Various races exist across the continent.
While humans occupy most of its territory, there are also beastkin, elves, and dwarves who, as demi-humans, hold small lands of their own.
Dwarves live in rugged mountain ranges of massive stone.
Elves dwell in dense, sprawling forests.
Beastkin inhabit vast plains and wastelands.
Because of the wars of conquest waged by humans in the distant past, an indelible hostility still lingered between demi-humans and humans.
However, not everyone viewed one another as enemies filled with hatred.
The existence of mixed-blood individuals was proof of that.
Children born from love between different races.
Of course, such mixed-blood individuals were exceedingly rare.
Not only was the probability of birth itself very low, but unions between different races were uncommon to begin with.
Even so, they undeniably existed in various places.
As it happened, the mixed-blood individual Ludger knew best was Sedina.
A half-elf born between a human and an elf.
After overcoming countless hardships and trials, she had now become the queen who ruled the elven kingdom.
‘And in Carlo’s case, beastkin blood flows in him.’
The moment Ludger saw Carlo communicating with animals, he was certain.
Judging by Carlo’s wide-eyed reaction, however, it seemed Carlo himself did not know what kind of blood he had inherited.
“You didn’t know?”
“Me? That can’t be right. Aren’t you mistaken about something?”
“Hm. It seems you yourself were unaware. Your familiarity with animals, your innately sharp instincts, and even that origin magic you are practicing.”
Origin magic.
The ability to touch a great current accessible only to an extremely small number among those whose spirituality is opened.
Ludger knew exactly who used that origin magic.
Sir Lotheron, the Iron Mask—a 6th-Circle mage.
Also known as Tenaron O’Vallie, a beastkin who carried the blood of a Great Chieftain.
Beastkin were born wielding a mysterious power called Spirit, distinct from a knight’s aura or a mage’s mana.
It allowed them to hear the voices of their ancestors through spiritual communion and to connect with the beasts of nature.
Receiving guidance from great spirits and advancing toward the future.
That # Nоvеlight # was why, although most beastkin were born warriors, there also existed those called shamans among them.
“Your spirituality is opened to a degree that can hardly be called human. That is only possible if you are learning Spirit—or if you were born with beastkin blood.”
“Even if that’s true......”
“Then let me ask you one thing. What kind of person was your father?”
The only information Ludger knew about Carlo’s background was that he had lived alone with his mother since childhood.
Naturally, Carlo had no presence of a father in his life.
He did not know whether the man had died or simply left without a word.
“......I don’t know. That kind of person.”
Judging by Carlo’s reaction, he neither knew who his father was nor seemed to want to know.
Leaving behind only his child and wife in a place like a garbage dump—his reaction was only natural.
“Your mother raised you alone in that place. At the very least, compared to the environment you grew up in, I do not believe you are a violent or evil person.”
“And what makes you think that?”
Carlo snapped, but Ludger answered without hesitation.
“Because I saw you setting aside food for small animals.”
“.......”
“To grow up like this in such a harsh environment means your mother must have poured exceptional love into raising you.”
Ludger was right.
Carlo’s mother was too kind and gentle to be living in a place like that.
She always did her utmost to keep her child from being tainted by bad influences.
Carlo knew that, which was why he cherished his mother beyond measure.
At least to him, she was everything in this world—something he could proudly claim.
“......So what? Does it matter that the bastard who abandoned me and my mom was a beastkin, and that I inherited his blood?”
“At the very least, if you want to learn magic properly, this is something you need to know. Carlo, what do you think magic is?”
“What do you mean what is magic? Magic is obviously recreating mysterious miracles through mana. Do you think I’m an idiot?”
Carlo possessed basic knowledge of magic.
Just because he always behaved delinquently in class did not mean he lacked interest in magic itself.
He simply believed he could do well on his own, so he never felt the need for anyone else’s help.
“That’s the commonly accepted understanding, yes. But as you know, magic is incredibly diverse. And there is still magic in this world that has yet to be revealed. The magic we use through formulas merely exploits a tiny fraction of the mysterious power that mana holds.”
At that explanation, Carlo thought of the girl named Mina.
The girl beloved by mana, who had manifested pseudo–6th-Circle magic without any formulas.
At the same time, another thought arose. What did it even mean to be loved by mana?
Did mana have emotions? Did it possess intelligence? If one could not even prove its existence, how could one possibly ask it for anything?
Ludger realized the question Carlo had reached and smiled.
“Yes. It seems you’ve begun to sense it.”
“......I get what you’re trying to say. Basically, the magic I know is only a fragment compared to the real thing, right? And if I want to learn proper magic, I need to pay attention to other aspects too.”
“Exactly. That’s why knowing your origin is important. If you are not certain of who you are, the magic you desire will end up being only half-complete.”
How could one explore mana without even knowing who they themselves were?
“In the end, all enlightenment and truth begin with recognizing who you are.”
Failing to do so was like wandering through a dark forest without a map, not even knowing where you stood.
“And you have inherited half the blood of a beastkin. Even if you yourself were unaware of it. So let me ask you one thing. Haven’t your nails or claws tended to grow unusually fast or long?”
“That’s......”
Carlo hesitated, as if something came to mind.
He looked down at his hands. He saw neatly trimmed nails—kept that way out of habit.
Ever since childhood, his mother had always reminded him while trimming his nails herself.
“It’s the same with your communication with small animals, and the same with your spirituality. Still, it is surprising. Normally, if beastkin traits manifested to that extent, physical traits would stand out as well.”
By appearance alone, Carlo was no different from a human.
