“Oh my, look at our young master! He eats so well these days and speaks so clearly, too!”

Watching Lucas eat the food she fed him so eagerly, the wet nurse grew emotional again, her mouth overflowing with praise.

“Do you remember? The count was so worried there might be something wrong with him.”

“Indeed. He nearly went to the temple to bring back a priest……”

Recalling that time, the wet nurse’s eyes reddened.

‘What nonsense.’

But as he obediently sat there eating, rage simmered inside Lucas once more.

He regretted opening his mouth back then, all to save this family’s money, because ever since, they kept pressing him to speak again, as if testing whether it had just been a fluke.

Yet when he tossed them a few casual words, their joy was so wild that something strangely warm flickered in his chest.

He had always thought humans were treacherous creatures, but seeing them laugh, cry, and delight at the gestures of a small child—it didn’t match the humans he had witnessed in his countless years.

Now he had grown used to it, and found some amusement in watching their reactions.

“All gone~ You ate it all!”

The wet nurse held up the empty bowl with a bright smile, fine wrinkles crinkling at the corners of her eyes.

‘Yes, I know. I ate it all, damn it!’

Lucas swallowed the words, as always.

By now his steps had grown much steadier.

In fact, he had ten teeth already, counting his lower ones.

Many times, in his fury, he had tried to bite through his tongue and end it all, but his young jaw still wasn’t strong enough to crush his plump tongue in a single snap.

Walking in the garden while holding the wet nurse’s hand, he saw the servants of the household reacting ridiculously.

With each step he took, they gasped “Waaah~” and clapped, exchanging remarks among themselves.

“Just look at our young master! Isn’t he such a fine figure already?”

“Indeed! And that jet-black hair—like the finest woven silk!”

“Hoho, and those eyes! Ebony-black, so mysterious!”

They piled on every flattering word, even about his hair and eye color.

‘Damnable humans. Just wait till my jaw grows strong. I’ll kill you all.’

Curses roared through his head, but he couldn’t stop the smile tugging at his lips.

With every gesture, they burst into laughter and praise—it wasn’t an unpleasant feeling.

In truth, he was just a toddler waddling through the garden, clutching the wet nurse’s hand.

“Haa… haa…”

Lucas’s flushed face was burning red as he panted.

Humans gathered around, wringing their hands in panic.

“My lord! What are we to do! The young master’s fever will not go down!”

“What of the man sent for the physician? Has he not returned?”

“He left an hour ago—he must be galloping back by now.”

The count, Sivier Rodrigo, paced the room, casting anxious glances out the window.

“Sob… dear, this is all my fault.”

“What are you saying! Don’t speak such nonsense!”

At his wife Blaine’s tearful words, Sivier raised his voice, pulling her into a tight embrace.

“I should have taken more care……”

“You’ve done nothing wrong. The physician will come soon. Our Lucas will be fine.”

But Sivier’s hand trembled faintly on her shoulder.

A tear welled at the corner of the child’s eye.

‘Damn it, why does my chest feel so heavy? Am I really going to die like this…?’

A flicker of regret bloomed in his heart, despite his vow to bite his tongue as soon as his teeth grew in.

‘Like this… dying like this is a bit unfair….’

But before he could finish the thought, his fever overwhelmed him and he collapsed into sleep.

The next morning, when Lucas opened his eyes, his body felt much lighter.

Looking around, he saw his mother and father slumped in chairs near the cradle, their eyes swollen red from weeping.

The wet nurse and a maid were carefully wiping his body.

The physician must have already come and gone, for bowls of medicine and damp towels lay nearby.

“Young master?”

At the wet nurse’s voice, his parents jerked awake.

“Lucas? Lucas!”

“Our baby… our baby……”

Though Lucas usually disliked their constant hands brushing his cheeks and forehead, somehow it didn’t bother him now.

Seeing their relief at his improved condition, he let them sigh with relief.

“Sob… thank goodness.”

Blaine’s eyes brimmed with tears once more.

“Our Lucas is strong, Blaine.”

Sivier patted her shoulder, his own eyes red-rimmed.

‘…So I’m not dying yet, huh.’

Even as he thought it, the warmth blooming in his chest wasn’t altogether unpleasant.

Before long, five years had passed.

At his age, there was no meaning left in pretending he couldn’t speak.

Most of his teeth had grown in, his jaw was strong enough to crush his tongue—yet he had chosen to stay and live on in this house.

‘A hundred years is but a fleeting moment. Once this life ends, I’ll be stuck in that damned heaven, condemned to eternal, tedious immortality….’

At first he told himself he hadn’t died because he lacked the strength. But now he was strong enough to hold a sword; excuses no longer worked, even for himself.

So he decided—he would live out this brief span.

“Our young master is so gentle!”

“……”

He rarely spoke, never once caused the mischief common to boys his age, so people praised his temperament as serene.

In truth, he simply held back because he feared curses would pour out once he started speaking.

