Inside the carriage, Fainyx remained still.
He agreed with Weinhart's decision.
A 6th Circle Grand Mage dealing with five ogres?
It wasn't a battle.
It was just a warm up for weinhart.
Still… curiosity flickered in his eyes.
He had read about Grand Mages.
He had theorized about high-order spell structures, though he never really seen a spell of a grand mage.
Witnessing one cast in person?
That was rare opportunity.
Maybe… he could analyze the formula structure.
Perhaps even replicate it someday.
Outside, the ogres were closing in on the fleeing noble carriage.
Suddenly—
A translucent barrier of pale silver light formed around the endangered carriage.
The ogres' clubs slammed against it, but the shield did not even tremble.
Fainyx's eyes widened slightly.
A defensive spell cast at that distance… without visible strain.
Weinhart stood calmly in the middle of the road.
Wind stirred faintly around him.
Then, in a refined and resonant voice, he began to chant.
[By the still breath of the northern frost, By the silence of winter's eternal crown,Condense and answer my will.]
A complex magic circle unfolded beneath his feet, glowing in intricate icy patterns.
Above him, the air crystallized.
Five massive spears of ice formed midair — each one sharper than forged steel, shimmering with compressed mana.
[Icicle Lance.]
With a gentle downward motion of his hand
The spears shot forward.
Each arrow found its mark with terrifying precision.
They didn't explode.
They didn't scatter wildly.
They struck through shoulders and thighs, pinning the ogres to the earth with surgical accuracy.
The ground froze beneath them instantly, spreading like winter devouring autumn.
The ogres roared in rage—
But they could not rise.
Weinhart lifted his other hand calmly.
His next chant flowed like a quiet hymn.
[Bound by unseen threads,Yield your strength to stillness. Let motion abandon you.]
[Paralysis]
Invisible pressure filled the air.
The ogres' bodies jerked—
Then froze.
Telekinetic force.
Their limbs trembled violently, but they could not move an inch.
The road fell silent.
Five ogres.
Immobilized within seconds.
No excessive destruction. No wasted mana.
Just clean, overwhelming superiority.
Inside the carriage, Liam pressed against the window in awe.
"That's so cool—!"
Adam remained quiet, though even he looked impressed.
Fainyx, however, wasn't simply amazed.
He was analyzing.
The chant structure was layered.
Firstly is environmental invocation. Secondly, mana condensation command. Third, execution trigger.
It's clean and efficient.
And—
It's... unnecessary.
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
The mana flow suggested something interesting.
The chant wasn't required for activation.
It was a stabilizer...
A focus mechanism.
So that meant—
'Maybe I could bypass it...'
A faint thought surfaced in his mind.
'I could cast it without the chant…'
He looked back at Weinhart.
'Perhaps... I can do it too without advancing my circles and without any chants... I have a very large mana capacity, though I don't know whether I can cast it with only one circle still... I want to try doing it.'
Weinhart dusted his sleeve lightly as if nothing significant had occurred.
The barrier protecting the noble carriage slowly dissolved.
He turned back toward his young masters, posture perfectly composed.
"Apologies for the delay."
As though he had merely removed debris from the road.
The frozen ogres were quickly secured by the knights who had been escorting the other carriage.
Once the immediate danger had passed, the silver crest on the noble carriage door became fully visible.
Adam stepped down from their carriage.
Liam followed halfway before being stopped again by Weinhart's calm gaze.
This time, however, he was allowed to stand nearby. Adam approached one of the knights and offered a courteous nod.
The knight bowed deeply.
"Thank you for your assistance. We are in your debt."
Adam's gaze shifted toward the crest engraved near the carriage lantern.
A sword crossed with a star.
Recognition flickered in his eyes.
"…The insignia of... Marquis Sterling?"
The knight straightened slightly.
"Yes. We serve the House of the Marquis Sterling."
Inside their carriage, Fainyx froze.
'Sterling...'
That name echoed too loudly in his mind.
He knew it.
He knew it far too well.
Before he could steady his breathing—
The door of the rescued carriage slowly opened.
And a child stepped down.
Golden hair.
Golden eyes.
The sunlight seemed to cling to him as if reluctant to leave.
Fainyx's fingers tightened slightly against his sleeve.
No.
'It couldn't be...'
But it was...
The protagonist of this world.
He had seen that face countless times.
On the game's loading screens and every poster he seen in his game screen.
'Orion De Sterling.'