Chapter 72
The sight of my Fire Arrow made her swallow nervously.
“…Will you really keep your promise?”
“Yes. Didn’t we sign a contract? Of course, such benefits should be provided for you to understand.”
“I have one question.”
“Go ahead.”
“It looks like you’re planning to supply magic through the Ducal Estate, but why did you make that contract? There was no need to reveal your magic to all mages.”
Why, she asks.
Because the mages of this continent are at an embarrassingly low level right now.
If I could significantly raise the average standard, it would be a huge benefit for the future.
If the mages could take down two enemies instead of just one, that alone would be a tremendous advantage.
Of course, I couldn’t explain it to the little girl exactly like that, so I decided to rephrase it slightly.
“Because I want to spread my magic widely.”
“…Then why don’t you do it yourself? Why go through the Ducal Estate?”
Iris.
Even if she was smart, she was still just a greenhouse flower who had only ever lived within the Count’s household.
That’s why she was asking such a one-dimensional question.
“Even though I have reached the 2nd-circle, there are still many people in the world stronger than me. If I went around publicly revealing my magic formulas everywhere, do you think they would just sit back and do nothing?”
“Who would dare to oppose the Seltarion Marquessate—”
“The Marquessate is strong, but I am not.”
“….”
“Do you understand now?”
“…Partially. I still don’t understand why you need to spread magic, though…”
Well.
It wasn’t like I was revealing the magic in some grand tournament setting—I was handing it over to the Ducal Estate.
From her perspective, that might not make sense, but I had explained enough.
“Let’s conduct the lesson in my room.”
Since I still had to keep my 2nd-circle abilities a secret, teaching magic in an open space like the training grounds would be a problem.
Adolf’s spies were still lurking around everywhere.
The safest option was inside my room.
“Then, let’s begin. You’re familiar with Fire Arrow, correct?”
“Of course.”
“First, I’ll draw a diagram.”
After activating Heart Eye,
I drew a diagram resembling her mana circuit and began explaining the magic step by step.
***
Two hours.
That was how long it took for her to successfully cast Fire Arrow using the Hybrid Activation Method for the first time.
Since it was far more complex than 1st-circle magic, it had taken quite some time—
Fwoosh!
But in the end, she successfully cast a 2nd-circle spell without any issues.
“I did it!”
“Well done.”
“I want to try using it…”
“That’s not a good idea right now. You should wait until you return to your household.”
At my words, the little girl puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.
“Why not?”
“I already told you. Most people in my household still think I am just a 1st-circle magician.”
“What does that have to do with anything? I’m the one using magic, not you.”
“It’s not about that. The problem is that if you go outside and start firing off the spells I taught you, it will cause issues.”
“…”
She gave me an unamused glare.
It seemed like she was pouting.
This is why teaching kids is such a hassle.
Looks like I needed to throw her another treat to appease her.
“In that case, I’ll teach you something else.”
“Another spell?”
“No. A technique for Fire Arrow.”
“The Hybrid Activation Method is already applied, right?”
I summoned an arrow above my palm.
“Now, if you rotate the mana in a specific way and let it collide—”
Fwoosh!
The flames burned far more intensely than before.
Iris’ eyes widened.
“This increases the firepower significantly. On top of that, the arrow’s speed will also become as fast as a real arrow.”
“Like… a real arrow?”
“Yes.”
“How does it work?”
“I’ll tell you if you promise to test today’s lesson only after returning to your household.”
She nodded frantically.
“Alright. First, you need to control your mana…”
And so, inside my room, a specialized lesson on advanced mage theory began.
Advanced Techniques.
This was even more difficult than applying the Hybrid Activation Method.
She had to rotate her mana in a set direction while also causing collisions simultaneously.
It was an exceptionally tricky process.
***
Two hours later.
Her expression had turned utterly exhausted as she struggled to grasp the concept.
“…It’s not working.”
“That’s normal. Even I had a hard time at first.”
To be precise, I had struggled immensely because of how much mana I had to pour into it.
She stared at me and hesitantly asked,
“…How long did it take you?”
“What exactly do you mean?”
“How long did it take you to apply this technique after learning it?”
“About a day? Roughly that long.”
After initially deciphering 10% of the original technique,
And then fully absorbing its knowledge through my negotiation with Adolf, it had taken me about that long.
At my answer, her eyes filled with shock.
“…Are you even human? You applied this in just one day?”
“Human, yes. The term ‘monster’ is reserved for actual monsters.”
“No way. That’s impossible.”
“Why is it impossible? You simply lack the skills right now.”
“…”
“And there’s no need for you to master it in just a day like I did. Here, take this.”
What I handed her was a book—one I had personally transcribed, containing the core principles of the original manuscript.
A method to enhance both the speed and firepower of magic.
It was a condensed magic tome infused with my in-depth analysis.
As she flipped through the pages, she soon clicked her tongue in disbelief.
“Isn’t this way too difficult?”
“It’s difficult because the power increases that much. Consider this your homework. Before your next visit, practice activating magic using the theories written here. Now then, shall we eat?”
“I’m not hun—”
Grrrgle.
