Samuel after taking advice from Alan was purely focused on lightning to reach a single color.

That day Simon and Carolina didn't visit him. So he assumed that they didn't wanted to partake in his daily training. 

Though he liked being alone after nearly a year in solitude, he preferred them being with him.

As he sat on chair, he thought about a way to diffuse his magic.

He had limited tries in a day, so each failure wasted a big amount time.

But train of his thoughts was halted, when sound of knocking resounded in the room.

“get in”

“good morning Sam” with a cheerful voice, she entered the room.

Looking at her energetic outlooks, he put a small smile as he greeted her.

“good morning Carolina, you're here, huh. You came alone?” As he said it with a clear voice, he tried to hide his disappointment over him being absent.

“Huh?” a sudden voice of confusion, she looked backward. 

Samuel looked curiously as well, but behind her was only door and corridor wall and nothing more, so he didn't figure out what she was looking for.

“that idiot!”

Hearing her grumble like that, he found out who she was looking for, as her calling someone this way only belonged to one person.

She moved out in a huff, and her discontent filled small voice was heard by Samuel.

“you said if I go in first then you follow, now what is this? Are you a shy little girl in love?” this comparison made Samuel body shudder.

(him? A little girl in love? That's poor taste of you, Carolina.) in his thoughts he forgot who was the metaphorical little girl's love target.

“no, it's not like that, but …” A voice of boy came with protest, but it was weak and anxious tone.

“but nothing, stop making excuses, didn't you guys broke the ice between you? So stop this weak showcase.” with verbal jab she cut off all of little courage the boy had.

“hmm, you know…”

“no, I don't and now get in.”

she forcefully pushed him inside room, causing him to stumble forward.

As Samuel looked at duplication of his own features, he struck him as well.

“well, well, look who's here? I thought you wouldn't come.”

As Samuel looked at his own mirrored face twitched and scratched his hairs in frustration, he felt a nefarious sense of joy well up in him.

Though he didn't liked to bully someone or such thing, seeing his brother stuck like this amused him.

“I came too see the room, no no, I came looking for some books, nah that wasn't it, what was it then…” As the boy agonized over what reason to give, his patience ran out.

“ah, damn it, anyway I came cause I liked, and not for any other reason…” As he was talking with cheeky expression, a little hand smacked the back of his head.

With crisp voice reverberating in room, his eyes become a little teary and protested to the culprit.

“ouch, it hurts, why did you have to hit me? And with full force at that.” faking an exaggerated look of being in pain, he faced the girl but it seemed empty, like he didn't mean it.

With his body, it was quite hard for Carolina to cause him any pain, so he obviously was perfectly fine, if nothing Carolina's hand was numbed cause of the impact.

“I had to, you're just dilly-dallying over something simple, say it.” While holding her hand, she commanded him in rude tone.

Although they were friends, according to social laws, she was committing a crime against noble, but the boys hadn't received such education, and such discrimination wasn't liked by their lineage.

And from Samuel's view, he saw a shallow smile passing his lips.

(so you planned a show with her! You two don't have high talent for acting though.)

So he decided to just watch and play ignorant.

“how is it something simple, it's a big success and help to all of us.” he tried to emphasize the importance with his hand movements.

Samuel took a look of surprise and gazed at him expectantly.

“Oh really, what is it, that make you this excited brother.” 

“haha, you won't believe till you see it with your own eyes.” his expression grow more smug by seconds.

(sorry bro but I really want to punch you right now, if I could) holding his thoughts to himself, he just stared at the boy.

Lack of high tension in Samuel was quite apparent as he himself wasn't a good actor either, but Simon also played along with it.

“I comprehended the scroll grandmother gave us.”

At his word Samuel was genuinely surprised. 

He had tried it too, but had no progress on it.

“yeah, that's it, that's the right reaction.” Simon pleased with himself and went on “though it was hard, but I finally did it. We made a mistake when we tried to solve it, we wanted to determine what shape it was, while it wasn't one shape.”

Samuel took and pondered on it.

Imagining that scribbling, line intertwining upon each other, leaving an unrecognizable shape.

They'd tried quite many times but couldn't reach the answer, now his brother found one and it was quite a simple one.

“there was many shapes drawn on top of pervious one, ending up like that.”

Simon took scroll from his pocket and put it on the table.

“so to use it you need to use various shapes and after first time usage, you'll be able to to even change their form, making them the way you want.” 

This break through in riddle of scroll meant much to Simon.

He had felt useless in capital, then back home he had no way to help his brother, in any way.

In his chaotic mind condition, where many different emotion clashed with each other, he managed to solve it, as what was drawn described what he felt. 

The scroll was also called shapeless magic, allowing users to use any shape they wanted. Unlike most high level magic, it carried no special effects but changed shape, giving a easier usage of different varieties of magic to those with lower than level 50 in magic.

“changing shape, huh…” those words unnaturally interested Samuel, as he tried to figure something out but couldn't.

