That morning, the sky hung heavy with slowly moving silver clouds. The dew on the grass had yet to dry when the simple wooden carriage stopped at the last boundary of Thalrin village. Luciel sat on the inside, wearing a thin woolen coat that his mother had given him. Luika stood beside the carriage wheel, her hand tightly gripping Luciel's arm.
"From here, you will continue your journey with the group to the capital," Luika said. "I cannot accompany you any further."
Luciel looked into his father's eyes. In his childish heart, there was a burden that he had not yet understood.
"Why, Father? Why don't you come?"
Luika took a deep breath. "Because this is your path, Luciel. And because there are things I must guard here. If one day you return... I want you to return not as a child who left home, but as a wizard who understands the world."
Luciel lowered his head. "I will study hard."
Luika stroked his head. "And I will continue to pray for you."
His mother shouted softly. "Take care of yourself Luciel".
Luciel, who heard his mother shouting, waved his hand near the train window..."Yes. Thank you, ma'am, goodbye."
They exchanged waves with smiles...
—
The carriage began to move. Luciel turned his head, looking at his father standing stiffly amidst the mist and the crisscrossing morning light. The figure slowly shrank, then disappeared behind the bends of the dirt road.
---
The journey to the capital was not without its challenges. Luciel sat in the carriage with a young girl who looked to be about the same age as him. With long, snow-white hair, with cold, pale blue eyes that held no warmth, the girl sat leaning against the window, staring out without once glancing at Luciel.
Luciel, who was used to the silence of training with his father, was not bothered by the quiet attitude. But there was something about the girl's aura that made him keep stealing glances.
When night fell and they rested at a small campsite on the edge of the forest, Luciel easily lit a campfire. The warm flames burned the wood and kept the cold away.
The girl glanced briefly, then turned back to the darkness of the night without expression. After a while, she spoke in a flat, distant tone, "Who did you... learn magic from?"
Luciel was a little surprised. "My father. He... was a former magic soldier."
The girl nodded slightly, then said in an almost cold tone, "Lighting a fire without a spell. Not bad."
"Isn't that a common thing?"
Luciel tried to smile. "By the way my name is Luciel. What is your name?"
The girl was silent for a moment, then said without looking at him, "Shiromiko."
Luciel wanted to ask more, but the girl's expression made it clear: enough is enough.
And though the night was short, the campfire they shared was the beginning of a story they did not yet realize would take them beyond the walls of the Academy.
—
Hours passed on their journey to the Capital.
The sky was covered in dark clouds, and a cold mist hung heavy among the trees of the forest they passed through. It was quiet, too quiet for a major trade route. The horses were restless, and the carriage drivers exchanged glances, exchanging silent worries.
Luciel looked around. Beside him, Shiromiko—whose full name was now known as Ayaka Shiromiko—sat still, as if the strange air around them meant nothing.
But Luciel felt a tug in his chest, like an inaudible whisper warning of disaster.
"Shiromiko," he whispered, "Something is wrong."
The girl glanced over for a moment, then nodded. She slipped her fingers into the pocket of her robe, feeling for a small, hidden magic crystal.
Luciel turned and realized someone was there, throwing a stone into the thicket of trees shrouded in darkness.
"Who's there!!"
The cry of a horse broke the silence. Then a scream. And from behind the trees, a herd of large, hairy creatures with bared teeth and greenish skin—orcs—appeared. Behind them, bandits with shifty eyes and rough weapons followed like hungry shadows.
"CHARGE!"
That shout was the beginning of chaos.
Arrows flew. Horses neighed wildly. Merchants screamed and jumped from their carriages. Some ran, some froze in fear.
Luciel pulled out a wooden staff from behind his back. Though young, his body was well-trained. He ran forward, lighting fire from his palms and blocking the short spears thrown at him. Shiromiko, elegantly but stiffly, unleashed wind magic that sent two bandits flying into trees.
"Fight as necessary. Protect those who cannot protect themselves," Luciel muttered, remembering his father's words.
He jumped to the left, avoiding a large orc's axe strike. At first glance, the orc roared and hit the ground, creating a small crater that splashed wet soil. Luciel used that moment to sneak up behind, lighting a fireball and throwing it at the orc's back. A small explosion occurred. The orc roared and fell.
However, the orc's body was very hard, especially with resistance to magic.
"Hahaha, your attack is too weak. You won't be able to hurt me"
Realizing his attack didn't work, Luciel jumped back in a little surprise.
"Damn, the orc's body is so hard. How do I do it..?"
The orc herd ran towards Luciel very quickly, about to attack him.
Fortunately, with the experience he had training with his father in the village, Luciel was able to keep up with their speed and parry all of their attacks.
The orc sneered
"You're pretty fast for a human"
Luciel continued to attack
"Oi oi, damn orc, stop talking"
They kept attacking each other at high speed.
