As Leon stepped outside, he spotted a young man lingering near the training room. It was a face unfamiliar to him.

The man was standing in front of Neo, glancing around, but when Leon appeared, he quickly turned his head toward him.

“Hmph…”

Instead of greeting Leon, the man began examining him closely.

Then, out of nowhere, the man released his mana.

The act of releasing mana like this held no real significance. It was usually a tactic employed to assert dominance, much like how Gliose would use it to intimidate his personal disciples.

Leon effortlessly scattered the man’s mana and responded with even stronger pressure.

His level was at Intermediate Sorcery.

A Fifth-Grade Apprentice like Leon should have been overwhelmed by the man’s mana, but unfortunately, that didn’t apply to Leon at all.

Seeing the man’s face pale, Leon hesitated as he noticed the man’s attire.

‘He’s wearing a light-blue robe, so he must be a personal disciple too...’

But why resort to such meaningless actions?

‘Is he just trying to pick a fight?’

When Leon cocked his head in confusion, the man backed away, clearly flustered.

“W-wait a moment…”

“Who are you?” Leon asked coldly.

“I-I’m Jevar, a disciple of the First Elder. Cease this at once.”

“Why should I stop? You were the one who started this by trying to pressure me.”

“I was merely curious about the new presence in the training room since I’ve only just returned home after a long absence!”

Jevar’s face flushed as he made his excuse, but Leon’s confusion only deepened.

“When you’re curious, do you normally try to suppress people with mana?”

“You’re the one pressuring me now! I only wanted to see what you were capable of.”

“Test my skills?”

Leon asked incredulously, and Jevar finally shouted in surrender.

“F-fine, just stop already! I can’t breathe!”

With a sigh, Leon withdrew the mana he was using to suppress Jevar.

“Hah… You’re not really a Fifth-Grade Apprentice, are you?”

“…I am a Fifth-Grade Apprentice.”

Leon’s response was slow and deliberate, and Jevar eyed him with growing suspicion.

“How could someone like you show up in Astellia…”

Jevar, still panting, regained his composure and straightened his back, trying to reassert his authority. He suddenly puffed up his chest and cleared his throat.

“Well, you seem to have some skill. Have you thought about working under me?”

“Under… you?”

Leon couldn’t believe his ears.

The idea made no sense at all. Jevar should have realized that Leon had completely overpowered him, so what was he thinking making such an offer?

Perhaps noticing Leon’s skepticism, Jevar asked abruptly.

“Have you met Kaldric?”

“Kaldric? You mean Sir Kaldric?”

“Yes, that insufferable bastard. There’s no need to call him ‘Sir.’”

Jevar’s sudden insult made Leon frown.

But Jevar continued on, seemingly oblivious to the inappropriateness of his words.

“That guy, enjoying all sorts of special privileges just because he’s the son of the Tower Lord, while pretending to be humble. I’ve known the real face behind that mask for ages.”

Leon, not interested in such gossip, suppressed his irritation and asked calmly.

“And why are you telling me all this?”

“I told you, I want you to join me.”

Jevar’s eyes gleamed.

“Who do you think is the real future of Astellia?”

Leon finally understood Jevar’s intention.

He was trying to drag Leon into factional politics—something Leon despised.

Leon inwardly sighed.

“You said you’re the disciple of the First Elder?”

“Why? Does my background not appeal to you? Sure, compared to the Tower Lord, it may not seem as prestigious.”

“No, I’m just curious if the First Elder knows about your behavior.”

“…What?”

Jevar’s expression hardened.

“I understand you’re feeling confident because your level is higher than mine, but you should still know your place.”

“Why should I care about my place?”

“…You must be naive, being so young. You don’t understand how the world works.”

“And who’s the one who doesn’t understand the way the world works, I wonder?”

Leon began gathering his mana again.

“W-wait!”

Jevar stumbled backward in panic.

“If you resort to force right now, you won’t come out of this unscathed either!”

At that moment, the voice of the Demon Sword echoed in Leon’s mind.

[Can I eat that bastard’s core?]

[Shut up.]

Leon silenced the Demon Sword and calmly looked Jevar up and down.

“To me, the only thing that matters in this world is skill.”

Jevar blinked in confusion, and then a twisted smirk spread across his face.

“Ha, so you’re saying I need to improve my skills before you’d even consider joining me?”

