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Feeling the resistance against my fist, I took a step back.

Only then did the old hag’s face come into focus.

Cracked skin like a corpse, disheveled hair, blood-red pupils.

Her appearance was definitely demonic, but somehow familiar.

‘Head Elder Norman?’

Examining her features closely, I was certain. But for some reason, his complexion was unrecognizably different.

“Head Elder. What happened to you overnight?”

Norman opened his mouth with difficulty, unclenching his fist.

“S-success…”

As Norman opened his wrinkled hand, a Magic Stone emitted light from within.

It wasn’t just a pebble, it was a Magic Stone.

The light from the Magic Stone formed a translucent barrier, the source of the resistance I had felt.

I immediately realized what had happened.

‘He succeeded? In one day?’

I rubbed my eyes in disbelief, but Norman’s words were true.

1st Circle Barrier.

Norman had successfully imbued a trash Magic Stone with a barrier.

“That’s incredible.”

I meant it sincerely. Amazed, I started clapping involuntarily.

How did he manage to succeed? It should have taken at least three months for someone of Norman’s level.

“Y-you little… Cough.”

“Pardon? What did you say?”

Norman was trying to say something, but I couldn’t understand him. As I leaned closer to listen, I suddenly met his eyes.

‘Oh.’

It was a gaze I had never seen before in this life, yet it felt strangely familiar.

Bloodshot eyes with dilated pupils.

I instantly understood how Norman had succeeded.

It seemed Samael had some hidden potential after all. Norman wasn’t Head Elder for nothing.

“Someone inside, bring me some water.”

Lihan, who was inside, brought a water bottle from the kitchen. As I poured water into Norman’s mouth, he gasped for breath and then pointed at me with his finger.

“Y-you little…”

“Yes, please speak comfortably.”

At this moment, I was ready to listen attentively to whatever Norman had to say.

“Where did you hide the rest of my Magic Stones!”

“Are you talking about the ones that were in the vault?”

“Yes. All those Magic Stones that were mine.”

Norman’s eyes grew even more bloodshot. I bowed politely and replied,

“Don’t worry, Head Elder. I’ve already moved them to the cave for your convenience. The vault is in such a remote location, it’s dangerous.”

“Cave? What cave are you talking about?”

“The cave you frequent, Head Elder.”

After a brief pause, Norman seemed to remember something and his whole body trembled.

“The place where you came looking for me? The one where other elders also go?”

“Of course.”

“You damn…”

Norman suddenly lunged for my throat, but I quickly dodged backward. Failing his surprise attack, Norman started screeching like a madman.

I understood. When someone’s eyes looked like that, they often struggled to distinguish friend from foe.

“Aaaaaargh!”

Norman’s screams were so loud that all the apprentices inside came rushing out.

“Keep back.”

Just in case, I prevented anyone from approaching Norman, who then collapsed with a thud.

“…It’s no wonder he fainted.”

Norman was sprawled out like a corpse, so I had Lihan cover him with a spare blanket.

The way everyone was looking at Norman felt strange, so I looked around and warned them,

“Don’t look at him like that. He’s not senile. He’s a remarkable Head Elder.”

He showed no signs of waking up, so I brought some water and splashed it on his face.

A moment later, after confirming that Norman had regained consciousness, I started clapping again.

Clap clap clap-

“Everyone, applaud our amazing Head Elder!”

Caught off guard, everyone followed suit and started clapping.

Clap clap clap clap clap-

“Head Elder. Congratulations.”

Norman took a moment to assess the situation. His face flushed red, then turned pale, and he let out a sigh.

“…It’s all over now.”

“Over? Head Elder, this is just the beginning. Don’t get complacent just because you succeeded once.”

Norman’s expression was strange, but I didn’t back down and kept pushing.

“What if Elder Isaac surpasses you?”

“…”

Norman remained silent, only sighing deeply.

I wanted to encourage him somehow.

I turned to the apprentices and said,

“Apprentices, our Head Elder has been living as a fake 4th Circle all this time. He had four circles on his heart, but he was weaker than a beastkin. But today, in just one day, he reached a perfect 1st Circle.”

Feeling their attention, I continued.

“Look at him. This is our Head Elder. What amazing passion at his age. Old soldiers never die. Let’s all follow his example. Applaud!”

Once again, thunderous applause erupted.

Norman stared blankly into space for a while, then trudged off somewhere.

As he walked aimlessly towards the mountain, a sense of emptiness washed over him, and he stopped.

‘I collected them for 40 years…’

He never imagined that all those years would vanish so meaninglessly.

The precious Magic Stones he had painstakingly gathered since becoming Head Elder were stolen in an instant.

He hadn’t expected them to take even the remaining Magic Stones from the vault.

He couldn’t ask for them back.

What excuse could he give to demand the return of something taken from the vault?

As he resumed his walk towards the mountain, Norman suddenly turned around. The sound of enthusiastic applause still reached his ears. He could feel the burning gazes of the youngsters.

“…”

Suddenly, Norman closed his eyes as if an idea had struck him.

Sensing the surrounding mana, he activated one of the Mana Circles on his heart.

“Barrier.”

A translucent barrier shimmered before Norman’s eyes.

