Chapter 2

The next morning.

Eren awoke in a luxurious room, washed his face, brushed his teeth, and quickly finished his morning preparations.

(Hermes' room is on the third floor, right...?)

Last night, after returning to the mansion from the cathedral, Hermes said, "It's late today, so let's talk about the future tomorrow. When you wake up, come to my room on the third floor." Then, he parted ways with Eren.

(Alright, let's go.)

When Eren stepped out of his room, Rin, his caretaker, was standing there.

"---Good morning, Eren-sama."

"Good morning."

"Hermes-sama is calling for you. Please follow me."

After walking for a while, they arrived at Hermes' private room. Rin cleared her throat and knocked on the large wooden door.

"---Hermes-sama, I've brought Eren-sama."

"Ah, thank you. Please come in."

"Excuse me."

Rin slowly opened the door, and there sat Hermes in an armchair. He was sipping from a coffee cup while reading the morning newspaper.

"Good morning, Eren. Did you sleep well last night?"

"Yes, thank you."

"That's good to hear."

Hermes smiled softly and placed his empty cup on the saucer.

"Alright, let's get straight to it. Shall we continue our conversation from last night?"

He folded the newspaper and put it in a drawer.

"Last night, I thought long and hard in bed. 'What's the most efficient way to learn magic?' I pondered and pondered, and finally, I arrived at an answer. ---Hey, Eren, what do you think about going to school?"

"School...?"

"Yeah. To grow as a magician, attending school is the best way. Besides, I think you need friends your age. Laughing, crying, and getting angry together---spending a sweet and bitter, youthful spring. Ah, how nostalgic... I had such a time too. I wonder how everyone is doing now."

Hermes gazed into the distance, reminiscing about his youth.

"Sorry, I got a bit off-topic. So, what do you think? I recommend the Royal Third Magic Academy."

"The Royal Third Magic Academy!?"

The Kingdom of Granray has five Royal Magic Academies. As the name suggests, all five are prestigious institutions. Graduating successfully opens up countless paths, from the historic and traditional Magic Church to a lifelong position as a court magician or a well-paying job at a major magic tool store, with excellent benefits and perks.

"The 'First' is too focused on combat, and the 'Fifth' is too research-oriented. Among the Royal Magic Academies, the 'Third' is the most balanced."

"But I really know nothing about magic..."

Eren was strictly trained in noble etiquette until he was five, and then spent the next ten years locked in a storage shed. As a result, he has almost no magical education. He couldn't imagine passing the entrance exam for a Royal Magic Academy.

"Don't worry about that. The entrance exam for the Royal Magic Academy is heavily weighted towards practical skills. I think it's something like '90% practical, 10% written.' There's no cut-off for the written section, so it's quite easy for skilled magicians to get in."

"But I don't have any skills as a magician..."

"Don't worry, don't worry. You have a talent for magic, and I'll do my best to help you. So, why don't you give it a try?"

Hearing Hermes' kind and sincere words, Eren resolved to be more positive.

"...Alright. I don't have much confidence, but I'll do my best."

"Great! That's settled! Can you come in?"

Hermes clapped his hands, and the door creaked open. Two new servants entered.

The red-haired and blue-haired beauties stood beside Rin, Eren's caretaker.

"Let me introduce them. From left to right, Titta, Rin, and Char. They will be your teachers, teaching you martial arts, swordsmanship, and magic. There's only a month until the Third's entrance exam, so we'll have to move quickly."

"「Eren-sama, please take care of us.」"

"Um... please take care of me."

And so, Eren's training as a magician began.

■

After changing into more comfortable clothes, Eren was led to the mansion's courtyard by Titta, the red-haired servant.

"---Ahem. Let me introduce myself again... I'm Titta Ruru. Eren-sama, please take care of me!"

"Yes, please take care of me."

Titta Ruru, who would be teaching martial arts, is a 'beastkin' with wolf blood. She has fiery red hair that reaches her shoulders, is 165 cm tall, and is 17 years old. Her distinctive features include the dog ears on her head, a warm and friendly smile, and large, full breasts. She wears a pure maid outfit in white and black, with a long skirt that has deep slits.

"Alright, Eren-sama, 'A healthy spirit resides in a healthy body'! Run towards that sun!"

"Yes, sir..."

Eren ran around the courtyard for about an hour, followed by 100 push-ups, sit-ups, and squats each.

"---98, 99, 100! Good job, Eren-sama! That was a great fight!"

"Huff, huff... Finally done..."

After the basic training, they finally moved on to martial arts instruction.

Since it was the first day of training, the focus was on learning the three basic skills: striking, kicking, and falling.

