"Just Keep Three Promises."
I extended three fingers toward my aunt.
"First, you must not tell anyone anything about me unless I give you permission. Not even eldest brother or father."
My aunt tilted her head as she watched my first finger fold down.
"Why?"
"Because I am a concubine's child. I don't want to stand out, and I don't want to be exposed. It wouldn't do you any good to be associated with me, either."
"…Why?"
Once again, my aunt's face showed confusion.
Family hierarchy, status, external perception… There were many reasons, but they weren't things a nine-year-old should be saying. And even if I did, I doubted she would understand.
So, I gave a simple, childlike explanation.
"I just wouldn't feel good if people talked about me behind my back. You wouldn't like it either, right?"
"Oh… You're right. I wouldn't like that either."
A sudden memory seemed to darken my aunt's expression.
I folded down another finger and continued.
"Second, from now on, you must never lie to me."
"Lies? Why?"
"Because we need to be able to trust each other. I'll do my best to tell you the truth as well. So please, don't hide things from me."
My aunt groaned like a child struggling with a difficult problem, then reluctantly nodded as if giving in.
"Fine. What's the last one?"
I calmly stated my final condition.
Upon hearing it, my aunt's forehead creased.
"…That's so unfair. I don't know much about this, but I was told not to make promises like that so easily."
"I promise you this—I will never ask for anything unreasonable. And I will do my best to keep the first two promises as well."
My aunt pursed her lips and fell into thought.
But, true to her personality, she didn't take long to decide.
"Alright! That's settled, then! Now tell me!"
She threw her arms up in the air and shouted.
And so, my partnership with my aunt began.
***
Nearly a year had passed since the quiet departure of the family head.
As the acting head of the family, Lee Myung-jung had taken on his responsibilities.
The work of a family head was more challenging than he had imagined—not because there was too much work, but because each decision carried immense weight.
Even amidst his busy schedule, there was something that continued to pique Myung-jung's interest.
Yeong—his youngest sibling, whom their father had brought in from the outside. And alongside him, their aunt, Lee Kyung-hwa, who had chosen to stay with the child.
Aunt Kyung-hwa was eccentric, her way of thinking unpredictable. And Yeong—he was different from others in an indescribable way. For months now, the two had been up to something.
"Is the food not to your liking?"
Noticing that his youngest sibling kept hesitating with his spoon, Myung-jung asked.
Ever since their first meeting, he had made it a habit to share meals with his youngest sibling and Aunt Kyung-hwa whenever he had time.
"No, it's delicious. I'm enjoying it."
Narrowing his eyes, Myung-jung studied his sibling carefully.
'What an interesting flow.'
Despite what he said, the boy was moving with an unusual level of caution—even just lifting his spoon.
It was because of magic.
An incredibly delicate stream of mana was flowing throughout the child's body—so subtle that even Myung-jung himself had trouble detecting it.
'…No, this is beyond interesting. How is he even doing that?'
It was possible at higher levels of mastery, but for a child with only the most basic amount of mana, such fine control should have been impossible.
"This must be part of your training."
The boy froze.
"You knew?"
"If you become proficient in magic, you'll be able to do it too. You weren't exactly hiding it, were you?"
His older brother smiled, but Yeong felt uneasy.
'He's way too good at noticing things happening inside someone else's body.'
As expected of his eldest brother.
Even if Myung-jung said it was a skill one could develop, Yeong couldn't begin to guess how high that level of mastery had to be.
"What exactly have you and Aunt been working on?"
"It's more of a research project than training."
"Research?"
Now that things had reached this point, Myung-jung decided to take a closer look at his youngest sibling.
'Not only is he controlling mana in a way no child should be able to, but his technique is different from any magic I've ever seen.'
The mana was flowing smoothly—too smoothly for a child his age. And yet, it wasn't just uniformly steady.
It wasn't erratic either, but rather… adaptable. Controlled.
"It seems to be related to mana manipulation… but what's the purpose?"
"Secret! It's a secret! Myung-jung, stop! I won't tell you! Don't even look!"
Aunt Kyung-hwa suddenly interrupted, waving her hands wildly.
Myung-jung, looking slightly wounded, turned from his aunt to his younger brother.
But even his brother shook his head.
"I can't believe you're shutting me out like this."
"You'll figure it out naturally once it's complete, anyway."
