Upon returning to their quarters, Alice immediately baked fresh lemon madeleines for Cain.
Cain was impressed after eating the madeleines.
“You were right that the freshly made ones taste better. This was your true skill.”
“That’s too much, young master. Just how low were your expectations?”
Alice said with a sulky expression.
So when he said the hard and crumbly lemon madeleines tasted good, it wasn’t because of the care put into them, but because his expectations were low since it was something she made for the first time.
“But I was sincere when I said they tasted good earlier. It wasn’t just because my expectations were low.”
“Young master…!”
Alice’s expression gradually filled with emotion.
“I went without breakfast this morning so I was very hungry. There’s even a saying that hunger is the best seasoning.”
“……”
Alice’s expression quickly returned to normal.
However, Alice soon smiled as she watched Cain enjoying the lemon madeleines.
‘I’m really glad… that the young master won’t be exiled…’
Alice recalled when Cain cast 2nd Circle magic in front of the family head and the family members.
‘I’m really glad… that the young master won’t be exiled…’
Alice recalled when Cain cast 2nd Circle magic in front of the family head and the family members.
‘Back then, I really thought I was dreaming…’
While searching for Cain, she had lost her mind and collapsed somewhere, and she thought she might be seeing a dream where Cain miraculously returned and demonstrated magic.
‘I don’t know much about magic, but even at a glance, the magic the young master used was somehow both incredibly intense yet refined.’
It was a truly wondrous sight.
When Alice occasionally had business in the East Wing, she would see disciples practicing magic in the training grounds.
They would boast about whose magic burned more intensely and wildly, and seemed focused on making their magic larger.
But Cain’s magic was different.
The power it contained was fierce enough to make observers’ hearts race, yet at the same time it appeared impeccably neat and calm.
‘Fierce yet calm… That’s contradictory.’
But that was the only way to describe it.
That scene clearly existed, like the moment when spear and shield meet – that instant when a decisive blow seems imminent – extended endlessly.
Whether that was the right direction or wrong direction, she couldn’t tell, but the moment Alice saw it, she couldn’t help but be mesmerized.
‘Well, I don’t know much about magic anyway. In any case, if it’s the young master, he’ll surely do well in the right direction!’
What mattered to Alice was that Cain had proudly succeeded in casting magic in front of everyone, and furthermore, he would immediately enter the East Wing.
‘I have a good feeling about this.’
Didn’t they say that flowers that bloom late bloom more fully?
Among the mages praised in the Empire, there were cases of those who bloomed their talents at a later age than others.
Of course, Cain bloomed at an even later age than them, but hadn’t he grown that much faster?
Now that he could receive education in the East Wing, Alice sincerely hoped he would continue to grow steadily.
“That was delicious. Please make them again next time.”
“Anytime, young master!”
Cain wiped the bread crumbs from his lips and stood up.
“Then I’ll go to the training ground until dinner.”
“Even after going to the snowy mountain today? Shouldn’t you rest?”
“I’m entering the East Wing tomorrow, so I’m just organizing my mana beforehand. There’s nothing to worry about. I’ll be back before dinner.”
Alice’s expression brightened at the mention of the East Wing.
“Then I’ll be waiting!”
Cain left the annex and headed to his personal training ground.
As he passed through the central plaza, he could hear murmuring voices looking at him.
“Oh? Young Master Cain is back?”
“You’re just finding out now?”
“I was on duty downstairs earlier. Wow, when he went missing and we were looking for him, people kept asking me this and that, but now that he’s found, nobody told me the news? How disappointing.”
“Finding him isn’t everything, man. The family head withdrew the young master’s exile.”
“What?”
“He even caught a snow leopard with 2nd Circle magic and is going straight to the 2nd floor of the East Wing?”
“Are you mocking me right now? The young master reaching 2nd Circle in just a month, that doesn’t make sense…”
“Hey, shh! Haven’t you heard that when you gain circles, your senses become more acute? Lower your voice.”
It was a widely known fact that not only mages, but all those who sense and handle mana naturally expand their other senses as they reach higher levels.
It seemed it would be difficult to pretend not to hear and gather information anymore.
For Cain, who had been picking up various stories while going back and forth to the training room for a month, this was somewhat disappointing news.
“Eek. See? He’s looking this way.”
“I, I have some business to attend to…”
When Cain glanced over lightly, the servants hurriedly left the area.
‘It’s gotten a bit more noisy than I expected, but… it can’t be helped.’
The original plan to quietly report the test results to the family head and proceed step by step was scrapped.
Cain thought that since things had come to this, it wouldn’t be bad to openly solidify his position.
‘It seems like that’s what the family head wants too.’
Blake Sears would have been able to immediately gauge Cain’s approximate skill level just by looking at the traces of catching the snow leopard.
Yet he still made him cast magic – not to see it himself, but to show it to the people who were there.
In fact, Blake Sears wasn’t particularly surprised when Cain actually cast the magic.
Instead, he said this:
-You’ll need to continue showing clear results.
‘Of course I should do that.’
His intention to solidly build both ice magic and fire magic from the ground up remained unchanged.
