At the entrance leading into the Daylin Family’s main estate, two mages stood facing each other.
“Please move aside, Sister.”
One of them was Wirn, who was trying to enter from outside.
“No.”
The other was Ean, who was blocking Wirn from entering the main estate.
“You’re not getting in until you spar with me.”
In truth, Ean had not come to the main estate because of Wirn.
She had simply been staying there to show her face after hearing that Ganderf, the Family Head, would be returning.
“When am I ever going to get another chance to enjoy something this interesting?”
Then Wirn, who had left the estate, came back.
“How in the world did you reach the Third Circle in just two weeks?”
Worse, he had returned so much stronger that anyone would have been shocked.
It was no wonder Ean was blocking his way inside.
“…”
Wirn pressed his lips tightly together at Ean’s words.
There was nothing to gain from saying any more here.
‘Her instincts are damn sharp.’
Naturally, Wirn had never told her that the number of his Circles had increased.
She had noticed the change first and was now throwing a fit.
‘As expected of the eldest daughter of a prestigious magic family.’
It had only been for a split second.
As Wirn entered the estate, he had briefly rotated all the Circles inside his body.
‘Should I be impressed that she noticed and came running?’
When Circles rotated, mana flowed out.
And the density of that mana changed depending on the number and quality of the Circles.
‘Her nose really is absurdly good.’
From that alone, Ean had realized that Wirn had gained more Circles.
The three Circles he possessed and the Darkness flowing from him did not resemble the scent of the youngest brother she remembered at all.
“I’m pretty good at smelling the scent of mana.”
Ean shrugged.
She had a knack for sensing the fragrance given off by mana and using it to gauge an opponent’s level.
And she herself knew full well that her sense of smell was quite exceptional.
“So don’t even think about fooling me.”
That was why she was certain Wirn had reached the Third Circle.
“Hmm.”
Wirn scratched his head.
He had not expected to run into an obstacle like this the moment he returned to the family.
‘Do I really have to spar with her?’
Just as he began thinking that sparring might be the only option left—
Tap!
“Sister!”
Began’s voice reached both Wirn and Ean.
“What?”
“Brother?”
At Began’s sudden appearance, both of them turned around.
Began came rushing toward them in a hurry.
“Haa… hah.”
He had apparently run so urgently that he had to brace both hands on his knees and catch his breath.
“Haa!”
Then, after taking one last deep breath—
“Sister. What are you doing here?”
He addressed Ean, who was blocking Wirn’s path.
“Can’t you tell? I’m having a private conversation with our youngest.”
“…It doesn’t look like you’re just having a normal conversation.”
“What?”
Ean frowned at Began’s reply.
‘Began is talking back to her?’
Wirn, listening to the exchange, was inwardly surprised.
Until not long ago, Began had even shrunk back in front of him.
Yet now he was openly arguing against Ean right in front of him.
It could only come as a fresh shock.
“I heard you were bullying Wirn, so I came.”
“Bullying him?”
“Yes.”
Her expression crumpled at Began’s answer.
“Do you really think I’m bullying you?”
Then she asked Wirn, who had been standing quietly nearby.
The question obviously carried many meanings.
“Who knows?”
Wirn shrugged.
“To other people, it might look that way. You’re stopping your exhausted youngest brother from going inside… right after he finished a secret mission.”
Officially, he had just carried out the secret mission given to him by the Chief Elder.
So Wirn used that fact against Ean.
“My whole body already aches… and I didn’t even get to rest properly because of the mission….”
He had moved his body quite a lot, but not enough for it to ache.
And although he claimed he had not been able to rest properly because of the mission, that was not true either.
The mission had been handled quickly and simply.
“It does seem a little harsh.”
But Wirn was the only one who knew the truth.
“…”
Ean bit her lip at his words.
No matter how she looked at him, he did not appear tired.
Besides, she had a reason to press him.
“You made a deal with me.”
The traces he had shown during the Hunting Ceremony.
And the strange egg he had received from her.
Ean had handed Wirn two things.
“Yes. I know. And I have no intention of breaking that deal.”
“And?”
“I’m worried you’ll be disappointed. My body isn’t exactly in good condition right now.”
Wirn had no intention of simply swallowing those benefits and walking away either.
More precisely, he had planned to, then changed his mind.
‘If I don’t do it, she’ll chase me until the day I die.’
If he went through with that plan, he would obviously become a younger brother constantly hounded by his older sister.
Was she not already doing exactly that?
“I promise I’ll do it later.”
So Wirn continued gently, as though soothing a child.
“…”
Ean looked back and forth between Wirn and Began.
