Adlan ran like a man possessed. His feet slipped across the snowy stone path, his breath short and jagged. The image of Logan standing calm amidst the shattered woods, a broken Zereth sprawled behind him, still haunted Adlan's mind. That wasn't a boy. That was something else entirely.
He burst into Lady Mirena's chamber without waiting for permission, eyes wide and face pale.
"Logan… He… He crushed Zereth!" Adlan gasped. "Without using mana. Not even a sliver of it! He fought with something else. Something I've never seen."
Lady Mirena, seated by the window with a wine glass in hand, didn't even glance his way. "You dare barge into my quarters babbling nonsense?"
"I swear it, sis! I saw it with my own eyes. That pressure… that speed. Zereth's spirit guardian—even with a spirit guardian he couldn't beat Logan. Logan moved like a blur. My eyes couldn't even follow him. And then… one punch… with just one punch Zereth was immobilized."
Her grip on the glass tightened. A long silence followed.
"He didn't kill him," Adlan continued, voice dropping. "He could have, but he didn't. He let Zereth live. And then he turned his eyes on me.
It felt like I was standing before a starving lion—helpless prey with nowhere to run. I was terrified. Sis, I've never felt fear like that in my life. If we keep pushing him, we may end up digging our own graves."
Mirena finally turned her head. Her expression was unreadable, but behind her calm exterior, thoughts raced.
A child with a sealed mana core capable of suppressing a seasoned black magic user?
Was it really possible? She wasn't dreaming, right? Or was this stupid cousin lying? But why would he lie? He didn't have any reason to. Mirena thought to herself. She was sure that Adlan was not hallucinating either.
She had long thought of Logan as a mere insect—a blemish in the family tree. But now… she couldn't ignore the possibility.
What if he is a threat? I have to nip him in the bud.
But then another thought crossed her mind—one more chilling than the first.
What if he doesn't want the throne, but we force him into becoming an enemy by pushing too far? And when that happens, what if it's us who are on the losing side?
The cost of such a war—one that could destabilize House Smith's internal structure and make the family look fractured—was too great.
Lady Mirena closed her eyes. "Summon Darius."
Adlan blinked. "Sis?"
"Now."
Minutes later, Darius stood stiffly before her, his head lowered in shame and confusion. He had heard rumors about the forest incident, but not the full truth.
"I want you to stop antagonizing Logan," Mirena said coldly. "From this day forward, you will treat him with courtesy."
"But—"
"No buts." Her tone was sharp. "You nearly started a war inside our own house. This is your fault. I won't risk your safety again. Logan may not be interested in the throne… yet. But push him further, and we may all regret it."
Darius clenched his fists but didn't argue. One look from his mother told him silence was his only option.
Later that evening, Mirena met with Rudeous.
He looked up from his scrolls, surprised to see her so late. "Mirena. Why do you look so tense?"
"We need to talk about Logan."
Rudeous frowned. "What did he do now?"
"It's not what he did. It's what he can do." She thought. She wanted to explain what Adlan witnessed, but she couldn't confess to putting someone on Logan's tail, her tone calculated. "I want you to lift the ban on his mana core. He should be allowed to train properly. He is also an heir to the Smiths. And if he has potential, we should help it grow," she said in a righteous tone.
Rudeous froze, eyes narrowing. "You want to unseal his core? After everything…? Are you sure? You didn't hit your head, right?"
"I misjudged him. I'll admit that. But he's not a threat—unless we make him one. This is a gesture of sincerity. And for the future of House Smith. I am also a part of this family and I should be considerate of its betterment."
Rudeous, the Lord of House Smith, was silent for a long while. Then, unexpectedly, he smiled.
"I've been waiting years to hear those words." He stood. "He's my son after all, whether the world accepts it or not."
The next morning, Logan stood at the edge of the training grounds, summoned unexpectedly.
There were other family members, elders. All were present.
A cloaked mage stood before him—an elder with a kind face and a wand carved from obsidian. Beside him stood Rudeous and two magic enforcers.
Mirena and Alice were standing behind Rudeous. Alice looked so happy and thrilled.
"What's going on?" Logan asked cautiously.
Rudeous stepped forward. "You've been held back long enough. Today, we will unseal your core."
Logan blinked, unsure if he heard correctly.
The elder mage nodded with a smile. "This will sting a bit."
A sigil was drawn in the air. It pulsed softly, settling over Logan's chest. His body tensed. A sharp heat coursed through him like a thousand needles.
Then—crack.
It was subtle, but he felt it. Like chains being undone from within.
His mana core pulsed weakly. The first time in years. It was there… still small, still sealed by time and suppression, but it was there.
He looked up, eyes burning—not with anger, but awe.
"I… I can feel it."
"We'll begin your magic training tomorrow," Rudeous said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You'll be assigned a private instructor—one of the best."
Logan didn't know what to say. For once, the path ahead wasn't filled with hostility or rejection.
He was finally being allowed to grow.
Alice couldn't wait any longer. She strode forward with teary eyes and hugged Logan. She was so happy today. Finally, her son was recognized and accepted. No words could describe the happiness she felt.