CHAPTER 2

"Family?"

During their journey south, Lista once asked a strange question.

"Hmm? Lin, have you ever thought about having a family?"

"No. I don't even know what my birth mother looks like."

He had grown up in the slums of the North.

If the head of the Osarius School hadn't noticed his magical talent and taken him in, he would have lived and died as a street orphan.

"So, I don't even know what a family is. And since I don't know, I don't care."

"Oh dear, how pitiful..."

Then, the priestess Frieda playfully hugged the boy and blew cigarette smoke at him. He resisted in embarrassment and retorted.

"Even if I had a family… I wouldn't know how to treat them. So, I don't need one."

"It's not difficult, Lin."

At that fleeting murmur, a smile blossomed on Lista's face, fresher than spring itself.

"Just cherish them a lot. You're a kind child, Lin, so I know you'll do well."

"Young Master."

"Young Master, it's morning…"

With a polite whisper, his vision opened, and the cherished memories faded away.

"Mmm…"

The boy sat up in bed and stretched.

A deep and radiant morning light.

The melody of birds chirping in the spring. Morning had arrived.

"Well then, Young Master Rain, I shall have breakfast prepared for you."

Yawning lazily, the boy picked up a mirror and tidied his appearance.

Glossy black hair and ruby-red eyes more beautiful than gemstones.

An elegant figure.

His refined features bore none of the crudeness or roughness one might expect from someone who had grown up in the slums.

To put it simply—this boy had been reincarnated.

The reckless and blunt nine-year-old had regained memories from 300 years ago just twenty days prior.

And in this new life, he had been born as the eldest son of the Ludwick Marquisate—one of the Empire's five great magical houses.

The Ludwick family was a prestigious lineage descended from Ryuken Ludwick, the fifth Grand Mage.

Unlike his past life, where he had been nothing but an orphan, he was now born into a warm and prosperous household, forcing him to make great efforts to adapt.

"Good morning, Young Master."

"Oh my, Rain, you're already up? How admirable! Now, go and call your father. He'll be delighted to see you."

"Yes."

His father was in the master's study.

A room cluttered with luxurious furniture and countless documents.

"Rain, did you not sleep well? You look pale."

Rain. Rain Ludwick.

The proud eldest son of the Ludwick family.

"I suppose I still haven't recovered from the trip…"

His father, Cayvan Ludwick, placed a hand on the boy's forehead to check for a fever. At that moment, Rain was reminded of the times Lista had done the same for him.

"The breakfast is ready. They asked me to tell you to come down."

"Haha, my son personally came just to tell me that? Thank you, but go ahead and eat first."

"Why?"

His father pulled him into an embrace, rubbing his bearded face against him before leading him to the desk.

What lay before him was a large parchment bathed in slanting morning light.

Drawn upon it were three layered magic circles.

"Magic?"

"Yes. I have a theory presentation next week. If I eat something, my mind gets sluggish. I try to do as much as I can while my mind is clear in the morning."

Rain's eyes swiftly and precisely scanned the information on the parchment.

The magic circle consisted of three squares, and the inscribed runes were Zhou (周), Cha (茶), Ku (庫).

Since it was a square formation, it was an earth-elemental spell.

And given that both the number of magic circles and runes were three, it was a 3-star spell.

A level of advanced magic that only prodigies could barely reach.

"Ah, so that's where you're stuck."

But Rain was a Grand Mage.

He spotted the problem immediately.

"Do you want some help?"

"What, are you offering to cheer me on?"

"No, I mean I'll actually help you."

"Rain, I'd appreciate your encouragement, but if I let you, your mother will scold me. Now, go eat your breakfast."

No, I really mean it.

Before Cayvan could stop him, Rain climbed onto the desk and picked up a quill.

Magic is…

Defining its attributes through geometric shapes.

Determining its properties through runes.

Then, interpreting and distorting the laws of nature through mathematical formulas.

The part where Cayvan was stuck was, of course…

The mathematical computation.

The densely packed formulas inside the magic circle had been abruptly cut off at a certain point.

"The Ku (庫) rune makes the calculations too complex and clashes with the Cha (茶) rune. It would be better to change it to Qiu (丘)."

"…?"

"That way, by applying Imperial Mathematical Formula 41-2, the solution emerges quickly. Like this."

After writing the final equation on the parchment, Rain looked up and smiled.

Wait—how do I smile again?

Oddly enough, he couldn't remember how, so he used his fingers to pull up the corners of his mouth.

"This is… This method…?"

Cayvan's eyes widened as he looked between the parchment and his son's face.

How… how is this possible…?

This was a problem even the Empire's brightest scholars had failed to solve. A high-level spell that had been lost for 200 years.

If this magic could be redefined, it would offer miraculous aid in natural disasters like floods and landslides.

But Rain was only nine years old. Barely old enough to use basic magic—how could he…?

"Can we eat breakfast together now?"

The boy asked.

Cayvan blankly looked up, then burst into laughter as he ruffled his son's hair.

"Yes, let's go eat together."

Rain's family was simple.

He had two parents and one younger sister, six years old.

Right now, that younger sister was peeking out from behind a bookshelf, staring at him.

Ebony-black hair and crimson eyes.

An adorable girl who had inherited the Ludwick family's traits just as much as he had.

"…?"

But whenever their eyes met, she would scurry away.

It was understandable.

In his memories, Rain had never been kind to his sister. Not out of hostility, but simply because he had been indifferent to the world.

Perhaps it was the loneliness engraved in his soul.

The pain of being born in an era where all his former comrades had long since perished.

"…"

He tried to ignore it and return to his book, but a voice kept nagging at him.

"Cherish them a lot."

But she keeps running away?

I have enough to deal with already.

This body has terrible mana reserves and weak stamina. Even if I know magic, it's useless without enough mana.

"Lin is kind, so I know you'll do well. I believe in you."

Rain let out a deep sigh.

And the next time their eyes met, he gestured.

"Come here. Want me to teach you something? Or play with you?"

His sister, Seri Ludwick, looked flustered at the question. She hesitated before running away—again.

But moments later, she returned, holding out a book with both hands.

"Basic Formulas for 1-Star Magic"

Even at six, she was already studying this?

Seri nodded eagerly—then started dancing, excited to talk to her brother.