Chapter 3 – There Are No Exceptions
#1
The Montemer family was a microcosm of a world governed by survival of the fittest.
If you had skill, you rose to the top; if not, you were pushed down.
Respect for age and rank only applied before adulthood.
Even then, there was an unspoken tendency to look down on others.
‘I was treated like I didn’t exist. Maybe it started after this evaluation.’
This evaluation was a critical turning point.
Afterward, before reaching adulthood, they called him only once more, then sold him off outside the family.
Perhaps they had decided he was hopeless when he was just ten years old.
That was why they ignored him, leading to his expulsion from the family.
“Hmm, as expected, Rachel’s cooking is the best. It’s good to be back.”
Maybe because he was in a child’s body, the food went down easily.
Strength is national power, and for a child to build strength, they had to eat well, sleep well, and exercise diligently.
This time around, Lawrence planned to create a basic routine and live a more structured life.
‘Phew, now that I’ve eaten… I might as well stay up late tonight.’
Although he had laid the foundation, he still didn’t have a weapon to attack his opponents with.
He couldn’t even use 1st Circle magic like others.
While others trained, Lawrence had to dedicate his time to crafting.
“People usually start accumulating mana in their Mana Core at around two years old…”
Eight years.
When comparing himself to other ten-year-olds, there was an eight-year gap to overcome.
The road ahead was long if he wanted to bridge that gap.
He rummaged through the storage room to find a second medium.
In a box of materials in one corner, he found something suitable.
[Medium: Feather from a Molted Phoenix]
[Suitable for Fire Magic Manifestation.]
[Faded and Broken Ruby: Fire Arrow]
[Manifestation Rank: 1st Circle]
The second artifact would be made from this.
Lawrence stretched lightly and immediately began extracting the magic.
[Manifestation: Fire Arrow]
[Extracting the magic circle…]
[Engrave the magic circle onto the medium.]
Following the instructions, he resumed his work.
Scratch, scratch, Lawrence’s hands moved gracefully.
This was much easier than when he made the first artifact.
‘This is fun.’
He worked with a faint smile on his face.
Before long, the second artifact was completed.
[Artifact: Fire Arrow]
[Manifestation: Fire Arrow]
[Uses: 10] [Cooldown: 10 seconds] [Multi-shot: 2]
[Implantation Status: Ready]
The artifact allowed him to cast the magic ten times, with a 10-second cooldown between uses.
Lawrence recalled memories from his past life.
Looks like I need to make another one as backup.
He still had plenty of time.
Crackle-!
Lawrence immediately implanted the artifact.
Words appeared in his vision.
[Displaying current artifact status…]
[10/10 – Fire Arrow]
“So that’s how it works.”
[Though it’s weak now, you’ll eventually be able to create semi-permanent artifacts.]
“Is there any way to recharge it?”
[If you remove the implant and re-engrave the magic circle, it can be recharged. You just need to obtain more materials or extracts.]
“So, recharging works like that. Got it.”
The higher the quality of the medium, the greater the storage capacity, and the better the materials, the more powerful the recharge and storage amounts would be.
It was simple, but it meant continuous effort was needed.
[Dragon Body Growth]
[Hatchling: 1%]
On top of that, it was growing.
Lawrence smirked.
Casting this kind of magic at ten years old without incantations…?
‘Even the family head will be surprised.’
The time to settle the grievances from his past was approaching.
***
#2
Meanwhile, at the Montemer family’s main house…
The mansion was too vast to walk across.
At its center stood a man draped in a blue cloak.
He had reached the realm of the 8th Circle.
A supreme Archmage.
The master of the Great Family.
A man said to have mastered all there was to know about mana, Edward Montemer.
Before him lay a man, prostrate on the ground.
“Shall I bring the boy as well?”
“Yes.”
His lips barely moved, yet mana stirred.
Having reached a state where he was one with nature, anyone who did not kneel would be swept away by the storm.
He could control it perfectly, but there was no reason to bother.
Despite witnessing such overwhelming power, the man lying prostrate had something to say.
“The boy is the one without a Mana Core, isn’t he? There’s no need to spill blood over this…”
“Since when were there exceptions?”
“……”
Rumble-.
The family head’s voice reverberated through the entire hall.
The man, who had dared to offer an opinion in the face of such terrifying power, clamped his mouth shut.
The law of the Montemer family was, in essence, the law of Edward Montemer.
It was only natural for all members of the household to obey his words.
“I will comply.”
“……”
“Then, I will take my leave.”
The family head barely nodded.
The man, still prostrate, quickly stood up and left the room, closing the door behind him.
Edward, the family head, turned his gaze to the window.
‘Such a pity.’
There was a time when thinking of her brought pain to his heart.
But now, even those emotions had faded so much that he could no longer remember when those days were or what she and their son had looked like.
Only one fact remained in his mind.
The child called Lawrence had no [Mana Core].
‘You never know. Maybe something has changed.’
The pale blue moonlight streamed through the window.
The long shadows it cast only deepened his thoughts.
It had been so long since he had thought of his son and the woman who had passed away.
As the shadows grew longer, the family head stood up.
Lawrence’s fate would be decided in this evaluation.
He sincerely hoped for a good outcome.
The great family had no need for defective goods.