At most, he looked rough and ferocious—but that was something even a perfectly ordinary person could exhibit.
“Perhaps because your physical traits leaned toward humanity, the other abilities were instead more strongly influenced by your beastkin side.”
“......So, now that I know I’m mixed-blood, what happens next?”
Carlo knew how beastkin were viewed by society.
There were a few beastkin attending Seorn, but he was not foolish enough to be ignorant of how the world regarded them.
Although things had improved compared to the past, perceptions of beastkin were still far from positive.
“Well, I guess things can’t get any worse for me now.”
Already the most avoided person around—what difference would it make if his beastkin blood were revealed too?
At Carlo’s cynical response, Ludger spoke lightly.
“Now that you know, you should make use of it.”
“......Make use of it? You’re saying you’ll keep teaching me?”
“That’s a strange question. I am a Special Class instructor, and you are my student. Why would a teacher teaching a student be something to question?”
At Ludger’s genuinely puzzled tone, Carlo was the one who became flustered.
“No, I mean—you said I’m mixed with beastkin blood.”
“Did you perhaps think I hold some kind of prejudice against beastkin?”
“......Don’t you?”
“Hm. If you didn’t know, that’s understandable. Let me tell you this in advance—when I worked here before, there was even a pure-blood beastkin child, not mixed at all. I taught that child as well.”
In other words, whether someone was a beastkin or mixed-blood posed no problem whatsoever in Ludger’s teaching.
The more Carlo talked with Ludger, the more he could not shake the feeling that something about himself might be wrong.
Because Ludger was simply too different from everyone Carlo had dealt with before.
Even teachers who called themselves kind would eventually grow weary of Carlo’s attitude and back away—but Ludger treated it as nothing worth mentioning.
Naturally so.
Just how many strange and extraordinary people had Ludger encountered in his life?
Having lived alongside his teacher Grander for several years alone, Ludger’s tolerance for people was higher than almost anyone else’s.
No matter who the other person was, he could always think, ‘Well, at least they’re better than my teacher,’ and move on.
Of course, even Ludger had a very small number of people who tested his patience—Bellaruna, for example.
Compared to people like that, a delinquent boy like Carlo?
He was no more than a cute little kitten hissing in defiance.
Naturally, from Carlo’s perspective—unaware of all this—Ludger could only seem extraordinary.
And in truth, he was.
“Now that I know you have beastkin blood, I’m even more certain about how I should teach you going forward.”
“......How?”
“Practical training.”
At the word “practical,” Carlo felt both excited and puzzled.
“You’re not going to teach theory? Other teachers always said that to me. That I use magic too instinctively, so I need to build solid fundamentals.”
“That’s one way to look at it. But at your level, basic theory is meaningless. You carry beastkin blood, and your talent is in the process of awakening. Your intuition will be sharper and faster than any rational thought in this world.”
Teaching Carlo theory at this stage would be like putting a leash on a wild wolf and dulling its senses.
In cases like this, the best approach was to let the wolf run free, allowing it to fully utilize its instincts.
“Theory is necessary only when one’s level is ambiguous. For someone like you, learning through practice is more appropriate—at least in my opinion.”
Feeling as though he had finally been truly understood, Carlo felt a strange sense of relief.
The fact that he would not have to sit through tedious theory lessons also played a part.
“Then how exactly is this practical training going to work? What, are we sparring or something?”
“Normally, sparring would be the only option. And naturally, I would be the one to lead it.”
“Then are we doing what we did last time at the training grounds again?”
Carlo realized he felt both tense and excited.
Despite having seen Ludger’s overwhelming strength, his competitive spirit still flared.
Was it because he had become aware of the half of his blood flowing within him?
Carlo found that this strange sensation was not entirely unpleasant.
“Unfortunately, the training grounds are currently off-limits. And you have only just begun to recognize your own abilities. In other words, the feral nature you’ve been deliberately ignoring has awakened as well.”
“That can’t be true.”
Carlo replied boldly, though he himself seemed unaware.
Unaware that his pupils were split vertically, just like those of a beastkin on the brink of battle.
Hm. There’s a lot to do from the very start.
Thinking that, Ludger snapped his fingers.
Shadows rose up and swallowed Carlo’s body.
Carlo tried to react quickly, but the shadows were far faster.
When his vision returned after the darkness receded, the scene before him was something entirely unfamiliar.
“Where... is this?”
“Outside Seorn. To be precise, a very remote place in the northern part of the continent.”
“What are we even planning to do out here—”
Carlo trailed off and clamped his mouth shut.
The hair all over his body bristled. Instinctively, Carlo stared beyond the conifer forest.
Something was there.
Something had noticed them and was approaching.
“First, congratulations on newly recognizing your abilities. But you still have a long road ahead. You’ve only just started to walk.”
Regardless, Ludger calmly continued.
“Now that you recognize your nature, you must learn to refine and suppress it properly. After observing yourself, the next step is to control it as you desire.”
“Control... you say?”
“Yes. The feral instincts that will occasionally boil over—you must suppress them with willpower alone. And the one approaching now is an instructor perfectly suited to provide you with that kind of training.”
No sooner had he finished speaking—
With a thunderous boom, something of enormous mass landed before Ludger and Carlo.
More precisely, it was a landing—but it was so violent that “fell” felt more appropriate.
A massive, white-haired beastkin rose from the impact point.
The instant Carlo faced him, he felt his entire body freeze.
A monster.
His instincts screamed it.
“Allow me to introduce him. This is Mr. Phantos, who will teach you how to suppress your feral instincts as a beastkin.”