“So handsome!”

“He looks like a noble!”

“Good job, Carmen!”

The next morning, Elric’s room buzzed with the lively chatter of maids.

“Of course it’s good! I’ve got six brothers to practice on,” said Carmen with a playful grin.

The maids continued to happily chatter, and Elric took it upon himself to study his reflection in the mirror. I really do look like a noble, he thought. His previous unruly hair had been tamed into a neat style, giving him an air of elegance and refinement that was not fit for a neric. Earlier, when he first awoke, the agonizing headache from the night before had subsided, and he wanted to give himself a casual haircut to begin his day. He asked a passing maid for a pair of shears, and like predators waiting for their prey, several maids in the hallway overheard his request. Before he knew it, Elric was strapped down in a chair, getting his hair trimmed by a maid named Carmen. 

He stood up and turned to face all the maids.

“Thank you, Carmen, as well as everyone else, for your help.”

The maids beamed at his praise, having long since forgotten the image of Lady Alyvia’s unkempt guest. 

“We’re happy to help!”

“Call on us at any time!”

Their cheerful responses filled the room as they cleaned up, and soon after, a loud knock sounded at the door.

“Sir Elric, it is Mina.”

“Come in.”

The door creaked open, and Mina stepped in, her eyes immediately finding Elric.

“What is it?” 

“The viscount has invited you to join him and the lady for breakfast.”

“Ah…” Elric was wondering when he would next be summoned. It’s sooner than I thought.

“Alright. I’ll be down soon.”

Mina responded with a slight nod and left the room. As the door closed behind her, Elric took another look in the mirror and slightly disheveled his neat hair.

What do you have in store for me now, Viscount?

*

Elric descended the grand staircase of the Humes Manor, and as he approached the entrance to the dining room, he encountered a familiar face.

“Good morning, my lady,” he greeted with a polite bow. By now she must’ve heard from the servants about how she was used. Elric braced himself for the inevitable confrontation. 

Alyvia looked down at him. 

“My lady? Aren’t we going to be classmates soon? Drop the formalities.” 

“...?!”

Elric was taken aback by her neutral tone. 

Alyvia noticed the shocked expression on Elric’s face. That’s right, she thought. I should be angry. A commoner exploited me to secure a sponsorship from my father. But… Her gaze fell to the fading scar on Elric’s neck. He boldly bargained his life to achieve that. That audacity of his, is that what strengthened him to fight those Frost Hounds? Alyvia couldn’t deny it any longer—Elric intrigued her. 

From the moment Elric extended his hand out to her, she found herself admiring him. Can I also be like that? she wondered. After her father sent her to her room yesterday, she began comparing herself to Elric. While he embraced risks with confidence, she suffered in her fear after repeatedly failing to form a circle. The ridicule from her peers and the disappointed looks from her professors had deeply burdened her, making her believe she wasn’t destined for anything but failure. 

Everything was set against him, yet he still managed to survive. Me too. I also want to become such a person.

“Are you not going to ask me any questions?” asked Elric, interrupting Alyvia from her thoughts. She tilted her head.

“Well, would you answer?”

“...Probably not.”

Hah. This guy isn’t even a little sorry for using me. 

Alyvia sighed at the realization and turned to open the doors of the dining room. “I’ll be heading back to Alacia tomorrow as spring break is coming to an end. I hope your response will be a bit different when I return.” After stating that, she entered the dining room, leaving Elric standing in the hallway alone. 

How unexpected, he thought. At first he viewed Alyvia as someone lacking compared to the viscount, but after this moment, he realized she could be just as shrewd. With a soft exhale, Elric pushed open the doors and followed her into the dining room.

*

“Good morning, my lord.”

The viscount set aside the newspaper he was reading and glanced at the sight of Elric greeting him with a bow. 

“Come, sit. We have much to discuss.”

Elric went to take his seat and he could feel the same unsettling feeling rise within him. Ugh… My thoughts were right. My body is definitely reacting to the viscount. He made sure to not express his discomfort and quietly began eating the breakfast in front of him. After a short time, the viscount spoke once again. 

