Will was certain he had fainted rather than simply fallen asleep from exhaustion. There were no dreams, no nightmares about Iel waiting for him this time.
Those two Extreme Flame Meteors had truly taken a toll on him.
It also proved one thing…
As a cannon-fodder comedian in the original story, his body really had been fragile. But fortunately, it wasn't as weak as he had feared. Supporting two high-intensity ancient magics, each around 8,000 sieverts, could easily be a lifetime record for ordinary people.
At this point in time, especially considering the school he would soon attend, he seemed quite strong.
Unfortunately, this strength would not be enough in the dungeon era five years later, when combat power expanded and gods clashed—after the protagonist was expelled from the team. Truly, embarrassing combat power.
"Hmm… what time is it now…"
Just waking up, Will was greeted by the reassuring scent of black tea.
Looking around, he realized he was in his bedroom.
"Wuwuwu—Master—Master, are you okay—"
He had just sat up when Iel hugged him gently, her furry ears brushing against his nose and tickling him. She seemed genuinely worried, tears streaming as she held him. The scent of tea came from her.
Will had never been fond of tea, but to see if Iel would grow and adapt, he had pretended to like it and asked her to make plenty.
"It's definitely fine. If anything were wrong, I wouldn't just ask you to carry me back—I'd be calling a doctor," Will said, touching Iel's head with a sigh.
"So… the calibration plate?"
"It's in the back garden. Iel didn't dare move it once we brought it back."
"And that string of numbers…"
"Wu… radius 2.38 cm, depth 3 mm… Iel will never forget it!"
"Good. Then take this chance to measure the specific penetration value of the first Extreme Flame Meteor…"
Will's words were cut short when he felt a murderous aura emanating from the house.
Was something dangerous approaching slowly?!
Bang.
Will's head was tapped from behind.
"Who's there?! No one in this house dares speak to me except Aunt Susan…"
He turned and saw Susan, the head maid of the Systrom family, standing in the doorway, worry and anger mixed in her eyes. Her hands were folded, her expression complicated.
"Oh… it's you. Sorry," Will muttered.
To be honest, he had feared no one since reincarnating here—except for this head maid.
The head maid of the Systrom family wasn't an ordinary person. It was hard to imagine a maid not only skilled in tea and housekeeping but also able to teach magic and swordsmanship. His previous siblings had been raised by her until they entered school.
And she treated him like a mother in this world.
"You're enrolling next week, right? And you're still playing with fire here?! Aren't you afraid you won't pass the practical exam for enrollment?"
"Don't scold me, don't scold me. The admission letter hasn't arrived yet. I… I didn't expect the Extreme Flame Meteor to be so exhausting…"
Of course, Will knew this was a lie—but he had to say it. The day to face the real witch was approaching.
"Besides, I heard rumors after today that young master Will has a strange habit of setting a muscular maid on fire. What did you do?"
Will was confused.
"Ah? Muscular maid? What on earth did they see?"
"They say it's fine if you stay in the house, but once you leave, your reputation will be ruined. They claim your magic is so weak that you can barely make two fireballs, though your theoretical results are excellent."
"Ah? Two fireballs? What did they even see?"
At that moment, Will realized how rumors spread and three people could turn a story into a tiger. That was the gossip circulating all morning.
"Well, some say you indulge in excessive activities and are lewd with your maid. They say you get dizzy just being close to her."
"Ah? Ah? Ah? What did they even see?"
Pfft.
Iel, standing nearby, couldn't help laughing.
Susan tapped Will on the head again.
"Stop hitting yourself. Even a smart head can be knocked stupid."
"You must rest today. No reading, no writing! No measuring your calibration plate! Don't think I don't know how late you stay up every night."
"Okay… okay, Aunt Susan… Auntie…" Will covered his head and curled up in the quilt, dejected.
"Then… I'll lie down for a while. Can you bring me the black tea?"
Though over thirty in mind, he still instantly surrendered when facing someone like a mother.
"Okay, okay," Iel said, relieved to see the young master finally obey.
"The tea is right there. Have a good rest, young master."
Susan and Iel left the room together, closing the door. Susan turned to Iel seriously.
"Alas, I won't say anything about him. You're such a worrying maid, really letting him play with you."
"No, no, Master… this is… all quite normal behavior."
Susan looked at the collar around Iel's neck, unsure whether to laugh or cry. She remembered what she had seen passing by the back garden yesterday:
Back garden. Small classroom. Black straps. Dog collar. Two people.
No combination of these could be anything good.
"And today, it's even worse… burning and abuse straight away. What strange fetish does Will have? That's the collar he put on your neck yesterday, right?"
"This… this was given to Iel by the master. It's a collar with… miraculous effects for special training… high-temperature resistance training."
"That child is more eccentric than anyone else. He's clearly inherited the most from his father. The master must have done a lot like this back then."
Susan sighed. Madam had died shortly after Will was born. The master provided enough funds and staff, but not enough attention for the child. Seeing him at home once a month had been the best she could hope for.
"If Madam were still alive, it would have been great… or if the master had paid more attention, he wouldn't have turned out like this."
"… but the young master is still… quite good. Aunt Susan, see how he's training Iel, teaching her, and… giving her such a wonderful tool. It's rare for a young master to be so good to a maid, isn't it?"
Iel touched the collar around her neck tenderly, thinking of how much effort Will had put in that morning. He had tested her abilities carefully with the calibration plate before training her.
The young master truly cared for her.
Thinking of this, Iel smiled happily at Susan, her furry tail wagging uncontrollably.
Susan remembered when Iel was three years old, newly brought to the manor. She had never smiled, always alert, ears erect, avoiding eye contact and conversation. Like a wild wolf among humans, she had distrusted everyone. Her bony back bent, eyes full of fear and hostility, whispering, "Don't get close to me."
And back then, Iel had been picked from the forest, weak and untrained, unable to even perform basic magic. If Will hadn't fallen in love with her at first sight, she might never have survived.
Susan had worried she'd never fit in as a Systrom family maid and might be expelled. Household servants often doubled as bodyguards or thugs.
Now, Iel was cheerful and strong, thanks to the sauna training house Will had built. Among the maids, she was stronger than a typical child with one punch. Perhaps, as Iel had said, it was a good thing.
Will, seemingly abnormal, was truly walking his own path.
While the two chatted, a postman slowly rode up on a small bicycle, carrying an Entak First College admission letter with a gold border.