She quietly watched the two of them pressed tightly together.
Watching the usually dignified and majestic Princess, who now voluntarily set aside her reserve and went all out to help her childhood friend.
She also saw Lorin’s initial panic, followed by his immediate instinctive relaxation, an absolute trust in allowing her to do as she wished.
An indescribable emotion slowly crept into Lucia’s heart.
BOOM!!
HMMMM…
The beautiful resonance of magic in the air swirled through the empty study, weaving together into a fierce symphony of fire and poetry.
Wave after wave of exceedingly warm, cherry-pink magic, like sunlight on a winter’s day, flowed without reservation from Alice’s tightly pressed chest into Lorin’s body.
Alice’s continuously overflowing primordial origin magic intertwined in the air, eventually taking shape as a brilliant phoenix, flapping its wings as if to take flight.
Alice’s cherry-blossom-like eyes were now filled with determination. She raised her delicate hand, roughly wiped away the large beads of sweat on her forehead, and, ignoring her exhausted body, once again increased her magic output.
The phoenix, dancing with flames, let out a long cry, transformed into a blazing streak of light that entered the deeper reaches of Lorin’s spiritual world from the top of his head, forcefully pressing upward along the magic meridians that had lain barren for over a decade.
Wings like woven fire, the phoenix spread its pinions.
Just as Lucia had said, to resolve Lorin’s condition, you not only had to clear his magic meridians, but also enter his deeper spiritual world and rekindle his withered primordial origin and self-confidence.
So, the cherry-pink maiden, at this very moment, almost at the cost of burning her own primordial origin magic, cleared Lorin’s long-clogged and dried-up magic circuits one by one.
With every inch the phoenix soared, it scattered a sky full of warm sparks.
“Victory or defeat… all comes down to this.”
Alice bit her already faded cherry lips, drained by magic overexertion. Her shapely legs, wrapped in white knee-high stockings, trembled uncontrollably from the immense strain.
‘I actually know all of it. The times when people secretly mocked you for being a non-magical person, the way you looked at others when they cast magic, and the way you looked at me—the envy you couldn’t hide in your eyes. But you never said a word. You always pretended not to care in front of me, but when you were alone, you’d secretly wipe away your tears in the corner. We’re supposed to be friends! And it’s because you kept suppressing yourself like that that you got tricked by that bad woman Laura back then!’
“So I’ll give it my all to help you. You have to do your best too, Big Stupid Dragon!”
Just as Lorin was concentrating his mental energy, struggling in the Abyss of Consciousness but continually sinking, a phoenix burning with cherry-pink light let out a clear and proud cry.
It violently shattered the darkness, carrying him out of the abyss and into the sky.
Scorching sparks scattered everywhere, completely lighting up his long-dry source of magic.
…
After an unknown amount of time.
Lorin forcefully and slowly opened his dry eyes.
“Hey, so soft! Why is what I’m lying on so soft?”
Not only that, but a warm scent of iris lingered at his nose.
When he fully opened his eyes, what directly met his gaze was Alice’s face, so close, so breathtakingly beautiful it stole one’s breath.
She was slightly lowering her head, her eyes as clear as spring cherry blossoms now staring straight into his.
Sensing he had awakened, the maiden’s face, pale from overusing magic, instantly flushed with two delicate blushes.
At a loss, she extended her fingertips, like scallion shoots, and gently tucked a stray lock of cherry-pink hair behind her slightly burning ear.
Lorin was so startled he nearly bumped his head into her heaving bosom. Only then did he realize he was currently pillowing his head on Alice’s lap.
Her shapely legs, tightly wrapped in pure white knee-high stockings, exuded the unique, lingering youthfulness of a maiden. Through the extremely fine and silky thin fabric, he could even clearly feel the slight curve where the stocking edge pressed against her soft thigh, and the soft warmth of her body continuously transmitted through the gauze.
Having just woken up to such a beauty assault, Lorin’s brain immediately short-circuited. ‘Am I in heaven?’
“It—it was Miss Lucia who said it! She said you just awakened, so it’s best not to let the guide be too far from you…”
Sensing Lorin’s direct stare, Alice immediately explained anxiously, like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on.
The Princess, who usually could silence those old fossil bishops in the Church Council Hall, was now stammering, emitting adorable murmurs.
On her pale face, drained of magic, rosy clouds were rapidly spreading. She forced herself to stay calm.
“Hmph! Since you’re awake, get up this instant, this Princess commands!”
Alice forcibly put on a stern face, adding a hint of bravado to her voice to mask her maidenly shyness.
“If you dare to dirty my dress with your sticky drool, I’ll—I’ll smash your head in!”
Having grasped the situation, Lorin quickly pushed himself up and sat straight, like a primary school student called out by the teacher, putting on an obedient expression.
“Young Master Lorin, please test the magic you’ve awakened, so Her Highness the Princess can rest assured.” Lucia’s voice, tinged with amusement, chimed in at the right moment.
The Destined Heroine stood gracefully by the sofa, her interjection preventing the childhood friends from turning into two boiled crabs right there in the study.
Having someone smooth things over was more than welcome to Lorin. With a pop, he concentrated his mental energy and exerted force through his palm. On his fingertips, a small, cherry-blossom-sized orange-red flame trembled faintly in the air.
It was so weak it could be blown out by a breeze, and its color was also mixed and mediocre.
But this was truly, undeniably, the magic belonging to him alone—Lorin Morsat.
As Lorin was still staring blankly at the flame, Lucia had already brought a brand new Magic Test Crystal and handed it to him.
“Young Master Lorin, please try infusing your magic into it.” Lorin did as instructed, exerting all his strength to channel his newly awakened magic. The moment the faint firelight touched the crystal, the originally transparent center slowly lit up with a warm, orange-red glow.
“Fire Affinity Grade: Good.”
Lucia announced the test result. A gleam of relief and admiration for Alice’s achievement flashed in her golden eyes.
One must know that on the Sera Continent, magic affinity grades had their own classification.
Aside from Lorin’s previous condition as a “Non-magical Person,” abandoned by the gods, the grades from lowest to highest were: Poor, Average, Good, Excellent, and Outstanding.
For Lorin to be forcibly elevated from over a decade of being a waste to a level of “Good” was already a miracle that would make those nobles outside drop their jaws. If he studied diligently, in the future he might not be inferior to a Royal Knight. To become a true knight—that would be a real underdog turnaround, just like in the novels.
Of course, through his past life memories, Lorin also knew that at the peak of the Sera Continent, there existed an affinity grade beyond ordinary cognition—Legendary Grade.
The favorites of the gods could even bestow new characteristics upon elements.
For example, the blushing Princess before him now—with her Legendary Grade fire element affinity, she could even directly ignite and burn water, which should normally counter fire, without it extinguishing;
Another example was the unassuming Destined Heroine beside him, Lucia. The wind element she commanded could make people feel an unparalleled, terrifying weight, like a mountain collapsing.
Well, he couldn’t exactly compare himself to a Destined Heroine. Being able to use magic at all made him incredibly happy. Lorin looked at Alice with gratitude.
By the guest sofa.
Lucia lowered her eyelids, like an orchid, indifferently masking the fleeting envy in the depths of her golden eyes.
If, back then, someone had been willing to do that for her, or if someone had been willing to trust her unconditionally, would things have been different?
When she lifted her head again, the maiden’s face had already resumed her composed smile.
She gave a slight bow to Lorin, her voice like an orchid in a deep valley.
“Welcome to the world of magic, Young Master Lorin.”