Before she could even finish speaking, a distinct rumbling sound echoed from somewhere.
There was no need to guess who the culprit was.
Fwoosh!
Like something straight out of a comic, her face flushed red in an instant.
“It’s already been six hours. You need to eat.”
“…Until when are you planning to teach me?”
“After dinner, I’ll continue until nightfall. I have other business to attend to in the morning.”
“…Fine. Just give me food already.”
“Of course.”
Perhaps because I had informed Erciel beforehand,
The food arrived almost instantly.
“Thank you. I’ll eat well.”
“You’re welcome.”
The little girl stared at me and Erciel for a moment before asking,
“…Is she your maid?”
Ah, right.
I had yet to introduce my personal maid.
“Yes. She is my exclusive maid.”
The moment I answered, she turned toward the maid.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Iris Neiron. What’s your name?”
“I am Erciel.”
At Iris’ question, she gave a polite bow.
Well, isn’t this something?
A ten-year-old and an eight-year-old.
At their age, they should be comfortably addressing each other as sisters, yet their vastly different social statuses were plainly visible.
As if it were the natural order, the little girl began scanning Erciel up and down.
Then—
“I’ll enjoy the food. You may leave now.”
She dismissed her on the spot.
How amusing.
It felt like watching a wealthy heiress dismissing a waiter after ordering food.
Of course, in this world, such a manner of conversation was entirely normal, so I had no intention of intervening.
Even though I had been deeply influenced by democratic values, overthrowing the nobility system here was practically impossible.
And even if I could—
‘There’s no real reason to do so.’
If I were on the side not benefiting from it, that might be different.
But I was reaping significant benefits, so why bother?
Despite Iris’ clear dismissal, Erciel did not move.
She simply stood there, gazing at me.
“Hey, didn’t you hear me?”
“…My master is Lord Kyle.”
“Oh, come on.”
The two little girls locked eyes.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
This wasn’t even a silent conversation—
Yet surprisingly, Erciel held her ground.
Normally, she would have looked away by now, but this time, she continued to meet Iris’ gaze.
A ten-year-old with a blank expression.
An eight-year-old smiling eerily.
No matter how you looked at it, the atmosphere was anything but friendly.
Soon, Iris’ face began to flush red.
She was likely holding back because she had forced herself to think three times before getting angry.
If I left them alone any longer, things would definitely escalate.
“Looks like introductions are over. Let’s eat, shall we?”
Sliding in between them,
I subtly gestured at Erciel.
“…Enjoy your meal, young master.”
“Mm.”
Creak.
With that, she stepped out of the room.
The moment she left, the little girl sitting beside me exploded.
“…Unbelievable. Is she really a maid? Acting like she’s someone important! Isn’t she way too arrogant—”
“Enough.”
“…Huh?”
“She may be a maid, but she is not someone who should be judged solely by that title. And besides, she wasn’t wrong. She serves me, so of course, she follows my orders. She has no reason to obey you.”
Erciel.
Although her title was merely personal maid, her value was far greater than that.
She was far more valuable than a hundred half-baked knights.
She was an S-tier talent, on par with Iris herself.
Furthermore—
Even though I had adapted to the hierarchical society, I had no intention of oppressing my own subordinates under strict social class restrictions.
I planned to raise her rank to at least a semi-noble status in the future.
At my words, Iris’ expression filled with shock.
After a moment—
“…Don’t tell me, you’re actually interested in a mere maid?”
She asked, looking genuinely bewildered.
The emotion flickering in her eyes—
It was jealousy.
Was my face really that effective?
Regardless—
A ten-year-old girl, looking half flustered and half jealous, asking if I was interested in an eight-year-old maid…
Is this really a fantasy world?
Sure, this world had cases where people got engaged as early as ten, but that was just a cultural difference.
I needed to clear up this misunderstanding.
“That’s not it.”
“Hmph! Yeah, right. I saw her earlier—she’s pretty cute. Isn’t that why? Otherwise, there’s no reason for you to defend a mere maid like this.”
This isn’t going anywhere.
Since I intended to recruit her into my party, I figured it was best to reveal a little secret.
“She’s a Spirit Mage.”
“…Spirit Mage?”
“You do know that individuals with talent in spirit magic are extremely rare, right? Erciel is one of the most gifted Spirit Mages to ever exist.”
“…Is that true?”
“It is. In terms of magical talent, she is on par with you. That’s why, when the time comes, I plan to elevate her status to a semi-noble rank.”
Perhaps because of the term Spirit Mage,
Her ears perked up.
I took the chance to add,
“Besides, what did she do wrong? She just looked at you.”
“….”
“Also, I’d appreciate it if you kept the fact that she’s a Spirit Mage a secret. I’m telling you this because I trust you.”
“…Hmph! Obviously, I won’t go blabbing.”
“You’re both around the same age, so I hope you get along.”
“…Whatever.”
It seemed like warming up to each other would take some time.
Still, now that she knew Erciel was a Spirit Mage, she wouldn’t treat her as just a lowly maid anymore.
At the very least, she would show some basic respect.
And so, Iris and I finally began our late-night meal.
—
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