In the governor's office of Dreville, Baron Aritz Erkhan paced back and forth while shouting orders.
—Faster! I want that accommodation spotless within the hour! If I find even a speck of dust, I'll have you cleaning the entire mountain!
The officials rushed out as if their lives depended on it.
And, as far as Aritz was concerned...
They probably did.
Andrea, his daughter, watched him with a confused expression.
—Father... aren't you exaggerating a little?
—No!
—He's only a noble visiting.
—Exactly because of that!
Andrea crossed her arms.
—You're talking as if he were a demon.
Aritz placed a hand on his forehead.
—I wish he were a demon. At least with demons, you know when they want to kill you.
Andrea let out a small laugh.
—Is it really that serious?
—Listen carefully.
Aritz approached and lowered his voice.
—When that young lord arrives...
smile.
Bow.
And disappear.
—Disappear?
—Yes.
Don't talk.
Don't argue.
Don't give your opinion.
Don't even breathe too loudly near him.
Andrea blinked several times.
—Father... we have two thousand soldiers.
If he behaves badly, we can simply arrest him and inform the king.
Aritz looked at her as if she had just suggested the worst idea in history.
—Arrest him?
He pointed toward the window with a trembling finger.
—That boy is arriving with three hundred knights of House Douglas.
Three hundred.
Andrea shrugged.
—We still outnumber them.
Aritz let out a long sigh.
—Three hundred Lords.
Andrea's smile slowly disappeared.
Aritz continued.
—Each of those men is worth dozens of ordinary soldiers.
And if the rumors are true...
Duchess Sophia personally selected every member of that escort.
Andrea swallowed.
—Is it really that bad?
—Daughter...
If that boy sneezes and one of his guards interprets it as us looking at him the wrong way...
there's a chance this governor's office won't exist by lunchtime.
Andrea remained silent for a few moments.
Then she asked cautiously:
—...What exactly is the name of this noble?
Aritz answered with absolute seriousness.
—Lusian Douglas The Mondring.
Andrea's eyes widened slightly.
—The first-year student?
—You know him?
—I've heard about him at the academy.
He ranked among the top fifteen first-year students...
and recently punched Prince Leonardo.
Aritz nodded with resignation.
—Now you understand why I've spent the entire morning trying to avoid my own death.
Andrea couldn't help but laugh.
—Father... you're exaggerating.
—That's exactly what I said the last time a Douglas visited this territory.
Andrea tilted her head.
—And what happened?
Aritz was silent for a few seconds.
Then answered naturally:
—I'm still paying for the reconstruction.
Andrea immediately stopped laughing.
Aritz pointed toward the door.
—Now go to your room.
And, for the love of the gods...
stay away from that boy.
If he ever decides to claim something from you, there won't be much I can do to stop him.
At the entrance of Dreville, a young man with brown hair waited alongside a small escort.
When he saw the Douglas caravan approaching, he took a deep breath and stepped forward.
—Good morning. My name is Iker Erkhan. On behalf of my father, I welcome you to Dreville Village.
Leonidas Kash stepped down from the carriage first and responded with a slight bow.
—It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Leonidas Kash, representative of Lord Lusian. We would appreciate it if you could guide us to our residence.
—Of course. Please follow me.
The group slowly advanced through the streets of the village.
Unlike the capital, Dreville carried a sense of tranquility that was difficult to find elsewhere. The streets were wide and clean; merchants and adventurers walked without hurry, while the constant murmur of water descending from the mountain surrounded the entire area.
After several minutes, they arrived at the residence prepared for the Douglas family.
It was a large white stone building surrounded by carefully maintained gardens.
Emily looked around with a smile.
—It's much prettier than I imagined.
Lusian nodded.
—Yeah.
Then he glanced at her.
—I'm sorry for making you come here.
Emily shook her head.
—It wasn't an obligation.
Besides, I was curious about this place.
She was silent for a few seconds before asking:
—Although I still don't understand why you chose Dreville.
Lusian answered calmly.
—I wanted to rest for a few days.
To get away from the noise of the capital.
Emily smiled slightly.
—Only the noise?
Lusian immediately understood what she meant.
—No.
He replied with a tired little smile.
—Some headaches as well.
Emily laughed.
She didn't need to ask which ones.
—Then let's accomplish the purpose of this trip.
Shall we explore the village?
—Let's go.
The two left the residence accompanied by their escort.
