Chapter 6: Just as expected, he wasn’t dead
ksuBp“Well, surprising.”d7qBUco
70gLuri, who had entered to prepare breakfast, spoke those words upon seeing Perda.T32P
6qaWAs a dragonspawn and the sole servant of Queen Valdrova, she had a very sharp eye.gCysL
3sSykc“Did you really open a circle?”pP1L5W
4RzKBIn a single night?eabi3
3ACRPerda nodded.48NUAmQ
NxOv“That’s right.”amWwb
DVOxs“A common human could never do that in a day.”SDXyph4
dN4xK1e“Maybe it’s because I’m not common? But I’d rather you answer something for me.”iJ6B
8QmY“What do you mean?”kZTF
L86d“Is this enough to prove I’m worthy to be her consort?”4EobA
Ehs“……”upei
1KitRHgLuri pressed her lips together and looked at him in silence.ArrD
fh8UTThe standard of potential she herself had set had already been exceeded.OhLirK
zqw‘No, he’s even surpassed it.’TU0
ZubTwo weeks ago, when she had posed the challenge, she had thought the following if on the last day, pushing himself to the limit, he managed even a flicker, that would already be a miracle.6hvN7
sWLskFBut in just two weeks, Perda had fulfilled the condition with ease.io9rl
c1Q‘Not even two weeks… he did it in a single night.’lE6uUV
WzLharThe reason for that sudden clarity was undoubtedly her lady’s battle.WGz6CD
Hee0ypBut what could possibly change in a human from witnessing that?ORItj8k
ADXAt most, he should’ve been crushed by fear and awe.vQF
scvfBBesides, she herself had carried him to bed, fully aware of the pitiful state he had ended up in.MHS
Af4That he now acted so calmly, as if nothing had happened, irritated her.I2i9
jvYDKr“Why won’t you answer?”K0n4JZQ
rWGnRs“…It’s fine.”ucxvHS
jBr“What is?”XIyFY
UE7Bg1“Your question about the requirement.”aWf
EORLuri coughed hard and changed the subject.PsA4svS
JSk2“Since you’ve passed the condition, you may rest until the day of the engagement. Well done.”6vyFBHx
Ttllc5“Resting sounds nice, but I’ve still got a long way to go.”5K3cZh4
yCf4After finishing breakfast, Perda wiped his mouth with a napkin and stood up.x7Ts9s
bEUiuPM“Is there a place I can practice?”TI3c0
otqwv2Y“Practice what exactly?”Ad6
BGm5K“Magic.”g76IEz
WHhBw3SLuri shook her head.JxX
zXTP“Unfortunately, we don’t have magical tools. I could bring some, but it would take about three days.”xG5tIu
aLrtCWu“That won’t be necessary. What I need isn’t so sophisticated.”i93f
fu6lFor the training he had in mind, he didn’t require expensive or delicate artifacts.TId6CC
H24L1“Just some targets will do.”olHm
g4I“Targets?”SJA3
Bn0T“Yes, a few scarecrows.”Kr93c2i
9XcE0Luri frowned.r7k3Mo
0Ha2What could a beginner who had barely opened his first circle achieve by hitting scarecrows?5Pj
RbgmXVBut for Perda, it was the best— the most suitable tool.mVRM7Ib
QSw8mHis training required a delicacy that no artifact could measure or correct.hqyRerp
LcDNjm2And that delicacy was something he could already control on his own.vbYQS
Esi***7EaDaLg
upkgiLuri led him to the clearing where she had spread her wings to fly to the mountaintop.Jk6H7E
JvnudPThat place became the training field.izMy1VH
f1egIt was terrain meant for regular soldiers, not for mages—straw scarecrows, stakes with distance markers, obstacles, various tools.M5afa
fQihMr‘Now I understand how she manages to maintain this castle alone.’7yXDk
6iGxIn just thirty minutes, she had transformed the clearing into a training ground.GQOvVam
nxu23With that kind of skill and speed in preparing a space, what couldn’t she do?Usx3Gue
YltPerda, seeing Luri standing beside him, said,XwLTSHR
Lcj“Thanks for setting it up.”gFalHIq
bkMAUO“What exactly do you plan to practice?”Z45s
ho2“Mana control.”9EZ
AsiI0eLuri tilted her head.tIdEUO
EnjRC“Why control it?”q0AzA
