After taking care of the two assassins Arthur looked at his uniform, glancing down across his sleeves and sides which had several tears on them and sighed, the clothes here are very fragile if they are not enchanted. 

Arthur paused a second and kept the bodies in the Spear of Heaven, ‘Guardian try to find from the memories of the assassins who the attacker was. And there should also be their memories about mana. Try to gather as much information as you can.’ The guardian had been learning about mana with Arthur, everything Arthur learned had been archived in its servers to analyze. 

Arthur had even allowed the AI to read his memories to access his interpretations about mana, but there was much more data that needed to be gathered to come to a better understanding of mana and its workings.

[Affirmative Commander.]

…

The scent of blood still clung to Arthur as he walked towards the city, his tattered academy uniform fluttering slightly in the night breeze. 

“I need to fix the uniform before I enter the academy,” Arthur muttered under his breath.

With a sigh, he pushed the thought aside. There were more important things to consider. His senses tingled as he felt the lingering gazes from the distance. The observers had not left. He could still sense them watching.

‘Still here, huh?’ he mused, while he continued to move towards the city.

They didn’t move to attack. They just… observed. He thought they were most probably fence-sitters from other noble families, trying to gauge the situation.

Without another glance in their direction, he continued toward the city gates. The guards stationed there barely gave him a second look as he passed through, disappearing into the city’s bustling streets.

The academy was not far away. But before stepping inside, Arthur turned down a narrow alley. He checked behind him no signs of pursuit. Still, just to be sure, he activated ‘Map’.

A translucent mental projection of his surroundings expanded in his mind, displaying every movement, every life form within a certain radius. Thankfully, no one was tailing him.

Satisfied, he reached into his dimensional pocket and retrieved a handful of microscopic nanobots. With a simple command, the tiny machines spread across his uniform, seamlessly repairing the fabric. The torn edges stitched together, loose threads vanishing as if they had never been damaged. Within seconds, his uniform was pristine once more.

“Much better,” Arthur muttered, adjusting his collar before stepping out of the alley.

The academy loomed before him, bathed in soft moonlight. Most students had retired for the night, but near the dormitory entrance, three figures stood in quiet conversation. Arthur recognized them immediately, Leon, Finn, and to his mild surprise, Eva.

Eva Rosewood was not someone he expected to be standing around chatting. He had sparred with her multiple times in the past month and a half, and while there was mutual respect between them, they could not be considered as close friends. The silent girl was highly skilled, disciplined, and detached. She rarely spoke unless necessary, making her presence here unusual.

As he approached, the three turned to him, their expressions shifting.

Leon and Finn exhaled in visible relief.

“Finally,” Finn muttered, rubbing the back of his head. “You took your damn time.”

Leon nodded, arms crossed. “We were starting to think something happened to you.”

Arthur gave a small smile. “Well…the matter is resolved. So, there’s no need to worry now.”

“…That’s it?” Finn asked, raising an eyebrow.

Arthur just shrugged but didn’t elaborate any further.

Leon sighed, clearly frustrated, but he didn’t push further.

Eva, who had been silent this entire time, finally spoke. “Since Arthur arrived safely. Then I’ll take my leave.”

Leon and Finn turned to her, their expressions softening.

“Thanks for listening to us,” Leon said.

“Yeah,” Finn added. “We appreciate it.”

Eva simply nodded before glancing at Arthur. Her gaze lingered for a moment before she gave him a small nod of acknowledgment and walked away, her figure disappearing into the night.

Arthur watched her go, then turned back to Leon and Finn. “So, what were you three talking about?”

Finn sighed. “After we got back to the academy, we started worrying about you. We were debating whether to report to an instructor or not.”

Leon scratched his cheek. “Yeah… we were going back and forth when Eva overheard us.”

Arthur raised an eyebrow. “Oh.”

Finn nodded. “She was passing by when she heard us talking about you being followed by some suspicious people. She asked for details, and we told her about the auction house and everything that happened afterward.”

Arthur’s expression didn’t change, but internally, he was intrigued. Eva didn’t seem like the type to involve herself in matters that didn’t concern her.

