ã€ŠZenith of Sorceryã€‹


 Chapter 1: Homecoming

    Chapter 1: Homing

    When he had still been a child, Marcus had decided tomit sacrilege by climbing to the top of the Sacred Oak.

    He had failed. Worse, one of his fellow orphans had snitched on him to the people running the orphanage and he¡¯d been severely punished for it. Despite this, heter made another two attempts and finally seeded on the third try. The majestic view at the top of the tree and the tion he had felt soaking in the sights around him were still etched deeply into his mind. It was, to this day, one of Marcus¡¯s most cherished memories.

    Many, many years have passed since then, and Marcus was once again standing atop a big tree. It was admittedly not sacred in any way, but it was even taller than the Sacred Oak had been. The view was very impressive, too. He slowly turned around to take in the view around him, taking care not to fall off the branch he was standing on. He was surrounded by trees, but the one he was standing on was considerably taller than the rest, giving him a clear view into the distance at all sides. Towards the east, where he hade from, the trees seemed to stretch forever, forming a thick leafy canopy that made it impossible to see the ground. The sun was shining, the sky was clear, and the leaves swayed and rustled in a gentle wind, making for an impressive sight. The same carpet of leaves could be seen to the north and south. Towards the west, however, the trees quickly started to thin out and eventually gave way to fields and grasnds, with a dirt road winding its way through them. If he strained his eyes, Marcus could even make out a couple of buildings in the distance.

    The tree was tall, the view was majestic, and he had endured great trials to get here. Yet, he felt nothing at the achievement. He had expected to recapture some of that sense of awe and aplishment out of crossing the Sea of Leaves on foot, but instead only felt a faintly pleased feeling and a snide little voice in the back of his head telling him he should have just taken a boat and gone along the coast.

    Marcus turned westward, staring at the distant buildings with a mixture of nostalgia and uncertainty. After six years of wandering the world, he was returning to thends of the Silver League. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure why. He had sworn he would nevere back. Just like he simply <em>had</em> to climb that forbidden tree as a child, he knew he simply had to be here now. Something was calling him home.

    He remained motionless on that tree for a few more minutes, listening to the rustling of the trees around him with his eyes closed. Eventually he shook off the mncholy and took a deep breath. After making sure his backpack was firmly closed, he gripped the staff in his hand¡­ and then jumped down.

    He plummeted towards the ground like a rock, but remained calm and unconcerned. The height of the fall would be dangerous, or even lethal, to a normal man¡­ but Marcus was hardly normal. He just had to make sure he didn¡¯t hit any stray branches on the way down. That would be painful.

    Just as he was about to hit the ground, his body suddenly and unnaturally slowed to a halt, and he gently floated down to the ground.

    He briefly looked around to make sure nothing dangerous had been attracted by his little stunt. He doubted anything truly dangerous would be allowed to live this close to civilization, but it was always good to check these things. His surroundings were dark and gloomy ¨C the thick leaves blocked most of the sunlight from reaching the ground ¨C but Marcus had eyes that could pierce through the darkness and he found no real danger around him. A viper was watching him from a nearby tree root, silent and motionless, but it was just a normal animal and was doing its best to remain unnoticed.He set off westward, towards civilization. The ground he walked on was rough and uneven, but mostly free of bushes and grasses. There wasn¡¯t enough sunlight for them to grow. Instead, a thick carpet of moist leaves covered everything. The air was unpleasantly cold, and strange bird calls and insect drones followed him everywhere.

    Despite his misgivings abouting back, Marcus couldn¡¯t wait to be out of this ce. Most people only ever ventured into the periphery of the giant forest that covered the center of the continent, and he now truly understood why. Even for him, traversing the Sea of Leaves on foot took several weeks. Although the dangers he encountered were nothing to a mage of his caliber, he had greatly underestimated the mental pressure of spending several weeks alone in a dense wild forest where the light only barely reached the forest floor. He had always thought of himself as a loner and a man not easily spooked, but this journey had truly tested his limits. He was never doing this again if he could help it.

    Thankfully, as he had seen from the top of the tree, the edge of the forest wasn¡¯t far off from his current position. He soon found himself stepping into the summer sun. Warmth, sweet warmth. He basked in the sunlight for a moment, and then kept walking further westward until he reached a poorly-maintained dirt road.

    And then he stopped, leaning on his staff as he slowly took in the sights around him. Very few people were using the road, and they gave him strange looks as they passed him by, mystified at what he was doing. However, the quality of his clothes and the staff he was holding must have made them wary of him, since they hurriedly passed him by without saying anything.

    Eventually, Marcus took a deep breath and cked his tongue in annoyance. He was basically lost. He could tell he was on the eastern border of the Silver League, but he didn''t see any obviousndmarks that would let him narrow things down. He only had a vague feeling about where he was. It wasn¡¯t a big deal, but he hated that he had gotten lost on what should be his home ground.

    He reached for his backpack and reflexively checked it to make sure the straps were secure. A nervous tic developed over the years. He had wandered the world for six years now, and his backpack was always with him. Its weight on his back was reassuring.

    Rather than press on westward, he decided to follow the dirt road northward, hoping to reach some kind of roadside inn or vige. He wanted to talk to someone, but as he noted earlier, there was very little traffic. It was a clear summer day, and the sun was near its zenith. The heat was oppressive, the sun burning... Marcus didn''t mind, as it was a nice change of pace from the shadowy forest he had just left, and his clothes were enchanted to give him a measure offort at all times, but the locals probably found it hard to stay out in the open under the conditions. More frustratingly, what few vigers did use the road took pains to avoid Marcus, giving him a wide berth and ignoring his greetings. It was very annoying; how was he supposed to ask them where he was if they wouldn''t speak with him?

    What was that about anyway? He rubbed his chin experimentally... yup, still clean-shaven. A quick sniff told him he didn''t stink either. He couldn''t look <em>that</em> bad, could he? Then again, he had spent several weeks in the wild¡­ convenience magic can only go so far.

    He stopped walking and focused inward for a moment, reaching deep into the well of power inside of him, and grasped at one of the spells he was attuned to. With a casual wave of his hand, a thin rectangr mirror materialized in the air in front of him.

    The reflection that stared back at him was familiar. Marcus looked the same as he always did ¨C a tall, physically fit man with short brown hair, dressed in fine silk clothes and carrying a metal-capped staff. Perhaps he was a little biased, but he thought he looked pretty good. Very handsome. Very obviously a mage, too. Was that the problem?

    He dismissed the spell, letting the mirror shatter into hundreds of triangr pieces that soon faded away, and then tapped his fingers rhythmically against his staff. Strange. While mundane people had a healthy level of fear towards mages and other adepts, it was usually not to this extent. Had something happened in the six years he had been away?

    He eventually shook his head and continued walking. There was no point in guessing. He would get his answers when he eventually reached a town or an inn by the road. There was always someone willing to talk if there were plenty of people and alcohol present, and what he wanted to know wasmon knowledge.

    After a while, he spotted a pond in the distance. It was the first notable feature he encountered in a while, so he felt drawn towards it. He didn''t even have to go far off the path to reach it ¨C the pond was close to the main road, and there was a small dirt path forking from it to enable easier ess to it. It was probably used by the locals to water their animals when they passed by. A few trees grew on its banks, including a particrly tall and impressive oak.

    Marcus approached the pond. It seemed like a nice ce, peaceful and somewhat secluded. He dropped his backpack at the foot of the big oak, stretched his shoulders a few times, and nced at the water. Most of the pond''s surface was covered in duckweed and water lilies. It looked pretty, but stagnant water like this wasn¡¯t suitable for drinking without boiling it first, and he didn¡¯t feel like doing that right now. Instead, he turned towards therge oak growing on the edge of the pond and hummed appreciatively.

    It was an impressive tree, strong and vibrant. The leafy canopy blunted a lot of the summer sun, but still let a fair amount of light and warmth reach the grass beneath it. Marcus was really tempted to sit down and rest here for a while. It had been a long journey, and this was as good a ce as any to take a nap. There was something about sleeping at the base of the tree that appealed to his base nature.

    He liked trees. His magic was based on them, after all.

    He ced his hand on the trunk of the oak, feeling the coolness of the bark on his palm.

    Before Marcus could cry out or even blink, the oak tree rushed at him and swallowed him whole.

    * * * *

    His mind was vast like an ocean and churning with tempestuous thoughts. It hurtled through an even vaster void, stars spiraling all around him, a dizzying array of sights vying for his attention. A disc of multicolored gas was orbiting a blue sun. Two spheres, one green and one red, were circling around each other at high speeds, inching ever closer to a collision. A titanic chunk of ice floated soundlessly in the void, its surface dotted with ck towers of clearly artificial construction. A swarm of glowing jellyfish navigated through a field of grey rocks arranged into a diffuse sphere. Each sight entered his range of perception only for a fraction of a second before disappearing behind him as he rushed towards an unknown destination.

    He didn¡¯t currently perceive his surroundings with his own familiar senses, he realized. His consciousness spread out like a cloud around him, like a million eyes pointed in all directions, letting him see everything around him simultaneously and feeding him a multitude of sensations he did not understand. Though the ces he was speeding past were distant and visible only for a moment, his new perception captured impressions from them in an instant and kept doing so over and over without fail.

    It was wondrous and exhrating, but his mind wasn''t built to handle this. It quaked under the strain, his thoughts growing more muddy and fractured with every passing moment. He felt that if this continued, his mind would soon irreparably shatter, its pieces scattering across the frightening void he was traversing.

    As suddenly as it began, his journey ended. He came to a screeching halt in the orbit of a. It was green, blue, and white ¨C a world full of life and civilization. If he still had a body, the sight would have taken his breath away. It was one thing to know in a schrly sense that he lived on a sphere of rock and water orbiting a sun, and an entirely different matter to <em>see</em><em>it</em>. For a moment, he simply soaked up the majesty of the world around him, the strain of his godlike perception forgotten, but very quickly everything began to change.

    The world below him shifted in some strange way. His new senses went berserk, sending him wave after wave of sensations that he was atplete loss to interpret. His mind, already straining under the weight of his new perception, started to unravel under the pressure. Instinctively, he tried to recoil from the scene, his spirit yearning to return to his true body, but some alien force wrenched him back, forced him to look. No words were exchanged, but he knew this was non-negotiable. He <em>had</em> to stay. He <em>had</em> to see.

    Even if he ended up losing his mind in the process.

    As he struggled to keep himself awake and whole, the in front of him became dimmer and smaller. Lesser in some way. Visually it was fine, but he could tell somehow that the world in front of him had lost some crucial part of itself, and was now copsing and fading away. A hollow shell of its former glory.

    Soon, the began to visibly deteriorate as well. Red dots appeared all over its surface, spewing endless plumes of smoke into the atmosphere. The clouds became thicker and darker, and the continents covered in a growingwork of ck lines. Vast stretches ofnd began to break off from the, ignoring the force of gravity and floating away into the void. They looked tiny from his vantage point, but they must have been truly massive in reality, the size of entire countries.

    The world was falling apart.

    He thought it would have been a slow, agonizing death as the gradually scattered into the void, but the final end was as sudden and unexpected as everything else in this strange scene he was experiencing. Some critical limit seemed to have been reached, and the whole thing just¡­ imploded upon itself. The geometry of it was mind-bending and iprehensible, but everything in the vicinity just folded in unto itself and disappeared, leaving nothing but a pitch ck wound in the fabric of the universe, devoid of any stars and matter.

    Apanying this copse, another wave of iprehensible information hit his tortured mind, sending him into mental convulsions. Mercifully, whatever alien force was keeping him here seemed to have shown him what he needed to see, because he felt it loosen its grip on his mind.

    He immediately cked out.

    * * * *

    When Marcus woke up, he had a raging headache and he was no longer next to that pond and its oak tree. The floor beneath him was smooth and hard, nothing like the grass and soil next to the tree. He tried to open his eyes, but found it exceedingly painful and instead settled for rubbing his face with his hand as he tried to figure out where he was. He eventually realized he was lying on his back on some wooden nks and that everything seemed to be vibrating slightly¡­ or were the vibrations just his headache ying tricks on him?

    No, wait¡­ this sound was familiar. He was in the back of a horse-drawn wagon, wasn¡¯t he?

    ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± an unfamiliar voice stated. ¡°I was starting to get worried.¡±

    Forcing himself to open his eyes despite the pain, Marcus found his backpack and staff lying beside him ¨C something that immediately set him more at ease. He sat up, fighting the urge to vomit at the sudden movement. He was indeed riding on a wagon, just like he suspected, though it was drawn by oxen and not horses. Aside from him and his belongings, the wagon was mostly empty. A pair of small wooden crates and some cloth bundles was the only cargo carried by the wagon.

    There were two people sitting at the front of the vehicle ¨C a clean-shaven, middle-aged man and a teenage boy. Both were looking at him, watching for his reaction.

    ¡°I¡¯m awake, yes,¡± Marcus said, taking a deep breath. ¡°I apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused you. How did I end up here, if I may ask?¡±

    The middle-aged manughed in a friendly manner.

    ¡°I am Pest from Sycaruse, and this is my son Elid. We found you passed out by the pond when we stopped to water our oxen,¡± he gestured towards the two animals pulling the wagon. ¡°I couldn¡¯t just leave you at the mercy of the elements and wild beasts like that, so we carried you to our wagon. I am not a physician or a healer, and I couldn¡¯t really help you recover, but I figured you were safer with us than you were by that pond. I hope we have not offended you through our actions.¡±

    ¡°No, no, I am humbled by your kindness,¡± Marcus said politely. Nothing would have happened to him, but they couldn¡¯t have known that. Their reasoning was sound. ¡°I am Marcus King, a mage of the Great Sea Academy. Thank you for helping me in my time of need.¡±

    The teenager, Elid, visibly became more interested in him, his eyes lighting up at his introduction.

    ¡°Great Sea Academy?¡± Pest said slowly. ¡°That is quite far from here. What brings you this far east?¡±

    ¡°I just returned from the Eastern Lands, all the way on the other side of the world,¡± Marcus casually exined. ¡°I¡¯m really just passing through. While we¡¯re on the topic, where are we exactly? I can¡¯t tell how long it¡¯s been since I passed out, and the roads here are unfamiliar to me.¡±

    Yes, Marcus ¨C y dumb and pretend you weren¡¯t lost to begin with, ckout or no ckout. Thankfully, his benefactor didn¡¯t see anything wrong with that admission.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t been out for long. A few hours at most,¡± Pest assured him. ¡°We are not close to any major town, but we should reach Maiden¡¯s Rest in a few hours.¡±

    ¡°Maiden¡¯s Rest¡­ that doesn¡¯t sound familiar to me,¡± Marcus admitted.

    ¡°It¡¯s a small settlement, barely even a vige, but we should be able to find food and shelter there,¡± Pest exined. ¡°It¡¯s close to the Blue Springs Monastery, if you know where that is.¡±

    ¡°Ah! Yes, I do know where that is,¡± Marcus confirmed, very pleased with himself. He finally knew where he was, and he didn¡¯t even have to admit to the man he was lost.

    ¡°Once we get there, you can decide whether to part ways or continue apanying us,¡± Pest casually added.

    ¡­continue apanying us? Marcus gave Pest a scrutinizing look. Now wasn¡¯t that interesting. He could pass over them picking him up after finding him unconscious as simple kindness, but this was something else. Pest clearly wanted him to continue travelling with them for some reason.

    ¡°There¡­ there is safety in numbers, sir,¡± Pest said, coughing into his fist ufortably. He had clearly noticed Marcus¡¯s scrutinizing gaze on him. ¡°Especially in turbulent times like these.¡±

    ¡°Turbulent times?¡± Marcus asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Pest asked, surprised. ¡°Oh, you did say you¡¯ve just returned from the Eastern Lands. Of course you don¡¯t know, such journeys take years toplete. Do you know about the First Academy War?¡±

    ¡°<em>First</em> Academy War?¡± Marcus asked, frowning. ¡°I know about <em>the</em> Academy War. I departed thends of the Silver League not long after it ended.¡±

    In fact, he had yed a crucial role in ending that conflict. It was one of his proudest achievements. Hard to forget something like that.

    ¡°That was the First Academy War,¡± Pest said, nodding. ¡°There was a second one, which ended just recently. Mere months before our meeting, in fact.¡±

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    ¡°But Veldoran is dead,¡± Marcus protested. ¡°Why would there be a second war? Did he get resurrected through dark magic?¡±

    ¡°No, Veldoran remains dead and buried to my knowledge,¡± Pest said thoughtfully. ¡°Though you can never be sure of anything when magic gets involved. And it¡¯s not like mages exin much of anything to usmon folk. At the end of the day, I¡¯m really just a small-time merchant from Sycaruse.¡±

    Marcus shook his head, dropping the issue. Pest was right ¨C only a mage or another adept could tell him what this ¡®Second Academy War¡¯ was about, and even then not all of them were qualified to know the details.

    ¡°So what does this have to do with safety in numbers?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°The war is over. Shouldn¡¯t have things calmed down by now?¡±

    ¡°Somewhat,¡± Pest said. ¡°Unfortunately, having two major conflicts in the span of six years seems to have drained the Great Powers of their manpower, and they¡¯ve withdrawn their presence from many border areas. Such as this one.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Marcus said.

    ¡°Bandits and other viins are now everywhere these days. I am told that rogue mages have been wandering thends, iming to represent various organizations, demanding ¡®contributions¡¯ and generally bullying people. Terrible times, really.¡±

    Terrible times, yes. However, Marcus was in no real danger from these kinds of vultures menacing travelers and outlying settlements. What¡¯s more, Pest and his son couldn¡¯t provide him any support if they did end up encountering any such dangers. If Marcus ended up travelling with Pest and his son, that would obviously be good for them, as they would suddenly get a powerful mage apanying them on their journey¡­ but what would Marcus get out of that?

    Absolutely nothing, that¡¯s what.

    That said, his head still ached and he didn¡¯t want to rush back to the Great Sea Academy until he found out what this ¡®Second Academy War¡¯ thing was all about. Perhaps taking some time to recover and gather his bearings would be a wise thing to do.

    ¡°Where are you travelling to, anyway?¡± Marcus asked Pest. ¡°I want to travel west. Towards the Great Sea Academy.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re also travelling west,¡± Pest quickly said. ¡°Towards Crystal Mountain Academy. We can travel part of the way together and go our separate ways when the timees.¡±

    ¡°Crystal Mountain Academy? You¡¯re taking your son to apply as a student there?¡± Marcus guessed, ncing at Elid, who was entirely quiet up until now. Marcus assumed he was ufortable talking in front of the scary stranger, unlike the older and more gregarious Pest.

    ¡°Yes, exactly,¡± Pest nodded. ¡°There is some time before the examinations begin, but it¡¯s a long journey and I figured it would be best to set off early to ward off any idents. Besides, the early bird gets the worm. Ha ha, I closed many a deal in the past by making a move before mypetitors even arrived on the scene¡­¡±

    Pest seemed to be a really talkative and friendly man. Heunched into a series of tales about his previous trade adventures, treating Marcus like they were old friends rather than recent acquaintances. For the life of him, Marcus couldn¡¯t decide if this was just a cynical ploy to make him friendlier, and thus more willing to act as their bodyguard on this journey, or if the man was really just that kind of person.

    In any case, he decided to apany the father and son duo for a little while longer.

    * * * *

    Their stay at Maiden¡¯s Rest was brief. Like Pest said, the ce was barely even a vige. It was a roadside inn with 4 other houses beside it. The three of them ordered a quick meal at the inn and decided to be on their way the moment they were done eating.

    The good news was that Marcus was gradually recovering from¡­ whatever that vision was. He was still not fully fine, but his headache was subsiding and his thoughts were less muddled and erratic now. Now that his mind had cleared and he had time to think, he could reach some conclusions about what had happened to him. He didn¡¯t like any of them.

    The oak tree was irrelevant, he decided. He was tempted to rush back to the pond and examine the oak tree in more detail, but he knew he would find nothing there. It was just an oak tree. The vision he had witnessed had clearly been divine in nature. No one could convince him that no god was involved in the incident. If the oak tree was in any way rted to the divines, he wanted nothing to do with it. He didn¡¯t want to be anywhere near it! An examination of a divine conduit was certain to reveal nothing, and may very well provoke whatever force sent him that vision.

    As for the idea the vision was just a random hallucination, he dismissed that notion immediately. His memories of the vision were confusing but vivid. They were burned into his memory with irresistible, unnatural force. But what did this all mean? Was the dying world in his vision a portent of things toe? Surely not. Besides, what could Marcus do about an event of such magnitude? What could <em>any</em> mortal do?

    Was the message meant for him specifically? Then, how did they know Marcus would chance upon that specific oak tree when he did? How far back was this whole thing set up? Or was the vision set to trigger for anyone who happened to touch the oak tree in question?

    Maybe he should have put up a warning next to the pond. ¡®Beware of apocalyptic visions.¡¯

    In times like this, he appreciated Pest¡¯s incessant babbling. The merchant¡¯s tales distracted him from his heavy thoughts and asionally even made himugh. Act or not, the man had a way of setting people at ease.

    ¡°Are you really a mage of the Great Sea Academy?¡± Elid asked him.

    The boy was gradually bing more talkative as time went by. This was the third time he had asked him something, and all of it connected to mages in some way. It made sense, since Elid was looking to be a mage himself, soon enough.

    ¡°Of course,¡± he answered. What kind of question was that? Even if he was lying about his identity, why would he admit that in response to a simple question?

    ¡°What rank are you?¡± Elid asked. It was a bit rude to ask that so bluntly, but fine.

    ¡°Fifth rank,¡± Marcus lied.

    ¡°Fifth!? You lie!¡± Elid used.

    ¡°Elid!¡± Pest scolded him loudly, before turning towards Marcus. ¡°Forgive my son, sir, he doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s talking about. He didn¡¯t mean to question your honor.¡±

    ¡°But fifth rank, that¡¯s like being a living legend!¡± Elid protested. ¡°There must be less than 50 people like that in the whole Silver League. There¡¯s no way that <em>he</em> is one of¡­¡±

    Seeing his father¡¯s worsening expression, Elid suddenly seemed to think of something and immediately lost his cool.

    ¡°Yeah, u-umm¡­ I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about,¡± the boy stammered hurriedly. ¡°I was just shocked, that¡¯s all. It¡¯s not every day you meet a rank five powerhouse, ha ha ha¡­¡±

    It was a smart reaction, in all honesty. Even if he was, say, a second rank mage, that was still more than an unarmed merchant and his teenage son could handle on their own. It was unwise for them to question his honor and power, even if they suspected him of being a bit of a braggart.

    ¡°Just be careful with your words in the future,¡± Marcus said casually, taking a metal bottle out of his backpack and taking a sip from it. ¡°Anyway, I wanted to ask you something. Why are you applying to the Crystal Mountain Academy? The Sun-Moon Temple, Heartfire Academy, and Four Elements Academy are all closer to Sycaruse. Is there some specific reason Crystal Mountain appeals to you? They suffered a great deal of damage in the Academy War. I doubt the second one helped them recover any faster. They¡¯re probably not anyone¡¯s first choice for academy applications right now.¡±

    He didn¡¯t mention Poisonwater or Raven Temple, as they had a poor reputation among many people, and it wouldn¡¯t be strange at all if Pest automatically discounted them from consideration.

    In any case, a strange silence answered his question. Elid shifted ufortably in his seat. What? What did he say? Were they still bothered by his im of being a fifth rank mage?

    ¡°Oh, I get it¡­ it¡¯s <em>because</em> Crystal Mountain is in such bad shape that you want to go there,¡± Marcus mused out loud. ¡°I guess you already paid someone to do tests on Elid already. Bad results, huh?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t do badly at all!¡± Elid protested. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I didn¡¯t have anything special going for me. I have no special affinity to any of the elements, no dormant bloodline, no wildtalent, no nothing. Those jerks from Heartfire only care about special people! I could resonate with several foundation techniques, but it didn¡¯t matter. ¡®Only average¡¯ they said. Hmph!¡±

    Elid sounded really aggrieved at the situation, but Marcus understood why the Heartfire representatives acted as they did. Heartfire Academy was arguably the most powerful and prestigious academy in the entire Silver League. Only the Great Sea Academy could im to be their rival. Even if Elid had what it took to be a mage, what did that mean to Heartfire? They had an endless stream of talents knocking on their door, begging to be admitted into such a prestigious organization. Thepetition for every avable slot was intense, and a child of low birth and average potential, with nothing notable going for them, couldn¡¯t possibly be admitted without causing a stir among the families of other hopefuls.

    In fact, this was true for pretty much all Great Academies, not just the Heartfire Academy. Without something to make him stand out from the crowd of other hopefuls, Elid would be immediately turned away from all of them.

    ¡°Pher and Davell are my personal friends, and they conducted your examination as a personal favor to me,¡± Pest told Elid. ¡°They did not even charge anything for it. They don¡¯t deserve you badmouthing them like this.¡±

    Elid did not say anything to that, folding his hands over his chest in obvious discontent. He was clearly still bitter about the oue.

    Pest sighed. ¡°In any case, you hit the nail right on the head, sir. We are going to the Crystal Mountain Academy because they¡¯re in a bad state right now and might be willing to give Elid a chance. Is this your payback for Elid doubting your rank? Truly, the might of a fifth rank mage shouldn¡¯t be underestimated, even in a battle of words¡­¡±

    Elid¡¯s eyes widened in shock. He gave Marcus a disbelieving look, as if he couldn¡¯t believe he fell for Marcus¡¯s provocation.

    Actually, Marcus didn¡¯t n any of that. However, he was going to pretend Pest was right and that this was all his cunning revenge for Elid¡¯s careless words. As such, he silently stared back at Elid until the boy looked away in fear.

    Another victory for Marcus.

    Before the conversation could continue, they were interrupted by an unholy racketing from a ck cloud up ahead. A huge flock of birds of all sorts was making their way towards them, cawing, chirping, screaming, and otherwise making as much noise as possible.

    ¡°What is that about?¡± Pest wondered out loud. He didn¡¯t sound too concerned. Birds could be pretty weird sometimes.

    ¡°No idea,¡± Marcus admitted. Although he spent a lot of time camping in the wilderness, he would never describe himself as an animal expert.

    The flock soon flew over them, heading in the opposite direction to where they were going. The three of them thought nothing of it, regarding it as a mere curiosity, until they saw a herd of deer running in the same direction¡­ followed by a pack of wolves running next to them,pletely disinterested in the deer.

    Even the oxen pulling the cart were getting unruly all of the sudden, as if wanting to turn around and run in the opposite direction.

    Something was wrong.

    ¡°Stop the wagon,¡± Marcus ordered.

    ¡°I was just about to turn around,¡± Pest said. ¡°The animals know something and I don¡¯t want to face what they¡¯re all running away from.¡±

    Once the wagon was stationary, Marcus drew upon his mana reserves and poured some into his eyes. His eyesight instantly became sharper, allowing him to see over vast distances. His headache, which had mostly subsided by now, suddenly surged back into existence and demanded he stop what he was doing, but he ignored it. He ced his hand on the Orb of Flight hanging from his belt and activated its ability as well. He immediately shot up into the air, giving him a nice, clear vantage point to observe his surroundings.

    He looked at the horizon in front of them and immediately swore a curse at the sight. The anomaly was still faint at this distance, but with his enhanced eyesight he could clearly see the streams of multicolored light dancing across the sky, moving towards them. Like a multitude of rainbow rivers meandering across the heavenly firmament, merging and splitting.

    He immediately descended back to the wagon, deactivated both the Orb of Flight and his eye enhancement, and turned towards Pest.

    ¡°It¡¯s a chaos storm,¡± he told them. ¡°We have to take shelter immediately.¡±

    ¡°What? No¡­ no, it can¡¯t be,¡± Pest protested, his expression paling. ¡°It¡¯s not the season!¡±

    ¡°Chaos storms are unpredictable,¡± Marcus told him seriously. ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time one came ahead of schedule. We have to act fast; I trust I don¡¯t have to exin to you what will happen to us if it catches us out in the open like this.¡±

    ¡°But we¡¯re in the middle of nowhere,¡± Elid protested weakly. ¡°There is t ground all around us, barely even any trees. Where are we going to go?¡±

    ¡°We, we have to turn around,¡± Pest said shakily. ¡°If we abandon the cart and the oxen and run, maybe we can reach¨C¡±

    ¡°There is no need,¡± Marcus said, looking around them once more. Just like Elid said, they were in a really bad spot at the moment, far from any convenient cover. ¡°I will make us a shelter.¡±

    He hopped off the wagon and picked a spot by the road nearby. Tapping into his mana reserves once more, he cast the Shape Earth spell, and the ground began to move around him and solidify. It took a little while, but gradually a great dome of hardened earth began to take shape.

    By the time he was finished, the streams of rainbow energy had already started to approach their position and the oxen were panicking.

    ¡°Done. Bring the oxen and anything corruptible into the dome, quickly,¡± Marcus ordered.

    Pest and Elid did not argue with him. Actually, they seemed to have already unloaded everything from the wagon while he was shaping the earth, and were ready to bolt in with their belongings the moment he gave them permission to do so. In but a few moments, everything living or edible was brought inside.

    Marcus had just about sealed away the entrance when a fox suddenly bolted inside, making a dash straight past Marcus to make it into the safety of the artificial cave. It ignored Elid¡¯s shout of surprise and promptly hid itself in the back of the dome, behind the two frightened oxen shivering on the floor.

    Marcus decided to ignore it. It would be pointless cruelty to throw it back into the chaos storm outside, and he somewhat admired its boldness.

    A tense silence descended on the scene. Although it was named ¡®chaos storm¡¯, the phenomena wasn¡¯t overtly violent. There were no rain or heavy winds, usually ¨C just a curtain of vivid colors flowing across thendscape, apanied by weird tinkling sounds, like a thousand unearthly chimes swaying in invisible wind.

    nts fared a lot better than animals, which was fortunate. Marcus had no doubt that all life on the would have perished by now if the chaos storms affected the nts the same way they did people and animals. Most nts couldn¡¯t move, after all, let alone take shelter when they sensed a storm approaching.

    ¡°You¡­ you really are a mage¡­¡± Elid eventually said, breaking the heavy atmosphere.

    Marcusughed at the inane observation.

    Pest simply sighed at the scene, not even bothering to scold his son like he probably wanted to. This sudden disaster had clearly left him emotionally drained for the moment.

    Marcus nced at the oxen at the back of the dome. He¡¯d been worried that they might go berserk from the storm, but they seemed pretty docile at the moment, content to huddle together and wait. The fox peeked out from its hiding spot to assess the situation, but immediately hid behind the oxen when it saw Marcus looking back at it.

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty dark here,¡± Elidined.

    ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re right,¡± said Marcus. ¡°It kind of is.¡±

    He pointed his finger above his head, and a fist-sized sphere of white light materialized above it. Following his mentalmand, the sphere flew to the top of the dome, from where it illuminated the entire space.

    ¡°Better?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Much better,¡± Elid confirmed.

    After that, everyone settled down into a tense butfortable wait, listening to the sound of unearthly chimes faintly audible through the earthen walls of the dome. When the sound stopped, it would be safe toe out.

    Until then, they could only sit back and wait.

    * * * *

    By the time the chimes fell silent and the chaos storm passed, night had already fallen. Marcus unsealed the entrance of the dome and walked outside, where he took stock of the situation.

    There was no sign of devastation¡­ not that he expected there to be any. Chaos storms did not leave a trail of destruction behind them unless they werebined with more mundane disasters.

    He looked at the night sky, and found it gloriously empty. Not only were there no colorful rivers making their way across it, there weren¡¯t even any clouds obstructing the stars. They shone particrly bright tonight.

    Also clearly visible was the moon. The moon was full tonight ¨C a perfect circle of pale white light illuminating the night. It made thework of ck cracks covering the entire surface of the moon particrly stark and obvious. The cracks resembled a spider¡¯s web, radiating outwards from the seeming center of the moon, and were said to have been created by the Spider Goddess in the ancient past, to seal away the moon¡¯s madness and protect the people below. In the center of the Moon¡¯s Web, the stories said, there was a magnificent Moonlight Pce where the goddess dwells to this very day, keeping everyone safe.

    The moon and its web of cracks were not a new thing by any means, and Marcus had witnessed this sight many times in the past. Even children would regard the sight as fairly mundane. Nheless, Marcus found himself drawn to the sight now, lost in thought. The divine vision he had received recently also featured a series of cracks spreading across a celestial body ¨C and it resulted in the total destruction of that world.

    Those two things couldn¡¯t possibly be rted, though, could they? The moon¡¯s face had been marred by cracks for an unfathomable amount of time now. Even the elves and the selenites said the spider web on the moon had existed for as long as their people had been recording history. The cracks on the moon had always been there, and never caused issue for anyone.

    Still, the vision he experienced was burned into his mind. He couldn¡¯t forget it, no matter how much he tried. It <em>demanded</em> to be taken seriously, bubbling to the forefront of his consciousness from time to time. So he kept staring at the moon, trying to glimpse some kind of clue on its scarred surface.

    ¡°I shudder to think what would be of us if you hadn¡¯t been there with us,¡± said Pest, approaching him from behind. ¡°We would have had to abandon our wagon and all our belongings, and who knows whether we would have reached shelter in time or not. Our meeting was clearly ordained by fate. The Pale Lady is watching over us. I will build her a shrine when I return home and pray to her every day for a whole year for this mercy.¡±

    He gazed at the moon reverently for a moment before bowing his head, closing his eyes, and sping his hands in front of him in silent prayer.

    Marcus frowned slightly. Although he found his reaction a little overdramatic, it was kind of true that their meeting was a result of divine intervention. If he hadn¡¯t been stricken with that vision, he would have never lost consciousness, and thus wouldn¡¯t have ended up being taken by Pest¡¯s wagon to recover.

