already departed.
“They sure are fast.”
The box containing the support funds they had promised to provide was roughly left in the clearing.
Perhaps they hadn’t thought to provide increased support funds, so to make up for the shortage of cash, they had left gold ornaments and some of the white marble they had been trying to take, worth the equivalent amount, beside the box.
“At least they left the support funds properly.”
“I was worried they might stab us in the back until the very end.”
While it was somewhat disappointing not to see their expressions when leaving, the family members were practically bursting with joy just seeing the support fund box before their eyes.
“Philip, Brook. Move it to the treasury immediately.”
“Yes!”
“Understood!”
“I’ll help too!”
The servants moved the support fund boxes and treasures with beaming faces, competing with each other.
“Treasury Manager Lord Todd will be very pleased.”
“When we asked if he wanted to come watch the duel over the support funds, he said he’d rather die of anger and locked himself in the treasury…”
“Hehe, I’m curious about his reaction.”
“Hey, I’ll help move the support funds too!”
“No, they’re not heavy at all? Go back to what you were doing.”
“Why are you being like that between us?”
Following that, other servants and disciples gradually returned to their work or training.
Blake left a few instructors and Cain at the scene.
“Cain.”
“Yes, Family Head.”
“You really did well. No, saying ‘well done’ is too mundane to be sufficient. Thanks to you, we finally got to pay back the Bederman family.”
“Thank you.”
This time Blake looked at the instructors and asked.
“Rowen, Curtis, and Aiden. What do you think?”
“It was an excellent duel.”
“It was my first time seeing it directly, but his skills are considerable.”
Blake asked again.
“Enough to send him straight to the 3rd floor?”
The instructors’ eyes widened at those words.
“Straight there, sir?”
“It hasn’t been long since he was moved straight to the 2nd floor…”
“But thinking about it, he already handles 3rd Circle magic almost perfectly…”
Aiden looked at Cain and asked with genuine curiosity.
“Let me ask one thing. What exactly happened in the snowy mountains that someone who was 2nd Circle became 3rd Circle proficiency level in just a few days? Is this even possible?”
Since he couldn’t say he had absorbed an entire Snowflower Ice Crystal, Cain gave the safest possible answer.
“I suppose it’s because the theory was already in my head.”
It wasn’t actually wrong. Cain had studied magic of all attributes up to 9th Circle.
Rowen supported him from the side.
“I felt this while teaching too, but it seemed like he had already mastered all the theory needed for his current level.”
“He was missing for several years… I don’t know why he only appeared now, but it seems he trained hard during that time. Even so, growing this much alone is surprising.”
Aiden nodded in agreement.
“Anyway, I think it’s fine. At this rate, he’ll probably achieve 4th Circle easily within a few years.”
“If someone else had asked, I would have said no even if their skills were sufficient, but if it’s the family head’s opinion, I won’t particularly object.”
When Curtis, who was in charge of the 3rd floor, agreed, Blake concluded.
“Then we’ll send him to the 3rd floor.”
After the instructors returned, Blake spoke again when only he and Cain remained.
“Cain, I don’t intend to just say ‘well done’ with words alone. Sending you to the 3rd floor without an exam—considering the difficulty of what you accomplished this time, it can’t really be called a reward. If there’s something you want, tell me.”
“Something I want?”
“Right. If it’s something I can grant, I will.”
Something he wanted.
What he wanted immediately was free access to read up to the top floor of the archives, or to hear directly from Blake himself about the family’s past… but he couldn’t really say that.
Then there wasn’t much else to receive.
“In times like this…”
—Sein, you contributed greatly to this matter. Especially when you helped me at the end…
—I didn’t help because I wanted to, so don’t worry about it.
—Right, right. Don’t you need anything? Apart from the basic compensation, let me give you some kind of reward.
—Hmm… There’s nothing.
—Geez, you thought for so long only to say that… If you don’t know what to receive, just say you’ll think about it. Having someone owe you is always a good strategy. You’re having this Harman Flameforce owe you a debt.
“I don’t have anything immediately, but I’ll think about it.”
When he answered that way and bowed his head, Blake Sears nodded heartily with a hearty laugh.
“Hahaha! Right. Think about it slowly.”
“I understand.”
The rumor that Cain would go straight to the 3rd floor spread widely before the next day even came.
“Young master…! Really, really wonderful!”
Alice first chattered about how elegant and magnificent Cain’s magic was during the duel, then when she heard the rumor that Cain would go to the 3rd floor, she jumped up and down so much that one worried she might hit her head on the ceiling.
“This is why I wanted to tell her slowly, but rumors spread fast.”
Alice, who finally calmed down after Nefti stopped her from the side, went off to clean while spinning around.
“When he said he’d send him straight to the 3rd floor, only the family head, the instructors, and I were there.”
Blake wouldn’t have spread the rumor, and Cain hadn’t spoken about it yet either…
“I have a rough idea who it was.”
—It’s sad to send you off already, but we don’t only meet during lessons. Let’s meet again when we get the chance, Cain.
The mischievous face of Rowen, who had left with a laugh and a wink, flashed through his mind.
“Well, it doesn’t matter much.”
Since he was going up without taking an exam, it might be better to let people know in advance rather than suddenly facing the surprised looks of 3rd floor disciples in the morning.
“The 3rd floor, huh. Education aside… now I can use the 3rd floor archives starting tomorrow.”
Not only about the family’s past and their relationship with Bederman, but Cain also needed time to examine what had generally happened on this continent over the years.
“There are some things I’m concerned about.”
And he needed to gradually find ways to secure finances to replace the Snowflower Ice Crystal that Cain had absorbed in the snowy mountains.
After all, he needed money to escape from the Bederman family’s clutches.
While Cain was briefly planning ahead in his mind.
Knock knock knock.
“Hm?”
A knocking sound came from Cain’s quarters, where no one else had ever visited before.
“Who could it be at this hour?”
Could someone have heard the rumor about going straight to the 3rd floor and already come to pick a fight or interfere because they didn’t like it?
“I’ll go see.”
Nefti opened the door cautiously with a determined-looking face.
“Caaaain!!”
“You’re going to the 3rd floor!”
There stood Ed and Fon. In the distance outside the annex, Bolio was waiting with his arms crossed.
“Right. I’m going. But why?”
Ed and Fon both looked restless.
“The 3rd floor… We’re happy you’re going, but! Does that mean your promise to help with our training is cancelled?”
“N-now that you’ll be receiving separate education…”
“Are you abandoning us?! Huh?”
Looking at the two who were half-crying, Cain chuckled. Then he shook his head.
“A promise must be kept. I need to prepare so you can also move up to the 3rd floor for the next exam… It would be good to start right from tomorrow morning.”
“Us too…”
“The 3rd floor…!”
At the words “3rd floor,” Ed and Fon’s mouths fell open. The faces of the guys who looked like they’d burst into tears at the slightest t
ouch immediately brightened.
“Well, we could start right from today if you want.”
“I’ll do it! I’ll definitely do it!”
“M-me too!”
“Hey, I can’t hear well but I’ll do it too!”
Looking at the three overflowing with enthusiasm, Cain nodded.
“Then go now and change into comfortable clothes. We’re going to run right away.”
“Huh?”
“Wh-what do you mean?”
Run?
*TN: Ed’s full name is Edgar while Fon’s is Fone don’t ask me why I’m not the author.