“And?”

Leon exhaled. “She offered to help. She said she could ask her mother, Marchioness Irene Rosewood, for assistance.”

Arthur’s gaze sharpened slightly. The Rosewood family was one of the most powerful and wealthiest noble houses in Brightwater, with significant influence both politically and militarily. If the Marchioness got involved, things could escalate quickly.

“Did you agree?”

Finn shook his head. “We were still deciding when you showed up.”

Arthur crossed his arms. “We shouldn’t involve the Rosewoods.”

Leon frowned. “Why not? Eva’s mother could be a huge help. You just fought off assassins, Arthur. This isn’t a small issue.”

Arthur met his gaze evenly. “And what do you think will happen if a noble house interferes? The people behind the assassins were clearly from some noble house of Brightwater. It’ll turn into a political battle, one that we don’t need to get caught up in.” 

And there’s another matter, Arthur didn’t think the Rosewood family would just help for nothing. And he didn’t want any noble families to do him any favour without understanding their dynamics.

Leon hesitated, but Finn nodded thoughtfully. “He’s got a point. If we involve the Rosewoods, we’re inviting an entirely new set of problems.”

Leon sighed again, running a hand through his hair. “Damn it. I just… I don’t like sitting around doing nothing.”

Arthur placed a hand on his shoulder. “You don’t have to do nothing. Just focus on becoming stronger. Strength is the only thing that matters.”

Leon held his gaze for a moment before exhaling. “…Fine.”

Arthur glanced in the direction Eva had left. He doesn’t know if she genuinely wanted to help him or there was something else behind it. He’d have to keep an eye on her.

“Let’s head inside,” he said.

Finn and Leon nodded, and after Leon left, they entered their own dormitory.

As Arthur entered his room the Guardian contacted him, [Commander it appears that the assassins had some type of restrictions put on their memories. So anything related to the mastermind had been wiped out while they died.]

“Tsk…Alright, but what about their memories regarding mana.” Arthur felt frustrated but he couldn’t do anything here.

The assassins were dead. But in the heat of the battle he forgot to ask who sent them. Though he thought they might not have given out any information. There would be chances in the future to figure out who was after him.

[Affirmative Commander, data regarding mana has already been collected and is being analyzed.]

Arthur sighed as he laid on his bed, at least there was some gain from all this.

…

Count Bahram’s Manor

The dimly lit chamber was lavish yet suffocating. Deep crimson curtains hung over the windows, their heavy fabric barely swaying despite the cool night breeze seeping through the cracks. 

Elaric Bahram paced restlessly, his boots clicking against the marble floor with each impatient step. His features were twisted in irritation, brows furrowed as his fingers drummed against the hilt of the dagger at his waist. His mind was solely fixated on one thing, the dragon core.

The artifact should have been in his hands by now. His carefully laid plan had been simple: send two of his personal assassins to retrieve the core and eliminate the boy who had foolishly dared to claim it. They were among the best under his command, failure was unthinkable.

Yet here he was, waiting, with no dragon core in sight.

A sharp knock on his door broke his thoughts.

“Come in,” he commanded, his voice clipped with irritation.

The door creaked open, and a nervous attendant stepped inside, his head bowed, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead. He swallowed hard before speaking.

“S-Sire… the assassins you sent after that student… were killed outside the city.”

Elaric froze mid-step. His blue eyes narrowed into slits.

“What!?…Who the hell did it!”

The attendant flinched, but he dared not stop.

“It… it was the student who killed them, sire.”

For a moment, there was silence. Elaric’s fingers tightened around his dagger’s hilt, his jaw clenching.

“You’re certain?” His voice was lower now, almost unreadable.

The attendant nodded quickly. “Yes, sire. The reports just came in. That student is a High-Grade martial artist. That is how he managed to eliminate your shadows.”

Elaric exhaled sharply through his nose, his expression unreadable. High-Grade? A mere academy student? He knew of prodigies, but reaching that level at such a young age was not something to take lightly.

