CHAPTER 3

Under the Spring Sky, a Sea of Flowers Extending to the Horizon

This is Siastulica.

A land of tulips representing the prosperous central region, Richland, where the Ludwik margrave family owned one-third of the entire area.

"What a fantastic day…"

Lain, chewing on a foxtail grass, lay sprawled on the ground, gazing absentmindedly at the sky. But in the next moment, he abruptly sat up.

"To achieve something, one must always have both short-term and long-term goals."

The ultimate extreme of magic—Truth (眞理).

Now that he had set his mind on seeing it, he couldn't afford to waste even a single day, no matter how young he was.

'Alright, let's try summoning Rudiyën again.'

Rudiyën—a word from an ancient language meaning "Guide."

Thus, Lain had named the guidance magic he created in his fervent pursuit of magical knowledge.

"Oh-ba, what are you doing?"

His younger sister toddled over to him as he spread out a large sheet of paper over the grass and drew a magic circle upon it.

'Ugh, how annoying…'

Ever since he'd treated her kindly once, she wouldn't stop pestering him. And every time he considered shooing her away, his conscience echoed with Rista's voice…

"I'm setting up a guideline."

"Gai-do?"

"Should I make one for you too?"

At that, Seri Ludwik started dancing gleefully.

"Waa~ Wuuwuuuwaa! Waa~!"

That meant she was very happy.

For some reason, her way of expressing emotions was always bizarre.

"The shape of the magic circle is a multi-faceted quadrangle, and the engraved runes are 柱 (Pillar), 留 (Retain), 逗 (Pause), and 梯 (Ladder)."

Four runes.

That meant the magic would have four distinct properties. This was 4-Star Magic, a level so advanced that only ten magicians in the entire Holy Human Empire had achieved it.

"Woo-aa!"

As mana surged into the drawn magic circle, arcs of energy sparked like electricity.

Crackle, crackle…!

A sudden wave of heat surged through his body. Then, with a splat, his nose bled profusely, and a sharp pain pricked his Jukyeol (呪結)—the organ where mana gathered.

'So I still don't have enough mana to cast 4-Star magic, huh…'

If this had been combat magic instead of guidance magic, the rebound effect might have ruptured his Jukyeol altogether.

'What a weak body…'

From physical stamina to mana reserves—there was no end to the things he needed to train.

As he pinched his nose to stop the bleeding, the raging mana storm gradually subsided, and a glowing butterfly emerged, shimmering with mystical light.

"Come here, Rudiyën."

A butterfly—a magical entity with a pure, luminous cyan hue, scattering particles of light with every flutter of its wings.

"Woo-aa."

Seri reached out her hand, and the butterfly landed gently on her finger, softly shaking its wings.

Rosushigietra

Detects the target's mana circuits, magic compatibility, and nearby sources of obtainable mana.

The luminous particles from its wings coalesced, forming strings of light that projected information into the air.

This was Rudiyën's function—analyzing what to study, what to learn, and what resources were available nearby.

'柱 (Pillar) is a rune that helps with basic mana comprehension when used in guidance magic. 留 (Retain) assists in mana utilization…'

To put it simply, he had packed in all the best runes for learning purposes.

So simple and straightforward that it was almost crude.

And yet, it was 4-Star Magic—so intricate that even the great Lain couldn't cast it mentally and had to draw a full-fledged magic circle.

"Do you like it?"

"Uh-huh!"

"Then go study by yourself over there."

Did she understand her creator's words?

When Rudiyën fluttered ahead, Seri giggled and chased after it.

'Now then, first, I need to recover my mana…'

He sat cross-legged and meditated until the sun reached its zenith, replenishing his mana before summoning the second Rudiyën.

Gustaba: Objectifies the caster's physical and magical status into numerical values.

柱 (Pillar): Current Mana: 3024 留 (Retain): Current Magic Calculation Ability: 77 逗 (Pause): Physical & Mental Strength: 64

His mana level wasn't even that of a beginner magician.

Magic Calculation (璇) represented one's mental ability for quick arithmetic.

And his physical strength…

Compared to the orphaned Lain of his past life, this was a world of difference. Raising it to 300 alone would be a Herculean task.

梯 (Ladder): Bloodline Limit Ability detected, available for acquisition.

Bell Sidius / Bell Quirious

At that, his eye twitched slightly.

Bell Sidius…

Right, now that he thought about it—he was the eldest son of the Ludwik margrave family, a magic lineage of the Empire.

'This is interesting…'

Back when he traveled with Rista, some brat had approached him, claiming he was the Empire's greatest magician and demanding to join the party in Lain's place.

He was nothing special.

Nothing special—except for his Eyes of Insight, which made him a pain to deal with.

'That was Bell Sidius.'

The Ludwik family's Bloodline Limit.

They said those eyes could decipher an opponent's magic just by observing the mana flow.

An exceptional ability.

'In a magic duel, if skill levels are equal, victory depends on who counters whom more effectively…'

And then there was Bell Quirious.

The Legendary Eyes.

Only three individuals in the history of Imperial Magic had ever successfully awakened them.

"If Bell Sidius allows one to see an opponent's magic, then Bell Quirious allows one to steal it."

That was why the Ludwik family earned the title of "Thieving Magicians."

'The details are unclear…'

But supposedly, it could erase an opponent's magic or turn it into one's own.

'In that case…'

His goal for childhood was starting to take shape.

First, basic stamina and mana training.

Without those, he could do nothing. If he wanted to reclaim his place among the Grand Magicians…

"Lain."

At that moment, a voice called out behind him.

Turning slightly, he saw his father approaching with the dignified stride of a noble.

"Our family possesses something known as a Bloodline Limit. Do you know of it?"

What's this?

Had he been watching from behind?

"Yes, well…"

"It may be early, but would you like to start learning it?"

Was this progressing so easily?

Hmm…

It wouldn't hurt to learn the theory first. Then, once his stamina and mana were sufficient, he could focus on mastering it.

"Yes."

"Then from today, Elin will oversee your training. Only while I'm away at the academy. Once I return, I will personally instruct you."

"Elin?"

Wait a minute.

That name was familiar from Lain's memories… but who was it exactly?

"She is a gifted magician and professor at . Most importantly, she adores you. You met her as a child."

Then, the sound of grass rustling drew nearer, and Lain's face turned pale.

"Eh…?"

A striking beauty with sharp, feline-like eyes.

Dressed in a completely unorthodox noble's robe—short, form-fitting, and rebellious in style.

"Ugh…"

Her silver earrings jingled as she crossed her arms and scowled at him.

"Seriously? I, the genius professor Elin Ludwik, have to personally tutor this talentless brat?"

Lain's father, grinning brightly, gestured to her.

"Here she is, Elin Ludwik! Your beloved aunt!"

…Father.

You have no idea what love is.