"I'm telling you, there's a fiend inside that ruby," Mari said. "Who could do such a thing?" Arthur asked.
In the minds of everyone in the room, a single name surfaced: Cirrolin, the most ancient and powerful mage.
'In the game, he was an incredibly difficult boss. He's the reason I'm afraid to stand against the Empire. He was only killed by the chance appearance of several monsters: Rak Tulkhush, a Basilisk, and a Judas-type fiend,' Sven thought.
'A 16th-level mage, a blind god with three eyes. A decent fellow, but I condemn his experiments on children,' Arthur thought.
'Cirrolin is a man who has lived over a thousand years. He has spent his entire life studying only the schools of Divination and Conjuration. The strongest person I know,' Mari thought.
"Well, Otto Jergal couldn't have given us a ring with a trapped monster in it, especially since it's one of a kind," Mari said. "No, Otto is quite generous, even if he is cruel," Arthur said, wrinkling his nose slightly.
"What are its abilities?" Sven asked. "It grants the ability for speed-reading and significantly increases strength. It can be upgraded," Mari explained.
Sven gripped the sword tighter, but a sharp pain shot through his arm, and he dropped it. The sword hit the floor with a loud clang. "My arm hurts," Sven said. "We were advised that you shouldn't train with a sword yet. Newly regrown muscles need time," his father said.
Sven gave his hand a small flick, and the sword vanished back into the ring. "How much time?" Sven asked. "About a month," his father replied.
'Damn it, that heron is a son of a bitch,' Sven thought. "By the way, did you bring my clothes or some food?" Sven asked. "No, you're leaving with us now," Mari said. "Won't they check my condition?"
"The bed you're sitting on has already checked your condition and sent the data to the doctor. He glanced over it and told us there will be no complications, so we can take you home," Mari said.
'That must be why the Engineer class is so highly valued in this world. Their eyes can see the abilities and traits of artifacts, and they can create things like this bed. My mother definitely won't end up poor, no matter what happens.'
Arthur pulled clothes out of a similar ring. His parents left the room while Sven dressed. They had brought him dark trousers and a billowy cotton shirt. Once dressed, Sven left the ward. They climbed into the SUV and sped away.
Sven had been hospitalized in the Golden Dragon clan's territory, 1,500 kilometers away from the Laocard mansion. As they traveled at 400 kilometers per hour, Sven's mother fell asleep in the backseat. It was raining outside, and the evening was so dark that the sun was nowhere to be seen. Trees and occasional wheat fields with small villages whipped past the window.
"Sven," Arthur said from the driver's seat. "Yeah?" "You don't have to try so hard," his father said. "What do you mean?"
"I told you before to only show the good side of our family name," his father said. "Yes." "You don't have to push yourself that much. You could have died, and without you..." Arthur exhaled heavily. "Without you, I don't need any titles."
'He thinks I did it for the sake of our reputation? Fine, I won't tell him the truth, or he'll just get embarrassed again and start avoiding me.'
"Okay, Dad," Sven said. Sven turned toward the window and watched the world blur past. 'It's nice that someone worries about me.'
When they reached home, Sven quickly went to his room, while Arthur carried Maria upstairs. As soon as he entered his room, Sven grabbed his smartphone to check the time.
[Month: Lizard-Dar, Day: 22, Time: 01:48, Gaea Calendar]
'In eight days, the Academy begins. My father is supposed to save Lutheria, and she'll call herself Mia,' Sven thought, falling onto his bed with a smile. But then, his face contorted with fear.
'Wait. Hold on. In the book, it said Arthur personally led his "blade"—his army—because his son, meaning me, lost a leg. That was his motivation for revenge. But now, he doesn't have that motivation.'
Sven sighed heavily and sat on the edge of the bed. 'It looks like I'll have to save Mia myself. But I don't have combat or stealth abilities, and I don't have a universal spell for it.'
'I need to come up with a plan. I can't do this without Mia. Ever since I arrived in this world, I've had a plan where Mia plays a key role.'
Sven got up and sat at the desk. He took out the book of First Circle spells and began searching for something useful.
...
"Master Sven, I've brought your Langlong mushroom decoction and two towels," Herman said, adding, "I was worried since you didn't call for me yourself, so I decided..." Herman saw Sven tiredly leafing through the spellbook.
"When did you start studying spells?" Herman asked. "As soon as I got home," Sven replied. "Aren't you afraid that lack of sleep will cause muscle tears or give you bags under your eyes?" "I am," Sven said, but he didn't look up from the book.
"Is there any news you'd like to share?" Herman asked. Sven was silent for a moment. "Have you ever been in a situation where you had to do something, but the chance of success was one in a million?" Sven asked. Herman smiled slightly.
'He probably wanted to confess to Bo-Woo or Sarra; after all, he almost gave his life for them,' Herman thought.
"I would do it anyway, regardless of whether people mocked me or got angry. Because it's worth it, right?" Herman said. Sven chuckled and then sat on the floor to meditate. "Of course. It's worth it," Sven said.