Raiden opened his eyes to the warm glow of sunlight spilling through his curtains. He groaned and rolled over, burying half his face in the pillow. Yesterday's memory immediately returned—Healer Hilda scolding him like he was a misbehaving toddler.
Caught red-handed, Raiden thought sourly, frowning at the ceiling.
It wasn't fair. He hadn't done anything that bad—well, except maybe teasing Kent until the poor boy nearly choked on a fish bone, and maybe sneaking in a little spell practice when he shouldn't have. But in Raiden's mind, those were all perfectly acceptable acts of genius.
The problem was, Hilda had caught him. And being caught was something Raiden hated more than anything.
He sat up and rubbed his temples. "Fine," he muttered. "Today, I'll behave."
The words tasted bitter on his tongue. Behaving wasn't fun. Behaving meant Kent would walk around smug, convinced he'd finally tamed his younger brother.
Behaving meant Hilda wouldn't give him that suspicious squint of hers, the one that made it seem like she could read minds. Behaving meant… acting like a normal child.
Raiden hated normal.
Still, he had to admit—it was the only way to keep suspicion away from his real goals. He had skill points to gather and a system mission to complete. If that meant pretending to be a good boy for a few hours, he could endure it. For now.
Breakfast was awkward as usual. Kent sat across the table, staring at him like a hawk that had spotted a rabbit in tall grass.
Raiden did his best to ignore the stare, humming happily as he bit into a slice of toast. He made a show of smiling sweetly at his brother, which only deepened Kent's scowl.
By the time they finished and made their way to Hilda's training grounds, Kent finally broke.
"You know," Kent said, smirking as they walked, "you're basically on a leash now. Hilda watching you from one side, me from the other. You're like a dog that has to be walked so he doesn't chew the furniture."
Raiden froze mid-step, then turned his head slowly. His lips twitched into an innocent smile. "A dog, huh?"
"Yes." Kent crossed his arms triumphantly. "You're leashed like a dog, little brother. And if you bite, you'll be smacked."
Raiden's smile widened, though his eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Mm. Woof."
Kent blinked. "…What?"
"Woof," Raiden repeated, his voice dripping with mock sincerity. "Thank you for walking me, Master Kent. Shall I roll over next? Or perhaps fetch a stick?"
Kent's face darkened, but before he could retort, Hilda clapped her hands from ahead. "Boys! Less barking, more walking. We've got training to do."
Raiden chuckled under his breath. Kent thought he'd won by calling him a dog, but Raiden always had the last word. He'd play the obedient puppy for now, but only until the moment he decided to bare his teeth.
Training began in the wide courtyard outside Hilda's lab. The morning air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of herbs drying on racks near the windows.
Hilda arranged her tools, parchment scrolls, and a few crystal vials on a table, explaining that today's lesson would be focused on steady mana output rather than flashy results.
Raiden nodded politely, all the while stifling a yawn. He wasn't actually bored—it was just that training under Hilda felt a little too… structured.
He preferred experimenting on his own, pushing skills to their limits until something broke, preferably Kent's patience. Still, he forced himself to focus, channeling mana as instructed.
That's when he noticed it.
One of the family guards stationed at the gate leaned against his spear, stifling a massive yawn. The man's eyes were drooping, his posture slack. Raiden tilted his head, curiosity sparking.
Perfect.
While Hilda's back was turned, Raiden quietly triggered one of his lesser-used skills—[Lightning Spark]. A tiny thread of mana shot from his core and invisibly zipped toward the guard.
The effect was immediate. The guard stiffened like he'd been struck by lightning, his eyes snapping open, pupils sharp and focused. He gripped his spear tighter, suddenly scanning the area like a predator who'd just scented prey.
Raiden almost burst out laughing. The transformation was hilarious. The poor guard looked like he'd downed five cups of coffee at once.
"Hmm?" Hilda looked up, frowning slightly as she caught sight of the suddenly alert guard. "Strange… he wasn't like that a moment ago."
Kent followed her gaze. "Maybe he's just finally doing his job?"
Hilda shook her head, unconvinced, but she let it go and turned back to Raiden.
Raiden hid his grin behind an innocent expression, though inside his chest, his heart leapt when the familiar system chime rang out.
Ding!
[Progress: 4/5.]
One more, Raiden thought, his grin deepening in secret. Just one more and I'm done.
After two more rounds of mana practice, Hilda finally called for a break. She passed them each a cup of water and leaned against the table, scribbling notes onto her parchment.
Kent downed his drink in one gulp, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and fixed Raiden with a stern look. "Listen to me, Raiden. I know that look in your eye."
Raiden blinked innocently. "What look?"
"The mischievous one. The same look you get right before Father finds frogs in his study or before Mother's perfume mysteriously smells like vinegar. I don't know how, but you're planning something. Aren't you?"
