To defeat her brothers openly and honorably, as Orson put it, naturally meant surpassing them in the trading company’s revenue.
Celineina looked at Orson, whose confidence radiated from every fiber of his being, and found herself filled with anticipation.
Orson was already a master of both strategy and combat. If he turned out to be an exceptional businessman as well, then really, what was the point of anyone else even trying?
Orson walked to his desk, opened a drawer, and pulled out a notebook, which he handed to Celineina.
“This contains my thoughts on commerce and economics. You can take it and see if it helps. If it doesn’t, just consider it a joke at my expense.
But if you find it useful, don’t forget the agreement between us.”
“Mm.” Celineina nodded. “In that case, I’ve troubled you enough for today. I’ll take my leave.”
“Alright. Take care on your way back.”
As Celineina reached the door, Orson suddenly called out to her.
“Celineina.”
“Yes?”
“While I don’t know the exact reasons you’re so determined to prove yourself, I do believe that keeping control of your choices in your own hands is always better than leaving them to someone else.”
“...And I mean that sincerely.”
Hearing this, Celineina froze for a moment. She didn’t reply and instead quietly walked out.
—
Another seven days passed. During this time, Orson poured all his energy into guiding Litte, correcting his every mistake and detail with utmost care. He even began to reprimand him when he failed, but despite his efforts, Litte still couldn’t break through to Tier 1.
How was he supposed to pass the entrance test like this?
Then, Orson suddenly remembered a fairy tale he had read as a child. In it, a mother eagle trained her chicks to fly by throwing them off a cliff. The chicks would either learn to spread their wings or fall to their deaths.
The moral of the story was that every living creature could unleash extraordinary potential when faced with a life-threatening situation.
Humans were no exception.
Orson began to think—maybe he really should try that method.
After all, Litte was the protagonist.
That morning, Orson approached Litte.
“Litte, let’s take a break today. You’ve been training hard these past few days, so let’s go to the nearby forest to relax a bit,” Orson said.
“Really!?” Litte’s face lit up with joy as she nodded eagerly.
The intense training of the past few days had left her so sore that every night she went to bed, her bones felt as though they were about to fall apart.
After breakfast, Orson was called to Lucius’s study.
“How has Litte’s progress been these past days?”
“By normal standards, Litte’s progress has been incredible. He’s close to reaching Tier 1,” Orson replied truthfully. “But he’s still far from the level needed to pass the entrance exam.”
“In your estimation, will he pass the exam?” Lucius asked, his tone calm and unsurprised.
“It’s hard to say. People have limitless potential—Litte might surprise us and break through during the exam.”
“If it comes down to relying on potential, that means your teaching has already failed, doesn’t it?” Lucius said. “Of course, I’m not blaming you. But you were the one who raised my expectations for Litte. Are you now asking me to lower them again?”
“I deeply apologize, Father,” Orson said, bowing his head. “However, I plan to take Litte to the forest today.”
“And what do you plan to do there?”
“People often say that you don’t know your limits until you push yourself. Litte hasn’t faced a truly urgent situation yet. I want to create one and see if he can break through.”
“Will it be dangerous?” Lucius asked.
“No, I’ll be by his side the entire time, protecting him.”
“Alright.” Lucius nodded. “But remember, you must keep Litte safe, both now and in the future.”
“I understand, Father.” Orson nodded before leaving the room.
—
Later in the morning, after picking up a packed lunch prepared by Vivian, Orson departed with Litte toward the nearby forest.
At the gate, Orson took out a folded blanket. After casting a spell, the blanket floated into the air.
“Whoa, Orson, what is this?” Litte exclaimed, startled by the sight. It was her first time seeing a floating object like this.
“Tier 3 magic: Floating Carpet. It’s the perfect choice for traveling,” Orson explained as he sat on the blanket. “It consumes very little mana to maintain and can carry two or three people.”
He patted the space behind him, motioning for Litte to sit.
Litte hesitated, carefully observing the blanket for a while before cautiously seating herself, worried it might tip over and throw her off.
“Don’t worry. This thing’s very stable,” Orson said with a chuckle, noticing her cautious demeanor.
“Hold tight. We’re taking off.”
“Ahh!” Litte cried out as the carpet lifted into the air. The sudden inertia made her lean backward, and she instinctively hugged Orson’s waist.
Seconds later, the carpet ascended high into the sky.
“Alright, Litte, open your eyes,” Orson said, gently patting him on the head.
Slowly, Litte opened her eyes and realized they were now hundreds of meters above the ground.
Beneath her was nothing but a thin blanket.
Her heart raced as she feared the magic might fail, sending her and Orson plummeting to the ground.
“Don’t worry about falling. Just enjoy the view below,” Orson said, lightly tapping Litte’s forehead.
“Geez... Don’t you trust me?”
“Mm...” Litte rubbed her forehead, giving Orson a slightly annoyed look before shifting her attention to the scenery below.
The vast city of Antica, which had seemed so large on the ground, looked significantly smaller from this height. As the carpet flew farther and farther away, the city shrank until it was the size of a sesame seed, eventually disappearing altogether.
“See? Looking at things from the sky feels completely different from seeing them on the ground,” Orson said.
“Mm.” Litte nodded. “Things that seemed so big before look as small as ants from up here.”
“And from the sky, you can see so much more...”
“Someday, you’ll be able to do this too. You’ll learn powerful magic, and then you’ll fly through the skies on your own,” Orson said, looking at Litte.
After a while, Litte began to feel drowsy. Slowly, Orson’s figure blurred before her eyes, and she collapsed, falling asleep in his arms.
Looking down at the peacefully sleeping Litte, Orson sighed.
“Forgive me, Litte. I have to do this...”