The moment that thought came to him, Lo’s face went dark. He spoke in a small voice.

“Can you at least turn around…?”

““Nope!””

“That was fast. Do you guys have to be this in sync?!”

“As your mom, it’s my duty to keep track of my son’s physical condition. I need to etch every inch of your body deep into my mind! For life!”

“I just wanna see how my little brother’s training went. I need to check how much you’ve really grown.”

“What do you mean ‘keep track of my body’? Don’t you dare etch anything into your mind! Just pretend you saw some random stranger, okay?! And sis, training results don’t show up this fast! Aren’t you supposed to see that in the duel arena or something?!”

“Lo! Stop your pointless struggle and get changed already!”

“Mom, hold up! What’s with your eyes?! I swear I see hearts in them—hey, hey! Quit it, stop drooling! Don’t come any closer!”

Seeing his mom closing in on him with a dumb “hehe” smile like some mindless puppet, Lo shuddered. His body instinctively backed away, only for the back of his head to bump into something soft.

He snapped his head around and found himself pressed right up against his big sister’s full chest. Before he could even react, she wrapped her arms around him from behind. The strength in that hug wasn’t something a normal girl should have at all; he couldn’t move an inch.

“Sis, sis, let me go!”

“Cut the crap. Stop resisting and take your clothes off like a good boy!”

“Sis, calm down! Why are you blushing?! And why do your eyes look kinda like Mom’s?!”

“Lo, if you keep resisting, I’ll have you kneeling on the floor tonight.”

“Sis, that’s dirty fighting! Who even does that?!”

And so, in the end, under his mom and sister’s “gentle” assault, the boy’s pants still came off. His mood stayed gloomy the entire morning.

After finally getting washed up, he was about to head out at the door when his mom called out to him.

“Mom? What is it?”

“Here, this. Your lunch.”

She took out a box wrapped in a pink cloth and handed it to Lo, smiling from ear to ear.

“I put a special pork cutlet in there today. You’ll love it, Lo.”

“Huh? Mom, didn’t I tell you it’s fine? I can just eat at the cafeteria.”

“No way. I’m not letting my Lo eat that kind of cheap, mass-produced junk. There’s no nutrition in it. Food made with Mom’s own hands and overflowing with motherly love is the best, isn’t it?”

“What about Sis?”

“Hmph, that little brat is perfect for cafeteria junk. She can just get herself poisoned and die from it for all I care.”

There was probably no other mother in the world who talked about her own daughter like this except his.

“Hah, like I’d ever eat some old woman’s bento.” His sister huffed from the side, snorted, then turned and walked off.

“Ah, Sis, wait up! Mom, thanks for the bento.”

Lo gave his mom a warm smile. He knew she’d made this just for him, putting her heart into it.

“Mm. Make sure you finish everything,” Mom murmured, ruffling his hair. Then, with a hint of complaint, “How about you skip school today and stay home with Mommy instead?”

“Don’t joke about that. Anyway, Mom, I’m heading out.”

“Be careful on the way.”

Watching Lo and the girl walk away, their backs growing smaller in the distance, Mom rested her chin in her hands, cheeks slightly flushed, and muttered to herself:

“Lo’s smile really is the best. Maybe I should add a little something to his dinner tonight. He’s grown up now… he needs a way to let it all out.”

“Hehehehe…”

Far away, as he ran down the street, Lo suddenly felt a chill crawl up his spine for no reason. He glanced left and right in a panic, half-convinced there was a ghost nearby.

———————————————————————————————————————

Norsted Land.

On this beautiful land known as “the fertile realm,” people lived peaceful, stable lives. After nearly a hundred years of war with the other races, humanity had long grown weary of flames and blood. When it finally ended, they let go of their tension, threw themselves into work, and focused on earning money to feed their families.

On this continent, humans weren’t the only race. There were also Elf, Demons, Angel, Blood and many others. Unlike humans, those races had overwhelming advantages in certain areas. Elves were born with powerful magic; they could control the magic elements in the air and unleash devastating spells. Demons had sturdy bodies; even if magic hit them, they might walk away without a scratch.

Within Norsted Land, humans had three major powers, each ruling in its own way: The Bratton Republic, The Nokgara Empire, and The Macadona Kingdom.

The systems in these three nations were very different from each other. Right now, the Republic of Laos, where Lo lived, was a minor state under The Bratton Republic. Bratton itself stood among the three great nations thanks to its bottomless wealth and large number of Mage.

The capital of the Republic of Laos, Nola, was the dream city for everyone in the country. It was called “paradise,” and one could imagine how wonderful the scenery and life there were. There were even people who struck it rich overnight, never worrying about food or clothing again, enjoying a peaceful life with their families.

In a city thousands of miles away from the capital Nola—Gaber—Lo and his sister were walking down the street. Oddly, though they were family, they weren’t walking side by side. Instead, there was some distance between them, making them look like two complete strangers.

Men busy working outside their shops froze when they saw Lo’s sister. Their eyes went wide, and they even stopped what they were doing, stroking their chins as they openly admired her.

Aster Magic Academy.

This was one of the six major magic academies in the city of Deck, famous for its focus on comprehensive magic. Many wealthy heirs and noble ladies studied there. For someone as painfully ordinary as Lo, this was the only Academy he could attend. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to go to the other five, he simply didn’t even meet the bare minimum to get in.

The reason was simple: Lo’s elemental affinity was so low it was almost unbelievable. Strictly speaking, he barely counted as a fire-type Mage. So far, all he could do was summon a tiny flame to light a candle; beyond that, his magic was basically useless.

After about a twenty-minute walk from home, Lo and his sister saw the towering clock tower in the distance. Its bronze exterior gave off a solemn, dignified air. The clock hands moved slowly, and judging by the time, they could still just about make it for first period.

The boy’s real name wasn’t Lo. That was just the nickname his mom and sister used. His full name was Lofen Gateun. His sister, Liya Gateun, was known throughout the Academy as the “Cold Flame Rose.” She was one of its top magic geniuses. Compared to a nobody like him, his sister was without a doubt the one who drew everyone’s eyes.