Published: September 6, 2025
"Matthias, you’re not paying attention to your surroundings. Hunting while lost in thought is dangerous. Isn’t that something you always say yourself?"
It was clearly my own fault for being distracted by the larger mana beast and failing to notice a smaller one sneaking up behind me. With a light sigh, I brushed my bangs back and turned around.
“Laurenz, sorry about that. You saved me.”
Since I was a fifth-year student who arrived early at the noble academy, I went out to gather materials as soon as the knight apprentice Laurenz, who was a year junior, arrived the next day. Thanks to Lady Rosemine’s blessing, the gathering spots in Ehrenfest now yield higher-quality materials. With better-quality herbs, the monsters coming to snatch them seem a bit stronger too. Just like last year, Laurenz and I came together, but next time it might be better to have a few more people along.
“We’ve gathered enough for today. What were you worrying about?”
Laurenz swung his stave to extinguish the sword’s glow and, with a slightly exasperated look in his orange eyes, started packing the gathered materials into his leather pouch. I did the same and then summoned my mount, climbing onto its back.
“…I was thinking about the name offering. Laurenz, were you pressured by your parents?”
“I was. Like Matthias said, they insisted I do it after reaching adulthood, but I managed to avoid it.”
Laurenz sighed in annoyance as he mounted his beast.
Though my father also demanded I make a name offering to Lady Georgine, both Laurenz and I are currently increasing our mana capacity using the mana compression method taught to our fathers by Georgine herself.
If you have materials of sufficiently high quality, like Roderich, it seems there’s no problem offering your name regardless of your growth. But typically, the quality suitable for a name offering only becomes clear after reaching adulthood, when mana growth stops. Using that as an excuse, I declined with a promise to do it after adulthood. When Roderich obtained his materials, both Laurenz and I had also secured enough quality materials—but we’ve kept that secret from our parents. We need more time.
“Matthias, you met Lady Georgine in summer, right? What did you think?”
“…As expected, she’s truly my father’s lord.”
Lady Georgine’s visit was around mid-summer. While our parents energetically held dinners and tea parties in the Noble District, Laurenz was left to guard Gibe and didn’t meet Georgine directly.
I was also on watch in Gerlach, but since Lady Georgine stayed overnight at our house while hurrying back to Arensbach, I had the chance to meet her. Considering how well-prepared the house was for her arrival, and that my father used a mount to return to the Noble District ahead of her, I suspected prior arrangements had been made.
On that day, the nobles who had made name offerings to Georgine came to our house. It was a very small group, and all arrived by mount—as if a secret gathering. Since I hadn’t made a name offering, my father forbade me from attending, ordering me to stay in my room.
However, it seems Lady Georgine, knowing I was talented, wanted to meet me. A servant hurriedly prepared me, and I was brought to a banquet attended only by Georgine’s followers.
The meal had apparently ended, and the gathering had moved to our hall for conversation. Surrounded by people, Lady Georgine smiled—it was immediately clear she was the gathering’s leader. I approached and knelt at her feet.
“On this auspicious day, when the radiance of the god of fire Raiden Shaft shines bright, and by the guidance of the gods, please allow me to pray for your blessings.”
“Granted.”
After sending blessings and finishing my greeting, Lady Georgine reached out. Her cool hand gently brushed my temple.
“A diligent and talented child is a wonderful thing. Gibe Gerlach, you have raised a fine child.”
Her red lips curved into a smile, and a sweet scent wafted, making my head spin. Her deep green eyes, narrowed in a smile, held an unfathomable darkness—a chilling, eerie gaze. Despite the fire crackling in the hearth, I felt as if a cold shiver ran down my spine.