Chapter 16: Geirn’s Return

Since I had just returned from my journey, I needed to make a report.

It was only a brief trip, just to visit my disciple, that Geirn had stopped by.

Startled, Geirn immediately headed toward the Lord’s chamber.

And so, reporting about his own excursion was set aside for now.

As soon as he found the Count of Ophern, he began with the news of the awakening of the Third Young Lord, his own disciple.

“An awakening?”

“Yes. An awakening.”

“Heh…”

‘Could the Count of Ophern not know about awakenings?’

Lately, even the youngest child’s growth was obvious to the eye.

Even the Count himself had sat alone in his chambers, pondering the youngest’s awakening.

“As expected.”

“…You already knew?”

“There was an incident.”

From between the Count of Ophern’s lips, the story of what had happened flowed out.

Training with the eldest and second son. Modifying Magic.

Especially the tale of when they captured the Goblin Shaman.

“Heh… So he even experienced real combat.”

“It’s a stretch to call it true combat.”

“Still, there are plenty who can’t even handle that. In that sense, the Third Young Lord did well.”

“That’s true… Even a magician only needs to hold the rear safely to fulfill his duty.”

“Indeed.”

Once again, Geirn could not help but be surprised.

It’s often said that a swordsman’s first kill is an unforgettable experience.

First battle, first kill.

There are countless who fail to overcome that and crumble.

Even those with talent often collapse easily.

That’s just how the first time is.

‘It’s the same for magicians, too.’

Magicians are often mocked by knights as bookish weaklings.

Though they’ve gathered to pursue the mysteries of the world, there always comes a time when they must stand on the battlefield.

And on that first real battlefield, many magicians break.

The dividing line between life and death.

Killing intent carried by Mana.

The murderous aura of enemies rushing to kill.

There are many magicians who can’t withstand those unique elements of the battlefield.

Sometimes, even if they do nothing, many magicians go mad, unable to withstand that killing intent.

Because they can sense Mana, magicians feel and react to the bloodlust of war even more deeply.

No pain, no gain.

But when they overcome that reaction—when they control their Mana properly on the battlefield—the story changes.

A magician who endures and overcomes the battlefield achieves mental growth.

For a magician, mental growth is the foundation of everything.

On that foundation, they gain a chance to climb to even higher positions.

Geirn, too, had wandered battlefields for that reason.

So many battlefields.

That’s how he could become a fifth-circle magician even without proper instruction.

The moment of insight he grasped at the brink of death led him to where he was now.

‘It was dizzying.’

Even now, thinking of that moment made cold sweat run down his back.

Because of that, he knew the terror of first combat.

His disciple had overcome that before he even realized it himself.

That timid child.

His thoughts became all the more certain. At this point, it was hard to deny.

“An awakening, indeed.”

“I can’t see it any other way.”

Even the stern Count recognized it.

“Do you know, Lord? Those who have awakened grow at a frightening pace.”

“That’s right.”

“Aren’t you worried?”

The Third Young Lord is the youngest.

It’s customary for the Count’s House to be led by the eldest son.

But custom is not always followed.

It’s common among noble families for brothers to wage bloody struggles over titles.

Many domains rise and fall repeatedly during periods of Peerage Succession.

The Count of Ophern’s family had never experienced such things.

Not even once, up to now.

But it wasn’t a completely impossible possibility.

The Count of Ophern’s domain, plagued by monsters from the North, needs a strong lord more than any other.

Geirn was pointing that out.

If the Third Young Lord grew stronger, there could be those who would follow him.

The Count of Ophern was not unaware of this.

With a single sentence, he answered Geirn’s question.

“I trust my young son.”

“…Hmm.”

A moment of silence.

But for the two of them, that was enough.

Before being retainer and lord, they were comrades who had roamed the battlefield together.

“If that’s what you say, Lord, then I understand. I’ll make sure to raise him well.”

“The eldest will only become stronger. I’ll be strict with him. He’s already a diligent child.”

“That’s enough. But you’ll have to be quite careful.”

“He used to worry about the youngest, so he actually likes it even more now.”

“This Count’s family is truly strange.”

Geirn shook his head with a wry smile, admitting defeat.

Rather than bloody feuds, the Count of Ophern’s family was more harmonious than most commoners’ homes.

No other family was like this.

It was what people called a house with a real sense of humanity.

Perhaps it was that warmth that led Geirn here as a retainer in the first place.

He found himself once more thinking he hadn’t made a bad choice by coming here.

“Well, let’s leave it at that for now.”

“Agreed. Ah, and…”

The warm conversation ended there.

There was much more to discuss.

Across the North and throughout the kingdom, many issues were arising. Geirn had traveled abroad to confirm these matters.

On top of that, much had happened within the Count’s household during his absence.

“The underworld is in turmoil.”

“Aren’t they just pests that must be killed someday anyway?”

“Indeed. But we must be certain. By the way…”

Changes in the underworld. Various incidents within the domain. And—

“There’s movement from Marquis Beison as well.”

“That Beison, you mean.”

Those who had been lying low, watching the Count of Ophern, had begun to move.

Though the Count had not been the first to act, change was sweeping through the domain, and even outside.

