— Huh… What? Be quiet!
A burst of flames flared up with a whoosh, as if startled, and met Fagan's gaze—if flames could have eyes—before yelling back in irritation.
"You think I'd be talking nonsense to an imaginary friend?"
— W-Wow… So you can actually see me.
But the fire spirit's confidence quickly withered under Fagan's blunt tone.
"I don't know who you are, but you seem to have nothing better to do. I was willing to ignore the noise at first, but do you have to be so chatty? Can't you see I'm concentrating?"
His words were curt, a stark contrast to his usual intelligent and composed demeanor. It was a tone he reserved for neither family nor his nanny.
"If you want to watch, I won't stop you. But I'm in the middle of something important, so don't do anything distracting. If you can't keep quiet, take yourself outside that window."
— Whoa… I mean, I was just trying to give you some advice since you seemed to be struggling. And besides, I didn't think you could even hear me…
"I can. Loud and clear. So keep it down."
— Ugh…
"Anything else you want to say?"
Without waiting for an answer, Fagan picked up a handkerchief, wiped the sweat from his brow, and closed his eyes.
— Uh… so, uh, hey.
Glare.
But Fagan's focus didn't last long.
The fire spirit, unable to bear being ignored despite being acknowledged, spoke up again.
— Aren't you curious about who I am?
"Do I have to be?"
— W-Well, no. But I've been close with that tall guy—you know, the one you guys call your ancestor. Some of your predecessors have known about me, too…
"Not interested. So be quiet."
— Ugh… This isn't right. You're supposed to be curious. Everyone else was…
The fire spirit hovered around Fagan's head, much like an eager puppy wagging its tail.
This didn't make sense.
No, the more the spirit thought about it, the more absurd it seemed.
Anyone with enough sensitivity to perceive its existence should have instinctively recognized its purpose—and that it could greatly aid in mastering Angelus.
And yet, this five-year-old kid was reacting like this?
"Hey, you."
— …!
"A minute ago, you were going on about how I was doing it wrong, weren't you?"
As the fire spirit spun aimlessly in circles, Fagan suddenly spoke, making it flinch.
"Is this still wrong?"
— Huh!
The spirit flared up, growing larger in an instant.
— Your mana… The Angelus flow… It's stable?
Just moments ago, his Angelus had been surging in chaotic currents, completely unrefined. But now, it was flowing naturally along the Angelus path, though still in its infancy.
He hadn't even formed a proper circle yet, but a channel for his mana had clearly been established.
For someone who had only started learning Angelus that very day, this was an astonishing achievement.
— How did you do that? No, wait. Without a properly formed mana circuit, pulling on it recklessly should have caused damage, not stabilization. Why is this… working?
If Fagan had been a complete novice, the spirit's concerns would have been valid.
But the spirit had no idea that Fagan had already spent the past year training in Arca, making him quite skilled at handling mana.
Guiding the turbulent currents of Angelus along his chosen path was no difficult feat for him.
Of course, the fire spirit couldn't detect the Arca energy flowing not from Fagan's heart but through his very blood and muscles—so its confusion was understandable.
Rustle.
The fire spirit was still processing its shock when a luxurious silk blanket embroidered with colorful patterns rustled, and Fagan's small frame disappeared beneath it.
— What the…?
"What do you think? I'm going to sleep. That's enough training for today. So be quiet for real this time."
— You're just going to sleep? Without talking to me more? Seriously?
"Obviously. You can stay in my room, I don't care. But if you start babbling again, I'll toss you out the window. Your choice."
With that, Fagan pulled the blanket up to his chest and shut his eyes.
— …
Soft breathing.
Maybe it was fear of being thrown outside, but the fire spirit finally fell silent, merely floating above Fagan's face.
What was this? What kind of kid was this?
Even with all the centuries it had lived, the fire spirit couldn't make sense of what was happening.
There was only one thing it knew for sure.
This boy, now sound asleep, was different from any Claudius it had ever seen.
Something about him was special.
Could it have something to do with that strange exercise he did every morning?
The fire spirit lingered in the room for a while, watching over the sleeping child. But no matter how much it pondered, no clear answers emerged.
— What kind of kid is he?
The spirit's baffled murmur melted into the steady rhythm of Fagan's breathing.
---
Six Years Later.
"Ughhh…!"
The golden afternoon sunlight, streaming through the stained glass windows, had begun to soften.
I stretched and got up from my seat.
Spending the afternoon hunched over medical texts had left me feeling stiff.
After rolling my shoulders a few times, I stepped out of the study.
The deeper I delved into medicine and human anatomy, the more I found myself surprised.
Even just now.
I'd been training my body every morning for seven years.
At this point, no matter how long I stayed in one position—even a full day—I shouldn't feel sore or stiff.
And yet, I had just groaned in discomfort, as if I truly were stiff.
Was it simply the idea of sitting still for too long that tricked my body into feeling stiff?
"The human body is easily deceived."
A line from a medical book I read last week crossed my mind as I walked.
There was still so much to study, so many books to read. But for now, I needed a break.
Stepping away from the study's ink-scented air for a cool drink and a sweet snack sounded like the perfect plan.
Creak.
As I opened the study door—
"Onii-sama!"
A small, chirping voice called up from around my waist.
"Laena?"
"I've been waiting for you! Waaah! Onii-sama!"
Before I could react, my little sister flung herself into my arms.
She was Laena Claudius, born six years ago into the blessings of our family.
"Nanny, has she been waiting here all this time?"
"Yes, young master. The lady insisted that she must have her afternoon snack with you."
"How long has she been waiting?"
"A little over an hour, I'd say."
"You could've just knocked. I would've come out sooner."
"Laena didn't want to disturb you. So we just sat quietly and waited for you to take a break."
"Onii-sama! I waited so patiently! Hehe!"
Their proud expressions made me chuckle.
Laena's soft cheeks were impossible not to pinch.
"Onii-sama! Maesher-grandpa brought us sweets from Euto! I saved some for you!"
Her tiny hands waved excitedly as our nanny held up an elegant pastry box.
I ruffled Laena's golden hair.
"Next time, don't wait. Just eat them with Nanny."
"No! I want to eat with Onii-sama! And Nanny! The three of us, together!"
Unable to resist, I scooped her up in my arms.
"Shall we go enjoy our sweets in the garden?"
As I walked, Laena hummed a cheerful tune in my arms.
Looking out the window at the ever-beautiful gardens of Espetara, I reflected on the past eleven years.
Seven years of Arca and assassination arts.
Six years of Angelus and medicine.
The verdict?
I was considered a prodigy, perhaps even once-in-a-century.
But if I was being honest…
Half my progress was thanks to that guy.