His thoughts raced. The fact that Arthur had been able to kill the assassins, rather than just escape, meant he wasn’t simply talented, he was dangerous. More dangerous than Elaric had assumed.

But his subordinate’s death wasn’t what truly angered him. No, it was the fact that he had underestimated Arthur and he could not get his hands on the dragon core.

Grinding his teeth, he turned toward the attendant, his voice cold as ice.

“That brat should have been eliminated before he became a problem. And now, he’s not only alive, but he also has the dragon core.” His fingers flexed, resisting the urge to lash out.

The attendant kept his head bowed, awaiting further orders.

Elaric let out a slow breath, composing himself. Panic and rage would not serve him here. No, what he needed was information. A misstep had been made, but it would not be repeated.

“Keep an eye on him,” he ordered, his voice regaining its usual measured control. “I want to know the moment he leaves the city. Do not act until I give the command.”

The attendant immediately bowed. “Yes, sire.”

Without another word, he turned on his heel and left the chamber.

Elaric remained still for a long moment, his eyes burning with cold calculation.

“The next time we meet… you won’t leave alive.”

…

The next two days passed quickly. Arthur maintained his usual routine, waking early before the first rays of dawn crested the horizon, sparring with Instructor Garrick, then spending hours refining his mana control.

His focus for the past few days had been on two spells: Mana Bullet and Mana Shield. For now he didn’t touch the dragon core, he thought he would do so when his mana control improves. The core contains the untamed mana of a dragon at the 7th circle, so it was not as easy as absorbing mana from mana stones for normal mages. 

Arthur with his [Energy Absorption] could easily absorb it, and he would not face any life threatening situation due to [Reactive Evolution] but he has a lot on his plate for now.

Mana Bullet was a simple offensive spell, which required him to condense a small sphere of pure mana and launch it forward. Though easy to cast, Arthur found the real challenge lay in controlling its power and speed. 

At first, his shots were weak, barely strong enough to chip away at the training dummies. However, through meticulous refinement, he increased the density of mana within the projectile, improving its velocity and penetration.

The latter, Mana Shield, was another fundamental spell, one designed for defense. When activated, it formed a translucent barrier around him, glowing faintly with pale blue light. But at his current level, it was far too weak to be reliable in battle. A single strike from a Second-Circle Mage would shatter it instantly. However, Arthur understood something after reading magic theories for more than a month.

‘Spells grow with their caster.’

The same Mana Bullet that could barely scratch stone when fired by an Apprentice Mage could, when cast by an Archmage, could pierce straight through mountains. The same applied to Mana Shield, if he honed it now, it would be a solid foundation for when he reached greater heights.

Thus, he continued his practice.

…

On the morning of the fourth day, as Arthur finished his usual training session and was preparing to go to class, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.

[Commander, the probe network has completed its sweep.]

It was the Guardian AI of the SOH.

Arthur’s eyes flickered with interest. “What did you find?” he asked the guardian.

[Multiple discoveries. Darksteel and Mithril deposits have been located across different regions, with two major deposits found within a short travel distance. Additionally, the probes detected a new mana stone deposit deep within the continent of Drakmire.]

Arthur’s fingers tapped against his knee as he processed the information. Darksteel and Mithril were both high-grade metals, materials that could be used for powerful weapons, armor, and even magical constructs. Meanwhile, mana stones were immensely valuable, they served as fuel for magic formations, artifacts, and while cultivating mana.

A new deposit meant untapped resources. 

“Send me the coordinates of the closest Darksteel and Mithril deposits,” Arthur commanded. “I’ll collect them after I finish my academy duties. For the mana stones in Drakmire… I’ll see if I have time to collect them today.”

[Understood. Transmitting data now.]

A second later, a holographic map formed in his datapad, highlighting three separate locations. Two of them were within Arkanis’s outer territories, while the third was deeper in untamed lands of Drakmire.

‘This will take some time. But it’s worth it.’

For now, he would focus on his academy responsibilities. Once those were handled, he would personally retrieve the resources.

He stood up, stretching his limbs before grabbing his uniform and went towards the training ground to train his mana control.

***

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