Raising his circle, honestly, Alpoi had long since given up on that.
He was simply living a busy life day to day. While his role overseeing the mages gave him some breathing room, whenever things got hectic, he had no choice but to lend a hand.
When would he ever have the time to study or gather mana?
Besides, at this point, he was practically a lifelong servant. There was no escaping that in his lifetime.
What he desired now was nothing more than a cold drink after work and a soft bed to collapse into. Blowing off steam occasionally by flaunting his rank was a bonus.
And now, suddenly, someone wanted him to raise his circle?
Glancing around cautiously, Alpoi asked hesitantly,
"So… are you giving me the Dragon Heart?"
Though it was no larger than a thumbnail, it contained immense mana. Absorbing it would likely raise him to the 4th circle.
Ghislain nodded without hesitation.
"Of course, it's for you."
"Why...?"
The Dragon Heart was the treasure of treasures, especially for mages.
In terms of the estate's overall strength, Alpoi wasn't particularly important. Though his combat experience had grown, there were limits to what a 3rd-circle mage could accomplish.
Having spent so much of his time getting beaten down since meeting Ghislain, Alpoi couldn't help but be suspicious this time as well.
Noticing his distrustful expression, Ghislain clicked his tongue.
'He's turned into a ball of suspicion. It's all Claude's fault.'
While some of the blame lay with himself, Ghislain decided to pin it all on Claude. After all, it was mostly Claude's doing.
Even so, Alpoi had proven himself during the fight against Queen of Greggs and more recently during the battle with the Crimson Magic Tower.
Alpoi had changed since arriving at the estate, transforming from an arrogant heir of the magic tower into a capable servant of the estate.
Others might not see it, but Ghislain valued this side of Alpoi quite highly.
"You've worked hard, so I'm giving it to you as a reward. No need to be so scared."
"R-really? For me?"
"Of course. I'm giving this to you, and everyone here is a witness."
At that, Belinda gave a half-hearted clap, while Vanessa sincerely congratulated him.
"Congratulations, Lord Alpoi! If you absorb that fragment, your level will surely rise!"
"Y-yeah, I guess…"
Alpoi's heartbeat began to quicken.
The Dragon Heart was the ultimate treasure for mages. Compared to it, rune stones were little more than pebbles.
Hearing that such a treasure was being given to him made him happy, but… his timid personality got in the way.
'Can I even absorb that...?'
Mishandling it could lead to his body exploding. Such treasures could only be claimed by those worthy of them.
Having been influenced by Hubert, the Tower Lord of the Scarlet Flame Magic Tower, the mages of the tower had developed a pervasive sense of caution.
From the tower lord to the elders, all of them avoided training if they didn't have rune stones. Naturally, the disciples inherited this attitude.
"If it's dangerous, don't do it" became the new motto of the Scarlet Flame Magic Tower.
'Ugh, I don't think I can handle it...'
He wanted to try, but he feared the consequences. Like a puppy needing to go but afraid to act, Alpoi hesitated, unable to accept or reject the offer.
Watching him struggle, Ghislain chuckled.
"What's wrong? Afraid your body will explode?"
"N-no… I'm not scared! It's just… you know…"
"If not, then what?"
"It just might be a little dangerous..."
"What? The 'man who defeated a goddess' is scared of a mere Dragon Heart fragment?"
"I'm not scared! I'm just being cautious!"
"Then I'll give it to someone else."
"You can't just change your mind like that!"
"Then what do you want me to do?"
"...…"
As Alpoi hesitated, Vanessa clenched her fist beside him.
"Lord Alpoi, you can definitely do this! I'll stay by your side to keep you safe!"
Belinda and Kaor chimed in as well.
"Young Master, then how about giving it to me instead?"
"No, no! I'll take it! Why give it to someone who doesn't want it!"
Even the knights watching the scene clamored to have it for themselves. Alpoi couldn't stand the idea of someone else benefiting while he missed his chance.
"Enough! Everyone be quiet! I'm taking it!"
Turning it down would make him an idiot. Resolving himself, Alpoi reached out his hand.
'That's right! I've defeated a goddess's power before—why not a fragment of a dragon's? Dragons are just glorified reptiles anyway, right?'