“what is it Sam?” Carolina voice grabbed his attention, breaking his thought process.

“hmm, nothing, let's start with it.”

As such days after that became a rather happy time as three of them learned together. Training sometimes turned into playing but nonetheless it was a time period that none of them would forget.

Two months passed the same. Alan remained and some time payed them a visit, advising them how to control the shape change.

As spring moved closer, Alan had a work to do, so he returned to the island. Similarly James sent William to capital as Nick's helping hand and for a ' friendly ' visit to court magicians.

In one breezy evening that city had a peaceful air around it, something unexpected happened in west of city.

James felt fluctuations of mana in air and moved out himself.

As time passed tremors grow wilder. 

As he neared the place, he found some injured personal scattered around, there were guards, adventurer and civilian , having strange cut mark on their bodies.

As rust colored smoke rises from their scars, some succumbed to pain and fainted.

“what the …? What have happened here?”

He moved closer to one of guards lying down.

“hey, hey” As he shouted and shook him, the guard only responded with a groan as he also lost consciousness.

“damn it, who the hell did this in my city?”

Feeling indignant he let his out his mana towards the sky, as water tower was seen throughout the city.

This was an emergency signal, with it all guard on city would be alerted and block people access to that part of city.

James surveyed surrounding to find culprit. As he couldn't find person he looked for he used one his magic special abilities.

“Water Network”

It was a similar abilities to wind sense but quite weaker, as city was built on waterway, he could use it as his own magic sense.

The biggest difference it had with wind sense was its incapability to link vision and hearing. It could only give mana sense from any place that had water present in it.

In the end he found a place few blocks away from his location in turmoil.

“found you, little runts, let me see what gives you such gut.”

he was filled with wrath, someone had enough audacity to create chaos in his estate heart.

Moving closer to two story building, he felt concentration of mana inside.

As mana of entire district rushed to the house, it gave a rise to certain notion to those who had enough knowledge on magic.

“a high rank magic, bastards.” he wanted nothing more than to bash their skulls apart.

The agated state mana in air, hot wind that burned the skin was apparent preconditions of a high rank fire magic. If it fired out in middle of city without any method to stop it, most of western district would turn to ash.

“do you take here as play ground? Not a chance.”

As he circulated his mana with extreme ferocity he enveloped entire house and its vicinity in a water bubble. 

“imprisonment of the deep”

A similar level of magic that troublemakers was using. It cut off all connection with outside as it held environmental mana away and blocked influence from inside toward outside.

As explosive voice rang out from the house, entire building turned to rubble as derby flew in air.

Pieces of wood and stone blown away as a flame twister tried to break shackle and burn someone. Dancing shadow of two short sword rip the twister apart a figure took distance from building.

Thanks to water barrier that James created destruction was confined in only one building.

James assessment of situation was summarized in one word, suspicious.

At one side a man with two short sword was standing, although he shot by a powerful magic, he showed no sign of weakness. From witnessing his weapons, James was sure of him being the one that injured people.

On the other side, three figure was standing there with rather frightened expressions.

“Kane wake up you damn fool.” one of trio, which was a woman donning a cape and hat that magician liked, shouted at the swordman. 

A man holding a tomahawk was standing with her, with a haughty and rather handsome features, he threw a triumphant smile at man infront of him.

Last one was a female archer keeping aloof face and already drawn bowstring in her hand showed her preparedness to shot at target.

Swordman didn't say a word just looked at the trio silently.

“it's useless, Bella, he doesn't want to listen, he tried to kill you and you can see madness in him.” the man brought up his tomahawk and showed a vicious face “ we should kill him.”

At man suggestions woman, apparently named Bella turned back and replied with a bit of rage.

“shut up for a moment and let me try, Gilbert.”

Uncaring for their quarrel, swordman darted forward. Swinging one of his short swords at man neck and used other to block arrow flying to him.

Using his tomahawk he barely blocked his strike.

His hit not landing didn't discouraged him as further strike rained down on the man.

Doggedly blocking each strike even with support of archer he was at huge disadvantage, his hands became sluggish and he received a few wounds.

“stop it Kane.” with the voice of magician, a flaming spear magic rushed towards him. 

Twisting his body in air, with a crossed slash of his short swords, he cut the spear to pieces.

Not wasting the opening presented, archer shot two arrow filled with heroic mana, and Gilbert swung his tomahawk towards the swordman.

“Piercing shot” “Beheading strike”

“no, don't …”

As their loud voice drowned the pleading scream, the swordman's life was in jeopardy.

But what happened next was beyond all of their imagination.

Kane ignored the arrow and parried the tomahawk, send his free sword right to the man chest, aiming for his heart.

Two arrow pierced his shoulder, but seemingly numb to pain no reaction came from him.

With a pale face Gilbert brought one hand to save himself from impeding death.

The sword nailed his hand to his chest, bringing him a horrific pain, he barely avoided death as sword didn't go deep enough to reach his heart.

