Chapter 6: Still Got It
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 6: Still Got It
“This is truly a marvel.”
The words escaped Ruri’s lips as she entered to prepare breakfast, her eyes fixed intently on Ferda.
As a Dragon Spawn and the sole attendant to Valdrova, her discernment was exceptional.
“Did you really open your mana circuit?”
In just one night?
Ferda nodded calmly.
“I did.”
“It should be impossible for an ordinary human to open it in a single day.”
“Is it not simply because I am extraordinary? More importantly, I’d like an answer.”
“To what?”
“Is this enough to prove I am worthy of being her spouse?”
“……”
Instead of answering, Ruri bit her lip and looked up at Ferda. By her standards of potential, he hadn't just passed—he had shattered them.
No, he’s actually exceeding my wildest expectations.
Only two weeks ago, when she had made the proposal to Ferda, she had thought to herself: It would be a miracle if he managed to squeeze out a single drop of mana by the final day of the fourth week.
Yet, in just two weeks, Ferda had satisfied the condition with ease.
No, it wasn’t even two weeks.
Since there hadn't been a single sign of progress until now, it meant he had achieved this in a single day.
The catalyst for this awakening… must have been the Master’s battle.
But what kind of inspiration could a human possibly draw from that? All a mortal should feel in the presence of such power is the overwhelming weight of terror and awe.
In fact, she was the one who had carried his broken body to the bed; she knew exactly what state he had been in. It irked her how he now acted with such composure, as if this were all perfectly natural.
“Why no answer?”
“……It’s fine.”
“What is?”
“The criteria.” Ruri cleared her throat, quickly changing the subject. “Since you’ve met the requirements, you may rest until the engagement ceremony. You’ve worked hard.”
“Resting is all well and good, but I still have a long way to go, don't I?” After finishing his breakfast, Ferda wiped his mouth with a napkin and stood up. “Is there a place where I can practice?”
“What do you plan on practicing?”
“Magic, naturally.”
Ruri shook her head. “Unfortunately, we have no supplies for mages. I can procure some, but it will take about three days.”
“It won’t take that long. I don’t need those kinds of things.”
The training Ferda was about to undertake didn't require expensive, sophisticated tools.
“A few targets will suffice.”
“Targets?”
“I’m saying you just need to set up a few things like scarecrows.”
Ruri looked puzzled. What kind of training could a novice who had just stepped into the 1st Circle possibly do with mere scarecrows?
But for Ferda, they were the most optimal tools. His magic training required a level of delicacy that could not be measured or corrected by equipment—and that degree of delicacy was something Ferda could already control on his own.
* * *
Ruri led Ferda to the clearing where she had previously spread her wings to head for the mountain peak. The space had been transformed into a makeshift training ground.
It was the kind of place meant for ordinary soldiers, not mages. Straw scarecrows, distance markers, obstacles, and various tools were laid out.
I can see how she manages this massive castle alone.
The speed at which she had prepared the clearing in just thirty minutes was impressive. With that kind of dexterity and speed, there was little she couldn't accomplish.
Ferda looked at Ruri, who stood demurely beside him. “Thank you for setting this up.”
“What specifically do you intend to practice?”
“Mana control.”
Ruri tilted her head. “Why bother with control?”
“To use magic efficiently. People often waste mana by over-channeling, or their spells fizzle out because they use too little.”
This time, she tilted her head to the right. “Does that actually happen?”
“Is it different for dragons? I heard all dragons can use at least some magic.”
Ruri nodded. “As you say, we can handle magic. The spells we can cast differ depending on whose blood we’ve inherited, but almost all Dragon Spawn are capable of it.”
“Then why don't you understand?”
“Well, to put it simply, what you’re saying sounds like someone worrying they might forget how to breathe. If other Dragon Spawn heard you, they would call it ‘primitive.’”
Ferda stared intently at Ruri. “So, does what I’m doing look primitive to you?”
“I am also a Dragon Spawn, after all.”
She was essentially saying it did.
“Well, you’re not wrong.”
Their arrogance was a fundamental trait; there was no helping it. Dragon Spawn were born with the innate ability to command magic. Humans, however, commanded magic through grueling effort and understanding. It was only natural that those with innate talent and those who achieved through blood and sweat could not understand one another.
Ferda turned his gaze toward the scarecrows.
“May I watch your training?”