"What could be so important that even I can't know?"
"It's nothing you need to worry about, Brother."
A polite but firm refusal.
Lee Myung-jung shook his head with a bitter smile.
"You heartless brat."
He couldn't understand what that peculiar flow of mana meant, but he could tell how much delicate control it required.
'So, he's not just some naive child.'
This kid had the nerve to call someone nearly old enough to be his uncle a rival.
If he kept underestimating him as just a cute little brother, he might regret it later.
'…Every time I see him, he proves to be extraordinary.'
He was still just a child, not even fully grown, yet already at this level. What would happen in another five or ten years?
'Am I… feeling nervous? Over that kid?'
The idea of being nervous about a younger sibling more than twenty years his junior made him chuckle dryly.
It was a strange feeling.
The boy was still far away, yet it felt like someone was right behind him, chasing.
How long had it been since he'd last felt this way?
"Don't be so on guard. It will take a long time before you can reach where I stand now."
At those words, he looked toward his eldest brother.
There was an unusual glint in his brother's eyes.
Setting down his spoon, he replied,
"It won't take that long."
"What? Haha!"
'So, you're finally acknowledging me as a rival.'
He liked his eldest brother.
He respected his character, talent, and abilities—he even felt a sense of reverence.
But at the same time, he wanted to surpass him. Not just his eldest brother, but everyone in the family. Even his father, who stood lofty and untouchable.
That thought made him smirk.
'A rival or my father… and yet, I haven't even mastered a single magic technique properly.'
The reason his recent days had been so difficult.
It wasn't just because he was learning a proper magic technique for the first time or because of the grueling training.
It was because of this research into magic techniques.
***
"Kiddo, how exactly did you do it this time? You need to explain."
"I'm not a kiddo…"
"Alright! I'll call you by your name then! Yeol-ah!"
"I'm telling you, not 'Yeol' either, it's Young… Haa, call me whatever you want."
Training Ground No.1, Soongmu Field.
As soon as Lee Kyunghwa saw the magic technique her nephew had performed, she pouted and started acting like a sulky child.
"Young, Yeol, whatever! You're not a kid anymore! You cunning little rascal!"
"Cunning?"
Lee Kyunghwa grumbled, kicking at the stone fragments scattered across the training ground.
"I… I struggled for ten years to master this, and you pulled it off instantly! And even applied it beyond that!"
He had taken the notebook she had dedicated her entire life to, barely even grasped its contents, yet still managed to perfect the technique—and in such a short time, he was already applying variations to it.
He had broken through where she had been stuck. That should have made her happy. And yet… why did she feel so frustrated inside?
"It wasn't instant—I've been at it for months. And it's all thanks to you, Auntie—"
"Shut up! Sob… I'm an idiot. I'm so dumb. But you're a genius…"
With a sullen expression, Lee Kyunghwa stared at her nephew's clenched fist.
Wuuuung—
A fist extended into the air.
To someone with little understanding of magic techniques, it might not have seemed like much, but the flow of mana circulating inside was on an entirely different level.
"The operation of magic when wielding a sword is different from when using fists, so how…?"
"I just tried applying it to martial arts and adjusted it a bit, and it worked. I just had a new idea, but in a way, isn't it something that both you and I created together?"
"Is that so…?"
"Yes, it was only possible because of you, Aunt."
"I'm not an idiot, am I?"
"Of course not."
"Heh-heh."
Lee Kyunghwa smirked and nodded.
Then she suddenly froze.
'Huh? But why do I feel bad?'
Why did she feel like she was being teased?
She couldn't figure it out.
"Anyway."
Lee Kyunghwa's eyes sparkled.
Even though she felt a bit jealous, there was undeniable progress.
"So that means you've gotten quite used to it?"
"Yes. But it's still difficult."
Nearly a year had passed since I made a deal with my aunt.
During that time, I started researching magic techniques with her.
The foundation of our research was my aunt's research materials and my inherited memories of Mujin's techniques.
"It's only natural that it's difficult. You know that."
"Yes, I do. I'm not complaining; I'm just stating the fact."
Ancient magic techniques don't manipulate a magic core, so they can't efficiently alter or store magical properties.
According to my aunt, in ancient times, magical properties were believed to be gifts from the heavens, something determined by natural talent.
As a result, ancient magic developed in a different direction—through precise control of the body's magic flow, down to the finest magical veins.