Raiden placed a hand dramatically over his chest. "Big brother, I'm hurt. After all these days of being under your watchful gaze, you still don't trust me?"
"No." Kent didn't even hesitate.
Raiden smiled sweetly, leaning back on his hands. "Relax, big brother. I'm practically a saint now. Didn't you see me behaving so well just now? Not a single spell miscast, not a single fish murdered. Truly, I am the picture of innocence."
Kent groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "That makes me even more suspicious. You only talk like this when you're hiding something."
"Or," Raiden said, eyes twinkling, "maybe I've finally grown up. Maybe I've seen the error of my ways and decided to turn over a new leaf."
Kent snorted. "If you've turned over a new leaf, it's probably because you set the old one on fire."
Raiden chuckled, sipping from his cup. "Fair enough."
But inside, his mind was already spinning. One more mischievous act. One more use of his skills, and he'd complete the mission. Then he could cash in the reward and truly advance.
For now, though, he'd let Kent stew in paranoia. It was almost as fun as the mischief itself.
The break stretched on as Hilda scribbled in her notes, the clinking of her quill the only sound besides the soft wind rustling through the courtyard. A tray of snacks had been set on the table—biscuits and slices of fruit—and both boys helped themselves.
Kent sat stiff-backed, crunching into an apple slice like he was punishing it. His eyes never left Raiden, suspicious and sharp.
Raiden, on the other hand, chewed lazily on a biscuit, his expression smooth as still water. Inside, however, mischief was bubbling.
One more. Just one more, and I'm finished. He'll never see it coming.
He reached for another biscuit and, with the casual ease of someone scratching an itch, triggered [Voice Warp] which was a skill that let him alter his voice to fit another voice he could recognize.
The air shimmered faintly around Kent, subtle enough that no one but Raiden would notice. Then came the fun part—feeding the skill with a few whispered commands.
A second later, Kent's "voice" carried across the courtyard, muttering under his breath:
"Raiden is annoying."
Kent froze mid-bite, frowning. "What—?"
The servants standing nearby blinked, then exchanged amused glances.
Another whisper, another distortion.
"Fish soup forever…"
This time, a maid snorted, quickly covering her mouth with her sleeve.
Kent whipped his head around. "What are you laughing at?"
The giggling spread. Whispers flitted like dragonflies. "Is Young Master Kent badmouthing his brother? Such a poor attitude for a noble heir…"
Kent's ears burned. He stood, fists clenched. "Raiden!" he barked, face red with fury. "Stop it!"
Raiden blinked innocently, half a biscuit still hanging from his mouth. "Stop what?"
"You know what!"
"I honestly don't," Raiden replied sweetly, though his eyes sparkled with barely-contained laughter. "Maybe you just need a nap. Or less fish soup."
That broke the servants completely. A few laughed outright, quickly bowing to hide their faces. Kent looked ready to explode, steam practically pouring from his ears.
Before it could get worse, Hilda slammed her quill onto the table. "Enough!" Her sharp voice cut through the courtyard like a whip. "Both of you! I don't care who started it. You will stop disturbing the peace this instant."
Kent glared at Raiden like he wanted to throttle him. Raiden bowed his head meekly. "Yes, Miss Hilda."
But inside, his chest thrummed with triumph.
Ding!
[Mission Complete – Reward: 40 Skill Points.]
"'Oh, big brother. I'll make sure to apologise later. You just seemed like the perfect person for that last skill and I wasn't wrong.' Raiden's grin was hidden as he stuffed the rest of the biscuit into his mouth.
The rest of training passed without further incident, though Kent never stopped glaring. When evening came and Hilda dismissed them, Raiden returned to his room humming a merry tune.
The moment his door closed, he summoned the system window.
[Skill Points: 55]
"Beautiful," Raiden whispered, lying back on his bed with his arms behind his head. "Absolutely beautiful."
He considered his options carefully. With fifty-five points, he could afford another round of fusion or perhaps advance some of his mastered skills to a higher rank. The thought made his blood sing.
"Should I save them… or should I play a little?" he murmured. "A rank-up would make me stronger. But new tricks… new tricks would be fun."
His fingers itched just thinking about it.
Still, Hilda's words from earlier echoed faintly in his ears.
"Magic is power, Raiden. But mischief will only make enemies."
Raiden smirked at the ceiling. 'Enemies are fine… as long as I stay one step ahead of them.'
He closed his eyes, drifting toward sleep.
And then—
Ding!
A new notification blinked into existence, brighter and larger than any he'd seen before.
[New Mission: Beyond the Estate]
[Objective: Test your skills outside the safety of the Goldheart estate.]
[Reward: ???]
Raiden's eyes snapped open. His grin stretched wide.
"Well, well…" he whispered. "Looks like tomorrow's going to be even more fun."