The air in the Rosenhart estate was heavier than usual.
Beneath the resplendent chandelier, only silence flowed through the family head’s study.
Breaking that stillness, Yustia’s report rang out in a low voice.
Her voice was trembling, but perhaps thanks to the hopeful answer she had received from the academy dean, it carried a strange certainty.
“What are the chances, Professor?”
Family Head Rosenhart asked in a weighty baritone.
His gaze remained fixed on the documents, not moving in the slightest.
“If his intelligence and strength are at the level of perfect scores, special admission is entirely possible. Eternoah Academy’s special admissions process has a more lenient threshold than one might expect.”
Professor Lifedimmer declared, adjusting his glasses.
His eyes were analytical and cold.
“Hoo…”
A long sigh slipped from the family head’s lips.
That sigh held a complicated mix of concern for his daughter, the dignity of the family, and an inexplicable sense of relief.
It felt as though a bowstring that had been drawn taut had finally gone slack.
Yustia watched him and parted her lips slightly.
She looked as if she wanted to jump up and down in joy at any moment, but before the dignity of the family head, she forced herself to control her expression and showed only a shy smile.
“That is fortunate. I must thank you as well, Mr. Taesan. To be honest, it exceeded my expectations.”
The family head raised his head and looked at me.
The look in his eyes was quite different from when we had first met.
In place of the suspicion and wariness that had filled them before, there was now recognition and respect.
“Not at all. I mean… I should at least earn my keep.”
“No. When you were first summoned, I thought you were merely an ordinary human with no mana. I never imagined you would show such astonishing accomplishments.”
The family head shook his head in admiration.
“To think that a human could become this strong simply by being born and raised in a place with heavier gravity. Astonishing. Truly astonishing.”
There was pure wonder in his voice.
‘Well, by my standards, this place is the one with abnormally light gravity.’
“Mr. Taesan, would you mind stepping out for a moment? I have something to discuss privately with Yustia.”
At the family head’s polite dismissal, I nodded.
Judging by the atmosphere, it seemed a serious conversation between father and daughter was about to take place.
I gave a light bow and left the study.
I crossed the hallway and headed toward the room I had stayed in before the entrance exam.
When I opened the door, I saw a familiar figure from behind.
It was Yurika.
She was patting the bed sheets, beating the dust out of them.
“You’re back?”
Sensing my presence, she turned her head and smiled brightly.
“Yes. What were you doing?”
“Tidying up the room. The young lady said there’s still about a month left until enrollment, so I should decorate the room so you can stay comfortably in the meantime.”
She looked around the room with satisfaction.
“Ah, thank you. For going to the trouble…”
I stepped into the room, pretending to be grateful.
But something felt strange.
What was that huge, fluffy-looking cushion by the bedside?
And that wooden structure standing tall in the corner was…
“…Um, Miss Yurika.”
“Yes?”
“Isn’t that thing by the window a cat tower?”
I pointed with a trembling finger at the three-tier wooden tower.
At the very top, even a feather toy dangled from it.
“Ah, you have sharp eyes! That’s right. It was custom-made from the finest wood. What do you think? It looks sturdy, doesn’t it?”
Yurika answered cheerfully, without the slightest sign of fluster.
“No, am I a cat? Please get rid of that.”
“Come on, Lord Taesan. That was expensive. It can’t be refunded either, so why not just use it? You like high places, don’t you?”
“People sleep in beds. And I have acrophobia.”
“Liar. I saw you napping at the top of a tree in the garden while you were training last time.”
She winked mischievously.
“That was just because I climbed up there as exercise…”
I trailed off and pressed a hand to my forehead.
She clearly recognized me as a human, yet it seemed she had developed a hobby of subtly teasing me like this.
“Ah, and I prepared this too.”
Yurika pulled a large ball out from under the bed.
It was a gym ball the size of an adult man’s upper body.
No, on closer inspection, the bumpy protrusions on its surface made it unmistakably a toy for large dogs.
“What is this now?”
“It’s for stress relief. You can bite it, tear at it, and throw it around while you play. It’s made of sturdy material, so your teeth won’t even leave marks.”
“…Excuse me, Miss Yurika. I’m telling you, I’m a person. Homo sapiens. I use tools, make fire, and communicate through language.”
“Yes, yes, I know. You’re a talking intelligent summoned beast. Still, aren’t there times when you want to be faithful to your instincts?”
She giggled and patted my shoulder.
“Be honest. You bought this because you wanted it, but it was too much of a waste to throw away, so you put it here, didn’t you?”
When I hit the nail on the head, Yurika’s eyes wavered slightly.
“Oh my, you caught me. The young lady bought it in advance before summoning you, Lord Taesan, but the return period passed. Couldn’t you just think of it as interior decoration and use it?”
She clasped her hands together and put on the most pitiful expression in the world.
“It’s too much of a waste to throw away. All of that is made from the finest materials.”
“Ha…”
I let out a deep sigh and plopped down onto the bed.
The soft cushion enveloped my back.
‘…But this is more comfortable than I expected.’
Without realizing it, I leaned into the cushion and muttered inwardly.
Damn it, at this rate, am I really going to turn into some beast?
“Ah, right. What would you like for your meal?”
Yurika asked, her eyes sparkling.
“Should I bring you some jerky? This time, we prepared top-grade wagyu.”
“Just… give me rice. Rice. The kind you eat with a spoon.”
I waved my hand dismissively.
“Yes, yes, understood. Human food.”
She giggled and left the room.
Just before the door closed, she poked only her head back in and added,
“Try rolling it around when you’re bored. It might be more fun than you expect.”
“I won’t roll it!”
Leaving my shout behind, the door closed.
***
“That summoned beast was truly lucky. No, perhaps you were the lucky one.”
Family Head Rosenhart set down his teacup and spoke quietly.
In his voice coexisted recognition of the human summoned beast’s abilities and the coldness of still regarding him as a mere tool.
“Yes. Among the summoned beasts that took this year’s entrance exam, there were only exactly six, including Mr. Taesan, that received a perfect score in even a single event.”
Yustia agreed with her father’s words and added,
“And among them, his summoned beast was the only one that got a perfect score in strength. The other summoned beasts used mana, but that man accomplished it through pure physical ability alone.”
She wore a proud expression, as though boasting of a masterpiece weapon.
When Taesan was beside her, she addressed him politely as Lord Taesan, but in conversations within the family, possessive terms and labels like “specimen” naturally slipped out.
“Yes. But it is too early to be at ease.”
The family head shook his head and warned her.
“By the time enrollment begins, the other summoners will have coordinated with their summoned beasts to some extent as well. If you rely only on a summoned beast poor at mana control, you may suffer a serious setback. You must train harder too.”
“I know. I won’t rely only on Mr. Taesan’s abilities. I’ll research ways to support him with my mana. If I can perfectly control his movements, I won’t lose to anyone.”
Yustia clenched her fist and steeled her resolve.
Ambition blazed in her eyes.
The family head smiled faintly at his daughter’s spirited appearance.
But he soon returned to a serious expression and asked,
“Be that as it may, what will you do about your next summoned beasts?”
“My mana is insufficient, so a highest-grade summon is impossible. This semester, I plan to attend classes with two stable mid-grade summoned beasts.”
Yustia calmly revealed her plan.
Now that she had obtained an abnormal combat force in Taesan, there was no need to stubbornly insist on high-grade summoned beasts that would consume an unreasonable amount of mana.
Rather, summoned beasts with support or utility abilities that could assist Taesan’s overwhelming physical power were more urgently needed.
“Yes. A wise judgment.”
The family head nodded and lifted his teacup.
In his eyes reflected in the cup, trust in his daughter could be seen.
“Since you have obtained a reliable spear, you will now need a shield or scout to support it so that its point does not waver. It is good to see you formulating a strategy that suits your capacity without growing greedy.”
“Thank you, Father. I will prove it without fail. I will make those who mocked him as a human summoned beast kneel before the overwhelming might of my summoned beast.”
Yustia’s eyes shone coldly.
In her mind, she could already see Taesan smashing apart the summoned beasts of other noble children in the academy’s sparring arena.
Seeing the ambitious gleam in his daughter’s eyes, the family head wore a faint smile at the corners of his mouth, as if satisfied.
“I look forward to it. May the Rosenhart name resound across the continent once more.”
“Yes. I will make certain it does.”
Yustia rose from her seat and bowed respectfully.
Beneath the light of the splendid chandelier, the shadows of father and daughter stretched long.
Within that enormous shadow, Taesan existed as a “powerful racehorse” that would have to run at the very forefront for the glory of House Rosenhart.