After dropping Senomi off at the regular school, Felix, Degenbrecher, and Mandragora watched her skip away with a bright smile, waving enthusiastically—like a carefree little bird fluttering into the wind.

“Let’s go too. Mandragora’s school is on the way,” Felix said, taking Mandragora’s hand. She nodded softly, a gentle smile forming on her lips.

To onlookers, they appeared like a small family: the father a Sankta, the mother a Caprinae—but curiously, one daughter was a Zalak, the other a Feline. Even their hair colors were different. What was going on here?

When they arrived at the gate of the Caster School, it was immediately clear that the entrance procedures were more rigorous than at ordinary schools. Several teachers stood at the gates inspecting each student’s spellcasting gear. Only after passing the inspection were students allowed to enter—a precaution to ensure safety and prevent accidents caused by faulty spellcasting equipment.

Felix gave Mandragora a gentle nudge forward. She turned back, smiling faintly.

“Brother Pioneer, Sister Degenbrecher, I’m off to school.”

“Take care,” Felix said, crouching down slightly to zip up Mandragora’s coat. Though it was technically spring, this northern region of Victoria still carried the lingering chill of winter.

“Okay. Thank you, Brother. I like you the most.”

Mandragora stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Felix in a tight hug, then turned and did the same with Degenbrecher. Without further delay, she walked to the school gate and handed over her staff to the inspecting teacher. After a brief check confirmed everything was in order, the teacher welcomed her warmly.

Felix hadn’t done any fancy engraving or embellishment on Mandragora’s staff. She was still a young girl, not yet fully developed in her abilities, and had only recently begun learning Originium arts. For now, the staff he crafted for her was a simple trainee’s staff—ideal for a beginner.

Degenbrecher gave Felix a sidelong glance and smiled.

Felix raised an eyebrow. “What’s that look for?”

“Mandragora really likes you.”

“She should. I’m her savior—and now her family.” Felix smiled. “The same goes for you, Degenbrecher. Even if you act aloof, the girls are really attached to you. You’re actually pretty approachable when you’re not pretending to be cool.”

Degenbrecher thought for a moment but said nothing more. Children often idolized others with a kind of pure affection—like how some worship the Black Knight. It was just admiration.

“I’m heading to the factory,” Felix said. “What about you?”

“I’ll walk around a bit and get a feel for the area.”

“Alright. Let’s meet back here after school.”

They exchanged smiles and went their separate ways.

—

For Mandragora, this was her first formal education in Originium skills—a complete departure from the self-taught, instinct-driven path she had followed until now. In the past, she relied solely on improvisation with no real control. But now, with a foundation in theory, she could understand how to train properly: how to move, how to control casting time, strike speed, and apply the right amount of force.

Entering the Caster School felt like a wild wizard stepping into Hogwarts—learning from renowned professors as they deconstructed the deep symbols of Originium arts and explained how every movement and nuance of force influenced spellcasting outcomes.

Mandragora gained immensely from the lessons. She absorbed the knowledge with eagerness, meticulously copying every note from the blackboard into her notebook.

She still remembered how she used to love the Victorian poetry collections sold on the streets. Sometimes, she would secretly flip through the pages when the vendor wasn’t paying attention, jotting down the verses in her own crooked handwriting. Every night before bed, she would read them, trying to understand why Victoria was considered superior to others. Maybe one day, she wondered, if I learn to write beautiful prose like this, will I be equal to the Victorians?

On her birthday, her mother had bought her one of those poetry books. From that day on, she read it daily.

Now, that beloved volume of Victorian poetry was probably buried beneath the rubble—its cover charred, its pages turned to ash.

Mandragora knew that poetry alone couldn’t save the Tara people. She now had only two goals: the first was to repay her Pioneer brother; the second was to find a way to improve the situation of the Tara people—without burdening her Pioneer brother further.

That goal, of course, also included the emotion called revenge, which burned within her like black fire.

And so, she studied with unwavering determination. Whenever an opportunity appeared, the girl named Mandragora seized it tightly in her hands.