Too much to be called a minor disturbance.

‘Something’s not right.’

The Count could tell this was not something that would end with just a few ripples.

They had to act properly. The disturbance must not grow. For that reason—

“We’ll need to make some effort.”

“Heh heh. Seems it’ll be hard to focus on my disciple’s growth.”

“It can’t be helped.”

They needed strength.

***

‘It’s ticklish.’

Mana tingled through my whole body as it entered. It wasn’t my own—it was my master’s doing.

My master had just returned from a long journey.

Although I’d seen real Magic, it wasn’t enough. He was using Mana to accurately assess my level.

‘This is a Mana Scan.’

It’s a method magicians devised to measure the opponent’s magical power.

I had learned the Gui-Sik Grand Technique in preparation for moments like this.

Even now, the technique had to work flawlessly. But—

“Hmm… Quite impressive.”

“Is it a lot?”

“Yes. Your magical power is considerable, far beyond expectations. Ho, just how…”

‘Was the Gui-Sik Grand Technique not enough to completely conceal my magical power?’

‘If so, I’m in real trouble.’

If he sensed the internal energy in my dantian, not just my magical power, that would be a problem.

There was no way to explain the internal energy, even if I could hide the magic.

But my master looked surprised only by the amount of magical power.

That alone was enough to make me tense.

My master grinned again.

“You’ve been training for quite some time, haven’t you?”

“Ha, haha. I have been working pretty hard lately.”

“Impressive. Very impressive.”

He stopped smiling and asked seriously.

“But tell me…”

“…Yes.”

‘Had he figured something out?’

“Why haven’t you formed the next circle?”

“Ah…”

‘Phew. Thank goodness.’

‘I avoided the internal energy part.’

The reason I hadn’t formed a new circle.

I explained why I was delaying the breakthrough every magician desires.

‘This much, I can manage.’

It was only a theory, but if it held true, I could become stronger than other magicians.

Layering circles thickly and then creating the next one—at first, progress would seem slow, but in the end, I’d become much stronger.

That was the theory.

It might sound a bit absurd, but my master listened to it seriously.

Completely.

‘He’s serious.’

His seriousness compelled me to give my all.

An old master listening intently to a novice magician’s theory about magical power.

It was like a wise old man listening to a child’s words. I couldn’t just explain half-heartedly.

***

After hearing my explanation, my master said, “A thick circle, you say. Thickness… and its applications. Heh… Yes. The movement of magical power within it…”

Uuuuuuuung—

Suddenly, a huge flow of Mana erupted.

‘…Don’t tell me…’

Again!?

The torrent of magical power was far beyond imagination.

Even if I had as much magical power as two circles with only one circle, it was still no match for his power.

The difference was like a sea to a small lake—or even a pond.

My master’s magical power was the sea to me. And that vast sea was swelling, as if it would engulf a continent. It grew.

“So that’s it. The thick wall is ultimately…”

***

That immense magical power seeped into my master’s body.

The strength that soaked in washed away the impurities and tainted Mana accumulated over long years.

‘Transcendence? No, it’s different.’

This was not Transcendence, where the entire skeleton is transformed.

Transcendence is a power immediately granted to those who walk the path of martial arts.

But it was similar.

The wrinkles vanished from my master’s face.

Vitality returned to his body. His magical power grew denser and stronger.

It thickened like enlightenment.

It all happened in an instant.

‘So deep.’

But for me, it was a sight I would never forget in my life.

Seeing someone attain enlightenment was an enormous lesson for me.

‘I learned something invaluable.’

Just remembering this flow would be a great help to me.

Of course, I would never surpass my master, the one who experienced it firsthand.

“Heh heh. This is good. Very good. My disciple… truly, thank you. Because of you, I’ve broken through the wall.”

My master’s smiling face looked at least ten years younger, unable to hide his joy.

‘Why does it feel like everyone’s having breakthroughs but me?’

The theory I constructed.

The method I thought was nothing special was yielding enlightenment.

First my master, then even my father, had achieved enlightenment through rotation and thickening.

Even my older brother and sister, if not full breakthroughs, had definitely gained something through training with me.

With my presence, those around me grew stronger and gained something in return.

Perhaps because of this, they even held a small celebration to congratulate my master’s new realm.

Of course, his advancement was not something to announce lightly, so the party was under another pretext.

They called it a modest homecoming feast for my master, who had returned from his long journey.

But a few key figures in the domain knew the true reason was to celebrate his new achievement.

I was included in that little secret.

“Thanks to you, I gained so much. But right now, I can’t repay everything at once…”

“It’s all right.”

“No, but it’s only proper to give you something in return… For now, take this.”

After the party ended, my master handed me a small pouch.

“Hmm? What is this?”

The pouch was as worn as his robe.

But the subtle magic that emanated from it was unusual.

‘This must be a magical item.’

If someone gives you something, you accept it.

As soon as I accepted the pouch without protest, my master smiled.

“It’s a Dimensional Pouch. Before I had this robe, it served me well for a time.”

“Oh.”

“It can hold about as much as a small room. It’s a precious item.”

“It’s more than I ever imagined.”

I received something I never expected.