    However, was Tneith really the one responsible for this? She was the goddess of the moon and fate, and patron to magic workers, so it made sense for Pest to attribute his luck to her. However, Marcus had received his vision through an oak tree, and they were associated with Perun. Perun was also the god Marcus prayed to most often. However, sending visions was something Tneith was more likely to do than Perun¡­

    After a few more moments of indecision, Marcus decided to give a brief prayer to both of them. They were both a part of the Illuminated Pantheon, so there should be no harm in honoring both of them, and this way he didn¡¯t risk offending either.

    His prayers done, he turned to his left. There, he found the fox from earlier staring at him.

    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked it. Pest gave him a strange look.

    ¡°Thank you for letting me stay in your cave while the stormsted,¡± the fox said, speaking in a very natural human-like voice. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to give you, but if fate wills it, and you need my help in the future, I will remember this kindness.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± Marcus said, unsurprised that it was intelligent and could talk. He had suspected as much from the beginning. ¡°Next time, be polite and properly introduce yourself, instead of skulking around like a thief.¡±

    The fox¡¯s snout twisted into what was unmistakably a grin. Then, without another word, it bolted away and disappeared into the night.

    ¡°Did that fox really talk just now?¡± Pest asked in disbelief.

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s just an awakened animal,¡± Marcus told him. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. They¡¯re rare, but not too rare.¡±

    ¡°First time I ever saw one,¡± Pest countered.

    ¡°Maybe. Or maybe you¡¯ve seen more of them in the past, but mistook them for mundane animals because they didn¡¯t deign to talk to you,¡± Marcus said.

    ¡°Hrm. Maybe,¡± Pest conceded. ¡°What a strange day. I think I will just retire for the night now.¡±

    ¡°I guess I should do the same,¡± Marcus said, suddenly aware that he was not exactly in great shape. His headache had never fully subsided, and he even felt physically tired. He didn¡¯t know why a forced vision would induce physical exhaustion in someone, but there was no denying reality.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like sleeping out in the open like this, though,¡± Pest said, cking his tongue. ¡°What if something or someone attacks us in our sleep? The two of us should alternate between sleeping and keeping watch.¡±

    ¡°What about me?¡± said Elid, approaching them. ¡°I can watch over the campsite while you sleep. I don¡¯t feel tired at all!¡±

    ¡°Son, you are my pride and joy, but I don¡¯t trust you with this at all,¡± Pest said. ¡°How many times have you said this to me in the past, only for me to wake up in the morning and find you snoring beside me? Given how strange this day has been, I dare not take chances.¡±

    ¡°It was just once or twice¡­¡± Elid mumbled, embarrassed.

    ¡°Honestly, there is no need for any of us to stay awake in my opinion,¡± Marcus said. ¡°If anyone tries to hurt us, Chompy will defend us.¡±

    ¡°Chompy?¡± Elid asked curiously. ¡°Who is that?¡±

    ¡°Another talking animal?¡± Pest guessed.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s my summoned earth elemental,¡± Marcus told them. ¡°He has been trailing us below ground all this time, ready to defend me if I encountered any danger.¡±

    Sadly, ¡®hostile visions¡¯ wasn¡¯t something Chompy recognized as a danger. Though if Pest and his son had been vicious enough to try and kill Marcus while he was unconscious, the elemental would have crushed them to death before they could even scream. The same would happen to any wild animal that tried their luck with him.

    He tapped his staff on the ground in a specific pattern, causing earth to tremble beside him for a moment. A secondter, arge worm made out of soil and rocks broke out of the earth, causing virtually no disruption in the surrounding earth as it did so. It coiled around Marcus like a snake, swinging its head in all directions to check its surroundings. Its head was eyeless and ringed with triangr, pearly white teeth ¨C when it pointed it towards Pest and his son, they immediately backed away a couple of steps.

    Thankfully, they were made of slightly sterner stuff than mostmon people, and didn¡¯t run away in panic. Marcus was gratified that his faith in them wasn¡¯t misced. It probably helped that Chompy didn¡¯t make any obviously aggressive moves towards them.

    He patted the worm¡¯s head lovingly, and Chompy squealed in a high pitched manner that didn¡¯t appear to belong on this kind of horrifying creature.

    ¡°This thing has been beside you all this time?¡± Pest asked fearfully.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Marcus confirmed. ¡°Earth elementals can glide effortlessly through the earth, so it was no trouble for him to follow me around as we moved. Admittedly he¡¯s not that strong, but he can ward off wild animals and other simple threats. Even if we get attacked by something he can¡¯t handle on his own, he¡¯ll raise a lot of noise and wake us up. Best of all, he doesn¡¯t need to sleep. He can watch over us during the night easily.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­ I mean, what would have happened¨C¡° Pest tried. ¡°No, no matter. I¡¯m tired. This has been a long day. I¡¯m going to sleep.¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­¡± Elid hesitated, before deciding not to say anything. He just kept throwing Chompy fearful nces until the earth elemental sank back into the earth and disappeared from sight.

    Uncaring about their mental anguish, Marcus retrieved a nket from his backpack and quickly set himself a makeshift bed with practiced ease. He had been sleeping in the wild for several weeks now, so this was perfectly ordinary for him.

    He fell into deep sleep almost immediately after lying down.

 Chapter 2: Orphan of War

    Chapter 2: Orphan of War

    Marcus woke up early in the morning, as was his custom, and found his twopanions already awake. They were eager to continue their journey and leave the area where the chaos storm appeared so suddenly. It was agreed that the group would simply continue without stopping until evening, in order to cover as much distance as possible.

    However, this resolution didn¡¯tst long. There was a multitude of small viges along the road they were following, and one of them was in an uproar when they reached it. They could hear shouting and wailing as they approached the settlement, and once they reached the vige itself they found the majority of the popce gathered around one of the nicer houses in the vige center. They were not deliberately barring their way, but the house was next to the road, and so the wagon had to stop for a moment. Marcus quickly disembarked, both to stretch his legs a little but also because it was human nature to be curious and Marcus wanted to know what had happened.

    Pest followed after him, signaling Elid to stay with the wagon and watch over it. The young boy didn¡¯t seem particrly happy with that instruction, but stayed put regardless.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Marcus asked one of the men once he approached the edge of the throng. He had to raise his voice a little so he could be heard over the sounds of a multitude of people trying to talk at the same time. Somewhere in the center of the gathering, two angry voices were shouting something at each other. Marcus couldn¡¯t tell what the argument was about, other than someone being called a fraud.

    His question attracted the attention of not just the man in question, but also the two other men around him. They threw azy, vaguely unfriendly look towards Marcus before their eyes widened in fear as they took in his appearance and realized they were looking at a mage.

    ¡°Ah¡­ m-my Lord!¡± the man stammered. He was a rather sorry sight, already quite old and not aging gracefully at all. His skin was wrinkled and covered in ugly brown splotches, and many of his teeth were missing. ¡°I apologize, I didn¡¯t know-¡°

    ¡°What are you apologizing for? I¡¯m just passing by and being curious,¡± Marcus cut him off.

    ¡°Oh. Of course,¡± the man said. To his credit, he seemed to calm down and gathered his bearing quickly after realizing Marcus wasn¡¯t looking for trouble. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not really a secret what¡¯s happening. You saw the storm yesterday, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Marcus confirmed.¡°Well, three boys from the vige got caught in that storm and couldn¡¯t find a shelter fast enough. They ended up breathing in some of the miasma and are mighty sick! They are not long for this world,¡± the old man exined.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that!¡± the man beside him spoke. ¡°The boys are young and hearty, and they¡¯re fighting the demons even as we speak! They can still make it!¡±

    Marcus was silent for a moment, his mind stuck on the word ¡®demons¡¯. Demons were noughing matter. Given enough time, even the least of them could make a beachhead and open an invasion portal. However, he soon realized the man simply considered chaos corruption to be a type of ¡®demon¡¯. As far as most of the peasantry was concerned, all illnesses were caused by evil spirits.

    ¡°I guess this kind of tragedy is to be expected,¡± Pest mused from beside him. ¡°That chaos storm appeared out of nowhere. I wager we will see more sights such as this as we travel west.¡±

    Marcus made a vague, nonmittal sound. Unexpected or not, most vigers know what to do in case of a chaos storm, and they were on familiar ground. It was mostly travelers like him and Elid that ended up in desperate situations.

    At this point, Marcus realized he wasn¡¯t going to get anywhere by questioning the old man in front of him, so he simply advanced further into the crowd, in the direction the shouting wasing from. He tried to be polite, but it was hard to be nice when pushing yourself through the crowd, and he got some nasty looks and swears as he moved. However, once they took a good look at his appearance, they immediately moved aside and let him pass forward unmolested.

    He soon found himself standing in front of a fairly nice family house. The walls were pure white and seemed regrly painted, the roof was nice and red, and the door looked sturdy. A decorative flower bed was ced around the entrance, and seemed well-maintained.

    A house like this was nothing special in the grand scheme of things, but it was clearly cut above the rest in this particr vige. Most of the other houses they passed were in far worse condition, and smaller in size. Whoever lived here was doing well for themselves.

    Right in front of the entrance, two middle-aged men and one woman in typical peasant attire were having a heated argument with a man dressed in a blue robe, who was trying to look regal and dignified and failing badly. All three were highly agitated, talking over each other in a way that made them hard to understand, but now that Marcus was closer, he could decipher their shouting a bit better.

    ¡°¡­have no shame!?¡± the woman shouted. ¡°We weed you into our homes and gave you so many gifts, and now you¡¯re just going to leave without helping?¡±

    ¡°What you¡¯re asking is simply unreasonable,¡± the man said, his voice quivering and his hand grasping his staff so hard his knuckles turned white. He was clearly threatened by the mass of people all around him, preventing his escape. ¡°Chaos poisoning cannot be treated. Even the elders in the Great Academies are helpless before this! Your son¡¯s life is in the hands of the gods now.¡±

    ¡°Chatan!¡± one of the men used. ¡°You¡¯re just making excuses because your tricks have been exposed! You have no real magic, that¡¯s what¡¯s happening!¡±

    ¡°This is a grave usation,¡± the blue-robed man said, trying to look threatening. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m a virtuous man. I will spare your life for this slight.¡±

    ¡°Do it! Do it if you can!¡± the man challenged.

    ¡°Your virtue didn¡¯t stop you for asking the vige for free produce and favors,¡± the other man remarked. He was slightly calmer than the other two, but didn¡¯t move to restrain their anger. ¡°Why don¡¯t you cast some spells to help our children? Even if it does nothing, at least it will prove you haven¡¯t been deceiving us all this time!¡±

    Marcus stared at the blue-robed man, trying to get a read on him. The man¡¯s robe was truly luxurious, clearly made out of finest silk and dyes. The staff he was holding had arge gem on it and a trail of golden symbols spiraling down the shaft. He had arge, finely-sculpted beard and belt full of potion vials and various strange objects.

    The man looked like a mage¡­ but was he a mage? Most of the things he was wearing were just expensive rather than powerful. The big crystal on his staff, for instance, was a genuine magic catalyst¡­ of the lowest grade. It was big, but that was all. The robe was just a really nice piece of clothing, and the materials hanging from his belt were just bog-standard things one could find in any mage-centric shop.

    It was hard to judge someone¡¯s power at a nce, even for someone like Marcus. The only thing Marcus could say with absolute certainty was that he wasn¡¯t a spirit manifestation mage. Still, he had lots of experience with things like this, and his guts was telling him the man really did know magic. He was just trying to give the impression of being much more powerful and experienced than he really was.

    Truthfully, that was reallymon among mages.

    He raised his hand in the air and created a small ball of crackling electricity above his head before immediately dismissing it. The lightning orb disappeared with arge bang that immediately silenced everyone in the area. The mage and the three people he was arguing with immediately turned towards him in shock.

    ¡°You there, in the blue robe. What is your name?¡± Marcus demanded.

    ¡°I¡¯m Giben,¡± the man answered, trying topose himself.

    ¡°Are you an apprentice mage, Giben?¡± Marcus asked bluntly.

    The mage flinched back as if struck, giving him a shocked look.

    ¡°As I thought,¡± Marcus sighed. He turned towards the three vigers that had been arguing with Giben until recently. ¡°There is no need to press him on this. Now that the chaos storm has passed through the area, mages like him are powerless and cannot cast anything.¡±

    ¡°S-Senior¡­¡± Giben protested feebly.

    Marcus ignored him.

    ¡°Anyway, can someone exin to me what exactly happened here?¡± Marcus asked the vigers.

    Before he knew it, he was swarmed by two dozen people, all trying to talk to him.

    Maybe he should have thought this through a little better¡­

    * * * *

    It took several hours for Marcus to extricate himself from the situation and get back to Pest and Elid, who were waiting for him back at the wagon. He could have left the scene immediately if he was willing to use force or be particrly rude, but the truth was that he felt just a little bit sorry for the parents of those three kids.

    Of course, he couldn¡¯t do much for them. Giben was right in saying that even powerful mages like Marcus were helpless before chaos exposure. It was one of the primordial forces of creation, too potent to be grasped or countered by most mortal magics. Perhaps high-level cleansing magic from a priest of Februs could cure these kids, but those were quite rare. Marcus had never met a single one in his entire life.

    Of course, Giben was also a huge braggart who had imed just a few days earlier that he could perform all sorts of miracles¡­ such as being able to cure the sickness caused by chaos storms. That was why the vigers were so sure he could do something, and so angry when he quickly walked back his ims of being a miracle worker.

    No doubt the man thought such ims were harmless. It wasn¡¯t chaos storm season, most chaos storms didn¡¯t result in casualties, and victims were usually dead by the time the storm subsided. He never thought he would be called to prove his ims. s, fate was fond of ying tricks on people.

    He convinced the vigers to let the man go. He was clearly a bit of a trickster, but the vigers wanted to cut out his tongue and that was a little too much in Marcus¡¯s opinion. Plus, if his suspicions were correct, the vigers weren¡¯t entirely innocent in this entire thing, either.

    Soon, the ox-driven wagon was once again following the dirt road westward, and the vige gradually disappeared from sight.

    ¡°So,¡± Pest said once they had left the vige behind them. ¡°Did you manage to cure the vige boys in the end?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s obviously impossible. No one can cure chaos corruption,¡± Marcus said. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know this.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Pest said, nodding. ¡°But the parents seemed happy when we left. They even offered you a pair of chickens as a gift. Shame you didn¡¯t take them on the offer ¨C we could have been eating well tonight.¡±

    ¡°They need those chickens more than we do,¡± Marcus told him. ¡°Anyway, even though I couldn¡¯t cure them, there is at least one thing that might help those kids: leeches.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Elid asked, shocked.

    ¡°Lots and lots of leeches,¡± Marcus repeated.

    Elid made a disgusted face. ¡°What the hell would that do? Are you sure <em>you</em> aren¡¯t the fraud?¡±

    ¡°Chaos is a force of life, which is why most healing magic is useless at treating its corruption. It only makes things worse. Giving a healing potion to a person affected by chaos corruption is no different than pouring poison down their throat,¡± Marcus began.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t chaos a force of darkness and destruction?¡± Elid frowned.

    ¡°Darkness, no. Destruction¡­ well, indirectly. Its essence is life, movement, rampancy, unpredictability, and mutation. Surely you¡¯ve noticed by now that chaos storms are very colorful, almost rainbow-like?¡±

    Elid¡¯s frown deepened.

    ¡°In any case, precisely because it¡¯s such a force of primal vitality, it can be partially dealt with by inflicting damage on the patient,¡± Marcus exined. ¡°This gives the chaos energies a productive outlet. Arge portion of it is then spent on healing the damage, hopefully giving a patient a better chance to survive the ordeal.¡±

    ¡°But then why leeches?¡± Elid protested.

    ¡°Because the alternative is making shallow cuts all across the patient¡¯s body and hoping you don¡¯t hit an artery or anything critical,¡± Marcus said,pletely unfazed by Elid¡¯s words. ¡°Leeches are much safer, and they absorb some of the chaos corruption as they feed.¡±

    ¡°Will they live?¡± Pest asked curiously. He didn¡¯t seem bothered at the thought of covering someone in leeches.

    ¡°They might still die,¡± Marcus said. ¡°I¡¯m not a healer and this isn¡¯t a miracle cure. It¡¯s just something to tip the scales in their favor. Maybe next time they¡¯ll think twice before deliberately exposing themselves to chaos corruption.¡±

    Pest and Elid gave him a shocked look.

    ¡°What?¡± Elid asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Exactly what I said,¡± Marcus said. ¡°I don¡¯t think this was an unfortunate ident. They received just enough exposure to the chaos storm to get sick, but not enough to die outright. The mostmon way this happens is if a person walks out into the storm, breathes in the rainbow mist a few times, and then immediately bolts inside a shelter again. The fact their parents found them immediately after the storm ended makes me think they might be in on it.¡±

    ¡°They were hoping to develop magical abilities,¡± Pest realized out loud.

    ¡°Probably,¡± Marcus agreed.

    Usually chaos corruption just killed people, but those who survived the sickness sometimes developed strange mutations and magical abilities. Most of them were weak or useless, but some people developed truly terrifying gifts. Not to mention that even a weak ability could attract the attention of nearby adept organizations, especially if the owner was still a child. It was enough for some people to risk their lives by deliberately exposing themselves to the chaos storms.

    It was hard to say how often things like this urred, since no one would admit to doing this intentionally. It was always an ¡®ident¡¯.

    Elid looked like he wanted to say something, but ultimately controlled himself and remained quiet. The wagon was silent for a few moments.

    ¡°There is something else bothering me,¡± Pest eventually said. ¡°Why would a mage like Giben allow the vigers to surround and threaten him like that? Even if he¡¯s a bit of a fraud, he can still defend himself, surely? I heard you say he¡¯s powerless because of the chaos storm, but I don¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s just a measly rank one mage, which means he doesn¡¯t have internal mana reserves,¡± Marcus exined. ¡°He¡¯s entirely dependent on drawing in ambient mana to cast his spells. The same ambient mana that has been contaminated with elemental chaos recently. If he cast anything ¨C anything at all ¨C he would immediately end up falling ill from chaos corruption, just like those kids from the vige.¡±

    This was the fundamental limitation of a rank one mage. They could attune themselves to the ambient mana in the area and use it to cast spells, but they could not store it internally. The power of their spells and the frequency with which they could cast them was initially limited by how fast they can draw upon ambient mana, but eventually their mana consumption starts to outstrip what their immediate surroundings could provide them with. Especially during battles. And if the ambient mana in the area was contaminated by something ¨C say, a passing chaos storm ¨C then they were just in helpless until they left the affected area.

    ¡°He¡¯s just an apprentice?¡± Elid asked incredulously.

    ¡°Yes, although thinking about it more, I¡¯m not sure if calling him an apprentice is truly appropriate,¡± Marcus mused. ¡°While rank one mages are usually called apprentices, that¡¯s because any person can reach rank two in a handful of years if they¡¯re serious about training their magecraft and have ess to appropriate teachers, legacies, and financial support. In other words, if they have the backing of a powerful organization. In such a group, there is a natural expectation that being a rank one mage is a temporary condition and that only when people rise to rank two do they gain the right to call themselves an actual mage. However, there are many mages out there that have acquired their skills under¡­ less than ideal conditions. Plus, some people fail their training for various reasons, even if they are backed by powerful forces. These people are permanently stuck as rank one mages, but they are not apprentices of anyone.¡±

    Truthfully, Marcus did not consider rank one mages to be real mages. In fact, he was even more judgmental than most and considered anyone below rank three to be a bit of a cker. However, this was not a popr opinion, to say the least. Most mages remained at rank two all their lives, and didn¡¯t like hearing that they could have achieved more if they truly applied themselves.

    ¡°People can fail their training, even in ces like the Great Academies?¡± Elid asked, a tone of fear creeping into his voice.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Marcus said. What kind of question was that?

    ¡°How often does that happen?¡± Elid asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s rare,¡± Marcus said calmly. The answer seemed to calm down Elid considerably.

    Marcus was about to assure him that the selection process for a ce like Crystal Mountain Academy was quite thorough and very good at weeding out obvious failures. If Elid was actually epted there, he was all but certain to pass his training. However, he quickly realized it would be better to keep that to himself. Elid probably wouldn¡¯t be veryforted.

    The wagon continued rolling across the country road as the conversation continued.

    * * * *

    Marcus spent an entire week travelling along with Pest and Elid, conversing with them about inconsequential topics and observing the towns and viges as they passed them by. He had expected to find a peaceful and prosperousnd upon his return home, but evidence of the Second Academy War mentioned by Pest was everywhere. Towns often had damaged buildings and shiny new walls, and many fields were fallow and vacant. People grew less fearful and avoidant of Marcus as the wagon left the periphery of civilizednds and got deeper into the Great Golden in, but there was an undercurrent of tension everywhere they went.

    He grew increasingly restless as days went by. He was originally in no hurry to leave Pest and his son behind him, but the novelty of travelling around like amoner ran out pretty quickly. The wagon was painfully slow and inconvenient. It often had to stop at a suitable ce so the oxen could drink and have some rest, and it was less sturdy than it looked. At one point, one of the wheels fell into a pothole and ended up cracked. That is when Marcus discovered something unpleasant: although he was a mage of great strength and skill, none of his spells were capable of fixing a wagon wheel.

    ¡°Are you sure you can¡¯t help with this?¡± Pest asked him again. ¡°I¡¯m sure I can find someone who can fix this if I ask around in the surrounding viges, but that could take a while.¡±

    Marcus wracked his head for a solution, mentally going through all the spells and magical abilities he possessed. After a while, he reached into his backpack and pulled out arge metal-bound book. The cover was decorated with gold and blue crystal thread, both of them faintly tracing various magical sigils and geometric patterns. The moment Pest and Elidid their eyes on it an expression of shock dawned on their faces. Marcus tried to be subdued in most aspects of his appearance, but he never held back when it came to his spellbook. He had turned it into a powerful magical item, and it looked the part too.

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the vition.

    In order to cast spells, it was not enough to memorize the chants and symbols associated with them. A spell represented a legacy ¨C an unbroken line of spellcasters that passed down their art from one generation to the next, ultimately tracing back to the original creator of the spell. In order to use a spell, mages first had to attune themselves to it; immerse themselves in it firmly enough to imprint them on their souls. A process that could be easy or difficult, depending on howpatible they were to it.

    A mage could only hold a limited number of spells imprinted in their soul at any one time, and this limitation never really went away, no matter how powerful one was. Marcus, for instance, had 53 spells imprinted on his soul at the moment. His capacity for holding spell imprints was great, but some of the spells he was attuned to were great as well, demanding more space than lower-tier ones.

    53 spells was not enough for Marcus, and most mages had to do with far less. Few were happy about it. Thus, since time immemorial, mages and other spellcasters had been looking for ways to increase the number of spells they had ess to. The oldest and most reliable way to do so was to make a spellbook. It didn¡¯t have to be an actual book ¨C stone tablets and collections of scrolls were also popr ¨C but a book was generally the most convenient way to go about it if one intended to carry the spellbook around. In essence, a spellbook was external storage for spells. The mechanics of it were kind of involved andplicated, but the practical effect was that mages could sit down with their spellbook and switch their current selection of spells to anybination recorded inside their spellbook.

    This was great, because it meant that Marcus had ess to hundreds of spells instead of just 53, and if he ever lost attunement to one of his spells he could always use his spellbook to get it back. It wasn¡¯t lost forever. The issue was that altering what spells he was currently attuned to would take a while. It was an hour-long process even at the best of times, and usually took a lot longer.

    Furthermore, after going through his entire spellbook, Marcus realized that despite possessing hundreds of spells from all over the world, only four of them dealt with repairing objects. One only worked on objectsrge enough to fit into the caster¡¯s palm, and would definitely not work on a wagon wheel. Another relied on the caster¡¯s skill at creating the base object in question. Needless to say, Marcus had never made a wagon wheel in his entire life, so that wasn¡¯t going to work either. The third one didn¡¯t really repair the object so much as forced it to stay together through magical force. That would work, but it would require Marcus to keep recasting the spell every couple of hours and would leave Pest with a broken cart the moment he left the group. Not ideal. Finally, the fourth one was a very high level repair spell that Marcus had really poorpatibility with. It would repair the wagon wheel, sure, but it would take up to two days for Marcus to amodate the spell¡­

    Marcus closed his spellbook and looked at Pest and Elid, who were looking at him expectantly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he told them. ¡°Fixing wagon wheels seems to be my weakness.¡±

    Pest nodded at him without a trace of disappointment, as if this kind of thing was to be expected. Elid, on the other hand, mumbled something uncharitable into his chin before turning around to check up on the oxen. Marcus pretended not to have heard anything.

    Pest managed to find a person that could fix the wagon in the end, but pretty much an entire day was lost on that. This, and simr small incidents, began to wear on Marcus. He liked his two travelingpanions, but that was just too much. By the time the wagon approached the town of Whitecliff, he was d they would soon each go their own separate ways.

    He was in good enough mood that evening that he left the camp for a few hours and came back with a rabbit and a pheasant to roast over a fire. It was his parting gift to his two travellingpanions. He was a little fuzzy on what kind of food was considered typical for small-time merchants, but he imagined his gesture should still be appreciated. Thus far, the three of them had been eating whatever they could buy in the towns and viges they encountered along the way¡­ and that food was verycking in meat.

    Still, while Marcus fully expected his gift to be well received, he was a little shocked to see how enthusiastically his twopanions devoured the roasted animals. They finished their meals at such speed that barely anything was left for Marcus, and even expressed a slight regret that there wasn¡¯t more of it. Marcus would maybe expect such behavior of Elid, but even Pest? Weird.

    ¡°You probably know this, but Whitecliff is basically the gateway to Crystal Mountain Academy,¡± Marcus told his twopanions as they sat contentedly around the fire, scattered remains of the two roasted animals all around them. ¡°Once we reach it, you will want to spend some time there arranging for a meeting with the academy representative and preparing for the journey into the mountains. As for me, I will continue on towards the coast. In other words, Whitecliff is where we part ways.¡±

    ¡°I figured it was something like this,¡± Pest nodded. ¡°I really must thank you for everything you¡¯ve done for us. Thanks to your presence no bandit or guard bothered us, and we made good time overall.¡±

    ¡­this was considered ¡®making good time¡¯?

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve always wanted to ask you but it seemed improper,¡± Pest continued. ¡°Now we¡¯re about to part from one another and I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t restrain my curiosity any longer. Are you¡­ truly an elder of the Great Sea Academy?¡±

    Elid immediately became more alert, leaning forward slightly to better hear his answer.

    Marcus raised his eyebrow at him.

    Pest cleared his throat ufortably.

    ¡°I admit that, just like Elid, I did not take your ims of being a rank five mage who is also one of the leaders of a major continental power very seriously back there. I thought you were a legitimate mage, to be sure, but I figured you were rank three at most, and probably just a regional branch chief or some such,¡± Pest exined. ¡°Please don¡¯t take offense to this, sir. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve interacted with people like you before ¨C mages, warriors, artificers, hunters, other adepts ¨C and I know how prideful and fond of exaggeration you can be.¡±

    ¡°And now?¡± Marcus asked calmly, giving no indication that he was outraged by this admission. He fiddled idly with his staff as he listened, as he often did when resting, fingers tracing the runes carved into the wood and minute imperfections in constructions that he had long since gotten used to.

    ¡°Well, seeing your behavior over the past week of traveling, and the ease with which you do certain feats¡­ I¡¯m no mage, but I do think you¡¯re probably being honest about your level of power,¡± Pest answered, softly sighing in relief at theck of aggression and outrage. ¡°Your modest way of dress and your surname hadpletely blinded me to the truth. In retrospect, the signs were there from the beginning.¡±

    ¡°His surname?¡± Elid asked, not understanding.

    ¡°The surname ¡®King¡¯ sounds regal, but it actually means the person is an orphan,¡± Marcus exined. ¡°A lot of the orphanages in the Silver League are funded by the local king as an act of charity. As such, children with no clear parentage are said to be ¡®children of the king¡¯ and given the surname ¡®King¡¯.¡±

    There was a brief second of silence as Elid processed that.

    ¡°So you¡¯re¡­¡±

    ¡°An orphan,¡± Marcus finished for him. ¡°I was delivered in a basket to the doorstep of an orphanage by a stranger in the dead of the night. I don¡¯t even know who my parents are.¡±

    ¡°But, uh, how did a mere orphan¡­¡± Elid stopped for a moment, realizing that what he was about to say could end very badly for him.

    ¡°I am not ashamed of my situation,¡± Marcus assured him. ¡°If I was, I would have changed my surname to something less obvious. You wanted to ask how a mere orphan could be a rank five mage and ascend to the position of one of the elders of the Great Sea Academy, right?¡± Elid nodded hesitantly. ¡°The Great Academies that rule the Silver League have many ws, but they all have great respect for power and skill. I won¡¯t say that myck of prestigious lineage hasn¡¯t held me back at times, but it¡¯s not an insurmountable barrier to sess.¡±

    In all honesty, sess stories like Marcus were rare. Very rare. The inner circles of every great academy were dominated by a handful of established families that acted as a sort of nobility ¨C and sometimes they even <em>were</em> formal nobility ¨C and trying to break into that inner circle when one did not have the right lineage or connections was very difficult.

    Marcus had rued enough glory in battle and magical achievements to muscle his way into the position of an elder, but once he had tried to reach for more, his humble origins became one of the main weapons used against him.

    ¡°Let me tell you a bit of a secret,¡± Marcus told them after a few seconds. ¡°I didn¡¯t spend the past six years travelling to the Far East and back. I mean, I¡¯ve been to the Far East, yes, but it was just one of many ces I¡¯ve visited over the past six years. The truth is I was on a self-imposed exile.¡±

    ¡°Exile!?¡± Elid eximed.

    ¡°After the Academy War ¨C the first one, I mean - I made a bid for power,¡± Marcus exined. ¡°I thought my war contributions were great enough, my power sufficient. I tried to be the leader of the Great Sea Academy.¡±

    Pest visibly winced at the admission.

    ¡°As you can clearly tell, I failed,¡± Marcus said. ¡°My rival was a weaker mage than me, but in everything else he was my greater. Gaius came from an old, wealthy family and was hailed as a prodigy from a young age. His prestigious lineage, his grasp of politics, and his oratory skill proved impossible for me to ovee. Since I lost the struggle for leadership, I decided it would be wisest to distance myself from the academy for a while. It is only now, after six years, that I feel confident enough to return.¡±

    Pest shifted ufortably on the fallen log he was sitting on.

    ¡°Is it really a good idea to return, then?¡± Pest asked. ¡°I understand you weren¡¯t really exiled as such¡­ but kings are not known for their mercy when dealing with threats to their power. Your status as elder might have been revoked already¡­¡±

    ¡°I doubt Gaius would do that,¡± Marcus shook his head.

    ¡°Why?¡± Elid demanded. ¡°That¡¯s what I would have done in his ce.¡±

    Marcus smiled at him. ¡°Then you would have been a fool. The moment I found out I was demoted, I would go to one of the other great academies and ask to join them in exchange for a position of elder. They would have weed me with open arms. Rank five mages are extremely rare ¨C no one can train one reliably, even with all the money and support in the world. They are something you hope for, not work for. Thest thing any great power wants is to have someone like me defect. It massively weakens them while strengthening their rivals. Gaius will surely try to suppress me, and might even try to assassinate me, but he will not risk pushing me away from the Great Sea Academy. He will want me gone, but not at the cost of someone else having me.¡±

    ¡°Actually, you mentioning rank five mages reminded me of something I wanted to ask you about,¡± Pest said. Marcus guessed he was also ufortable with the topic being discussed and wanted to change the subject. ¡°Howe you dress so humbly? You also have no retinue, carry no badge of office¡­ surely an adept of your level of strength would want others to know of your power and status? Are you intentionally making yourself look weaker?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Marcus bluntly confirmed. ¡°Earlier you said you initially thought I was a rank three mage. This is basically the look I¡¯m aiming for.¡±

    ¡°Why did you tell me you¡¯re a rank five mage when I asked, then?¡± Elid protested.

    Marcus remained quiet for a second to collect his thoughts.

    ¡°Mage ranks aren¡¯t just power levels,¡± he eventually told Elid. ¡°Each rank represents a fundamental transformation in the nature of mage¡¯s power. The fifth rank transformation is particrly dramatic, and cannot be hidden from any mage that is third rank or higher. Their logos will resonate with my spirit, whether I wanted that or not. If I told you I was a rank three mage and thenter on we encountered another rank three mage, they would instantly be able to tell I¡¯m lying. Once I¡¯m shown to have lied about something like that, everything else about me would be automatically suspicious ande under scrutiny. Rank three mages are not that rare; even minor powers have at least one. Thus, it¡¯s inadvisable for me to pretend to be anything less than a spirit manifestation mage.¡±

    ¡°Spirit manifestation?¡± Elid asked.

    ¡°Every rank has a name,¡± Marcus said, ¡°but since you¡¯re not mages, I imagine you would not understand me if I start talking about ¡®logos mages¡¯ and ¡®foundation mages¡¯ and whatnot.¡±

    ¡°And this spirit manifestation¡­ is it really so obvious?¡±

    Marcus didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, he simply stared deeply into Elid¡¯s eyes and let his soul re out into the world around him.

    The tireless singing of crickets and other wildlife around them immediately fell silent. For a brief moment, a great illusory tree outlined itself behind Marcus ¨C a towering oak with a magnificent leafy crown. Its roots stabilized the earth. Its branches reached out towards the heavens. It shrouded the entire area in ethereal fog, ghostly multicolored sigils dancing on its bark. Elid and Pest immediately fell into a trance, their eyes growing unfocused as their whole body shook.

    Then the moment passed, and everything returned to normal. Elid immediately started gasping for air, clutching his hand to his heart. Perhaps Marcus was a little too harsh on him. Pest fared better, since Marcus hadn¡¯t been focusing on him like he was on Elid, but he was still shaken by the experience.