‘Annoying humans… once I grow up…!’

Yet human growth was painfully slow. Even at five years old, his gait wasn’t fully steady.

So he went walking every day, calling it practice.

‘What’s that?’

While the wet nurse sat under a tree preparing some snacks, something caught Lucas’s eye.

He carefully walked toward it and bent down to take a closer look.

‘A mana stone? An artifact?’

The crimson jewel before him was not well-cut, but the aura it gave off was far from that of an ordinary pebble.

As he reached out, his small hand hesitated.

‘What if it’s cursed?’

But the thought passed quickly. His instinct as a former dragon could not resist the lure of a gem.

‘……!’

The moment he grasped the stone in his little hand, he knew instinctively.

‘Mana… mana has appeared within me…!’

Lucas carefully slipped the jewel into his pocket and carried it back to his room. From that day on, he began training to wield mana.

He knew that even a speck of mana, no larger than a grain of rice, could be nurtured through practice.

Though it could never grow beyond the limits of his vessel, it was nonetheless mana now dwelling within his body!

As though to prove that five thousand years of dragon life had not been in vain, within mere months he had etched the flow of 3rd-circle mana into his body. A corner of his mouth curled upward.

Of course, on the outside, it was only the crooked grin of a five-year-old child.

‘With this much, I could probably spark a small flame.’

Though called 3rd-circle, it was a feat far beyond what a human could normally achieve in so short a time.

He had poured out all the knowledge he possessed into training, and the results were tremendous.

‘Hmm… how much magic do humans use these days, I wonder….’

It was a question a dragon, a magical being by nature, had never needed to ask.

Even when he traveled to the human realm for amusement, he had never seen a mage surpass a dragon. Even the greatest mage of the world barely reached the 7th or 8th circle.

‘The last time I had proper amusement… ah, yes, that was five hundred years ago.’

As he gathered and dispersed mana again and again, he recalled his last true bout of play.

Since then, he had only occasionally visited the human world for brief diversions, never anything serious.

Lost in thought, he closed his eyes. A faint crease formed between his brows.

“Oh my, young master, what are you thinking about so deeply~? How precious you are.”

The wet nurse entered and caressed his cheek.

“No. I not think anyfing.”

Lucas answered with a bashful smile, his childish mispronunciation still not perfect. The wet nurse kissed his forehead with a smile.

‘Damn it, how long must I keep this up!’

Every time he spoke with imperfect pronunciation, he felt a twinge of humiliation.

Seeing his cheeks redden from shame, the wet nurse kissed his forehead once more and left the room.

He turned ten years old.

Lucas, who had decided not to end this tiresome life, now made a new plan.

He would try to help his parents, who cared so deeply for him.

By overhearing their conversations, he had pieced together where they were, the state of the nation, and how they had ended up in this situation.

The previous emperor had died of illness. The illegitimate son killed the rightful heir, his elder brother, and seized the throne.

It was something that could happen in any kingdom.

But his parents had stayed loyal to the rightful heir, refusing the bastard’s offer. Though they had not taken part directly, they were exiled here to the remote outskirts.

Lucas decided he would one day punish the emperor who had cast out his innocent parents under flimsy pretexts.

5th-circle. That was the result of the rigorous training he had undertaken since gaining mana.

Mages were rare anywhere. He had heard that from the 4th circle upward, they were treated with the highest respect.

If he revealed his power now, however, it might backfire.

A ten-year-old reaching the 5th circle was something no one could easily believe.

‘When does a human body finish growing? Seventeen? Eighteen?’

After some thought, Lucas headed into the garden.

By now he was grown enough that the wet nurse didn’t follow him everywhere.

Still, if he left the manor grounds unseen, someone would rush after him.

So the garden was the only place he could enjoy a semblance of freedom.

“Our young master is always so thoughtful.”

“Yes, I wonder what occupies that little head of his! So very precious!”

How could mere humans understand the thoughts within this little human body?

Wherever he went, their unconditional eyes of love followed.

‘Since it’s come to this… I’ll live this life properly…!’

At that very moment, a figure passing by the manor caught a glint in his eyes.

‘There’s a mage here?’

The magical aura emanating from the shabby manor was no ordinary thing.

‘Hmph… 4th circle? No, it’s at least 5th circle.’

He reined in his horse and dismounted at the entrance.

“Who goes there?”

Even this humble manor had its formalities.

The two guards before the gate were too old to be of much use if real trouble came, but their hands on their sword hilts were firm enough.

“Ah, I am but a traveler passing by……”

As he spoke, he drew something from his robes.

The gleaming insignia on the round badge proved he was a royal mage.

“Wh-what brings you here…?”

Mages were rare across the continent, receiving reverence wherever they went.

Whatever their birth, they were held above nobles.

Seeing the insignia, the guards’ expressions softened, and the man gave them a kindly smile.

“I would like to meet the master of this house.”

One guard went to deliver the message, and soon, the gates of the manor swung open.

(End of Chapter)