"Got it, Eren-sama? For striking, you do this with your right arm... like this!"

"Ah, I see..."

"For kicking, the important thing is to twist your waist and swing your leg... like this!"

"Twist and swing...?"

"For falling, um... it's hard to explain, so let's try it. Ready? Here we go!"

"Eh, wait... uh, whoa...!?"

Titta's teaching method was too intuitive.

After a while, when Eren's body was covered in several scrapes and bruises---

"Great job! You did really well!"

"Thank you... I appreciate it---"

"---Let's finish with a mock battle!"

"Mock battle!?"

Eren hadn't expected to do a practical training session on the first day, so he asked in surprise.

"Don't worry. I'll hold back, so you won't get hurt! ...Probably."

"Probably...?"

"Don't worry! We have excellent healing magicians in this mansion, so even if something breaks or falls off, it can be healed right away!"

What exactly would fall off his body...? He decided not to ask, as it might make him even more scared.

"Alright, Eren-sama, come at me whenever you're ready!"

"Hmm... Alright (Titta doesn't seem to listen to others, so I have no choice but to do it, right...?)"

Eren concluded and quietly adjusted his breathing, then ran straight towards Titta.

"Huff!"

He attacked with the striking and kicking techniques he had just learned, but---

"Is that all?"

Titta easily dodged and occasionally threw light counters.

During the practical mock battle, a proper piece of advice finally came.

"Eren-sama, don't close your eyes during combat. Watch your opponent's movements and always think of the next best move!"

"Ah, I see..."

Eren, who is honest and straightforward, immediately put the advice into practice.

(Focus on the opponent's movements...!)

Suddenly, a bright red light appeared in his pitch-black eyes.

(I can see it...)

In the next moment, Eren perfectly avoided Titta's sharp punch.

(Why did my movements suddenly improve...?)

Just as she felt something was off,

"There...!"

Eren's sharp mid-level kick slipped through Titta's guard.

(Fast!? But I can handle this...!)

Titta, being a beastkin, has a reaction speed far superior to humans.

"Too slow!"

She quickly pulled back her right arm and defended perfectly, even though she was a beat late.

However,

(No way!? What is this, so heavy!?)

Eren's kick carried an incredible weight that seemed impossible for his small frame.

"Ugh..."

The sound of bones creaking echoed, and a dull pain shot through her arm.

"Damn it..."

Unable to endure the intense pain, Titta reflexively threw a palm strike...

"Ugh..."

Eren, who was hit directly by the sharp counter, flew parallel to the ground and slammed into the mansion's outer wall.

(Damn it...)

A beastkin's strike can easily pierce thick steel.

"Eren-sama, are you okay!?"

Titta, her face pale, rushed over in a panic.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch..."

He rubbed the back of his head and got up as if nothing had happened.

"Sorry, I flew."

"Flew...?"

The previous palm strike was a surefire hospital trip. At the very least, it was a level of impact that would keep someone unconscious for a few days.

(No way...)

Titta was ashamed of her mistake and speechless at Eren's abnormal toughness.

"Eren-sama, that toughness is beyond human---"

She stopped speaking halfway.

(Phew, that was close. I almost got scolded by everyone again...)

Titta, who often makes small mistakes and is often called a 'useless dog' by her colleagues, remembered her master's orders at the last moment and swallowed the forbidden words.

"Such a light hit, and you flew away. You're not good at all! The path to becoming a top-notch magician is endless!"

"Yes. I'm still inexperienced, but I'll work hard every day. Titta, please take care of me."

Saved by Eren's purity, Titta sighed in relief and clapped her hands.

"Alright, let's call it a day here. Good job!"

"Thank you."

After the martial arts training, they had a light lunch and moved on to swordsmanship training.

"Though it may be presumptuous, I, Rin Himemiya, will be in charge of swordsmanship."

"Please take care of me."

Rin, who bowed politely, was also Eren's caretaker.

She has long, lustrous black hair tied in a ponytail, is 168 cm tall, and is 18 years old. Her large, pitch-black eyes, snow-white skin, large and full breasts, and slender figure make her more beautiful than cute. She has a meticulous personality and wears a perfectly tailored, ultra-traditional maid outfit in white and black.

"First, have you ever held a sword, Eren-sama?"

"No, never."

"Understood. Let's start with how to hold a sword."

Rin said this and placed two wooden swords on the floor.

"Extend your dominant hand forward, grasp the hilt as if shaking hands, and place your other hand naturally below it."

"Like this...?"

"Yes, very good. If possible, slide your right hand a bit higher, towards the tsuba---yes, that position."

Rin stood behind Eren, guiding him in a way that made her embrace him.

