At the break of dawn, after a week of doing nothing but basic training in his room—just enough to activate his innate talent—Cyan finally arrived at the forge.
-Hey, Baron. Have you finished what I asked for?
-My lord, please don't underestimate me," Baron replied confidently. "Every item you requested has been completed.
As he spoke, Baron extended his arm with a hint of pride. Following his gesture, Cyan looked toward the table—
A gleaming adamantite sword, along with two polished gauntlets, rested there.
-Oh… well done, Cyan praised.
-Of course, my lord. I've also integrated magical materials to make your equipment significantly lighter and sharper. These gauntlets can even turn invisible when worn.
Cyan picked up the sword—and couldn't hide his surprise.
"This is still pretty heavy for a kid like me… I'll need time to train and get used to it."
"I'll name it… Stormrend."
"A truly majestic name, young master."
A status panel appeared before Cyan's eyes:
—————————— Stormrend ——————————
Description:
A sword forged from ultra-light adamantite, capable of elevating the wielder's speed to a whole new level.
Abilities:
• x1.5 damage dealt
• x1.5 speed
"Impressive… this truly deserves to be called a top-tier weapon."
"Last week, I also received a relic—boots called Voltstep—from Konan. They double the user's speed."
"With these items… saying I'm stronger than even high-ranking swordsmen wouldn't be an exaggeration."
"I've also learned a few non-elemental spells… one boosts speed by 1.23x, another enhances learning ability by 1.23x. Both are incredibly useful."
-Next… the gauntlets. I'll name them Tempest Grasp.
-As expected of you, young master!
Another panel appeared:
————————— Tempest Grasp —————————
Description:
A pair of adamantite gauntlets capable of blocking significant damage without reducing the user's speed.
Abilities:
• x1.5 defense
• Grants complete immunity to one attack stronger than the user's mana level by one tier (up to Emperor-tier limit)
"Amazing… that means I can block even a Saint-tier spell right now. Truly worthy of such rare material."
"These equipments have pushed my build to a completely new level. If I face that bastard Fur again… I can fight him head-on and win."
A sense of pride swelled within Cyan as he rushed out to the training grounds.
He began with the basics—horizontal and vertical swings—familiarizing himself with the sword.
By evening, despite only practicing fundamentals, Cyan was utterly exhausted.
"That's enough for today… I still need to train my magic as well."
Thinking back to a week ago, Cyan had attempted to learn water magic.
He had gone to the family library, searching for books on water-element spells.
He also learned that after the incident with Hans—the capable servant who had once handled nearly everything in the mansion before being possessed by a demon—Konan had been forced to recruit many new workers.
Still, that worked in his favor. With more people around, asking for help became easier.
Even though this was a lightning-based family, after searching through hundreds of books, Cyan finally found what he needed.
A trace of sadness lingered in his heart.
After all… Sitri and Hans had taken care of him since childhood.
"Water magic must be valued by the family… even if it's extremely difficult to master."
After the battle with the Archduke Demon Furfur, Cyan realized just how much water magic had amplified lightning magic.
Without the conductive effect dealing damage and stalling the demon long enough for Konan to arrive…
With just a slightly misdirected attack, Cyan would have died.
But reality wasn't that simple.
After an entire week of training, Cyan couldn't sense even the slightest trace of water mana.
Even with learning-enhancement magic… he couldn't grasp anything.
He tried everything—spending hours in steam-filled rooms, meditating under heavy rain—
Yet nothing worked.
"This is seriously killing my motivation to train magic…"
"Maybe I should ask Serafina when she comes… I wonder what level of water spirit she has now."
"Only now do I realize how useful that water spirit attraction I got from the lightning seed really is."
"Maybe once I obtain a water spirit, I'll finally be able to learn water magic… and turn electrical conduction into a true offensive technique."
"Though… I wonder if someone as cold as her would even bother teaching me."
With that thought, Cyan returned to his room, quietly anticipating their meeting six months later.
⸻
Cyan's training days continued.
Recently, he had begun practicing more frequently in the forest, using trees and natural obstacles as targets.
Everything should have remained normal.
But something bothered him.
A faint presence… hidden within the bushes behind him.
With his spatial awareness, Cyan immediately recognized the figure—
Sitri.
Her hiding was sloppy.
And this wasn't the first time.
For an entire week, he had been followed.
"Honestly… I can guess why she's doing this."
"It started right after I moved my training location. Before this, I knew Konan had always been watching me from his office."
"Now that I'm in the forest… it's harder for him to observe me. That's probably why Sitri's acting like this."
Knowing she was acting under Konan's orders irritated him.
After enduring it for seven days, Cyan finally snapped.
He pointed straight at the bush.
-Sitri. I know you're there. What are you doing?
Startled, Sitri stepped out and bowed her head.
-Young master… I was merely observing you.
Cyan's tone shifted.
-Fine. I have a question.
He went straight to the point.
-Who are you serving?
Sitri froze.
She didn't know how to answer.
After a brief silence, Cyan spoke again—his voice quieter now.
-…You're not going to answer?
-I… I…
-So that's your answer?
Sweat formed on her forehead.
"I haven't said anything yet…"
As she panicked, she tried to explain—
-Young master, I.....
Cyan cut her off.
-I know what you're going to say. I'm not interrogating you.
-…At least you didn't lie to me. Thank you for that.
Seeing her trembling, clutching her dress tightly, Cyan continued—
-I don't care who you serve.
-I've already considered you… family.
Sitri's eyes widened.
Even if you're using me… I allow it. Cyan Von Velton.
Blind trust is dangerous. Maybe… using each other is better.
With that, Cyan turned and walked away, leaving Sitri frozen in place.
She collapsed onto the ground, his words echoing endlessly in her mind.
⸻
Sitri later entered a room.
She knelt before a man—
Konan Von Velton.
He spoke calmly.
-Anything unusual today?
-No, sir. The young master trained his swordsmanship as usual.
-I see… he's been focusing more on swordsmanship than magic lately.
-Yes, sir.
-Hmm. You may leave. I have high expectations for you.
-Yes, sir.
Noticing her stiff expression, Konan added—
-It seems your inheritance of the Valencrest family won't be in name only. Do well, and I will support you fully.
-Thank you, sir. I will devote myself entirely to serving Young Master Cyan.
At that moment—
Konan released a surge of overwhelming power.
The aura of a Lightning King filled the room.
Sitri trembled, sweat running down her face.
Clutching her chest, she spoke hurriedly—
-I swear—I will monitor Young Master Cyan closely and report every detail to you.
-Good. Don't forget who you serve.
As she stepped out of the room, her heart was heavy.
"I will do anything… for my family."
"No matter the cost."