Very quickly, a familiar figure appeared before Ethan's eyes.
It was Ur!
And beside her stood a cold-looking boy. Though still young, his features faintly revealed what he would look like as an adult.
There was no mistaking it this was Lyon, though not yet grown.
But why would Ur appear here?
Ethan felt a flicker of doubt in his heart. Yet the doubt soon faded.
He almost forgot this was the far north, a place beloved by Ice mages. Ur was often active in this region, so meeting her here wasn't surprising at all.
"Sure enough, here!" Lyon exclaimed excitedly the moment he spotted the Snow Wolf's corpse.
But then his expression soured as he noticed Ethan standing nearby.
"Ur, looks like our dinner's already gone."
"It's fine. At worst, we can just shop in town," Ur replied calmly, patting Lyon's head.
She then raised her eyes to examine the Snow Wolf's corpse.
As a mage highly skilled in Ice Magic, she immediately sensed the power lingering in the wounds. That strong Ice-attribute energy couldn't be ignored.
Turning her gaze back toward Ethan, Ur asked gently, "Child, was it you who used magic to kill this Snow Wolf?"
"Yes." Ethan nodded without hesitation. Of course, he didn't mention that he had used immortal magic such a thing could never be explained.
Instead, his thoughts raced as he studied Ur.
Could he perhaps form a connection with her?
After all, Ur's strength was immense, said to rival the Ten Wizard Saints. Not only was she a master of Ice-Make magic, she also held knowledge of a forbidden spell.
If he could build a bond here, it might prove far more beneficial than wandering to the Fiore Kingdom alone.
Moreover, in the original story, Ur was shown to be a kind-hearted person.
As Ethan was lost in thought, Lyon curled his lips and sneered.
"Hmph, are you lying? You expect me to believe you killed this Snow Wolf with magic?"
In Lyon's eyes, Ethan was only a year or two older than him. How could someone so young possibly have the strength to kill a Snow Wolf on his own?
After all, a Snow Wolf wasn't just an ordinary beast it was a magical beast!
Magical beasts not only possessed the ability to release magic, but after years of absorbing magic particles, their bodies became far tougher than normal creatures.
They were faster, stronger, and harder to kill.
Even with all the training he and Ur had undergone, they wouldn't dare to claim they could take down such a beast single-handedly. How could this stranger possibly have done it?
Lyon stole a glance at Ur, who still wore her gentle smile. Rubbing the spot on his head where she had tapped him earlier, he fumed inwardly.
No way… there's no chance this guy really did it!
Ur, however, ignored Lyon's thoughts. Instead, she was deeply shaken by Ethan's calm response.
Her instincts told her he wasn't lying.
And for someone this young to slay a magical beast this was far from ordinary.
Moreover, from the traces of magic still clinging to the Snow Wolf's body, it was clear this was no weak creature.
Could it be… this child was a prodigy?
And not just any prodigy, but one with a natural affinity for Ice Magic?
Of course, in truth, Ethan had used immortal magic. But in this world, such a concept didn't exist, so Ur naturally assumed it was Ice Magic.
"No! You're lying! You must have used some kind of magic item to kill that Snow Wolf!" Lyon snapped again, unwilling to back down.
The idea that someone his age might surpass him was unbearable especially when his own mentor was Ur.
His constant accusations began to grate on Ethan.
Although he looked to be about the same age as Lyon, in reality, Ethan had already lived a full life before crossing into this world.
He had no patience for this chatterbox of a boy, who was as noisy as a string of firecrackers.
Yet as he watched Lyon grow more aggressive and unreasonable, a thought suddenly formed in Ethan's mind.Ethan's expression darkened.
Pretending to be angry, he said coldly, "If you don't believe me, then let's have a match!"
"Fine!" Lyon agreed almost instantly, his eyes flashing with confidence. He even added his own condition.
"If I win, then that Snow Wolf will be my dinner with Ur!"
Ethan had already expected that Lyon would covet the Snow Wolf's carcass. In fact, this was the very bait he had set.
After Lyon voiced his terms, Ethan deliberately "hesitated" for a moment before clenching his teeth and replying, "Alright! But if you lose… then you have to give me one of your spells!"
Yes magic itself. That was Ethan's true goal.
He already knew about Ur's daughter, Ultear, and fragments of what fate had in store. But it wasn't something he could bring up now.
After all, this was his very first meeting with Ur. He was only a boy of barely ten years old where could such secret knowledge possibly come from?
If he spoke recklessly, he might strain their relationship, or even anger her. That would be far too great a risk.
This was no longer a story on paper. This was the real world. And Ethan wasn't going to gamble with his future.
So instead, he decided to seize an opportunity through Lyon.
As long as he could trick Lyon into giving up a spell, that alone would be a gain.
And no matter how things turned out next, one thing was certain.
At the very least he would not lose.