Chapter Summaries

Rudeus joined the special students’ class and met Zanoba Shirone, who recognized him as the creator of a prized Roxy figurine and begged to become his apprentice. He also agreed to collaborate with Cliff Grimoire on experimental magic, while Zanoba warned that Fitz had been watching him.

• Rudeus entered the special students’ classroom and met Zanoba Shirone, who became fascinated with his prosthetic hand and earth-magic figurine.
• Zanoba recognized Rudeus as the creator of his Roxy figurine, knelt, and asked to be his apprentice; Rudeus agreed on the condition that Zanoba teach him to paint figurines.
• Cliff Grimoire introduced himself as a genius and invited Rudeus to collaborate on a theory for three-element resonance and self-repairing materials.
• Jinas explained the special students’ rules and resources before leaving the classroom.
• Zanoba told Rudeus that Fitz had passed the classroom twice and watched him, leaving Rudeus wondering why Fitz was interested in him.

Eris met Linia and Pursena, the sisters of Minitona and Tersena, at the university training ground and defeated Pursena with one strike before stopping Linia with her killing intent. After the instructor questioned her combat experience, Eris left for the university gates.

• Eris recognized Linia and Pursena as the older sisters of the girls she had met in Doldia Village and told them she was married to Rudeus.
• Pursena challenged Eris to a match, but Eris disarmed her with an Arm Slash.
• Eris used her Sword Saint Rank killing intent to stop Linia when she tried to run away.
• Pursena promised to improve after Eris pointed out a flaw in her stance.
• The swordsmanship instructor asked Eris about her combat experience, but she declined to explain and headed toward the university gates.

Rudeus found Fitz’s detailed notes on chantless magic and began noticing how Fitz repeatedly watched him but fled whenever he approached. After seeing Fitz practice chantless healing magic at night, Rudeus suspected that Fitz might be Sylphie, though he could not reconcile Fitz’s white hair with her green hair.

• Rudeus discovered Fitz’s handwritten notes arguing that chantless magic depended on the body’s learned flow of mana.
• Rudeus tried to speak with Fitz in the library, cafeteria, training ground, and hallway, but Fitz repeatedly hurried away from him.
• Rudeus recognized Fitz’s hunched, hurried walk as resembling the way a bullied green-haired girl from Buena Village used to run.
• Rudeus saw Fitz practicing chantless healing magic beneath the moonlight and realized Fitz was the third person he knew who could use chantless magic.
• Rudeus studied Fitz’s familiar stance and gestures as he wondered whether Fitz could be Sylphie despite the difference in their hair color.

Rudeus reunited with Sylphiette, whom he had believed dead since the Teleportation Incident, and learned how she had survived and why she had hidden her identity. Sylphie told him that Princess Ariel wanted to meet him.

• Rudeus approached Fitz on the training ground and recognized her as Sylphiette when she removed her sunglasses.
• Rudeus and Sylphiette tearfully confirmed they were both alive and talked about how they had searched for each other.
• Sylphiette explained that she had survived the Teleportation Incident, become Princess Ariel’s guardian mage, and disguised herself to protect Ariel’s political position.
• Sylphiette learned that Rudeus had married Eris and congratulated him, while Rudeus told her he loved Eris.
• Sylphiette told Rudeus that Princess Ariel wanted to meet him because of his chantless magic, his status at the university, and his relationship with her.

Eris helped Aisha prepare dinner before Rudeus came home and revealed that he had met his childhood friend Sylphiette, whom he had believed missing. Eris welcomed Sylphiette into their circle and planned to invite her to dinner, while accepting that she was Rudeus’s friend.

• Eris struggled to chop vegetables with a kitchen knife while Aisha cooked dinner and taught her how to hold it.
• Paul, Norn, and Aisha ate with Eris while waiting for Rudeus to return from the university.
• Rudeus came home and told his family that he had met Sylphiette, his first friend from childhood, who was still alive.
• Eris offered to invite Sylphiette to dinner, and Aisha agreed to prepare a meal for one more person that weekend.
• Eris reflected on Sylphiette’s appearance and decided that Rudeus’s friend was her friend, regardless of the reason for her disguise.

