Will was certain he had passed out, not simply fallen asleep from exhaustion, because he hadn’t dread. He had half-expected another nightmare involving Eir.
Those two casts of Extre Fla teor… they had drained him completely.
It also proved…
As the codic cannon fodder villain from the original story, his body was undeniably weak.
But thankfully, not as weak as he had feared.
Being able to cast 8000 Shee-level high-intensity ancient magic twice was a feat that would be considered legendary among commoners—a lifeti achievent to boast about.
At this point in ti, especially considering the school he was about to attend, it seed pretty impressive.
Unfortunately, this level of power would be laughable five years later, during the dungeon era of overpowered combat following the protagonist’s expulsion from the party.
A painfully diocre level of strength.
“Ugh… what ti is it now…”
As he stirred awake, the comforting aroma of red tea wafted to his nose.
Looking around, he realized he was in his own bed, in his room.
“Young Master! Are you okay?!”
Before he could sit up fully, Eir pounced on him, her soft form wrapping around him in a tight hug. Her fluffy wolf ears brushed against his nose, tickling him.
She seed genuinely worried, crying softly in his arms.
So the tea scent was from Eir.
Will wasn’t particularly fond of tea, but he had pretended to like it to encourage Eir’s growth and developnt, often asking her to brew tea for him as part of her training.
“I’m fine. If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have just asked you to carry back—I’d have told you to call a doctor.”
Will patted Eir’s head as she sniffled, sighing softly.
“So, the calibration slabs?”
“They’re in the back garden. I didn’t dare move them after bringing them back.”
“And the numbers I ntioned…”
“Ugh… radius 2.38 centiters, depth 3 milliters… I’ll never forget them!”
“Good. Then let’s take this chance to asure the exact penetration value of the first Extre Fla teor…”
Before he could finish, a chilling sense of danger crept into the room.
Sothing threatening was approaching!
Thwack.
Will’s head was lightly smacked from behind.
“Who dares?! No one in this house would dare hit except—”
He turned to see the Hysterm family’s head maid, Susan, standing in the doorway.
Her expression was a mix of concern and anger as she crossed her arms, looking at him with a complicated gaze.
“Oh, it’s you… my apologies, ma’am.”
Truth be told, since reincarnating into this world, Will hadn’t feared anyone.
Except for this head maid!
The Hysterm family’s head maid, Susan, was no ordinary servant. Not only was she a master of tea-making and household managent, but she was also well-versed in magic and swordsmanship. She had raised Will’s older siblings until they entered school and had been nothing short of a maternal figure to him.
“You’re supposed to start school next week, and here you are playing with fire! Aren’t you worried about failing the practical entrance exam?”
“Alright, alright, no need to scold . The acceptance letter hasn’t even arrived yet. I… I didn’t expect Extre Fla teor to be so taxing…”
That was a lie. Will had known it would be exhausting. But he had to do it anyway—the day he would face the real witch was drawing closer and closer.
“And now, word’s spreading outside that Young Master Will has a twisted hobby of setting muscular maids on fire. What exactly did you do?”
Now Will was genuinely confused.
“Huh? Muscular maids? What did they even see?”
“Honestly, you’d have been better off staying ho. The mont you step outside, your reputation gets worse. People are saying your magic is weak, only good for tossing out a couple of fireballs, and that your theoretical knowledge is the only impressive thing about you.”
“Huh? Just fireballs? What did they even see?”
In that mont, Will finally understood how rumors spiraled out of control. It had only been a morning, and already such nonsense was spreading.
“Oh, and so are saying you’re a hedonist, indulging in debauchery with your maid to the point of passing out from pleasure.”
“Huh?! Huh?! HUH?! What did they even see?!”
Pfft.
Eir couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Susan smacked Will’s head again.
“Stop hitting ! You’ll knock the smarts out of !”
“Today, you’re staying in bed to rest. No reading, no writing, and definitely no asuring those calibration slabs! Don’t think I don’t know how late you stay up every night.”
“Alright, alright, Susan… Auntie…”
Will clutched his head, retreating under the covers.
“Fine, I’ll lie down. Could you… could you bring the tea?”
Despite his ntal age being over thirty, he still found himself instantly yielding to soone who felt like a mother figure.
“Fine, fine.”
Seeing her young master finally comply, Eir felt relieved.
“Tea’s right here. Rest well, Young Master.”
Susan and Eir left the room, closing the door behind them. Outside, Susan gave Eir a stern look.
“Sigh, I won’t lecture him anymore, but you, as his maid, should be more responsible. Don’t just let him do whatever he wants.”
“I-I’m not! Young Master’s behavior is… completely normal!”
Susan glanced at the collar around Eir’s neck, a mix of amusent and exasperation on her face. She recalled what she had seen in the garden the previous day.
The small classroom setup, the black ribbons, the dog collar, the two of them together.
No matter how you looked at it, nothing good could co from such a combination.
And today’s antics had escalated into fire and “abuse.”
“That Will… what kind of strange hobby is this? That collar—he gave it to you yesterday, didn’t he?”
“T-This… this is a gift from Young Master! It’s a special collar for high-temperature endurance training!”
“That boy has a silver tongue. He’s just like his father—always up to sothing peculiar.”
Susan sighed deeply.
Will’s mother had passed away shortly after his birth. His father provided plenty of money and resources but paid little attention to his children. Seeing him at ho even once a month was a rarity.
“If the lady were still alive… or if the master cared more about him, he wouldn’t have turned out like this.”
“But… but Young Master is actually… really kind. Susan, look—he trains , teaches , and even gives such wonderful things. It’s rare for a young master to treat a maid so well, isn’t it?”
Eir gently touched the collar around her neck, thinking about how much effort Will had put into testing her that morning. She realized he had deliberately tested the spell on the calibration slabs first to ensure her safety before involving her.
Young Master truly cared for her.
Thinking about this, Eir smiled happily at Susan, her fluffy tail wagging uncontrollably.
Susan recalled the three-year-old Eir who had been brought to the estate. Back then, Eir never smiled, always on edge, her ears perpetually stiff and upright. She avoided eye contact and refused to speak.
At the ti, she was like a wild wolf forced into human society.
She trusted no one, viewing everyone around her as a different “species” she couldn’t communicate with or approach.
She had been frail and malnourished, unable to perform even the simplest magic. If not for Will taking a liking to her, she might not have survived.
Susan had worried that even if Eir stayed, she wouldn’t be able to fulfill the duties of a Hysterm family maid, who often doubled as a bodyguard or enforcer. She feared Eir would be cast out upon reaching adulthood.
But now, Eir had beco cheerful and strong. The sauna training room Will had built for her had genuinely improved her abilities. Among the maids, Eir was now strong enough to “one-punch” her peers.
Perhaps, as Eir said, this was a good thing.
Will, eccentric as he seed, was carving out his own path.
As the two chatted, a postman on a bicycle approached, carrying a gold-edged letter from Entark’s First Academy—the official acceptance letter.
—
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