Lucas was speechless.
Alberia's mother was completely different from what he had expected.
He had imagined someone regal, composed, exuding an aura of wisdom and authority—not a woman who had just enthusiastically smothered him in a motherly embrace.
Yet, before he could even fully process it, Sequoria's demeanor shifted.
"Come, let's talk inside. What we need to discuss is not something for outside ears."
Her voice carried a subtle authority, the kind Lucas had expected from a former queen.
With that, the group followed Sequoria into her room, Katerina closing the door behind them.
Sequoria's chamber was more like a small, regal apartment, complete with all the necessities for daily life. But what surprised him most was the large collection of books filling the shelves.
Given her… enthusiastic introduction, he hadn't expected her to be so studious.
"Aislyra, Lucas, please take a seat."
Sequoria gestured toward two plush sofas, positioned parallel to each other, with a small wooden table in between.
"And Katerina, prepare some tea for everyone. Make sure to pour yourself a cup as well."
"Understood."
Katerina bowed slightly before making her way toward the room's small kitchen, while Lucas and Aislyra sat down on one of the sofas, with Sequoria taking the opposite seat.
Sequoria's sharp gaze settled on Aislyra as the conversation began.
"Seeing my daughter finally relax… I take it you've agreed to help us, Lucas?"
"Yes."
A small, knowing smile crossed Sequoria's lips.
"Good. Then, as I assume Aislyra has already told you, my role will be to teach you everything you need to know about ruling this kingdom.
"Unlike my daughters, I am not a warrior. However, I have accumulated centuries' worth of knowledge—knowledge I intend to pass on to you."
Lucas nodded, just as Katerina returned with a tray of teacups, carefully serving each of them.
Though, notably—she remained standing behind Lucas, making him drink while seated.
"But my lessons will begin tomorrow morning."
Sequoria placed her cup down gently.
"The reason I asked you here today was not just to introduce myself but also to apologize.
"I regret that such a heavy burden has been placed on your shoulders. If it were possible, I would reclaim my throne and allow you to abdicate—but…"
Her eyes softened with something akin to sorrow.
"…My daughter is considered the greatest queen in our kingdom's history. If she were to suddenly 'step down,' it would shake the very foundation of our people's faith in the crown.
"So I beg of you—remain queen, at least until we have defeated Artema."
With that, she lowered her head in a respectful bow.
Lucas was momentarily stunned.
A former queen, bowing to him?
He quickly shook off his hesitation and responded with a determined yet kind expression.
"You don't need to apologize, Lady Sequoria. From the moment I read Alberia's letter, I had already made up my mind.
"I owe all of you for giving me a second chance at life. I will do my best to fulfill this role."
Sequoria lifted her head, eyes brimming with joy and gratitude.
"Thank you, Lucas."
Then—her face darkened.
"…But what did I tell you to call me?"
The sudden shift in tone sent shivers down Lucas's spine.
For a brief second, he recalled Aislyra's earlier 'threats'.
His body tensed.
"…M-Mom," he stammered.
The moment the word left his lips, Sequoria's eyes sparkled.
"HOW CUTE! YES I'M YOUR MOM!!"
She sprang from her seat, arms wide, preparing for another suffocating embrace.
"Binding Root."
Before Sequoria could pounce, a brown magic circle formed beside Katerina.
A thick root shot out of the ground, wrapping around Sequoria mid-air and gently restraining her.
With a resigned sigh, Aislyra palmed her forehead.
"Mother…"
Meanwhile, Lucas was completely entranced—not by the situation, but by the spell.
'So this is magic?!'
Technically, he had already seen magic at least three times today—but none of those instances had allowed him to observe it this closely.
Katerina, sensing his excitement, calmly turned to him.
"Mr. Lucas, since it seems Lady Sequoria has finished discussing today's important matters… would you like to begin your first lesson in magic?"
The root gently lowered Sequoria back onto the sofa, then disappeared.
Lucas's eyes lit up.
"YES!!" he exclaimed, barely able to contain his enthusiasm.
"Then we should head to the underground training grounds," Katerina suggested.
"Perfect. And after that, it'll be my turn."
Aislyra smirked.
"You'll be having your first self-defense lesson."
Lucas stiffened.
Something about her excitement didn't inspire much confidence.
But the sheer anticipation of learning magic quickly overpowered his concerns.
Deciding to worry about Aislyra's 'lesson' later, Lucas followed the others as they left the room and made their way toward the underground training grounds.