“If you find watching someone practice breathing interesting.”
“Then, by all means.”
Ruri stood a short distance back and began to observe.
Ferda closed his eyes. To control magic, one must feel the stillness and slowly approach the gentle flow. That was the standard method for controlling mana.
But that control method is strictly limited to the Blue Circle.
Most established magic theories were designed for the Blue Circle. Ferda’s circle, however, was a Red Circle.
A Red Circle, forged from the turbulence of emotion, could not be governed by Blue Circle control methods. Even if one managed to control it that way, its power would diminish so drastically that the mage would become a mere shadow of their potential.
I must control the uncontrollable.
The Red Circle was a mass of contradictions that defied logic. If one only knew the secret principle to break that contradiction, they could dominate the power.
And Ferda had already mastered that secret.
With his eyes closed, he let his senses sink slowly. His consciousness, like a stone dropping into a lake, reached his Dantian. The circle, spinning with high tension, appeared vividly behind his closed eyelids.
Ferda observed it quietly. The rapidly flowing mana was like a torrent during the monsoon season. It felt as though he would be swept away if he approached it incorrectly.
Ferda carefully reached out. What he was trying to do was akin to shaping pottery—carefully touching the edge of the rapidly spinning circle, maintaining its form while ‘scooping’ out the mana.
‘Scooping.’
Even for the relatively slow-flowing Blue Circle, this was a stage that required over a year of discipline. For a Red Circle, it was a process that should have taken several times longer.
I put in blood-soaked effort to master this.
That sensation remained vivid in Ferda’s memory. He concentrated on the circle and brought his finger to it. The torrential mana brushed lightly against his finger, and the energy within used his finger as a new channel, flowing out.
I can feel it.
The mana from his Dantian rose through his veins. Through the vessels to the heart, and from the heart to the arteries. Using the blood vessels as a path, the mana began to move.
Normally, this would take a year to master.
But Ferda skillfully found the path, and it finally reached the tip of his right index finger.
It took one minute.
A year-long process completed in a single minute. Now that he had scooped the mana, he moved to the next stage: ‘Sphere Formation.’
Wooooong—
The mana gathered at his fingertip radiated outward. He felt the blue threads of mana dispersing from his finger.
‘Cohesion.’
The dispersing mana gathered and condensed about an inch above his finger. The cohesive, condensed mana took on a deep, vibrant hue. When it becomes dense enough for even those who haven't awakened to magic to see clearly, the stage is complete.
Ferda’s sphere was a perfect, smooth, and solid orb. Usually, mana that isn't fully controlled leaks out like blue steam, but in Ferda’s sphere, there was no such waste.
It took another year to reach this point.
A series of processes that had once taken a total of two years were accomplished in two minutes. He wasn't particularly overjoyed. As Ruri said, this was an act as natural as breathing. Just as no one rejoices over figuring out how to breathe, this was just as obvious to Ferda.
The final stage.
A task that takes most mages six years. A task that even the exceptionally talented Ferda had barely mastered over three years in his past.
He entered the ‘Three Beats’ stage.
Ferda looked down at the clump of mana gathered above his finger—a pure essence that could transform into anything according to the user’s will. The first thing one does with that essence is the projectile ‘Mana Shot.’
Literally, it simply meant firing a clump of mana. However, that training was also a measure of whether a mage could fulfill their role.
Cohesion, speed, and accuracy must all align perfectly.
That was the Three Beats. It was a stage known as the ‘Wall of Lamentation’; countless mages failed to cross it even after reaching the 3rd Circle. Ferda himself had only been able to achieve this after reaching the 2nd Circle in his previous life.
Looking down at the mana clump, Ferda raised his head. He saw the sign and the scarecrow marked exactly 50 meters away.
“Hmm……” Ferda narrowed his eyes and let out a low hum. “This won't do.”
Muttering that, he concentrated on his finger once more. Then, three spheres were fashioned and floated above his finger.
Ferda muttered as he looked at them, “Yes. This is more like it.”
It had to be at least this much to be worth doing, right?
Ferda’s finger traced a large arc through the air. Simultaneously, three mana bullets flew in a parabolic trajectory. Their destination was exactly the forehead of the scarecrow.
Pop-pop-pop!
The high-density mana bullets burst and exploded. The scarecrow’s head vanished without a trace.