However, that didn’t mean he would advance through the levels slower than others.
No matter how slowly and surely Cain proceeded, by external standards he could still advance through levels at an unbelievable speed.
‘Even now, that’s what I’m doing.’
Click.
While having such thoughts, Cain arrived at his personal training room and immediately sat cross-legged in the center.
This was to organize his mana, as he had told Alice.
Though no one would think so, Cain was currently at the beginning stage of 2nd Circle.
‘It’s only been a few days since I actually achieved 2nd Circle.’
What he could have advanced from 1st Circle in a single day if he wanted, he had spent about a month organizing and re-organizing to establish the most solid foundation possible.
Thanks to this, very pure mana had settled in Cain’s heart, which would make him appear to others as being at the proficient stage of 2nd Circle.
“Whew.”
Cain closed his eyes.
He exhaled a deep breath and concentrated his mind.
And he began to carry out repetitive but very delicate work.
* * *
“Young master, have a safe trip!”
“Please go safely.”
The next morning, after eating a hearty breakfast, Cain headed to the East Wing with farewells from Alice and Nefti.
It was his first time going to the main building and training hall side, which came after passing through a wide plaza, rather than the personal training room in a corner of the East Wing.
To be precise, it was his first time since his reincarnation.
‘The building seems newly constructed… but the structure appears the same.’
Cain looked up at the large main building standing tall across the plaza.
The East Wing was where the Sears family disciples gathered to receive education, compete with each other, and build their skills.
Among these, the main building, which was the most central, provided education suited to each person’s skill level by floor.
From today, Cain would receive education on the 2nd floor of this main building, train, and engage in friendly competition with other disciples.
Normally, one would first enter the 1st floor, achieve 2nd Circle, take a test, and then be allowed to move up, but Cain had already exceeded the test’s difficulty level and was entering the 2nd floor directly with the family head’s official permission.
All that remained was to solidly rebuild his 2nd Circle and advance to 3rd Circle.
Of course, to go to the 3rd floor, he would need to take one more test.
‘It would be good to finish preparing to advance to 3rd Circle by the next test period.’
In fact, the content taught during education time in the main building was only basic material for Cain.
However, Cain had no intention of skipping education or approaching it with an insincere attitude.
‘I should do what I need to do as a disciple of the family.’
Even in his previous life, Cain had never skipped education without permission during his time in the main building.
Though it might be stretching to call it a substitute, Cain planned to continue organizing his mana while sitting and listening to the education.
It wouldn’t be as efficient as doing it in a completely concentrated state, but when accumulated, it would amount to something significant.
‘And the records hall and library attached to the main building. What I need now is there.’
To find out what had happened to the Sears family, which had been a prestigious ice magic family, he needed to enter the main building and examine the books in the records hall.
‘I should go in and look around when I have time later.’
While having such thoughts, as he entered the East Wing, he felt gazes from here and there.
“He’s here.”
“Wow, he’s going straight to the 2nd floor, right?”
“I’m jealous, so jealous.”
“Tch. I’ll definitely move up in the next test too.”
Those looking at Cain with jealous eyes were mostly those who had achieved 2nd Circle but failed the test and couldn’t move up to the 2nd floor.
‘The atmosphere is still the same.’
Since the floors were divided by levels, there was an even clearer line marking the hierarchy between the upper and lower floors.
Perhaps because of this, the disciples below envied those on the upper floors even more.
“Cain!”
As he was about to go up to the 2nd floor, he heard a somewhat familiar voice from behind.
When he turned around, he saw an expressionless man and a brightly smiling woman looking at Cain.
It was the woman who had called out to Cain.
“Gasp, it’s Lady Deborah.”
“Really…? What brings her here?”
“I, this is my first time seeing Lady Deborah up close.”
“Lord Neville is here too…!”
Thanks to the murmuring sounds around him, Cain was able to recognize the two immediately.
Deborah Sears, and Neville Sears.
Both were skilled practitioners who had achieved 5th Circle at a young age, and were Cain’s relatives.
‘I heard they’re rising fearfully as candidates for the next family head.’
Cain combined some of his body’s memories with information he’d gathered over the past month and opened his mouth.
“Good day, sister.”
Cain gave a light bow.
“Good day, sister.”
Cain gave a light bow.
Then Deborah patted Cain’s shoulder lightly.
“Oh my, this kid has grown up and is acting like an old man? You can call me Sister Debbie like when you were little.”
“…I understand.”
When Cain didn’t call her Debbie, Deborah looked a bit disappointed but soon smiled brightly.
“I came to congratulate you on your admission. Neville, you should congratulate him too.”
“…I didn’t come to congratulate him. I came to fulfill my attendance.”
“Come on. When have we ever cared about attendance? You’re being dishonest. Go ahead and say something.”
Neville frowned and glanced down at Cain.
“…Being admitted isn’t the end. Remember that what comes next is more important.”
“I understand.”
“Sigh, honestly. He talks like this, but he came because he’s worried about you, so please understand.”
“Thank you, brother.”
“Hmph.”
Neville turned his head sharply and went up the stairs first.
