The atmosphere in the training hall froze coldly at the appearance of Kamo Bianca.
The instructor had already half-closed his eyes, reflecting on his life, and the trainees finally realized that something was wrong.
Among them, Alfredo himself was the most distressed.
"What has happened here?"
"......"
Even if he had ten mouths, there was nothing to say.
However, silence was not tolerated in response to Kamo's question, so he reluctantly opened his mouth.
"Well, I was trying to conduct a simple test."
"Test? Is this a test? Instructor Runpet."
"Yes, Lady Kamo. I will go and pack my things immediately. I will never forget the kindness you have shown me. I wish you peace always......"
"......?"
The instructor Runpet's resigned demeanor was puzzling for a moment.
Bianca sighed deeply.
"You won't be dismissed. First, gather the trainees and have them leave. Damian, you...... go back to your room for now. Aster, follow Instructor Runpet."
At this command, Instructor Runpet bowed slightly.
Having already resigned himself to everything, he felt no joy at the news that he wouldn't be dismissed.
He simply gave up on thinking and followed Kamo Bianca's orders to gather the trainees and leave the training hall.
Damian headed to his room with the servants who had accompanied Kamo Bianca.
"Friend! See you later!"
"Sure."
Bianca sighed deeply as she watched Damian and Aster exchange greetings calmly.
However, that was only for a moment.
When only Alfredo was left in the training hall, Bianca's eyes turned cold.
"Alfredo."
"Yes, Lady Kamo."
"I understand your feelings. Successor? You must want it. But this time, you've gone too far."
"I apologize, Lady Kamo. I lost my composure and...... I will accept any punishment you see fit."
"Yes, you should."
Though she said this, Alfredo would not be punished.
Although the trainees were beaten to a pulp, the situation ended without any major incidents.
Moreover, Alfredo had contributed significantly to the family over the years. If any punishment were to be given, it would only be a formality.
With the situation settled,
Bianca finally got to the point.
"By the way, what happened?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean Aster. I heard he was sparring with the trainees......"
When she first entered the training hall,
though she didn't show it, the scene was quite surprising to Bianca.
A sparring match with five trainees. The instructor and Alfredo...... well, Alfredo had lost his composure, so he was excluded.
She had a vague guess that with Instructor Runpet present, there wouldn't be any major accidents.
However, if anything happened to Aster, who was a guest of the young master, it would tarnish the reputation of the entire Blando family.
That's why she rushed over, but what she encountered was an unfamiliar scene.
"Or did Damian help?"
If that were the case, it would make sense.
Though he seemed clumsy for his age, Damian's magical talent was legendary in Blando.
However, Alfredo shook his head.
"No, that's not it."
"Then how?"
How could a black-and-white zone vagrant defeat five trainees?
To this question, Alfredo's answer was:
"That......"
"That?"
"He played exceptionally well."
"......"
The atmosphere in the training hall froze coldly once again.
Alfredo, who was halfway out, came back to his senses due to the cold atmosphere.
"Oh, I. I apologize."
"It's not that. However, it might be time to start looking for a successor."
"I would like to, but......"
The one who wants to give is full of heart, but the one who is supposed to receive is not willing.
What to do about this?
"Tell me again."
"......Yes, I understand."
Alfredo calmly recounted what he had seen.
When he finished,
"Hmm."
Bianca had to completely reassess her judgment of Aster.
She had thought he was just talented enough to catch Kamo's eye. But this was beyond that level.
'That's what I mean......'
Bianca's eyes gleamed slightly.
* * *
The place Instructor Runpet led them to was another training hall nearby.
The children gathered there, waiting for Bianca's judgment. Soon, Alfredo arrived.
The responsibility for this incident was pinned solely on Alfredo. He approached me, left a polite apology, and left.
After that, I had to explain the situation to the investigators sent by Bianca, but their attitude was not at all coercive.
When I finished recounting the long and short of it,
"Phew."
I went to the shower room to wipe off the sweat that had soaked into my body.
A few trainees saw me, but none of them approached me. They hurried out of the shower room without even drying off when I entered.
Thanks to this, I was able to shower in a comfortable environment.
As the water poured down on me, a few thoughts crossed my mind.
'No matter how I think about it, the amount of mana is too disappointing.'
The circuits are clean, and the mana is pure.
But without the accumulated mana, I had to use mana bullets, despite the inconvenience.
Of course, compressed mana bullets are powerful, but it's still disappointing.
'Just three times, no, even twice as much would be enough to handle the basics......'
Originally, my specialty was combat using mana directly, not magic. The use of mana I'm talking about is different from creating mana bullets.
A minimum amount of mana was needed......
'Well, it'll be resolved soon enough.'
I had already conveyed something to Alfredo during our earlier meeting.
When I came out of the shower room,
a guest was waiting for me.
"Are you the guy named Aster?"
Platinum hair. Not a direct descendant.
The young master's son was only Damian.
'A collateral descendant.'
He was probably around 20 years old. His face still had a youthful look.
I looked at him for a moment and shook my head.