After a few minutes of walking, Aislyra suddenly turned to her mother, irritation clear in her voice.
"Mother, why are you following us?"
Sequoria simply beamed, completely unfazed by her daughter's tone.
"Isn't it obvious? It's my new baby's first magic lesson! Of course, I want to see it!
"I still remember Alberia's first lesson—she was so cute!"
Aislyra let out a deep, weary sigh, realizing there was no point in arguing.
Meanwhile, Lucas's curiosity got the better of him.
"We've been walking for a while and haven't run into anyone else. Is that normal?" he asked Katerina.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Katerina replied smoothly. "We used the excuse that the queen wasn't feeling well due to the effects of the seal. That allowed us to convince most of the palace staff and guards to vacate the premises for two days, giving you time to adjust before facing those who believe you are Alberia.
"Of course, this meant increasing the number of guards stationed around the palace, otherwise, the Minister of Defense would never have approved it."
Lucas exhaled in relief.
"Thank you. If I had to talk to someone who doesn't know my real identity today, I'm pretty sure they'd figure it out in an instant."
The mere thought of having to keep up a royal facade so soon sent a shiver down his spine.
As they continued walking, the group finally arrived at a door similar to the one that had led to the teleportation circle.
This time, however, it was Sequoria who placed a hand on the door, causing it to glow and swing open on its own.
Beyond the threshold was a deep spiral staircase, made entirely of dark polished wood, its steps winding downward in an endless descent.
At the very least, a sturdy wooden railing ran along the side, preventing any unfortunate falls into the abyss below.
Lucas, still adjusting to Alberia's body, initially thought it best to watch his feet to avoid tripping on the stairs.
That idea lasted all of two seconds.
The moment he looked down for more than a few steps, his entire focus was hijacked—not by the staircase, but by the violent bouncing of his chest with every descent.
'Oh, come on…!'
Flustered, he snapped his gaze forward and did his best to ignore it, but the distraction led him to another realization.
A lingering thought he had pushed aside earlier returned in full force.
'Wait… no matter how much I move, those two strips of fabric haven't shifted at all…'
That wasn't the only thing.
Even when they were outside near the seal, with a strong, chilly wind, he hadn't felt cold in the slightest.
Considering how ridiculously little this outfit covered, that was definitely not normal.
His eyes narrowed.
"Katerina… does this outfit you made me wear have some kind of magical property?" he asked, suspicious.
Katerina nodded as if the answer was obvious.
"Of course. It is a divine artifact, gifted by the Goddess Elfidora.
"It adjusts its size to perfectly fit the wearer, prevents the 'important' parts of a woman's body from being exposed unless the wearer wants them to be, and wraps the body in a magical barrier as strong as steel armor.
"It also automatically regulates body temperature, keeping the wearer warm in the cold and cool in the heat."
Lucas paused.
'Okay… so it's way more useful than I expected, but…'
His eyes drifted downward again.
'IT'S STILL TOO EMBARRASSING!'
He internally screamed but forced himself to move on.
After several more minutes of descending, the four of them finally arrived in a spacious, rectangular chamber.
The room was completely empty, with a high ceiling and ample space to move around freely—the perfect place for training.
Lucas and Katerina stepped forward, taking their positions in the center, while Aislyra and Sequoria moved a bit further back, settling themselves comfortably.
Katerina turned to Lucas, her expression calm yet instructive.
"Mr. Lucas, I will now begin teaching you the fundamentals of magic. Please pay close attention."
Lucas, focused and excited, nodded eagerly.
"In this world," Katerina began, "there are seven types of Original Magic, from which all other forms of magic derive: Water, Earth, Fire, Air, Light, Darkness, and General Magic.
"With enough talent and practice, anyone can use all seven of these, but their power, mana cost, and ease of learning depend on an individual's affinity.
"The only exception is General Magic, which is equally accessible to everyone—its cost, power, and learning difficulty remain the same regardless of the user."
She gestured slightly with her hand, a small green magic circle forming at her fingertips before vanishing.
"Beyond the Original Magics, there exist Derived Magics—unique abilities that can only be used by those with an affinity for the Original Magic from which they originate.
"Each person is born with only one affinity—excluding General Magic—and can learn only one type of Derived Magic.
"For example, my affinity is Earth Magic, and the Derived Magic I can use is Plant Magic. The spell I used earlier to restrain Lady Sequoria was a Plant Magic spell."