Seeing Alpoi's determined expression, Ghislain handed over the fragment with a smile.
'Well… he should be able to handle it, I think.'
Considering Alpoi's past accomplishments, Ghislain believed he had the grit and determination needed.
Hadn't he performed admirably in the fight against the Crimson Magic Tower?
Ghislain also assumed that Alpoi had gained enough insight through his experiences to find his own path.
Insight was deeply personal. Even if two people reached the same level through similar experiences, their values, thought processes, and beliefs would differ.
Alpoi had gone through much since arriving here, so Ghislain was confident he had developed his own way forward.
Sure enough, Alpoi, now resolute, sat down and began absorbing the mana.
Guuoooo!
"Ugh!"
As an unimaginable torrent of mana surged into him, Alpoi gritted his teeth.
The sheer power contained in such a small fragment! Truly, it lived up to the name of Dragon Heart.
'I can endure this!'
Hadn't he endured mockery for failing to ascend during the magic tower battles? He hadn't forgotten those slights.
'I'll rise straight to the 4th circle!'
Guuoooo!
The mana poured in endlessly. While it was far beyond what a mere 3rd-circle mage could handle, Alpoi's mana manipulation skills had developed significantly.
Skillfully guiding the influx of mana, he began consolidating it in his heart.
Those watching were slightly astonished at the peaceful expression on his face as he absorbed the energy.
'Is that… Alpoi?'
'Since when was Alpoi capable of such calmness…?'
Could he really absorb all of that by himself?
Under the astonished gazes and expectations of those around him, Alpoi continued to absorb the mana.
'Ha… I was worried for nothing. This is no big deal.'
The amount of mana he had already absorbed was far greater than what he had accumulated in his entire life. Yet it felt like he hadn't even absorbed half of it.
'Hehe… now to form a new circle—wait, why isn't it stopping?'
His heart began to strain. His body started to feel as though it were tearing apart from the inside.
'S-stop…'
He couldn't absorb anymore, but it wasn't stopping. He wanted to let go, but his hand felt as though it were glued to the fragment.
'W-what...?'
Alpoi's face twisted in agony as a wave of excruciating pain washed over him. The mana was too overwhelming, pushing his body to its limits.
The real issue was his mental fortitude. Though he had accomplished much, he rarely experienced pain outside of mana extraction.
And Alpoi was notoriously weak to pain.
"Ugh… It hurts! No, I can't do this! I'm going to die like this!"
As Alpoi's will weakened, his mana manipulation faltered. Losing control, the mana began to rampage inside his body.
The unchecked mana wreaked havoc, inflicting immense pain. This was pain unlike anything he had ever experienced.
"Arghhhh! No! I can't do it!"
Alpoi sprang to his feet, eyes wide in panic. However, he couldn't detach the Dragon Heart fragment from himself.
The fragment and his body had already fused into a mana conduit.
Standing up in desperation only made things worse. Letting go completely caused the mana to nearly tear his body apart.
As his body swelled unnaturally, Alpoi screamed in terror.
"Ahhh! Save me!"
"Tsk."
Ghislain immediately clamped a hand over Alpoi's mouth and placed his other hand on Alpoi's back.
"I'll guide the mana. You have to hold on! If you don't, you really will die! Stop whining like a baby!"
"Mmphhh! Owwww!"
Alpoi's mind was completely overwhelmed. He wanted nothing more than to escape the unbearable pain.
Ghislain gritted his teeth, using his strength to seize control of the rampaging mana inside Alpoi.
Even though it was just a small fragment, it was still a Dragon Heart. The sheer power within fought fiercely against Ghislain's control.
"Vanessa! I'll manage the mana, so direct the rest toward Alpoi's heart!"
"Understood!"
Vanessa immediately placed her hand near Alpoi's chest, working without a moment's rest.
Ghislain carefully released the wild mana little by little, allowing Vanessa to guide it externally into Alpoi's heart.
Watching this, Belinda clicked her tongue.
"He's such a hassle to deal with."
Alpoi, by this point, was completely out of it, having surrendered to the agony.
Thanks to Ghislain and Vanessa's combined efforts, the Dragon Heart's mana began to settle and integrate into Alpoi's body.
It took an entire half-day before the mana finally stabilized and took its place within him.