"No, I'm not."
"What, not?"
"Yeah, I'm not."
"Your gloomy gray hair, your unlucky eyes, everything about you matches."
I stared at him intently.
A sense of foreboding.
In such situations, the best approach is to be firm.
"The color of hair can vary depending on the light. Look at my eyes, where do you see any bad luck?"
I tried to look as innocent as possible.
The collateral descendant looked at my eyes for a while and then nodded seriously.
"Hmm, your eyes look innocent."
"Yeah, that's right."
"I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. I'll be on my way."
"Sure, if we meet again, let's not. I hope you find Aster."
As he was about to take a step,
a servant approached me.
"Aster-sama, Lady Kamo and Young Master Damian are waiting for you. Please come with me."
"......"
"......"
A cold silence fell.
"You......"
I said.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I mistook you for someone else. I'm not Aster, just someone who looks similar."
The servant, who was very professional, had no sense and no perception.
"Aster-sama, I don't understand what you mean. Anyway, Lady Bianca is waiting for you."
"......"
I decided to be shameless.
"Alright, let's go."
The collateral descendant suddenly shouted.
"That look! I was right! Those unlucky eyes, like a dead goblin's, aren't that common!"
"Sure, sure."
"I'll let you go for now, but I'll come back tomorrow! Wait for me! I heard you were quite rowdy today, I'll......"
Regardless,
I left the collateral descendant there and moved on.
The servant, who seemed used to the collateral descendant's outbursts, didn't even glance at him and led me on.
* * *
As I followed the taciturn servant, Aster thought.
'Tsk.'
It's getting annoying.
I understand why Butler Alfredo is interested in me.
If you have a discerning eye, you can't help but be interested in this talent. It's all because I'm so talented.
However, due to today's sparring, annoying flies have stuck to me. Or rather, they seem like they will.
'I should leave the Blando family soon.'
Life in the Blando family was comfortable and cozy, but it couldn't last forever.
It's best to leave before it gets more annoying.
Though I couldn't form a strong bond with the Blando family, at least with Damian......
'He won't ignore me when I face the Deculan family later.'
After all, the Deculan family was also their enemy.
Of course, the best scenario would be to avoid conflict with the Deculan family until I'm strong enough.
'I should tell Bianca that I'll leave tomorrow.'
It might seem a bit sudden, but I've been here long enough.
Aster thought this.
Until he met Bianca.
"Aster, you're here."
Bianca greeted Aster in an elegant reception room.
Beside her, Damian was munching on cookies.
"I heard you called for me."
"Yes, that's right. But before that......"
Bianca pushed a wooden box on the table towards Aster.
"This is......"
"I heard you asked Alfredo for a medicinal elixir."
- In return, if you can last for one minute, I'll give you a gift.
Aster looked at the wooden box.
Indeed, after the sparring, he had asked Alfredo for a medicinal elixir. But for it to be prepared so quickly, and by Kamo herself, was unexpected.
"You can open it."
At Bianca's words, Aster opened the box.
Click.
The pleasant sound of the hinges was followed by the contents being revealed.
'This is......'
The fragrance that filled the room as soon as the box was opened.
Even just smelling it, it felt like a sweet and slightly bitter taste was on the tip of his tongue.
At first glance, it wasn't a low-grade elixir. At least a mid-grade elixir.
However, the actual grade of the elixir was beyond expectations.
"This is a high-grade elixir. In Blando, it's only provided to candidates joining the Fifth Mage Corps."
"......"
At this, Aster's eyes narrowed.
Generally, kindness is only extended to the point of a meal. When gifts are exchanged, it implies some ulterior motive.
Even if the elixir was obtained through a bet with Alfredo, this point didn't change.
If it were just a mid-grade elixir, he might have accepted it as a gesture of goodwill. But a high-grade elixir, something so rare that it's only given to the family's talents......
Did she realize his thoughts?
Bianca explained.
"You can accept it with peace of mind. I heard you helped Damian in the black-and-white zone. This is also an apology for today's incident."
"Hmm."
Was her explanation insufficient?
Aster's narrowed eyes didn't return to their normal state.
"Or, does eating this mean I have to join Blando......"
"No."
"Or, is there some poison in it......"
"......No."
"Do you mean there are no conditions at all?"
"Yes, there are no conditions. You can accept it with peace of mind."
Seeing Bianca's gentle smile, Aster finally accepted the elixir.
"Thank you."
"It's nothing."
Aster agreed with this.
What kind of family is Blando?
A high-grade elixir is something they can easily obtain, being one of the most prestigious families.
While they can't obtain it indefinitely, it's not something to be particularly surprised about.
As Aster's eyes sparkled at the unexpected gain, Bianca spoke.
"Separate from this, I have a proposal for you, Aster."
Aster thought, 'Of course.'
He placed the wooden box on the table and subtly pushed it towards Bianca.
Fortunately, Bianca's proposal didn't require him to return the elixir.
It was just strange.
"Can you go to the academy with Damian? I'll arrange an admission ticket for you."