Chapter 7
If I lined up these magic circles in sequence, I could channel the wind coming down from the mountain in any direction I wanted. It could even make summer heat bearable.
“If someone with magical talent touches this magic circle……”
I lightly placed my index finger on it.
The magic circle remained quiet.
When a mage from House Breio had tested it, a violent wind had torn the area apart.
Swoooosh.
There was no change in the strength or direction of the wind.
“...There should’ve been a reaction. Tch!”
My body had no talent for magic.
And I had a mountain of things I wanted to try—if only I could cast magic.
My head was filled with beginner spells I completely understood, and even mid and high-tier spells I had memorized by repetition, despite not fully grasping them.
“Sir Brown, you try it too. You might have the talent of a magic swordsman.”
“Yes, young master.”
I held a bit of hope, but the magic circle showed no reaction to Brown either.
To be sure the circle itself wasn’t faulty, I lightly infused it with aura. The wind noticeably picked up.
‘No talent, then.’
This magic circle wasn’t precise enough to serve as a true diagnostic tool.
But if someone couldn’t even activate this simple spell, they were better off giving up on the path of a mage.
“Tom.”
“I can try too?”
“Of course. Just be careful. Don’t smudge the circle, even if you have talent…”
Tap.
The boy innocently smiled and lightly touched the edge of the magic circle.
Swoooosh!
A refreshing gust of wind blew.
Brown turned to me, surprised.
“D-Don’t tell me… Does Tom have talent for magic?”
“Yeah. Just a little. But in a barren land like Hebron, that’s a rare gift.”
“Wow! Does this mean I’m gonna be a mage?”
Tom’s freckled face lit up like he was already a grand mage.
The boy dreamed freely, unburdened by reality.
It reminded me of myself before I turned eight.
‘Your talent… I’ll make full use of it. I’ll raise you up, then work you to the bone until you wither.’
When I didn’t respond, Brown asked me.
“How much talent does he have?”
“If he trains hard, he might reach third-class before he turns sixty. They say anyone stronger than that can blow the magic circle away with sheer wind force.”
“Oh…..!”
It was a mid-talent.
Even reaching third Class took a lifetime of effort. Most don’t even make it to second Class without a proper teacher.
Hiring a mage tutor costs a fortune.
Sending someone to an academy was cheaper, but even the state-sponsored Royal Academy had tuition far beyond our means.
Lesser schools like Saint Paul, Lorenz, and Cyrus charged double or even quadruple that of the Royal Academy.
‘Reaching fifth class before turning thirty, and potentially sixth class depending on his own effort after that?’
If I applied the secret techniques of House Breio, the same techniques that were said to turn even a dog into a dragon… then even Tom could rise to the ranks of a great mage.
But that would require support on the level of House Breio.
Even the mighty Duke Breio only provided such full support and resources to his direct blood relatives.
That’s how many resources it demanded.
‘If he follows my method exactly, fourth Class is doable. And if he’s truly determined, maybe even fifth.’
Mages with Tom’s level of talent usually got discarded after being evaluated.
It wasn’t worth the time and money to raise them.
But Hebron needed people desperately.
Even someone with less talent than Tom had to be trained and put to use, no matter what.
“I’ll install this on the castle gate.”
“To bring fresh air into the castle, right?”
Brown asked, and I nodded.
“Also, to push air out, depending on the situation. Out of 400 people, I’m sure there’s at least one more who has a bit of magical talent.”
That afternoon, everyone touched the magic circle installed on the castle gate.
Since it had been engraved in stone, it wouldn’t wear away easily. I also carved a few unnecessary engravings so other mages couldn’t easily copy it.
‘Just one more, huh.’
Slightly less talented than Tom, but the difference wasn’t significant.
‘Discovering magic talent at thirty-two…..’
Tom was already on the late side at fifteen, but Mariam, at thirty-two, was far past the age to dream of a future.
The average commoner didn’t live past fifty.
“I’ll raise you both as mages of the Hebron Family.”
“Yes, young master!”
“D-Do I get to be a mage too?”
Mariam’s eyes went wide.
She had lived in the Hebron estate as my personal maid since she was thirteen.
After eighteen years of servitude, being drafted as a mage brought her more confusion than joy.
‘If they have talent, I’ll nurture them. I’ll make Hebron that kind of land—a place where anyone can dream freely.’
In my previous life, I had wanted to become a physician.
I’d even hoped to lecture on theology at the Haryan Church.
But despite having the talent, I was never allowed to dream.
The dreams of the family always came first.
–All those living within the bounds of their social class were free to dream.
That was the sacred national law of the Xenon Kingdom.
It was a law that had applied to everyone—except me.
Because I, born of noble blood, had not lived up to that bloodline’s expectations.
“It won’t be easy. You’ll need to be ready. If not, it could go really badly.”
“Yes, young master!”
Tom replied in a loud, eager voice.
Mariam, on the other hand, looked uneasy—almost dazed.
It seemed she was worried she might even lose her job as a maid.
Or maybe, with her mind already set in its ways, she feared she couldn’t possibly learn something as complex as magic.
“Mariam, just keep looking after me as usual. Join the lessons only when we have magic classes. Once you’re able to use magic, I’ll pay you a stipend every time you use it to help with work. Until then, I’d like you to continue assisting me. What do you think?”