Dreville was not a large city.
Only around fifteen thousand people lived within those walls built to protect the village from the monsters inhabiting the nearby mountains.
However, it was famous throughout the kingdom for one reason.
The Waterfall of Life.
From the peak of the mountain flowed an enormous stream of crystal-clear water filled with natural mana. Adventurers, nobles, and even mages traveled great distances just to immerse themselves in it for a few minutes.
As they walked through the streets, Emily noticed several people carrying towels and spare clothes.
—It seems like everyone comes here for the waterfall.
—Yes.
Lusian nodded.
—Its waters help purify mana and accelerate the body's recovery.
Emily's eyes widened in surprise.
—Then can anyone stay there as long as they want?
—Quite the opposite.
Lusian shook his head.
—The body can only absorb a certain amount of mana.
If you exceed that limit...
it eventually becomes poison.
Emily lowered her gaze toward the river flowing through the village.
—I've never heard of anything like that.
—That's why there are guards watching over the waterfall.
Many people believe that if something is beneficial, then more of it must be better.
And some end up learning that lesson the hard way.
When they arrived at the waterfall, the sound of rushing water filled the valley.
The current descended from the mountain, forming a crystal-clear curtain that emitted a faint blue glow. The immense amount of mana suspended in the air made everything feel cooler and lighter.
Lusian had barely taken a step toward the path when a figure stepped in front of him.
Adela.
She extended an arm to stop him from advancing.
—My lord, allow me to inspect the area first.
Lusian stared at her for a few seconds.
Then he looked toward the waterfall.
Then back at her.
—...Adela.
—Yes, my lord.
—It's a waterfall.
—Precisely why I must inspect it.
—It's water.
—The enemy can hide anywhere.
Lusian looked at the enormous waterfall again.
—Inside the water?
—Yes.
—Under a tourist waterfall full of people?
Adela nodded with absolute seriousness.
—One must never lower their guard.
Lusian slowly turned toward Albert.
—Is she always like this?
Albert let out a small laugh.
—Leave her be.
She's enjoying being your escort a little too much.
Lusian released a long sigh.
—I'm going to have to endure this for the entire trip...
Without waiting for a response, Adela had already disappeared among the rocks to inspect the area.
Emily watched the scene with curiosity.
—You two seem to get along quite well.
Lusian immediately shook his head.
—No.
Emily smiled.
—It doesn't look that way.
—She's only been acting like my personal security commander for a week.
Emily let out a small laugh.
—How long have you known each other?
—Since I was ten.
Lusian watched as Adela checked even behind the rocks in the distance.
—My mother discovered her magical affinity and decided to train her personally. Since then, she spent more time at Castle Douglas than in her own home.
His gaze shifted toward the enormous white tiger walking behind her.
—And she also gave her Aureus.
Emily looked at the imposing beast.
—So they grew up together.
—Yes.
Lusian sighed again.
—Although recently she's taken protecting me a little too seriously.
As if she had heard those words, Adela came running back.
—My lord!
Lusian looked up.
—What is it?
—I have inspected the surroundings.
—And?
—I found no threats.
Lusian remained silent for a few seconds.
—I'm glad to know that the dangerous criminal organization known as... waterfalls... decided not to attack us today.
Emily couldn't hold back her laughter.
Adela, however, remained completely serious.
—We must never become careless.
Lusian closed his eyes.
—Mother created a monster...
Albert laughed again.
—No.
She simply created a disciple who takes her duties too seriously.
Before Lusian could respond, a uniformed guard approached the group.
—Welcome to the Healing Waterfall.
If you wish to enter, you must first listen to the safety regulations.
Adela stepped forward.
—Are they truly necessary?
The guard looked at her seriously.
—Yes.
Your life depends on it.
Adela's expression changed immediately.
—Understood.
The guard pointed toward the flowing water.
—These waters contain an enormous concentration of mana. Remaining inside for too long can cause mana poisoning.
The safe duration depends on each person's capacity.
If you experience dizziness, headaches, nausea, trembling, numbness, or pain around your mana core, you must leave immediately.
Ignoring those symptoms can be fatal.
Adela listened to every word without missing a single detail.
When the guard finished, she returned to Lusian.
—My lord, we may enter.
But under no circumstances should you remain longer than recommended.
Lusian smiled helplessly.
—Yes, commander.
Emily laughed again.
Adela, completely serious, did not understand why they found it amusing.