l150Fpl“To use magic efficiently. A lot of it gets wasted from overuse, or fails from lack.”aoKumMp
7RxJGuCShe tilted her head again.Wxos
SiEMy1“That happens?”YVAHki
dP75“Don’t dragons? I’ve heard that all dragons, even just a little, know how to use magic.”ims6cB8
LFcteY9Luri nodded.UXvkLQb
PIx9dxy“That’s true. Depending on which sovereign granted us their blood, the techniques vary, but almost all dragonspawn can use magic.”Mcb7NL
9EwdLbs“Then you don’t understand what I’m talking about?”XXduG
81c“Exactly. To put it simply, what you’re saying sounds like being afraid of one day forgetting how to breathe. If other dragonspawn heard you, they’d call it ‘primitive.’”IVkd
uC2RPerda looked at her intently.wYuU
wasL1FQ“So, you think what I’m doing is primitive?”2fCKO
rVhN“I’m a dragonspawn too.”LH2
PWaaASo yes, she did.xw7E5Kt
8Cffz“Well, you’re not entirely wrong.”SQZugZl
MUuIt was natural that there’d be a chasm between them and humans.rx7BZem
YrXwkIDragons used magic instinctively.5zeXUW
NXO5KLCHumans, on the other hand, had to understand it and work hard.xtl
u5e4xXThat the two sides didn’t understand each other was logical.MbSdy5E
WFJPerda looked back at the scarecrows.LFtF
t8KnPZU“Can I watch your training?”XXEA0e
YR3B3o“If watching someone breathe entertains you, go ahead.”UMcU4
Qx6fwNG“Then I will.”hlb6R
Abk1FDHLuri stepped away and watched from a distance.rEn
AKvuRXPerda closed his eyes.SLju
2hFTo control mana, one had to seek calm, approach the gentle flow with care.AKue7
dGnsThat was the usual method.LKg86m
doFfY‘But that only works for the blue circle.’tg4
bUaAtMost established methods were for that kind.zfN
bDPNHis was a red circle.gKK
w8qBorn from emotional surges, it couldn’t be governed by the same rules.RWR
CPWTrying to control it using those methods would reduce him to half a mage—useless.mHggvz
0gz2qX4‘I must control what, in theory, cannot be controlled.’bgXl
ljdAn absurdity full of contradictions.rfyNLX
3x3QZmBut if he found the key to mastering that contradiction, he would rule over his power.Ho2Hn32
7Nu7AAnd Perda had done it before.a6EEqb
OirUHe closed his eyes and let his awareness slowly descend.wGg2mLN
zGJLike sinking to the bottom of a lake, his mind reached his abdomen.BMV
Jbz8There it was—the circle, spinning tightly in perfect form.LbcjUpB
cllHe saw it clearly.UQP4
6RmuWV9The mana spun fast, like a torrent during the rainy season.9DRiiT
SQ5JOne misstep, and it would sweep him away without mercy.RvjY
acmCautiously, Perda extended his hand toward it.6KIB
EowWhat he was attempting was like shaping pottery.NWz
wszzGently touching the rotating edge, maintaining its form, and drawing out the mana.jFg
v7XVPwA‘Extract it.’Yi0X
J8WA step that even with a blue circle took over a year of discipline.mC37BTh
n3nEWith a red circle, it took several years more.rJRUzIY
UuOiQ‘Back then, I bled to achieve it.’bED01
2D8That memory guided him clearly.pDW7TF
zajdTPerda focused on the circle and extended his fingers.VFDkij
nosqHQThe torrent touched his hand and, from there, the mana began to flow—
as if his fingers had become a new channel.Gi1IQ
VcIM8tj‘I can feel it.’yzlPqSY
9nRDPower rose from the abdomen, traveling through the veins, reaching the heart, and from there into the arteries.eXf
hS5HThe flow spread through his entire body, coursing through his blood as if carving a new path.fbeRa
TTHSMz5‘This would normally take a year.’OJaLr
WB5eBut Perda found the path with skill, and in an instant, the energy reached the tip of his right index finger.9ZD
57E4RG2‘It took me one minute.’J7Mul
pETzFA one-year process, completed in just one minute.nRY0R5
f7xNSJTUpon drawing out the mana, he moved to the next phase—forming the sphere.DJxuw