“If that’s how it is, then yes, I’d like that, young master.”
Only then did Mariam’s face begin to brighten.
“Mariam, bring Tom some wolf jerky. And the soup I had this morning too.”
Tom devoured the jerky the moment he got it.
It was likely his first meal of the day.
Like most of the people in the domain, he survived on just one meal a day.
‘Poverty. That’s the real problem.’
Nurturing talent was only possible when a person’s basic needs were met.
Anyone could dream, yes—but for everyone to be able to dream, they had to be fed first.
“Sir Brown.”
“Yes, young master.”
“We’ll need to clear the eastern forest.”
“Sorry?”
Over the past few days, I’d come to realize that Brown had quite the expressive face.
He blinked at me with wide, dumbfounded eyes.
“No need for that look. You know what they say—A thousand-mile journey starts with a single step. Let’s just take that step. Do what we can, one step at a time.”
Once I explained my plan, Sir Brown gathered the Hebron soldiers at the training grounds.
There were thirty of them.
Fourteen manned the walls and the outer watchposts. In addition to them, we had around a hundred reservists we could mobilize in emergencies.
But a reservist was really just a fancy word for untrained civilians handed weapons. Unless it was an actual emergency, they weren’t called upon, and as a result, had no real training or equipment.
The soldiers paid by the barony were armed with spears, shields, and worn leather armor.
They trained together daily, yet their postures were inconsistent.
It was hard to find even one soldier standing properly. Discipline was clearly lacking.
‘I’ll need to teach the soldiers proper martial arts. But I can’t custom-tailor techniques for each of them. The Monolith Spearmanship should work well enough.’
The Monolith Spear Techniques were used by the Marquisate of Monolith to train elite troops.
It was a powerful form even without aura techniques, and became especially effective with just a little aura enhancement.
Though unsuited for those aiming for mastery, it was perfect for soldiers like those in Hebron.
“Your mission isn’t to hunt. You’re to stop whatever comes out of that forest from entering Hebron. That much, you can manage, right?”
“Yes, sir!”
The soldiers spread out between the castle walls and the eastern forest.
In truth, only Brown and I would be participating in actual combat.
The soldiers could be involved after basic training was complete.
My parents stood atop the eastern wall, watching with worry written all over their faces. My mother sighed and gestured for me to come back safely.
I was the only child of the Hebron Family.
As children were rare in the family, it was always assumed I would be the one to carry on the line.
But that certainty had now been shaken.
‘A sibling… twenty years younger?’
My mother was in the early stages of pregnancy.
For nearly twenty years, they had hoped for another child, but it had never happened.
Just when they’d given up, a blessing had arrived.
Perhaps that’s why my parents had grown noticeably closer lately.
My father had been neglecting his duties as lord, focusing all his attention on my mother.
As a ruler, he was rather incompetent.
He only acted like a true lord once a year, when it was time to pay taxes to the crown. The rest of the time, he barely involved himself in managing the territory.
But as a husband and father, he was a good man.
He was utterly devoted to his family.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, sir!”
Sir Brown and I headed for the edge of the eastern forest.
From deep within the woods, the sounds of wild beasts echoed.
There was a path leading into the forest, one only used when we went to pay taxes.
It was also the route that mercenary groups hired from outside used when they came to visit, and the Baron’s forces would then accompany them to the capital.
I loaded a stone into my sling.
I knew how to use a bow, but I wasn’t confident enough with it yet.
Instead, I picked up the sling I’d been using like a toy since I was a child.
It was a common weapon among the shepherds of Hebron.
Whrrr! Whoosh! Crack!
A loud noise rang out.
The stone soared deep into the forest and struck a tree.
Startled birds took flight, and a few beasts came charging out.
“Two ash-gray wolves, and one jackal.”
Sir Brown reported.
He ran ahead, saying he’d take the wolves. I stepped aside and targeted the jackal.
I channeled aura into the sling, and the leather grew taut, as if it were about to snap.
Whrrr! Whoosh! Thud!
The charging jackal took a direct hit from the stone and collapsed.
It never got up again.
Its skull was caved in, blood pouring from the wound.
“I’ll handle one of the ash-gray wolves,” I said, rushing past Sir Brown.
Each of us took on one wolf, and without waiting for a signal, we both started slashing.
GRRR!
I severed the front leg of the wolf as it leapt at me.
I’d learned that doing so preserved the pelt’s value.
In contrast, Sir Brown was hacking his wolf to pieces.
He barely dodged its attacks while slashing at its belly, throat, eyes, and legs.
I drove my sword into the wolf’s neck.
A moment later, Brown finished off his own wolf.
“Look at the wolf carcasses. Can you spot the difference between them?”
“…You ended the wolf’s pain in an instant. As expected, you’re a kind soul, young master.”
Sir Brown was moved, entirely on his own.
“What nonsense is that? Don’t you know the basic rule is to kill it cleanly if you want to sell the pelt at a good price? Why did you hack it up like that? We won’t get even half price for that one.”
“Ah….!”
Sir Brown’s face gave away everything he was thinking.
He tried not to disappoint me, perhaps even trying not to feel it himself.
“Next time, be more careful. And you have a bad habit of opening your chest too much when you swing your sword. You need to fix that. Like this.”
