Lucas and his group gathered in a quiet back garden of the academy.

"Hey, how did you do that earlier?"

"T-that's silence magic, isn't it?!"

"I'll teach you if you promise to only eat when you're eating from now on."

As they rushed over after checking their surroundings, Lucas made a simple promise with a firm expression.

"Uh-huh! I will!"

"I will do so."

Lucas, who nodded at the quick answer that matched the easy request, continued.

"Then from now on, I'll teach you how to handle mana."

It was one of the most frustrating things about attending the academy.

Not only in the beginner class, but also in the intermediate class he had attended for a semester, there was not a single class on how to handle mana.

It was like a cooking school that taught only ingredients and not recipes.

So if he just taught them how to handle mana well, there would be many more outstanding mages in the empire.

"Mana is very simple. Now, imagine. Imagine moving something in your body at will. It doesn't matter what it is. You can imagine small beads, or things like water or earth."

"W-what do you mean by that?"

Pola and Skir looked at Lucas with a blank expression at his words.

"Haa... so..."

He was at a loss. It was so difficult to explain a method he knew naturally, in the same context as breathing.

"So..."

"So?"

Pola urged Lucas, who was just rolling his eyes with a frown on his face without saying anything for a long time.

"Now. Feel the mana."

"How do you feel that?"

"That's right. How do you feel that?"

To Lucas, it was a statement in the same context as 'breathe'. No, how else could he explain it?

"So... it's in your stomach..."

"In my stomach?"

"Here?"

A deep sigh came out at the sight of the two staring blankly at their stomachs.

"Right... it's in your stomach... but what's near your heart is mana."

"No, how do you feel that..."

"Listen to the end!"

Lucas, who shouted in frustration, paced around.

"Now, use any magic you can."

"..."

"I don't have any..."

He was at a loss for words.

"No, then the mana stone at the camp..."

He realized his mistake as he spoke. Hadn't he found and put the mana stones that Pola and Skir had taken then?

"Even then, I just... found it by feel."

"That's right. I also just picked up something like a mana stone by feel. Ha, is this talent?"

'You're talking nonsense. You probably picked up a stone by feel.'

Lucas, who quickly swallowed the words that were about to come out of his mouth, looked at them as if they were pathetic.

"Haa... what have I done."

Deep concern was cast on their faces at Lucas's deep sigh.

"...I guess it's no use, right?"

Pola, with a sullen expression, kicked a rolling stone on the ground.

"No. You can do it. Because I'll make you."

A fighting spirit he didn't know he had flared up. He wanted to make these little brats use proper magic.

'From today, I'll raise you as my disciples.'

If this was the fate of a human he had accepted, then they also needed to be proper friends.

"I will follow you diligently to the best of my ability!"

"Yeah! I'll work hard too!"

One corner of Lucas's mouth curled up slyly as he nodded slightly at the sight of the two clenching their fists.

But for some reason, goosebumps appeared on Skir and Pola's arms when they saw that.

***

"So you just killed them all?"

"Yes. I killed them all."

"Ha!"

"No, then what should I have done? It seemed like there was something on them."

"How could you...! No..."

Lucas's head shook at the cheerful report of the blue lizard.

"Hoo... couldn't you think of a way to undo it?"

"Oh, there's a way like that! Did you think I would say that? I'm not a fool."

"..."

"Of course I tried to undo it. But it seemed to be a blood oath and it wouldn't come undone."

'A blood oath.' A powerful oath that could not be broken except by a god. But there was no reason for a god to come down and break the oath of mere humans.

It was an oath made by betting each other's lives, so breaking it was no different from giving up one's life.

But if it was a life that had already been given up, there was no reason why it couldn't be broken.

Nevertheless, the fact that they did not open their mouths until the end meant that there was something more precious than their own lives at stake.

"It's become tiring."

"Humans these days are not like they used to be, you know? They're so cunning... phew!"

A hollow laugh came out at the sight of the pathetic dragon telling old stories in front of him, who had lived for half a millennium.

"Right... I guess so."

"Yes, I don't know when the Lord's last excursion was, but wasn't the proper excursion around the time I was born?"

"That's right. Except for a brief outing about fifty years ago..."

"That's what I'm saying! I've been out for about a hundred years, haven't I? Well... I took a short break in the middle due to unavoidable circumstances. But humans are really getting more cunning by the day."

Lucas let out a small sigh as he looked at Aman, who was wrapping his arms around himself and shaking his head.

"Right... I guess so."

"Yes. So don't worry. I'll figure out the tricks of these pathetic humans somehow. Ah, and the secret warehouse..."

"Sigh. I told you I'd give it to you when I die, didn't I?"

"...You don't know when you're going to die, do you?"

"Enough, enough! I have to go."

He quickly left the spot, fearing that more talk about the warehouse might come out.

'I can't let him find out that I haven't found it yet...'

***

The Emperor's office.

"Ha! So they were all annihilated?"

"Yes. By the time we found them, they were all burned down."

"Any traces?"

"There were none."

-Bang!

"What in the world! How could you not handle something like this properly!!!"

The enraged emperor slammed his desk roughly.

Alberto, the Mage Tower Master and school principal, flinched for a moment at his anger.

"Find them! At best, they'll be a 5th or 6th circle mage!!"

"It could be a group..."

-Thwack! Clang!

Alberto couldn't finish his words at the small crystal ball that suddenly flew at him.

Fortunately, the crystal ball missed and crashed to the floor, shattering.

"If it's a group, then you can just move as a group!!!"

"I understand."

As the emperor, who waved his hand as if he didn't even want to see him, turned his back, Alberto's brow furrowed as he left the room.

'What kind of bastard!'

It was a plan that had been going smoothly.