    ¡°I can let even normal people witness it, if I want to,¡± Marcus calmly exined. ¡°However, a mage in possession of his own logos will be able to sense its presence in me even if I try to suppress it. If a person made you feel like I just did right now, do you think you could overlook it, even if you didn¡¯t pay any attention to them?¡±

    ¡°M-My fool son¡­¡± Pest stammered. ¡°You will surely drive me into an early grave one of these days, I can just tell.¡±

    Elid didn¡¯t say anything, opting to continue taking deep breaths instead. He looked Marcus straight in the eyes after a while. The two of them stared at each other for a few seconds before Elid looked away without saying anything.

    After a minute, the crickets started singing again, and a sense of normality was restored to the scene.

    ¡°The two of you should get some rest,¡± Marcus suddenly said. ¡°We¡¯ll reach Whitecliff tomorrow. You need to be at your best when meeting academy officials.¡±

    Without waiting for their response, he left the camp and retreated to his own bed next to the wagon. It was probably best that they stopped the conversation there.

    * * * *

    Despite his words, Marcus couldn¡¯t sleep that night. His thoughts were restless, dwelling on past glories and disappointments. He got up from the bed and left the camp, wandering about in the darkness until he reached the edge of a nearby forest. Theck of light did not bother him, partially because of his wealth of experience in navigating in the dark and partially because his senses were supernaturally enhanced and capable of piercing the gloom to some extent.

    He stopped at the forest¡¯s edge. His goal was just to put some distance between him and the camp so he wouldn¡¯t disturb Pest and Elid while they slept ¨C he had no real destination in mind.

    This, honestly, could be said of his goals in general. He wasn¡¯t really sure why he had decided toe back home. Back when he had left this ce six years ago, he hadn¡¯t intended to ever return. He was too bitter and upset by the council of elders and their decision to pick Gaius over him. Some of the elders had privately told him they supported him before he made his bid, then voted against him anyway when the final choice was made. It felt like a betrayal, and perhaps even mockery.

    Yet, years of wandering had extinguished most of his anger. He had evene to believe that what happened was a good thing. He would not have enjoyed being a leader of the Great Sea Academy, nor would he have reached the same level of power he currently had. But that wasn¡¯t a reason to return. That just meant he no longer had a good reason to stay away.

    Was that enough? Perhaps deep in his heart, he had always wanted toe home, it was just that it took six years for his resistance to be ground away by time and sights of distantnds?

    In the end, he couldn¡¯t shake off the notion that something here was calling him, beckoning him toe back home¡­

    ¡°Why did you follow me?¡± Marcus asked calmly, not bothering to turn around and face his stalker. His voice was slightly subdued, but not really a whisper. They were far enough from the camp that Pest was unlikely to wake unless people started shouting.

    Seconds started to tick away. Marcus didn¡¯t say anything more, and the person who followed him remained equally quiet at first. Finally, after about half a minute, Elid summoned his courage and hesitantly walked forward to stand beside Marcus.

    ¡°Something on your mind, Elid of Sycaruse?¡± Marcus asked, still not looking at him. He got the notion for several days now that Elid wanted to talk to him about something. However, he had no intention to raise the issue himself.

    ¡°Can¡­ can you test me to see howpatible I am with earth foundation techniques?¡± Elid asked. ¡°I noticed you use a lot of earth-based spells, and the main legacy of the Crystal Mountain Academy is said to be earth-based. Maybe I¡¯m being presumptuous, but I thought, uh¡­¡±

    ¡°I can indeed tell you if you have any affinity with the logos of elemental earth,¡± Marcus told him. ¡°The question is, can you bear to hear my answer?¡±

    Marcus was almost certain that Elid had no affinity to any element. First, because people who had any sort of elemental affinity were very rare, and usually disyed some kind of sign of that affinity as they grew up. Secondly, Elid had already been tested by the representatives of Heartfire Academy. Although Heartfire¡¯s legacy was strongly centered around fire-aspected foundation techniques, they were a great power. No great power was limited to just their core element; fire was what Heartfire was great at, but they would definitely test a candidate''s affinity to all sixmon elements just to make sure they weren¡¯t turning away a potential prodigy.

    ¡°I¡­ yes,¡± Elid took a deep breath. ¡°I want to know. I <em>need</em> to know. Please.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± Marcus extended a hand to him. ¡°Hold my hand.¡±

    Marcus had never had a single student in his whole life, but he knew how to perform this kind of affinity test. It wasn¡¯t anything difficult for someone like him. The moment Elid¡¯s hand touched his, a thin thread of spirituality extended out of the great oak tree thaty dormant within Marcus and established a connection between them.

    Elid¡¯s eyes immediately turned ssy and unfocused as the ethereal oak tree filled his mind, crowding out all other thoughts. Marcus flicked him in the forehead with his other hand, causing him to snap awake.

    ¡°I need you to stay conscious for this,¡± he told the boy.

    Elid grimaced, his hand muscles twitching, wanting to instinctively break contact with Marcus.

    ¡°Focus on the sigils flowing along the bark of the tree,¡± Marcus instructed. "Try to immerse yourself in them without losing your presence of mind. See if any of them call out to you.¡±

    Although Marcus had merely agreed to test Elid¡¯s earth affinity, he actually nned to do more than that. He was curious and besides¡­ if you are going to do something, you should do it well. That was what Marcus always thought. Since he was doing this favor for Elid, he might as well be thorough.

    Average. Average. Average. That was the result of pretty much every test Marcus performed. Elid attuned himself to specific runes at average speeds, he could handle an average amount of mana sent along the connection they shared, he was able to hold an average number of patterns in his mind at any one time¡­

    Oh, and his earth affinity was average too.

    Marcus resisted an urge to sigh. This was pretty much what he had suspected. There was no way the Heartfire Academy inspectors-

    Hm?

    Really? Out of all things¡­ and this was such a ridiculously specific thing, too. How did someone like him even¡­

    Marcus retracted his hand, breaking off skin contact between them. He stared at Elid spectively for a few seconds.

    ¡°So, umm¡­ how did I do?¡± the boy asked after a while.

    ¡°Wait for me here,¡± Marcus ordered.

    He then walked off into the night, leaving the confused teenager behind. He eventually came back with a sealed letter in his hand, which he thrust into Elid¡¯s hands with a warning: ¡°Only use this if all else fails.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? I don¡¯t understand?¡± Elid protested.

    ¡°If you can pass the examination without using this letter, you should keep it to yourself. Burn it, hide it, whatever¡­ but if you are about to be rejected, well. This letter will <em>make sure</em> that Crystal Mountain Academy will want you in.¡±

    ¡°It will make sure?¡± Elid asked, intently staring at the letter in his hand.

    ¡°Last resort, remember?¡± Marcus warned again. ¡°It only guarantees you will get in. I make no promises as to what happens afterwards.¡±

    Elid kept ncing between the letter and Marcus for a few seconds before gently cing the letter into a leather pouch on his belt, treating it like a delicate treasure.

    ¡°Do you think I could ever be like you?¡± Elid asked him. He didn¡¯t seem to be in a hurry to get back to bed.

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Marcus said after some thought.

    He had be as powerful as he did partially due to his great talent, but also due to the chaos and devastation of the Academy war. In a peaceful age, he doubted anyone could advance as fast as he did, even if they were an incredible genius or had some kind of special advantage. Then again, from what he had gathered about the current situation in the Silver League, the era wasn¡¯t necessarily peaceful and orderly. There was also that strange vision he had seen a few days earlier¡­

    Perhaps there would be plenty of opportunities for young Elid to fish in troubled waters in theing years.

    * * * *

    Whitecliff was situated at the foot of Bloodstone Mountains, near an important pass that connected the Great Golden ins to the Western Coast. It was a moderately-sized town, situated on a strategic position butcking ess to a proper water source. It was lively and prosperous, just as it was when Marcus hadst visited it. It didn¡¯t seem like the Second Academy War had affected the town too negatively.

    The imposing Whitecliff Fortress, which served as the military and administrative heart of the town, probably had a lot to do with that. Built out of shining white marble and strengthened with powerful magic, it looked almost too big and out of ce in such a rtively minor town. It was clearly extremely well maintained, and the guards patrolling the city and inspecting the visitors were well equipped and decorated.

    The wagon had no issues passing through the city gates. The guards didn¡¯t try to question them, only collecting a modest entrance fee from each of them before letting them in. However, they did give them a warning once they were inside.

    ¡°You came at something of a bad time,¡± the older guard said. ¡°Duke of Whitecliff and the local mercenary guilds are having a bit of a spat right now. The mercenaries have blocked the canyon in order to pressure the duke to yield to their demands. It may take a few days before the situation is resolved. Until then, the western road is closed for traffic.¡±

    ¡°Lovely,¡± Marcus cked his tongue in annoyance. He wasn¡¯t sure whether to wait for a few days like the guard suggested or to simply venture into the mountains and go around the canyon. ¡°Does this sort of thing happen often?¡±

    Based on the way the old guard was talking about this, Marcus had a suspicion this was a recurring problem.

    ¡°This is the third time now that the mercenary guilds have been acting up,¡± the guard said. ¡°They¡¯ve grown powerful in the wake of the Second Academy War, so they¡¯re constantly agitating for more privileges.¡±

    More privileges for mercenary guilds ¨C or any minor power, really - would mean Crystal Mountain had given up some of their own privileges in order to pacify a bunch of upstarts. And Whitecliff was one of their loyalist strongholds, too. Apparently the situation at Crystal Mountain was even worse than Marcus suspected. Perhaps Elid really <em>would</em> be able to bribe his way in, and wouldn¡¯t need to use the sealed letter Marcus had given him¡­

    Before they could continue their conversation, there was amotion up ahead. A group of well-armed, luxuriously-decorated warriors were escorting arge carriage as it travelled through the streets of the city. The carriage was strange, clearly of foreign make. The spectacle attracted eyes from all over, and even some onlookers who followed it around at a safe distance.

    After a few seconds, the carriage stopped next to a shop and a beautiful young couple stepped out of it to curiously browse the wares, followed by a handful of robed attendants. A pair of armored warriors that had been escorting the carriage separated from the main group and immediately assumed guard on the nks of the couple, preventing anyone from getting close to them or even getting a good look at what they¡¯re doing.

    They were all elves, Marcus realized ¨C the armored warriors, the robed attendants, the carriage driver, the young couple. That was¡­ unusual. It wasn¡¯t often that elves moved in suchrge groups unless they were part of a military response, and it was especially rare to see them this far ind. Usually one could only see elves in coastal cities.

    ¡°Elves have been really active in thest couple of years,¡± Pest told him. He clearly remembered that Marcus had been away from the Silver League recently, and that he wouldn¡¯t know about recent developments. ¡°They¡¯ve been sending their adventurers and diplomats everywhere, not just along the coast but also far ind. It is no longer such a rare sight to see a group of them in the League. s, their home inds are just as difficult to visit as they always were, and they still don¡¯t let humans wander outside the port cities. A bit unfair if you ask me.¡±

    ¡°Dwarves have been really active in thest few years as well,¡± the old guards added, having overheard their conversation. ¡°They only seem interested in the Bloodstone Mountains and its surrounding areas, but within that region they¡¯re out in force, fighting for ancient ruins against orcs, dragons, and Crystal Mountain mages.¡±

    How interesting¡­ Marcus had been worried that Giant Thunder Hall mighte after him in revenge for killing their leader during the Academy War, but if the dwarves were able to reach this far south, then maybe they had more serious problems to worry about than him returning.

    Then again, Giant Thunder Hall was never known for being particrly sensible¡­

    ¡°I assume the orcs are also more insistent about pushing south, then?¡± Marcus asked.

    ¡°Are they ever!¡± the guardmented. ¡°I thought they would stay quiet for a decade or two after that beating we gave them in the First Academy War, but no. Where are they even getting their manpower? They live in the Dakara. The whole area is just snow and pine trees, it shouldn¡¯t be able to support these kind of armies. I swear, sometimes I wonder if the orcs just pop up fully formed out of the frozen ground itself¡­¡±

    The guard was closer to the truth than he might think, but Marcus had no intention of telling him what was actually happening in regards to the orcs and their relentless campaigns of conquest. There was an unspoken understanding among great powers that regr people would be too demoralized if they knew the truth about the Lament Spire and other abyssal incursions into material reality.

    That said, Marcus had found that many people ended up touching upon the truth in various ways anyway. It was just too big of a secret to cover up.

    Despite the road being blocked, Marcus still bid Pest and his son farewell, assuring them that he had a way to get through the blockade. He didn¡¯t, but he also didn¡¯t think it would be too big of an issue.

    He would figure something out when he got there.

 Chapter 3: New Generation

    Chapter 3: New Generation

    After separating from Pest and Elid, Marcus went to check up on the mercenary blockade. He found it to be thorough and alert, with numerous warriors patrolling the area. They all wore gambesons with the same green-and-white pattern on it and wielded simr-looking swords and spears, so they were probably all members of the same mercenarypany and not just a collection of warrior adepts with no prior organization.

    Marcus didn¡¯t see anyone he would describe as powerful here. Thus, his first thought was that he could just push through it, intimidating whoever was in charge with his status and might. These mercenaries might look disciplined, but their kind was not exactly known for their self-sacrificing nature. However, the more he thought about the idea, the worse it sounded in his head. The mercenary guilds were genuine local powers, not just a band of rogue adepts. If they dared to challenge Crystal Mountain like this, they had to have <em>someone</em> backing them. Making a scene here risked making that someone into his enemy, embroiling him in a conflict he did not care for. And for what? Wasn¡¯t he trying to stay out of sight of any of the big powers until he found out what had caused a second Academy war to break out? This definitely wasn¡¯t the way to do that.

    ¡°Hey! Hey you! What are you looking at!? The road is closed!¡±

    Marcus looked to the side, towards a small cluster of tents the mercenaries had set up by the side of the road. A tall, powerfully-built man had left one of the tents at some point while Marcus was studying the patrols and was walking towards him with purposeful strides. Unlike the warriors around him, he did not wear green-and-white armor, but was instead d in heavy fur clothes made from some great beast. There was a fancy-looking sword hanging off his belt, and the man kept one of his hands firmly on the hilt as he approached ¨C an unspoken threat or just a healthy amount of caution when facing an unknown mage?

    A few years ago, back when Marcus had been younger and prouder, this kind of aggressive approach would have been enough to instantly light up a spark of defiance in Marcus. He would have taken an equally aggressive stance himself, and the whole thing would have eventually devolved into a fight. However, time and experience in unfamiliarnds had blunted some of that edge. He was more certain than ever that fighting here was a bad idea, and resolved to handle this in a peaceful manner.

    As he got closer, the man suddenly slowed his pace, frowning for a second before schooling his features and pressing on. At the same time, Marcus also grew a little more wary of the neer.

    All the mercenaries Marcus had seen today were warrior adepts, and the man approaching him was the same. Marcus was not really capable of judging the skill and power level of a different type of adept at a nce ¨C it was hard enough to do that when faced with his fellow mages ¨C but some things were always obvious.

    The man in front of him had a spirit, just like Marcus. He was, at the very least, equivalent to a spirit manifestation mage.

    With that in mind, he studied the man more carefully, trying to identify him. People of this rank were extremely rare, meaning it was possible to know the name and basic description of every single rank five adept in a given region. Any self-respecting powerhouse would track down any and all information about other powerhouses living around them. Naturally, Marcus had long since memorized descriptions of every powerful individual in the Silver League¡­ but his information was six years out of date.The man in front of him looked young. <em>Shockingly</em> young for someone who broke through the limits of mortality and became a spiritual being. The swordsman looked like he was in his early twenties, meaning he had only started his real training when Marcus had left the Silver League. If so, no wonder Marcus couldn¡¯t recognize him.

    It was a little strange to see a young prodigy like that working for a small mercenary guild instead of joining a great power like Crystal Mountain, but it wasn¡¯t entirely unheard of. People like that tended to be prideful and impatient to grow fast, which could make working with an established faction difficult. It was something Marcus was very familiar with¡­

    Eventually, the man stopped, keeping a healthy amount of distance from Marcus. The two eyed each other warily, both silent. Some of the mercenaries had stopped their patrol to watch the confrontation, whispering too quietly for Marcus to puzzle out the words. The atmosphere was oppressive.

    ¡°Are you a spy?¡± the man suddenly demanded.

    ¡°Perish the thought,¡± Marcus said. ¡°I¡¯m just a traveler.¡±

    ¡°Spirit manifestation traveler?¡± the man asked dubiously.

    ¡°Spirit manifestation mages also travel, same as any other person,¡± Marcus countered. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we introduce ourselves?¡±

    The man snorted derisively. ¡°General Marcus, if I¡¯m not mistaken?¡± he asked. He didn¡¯t wait for Marcus to respond. ¡°I am Timijan, leader of the White Pine Mercenary Guild.¡±

    Marcus was not surprised that Timijan knew who he was. Even though Marcus had been gone for a while, people still knew he was alive and could decide to return at any time. And he had been a spirit manifestation mage even before he¡¯d left.

    ¡°I am no longer a general,¡± Marcus said. ¡°But yes, I am the Marcus you¡¯re thinking of. Pleasure to meet you.¡±

    ¡°They say if you had been leading the forces of the Great Sea, they would not have lost so badly in thest war,¡± Timijan continued, not returning his pleasantries.

    Marcus was quiet for a second. He managed to keep his stoic fa?ade, but internally he was shocked. Great Sea¡­ lost?

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Crystal Mountain would have also fared a lot better if they had young talent like you working for them instead of blockading their roads, but that¡¯s not how things worked out in the end, did they?¡± Marcus eventually said.

    Marcus had no idea what he was really saying with that. He just didn¡¯t want to admit to Timijan that he had actually juste back here and had no idea what had happened in the past six years. If need be, he was prepared to act all mysterious and dispense cryptic nonsense, just so he didn¡¯t have to admit ignorance.

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m just passing by, nothing more,¡± Marcus continued. ¡°I was just curious and wanted to see this blockade you¡¯ve erected with my own eyes. I harbor no hostility towards you or your group.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I believe that,¡± Timijan said gravely. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a friend of Crystal Mountain? The savior who drove Veldoran¡¯s army away when the academy was about to fall to his forces?¡±

    Marcus barely stopped himself from bursting intoughter. Timijan thought Crystal Mountain would ask <em>him</em> for help? Marcus counted himself lucky they weren¡¯t sending a constant stream of assassins aiming for his life.

    Probably because they were too worried what would happen to their precious tablets¡­

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any army with me this time,¡± Marcus pointed out. ¡°In fact, I am all alone here, without any other adepts to support me.¡±

    ¡°That is true,¡± Timijan conceded. ¡°It would be incredibly bold of you to try and break us up all on your own¡­¡±

    There was a second of silence as Marcus waited for Timijan do or say something else, or otherwise indicate that the conversation is over, but the other adept simply kept staring at Marcus with ufortable intensity.

    ¡°Well!¡± Marcus suddenly said, tapping his staff against the ground to punctuate his statement. ¡°My curiosity has been satiated! Good blockade, impressive discipline! I will be leaving now.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Timijan suddenly said, just as Marcus was turning away. ¡°We should fight.¡±

    Marcus hesitated, his body frozen mid-turn. He gave Timijan a strange look. ¡°No, we shouldn¡¯t,¡± he said simply.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel it deep inside?¡± Timijan asked, his voice even, but his eyes sparkling with excitement. ¡°Your blood boiling at the thought of testing yourself against an unknown spirit adept? A sh of wills and magic, to prove yourself stronger and test your skills against a real opponent! Is there any higher calling than that?¡±

    Oh no¡­ a battle fanatic¡­

    Marcus knew people like this. There was no point in simply refusing to fight Timijan ¨C the man was looking for a fight, and he would get it, no matter how much he had to provoke Marcus or escte things. However¡­

    ¡°This is neither the time nor the ce,¡± Marcus told him seriously. ¡°I have urgent matters to attend to, and you need to be in your best shape to counter any Crystal Mountain attempts to drive you away from the area. How about this? I will be returning to the Great Sea Academy soon and will stay there for at least a year. Seek me out in a few months and we can have a proper fight under better circumstances, where we don¡¯t have to hold back or worry about bystanders.¡±

    Timijan visibly considered the arguments. He nced at his gathered men observing the confrontation from a safe distance, probably realizing what Marcus had implied. After a while, he nodded.

    ¡°Makes sense. In that case, it¡¯s a deal. I¡¯ll sort things out here and thene seek you out. I¡¯m sure a living legend like General Marcus wouldn¡¯t lie to me,¡± Timijan said, smiling widely at Marcus. It was the first time his serious expression changed during their entire conversation here.

    ¡°I told you, I¡¯m no longer a general,¡± Marcusined.

    Timijan just patted him on the shoulder, turned around, and slowly walked back to his camp without looking back.

    Marcus watched him go for a few seconds before also turning around and walking away as well, although at a much quicker pace than Timijan. The sooner he left this ce, the better. With any luck, Timijan would get injured by Crystal Mountain forces or get distracted by another, more exciting opponent, and Marcus would never have to deal with him again.

    In any case, although he had avoided a fight, this was still a bit of a chore. News tended to spread quickly among upper echelons of power, and Marcus didn¡¯t think Timijan would keep his arrival secret. In all likelihood, everyone would know he was back within a week or two.

    He needed to find a friendly face to talk to before that happened.

    * * * *

    Although Marcus had failed to get past the mercenaries and their blockade, it wasn¡¯t a serious problem for him. Now that he was no longer riding in a rickety ox-drawn cart, he didn¡¯t actually need to follow the road anymore. He could just fly.

    And so he did just that. Once he had put enough distance between him and the mercenary blockade, he took the orb of flight from his belt, clutched it tightly in one of his hands, and catapulted himself straight up into the air. After taking a moment to orient himself, he set off at high speeds towards arge mountain chain to the west. The mountains that separated the Great Golden in from the coastal kingdoms were wild and difficult to traverse, but crossing them via flight was rtively fast and easy. There were griffins living here, as well as other flying monsters, but Marcus felt he could deal with them if they were foolish enough to attack him.

    It would have been safer and less eye-catching to cross the mountains by just following the road, but maybe it was better this way.

    In the end, there was no need to fend off any flying attackers. A pair of flying drakes tried going after him, but they had issues simply catching up to him at the speed he was flying. They eventually had to give up and stop the pursuit. The orb Marcus was using was a potent magic item, allowing him to fly at high speeds forrge stretches of time. Most magical creatures didn¡¯t have the stamina to keep up with it.

    Theoretically, Marcus could use the orb for an entire day before it ran out of power and had to be recharged. In practice, his body wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it. He had to make frequentndings to rest before he could set off again. Even with the limitations of his own body ounted for, however, crossing the mountain range via this method was much faster than his original n. He reached the coastline in little over two days, emerging from the mountains straight at his destination ¨C a small coastal kingdom of Elora.

    His ce of birth¡­ or at least the ce he had grown up in. He had no idea where his parents hailed from, after all.

    The Great Sea Academy wasn¡¯t located in Elora, of course. The Great Academies each had direct control over a core territory, and would never allow a kingdom ¨C even a vassal kingdom ¨C to exist that close to them. However, Marcus didn¡¯t n to continue on towards Great Sea Academy itself. Not yet, anyway. Although a handful of people might wee him there, he suspected he would receive a pretty cold reception overall. Plus, a lot could have changed in six years. People he thought he could count on might have died, or changed their mind about him after he had essentially fled from thends of the Silver League. No, before he went to Great Sea Academy itself, he had to find out more about what had happened in the region while he was gone. The best ce to do that was here.

    Hended on the ground rather than fly directly to the orphanage. Now that he was in civilizednds, everything was controlled by one adept group or another, and they were all constantly on a lookout for threats to their power and opportunities to advance their positions. A mage flying around in in view would be too eye catching. Plus, half of the point ofing here was to reconnect with his old home, and you don¡¯t do that by looking down on everything from high in the sky.

    And so, he continued on foot, following the roads and stopping by in various viges and small towns to observe the scenery for a while. His passage was noted, and many curious eyes followed him, but mages weren¡¯t as rare here in the coastal kingdoms as they were on the eastern periphery of the Silver League. No one confronted him.

    One would think that such a rxing and peaceful journey would cause Marcus to enter a simrly serene state of mind, but the longer he travelled like this, the more he became gued with unease.

    He had been feeling an urge toe back to Elora for a while. He had attributed that to his own desires and sentimentality, but now that he was finally here, he knew it wasn¡¯t just his own unresolved past urging him to return here. There was an actual supernatural pull somewhere in the distance ¨C a weak but persistent urging in the depth of his soul, beckoning him towards some ce he couldn¡¯t see.

    The feeling was subtle, and couldn¡¯t make Marcus do anything he didn¡¯t want. But its very presence was concerning him greatly. He couldn¡¯t detect any kind of foreign magic ced on him. How, then, was this magic reaching out to him? He couldn¡¯t figure it out.

    He could, however, tell what direction it wanted him to go. And he thought he knew where the urge was leading him, though for now he chose to ignore it.

    Instead, he oriented himself towards the orphanage he used to call home as a child and kept walking.

    * * * *

    The orphanage was exactly as he remembered it. It was arge but humble building, located on the outskirts of a small vige named Willowhill. The white paint on the outer walls was old and sloppily applied, and chunks of the wall were missing at ces, revealing the mud and straw from which it was made. Large patches of houseleeks covered the roof of the building, bringing luck to the establishment and warding off evil spirits. Arge, well-maintained garden was attached to the building, growing herbs to sell and vegetables to help feed the orphans.

    Marcus had hated the garden as a child. Maintaining it was hard work, and it was the job of orphans like him to do so. One of the main reasons he had decided to be a mage was so he would never have to dig potatoes again.

    He stood at the entrance for a while, lost in the memories. Many people thought orphanages were ces of misery and squalor, but the Willowhill orphanage took care of its charges. Not everything was rosy, but Marcus had fond memories of his childhood here.

    ¡°Mister, are you here to see Old Pliny?¡±

    Marcus turned to the side, where a trio of boys was looking at him curiously. ncing around, he also spotted a pair of girls peeking from behind arge tree, spying on him. He suspected there were plenty of other eyes following his every move. If the orphanage was anything like it was in his time, life was probably pretty boring where there were no lessons or work to be done. A strange new man approaching the orphanage would draw everyone¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Yes. Is he inside?¡± Marcus asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s inside, yeah,¡± one of the boys said. ¡°Who are you anyway?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Marcus,¡± Marcus replied. ¡°I used to live here once.¡±

    ¡°You an orphan?¡± the boy asked. ¡°But you look like a mage!¡±

    ¡°Yes? Elder Pliny picks the most talented of the orphans from every generation and rmends them to the local Great Tree Academy to be mages. Surely he told you that?¡± Marcus said. ¡°I was one of the children chosen in the past.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s real!?¡± another of the boys eximed. ¡°I thought he was pulling our leg! We really get to be a mage if we study!?¡±

    ¡°Well he surely isn¡¯t gonna pick you, that¡¯s for sure,¡± the third guy said, snickering.

    The second boy pushed him, which immediately started a shouting and pushing match.

    The first boy looked first at his two friends, and then at Marcus, not knowing what to do.

    ¡°We, uh, aren¡¯t always like this,¡± he told Marcus,ughing nervously.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just let myself in,¡± Marcus said, shaking his head. He left the bickering boys behind and stepped into the orphanage. The interior had changed somewhat from his time here, but theyout was still the same and Marcus quickly found himself in front of Elder Pliny¡¯s office.

    There was no need to knock on the door, however, because Elder Pliny was already standing on the open doorway, waiting for him. One of the children must have already rushed here to inform him of Marcus¡¯s arrival.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Marcus was kind of nervous about meeting Pliny. The old man had been running the orphanage for a really long time now, and was no distant overseer. He talked to the children all the time, and was personally responsible for teaching them how to read and write, recite history and religious texts, and so on. He was like a father to the children, and the only reason Marcus had gotten as far as he had was because of his teachings and support. And yet¡­ when Marcus had left the Silver League in his self-imposed exile, he hadn¡¯t even bothered to visit the orphanage onest time before setting off. Would the man hold a grudge? If Marcus were in the old man¡¯s shoes, he wasn¡¯t sure he would-

    ¡°Marcus, my boy! It¡¯s been so long!¡± Elder Pliny immediately lunged at him when he came within arm¡¯s reach, enveloping him in a tight hug and kissing him on both cheeks. Marcus tried to squirm out of the hug, but failed utterly. For such an old man, he had one hell of a grip.

    A secondter, he pushed himself off Marcus, but his wrinkled old hands kept a strong grip on Marcus¡¯s arms, making it impossible for him to fully break away.

    ¡°Let me look at you!¡± Elder Pliny said. He seriously swept over his entire body from top to bottom, studying Marcus like he was still a child in his care. ¡°Have you grown even taller since you left? Ah, I can¡¯t tell ¨C I¡¯ll always remember you as that naughty little boy who kept climbing the Sacred Oak and getting me in trouble with the temple. How quickly you all grow up¡­¡±

    Marcus burned from embarrassment, unustomed to this kind of show of affection.

    ¡°Elder Pliny¡­¡± he tried.

    ¡°Oho, it¡¯s ¡®Elder Pliny¡¯ now, not ¡®Old Pliny¡¯ like the rest of them?¡± Elder Pliny said, a knowing smile on his lips. He let go of Marcus¡¯s arms. ¡°I guess you need my help, then.¡±

    ¡°W-Well, you see-¡± Marcus stammered, hisposure fully broken by the man¡¯s antics.

    ¡°Come in, then,¡± Elder Pliny said, stepping back into his office and motioning at Marcus to follow him inside. ¡°My office is always open if you need something. You should know that. I told you that before you¡¯d left for the Great Sea Academy and I never changed my mind.¡±

    Marcus took a deep breath and followed after him. He was a grown man now, and should have the maturity and experience to handle this better, but¡­ well, it was Old Pliny. He could never win against the old man.

    ¡°I¡¯d offer you something to drink, but money has been a little tight this month. One of the kids identally caused a road ident where a merchant wagon tipped over and spilled their goods. I had to pay quite the fine to smooth things over. As such, I can only offer you a cup of water,¡± Elder Piny said. He wasn¡¯t even looking at Marcus as he spoke. Instead, he took a jug of water and ¨C ignoring Marcus¡¯s protests that he was not thirsty ¨C poured both of them a cup of clear, refreshing liquid.

    He then sat down, downed his cup of water in one gulp, and stared at Marcus for a second.

    ¡°So,¡± Elder Pliny said, being the first one to break the silence. ¡°You¡¯vee back.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯vee back,¡± Marcus confirmed, nodding.

    ¡°For good?¡± Elder Pliny asked.

    ¡°For good,¡± Marcus confirmed. He wasn¡¯t sure he really meant it.

    ¡°Good,¡± Elder Pliny said. ¡°Very good. You know, achieving spirit manifestation at such a young age is already a huge sess.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Marcus assured him.

    ¡°Sometimes I wonder,¡± Elder Pliny sighed. ¡°I¡¯m overjoyed to see one of my charges go so far with the aid of my teachings, but I fear you have grown too quickly. People work their whole lives to reach where you are. I hope you will not resent me for saying this, but your failure to be the leader of the Great Sea Academy may very well have been a blessing in disguise. It¡¯s good to get some perspective from time to time.¡±

    Marcus chuckled to himself. Perhaps it was for the best that he had never visited the orphanage before setting off to the unknown all those years ago. If Elder Pliny had shared this kind of wisdom with him back then¡­

    ¡°Believe it or not, I havee to the same conclusion,¡± Marcus told him sincerely. ¡°What happened was for the best, and I no longer have any ambitions to lead the Great Sea Academy. I didn¡¯te back for that. I came¡­¡±

    He paused.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know,¡± Elder Pliny stated.

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know,¡± Marcus admitted. ¡°But it wasn¡¯t for revenge, or to make trouble for people.¡±

    ¡°Why not start a family?¡± Elder Pliny suggested. ¡°It''s quite a popr choice, I hear.¡±

    ¡°No. I ampletely dedicated to reaching the pinnacle of magic,¡± Marcus told him.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ fair,¡± Elder Pliny said. ¡°But in that case, you should consider taking an orphan or two as your student while you¡¯re here. Do an assessment of the children there to see if there is anyone worth teaching.¡±

    Marcus looked at him like he was crazy.

    ¡°Me? A teacher?¡± Marcus protested.

    ¡°Why not? Every mage has a duty to pass on their heritage to the new generation,¡± Elder Pliny told him seriously. ¡°Especially someone like you. You were already a spirit manifestation mage when you went on your¡­ extended pilgrimage.¡±

    ¡°That was just an excuse,¡± Marcus coughed ufortably into his fist. ¡°I went into exile and we both know it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know. A stupid move, that,¡± Elder Pliny told him bluntly. ¡°But anyway. Your elders have put a lot of time and resources into getting you where you are now. The best way to repay that debt to the previous generations is to pass on their knowledge and techniques, enriched by your own insights, to your sessors. That way, even when you perish, the legacy will live on.¡±

    Marcus did not contradict him. What he said not only made sense, but was the foundation upon which all adept traditions were built upon. Every spell, magical ability, and foundational technique represented a legacy getting passed on through the ages from teacher to student, again and again and again. To allow one¡¯s own magical legacy to end, when one clearly had the means to pass it onto the new generation, was inexcusable. But¡­

    ¡°I do intend to take on a student eventually, but the Soul Tree Technique I practice is hardly unique. It isn¡¯t like the legacy will go extinct if I die before I have the chance to do so,¡± Marcus said. ¡°Plus, aren¡¯t I a little young to take apprentices?¡±

    ¡°Not so young anymore, my boy,¡± Elder Pliny scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re past thirty. Plus, haven¡¯t you already admitted you don¡¯t know what to do with yourself at the moment? Just think about it.¡±

    Marcus looked at the cup of water in front of him and suddenly found himself thirsty after all. He downed it all in one gulp, just like Elder Pliny earlier.

    ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯m not going to push you on this,¡± Elder Pliny said, pouring another round of water into their cups. ¡°So what did you need my help with anyway?¡±

    ¡°I wanted to ask you what has been happening in the Silver League while I was gone,¡± Marcus said, regaining some of his confidence. ¡°I heard there was a second Academy War?¡±

    Although Elder Pliny currently managed an orphanage, Marcus knew it wasn¡¯t always like this. Once, Elder Pliny had been a high ranking mage of the Great Sea Academy. Marcus didn¡¯t know what circumstances led to Pliny leaving the academy in favor of running an orphanage in the middle of nowhere, but he knew that the old man still had many connections in high ces and regrly received letters from them. He probably knew more about what had been happening in the world than anyone else in Elora.

    ¡°Soon after you left, the Great Academies started bickering amongst themselves about how to divide the territories previously governed by factions destroyed in the first Academy War,¡± Elder Pliny recounted. ¡°Especially since one of the destroyed powers was Chaoswood Academy.¡±

    Marcus grimaced. During the first Academy War, three of the Great Academies turned traitor and sided with Veldoran against the academy alliance ¨C Chaoswood, Poisonwater, and Giant Thunder Hall. Poisonwater betrayed Veldoran, and Giant Thunder Hall relented and switched sides when Marcus killed their leader on the battlefield, but Chaoswood¡­ Chaoswood was razed to the ground, its treasures looted, and its people scattered.

    ¡°With Chaoswood destroyed, their territory was up for grabs, and none of the remaining great powers could agree how the division should go,¡± Elder Pliny continued. ¡°Additionally, Great Sea and Crystal Mountain were of the opinion that Giant Thunder Hall should be punished for their alliance with Veldoran with territorial losses, but Heartfire opposed this, concerned that would just strengthen its main rival. Eventually, a full-on war erupted, with Great Sea Academy leading one side and Heartfire leading the other. It was pretty inconclusive, but overall Great Sea took a huge beating and lost a lot of manpower.¡±

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s why I hear Great Sea lost the war,¡± Marcus mused out loud.

    ¡°People like simple answers,¡± Elder Pliny told him. ¡°Our Academy ended up worse in the exchange, but very little territory actually changed hands, and I doubt Heartfire really see this as a win. Chaoswood is still a disputed mess, full of upstart minor powers and border skirmishes. It truly lives up to its name now.¡±

    ¡°I hear strange things have been happening,¡± Marcus said. ¡°Outside of the Silver League, I mean. With the elves and the dwarves and such. Do you know anything about that? Is it just that outside forces have sensed weakness and are trying to move in, or is the Lament Spire bing active again?¡±

    Non-human civilizations were a big mystery for Marcus. He had heard that elves and dwarves both had their own great powers and many spirit-level adepts. Unfortunately, ever since the orcs had exterminated the halflings and forced maind elves to flee to their inds, the three civilizations had mostly kept to themselves.

    ¡°I also heard mutterings about that, but I am no wiser than you in this regard,¡± Elder Pliny said. ¡°It is all very strange, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s another abyss incursion. Everyone would be far more panicked if that was so.¡±

    Marcus frowned.

    ¡°My advice to you is to not worry about things like that,¡± Elder Pliny continued. ¡°This kind of thing is for Gaius and other faction leaders to lose their sleep over. You said you don¡¯t intend to make another bid for leadership so it¡¯s not your problem. You already have enough things to worry about, I think.¡±

    That was true, Marcus had to admit.

    ¡°So let me ask you bluntly then¡­ if I step foot in Great Sea Academy itself, will I be immediately in trouble?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°Is there some kind of arrest warrant or bounty ced on my head?¡±

    ¡°Not that I know of,¡± Elder Pliny said, shaking his head. ¡°There have been some calls to strip you of your elder status, since you have been away for so long and haven¡¯t been performing any of your duties. However, that hasn¡¯t gone anywhere. With so many powerful mages having been lost in thest war, people are not willing to lose a spirit manifestation powerhouse without a just cause. Gaius himself argued passionately against the idea.¡±

    Marcus¡¯s face twisted into a sour expression. Gaius defending his elder status¡­ the world had such a twisted sense of humor sometimes¡­

    Elder Plinyughed at this obvious distaste.

    ¡°Yes, it was quite the sight to see. I¡¯m sure Gaius felt the same way you did just now, when he was forced to stand on that podium and argue for understanding on your behalf. Oh, how I wish I was there to see it¡­¡± Elder Pliny mused. He stared off into space for a second, no doubt imagining things in his head, before shaking his head. ¡°That said, I don¡¯t think you should be in a hurry to get there. That will no doubt mean a lot of meetings with Gaius and the other elders so they can ascertain your loyalty and motivations, and you¡¯ll always be treated with suspicion and kept at arm¡¯s length for anything important. Instead, I have a suggestion, if you¡¯re willing to hear it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± Marcus said. ¡°Just don¡¯t suggest that I take over the orphanage from you.¡±

    ¡°You never know, my boy. Do you think this is how I envisioned my life when I was your age?¡± Elder Pliny smiled knowingly. ¡°But no. My suggestion is to go to Great Tree Academy and offer to work with them. See what they say.¡±

    Marcus was not surprised at the suggestion. The Great Tree Academy, despite the ¡®Great¡¯ in its name, was just a small local academy ¨C a vassal institution of the Great Sea. Elder Pliny sent talented orphans there every few years to be mages. It was obvious he had deep ties to that ce.

    Marcus had deep ties to that ce too, for that matter. He was, after all, one of those children Elder Pliny sent there. Although heter went on to join Great Sea Academy proper, his first steps onto the path of magic were done here in Elora, in Great Tree Academy.

    Great Academies didn¡¯t normally recruit random orphans from a small irrelevant kingdom on the periphery of their domain. Not unless they had incredible talent or were lucky enough to draw the attention of some elder. Marcus was good, but not that good. And whatever position Elder Pliny had once had in Great Sea Academy, it wasn¡¯t enough for him to send orphans there directly. Instead, the orphans were expected to prove their worth by joining the local minor academy and excelling there. If they showed enough talent, they would be invited to join Great Tree¡¯s regional overlord instead.

    ¡°Would they really be happy to see me?¡± Marcus asked dubiously. ¡°From what I remember, Great Tree weren¡¯t exactly happy about me leaving to join Great Sea.¡±

    Most vassal academies were quite happy to see one of their members transfer over to whatever regional power they paid fealty to, since it was assumed the student would not forget their roots and would use their newfound position to divert resources and benefits back to their academy of origin. But Great Tree did not like their overlords.

    ¡°They don¡¯t me you for epting Great Sea¡¯s offer,¡± Elder Pliny told him. ¡°They resent the Great Sea for poaching one of their greatest talents in recent memory, but they know there is little else you could have done. If you had spurned Great Sea¡¯s offer, they would not have taken it well. You might not know this, but Great Tree is hardly the only minor academy that resent these student transfers. Many students forget their roots the moment they leave for greener pastures, and just as many flounder in an unfamiliar environment and achieve nothing of note. Their academy of origin loses a promising student and most of the time gains absolutely nothing for it. Great Tree is simply more obvious in their distaste.¡±

    ¡°In all honesty, I also never did anything for them, even though I became an elder at a very young age,¡± Marcus admitted. ¡°Surely they would have some thoughts about that.¡±

    In fact, Marcus deliberately went out of his way to disassociate himself from Great Tree Academy. It was hard enough to get respect as an orphan nobody from a tiny peripheral kingdom. If he showed any kind of loyalty to a borderline rebellious vassal that was viewed with great suspicion by the ruling bloodlines of the Great Sea, his political ambitions would have been dead in the water. Never mind bing the leader of the whole academy, he wouldn¡¯t have been made an elder to begin with.

    For the sake of his career, he had buried his past and betrayed the people who had given him a head start at life.

    ¡°They had other students like you in the past. They didn¡¯t help them out, either. They¡¯re used to it,¡± Elder Pliny said dismissively. ¡°Besides, you have something that they would do almost anything to obtain. I understand you have never given up on the Soul Tree Technique?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still my foundational technique,¡± Marcus confirmed.

    Every mage tradition had a foundational technique. It wasn¡¯t a spell, and it didn¡¯t give the practitioner any power. Yet, without it, one wasn¡¯t a mage. The foundational technique told the practitioner how to attune themselves to ambient mana, form their mana reserves, store spells, and advance in ranks. It held no power in itself, but every spell and magical ability the mage utilized relied on it to function. It was the basis for all magic ¨C the foundation on which it all rested, hence the name.

    Soul Tree Technique was the foundational technique of Great Tree Academy. Major academies had whole collections of foundational techniques avable for students to choose from, but Great Tree only had one, so that was the one Marcus had chosen.

    ¡°Most students would have abandoned the Soul Tree Technique immediately upon arriving at the Great Sea Academy and switched to something different,¡± Elder Pliny remarked. ¡°It would have taken some time, but the legacies avable at one of the great academies are much more potent and prestigious than what a little academy like Great Tree can provide. They would alsoe with a collection of spells guaranteed to work extremely well along with it, whereas the Soul Tree Technique is¡­¡±

    Elder Pliny hesitated, struggling for words. Marcus understood what he was trying to say. Soul Tree Technique was weird in all kind of ways.

    ¡°I have never found any real fault in it,¡± Marcus said. ¡°It has served me well so far.¡±

    ¡°Clearly,¡± Elder Pliny chuckled.

    In truth, Marcus originally refused to switch over to a different technique because he didn¡¯t want to lose his current foundation and start over. His teachers at Great Sea thought that was a shortsighted decision and criticized him over it. They told him that any loss of time would be justified by having a firmer, more sophisticated foundation technique. But Marcus was stubborn and prideful. His results would eventually vindicate him.

    ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m the only spirit manifestation mage practicing the Soul Tree Technique?¡± Marcus asked.

    ¡°Just how many spirit manifestation powerhouses do you think a little academy like Great Tree has? Of course you¡¯re the only one!¡± Elder Pliny scolded him. ¡°Their current leader is only rank four. It¡¯s the only foundation mage they have, in fact. They used to have two, but one of them was very old and passed away two years ago.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure the Soul Tree Technique is already a Great Technique, though,¡± Marcus said.

    Great Techniques were those that were left behind by mages that attained spirit manifestation rank or higher. Common wisdom said that only Great Academies like Crystal Mountain and Great Sea had ess to such treasures, but Marcus had the opportunity to peruse several of these Great Techniques over the years, and he found the Soul Tree Technique to be their equal in just about every regard. That was the main reason why he had never felt any regret about stubbornly persisting with it to the end.

    ¡°It <em>is</em> a Great Technique,¡± Elder Pliny confirmed.

    Marcus was taken aback. ¡°You knew?¡±

    Elder Pliny nodded. ¡°There is a reason why Great Tree has ¡®Great¡¯ in their name. Only academies founded by spirit manifestation mages have the right to call themselves that.¡±

    ¡°But then why-¡± Marcus began, but immediately stopped himself. Elder Pliny was giving him a familiar look. ¡°Fine, I get it. I¡¯ll go visit themter and direct my questions at them instead of you.¡±

    Elder Pliny nodded, pleased Marcus understood him so readily. ¡°They can provide you with answers far better than I could. Even if nothinges of it, it¡¯s good for you to reconnect with them a little, I think. What do you intend to do now?¡±

    ¡°Well, I originally intended to go visit an old friend in the White Dragon n, but something came up,¡± Marcus told him. ¡°I need to visit the Sacred Oak.¡±

    Elder Pliny¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Marcus, my boy, aren¡¯t you a little too old to be climbing trees? Don¡¯t think I won¡¯t whip you again just because you¡¯re stronger than me now. I¡¯m still your senior!¡±

    ¡°No climbing the Sacred Oak this time, I promise,¡± Marcus said, smiling lightly. ¡°I learned my lesson as a child. I just need to see it. It¡¯s¡­ something of a deep, primal pull in my soul.¡±

    A literal supernatural pull, in fact.

    ¡°You children just keep creating trouble for me,¡± Elder Pliny said, downing another cup of water. He looked at the empty cup mournfully. ¡°Can¡¯t even have a cup of wine thanks to your antics. I don¡¯t know why I still bother with this¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you some wine the next time Ie and visit,¡± Marcus assured him as he rose from his seat and moved to leave.

    ¡°I hope I don¡¯t have to wait another six years for that, then,¡± Elder Pliny said. He got up himself to see him off. ¡°And keep in mind what I said about students, will you?¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± Marcus said, still a little ufortable with the idea.

    He tried to open the door of the office to step outside, but found something blocking the door. There was a muffled shout, and something fell to the floor on the other side.

    ¡°Those little devils,¡± Elder Pliny growled, pushing past Marcus and mming the door open. He seemed to find a lot less resistance than Marcus did.

    ¡°What the hell did I tell you about spying on me while I¡¯m talking to guests!?¡± the old man shouted to someone in the corridor. ¡°Get back here!¡±

    Marcus shook his head. So the kids were spying on them¡­ well, it wasn¡¯t like they were talking about anything truly secret, otherwise he would have taken precautions.

    It was probably inconsequential.

    * * * *

    Marcus stood in front of the Sacred Oak, a million thoughts racing in his head.

    It was an impressive example of tree-kind. A veryrge oak with a lush canopy, a healthy bark, and strong roots that poked out of the ground in ces. All other trees had been cleared away from its vicinity, creating a grassy clearing centered on the oak.

    Yes, the Sacred Oak was certainly majestic, but Marcus had seen bigger trees, especially in the Sea of Leaves. It was really just arge oak tree. The locals all imed that the Sacred Oak was holy and could bless people, and had great respect for it, but there was no shrine or temple here, and no guardian tasked with warding off visitors. Its only protection was that no road led to it, making it rather hard to find if you didn¡¯t know where to look. Because of this, Marcus had never put much stock in the im that the Sacred Oak was actually¡­ well, sacred. He had even climbed it multiple times as a child, and no god had smote him for his disrespect! Though he had caught a beating for it¡­

    Marcus hadn¡¯t been here in a long time. Thest time he had stood in the presence of the Sacred Oak, he was being admitted into the Great Tree Academy as a student. The academy had insisted that the entrance ceremony had to be performed in front of the Sacred Oak as a witness, so that the new students could receive the tree¡¯s blessings. At the time, Marcus thought this was all just a bunch of superstitious nonsense, especially since he hadn¡¯t seen or felt anything descending on him at any point in the boring two-hour ceremony, but wisely opted to keep his mouth shut and pretended to pray in silence.

    Now, yearster, Marcus was once again standing in front of the Sacred Oak. And although he still wasn¡¯t sure if the tree was actually <em>sacred</em>¡­ he knew for a fact it had a spirit. It resonated with his soul more deeply than anything he had ever encountered. As his eyes swept across the entire length of tree, taking in every avable detail, he could practically see the image of a ghostly white oak superimposed over the physical body of the tree. Its roots stabilized the earth. Its branches reached out towards the heavens¡­

    ¡°How is this possible?¡± Marcus slowly said out loud. ¡°You¡¯re not just some magical tree. You¡¯re literally practicing the same foundation technique as me. You¡­¡±

    He suddenly stopped. He realized that the pull in his soul that had led him here had disappeared. It had been there in the background of his mind ever since he had gotten to Elora, getting stronger and more insistent the closer he got to the tree¡­ but now that he had finally arrived, the feeling was gone. It disappeared, because there was no more need for it. The tree <em>understood</em>.

    ¡°You are awakened,¡± Marcus firmly stated, finally understanding.

    ¡°Wee, my child,¡± the tree spoke to him. Its voice was measured and human-like, devoid of any weird distortions or ominous resonances. Marcus didn¡¯t know where the voice came from, although that in itself was a minor matter. If the tree had really practiced the Soul Tree Technique to the soul manifestation realm, creating ghost voices out of nowhere was beyond trivial for it. ¡°Long have I been looking forward to this meeting. We have much to speak about.¡±

    ¡°How long have you been like this?¡± Marcus asked.

    ¡°Your Great Academies did not exist when my seed was first nted,¡± the Sacred Oak told him. ¡°And I awoke as a sapling, barely a year after I sprouted out of the ground.¡±

    Marcus winced internally. So when he was climbing it as a child, dirtying it with his muddy shoes and tearing off small branches in order to get a better vantage point, it waspletely aware of him and could have killed him at any time with its spirit manifestation strength?

    It may not be sacred, but hepletely understood why the locals held so much respect for it now. And why no guards of any kinds were stationed near it.

    ¡°I never suspected,¡± Marcus admitted.

    ¡°Understandable. Most of the people who call me sacred and offer me prayers do not suspect either,¡± Sacred Oak said.

    ¡°So Elder Pliny, the people from the Great Tree Academy¡­¡± Marcus began.

    ¡°They know my blessings are real, but they think I am simply a magical tree of some kind. Wondrous, but unaware,¡± Sacred Oak said. ¡°You are the first person in many decades to have received my call.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Marcus asked, frowning. ¡°What makes me so special?¡±

    Instead of giving him a straight answer, the tree responded with a question of its own.

    ¡°Did you ever wonder what the blessings I ce on people actually do?¡±

 Chapter 4: Many-Branched Tree

    Chapter 4: Many-Branched Tree

    Marcus considered the Sacred Oak¡¯s question. The true answer, of course, was that he hadn¡¯t known there <em>was</em> a blessing, so how could he have possibly wondered about what the blessings did or did not do? However, Sacred Oak clearly knew that, but asked Marcus for an answer anyway, so he chose to interpret the question more broadly, as a test to see whether he could puzzle it out.

    Eventually, he should ask the tree if it had a name. It was only polite. A lot of awakened animals did not, as they didn¡¯t have intelligent parents and a society to name them, but the Sacred Oak was apparently really ancient. It had plenty of time to get an actual name it was fond of.

    Putting that aside for the moment, blessing magic was hard. Using magic to enhance your own body and mind was simple enough ¨C warrior adept paths were based almost entirely around that idea ¨C but doing the same to <em>other people</em> was another story. Living beings instinctively resisted foreign magic, no matter how benign it may be in the mind of the caster. Both healing magic and blessings were severely impacted by this fact, and as such very few mages specialized in either of those. Those types of magic werergely the domain of priests and alchemists, who both had their own way of side-stepping the limitations.

    Yet, Sacred Oak was said to bless hundreds of people every single year! Even if that was an exaggeration, Great Tree Academy recruited dozens of children every few years, and brought them before the Sacred Oak to be blessed en masse. That was a lot of people to bless all at once. And how long did this blessingst, anyway? The tree used some unknown magic to contact him over vast distances ¨C something that Marcus couldn¡¯t detect at all, despite his considerable magical expertise. If <em>that</em> was the blessing, as he suspected it was, then the blessing was still active after more than a decade. That¡­ didn¡¯t sound right. For a single mage to perform such a group blessing ceremony, not just once but <em>repeatedly</em>, and have itst for decades, bordered on the impossible.

    Even priests could not possess this kind of proficiency with blessing magic.

    Why, then, did the elders of the Great Tree Academy take the blessing so seriously? Clearly they disagreed with Marcus on the whole thing sounding impossible, and that gave him pause. Why <em>did</em> they believe the Sacred Oak to be able to dispense blessings so freely and prolifically? Marcus had just been a child when he attended the blessing ceremony, so it was no surprise he did not detect anything at the time¡­ but even now, he could not detect any foreign magic on him. Could they really see something that Marcus could not detect, even after apparently living with it for years and years?

    For a long while, Marcus stood before the tree in silence, pondering the question. He tapped his staff against the ground thoughtfully intermittently, his brow furrowed in a deep frown as he tried to figure out a good answer, until eventually his normal expression returned and he went back to his silent pondering. The tree remained still throughout the whole scene, saying nothing to interrupt him, disying the sort of effortless patience only a literal tree could possess.

    ¡°The elders of the Great Tree Academy cannot see it,¡± Marcus stated out loud, having reached a decision. ¡°Yet, they are certain it exists. Therefore, the blessing must be obvious in its practical effects ¨C such that its existence cannot be denied, even if no magic can be detected.¡±

    Marcus waited a second, but Sacred Oak said nothing. He continued.¡°I never noticed anything, and neither did the other children, so it is something that an individual would not consider unusual. It is probably an enhancement of an already existing ability, but it cannot be anything physical, as that would be remarked upon by the other students, even if the recipient of the blessing did not notice.¡±

    He paused again, hesitating. He did not like the conclusion that presented itself.

    ¡°The answer seems to trouble you,¡± Sacred Oak observed.

    ¡°Taking everything into ount, I think the blessing makes mages more talented at magic somehow,¡± Marcus said. ¡°It¡­ would fit the conditions I just outlined. If the learning rate of an apprentice was increased before they started training their magic skills, they would never know that they were progressing unusually fast. But their teachers, who have watched countless studentse and go over the years, would surely notice that those who received your blessing were showing increased resultspared to those that didn¡¯t.¡±

    Marcus didn¡¯t like this possibility. He was quite proud of his achievements¡­ of the way he had progressed so quickly as an ambitious young mage, overtaking so many of his richer and more privileged peers through abination of talent and hard work. The idea that his achievements were partially or wholly gifted to him by some outside influence didn¡¯t sit well with him.

    ¡°There is no need to be so unhappy, my child,¡± Sacred Oak said. ¡°What does it matter if your magical aptitude is an ident of birth or a blessing from a magical tree? In both cases, it is something entirely beyond your control. What matters is what you did with that aptitude, and you have much to be proud of there.¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯m right?¡± Marcus asked, not thinking much of the tree¡¯s titudes. His mind still rebelled against the idea that his magical aptitude was anything but his own, and a handful of soothing words would not be enough to quell that feeling.

    ¡°You are right, but you are also wrong,¡± the oak tree responded cryptically. ¡°You have focused on the wrong thing. As you have noted yourself, my blessings cannot be directly observed by anyone. Why is that? You should have focused more on the fundamental nature of the magic, rather than its practical effects. That, I assure you, is a much more interesting question.¡±

    Marcus frowned at this. ¡°I didn¡¯t ignore that, it just seemed impossible to answer. Clearly the elders of the Great Tree Academy think you are a divine conduit of some sort, and the blessing cannot be seen because it¡¯s of divine make. But if you¡¯re backed by a literal god, then it¡¯s quite cruel of you to ask me to figure out your secrets.¡±

    The world was full of stories of men who coveted the secrets of the gods and paid a heavy price for trying to obtain them. Even if Marcus managed to figure out the inner workings of a genuine divine blessing, this could very well bring about utter ruin and a fate worse than death to him and those around him.

    ¡°I am not a divinity from the outer heavens, I can assure you of that,¡± the tree told him. ¡°I am just an old tree that has lived through a great many things. And the reason you cannot detect my blessing is that you are looking for something foreign and alien, whereas you should be looking for a piece of yourself.¡±

    ¡°A piece of myself?¡± Marcus asked, baffled.

    The ethereal soul tree inside the Sacred Oak pulsed for a moment, and the Soul Tree inside Marcus resonated with it, drawing his attention towards it.

    Marcus immediately took a step back in shock, raising his staff in front of him defensively. His spirit!? But that¡­ that couldn¡¯t be! That was definitely not a blessing of any sort!

    ¡°Every few years, the Great Tree Academy brings their hopefuls before me, and each time I separate tiny pieces of my own soul to form into soul seeds, which I then nt inside of them,¡± Sacred Oak told him. ¡°These soul seeds then slowly take root, integrating themselves into their very nature and bing a part of them. After some time, the soul seed bes simply another piece of the host¡¯s soul, indistinguishable from all the rest. Yet, it also never stops being a piece of my soul as well. Thus, we are all connected, mere branches of the same great tree.¡±

    Marcus stared at the tree with a strange expression, staff still raised in front of him, trying to process this. The idea of a foreign soul shard imnted inside of him without his knowledge or consent sounded ominous and threatening, more akin to an insidious parasite than a blessing. Was the tree telling him that as a threat? However, the fact the Oak had called him here specifically to tell him this and was speaking so openly about it set him at ease to some extent. No matter how he thought about it, it would have been more useful to the tree to keep this kind of thing a secret if it wanted to use it against Marcus in some way.

    ¡°Of course. Of course¡­ it¡¯s all snapping into ce now. No wonder mages pursuing the Soul Tree Technique advance quickly under your blessing,¡± Marcus eventually said, his mind working feverishly. Although he had been intrigued by the mysterious pull inside his soul beforeing here, he would have never guessed he would be facing these kinds of incredible revtions. ¡°Having a soul fragment from a literal tree must be quite an advantage when your foundational technique is centered around growing a spiritual tree inside your soul.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Sacred Oak agreed with him. ¡°Your wounded pride can rest easy. You are just as talented as you ever were. The foundational technique you practice simply works very well with my soul seed.¡±

    That would also exin why Great Tree Academy was so zealous about sending their newest recruits to receive the tree¡¯s blessings, but no other magical group cared to do so. That would be quite strange if the oak tree could improve one¡¯s general talent for magic. However, if the other groups tried to receive the tree¡¯s blessings and saw no results from doing so, they would likely reach the same conclusion Marcus had in the past ¨C that it was all just a useless superstition practiced by Great Tree Academy for ceremonial purposes.

    ¡°What if someone switches to another foundational technique at some point?¡± Marcus asked.

    ¡°It depends on howpatible this other foundational technique is with my soul seed,¡± Sacred Oak said. ¡°s, after us Grandfather Trees tried to exterminate humanity and wipe out all traces of civilization on the, the gods destroyed most of the wood-rted magical traditions on the as punishment for our sins. As such, the likelihood of finding anotherpatible foundational technique is very low. Most likely, they would derive very little benefit from my soul seed after the switch.¡±

    The tree sounded very mournful about this, but Marcus found it difficult to care after what he had just heard. The Grandfather Trees had done what?

    ¡°What was that about exterminating humanity and wiping out civilization?¡± Marcus tried.

    ¡°Ancient history,¡± Sacred Oak said dismissively. ¡°It happened a long time ago. We should not get side-tracked from the topic at hand.¡±

    You can¡¯t just say something like that and then tell me not to worry about it, you stupid tree!

    Was this another test? Marcus was admittedly not very learned in ancient history, but Old Pliny was quite a history enthusiast and he¡¯d made sure all children under his care knew about the big important stuff that had happened¡­ and Marcus didn¡¯t remember hearing about a genocidal campaignmitted by magical trees in Old Pliny¡¯s lectures.

    Marcus sighed, lowering the staff in his hand and rxing. This¡­ this was just too absurd.

    ¡°Youredic timing could use some work,¡± Marcusined. ¡°I know you¡¯re trying to set me at ease, but your jokes are in poor taste, and everything you say just makes the situation sound worse. Are you <em>trying</em> to make yourself look bad?¡±

    ¡°I apologize, my child. I was hoping to get your attention immediately after you became a spirit manifestation mage, after which I would slowly exin all this to you over the course of several meetings. Unfortunately, you didn¡¯t seem inclined to listen back then. You ignored me, and even left this area of the world entirely. What could I do except wait? I am but a tree, after all. Only recently have youe back to thisnd and noticed my pull. I felt I had to capture your attention the moment we met,¡± the tree exined.

    ¡°You were calling me for years?¡± Marcus asked, surprised.

    ¡°I am not so rude nor desperate,¡± Sacred Oak said. ¡°I stopped pulling at our connection once you had left thends of the Silver League. It was only when I sensed you were back that I started the call again. I am d you did not ignore me this time.¡±

    ¡°I see. So back to this whole soul fragment business¡­¡± Marcus said, trying to push the conversation back on track.

    ¡°Soul seed,¡± Sacred Oak corrected him.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Marcus said dubiously. ¡°Soul seeds. Why¡­ why do this? Why call me here to tell me this? Why <em>everything</em>?¡±

    ¡°This is a hard topic to exin concisely and clearly, but I will try,¡± the tree said. ¡°When you fully assimted the soul seed I ced in you and our souls intertwined, your soul became a branch of mine, and all that you are became known to me. Just as my physical branches collect sunlight and nutrients for my survival, so too my soul branches collect secrets and wisdom of the outside world... something that I, in my immobile state, would find difficult, if not impossible, to acquire otherwise. Every spell and magical technique you learn, I also learn. Every skill you master, I master. Of course, assuming it is something physically possible for an oak tree¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Marcus said, feeling strangely relieved. ¡°It¡¯s a spying technique!¡±

    He couldn¡¯t say he was <em>happy</em> that this awakened tree had apparently been spying on him for most of his life, but honestly? It could have been a lot worse. Soul magic was capable of some very nasty effects, and a foreign soul fragment that rooted itself into his soul so firmly as to be undetectable would probably be impossible to remove. If all the tree did was spy on him, and didn¡¯t try to enve him or shred his soul through their connection, he was willing to overlook that.

    He was still going to start looking for a way to remove it the moment he finished this meeting, of course.

    ¡°You could call it spying, I suppose,¡± Sacred Oak conceded. ¡°I personally think of it as a symbiotic rtionship. I give people literal pieces of myself, elerating their magical growth and strengthening their soul, and in return I get their knowledge and magical insight. Honestly, after doing this for so many years, most of the wisdom I receive from children like you is useless. Most of it are mere duplicates of what I already have or worse ¨C inferior versions of it. It is only when one of you reaches the rank of spirit manifestation that I truly start paying attention.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Because that¡¯s when mages start developing truly original magic,¡± Marcus guessed.

    Mages of third rank or higher have collected a certain amount of logos, and could thus start adjusting spells to be more to their liking¡­ but that was all they could do. They could twist and modify spells they had collected from ancient masters, but they could never invent a truly original piece of magic to call their own.

    Creating a novel spell could only be done by someone who had awakened a spirit of their own. Indeed, one could say that every spell was simply a single facet of the originator spirit that was used to create it. A mage practicing a fire-based foundational technique couldn¡¯t create an ice spell, unless they had somehow incorporated the logos of ice into their spirit.

    ¡°No, that is not the reason,¡± Sacred Oak told him. ¡°Once you awaken your spirit, you are finally capable of learning how to create soul seeds yourself, and can thus propagate our soul tree further outward.¡±

    What?

    This conversation, Marcusmented, was not going the way he wanted. It was like the tree was drowning him in shocking information, and every time he thought he had a handle on it, the tree would throw another bucket of cold water onto his head.

    He was seriously contemting just throwing a fireball at the tree, just to get some kind of edge over it. It already admitted to spying on him, he had a just cause.

    ¡°Please exin this better,¡± Marcus told the tree.

    ¡°The ability to create soul seeds and nt them in people¡¯s souls is not some innate ability I have as a tree,¡± the Sacred Oak obliged. ¡°It is merely a spell ¨C one which anyone who practices the Soul Tree Technique to the spirit manifestation rank can learn.¡±

    Merely a spell, the tree said. Marcus wasn¡¯t very knowledgeable in soul magic ¨C necromancy was highly forbidden in most magical academies, after all ¨C but he knew that damaging your soul in even minor ways was a bad idea and could go wrong extremely easily. Marcus had sacrificed tiny pieces of his soul to create his spellbook and a select number of other magic items, and he still remembered how long it took him to recover afterwards.

    ¡°Worry not; I will not demand payment for my tutge,¡± Sacred Oak assured him.

    ¡°Is this another one of your jokes?¡± Marcus replied. ¡°I would be literally expanding your spywork for you if I agreed to this. You wouldn¡¯t even have to weaken yourself by tearing off pieces of your own soul to do it. Instead, I would be doing it for you! Demanding payment for this would be ridiculous.¡±

    ¡°As you prosper, so do I,¡± the tree admitted. ¡°But surely you understand ¨C if <em>you </em>are the one to cultivate more soul branches, then the magic they gather will flow into <em>you</em>.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± Marcus assured the tree. ¡°But I still think-¡±

    He stopped himself. Actually, he didn¡¯t know what to think. What did he even understand? He needed some time to think. He needed to visit the Great Tree Academy and talk to the elders there to see what they actually knew about the tree and the blessing.

    An offer of power was tempting, but he wasn¡¯t a child anymore. He was already a powerful mage, and didn¡¯t need to sell literal pieces of his soul for magical secrets.

    ¡°I won¡¯t ept this,¡± he told the tree firmly.

    ¡°I will not force you,¡± Sacred Oak assured him. ¡°Take your time and consider things. I waited six years for you toe back. I can wait a few years more, if need be.¡±

    Marcus was annoyed at the oak. It was talking like Marcus¡¯s agreement was already a done deal; just a matter of time. But he said nothing.

    ¡°Incidentally, did you happen to receive a divine vision?¡± Sacred Oak suddenly asked.

    Marcus did his best to remain calm. He thought he did a pretty good job of it. Maybe his hand clutched the staff in his hand a little too tightly, but he did his best to give the tree an unreadable stoic expression.

    ¡°I ask, because I have also received one,¡± Sacred Oak continued. ¡°A very confusing vision that culminated in the death of an entire world.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that our?¡± Marcus said. He actually didn¡¯t think it was, but he wanted to hear what the tree would say.

    ¡°No, certainly not. The shape of thendmasses waspletely incorrect,¡± Sacred Oak answered.

    Interesting. Marcus didn¡¯t remember how thendmasses looked ¨C the tree must have received a much more detailed vision than he did. Or perhaps it was better able to withstand the mental stress of the vision, and thus captured more details than he did.

    It was also interesting that this tree knew how their looked like, enough so to decide another¡¯sndmasses did not match it.

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the vition.

    ¡°Do you know what the meaning of the vision is, then?¡± Marcus asked.

    ¡°No, not at all,¡± the tree told him. It actually sounded somewhat vexed. ¡°A portent of doom, most certainly¡­ but what does the destruction of another world have to do with Chaoswood?¡±

    ¡°Chaoswood?¡± Marcus said in surprise. ¡°What <em>does</em> Chaoswood have to do with this?¡±

    ¡°My apologies. I did not mean the recently destroyed magic academy,¡± Sacred Oak said. ¡°Chaoswood is an old name for our world. You likely know it as Tasloa ¨C the name given to it by the elves of the Silver Aeon. Your magical academies seem to have adopted many of their terms and traditions as their own.¡±

    Marcus had never heard of any such elves. Just how old was this tree again¡­?

