“It’s disgusting. How do you even choke this down?”

Henry shoveled a few lazy bites off the old, worn-out table. He barely chewed twice before spitting it all out, then shot a vicious look at Kevin, who was wrapped head to toe in bandages. His tone snapped into a commanding bark.

“Hey. Bring this young master something that actually tastes good.”

“Looks like Gali never bothered to teach you anything. You’ve got that thick, stinking noble air all over you right now.”

Kevin set his chopsticks down, Gali’s situation flashing through his mind. He didn’t say much more, just let out a quiet sigh.

“Fine. I’ll teach you what it means to respect your elders and your teacher. Starting today, I’m your teacher. I’ll make sure you learn.”

“And you think you’re fit to be my teacher?”

Henry narrowed his eyes, studying Kevin. A scornful smile tugged at his lips. In his mind, some middle‑aged guy who got mauled by monsters could only be so strong.

“You’re not that old, but your mouth’s pretty big. Talk to me like that again and I’ll hit you. I mean it.”

“Uncle, as if you could even beat—”

A heavy thud of flesh against wood cut him off. Kevin had flicked him away with a light burst of magic, sending Henry flying into the corner of the room. If Kevin had gone all out, the brat would’ve been a corpse already.

Kevin mimicked Henry’s earlier scornful look, leaning on his cane as he strolled over at an unhurried pace. He crouched down beside Henry, watching him quietly.

“So? Feeling it now? You should actually be grateful you get to be my disciple—Kevin Jaeger’s disciple. You’re the first.”

“You’re Kevin Jaeger? I heard he’s supposed to be really strong.”

Henry rubbed the slightly swollen back of his head, his tone full of doubt. Kevin Jaeger was the innovator of the magic era, after all.

Just the things he’d created—no‑chant magic, and boosting the usage rate of body‑enhancement magic—had given the Human Race a sliver of hope against the powerful Demon Race.

“Do I not look like him? Whatever, this isn’t the time to argue about that. At least for the near future, I’ll be taking proper care of you.”

Kevin’s expression turned serious. He gently took Henry’s hand and sent a stream of magic into his body, just to feel out his physical condition.

“Honestly… Henry, right? Your body’s way more suited for close combat, and especially for a sword. Your magic talent’s pretty mediocre. Someone must’ve told you that already. So why’re you still trying to learn magic?”

“None of your business, old man, you just—”

Henry didn’t even get halfway through before his voice cut off—his mouth sealed by a spell.

“Since you’ve got so much energy, start by cleaning this place up.”

Kevin clearly had no intention of lifting the silence spell. He slowly headed for the door, then paused, feeling he hadn’t said enough, and added in a casual tone:

“Oh right. If you don’t get it cleaned properly, you’re not getting dinner. Just a heads‑up.”

Soon, Henry was the only one left in the dim room. After a long internal struggle, he still ended up picking the broom up off the floor.

Outside, a light breeze brushed past Kevin’s bandaged face. A faint, relieved chuckle slipped from his lips. This kid could still be saved.

…One year later…

“Seriously, old man, why’s a mage teaching close combat? And you’re nothing like other mages at all.”

Henry, after a year of Kevin’s training, was a completely different person from when he’d first arrived. Flames flickered to life around his clenched fist, and he slammed it toward the lake. The blast kicked up a thick cloud of steam over the water, but his face still showed confusion.

“Isn’t it normal for a mage to know close combat? If you can’t even protect yourself, you’re not a proper magician. But Henry, if you’d use a sword, you’d be way stronger.”

Kevin no longer needed a cane, and most of his injuries had healed. But there were still hidden problems lingering in his body, so he needed more time to rest.

“I’m not using a sword. Just seeing one makes me think of that guy who only knows how to drink. He can’t even be bothered to come see me once.”

Henry’s fist tightened as he spoke, a faint shimmer of tears gathering in his eyes.

“Maybe he’s just too busy. Anyway, you’ve still got me here, don’t you?”

Kevin didn’t want to say too much about their family drama. Still, the fact that Gali hadn’t come to see his own kid once in a whole year was a bit much. But Kevin had promised to look after Henry, so he would follow through.

“Yeah, ol— I mean, old man… thanks.”

Henry’s still‑childish face flushed slightly red. The corner of his mouth twitched as he forced the words out, embarrassed. It was his first time feeling anything like “home” here.

Not that fake concern aimed at currying favor with his status. Not that cautious, fearful care from servants. Just clumsy, simple efforts to teach him things, nothing more.

“Hey, hey, hey, I’m not that old. And Henry, you’ve been here a whole year and you still haven’t called me ‘teacher’ even once.”

“No way, old man. Calling you ‘teacher’ just feels wrong.”

“Ahh, sounds like someone wants a nice light dinner tonight.”

Kevin spoke offhandedly, even whistling, as if he were making the most ordinary comment.

“Don’t do that to me, old man! I haven’t had meat for three days already. I finally made it to today, have a heart.”

There was a clear hint of pleading in Henry’s voice. A year of eating here had really dulled his taste buds.

…Another year later…

The surroundings were scorched with blast marks from fire magic. Both master and disciple only knew fire spells, after all. Kevin stood in place with his eyes closed, calmly taking Henry’s attacks. None of the spells managed to injure him in the slightest.

“Hey, teacher, how come you only know fire magic?” Henry’s tone was full of curiosity.

“That’s called focusing everything into one point until you reach the peak. To put it bluntly… I’ve got no talent for anything else.”

“Ohhh, so teacher’s just a useless little scrub.”

“You little—… forget it.”

Kevin started to say something, but swallowed the words back down. Then he quietly spoke to Henry.

“It’s been two years. My injuries are completely healed now. I’m going to join the Demon King subjugation. If fate allows, we’ll meet again. Oh—and don’t go out of your way to look for me.”

At that point, the dream snapped apart.

Lorin woke up, left alone with the darkness and his silence. Outside the window, rain drummed softly. A magic carrier pigeon fluttered in through the bright inn window, as if bringing news from the imperial capital.

“It finally came.”

Kevin, seated on the sofa, snapped his eyes open. The magic pigeon landed on his shoulder, then slowly merged into his body. After a while processing the incoming information, he muttered to himself:

“Looks like it’s not all good news. And this bad part…”