Lucian had finished his preparations and, together with Sagar, entered the heart of the pocket dimension.

“I regret not being able to read all the books here,” Lucian said, letting out a deep sigh as he glanced around.

Sagar smiled. “You know, someone as hardworking as you should really be a mage. Fools are the ones who fight with their fists.”

Lucian shrugged mockingly. “I guess that makes me a fool.” Then, a big smile spread across his face.

Sagar gave him a thoughtful look. “No doubt about that, you remind me of him.”

Lucian’s curiosity grew. “Him?”

Sagar replied with a hint of sorrow. “A fool I knew before... You’re as foolish and brave as he was. I just hope your courage doesn’t lead to the same end as his.”

Sagar then chanted magical words, forming a spell circle around Lucian and himself. White lights surrounded them, and suddenly, they were out of the pocket dimension. They now stood at the entrance to the Marquessate of Wintergate.

Lucian took a deep breath. “Finally… back where I started.”

Sagar smiled. “How do you feel? Are you happy to see your home again?”

Lucian rolled his eyes. “Sure, I wanted to grow stronger, but someone interrupted my training saying he had urgent business. So yes, I’m absolutely thrilled to see my home.”

Sagar chuckled. “Hahaha, alright, kid, we’ll continue your training when I return, okay? In the meantime, make sure to keep practicing.”

Lucian frowned at the word “kid.” “Kid? I think you’ve forgotten how to address me, old man.”

Sagar grinned back at Lucian’s cocky smile. “You’re never going to drop that attitude, are you, Master Lucian?”

Lucian winked. “That’s right, sensei.”

Sagar smiled back but then turned serious. “Alright, then. Make sure you get stronger.”

With those final words, Sagar chanted another set of incantations and vanished in a burst of flames surrounding him.

Lucian turned and started walking toward the entrance of the marquessate. “Don’t worry… I’ll become the strongest,” he whispered confidently to himself.

As he reached the gate, two burly guards crossed their massive spears, blocking Lucian’s path.

The guard on the left spoke mockingly, “Hold on, where do you think you’re going? This isn’t a place you can just walk into, kid.”

Lucian’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. “What? They don’t recognize me? Well, I have been gone for four years. Okay, maybe I’ve changed a bit, but I didn’t expect this reaction.”

Trying to stay calm, Lucian addressed the guards. “I’m Arthur Wintergate’s son. I’ve been away training for a long time, so it makes sense that you wouldn’t recognize me. Now, please move the spears.”

The guard burst into laughter. “The Marquess’s son? How dare a mage like you tell such a lie!? Everyone in the kingdom knows there are no mages in the Wintergate family!”

Lucian grumbled internally. “A mage? Oh, right. I should’ve taken off this stupid robe. But these guards should be able to at least sense a few mana rings. This attitude is not appreciated.”

Lucian spread his arms out. “Did the marquess get soft while I was away? How could he make someone a guard who doesn’t even know his own family?”

The left guard, enraged by Lucian’s sarcastic tone, took a threatening step forward. “What the hell are you talking about!?”

The right guard, observing more closely, began to piece things together. “Relations with the marquess? Wait a minute, a young boy coming in wearing a mage’s robe… Could it be him?”

The left guard stepped in aggressively. “I warned you nicely, but now you’ll pay the price for lying about being the Marquess’s son.”

Lucian chuckled to himself. “Kid, huh? I’d love to knock you out, but for now, I’ll play the role of a mage.” He quietly began chanting a spell.

The left guard, seeing Lucian casting magic, grew even more furious. “You dare chant spells in front of me!? I’ll teach you that a mage can never beat an aura user in close combat!” He swung his spear toward Lucian.

The right guard panicked. “Wait! He’s actually—”

Lucian finished his spell. A magic circle formed in his right hand, and he threw it toward the charging guard. As the spear was about to strike, Lucian leaped into the air, flipping over the guard. Mid-air, he placed his hand on the guard’s back and released the explosive spell.

“Explosion.”

A massive blast of fire sent the guard flying several meters, crashing into the railing.

The right guard whispered in horror. “Lucian Wintergate…”

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Lucian turned calmly to the other guard. “Oh, someone finally recognized me,” he said with a smile.

The right guard dropped to his knees, speaking in a trembling voice. “Y-Yes, sir, we deserve the harshest punishment for our rudeness.”

Lucian sighed. “I think you’ve had enough punishment. But you’d better check on your friend.”

The right guard bowed his head. “Please, sir, punish me as well for not recognizing you.”

Lucian rolled his eyes. “Ahh, man. I just wanted to eat something nice and get some sleep.”

Lucian turned to look at the destroyed railings from where he had blasted the guard.

“Then, as punishment, fix these railings before Marquess Arthur sees them. And clean up this mess while you’re at it. That way, neither of us will get into trouble.”

The guard nodded gratefully. “At once, sir!” he said, rushing over to check on his fallen comrade.

Lucian took a deep breath. “Finally, it’s over…” he muttered as he walked into the gardens of the marquessate. But before long, a few servants, drawn by the commotion, had already gathered.

“Ahh, hello?” Lucian said. “The issue’s been resolved, so you can all get back to work, alright?”

But internally, he cursed again. “Damn it, disperse before the marquess sees!”

Lucian took a deep breath under the servants’ curious gazes. “The problem’s solved,” he repeated, but the unease inside him hadn’t subsided. He realized that the situation was spreading faster than he anticipated. While the servants whispered among themselves, the guards, hearing the noise, had started gathering in the garden, thinking an intruder had arrived. Lucian scratched his head in confusion.

The guards immediately surrounded Lucian, spears aimed directly at him. “Surrender, intruder!” shouted the lead guard.