“That’s not what I meant…”

“Fine. You’ve got some guts, at least. I might’ve slacked off on my training a bit since joining the academy, but my talent’s not something to be underestimated.”

“Sigh…”

Leon realized this conversation was going nowhere. Jevar wasn’t someone he could reason with.

“I may have shown a poor side of myself today, but when I regain my true standing as a lord, I’ll seek you out again.”

With that, Jevar muttered to himself and walked away.

Leon shook his head, watching him disappear into the distance.

It was moments like these that made him worry about Astellia’s future.

 

The city was unusually busy today.

It was the day a major merchant caravan was visiting, and the marketplace was bustling with activity.

Leon had missed the caravan’s visits several times in the past. He hadn’t had the time to go to the marketplace during their arrivals.

But this time was different.

He had used up all his mana stones while gathering materials for a golem, and since he could no longer receive monthly mana stones from his work at the Valley of Souls, his source of supply had dried up.

Leon had every reason to head to the market today.

He had switched his rewards to artifacts since reaching Intermediate Sorcery, so he decided to sell some of the disposable scrolls he had gathered.

Though the quantity wasn’t large, Leon hoped it would be enough to get some mana stones.

“Better to be prepared for any situation.”

Leon sold off some old E-rank and D-rank scrolls, along with some F-rank and E-rank herbs he had been growing in his orb.

Thanks to the mana stones he earned, his pouch now felt satisfyingly heavy.

“If I want more mana stones... I’d have to sell some permanent artifacts.”

As the sun began to set, Leon pondered his options.

He had a few permanent artifacts he wasn’t using. He could also put expensive minerals in his material duplication box and sell the excess minerals, or perhaps sell a golem that combined ancient and modern technology.

But according to Raysia, such items would fetch a higher price at auction than if sold directly to the caravan.

“I also need to gather some C-rank and B-rank herbs…”

As Leon absentmindedly tossed the mana stone pouch in his hand, he suddenly remembered something important.

“The Silver Broomstick!”

The A-rank movement artifact, capable of transcendent speeds.

It had been damaged in a direct hit from one of Arpina’s grand spells and hadn’t been repaired yet.

He knew it would cost an astronomical amount of mana stones to fix.

Still, an A-rank artifact would certainly be a huge boost to his power.

“Maybe I should visit the City of Magic while I’m at it?”

As Leon strolled through the bustling marketplace, deep in thought, a familiar face approached.

It was Ria.

He hadn’t had a chance to see her in some time, and running into her like this filled him with a sense of warmth.

She had already reached the level of a Fourth-Grade Apprentice.

“I’ve made it to Advanced Sorcery myself in that time.”

It was a testament to the fact that neither of them had neglected their training.

Ria must have spotted Leon from a distance because she was practically beaming with joy as she ran up to him.

“Leon!”

Leon greeted her with a smile.

“Ria, how have you been? You’ve reached Fourth Grade. Congratulations.”

“Yeah, and I’ve heard about you too, Leon. You’ve accomplished a lot already, haven’t you? You didn’t get hurt, did you?”

Leon shook his head as he replied.

“It wasn’t anything dangerous.”

“Well, if you ever do get hurt, promise you’ll tell me.”

Seeing the concern on her face, Leon thought of the magic Ria was learning—high-level healing light magic.

He had heard from Arpina that Gliose had personally given Ria a spellbook discovered in some ancient ruins, believing it suited her perfectly.

Leon had already considered seeking her help to remove the witch’s magical trace once she reached a higher level of sorcery.

“Unless I reach Mystic rank first.”

In that case, he could simply use the Primal Radiance to remove the magical trace himself.

Regardless, Leon nodded at Ria’s heartfelt words.

“Alright, if I get hurt, I’ll come to you first. But what brings you here? Are you shopping for something?”

Ria shook her head.

“No, just looking around. What about you?”

“I’ve finished my errands here, but I still need to get some artifacts repaired and pick up a few things…”

“You’re going to the Free City, aren’t you?”

Ria immediately picked up on his plan.

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“I’ll come with you!”

“…Didn’t you just say you weren’t shopping for anything?”

“Well, I just found something I need.”

“What is it?”

“It’s something. Just let me come with you.”

Leon stared at her in disbelief before eventually laughing.

“…Alright, let’s go together then.”