"Good boy, Shiro. That’s it."
"Woof!"
I stroked Shiro’s head as he returned with the ball I had just thrown.
Sharing mental images by manipulating the properties of my magic power was incredibly convenient. With this technique, I could get him to perform almost any action I desired.
For instance, I hadn't just thrown the ball normally a moment ago—I had hurled it exceptionally high.
Using Wind System Magic, I’d sent it soaring to the height of the castle walls.
I’d then made Shiro climb up the gaps between the stones to retrieve it.
It was a movement only a magical beast could pull off. Not bad, Shiro.
However, maintaining a constant magical connection while Shiro ran around was a significant drain on my focus. I’d solved this by using a Magic Imprint; now, I only flared my mana to connect with him when I needed to issue a specific command.
For now, I supposed I would focus on getting him acclimated to daily life.
"Hello, Lloyd."
As I was lost in thought, Albert walked toward me across the lawn.
Second Prince Albert—he was my older brother, nine years my senior, and a handsome man with a tall, slender build and golden hair.
He was quite the master of magic and frequently took me along for training sessions.
Rumor had it he was the most likely candidate to succeed the throne.
...Hm, I wondered who that was beside him.
Next to Albert stood a man with black hair and a bandana.
He looked to be in peak physical condition—lean but remarkably muscular.
He appeared to be around the same age as Albert and was currently staring at me with a sharp, piercing gaze.
"It seems Shiro has become quite obedient to you," Albert noted.
"Yes. Alieze-neesan gave me some instruction."
"From Alieze...? H-How on earth did you understand her explanation?"
"Ahaha, it was a bit challenging, admittedly."
As I gave a wry smile, Albert pressed a hand to his mouth.
"Hmm... Don't tell me he read the flow of mana surrounding Alieze, deduced her beast-taming techniques, and mastered them himself...? No, no, even for Lloyd, surely that's impossible. The beast likely just grew fond of him. Yes. That must be it. No way."
Albert shook his head, a cold sweat breaking out on his brow.
His complexion looked a bit pale; I wondered if he was feeling alright.
"Hey, Albert-nii, what are you muttering about?"
When the man spoke up, sounding like he’d run out of patience, Albert cleared his throat as if suddenly remembering his purpose.
"Ah, my apologies. Lloyd, let me introduce you. This is Dian. He's your brother."
"Eh! You mean, another older brother?"
"Yeah! It’s been a while, Lloyd! ...Well, I’ve been away in the neighboring country of Bertram since you were a toddler, so you probably don’t remember me. You’ve grown huge, kid! I just got back today!"
Dian di Saloom.
He was the Fourth Prince. I had a vague memory of him coming to see me with Albert when I was about three.
There was a slight resemblance in his face—the set of his eyes, mostly.
Since he was about my age, Dian had been studying abroad in Bertram, a neighboring country famous for its superior blacksmithing technology.
It was likely for political reasons, perhaps as a gesture of friendship.
I remembered thinking it was admirable for a prince to leave home to study for the sake of his kingdom.
I wondered why Albert had brought him to see me, though.
"Albert-nii, why’d you bring me to Lloyd? We could’ve done a formal greeting whenever."
It seemed Dian was wondering the same thing.
Albert let out a smug grin.
"Actually, Dian, this Lloyd right here is the enchanter I told you about."
"Wh—!? You’re kidding, Albert-nii! This shrimp is the one who put the enchantments on that magic sword!?"
Dian pointed at the magic sword I had previously enchanted for Albert, his eyes wide with shock.
Then, he crouched down in front of me, resting his chin on his hand as he scanned me from head to toe.
"Nngh... I can’t believe it, but I don’t think Albert-nii would lie to me... Fine, Lloyd. I’m going to test you. Come with me."
Without another word, Dian tucked me under his arm and took off running.
"Eh? Eh? Eeee-hhh!?"