—

It didn’t take long for the students to notice that their new transfer student was quiet and solitary, but clearly gifted. While many classmates would slack off or lose focus during lectures, Mandragora paid close attention and took diligent notes. During breaks, while the others rushed out to the playground, she remained in the classroom, reviewing the lessons.

When classmates tried to chat with her, they received only the briefest of replies. Eventually, they stopped trying. After all, no one likes to be ignored.

Most students here came from families with some financial stability. The Caster School’s tuition was not cheap, and the majority of students were from middle-class households. There were no truly wealthy young masters or noble ladies here—such people didn’t tend to live in border cities like this one.

After a quick lunch, Mandragora and the other students gathered on the grassy field behind the school. It was time for a practical course: students were to form pairs and work together to attack moving iron dolls.

This exercise tested their real-world spellcasting skills.

Mandragora’s assigned partner was a girl with pink hair braided in a French style and eyes that—curiously—were the same color as Mandragora’s.

“Um… my name’s Susie,” the girl said softly. “What’s your name, classmate?”

The shade of her hair reminded Mandragora of Senomi, though her eyes mirrored her own. Mandragora gave a calm nod.

“Mandragora. Please take care of me.”

“Okay… please take care of me too, Mandragora.”

Susie bowed politely. Her demeanor was gentle—perhaps a little timid. Mandragora had once had friends with similar personalities… though by now, they were likely long gone.

“Let’s begin.”

Mandragora raised her staff, feeling the pulse of Originium arts. White light gradually gathered at the tip of her staff.

Chunks of rubble rose from the ground and launched toward the iron puppet. The rocks struck its chest with a sharp crackle, shattering upon impact.

“Mandragora… that was really good! So impressive.” Susie clapped her hands and took a deep breath. “I—I want to try too!”

Her staff began to glow faintly. Mandragora stood nearby, but as Susie gathered her power, her hair suddenly began to lift and sway. A tingling sensation crept over her body, and she quickly stepped back, unsettled.

A weak blue electric current surged from Susie’s staff and struck the puppet. The electricity danced briefly across the puppet’s surface, flickering and fizzling out in a harmless display.

The result was far from ideal.

Susie lowered her gaze, troubled. Her casting gestures were flawed, and the Originium skill she had summoned was rough and unrefined. It barely left a mark on the puppet.

“Your Originium skill… is it electricity?” Mandragora asked.

She instinctively smoothed down her hair, still recalling the fuzzy, static feeling—like the tension right before a lightning strike.

“Ah—no!” Susie shook her head quickly, waving her hands. “It’s… it’s static electricity, not real electricity.”

“Isn’t that amazing?” Mandragora replied without hesitation.

Susie’s eyes lit up at the praise, but a moment later, she remembered herself. She looked down again and muttered, “N-No… I’m not nearly as good as you, Mandragora. My casting motions are still clumsy. I haven’t figured out the right technique yet.”

Mandragora didn’t reply. Instead, she silently turned back toward the training field and resumed casting. More rock fragments soared through the air and crashed into the puppet.

Susie felt a twinge of disappointment. Mandragora hadn’t responded. Still… she was used to this. Despite the adaptability of her Originium skill, she often struggled to control it. Sometimes it was too loud. Sometimes it caused no damage at all. Worst of all, her casting often interfered with others, causing accidents. A few times, she’d even made her classmates’ uniforms crackle and explode. Before long, no one wanted to partner with her.

“Did you see it clearly?” Mandragora asked.

“Huh?”

Susie made a startled sound. Lost in her thoughts, she hadn’t realized Mandragora was speaking to her.

Mandragora sighed lightly and cast again, her staff moving in a practiced rhythm. “Did you see the movement clearly?”

Only then did Susie understand why Mandragora had been quiet. She had wanted Susie to observe and learn.

A wave of shame washed over her. She had misunderstood Mandragora’s silence… and now felt shy and a little flustered. It was the first time a classmate had shown her such kindness.

“N-No… not yet,” she admitted softly.

“Then watch again.”

Mandragora’s tone was calm and direct—one could call it resolute. Susie struggled to keep up with her rhythm and thinking, but she did her best to mirror Mandragora’s spellcasting movements and try again.