— On the other side
Shiromiko drew her sword. Her fighting style was fast and well-trained, even though her body was still young, and as a woman, her strength was not inferior to the orcs and bandits. Thus, she stabbed with precision, taking down two bandits.
But there were too many of them.
The vast hordes of orcs and bandits charged Shiromiko at once.
Unlike Luciel who could keep up with the hordes of orcs on his own, Shiromiko was overwhelmed by them all at once. Unfortunately, she is far apart from his.
Moreover, her strength is more like a mage who uses magic rather than sword techniques. Therefore, she must always keep her distance from his enemies.
Forced, she continued to parry and look for a moment to retreat and find a gap to escape.
She chanted a spell through her though with sharp eyes grinning.
"Freeze".
The spell he used was a C-class magic spell [Hail]. The spell casts countless hail that can freeze anyone who is hit towards the enemy along with cold air.
Some of the bandits who were hit by the spell froze and gave a cold effect. But it affected the orcs at all. Some bandits were able to survive because they used the orcs as their shields.
Even so, there were still many enemies for a girl who had to fight against hordes of orcs and bandits at the same time.
With a strong spirit, she managed to defeat several bandits with her magic.
But in one crucial moment, as she focused on holding off the orcs ahead, her foot caught on the wet ground.
Her balance faltered—just enough for three bandits to lunge from behind.
Caught off guard, she fell to one knee.
Laughter echoed behind her, rough and malicious, as the bandits closed in like vultures sensing weakness.
"Still struggling? Heh, feisty little thing," one of the bandits mocked with a grin.
Shiromiko raised her hand to summon a spell, but a sharp kick struck her wrist, forcing her to drop her staff.
"Restrain her! She's dangerous!"
Without mercy, the bandits forced her to the ground. Her arms were pulled behind her, wrists bound with rough rope, and her ankles tied. One of them gagged her with a cloth to stop her chanting.
"Stay quiet, mage. You're not casting anything now."
Shiromiko writhed against the binds, her breath sharp with frustration—but her glare still held fire.
---
Shiromiko who could not fight could only surrender and grunt.
Soon the bandits took Shiromiko to the place where Luciel was fighting with his herd.
—
Luciel was still seen fighting fiercely with the orcs. However, being outnumbered made Luciel a little tired.
"Damn, there are too many of them"
Suddenly a group of bandits came
"Hey kid, surrender and give me all your belongings"
Luciel refused firmly
""If you don't want to come out..."
The man's voice slithered through the shadows like poison.
"...then maybe we'll see how much your little friend here can endure."
His laughter echoed — sharp, erratic, unhinged.
They closed in on Shiromiko. Her once-elegant robe was torn from the struggle, streaked with dust and blood. Her arms were bound by glowing shackles of mana that pulsed with eerie light.
But she did not scream. She did not cry.
She stood, trembling — not from fear, but from pure exhaustion. Her eyes burned with defiance, even as her knees wavered.
"Let's surrender," one of them mocked, twisting her words with cruel amusement.
Luciel stepped into the clearing—and froze.
His breath caught in his throat. His heart thundered against his ribs.
Shiromiko.
Her gaze found his through the veil of moonlight. No words passed between them—only the silent, unwavering message:
Don't lose yourself. Not for me. Not now.
The sight stirred something deep inside him. Rage, fear, and a desperate urge to protect boiled up.
But he had let his guard down.
An orc's heavy blow struck him from the side, sending him crashing into a tree. His back slammed hard. Blood spilled from his mouth as his vision blurred.
He collapsed, the world spinning into darkness.
In a nearly unconscious state, he wondered if he would die again in this world.
He also remembered when his father taught him the basics of protecting himself in a situation like this.
A mist of blood clouded his vision. The sound of metal clashing and wild howls grew distant… as if the world were pulling him into the void.
His body refused to rise. Even breathing was painful.
"Am I… going to die again?"
Luciel's vision slowly faded… but amidst the slowing heartbeat, a voice rang softly in his ears—not from outside, but from within his memories.
The memory happened several years ago when he always practiced every day with his father....
—"You cannot choose when danger comes, Luciel. But you can choose... whether you surrender, or stand."
The voice was low, calm, yet always carrying a deep pressure.
Little Luciel stood with a gasp, holding a wooden sword that was almost broken. His father—Luika—stood before him, wearing a shabby training outfit, but his gaze was like steel.
"You have hands, you have feet. Even if they are all broken, you still have will. And will... is the most ancient form of magic."
Lightning flashed in the distance as rain soaked the night's training. But in little Luciel's heart, those words were etched deeper than any wound.
"Even if the world rejects you, my child... you must never reject yourself."
His breath hitched.
In the darkness of consciousness, he felt something… like a small ember burning in his chest. Not magic, not power. But… intention.
And when he opened his eyes half-consciously—
—He saw the figure again. The figure he had seen before when he was reincarnated into this world.
Standing in the shadows, amidst the mist and blood, was an old man in a black robe. His hood covered his face, but from beneath it emanated a faint light, like a star imprisoned in the shadows.
"You fell again... Hoshizura Luciel."
The old man's voice rang directly in his mind, without passing through his ears. Not an echo, but a command.
"Rise. Awaken the power I once entrusted to you. You have not yet completed your destiny. And she..."
The figure's eyes glanced towards Shiromiko who was still bound and injured,
"...Waiting for you to save her."
—
The abstract sound began to fade away.
Suddenly, who knows what power arose within him. Maybe the instinct of strength that was attached to him when he was about to help someone like in his previous life when he saved a small child on a cruise ship.
He rose to his senses and started fighting all the criminals again.
He got up and shouted.
"RE-RELEASE HER!" Luciel shouted, jumping towards them, but five orcs blocked his way.
"He's up? Come on, what are you waiting for? Finish him off."
Luciel froze.
He saw Shiromiko struggling, her body writhing but restrained. Her eyes stared at him from afar, cold but pleading. And when one of the bandits touched his chin in a disgusting way, something inside Luciel cracked.
His breath hitched. The world slowed down. The sounds around him became a faint echo.
And fire... began to burn.
"DON'T... touch her."
Fire enveloped Luciel's body. But it was no ordinary fire. It was the fire of exploding emotions. The magic was not spoken through incantations, but through feelings. Fire magic that could even penetrate magical defenses. A pitch black fire.
The first orc that approached exploded in flames. The second followed, burned before they could scream. Luciel jumped, cutting through the air with a burst of fire magic in the form of a long spear. The spear stabbed into the ground and ignited a pitch black fire that consumed all the orcs at once.
"Aahhhh"
The orcs screamed.
Instantly, all the orcs disappeared without a trace.
Luciel only focused on the bandit carrying Shiromiko.
"Give her back…"
His steps were steady, flames coiling around his feet like living creatures.
The bandits holding Shiromiko tried to pull her away, but the ground beneath them exploded from the unconsciously summoned earth magic. Rocks shot into the air, hitting their heads.
Luciel activated his wind magic, accelerating his movement. In a second, he was in front of Shiromiko. He pounced on the last bandit standing, punching him in the face with his fire-covered fist.
"I SAID—LET HER GO!!"
Explosion.
However, his attack was easily blocked by the leader of the pack.
"Don't get too confident, kid."
Sparks flew everywhere.
Finally, the fierce battle between the enraged Luciel and the bandit leader began.
They continuously attacked at the speed of sound and cast countless spells.
In this case they were equal. However, the orcs who were burned to ashes rose again and wanted to help attack Luciel.
The orcs were just one of his magical abilities. Even though they were dead, he could resurrect the orcs at any time.
Of course this was very detrimental to Luciel who was almost overwhelmed fighting the bandit leader.
On the other hand, the bandit leader also still looked fresh and only got a minor burn. In his fight against Luciel he was able to activate 100 layers of magic defense spells against the pitch black flames that Luciel kept casting. This was a lucky break for him that only got burns from the attack.
Seeing conditions like this, of course the bandit leader was very confident in his victory.
"Well kid, you have no chance of winning"
Luciel who was exhausted because his mana was almost depleted after releasing a lot of black flames muttered to himself. "I lost?? I will lose and die again? Even though I have received this magical blessing!?. Don't joke ..".
Just as the bandit leader was about to cut off Luciel's body with his magic sword, suddenly a high-class noble wizard came and thwarted the bandit.
!!Duarrr!!!! Bang!!!
The sound of the explosion occurred because the ground exploded due to the magic sword.
Luciel, who closed his eyes because he thought he was going to die, expressed surprise.... "What happened?"
In an instant the wizard brought Luciel to the tree.
"Who are you?"
The wizard just focused on looking ahead, looking at the bandit leader as if he didn't ignore Luciel's question.
Luciel who could only sit and watch could only hope for the wizard in front of him.
The bandit sneered... "Hoo, looks like another pest is disturbing"
The wizard also sneered "How rude. Like this, I am a noble wizard whose position is much higher than a lowly clown like you".
"What?"
"Hmm, interesting. Let's see who is superior"
The bandit leader and the orc group attacked simultaneously to gang up on the wizard.
But in an instant, the orc group was killed helplessly.
The leader was immediately shocked.
"What? How is that possible?"
With a condescending smile, the wizard sneered.
"How? Are you going to surrender, lowly bandit?"
The bandit leader who felt humiliated immediately jumped to attack even though he was haunted by fear because of the thick aura coming from the wizard.
"Who will run? Accept thi—"
In an instant, countless slashes had attacked the bandit at a speed that exceeded the speed of sound before the bandit finished speaking.
Not only the bandit, Luciel who saw it was immediately shocked and amazed.
"So—so fast!!"
"The slash was so fast, I couldn't even see it at all." Luciel said with a surprised expression.
"That witch is so powerful. Who exactly is that witch?"