Rudeus met Princess Ariel and refused to become her subordinate, offering friendship instead. Ariel accepted, and Sylphie thanked Rudeus before agreeing to visit his home for a meal.

• Sylphie told Rudeus that Ariel had fled Asura after Gravel seized power, losing thirteen of the eighteen people who traveled with her.
• Ariel offered Rudeus money, status, and protection in exchange for serving her, but he refused and offered to be her friend.
• Ariel accepted Rudeus's friendship and explained that Gravel and Darius controlled most of Asura's nobles and army while her remaining supporters were watched or exiled.
• Ariel told Rudeus that Sylphie had often spoken about their childhood and his kindness to her.
• Sylphie thanked Rudeus for treating Ariel as an ordinary person and agreed to visit his home for dinner with Eris and Aisha.

Eris welcomed Sylphie to the family home and learned how important Rudeus had been to her since childhood. After dinner, Sylphie left, while Eris and Rudeus stood together silently on the porch.

• Sylphie visited Eris and brought honey cookies, and Aisha and Norn greeted her.
• Eris asked Sylphie about her childhood relationship with Rudeus, and Sylphie said he was the most important person to her.
• Eris told Sylphie that she was currently the most important person to Rudeus but that Sylphie would always be his first friend.
• Sylphie joined the family for dinner, and Eris urged her to eat more.
• Sylphie helped Aisha wash the dishes before Rudeus walked her to the door.
• Sylphie left, and Eris and Rudeus stood together on the porch without speaking.

Rudeus visited Zanoba’s workshop and saw that Zanoba’s skillful dolls lacked delicate joints and expressive faces. Rudeus agreed to use earth magic to make their skeletons and faces while Zanoba handled their finishing, and left as Ginger privately warned Zanoba about Rudeus’s vast mana.

• Rudeus examined Zanoba’s dolls and explained how ball-and-socket joints and asymmetrical faces would make them more lifelike.
• Rudeus used earth magic to create a precise ball-and-socket joint, then proposed collaborating with Zanoba on doll-making.
• Zanoba accidentally cracked the worktable while celebrating, and Ginger arrived to question whether Rudeus could be trusted.
• Rudeus and Zanoba planned a first batch of five dolls, with Rudeus making a sample skeleton and face within a week while Zanoba prepared clothes and accessories.
• After Rudeus left, Ginger told Zanoba that Rudeus’s mana reserves seemed abnormal, but Zanoba said Rudeus was his friend.

Rudeus and Cliff developed a self-repairing material by combining earth and water magic, giving Rudeus a way to improve his prosthetic hand. After their successful experiment, they encountered Fitz, whose rejection left Cliff impressed by how cool Fitz was.

• Cliff explained his theory that earth magic could buffer fire and water magic and help create a self-repairing material.
• Rudeus and Cliff went to the laboratory, where Rudeus used precise earth magic to build a sample with tiny water-element circuits.
• Rudeus scratched the sample, and the material repaired itself within seconds, confirming Cliff's theory.
• Cliff invited Fitz to join their research, but Fitz declined and hurried away.
• Cliff proposed names for their research project, while Rudeus rejected the name Twin Genius Project.

Eris defeated a succession of challengers at the university training ground, drawing a crowd and the attention of Isolte, a visiting Water God Style instructor. Isolte offered to teach her, and Eris agreed to meet her at the dojo the next morning.

• Eris defeated a third-year swordsmanship student in a wooden-sword match and explained that she trained to kill rather than practice forms.
• More challengers came to face Eris over the next few days, and she beat them all while Linia and Pursena watched and called the odds.
• On the fourth day, Eris defeated a battle-tested third-year student after three exchanges and advised him that his thrust was telegraphed.
• Isolte watched Eris train, introduced herself as a visiting Water God Style instructor, and offered to teach her.
• Eris accepted Isolte's offer and agreed to meet her at the dojo at six the next morning.