"Hey, Dian! Wait! Where are you taking him!?"
"Sorry, Albert-nii! I’m borrowing him for a bit!"
Dian waved back at Albert and kept sprinting.
The place he took me to was a domed brick building tucked away in a corner of the castle grounds.
A chimney jutted from the roof, and a well stood nearby.
I had peeked inside this building once before out of curiosity, but it had been nothing but a storage room then.
What could he possibly want in a place like this?
"Aah, here we go. This brings back memories."
Dian muttered as he swung the door open.
The interior was completely different from what I remembered.
A massive furnace sat in the center of the room, surrounded by an array of blacksmithing tools: anvils, hammers, pliers, chisels, bellows, and a wide variety of chemicals.
"This is the workshop I used back when I was a brat. I took my tools with me when I went abroad, but I had them shipped back ahead of me since I was coming home. Starting today, I can finally practice the blacksmithing I learned over there."
Dian hummed to himself as he handled the tools, his face lighting up with childlike excitement.
"...Do you like blacksmithing, Dian-niisan?"
"You bet! That’s why I learned everything I could over there! Bertram is incredible—their enchantment magic and magic sword techniques are on a whole different level. I realized we couldn’t fall behind, so when I talked to Albert-nii about it, he said he’d introduce me to a top-tier enchanter. I had high hopes, but... I never expected it to be Lloyd."
Dian let out a heavy, dramatic sigh and then glared at me.
"Lloyd, I’m sorry, but I can’t just take Albert-nii’s word for it. I’m going to test you to see if you’re actually worth your salt as an enchanter...!"
"...I see."
"Whine..."
This was becoming a bit of a headache.
Shiro, who had followed us in, looked up at me with an anxious expression.
"Do you know what this liquid is?"
Dian pointed to a water jar filled with a shimmering fluid.
"That's Magic Marrow Fluid. It’s a liquid used to coat the surface alongside a spell formula during the enchantment process."
"Hm... Hah, so you know the basics at least... But what about this!"
He rummaged through a wooden box and pulled out some reddish-brown soil.
"That is Red Mud. It’s a raw material used during the ironmaking process. I’ve heard that the neighboring country produces very high-quality Red Mud."
"Wh—! You know about that too...!?"
"Yes, though I’m embarrassed to say my knowledge comes strictly from books."
To understand enchantment magic, a foundation in blacksmithing was essential. I had read quite a few books on the subject to broaden my understanding.
Looking into the wooden box, I saw a wealth of other materials.
"Oh! Iron ore, coal, Milky Stone, gold, silver, copper, Magic Stone Powder... Wow! You have so many different materials!"
"...!"
It was like a treasure chest.
With these materials, I could perform as many enchantments as I wanted; I might even be able to forge a magic sword.
Perhaps Albert had introduced me to Dian to fulfill the promise he’d made to support my research into enchantment magic.
"Wait, you don't have any Red Magic Stone or Lunar Silver Elixir?"
"What the heck are those?"
"They’re materials used for advanced enchantments..."
When I tilted my head in confusion, Dian gulped.
"This kid’s knowledge is off the charts! Knowing about Magic Marrow Fluid is one thing, but he’s incredibly well-versed in other materials too! He hasn't just dabbled... at this rate, he might actually know as much as I do. Heh, Albert-nii is a sly one... The kid looks like a shrimp, but he’s clearly useful. If I work with him, I might finally achieve my dream—creating my very own original magic sword...!"
He started muttering to himself again.
I wondered what was going on.
"Little Roddy."
"Eh?"
I blinked at the sudden change in how he addressed me.
"Yeah, I mean you. Little Roddy, you actually know a thing or two about enchantment magic, don’t you? Fine. I acknowledge you. In exchange, you can call me Master Craftsman!"
"I... I see..."
Dian jabbed a thumb at his chest confidently.
I didn't quite follow the logic, but it seemed I had been accepted before I knew it.