Chapter 3: Specialty 【Arcane Cognition】

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Morning was the busiest time at the Kane estate. The manor, silent throughout the night, came alive with the servants’ bustling activity. The maids busied themselves preparing breakfast, repeatedly wiping down the dining tables and chairs, still free from dust.

In the stables, the groom replenished the feeding troughs with fresh hay and carefully brushed off any stray pieces clinging to the horses’ coats. This was no trivial task—if he overlooked even a little and Master Lees rode out with bits of hay stuck to him, it would be a disgrace, and the groom would surely suffer the consequences.

Maid Rosie cautiously knocked on Master Lees’s door. Receiving no response, she prepared to push it open as usual to wake him. Before she could, the door suddenly swung open from the inside. Lees stepped out, impeccably dressed.

“Ah, Rosie. Please tell Bender I’ll be going out shortly.”

“Yes, Master Lees.” Rosie hurriedly responded, bowing and stepping aside. The black maid’s uniform with its white trim accentuated her impressive figure.

Even the usually indifferent Lees cast a few lingering glances, silently admiring the original occupant’s indefatigable scholarly spirit.

In his memories, the original Lees had been a palace noble of the open-minded Kingdom of Fies. Though eighteen years old, he was still a virgin who spent all his days holed up at home, lost in magic and avoiding all noble social gatherings—a kind of “notorious” reputation in its own right.

Still, at eighteen, the original Lees was only an average novice mage. If he had been of common birth, he might have been considered a prodigy. But as the representative of the Kane family—a lineage of court magicians reputed to have produced legendary sorcerers—and the head of that family, having devoted over ten years and countless precious resources to little more than a novice level was hardly a sign of talent.

One had only to recall Princess Taya of the Roses, who became a Golden Warrior at twenty and broke through to the legendary ranks ten years later. The gulf between them was truly disheartening.

Yet Lees clenched his fists. Having lived this life again, he would not content himself with being an insignificant background figure. He intended to seize control of his destiny amidst the coming tides of a grand era.

And it would begin today.

In the early morning, bright and warm sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows lining the manor’s corridors, bathing Lees in gentle light. Rosie glanced up curiously at the figure disappearing around the corner. The young master, who never rose early, seemed somehow different this morning.

———

Manor Dining Hall

At present, Lees Kane was the sole remaining member of the Kane family. The vast, spacious dining hall and the pristine long table were occupied only by him enjoying his breakfast.

Wiping his mouth with a napkin, Lees set down his knife and fork with satisfaction. The household chef was indeed skilled. The chocolate muffins and white bread smeared with butter and jam were delicious—soft and sweet, with the bittersweet chocolate perfectly balancing the jam’s sugary richness. Only the morning black coffee was a bit hard for Lees to accept. He preferred a strong cup of green tea to awaken his mind.

Joyce, the butler dressed in a black suit with streaks of gray at his temples, noticed this. He waved to a nearby maid to clear the tableware and then bent to place a small tray in front of Lees.

Lees glanced at the tray and saw several envelopes adorned with intricate golden filigree—invites from the social and mercantile aristocrats eager to flaunt their wealth and status at upcoming balls.

“Master, these are invitations from Count Ray, Viscount Peck, and the Golden Rose Guild, inviting you to their upcoming banquets.”

“I know. Place them on my desk in my room. If I decide to attend, I’ll let you prepare everything.”

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After all, these were merely formal invitations sent out as a courtesy. As a minor noble, it wouldn’t matter much if he went or not.

“Yes, sir.” Joyce responded dutifully, as meticulous as ever.

“The carriage you requested is ready at the door. Will you be leaving now?”

“So soon? Then let’s go.”

Lees was eager to embark on the first and most crucial step toward gaining his planned professional skill.

“Master Lees!” The groom Bender, impeccably dressed in a black tailcoat, was diligently polishing the Kane family’s eagle crest on the carriage at the manor’s entrance. Seeing Lees appear, he hurried forward to salute.

“You’re in good spirits today, Bender,” Lees smiled.

“Of course! It’s been so long since you’ve gone out. I must do my best when you finally take the carriage.”

Bender chuckled, his sharp and capable demeanor momentarily softened by his flattering tone. He helped Lees onto the carriage and asked, “Where shall we head today, Master?”

“The Royal Library.”

“Very well. Please sit tight; we’re off.”

After gently closing the carriage door, Bender respectfully saluted Joyce, who stood quietly nearby, and then took his place at the reins. With a light flick, the two chestnut horses steadily pulled the carriage forward.

———

Lees took in the bustling scenes along the way. As the capital of the powerful Kingdom of Fies and a major transportation hub, there was a constant stream of merchant caravans and travelers.

Perhaps it was his imagination, but the calls of vendors seemed even more vibrant and full of life than in the supposedly ultra-realistic game world of his past life.

The Kane estate was located on Fies Street—a name that alone marked it as a vital district in Shining City. Some joked it was the nobles’ quarter. It was not far from the Royal Library and the Royal Magic Academy. Soon, they arrived.

With Bender’s courteous assistance, Lees alighted from the carriage and looked up at the imposing, solemn blue-gray granite gates. Smiling softly, he adjusted his black top hat and strode inside.

“Welcome, esteemed Viscount Kane. How may I assist you?”

As Lees entered the Royal Library, a steward approached him with a polite inquiry.

The Royal Library was the Kingdom of Fies’s most important court library. Generally closed to the public, access required certain qualifications—players needed a reputation of “friendly” or above with the kingdom and had to spend contribution points to gain entry. This was the greatest barrier to acquiring this professional skill in his past life.

But as a court viscount, Lees’s access was a given, which was why he chose this as his first professional skill.

“No need, I’ll browse myself,” Lees waved the steward off and leisurely walked into the library.

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It was still early, so the library was sparsely populated. Lees noticed a few people bent over piles of books in the reading area on the second floor, clearly having pulled an all-nighter.

“Burning the midnight oil feels great for a while, but you can’t keep it up forever,” Lees muttered, shaking his head before refocusing on his task and recalling the location from the strategy guide in his past life.

The original Lees had spent countless hours here researching magic, so Lees quickly identified his target.

“Second floor, Continental History section...”

“Seventh row, innermost bookshelf...”

“Top shelf... got it!”

Lees carefully stepped down from the rolling ladder, holding a hefty volume bound in dark gray.

He glanced at the tome in his hand—The History of Magic Development in the Kingdom of Fies (Volume Seven)—and took a deep breath before gently opening the thick cover.

Between pages 352 and 353, in the chapter detailing legendary mage Bobaca’s outstanding contributions to spell modeling, was tucked a thin piece of parchment.

Lees delicately lifted the parchment, reading the flowing, elegant handwriting:

“Oh, congratulations! If you’ve made it this far, this is a small reward from Elemental Manipulator Lord Bobaca. Accept it and loudly praise the great Bobaca!”

[Item acquired: Bobaca’s Arcane Notes]

[You begin studying Bobaca’s Arcane Notes, feeling deeply inspired!]

[Learning progress: 10%... 50%... 100%]

[Your understanding of magic has improved, allowing you to command the elements on a higher level. You have gained a new mage professional skill—Arcane Cognition.]

[Judging... detecting you already possess the lower-level skill Mana Cognition, which can be replaced.]

[Replacing...]

[You have lost the mage professional skill Mana Cognition.]

[You have gained the mage professional skill Arcane Cognition!]