Translator: Wan ED/PR: Fan
At those words, Lucion carefully moved his eyes and looked at Tella’s outstretched hand.
Snap.
The sound of a blue thread being cut was heard.
Honestly speaking about the words he said to Tella, most of them were the truth.
Because to build a friendship with her, it was better to become a friend, and because it was difficult to build a friendship with someone without clearing the rumors circulating about them.
But funnily enough, Lucion was really surprised.
He threw her quite a big candy, but he didn’t expect Tella to grab it.
“I’ve already received so much from You already, I feel it’s unfair. I don’t wish to become friends through a skewed relationship.”
As Tella finished her words, she thought it over carefully.
She decided to become friends with Lucion, so it wouldn’t be good to come with items and money from the start.
“Ah!”
Tella soon smiled brightly.
At that moment, the color of the cut blue thread changed and connected Lucion and Tella.
‘The blue thread turned into a red thread…’
Lucion learned that the way of finding the red threads by cutting the blue threads was as described by the strange writing at the beginning.
“I’ll help You get rid of the rumors.”
Following Tella’s words, he heard a pleasant sound.
Snap!
It meant he crossed another turning point.
Lucion couldn’t hide his surprised expression.
He was merely trying to put in his spoon.
“To speak frankly, I misunderstood Young Master.”
Tella pointed at herself.
“I told myself that I shouldn’t be swept by rumors and confirm with my own eyes, but I was half worried that Young Master may rip off something using this incident as an excuse.”
[It’s the truth to a certain extent.]
Russell chimed in.
But at Lucion’s gaze, Russell coughed and added.
[Well, what you say is also true to a certain extent.]
“You shouldn’t burden Yourself, as I added insult to injury because of my shyness.”
Tella smiled.
Because of that kind smile, Lucion felt his throat tighten for no reason.
It never occurred to him that there would be a time he would speak to another person with such mixed feelings.
Even though he knew it was a good situation, he felt uncomfortable.
After Lucion took a deep breath, he continued.
“Thank You. Frankly, I didn’t expect for You to come out like this.”
“…Ah!”
Suddenly Tella clasped her hands.
“What to do? I received an urgent call. It seems I’ll have to go now. I truly apologize.”
At Tella’s quite plausible performance, Russell nodded.
[I guess she noticed you aren’t feeling well.]
“No. As I finished my matter, don’t burden Yourself and go.”
Lucion shook his head at the words he just heard.
“Next time, I’ll make sure to come with something delicious.”
The moment Tella stood up, she grabbed the hem of her dress and bowed slightly.
“Putting aside becoming friends, I truly thank You for Your help. I’ll never forget that grace.”
“I’m also thankful, as I’ve said.”
Lucion smiled with difficulty.
“Goodbye then.”
After Tella left as if chased, Lucion at last unbuttoned one button to take a long breath.
‘I feel choked.’
Lucion grabbed his combed hair while taking another breath.
‘Humans aren’t ghosts.’
His hands were still trembling.
‘A human is a human.’
Lucion closed his eyes for a while.
***
“How was it, My Lady?”
The maid awaiting in the carriage urgently asked Tella.
“Hmm.”
Tella thought for a moment and then soon smiled.
“He wasn’t a bad person.”
“Was he… different from the rumors?”
“Extremely different. The rumors are complete lies. If I had to describe him…”
Tella’s eyes wandered around.
Lucion was so nervous because of an unfamiliar person that he couldn’t even make eye contact.
“Like a stray cat.”
Tella’s smile grew.
“A wounded stray cat.”
She thought that Lucion’s courage to suggest becoming friends in such a situation was truly amazing.
“Anyhow, I’ll tell you the details when we get home. Let’s return first. I have something to talk about with Mother.”
“Yes, Young Lady.”
Tella boarded the carriage.
She thought it was quite a fun meeting.
***
[How about telling Carson to postpone it for today?]
Looking at Lucion’s pale complexion, Russell suggested.
“I’m fine now.”
Lucion gulped down the now completely cold tea and moved.
Even though his memories were mixed with the modern-age Lee Haram, right now, he was Lucion Cronia.
Besides, he was more nervous than usual because he wasn’t wearing a hood to cover his face.
‘I’ll gradually adjust to it, so it’ll be fine.’
Lucion returned to his room to put on a hood and come out.
With a more comfortable mindset, he walked towards the training ground no. 2.
He didn’t go to see it even once, but he knew it was usually a bustling place.
But today, it was quiet.
On the way to the training ground, he didn’t meet even one person, and on the ground that could be used by a few hundred people, he saw only Carson and Jerno.
‘Are you being considerate of me?’
Lucion looked around.
“Young master. Good afternoon.”
The moment Jerno saw Lucion, he bowed deeply and greeted him.
“Okay.”
After Lucion received Jerno’s greetings, he walked up to Carson and lightly nodded.
“I don’t know if I’m late, Hyung-nim.”
“You aren’t late.”
Carson pointed his finger towards the training ground.
“Now run.”
At those words, Lucion looked at the training ground.
It was 1.5 times larger than a school sports field and felt burdensome, but Lucion answered:
“Understood.”
Today was his first day, and isn’t the first day when you usually judge physical fitness?
‘Hyung-nim would want to know my physical fitness.’
“Do it until I tell you to stop.”
But at the words Carson spit out after that, Lucion’s face stiffened, and he looked at Carson.
‘Do it until I tell you to stop?’
Lucion started to run as if he was pushed by Carson’s finger, urging him to run.
“… Isn’t-isn’t it somehow strange?”
Lucion, who ran one circle, opened his mouth.
