In the vicinity of Fenris estate, near the lord’s castle, a construction project was well underway. Workers busily carried materials and laid the foundations for buildings. However, one section of the construction site was oddly deserted. “Hey, isn’t life kind of nice lately?” Alfoy grumbled while lying on the ground in a dirty, tattered robe. The other wizards scattered around him, also wearing similarly worn robes, all nodded in agreement. Anyone passing by would mistake them for construction workers, not proud wizards of the Mage Tower. Alfoy, chewing on a grass root, looked like a layabout, and not just in appearance. “I hope the lord doesn’t come back,” Alfoy muttered. The other wizards again nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I agree.” It was quite peaceful with the lord gone. They had gotten used to the construction work, but it was still a bother. The wizards shared quiet laughter, hoping that this small moment of happiness would last a little longer. “Maybe he got into trouble in the capital,” one wizard suggested. “Yeah, knowing his personality, he probably picked a fight with a high-ranking noble,” another chimed in. “Who knows, maybe he’s already been beheaded.” “Just thinking about it makes me happy.” They even joked about how they would run away if news of the lord’s death reached them. It wasn’t something they truly believed would happen, just a hopeful wish in their minds. In this barren estate, there wasn’t much to do for fun. Talking like this was how they passed the time. “We’re bored. How about we play a game?” Alfoy suggested. “Let’s do it,” the others eagerly agreed, sitting up. These innocent wizards, who had known nothing of gambling, had become addicted to it after losing to Claude and joining in his games every day. One wizard, still in his right mind, hesitated. “But, the deputy steward’s been complaining that construction is falling behind... maybe we should actually work today?” “We’ve only been here for a short while. Who does he think he is to order us around? I’ll do it when I feel like it. What, are you afraid of him?” Alfoy responded confidently. Though Lowell had been given authority to manage the estate, he couldn’t easily push Alfoy around. After all, Alfoy was the heir of the Mage Tower and head of the Mage Tower branch in Fenris. Other than the lord, no one could touch him. “So, what are we playing today? Odds or evens?” Alfoy asked. “Sure, let’s keep it simple with odds and evens.” “Great, I’ll start.” Alfoy pulled out four coins and shook them in his hands, then clenched his fist and extended one hand. “Place your bets. Odds or evens?” After a brief hesitation, one wizard spoke up. “Evens.” “Evens?” “Yes, evens.” Alfoy smirked. “Normally, people choose odds when starting with four coins. It just feels right. But you’re picking evens, huh?” “Yes, yes. Can we check the result now, please?” “Hold on, I’m still talking here. Are you sure you don’t want to change your bet?” “Yes, yes. I’ll stick with evens.” Alfoy’s glare intensified. “I’m giving you a chance to change your mind! You fool!” The wizard looked troubled, thinking to himself, Oh no, here he goes again. This guy sometimes loses his mind like this. He had saved up money penny by penny by occasionally helping the villagers. Since he was basically an unpaid slave, losing money like this was a real problem. If I lose this, I won’t even have money for drinks! I can’t lose! Just as the wizard and Alfoy stared each other down, both looking for a crack in the other’s resolve, a lookout wizard came rushing over, shouting. “The lord is back!” The wizards froze for a moment before their heads drooped in disappointment. Their little slice of peace had come to an end. It was time to get back to grueling work. Alfoy stood up with a determined expression. “Time to work. Move fast, come on!” As the wizards hurried to their feet, Alfoy quietly slipped the coins back into his robe. Then, suddenly— Boom! “Mother of...!” someone exclaimed. A massive explosion rang out from the direction of the lord’s castle, and flames shot high into the sky. Startled, Alfoy looked towards the source of the noise and muttered, “Wait, isn’t that... Vanessa’s lab?” Black smoke and flames began to engulf the area. The cheering villagers also turned in shock towards the sudden explosion near the lord’s castle. What sort of disaster had struck on such a joyous day? Ghislain’s face turned pale as he realized where the explosion had occurred. “Vanessa!” The explosion had originated from the magical lab built next to the castle for Vanessa’s training. “There’s a Rune Stone there too!” Ghislain had placed Rune Stones around the lab to help Vanessa, whose mana reserves were limited, in case she needed them while casting spells. “Damn it, move!” Ghislain spurred his horse and dashed towards the castle. The intensity of the magic from the explosion was no joke. It was clear that the Rune Stones had been activated. If all that magic power had exploded at once, the area around the castle would be completely devastated. Others, still in shock, quickly followed after Ghislain as he charged forward. When they reached the site of the explosion, the scene was utter chaos. Vanessa’s lab, a central building surrounded by various smaller ones, was engulfed in flames. The fire, which had initially started in the central structure, had momentarily died down, only to reignite and spread to the surrounding buildings. People were frantically running around, trying to extinguish the flames. “Get the axes! Break it down!” “Everyone else, bring water and sand!” But no matter what they did, the fire only seemed to grow stronger. “Lowell!” Ghislain jumped off his horse and called out. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺 “My lord!” Lowell, who had been nervously directing people, looked relieved when he saw Ghislain. “What on earth is going on here?” “I’m not sure. There was a sudden explosion in Lady Vanessa’s lab.” “Is Vanessa inside?” “Yes, I believe so.” “No one else is hurt?” “No, I made sure no one else was allowed near the lab.” Ghislain sighed in relief at the bit of good news. “Where are the wizards?” “They’re still at the construction site.” “Call them all here, now!” The estate didn’t yet have proper firefighting facilities. The fire had grown too large to be put out by manpower alone—magic was their only hope. Crash! The framework of Vanessa’s lab began to crumble and collapse amidst the flames. “I’ll go in and get Vanessa,” Ghislain said, shrugging off his cumbersome cloak and preparing to enter the burning building. Just as he was about to step forward, a loud, frantic voice echoed from inside the building. “Wind Blast!” Whoosh! Falling debris was suddenly swept away by a powerful gust of wind, scattering in all directions. “Ahhh! Take cover!” “What the hell!” “Why is it flying over here?!” People who had been gathered nearby ducked and huddled in fear. Ghislain and his subordinates blocked the debris, protecting the people as best they could. After the storm of debris settled, another loud shout came from within the building. “Water Strike!” Whoosh! Columns of water shot up from various points around the building. Splash! Boom! Bang! While pouring water on the fire was good in theory, the water columns were far too powerful. The force of the water shattered debris, sending it flying in all directions once again. “Block it!” Ghislain shouted urgently. The villagers quickly retreated to a safe distance, while Ghislain’s mercenaries worked hard to deflect the debris. “Ahh! What should I do?!” a panicked voice cried from within the lab. The person casting the spells must have realized things were spiraling out of control. “Dispel!” the voice shouted. Sssssss. The water columns slowly dissipated and disappeared. The fire that had consumed several buildings was now fully extinguished, leaving behind only the soaked ruins of the collapsed structures. Sizzling noises could be heard here and there as the last remnants of flames were smothered by the water. Ghislain and his group, drenched to the bone, looked at each other in silence. They were all soaked and miserable, looking like a bunch of drowned rats, but no one said a word. At that moment, a woman crawled out from the rubble of the collapsed building. “I’m so sorry! It’s all my fault! Please forgive me!” she sobbed, covered in tears and snot. Her hair hung limp, soaked like seaweed, and her face was blackened with soot. Tattered clothing hung off her frame, and the fragments of broken Rune Stones dangled and jingled from what was left of her attire. Ghislain stared at her for a long moment, trying to recognize her through the mess, and then spoke in a bewildered tone. “...Vanessa?” “I’m so sorry! I made a huge mistake and caused all this trouble!” Vanessa cried, bowing her head and sobbing uncontrollably. “Is your body okay?” Ghislain asked. “I’m fine, I’m fine! But I’m really, really sorry!” she wailed. Vanessa, completely overcome with guilt, continued to weep without stopping. She didn’t even seem to realize who was talking to her. Ghislain, feeling at a loss, asked again. “Are you sure it’s really you, Vanessa?” “Yes, it’s me! I’m the one who caused this disaster!” she sobbed, unable to lift her head. Ghislain sighed deeply and tried to reassure her. “It’s okay, calm down and tell me what happened. What’s going on here?” Vanessa, still sniffling, managed to gather herself enough to explain. “I...I couldn’t control the magic properly, so I made a mistake. I’m so sorry...” “You couldn’t control it?” Ghislain tilted his head in confusion. Despite her limited mana, Vanessa was exceptional in magical theory. She had successfully completed massive trap spells that even a grand mage would struggle with. For someone like her to make such a huge mistake was hard to believe. “How did this happen? Just tell me slowly without crying.” Vanessa sniffled a few more times, then finally began to explain seriously. “This was my first time trying this spell, so I wanted to be extra careful. I might’ve overused the Rune Stones. I layered the spell, adjusted the magic flow, altered the structure of the spell matrix and coordinates...mumble mumble... Eventually, I succeeded in casting a 6th Circle spell, but then...” “...” Typical of a wizard, her explanation was full of incomprehensible jargon. But one word stood out to Ghislain. “Sixth Circle?!” Ghislain gasped in shock. To reach the 6th Circle in such a short time... Vanessa’s talent was truly terrifying. “Haha! Sixth Circle! Incredible!” Ghislain exclaimed, suddenly bursting into laughter. The destruction of the building was instantly forgotten. He couldn’t help but laugh out loud, not caring about anyone around him. Still sniffling, Vanessa finally realized something was strange. She had been answering questions without thinking, but the voice wasn’t that of Lowell, the deputy steward. ‘Who am I talking to?’ She slowly raised her head and rubbed her bleary eyes. As her vision cleared, she saw a familiar face. “My lord!” Ghislain, drenched head to toe, was beaming at her with a huge smile, looking as though he had just won the world.