Lynen returned to the bench with new shoes for Calliphe to wear. However, looking around, he couldn’t see Calliphe or Noah anywhere.

Lynen sighed like he was dealing with a disobedient child.

“Where did they go in such a short time?”

As he walked around searching for the two, his vision suddenly became blurry and clear repeatedly.

Lynen stopped for a moment and rubbed his eyes.

‘I haven’t received an ability from Calliphe for a while.’

That’s because he had been postponing it while dealing with urgent matters first. He definitely needed to receive ability today.

Just as he was about to continue walking with that thought, Lynen hesitated.

“……”

His eyes, which had suddenly turned cold, slowly looked back.

It was in the direction of the Grand Temple.

‘A magical beast’s energy.’

Though it was such a fleeting sensation that he wondered if it was his imagination, Lynen was certain.

The knights of the North, who had been dealing with magical beasts since childhood, were more sensitive than anyone to their energy.

Lynen was the most skilled among them and had never misjudged.

For energy to be felt from this distance.

‘It’s a powerful one.’

For a high-level magical beast to appear in the middle of the capital, something wasn’t right.

Lynen immediately ran toward the Grand Temple.

* * *

“Where are you going?”

“Just follow me!”

Noah trudged along behind the huffing Mihail. He was now holding a wooden sword that Mihail had thrown to him.

While waiting for Lady Calliphe, he had encountered Mihail, and somehow ended up agreeing to a duel.

“I don’t have a sword.”

“I can give you one. Here!”

“We shouldn’t go too far.”

“We can do it nearby.”

“I can’t be away for long…”

“It’ll be quick! Just come with meee!”

Noah had no choice but to follow since Mihail’s face was worryingly red.

Eventually, the two children stopped at a grass field. The very place Noah had been looking down at from the window.

‘There it is.’

Noah looked around, picked up the black stone, and put it in his pocket.

Strangely, it looked exactly the same in shape and size as the one he had stolen from the young Marquis.

He planned to show it to Lady Calliphe later.

Meanwhile, Mihail had created some distance between them and raised his sword.

“Now, raise your sword!”

“Do you like fighting?”

Mihail’s ears turned red at Noah’s calm question.

“What are you talking about? You acted cowardly earlier!”

“You were the one who cut in line.”

“But bringing your parents was cheating! You should have settled it with me directly!”

“…Parents?”

“Yes! And then you have the nerve to come into the Grand Temple― Why are you smiling?”

Parents… he had said.

Noah, with a slight blush, bit his lip inward. Still, his lips twitched with irrepressible laughter.

Seeing this, Mihail pounded his chest.

“Are, are you crazy? Laughing at me in this situation…. Raise your sword!”

Noah reluctantly raised his sword at Mihail’s intensity.

“The loser swears loyalty to the winner. On their honor before God! Got it?”

“What if I don’t believe in God?”

“Aaargh! You really… Fine! Here I come!”

Tap!

Mihail charged in to thoroughly teach a lesson to this seemingly loose-screwed kid.

At first, he felt guilty about dueling someone younger than him, but now his annoyance had grown.

‘Such a weak-looking kid will be a piece of cake!’

“Hah!”

Mihail’s textbook-perfect sword thrust aimed for Noah’s shoulder.

However, Noah simply avoided the attack by tilting his body diagonally.

“Huh…?!”

While Mihail was surprised by the unexpected movement, Noah’s sword came slashing at his midsection. That began a rapid series of attacks.

Tang! Tak!

The wooden swords clashed several times quickly.

Struggling to defend, Mihail was shocked.

‘What’s this, why is he so good?’

In truth, Noah’s strength and stamina were exceptional for his age.

His previous sword instructor had only taught Noah physical training and basics. The days of proper lessons could be counted on one hand.

But Noah hadn’t been discouraged.

He repeated and repeated the handful of things he had learned. He persisted because that was all he knew how to do.

Anyone watching would have called it foolish behavior, and Noah himself didn’t believe in it.

