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Norman Samael, the Head Elder, sat perched on a rock on the shaded mountainside, gazing into the distance.

The majestic mountain range stretched out before him, and the scent of pine filled the air, a refreshing breeze that should have swept away all his worries.

Yet, Norman’s heart was heavy, weighed down like a leaden anchor.

“Sigh…”

The occasional sighs of the surrounding elders echoed his own feelings.

They were all probably thinking the same thing.

‘The situation is dire.’

Footsteps approached, breaking the silence. Norman turned his head to see a young elder making his way through the mountainside.

“Falcon.”

“Yes, Head Elder.”

Before Falcon could finish his greeting, Norman urgently inquired,

“What news?”

All eyes turned to Falcon.

He simply shook his head with a bitter expression.

“…I apologize.”

“Oh dear, even the Legacy family refused?”

“How could they too…”

The elders sighed in unison.

“It’s alright, Falcon. It’s not your fault.”

Norman offered words of comfort, maintaining a composed facade, but his inner turmoil mirrored that of the others.

‘No one is willing to lend a hand to Samael.’

Not a single one.

He had anticipated this, but the bitterness lingered.

There were still a few places they hadn’t received a response from, but…

‘It’s unlikely we can hold much hope.’

Everyone was trying their best, but it was proving difficult.

The House Head had personally gone to persuade various merchant groups, but his efforts were likely to be in vain.

It wasn’t because the loan from Hamad was an insurmountable burden.

While it was a considerable sum, any merchant group of a decent size could handle it.

The problem lay with Urgon.

They were the ones pulling the strings behind the scenes, using Bayern as a front. Most families and merchant groups in the vicinity were aware of this.

Rumors of Urgon pressuring Samael financially had already spread far and wide.

Perhaps Urgon themselves had deliberately spread those rumors.

In essence, Urgon was blocking their path.

No one wanted to antagonize them.

“It can’t be helped.”

Norman turned his head at the sudden remark. Isaac was looking at him with a calm expression.

Indeed.

It couldn’t be helped.

The situation was grim, but not hopeless.

A flame was reignited in the hearts of everyone present.

If the situation was unavoidable…

Then they would simply have to make the flames bloom amidst adversity.

Norman shifted his gaze to a specific spot.

Below the ridge, the apprentice mages were training, sweat pouring down their faces.

Their spirits were so high that their shouts could be heard even from this distance.

‘They’re as consistent as ever.’

Only then did Norman’s heart feel a bit at ease.

Samael was already moving forward.

.

.

.

“…They really train every single day without fail.”

All the elders’ gazes were now fixed on the area below the ridge.

“It’s remarkable. These days, we can even hear their shouts at night.”

“They’re talented children. They’re already performing 2nd Circle incantations without any problems.”

“With that training volume, it’s no surprise. If the House Head hadn’t ordered it, I would have been the first one to go down there and stop them. It’s not so much their talent, but rather the one teaching them…”

The image of a certain someone simultaneously appeared in the minds of all the elders.

Ruin Samael.

Ruin was the one who had brought about this change.

It would have been hard to believe if they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes.

‘It wasn’t an exaggeration.’

Running, horse stance, Mana sensitivity training…

All the apprentices were diligently following the tremendous training regimen Ruin had described.

“It’s like watching knights train.”

“If anything, it’s even more intense.”

“I wonder if it’s the children who are special, or if it’s Ruin who’s extraordinary…”

“It’s both.”

“Hmm.”

Ruin had brought change to Samael. They didn’t know the exact cause, where it all began.

But regardless of the reason…

The children were completely different from how they had been when training under the Red Mage Tower.

‘It’s only been a few months.’

It couldn’t be solely attributed to the difference in training methods.

There was a certain intensity.

The children themselves might not be aware of it, but the elders could clearly see a newfound determination in their faces, expressions, and every gesture.

It was understandable.

The training volume was truly harsh.

They had never seen or heard of such training in their entire lives. Pushing their bodies to the limit every single day. Even when they stumbled and crawled at the end of training, they would repeat the same intensity the next day without fail.

