Solomon rushed down the stairs.
He had gone to bed earlier than usual just so he could reach the training grounds before his sister.
After his new resolution, he decided to take his new life as Solomon Ashbourne more seriously.
He jumped down the stairs two at a time, treating the situation like a race against time.
When he finally saw the front doors of the mansion, a smile spread across his face.
He stopped before them and decided to catch his breath for a moment.
After steadying himself, he opened the doors and walked calmly toward the training grounds, noticing that it was still fairly early.
The first thing he heard was the sound of the air being sliced in rapid succession.
“It can’t be…”
He dashed toward the training grounds and immediately dropped to his knees, pounding his fist against the ground when he saw the tall, sleek, majestic figure of his sister in the distance, swinging her sword as though she were battling an enemy that demanded her full attention.
“Is she a machine?
It’s barely six in the morning.”
He realized that he couldn’t measure the people of this world using logic anymore.
It would simply be a waste of time.
Women suppressed men, trained like warriors, and carried an overwhelming, domineering aura.
“I wonder…
do I not feel that because she’s my sister?”
When he pondered it a little longer, he realized that he felt no desire whatsoever to bow before a woman.
Ding
Daily Reboot Completed
Host is immune to Charm and Intimidation.
“I see…”
The notification made him feel a little better.
At least the goddess—or perhaps the system—had taken into account the severe consequences of allowing the very savior they were supporting to be manipulated by a woman.
His sister still hadn’t noticed him until he was barely twenty meters away.
She flicked her eyes in his direction.
The light within them was cold, deadly, and murderous.
Solomon immediately broke out in a cold sweat.
A heartbeat later, Silvia retracted her intense gaze, probably because she had finally realized it was him approaching.
“I’m sorry about that.” She scratched the back of her head awkwardly.
Solomon remained dazed.
The look in her eyes moments ago told him that if he hadn’t stopped—and had instead taken another step forward—she might have crossed the distance between them in a matter of seconds and cut him down.
His only saving grace was the fact that she had been holding a wooden sword.
Silvia gently patted his back until his breathing steadied.
He placed his hands over hers before tilting his head back with a faint smile.
“I’m fine now.”
“That’s good.
I’m sorry once more.”
“It’s not your fault.
I should have called out to you.”
She lowered her gaze but remained silent.
Not wanting the awkward silence to linger between them, Solomon cleared his throat and changed the subject.
“So…
umm…
about that Light Magic training…” He scratched his cheek sheepishly.
Silvia immediately understood what he was trying to do and decided to play along.
She didn’t enjoy the tense atmosphere either.
“Today, you’ll stop relying on muscle.” She tossed a wooden staff toward him.
“You’ll fight with mana.”
“A staff…” he thought.
“Guess this really is a fantasy world, huh?”
“Shall we begin?”
“Whenever you’re ready.”
“Before that, I need to educate you a little.”
“Oh.”
“You might already know this since you’re always buried in books, but I’ll explain it again anyway.”
Solomon’s expression turned serious as he focused all of his attention on her.
“Unlike the other noble houses, whose magic tends to be destructive, House Ashbourne’s Light Magic techniques were built around precision.” She paused to make sure he was following before continuing.
“Our magic is more than the simple manipulation of light.
It revolves around control.” Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
“Control…” he muttered.
Solomon began to understand what she was trying to tell him.
When he had dueled his instructor, he had unconsciously done something similar.
He had increased the normal output of Lumen until it reached the brightness he desired.
Without control over the mana flowing around him, he would never have been able to execute that properly.
“Do I have an advantage because I’m from another world?”
Silvia’s voice pulled him back to reality.
“A single ray can illuminate a city…
or pierce enchanted steel.” She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
“Magic isn’t measured by how brightly it shines, but by how well you control it.”
Solomon realized that he had been thinking about magic all wrong.
“At least I figured that out before entering the academy.”
“Also, our family motto is, ‘Let light guide the worthy.’ Never forget it.
It might just save your life.”
Solomon wasn’t convinced that a motto held that much power, but he had nothing to lose by listening to advice, so he simply nodded.
His sister raised her staff, closed her eyes, and steadied her breathing.
Particles of light suddenly emerged from the air around them.
They drifted toward the staff, carrying a warmth that couldn’t be described with mere words.
The breeze gently stirred Silvia’s hair as more and more light gathered around the wooden weapon, growing brighter with every passing second.
“Is this really a beginner technique?” He mumbled.
Instead of exploding outward, the mana condensed into a razor-thin blade of pure radiance wrapped neatly around the practice staff.
Once she was satisfied that the light had spread evenly, she swung.
A row of stones resting in the distance split neatly in half.
Solomon had been curious about what those stones were for, but now his curiosity had been answered through experience rather than words.
The stones separated cleanly into two pieces.
There was no explosion.
No deafening sound.
Just one swift, flawless cut that left him staring in amazement.
“…That’s Light Magic.”
His sister stood there with a satisfied smile.
After witnessing that stunning display, Solomon realized that the goals he had been entrusted with in this new life were far greater than he had originally imagined.