Just,
After Grandmage Marcus left the Welton estate, life returned to its usual rhythm.
On the surface, nothing had changed.
The Duke still ruled his lands.
The Duchess managed the household.
And young Jimmy Welton continued his daily routine.
Yet within the quiet halls of the palace, something profound had been left behind.
The book Marcus had given was kept carefully.
Not in the public library.
Not among the magical archives.
It rested in Jimmy's room.
A dark leather-bound tome, untouched by dust, as if mana itself protected it. The strange symbols carved into its cover faintly reacted whenever Jimmy came close.
At first, no one rushed him.
Duke Halfthōr understood patience.
Power grew best when left undisturbed.
By day, Jimmy trained in the yard.
His wooden sword moved with increasing precision. His stance grew steadier. His breathing calmer. For a child his age, his discipline was unnatural—but no one questioned it.
The Duke watched quietly from afar.
He corrected mistakes.
He enforced fundamentals.
He said nothing unnecessary.
By night, the palace lights dimmed.
Servants passed by Jimmy's room and often paused.
Inside, the child sat quietly on his bed, the book open in his lap.
No chanting.
No glowing circles.
No reckless casting.
Just reading.
Slowly.
Carefully.
As the pages turned, the symbols within the book shifted subtly, as if responding to his presence. Concepts written by a Grandmage—ideas that took decades for others to grasp—were absorbed without resistance.
Once.
That was all it took.
Jimmy did not reread.
He understood.
From time to time, Duchess Elinora watched from the doorway.
She never interrupted.
She simply stood there, hands clasped, watching her son read a book no child should have been able to comprehend.
There was pride in her eyes.
And fear.
Elsewhere in the kingdom, Grandmage Marcus flew through the skies, carried by roaring wind.
As the clouds rushed past him, he laughed softly.
"I left it in the right hands," he murmured.
The wind answered, carrying his voice away.
Back in the Welton estate, the night grew deeper.
A page turned.
Mana shifted imperceptibly.
And without anyone realizing it—
A foundation far greater than sword or spell was being built.
Quietly.
Naturally.
Inevitably.
End of Chapter 10.