“I would like the person I am sponsoring to leave no room for embarrassment on my part. To ensure this, I’ve arranged for you to meet with a tutor in two weeks. During your first session, you will undergo an evaluation of your mana core rank and take a practice written exam. So, starting today, use the library to prepare.”

Mana core rank? The unfamiliar term baffled Elric, but he quickly set his confusion aside as there was a more important goal to achieve with the viscount. 

“...Yes, my lord.”

The viscount could hear the unsteadiness in Elric’s voice. “Are you not satisfied?” he asked. “Do you intend to reject this like you did the 300 gold?”

Ignoring the viscount’s hardened tone, Elric calmly looked him in the eye and shook his head. “That is not it, my lord. While I aim to secure first place in Alacia’s written entrance exam, I am equally determined not to disgrace you by failing the physical exam. Therefore, I request permission to train with the soldiers of the estate to improve my aura control.”

Discovering his ability to manipulate mana completely changed how Elric thought about getting his revenge. No longer a powerless neric, he now had the potential to not just defeat his enemies, but utterly destroy them. I need to get stronger, he thought. My time in Feywild Forest showed me just how badly I was lacking. Basic hunting skills won’t suffice anymore; I must learn proper combat.

The viscount let out an annoyed sigh. “Right… I heard you were an auror. Alright, I’ll permit you to join the soldiers for training; however, you’ll have to wait until after your first tutor meeting. The practice exam is rather difficult; soldier training will only distract you.”

“Thank you, Viscount.”

Huh? Didn’t he agree a bit too easily? 

Elric was glad that the viscount helped him achieve his goal of learning proper combat, but something about the favorable outcome felt unnatural. Elric wasn’t stupid. He may not know exactly what the viscount was thinking, but it was obvious that he disliked and distrusted him. 

I’m the one that brought up training with the soldiers, but it feels like I’ve fallen into a trap of some kind. Am I just overthinking things? Also… auror? That’s another term I’m unfamiliar with. I’m ignorant about too much…

He was aware of the existence of magic and aura, but their existence was as far as his knowledge of mana manipulation extended.

“Elric.”

Alyvia’s clear voice broke him out of his thoughts.

“Ah… Yes, Alyvia…?”

Elric could feel the viscount’s intense gaze on him as he dropped Alyvia’s title.

“I’m curious,” she said. “Where does your confidence come from? I mean… achieving first place? It’s not like Alacia is just any school.” As Alyvia questioned Elric, her face was expectant. When she enrolled at Alacia, she had completely failed her physical entrance exam, but she also took the written one and placed 11th. How could a common forager surpass that? 

A small unnoticeable smile settled on Elric’s face. It was a question he had been expecting, and the answer was simple: 

He was a genius. 

The truth was, Elric had always known from a young age that his intelligence wasn’t normal. When his mother brought him books to study, the challenge wasn’t in understanding them—it was in the lack thereof. He absorbed information effortlessly, often growing bored with material that was meant to be difficult. As he grew older, his mother brought back more advanced books, some of which included past exam questions from Alacia Academy. The questions covered everything from arithmetic to history to mana theory. His mother never expected him to study the parts about mana—after all, those questions required a deep understanding of mana, something Elric lacked. Yet he memorized everything. From the questions to the answers, he internalized the entirety of the exam’s structure, even if he didn’t completely understand all the content at the time.

So of course he was confident that he could get first place. 

But Elric couldn’t tell Alyvia all of that. Instead, he gave a vague but truthful response. 

“When I was younger, I was fortunate enough to come across the books needed to prepare for the exam. I studied extensively, and over time, I became confident in my abilities.”

Alyvia’s bright green eyes dimmed slightly in response to the lackluster answer. “Oh… Is that so?” she mumbled. Both she and the viscount had become quiet. 

Since the lively conversation had dwindled into an awkward silence, Elric was left to finish his meal in peace. With all distractions now behind him, he could finally contemplate the pressing matter that had been weighing heavily on his mind. 

It’s about time I did something about my ignorance. Let’s do as the viscount says and visit the library.

It was time to study.

**Need something to read while you wait for the next episode? Check out these other contest entries! Links are below!**