The Marquis of Remton.
In his office, a knock echoed.
“It’s Leonhardt. May I come in?”
Soon, a young knight with golden hair entered the room and bowed deeply toward the Marquis.
Has that rascal Kyle caused trouble again?
If this capable knight had come to visit, it could only be for that reason.
The Marquis sighed before speaking.
“What’s the matter?”
“It’s about the young master.”
The knight began to recount the story.
It was about Kyle, who had ignored his confinement and left the annex.
As the Marquis listened carefully, his eyes slightly widened.
Exercise and a stroll?
For his son’s usual behavior, the reason for his outing was far too wholesome.
“Did I mishear?”
“You heard correctly.”
“So, you permitted it?”
“Yes.”
At that, the Marquis stared blankly at the young knight.
Leonhardt.
A knight loyal and true.
The Marquis had assigned trusted knights to guard his four children, and naturally, Leonhardt was among them.
If he had allowed Kyle to go out, defying orders, there must have been a reason.
“Why?”
“Because the young master is undeniably different from before. That’s why.”
Curiosity flickered in the Marquis’s eyes at the knight’s reply.
“…Different? In what way, exactly?”
“From the way he looks at things to his demeanor and actions—everything has changed.”
The Marquis tilted his head.
Kyle.
It wasn’t impossible for him to have decided to live sincerely, changing his mindset.
After all, there was nothing truly impossible in this world.
But even if he had made such a resolution…
Changing everything about a person in such a short time was extremely difficult.
“…Are you certain?”
“I projected some of my restrained energy toward the young master to stop him. But the young master’s eyes didn’t waver in the slightest. In fact, he smiled.”
“…”
Leonhardt wouldn’t lie, so it must be true.
“Did he smile after receiving the energy of a high-ranking Expert knight?”
The ranks of knights are divided into five broad stages.
It starts with Beginners, followed by Users, who have become somewhat proficient with the sword. Next is the Expert rank, then Sword Masters, who are treated as national assets. Finally, there’s the legendary Grand Sword Master.
A person is only considered a true knight from the Expert rank onward.
Leonhardt was an upper-rank Expert.
That meant he was within the top 3% of knights. Someone of his caliber could easily make a lesser individual wet their pants just by releasing his energy.
And Kyle, being a habitual drunkard?
No matter how strong his resolve, he shouldn’t have been able to remain unaffected.
Even seasoned veterans with years of battlefield experience found it nearly impossible to stay composed under such pressure.
What kind of transformation had Kyle undergone?
It was still too early to tell.
“Did the young master say anything?”
Curious, the Marquis prodded further. If his youngest had truly changed, surely he would have said something to this steadfast knight.
Leonhardt’s expression hardened.
After a brief hesitation, he added, “…The young master asked me to relay that he does not wish for me to be punished.”
At those words, a smile spread across the Marquis’s lips.
A boy who once cared only for himself was now looking out for others.
Whether this was a fleeting change or something more lasting, time would reveal.
The Marquis chuckled and said to the knight, “It’s been a while since I’ve heard such a request. No punishment. And allow him to go out as he pleases, as long as he doesn’t stray too far from the annex.”
“Understood.”
Leonhardt left the office soon after.
The Marquis watched him leave, sinking into thought.
“Kyle.”
His youngest had always been a source of pain.
From birth, he had been afflicted with Herememu, an incurable disease that drained his body day by day.
This cursed disease could not be treated by any known means.
Even when external energy was forced into the body, the patient’s body simply couldn’t absorb it.
And if medicine were administered…
The weak body, enclosed by barriers on all sides, couldn’t handle the overwhelming force and would shatter from within.
There was only one way to treat it.
The patient had to gather natural energy on their own and overcome the disease from within.
It was a cruel contradiction.
A body that couldn’t absorb energy, yet the only way to cure the disease was by gathering that very energy.
A body wasting away day by day.
Kyle must have felt the looming shadow of death daily, unable to bear it.
Drinking himself into a stupor every night, cursing his miserable fate—that must have been his routine.
It was understandable.
But…
As the head of the family, the Marquis couldn’t overlook such behavior forever.
For him, maintaining the family’s honor was more important than keeping a single son in line.
He had already half-abandoned his hopes for Kyle.
But now, was his youngest trying to walk a new path?
Time would tell.
The Marquis finished his thoughts and picked up his documents.
After the night passed.
As soon as morning came, Kyle stepped outside.
To his surprise, Leonhardt was waiting right outside his door.
“You’ve woken up.”
“Was there any trouble with your report?”
“The Marquis said he would allow you to leave the annex from now on, but not travel far.”
Oh?
Not only had he avoided a scolding, but he’d also been granted permission to go out freely. The results were much better than expected.