    ¡°So we were both sent a vision of distant doom by some divinity¡­ why us, though? Is it because of some nebulous connection to trees?¡± Marcus asked, deciding to ignore historical questions for now.

    ¡°No, definitely not. I am certain we are not the only ones who were sent this vision. I know of at least a dozen mages that were also graced with this divine revtion within thest couple of days. Additionally, a number of mages were mysteriously incapacitated and woke up with blinding headaches, remembering nothing. Presumably their souls were not strong enough to withstand the vision to any appreciable extent,¡± Sacred Oak exined.

    ¡°So many¡­¡± Marcus frowned.

    ¡°They were all spirit manifestation rank or higher,¡± Sacred oak said. ¡°This is why I suspected you might have received one as well.¡±

    ¡°You think <em>all</em> spirit manifestation mages got the vision?¡± Marcus asked in surprise.

    Everyone in the Silver League? Everyone on the? He had no idea gods were this powerful¡­

    ¡°All spirit-level adepts, and a number of powerful magical beasts such as dragons and death worms,¡± Sacred Oak said. ¡°Something interesting is surely going to happen in the next decade or two.¡±

    They spoke to one another for a few more minutes, recounting their own experience with the vision and thenparing details to see if they could get a moreplete picture that way. Like Marcus suspected, Sacred Oak had a much, much moreplete understanding of the vision. It was still iprehensible overall, but Sacred Oak remembered a multitude of little details that Marcus had missed. How did it maintain the presence of mind to memorize all of that?

    ¡°We should continue this some other time, my child,¡± Sacred Oak eventually said. ¡°You have given me much to think about, and I am certain you need some time to consider things as well. Feel free toe whenever you are in the mood to talk. I am not a particrly busy tree.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, that reminds me ¨C do you have a name?¡± Marcus was suddenly reminded of his earlier musings. ¡°If we¡¯re going to continue interacting, I should learn how to address you properly.¡±

    ¡°Call me Sacred Oak,¡± the oak tree told him. ¡°I have had many names over the centuries, but I have never been too attached to any of them. None of them are any more real than this. A new name for each new era.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Marcus shrugged. Calling yourself ¡®sacred¡¯ was a bit arrogant in Marcus¡¯s opinion, but then again, it wasn¡¯t the tree itself that had picked such a name.

    He left Sacred Oak in its clearing and went back to civilization. He immediately breathed a sigh of relief once he was out of its sight. It had been a long time since Marcus had met someone that made him feel so¡­ outmatched. Yes, the tree came up on top in this conversation, and Marcus didn¡¯t like this one bit. A part of him even wondered if he would win in a straight fight against the ancient oak.

    Surely he wouldn¡¯t lose to a tree? It couldn¡¯t even move!

    He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. There was no time to sit down and rx. He was always going to visit the Great Tree Academy, if only to honor Old Pliny¡¯s request to do so, but now that visit had acquired an additional level of importance.

    * * * *

    The academy was still as Marcus remembered it ¨C a loose collection of buildings surrounded by gardens and field plots of various sizes. Cultivating magical nts was an important source of ie for Great Tree Academy. Contrary to what outsiders thought, this wasn¡¯t because the Soul Tree Technique gave people some kind of special knack for caring for nts ¨C Great Tree didn¡¯t have any notable spells meant for nt cultivation ¨C but due to the soil and other conditions in the surrounding forest being perfect for a great many magical nts to grow in.

    Arge white tower dominated the view, its pearly walls decorated with intricate carvings of trees, gods, and animals. The images all seemed to be winding their way up the tower in a spiral pattern, as if travelling into the heavens. The tower was said to be made out of a leg bone of a gigantic dragon the founder of the academy had in at some point in his life, but only children believed such nonsense. Dragons didn¡¯t grow that big. That said, whatever the tower was made of, it wasn¡¯t mundane mortar and stone, because the carvings couldn¡¯t be damaged by a determined teenager armed with a steel knife.

    He knew this because of¡­ reasons.

    Majestic white tower aside, the ce was rtively small. It was just a minor academy after all. There was also no defensive wall surrounding the ce, just a couple of watchtowers on the outskirts of the settlement. The kings of Elora had never given the academy permission to build a wall, fearing their power, fearing the mages there would grow too willful and independent, and Great Tree Academy hadn¡¯t dared to defy them. Marcus was sure there were more subtle defenses protecting the academy, though; things that royal inspectors couldn¡¯t even begin to detect. At the very least, he could feel some kind of warding field wash over him when he stepped into the inner grounds of the academyplex.

    His n, if one could call it such, was to find someone important and ask them to bring him to their leader. There was no need to be subtle. However, before Marcus could even approach the tower, the guards stationed at the entrance immediately noticed him and hurriedly ushered him in, apparently having recognized him on sight. They told him to stay put and wait in the guest room at the bottom while they fetched someone to talk to him.

    That was¡­ weird. Marcus was torn between being amused and rmed. How did they know him? Sure, he was pretty amazing, but he hadn¡¯t been back in Great Tree Academy in a very long while. Your average guard here shouldn¡¯t be able to recognize him so readily. Marcus certainly didn¡¯t recognize any of the guards. Has someone been distributing drawings of him?

    He didn¡¯t have to wait long. Soon, the guards returned with a familiar face. Although it had been a while, Marcus immediately recognized Titus. The man was very distinctive, being almost two meters tall and sporting a long, wild-looking beard. The only difference was that his hair and beard had started to go grey in ces since thest time Marcus had seen him.

    Titus was the sole foundation mage at the academy, and its current leader.

    ¡°Marcus!¡± Titus thundered. He¡¯d always had a very loud voice, and couldn¡¯t, or wouldn¡¯t, talk quietly. ¡°Thank the heavens you read my message! You chose the perfect time to return. If you hade just a few monthster, those ind swine would have sent another inspection.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Marcus asked, baffled.

    ¡°Did you not receive my message?¡± Titus asked, sounding a little puzzled this time.

    Marcus stared nkly at the man. Old Pliny did tell him to go visit Great Tree Academy when he had the time, but not that Titus was urgently looking for him.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t started to go senile already, did you?¡± Marcus asked jokingly. ¡°How could I receive your messages? I was travelling all over the ce. Where did you even send them to?¡±

    ¡°You brat. I was hoping you¡¯d learn some humility out of all this, but you haven¡¯t changed one bit! No respect for your elders!¡± the man tsked. ¡°I sent messengers looking for you. I guess they failed.¡±

    Marcus shifted in ce ufortably. He was travelling on foot through the Sea of Leaves. Of course the messengers couldn¡¯t find him. Who would be crazy enough to do that?

    ¡°That does beg the question, though¡­ why are you here then?¡± Titus asked, giving him a judging look.

    ¡°I got a sudden urge to visit my old home, and figured it would be nice to drop by while I was in the area,¡± Marcus said. ¡°You know, see some old faces, talk about what has been happening while I was gone, offer some help to the Academy if they need it¡­¡±

    ¡°Help?¡± Titus asked. He looked baffled at first, but his look quickly turned spective. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t need help? These are troubled times, brother Marcus. What kind of help can you offer?¡±

    ¡°As you can imagine, my name is poorly regarded in the Hall of the Elders right now¡­¡± Marcus began.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin anything about that,¡± Titus said, waving his hand in front of him in a dismissive fashion. ¡°In fact, the reason I was trying to find you is that delegations from Great Sea Academy keeping here, asking me about your whereabouts.¡±

    Marcus winced internally, though outward he remained calm and impassive.

    ¡°They¡¯ve told me much of their grievances with you. I trust I don¡¯t need to repeat them to you, yes?¡± Titus asked. Marcus shook his head in response. ¡°Good.¡±

    ¡°What I was trying to say is that I cannot promise any of Great Sea¡¯s resources to you,¡± Marcus said. ¡°However, for anything that I can personally do¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want anything from those hagfishes, anyway,¡± Titus interrupted him. ¡°However, they did promise me a reward or two if I¡¯m able to bring some news of your whereabouts. If you could tell your fellow elders the next time you see them that it was I who directed you to them¡­¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Marcus said with a shrug.

    ¡°Wonderful,¡± Titus smiled. ¡°Anyway, I will be blunt - the best way you can help the academy is by making a heritage tablet of your foundational technique and giving it to us for safekeeping.¡±

    Marcus was quiet for a moment. Old Pliny heavily hinted that this was the primary thing Great Tree Academy would want from him, and it looked like it was true. However, Marcus still couldn¡¯t understand why they wanted that so badly.

    Titus seemed ufortable at Marcus¡¯s silence. He was trying to look confident, but he was never much of an actor, and even being put into the leadership position of his academy didn¡¯t change that. No doubt Titus understood that what he had asked of Marcus was no small request. For one thing, mages tended to be very protective of their magical secrets, and that was especially true for spirit manifestation mages and above. Mages derived a lot of power from the mystery surrounding their exact powers and abilities ¨C detailed records that spelled out in detail what those abilities were could be easily used against them, if they were ever stolen, or a wrong person was given permission to study them. This was especially true in this case, because Great Tree Academy was only a small institution and didn¡¯t even have a spirit-rank adept permanently stationed there as a protector. Could they really protect such an important secret, even if they wanted to?

    The second issue was that making a heritage record like that was non-trivial. A heritage record was not just a matter of sitting down and writing instructions. Non-adepts sometimes made secret copies of foundational techniques and spells by copying words and diagrams as they saw them, thinking that would be enough. Such ¡®dead records¡¯ were quitemon, and not worth much. You could not be a mage by following a foundational technique transcribed this way, nor learn a spell so naively copied. In order for a non-living item to serve as a magical record, a mage had to use their understanding of the magic to imprint it into an object ¨C only then could another mage attune themselves to the magic stored within. This was a time-consuming process even for rtively simple magic. Depending on the level andplexity of the mysteries involved, a sacrifice of their own soul and logos may be required.

    In short, Marcus would have to weaken himself severely in order to create this ¡®heritage tablet¡¯ Titus wanted. On top of that, no normal material could hold the imprint of a foundational technique at the spirit manifestation rank. Marcus would have to spend time and effort hunting down suitable materials, or buying them out of his own pocket. The Great Tree Academy could never acquire these on their own.

    ¡°Why is it important that I make this now?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°Most spirit-manifestation mages only make these when they start to grow old and near the end of their life, or they¡¯re about to leave material reality and move on to the outer heavens. To be quite frank, I think you¡¯re being a little bit premature. I¡¯m willing to give you a recording of my foundational technique, and even some of the many spells I collected in my wandering, but I think I¡¯m still young and growing. A decade from now, I may even advance in rank again, and then this record will be outdated. Wouldn¡¯t this be a huge waste, then?¡±

    ¡°Oh? You think you have a shot at bing sixth rank?¡± Titus asked, visibly surprised.

    Sure, let¡¯s go with that¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s a possibility,¡± Marcus said. Now that he thought about it, if he did end up making a record of his foundational technique, wouldn¡¯t his real rank be abundantly obvious to anyone who looked at it?

    It would probably be a good idea toe clean to Titus and the rest of the Great Tree elders before things progress that far.

    ¡°Ah, brother Marcus...¡± Titus shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re a bit of an arrogant brat, but all six heavens have clearly smiled upon you. Still, I must insist. I know I¡¯m asking for much, and I will understand if you refuse me, but I simply must try to convince you. You have no idea how important this is for us. You probably didn¡¯t even notice this, being so naturally talented for all things magical, but there is something wrong with the Soul Tree Technique.¡±

    ¡°Wrong? In what way?¡± Marcus asked, unconcerned. He had studied the Soul Tree Technique in great detail over the years, and had never seen any ws. If anything, it seemed quite genius in its design, although it was optimized for things most mages considered of lesser importance. A practitioner of the Soul Tree Technique could attune themselves to far more spells at once than any other mage, for example, and it could amodate virtually any spell or magical ability. s, ssical wisdom stated that a mage who truly mastered a single spell was infinitely more praiseworthy than the one who learned a hundred different ones.

    Was that what Titus was referring to?

    ¡°The founder of our Academy, and the originator of the Soul Tree Academy, wasn¡¯t a human,¡± Titus said.

    ¡°Ah,¡± Marcus said, not terribly surprised. ¡°Was he a tree, perhaps?¡±

    Titus seemed taken aback. ¡°What? No, he wasn¡¯t a tree¡­ why would you even think that?¡±

    ¡°So Sacred Oak isn¡¯t the originator of the Soul Tree Technique?¡± Marcus asked.

    ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Titus said, pointing a finger at him knowingly. ¡°I see you know about the blessing. Well, everybody knows about the blessing, but most of them aren¡¯t perceptive enough to realize it¡¯s real.¡±

    ¡°I visited the tree, and the feeling it gave me¡­¡± Marcus began.

    ¡°I know what you¡¯re going to say: the tree feels like it has practiced the Soul Tree Technique to some ungodly level of power,¡± Titus interrupted him. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t know why that is. No one does. However, our records about the tree are very detailed, and go back all the way to when he first encountered it¡­ and at that time, it didn¡¯t give off anywhere near the same feeling.¡±

    ¡°No?¡± Marcus asked, baffled.

    ¡°No,¡± Titus confirmed. ¡°It was known simply as Mystery Oak back then. It was clearly a powerful spirit-level magical creature, but no more than that. It was only after several generations of interaction with our academy that the tree started to exhibit this feeling of resonance towards our foundational technique. It synchronized with us more and more, and as it did, the effects of its blessing grew ever stronger¡­¡±

    Marcus didn¡¯t know what to think about that. Did the tree¡­ switch from whatever foundational technique it practiced to the Soul Tree Technique aftering into contact with the academy? Why would it do that? <em>How</em> would it do that? Marcus thought people couldn¡¯t switch foundational techniques anymore after reaching fifth rank and above! Even magical creatures weren¡¯t exempt from that!

    Why didn¡¯t anything about that stupid tree make sense!?

    ¡°But anyway, Sacred Oak definitely isn¡¯t our founder. Some of the elders believe the founder was an elf, but who knows. He might have also been a member of one of the other ancient races that are gone from our now. There were a lot of those before the orcs came through the Lament Spire,¡± Titus continued. ¡°Whatever the case, his mentality and understanding of the world was sufficiently different from the bulk of humanity that most people have issues practicing the technique to a high level. Truly talented people like you can power through it, but for the rest of us, it¡¯s a constant headache.¡±

    Marcus had never even suspected. He knew that the Soul Tree Technique was tricky to practice ¨C he heard as much from plenty of other people, including Old Pliny ¨C but he had no idea this was the reason behind it.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t the Sacred Oak¡¯s blessing help?¡± Marcus asked curiously.

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Titus said. ¡°However, it seems to be more effective at earlier ranks and gradually loses its effectiveness as people age. Our academy has an abnormally high level of third ranks, to the point even other academies have begun to take notice, but once we try to advance into a foundation mage or higher, we hit a brick wall.¡±

    Marcus could finally guess what Titus and his fellow elders were thinking. Since he had achieved spirit manifestation rank and was human, he could potentially serve as a source of a new Soul Tree Technique. One with which the other human members of the Great Tree Academy would have greater affinity. Even better, it should be possible for the elders themselves to also consult this version of the Soul Tree Technique and adjust their own foundations in ordance with it, allowing some of them to break through to the next rank.

    Generally, magical traditions grew weaker with each new generation. It wasn¡¯t inevitable, but most students only ever mastered a lesser version of their master¡¯s craft. When these students passed on their already wed technique onto students of their own, the result was usually an even more wed understanding, and so on. Thus, academies prized older technique records far more than recent ones, as the older records tended to be more potent andprehensive.

    However, that didn¡¯t mean that such watered-down legacies were useless. Even a lesser copy contained unique insights of the mage that made it, and they were generally extremelypatible with the source technique. It was always better for an academy to have ten different copies of a legacy than just one, no matter how great that one legacy was.

    ¡°Surely there were other members of the academy that achieved spirit manifestation,¡± Marcus remarked. ¡°I know you were far more glorious in the past, and you are quite ancient. Could it be that none of them have left their own legacies to the academy over the centuries?¡±

    Titus made a sour face at the question. ¡°Our academy was very different in ancient times. It was less of an academy, and more of a secretive religious cult. Our ancient elders refused to write down any of their magic, preferring to pass on legacies directly from teacher to apprentice. At some point we declined and lost all of our spirit manifestation elders, forcing us to start over from scratch, guided only by the heritage tablets of the founder. Since then, some of our members have managed to achieve spirit manifestation with the technique, but like you, they left us to pursue their ambitions elsewhere. These ambitions inevitably became their doom. They all died young, leaving no legacy to learn from behind.¡±

    ¡°I see. You¡¯re afraid I will also die before passing on my legacy,¡± Marcus said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Titus confirmed. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it is bad luck, an ancient curse some witch ced on our school, or deliberate sabotage by someone from the shadows, but all our great talents end up dying young. I don¡¯t want to risk it anymore. The sooner you can leave behind your legacy, the better.¡±

    Marcus gave it some thought. He still thought this was all premature, and that Titus was being just paranoid. Still, he could understand their anxiousness about the matter.

    ¡°Will the academy provide me with the necessary materials or do I need to acquire them myself?¡± Marcus asked. He already knew the answer to that, but he couldn¡¯t help himself.

    ¡°Ah, well, you see¡­¡± Titus fumbled, tugging on his long bushy beard nervously. ¡°Great Sea just collected another round of tribute from us during the Second Academy War, funds are a little tight¡­¡±

    ¡°Say no more,¡± Marcus interrupted him. ¡°In that case, it may take me some time to acquire everything. I may be a spirit manifestation mage, but I am still just one person, and I doubt I will be able to mobilize Great Sea¡¯s resources for this. It might take me¡­ oh, I don¡¯t know, two years?¡±

    He could probably get everything in about six months, but Titus didn¡¯t need to know that.

    ¡°Two years. That¡¯s sooner than I thought¡­¡± Titus mumbled to himself, deep in thought for a minute.

    Marcus cursed himself internally. He should have thrown out a bigger number at Titus and then let the man talk him down to whatever he thought reasonable. s, Marcus had never been a great negotiator.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Titus eventually said, nodding faintly to himself. ¡°I need to talk to some people, but it should-¡±

    His speech was interrupted by a loudmotion from just outside the room.

    ¡°Sir!¡± a young voice shouted somewhere outside. ¡°Sir! Please stop! The head elder is having a private meeting, you can¡¯t just barge in and-¡±

    ¡°Out of my way, boy! Don¡¯t you know who I am?¡± an older, haughty voice shouted back.

    ¡°Damn it,¡± Titus cursed. ¡°Not this guy. How did he even find out you¡¯re here so quickly?¡±

    Before Marcus could ask what the hell was happening, a bald, mustached man dressed in extremely colorful clothes barged into the room, practically kicking the door in. A trio of guards rushed in behind him, clearly upset with his actions, yet not daring to seize the man and drag him away from the meeting.

    One of the guards, a tall young man who seemed to be the leader of the three, gave Titus a terrified look. Titus looked back at him with a dark expression thatmunicated clearly that the man had made a big mistake.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry sir, I tried to stop him but-¡° the young guard babbled frantically.

    ¡°Master Titus, you promised you would notify me the moment Elder Marcus returned from his pilgrimage,¡± the richly-dressed man said, uncaring of the young guard¡¯s distress. ¡°Why did I have to find out about hising from third parties and then fight off your guards just to get here?¡±

    ¡°Master Lucius, you are surely exaggerating,¡± Titus said with clearly forced politeness. ¡°After all, it doesn¡¯t seem like the guards were doing much of the fighting to keep you away.¡±

    The young guard visibly shrank back at thement. Titus waved his hand at him in a silent gesture that caused all three guards to leave the room and close the door behind them.

    ¡°And good thing they didn¡¯t, for that would be treason, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Lucius said, his arms sped behind his back. He lookedpletely unconcerned at being in the room with two powerful mages, one of whom clearly didn¡¯t like him. ¡°Attacking a royal emissary is a crime, Master Titus. As is lying to them, and obstructing their duties.¡±

    Ah, a royal emissary. That exined a lot.

    Titus didn¡¯t seem particrly worried at the usation, however.

    ¡°Elder Marcus came here barely an hour ago, and I was simply taking some time to catch up with an old friend. There was no need to make a scene in this manner. As soon as I finished here, I would have sent someone to fetch you,¡± Titus calmly exined.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Emissary Lucius said dubiously.

    ¡°This might be hard for you to ept, but you are far from the only person seeking an audience with Elder Marcus, and definitely not the most prestigious one to do so,¡± Titus told him. ¡°Aside from you, representatives from Great Sea Academy, Giant Thunder Hall, Crystal Mountain Academy, and Raven Temple have all requested to be notified the moment he returned.¡±

    S-So many¡­ and why was Raven Temple included in that list? Marcus was absolutely sure he had never done anything to them! What possible grievance could they have with him?

    ¡°Well, they¡¯re not here right now, are they?¡± Lucius countered. ¡°I am.¡±

    He turned towards Marcus and gave him a deep bow. Apparently he had much more respect for Marcus than he did for Titus, a fact which caused the Great Tree high elder to frown unhappily for a moment.

    Marcus responded with a bow of his own, albeit a much more casual one.

    ¡°What can I help you with, Master Lucius?¡± he asked politely. The royal family of Elora was not a powerful force, so offending them would probably not be a big deal¡­ but Marcus had plenty of enemies already. There was no need to add another into the mix.

    Plus, the orphanage Marcus grew up in was funded by the kingdom of Elora, hence his surname. Realistically, he owed them some level of gratitude.

    ¡°I apologize for the terrible first impression I have surely given you, but it could not be helped,¡± Lucius said. ¡°I bring a message from His Royal Majesty, King of Elora. He requests your immediate presence in the capital.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Marcus said. Not what he had nned to do, but in all honesty, there hadn¡¯t been a specific n for the near future. ¡°Can I know what this is about?¡±

    For the first time since he had barged into the room, the mask of confidence slipped from Lucius¡¯s face and posture. He clearly knew what Marcus was being called for, but seemed reluctant to say anything.

    ¡°Mages need preparation to get the most out of their powers,¡± Marcus pointed out. ¡°If you need my help with something, it would probably help us both immensely if I knew what I was dealing with.¡±

    Lucius seem to think it over for a few moments before reaching a decision.

    Titus leaned forward slightly, clearly interested in the answer himself. The royal emissary probably refused to say anything to him.

    ¡°A rift in reality has opened up in the royal pce,¡± Lucius said in a hushed tone of voice. ¡°And there are <em>things</em> periodically crossing over.¡±

 Chapter 5: Sixth Manifold

    Chapter 5: Sixth Manifold

    ¡°First things first,¡± Marcus said. ¡°How long has it been since the gateway opened in the pce?¡±

    The three of them had moved underground, into a specially secured underground conference room, at Titus¡¯s insistence. Lucius, although clearly not particrly respectful of Titus, did not argue the matter. All three of them understood how serious of a matter this was.

    Something wasn¡¯t right about this, however. There was no way the royal emissary had known that Marcus woulde back to the Great Tree Academy any time soon. Why was Lucius here, waiting for Marcus?

    ¡°More than eight months ago,¡± Lucius said, sounding depressed. ¡°There have only been a few incursions since then, thankfully, but they¡¯ve taken a heavy toll on us. We don¡¯t have the resources to keep something like this contained.¡±

    ¡°And¡­ you¡¯ve been waiting for me all this time?¡± Marcus asked curiously.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Titus confirmed, giving Lucius an unhappy look. ¡°He¡¯s been here for the past six months or so, taking up space and straining our hospitality. Refused to say anything about all this until you came along¡­¡±

    ¡°The king has the right to assign an observer to the academy at any time he judges it necessary, and you have the obligation to house him and tend to his concerns,¡± Lucius said,pletely unapologetic. ¡°You should take it as a sign of trust that he usually doesn¡¯t do this, rather than getting upset when he exercises his royal right in justifiable circumstances.¡±

    Marcus sensed these two were on the verge of another, lengthier fight, so he quickly moved to shift the conversation to a more productive direction.

    ¡°Let¡¯s put that aside for the moment,¡± he hurriedly said, gesturing towards the two in a cating manner. ¡°Why have you waited for me toe back instead of going to Great Sea for help? They are your regional overlord. They¡¯re supposed to help you with important matters such as these.¡±¡°We have already gone to them and pleaded for help. They have¡­ yet to truly respond,¡± Lucius said evasively.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Marcus frowned.

    Rifts in reality were a <em>really</em> serious matter. They were, to his knowledge, all gateways to some other world or reality. Usually the abyss, since that was the ce most proficient and interested in invading other ces. There was absolutely no way the Great Sea Academy would allow such a major source of danger within their territory.

    ¡°What I mean is that they said they would send someone to close the rift as soon as they were able,¡± Lucius said. ¡°It has been eight months since then, and we are still waiting for that Great Sea expert toe and help us.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± said Marcus. That was still very strange, though. Academies could be slow about tackling problems, but for such a critical matter, eight months was far too long. Great Sea wouldn¡¯t let things fester for this long. At the very least they woulde to assess the general danger level of the rift.

    He looked at Lucius, studying his expression. He wasn¡¯t a particrly masterful judge of character, but the man didn¡¯t seem like he was lying to him. What would even be the point of that?

    ¡°What about other options?¡± Titus asked.

    There were no other options, Marcus thought to himself.

    ¡°There aren¡¯t many,¡± Lucius said. Marcus was worried the man would start with the insults again because it was Titus asking things, but Lucius decided to be polite this time. ¡°Other great academies don¡¯t want to deal with us, for fear of offending the Great Sea Academy. We¡¯re under their authority, and they wouldn¡¯t like other great powers meddling in their territory, even to help.¡±

    <em>Especially</em> to help.

    ¡°As for minor powers, only a handful have the skills necessary for closing rifts,¡± Lucius continued. ¡°It¡¯s not a widespread or popr skill ¨C one has to be pretty powerful to even learn the spells necessary, and then not every mage has affinity with them. Most mages who learn such magic join the great academies at some point.¡±

    ¡°That said, we did find a few. Two looked at the rift and imed closing it was beyond them. One talked a great deal and kept periodically demanding more money to deal with the issue until we grew tired of him and sent him away. The final one suggested we copse the royal pce on top of the rift and seal it that way.¡±

    Unsurprisingly, the king of Elora didn¡¯t like that suggestion. It was a drastic action, and it might not even close the rift for good. Depending on what kind of things were crossing over from the other side, a bunch of rubble might not stop them. Plus, there was also a matter of reputation and money ¨C the Kingdom of Elora was not so rich and powerful that it could demolish the entire royal pce and continue without issue.

    ¡°Eventually, I was told toe here and wait for you, no matter how long that took,¡± Lucius finished. ¡°The king sent a number of people like me to other ces he judged you might return to, and told them to wait there as well. He considers you the most likely person to be able and willing to resolve this.¡±

    ¡°Why not just wait for the news of my return and then send a messenger?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°You already waited for eight months. Surely a month or two extra would mean little?¡±

    ¡°You heard Titus earlier,¡± Lucius said, shaking his head. ¡°So many important people want to talk to you. Powers far more prestigious and influential than the king of Elora. When would you find the time to answer the king¡¯s call? There was a very real fear that if your attention wasn¡¯t caught the very moment youe back, we wouldn¡¯t be able to catch your attention at all.¡±

    That did make sense, Marcus had to admit. He wouldn¡¯t intentionally snub the king of the country he had grown up in, but if he had to prioritize¡­

    Nobody said anything for some time, so Marcus leaned back in the heavy wooden chair he was sitting in, staring at the rough stone ceiling of the underground chamber as he thought about what Lucius had told him. An exnation for the Great Sea¡¯s silence soon presented itself to him: the academy was probably overworked. Or more specifically, its rift-closing specialists were.

    As Lucius had said, the magic for closing rifts was difficult to learn and not terribly popr. Even great powers like Great Sea had only a small number of experts capable of casting the necessary spells. If those experts were busy with other, more serious rifts, it would exin why they had left the situation in Elora alone for so long. The Eloran rift sounded rtively safe and not abyssal in nature, so it made sense to put off dealing with it if you had more pressing problems to tackle.

    Of course, this was a worrying exnation, because it implied there had been so many new rifts openingtely that Great Sea were forced to prioritize them instead of just closing them all immediately.

    For a moment, Marcus instinctively tried to connect this to the divine vision from earlier, but the timeline didn¡¯t match. The visions of doom were a recent thing. If his spection was true, then this surge in new reality rifts had been going on for a year or more.

    The conversation continued for a while after that, but Marcus felt he found little of use from it. Lucius had been stuck here at the Great Tree Academy for the past six months, so he wasn¡¯t exactly well informed about the state of the rift at the moment. Furthermore, he did not have any first-hand experience with the invading creatures, so he couldn¡¯t tell Marcus much about what he would face if he went there.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the corpses,¡± Lucius told him. ¡°They are all some manner of beasts, though none that I recognize. Big horned lizards are the mostmon things to cross over. They are tough and have a nasty bite, but they shy away from bright lights. If they were the sole danger from the rift, the king would not be so concerned. Unfortunately, they are not.¡±

    ¡°Are they an army?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°Or just wildlife wandering into the rift? Did the king send someone to the other side to see what¡¯s out there?¡±

    It would be strange if the rift was being used by random magical creatures instead of an organized force, but not unheard of. It was rare, but sometimes rifts in reality just kind of¡­ appeared on their own, without anyone having made them. These often didn¡¯t lead to anywhere special.

    However, he heard these ¡®natural¡¯ rifts also tended to mend themselves really quickly, so having onest for so long would still be highly unusual.

    ¡°Surely you joke, Master Marcus,¡± Lucius told him. ¡°Who would dare step through that thing? This is a rift in reality, not some orderly portal. In any case, I fear I will be of little help to you in answering these questions. As I have already said, I did not participate in the fighting myself. All I have are stories from the soldiers stationed near the rift, and they tend to make up and exaggerate to make themselves look more impressive.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± said Marcus. Clearly there was no point in questioning Lucius further.

    He told the royal emissary he would go speak with the king about the rift, but that he couldn¡¯t promise anything. He didn¡¯t mention that he had only ever closed one rift before, and thus hardly had any experience with this to begin with. Regardless, Lucius was pleased he had achieved his goal here and was eager to set off towards the capital.

    Marcus told him to go on without him. He didn¡¯t intend to travel with the royal emissary. For one thing, he would be faster if he traveled on his own. He would probably reach the capital before Lucius did, despite startingter. But secondly, the man didn¡¯t exactly give him the best impression.

    He didn¡¯t want to pretend to be friendly to him along the way.

    The moment Lucius was gone, Titus was immediately upon him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you intend to cross over to the other side?¡± Titus demanded.

    ¡°What makes you think I would do that?¡± Marcus asked curiously.

    ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb with me. You <em>know</em> how dangerous that is,¡± Titus said. ¡°There could be anything there. The air itself could be toxic! The rift might destabilize as you pass through it and leave you stranded! You could be shredded in transit by the dimensional stress!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t cross over,¡± Marcus assured him.

    ¡°You¡¯re lying,¡± Titus used, narrowing his eyes. ¡°I know you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll just send a summoned scout to check what¡¯s out there,¡± Marcus said.

    Titus was about to say something, but then paused.

    ¡°That could work?¡± he asked.

    ¡°So long as the scout can think and talk, they should have no problem reporting what they saw there,¡± Marcus said. ¡°Summoned spirits don¡¯t actually die when their forms are disrupted here on the material ne. They just get sent back to their home ne. So they shouldn¡¯t have any concerns about stepping through that rift.¡±

    ¡°And if they report something interesting?¡± Titus asked suspiciously.

    ¡°I still won¡¯t go,¡± Marcus assured him. Not alone and not without major preparations, at least. ¡°I just want to satisfy my curiosity a bit, that¡¯s all. You must admit this is a very strange incident. Don¡¯t you want to know more about this?¡±

    ¡°Tsk. Of course I want to know more. That¡¯s why I suspect you¡¯ll do something stupid. If even I¡¯m tempted, who knows what an impulsive guy like you is thinking,¡± Titus responded irritably. ¡°Honestly, just how many new rifts have opened if Great Sea is fine with ignoring something like this?¡±

    ¡°I had the very same thought,¡± Marcus admitted. ¡°Have you heard anything about this?¡±

    Great Tree Academy was just a small vassal academy, but it was still a local power that tried to keep itself informed about important matters.

    Then again, an open rift had been inside their territory for almost a year and they hadn¡¯t found out about it until Marcus came along, so maybe he was overestimating their abilities.

    ¡°No, nothing,¡± Titus said, shaking his head. ¡°I heard about a big new rift opening somewhere in the Harpy Archipgo a few months back, but I thought nothing of it at the time.¡±

    New rifts opened up all the time in the Silver League, because it was close to the Lament Spire. Chaos storms also sometimes tore through the dimensional boundaries in certain ces where they were weak. Hearing that a new rift had been found wasn¡¯t that notable, unless you were the one that had to deal with it.

    ¡°I also heard about the rift in the capital, but I thought the king was trying to exploit it, not that Great Sea is too busy to help them,¡± Titus continued.

    Marcus was taken aback. ¡°You knew?¡±

    ¡°Why do you think I didn¡¯t want you to meet the royal emissary?¡± Titus asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to get involved with this. This is Great Sea¡¯s responsibility. Let them earn their tribute.¡±

    ¡°There is no harm in me closing the rift,¡± Marcus pointed out. ¡°I¡¯m even an elder of the Great Sea, so they can¡¯tin that an outside influence is butting into their business.¡±

    ¡°Yes, if I knew the king wanted you to close the rift, not explore it, I wouldn¡¯t have been so unfriendly. I thought they were just fools,¡± Titus admitted. He gave Marcus a knowing look before simply shaking his head and turning to walk away.

    ¡°Don¡¯t die before making the legacy tablet,¡± he told Marcus. ¡°That¡¯s all I ask of you.¡±

    * * * *

    Marcus slowly circled the reality rift in front of him, studying it intently. It was an ovoid ck shape with irregr borders, its surface trembling and rippling with every passing moment. Thin, needle-like spikes erupted from it periodically, only to recede into the central ovoid shape just as quickly. The whole thing seemed to float in the air, unsupported by anything.

