“— Older Brother?”
Jared was flustered when Conrad called him “Older Brother.”
He had heard that Conrad looked up to him, but he never expected to be called “Older Brother.”
Conrad, maintaining his smile, opened his mouth to the bewildered Jared.
“Yes! You are Lord Jared, Older Sister Olivier’s fiancé, so I called you Older Brother… was that not permissible?”
“No, if that’s the case, please feel free to do so.”
“Thank you!”
Jared averted his gaze, unable to meet the pure, untainted eyes that shone brightly.
“Conrad, you’re too excited. Calm down a bit.”
“I-I’m sorry, Father. Lord Jared.”
Seeing Conrad sulk made Jared feel rather apologetic.
Conrad gave off a somewhat vulnerable, small animal-like impression. Perhaps it was precisely because of that that Olivier had doted on him in the past.
It would be rude to say it’s unusual for a noble, but few people like Conrad, born into a Ducal Family, could remain so pure.
“Jared, what do you think?”
“Yes. Then, Lord Conrad. Although I am still inexperienced, I would like to offer some guidance in magic. I look forward to working with you.”
“Really? I’m delighted! Please guide me!”
Seeing Conrad practically bouncing with joy, Jared couldn’t help but smile.
“I will stay out of the way and let you two have your training. I apologize for disturbing you, Jared.”
With that, the Duke distanced himself from the two. Jared and Conrad, thinking it best to make good use of their time in the training grounds, moved to the center. Jared helped Conrad, who was clad only in training attire, wipe off his sweat and fully dress. It was unnecessary to perform magic while half-naked, after all.
“Lord Conrad, can you clearly feel your own Magic Power?”
Conrad nodded, and Jared nodded back.
“Then, have you actually used magic before?”
“Just a little. Um, only when we were checking my attributes.”
“And what were the results of your attribute assessment?”
“I was fire attribute.”
“I see,” Jared narrowed his eyes, observing the flow of Conrad’s Magic Power.
His Magic Power was abundant. Although Jared’s total Magic Power was considerably higher, he could tell that Conrad possessed above-average Magic Power, enough to be called a Magician. The flow of his Magic Power was strong, swirling in a circle around his chest.
If this was indeed the fire attribute, Jared judged that he would grow into a Magician with excellent offensive capabilities, and his future looked promising.
Breaking his gaze from the flow of Magic Power, Jared touched Conrad’s body after asking for permission.
Simultaneously, he felt his Magic Power surge and, once again, perceived the strength of Conrad’s Magic Power.
What Jared was doing now had little practical use, but it was a method of sensing the opponent’s Magic Power. It wasn’t magic, but it required concentration to synchronize his breathing with the other person.
Jared wanted to examine Conrad himself, as he didn’t know who had determined his magical attributes.
“Lord Conrad, I’m going to have you use magic now.”
“Yes!”
“Alright, inhale as I inhale, and exhale. That’s right. Continue.”
Their breaths synchronized, becoming one.
From the palm of his hand touching Conrad, Jared could feel his Magic Power intensifying.
“Is there any magic you can use?”
“Um, I can do a simple spell where I just release flames.”
“You’re good at release-type magic, Lord Conrad. I understand. Now, please imagine flames in your mind. Then, ready your right hand, that’s it. Imagine the Magic Power gathering in your palm and feel the Magic Power flowing within your body. Alright, now release the flames. You can use any incantation or trigger you prefer, so do it in a way that’s easiest for you.”
Jared clearly felt the Magic Power concentrating in Conrad’s outstretched right hand.
The Magic Power moved like waves, traveling to his right hand and converging. The convergence was slightly loose, so Jared assisted, but the concentration of Magic Power was excellent.
“—Flames!”
The concentrated Magic Power was released with Conrad’s simple command.
As soon as it left his palm, the Magic Power transformed into a single streak of red light. The red light shot forward, heading towards a straw dummy standing in front of them. Then, with a roar, it created a pillar of fire.
“—Huh? Wh-Wh-What was that!?”
The one who exclaimed in surprise was Conrad himself, who had unleashed the flames.
Jared couldn’t hide his own inner astonishment.
The Magic Power that Conrad had intended to merely release, after being amplified within his body and concentrated in his palm, was emitted as high-density heat.
In other words, Conrad could not only release magic but also converge it.
Jared’s assistance was only to prevent an uncontrolled outburst because the convergence was loose. In essence, it was all Conrad’s talent.
“Magnificent, Lord Conrad.”
To prevent the fire from spreading, Jared summoned spirits to create a large water projectile and hurled it at the still-burning flames.
Magic Power-infused flames are not easily extinguished, so extinguishing them with something of equivalent Magic Power, like water, was the quickest and most suitable method.
After successfully dousing the flames with about ten water projectiles, Jared released his hand from Conrad.
At that, Conrad slumped to the ground, his legs giving out.
“Um, Older Brother, do I have talent as a Magician?”
“Of course. If you can unleash that much power with a simple release, you undoubtedly have talent. However, your future growth as a Magician depends on your efforts, Lord Conrad, so please train hard.”
“Yes, I will, of course!”
Seeing Conrad’s delighted smile upon being told he had talent, Jared glanced towards the Duke, assuming he was satisfied. There, he saw the Duke frozen in astonishment, and a woman standing beside him, also rigid.
“Oh, Mother is here too. I didn’t notice you.”
From Conrad’s words, it was clear she was his mother. Both she and the Duke remained staring at the spot where the fire had just been.
Jared helped Conrad to his feet by offering his hand and walked over to the Duke and his wife.
“Um, Duke Alway?”
“—Ah, yes, Jared. To think that my son could unleash magic of that caliber… I was surprised. What kind of magic was that flame?”
“No, it was simply releasing Magic Power as flames, so it’s the most rudimentary of basic magic.”
“Meaning?”
Did the Duke swallow, or was it Conrad’s mother?
“Lord Conrad undoubtedly has talent as a fire attribute Magician and excels in convergence and release. When it comes to simply releasing Magic Power as magic, he is better than I am.”
“—What did you say?”
Although it took time because it was his first attempt, if he were to repeatedly practice, it would become the most efficient method in combat as an incantation-less magic.
Simply releasing Magic Power as flames. If one can converge and release like Conrad, becoming a capable fighter would be possible once this process becomes unconscious.
To succeed as a Magician, one needs to learn many spells and use them after making accurate judgments based on the situation. Jared himself combines magic and physical techniques based on the circumstances rather than performing them flexibly, so he cannot speak boastfully as he is still developing.
Once Conrad can use magic beyond a certain level, having his abilities recognized by the Mage Association through activities like Monster Subjugation would be the fastest way to establish himself as a Magician. Undoubtedly, his talent is suited for practical combat.
“Murphy.”
A calm, dignified voice emanated from the woman who had been frozen.
“If what you say is true, then can my son, Conrad, succeed as a Magician?”
“Whether Lord Conrad can succeed as a Magician depends on his future efforts, but there is a great possibility.”
“—Ah, thank goodness. Thank you, Murphy.”
Jared was speechless as Conrad’s mother bowed her head to him, shedding tears.
The Duke gently stroked her, and Conrad began to speak to her.
Jared, not understanding why Conrad’s mother was crying, remained confused until she stopped weeping.