But now Noah vaguely felt it.

That no effort was truly wasted.

His usually expressionless green eyes flashed sharply as he looked for Mihail’s opening.

“Ugh!”

Whoosh! Along with the sound of cutting air, Mihail’s ear tip stung.

If it had hit properly, it would have been Mihail’s defeat.

But.

“Now it’s my turn.”

Mihail’s real fierce attack began. The momentum reversed in an instant.

“…!”

“I participate in holy knight training too!”

Tak!

“I’m the best among the trainees. Even my grandfather, the High Cardinal, goes around bragging about me!”

“Ugh….”

“You’re still far from my level!”

Swoosh, clang!

Finally unable to withstand a heavy blow that would surprise even adults, Noah fell backward.

Blood flowed from his cheek where the wooden sword had grazed him, but Noah paid no attention and jumped right back up.

“It’s useless!”

Mihail was superior to Noah in age, size, strength, and sword skills. Noah fell every time the boy swung his sword.

But each time, he got back up without giving in.

“Huff, huff…”

By the time Noah’s face was covered in sweat and blood, Mihail had also become tired.

The exhausted Mihail asked, “Are you going to continue? You have a lot of injuries now. Aren’t you scared of getting hurt?”

“…Don’t know.”

Noah was just really bothered by what Mihail had said earlier.

“I’m the best. Even my grandfather goes around bragging about me!”

It was unpleasant and annoying to hear. He was very envious and somehow a bit angry too.

That unfamiliar emotion suddenly reminded him of what the maids had said.

“But what happens to that sponsored child when they get married?”

“When they have a real child, they’ll probably send him away for adoption since he’ll be in the way.”

After that, he absolutely refused to lose.

He wanted to tell Lady Calliphe that he had won. Because then…

‘She’ll be proud of me.’

Seeing Noah stubbornly raising his sword, Mihail’s excitement actually subsided. Mihail lowered his sword.

“Let me treat you first.”

“We’re still in the middle of the duel.”

“Don’t be stubborn. You stubborn kid.”

Frowning, Mihail approached and grabbed Noah’s injured arm to use holy power.

That’s when it happened.

Behind Mihail, black mist gathered and gradually took the form of a grotesque wolf.

“…?!”

“You were actually pretty strong. If you were a trainee too, you’d be second only to me. But do you really not believe in God? Why?”

Mihail raising his head toward Noah and the wolf fully materializing happened almost simultaneously.

Noah had no time to think of anything else as he thrust his sword toward Mihail.

Behind the shocked Mihail’s head, Noah’s sword blocked the magical beast’s fangs.

Swoosh!

Only then did Mihail realize the magical beast’s presence.

And the fact that if it weren’t for Noah, the magical beast would have torn his shoulder apart.

The wooden sword slowly crumpled under the beast’s teeth. Still, Noah didn’t let go of the sword as he struggled against its strength.

The pale-faced Mihail shouted.

“What, what are you doing! That’s not something you can win against!”

“I, know…”

Noah’s struggling eyes turned toward Mihail.

“So hurry up and run!”

“…!”

He did that to help me escape?

How could he do that when he’s weaker than me?

However, Noah’s scream cut off Mihail’s thoughts.

“Aagh!”

The huge wolf’s mouth snatched Noah in one bite and shook violently. This caused Noah’s head to hit the ground.

“Ugh!”

As Noah went limp, the satisfied magical beast leaped high and disappeared from sight.

Mihail, who had been frozen in fear, got up trembling.

“It’s, it’s my fault. What should I do, how… Ah, grandfather. I need to tell grandfather quickly.”

Though Mihail’s legs were shaking and he fell several times, he gritted his teeth and ran.

Then he bumped into someone.

“Ah!”

The other person firmly caught Mihail’s body as he was about to fall. Looking up at him, Mihail’s eyes widened.

“Ah, that child’s father… right? Something terrible, something terrible has happened!”

From those words, Lynen could roughly guess the situation. His voice lowered coldly.

“Where is Noah?”