Lucian let out a deep sigh. “More guards now? I’m really tired…” he thought. “Should I take them all down and leave?” But just then, an unexpected voice cut through the crowd.

“Stop!” a woman’s voice called out. She was pushing her way through the crowd with urgency. The guards tried to stop her, but none of them could lower their guard to intervene.

Lucian smiled slightly when he heard the voice. “So, you recognized me, huh? I expected no less from you…”

The woman ran up to Lucian and embraced him, tears streaming down her face. “Welcome home, Master Lucian.”

Lucian hugged her back gently. “Thank you, Cynthia…”

...

As Cynthia helped Lucian change his clothes, she giggled sweetly. “You’re getting more handsome by the day, sir. At this rate, you’ll steal the hearts of all the girls.”

Lucian couldn’t help but laugh at her words. “Stop joking, Cynthia. Besides, with someone as beautiful as you by my side, no other girl could even approach me.”

Cynthia blushed, turning her eyes away as she shyly whispered, “I’ll let you tease me for today, Master Lucian.”

Lucian smiled at her gratefully. “Thank you, Cynthia.”

With a more serious tone, Cynthia bowed her head. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, Master Lucian. The Marquess is waiting for you in his chambers.”

Lucian examined the heavy, ornate outfit he was wearing in the mirror. Every detail of the attire screamed nobility. The rich navy fabric was adorned with golden embroidery, and silver threads cascaded down from his shoulders. The white shirt he wore underneath contrasted elegantly with lace details at the collar. Dark trousers and shiny black leather boots completed the ensemble.

Though he felt uncomfortable in such formal wear, Lucian couldn’t deny that his reflection looked impressive. “Back to wearing these uncomfortable fancy clothes… I got so used to the loose and comfortable mage robes while I was with Sagar,” he muttered to himself.

He thought about what Cynthia had just said. “Am I really that handsome?” he wondered, but as he saw the tired look in his own eyes, his smile faded. Those eyes belonged to a man who had experienced too much for his age, trapped in a small body.

Trying to get accustomed to the outfit, Lucian stepped out into the hallway and made his way toward Marquess Arthur’s chambers. He paused at the door, taking a deep breath. “Alright, here we go.”

He knocked on the door and entered. Marquess Arthur was sitting behind his desk, his sharp gaze fixed on Lucian.

“You called for me, sir,” Lucian said in a serious tone.

Marquess Arthur scrutinized him closely, his eyes not blinking. “I’ve heard the news. Quite the grand entrance you made,” he said with a hint of sarcasm.

Lucian felt the need to explain himself. “I apologize, sir, there were some disagreements, but I resolved them.”

Marquess Arthur continued to stare deeply into Lucian’s eyes. “I can see that,” he said. “But I don’t understand how a child can have eyes like those. It’s as if you’ve fought in countless battles… No, as if you’ve experienced death itself and come back without fear. You’re like a grown man trapped in a small body,” he thought to himself.

Breaking the silence, Marquess Arthur spoke again. “Four mana rings… Sagar has trained you well. If someone other than him told me you were a mage, I’d have had their head taken right there.”

Lucian bowed humbly. “I’m grateful to my sensei.”

Marquess Arthur eyed Lucian’s physique. “Still, I would have liked to see what kind of swordsman you’d become. Despite being a mage, your muscles seem quite developed.”

Lucian thought quickly. “With just a glance, he assessed my mana ring level and physical strength. It’s to be expected from a monster like him. Luckily, Sagar’s concealment spell seems to have worked. He can’t see my aura stars. I’m lucky.” He then spoke calmly. “While focusing on my magical studies, I didn’t neglect my body. It’s said that mages are useless in close combat, but I believe I can overcome that weakness with an agile body.”

Marquess Arthur nodded. “Most mages who fight on the frontlines are slim and athletic, allowing them to move more freely. But high-level spells require great concentration. The best mages always stay at the rear. At the rate you’re progressing, it seems you won’t need such a body.”

Lucian agreed. “You’re right, sir. But I want to be prepared for any situation, especially one like what happened yesterday. That way, I can carry the name of the Wintergate family with pride.”

Marquess Arthur bowed his head thoughtfully. “You’ve always spoken like that, even as a child. Learning to speak early, learning to read and write, even obtaining an aura star didn’t surprise me as much as your maturity. It feels like I’m not talking to my son but to someone completely different. Maybe a demon has possessed my son’s body… Maybe I should kill you just to be safe.” His words were threatening, but there was a hint of mockery in his voice.

Lucian responded without hesitation. “If a demon ever takes over my body, I’ll make sure to kill myself before you have to, sir.”

Just then, the door burst open, and a guard rushed in.

“Forgive the interruption, sir, but there’s an urgent matter!”

Marquess Arthur frowned, looking at the guard. “Speak.”

The guard hurriedly explained. “For days, we believed the declining number of demons was due to them retreating, but we’ve learned that a frost dragon has taken over the area the demons were using as a camp. It’s killed all the demons in the region.”

Marquess Arthur quickly grasped the situation. “Dragons are territorial creatures. If it’s claimed that area, it’ll continue to defend it, which means it’ll keep fighting the demons. That works in our favor.”

The guard, however, revealed a more pressing concern. “You’re right, sir, but we have a bigger problem. The frost dragon isn’t just killing demons to protect its territory… It’s hunting them, sir. It’s absorbing their mana and using that mana to—”

Marquess Arthur cut him off. “Feed its unborn child.”

Lucian’s eyes widened slightly. “Sir, that means…”

Marquess Arthur took a deep breath. “Yes. With all the demons dead, the nearest source of large mana is… me.”