"Pardon? You mean Nella?"

"...That's right."

"No, Nella is only ten years old. And what do you mean she has a talent for magic!"

"...That's what I'm saying."

The Count could not immediately accept Aman's proposal.

He had thought he would grant any of Aman's requests, but he was heartbroken to send his adopted daughter, whom the couple had just begun to get attached to, to the imperial palace.

"Haa... I don't know if I should be happy about this."

"Lucas is also attending the academy well, isn't he? Our situation will improve soon, so we'll be able to afford the children's living expenses."

"But still..."

"And Lucas will take good care of her by her side, so that's also somewhat reassuring..."

Tears began to well up in Blaine's eyes.

Her young son and young daughter had to go to the barren capital and live in the academy again.

The thought that they had to do it on their own without any adult help brought a wave of sadness.

"Right. If Nella says it's okay... let's do that."

Blaine, who seemed to have made up her mind, wiped the tears from her eyes. Then she nodded her head.

"Blaine. I wonder if that fortune teller's words were right."

"That fortune teller... ah, do you mean that old woman when we came to Citata?"

"Yes. The words that we would have two children... but also the words that those children would not be by our side..."

The fortune teller the Count was talking about was an old woman who had visited the county estate when they had just been driven out from the capital to Citata.

The Count and Countess, who had pitied the shabby-looking old woman who had visited them then, had only given her a bowl of food, but she was an old woman who had told them their fortune as a token of gratitude and left.

Bitterness settled on the faces of the Count and Countess as they recalled that time.

"If that fortune is really right, then we don't have to worry, do we?"

"The words that the children will do their part as children even if they don't stay by our side... hoho, yes. We don't have to worry."

"I wish they would stay by our side for a long time, even if they don't do their part as children."

"I feel the same way. But what can we do when the children's talents are so outstanding? We just have to do our part as parents."

As the Count gave a bitter smile, Blaine held his hand tightly.

"Yes. Let's do our part as parents."

"Let's do that. We may not be great parents, but we shouldn't be parents who are a burden to our children."

The Count, who had finished speaking, held her hand tightly.

***

Aman, with his cheeks puffed out, was in Lucas's room.

"You knew, didn't you?"

"What?"

Aman, who had come there, asked with a flash in his eyes.

"I mean that little brat named Nella. With that much talent, there's no way you didn't know, right?"

"Ah, I knew. She accepted mana quite well."

"It was difficult, but she even drew up to the 1st circle."

Lucas's eyes widened for a moment at Aman's words.

"Really? She drew a circle?"

"You didn't know? Didn't you keep pushing the child, knowing that?"

"How would I know? I'm just a human. I just knew that mana was flowing well... that's all."

Humans were different from dragons. Even if one could guess the amount and progress of another human's mana, one could not know exactly how much it was.

"Ha! What would you have done if you had caught the child then? I thought Lucas-nim had deliberately pushed her to the 1st circle."

"Hmph, this is what you call the experience that comes from the years you've lived. Even if you can't see it clearly! Just, huh? There's a feeling~ that's what I mean."

As Lucas crossed his arms and showed a haughty attitude, Aman also snorted loudly.

"Hmph! I don't know even if you catch the child."

"No, and I thought you would let me know if the child was going to be in trouble, since you were by her side."

"...Are you saying you trusted me?"

As Aman's eyes began to sparkle at Lucas's words, Lucas, who felt burdened, uncrossed his arms and took a step back.

"R-right."

"This Aman, you mean...?"

Aman, who had approached Lucas who had taken a step back, placed one hand on his chest.

"...That's what I said?"

Aman's face was filled with emotion at Lucas's answer.

"L-Lord!"

Aman's attitude had changed a lot since he had dealt with the pack of werewolves.

Before, he was just a greedy dragon who coveted his warehouse, but these days, he felt as if he was showing some loyalty.

'This is too burdensome...'

He would call him Lord whenever they were alone, and he would sometimes bring things he seemed to need and take care of him, which was a little burdensome.

"Get away a little..."

"Ah, yes!"

As Aman came too close, Lucas, who had reached the peak of his burden, finally said something. Then Aman jumped back a couple of steps, not just one.

"...I'm going crazy."

"Why are you doing that?"

Lucas, who waved his hand at Aman who was asking back his own words.

Lucas's hand, which had suddenly thought of something, snapped in the air.

"Ah, more importantly, let me ask you something."

"Yes. Please ask anything."

"Do you know anything about human mana?"

Lucas had finally decided to consult with Aman about his mana, which was not increasing at all.

"Hmm... human mana?"

"Right. I can't make the 6th circle."

"Yes, from what I see, it seems to be at the 5th circle... a little more than that."

"Do you know the reason?"

"Yes. I do."

Lucas didn't like Aman's way of speaking. One answer to one question.

"...If you know, then tell me?"

As Lucas, who had frowned, finally asked back. Aman smiled broadly and continued.

"Isn't it simple?"

"..."

"How can it increase any more when you've already filled the maximum capacity that the Lord's body can hold?"

"Ha, is that all?"

"Yes. That's what I see. What I see now is... hmm, about 5th circle and a half."

"Right."

