Chapter 40

Unique Talent Awakening Stone: First Fragment

A magic stone that guides its owner to trace the origins of their name, bloodline, and memories. However, to fully harness the awakening stone's power, all fragments must be collected.

A Unique Talent—a type of ability entirely different from character traits.

To awaken the Unique Talent dormant within his body at the right moment, he needed to start collecting the awakening stones now.

...If I had to guess which Unique Talent applies to me, it's probably one inherited from my father, Joseph.

The power to fundamentally see through the structure and composition of magic.

Mikhail drew out a long, quiet hum as he sank into thought, but soon pulled himself back to reality.

If the Unique Talent dwelling in his body was the kind he suspected, it wasn't an advantage he could put to use right away.

For now, it was better to focus solely on building his foundational strength.

Mikhail tucked the awakening stone deep into his pocket and turned his head toward the table.

Come to think of it, thanks to Lloyd leaving that item, these three days in confinement weren't a total waste.

Mikhail tilted his head slightly as he gazed at the completed miniature.

An unexpected gift that had turned out to be a nice little bonus.

Once confinement ended, he should buy Lloyd a meal and thank him properly.

And while he was at it, it'd be good to check on how the main storyline was progressing.

If things followed the story's course, Lloyd would soon be teaming up with Ethan.

He'd walk alongside Ethan—who had been moving on inertia under the pretense of following his master's dying wishes—saying the words Ethan needed to hear, and they'd grow together.

So once he'd confirmed things were flowing the right way, it would be time to gradually...

Keep my distance.

The sunset streaming through the window pressed gently against his shoulders.

Mikhail let a faint breath dissolve into the air and pulled his eyes away from the miniature Lloyd had given him.

Up until now, they'd maintained an easy, comfortable dynamic—born from that one exchange of mutual help.

But considering what lay ahead, and the interests tangled between their families, he couldn't afford to grow any closer to Lloyd.

Setting everything else aside, the last thing he wanted was to cause ripples in the main storyline's progression.

"......"

A brief pause passed.

Mikhail closed his eyes slowly, then opened them, drawing his trailing thoughts to a close.

He shifted his gaze from the table and looked through the window where the sunset was settling in.

Once his final day in confinement passed, a new growth period would begin—starting with the assigned missions.

---

The next day. Early morning.

Mikhail put on a convincing show of remorse for the faculty member who came to fetch him, then slipped out of the confinement room.

Next, he stopped by the administration office to submit all his assignments before heading out to carry out his assigned mission.

His destination was the academy's faculty building.

Magic Department Professor: Yupion Fonteil

Click.

Mikhail stopped in front of the office door, gave a light knock, and stepped inside.

Pop!

A system message appeared before his eyes.

【Quest: [Sub] Complete the Assigned Mission】

• Quest Reward: Shop Currency +2

Mikhail glanced at the quest notification, then swept his gaze around the spacious office.

The cold-faced professor stood leaning against the window, while the room itself was an absolute disaster—books and documents scattered everywhere.

"......"

Mikhail took a quick look around the scene that couldn't have been more at odds with its owner's temperament, then gave Yupion a respectful nod.

"Good morning, Professor. I'm here for my assigned mission."

Yupion returned the greeting with a brief tilt of her head before speaking.

"Right. Your assigned mission. What you'll be doing is..."

She trailed off, raising her hand. Her finger extended to sweep across the chaotic landscape.

"Everything from there to here. Organize all of it."

Mikhail followed the direction of Yupion's fingertip.

Her leisurely moving finger pointed at the bookshelves lining every wall of the office.

Every shelf was crammed with books and documents shoved in haphazardly, a complete mess.

"And the documents on the floor, too."

Mikhail rolled his eyes downward, following Yupion's dropped finger.

The mountain of papers blanketing the floor had to be several dozen volumes' worth at a rough glance.

Factoring in the bookshelves he'd already surveyed, it would take at least a full day of nonstop organizing.

"The deadline is before I finish my work for the day."

...But the window he'd been given was three or four hours.

No matter how he looked at it, the task was impossible.

"Understood."

Yet Mikhail answered without a word of complaint and began picking up the books and papers strewn across the floor.

Arguing over a punishment would do him no good.

Rustle. Rustle.

Before long, Mikhail had an armful of papers and was sorting documents according to their index tabs.

All the while, Yupion's gaze pricked at the back of his head, but he didn't bother turning to meet it.

"......"

About two hours passed like that.

What broke the silence was a crisp snap.

Crack!

The scattered books and documents began moving on their own, finding their proper places.