After twenty minutes of practice, the students were given a ten-minute break. Once class ended, they could choose to either continue practicing or head home directly. As soon as the session wrapped up, many students put away their staffs and eagerly planned to explore outside the school together.

Mandragora, however, remained on the field, continuing to train her rock-based Originium arts. She focused on two key challenges: increasing the casting speed and improving the density and impact of the rocks. Her short-term goal was simple—maximize damage with maximum speed.

She wasn’t setting her sights too high for now. Her current target was Senomi.

Senomi had been by her pioneer brother’s side for a long time and had garnered a great deal of his attention. That alone gave Mandragora a sense of urgency. She needed to grow stronger.

Nearby, Susie was still imitating Mandragora’s spellcasting. A thick streak of blue electricity burst from her staff and struck the puppet’s surface, spreading static across the area.

This attack was not only quick, but also delivered decent damage.

Overjoyed, Susie suddenly threw her arms around Mandragora. “Thank you… thank you, Mandragora! If it weren’t for you, I never would’ve made progress like this!”

Mandragora stiffened at the unexpected embrace. Instinctively, she wanted to push Susie away—but she stopped herself.

Susie quickly noticed the tension in Mandragora’s body. She let go in a hurry and saw that Mandragora’s ears and tail fur had puffed up from the static. She bowed her head in embarrassment. “I’m so sorry, Mandragora… I got too excited. I won’t do that again. Please… forgive me.”

Both girls had disheveled hair, looking like they’d just been struck by lightning.

“It’s fine. I don’t really mind,” Mandragora replied flatly.

Susie was deeply moved. She looked at the usually aloof Mandragora and felt a warmth blossom in her chest.

“It would be nice if… Mandragora were my friend.”

“Friend?”

Susie immediately covered her mouth in a panic. She hadn’t meant to say that out loud—it had just slipped out. What if Mandragora thought she was being too forward?

Mandragora looked her up and down, making Susie’s heart race in nervous anticipation.

“Sure,” Mandragora said.

“Huh?”

“I said yes.” A soft smile appeared on Mandragora’s lips—one she had slowly relearned while traveling with her pioneer brother. “But I won’t be at this school for long. Are you sure you want to be friends with someone like me, Susie?”

“I do!” Susie exclaimed without hesitation, then blushed. “Sorry… I got excited again.”

“It’s fine.”

Mandragora glanced at the school clock on the wall. “There’s still some time before dismissal. Let’s keep practicing.”

“Okay!” Susie replied brightly, her voice full of cheerful energy.

—

The sky was tinged with red as the sun began to set. Felix had just finished a full day of forging at the factory. While working the hammer, he chatted with Mini Muelsyse, catching up on the latest orders from Rhine Lab as well as movements from the military and the Maylander Foundation. Muelsyse joked that she was effectively working two jobs now—managing her ecological park while also serving as Felix’s informant.

The subtext was clear: she wanted a raise.

So, Felix generously increased the salary of the charming elf lady. He had the money, after all—and he did as he pleased.

The feeling of waiting for a child was truly something new. Standing at the school gate, Felix watched as parents greeted their children with warm smiles. This was his first time experiencing such emotions from a parent’s perspective. In his past life, he had resolved to remain a virgin and ascend to the rank of grand mage by the age of thirty. He had never had a girlfriend, never married, and naturally had never raised a child.

Then he spotted Mandragora in the distance—and she spotted him too. She waved, her smile radiant.

Her other hand was clasped with that of another smiling girl with soft pink hair.

Felix’s heart swelled with parental pride. He hadn’t expected Mandragora to make a friend on her very first day. That was wonderful.

Though… why did they both look like they’d just been electrocuted?

“Elder brother!”

Mandragora ran up to him, rose onto her tiptoes, and gave him a big hug. “Did you miss me?”

“Of course I did. Tell me all about your day at school as we walk.” Felix gently ruffled her hair.

Then he looked at the pink-haired girl standing nearby, a bit shy and reserved, and smiled warmly.

“Hello, I’m Mandragora’s brother. What’s your name?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep