Lucas completely lost his breath. Not from normal exhaustion—but from a strange, hot tightness in his chest, like choking on carbonated soda in cold weather.

He pressed a hand against his chest.

"…Why… does it feel so suffocating…?"

His heartbeat pounded hard, fast, and uneven.

Silvara lowered her sword and stepped toward him without hesitation.

"Don't force yourself to stand," she said curtly.

"I'm not—hah—I'm just—"

His vision suddenly tilted. Silvara caught him before he could hit the ground.

"Stop talking."

Her voice was flat, but her grip was steady and firm.

"You're experiencing backlash from unstable mana. I expected this."

Lucas growled weakly, still gasping. "A little warning… would've been nice…" He dismissed The Great Hoe.

"My apologies. I just wanted to see how far you could push it," Silvara replied.

As Silvara helped him toward the tree, Lucas finally noticed—Liona was already there, sitting on a mat she had just laid out, a basket of food beside her. He froze for half a second.

Liona's face paled when she saw Silvara half-carrying him.

"Luc… Young Master… are you—"

"He isn't dying," Silvara cut in quickly, lowering him onto the mat. "He's just too stupid to push mana before his body is ready."

Lucas clicked his tongue. "You don't have to say that out loud…"

Silvara only lifted an eyebrow.

Lucas caught his breath slowly, staying silent for a few moments… then suddenly raised his hand.

"Wait… hold on."

Silvara looked at him. "What now?"

Lucas glanced to the side of the field.

"Oi, Little Knight."

From afar, among the rows of tomatoes, Anya—who had been watching the Hoe vs. sword battle with sparkling eyes—jerked upright.

"H-Huh?! Yes, Young Master!"

"It's lunchtime," Lucas said, pointing at Liona's basket.

Anya froze for one second. Then—

"UN—DERSTOOD!"

She sprinted toward them like a fired arrow, overflowing with enthusiasm, dust exploding behind her. Her face gleamed as if she had just been summoned by a royal knight commander.

Silvara watched her for a moment. "…Why do you call her like that?"

Lucas shrugged, still pale. "I just wanted to respect the little knight's resolve…"

Anya kept running, radiating energy far too excessive for someone her size.

Liona lowered her gaze a little, trying not to laugh.

"You're actually pretty funny…"

Silvara huffed softly, almost amused. "Of course he is. Two little kids in one field—how could that not be funny?"

Lucas closed his eyes briefly. "You two seem very happy making fun of me."

"With the face you have right now, obviously," Silvara replied flatly.

They finally sat beneath the tree. The afternoon breeze drifted gently across the field, bringing a touch of cool air after such an intense training session.

Anya sat closest to the basket of food, her hands neatly folded on her lap. The bread Liona had prepared was right in front of her, yet she didn't touch it—not even a twitch of her fingers. She simply stared at the bread as if it were some sacred object she wasn't allowed to approach.

Lucas noticed the strange behavior.

If her father wasn't around, she seemed unsure whether she was allowed to eat.

He nodded lightly, then straightened his posture like a noble knight giving a formal command. Guess I should act goofy a bit so she doesn't stay this stiff.

"Alright then. Iron Knight Anya," he declared.

Anya instantly stiffened, like a soldier summoned by her commander.

"I, Young Master Voss, hereby grant you permission to eat that bread. Right now."

Anya froze for a moment—then her face lit up brilliantly.

"YES, SIR!!"

She grabbed the bread with enthusiastic yet surprisingly neat motions and took a bite as if this were the greatest victory of her day.

Liona let out a small giggle.

Silvara could only sigh softly and shake her head.

I'm… still not used to seeing that face behave like this, she thought.

Meanwhile, Liona lowered her gaze to the slice of bread in her hands, her thoughts spinning.

He doesn't even look like he remembers what I did yesterday…

I should be the one apologizing, but… how do I even start?

Lucas was busy drinking, Anya was fully occupied devouring her bread with absolute dedication, and Silvara was quietly examining her sword.

After they finished eating, the atmosphere beneath the tree grew much calmer. The afternoon breeze brushed gently past them, as if trying to ease the exhaustion lingering from their intense training. Liona quietly packed up the food containers, though her eyes kept darting toward Lucas.

How am I supposed to apologize…?

Anya is still here… and Silvara too…

She let out a soft sigh. The situation wasn't right for it at all.

At last, she lowered her head slightly and said,

"Well then… I'll return to the manor. There's still work waiting for me."

Lucas nodded. "Alright. Be careful on your way back."

Silvara gave only a small nod.

Liona turned and began walking away, her steps heavier than they should've been—more from her restless thoughts than from actual fatigue.

Once she was far enough, Lucas turned to Anya—who was now sitting with her arms around her belly, eyes half-closed, looking as satisfied as a well-fed kitten.

"You look like you're about to fall asleep," Lucas said.

Anya blinked slowly. "Anya… is a little… sleepy…"

"Then go home for today. You can guard the field again tomorrow."

Anya instantly stood up straight—or at least attempted to.

"Understood, Young Master!"

She then gave a salute like a miniature knight.

"Thank you for the lunch! Iron Knight Anya will return home!"

She turned to Silvara and bowed lightly.

"Miss Silvara, thank you for helping Anya conquer letters and for letting Anya watch the training."

Lastly, she looked at Lucas with sleepy yet sparkling eyes.

"And… Young Master! You are… the greatest Hoe User Anya has ever seen!"

Lucas froze for half a second.

"…Hoe… User?"

Anya nodded proudly. "Yes!"

Lucas covered his mouth, trying to hold back his laugh—but it still slipped out in a small chuckle.

"Hahaha… alright, get home safely."

Anya ran off… or rather, walked very fast in her half-drowsy state.

When her small silhouette disappeared beyond the field, Lucas stared blankly into the distance.

"…Greatest Hoe User," he muttered.

His modern awareness kicked in immediately.

That phrase… sounded incredibly wrong in the context of his old world.

"Ah, hell…" Lucas covered his face with one hand. That sounded so weird…

Silvara simply stared at him, expression entirely unchanged.

Lucas kept his hands over his face for a few more seconds before finally lowering them. The embarrassment from the "Hoe User" title slowly faded, replaced by a sudden curiosity stirring in his mind.

He looked down at his palm.

"…Silvara."

Silvara lifted an eyebrow slightly. "What?"

"During training earlier…" Lucas rotated his wrist, as if trying to recall the sensation. "I was using mana, right? So why didn't I immediately feel drained like when I tried filling mana into the Loticentra?"

Silvara studied him for a long moment, as if weighing something carefully.

Then she spoke, her voice low but clear.

"That's because—"

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