"You know this is amazing, right? That's the maximum. But as your body grows, the amount of mana you can hold will also gradually increase."

"Ah! Can't I do something with polymorph?"

Lucas was impatient. He had found the answer, but the growth rate of a human was too slow to just wait for it to grow.

So if he borrowed the power of a dragon and performed a perfect polymorph? It might be possible.

"Hmm... let's try it."

-Saaak

A sound of light clanging in the air was heard. And soon, the broken lights wrapped around Lucas's body.

He was momentarily adjusting to the suddenly heightened vision, but Lucas shook his head once and began to gather mana in his body.

"Huuuh..."

"Shut up for a bit."

Lucas's expression, who had been closing his eyes and gathering mana in his body for a long time, gradually became serious.

"It's not working, is it?"

"..."

"It's not working..."

"Shut up, will you!"

"Yes, sir."

Aman's teasing words from the front were right. He had thought it was a brilliant idea that could avoid waiting for his body to grow!

"Hoo... do I have to wait until I grow up..."

A deep sigh burst out of Lucas's mouth.

"It'll pass quickly. You'll be all grown up in about five years, won't you?

"...I hope so."

It was now mid-August. The capital would be in the middle of summer, but here in Citata, it was now early autumn.

When the new semester began in mid-September, time would pass like an arrow, as always. But he was only twelve now.

When he was a dragon, five or ten years was a time he could spend just sleeping in a cave.

There were even dragons who were known to go into hibernation for a long time and would sleep for a hundred or two hundred years.

"Don't worry too much. You'll grow up quickly."

Aman, who had lightly placed his hand on Lucas's head, raised his hand to his own height.

Lucas glared at him, but Aman just smiled slyly.

'...You damn bastard!'

***

-Clack... clack...

The sound of the wind tapping on the window was heard.

-Clatter... clack...

But as she listened to the sound carefully, it didn't take long for her to realize that it was not the wind.

At the window where the little girl had approached, the blue lights she had seen before were gathered and calling the child.

'Uh... that's...'

But she had followed them last time and had collapsed, worrying the people around her.

"No! I'm not going!"

Nella shouted at the lights. She couldn't worry the people around her again.

She even pulled the blanket over her head, trying not to pay attention to the window. But the lights did not give up.

-Clack... clack! Clatter! Clatter!

"Aish, really!"

Finally, as the window shook as if it were about to break, the girl reluctantly twisted the doorknob and opened it.

She was also curious about who they were.

The lights disappeared towards the pond, just like last time.

-Here.

A beautiful mezzo-soprano echoed in her ears, just like then.

-I'm glad you came again.

-I'm really glad.

The gathered blue lights circled the pond, disappeared into the water, and then reappeared.

But unlike last time, she did not feel drowsy.

On the contrary, she even felt her mind gradually clearing up.

"What are you?"

-Us?

-We are...

-You mean us?

At Nella's one word, the small lights were busy adding a word each, without you or me.

"Hey! You're noisy. You guys, the leader, come out! Only the leader, speak!"

Nella, who placed her hand on her hip, shouted quite firmly, and the lights began to shake.

-The leader? Our leader is...

-No.

-The leader is scary.

-Let's play with us.

"Aish! So noisy!"

Nella covered her ears at the countless sounds pouring out.

"If there's no leader, I'm leaving!"

-The leader... the leader is not good...

-Don't go. Play with us.

-I'll be sad if you go.

-I've been waiting. I've been waiting for you.

Just as Nella, who was flapping her hand at her ear as if chasing away a noisy insect, was about to turn around and go back.

-Flash!

Startled by the bright light that suddenly burst out from behind her, Nella turned around sharply.

"...W-who"

"You're a cute little brat."

In the place she had turned to, a figure was standing. But his face was engulfed in a bright light, so it was difficult to recognize him clearly.

For a moment, Nella's body swayed.

"Uh, I'm dizzy."

It was on a different level from the drowsy feeling she had felt last time.

A feeling of nausea and of sinking endlessly into the ground.

-O King.

-The King has come!

-Ugh...

The small lights also began to scatter, unable to approach the figure.

"Ugh..."

Just as she was about to retch.

-Thump!

She fell flat on her face.

The figure standing in front of the unconscious girl smiled slightly.

"You're still too weak to meet the leader."

The figure, who had examined the girl, turned around and headed to the pond.

"Come here."

At the figure's gesture, a blue light gently sat on his fingertip.

"Stay with that child."

-I will obey your command.

The figure soon disappeared without a trace.

The light that had been on his hand slowly approached the girl who was lying on the ground.

-My name is Naias. Will you be my companion?

The blue light, which had approached the child's ear, whispered softly.

"Ugh..."

-My name is Naias. I want to make a contract with you, following the King's command.

"Guuuh..."

Nella twisted her body at the gentle mezzo-soprano that tickled her ear.

-My name is Naias. Let's make a contract.

"Ugh..."

As a sound that was hard to tell whether it was a groan or an answer came out of the child's mouth, the blue light sat on the girl's small forehead once, and on her lips once, and then slowly approached the vicinity of the girl's heart.

-Flash!

As the blue light disappeared from her chest as if it had shattered, a small emblem appeared on the girl's forehead once and then disappeared.

(End of Chapter)