    If Marcus had topare it to something, he would describe it as a big, floating, spiky, ck eye. He kept imagining it suddenly blinking open and staring at him. Of course, no such thing happened.

    ¡°Can you do it, Master Marcus?¡± an anxious voice suddenly said behind him.

    Although somewhat annoyed at the interruption, Marcus turned around to face the source of the voice - Gordianus the Third, king of Elora and his current¡­ employer? Did it count as a job if he wasn¡¯t getting paid for it?

    Marcus liked Gordianus. The king was a middle-aged man with a short, neatly-trimmed beard and thick eyebrows, who did not put on airs in front of Marcus, nor waste his time on excessive pleasantries. He had simply politely weed Marcus when he had arrived, and then immediately led him into the underground portion of the royal pce, where the reality rift had suddenly opened up one day.

    Although outwardly respectful and gracious, it was clear to Marcus that Gordianus did not fully trust him. He had a pair of guards standing at his side at all times, both of them covered head-to-toe in enchanted metal armor and yellow heraldic markings. Additionally, a severe-looking man kept trailing behind the king, modestly dressed and looking like a servant, but clearly a mage of some sort. All three of them were utterly silent, never saying a word to Marcus, and clearly watching him like hawks for any hint of aggression.

    Marcus did not take this against the king. Gordianus had had no dealings with him until today, so it was natural to be cautious. Marcus would have done the same thing in his ce¡­ if he had any subordinates.

    ¡°This rift is different from the ones I¡¯ve dealt with in the past,¡± Marcus told him. The only other rift he had had to close was abyssal in nature, and involved several people fused together in a mass of screaming flesh that stabilized the rift into a bigger, more traversable portal. ¡°However, I don¡¯t think that will be a problem. This doesn¡¯t seem to be an invasion portal.¡±

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    Unless one was dealing with something truly exotic, the hardest part of closing a rift was dealing with the efforts of the opposing side to keep it open. If there was no enemy that would counter his methods, Marcus was confident that closing the rift was just a matter of time and patience.

    ¡°You can tell that just by briefly looking at it?¡± Gordianus said, sounding baffled.

    ¡°Reality rifts are usually stabilized by some kind of device or structure when created,¡± Marcus said. ¡°Without that, the universe will gradually start mending the rift on its own, causing it to slowly disappear. I can see the beginnings of the natural repair process in action here, which means it is not anchored in any way on the other side. That¡¯s not what an organized invasion looks like.¡±

    ¡°Well that¡¯s a relief. You¡¯re saying it will eventually disappear on its own?¡± Gordianus asked, immediately perking up.

    ¡°Yes, in a few years,¡± Marcus confirmed.

    Gordianus immediately deted.

    ¡°That¡¯s too long,¡± he told Marcus.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not saying this as an excuse to leave,¡± Marcus assured him. ¡°I know you¡¯re eager to get it closed as soon as possible so the monster attacks can stop. I will do what I can to get rid of it.¡±

    ¡°Since you mentioned the things pouring through the rift, how does that rte to what you said earlier, Master Marcus?¡± the king asked. ¡°Is that not an invasion?¡±

    ¡°Well, kind of¡­¡± Marcus admitted. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t sound like they are an army.¡±

    The king made an indecipherable throat sound and said nothing. Marcus didn¡¯t think his reasoning impressed Gordianus much.

    He turned around to study the rift again, thinking of the best way to tackle this, when the rift suddenly became more active and started to warp and undte. A low humming sound filled the air.

    The two armored guards immediately stepped forward and ced themselves in front of Gordianus.

    ¡°Careful!¡± the king shouted at him. ¡°They¡¯reing again!¡±

    Marcus did not bother to respond, his eyes fixated on the shifting rift in front of him. He quickly cast the stone skin spell and circted his mana through his body, hardening his skin and muscles as a basic precaution against unexpected attacks, but otherwise did nothing but observe.

    A group of five dark green shapes soon tumbled out of the rift and fell into a disorganized tangle of limbs and tails, hissing and pushing against each other in an attempt to regain their bnce and orient themselves.

    They looked vaguely lizard-like, just like Lucius had said. Quadrupedal, with four short legs that ended in vicious ws. Dark green scales covered most of their bodies, and a long whip-like tail trailed behind them. However, the head was strange. It was triangr and narrow, and covered in white bony armor that made it seem like they wore their skulls on the outside of their body. Two pairs of long, straight, lethal-looking horns jutted out from that bony head ting, and several rows of thin but pointy spines grew out of their back in scattered clumps.

    Activating his Keen Eyes ability, Marcus studied them in great detail, noting that they seemed to have beaks instead of toothy maws.

    The creatures in front of him were nothing Marcus was familiar with. He knew they were magical, because like all magical creatures they possessed a bloodline ¨C something akin to an in-born spirit ¨C which was easily detectable to anyone who could sense logos. However, they seemed more like enhanced animals than some noble beast.

    They were just starting to gather their bearings, tasting the air and turning their bony heads towards Marcus, when he decided not to risk things. These were no threat to <em>him</em>, but if something happened to the king of Elora while he was around, he would never hear the end of it. He pointed his finger at one of the horned lizard things and cast the chain lightning spell.

    There was a bright sh of light and a jagged beam of lightning instantly passed through all five of the creatures, connecting them all with a lethal web of lightning fments.

    They died instantly, their bodies still twitching mechanically for some time afterwards. The smell of burnt meat filled the air.

    Before Marcus could say anything, the rift once again began to warp and churn, this time even more violently than before. A mass of thin, blood red tentacles emerged from the rift, grasping at anything in the vicinity as they seemed to drag in, with some difficulty, the main body of the creature through the rift.

    The silent guards that nked the king seemed to recognize the creature, because they spoke for the first time, shouting at the king to get away and pushing him back. The ¡®servant¡¯ from earlier, quickly cast some kind of force field spell, blocking the emerging creature from the rest of the pce basement¡­ and trapping Marcus inside the rift room.

    Well, it wasn¡¯t like Marcus actually wanted to escape with the king and his men.

    Marcus didn¡¯t try to attack the creature before it actually emerged from the portal ¨C he was curious about the stronger types of creatures that came from the rift ¨C but he did strengthen his defenses a little more. It took only about fifteen seconds for the creature to squeeze itself through the rift, but in that time Marcus was surrounded by a transparent shield of force and there was a multitude of water orbs circling around him inzy orbits.

    The enemy was¡­ almost elemental in appearance. The main body looked like a rocky sphere, covered in multipleyers of heavy stone tes. He knew it was multipleyers, because the surfaceyer moved, entire tes floating away for a moment or shifting into another position, revealing furtheryers of rock beneath. Emerging from this central sphere were dozens upon dozens of thin red tentacles that the creature used to grasp at things and move. These tentacles were gtinous and rubbery, and seemed to stick to surfaces when they connected to them.

    At first, the creature didn¡¯t seem to notice him, blindly iling around with its tentacles in search of something, anything in its surroundings. All furniture and items had long since been removed from the rift room by the king and his men, so there was nothing to find except Marcus.

    Thissted until one of the tentacles swung too close to where Marcus had been standing, and he stepped aside to avoid it. The tentacle sphere immediately zeroed in on his location after that, hurling itself towards him with tremendous speed and force. Marcus was surprised at the sudden attack, but not surprised enough to get hit. In an instant, he expanded one of the circling water balls into a thin wall of water in front of him. Despite the barrier¡¯s delicate appearance, the creature bounced off it without causing so much as a ripple on its smooth, mirror-like surface.

    However, from that point on, the tentacle creature always knew where Marcus was, and never let up its assault. Marcus had plenty of experience with earth elementals, so he understood what was happening ¨C the tentacle sphere had no eyes. It perceived the world through the vibrations in the ground. He was extremely still at first, so it did not register his presence, but now that he was forced to move and react to its attacks, he was creating lots of ground noise that it could use to locate him.

    He tried to repeat his earlier trick and fired a chain lightning spell at the densest mass of tentacles emerging from the sphere. This sessfully evaporated a whole bunch of them, but the stone sphere simply regrew them a few momentster. It did, however, approach him much more cautiously after this, retracting most of its tentacles so he could destroy fewer of them at once.

    He felt this was a workable approach, that destroying the tentacles was still hurting it¡­ but it would take a lot of time and mana to exhaust the creature with a tactic like that, and it still wouldn¡¯t kill it. He was sure that, once he inflicted enough damage, the tentacles would retract deep inside the central stone shell, and the creature would refuse to emerge until it felt the danger had passed.

    After a while, its attacks grew predictable ¨C it couldn¡¯t make its tentacles stick to Marcus¡¯ water barriers, and it couldn¡¯t break them by ramming itself into them ¨C and Marcus decided he had found out everything he could from it. He took a cheap gemstone out of his pocket and cast the crystalnce spell. The gem immediately lengthened into a needle-like projectile and began to glow with a rainbow-like light.

    Marcus hurled the crystal spear at the left side of the sphere. He had noticed the armor was strongest there, because the creature frequently kept rearranging its stone tes there to keep it thickly covered at all times. Thus, he assumed this was its most sensitive spot.

    The glowing crystal spear hit the stone core of the creature and pierced straight through it, seemingly without any resistance. The heavy, magically-reinforced stone armor did nothing at all to impede the spear, which then lost its glow and embedded itself deep into the wall of the rift room behind it.

    The red tentacles trembled for a moment, and then went ck. The stone core stilled, then fell apart into a pile of individual stone tes. Red, gooey substance seeped out from the cracks, pooling itself on the floor around the pile.

    After watching it for a few seconds to confirm it was truly dead, and that nothing else was trying to get through the rift, Marcus dismissed all his defensive spells, dispelled the protective barrier on the door left by that mage pretending to be the king¡¯s servant, and stepped out to find Gordianus.

    He found him just outside the barrier, behind an entire squad of well-armed warriors and several mages. They had formed a defensive formation just outside the rift room, and seemed to be very nervous as they watched Marcus emerge from the room.

    ¡°I killed the tentacle sphere and nothing else seems to being,¡± he told them. ¡°You can rx.¡±

    The king nodded to one of the soldiers, which was apparently a signal for him to go and check out the rift room and confirm things, because the soldier proceeded to do just that. He came back just a momentter, confirming Marcus¡¯ story.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just dormant,¡± the soldier said. ¡°It¡¯s really dead. Reduced to a bleeding pile and everything.¡±

    Marcus was confused for a moment, before he realized ¨C when the king¡¯s men fought against the tentacle sphere, they must not have understood that the creature could just retreat its tentacles into its core and stay dormant until a danger passes. They must have let it recover in peace and were blindsided when the ¡®dead¡¯ creature suddenly came to life when their guard was down.

    ¡°Tackling one of the rock jellyfish all on your own and killing it without sustaining any injuries¡­ you are just as impressive as the stories tell, Master Marcus,¡± the king praised.

    Rock jellyfish? He liked his name for the creature better¡­

    ¡°This may be a little brazen of me, but I think it would be best if you and your men retreated from the pce basement for now and let me work on closing the rift on my own. I¡¯m in little danger from these creatures, and my attempts might agitate the rift and incite more attacks,¡± Marcus suddenly suggested.

    As a bonus, that would leave Marcus alone and unsupervised, letting him do a little scouting without letting Gordianus and his people know what exactly he was doing down there¡­

    Surprisingly, it wasn¡¯t hard to convince the king to go along with this idea. Seeing Marcus take down the¡­ rock jellyfish¡­ seemed to impress the king immensely, and he agreed to withdraw everyone from the pce basement while Marcus was working on the rift.

    It was time to get to work.

    * * * *

    Although what Marcus wanted to do was kind of risky, there was being risky and then there was being foolish. Marcus intended to scout the other side of the rift to see if there was anything interesting there, but before he dared to do that, he wanted to set up everything needed to close the rift as soon as possible. That way, if things went awry or he attracted the attention of something too powerful for him to handle, he could close the rift before it could cross over.

    Hopefully.

    For the next couple of hours, Marcusboriously carved aplicated magic circle into the floor of the rift room, with the rift itself floating just above the center of the circle. This was hard, because this room had been the site of many bitter battles during the past few months, including the one Marcus had just fought. The floor was a mess, and first had to be smoothed into a uniformed surface that he could draw on.

    Thankfully, Marcus had always been fond of spells that shaped the earth and stone to his desires, and had be very proficient in them over the years. The circle was still difficult to make, however, because Marcus had never been a particrly gifted artificer. s, unless a mage wanted tomission someone else to make their spellbook for them (they didn¡¯t), they had to have at least basic knowledge of magic item creation, warding, and so on. And as they rose through the ranks, the level of basic artifice required for them to use their abilities to their full potential and advance in ranks also steadily rose. So like it or not, Marcus had to be at least decent at it.

    Once the magic circle was done, he ced five more cheap gems around the edge of the ritual grounds and cast a simple warding formation that would inhibit creatures trying to cross over through the rift. It wouldn¡¯t stop an opponent that could threaten Marcus, but hopefully it would at least slow them down.

    After that, he sat on the edge of the magic circle and cast a summoning spell. This time he didn¡¯t call for Chompy, his loyal earth elemental friend, but instead sent a call to the other spirit tribe he was contracted with.

    In a puff of smoke, arge human-sized butterfly with white wings materialized in front of him.

    If it weren¡¯t for the surprisingly human-like set of hands, and very unusual eyes, the butterfly would look like any other insect-type magical beast.

    ¡°It¡¯s been so long, my human friend,¡± the white butterfly said in a girly, unnaturally distorted voice. Her eyes, although multifaceted like those of an insect, had ck spots in them and were surprisingly expressive and humanlike. They were currently staring directly into Marcus¡¯s own. ¡°I was beginning to think you forgot all about me. I know you¡¯ve gotten powerful, but that¡¯s no excuse to forget your friends.¡±

    Unlike Chompy, Celer was very intelligent and could speak. This was both a good thing¡­ and a bad thing.

    ¡°You are not some minor spirit, Celer,¡± Marcus told her. ¡°If you wanted to talk to me, you could have contacted me at any time.¡±

    ¡°Summoning material beings to the outer heavens is a pain,¡± she said petntly, waving her wings and scattering white glowing dust everywhere. It made Marcus¡¯s nose itch and eyes water. ¡°It¡¯s much easier to call a spirit down here. You should have called instead!¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Marcus said, holding his hands in a cating gesture. ¡°I don¡¯t want to argue. I called you here now, didn¡¯t I? I need your help.¡±

    ¡°Of course you do,¡± she said, scattering more dust around her with her wing beats. The dark spots in her multifaceted eyes performed something reminiscent of an eye roll. ¡°You only ever call me when you need help.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± Marcus pointed out. ¡°I used to summon you just to talk when I was younger. I even listened to your terrible attempts at poetry.¡±

    She pped him in the face with one of her wings ¨C a move that didn¡¯t hurt in the slightest, and instead felt like the gentle caress of silky fabric, but which threw so much glowing dust in his face it immediately induced a sneezing and coughing fit in him.

    ¡°You deserve it,¡± she told him. ¡°What do you need help with?¡±

    He was too busy coughing his lungs out to answer her immediately.

    ¡°I need you to go through that rift, look around for a bit, and then report back what you saw,¡± Marcus said when he recovered, pointing at the ominous ck eye in the center of the room.

    Celer turned slightly, ncing at the open rift like she had only just noticed it. Marcus knew she hadn¡¯t. Those big eyes of hers weren¡¯t just for show ¨C aside from a few small dead angles, she could see practically everything around her at all times. There was no way she had missed something like that.

    ¡°Oh my, an ownerless rift,¡± she said, pping her wings a few times so she could do azy circle around the rift, studying it. ¡°At least you called me for something interesting.¡±

    Her eyes drifted towards the magic circle carved into the ground, and the five gems on the edge of the room.

    ¡°Of course you couldn¡¯t be truly impulsive and exciting for once in your life,¡± sheined. ¡°You had to make ns and preparations, and h h h. Humans are such boring creatures. You never just listen to your heart and <em>do</em> things.¡±

    Marcus¡¯s lips twitched into an abortive smile. It wasn¡¯t often that he was criticized for being <em>insufficiently impulsive</em>. Before he could say anything, she suddenly dove into the rift and disappeared.

    Marcus hurriedly sat down on the ground again, closed his eyes, and searched for his connection to her. He quickly found it and tugged at it, causing his vision to be instead reced by the amazing all-around vision of his butterfly summon.

    She was in arge underground chamber. It was dark, but not pitch ck. Some kind of immense metal machinery was embedded into the walls, producing deep nking sounds and producing enough light to give the space some dim illumination. Enough illumination for Celer to see with rtive rity. She flew in a spiral pattern around the rift, which seemed to be situated in the exact center of the chamber, studying the sights.

    As he initially noted, the chamber seemed to be covered in massive machinery. The sheer amount of metal used in the construction of this was mind-boggling to Marcus. Even if all the ironworks in the Silverleague pooled their resources, it would take them years to supply enough iron and other metals to build this¡­ and that was not even mentioning the crafting skill necessary to build something like this.

    What was not covered in machinery, however, was roughly hewn rock. It was bizarre that someone went to the trouble of making something this expensive andplicated, and then didn¡¯t even bother to smooth out the walls. The floor was also very rough, and in some ces there were shallow depressions filled with water.

    There were no furnishings of any sort present, no tables or chairs, no real sign of habitation. It was as if the ce was abandoned during construction¡­ but who would ever abandon all this metal? Not to mention the machinery still seemed to be working.

    In one corner of the chamber, lying on his back in the center of a big magic circle, was a male humanoid corpse. The corpse was pale and bloodless, but undisturbed by the scavengers and showed no signs of rotting. Its eyes seemed to have melted straight out of its sockets, with bloody trails running out of the now empty sockets and down its cheeks and sides of its head.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t reek,¡± Celer said, seemingly to the air. She was speaking to Marcus, of course ¨C she knew he was sharing her senses. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s undead, either.¡±

    Celer did a slow,zy circle around the massive chamber onest time, before moving on to the connected chambers. There were a number of tunnels branching off from the massive chamber where the rift and all the strange machinery were located, but most of them were empty and looked more like a natural cave than some kind of deliberate construction.

    The horned lizards that attacked earlier seemed to live in these caves in big numbers. One of them tried to attack Celer, but she coated him in multicolored dust, putting it into a stumbling hallucinogenic stupor.

    The other horned lizards nearby them immediately fell upon the one Celer incapacitated, tearing it to pieces. They were apparently cannibals, and had nopunctions against eating their own kind.

    Celer watched intently as the lizards killed one of their fellows, clearly fascinated by the grisly sight. Marcus really, really wanted to tell her to move on already, but she couldn¡¯t hear him.

    And probably wouldn¡¯t care, even if she could.

    After that, she made a beeline for the rift and returned to the basement of the royal pce, where Marcus was waiting for her.

    Marcus continued sitting on the floor, thinking about what he had seen through Celer¡¯s eyes. Based on what she found on the other side¡­ this <em>was</em> an invasion after all? There was no doubt that the rift was deliberately opened by someone on that side. There was no way the rift <em>identally</em> led to the center of an underground chamber lined withplicated machinery. But then, why was it abandoned after it was made? There were no signs of a major battle, and while there was a corpse, it was merely one body.

    ¡°Man, the way those lizards tore into their downed friend like that¡­ that sure was something, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Celer suddenly said, flyingzy circles around Marcus¡¯s head.

    He gave her an annoyed look.

    ¡°It was the least interesting thing about this,¡± he said.

    ¡°Eh, the rest was just an oddly-preserved corpse and abandoned machinery. You can find that in lots of ces,¡± Celer told him.

    ¡°I need you to do me another favor,¡± Marcus said.

    ¡°Back through the rift?¡± she guessed.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Marcus nodded. He took out an ocher-colored cylinder covered in aplicatedwork of carved lines and patterns and handed it to her. She took it in her thin, delicate-looking hand and looked it over. Although she looked like she would have trouble carrying the heavy stone cylinder while staying airborne, in reality she seemed to have no trouble at all with taking it from his hands. ¡°Hide this cylinder somewhere on the other side.¡±

    ¡°I love hiding things,¡± she said happily. ¡°I can put it anywhere, yes?¡±

    ¡°Sure. Just make sure it¡¯s somewhere out of the way where you think no one will find it,¡± Marcus said. He didn¡¯t actually care where she ced the cylinder, so long as it was on the other side of the rift. He would be able to find it no matter what she did. That was the whole point of the item.

    ¡°Be right back! You¡¯re not allowed to look!¡± she told him, and then immediately dove into the rift.

    For a moment, Marcus had a feeling he had just made a terrible mistake¡­ but no, he was overthinking things, she couldn¡¯t really bungle this up. The cylinder was very sturdy and couldn¡¯t be damaged easily. It would survive whatever abuse she put it through.

    He did, however, grow concerned when it took her more than two hours to return from the rift. That did not qualify as ¡®be right back¡¯ in his book. He really hoped she didn¡¯t just dump it into ake or something equally stupid¡­

 Chapter 6: Sun Drinker

    Chapter 6: Sun Drinker

    Sitting on the wall of the city, Marcus stared towards the sea, watching the shipse and go from the harbor. Hrastovnik, Elora¡¯s capital city, was a reasonably important trade port, so it saw plenty of shipsing and going every day. Marcus idly observed the gs and insignia they bore, trying to guess where they came from. About half werepletely unfamiliar to him. Apparently a lot of the merchant houses had been reced by neers in the six years he had been away.

    He still didn¡¯t know why he was here. Why did he end his exile ande back to thends of the Silver League? He was worried there was some outside influence involved in that decision, perhaps Sacred Oak invisibly exerting influence in the back of his mind, but he felt there was more to it than that. He didn¡¯t regret being here. He just wished he had a clearer vision of what he wanted to achieve.

    A giant white butterflynded on the wall beside him.

    ¡°Done already?¡± Marcus inquired. ¡°Is this ce so boring?¡±

    He agreed to let Celer explore the city for the day as payment for her help earlier. He was a little leery to set a fey spirit like her loose on a popted area, but as far as fairies went, Celer was pretty inoffensive. He had let her do this plenty of times in the past, and she never caused <em>too</em> much trouble for him.

    ¡°The wind speaks in hushed whispers, bringing portents of things toe¡­¡± she said dramatically.

    ¡°Yes, I know you like eavesdropping on conversations,¡± Marcus interrupted. ¡°What did you hear?¡±

    She shook her wings up and down a few times in a gesture of annoyance. He knew she liked it when he yed along with her little theater, but he didn¡¯t feel like it right now. Besides, the fact she didn¡¯t try to drown him in irritating dust told him she was only a little annoyed.

    ¡°I hear you¡¯re searching for disciples to take under your wing,¡± she told him.Marcus was taken aback. What?

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± he began. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m thinking about it, but¡­ I haven¡¯t even told anyone! How could they know? How widespread is this?¡±

    ¡°Pretty widespread,¡± Celer informed him. ¡°It¡¯s not the talk of the town, but I heard it often enough toe back here. Most people don¡¯t know the details, they just heard an elder of the Great Sea Academy is in the area, looking for students. But some of them mention you by name.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous,¡± Marcus protested, frowning lightly. ¡°As I¡¯ve said, I haven¡¯t actually decided anything, let alone expressed a wish for students to anyone. Did they say where the rumores from?¡±

    ¡°Ites from that orphanage you grew up in, I¡¯m pretty sure,¡± Celer said. ¡°The cees up pretty regrly whenever people discuss the story. Some versions even im you already picked a child from there as your sessor.¡±

    The orphanage? For a few seconds, Marcus was stumped for an exnation, when a realization suddenly came to him. His talk with Old Pliny¡­ the children were eavesdropping on the conversation. They must have misheard what was being discussed, or maybe just embellished the story to make it sound more exciting.

    He sighed heavily. Suddenly, a whole lot of things became clearer in his mind, and he reached a resolution. He still didn¡¯t know why he decided toe back, but at least he had one reason to stay.

    ¡°Those little bbermouths,¡± he murmured.

    ¡°So it¡¯s true?¡± Celer said, sounding excited. Her wings even visibly twitched a few times.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true,¡± he told her. ¡°I¡¯m looking for students.¡±

    ¡°But you said you¡¯re just thinking about it,¡± Celer pointed out.

    ¡°And I¡¯ve just finished thinking and came to a decision,¡± Marcus shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m practicing that impulsiveness you praise so much. I feel like teaching.¡±

    ¡°Ooh, that¡¯s exciting!¡± Celer said. She punctuated this by lifting up from the wall and flying around in a circle around Marcus a few times.

    ¡°Why are you so excited?¡± Marcus asked her curiously. She got ted over such random things sometimes. ¡°Teaching is a long-term responsibility, not fun for an afternoon. You¡¯d get bored of it in a day.¡±

    ¡°You should summon me when you choose a student. Or two. Or twenty,¡± she babbled, still flyingzy circles around him. ¡°I have a gift for you, or your students, rather.¡±

    Oh boy.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing!¡± she assured him. ¡°You¡¯ll like it. The students¡­ well, people can be a little judgmental sometimes, but I¡¯m sure it will work out in the end.¡±

    ¡°Celer¡­¡± he warned.

    ¡°No arguing! Just summon me, okay?¡± she insisted,nding straight into hisp. Despite her size, she was as light as a feather.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll summon you when the timees,¡± he said after a few seconds.

    She lifted up from hisp and assumed her previous ce on the wall again.

    ¡°Why are you still here, Marcus?¡± she eventually asked him.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked her back. ¡°Hrastovnik is a really nice city, and I don¡¯t have any real obligations yet. It¡¯s fine for me to stay here for a few days and soak in the sights.¡±

    Gordianus initially wanted to throw a celebration in Marcus¡¯s honor, but since the rift beneath the pce had been kept secret from the popce, it would be hard to exin what exactly Marcus was being celebrated for. So the feast in his honor was reluctantly cancelled. Marcus was pleased by this, as he felt such events were a waste of time, but he did opt to stay in the capital for a few more days, enjoying the king¡¯s hospitality.

    He also epted the mary reward the king had offered him, but he told Gordianus to deliver it to Pliny and his orphanage instead. The old man mentioned having financial problems when they hadst spoken.

    ¡°You know what I mean. Why don¡¯t you ascend to the Outer nes and leave this ce behind?¡± Celer asked. ¡°I would understand if you wanted to start a family and sire a bunch of children, but you¡¯ve always been adamant that you want to dedicate your life to the art of magic. You could do that far easier in any of the six heavens. Are you trying to be a god?¡±

    Ascension wasn¡¯t really Marcus¡¯s goal. He wasn¡¯t usually one for modesty, but aiming for that seemed like pure arrogance. It was well known that bing a god required more than just great skills, dedication, and high rank. It required something¡­ special. What that thing was, Marcus didn¡¯t know. Some said it was legendary deeds, others imed it was a moment of oneness with the universe, and others that you needed acknowledgement of the other gods, but it seemed to him everyone was just guessing. All Marcus knew was that it had been centuries since a new god arose on Tasloa, so the requirement had to be extremely high.

    Celer¡¯s question was interesting, though.

    ¡°Is it easier to be a god down here?¡± Marcus asked curiously.

    ¡°So you don¡¯t even know. Pretend I never said anything, then,¡± Celer said quickly. ¡°Anyway, staying so you can leave some students behind is good. But after they go their own way-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± he interrupted her. He had heard conflicting stories about the Outer Heavens. Some of them were a little concerning. ¡°What was that about trying to be a god?¡±

    ¡°Ooh, I¡¯m feeling kind of light-headed. I think I¡¯ve stayed here for too long,¡± Celer said, swaying side-to-side in an exaggerated manner. ¡°I¡¯m going back to Dreamwood. Don¡¯t forget to summon me when you choose some students!¡±

    Before Marcus could protest that she was trying to avoid the conversation, she disappeared in a puff of white smoke.

    He cked his tongue. He¡¯d have to pester her some more about that next time. It sounded interesting.

    * * * *

    A few dayster, he left Hrastovnik to go seek out one of the few powerful people he felt he could trust. The things he¡¯d learned from Pliny and Titus were encouraging, but at the end of the day they weren¡¯t very highly ced when it came to Great Sea hierarchy. The man Marcus was about to visit, on the other hand, was his fellow elder.

    Beortan Samchel was the current leader of the White Dragon n ¨C a tribal association living in the Bloodstone Mountains. They lived hard lives, forced to fend off regr monster attacks in and not suitable for trade or agriculture, but this difficult living also meant they tended to be abnormally powerfulpared to most humanmunities. Once upon a time, their raids menaced the entire western coastline, and more than one spirit mage of the Great Sea Academy perished in battles with them, but these days they were simply a vassal tribe, albeit the most powerful one under Great Sea¡¯s sway.

    Beortan was probably the closest ally Marcus had among the other elders. During the war, he had saved the n leader¡¯s life, and the mountain tribes took life debts extremely seriously. When Marcus had made his failed bid for power, Beortan had been one of the few that sided with him, even when it became obvious his candidacy had failed. He might be angry that Marcus had left him to deal with the fallout on his own, but he would at least hear him out without throwing him out of his house.

    Probably.

    However, Marcus had a bit of a problem ¨C he had no idea where Beortan was right now. Sure, he knew where in the Bloodstone Mountains Beortan¡¯s usual home was, but there was no guarantee he would find him there.

    Beortan had two duties vying for his attention at all times ¨C that of the White Dragon high chief, and that of a Great Sea elder ¨C and that meant he moved back and forth a lot. He also just liked to travel, period. Chances were that if Marcus went to the White Dragon nnds, he would wait for his return for weeks, if not months.

    Especially since Marcus suspected that Beortan would deliberately make him wait as long as humanely possible. It would be poetic punishment in a way.

    Fortunately, there was a way for Marcus to contact Beortan without alerting everyone in Great Sea to his presence. In the south of Elora, near the foot of the Bloodstone Mountains, there was a small mercenary guild associated with the White Dragon n. If Marcus hired them to send a message to a made up person called ¡®Nix Pardus¡¯, they should send a letter to Beortan instead. They would know where to find him better than Marcus did.

    Marcus went there and did just that.

    ¡°Thank you for your patronage,¡± the woman behind the counter told Marcus, adjusting her sses slightly and briefly checking the message he recited to her onest time. ¡°Please wait here while I hand it over to administration.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Marcus shrugged, watching as she disappeared through the door behind her. She showed no sign of understanding the significance of the letter or the person it was addressed to. Either she was a very good actor, or she was not in on the n.

    He looked around the room to pass the time, drumming his fingers on the solid wooden desk in front of him. The lobby of this mercenary guild was absolutely cluttered with various things, most of them trying to advertise their achievements to potential customers. Several preserved heads of various monsters were hung on the wall, as well as pictures of a number of people that Marcus did not recognize, but which were probably important members of the guild. A polished suit of armor was disyed prominently in one corner of the room, and a number of weapons were likewise hung on the walls.

    To his left, a small stall had been set up inside the lobby, and a man in his forties sat behind it, selling a variety of low tier potions and magical trinkets. Though he had put on some weight and wasn¡¯t exactly in best shape, Marcus could tell he was a minor adept of some sort. Probably a retired warrior. He was currently arguing with a pair of young boys, no more than sixteen years of age, who were looking to buy a healing potion from him.

    ¡°All done,¡± the woman said,ing back into the room. ¡°The management agreed to deliver the letter. Anything else? Are you interested in taking on jobs, perhaps?¡±

    Marcus looked at her in surprise.

    ¡°You¡¯re fine with outsiders taking on jobs from you?¡± Marcus asked curiously. Most mercenary guilds weren¡¯t fine with that at all, even if the outsider agreed to split the profits with the guild.

    ¡°Some of the jobs have been ignored for a very long time,¡± she said. ¡°If you agree to a 50-50 split of all profits, we can coborate on those.¡±

    50-50 split! What kind of scam was this!? If their members have been ignoring these jobs, then surely these are beyond their abilities, so any ¡°coboration¡± would be a joke. Just how desperate would an adept have to be to agree to something like this?

    ¡°Show me the options,¡± he told her. ¡°I¡¯m not epting anything until I know what I¡¯m dealing with.¡±

    He was curious.

    ¡°Of course,¡± she said, quickly opening one of the drawers and handing him a scroll.

    Marcus unrolled it and started reading. There weren¡¯t that many things listed on it, to be honest ¨C only 8 jobs were listed, and two of them were crossed out. Of the remaining ones, only three of them caught Marcus¡¯s attention.

    The first one was a request for a hunting party to locate and destroy a nearby vespid hive that was raiding localmunities. That was interesting, because Marcus had no idea how vespids managed to establish an outpost this far to the south, especially one this strong. Something very unusual was happening here.

    The second one was a request to investigate the vicinity of Lake Sher. Apparently a pair of blue, four-armed humanoids had attacked several groups passing next to theke, and a son of a wealthy merchant was killed. Marcus couldn¡¯t remember any race matching that description, so if the report was true, it was likely another rift had opened in the area. Might be worth checking out at some point.

    Finally, at the very bottom of the scroll was a request by an orphan girl from a nearby vige. Her parents went into the forest at the foot of the Bloodstone Mountains several months ago and never returned. They were almost certainly dead by now. She wanted someone to go retrace their steps and bring back their remains so they could be given a proper burial.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°This one,¡± he said, jabbing his finger at the orphan¡¯s request. ¡°I¡¯ll do that one.¡±

    He wanted to stay in the area for a while anyway. This way he would have something to do while he waited.

    The woman adjusted her sses and nced at the scroll, before jerking back in surprise.

    ¡°That one? But sir, she¡¯s not offering any payment. She¡¯spletely destitute. She¡¯s asking for someone to find her parents for free!¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Marcus grinned. ¡°We can split the profit of zero equally!¡±

    She stared at him iprehensibly for a second before sighing.

