Return of the Fallen Nobleman With an SSS-Rank Talent-Chapter 33: Affinity Test [1]

After eating and chatting with his mother about trivial matters, Adam left the dining room.

He had managed to ease his mother’s concern a little... it seemed he had been unable to fulfill his father’s words when he returned from the demon forest. However, it was something that could not be avoided.

Adam walked down the mansion’s hallway with measured steps.

According to his memories of his past life, this was only the beginning—the first crack before the complete collapse. However... something didn’t add up. He didn’t remember the first tide being so violent. Nor did he remember the Kingdom of Aragon infiltrating men so soon.

Had it always been this way?

Or was his interference altering the order of events?

Perhaps it had happened in his previous life, and he hadn’t noticed. After all, he wasn’t the one making the decisions back then.

He exhaled slowly.

There was no point in dissecting the past now.

The only thing that mattered was the next move.

Not long after, he arrived at the Mana Dragon Lotus cultivation.

The field stretched for about fifty meters, arranged in perfectly aligned rows. Under the light of the sky, the bluish petals showed small marks that resembled dragon scales. They were not wilted. The rain did not bend them.

They remained firm and alive.

Adam observed the field in silence.

The workers watered the Mana Dragon Lotuses with meticulous care, removing insects and small pests that tried to devour the miraculous herb before it reached its peak. The field was more organized than usual; the storm had not destroyed the discipline.

His slaves were among them, too.

Their movements were no longer clumsy or empty. Their faces were brighter than the day he bought them. Less fear. More purpose.

Adam let his gaze linger on Zev.

He was still just a slender young man, his hands marked by farm work rather than battle scars. It was hard to imagine that, in the future Adam remembered, this same boy would become an efficient killing machine.

He had to start training him soon.

Although he hadn’t bought him to rob him of every moment of peace.

After all... I’m not a ruthless master.

The idea wasn’t entirely comfortable.

His eyes drifted to the young woman with silver hair. Renna worked bent over the furrows, her face smeared with dirt, her expression focused and serious, as if every root she cleaned was a personal matter.

He had come for her.

Adam inhaled slowly, preparing to call her. The impulse died before it reached his throat.

He didn’t need to do it himself.

There were servants for that.

He approached one of the workers and, in a calm voice, instructed him to bring Renna over. Then he leaned on his cane, ignoring the persistent pressure in his ribs as he watched the man approach the young woman, whisper something to her, and point in his direction.

Adam raised a hand to signal her to come to him.

Renna walked toward him with faltering steps, wiping her hands.

"You called me, master."

Adam nodded slightly, a faint smile curving his lips.

"Yes. It’s time for you to learn something... interesting."

Without further ado, Adam left the Mana Dragon Lotus cultivation with Renna.

...

Minutes later, Adam and Renna were at the training ground. The ground was still damp from the recent rain, and the air smelled of freshly turned earth.

Renna looked around with obvious confusion.

"Master... what are we doing here?"

Adam watched her out of the corner of his eye, noticing the tension in her shoulders, the way her fingers still had traces of dirt under her nails.

"You’ll find out soon enough."

He said nothing more.

Confusion crossed the young woman’s face all too clearly. She wasn’t good at hiding what she was thinking. Unlike others, her expression was transparent... almost dangerous in an environment like this.

Before he could say anything else, Adam sensed a familiar fluctuation in the surrounding mana. He turned around.

Alaric approached, wearing his immaculate white robe and with dark circles under his eyes. The wizard didn’t seem to have slept much since the tide.

"Young master, why did you send for me?"

Adam saw no reason to beat around the bush.

"I want you to teach us magic. Both of us."

The silence that followed was brief... but dense.

It was a decision he had put off for too long. Not because of doubt, but because of priorities. The Mana Dragon Lotus, the Sword Graveyard dungeon, and the recent tide of monsters.

But he could no longer delay.

With his SSS-rank talent for magic, wasting time was almost a strategic crime.

He would become a magical knight.

And he wouldn’t be the only one.

"L-Learn... magic... me?" Renna murmured.

She was the first to react. She looked at him as if she hadn’t quite understood the words.

Adam held her gaze without softening his expression.

Never had a slave been trained as a magician.

Slaves were tools. Labor. Decorative presence. Expendable.

Alaric exhaled slowly, as if he already knew that this conversation would not be easy.

"Young master... becoming a wizard is not a matter of choice. It requires real talent. Forming the first circle is an extremely delicate process. And without the right affinity... It’s impossible."

He did not say it with contempt.

He said it with concern.

Adam held his gaze without flinching.

He knew what forming the first circle entailed. He also knew that most failed even after years of trying.

But that wasn’t the point.

"You don’t have to worry. If you want to check, bring the affinity stones."

The silence that followed was heavier than the previous words.

Alaric watched him for a few seconds, as if trying to gauge whether it was naivety... or conviction.

Finally, he nodded.

"I understand. I’ll be back in a moment, young master. I’ll go get the affinity stone."

He turned without saying anything else.

Adam watched him walk away with an unperturbed expression.

A few minutes later, Alaric returned holding a small wooden box.

The moment of truth had arrived.