A flurry of rustling paper filled the air, and when it settled, only neatly arranged shelves stood before him.

Mikhail watched the office put itself in order in an instant, then turned toward Yupion.

She stood with her arms crossed and a perfectly composed expression, giving a casual shrug.

"I expected at least one complaint, but you didn't even come close. Full marks for attitude. Come here."

Well, my conduct score was already rock bottom...

Mikhail followed her instruction and took a seat in front of Yupion's desk. She slid a steaming cup toward him.

"Drink it all. Every drop."

Consumable: Medicinal Tea Brewed from Sunlight Herb

A high-grade drink specialized in restoring weakened bodies and replenishing vitality. However, it takes the saying "bitter medicine is good medicine" very much to heart—extremely bitter and astringent.

Mikhail lifted the cup and took a sip.

The lukewarm liquid was absolutely vile. An intense bitterness and a slimy texture tangled together as it slid down his throat.

"......"

Mikhail scrunched his face and set the cup down, but he didn't stop drinking.

Finishing it all would help with his recovery, for one thing.

And right now, at least, it was better to show Yupion he could follow her instructions without resistance.

Since I have to stay at the center of the main storyline, having one professor on my side would go a long way.

Mikhail narrowed his eyes and gave Yupion a brief, measuring glance.

Flat gray hair and pitch-black eyes. All those muted, colorless tones seemed to mirror her unyielding personality.

"......"

But even so, there were ways to hold a productive conversation with her.

Yupion had earned a reputation as a difficult person thanks to her distinctly impassive temperament and rigid manner.

Yet if you understood the principles she operated by, she wasn't hard to deal with at all.

Yupion's guiding principle was this: she placed what she'd experienced as a veteran of the battlefield at the center of every judgment.

Keeping that in mind, communicating with her would be relatively straightforward.

Click.

Mikhail set the cup down with a slight grimace, then spoke to Yupion as she eyed the empty cup.

"Is there... anything else you need from me?"

Yupion raised her eyes to Mikhail and replied.

"Yeah. This time, you answer my questions. It's part of the assigned mission, so answer honestly."

The word honestly carried noticeably more weight than the rest.

Mikhail dipped his head in agreement.

"Understood. Go ahead."

A faint smile touched the corner of Yupion's mouth as she asked.

"Remember what I told you last time?"

"When you told me to give up magic."

"Quick on the uptake. Good. That's right. I want to hear your answer to that question again."

"My answer is the same as before. I won't give it up."

Yupion blinked once or twice, then pressed further.

"Yeah? Why not?"

"Because I intend to accept my name. My role."

Mikhail answered evenly, his gaze steady on the person across from him. Yupion's expression didn't shift—she only tilted her head slightly.

"Hmm."

His answer alone seemed to need a bit more explanation.

Mikhail lowered his eyes as if gathering his thoughts, then spoke in a measured tone.

"...This might take a while. I'll need to explain the circumstances and background behind my situation in some detail."

"That's fine. Go ahead."

Mikhail nodded without objection and began.

"As you're aware, Professor, the North my family governs is harsher than anywhere else on the continent. Blizzards tear across the sky while magical beasts and disasters swarm the ground. ...And maybe it's because the people there have no choice but to endure and survive in a place like that—those who've made the North their home tend to have an iron will."

Mikhail blinked slowly.

Across his vision, as he retraced the settings, scenes of the North began scrolling past like frames through a projector.

Someone chewing through leather straps in the middle of a blizzard, clinging to life until the very end.

Stories of villagers who severed the tendons of a magical beast they had no hope of defeating—just to save the children.

Those who destroyed the bridge and fought to the last, every single one of them surviving.

Mikhail watched the scenes flicker and fade as he continued.

"In the North, human will is counted among the resources used to fight the environment. The strength that has sustained life through those brutal conditions for so long... it's a force as formidable as any miracle. So a leader should think about how to maintain and make use of the resources their territory holds."

...For one fleeting instant, Joseph's mana—shining like the North Star amid the vast, biting cold—became as vivid as reality.

"I intend to carry on what Joseph—no, what my father built. His symbol. His image. The incomprehensible magic that tamed the land once called the Deadlands. The message that it continues to protect them... just knowing that message exists is enough to give people the strength to keep moving forward. That's why I can't give up learning magic."

Mikhail let out a quiet breath as he finished and slowly raised his eyes.

No voice followed right away.

Yupion sat with the window behind her, her face blurred and indistinct where the falling sunlight mingled with shadow.

"......"

...But for just a moment.

He caught it—the hard line of her mouth softening.