Lucas processed the information carefully, then repeated it back to confirm his understanding.
"So, if I got this right, I can learn spells from all seven Original Magics, but my strongest spells will come from whatever my affinity is.
"Additionally, I can only use one type of Derived Magic, based on that affinity. Is that correct?"
Katerina nodded approvingly.
"That's right."
Lucas's excitement grew.
"My magical affinity should be the same as Alberia's, right?" Lucas asked.
Katerina nodded. "That's correct. A person's magical affinity is determined by their body, not their soul—with one exception. Lady Alberia's affinity was with Light Magic."
"Light, huh?" Lucas murmured, surprised. "I was expecting something more… nature-related."
But among everything Katerina had just explained, one thing in particular caught his attention.
"You mentioned an exception—what is it?"
"There is one type of magic that is determined not by the body, but by the soul—History Magic. However, it can only be used by a specific kind of person: someone who has died and whose soul has been placed into another body."
Lucas's eyes lit up with excitement.
"So I can use it?! What kind of magic is it?!"
But to his disappointment, Katerina shook her head.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Lucas, but based on what you told us about yourself, I don't believe you possess a Historical Spell."
Lucas's excitement faded slightly. "…Why not?"
"For a History Spell to be inscribed on someone's soul, that person must have left a lasting impact on their world—enough for their name to appear in legends or history books.
"The power of their spell depends entirely on the legends and achievements tied to their name. This means the type of magic can vary—it can be either Original or Derived, depending on the nature of their deeds."
Lucas sighed in disappointment. "Yeah… that definitely wouldn't be me. Up until a few hours ago, I was just an ordinary person. There's no way I'd qualify for something like that."
Seeing his dejection, Aislyra stepped in, her voice encouraging.
"Exactly. That's why, when other gods select a soul to send to this world, they usually choose people who were already important in your world."
She then grinned. "But don't worry, Your Majesty! My sister's Derived Magic is something extremely rare and incredibly cool!"
Lucas perked up slightly. "Oh? What is it?"
Aislyra's grin widened.
"It's called Laser Magic. It allows you to create concentrated beams of light that can pierce through practically anything."
Lucas's jaw nearly dropped.
'I CAN SHOOT LASERS?!'
But before he could drown in excitement, Katerina gently redirected the conversation.
"However, before you can even think about using Derived Magic, you must first master the basics of the Original Magic with which you have an affinity.
"Therefore today, we will begin with basic Light Magic spells."
Lucas took a deep breath.
'There's a time for everything… even for lasers.'
For now, he would be patient.
"Alright, Mr. Lucas," Katerina continued, "close your eyes and concentrate on your body. You should begin to feel the mana flowing through you."
Lucas immediately obeyed, shutting his eyes and focusing.
At first, there was nothing.
But after a few seconds, he felt it—a warm, tingling energy coursing through his entire body.
"I think I feel it," he said excitedly.
Katerina nodded. "Perfect. Now open your eyes and focus that energy towards your hands. Once you feel the mana accumulating there, visualize the shape of a bow—something bright and radiant."
Lucas did exactly as instructed.
A moment later, a large bow made of pure golden light materialized in his hands.
It was weightless, yet he could feel its presence.
He stared at it in awe, the soft glow reflecting in his eyes.
Seeing this, Katerina continued.
"Now, imagine that an arrow is already loaded in the bow."
The instant he did—
A luminous arrow of golden light manifested, the bowstring pulling back on its own.
"Wooden Wall," Katerina murmured.
A few meters ahead, a sturdy wooden wall rose from the ground, standing two meters high.
Turning to Lucas, she instructed, "Now, aim for the target I created. When you release the arrow, shout—Light Arrow!"
Lucas nodded, took aim, and focused.
His grip tightened.
He took a steady breath—
Then released the string as he shouted—
"Light Arrow!"
The golden arrow shot forward at blinding speed—
CRASH!!!
The moment it struck the wooden wall, the barrier was instantly obliterated, reduced to nothing but splinters.
But it didn't stop there.
The arrow continued flying, piercing straight through the stone wall of the training chamber—
Leaving behind a deep tunnel that stretched several meters long.
Silence fell.
Everyone in the room stared in shock.
Katerina, Aislyra, and even Sequoria—all left momentarily speechless.
Lucas, meanwhile, just stood there, blinking at the destruction he had caused.
"…Uhh. That was supposed to be a basic spell, right?"