The Count looked shocked at first, but the moment he recognized me, his expression softened into a warm smile.
"Oh, Alan. Do you need anything? You shouldn't be moving so much—you're still heal—"
He cut himself off, his face shifting into worry as he realized I had just woken from a coma… and was already running around the estate.
"Alan! Quickly—lie down on the sofa."
I obeyed.
As I lay down, I noticed the sofa was trimmed with gold, its cushions soft and luxurious. Actually… the entire office was decorated with gold and gems.
So this is what it means to be born with a golden spoon…
The Count sat across from me.
"What did you need?"
"Can you hire someone to teach me swordsmanship?"
He blinked in surprise—then smiled, clearly pleased.
"I thought you'd never ask!"
To be fair, it was idiotic to challenge someone to a duel without knowing how to use a sword.
But that was who Alan used to be.
He challenged Amon—a prodigy of the Emilton Barony—despite having no skill whatsoever.
"How about learning magic as well?" Father suggested.
My eyes lit up—I was about to say yes—
When the door burst open.
"Brother would give up after a few days, so he shouldn't bother learning magic!"
A familiar girl stepped in.
White hair. Light-blue eyes.
Ethea Spades—my little sister.
A genius.
At eight years old, she had already mastered intermediate magic and was expected to become the youngest Archwizard in history.
And—unfortunately—she was also part of Amon's future harem.
The classic bratty genius tsundere.
She was annoying at times—but her serious moments were unforgettable.
She cared deeply… even if she didn't show it properly.
Right now, though, she was looking at me like I was a complete idiot.
…I still cared about her anyway.
"I'll take this seriously, Thea. I won't give up after a few days."
I spoke as sincerely as I could.
She stared at me, eyes narrowing.
"Are you sick? You must be sick. That's the only explanation for this behavior."
Fair enough.
If I were the old Alan, I would've argued back like a child.
But not anymore.
I won't let her fall for Amon—or any noble scumbag who can't stay loyal.
…Yeah. My big brother instincts are kicking in.
I accidentally smirked—
A creepy one, apparently, because both Father and Thea shivered.
I quickly fixed my expression.
"I'm not sick. I just had a realization… I want to get stronger."
She tilted her head.
"For what purpose?"
"To protect you. To protect the county. To protect everyone."
To protect me.
For a brief moment, she looked… proud.
Then she quickly composed herself.
"If that's the case, I can teach you the basics. If you're good enough, I'll recommend you to someone from the Magic Tower."
My eyes sparkled.
I get to learn magic—from my favorite character—and my little sister?
Best deal ever.
"Thanks, Thea. I appreciate it."
"Don't get too excited. My training will be harsh. We start tomorrow—so rest up."
We said our goodbyes and headed back to our rooms.
The next morning, I woke up early, ate breakfast, and hurried to Thea's room.
Knock knock.
"Thea! Wake up! I'm ready—let's go!"
The door opened—
But it was only her maid.
"My lady is still dressing. She asked me to tell you she'll meet you at the training grounds in an hour."
I narrowed my eyes.
"She's still sleeping, isn't she?"
The maid avoided my gaze.
…Yeah. Thought so.
I sighed.
"Tell her to take her time."
I stopped by the library before heading to the training grounds, picking up a book on the basics of magic.
According to the book, magic grows stronger the clearer your visualization is.
Mana is the canvas.
Magic is the painting.
The more mana you have, the larger the canvas—and the more detailed your visualization, the more powerful the result.
"You seem to be working hard."
I jumped.
Thea had appeared right in front of me—through a portal.
The book slipped from my hands.
"Woah…"
So this is magic.
She puffed her chest proudly.
"That's intermediate magic. You won't learn that yet—but don't worry. Basic magic is fun too."
I'm already impressed.
"Anyway, let's get started!"
She began with simple spells like Ignite—a small flame that appears in your hand.
Basically, a living torch.
After hours of practice, I finally managed to cast it.
The hardest part wasn't the visualization—
It was releasing the mana.
When I asked how to do it, she simply said it was "instinct."
Very helpful.
"Good job. Here."
She handed me a book.
"Homework. Tomorrow, you should be able to cast these."
With that, she vanished through another portal.
I kept practicing.
Now that I understood how to release mana, everything became easier.
I learned:
Ignite
Create Water
Tailwind
Non-combat spells…
But I could probably use them creatively.
Later that evening, I tried something else.
"Portal."
…Nothing.
I sighed.
Of course it didn't work. I'm not a genius.
I turned to leave—
When suddenly…
A portal opened.
I froze.
After a moment, curiosity won.
I stepped inside.
Darkness greeted me.
A cave.
"Ignite."
Light flickered in my palm.
I walked forward cautiously.
My mana was low—if something attacked me, I'd be in trouble.
Eventually, I reached a massive marble door.
Locked.
Beside it, a pedestal.
A message was carved into it:
"The key is what dwells within."
Vague.
But…
There were only a few possibilities.
I placed my hand on the door and released a bit of mana.
Click.
It opened.
Inside stood a massive statue—a robed man holding a book.
Nothing else.
Just him.
And the book.
I took it.
The cave began to collapse.
"PORTAL! PORTAL! PORTAL!"
Nothing happened.
Panic surged through me as debris fell.
The statue tilted—about to crush me.
I shut my eyes and focused.
My room.
My door.
My bed.
I felt it—
A surge of mana.
"Portal!"
I jumped through just as the statue crashed down behind me.
Back in my room.
Alive.
Barely.
I let out a breath—
"Young Master, have you just returned?"
Chris stood nearby.
I straightened up.
"Ah… yes. Please inform my family I'll dine alone tonight. I'm tired."
He looked concerned but nodded.
"Of course. Also… a letter arrived for you."
A letter?
I took it and returned to my room.
I read it.
Dear Young Master Alan,
The Emilton Barony sincerely apologizes for the incident. As compensation, we would like to invite you to a dinner party celebrating your recovery.
…Huh???