Ferda muttered as he watched, “As expected, I haven't lost my touch.”
Although firing three shots at the 1st Circle had drained half of his stored mana, it was fine. Mana would increase as his circles grew. Having completed the practical test, Ferda no longer doubted his abilities.
His practice ended there. The time elapsed from the start of practice to its conclusion was a mere ten minutes.
* * *
That night, Ruri went down to the Lair. In her hand, she held documents she had organized herself.
“I am here to deliver the weekly report.”
—Proceed.
Despite her seclusion, the Archduchess needed to know how the world turned. Ruri, as her sole attendant, performed that role, and she accepted the task gladly.
Valdrova listened calmly to her summary. After thirty minutes, the situational report ended, and Ruri closed the documents.
“That is all.”
—Yes, you’ve worked hard.
“It is no trouble at all. Is there anything you are curious about?”
No. You may go.
Those were the words Ruri expected, but a different sentence struck her ears.
—Something I’m curious about……
Valdrova’s claw scratched her chin. Having served her for a long time, Ruri could tell instantly: the Archduchess was curious about something.
Is she finally interested in the outside world?
Ruri’s eyes sparkled for a moment. Valdrova’s mouth twitched, then she shook her head vigorously.
—No, it’s nothing.
“Please, tell me. What are you curious about? This humble Ruri is prepared to answer any question you may have, Master.”
Ruri’s eyes shone. Valdrova looked down at her and finally opened her mouth reluctantly.
—How is…… the one who is to be my spouse doing?
“Ah.”
What settled in Ruri’s heart was a sense of betrayal. It felt as if her dreams were being shattered. To think the only thing she was curious about was that man’s well-being.
However, since she had pressed for it, it was only right to answer.
“Your fiancé is doing well.”
—Does he seem to have any discomforts?
“No, there is nothing to worry about. Contrary to my expectation that he would be uncomfortable without his own attendants, he is managing quite well. He is very different from the nobles of these days.”
—I see.
“And……”
Unlike what one would expect from the end of a sentence, Ruri’s lips continued to move. She spoke as if agonizing internally over whether she should say this.
“And he is quite unpredictable.”
—Unpredictable? Do you mean he is below expectations?
Ruri shook her head. “No. His abilities are exceptional. It’s more that he is beyond what I imagined.”
—For you to acknowledge a human, that is unusual.
Valdrova was surprised. She already knew how much Ruri loathed humans.
—So, is there a problem? Is he unstable?
“No. He was too perfect.”
—Isn't that a good thing?
“Of course, being perfect is good. But not for a human.”
Ruri recalled what she had observed while watching Ferda. In particular, it was today’s training that made her think he was so dangerous.
“Humans are a race that learns through failure. Therefore, they can never be perfect from the start.”
He hadn't failed even once. It wasn't just today; that was the feeling she had gotten from observing him over the past few days. He approached everything with an attitude so flawless that even Ruri, who hated humans, had no choice but to acknowledge him.
And so, her perception had shifted from incompetence to acknowledgment, and then beyond.
“That is why I can’t help but think he is dangerous.”
A feeling of awe had taken root in Ruri’s chest. It felt like there was something she was missing—like he was harboring a secret she couldn't grasp. As a loyal servant, she felt uneasy allowing him to stand by her Master’s side.
—For you to harbor such thoughts, he must be a truly remarkable man.
“I hate to admit it…… but yes, he is.”
Valdrova pondered those words.
—Still, it is fine. Did you not say he came to meet me with pure intentions?
“……”
—So, I shall try to trust him.
It was a remarkably optimistic thing to say. While Ruri was dying of anxiety, the person involved was speaking so lightheartedly.
This is my Master.
Ruri knew this and had factored everything into her calculations.
Therefore, I must do everything in my power.
If she couldn't stop it, she needed a situation where she could at least probe his true intentions.
Perhaps…… it wouldn't be bad to try that.
Ruri decided to set the stage. She was certain it would be a means to confirm his inner thoughts, even if he didn't show his true colors. As she fleshed out the plan, the words she had used lingered in her mind.
“A remarkable hidden side……”
Chewing on those words, Ruri remembered something. Ferda’s face—the way he had smiled in admiration even while in pain. She made a disgusted face, as if she had stepped in filth on the street.
“Master. By any chance……”
—What is it?
“……It’s nothing.”