***
Meanwhile.
The man who had just spoken with the family head was trying to calm his nausea as he met with someone.
“Every time I see the family head, I feel like I’m going to be sick.”
“How did it go?”
“He said to bring him. The youngest master.”
“Why bother with something so pointless…”
Who knows.
The man gave up trying to understand.
The family head’s will was the will of Montemer.
Whether the head intended to publicly humiliate him or test a faint glimmer of possibility, all the man had to do was carry out the order.
They would have to move quickly to reach the outskirts of the city by morning.
The journey to the remote annex was a long one.
Of all places, why did they have to build the annex there…
“We should hurry if we don’t want to upset the family head. If you’re worried, it might be a good idea to warn the young masters.”
“Hmm, you’re right.”
The person he was meeting disappeared with quick steps.
The man, too, urged his horse forward, heading toward the outskirts of the city.
Watching him through a window, a woman frowned.
“Why entrust something like this to an idiot… No, maybe this is a good thing. This might be the perfect chance to erase him entirely.”
A cold, sinister laugh was muffled by the window, echoing faintly.
Her eyes, reflected in the window, gleamed with a wicked green light.
***
#3
The next morning.
A guest arrived at the annex on the outskirts of the city.
“The family head has sent word to bring the young master.”
“We’re all set.”
“Let’s go.”
Lawrence, who had been waiting in the living room, headed toward the door.
For a moment, the man’s eyes flickered with interest at Lawrence’s confident demeanour.
“I’ll escort you. You, stay here and manage the annex properly.”
“Yes. Young Master, please be careful.”
“Don’t worry. When I get back, let’s have something delicious.”
Lawrence smiled brightly at Rachel, who was concerned for him.
She wanted to go with him, but with a self-deprecating smile, she knew she couldn’t.
If only the lady of the house were still alive…
“There’s no time.”
“Let’s go.”
Lawrence and the man climbed into the carriage.
The man naturally checked Lawrence’s condition.
‘I can’t sense even a trace of mana. As expected.’
There was no reason to be disappointed.
One can’t change what they’re born with.
Conversely, Lawrence was quietly astonished.
‘So this is mana.’
The vivid blue aura swirled in accordance with the user’s will.
That must be the true form of mana.
It wasn’t something visible in everyday life, but now that he was consciously looking, it began to appear.
Strangely, there was no such mana around himself.
‘It’s not easy for ordinary people to sense it, but a skilled mage can clearly see it.’
The concept was to accumulate this energy through a Mana Core.
Lawrence had gained the ability to visualize the magic of mages.
Seeing something with his own eyes was far more impactful than hearing about it a hundred times.
After seeing mana, Lawrence shifted his gaze to the cityscape outside the carriage.
He saw a variety of people and things.
Some had faint traces of mana, while others had none at all.
Even ordinary people had some degree of mana, and Lawrence now understood why the family had treated him like a disabled person.
Even non-mages had traces of mana, but as a direct descendant of the prestigious Montemer family?
He could now understand their perspective, at least a little.
That didn’t mean he accepted it, though.
While he was lost in thought, staring out the window, the man’s voice broke the silence.
“Young Master.”
“Yes? What is it?”
“Aren’t you afraid?”
“Hmm…”
“If you’re scared, it might be best to bow down.”
Lawrence nodded absentmindedly.
The man was someone familiar from Lawrence’s past memories.
[5th Circle Mage: Nikolai]
He was the man who had occasionally checked on Lawrence’s well-being when he was younger.
Nikolai served as both a magic instructor and a messenger for the family head, and he was an executive at the Green Magic Tower.
He had a gentle disposition and had pitied Lawrence, one of the few who had shown kindness.
‘I remember.’
He had often brought food and study materials.
Lawrence recalled Nikolai as a warm-hearted person and responded with a faint smile.
“I’m not really scared.”
“Really? But from what I see…”
“I’ll be fine. Probably.”
They would likely investigate him.
Once they found out he could use magic without a Mana Core, they wouldn’t sit idly by.
How would the family head, Edward, view him?
What action would he take?
“We’ve arrived. Please step out.”
“It’s been a while. This place too.”
“…”
What ten-year-old talks like that?
Nikolai glanced at Lawrence with half-closed eyes.
‘Either he’s had a change of heart, or he’s been doing a lot of thinking…’
There are only two reasons why someone would seem so calm.
Either they thought the situation was easy to handle, or they had completely resigned themselves to it.
No matter how he looked at it, Young Master Lawrence seemed to think this situation was no big deal.
Was his sense of reality off, or…?
While pondering this, the carriage arrived at the Montemer family’s main house.
The mansion’s grandeur was overwhelming.
Seeing it, Lawrence quietly muttered to himself.
“So this is what it looks like.”
He took in the sight of the massive main house, stepped down from the carriage, and began walking.
He marvelled at how silent the front gate was, even though it had been opened hastily, indicating how meticulously it had been maintained.
The small young master gazed at the two distant towers and the central mansion and thought to himself.
He wanted to make his name known throughout this mansion, this family, and this world.
He no longer wanted to be an object of scorn, but a master who could freely enjoy and rule.
Create miracles with your hands.
The defective young master without a Mana Core.
It was time for that defective product to show his miracles.
—
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