Indeed.
In life, rewards come to those who take risks.
Now, it was time to act.
“I’d like to visit the library.”
“…The library?”
“There’s a book I need to read.”
Circles.
In the game, becoming a mage wasn’t difficult at all. Once you selected the protagonist, you could choose a profession right from the start.
Among the many available professions, selecting “mage” would naturally grant you the 1st Circle.
As expected from a game.
However, this place was a half-mix of reality and the game, so Circles didn’t form automatically.
“I’ll probably have to make it myself.”
The NPCs gathered mana at their hearts to form Circles, but since that was knowledge Kyle had only overheard, it couldn’t be trusted blindly.
Attempting such a thing without proper knowledge could lead to disaster.
In fact, many within this game world had been ruined trying to form Circles.
There’s even a term, “Heart Eye,” for when one’s efforts went awry.
It was similar to ‘Black Barrier.’
“If I go to the library, I might find a book with relevant information.”
If the world here is similar to what I know, studying up to 2nd Circle should be possible on my own. Books related to that level should be widely available.
The 3rd Circle is a different story, but that’s something to deal with later.
Soon, I arrived at the library with Leonhardt.
The library’s enormous size was impressive.
It seemed large enough to easily house an entire elementary school.
Upon entering, I was greeted by rows and rows of books.
“Wow.”
Books everywhere.
The desire for knowledge matched their reputation as a swordsman family. I approached the librarian at the front of the library and asked.
“Do you have any books on magic?”
“…Excuse me?”
“I’m asking if you have books on magic.”
The librarian, initially dazed, quickly responded.
“Yes, we do. However, we only have books related to the 2nd Circle at the moment…”
That was good news.
“Then do you have any books on the formation of Circles?”
“Yes, we do. Shall I fetch one?”
“Sure.”
Being a troublemaker had its advantages.
As soon as I gave the order, the librarian hurriedly rushed into the library, clearly eager to avoid further interaction.
It was a status that made people work diligently.
After a short while, I received a book titled [The Basics of Circle Formation].
“Are you interested in magic?”
I turned around and smiled at the voice behind me.
“Somewhat.”
“…As before, it will be difficult for you to learn magic.”
I saw the concerned expression on the knight’s face.
“Why?”
“Because of Hermem. It’s a disease that prevents any energy from accumulating in the body. You know that, don’t you? If you’re thinking of overcoming it with mana instead of aura… you shouldn’t expect too much.”
Hermem.
A term used to describe a body with blocked pathways.
Was this just a warning or a preemptive counsel to prevent despair?
“Well, I know. But, you know.”
I looked at Leonhardt and said casually.
“If you want to survive, you have to try something.”
“…Only those hailed as unparalleled geniuses have overcome Hermem. Do you remember when the Marquis personally guided you?”
The memory resurfaced.
A frail child sitting cross-legged, with a towering man standing nearby with his arms crossed.
The five-year-old boy was concentrating.
“Exhale. Breathe deeply. Forget yourself and let nature take over. Do you feel anything?”
“…No.”
“Kyle.”
“Yes, Father.”
“If you want to live, you must feel it.”
“…Feel what?”
“Aura. From now on, every day, sit cross-legged for three hours. Feel it. That’s the first step.”
Days turned into weeks.
Kyle felt nothing.
He lacked the talent for aura.
The memory continued.
High-ranking mages, summoners, and various experts visited the Marquis family, trying to help Kyle.
If aura was impossible, at least other energies might provide a clue to overcoming the disease.
Two years later, the conclusion was reached.
The youngest son of the Marquis had no talent and could not overcome Hermem.
“Are you just worried about me?”
“…”
I could tell what the knight was thinking.
He seemed to be preparing me for failure in advance. Even though I had trained in magic before without success.
Normally, Kyle would have reacted angrily, but I was not the same now.
“I understand your concern, but even if this method fails, I’m not planning to go back to my old ways. And, by the way.”
I smiled at the knight.
“There’s a saying: you don’t know if it’s long or short until you try.”
No longer the reckless Kyle.
A future genius in magic who could shake the empire!
That would be my new title.
With my incredible talent, even overcoming Hermem was not impossible.
To achieve that, I needed to start by reading this book.
As I turned the pages of the magic book, it was extremely complex.
Despite being a basic book on Circle formation, it was challenging to understand.
It seemed like even college students might struggle with it.
While I struggled with the book, suddenly:
[Heart Eye activates.]
[This is a low-level book. Deciphering text.]
“Huh?”
Focus.
Concentration.
Circle.
The core content of the book became clear in an instant.
In a short time:
[Deciphering complete.]
Perfectly.
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