—Did I say something strange?
—Nothing —Lusian replied as he walked toward the waterfall—. Absolutely nothing.
Emily took a light robe provided by the waterfall staff and slowly entered the water.
The flow of mana immediately surrounded her body.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to adjust to the strange sensation.
Four minutes and fifty seconds later, she decided to leave.
The water soaked through the thin white fabric of the robe.
Clinging to her body, it clearly outlined her figure.
Lusian looked up out of simple curiosity.
And froze for a moment.
"..."
He felt his face grow warm.
She was beautiful.
He immediately turned his gaze away.
Damn it...
No matter how much he tried to act normal, he was still a man.
He grabbed a towel from the nearest shelf and extended it to her without looking directly at her.
—Dry yourself first.
Emily tilted her head slightly.
—Huh?
Lusian cleared his throat.
—The robe... is too thin.
Emily lowered her gaze toward herself.
Only then did she realize her current state.
Her cheeks turned red.
—A-ah!
She quickly grabbed the towel and wrapped herself in it while taking a few steps back.
—D-don't look!
—I stopped looking a while ago.
Lusian replied naturally, keeping his eyes fixed on the waterfall.
Emily stared at him for a few seconds.
"..."
He did not seem to be teasing her.
Nor was he trying to take advantage of the situation.
For some reason, that made her smile slightly.
Once Emily finished drying herself, Lusian approached the waterfall.
—My turn.
He entered the water.
The mana slowly began to seep into his body.
Five minutes and twenty seconds later, he left on his own.
Adela went next.
She entered alongside Aureus, and both endured four minutes and forty-five seconds before leaving.
Then it was Albert's turn.
Seventeen minutes and thirty-five seconds.
Lusian crossed his arms while watching the old man remain completely motionless beneath the waterfall.
—What a pain...
Charles let out a small laugh.
—The commander always turns every rest day into training.
When Albert finally came out, Charles took his place.
He endured fifteen minutes and ten seconds.
Seeing the time, Lusian shook his head.
—Do none of you know how to relax?
Albert smiled calmly while drying his hair.
—We relax by training.
Lusian released a long sigh.
—What a troublesome group...
During dinner, the atmosphere was peaceful.
The knights chatted among themselves while the servants served the next course.
Suddenly...
Charles let out a muffled groan.
His hand went to his chest.
The glass slipped from his hand, and his body lost balance.
—Charles!
Leonidas reacted instantly, catching him before he hit the floor.
Several knights stood up in alarm.
Emily also rose from her seat.
—What happened?
Charles was breathing heavily.
The veins on his neck became visible as a wave of mana surged through his body.
For several seconds, he was unable to stand.
Lusian frowned.
—What's wrong with him?
Albert remained seated.
He even took another sip of tea.
—Relax.
Nothing bad is happening.
Everyone looked at him.
Albert smiled slightly.
—Charles has just advanced to Magister.
Congratulations.
Although it took you a little longer than I expected.
Charles let out a strained laugh while still holding his chest.
—Commander...
Could you congratulate me... later...
Albert chuckled.
Little by little, Charles's breathing returned to normal.
Lusian continued watching him curiously.
—What just happened?
Albert looked at him strangely.
—Don't you remember?
When a warrior reaches a new rank...
their mana core expands.
For a few seconds, the body attempts to adapt to that new capacity.
It is a rather painful process.
Charles nodded.
—It feels like... my chest is going to explode from the inside.
Albert continued.
—The higher the rank...
the more intense the expansion usually is.
If the body is not prepared, the person could even die during the process.
Emily's eyes widened slightly.
—Is increasing your level also dangerous?
—Only if you force growth that your body cannot yet handle.
That is why good teachers insist on training before attempting advancement.
Lusian pretended to remember.
—Ah...
Now that you mention it...
I think it happened to me a couple of times as well.
Albert nodded.
—Twice.
The first time, you almost destroyed half the training hall because of the pain.
Lusian smiled awkwardly.
—...I don't remember that anymore.
Inside, however, he felt a chill.
So... advancing ranks also causes physical evolution.
In the game, it was just an animation and nothing more.
Experiencing it for real is a completely different story.
Charles finally stood up.
He took several deep breaths before smiling.
—It seems that now...
I'm finally a Magister.
The knights raised their glasses.
—Congratulations!
Albert raised his own as well.
—Welcome to the next step.