“Fine.”
Perhaps hearing that he would spar with her had helped.
The blazing intensity in her eyes softened a little.
“I’ll let you off this time.”
But she was only postponing the spar.
She had not given up on it.
To her, Wirn was one of the opponents she genuinely wanted to fight.
“But I came all the way out here. It’d be a shame to do nothing, wouldn’t it?”
Her body was still itching for action.
She still wanted to satisfy the fighter’s urge burning inside her.
“Began. You’ll have to suffer in your brother’s place today.”
“…What?”
Began, who had come to help Wirn, became the sacrifice.
“I agree. I’d appreciate it if you could comfort Sister’s disappointment in my place.”
“What did you say?”
“It’s not like one spar is difficult, is it? You said you needed someone to spar with anyway.”
“W-Wirn. You… what are you saying?!”
Began stared at Wirn in horror as Wirn shoved him forward.
He had come all this way to help him, and now Wirn was selling him out like this?
No matter how he looked at it, it was an utterly shameless thing to do.
Smile.
Of course, morality was relative.
Even after seeing Began’s trembling eyes, Wirn did not look away.
Instead, he lightly waved his right hand as though bidding him farewell.
“You needed someone to spar with? Then you should’ve said so earlier!”
“W-Wait, Sister!”
“Let’s go have a match right now!”
GRAB!
Ean clamped a hand down on Began’s shoulder with all her strength.
Drag, drag, drag.
Then she dragged him into the main estate.
“Wirrrrn!”
Began’s sorrowful voice and enraged, betrayed expression entered Wirn’s eyes.
“Take care.”
But Wirn merely prayed that Began would survive.
He did not look particularly sorry.
***
Wirn left Ean and Began behind and returned to his room.
It had been two weeks since he was last there, but nothing about the room had changed.
‘Third Circle.’
But Wirn had returned after undergoing such tremendous growth that he might as well have become a different person.
―HUM….
―HUM….
―HUUUM….
The proof was the three Circles rotating faintly inside his body.
‘And they’ve even been combined.’
The Circle on the far left and the one in the center.
Those two Circles had been formed from Derius’s power.
‘Darkness.’
And only the final Circle on the right truly belonged to Wirn.
A Dark Circle made entirely of pure Darkness.
It radiated an aura different from the other two Circles.
‘The Mark is quiet.’
At Snake Gorge, Wirn had absorbed all of Derius’s power.
In the process, he had forcibly shoved some of that power into the Mark as well.
“Hmm….”
As a result, the Mark had closed its mouth.
More than merely being quiet, even the presence he normally felt from it had grown faint.
‘It isn’t dead.’
But Wirn did not believe the Mark was finished.
It was still there on the back of his hand.
And the color of the Mark was steadily growing darker.
‘If anything, it’s growing.’
Wirn was certain it was alive.
Knock, knock.
“Young Master. It’s Kemen.”
At that moment, Kemen knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
Creak.
At Wirn’s answer, he opened the door and stepped inside.
It was his reunion with the youngest Young Master after two weeks.
“…You’ve changed quite a lot.”
And it was also Kemen’s first time seeing Wirn after he had reached the Third Circle.
“Well. It was pretty rough.”
Wirn gave a faint laugh at Kemen’s shocked expression.
Thanks to Ean, the fact that he had reached the Third Circle had already spread throughout the estate.
‘Not that I planned to hide it anyway.’
It was not an important issue.
There was no way to hide one’s Circles perfectly in the first place.
“Congratulations on fully entering the realm of a mage.”
Kemen bowed his head to Wirn.
The Third Circle was a realm that could not be reached with ordinary talent alone.
Even for the heir of a prestigious magic family, it was something worth celebrating.
Moreover, was Wirn not still younger than Began?
“It’s still not enough.”
“…Pardon?”
“I can’t be satisfied with this.”
But Wirn remained calm even at Kemen’s congratulations.
He was someone who had already reached the Fifth Circle in his previous life.
All of this was merely preparation for surpassing his past life.
‘Just how far…?’
Kemen unconsciously swallowed at the sight of Wirn.
At the same time, he realized it once again.
What Wirn pursued was different from what the other successors sought.
He was looking alone toward some distant place no one else could see.
“So, why are you here? I doubt you came just to congratulate me.”
At that moment, Wirn spoke to Kemen first.
“…”
Kemen swallowed at Wirn’s question.
After briefly remaining silent while feeling the power of the three Circles inside Wirn, he finally spoke.
“The Family Head will arrive in one hour.”
The master of the Daylin Family was returning.