Looking at Noelle's cute sleeping face, Cedric curiously poked her cheek, and his finger sank into the soft flesh before bouncing back with surprising elasticity.
A branch suddenly wrapped around Cedric's wrist as he sensed movement nearby and muttered cautiously, "Is someone here, or has a wild beast wandered in?"
Stepping outside the treehouse, Cedric saw a bolt of lightning dart through the forest with crackling sounds and thought to himself that it looked suspiciously like Thunder Breathing: First Form, Thunderclap and Flash.
Luck Voltia soon appeared with lightning crackling around his feet and said with a bright smile, "Cedric, I finally found you, so let's fight."
Cedric crossed his arms and replied calmly, "Luck-senpai, you rushed all the way here, so surely you didn't come just for me."
Luck grinned wider and answered, "The Captain is looking for you, but right now I only want to fight you."
At that moment Magna Swing slowly arrived while riding his broom and complained loudly, "Luck, why are you running so fast when you're even faster than me on my magic broom."
Magna's broom, Crazy Cyclone, had been modified to resemble a motorcycle, which suited his delinquent personality perfectly.
Luck waved impatiently and said, "Magna, stay aside for a moment because Cedric and I are about to fight."
Lightning gathered around Luck's feet as he activated Lightning Magic: Thunder God Boots, and sharp lightning claws formed around his hands.
Cedric calmly raised his hand and said, "Since senpai is so interested, let's have a battle."
Cedric released his magic and summoned a massive emerald dragon while saying, "Tree Magic: Wood Dragon."
The Wood Dragon rose into the air and coiled around Luck.
Luck's smile never faded as he darted around the dragon at incredible speed, slashing its body repeatedly with lightning claws and leaving charred marks across the wood.
Cedric observed quietly and thought that although Luck had not yet reached his later strength, his speed was already impressive, and the Wood Dragon alone could not restrain him.
Cedric then raised his hand again and said, "Tree Magic: World Tree Summoning."
Massive trees burst from the ground as countless branches extended toward Luck.
Seeing the approaching branches only made Luck more excited as lightning surged around his feet and his claws sliced through the branches one after another.
The severed branches fell to the ground but were immediately absorbed by the surrounding trees, which continued attacking Luck endlessly.
Cedric finally traced a symbol in the air with his finger and said calmly, "Tree Magic: Parasite – Everlasting Tree Binding."
Green branches suddenly sprouted from Luck's body and wrapped tightly around him like ropes, gradually forming a massive tree that began absorbing his mana.
Luck struggled fiercely and muttered stubbornly, "Am I going to lose… I won't lose."
Lightning suddenly surged violently around his body as the lightning boots extended upward into sharp lightning claws, and horn-shaped lightning formed on his head.
Luck clenched his teeth and declared with determination, "Mother, I will dedicate this victory to you because I refuse to lose."
Memories flashed through Luck's mind.
People whispered around him that a commoner had defeated a noble from the Voltia family and that the boy was strange because he only smiled, which made him unsettling.
At that moment his mother hugged him tightly and praised him by saying that defeating a noble was something ordinary people could never do and that he was a special child who must keep winning forever using his own strength because no one in this world would save him except himself.
Hearing those words made the young Luck feel warmth for the first time, and a seed called shackle was planted deep in his heart.
Back in the present, Luck suddenly released a massive surge of mana and shouted fiercely that he would keep winning using his own power.
Luck broke through Cedric's binding branches as lightning orbs continuously fired from his hands and bombarded the surrounding trees.
Luck roared that he wanted victory as his lightning claws tore through the wooden barriers and pierced directly toward Cedric's chest.
However, no blood appeared.
Cedric's body slowly turned into wood as the clone revealed itself while Cedric calmly said, "Tree Magic: Tree Shadow Clone."
The wooden clone suddenly wrapped around Luck and absorbed the rest of his mana.
After the intense battle and his sudden burst of power, Luck's remaining mana was nearly empty and was quickly drained by the tree.
Cedric then turned toward Magna and said calmly, "Magna-senpai, tell Captain Yami that I'll return in a few days, and I'll bring the silver-haired princess back as well."
Cedric placed the unconscious Luck onto Magna's motorcycle-like broom.
Magna flew away while thinking in shock about how Cedric still seemed completely fine after such a large battle and wondering whether Cedric's mana was already approaching Captain Yami's level.
After returning to the treehouse, Cedric saw that Noelle was awake and noticed that her eyes were slightly red.
Noelle suddenly hugged Cedric tightly while burying her face in his chest and said softly that she thought he had died just now.
It seemed that she had witnessed Luck's lightning claws piercing the clone.
Cedric gently wrapped his arms around her waist and replied teasingly, "I'm perfectly fine, but it seems our proud little princess has turned into a crybaby."
Noelle immediately blushed and pushed him away while wondering why she had thrown herself into a man's arms and whether she had somehow fallen for him despite knowing he was a pervert.
Cedric stretched casually and said, "Since you're awake, let's continue training because today's goal is reaching the top of that tree."
After three days of training, Noelle finally climbed to the treetop and excitedly hugged Cedric while saying that she had succeeded.
Cedric casually patted her backside and replied teasingly that she shouldn't be proud yet because there was still more training ahead.
Cedric noticed that Noelle had become strangely clingy during the past few days and wondered if she might actually be falling for him.
Noelle lowered her head slightly and complained that he could at least praise her instead of being such a stingy jerk.
Cedric chuckled and replied calmly that she was worthy of being his disciple.
The next morning arrived quickly.
When Cedric stepped out of his room, he froze in surprise after seeing Noelle wearing a white apron while making breakfast.
Cedric rubbed his eyes and muttered in disbelief that he must be seeing things because he couldn't understand this girl anymore.
Noelle grabbed his arm and said cheerfully, "Cedric, you're awake, so come taste the sandwich I just made."
Cedric took a bite and replied with a smile that it was delicious and that Noelle seemed to be quite a capable little chef.
Noelle quietly lowered her head while eating her sandwich and thought that it was clearly ordinary food, yet he was still praising her.
After finishing breakfast, Cedric stood up and announced that today's lesson would be learning how to walk on water.
Noelle looked shocked and immediately replied that it was impossible because people would obviously fall into the water.
Cedric calmly gathered mana beneath his feet and walked across the lake surface as if it were solid ground before running around on the water.
Noelle watched with sparkling eyes and felt that this man always managed to surprise her.
Cedric then gestured toward the lake and told her to try it herself.
Noelle nodded and gathered mana at the soles of her feet before stepping onto the water, but after two steps she slipped and fell into the lake with a splash.
Her skirt quickly became soaked, but she continued trying again and again.
By noon she finally reached the center of the lake and excitedly shouted that she had succeeded.
However, a sudden gust of wind rippled across the water surface and immediately threw off her balance.
Noelle fell into the water again, leaving her clothes soaked and clinging tightly to her body.
Cedric instinctively glanced over, which made Noelle blush with embarrassment and anger.
At that moment her grimoire suddenly opened on its own as magical text formed across the pages, and a new spell appeared.
Water Creation Magic: Waltz on the Mirrored Lake.