Marga's Point of View:

"Young Lady Marga." Mains, who had been in the room next door, returned after speaking with my father. "I've finished speaking with His Grace, the Duke. Your father expressed deep concern for you. He'll call tonight after finishing his scheduled meetings." My father was never affectionate at first, but after my mother passed away, he started to change.

"He's asked me to take you back as soon as possible. At first, he said to return the day after the birthday, but then left the decision up to me—as long as I don't overextend." That's good news. It gives me time to talk more with Sol and Maki. But at the same time, it means I have to attend more tea meetings with nobles trying to curry favor with my family.

"Young Lady, it's already quite late. You should rest soon so you'll have enough energy for tomorrow's meetings and the party the day after." His words make me raise my eyes to the ceiling and think about my schedule. It's actually pretty flexible compared to a typical day.

"You're right, Mains. Better to sleep early." My lifelong companion stands from the floor and bows before leaving the room. "I just have a few questions before bed." He turns to me silently, already knowing my personality after so many years.

"The young man from the Vichag family. What's your opinion of him?" I try to keep a straight face and steady tone, but I know he's picked up on my hidden motives. This isn't a simple curiosity question.

"It's hard to form an opinion from such a brief encounter." He touches his chin, thinking. "But if I had to say something… he's an impressive mage for his age. He can control multiple spells at once and recast them as fast as they're broken. His Imra is a fortress—I couldn't read a single emotion from him—and he strengthens his body and blades with ease."

His opinion mirrors mine. These are just surface-level things we observed in under an hour. Who knows how many secrets he's hiding? "He's quite good-looking too. I can already tell he'll have many admirers, but that might be the least remarkable thing about him." His words make me turn toward him immediately—I'd been staring at a painting while thinking about Maki.

"He's got high-ranked skills. His battle sense is on another level—he moved through the battlefield like it was his backyard. And while I can't confirm it, I think he has a rare affinity, probably related to darkness." I start remembering Maki's fight. At the time, it all seemed normal. But thinking back, Mains is right. Thanks to him, his students weren't as injured as we first thought, and that strange black affinity…

"But the most important thing is his swordsmanship. That's what really impressed me." He pauses to choose his words. "I also use swords as my main weapon, and within minutes, I noticed an overwhelming gap between us. He reminds me of people with decades of experience." His words shock me enough to make my mouth open slightly.

Mains is well-known for his swordsmanship—a man with a secured future as a swordsman in our duchy. Our top swordsman even took him in as a disciple last year.

"How is that possible? How can he be better than you, Mains?" I can't help but ask. It's hard to believe.

"There's only one explanation, Young Lady." He gives a half-smile—that expression always hides something. "He was born with top-tier talent and has pushed himself to the limit." He's not entirely sure, yet he seems confident in his answer.

"Someone who works hard can surpass the talented… but a talented person who works hard is unbeatable." That phrase came to my mind—it's often used to motivate students in our duchy. It encourages both kinds of people.

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"Exactly, Young Lady." He bows and heads toward the door, then pauses. "If I learn anything else after tomorrow's meeting with him, I'll let you know." With that, he closes the door, leaving me no room to reply.

Should I plan a meeting with Maki tomorrow? After thinking for a bit, I dismiss the idea. I'll wait until I speak with Mains again. I've got plenty of time to see him now that I decide when we leave.

I take a warm shower, put on my coolest pajamas, and lie down in this comfy bed. Since our family doesn't own a house in this city, Baron Solar gave us one of his guest residences. Due to our status, we got the biggest one. Just as I'm about to fall asleep, someone knocks on the door. It's quite late… Who could it be?

Maki's Point of View:

The formal introduction with my household staff in Marril was quick. We already had a coachman waiting to take me to the Solar residence. I barely had time to shower and change into formal attire.

I spoke with the Baron and his wife for a few minutes. I told them about the incident, and they promised me a reward for helping the Duke's daughter. I declined for several minutes, but they wouldn't give up until I accepted. It'll be a surprise for my departure.

We chatted about casual things for a while before saying goodbye. They seemed quite busy with all the guests coming for Sol's party. The Baron has a lot of noble connections.

After that, I visited Sol. She looked flustered, her mind clearly overwhelmed. The moment she saw me, she jumped into my arms with a tight hug and dragged me off to one of the pre-party social gatherings—events filled with noble or wealthy kids.

I tried to say no with all my might, but her puppy eyes and her "It's my birthday" card got me. Lately, I've been overly pessimistic about things… maybe I should change that. I'm not sure. By pure chance, we ran into Arisa at our first social gathering. She greeted me with a strong hug too—in front of everyone. I felt a little weird with all those eyes on me. Luckily, most people lost interest once they learned about my rank, and Arisa's status as a Count's daughter kept people at bay.

Sometimes Arisa and Sol had to speak to other people. During those moments, other nobles approached me, mostly out of courtesy for being friends with Sol and Arisa. Some didn't even bother asking my name, others were more polite, and a few showed actual interest.

Personally, I didn't memorize any names. I wasn't in the mood, and none of them really seemed genuine. I don't blame them—they're nobles' children. It's normal for them to feel superior or not care about the third son of a baronet who won't inherit anything. At least none tried to cause problems.

"What a day." Just remembering everything makes me sigh. I never thought I'd feel tired from so much socializing… Is it weird to feel less exhausted fighting hundreds of monsters?

"Tomorrow's going to be even worse…" I sink into bed, thinking about how much socializing I'll have to do. I've been forced to accept several invitations from Arisa and Sol. I also have to meet Mains and his students… I won't have time to train my electric mind skill, even though I can feel it's just one step away from completion.

I've also noticed that Sus's daughter is absorbing more mana than usual... something big is coming soon. My instincts rarely fail me, and I hope this isn't one of those times. I've been waiting for years to finally meet Sus's daughter.

What will happen to my tattoo? Will I lose it? Will I lose my arm? It's something that would be worrying—if I didn't have my life affinity. Several questions begin to steal away the little sleep I had left after today's endless meetings.

I really don't want to lose my tattoo. I've grown used to seeing my arms with those marks. Right now I keep them hidden from the public, but I plan to start showing them in a few years. According to my parents, it's quite common in this world to see people with tattoos.

Curiosity starts creeping into my head, and I toss and turn in bed, thinking about different scenarios while trying to find a comfortable position. As the hours pass, I decide to sleep without using any mana—I'll need to recover my stamina for tomorrow.

"I hope to meet you soon, little sister." I gently touch my arm and try to channel a bit of mana—it vanishes instantly, sucked in like a black hole.

"Every day that passes is one day closer to our meeting." With a smile on my face and my heart warmed by the thought of that day, I fall asleep.

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