Mujin's magic techniques were an example of that.
They say that a great scholar can derive dozens or even hundreds of truths from just a small piece of information.
The moment my aunt saw the way I manipulated magic, she was able to significantly supplement the shortcomings of the magic technique she had created.
"I know. I've walked that path too. The beginning is always hard. If all we were doing was restoring old techniques, it would be fine… but that's not what we're doing, is it?"
Lee Kyunghwa's gaze deepened.
"A new magic technique that uses both a magic core and ancient magic methods. You can do it."
Lee Kyunghwa had a lifelong ambition she desperately wanted to achieve.
The magic core for storing and altering magical properties.
The magic veins for controlling and applying magic in practice.
A fusion of advanced modern magic theory and the forgotten techniques of the ancients. That was the magic technique she dedicated her life to completing.
"I want you to master it quickly. That way, I can teach you everything I've researched so far, and also the things I've completed and the things I've created on my own. I started learning too late in life to master it perfectly, but you can do it."
This wasn't something complete. It was still in the process of being created.
Because of that, its final form and limits were unknown.
'No, it's possible. If it's this child, he can do it.'
Lee Kyunghwa clenched her fist.
"Why should starting late be a problem? Does that mean you won't be able to master it, Aunt?"
"Mm. More precisely, I can't master it properly. The longer you've used a magic core, the harder it becomes to develop the ability to use both methods simultaneously. It's like a sense that atrophies over time."
"I see… Still, continuously operating magic this way is quite exhausting."
"Think of it as the process of reawakening a dulled sense. To regain the ability to use magic veins properly, it's best not to take breaks. Fortunately, you're only at the first stage and haven't used a magic core for too long, so you're adapting relatively quickly."
"But I still can't fully control it yet. I've only gotten a feel for it."
"It took me five years just to reach that point, and you grasped it the moment you heard about it. Now, you're already applying it… You really are a genius. Don't be too impatient."
Although my aunt spoke of my talent, I still felt hungry for growth.
Today, I saw my eldest brother. And I saw my third brother surpass even him.
And beyond them, there was my father, Lee Taeshin, who had reached an unfathomable level.
This family was filled with monstrous figures. I wanted to surpass them all.
"Aunt."
"Hm? What is it?"
"You saw my father when he was young, didn't you?"
My aunt nodded.
"If I perfect this technique and keep training without rest… do you think I could surpass him?"
Lee Kyunghwa fell into deep thought.
Lee Taeshin. Her eldest brother.
Surpass him?
She couldn't even imagine it.
"I don't know. Your father is… different."
"Different?"
"I always felt different from ordinary people, but my eldest brother… he's on another level. Honestly, I don't understand why people compare him to the Magic Tower Lord, the Saint, or the Nine Dragons' Master. To me, he's just completely different."
"..."
The Magic Tower Lord, the Saint, the Nine Dragons' Master.
Each of those names belonged to figures who stood at the peak of the world.
Right now, I couldn't even begin to challenge them.
And yet, my aunt placed my father above them.
My father, Lee Taeshin, wasn't called the strongest for no reason.
"Heh."
Lee Kyunghwa let out a quiet chuckle.
I could tell what she was thinking just by looking at her expression.
"But one thing I do know. You have something your father doesn't."
"Huh?"
Lee Kyunghwa smirked and continued.
"You're different, too. Very different. But your difference is not the same as your father's. You're walking a path that no one else has imagined. Even my eldest brother, who is unlike anyone else, couldn't have imagined it. So… you're different in your own way. Ah, what am I even saying?"
I was almost impressed by my aunt's terrible vocabulary when she wasn't talking about ancient magic.
But I understood what she meant.
I smiled at her.
'Yeah, when have I ever let myself think in such a weak-minded way?'
I had always pushed myself to the limit.
Instead of wasting energy on pointless thoughts, I should focus on stabilizing my magic control.
It was at that moment—
"Young Master!"
I turned toward the entrance of the training ground and saw my nanny running toward me in a hurry.
"Nanny? What brings you all the way here?"
"Here, take this!"
She urgently handed me something.
A white envelope, stamped with the emblem of the Soongmu Clan.
"Hm? What's this? What's this?"
My aunt widened her eyes in curiosity, inspecting the envelope from different angles.
"It's finally here."
I slowly tore open the envelope.