Yg58eD6Woooong—BBFQ
Lc6wVrgThe mana gathered at the tip of his finger expanded outward.NQR7YQk
DcRHe could feel fine blue threads spreading from his hand.xJ2bK
ZF6ZvT‘Condense.’NepWQlN
JZa76A3The dispersing mana gathered a palm’s distance from his finger, clumping together. Soon, the condensed mass glowed so intensely that even someone untrained in magic would have seen it clearly.JTf1
c31k4gPerda’s sphere was perfect—smooth, solid, complete.KJsAEN
JOEpFHOthers always let some escape as bluish vapor, but his had no waste at all.hbZ6f
Jvm‘Normally, this part takes another twelve months.’9K3C
gMNIn total, a two-year process had been reduced to barely two minutes.zXMoE
QpQCXsHe didn’t get overly excited.W1uR
Sj77bLNAs Luri had said, it was as natural as breathing.f9Ynt
DoTNo one gets thrilled just for learning how to breathe; for Perda, it felt just as obvious.miCHvut
7zInb‘Final phase.’ySQ
nRtkA task that took any magician six years.xmcwvsV
jseYEven for him, with all his talent, it had taken three to master.VUH
oJRIt was the stage of the three cadences.DQlzveQ
VjK43He looked at the mass of mana floating above his finger—a pure core, capable of transforming into whatever the user wished.LekqeTi
iGNThe first thing one did with that core was to throw it—the “mana shot.”UgC
jS3yHA simple technique—just launch the sphere.wO5CLNG
ZBXnBgBut it also served to measure whether a mage was combat-ready.Y1dUIp
2HwV‘Cohesion, speed, and accuracy. All three must align.’lv7DgJG
rID18IJThat’s why it was called the Wailing Wall. Many reached the third circle and still couldn’t pass that test.sBkzzTP
aOpf6Perda himself had only succeeded after reaching the second circle.wbkby3s
K5VhHe lifted his gaze to a scarecrow fifty meters away, the distance marked.9BduC
UyqkJ“Hm…”g7KM
VIio2sHe squinted and murmured.T9YVZJv
OkAxPT“No, not like that.”gCcTM
RxXhn8And refocused.6leLzP
ZlQAbove his finger appeared not one, but three mana spheres.jBS
Xeu“Yes… this is the right way.”nOLz
6pHl7Only this was worth it.b4Y67
Dhve18dHe traced an arc in the air with his hand.BaIG
OuMAThe three mana bullets flew in a parabolic curve at the same time.3HztD
n6UqjqHis target—the scarecrow’s forehead.aPPm
bfdBang, bang, bang—!BCjE2
nRnKThe compressed spheres exploded with force, and the dummy’s head vanished without a trace.5D07NS
ySGPerda smiled and murmured.PX9
x7M“Just as I thought, I wasn’t dead.”TnJc3do
ERDMrXFiring three bullets with a first-level circle had cost him half of all his mana.8Ox
6YRSX8ABut he was satisfied as he climbed the circles, his mana reserve would grow too.f1LGt
m53sMQFHe had even passed the practical test.MZx
V9GYHe no longer had doubts about his own abilities.n4zFaR
EC9bNQyHis training ended there.Ufp6E
jNJcRJFrom start to finish, the entire process had taken barely ten minutes.30hyGN
an1L0***Ht7lOVm
6sUbPVrThat same night, Luri descended into the lair.h74
bOwFzhIn her hands, she held a report she had prepared herself.fLsw
ptC“I present the weekly report.”AUSrfcg
rxFLPrY— Go ahead.4Wk3DHc
mm9Even though she remained secluded, Valdrova still needed to know how the world was doing.xUqf
z4z3FuLuri, as the sole servant, gladly took on that duty.gPKw8Nq
7c2The queen listened to her summary calmly.dMYD
1faBThirty minutes later, the reading ended, and Luri closed the documents.329
OPgG“That is all.”Y5Cp
96J— Good. Well done.mK8bDGU
ZcoHK7K“It’s nothing worth calling work. Is there anything else you’d like to know?”2mQK
cgsZQ33Normally, the answer would be a simple ‘No, you may go.’0zuTpq7
zuJuwI3But this time, the words were different.mUAg
enLUEVk— You said something I’m curious about?I7I6gW1
uB7zAmValdrova scratched her chin with a claw.oe4ldAL
