"It would be better if you take three weeks of vacation instead of five days to spend time with your family. You haven't seen them in a while, right?"

"Really? Can I take two weeks of vacation?"

"Yes, you can. I've already taught you the basics, and there's still time till you get into the Academy. So, you're allowed to take breaks if you show progress as a mage."

"So, no slacking, huh."

"If I find you goofing around, then I'll have no choice but to keep an eye on your training again."

"Ahaha, I understand. Anything but that."

"Hmmm. So, you hate training under me. I see how it is."

"No, no, it's just that I can't intrude in your life every time. You've been so busy these days, so I think twice before asking for anything."

"Ah, about that… It's related to-" Cecilia stops mid-sentence, her eyebrows raised and her gaze elsewhere, as if she was giving something some thought.

"Hmm. Never mind. I'll tell you after you've come back. As for asking for help, don't hesitate. I'll tell you in advance if I'm too busy to be disturbed."

"Alright."

Lucian would then continue on with his daily routine as he would think of when to depart.

The letter said that the evaluation is in three weeks. Since it takes seven days to deliver to Urythius from Unasu and eight days to reach Ravenhold by carriage, after deducting all those days, there are six days of free time left. I could go for some easy-to-hunt beasts for three days since it won't even take me half a day to reach there. Hmmm. Okay. That sounds good. Let's do that.

In the first three days of his six-day plan, he set off for areas that were abundant in E-class beasts he had fought before, as well as hunting some less dangerous D-class beasts like Rockbears lest he is injured before departure. The beasts that proved to be difficult for Lucian to handle before were now easy to handle this time around, although the fights still took a lot of planning that most mages would have no need to do, all because of Lucian's unknown Soul-Quirk.

As a result of hunting for three days, and including the money that he got from Cecilia as reparation for using the cores without asking, Lucian had a total of [x] silvers and [y] coppers for the trip, an amount most families took [z] years to achieve in Lucian's hometown, and he had made that amount in less than a month.

Damn, I'm not even an official mage yet, and I'm still making more than my family ever did. Mages really do live like nobles. Well, this much should be more than enough for Marian to have a great time in Ravenhold.

Lucian spent the entire fourth day preparing and resting to recuperate from the hunts, and when the sixth day arrived, Lucian sprang up from his bed at the break of dawn. It was time for Lucian to set off for Unasu.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

"Have fun in Ravenhold. If you have the time, try to visit the Academy at least once. They won't let you in, but they'll let you see the premise from outside the gates, at the very least."

"Yeah. I'll do that. I'll see you after three weeks then, teacher!"

With a cheerful smile, Lucian waved goodbye to Cecilia as he left the gates of the city. As usual, since it was not allowed to use magic without due permission inside the city gates, Lucian had to go a few metres outside the gates, and after doing so, he focused his mana on his body, starting from his feet to his head, and propelled himself in the air, starting his vacation.

The view from the sky was wildly different from the time he rode the carriage to Urythius. The vivid tapestry of the green plains spanned across kilometres, accompanied by green hills, light blue lakes and rivers, and patches of farmlands. The scenery changed every thirty minutes, and after three hours, he could see his hometown in the distance.

It's better to land on the outskirts of the town. Otherwise, the whole town guard is going to be on my ass, trying to apprehend me or worse. After all, it's not every day you see a man land from the skies at breakneck speeds.

He walked into the town after landing at a distance where the tower guards could not see him. As he entered the town, he saw that the town had changed little since he left. The warm hues of the tiled roofs and the cosy atmosphere of the town square remained the same, invoking a feeling of nostalgia within him, albeit it being only three months. Lucian's heart swelled with anticipation, eager to see his family again.

Walking through the streets filled with the same scenery of children playing tag as well stall owners shouting out their wares, he made his way to the inn he called home. As he approached the door, he could hear the familiar laughter and chatter of his loved ones inside. Taking a deep breath, Lucian opened the door with him, wondering how surprised his family would be.

His mother, Cassia, who was attending the inn's reception table, was the first to greet him, her face lighting up as she wrapped her arms around her son.

"Lucian, you're back!" she exclaimed, her voice cracking with emotion. His father, Tom, soon joined in, welcoming him with a bear hug.

Lucian's gaze then fell upon Marian; her eyes widened at the sudden appearance of his little brother. She flashed him a brilliant smile, her excitement palpable.

"Lucian! How are you here!? Did you receive my letter?"

"I sure did, sister. And I came flying when I read that you were going to Ravenhold."

"Flying? Are you serious?"

"Sure am. And a lot of other spells. I didn't spend these three months doing nothing, you know."

As they settled down to catch up and share stories of their time apart over dinner, minus the life-threatening situation Lucian had experienced with the crustacean beast, Lucian couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment wash over him. Although his time with his teacher was great, it felt wonderful to be home, surrounded by the love and warmth of his family.

"So, do you mind if I come along with you to Ravenhold?" asked Lucian, washing the dishes as he talked to Marian.

"No, not at all! On the other hand, I'm really happy that I'll be able to spend some time with you. We used to play together all the time before I started getting serious about being a knight."

"Yeah, I remember everyone complaining and accusing you of cheating in the games we played. Of course, I knew that you wouldn't cheat."

"Well, if they stopped whining about every single rule and played properly, they would have won."

"I hope you still have that competitive fire in you. You're gonna find that everyone who'll get in will have zeal equal to yours."

"You're too young to worry how I'll do, little brother. Also, were you talking like of kind of a noble? If I didn't know you were my brother, I'd actually consider you smart."

The banter between the siblings continued till they fell asleep. At the dawn of the next day, both Lucian and Marian readied up for the journey to Ravenhold. Marian's eyes gleamed with excitement as the carriage was pulled by the docile magic beasts known as Umauns, a type of beast that resembled the combination of a normal horse and a bull. They were docile when man first found them, and in time, they were domesticated to be used as pack mules, to pull carriages, and in farm work. Although its frame was larger and wider than that of a horse, it wasn't any less slow. Its powerful and thick legs outputted an absurd amount of strength, capable of punching through walls. Because of these details, a license was required to own one, and as a result, the fare was much more for these types of carriages, forty coppers to be exact, which was four-tenths of his family's monthly income. But money was not an issue for Lucian.

"I rode a normal carriage before, but never have I ridden a carriage with a magical beast! You sure you have the money for this? It looks expensive." Said Marian, her eyes still fixated on the Umaun as she attempted to stroke its head with hesitation. Luckily, the Umaun didn't seem to mind the affection as it received the head pats.

"Eh, leave it to me. I worked a little extra for our trip, enough to go on a shopping spree. You said you wanted to be given a treat at the capital, so I thought it would be nice if we had fun in Ravenhold instead. I heard it's not inferior to the capital by any means."

"Woah, I really am lucky to have a brother like you. With a secured job and money, you could easily get married when you have your coming-of-age ceremony. I bet you're popular with the girls in the city, aren't you?" said Marian, with a grin wide enough to reach from one ear to another.

"I really wish that were the case. The truth is I barely get any time to have fun. It's all training or learning." Said Lucian, downtrodden.

"A-Ah. Is that so? Cheer up now. I'm sure you'll have your time to shine when you enter the Academy."

"I hope so…" said Lucian, as the siblings departed for Ravenhold, the city of Knights and Mages.