‘…This is different.’

It was a stronger defense than even the 2nd Circle Wind Barrier he had cast in the past.

Regardless of the reason, Norman’s level had changed in just one day. Only now did he realize this fact.

Suddenly, the words his father had emphasized when he inherited the Head Elder position 40 years ago flashed through his mind.

– Norman, have an unyielding spirit.

Even on his deathbed, those were his final words.

– Norman…

– I’m listening, Father.

– Remember… unyiel…ding… spirit… Cough.

“…”

Norman’s eyes changed in an instant.

They blazed with a fire that seemed impossible for an old man.

Forget the past. It was time to move forward. The youngsters were watching.

‘I can’t fall behind Isaac.’

Norman’s steps quickened as he climbed the mountain.

* * *

While the elders secluded themselves in the mountains and the apprentices repeated their training, I also focused on my own personal training for a while.

Simply supervising the apprentices wouldn’t change their foolish mindset. As I said, this was a problem they had to solve themselves.

I spent the entire morning and afternoon secluded in a remote location, dedicating time to myself.

I had realized something while fighting the scatterbrained Altein: I hadn’t fully mastered the 4th Circle yet.

I should be able to unconsciously activate all four circles even in extreme situations, but there was still some awkwardness.

This was a serious issue.

If my focus wavered during a fight, the efficiency of my Mana Circles would decrease. Not only would the power of my magic diminish, but the physical strain would also multiply.

Fortunately, at my current level, it was a problem that could be fixed in a short time. After spending three days smashing the cliffs of Mount Khaoto, I was able to improve to a somewhat satisfactory level.

Bang-

As I struck the cliff, a shower of rocks rained down from the sky.

I quickly dodged the falling rocks, aimed at a specific spot on the cliff, and chanted.

Whoosh- Crack!

As soon as the 4th Circle incantation manifested, a sharp wind pierced the cliff, creating a deep, needle-like hole…

At the same time, the falling rocks collided with the ground, creating a thunderous roar.

Checking my condition, I found not a single scratch on my body.

‘Not bad.’

I could control all four circles without any hindrance.

Looking up, the sun shone brightly. I put on the clothes I had taken off and started descending the mountain.

As the Samael estate came into full view, I noticed an unfamiliar man loitering near the main gate.

‘Who’s that?’

But his shifty behavior didn’t suggest any good intentions.

The stranger, who had sneaked in like a thief, entered the estate and started looking around.

I realized, once again, that there was no one guarding the main gate. To make matters worse, Kazen had taken all the servants and soldiers with him when he left.

‘What a damn mess of a family.’

I quickly rushed down, but the suspicious man was already gone.

“You bastards!”

I turned and shouted, and the apprentices who were training came running.

“Did you see anyone loitering around here?”

Zion replied casually,

“Yeah, I saw him. That rude bastard.”

“You knew him? Who was it?”

“I don’t know his name. Last time, he even came into the training grounds to watch. I cursed at him, asking who he was, and he hasn’t come this far since.”

Palge chimed in,

“It wasn’t just one person. A group of them came once when the boss wasn’t around.”

Doubting my own memory, I asked,

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You didn’t ask.”

Frustrated, I watched as the apprentices simultaneously took a step back. Palge, the slowest to react, also quickly retreated, waving his hands around before regaining his balance and smiling.

“Wow, seriously. The family, the subordinates, it’s all a mess. Am I a god? How am I supposed to know and ask, you idiots? You’d all die without saying a word even if enemies attacked. Fine, let me ask you. When do you think you’ll die, Palge?”

“Well, I want to live a long…”

“Now! Now!”

As Palge frantically waved his hands and tried to back away, I kicked the fatty’s belly.

“Oof!”

While giving Palge a good beating, I suddenly remembered the guys I had encountered a few days ago.

‘That bastard Snake Eyes.’

I had definitely run into them near here. Considering the direction we were going, there was a high probability they had been snooping around here.

“Didn’t you see Snake Eyes?”

Zion, realizing who I was talking about, immediately responded,

“I didn’t see Snake.”

No. Judging by the circumstances, it was highly likely they had come. If they deliberately chose a dark time, Zion might not have noticed.

“Forget about the others. Zion, why didn’t you say anything? You’re supposed to report when someone comes.”

Zion looked genuinely puzzled.

“I thought you already knew.”

“You idiot.”

“Why are you getting mad again?”

I was momentarily speechless. Where should I even begin teaching these idiots? Damn my luck.

I smacked the back of Zion’s head, sighed, and pointed towards the training grounds.

“…Go train.”

I watched the apprentices scamper away and fell into thought.

According to the information Kant had given me, Bayern wasn’t exactly flush with funds.

The monthly tributes to Urgon and the expenses for the mercenaries were significant.

But the eastern district remained empty.

And in the midst of all this, the Bayern guys were snooping around here?

‘What a bunch of clowns.’

I climbed onto the railing of the training grounds and observed the apprentices for a while before calling out to one of them.

“Zion.”

Zion approached and looked up at me with unease.

“Get ready to leave. Pack some extra clothes.”

A chilling feeling crept over me.

It was time to make our move.

———-