GmVVVxXLuri, who knew her well, immediately sensed that her lady was curious.oHa
7YIl‘Is she finally taking an interest in the outside world?’1XZwKG9
cKMHer eyes lit up for a second.gt01
YJDVbgNBut Valdrova shook her head.0ZahO
3ND9— No, nothing.45u
XxYY“Please, do tell me. I’m ready to answer any question from my lady.”DDMK
uAOLuri’s eyes shone with resolve.yaTgUIB
mwPThe dragoness looked down at her and, at last, spoke reluctantly.MXFovz
Uzr3— That one who’s to be my consort… how is he?mftEGJ
3E7h8“Ah.”OM1
Sn0g90oLuri felt a sting of betrayal in her chest.HKo8y
61hzAll that expectation, only for her to care about that man’s condition?xaSpi
oXo0fBut she had insisted—so it was her duty to answer.TMWxbI
v8J“The future fiancé is well.”hws
D0Q— He’s not uncomfortable?5QdNe9
84F“No, you can be at ease. I thought he’d suffer from the lack of servants, like modern nobles, but he’s adapting without issue. He’s different from all of them.”G5RFXY
DF9d— I see.sm0
J2w“So then…”7Ya
lUaIShe was going to stop there, but her lips moved again.FlQ
XjcGShe hesitated, as if unsure whether to say it, and finally decided.eHe
MWvhwj“So then… I don’t understand him.”kLgjDrf
oJwmXeK— You don’t understand him? Do you mean he doesn’t meet your expectations?f4CSQE
6nYLuri shook her head firmly.VCrPE5j
Keaa“No. His abilities are outstanding. In fact… he exceeded everything I imagined.”I5Tv7Rd
t3Y9h— A human you recognize? That’s rare.x85MO
06tHValdrova was surprised.Yrlf
fatOol6She knew well the hatred Luri held toward humans.n7H6q
msGx— So then what? Is he unstable?kpu
9kI“No. He’s too perfect.”lURjKU
uqiR— And that’s not good?jWzK
doWdjY“Of course, perfection is usually good. But not in a human.”Pgktn
O1fgShe recalled what she had observed in Perda over those days—6C8OKOG
Vp5MEspecially during his most recent training.ZnCkMTi
dvCDt1“Humans learn from failure. It’s impossible for someone to be perfect from the start.”mKPW
NHbkoUHe, however, had not made a single mistake.5HK
NitMBvfNot just today—ever since she’d started observing him, it had always been the same.1vv
tiSEven Luri, who hated humans, had to admit his attitude was different.D5jwC
V5ZXOThat’s why her conclusion was clear.5u2
rqEmHr“Because of that, I consider him dangerous.”AX9Or
OVKSomething like reverence had been born in her chest.wtml
xnct0As if he were hiding something she couldn’t understand.3aPW
mZxCAs if he kept a secret beyond her comprehension.OZF
qnkRjShe couldn’t allow someone like that to remain so close to her lady.Bpxwj
XzOd— For you to say that… he must be an extraordinary man.hKDoI
p4S“I don’t want to admit it, but… yes.”NCdSNv
AHCqValdrova pondered in silence and finally said.OcSZns3
O9a— Even so, it doesn’t matter. You said he came with a pure purpose.YrgyMA
AWJxpA“……”IM6J
mhEFuNt— Then I will trust him.T6fk
99hUWords that could only sound like excessive optimism.K1QcdIa
bHJMuLuri felt uneasy—but her lady said it calmly.ONS
X1aVu96‘That’s my lady.’BTTin9
BGuFw4ILuri knew that—and that’s why she measured every step carefully.efRlOHI
0fdd4fB‘I must do everything I can.’8WZ
6znEIf she couldn’t stop him, she at least needed to test him.I0cBUAx
WIG90X‘Yes… maybe it’s not such a bad idea.’F7Xbyf
en7ErAs she finalized that plan, the words she had used earlier kept echoing in her mind.gC5S
0lH3“An extraordinary man…”u01
bLIoO3TRemembering them, the image of Perda returned to her—smiling in awe even in the midst of pain.eWOMo4v
25yePAnd her face twisted in disgust, like someone who had stepped in filth on the street.6ZffK
ReIus“Lady, perhaps…”7maXnpE
hiL— What is it?KaqU
l2vgFMA“…It’s nothing.”0I7j
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