Morning Surprise

Raziel scratched his chin, staring at the broken tree with a mix of confusion and curiosity, trying to piece together what had just happened using the mana theory he'd been studying over the last two days.

He knew mana functioned differently from the other two energy types, operating in a far more intricate and complex manner.

Those born with aptitude for mana are trained from an early age to efficiently absorb, store, and manipulate it.

Novice mana users usually struggle with low absorption and storage capacity, but this can be enhanced by developing more Mana Circles.

Mana Circles are blue, rotating rings that orbit a mana user's heart without ever colliding. The more circles a user develops, the greater their strength and capacity become.

In theory, increasing Mana Circles shouldn't be a difficult task for Mages. All they need to do is create another circle that spins independently without colliding with the existing ones, all while keeping it tethered to the heart.

However, achieving this feat requires a relaxed state of mind, sufficient mana reserves to generate another circle, and a heart capable of sustaining the desired number of circles.

Forcing another circle without fulfilling these conditions would cause a Mage's heart to fail, inevitably leading to their death.

Mages with additional Mana Circles gain significant benefits, such as amplified destructive power, expanded mana reserves, and the ability to cast spells more rapidly by reducing recitation time.

To shorten recitations, a Mage must possess at least four Mana Circles and demonstrate exceptional mastery over a specific element or spell.

Only skilled Mages can accomplish this, often paving the way for them to ascend to higher classes.

If someone tries to shorten a recitation without fulfilling these requirements, the spell won't cast, and they'll experience minor disruptions in their mana flow.

Because he hadn't met any of the necessary conditions, Raziel tried to figure out what happened.

"That was amazing! How did you do that, little master?" Eve asked excitedly, walking up to Raziel, who was still wearing a thoughtful expression.

Raziel just shrugged and glanced at Eve, who was holding a plate piled high with cookies.

"I have no idea," he said, picking one up to eat.

Eve watched him closely, trying to gauge if he was lying. Meanwhile, Raziel took a few steps back and began to recite another simple spell.

Before he could even finish reciting, a massive three-meter-tall earthen wall materialized in front of him.

Based on his memories, Raziel knew this shouldn't have been possible. In fact, he had always struggled to cast even the simplest of spells.

Now, he could accomplish something that nearly every mage his age would deem impossible.

This led him to consider a few theories, with the most plausible being that when the system granted him the ability to use aura, it caused a mutation in his body, enabling him to cast spells without completing the recitations.

It was still too early to tell, but if his theory was right, it would make things both risky and intriguing.

"Little master, how can you use magic without finishing your recitations?" Eve asked, curiosity lacing her voice as she tugged at his shirt. "Even Master Cyntia still can't do that so smoothly!"

Noticing her curious gaze, Raziel took her plate of cookies and set it on the ground. Without warning, he grabbed Eve's shoulders firmly, staring deeply into her icy blue right eye.

Eve could have easily escaped Raziel's grip, but the intensity of his gaze and his handsome, villainous expression made her hesitate, rooted to the spot.

A faint blush crept up her cheeks as she struggled to look away from his piercing eyes.

"L-little master, w-what are you doing?" the girl asked timidly, trying to maintain her composure.

"Eve!" Raziel exclaimed, his grip tightening as he leaned in closer.

"Y-yes!" she shouted, her voice trembling.

The girl even closed her eyes, bracing herself for whatever might come next.

"I know my father sent you to spy on me and report everything I do, but please, don't tell anyone about this," Raziel said, his voice filled with a rare plea.

Upon hearing his words, Eve's right eye snapped open in shock. She had never expected him to know the true reason for her presence.

"H-how do you know I was sent to spy on you?" she stammered, trembling, afraid he might despise her for it.

"How I know doesn't matter," he said with a calm tone, then added, "And don't worry, I don't hate you for this. I understand it was my father's order. Just promise me, if you report to him, you won't mention what's happened here."

Raziel couldn't shake his worry about his father finding out about his newfound "ability."

Mikael would undoubtedly make a scene in the capital, casting him into the spotlight as the young prodigy capable of casting spells without completing recitations at such young age, drawing far too much unwanted attention.

Moreover, he didn't want to be forced into becoming a bargaining chip by his father, who would try to use him to gain benefits from other noble families.

The orange-haired girl urged him to reveal the exciting news, claiming his father would be thrilled to know. But Raziel offered an excuse and begged, causing Eve to reluctantly comply.

He then released his grip on Eve's shoulders, picked up her plate of cookies, and handed it back to her, flashing a satisfied smile.

With this settled, Raziel resumed his training, asking Eve to alert him if Clarice approached the backyard.

She agreed, giving a thumbs-up as she sat in a chair near the door, legs crossed, munching on cookies again.

A few hours later, Raziel, having finished his training, was relaxing in a bathtub. As he soaked in the warm water, he reflected on the tests he had conducted earlier to better understand how magic truly worked.

Some of his doubts were cleared, while others lingered. What surprised him most, though, was realizing that he didn't need to recite anything at all.

As long as he truly intended to cast a spell, just thinking about it was enough to make it work.

Raziel found this incredibly useful and was eager to combine it with aura. However, with Eve around, keeping his abilities hidden would be challenging.

He was determined to conceal his rare capacity to use dual primary classes and considered renting a private room in the school's training facilities to train in secret.

Once he was done with his bath, Raziel went to the kitchen for a quick bite before heading to his room for some well-deserved rest.

* * *

The next morning, Raziel woke up, his body still carrying a hint of exhaustion from the previous day's rigorous training.

Although he didn't do any physical exercise, using mana for extended periods would drain the body's stamina.

Fortunately, with no classes for the next two days due to the weekend, Raziel had plenty of time to decide how to spend his day.

However, just as he was about to get out of bed, he noticed a faint weight pressing down beneath his blanket.

As he slowly lifted the blanket, a graceful sight met his eyes. A familiar woman with long orange hair rested on his stomach, her smooth white arms tightly wrapped around his waist, like a sloth clinging to a tree branch.

The moment Raziel saw Eve clinging to him, sleeping so peacefully, he didn't feel nervous. Instead, he gently removed the blanket, revealing what she was wearing.

She wore a light blue nightgown, soft and flowy, perfect for a cozy night in. The lace details at the top added a subtle, easygoing touch.

Noticing Raziel's movements, Eve slowly woke up. She stretched and yawned, freeing her arms from around his waist.

"Oh, it's already morning?" Eve murmured, still seeming half asleep

"Yes, it is. But let me ask you something... why are you sleeping in my bed?" Raziel asked, his expression curious.

As Raziel spoke, he recalled that this was somewhat normal for them, yet he wanted to hear what she would say.

"I came to your room yesterday so we could do something together, but when I saw you resting so peacefully, I ended up feeling sleepy too and decided to stay," she explained, rubbing her eyes.

For some reason, the contrast between her innocent demeanor and her reputation as a deadly assassin amused him slightly.

'Well, this is every man's dream, so there's no reason to get angry about it,' he thought, letting out a sigh.

As Raziel thought about the situation, he took a quick glance at her chest, noticing that she was more developed than he had imagined.

Suddenly, he felt another part of himself awaken. Not wanting to risk any awkward situations, he swiftly got out of bed and headed straight to the bathroom connected to his room.

Eve tilted her head, not understanding the reason for his sudden reaction. She even felt a bit sad, thinking that she might have upset him somehow.

But, the boy remained unaware of her reaction, focused instead on taking a cold shower to settle his now fully awakened "friend."