Of course, the ghouls that had fallen near the imperial palace due to a mistake in the summoning spell were Lakmer's mistake.

Lakmer was a secret magic organization that operated in the imperial palace.

At first, it was an organization created to scratch the itchy parts that the imperial family could not directly reach, like the Black Knights, but its essence had gradually degenerated since the current emperor began to rule.

Mages who handled black magic had existed in Lakmer even during the time of the previous emperor, but they had not brought in necromancers like now.

The imperial mages were also learning a little about black magic to easily undo the curses or spells cast by black mages.

But necromancers, who handled death and the undead, were taboo.

But the current emperor, Grad Luclire, was mobilizing all possible methods without distinguishing between fire and water, with a single revelation he had received one day.

'I will... catch them.'

The appearance of the Mage Tower Master, who was passing through the corridor with his robe fluttering, was not the benevolent and wise appearance known to the empire.

He was nothing more or less than an old man stained with desire.

***

The new semester had already come to an end.

The sunlight of Arant, which had entered July, was not just dazzling but hot, and students with their robes fluttering in front of the cooling magic tools, which were cooling devices, could be seen here and there.

Lucas, who was on his second vacation, recalled his promise with his mother, Blaine.

'I have to go this time...'

Originally, he had planned to stay for a few more days and then leave.

But Lucas, who looked out the window, realized that his plan had become useless.

A carriage with his family's crest was standing at the entrance with other carriages.

"Rookie! Are you going home too?"

"Yeah. What about you?"

"Um... I don't think I'll go."

Pola, who had grown up in an orphanage, had left on her own after her only blood relative, her older sister, was adopted and her news was cut off.

She had come to know her aptitude as a mage because of Aman, whom she had met on her journey alone.

Because of that, Pola, who thought she had lost her place to return to, said she wanted to succeed someday, find her older sister, and repay the kindness of the orphanage that had taken her in.

"Ah, right..."

Lucas, who recalled the story she had told, realized his mistake and was hesitating, and she smiled brightly.

"Have a good trip!"

"Ahem, then what will you do?"

Skir, who seemed to be worried about her, opened his mouth.

"Um... I can just stay at school!"

"Then I will visit you often."

"Hey, forget it? I can play well on my own, you know?"

"...I see."

As far as Lucas had observed, Skir was definitely developing feelings for Pola that were more than just friendship.

'What a frustrating guy.'

He was annoyed by the frustrating behavior of the child Skir.

"Don't be like that, come and visit my territory during the vacation."

It didn't even take a second for him to regret the words that had come out of his mouth in frustration, but what could he do? The words had already been spoken.

"Huh? Is that okay?"

"Ahem... you may not know, but..."

A sigh came up again as he looked at the puzzled Pola and the old-man-like Skir.

"I know everything. That your family and my family are not on good terms. But my parents are not the kind of people who would blame children for the adults' affairs."

"I see..."

Skir bit his lip slightly at Lucas's words.

"That's right. Rookie's mom is incredibly beautiful. But I..."

Lucas shook his head first, as if he knew what Pola was worried about.

"Aren't we friends? Don't worry about that, just get a ride in this handsome noble's carriage and come and play."

He pointed to Skir, who was standing blankly, with his chin.

"Ha! Right. You're right. I'm a handsome noble, so I can give anyone a ride in my carriage."

"Right. You handsome noble! Then let's go and visit Rookie's house!"

A smile spread across his lips as he looked at the boasting Skir and the bright Pola who was teasing him.

"Right. And shouldn't we get out of the beginner class next semester?"

"!!!"

Lucas, who left them with their surprised rabbit eyes, got on the carriage.

"Write to me. I'll prepare for when you come."

"Yeah! I'll definitely go!"

"I'll go as soon as possible!!"

A smile did not leave Lucas's lips as he watched them slowly move away.

'You cute things.'

***

Lucas had deliberately hired an extra coachman to come without resting in the intermediate village.

He had even saved up his pocket money without spending it carelessly for this day. In addition, by hiring an extra coachman, it was also an advantage that he did not have to pay for accommodation and other miscellaneous expenses by stopping at the intermediate village.

'Hmph. I'm doing all sorts of things to save money in this poor household.'

Although he was constantly grumbling to himself, a gentle smile did not leave his face.

'They'll probably make a big fuss when they see I've arrived a day early.'

A small expectation bloomed in Lucas's heart as he thought of their faces.

"Son!!!"

"Oh my, my baby!!!"

As Lucas arrived a day earlier than scheduled, the Count and Countess's joy was doubled, as expected.

"How did you get here so early!"

"I hired an extra coachman."

"Oh my... my baby..."

Lucas, who gently stroked the back of his mother who was rubbing her cheek against his, smiled brightly.

"I'm home."

His home, which he had returned to after almost a year, had not changed at all.

But Lucas, who had returned to that house, had changed quite a bit.

He was quite tall for his age, and his facial features were also becoming a little more defined.

"My son. You've grown up so much."

It seemed like just yesterday that he had packed his bags and sent him off, but Lucas, who had returned to his parents' arms, had grown up a lot.

"Now, let's go in. Aren't you hungry?"

"I'm fine. I ate bread on the way..."

"What are you talking about eating something like that! Let's go in quickly."

Blaine's steps, who was holding his hand and leading him, were urgent.

"Young master!"

As he entered the mansion, the nanny Aileen and the maid Laila rushed over.

"Oh my, our young master. How could you be so... sob...!"

"Nanny. Don't cry."

The nanny, who had been by his side since the moment he was born, showed tears as soon as she saw Lucas.

Lucas, who held her hand once, smiled brightly.

'Right. I'm home.'

A changed person in an unchanged mansion. Lucas had returned.

(End of Chapter)