Deborah patted Cain’s head and said,
“Well, I should go too. I trust you’ll work hard, little brother. I’ll be cheering for you.”
“I will strive diligently.”
“Good! And…”
The smile briefly disappeared from Deborah’s face.
“As Neville said, what comes next will be more important. Among the direct descendants, there are siblings who can’t tolerate anything that would tarnish the name of direct lineage.”
Deborah finished speaking and smiled brightly again before following Neville up the stairs.
Then, as if time had stopped and resumed, the previously quiet surroundings became noisy again.
“Wow… I’m really jealous.”
“If only Lady Deborah would pat my shoulder just once.”
“That lucky bastard!”
Cain gazed intently at Deborah’s retreating figure.
‘Cheering for me…’
While they were still competing for the position of next family head, it felt surprisingly good to think that someone was cheering for him, even if only symbolically.
Click
Arriving on the 2nd floor, Cain opened the door and entered the classroom, immediately drawing everyone’s attention.
“……”
“……”
Eyes filled with various emotions – curiosity, contempt, wariness – were directed at Cain.
‘The atmosphere here is still the same too.’
Cain lightly ignored the gazes and tried to sit in an empty seat.
“Hey, Cain.”
The one who stepped forward in front of Cain was Bolio, an initiate disciple.
While direct disciples and initiate disciples were supposedly equal in principle, he was one of the disciples who harbored the most resentment about the special treatment of private training rooms and invisible favoritism.
“Why are you calling me?”
Cain looked straight up at Bolio, who was about half a head taller than him, and answered.
At a glance, you could tell he was the strongest guy in this classroom, but that wasn’t a reason for Cain to back down.
Bolio flinched momentarily at Cain’s icy gaze.
‘What kind of look is that… Was he always like this?’
The Cain that Bolio knew was usually stuck in a corner, barely visible, and when they did happen to meet, he would avoid eye contact and hurriedly run away.
‘No, he must be deliberately acting tough. Getting one bit of encouragement from Lady Deborah has made him completely arrogant.’
Bolio clenched his fists.
“Coming up to the 2nd floor without even going through the 1st floor – don’t you think that’s wrong?”
“The family head officially permitted it.”
“That’s exactly the problem! There’s no way you achieved 2nd Circle in just a month, so you must have been plotting this whole thing beforehand. You used the family head just to get attention like yesterday!”
Bolio shouted.
But Cain replied in an extremely calm voice.
“I have never used the family head.”
“Stop making excuses! You…”
“Then let me ask you the opposite. Are you now saying that the family head was manipulated by just one disciple?”
“What?”
“Didn’t you just say that I used the family head?”
Bolio was momentarily at a loss for words.
If you reverse his statement that ‘Cain used the family head,’ it would mean that the head of the Sears family was played by a mere disciple.
If Bolio insisted that Cain had used the family head, he would be insulting the family head, and if he retracted it, he would be admitting he had picked a fight for no reason.
“Th-that’s not what I meant! This is all because you schemed…”
“I produced results as the family head declared, and the family head acknowledged those results. What more is needed?”
At Cain’s words, Bolio bit his lips.
Unfortunately, Bolio’s mind couldn’t immediately find words to refute.
“This… this insolent bastard!”
Bolio, with frustration rising to his chest, clenched his fist.
Cain prepared to channel mana into his body.
And then.
“Stop it!”
Surprisingly, it was the twin brothers, Edward Sears and Fon Sears, who shouted.
“There’s nothing wrong with what Cain said! The instructor will be here soon, so let’s stop.”
“R-right. Let’s stop.”
When Fon nodded with a trembling voice in agreement with Ed’s words, Bolio’s eyes widened even more.
“So direct descendants stick together, is that it? This is why direct descendants…”
Bolio walked purposefully past Cain toward Ed and Fon as if he’d found a good opportunity.
And he raised his fist.
Whoosh!
“…!”
But that fist had to stop in mid-air.
“…What?”
Cain was now standing between them.
And.
Flicker-
Above Cain’s hand, a flame the size of a face was dancing.
It was none other than ‘Fire’ magic.
Bolio’s fist stopped in front of the fire.
“Ha… hahaha!”
A bitter smile formed on Bolio’s lips.
“Do you know what that means right now?”
“I know very well.”
Facing an opponent while manifesting basic magic of your attribute above your hand.
That signified a request for a duel between mages.
‘I hadn’t planned to go this far on the first day.’
He didn’t know why Ed and Fon were suddenly trying to protect him, but in any case, they got involved while trying to help him.
‘I was thinking of just giving him a few good hits without going to a full duel…’
His mind changed.
‘I guess it’s better to completely overturn things once.’
200 years ago, Cain had also been challenged by an initiate disciple who resented him for receiving the family head’s favor, and he had defeated a disciple one circle above him in a duel, pacifying the entire floor. Those who had picked fights with him all became quiet after that.
In other words, historically, there was no better medicine than this.
“Fire.”
Soon Bolio also cast Fire in response.
“Sorry I’m late, kids. I had to handle some paperwork… Hm?”
Rowan, who was just entering, spotted the two and grinned.
“Looks like we’ll have to move up the practical training for today.”