Even now…

The children, having just finished their grueling physical training, were immediately chanting spells without rest.

Their postures looked as if they could collapse at any moment.

But the reason why they felt anticipation rather than worry was…

“Piercing flame, Fire Spear.”

Whoosh— Crash!

The incantations uttered by the young apprentices…

Just like Ruin had demonstrated…

They were casting magic that the elders had only imagined in their minds.

The old wick, thought to be burnt out, was reignited by young flames.

That’s why the elders…

Were willing to burn first, before the children, so that those young flames wouldn’t die out.

The elders watched the children in silence until the sun went down.

Suddenly, an unexpected lament broke the silence.

“If only I were ten years younger…”

It was Falcon, muttering to himself. His eyes held a mix of longing and regret.

Then another elder murmured,

“If only I were twenty years younger…”

Isaac and the other elders followed suit, as if in a trance.

“If only I were thirty years younger…”

“…Hmm.”

Why wouldn’t they?

The elders, once, and even now, were more passionate about magic than anyone else.

There’s no age limit to pursuing the path of magic.

Until recently, they would gather at every opportunity to discuss magic.

It was just that their bodies could no longer endure training in the same way as the children.

They were simply too old.

Norman, with a bitter smile, agreed.

“If only I were forty years younger…”

Hearing this, Isaac suddenly looked at Norman with a playful expression.

“Even if you were forty years younger, Head Elder, it would still be tough for you.”

Norman’s wrinkled face scrunched up.

“What do you mean it would be tough? I was in my prime back then.”

“Haha. Aren’t you quite old, Head Elder? It should be fifty years, not forty.”

“Isaac. How much older are you than me to say such things? Fifty years, indeed.”

“You’re always so particular about age, except at times like this.”

“What?”

The observing elders shook their heads.

‘Here we go again.’

‘Why doesn’t he act like this normally?’

Whenever those two talked, they became childish like kids.

Just as the elders were about to intervene in their bickering…

Rustle—

A strange sound suddenly came from behind.

Rustle— Rustle—

They turned around to see the forest trembling.

‘What’s that? Is there a wild beast?’

Rustle— Rustle—

Just as one of the elders, unable to bear it any longer, approached…

“Haaah! Puhaaaa!”

A dark figure, covered in branches and leaves, jumped out.

The elders were startled and were about to react in a hurry.

“…Ouch, my back. Phew. Finally found you.”

“…It wasn’t an animal. But who are you?”

“What are you doing there? Wait. That voice sounds familiar…”

The dark figure brushed off his face, revealing a familiar face.

“…Ruin?”

“What are you doing there?”

Ruin dusted himself off and gasped for breath.

“Phew. This damn mountain. It’s so damn complicated. I almost got lost. Anyway, I’m glad I found you. Good morning, elders.”

“Morning? It’s evening now.”

“Oh, is it? I see. Actually, I was just saying hello casually. I almost pretended it was just to myself.”

The elders looked at Ruin with worried eyes.

“And why are you in such a state?”

“Phew, that’s not important. Elders, I’ve come to keep my promise.”

“What promise?”

“I told you that you could do it too, didn’t I?”

Seeing Ruin’s sparkling expression, the elders recalled what he had said at the House Head’s residence.

“I’ll help you. There’s no age limit to pursuing the path of magic.”

“Hmm.”

Yes, he had said the same thing back then.

Good words. They were good words.

But how could he help them?

As Norman looked at Ruin with a puzzled expression, Ruin suddenly turned his head and met his gaze.

“Head Elder.”

Looking into Ruin’s eyes, Norman suddenly felt a surge of anticipation. A feeling that something was about to happen.

“Yes, Ruin. What do you have to say?”

“Do you want to use true incantations?”

It was a somewhat comical scene, but Norman felt an inexplicable pressure and answered honestly.

“Of course. If I could.”

“Then look over there!”

“Huh?”

Norman followed Ruin’s pointing finger.

“Morning run for 4 hours! Horse stance for 2 hours! Mana sensitivity training for 3 hours! Another 3 hours of running! Oh! And night duels for 3 hours! You can definitely do it, Head Elder!”

