Strongest Novel Extra: The Irregular Mage is an Exorcist

Observing from a distance, the feline figure noticed another presence watching Vonn from a vantage point. She hissed, her gaze fixed on the crow perched atop a tree on a nearby hill.

"Sucker… How dare he put his eyes on my subject? Doesn't he know this is my territory?"

The feline figure projected a hostile intent toward the crow, sending chills crawling over its skin. Yet the crow appeared undeterred. Noticing her now, it darted in her direction.

"Wow… Surprising to see someone doesn't recognize me. Is he a new guardian?"

The feline figure was none other than the guardian of the Silverfein clan. She had protected the family for over a thousand years, almost becoming the oldest guardian in existence. Her initial role had been to nurture talents within the family, but as time passed, the family became capable of supporting itself.

However, because she was an ancient member of the clan, even the current matriarch, Diana Silverfein, couldn't easily disregard her presence. The guardian held a hidden yet undeniable authority within the family, almost equal to Diana's own.

As she tried to drive the crow away from her territory, it became clear it was more resilient than she anticipated. It resisted her intense killing intent.

Raising her white brows, the family guardian rose from her position, slowly floating toward the crow.

"Who are you?" she demanded, her voice authoritative, chilling, yet smooth and menacing.

The crow's beady red eyes blinked, and it flitted away from the tree.

"There's no way I'm letting you leave unanswered. You must respond." She commanded with a special authoritative voice.

Yet the crow resisted, repelling the guardian's command even further. To her surprise, it deflected her commanding voice entirely.

"How?"

The crow remained silent and began to retreat. She didn't pursue it, simply watching as it disappeared beyond her territory. The feline guardian was left speechless at the sheer oddity of the situation.

"This is the first time anyone has deflected my command. Just how? Is this the new generation?" She glanced down at Vonn's isolated house, where he continued training his conjured fire in the backyard.

Turning away from the crow, she began to lose interest, though a faint worry about the shifts in the current generation lingered in her mind.

"Or am I just growing weaker?" she wondered, recalling her thousand years of existence. Shaking her head, a grim smile appeared on her face. "Nah… that's nonsense. I'm still strong."

She shifted her focus back to Vonn, who was experimenting further with the fire he could create. He shaped it into a spiral, coiling it above his hand, then threw it, tracking its path after each test.

"That crow and this kid are examples of the change in the new generation. There are powers I can't easily identify—like how he can create fire without any mana."

Seeing Vonn as an unusual mage, the feline guardian vanished from her vantage point, rifting through space until she appeared instantly in the matriarch's resting chamber.

Diana, who was silently resting, opened her eyes at the shift in her room's atmosphere. She looked toward the windows, where the feline guardian stood, draped in vibrant silk robes, staring back at her.

Diana said nothing, simply adjusting her posture as she propped herself up on one hand. "What brings you here, White Guardian?"

The feline figure shot back, "Cassie. That's my name. You still refuse to call me that."

"I simply don't care to," Diana replied curtly. "So, what do you want?"

Cassie watched her intently without responding, and Diana sighed, leaning back against the bed's headboard. "You know I just gave birth to the fourth boy? I need rest and recovery."

"You're aware it's a crucial time," Cassie remarked, a hint of admiration in her tone. "I have a proposal—if you're not concerned about him."

"Him? Who?" Diana asked, noticing the hint of hope in Cassie's eyes.

"The second boy. I want to train him as a mage. You know I'm a mage myself, and I see something in him."

At the mention of training Vonn as a mage, Diana snorted and laughed, leaving Cassie confused.

"That kid? Train him as a mage when he doesn't even have a Mana Heart?"

"I'm serious. I've been researching ways to use the surrounding mana without relying on the Mana Heart. Just earlier, I saw him conjure fire. What was his name again?"

"Vonn." Diana's brows furrowed as she processed this. "What did you just say? He conjured what? Fire?"

Cassie allowed a slight smile. "Yes, fire. He must have found a way to use mana without a Mana Heart because of his condition. So, I need to ask—what are your plans for him? Are you the one who instructed him to do it?"

Diana was speechless. To her, everything Cassie had said seemed baseless. Yet, she couldn't question Cassie's ability to recognize talent; it had been her purpose since ancient times.

In Diana's view, Vonn, the second son of the Silverfein family, was nothing more than a disappointment. But now, he was beginning to reveal a side she hadn't expected.

"This is the first time I'm reconsidering…" Diana muttered.

"What do you mean by that?" Cassie asked, curious.

"I haven't given him any training plans. In fact, I've provided him no resources at all."

Cassie nodded. "I thought as much. I didn't detect any changes in the flow of mana around him while he was using magic. Maybe he does have a Mana Heart—just a different kind. Ugh… I want so badly to train him."

The feline guardian, a mage at heart, imagined a future where a new type of mage emerged under her guidance. The thought brought a genuine smile to her face.

Diana, however, had different considerations. With the guardian taking an interest in Vonn, she couldn't easily dismiss him now. His worth in her eyes was beginning to grow.

"No. You won't have him." Diana's response startled Cassie, whose expression shifted to disappointment.

"May I ask why?"

"I will assess him myself before making any decision."