"..."

The softness of her chest pressed against his back, and his heart rate naturally increased.

"Next, let's practice the most basic stance in swordsmanship, the 'Seigan no Kamae.'"

She said this and held the wooden sword in front of her navel.

"The word 'learn' comes from 'imitate.' Eren-sama, watch my stance carefully and try to imitate it."

"Yes."

Eren nodded and carefully observed the example in front of him.

(Okay... the angle of the sword tip is 45 degrees, the center of gravity is directly below, and the breathing is like this...?)

He imitated Rin's stance perfectly, as if looking in a mirror, in terms of how to hold the sword, the position of the center of gravity, and the rhythm of breathing.

Seeing this, she was speechless.

(Impossible...)

His posture was so composed that it didn't seem like he was holding a sword for the first time today.

Eren's Seigan no Kamae was already perfect.

"Um... how is it?"

"---As expected of Eren-sama, a wonderful Seigan no Kamae."

"Really? Thank you."

Eren, who had rarely been praised in the past ten years, smiled happily.

"Alright, let's move on to learning the basic movements of swordsmanship."

"Yes!"

After that, they learned basic cutting techniques such as diagonal, straight, and horizontal cuts, as well as footwork, weight shifting, and movement.

(He's a quick learner. And most importantly, he has a good eye.)

(Rin's teaching is really easy to understand...)

Unlike Titta, who was too intuitive, Rin's methodical and theoretical approach was easy to understand, and Eren absorbed her teachings like a sponge.

"Finally, let me teach you a technique from my school."

"Please do."

"My school is the Dimension School. It is the strongest and fastest sword, honed through long practical experience. However... the once glorious Dimension School is now on the verge of extinction, and I am the only one who can wield this sword."

"Only you...?"

"Yes. The Himeji clan, who founded the Dimension School, was destroyed due to certain circumstances. I am the last survivor of the clan. ...This sword is destined to disappear."

Rin spoke sadly and hesitantly. Seeing this, Eren wanted to help her in some way.

"---If that's the case, I'll inherit your sword. And I'll revive the Dimension School."

Hearing these pure and straightforward words, Rin was momentarily stunned.

"Ah, no, I'm sorry... I shouldn't have said that."

"No, thank you. Eren-sama is truly a kind person."

After that, for about an hour, Eren diligently learned the basics of the Dimension School under Rin's guidance.

"---Since it's the first day, let's stop here."

"Thank you."

"Yes, you did very well. As expected of Eren-sama."

She hugged him gently and patted his head. The sweet scent of a girl tickled his nose, and the warm, soft sensation enveloped his body.

"Rin, you're too close..."

"Hehe. We're family, so this level of physical contact is normal."

"Is that so...?"

"That's right."

After the swordsmanship training, they had dinner with Hermes and the servants, and then it was time for magic training.

"Hehehe, finally, this moment has come... I, Char Einzworth, will be in charge of your magic training!"

"Please take care of me."

Char Einzworth.

She has beautiful blue hair tied up on both sides of her shoulders, is 150 cm tall, and is 15 years old. She has confident amber eyes, soft and supple skin, and a cute face with a hint of childishness. Despite her small stature, she has an attractive figure with large breasts and a slender waist. Her hobby is sewing, and she has transformed her maid uniform into a witch look, with a large witch hat that she knitted herself.

"Understand, Eren-sama? The foundation of magic lies in understanding the 'Six Paths.' Red Path, Blue Path, Yellow Path, Green Path, White Path, Black Path---knowing your magical aptitude and advancing straight down that path is the shortest route to mastering magic."

"I see... By the way, is there a hierarchy among the Six Paths? For example, is the Red Path stronger or the Black Path weaker?"

"Good question. The answer is---my 'Blue Path' is the strongest, and the others are 'trash paths.'"

"Eh...?"

Eren, who was clearly biased, gave a vague smile.

"Alright, let's check your magical aptitude right away."

Char said this and took a transparent crystal from a cabinet, placing it gently on the table.

"This crystal is called a 'magic crystal,' carved from a special magical stone. Magic crystals react to surrounding magic and show various changes. By using this property, magicians can determine their magical aptitude."

"I see..."

"If a magician's aptitude is the Red Path, a small flame will appear inside the magic crystal. If it's the Blue Path, a mysterious droplet will form, resembling a tear from a god. If it's the Yellow Path, a weak static electricity will flow... but 'seeing is believing.' Eren-sama, place your hands on the magic crystal and channel your magic."

"Understood."

Eren did as he was told, placing his hands on the magic crystal and quietly infusing it with magic.

In the next moment, a scorching flame swirled