    ¡°I knew I shouldn¡¯t have humored her when she came with that ridiculous request,¡± the woman said. She crouched behind the counter and started digging through her drawers. After a while she got back up and handed him a small slip of paper with crude directions haphazardly drawn on it. ¡°Those are her contact details. Ask for Cricket from ck Spruce Vige.¡±

    ¡°Cricket?¡± Marcus asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s her nickname,¡± the woman exined. ¡°Her real name is Livia, but apparently everyone calls her Cricket. You¡¯ll probably find her easier that way than asking for Livia. There are many Livias living around here.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Marcus said, pocketing the note. He turned to leave. ¡°I¡¯ll go find her. Please make sure the letter is delivered in the meantime.¡±

    * * * *

    After leaving the mercenary guild behind him, Marcus had been walking for less than five minutes when he suddenly spotted something strange in front of him.

    Not far in front of him, there was a heavily eroded ruin of a building next to the road. The structure was so badly decayed that it was hard to even guess what once stood there. Severalrge rock pilesy scattered around the site, presumably where the rubble had been piled on by the workers when they were maintaining the road.

    Sitting on one of thergest rock piles was a man covered from head to toe in a concealing ck cloak, a in wooden staff ced horizontally on top of hisp. The staff¡¯s tip was shaped into an image for a raven with outstretched wings. A real raven sat on the man¡¯s shoulder, silently looking at the approaching Marcus without cawing or otherwise making a sound or making much movement except for turning its head.

    It was always possible that the man was here on his own business, and that this was just a chance meeting. That Marcus could just walk past him and nothing would happen. But considering what Titus had said to him earlier, he kind of doubted it. He approached the figure, but stopped a healthy distance away. The raven finally reacted, cawing at his approach, and the cloaked man reached out with one of his hands and gave the bird a scratch on the neck.

    ¡°Raven Temple?¡± Marcus asked, unable to hide a note of wariness from his voice.

    ¡°Yes,¡± the man answered easily. His voice sounded young. He then removed his hood, allowing his face to be fully visible, and Marcus realized the man <em>was</em> young. Somewhere in his early twenties if he had to guess. He had short ck hair and eyes so dark they almost seemed ck. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re not under investigation.¡±

    ¡°So you <em>are</em> here for me,¡± Marcus said. ¡°Why is the Raven Temple after me? I¡¯ve never done anything to you.¡±

    Marcus could guess why the likes of Giant Thunder Hall and Crystal Mountain wanted to ¡®talk¡¯ to him, but he really didn¡¯t have any dealings with Raven Temple in the past. Were they here to represent someone else? That would be very unusual. Unlike the Sun-Moon Temple and the Illuminated Pantheon, the Church of the Raven God had a very narrow focus and rarely stepped out of that domain. They had authority over necromancy, death rites, and maintaining the soulstream¡­ and Marcus was not tampering with any of those.

    ¡°What an interesting person,¡± the man said. His voice was very calm,pletely unaffected by Marcus¡¯s faint hostility. ¡°I already said you are not under investigation. I just want to talk. Anyway, shouldn¡¯t we at least introduce ourselves? I am Helvran, a humble messenger of the Raven God.¡±

    ¡°I am Marcus, an elder of the Great Sea Academy,¡± Marcus told him. This was oddly familiar to Marcus, but he couldn¡¯t put his finger on what it reminded him of. ¡°You¡¯ll have to forgive my caution. Your temple doesn¡¯t exactly have a great reputation.¡±

    He sensed no spirit from Helvran, so the man was likely either a third or fourth rank priest. However, priests wielded powers derived from a god, and thus tended to punch well above their weight when it came to their specialty. And Raven God¡¯s specialty was death and soul magic ¨C some of the most insidious and dangerous disciplines of magic. Marcus didn¡¯t dare underestimate the man in front of him.

    ¡°It is a reaction I¡¯m used to,¡± Helvran said, nodding. ¡°Have you ever heard of the Parable of the Raven?¡±

    Marcus thought about it for a second. ¡°No,¡± he said, shaking his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s a story often told among the faithful of the Raven God,¡± Helvran said. ¡°It goes like this - there was a town in the past that was gued by endless disasters. Every year, a raven would descend to the town square and caw ominously, loud enough to be heard all around the town. The next day, without fail, a disaster would befall the city. Fires, earthquakes, heavy hail ¨C no matter what it was, it would devastate the town. Gradually, the citizens began to resent the raven, seeing it as a herald of disaster. If only the raven¡¯s cries would be silenced, the town could enjoy peace. And so, one day when the raven descended upon the town square, the citizens prepared an ambush for him and slew him before he could utter a sound. They celebrated the entire night, praising their luck for being finally free of such an ill omen. The next day, a storm hit the town, but the residents of the town somewhat expected it. It was surely the raven¡¯s dying curse; a final act of spite. They continued their lives with renewed spirit, and as months passed with no disaster in sight, they became sure their troubles were finally over. One night, as the people slept, a massive flood washed over the town. Having received no warning the day prior, the inhabitants werepletely unprepared for the cmity that befell them, and were all carried away by the raging waters and drowned.¡±

    Marcus waited for a few seconds for the man to continue the story, but he soon realized that was it.

    ¡°What a strange parable,¡± Marcus finally remarked.

    ¡°Not a story the Illuminated Pantheon would tell you, I bet,¡± Helvran said.

    ¡°No, definitely not,¡± Marcus agreed. ¡°So what¡¯s the moral of the story? Don¡¯t shoot the messenger? Is that how the Raven Temple sees themselves?¡±

    ¡°I came here to warn you that a bounty has been ced on your head,¡± Helvran said, ignoring his questions.

    Marcus gave him a suspicious look. Honestly, that wasn¡¯t a big surprise. The thing was, he found it hard to narrow down who could have done it. There were so many options¡­

    ¡°By who?¡± he asked Helvran. ¡°It¡¯s the Giant Thunder Hall, isn¡¯t it? They were always the craziest of the academies.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not anyone you are familiar with,¡± Helvran said, shaking his head. ¡°The bounty was ced on you because you are practicing the Soul Tree Technique.¡±

    Now that¡­ that was something Marcus did not expect to hear.

    Helvran rose from his seat on the rock pile. The raven on his shoulder wobbled a little, opening its wings to stabilize itself, but did not cry out or lose bnce. It seemed to be used to it.

    ¡°My message has been delivered,¡± Helvran said. ¡°Don¡¯t bother asking me about the identity of your enemy, for I do not know it. That is all I was given, and therefore all I have to say on the matter.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Marcus said, stopping him.

    ¡°Even if you attack me, I cannot tell you more,¡± Helvran said calmly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so judgmental, mister humble messenger. I am a mage of peace, and would never dream of simply attacking someone for information,¡± Marcus told him. Besides, he was afraid of pissing off the Raven Temple by killing one of their own with such flimsy provocation. ¡°I wanted to ask you for help with something.¡±

    Helvran gave him a t look, saying nothing.

    ¡°See, I epted a request for a nearby child to recover the remains of her parents and give them a proper burial,¡± Marcus continued. ¡°As a priest of the Raven Temple, a mission like this should be right up your alley.¡±

    ¡°I was right earlier: you really are an interesting person,¡± Helvran said, looking contemtive. ¡°And you¡¯re right. This kind of job is entirely within my duties as a servant of the Raven God, and I don¡¯t have anything important lined up. I will apany you on this task.¡±

    ¡°Great,¡± Marcus said, and he really meant it. Finding the bodies should be a lot easier with a priest of death apanying him. Marcus didn¡¯t really have a good way of searching arge area for human remains. It¡¯s not something he had a habit of doing. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯re searching for a girl named Cricket.¡±

    He set off down the road, trusting Helvran to follow him.

    * * * *

    Marcus thought about things as he and Helvran went from vige to vige searching for this Cricket girl. Mostly he thought about the Sacred Oak and the Soul Tree Technique he practiced. He wished he could discuss this with someone, but it was such a sensitive topic to bring up that it was hard to know whom to trust. He had thought about asking Celer for advice when he had spoken to her earlier, but in the end he¡¯d decided not to tell her anything. She and he were long-time friends, and he didn¡¯t think she would betray him, but she had her own logic about these kind of things. If she felt it would make his life more <em>interesting</em>, she would tell other people about this without hesitation. She would consider that doing him a favor, and not really betrayal.

    He still had no idea what she did with the cylinder¡­

    In any case, now he knew that there was even more to the Soul Tree Technique than the Sacred Oak had implied. If the Raven Temple was not deceiving him, someone powerful wanted his entire mage tradition to disappear. In fact, based on what Titus had said, they had likely been pursuing that goal for quite some time. What had the Great Tree Academy done to earn such ire?

    His thoughts kept running in circles, unproductive and repetitive. Frustrating.

    What was also frustrating was that they couldn¡¯t find Cricket, no matter how many people they osted. They did find ck Spruce Vige where she was from, but she wasn¡¯t there. The vigers told them they had not seen her for several days. The house she used to live in was, curious enough, inhabited by some other family, and they didn¡¯t even want to talk to them. They mmed the door in their faces when they heard what they came for, and told them to nevere back.

    ¡°This is incredibly suspicious,¡± Marcus told Helvran, his arms crossed over his chest.

    ¡°You are surprisingly dedicated to seeing this through,¡± Helvran remarked. ¡°I would have expected you to give up by now. An orphaned child from an already poor family couldn¡¯t have paid much for a task like this.¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t pay anything,¡± Marcus said distractedly. ¡°I¡¯m doing this for free.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± said Helvran slowly. He didn¡¯tin about doing all of this without anypensation, however.

    To be honest, Marcus was surprised that Helvran was so amenable to his whims. Yes, Raven Temple did have a duty to oversee burials and make sure deceased people don¡¯t rise as vengeful wraiths, but no one would me Helvran if he decided he had better things to do than pursue this.

    The raven on Helvran¡¯s shoulder cawed, pping its wings. It seemed to be pointing towards the north for some reason.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go there if it¡¯s all right with you,¡± Helvran said. ¡°My friend has sensed a soul that is not long for this world.¡±

    Marcus didn¡¯t have any objections. In fact, leaving the ck Spruce Vige was exactly what he needed right now. The vigers knew something, but didn¡¯t want to talk to him, so a little spying was in order.

    He crouched and picked up a handful of stones from the ground. Waving his other hand over them, he murmured a quick low-level spell and they slowly morphed into a handful of stone beetles with an image of a human ear carved into their back. Once he was done, he dropped the beetles unceremoniously on the ground, where they promptly scattered in all directions, skittering away in the direction of various houses inside the vige.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Marcus told Helvran, who simply observed his actions without saying a word.

    They walked a considerable distance from the vige, where a lone hut stood by a creek, surrounded by some trees. None of the houses Marcus had seen around here were luxurious or sturdy, but this one was in particrly terrible shape. It looked as if it was on the verge of falling apart, and the roof was full of holes. Sitting on a stool in front of the house was an old woman. A very old, very sick-looking woman. Her breathing was hard andbored, and one of her eyes remained shut, but she held a knife in her shaking hands and keptboriously whittling down a piece of wood into some undefinable shape.

    There was a small pile of wooden figurines next to her. They all looked wed and misshapen, and had clearly been abandoned when the woman had made a mistake somewhere along the way.

    Helvran approached the woman without hesitation, and Marcus trailed after him.

    It took a while for the old woman to even notice them, her one good eye finally zeroing on them after a while.

    ¡°O-Oh. Visitors!¡± she said, surprised. She nced at her hands and reluctantly stopped working on the figurine. ¡°What a wee surprise! I¡­ forgive myck of hospitality, but I don¡¯t have much to offer to guests these days. My husband died a few years ago, and my health hasn¡¯t been the greatest these days. Ah, but look at me, alwaysining! I think I have something I can¡­ something I can¡­¡±

    She tried, with great struggle, to rise from her stool, but her legs were shaking under the strain and Marcus had a feeling they were about to fall under her if she went through with the idea.

    Helvran put his hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

    ¡°There is no need,¡± he told the old woman. ¡°I am Helvran of the Raven Temple. I am here because your time hase.¡±

    Marcus raised his eyebrow at this. Damn, that was incredibly blunt and cold. He wasn¡¯t going to simply kill the old woman right here and now, was he? Sure, she was on the verge of dying, but Marcus didn¡¯t think he could agree to that¡­

    ¡°Oh,¡± the woman said, as if that was the most normal thing in the world. ¡°I hadn''t even realized it had gotten that bad. The Raven hase for my soul¡­¡±

    ¡°Not just yet,¡± Helvran said. ¡°I¡¯m going to help you, but there will be consequences. Please sit still and don¡¯t resist.¡±

    He nted his staff into the ground with a heavy thud, and put his hand on the forehead of the old woman. His eyes burst into pale white mes. The raven on his shoulder stretched out its wings, mimicking the pose of the figurine on Helvran¡¯s staff, and its eyes also started to burn with the same white fire.

    Finally, the old woman¡¯s eyes burst into pale white mes as well, an expression of wonder on her face. A stream of white light seemed to spread out throughout her body, pulsing several times like a heartbeat, before finally igniting something in her chest.

    The light faded abruptly, and the scene returned to normal. Helvran removed his hand from the old woman¡¯s forehead, the raven folded back its wings, and the old woman made a deep, panicked gasp, breathing deeply several times in order to calm down.

    Marcus was a little confused about what had happened at first, but he quickly noticed that the woman was breathing far easier now. Whereas before her breathing was shallow andbored, she now breathed deeply and easily. Her previously shut eye was open, a dull white glow still gleaming in it from whatever spell Helvran cast on her.

    She ced her hand on her chest in wonder, before staring at the hand itself. It was no longer shaking, Marcus realized.

    ¡°Marvelous,¡± the old woman said. Sheughed excitedly. ¡°I feel absolutely marvelous. Why, I haven¡¯t felt this well in years!¡±

    She rose from her stool, this time finding the action to be much easier. She still struggled a little, but it was clear she no longer had any troubles walking about.

    ¡°It is not something that willst,¡± Helvran warned. ¡°I ignited the mes of your soul, making them burn unnaturally bright. It will keep your troubles at bay for a time, but a candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long.¡±

    The old woman seemed to take this in stride. ¡°How long do I have?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Three days,¡± Helvran said. ¡°After that, you will die for sure, and no magic or cure will save you.¡±

    ¡°Three days¡­ that¡¯s enough. That¡¯s more than enough time to settle things here,¡± the old woman said. She sped her hands in front of her, lowering her head. ¡°Praise be to the Raven God for this miracle! Master Helvran, if there is anything this poor old woman can do to help you, just say the word!¡±

    ¡°We are looking for a young girl called Cricket, real name Livia,¡± Marcus suddenly spoke up. ¡°If you could give us some clues where she went, we would be most grateful.¡±

    Helvran nodded, agreeing with Marcus.

    ¡°Cricket¡­¡± the old woman said, sounding hesitant.

    ¡°I already know what happened, for the most part,¡± Marcus told her. Once they were far enough from the vige, the vigers started to talk among themselves more freely, and his beetles eavesdropped on them discussing the situation. Amusingly, some of them warned their families to stay quiet, due to fears Marcus and Helvran were using some kind of magic to spy on them, but most weren¡¯t nearly so paranoid. ¡°After Livia¡¯s parents didn¡¯t return from the forest, you sent a message to her rtives in the north toe and take care of her. However, what happened instead is that they took over all of her possessions, including the house she lived in, and chased her out of her own home. She then left the vige and never came back, presumably on a suicidal quest to find her parent¡¯s final resting ce. Does that sound about right?¡±

    Marcus was actually pretty angry at the moment. Not really at the old woman in front of him, since she was in no position to do anything, but more so at these traitorous rtives and the vigers that not only watched it happen, but also tried to cover it up when someone came around to ask about her.

    ¡°You are¡­ mostly right, sir,¡± the old woman said. ¡°However, we didn¡¯t invite the rtives on our own. We didn¡¯t even know she had distant rtives. Somebody else informed them.¡±

    ¡°Why were the vigers hiding this from us?¡± Helvran asked. ¡°Surely this has nothing to do with them? They can just let the situation y itself out on its own, one way or another. Why shield them from outside scrutiny?¡±

    ¡°Times are hard. The vige elder said it was better to have a full set of hands in that house than a little girl who can¡¯t support herself, and would be just another mouth to feed,¡± the old woman said, shaking her head. ¡°Ah, it probably sounds indescribably cruel to distinguished men of god like yourselves-¡±

    Helvran gave Marcus an amused side nce, but said nothing.

    ¡°-but this is not such a strange situation around here. The neers even gifted away some of the belongings they found in the house to the rest of the vige to smooth things over,¡± the old woman finished.

    ¡°Do you know where she is now?¡± Marcus asked.

    ¡°She said she was going to follow the Egara River upstream, towards the Serpentooth teau,¡± the old woman said. ¡°That¡¯s where her parents were going when they disappeared.¡±

    Marcus frowned. That¡¯s where the vespid raids wereing from. He only ever epted this job on a whim, because it seemed fairly trivial to fulfill. Why did everything have to get soplicated?

    However, he was too invested now to just quit.

    He nced at Helvran, who simply stared back at him silently. Marcus interpreted this as a sign that the other man also intended to see this through until the end as well.

    They bid farewell to the old woman, but not before she thrust a palm-sized wooden figurine into Marcus¡¯s hands.

    ¡°She asked me to make this, but then she abruptly left before I could finish it,¡± the old woman exined. ¡°It¡¯s not my best work, but I think she will like it anyway.¡±

    The shapes were a little crude and ambiguous, but it was still obvious what the figurine represented ¨C two adults, a man and a woman, embracing a child in the center.

    He stashed the figurine in his backpack, and then set off towards the Serpentooth teau.

 Chapter 7: The Exile

    Chapter 7: The Exile

    Marcus was not an expert tracker by any means. He had lots of experience in traversing the wilds all over the world, but he tended not to dwell in any particr ce for long. In addition, while he knew Cricket was heading for the Serpentooth teau, he didn¡¯t have her actual trail, which made any attempt to retrace her steps futile.

    However, he had lots of experience in doing all manner of strange requests, and that experience was telling him the best way to find Cricket was to find a vespid scout and see what they were up to. Vespids were highly territorial, and likely to notice an inexperienced kid entering their territory very quickly. They were also most likely the reason Cricket¡¯s parents had never returned from their trip to the wilds, and if she was trying to find their remains¡­

    Marcus shook his head. The chances of her being alive weren¡¯t great, but he wasn¡¯t the sort of person to give up now. He was going to see this through, even if he had to bury three corpses instead of just two at the end.

    He nced at Helvran, and found the priest and his raven familiar silently staring at him.

    ¡°Why did we stop?¡± the priest asked him.

    ¡°So, after a bit of thought, there are two ways we can go about doing this,¡± Marcus said. ¡°First, we can go to the Serpentooth teau on foot, looking for any trace of Cricket¡¯s passage as we move. I don¡¯t know how good your raven is at scouting, but I have a contracted earth elemental that is pretty good at recognizing human footsteps and would likely be able to detect Cricket once we got close enough to her.¡±

    Assuming she was still alive and moving once they did, of course.

    ¡°And the alternative?¡± Helvran asked.

    ¡°We can fly,¡± Marcus offered.Helvran shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve heard you are quite adept at flying magic, but I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know any spells for that.¡±

    No? Marcus would think a divine bird would give its followers a way to fly¡­ maybe Helvran just didn¡¯t get to a high enough level to receive that particr blessing?

    ¡°Not a problem. I have a way to take us both into the air,¡± said Marcus, taking the orb of flight from his belt and proudly disying it to the death priest.

    The orb didn¡¯t look like much, admittedly, looking very much like a cloudy white sphere made out of some semi-transparent stone. It didn¡¯t <em>look</em> very magical, so Marcus wondered if Helvran could even recognize-

    ¡°Is that the ancestral treasure of Giant Thunder Hall that disappeared a few years ago?¡± Helvran asked.

    ¡°No¡­¡± Marcus said slowly. ¡°It didn¡¯t disappear. I defeated their leader in honorablebat and took it from him by right of conquest. It¡¯s <em>my</em> ancestral treasure now.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ see,¡± Helvran said.

    ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s not the point,¡± Marcus said dismissively. ¡°The point is that the orb of flight has the ability to transport entire groups of people, not just the user itself. Very useful stuff. With its help, there should be no issue with me flying us both to the teau.¡±

    ¡°I see now why the Giant Thunder Hall wants to talk to you so badly,¡± Helvran said. His eyes lingered on the orb for a moment, but then he refocused on Marcus instead. ¡°That aside, I must point out that vespids are essentially giant wasps. If we fly around in their territory, we¡¯ll be extremely conspicuous and they¡¯ll have no problems reaching us up in the air.¡±

    ¡°I know, but I <em>want</em> to get their attention,¡± Marcus said. ¡°If they¡¯re focused on us, they won¡¯t be focused on tracking down Cricket.¡±

    ¡°It might also whip the whole hive into a frenzy, causing them to notice her when they otherwise would have overlooked her presence,¡± Helvran pointed out.

    ¡°Unlikely. Vespids are more perceptive than most people realize,¡± said Marcus, shaking his head. ¡°Back when I was fighting them in the Viridian Forest, they always noticed our incursions very quickly, no matter how careful we were. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ve got a really sensitive sense of smell or something more exotic, but their scouts are annoyingly good. The only way to reliably deal with them is to kill every scout you encounter before it can get away and warn the rest of the hive, and I don¡¯t think a young girl with no adept powers can do such a thing. Her being alone should help her evade notice, but only for a while.¡±

    Helvran frowned. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that.¡±

    ¡°Understandable, if you have never fought them,¡± Marcus said. ¡°Anyway, I strongly believe the best way to help Cricket is to get to her as quickly as possible.¡±

    ¡°There is no real choice, then,¡± Helvran said. ¡°What do I need to do?¡±

    Rather than answer, Marcus gripped his staff in one hand and the orb of flight in the other, and cast a flight spell on both of them. He immediately caused both of them to float off the ground. Helvran finally lost his stoic look, sporting an outright panicked expression for a moment, before realizing what was happening. He gave Marcus an annoyed look, and his raven flew off his shoulder with a loud caw.

    ¡°Ready?¡± Marcus asked with a smile.

    ¡°Next time, ask that <em>before</em> you cast a spell,¡± Helvran warned. ¡°But yes, I am ready.¡±

    After a moment of thought, Marcus extended the influence of the spell over the raven as well. They would be flying too fast for the bird to keep up with its natural flight. Helvran¡¯s familiar cawed in surprise once again, but did not fight the magic.

    All three of them suddenly shot up high into the air, and in the direction of the mountains.

    * * * *

    The flight did not take long. Advancing uphill on rocky forested terrain was a difficult task that could take days on foot, but could be reduced to a mere hour of flight, especially if one flew fast¡­ and Marcus could use his orb to fly very fast. The main issue was that seeing the ground from on high was difficult due to all the trees getting in the way. As such, as they got close to the Serpentooth teau, Marcus slowed down their flight and lowered them closer to the ground.

    He summoned Chompy, instructing him to listen for human footsteps and follow after him from underground as they flew. Summoned creatures could sense their summoner at a considerable distance, since the summoner acted as their anchor on the material ne, he didn¡¯t expect there to be any issues with that. Helvran also seemed to instruct his raven to help with the search. He didn¡¯t talk to the bird, but the way it suddenly flew away from them and started exploring nearby areas told Marcus the priest probably had some non-verbal way ofmunicating with it and giving itmands.

    They didn¡¯t find Cricket right away, which was disappointing, but to be expected. They did, however, find many groups of vespid scoutsbing through the area. They were just like Marcus remembered them from his youth. Each vespid scout was roughly half a meter long, and reminiscent of a wasp ¨C a striped yellow-and-ck insectoid with a somewhat skull-like face. Although not visible from this distance, Marcus knew from previous encounters that each of their front four limbs had hand-like appendages.

    In Marcus¡¯s experience, vespid scouts tended to operate alone unless the hive was under attack or otherwise agitated. The fact these scouts flew around in groups of three or more told him there was something disturbing the hive, and he doubted that something was Cricket.

    ¡°They seem agitated,¡± Helvran said, floating in the air beside him, looking somewhat ufortable.

    ¡°They¡¯re searching for something,¡± Marcus said.

    Oddly enough, the vespids seemed reluctant to attack them. They clearly noticed the two flying intruders, but only one group immediately charged at them, the rest opting to leave the area immediately. That was very unusual, as vespids tended to be suicidally aggressive and rarely showed much in terms of self-preservation instincts. Especially in groups. They always tried to take care of intruders on their own first, and retreated only after they were reduced to a handful of survivors¡­ who then went to fetch more reinforcements to throw onto the enemy.

    ¡°This is a good thing, no?¡± Helvran offered. ¡°If they had already found the girl and killed her, they wouldn¡¯t be searching for her still.¡±

    ¡°They could be searching for someone else. I have a feeling they¡¯re dealing with something bigger than a single desperate child,¡± Marcus said. ¡°But yes, it¡¯s definitely a good thing. If the vespids have other things to worry about at the moment, they can¡¯t focus their energies on finding her.¡±

    ¡°Hm. So what now? Are we going to¡­ assault the vespid hive directly?¡± Helvran asked curiously.

    Marcus raised his eyebrow at him. ¡°Are you immune to poisons? These scouting parties may seem trivial, but we¡¯ll get swarmed by hundreds of these things if we assault the queen. We¡¯re both going to get stung, and not just once either.¡±

    Helvran coughed in his fist in slight embarrassment, his floating figure wobbling in the air and he tried to move and shift as if he was still standing on the ground.

    ¡°Obviously, I am not capable of such a feat,¡± Helvran rified. ¡°But the familiarity and confidence with which you speak of them makes me think <em>you</em> might be willing to do such a thing.¡±

    ¡°Even for one such as me, that would be a dangerous move,¡± Marcus said, shaking his head. ¡°Vespids have more than just scouts in their ranks. These small ones are just the lowest caste of their society.¡±

    ¡°You call these small?¡± Helvran asked, pointing at the charred remains of five vespids on the ground below them. It was the scout group that had charged at them earlier. Marcus had killed them easily with a single chain lightning spell, but that didn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t a threat. If all five had sessfully stung him, Marcus would have been in serious trouble.

    Because it was so easy to get swarmed and it took only a handful of stings to get poisoned to death, vespids were greatly feared among adepts, and even powerful ones hesitated to take them on. Marcus was not surprised that people were reluctant to take on themission to wipe them out.

    ¡°Yes, these are the lowest and most numerous kind of vespids,¡± Marcus nodded. ¡°They only get bigger and more powerful from here. The queen in particr is about three meters long and a spirit-level creature. Thankfully, she never leaves the hive so we shouldn¡¯t encounter her.¡±

    Since this hive was established outside of the Viridian Forest, it was likely that this particr queen was driven out of her home by rival queens, meaning she was young or a bit on the weaker side. But a spirit-level creature should never be underestimated, especially when it had hundreds of underlings willing to sacrifice their lives for her.

    ¡°I see. I¡¯m too ignorant, it seems,¡± Helvran said. ¡°Let¡¯s avoid the hive for now and let someone else deal with it.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s do that,¡± Marcus agreed. ¡°Instead, we should take advantage of the rtive passivity of these vespids to spy on their movements. I bet we can find Cricket faster by monitoring their movements than by flying around randomly.¡±

    Helvran¡¯s raven turned out to be a better scout than Marcus anticipated. Vespids did not seem to recognize it as a spy, even when it flew very close to them, viewing it as a simple wild animal. Helvran could see and hear through its eyes and ears, making the bird a highly effective spy under the circumstances.

    As for Marcus, he found all his usual spying methods foiled one by one. He could attach a literal invisible eye to certain vespids, but the spell required the caster to stay in range of the spell to keep working, and that range wasn¡¯t big enough to let Marcus follow after the vespids undetected. He tried attaching stone beetles on their backs instead, but vespids traveled in groups and had hands ¨C they simply had one of their fellows remove the beetle clinging to them.

    He was just about to try and capture one alive to paint a spying sigil straight on its carapace when Helvran motioned for him tond in a dense cluster of trees to his left.

    The moment theynded, Helvran seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Your flight magic is convenient, but I find myself indescribably d to be back on the ground,¡± Helvran admitted. The raven, which was once again perched on his shoulder, cawed loudly in agreement.

    ¡°Is that what we¡¯re looking for?¡± Marcus asked, pointing at what seemed to be an abandoned campsite in the middle of the thicket.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Helvran nodded. ¡°Someone had been here, probably a small group of people. It¡¯s probably unrted to the little girl we¡¯re looking for, but it¡¯s worth checking up on.¡±

    The campsite was in rough shape. Whoever had set it up clearly didn¡¯t finish their business in peace, and instead had to leave in a hurry. Backpacks and sleeping nkets were still there, and a small overturned cooking pot and some wooden bowls were scattered all over the ce. Wild animals had eaten everything edible, including any trace of blood, but the w marks on the trees and the freshly broken branches spoke of a violent battle. It was likely that the group was forced to abandon the camp or simply perished in the attack.

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t look like a vespid attack,¡± Marcus said.

    ¡°I was just about to ask you about that,¡± Helvran said. ¡°You are more familiar with these creatures than me, but I imagine even higher forms of vespids would be less destructive on the environment than this.¡±

    ¡°They also don¡¯t have ws,¡± Marcus said, gently tracing the parallel lines crudely carved into the bark of a nearby tree. Sticky dark sap had already began to seep and harden from the wounds inflicted on the tree, but the pattern was quite obviously inflicted by something big and wed. Much bigger than a human. ¡°Strange. Vespids don¡¯t likerge beasts hunting in their territory. They tend to drive them out.¡±

    ¡°Somebody died here, but there are no bodies,¡± Helvran said, frowning. ¡°Do vespids take corpses to their hive for processing?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Marcus said, shaking his head. He didn¡¯t question how Helvran knew somebody had died. ¡°They eat people, but they just strip the flesh from the corpse and carry it off in small pieces, leaving the bones behind.¡±

    They spent a little while searching the area,ing up with nothing. Well, Marcus hade up with nothing. Helvran seemed to have seen something Marcus didn¡¯t, because his expression grew more unpleasant as he inspected the area around the campsite.

    ¡°I suspect something, but I would rather not discuss it at this time,¡± Helvran told him once they were done. ¡°We should find Cricket and get out of here. Something far more sinister than a vespid hive is active in this area.¡±

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the vition.

    Well, that much had been obvious for a while now. Still, Helvran had been remarkably tolerant of the way Marcus did things, so he didn¡¯t intend to push the death priest on what he found. He didn¡¯t really care to get involved in Raven Temple¡¯s business.

    They got back to the air and continued searching. They found one more abandoned campsite, as well as a torn backpack that belonged to some unfortunate traveler. But no Cricket. And unfortunately, it seemed that their intrusive actions were finally bing too much for vespids to bear. While the vespid scouts initially avoided them and tried to go about their business, they gradually became more belligerent as it became obvious they weren¡¯t just passing through their territory and intended to stick around for a while. Eventually Marcus realized severalrge swarms were converging on their positions, smaller scouting parties merging together as they flew towards their location.

    He immediately lowered them both to the ground and dismissed the flying spell.

    ¡°It seems we have overstayed our wee,¡± Marcus told Helvran. Ominous buzzing could already be heard in the air,ing from all around them. ¡°Prepare for battle.¡±

    ¡°I will be counting on you, Master Marcus,¡± Helvran said shamelessly. ¡°Please protect me.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that,¡± Marcus protested. ¡°I¡¯m sure a follower of the death god knows how to protect himself.¡±

    There was no time for further argument. An entire swarm of vespids, dozens upon dozens of giant insects with skull-like face, burst out of the trees and descended towards them from the sky with remarkable speed, their stingers pointed at them.

    Marcus fired off a chain lightning spell, killing half of them with an arcing bolt of lightning, but the other half continued on as if nothing had happened, heedless of any danger. Their simple minds understood that if they could get even one sting in, this would be a victory for the hive. Behind them, Marcus could sense another swarm of vespids had burst onto the scene.

    He mmed his staff against the ground, and a slow-moving wave of yellow energy erupted from him. Every vespid that made contact with the seismic wave was stopped in its tracks and burst open like it had been hit by a huge rock, but many of them veered off course when they realized they had no chance of piercing the expanding field, evading instant death.

    Marcus spun in ce, throwing around chain lightning spells and fireballs, and bodies of incinerated vespids fell to the ground like rain, but they kepting nheless ¨C fearless, tireless, inexorable. Many inexperienced mages perished when ced in such circumstances, even if they had the power to survive, demoralized and distracted by the relentless assault. But Marcus had fought vespids before, and this was familiar. He kept killing, kept a close watch over his mana reserves to make sure he didn¡¯t deplete them too fast, and kept an eye on any sneaky vespids trying to get him while he was dealing with the bulk of the swarm.

    One of the vespidsnded on the ground and tried to slowly crawl across the ground towards Marcus and Helvran, no doubt hoping it could sting them in the legs before they realized it was there. Chompy swiftly ended that plot by bursting out of the ground, biting into the unfortunate vespid, and then descending down into the soil again, taking the vespid with him to suffocate underground.

    Just as Marcus was getting into a sort of battle trance, assured that the battle would be one of attrition that he could win by simply ousting the enemy, something very big and very fast rushed at them from the trees.

    And it was targeting Helvran, not Marcus.

    Marcus reacted quickly, yanking the man back by pulling on his clothes, which meant that when that <em>thing</em> swung at Helvran with its big wed hand, it missed the death priest¡¯s face by about half a finger.

    Helvran was unbnced by Marcus¡¯s sudden move and shocked by the sudden attack, but the thing that attacked them was unfazed by its failed assassination attempt and the vespids didn¡¯t relent in their attacks. As such, Marcus had only a brief moment to study the creature.

    It was¡­ made out of bone? It was arge humanoid, and covered in armor made out of bones, but it didn¡¯t look like an animated skeleton.

    It rushed at Helvran again, but Marcus stepped in front of him, conjuring a bluish shield of force. To his shock, the bone giant¡¯s w seemed to pass through his shieldpletely unimpeded and collided with his chest.