Norman met Ruin’s eyes and slowly backed away.

“…Haha. If only I were fifty years younger.”

Those were the eyes of madness.

He suddenly understood why the children could endure such harsh training.

As Norman retreated, Ruin abruptly turned his head towards Isaac.

“…I-if only I were forty years younger.”

Isaac averted his gaze, and so did the other elders.

At that moment, Ruin suddenly clapped his hands and drew their attention.

Clap.

“That’s right. I know. I really want to train with you all, but there are some things we can’t help. Honestly, even if you were sixty years younger, it would still be tough. Wouldn’t it, Head Elder Norman?”

“Th-that’s true.”

Isaac, the first to grasp Ruin’s intention, asked,

“Are you saying there’s another way?”

“That’s right. If your basic physical strength is lacking, the effects will be diminished. But there is still a way to improve your magic.”

“How?”

“You know the Mana Sensitivity Stance, right?”

“Of course.”

“The key is precise Mana control. In the Mana Sensitivity Stance, you carefully control the flow of Mana rotating through the circle to manifest magic. Repeating this training will improve the quality of your incantations.”

Isaac paused for a moment before responding.

“You’re saying to control Mana as precisely as possible. It makes sense, as that would increase the circle’s efficiency. But it’s also a vague concept. There’s no standard for ‘precise’.”

“As expected, you’re sharp. That’s why I’ve prepared something.”

Isaac glanced to the side and saw Head Elder Norman clenching his fists, staring at Ruin with eager eyes.

‘Of course. The Head Elder is the one most obsessed with magic among us.’

Even Isaac himself had to admit that his passion paled in comparison to Norman’s.

“This is it.”

Only then did Isaac notice the large bundle at Ruin’s feet.

“What is it?”

Ruin ripped open the tightly wrapped bundle, and square black stones poured out.

“Stones?”

“Look closely.”

Isaac peered at the shimmering black stones and exclaimed in surprise.

“Aren’t these Magic Stones? How did you get these, Ruin?”

“I found them while wandering around. Anyway, that’s not important. What matters is what we can do with them.”

“Simply put, you need to be able to imbue magic into the Magic Stones.”

Isaac looked puzzled.

“…Magic Stones are used to create artifacts and weapons, aren’t they? I’ve never heard of imbuing magic directly into them.”

“Of course you haven’t. The efficiency is terrible. But it’s possible. Even a slight mistake in Mana control will shatter them. Well, they’re just worthless Magic Stones anyway, so they’re perfect for practice.”

Isaac pondered for a moment, then nodded.

‘It’s not completely nonsensical.’

Magic Stones in their raw state were extremely vulnerable to Mana infusion, especially low-grade ones.

Even a slight disruption in their structure would cause them to shatter.

But as Ruin said, it seemed possible.

Clench—

Hearing the sound again, he looked to the side and saw Head Elder Norman trembling, his fists clenched even tighter.

His face was completely flushed.

‘Haha. The Head Elder is fired up.’

Ruin approached Isaac and held out a Magic Stone.

“A 1st Circle Barrier should be fine. Would you like to try first, Elder Isaac?”

Isaac activated his circle, holding the Magic Stone.

He slowly adjusted the flow of Mana and channeled it into the Magic Stone.

The Magic Stone vibrated, emitting a black light, then immediately shattered into dust, scattering with a soft rustle.

‘It’s harder than I thought… Huh?’

Feeling a burning gaze again, he turned his head to see Head Elder Norman staring at him with a completely flushed face.

‘Haha, oh Head Elder.’

Isaac swore he hadn’t seen the Head Elder’s face this flushed in years.

The Head Elder suddenly pointed at him and mumbled something.

“Th-this… break, break it…?”

“Haha. He’s like a child asking for candy. Ruin, quickly give the Head Elder a Magic Stone. I know that look in his eyes. If you don’t give it to him, he’ll throw a tantrum.”

“I see. Alright.”

“Isaac, Ruin… I’ll just… these brats… Argh!”

“It has already begun. Hurry up and give it to him!”

———