“Conrad is at the training hall. He trains in both magic and swordsmanship every single day without fail. Therese seems to enjoy watching her son. I’m grateful to Jared for discovering my son’s talent. Thanks to him, Conrad and the others are enjoying fulfilling days.”
“You are too kind.”
After finishing their discussion about the recent incident, Jared and the others moved to the training hall to meet Conrad.
Conrad continued his daily training at the hall, regardless of the weather, and Harald was pleased with his growth, even as an amateur. Therese, who watched over her son, was also happy with his progress and reportedly always accompanied him during training. Tobias also seemed to check on his younger brother from time to time, and their relationship was said to be good.
Jared knew well that at the prime age of fourteen, a young man who harbored ambition and continued to put in effort would surely be rewarded to some extent. He earnestly wished for Conrad to be rewarded as well.
“Oh, my husband. And Olivier and Jared.”
“I’m here to check on him again today.”
“It’s been a while, Therese. Today, I came to see you with Jared to discuss yesterday’s incident.”
Olivier and Jared bowed slightly to Harald, who waved dismissively.
Therese wore a slightly troubled expression at Olivier’s words.
“I heard from Tobias. I never would have imagined that Conrad would fall for the woman who saved us that time.”
Everyone offered a wry smile; it was understandable.
Jared and the others had no way of knowing how Rosa appeared in Conrad’s eyes, but there was clearly something more than enough to spark romantic feelings.
Although they had heard it verbally, they still couldn’t quite comprehend it. Neither Jared nor Olivier had ever experienced love at first sight.
“Please, sit down. You’ll get sunburned if you stand.”
They each took a seat at a table set up in the shade. Conrad was still practicing his sword swings, oblivious to their arrival. It was clear he was concentrating intensely. For now, it was fine as it was, but Jared observed him, thinking that someday he would have to learn to be aware of his surroundings.
He wasn’t using magic at the moment, but to Jared’s eyes, the magic circulating within Conrad’s body appeared to be growing stronger. While he couldn’t see it clearly, Jared, who could interact with spirits, could perceive the world like spirits despite having human eyes.
He couldn’t see everything exactly as they did, but he could sense magic. Especially since his sealed magic had been released, he could switch his perception with just a little focus.
“Is something wrong, Jared?”
“Yes, I was impressed by how much Conrad has grown. Even with my help, I can’t be with him constantly. Despite that, his growth rate is remarkable. It’s faster than mine.”
Olivier, along with the members of the ducal family, gasped.
It was no surprise, as Jared himself, who had joined the Mage Association over a year ago, achieved numerous accomplishments, and was about to become a Court Mage in the shortest time possible from being a Court Mage Candidate, admitted that Conrad’s growth was faster.
It had only been about two months since Jared met Conrad. In that short time, he had grown visibly. Looking back, he had possessed wonderful talent as a Fire Elemental Mage from the start.
Conrad, who was self-taught, showed a difference in skill compared to Jared, who had been trained by the excellent mage Almeida. However, in terms of sheer growth speed, Conrad was superior. Jared’s curiosity was piqued about what would happen if Almeida had trained Conrad, but he couldn’t voice it, as he couldn’t subject a son of a ducal family to that hellish training.
Jared pondered if there were more efficient ways to help Conrad, and only combat came to mind. Training was important. Conrad’s attitude of repeating himself to become familiar with magic was admirable. However, the experience gained in actual combat was far too significant.
There were people who became stronger the more they fought, and it wasn’t wrong. They wouldn’t necessarily become stronger, but if they could turn experience into fuel, the gains would be immense. That was practical experience. However, it came with risks, so it wasn’t recommended unless one was truly committed to a future as a mage.
Once he enrolled in the Royal Academy, there would be combat-style training. He would also be dispatched for monster subjugation at times, so he could gain experience then. But he felt it would be a waste to continue only with self-training until then.
Jared sometimes sparred with him, but he was generally poor at sparring, which made it questionable whether it truly contributed to Conrad’s growth.
There was a difference between holding back and going easy, but Jared couldn’t quite manage the middle ground. Having always focused only on defeating his opponents, and often facing strong adversaries, he found it extremely difficult to fight at the very edge of his ability to help an opponent with a significant skill gap to grow.
Even without using magic, Jared could kill an inexperienced Conrad with his bare hands. That was the extent of the difference in their abilities at this point.
“My apologies for keeping you all waiting.”
As Jared’s thoughts focused on Conrad, Tobias appeared with a teapot. Shifting his focus, he turned from the boy still practicing his swings to his family.
“Father, Sister, Therese, is something wrong?”
Tobias and Jared exchanged glances as the surprised and frozen individuals looked at them.
“N-no, it’s nothing. I’m sorry, Tobias, for asking you to serve.”
“It’s no trouble. There are those who would react negatively if our family members came too close, so I am the most suitable person for the job.”
“What do you mean, Father, Tobias?”
Olivier interjected, questioning the conversation between father and son.
“Actually, well…”
“Husband, I… As I’ve mentioned before, there are those who resent Conrad for having magic, but recently, there have been those who misinterpret your and Tobias’s visits to observe your son’s training.”
“Misinterpret? …In other words, they fear that Conrad, whom you are paying attention to, might become the heir?”
“Yes. Although neither Conrad nor I intend that, it’s troubling. I apologize for causing trouble for you and Tobias as well.”
Jared noticed Olivier comforting Therese, who lowered her gaze.
Harald and Tobias both wore troubled expressions for some reason, in Jared’s perception.
“That topic can wait. Now, can you tell us about Conrad’s crush?”
Then, as if changing the subject, Harald asked Jared and Olivier. Olivier exchanged glances with Jared, and they tried to pass the responsibility to each other, but wilting under her gaze, Jared spoke.
“Her name is Rosa Roen. She is nineteen years old. She is the daughter of Wahash, the leader of Waalthe, and one of Waalthe’s successors.”
Jared saw Therese’s breath catch. She, too, knew of Waalthe, the strongest assassination organization on the continent.
“And she is also my mother, Liz Murphy’s sister. So, in other words… Rosa is my aunt.”