“Gil, damn it, why do you do this Kane?” along with magician anxious voice, archer shot a salvo of arrows at him.

“Seven Sea Prison” 

But James magic which he was preparing was finished and they were already defeated.

As grand circle formed on ground, water chain binded group of four, broke arrow and separated them. Within domain no one could use any magic or skill, everything was ineffective unless you had enormous amount of mana or a special way to disable it, but as pervious magic was still active, in combination of two breaking them was halfway impossible in short while.

“and now you damn fools, do you have a good reason for chaos you caused in my city or do you want a trip to dungeon?”

Trio looked at him somewhat relieved and a part panicked striken.

Though Arion family wasn't forceful and cruel with their civilian, but their mercilessness to enemies and criminals wasn't something hidden either. 

“it wasn't our fault he suddenly attacked us, we only defended ourselves.” Gilbert pleaded for their innocence but James was unmoved by his claim.

“so you planned to use a high rank fire magic, capable of burning few blocks or even entire district as self-defense, a brilliant method don't you think?”

“we had no choice or we would've ended up dead by now, he had unnatural state and strength.” throwing last arrow to avoid the future the man could make for him, he pointed at Kane with his eyes, as his entire body couldn't move.

Before moving towards where he had pushed Kane to, he glanced at sword that was left on Gilbert body.

“no, wait …”

Gripping the hilt of sword, he ignored the man pale face as he pulled it out in a swift and merciless move.

“Gahhh…” As a ghastly scream escaped the unlucky man, his hand left in miserable condition and his chest bled in fast pace.

But James showed now pity as he threw him a short sentence …

“shut up, you're annoying.”

…along with a hammer of water that slammed his temple, rendering him unconscious.

Applying a basic healing on him, so that he survives.

Turning backward he hacked out with short sword in his hand, blocking the surprise attack that was aiming for his life.

“heh, now it's interesting, since when a B-rank adventurer has this many mana crystal to free himself from my bind?” he knew the man as governor of estate, how could he not, but at his inquiry the foe give no answer, looking at him silently.

“hmm, so you're one of those who doesn't talk much, but don't worry.” giving an evil grin to him “I'll make you talk for a full day non-stop.”

He was magician so melee combat wasn't his forte but it wasn't easy to take him down either.

Using already prepared hammer he struck him with full force of his magic. The amount force and speed that hammer could apply was proportionate to his intelligence, so it was nothing to ignore.

Using rapid slash with his short sword he blocked it rather easily, causing hammer to disappear.

“that is the weakening effect, huh, quite useful thing you got there, but you know it has its limits anyway.” giving a kind reminder, he demonstrate what he meant.

In a short time countless blunt weaponry created out of water surrounded him.

“it works only on what it touch, so how many can you handle with only one sword? Ten? Fifty? A hundred? Let's see.” 

With a point of his finger, all weapon attacked him from all sides. 

He dodged some, parried other as he tried to shorten distance with magician, but a wall of weapons blocked his way.

His sword strike and way of fighting was anything but ordinary in James eyes.

(with injuries and few battle he had with guard and these bunch, he has some fearsome stamina and willpower) reaching a conclusion on his opponent power, he determined that it was for the best to take him out faster.

“slide” a carpet of water made to cause foe to slip and lose balance.

But Kane leaped forward while spinning his body, driving weapons away and getting closer, just to miss the changes in surface water on ground.

“spike” along with a flat voice and rise of his forefinger, an icicle-like shape rose from ground and impaled the man torso.

“puhh …” spewing his blood, his hand move to free himself rather instantly.

“yeah, it's surely strange, it seems his body completely ignore the pain.” without waiting for opponent to get free, a heavy strike landed on back of his head, causing him to faint dead away.

“Alright, now we go to the prison.” saying so, he dragged two unconscious and wounded man with him.

“wait, you can't just detain us however you want, we didn't committed any …” archer complaint died in her throat as she was greeted by two glowing blue eyes.

“will you come by your own feet or should I drag you like this two?” there was no compassion in his eyes, only a soundless terror that shattered her resistance.

“and not to worry, if you're innocent, then nothing will happen to you.” his try to relieve her worry seemed shallow, she was sure that he didn't mean it, as following words proved her conjuction.

“though I believe that in a battle, both sides are always guilty, there's no innocence in it, just one side is more to blamed than other one.”

It was his personal belief, he'd seen enough to say it without a doubt, as he opened the [imprisonment of the deep] he was greeted with oozing bloodlust coming from mansion.

“damn it, so it was diversion, huh.”

Blaming his own ignorance, he saw guard nearby.

“you there” calling him with urgency plain in his voice, shook the guard entire body as he saluted.

“Yes, Sir”

“bring these four to prison and shackle them, send medic unit to heal injured people over there.” pointing to where he found wounded. 

“consider it done, Sir.” 

Leaving four troublemakers and wounded to guards, he hastily made way back to mansion were sounds of fighting could be heard from his location.