Lucien lying on his bed was deep in thought.
'I really thought that i would die....But she wasn't as cold-blooded or calculating as i expected...'
Lucien looked at the pack of cigarettes in his hand.
Woo-jin was a chain smoker in his previous life, his only way of expressing freedom were smoking and playing that game.
But Lucien although a drunkard had never smoked...
'So embarrassing, Asking for cigarettes so confidently...acting like i had smoked for years, only to cough violently like a idiot..'
"Sigh~.."
"But where could the demon orb be hidden...It was not even in the restricted area, Could it be near Headmasters Building....but Archimage should be able to sense it even if not immediately, with weeks of exposure he could surely catch on to it."
Lucien slowly drifted into sleep, tired from the day's hectic events...
*.....*
Two days later...
Lucien looked at the results of his efforts over the weekends.
[Name: Lucien von Blackhart]
[Age: 26]
[Stats:
Strength:13
Stamina:11
Intelligence:24 (+18)
Mana:900 ]
[Skills]
[Demonic Mana Detection (C-)]
[Traits]
[Mana's Guider (C)]
[Creation points: 544]
Mana's Guider finally reached C grade and my mana reserves in my brain increased by 0.5%, so now 22.5% mana is stored in my brain
Lucien looked at the gun in his hand.
...It cost 1200 points for the gun and 50 for the 100 rounds.
So i gained 205 points from my interaction with Adeline....
Lucien walked out of his office closing the door behind, and headed towards the train ground.
Meanwhile, at the training ground...
Aria was stood lost In thoughts.
'A Grade 5 mage...with his strength if he truly is my enemy, it will take me years before I am even being worthy of standing before him...'
'What was his reletionship with...Father?..Does he even remember my father?..Or was he just someone insignificant for him..'
As she remained deep contemplation, the training ground suddenly fell silent, only the footsteps of one person could be heard.
Lucien walked to the center of the training ground, all students gathering in front of him.
"Let's begin today's Lecture."
"Everyone should know about elemental affinity. Everyone is born different, with varying affinities toward each element."
"Most people have moderate affinity with all four basic elements: Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind."
"Others possess rare affinities toward elements beyond the basic ones. Most noble lineages have strong affinity toward a single element, so strong that the entire family becomes defined by that particular element."
"For example… House Valmont is known for their exceptional talent in lightning magic."
Lucien glanced at Seraphine, her eyes filled with pride.
"But that does not mean one should neglect training in the elements they are weak in. No matter how strong one is with a single element…"
"For example, even if it's Grade-4 mage specializing in Water magic, if he doesn't know any fire magic, he would freeze to death if he ever goes to the North."
"That is why today you will be practicing basic elemental spells of all four elements."
"I will be evaluating you by the end of today's lecture."
"I expect everyone to perform at least Grade-9 spells of all four basic elements today."
"I will evaluate both spell output and efficiency. Those who fail will have points deducted from their assessment."
"You may begin…"
Lucien folded his arms behind his back as the students scattered across the training ground, each trying to cast magic circles.
Almost instantly, the quiet field filled with chaos.
Wind blades flickered unevenly. Sparks burst and died. Streams of water collapsed midway, splashing their embarrassed casters. Earth constructs rose crookedly before crumbling apart.
Some students performed confidently, while others struggled just to maintain mana flow.
Lucien watched silently.
A lecturer's greatest mistake was interfering too early.
Then..
A clear surge of mana gathered near the center.
Seraphine stepped forward.
Her posture was elegant, movements precise, as if every gesture had been practiced thousands of times.
"Wind"
A gentle spiral formed above her palm. The airflow stabilized immediately, compressing into a clean rotating blade before dispersing smoothly without backlash.
No wasted mana.
Lucien's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Efficient circulation… minimal leakage."
She did not pause.
"Water"
Moisture condensed instantly, forming a perfect sphere of water that hovered steadily, its surface smooth without tremors, a sign of excellent control.
Several students glanced over, their own spells flickering in comparison.
Next came Earth.
The ground trembled softly as a compact stone pillar rose straight upward, edges sharp and density uniform.
Not excessive power. Perfect regulation.
Finally..
"Fire"
A flame ignited above her hand, burning bright yet controlled, its shape steady like a candle untouched by wind.
No sparks.
No instability.
She dispersed the spell cleanly and turned toward Lucien.
The training ground had grown quiet again.
Lucien walked closer.
"Good," he said calmly. "All four elements executed with stable mana flow."
Seraphine straightened slightly, awaiting judgment.
"Your wind spell shows the highest efficiency. You compress mana before release, continue doing that."
He gestured lightly toward the ground.
"Your earth spell, however, relies slightly too much on output rather than structure. Reduce mana by ten percent and reinforce the core instead."
Her eyes widened slightly.
He noticed.
"Power impresses beginners," Lucien continued indifferently. "Efficiency impresses mages."
A faint smile appeared on Seraphine's face.
"Understood, Professor."
"You may leave."
He noted her completion time on the evaluation slate.
As she walked away, several students whispered among themselves.
One by one, evaluations continued.
Some nobles completed their spells quickly but wasted excessive mana.
Commoners struggled with stability but showed persistence.
Lucien provided brief feedback to each student, never harsh, never overly praising.
Time passed.
The training ground gradually emptied.
Students who finished bowed lightly before leaving, relieved expressions spreading across their faces.
Eventually...
Only a few remained.
Among them was Aria.
Her wind spell had barely stabilized before collapsing.
Water formed unevenly but counted as successful.
Earth rose only halfway before cracking.
Lucien still marked them as completed.
Three elements.
One remained.
Fire.
Aria stood before the casting circle, sweat forming along her forehead.
"Focus…"
A spark appeared and vanished.
Again.
A flicker.
Failure.
Behind her, several noble students watched with amused expressions as they gathered their belongings.
"Still stuck on Grade 9 fire spell?" one muttered.
"Some people just don't have neither affinity nor talent. " another said lightly before laughing.
They left without waiting for a response.
Aria lowered her gaze but said nothing.
A cheerful voice broke the silence.
"You almost did it!" Lucy said, bouncing beside her. "Your earth spell was way better today!"
Aria forced a small smile.
"I'll… get it eventually."
Lucy hesitated, glancing at the sky.
"I have to go before curfew prep… but don't give up, okay?"
She gave Aria an encouraging thumbs-up before running off.
Soon,
The training ground became empty.
Only two people remained.
Aria and Lucien.
The afternoon sun stretched long shadows.
Aria attempted the spell again.
A small flame appeared… then burst apart.
Her shoulders trembled slightly.
She looked up at Lucien, disappointment filling her eyes, faint tears gathering despite her effort to hold them back.
Slowly, she checked the academy clock tower in the distance.
The lecture hour had long passed.
Her hands tightened.
She lowered her head and turned to leave.
"I'll complete it tonight… no matter what."
Determination replaced hesitation in her eyes as she took a step forward.
"Are you giving up?"
Lucien's voice stopped her.
She froze.
"The time is over, Professor," she said quietly.
Lucien glanced at the clock.
"It's three."
He spoke plainly.
"I told you to show me before today ends."
He looked at his watch and then back at her.
"There are still nine hours before midnight."
A pause.
"You may continue… or you may give up."
Aria blinked, surprised.
For a moment she simply stared at him, as if unsure she heard correctly.
Then she turned back toward the casting circle.
Her hesitation vanished.
Mana began gathering again.
Lucien watched silently.
A faint smile appeared on his lips small, almost imperceptible though his expression remained indifferent.
Aria noticed it.
And for some reason, it felt as though he had expected this choice from the very beginning.