[What is strange?]
Russell replied with a confused expression instead.
“Is that how You check physical fitness?”
[Physical fitness?]
“Didn’t He tell me to run to check my physical fitness?”
[Who said that?]
Russell giggled and pointed ahead.
[Don’t talk nonsense and run.]
Lucion ran with a confused expression like before.
‘From the looks of it, it doesn’t seem like Hyung-nim will tell me to stop.’
One circle.
Two circles.
As the number gradually went up, Russell was satisfied, but Lucion couldn’t endure it and pushed back his hood.
Beads of sweat dripped down like rain.
‘Cr-crazy…’
Lucion was annoyed at Carson, who forgot to tell him to ‘stop’, and hated the sight of the noticeably happy Russell.
[Good, good.]
Russell nodded, satisfied.
[Since ancient times, the body had to endure hardships to train mental strength.]
“Didn’t you say before…. mental strength… train, heuk…”
[I said that mental training isn’t necessary at a basic level. Don’t you naturally have to do mental training without skipping a day?]
Russell understood Lucion’s words perfectly and put strength into his voice.
‘You’re thinking this is an extension of your training? This right now?’
Lucion wanted to grab Russell by the collar right now.
[Lucion. Think broadly. If your command power improves, it will be more convenient for you.]
‘What is that bullshit?’
As if Russell noticed Lucion’s bloody gaze, he smiled.
[The best way to grow mental strength is to exhaust the body to the point of dying.]
‘This is why you agreed I should learn the sword?! That’s why?!’
Though he was seething with rage at Russell, Lucion had no regrets about his choice.
If he wouldn’t become corrupted.
If he would destroy that bastard of Viscount Hellion family.
He had to do it.
“Stop.”
At last, Carson opened his mouth, and Lucion, unable to catch his balance, flopped down in front of him because his legs gave out.
Thud.
“Lucion.”
At Carson’s calling, Lucion, in his collapsed state, only turned his head.
He was so out of breath he couldn’t even speak.
“You will have to do it every day. Can you do it?”
Carson asked.
Because there was no change in his expression, he looked even colder.
Lucion turned his eyes to look at Jerno.
He also didn’t show any emotions.
‘Ah…’
At last, Lucion understood why Carson made him run and run to the point of exhaustion.
It meant don’t carelessly pick up a sword.
‘… That’s ridiculous. You said you will teach me a sword.’
The corners of Lucion’s lips raised because of a surging urge to resist.
“Yes… I’ll run.”
“Okay. From tomorrow, run like this every day. As you said you will do it, you must know that there is no use in crying and begging me.”
Seeing Lucion’s gaze overflowing with energy and covert wronged rage, Carson turned around.
Regardless of his feelings of pride for Lucion, saying that one will learn the sword was never something to spit out lightly in the Cronia family.
As he at last confirmed Lucion’s mindset, Carson smiled with satisfaction.
But no one besides Jerno saw that smile.
“Jerno. You will become Lucion’s supervisor starting from tomorrow and will report to me.”
At Carson’s gaze that told him to keep his mouth shut, Jerno shut his mouth and slightly bowed his head.
***
[Listen carefully, Lucion.]
Lucion looked at Russell with half-closed eyes.
His body was too tired to keep his eyes fully open.
[During the day, you will move the Darkness until your body becomes accustomed to it, and you will also progress your movement training.]
Russell pointed at the sky outside of the window, which was turning dark.
[At night, when the Darkness’ power is stronger, you will learn how to control maintenance time by holding a chair.]
“Maintenance time?”
Lucion put strength into his eyes to chase away sleepiness and asked.
[When you first used black magic, and then at Luteon Bank, did you use it without thinking of maintenance time?]
“That’s right.”
[For a warlock, that maintenance time is extremely important. Black magic without a trace. Fast. In an instant. You have to play around with such words. So… Lucion!]
Russell woke up Lucion, who just fell asleep.
“Yes, yes!”
Lucion answered, startled.
[That’s a perfect state. Start with holding a chair with the Darkness. The goal is to maintain it for 3, 5, and 7 seconds in turn.]
Russell pointed his finger at a chair.
To chase away the surging sleepiness, Lucion widely shook his head.
‘Concentrate. You must do the mental strength training and grow your command power over Darkness.’
If he didn’t want to become corrupted, he needed a spirit that wouldn’t break under any circumstances.
Because the gap between a corrupt warlock and an uncorrupt warlock was a sheet of paper.
Lucion took a breath and spoke to Russell.
“I’m ready.”
[Good. Then start with floating this chair.]
Following Russell’s words, Lucion commanded the Darkness to float the chair in the air.
His head started pounding straight away, and Lucion frowned.
It might be because his mental strength was greatly consumed because of running.
[Keep it like this for a moment.]
Russell showed his finger.
Was it around the time when five seconds passed?
The chair fell to the ground.
[The Darkness you have has the strength to maintain the chair in the air for 5 seconds. What should you do if you want to decrease or increase that time?]
Because his head kept pounding, Lucion spoke with a frown.
“You mean I have to adjust the Darkness?”
[That’s right. It’s training for that. And along with it, how to give it additional commands.]
“Additional commands?”
[It’s a magic that allows you to give orders to the Darkness, even when it carries out your orders. If compared to a mage, you can see it as something like a double or triple casting.]
Russell thought an experience would be better than words and pointed at the chair.
[Start with floating the chair]
Lucion was about to float up the chair according to those words.
— I hate it!
If not for the rebellious voice he heard.
*~*~*
Translator’s note: It’s here! Everyone welcome… Jerno again!
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