Jake immediately held his breath.

Jenny pulled him back. "He did not mean literally."

Jake released his breath slowly. "I was being careful."

Lucard ignored them and sat down.

He took the first page and placed it flat on the table. Then he dipped the brush into ink and began drawing the spell circle.

The moment the brush touched the old paper, Lucard’s expression became focused.

This was not normal writing. A spell circle was not only a drawing. Each line had meaning. Each curve controlled direction. Each symbol held a command. If a single part was wrong, the spell could fail, explode, or become useless. In higher magic, the difference between a trap and a suicide circle was sometimes one careless stroke. Mortal mages often spent years learning the basics, and even then, many of them drew circles like drunk spiders with ambition.

Lucard’s hand did not shake.

He drew the outer circle first.

Then the inner circle.

Then the four killing points.

Then the mana gathering lines.

Then the activation mark.

The spell was a Fifth Rank trap spell. It used surrounding magic to create a hidden killing trap. Once placed, the circle would absorb mana from the area around it. When an enemy stepped into the marked range, the spell would activate and strike from below with compressed mana blades. It was useful for defending roads, gates, narrow corridors, hidden rooms, and noble estates. Against careless enemies below Fifth Rank, it could kill instantly. Against stronger enemies, it could still injure or delay them.

Lucard could write a higher rank spell if he wanted.

He knew spells that would make the greatest mages of this lower world kneel and cry like children who had lost their candy and their dignity at the same time. He knew blood arrays, divine death traps, curse circles, soul chains, and battlefield spells that could erase armies. But he would not write any of those.

Fifth Rank was enough.

The information he gathered last night had proven that anything above Third Rank was valuable in this lower world. Baron families usually had techniques and spells around First to Third Rank. Count families could reach higher. Duke families had more powerful inheritances, but they still valued rare spells, especially forbidden ones. If Lucard gave House Marovain something too high, he would not gain help. He would become a target. Greed would turn into suspicion. Suspicion would turn into chains.

A Fifth Rank spell was perfect.

It was valuable enough to attract attention.

Dangerous enough to respect.

Not so impossible that they would immediately try to tear open his skull to see where it came from.

Jake watched quietly from behind Jenny.

His eyes followed every line Lucard drew. He did not understand anything about magic circles, but he felt that Lucard looked different while writing. He was not like a normal brother writing notes. He looked like someone who already knew the answer to a question the whole world had been failing for years.

Jake whispered, "Sister, do you think it is real?"

Jenny’s eyes were fixed on the spell circle. "I do not know."

Peter stood near the wall, also watching. His family had never owned a Fifth Rank spell, but he had seen low rank magic circles before. This looked more complex than anything he had seen in House Vardros. He did not know if it was real, but the structure looked too serious to be random.

Peter said quietly, "It does not look fake."

Jenny looked at him. "Can you understand it?"

"No."

"Then how can you tell?"

Peter paused. "Because if it is fake, it is a very confident fake."

Lucard said without looking up, "It is real."

Jenny became silent.

Lucard finished the first page.

On the page, the spell circle looked old and dangerous. The ink lines were clean, but not too clean. The symbols were sharp. The outer circle had small breaks that looked like damage but were actually control gaps. That made the spell appear older and more mysterious. House Marovain would look at it and want to test it.

Then Lucard took the second page and began writing the explanation.

The second and third pages explained the spell’s structure. He wrote how the circle gathered surrounding magic, how the mana lines had to be placed, how the killing points formed under the target, and how the trap could be hidden under stone, dirt, wood, or carpet. He did not write everything. Some parts were simplified. Some parts were left vague enough to make the spell look like it had come from an older tradition. But the core was real.

On the fourth page, Lucard wrote how to use it.

He explained the activation method, the range, the mana cost, the danger of incorrect placement, and the kinds of enemies it could kill. He also added a warning that if the spell was activated in an area with unstable magic, it could cut the caster too. That warning made it look more believable. Real forbidden spells always had risk. If something claimed to be powerful and safe, it was either fake or written by a liar with nice handwriting.

When Lucard finished, nearly an hour had passed.

The room was silent.

Jenny, Jake, and Peter had all watched him the whole time.

Lucard placed the brush down and waited for the ink to dry.

Jenny finally asked, "Where did you learn this?"

Lucard looked at the four pages. "From memory."

Jenny’s eyes shook. "What memory?"

Lucard looked at her. "Mine."

That answer explained nothing.

Jake looked at the spell pages with respect. "Brother, if this spell is real, can it kill Baron Ravencroft?"

Lucard replied, "If placed correctly, yes."

Jake smiled a little. "Then it is a very good spell."

Jenny immediately said, "Jake."

Jake lowered his head. "He threatened to kill newborn babies from our family line. I think a trap spell can have opinions about that."

Peter looked away because he could not say the boy was completely wrong.

Jenny sighed.

Lucard gathered the pages carefully after the ink dried. He wrapped them in old cloth and tied the cloth with a thin string.

"It is almost ten in the morning," Lucard said. "We will go now."

Jenny stood up. "All of us?"

"Yes."

Peter frowned. "Would it not be safer if Lady Jenny and Young Master Jake stayed here?"

Lucard looked at him. "No. Ravencroft will send people to watch the inn soon. If they are alone, they can be taken. We move together."

Jenny nodded. She liked that answer more than she expected.

Jake adjusted his new coat and stood straight. "I am ready."

Lucard looked at him. "Do not speak inside the shop unless someone asks you something."

Jake nodded seriously. "What if I ask something important?"

"Then ask it later."

"What if it is very important?"

"Then it can become more important while waiting."

Jake thought about that. "That sounds unfair."

"It is."

Jenny touched Jake’s shoulder and guided him toward the door. Peter picked up his sword and followed them. His wounds still hurt, but his steps were steadier than before.

Lucard took the wrapped spell pages and walked ahead.

Outside the inn, Gravehold’s merchant square was already busy. Carriages moved along the road. Shop assistants opened doors. Merchants spoke in low voices. Guards watched from street corners. The branch shop of House Marovain stood ahead, large and polished, with the silver coin mark above the entrance.

Lucard looked at it and smiled faintly. He was not going there to show weakness. He was going there to sell greed, it’s favorite food.