"Whew…"
As Ghislain withdrew his hand, Alpoi collapsed onto the ground with a thud.
Now it was just a matter of time before the stabilized mana formed a new circle. Without the necessary insight, however, this might merely result in increased mana reserves.
The others gathered around Alpoi, looking down at him. After a long moment, Alpoi opened his eyes and asked, "Am… I alive?"
Ghislain, resting a little further away, answered,
"Yes."
"The Dragon Heart?"
"It's fully absorbed."
"Hehehe…"
Having done little himself, Alpoi grinned with satisfaction. Despite the slightly embarrassing display earlier, he had succeeded in absorbing it.
Ignoring the disapproving stares of others, Alpoi excitedly checked his circles.
"Hehehe… I'm a 4th circle now. One, two, three… huh?"
As he counted the circles in his heart, his expression froze. Seeing this, Ghislain asked,
"What's wrong?"
"The circles…"
"Don't tell me you didn't make it to the 4th circle? Did your mana just increase without forming a circle?"
If so, the Dragon Heart fragment would've been wasted. Ghislain frowned slightly, and the others immediately erupted.
"I knew it! Of course, someone like Alpoi couldn't handle it!"
"What a waste of a Dragon Heart fragment!"
Vanessa looked disappointed, but Alpoi, still dazed, muttered, "There are five circles."
"...Wow."
Everyone, including Ghislain, stared at Alpoi in shock.
Alpoi had advanced straight to the 5th circle.
***
"Wow, who'd have thought that guy would reach the 5th circle."
"Is this insane? Alpoi's a 5th circle mage now?"
"I'm telling you! He's completely ecstatic about it. Man, if only I'd gotten a Dragon Heart fragment too, I'd have made more progress."
The estate's mages gathered, all wearing grim expressions as they gossiped about Alpoi.
Originally, Vanessa's ascent to the 7th circle should have been the bigger news.
But the absurd feat of jumping two circles overshadowed her achievement, making Alpoi the center of attention.
Already infamous for his bad temper and arrogance, the mages feared how much worse he'd become now that he'd advanced in rank.
"Hey! What are you all doing standing around?!"
Sure enough, as if summoned by their concerns, Alpoi appeared, sporting an orange armband. Behind him, his blue-banded subordinates followed closely.
Glaring at the loitering mages, Alpoi bellowed, "Are you ignoring the commands of the '5th circle man who defeated a goddess'? Break time's over! Get moving!"
"Y-yes, sir…"
In the hierarchy of mages, circle rank was everything.
Except for Vanessa, no mage in the estate outranked Alpoi now.
At 5th circle, one could even become an elder of a magic tower or a mage exclusive to a noble estate.
The mages had no choice but to obey Alpoi.
"Ah, so this is what being a 5th circle mage feels like. Has there ever been someone as young as me to reach the 5th circle in this kingdom's history?"
Not even Hubert, the tower lord of the Scarlet Flame Magic Tower, had managed this. Alpoi's arrogance grew even more insufferable.
As he basked in his triumph, a sharp voice called out from behind him.
"Alpoi! What are you doing here instead of studying?!"
"V-Vanessa?"
"You don't know a single 4th circle spell! You need to start learning them immediately!"
"...I don't like studying."
Since coming to Fenris, Alpoi had avoided studying entirely. Apart from 3rd circle magic, he knew nothing.
What good was advancing in rank if he couldn't cast spells appropriate to his level?
Thus, Ghislain had given Vanessa a special order.
— Make sure Alpoi learns up to 5th circle magic as quickly as possible.
Naturally diligent by nature, Vanessa took Ghislain's command seriously.
She refused to let Alpoi slack off as usual, dragging him off to the research lab.
Alpoi, unable to show off his newfound power, was taken away without protest.
Hearing the news, Ghislain clicked his tongue in mild exasperation.
While it was necessary for Alpoi to master spells befitting his rank, the birth of two high-ranking mages in the estate was undeniably a boon, especially with war on the horizon.
Just then, Galbarik arrived with exciting news for Ghislain.
"My Lord! This time, I've crafted it to exact specifications! Come and test it out!"
The goblin-like, scrawny man's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as he spoke.
[T/L: Please support me and read 385 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]