    Marcus¡¯s shirt was ripped open like paper, despite the light defensive enchantment he ced on it. At the point of impact, his skin cracked like a broken stone, creating a spiderweb of cracks that spread across his upper body, including his lower face. The force of the blow made him slide back a couple of steps, his feet leaving deep grooves in the soil, but it did not throw him back like a rag doll, which is what the bone giant had probably been expecting would happen.

    One of the vespids took advantage of this momentary distraction to dive down on him and sink its stinger into Marcus¡¯s back. Or at least it tried to ¨C its stinger slid off his armored skin, failing to prate, and it tumbled to the ground beside Marcus.

    Marcus angrily stomped down on it with his boot, crushing it into paste, and then cast the seismic wave again. Dozens of vespids, emboldened by his seeming distraction mmed into the slowly-moving wave of yellow energy, and were immediately crushed into paste.

    The bone giant didn¡¯t stop either, and mmed into the seismic wave with his w, much like he did to Marcus¡¯s force field earlier. s, the seismic wave wasn¡¯t really a defensive screen, despite its apparent effects. It was more like an attack that shook enemies to death from the inside out with vibrations, and stopping enemies in their tracks was just a side-effect. If one could ignore the vibration attack, they would find that the wave did not impede their movements in any way.

    The bone giant could not ignore the vibration attack. It visibly stumbled as the seismic wave passed through it, the bones that made up its armor cracking and falling off, or even turning into powder with its passage.

    Through the holes in the armor, Marcus could see¡­ an inky ck void. It was empty. A walking armor of bone with no one inside.

    A faint blue wave rippled across the surface of the bone giant, revealing awork ofplicated runes inscribed upon the various bones that made him. The damage Marcus just inflicted began to heal.

    ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t,¡± Marcus loudly protested. ¡°Chompy!¡±

    His loyal earth elemental responded immediately, already knowing what to do. Itunched itself at the bone giant, wrapping himself around its torso. It then brought its powerful jaws onto the giant¡¯s head, crunching through the rune-enhanced bone with great ease.

    Unfortunately, having its head chewed on didn¡¯t seem to bother the bone giant too much. It seized the earth elemental with its wed hands and began to squeeze, causing Chompy to squeal in protest.

    At this point Helvran, who managed to gather his wits after the failed attack on him, fired a ghostly white beam at the bone giant. It didn¡¯t seem to do any damage to the thing, but it paralyzed it and made thework of blue runes inscribed on the bones light up again.

    ¡°The core!¡± Helvran shouted. ¡°Have it chew through the rune core in his chest!¡±

    Hm. The runes did seem a little denser there¡­

    He gave Chompy a mentalmand to do just that when two more giant shapes descended from the sky towards them, apanied by the terrible buzzing of insect wings.

    Unlike the bone giant, which seemed to be some kind of undead, these new uninvited guests were vespids. But not the normal scout vespids they had been fighting so far. No, these were more than a meter tall, with more pronounced humanoid features and a skull-like face that looked more demonic and frightening than just a weirdly-shaped wasp. Each of their four arms held a different weapon, likely looted from human adepts they had killed in the past. Both of them had a belt made out of human skulls, and seemed to have been smeared in red war-paint.

    The left one screeched at him, a string of sounds that sounded suspiciously like some kind of speech that Marcus didn¡¯t understand, and then they both charged at him.

    The lesser vespids that had been assaulting them immediately regrouped behind the new arrivals, ready to give them any support they needed.

    Marcus immediately focused all of his attention on them. Chompy and Helvran would have to deal with the bone giant on their own. These two¡­ they were royal guards. The most powerful vespid caste beside the queen herself. Strange. He didn¡¯t think the queen would send these out to take out intruders¡­ they were supposed to be her bodyguards, and even big hives didn¡¯t have too many of them. Losing these two would be a big loss, so most hives were reluctant to send them out without a really good reason.

    Clutching his staff tightly in his hand, Marcus made a sweeping motion, as if sowing seeds. A fountain of yellow motes of light erupted from his staff and immediately scattered across the battlefield, burying themselves into the ground with seemingly no effect. Marcus felt his mana reserves dip dangerously low ¨C this was not a move he could throw around too often.

    The royal guards were smarter than the average vespid, and a little less suicidal ¨C they could tell Marcus had set up some kind of trap in the area, and so hesitated to enter it. But that was just fine as far as Marcus was concerned ¨C he was a mage, and had no issues attacking people from a distance, whereas vespid royal guards were basically warriors, relying on their powerful armored bodies. If they didn¡¯t dare get close to him, that was already a win for him.

    Hm. Maybe he should look into including illusion spells into hisbat repertoire more. Making opponents <em>think</em> he set up a trap would be way cheaper and possibly just as effective¡­

    The royal guard screeched some kind ofmand and pointed one of his swords at Marcus. The swarm of lesser vespids immediately rushed forward, eager to prove themselves by triggering whatever trap he set up instead of their betters.

    Marcus inwardly sighed. Well that won¡¯t do. He pointed his staff at the iing swarm and fired a burst of brightly shining red motes at it. The motes looked small and feeble, but when they reached the mass of vespids they erupted into massive fireballs that engulfed half of their number.

    The royal guards seemed to quickly realize that sending their fellow vespids at Marcus would just result in them being slowly whittled down to nothing. Marcus didn¡¯t <em>need</em> to activate his trap to deal with them. As such, they soon rushed forward and attacked.

    They were fast. Supernaturally fast. The moment they decided to seriously attack Marcus, their forms blurred and disappeared, rapidly flickering in and out of existence. Every time they reappeared, they were considerably closer to Marcus. He managed to hit them with a chain lightning spell and engulf them in a fireball, but it did nothing of note. It wasn¡¯t that they had some kind of exotic immunity to these attack spells ¨C they just had extremely tough bodies and were covered head-to-toe in magic-resistant chitin. The spells Marcus hit them with probably did hurt them, just not very much. He would have to hit them dozens and dozens of times to put them down with just chain lightning and fireballs.

    ¡°Helvran, get away from here!¡± Marcus warned.

    ¡°What? I¡¯m doing something here, you can¡¯t just-¡± Helvran started to protest.

    Marcus pointed his palm at him and fired a gentle kic st. Helvran was immediately lifted off his feet and flew out of the area.

    And then the vespid royal guards were upon him. One of them swung a sword at his neck while stabbing a spear at his nk, and the other swung a pair of swords at him in an overhead strike. The water ball circling Marcus immediately expanded into a mirror-like shield that blocked the attacks.

    The water mirror shattered upon contact, but not before reflecting the force of the attack back at the royal guards. They stumbled back,rgely unharmed but unbnced by the bacsh.

    Marcus pped his hands together and activated the trap.

    From the ground, dozens of seismic waves erupted into slowly expanding spheres of vibrational force. Where the expanding waves met each other and ovepped, they amplified each other to even more destructive heights. The two royal guards screeched in pain as the waves washed over them, passing through their powerful chitinous armor to merge and intersect inside their squishy interiors. They dropped their weapons and tried to fly off into the sky, but their wings refused to work correctly.

    ¡°You should have trusted your instincts and stayed away,¡± Marcus murmured, fishing a cheap gem out of his pocket and forming it into a crystalline spear, which he hurled at one of the royal guards.

    The spear hit the vespid right between the eyes, passing through its demonic, skull-like face with little resistance. It dropped dead on the ground immediately.

    Unfortunately, seeing one of its fellows die seemed to give the remaining royal guard the burst of strength it needed to finally take off into the air and out of the field of ovepping seismic waves.

    It immediately fled into the distance. After a second of indecision, the lesser vespids that had been circling the area followed after it, unwilling to continue the attack.

    Marcus immediately went to search for Helvran, and found him sitting on the ground with a deep frown.

    ¡°Your earth elemental was banished by the bone golem when you¡­ disrupted my concentration,¡± Helvran told him. ¡°Unfortunately, the abomination took this chance and retreated from the area. I¡­ didn¡¯t think it would be a good idea to follow after it.¡±

    Marcus nodded. He felt his connection with Chompy break, so he knew the bone golem got to him. It was no big matter, though. Although Marcus couldn¡¯t summon Chompy back immediately, he should be able to have him back in a couple of days when his soul reformed on the elemental ne of earth.

    ¡°What were those things you fought?¡± Helvran asked.

    ¡°Royal guards,¡± Marcus said. ¡°I¡¯m afraid the queen will be incredibly angry with us now that I¡¯ve killed one and heavily wounded the other. I¡¯m afraid we can only look forward to more attacks like this.¡±

    ¡°If wee under more attacks, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the necromancer who lives in these woods sends his bone golem after us and takes the chance to distract us with his minion,¡± Helvran said.

    ¡°Necromancer?¡± Marcus repeated, his eyebrow raised at him.

    ¡°I¡¯ve suspected it for a while, since I felt traces of negative energy on most of the attack sites we visited,¡± Helvran admitted. ¡°But this confirms it.¡±

    ¡°What would a necromancer do in the middle of vespid country?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°That¡¯s a pretty dangerous ce to set up shop.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s also a ce with lots of bodies,¡± Helvran said. ¡°The vespids kill intruders, but only take the meat. They leave the bones behind, and perform no burial rites to put the soul at rest. There are not many ces where a necromancer has ess to such a wealth of¡­ raw materials.¡±

    Marcus nodded slowly. Most humanmunities cremated their dead ¨C a custom that was developed as a direct consequence of necromancers attacking burial sites. Graveyards were rare, and where they existed, they were often just full of stone or wooden markers with no actual bodies buried beneath the soil.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this, but I think we¡¯re going to have to give up on this task,¡± Helvran told him. ¡°I know you want to find Cricket, but considering the seriousness of what is happening here, it is extremely important that I get back to the temple and report this to my superiors.¡±

    Marcus took a deep breath, thinking. The bodies of Cricket¡¯s parents, if they indeed perished here, were probably unrecoverable at this point. If there was a necromancer iming bodies here, he¡¯d probably already found them and incorporated them into that bone golem of his or something. Cricket¡­ well, she could be alive or dead, he didn¡¯t know. He initially thought they would at least be able to find her remains if she died, but¡­

    He shook his head. He couldn¡¯t stay here. The vespid hive would be hungering for his blood, and even if he could fend them off, it would be impossible to search for a little girl with their swarms constantly harassing him. And a necromancer¡­ those were very rare in modern times, and Marcus didn¡¯t have much experience fighting them. Who knew what kind of subtle and sinister attacks they had at their disposal?

    ¡°How powerful do you think this necromancer is?¡± Marcus asked Helvran.

    ¡°Bone golems like that can only be made by spirit-rank necromancers,¡± Helvran said in a grave tone of voice.

    Oh.

    ¡°It didn¡¯t look that powerful, to be honest,¡± Marcus said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not finished,¡± Helvran said, shaking his head. ¡°Its creator has yet to gather enough materials to fullyplete it.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Marcus nodded. That made more sense. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what. I agree with you that this is getting too dangerous and that we need to leave¡­ but let me try something before we go.¡±

    ¡°You saved my life,¡± Helvran told him seriously. ¡°I will wait.¡±

    Marcus quickly used an earth-shaping spell to raise a series of small pirs and carved a bunch of sigils on them. It was crude work, but it didn¡¯t have to be fancy for what he had in mind. The only thing the pirs had to do was amplify a spell he was about to cast to an absurd degree.

    Helvran watched him as he worked with undisguised curiosity, but did not say anything or ask him questions.

    Eventually Marcus finished his work and dusted off his hands in satisfaction.

    ¡°Put your hands over your ears,¡± he told Helvran.

    Helvran gave him a strange look, but did as Marcus told him.

    Marcus walked into the center of the small pir forest he made, took a deep breath, and then started to shout.

    ¡°CRICKET! GET OVER HERE NOW! WE CAME TO FIND YOU BUT WE¡¯RE LEAVING AND NEVER COMING BACK. IF YOU DON¡¯T GET YOUR SORRY, STUPID, SUICIDAL ASS OVER HERE RIGHT NOW, WE¡¯RE LEAVING YOU HERE WITH THE WASPS AND THE UNDEAD, DO YOU HEAR ME!?¡±

    Amplified by the pir formation, his voice boomed out like a voice of god, washing over the entire forest. Every vespid in the region heard him. The necromancer probably heard him. Hell, the viges in the neighboring region probably heard him.

    In the corner of his eye he could see Helvran curled on the ground, trying to block out the impossibly, painfully loud sound of Marcus¡¯s voice.

    Just like his pir formation amplified his voice, it also amplified his hearing, albeit to a much lesser degree. It was enough, though. Faintly, he could hear a childish voice to the north shouting back at him.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t leave me here!¡± the voice shouted. ¡°I swear I¡¯ll never do this again, just wait for me!¡±

    He turned to Helvran, who was still curled up in a fetal position on the ground and smiled.

    ¡°I know where Cricket is,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s go get her.¡±

    * * * *

    Marcus stared down at the girl in front of him. She was around fourteen years of age, with short brown hair, prominent freckles, and an underfed appearance. Her clothes were dirty and torn, but he suspected that had more to do with trying to survive in this forest than in her family being too poor to afford better. She looked very embarrassed as she stood in front of him and Helvran, holding her arms behind her back and shifting ufortably in ce.

    ¡°Coming here alone was a very dangerous and irresponsible thing you did, youngdy,¡± Helvran told her.

    ¡°I-I know, okay!?¡± she protested, dropping out of her ¡®embarrassed child¡¯ stance and swinging her arms animatedly as she talked. ¡°I already said I¡¯m sorry! But I just¡­ I just¡­¡±

    She suddenly seemed to be on the verge of crying. However, she quickly shook her head and pped herself a few times.

    ¡°No, you can¡¯t cry now, it¡¯s not the time,¡± she mumbled to herself. ¡°Stay strong! Stay strong!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be carrying anything with you,¡± Marcus pointed out. ¡°Did you seriouslye here with just clothes on your back?¡±

    ¡°No, I, uhm, lost my things while I was running from the wasp demons,¡± she said.

    ¡°How did you even survive all this time?¡± Marcus asked.

    ¡°Marcus¡­¡± Helvran warned, giving him an annoyed look. ¡°Ignore him, youngdy, he can be a little strange sometimes.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡± she said, sounding excited at first, but then getting more depressed as she talked. ¡°I can tell you all about it while we walk back home¡­ uhm¡­ not that I have a home anymore¡­¡±

    Marcus stared at her for a few seconds.

    ¡°What?¡± she asked, looking ufortable again. ¡°I said I was sorry, okay?¡±

    ¡°How do you feel about flying?¡± Marcus asked with a smile.

 Chapter 8: Proliferation

    Chapter 8: Proliferation

    It was evening, and Marcus sat next to arge table in one of the many roadside inns scattered around Elora, watching Cricket eat the food he had ordered for her. She had absolutely no table manners, and was ignoring the knife and fork in favor of shoveling meat and potatoes into her mouth by hand, leaving oily smudges all around her face and scattering crumbs of food everywhere.

    The waitress who had brought them food was sitting a few tables away, chatting to a pair of male guests that seemed to be regrs at the establishment. She had to have noticed Cricket¡¯s behavior, but didn¡¯t find it notable or worthmenting on.

    Marcus didn¡¯t bother saying anything, either ¨C the girl had gone through a lot recently, and was clearly starving. Besides, he¡¯d grown up in an orphanage, and had seen no shortage of awful table manners, despite Old Pliny¡¯s attempts to instill some decorum and discipline in his young charges.

    At least she was no longer walking around in torn rags. He and Helvran bought her some new clothes to wear in a nearby town, though she was currently well on her way to dirtying them with grease and random food pieces.

    With how fast she was eating, it was no surprise that she soon found herself staring at the empty food bowl in front of her. The sight seemed to bring her back to reality, and she started studying her surroundings a little more closely.

    ¡°Where is the other guy?¡± she asked Marcus. ¡°The one in ck robes. With the raven.¡±

    ¡°Helvran left to report back to his temple,¡± Marcus told her. ¡°He needs to tell them what happened in that forest.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said, shifting ufortably in her seat. ¡°I¡¯m not in trouble, am I?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Marcus said. They had already questioned her a little on the way back, and it turned out she hadn¡¯t even known there were undead around. She¡¯d only known about the vespids. ¡°He apologizes for leaving so abruptly, but it couldn¡¯t wait. It¡¯s just you and me now.¡±She nodded at that, rxing a little.

    ¡°So, umm, why aren¡¯t you eating?¡± she asked him innocently. ¡°Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡±

    He was about to answer that he was waiting for the food to cool a little, when he noticed how hungry her expression was when looking at his food bowl.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not hungry,¡± he lied, pushing the bowl towards her. ¡°You can have my portion, too.¡±

    She didn¡¯t even pretend to refuse the offer. She quickly pulled it closer to her and started messily devouring it too. After a few seconds of this she froze for a moment, probably realizing she was being a little rude, and muttered a quick thanks before continuing to attack the poor defenseless potatoes.

    ¡°You said you survived by hiding in caves,¡± Marcus said. She nodded silently, not bothering to look up from her food. ¡°Is the cave system around Serpentooth teau really that big?¡±

    ¡°There are tunnels all over the ce,¡± she said, pausing her eating for a moment to answer. ¡°There are lots of slimes living there, but they¡¯re slow and dumb, and it¡¯s easy to avoid them. My father taught me how.¡±

    That was unusual. He knew there were certain ces in the world where the underground tunnel systems had grown so extensive they formed practically their own little world, but from what he knew, they were mostly remnants of old dwarven excavations, which shouldn¡¯t extend this far south. Something very weird was happening here; he was thankful that the Raven Temple were about to take a look at the region. It meant he didn¡¯t have to worry about it.

    Regardless, this must be why Cricket had felt confident about attempting to find her parents in such dangerous wilderness. She knew there was a wealth of hiding ces to take shelter in.

    ¡°The vespids didn¡¯t follow you into the caves?¡± Marcus asked.

    ¡°They did,¡± she said.

    He gave her a curious look. Then how¡­?

    ¡°The slimes are dumb, but the giant wasps are even dumber,¡± she exined, noticing his questioning look. ¡°Loud too. The slimes use their hearing to hunt. How do they do that anyway? They don¡¯t have any ears¡­¡±

    Her voice gradually lowered towards the end, bing a half-audible mumble. She was probably talking to herself, thinking out loud rather than asking him a question, but he heard her clearly anyway.

    ¡°Their jelly-like body shakes slightly when sounds pass through it. Their whole body acts like a giant ear,¡± Marcus said, trying to exin it as simply as he could. Based on her facial expression, he suspected she still didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Anyway, what are your ns now?¡±

    ¡°ns?¡± she asked incredulously, before shoving another potato into her mouth.

    ¡°Don¡¯t have any?¡± Marcus guessed. She shook her head sadly, chewing slowly. ¡°Hmm.¡±

    He didn¡¯t offer to escort her back to her vige and get her house back. He could do it, of course ¨C with his level of power, it would be extremely simple to intimidate the vige into epting her back and returning the house they¡¯d stolen, but then what? He wouldn¡¯t be there all the time, or even most of the time, and she would bepletely at their mercy while he was gone. They might even kill her. He could take revenge, of course, but threats of revenge only worked if you regrly made an example out of people. Marcus didn¡¯t want to walk down that path.

    Besides, how would Cricket support herself in the vige? She was clearly very resourceful and courageous, but perhaps¡­ a little too much. He was dubious about her ability to live on her own without someone to keep her in check.

    ¡°I have a suggestion for you,¡± he told her. ¡°What do you think about going to an orphanage?¡±

    ¡°An orphanage!?¡± she said. She didn¡¯t sound pleased. ¡°But that¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s what my mother used to threaten me with if I didn¡¯t behave! Why would I want to go there? There have to be better options¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really not that bad,¡± Marcus told her, unconcerned with her outburst. ¡°The orphanage I have in mind is the same one I grew up in. It¡¯s not paradise, but I have fond memories of it. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d do fine there.¡±

    She gave him a surprised look. She was probably surprised by his admission of having been an orphan, but she didn¡¯t actually say anything.

    ¡°Umm¡­ why are you so nice to me, anyway?¡± she asked. ¡°You bought me new clothes, gave me food, and you¡¯re now offering to take me to a new home¡­¡±

    ¡°I also rented a room at this inn so you have somewhere to sleep tonight,¡± Marcus added helpfully. ¡°Anyway, the real question is why I even went into the forest to save you. Once I did that, it makes no sense to just walk away without helping you get back on your feet a little. This is all small stuff for me.¡±

    ¡°It sure is nice being a rich and powerful mage,¡± she groused. ¡°Small stuff¡­ but, uh, you never actually answered my question.¡±

    He simply smiled at her knowingly, not saying anything.

    He could have exined that she was an orphan who had done something very courageous, yet also very stupid, and therefore reminded him of his own youth a little, but he had a reputation as a powerful, mysterious and respectable mage to maintain.

    ¡°Fine, you don¡¯t have to tell me,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be ungrateful. This is great! It¡¯s just, uh, a little overwhelming. And kind of weird.¡±

    After a second of ufortable silence, Cricket decided talking was done for now and focused back on what used to be his food with renewed vigor.

    Hmm. He supposed he should let her eat in peace, and there was little reason for him to be here now that his own meal was gone. He rose from his seat, prompting her to stop eating again and throw him a curious look.

    ¡°Have some rest tonight and think about what you want to do. I¡¯lle by in the morning to hear what you¡¯ve decided,¡± he told her.

    ¡°You won¡¯t stay here?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No,¡± he simply said, not exining his reasoning.

    He had grown used to sleeping outdoors over the years, and now sleeping in a bedroom felt a bit strange. He would have to get used to it once he picked a ce to settle down, but for now he would continue to sleep outside on the ground whenever possible.

    ¡°What if something happens?¡± she said, suddenly sounding fearful. ¡°What if someone spirits me away in the night? Like that necromancer you said lives in the woods¡­¡±

    He didn¡¯t expect that out of her. He knew her for less than a day, but she seemed pretty fearless, even reckless. She seemed to be contemting trying to live on her own after this, so it was a bit funny to see her suddenly worried about spending a night alone in a cozy roadside inn.

    Anyway, he thought her sudden concern was pure paranoia, but¡­

    He clenched one of his hands tightly in front of him, closing his eyes and focusing. When he opened his fist, a small milky white butterfly was sitting on his palm, experimentally beating its wings. A soft glow emanated from it.

    He made a throwing motion towards Cricket, and the butterfly immediately took off towards her,nding straight on her nose. The move visibly shocked her, likely dispelling any further fantasies about kidnapping necromancers.

    He let out a brief chuckle. He actually meant to send the butterfly to her shoulder, but butterfly spirits were always so fond of theatrics.

    Cricket waved her hand in front of her face angrily, causing the butterfly to take off again, expertly evading her palms withzy wing ps. This time itnded on her shoulder instead, as Marcus intended.

    ¡°If anything happens to you, tell the butterfly to get help and he¡¯lle and find me,¡± Marcus told her.

    She craned her head to the side, trying to get a better look at the butterfly.

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty,¡± she said. She probably couldn¡¯t see it, but the little spirit preened at thepliment. She gave Marcus a curious stare. ¡°You can fly and make butterflies. Are you a butterfly mage?¡±

    ¡°Ha, no. I¡¯m a tree mage,¡± Marcus exined. ¡°s, tree spells are exceedingly rare, so I learned to do a little bit of everything instead.¡±

    Logically speaking, wood element spells should be quitemon, since wood element affinity showed up rtively frequently among children, and since forests coveredrge sections of the continent, including its entire interior. And yet¡­ wood spells were as rare as hen¡¯s teeth. Marcus only ever found three of them, and all were of very low level and quite disappointing.

    But no matter. The Soul Tree Technique could amodate almost any spell or element, so this was a minor matter.

    In any case, the butterfly sessfully calmed her down, and he doubted she really cared to listen to obscure magical trivia, so he gave her a brief wave. She still seemed a little worried, but a brief look at the butterfly on her shoulder made her take a deep breath and straighten up and put on a dramatic heroic pose.

    The little white butterfly did its best to assume a matching dramatic pose, in its own butterfly way. It would have beenpletely invisible to most people, but to Marcus, who interacted with Celer and other butterfly spirits for years, it was painfully obvious.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve got this,¡± she said, making a shooing motion with her hand. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid anymore! You go and do your thing.¡±

    So Marcus did just that and left.

    * * * *

    When Marcus came back to the inn the next morning, he found Cricket already waiting for him outside the building, impatiently jumping in ce and humming some kind of tune to herself. The white butterfly he¡¯d left with her was still there, flyingzy circles around her.

    She immediately ran towards him when she noticed him approach.

    ¡°Mister Mage!¡± she shouted.

    ¡°Call me Marcus,¡± he told her. He suspected she had forgotten his name, but he wouldn¡¯t hold it against her. ¡°Feeling better already, I see.¡±

    ¡°Yup! I didn¡¯t even realize how tired I was yesterday!¡± she said with a smile. ¡°So, uh, I¡¯ve been thinking¡­¡±

    Marcus raised an eyebrow at her.

    ¡°You said you grew up in this orphanage you want to send me to,¡± she began. Marcus nodded. ¡°And you¡¯re a mage. Does that mean it¡¯s a <em>magic</em> orphanage? Do they teach orphans their magic?¡±

    Marcus was about to tell her there was no such thing as a ¡®magic orphanage¡¯, but then he remembered that some of the smaller adept organizations did in fact run orphanages as their main recruitment method. This was typically due to orphans being perceived as more loyal, due to not having any family loyalties to distract them.

    Marcus was more than a little suspicious of these groups, however. There was usually a good reason why they chose to recruit exclusively from the most desperate and isted pool of candidates.

    ¡°The orphanage doesn¡¯t teach everyone magic, but if you show talent and dedication, you will get sent to a nearby magic academy, just like I was,¡± Marcus told her. The white butterfly finally caught up with Cricket andzilynded on her head. Seeing how its purpose was done, Marcus waved his hand over it, causing it to disappear into a puff of white smoke. ¡°Interested in bing a mage, are we?¡±

    ¡°Um, yes!¡± she said with undisguised enthusiasm.

    ¡°Do you know how to read, at least?¡± Marcus asked. Most mages didn¡¯t even want to hear about teaching an apprentice that was illiterate.

    ¡°Um, yes!¡± she said, shifting ufortably in ce. ¡°There was this old traveling priest who used to visit every once in a while. He taught all the vige children how to read and write. He said I was really good at it! But, uh, it¡¯s been years since hest came to the vige, so I think I¡¯ve gotten kind of rusty¡­¡±

    Marcus didn¡¯tugh, even though he wanted to. He didn¡¯t doubt for a second that Cricket was greatly overselling her literacy, but even spotty reading skills were better than nothing.

    ¡°I¡¯ll speak to Old Pliny when we get to the orphanage. If you¡¯re willing to work hard, I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t mind organizing some extra lessons just for you to get rid of all that rust¡­¡± Marcus told her. He frowned. ¡°Sorry, I guess I¡¯m assuming things. Are you even interested in going to the orphanage or do you want to strike out on your own instead?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ming with you,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°I, uh, can always leave this orphanage if I don¡¯t like it there, right?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Marcus said with a shrug. Old Pliny was not interested in keeping any of the children captive there, not even for their own good.

    And neither was Marcus. He thought Cricket would be foolish to refuse this offer, especially if she hoped to be a mage. Trying to get a mage to teach you as a penniless wanderer with no connections of any kind would require an incredible amount of luck. But, if that¡¯s what she truly wanted, Marcus would not stand in her way.

    This story has been uwfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°I guess there is no harm in checking this out, then,¡± she said. She stared at him for a second. ¡°This is going to sound stupid, but do you think there is any chance my parents are still alive out there somewhere? I¡­ we never found their bodies¡­¡±

    Marcus stared back at her for a full two seconds, thinking about the best way to phrase his answer, but in the end there was really no good way to say this.

    ¡°It¡¯s unlikely,¡± he said. It was harsh, but she seemed like a brave girl. He would give her a straight answer. ¡°If they survived, why wouldn¡¯t theye back for you?¡±

    Of course, once magic got involved, all kinds of things be possible. Maybe her parents were whisked away to another ne of existence, or were transformed into toads by a mischievous fairy, or were frozen in time by a temporal anomaly, or any number of things. But the simplest exnation was usually the true one, even in a world of magic and monsters. Her parents had likely died in that forest, which is why they had never returned.

    Cricket shook her head.

    ¡°Forget it. I knew it was stupid. When do we leave?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Right now, if you¡¯re ready,¡± Marcus said. ¡°You don¡¯t have any problems with me flying us there, right?¡±

    At the mention of flying, Cricket¡¯s expression immediately brightened and became excited. This didn¡¯t surprise Marcus much, considering how much she loved flying yesterday while they were leaving the vespid forest.

    ¡°Can I learn how to fly in that magic orphanage of yours?¡± she asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a magic orphanage. But sure,¡± Marcus said.

    He held the orb of flight in his hand and catapulted them both high into the air.

    * * * *

    There was something uplifting about watching Cricket¡¯s antics as they flew over thends of Elora, watching fields and viges fly past them on the ground below. She twisted and turned left and right, pped her arms like wings, and mimicked various bird sounds. Whatever worries she¡¯d had on ground werepletely forgotten while in the air, enjoying the experience in a way that Marcus had rarely seen in the past.

    Marcus had taken quite a few people into the air over the years, and usually they were terrified or at least found the experience highly stressful. Some people professed to have enjoyed the experience, but none of them visibly showed it like Cricket did. The sort of people Marcus usually interacted with would be mortified to be acting with this kind of childish glee in front of other people.

    Thus far, Marcus had avoided flying so openly in popted areas, trying to keep his arrival at least somewhat secret. However, considering everything that had happened since his arrival in the kingdom, he suspected that everyone who cared to know knew by now that he was back. It was only a matter of time before people started arriving toe and bother him. If so, there was no need to keep a low profile anymore.

    He just hoped that Beortan would find him before anyone else from Great Sea came knocking.

    Flight was a very fast method of travel, and Elora was a small kingdom. Marcus and Cricket arrived at the Willowhill orphanage very quickly, where they caused a minimotion by simply dropping from the sky in the middle of the orphanage garden. He introduced Cricket to Pliny, exining her situation in brief before requesting to speak with him in private.

    This time he sound-proofed the room before sitting down. It would be best if no more rumors surfaced from the orphanage because of overheard snippets of conversation.

    ¡°I must say, I did not expect you to return here so soon after ourst talk, and especially not in such dramatic fashion,¡± Pliny said, sitting down opposite to him. ¡°Surely there was no need to go through all this trouble just to deliver one orphan girl. Were you trying to give the children something to talk about?¡±

    ¡°Maybe. I heard they were spreading quite a few rumors about me after myst visit,¡± Marcus said. ¡°About how I was looking for students and whatnot.¡±

    Pliny sighed. ¡°I should have known the stories would end up reaching you eventually. I promise you this isn¡¯t me trying to pressure you to take a student. The children can get some stunningly harebrained ideas into their heads sometimes. You of all people should know that.¡±

    He gave Marcus a piercing look. Marcus coughed ufortably into his fist.

    ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t care about that rumor because I¡¯ve decided to take your advice and make it a reality,¡± Marcus said. ¡°I will take a few students.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Pliny said, sitting up straighter. ¡°More than one, even?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I am thinking of being a little ambitious,¡± Marcus said.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Pliny said, sounding very pleased. ¡°That is¡­ great to hear, my boy! Very good news indeed!¡±

    The old man rubbed his chin, giving Marcus a spective look.

    ¡°Let me guess. You n to take the new girl as one of these students,¡± he told Marcus knowingly.

    ¡°Err, well, I¡¯m thinking about it,¡± Marcus admitted. ¡°I like her character.¡±

    ¡°Oh dear,¡± Pliny said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything to her yet, though,¡± Marcus warned. ¡°I don¡¯t want her to get a big head about it.¡±

    ¡°I hope she¡¯s just like you,¡± Pliny told him. ¡°That way you¡¯ll know how I felt. And don¡¯t even think about sending her back to me if she turns out to be too much for you to handle. Once you teach a person to bend reality to their will, they be <em>your</em> responsibility, my boy. And with that in mind, I have an important piece of advice for you: don¡¯t ept more than twenty students at once.¡±

    Marcus was taken back at the statement.

    ¡°What? Twenty students? What are you talking about, old man?¡± Marcus asked him, giving Old Pliny an incredulous look.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were feeling ambitious?¡± Old Pliny said, raising an eyebrow at him.

    ¡°Well yes, but I was thinking¡­ I don¡¯t know, five? Maybe six?¡± Marcus replied.

    ¡°Does that include the students that Great Sea and Great Tree will insist that you take?¡± Pliny asked with a smile.

    Damn¡­ the old man was right. If he announced he was taking students, there was no way Great Sea would just stand aside and watch as he took a bunch of orphans under his wing and taught them everything. They would insist on cing at least one student of their own choice under his care, to bind him closer to their organization and keep an eye on him. Great Tree would also be extremely insistent on giving him a student, since that was another avenue for them to acquire his foundational technique.

    He could just rebuff them, of course. He was powerful enough that he could probably get away with it. However, just because they would reluctantly ept it didn¡¯t mean there would be no consequence. It would mean burning down bridges that he was only starting to rebuild. Plus, he had to think about his students. If Great Sea thought he was setting up an independent organization, they might decide to target them covertly.

    ¡°One student from Great Sea, one student from Great Tree, and this Livia girl you¡¯ve just brought here. That¡¯s three people already,¡± Pliny told him. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you have any other friends left in the Silver League after your long absence, but if you do, some of them might alsoe knocking for you to take on their children and rtives under your wing. And your sheer power and status will also be a lure to some people, no matter how poor your reputation is at the moment. In fact, I imagine some of them won¡¯t even care whether you teach their children anything ¨C just the prestige and intimidation value of being able to say they were taught by the famous General Marcus of the First Academy War will be enough for them to offer money and other benefits to you.¡±

    ¡°But you think I shouldn¡¯t ept their offers?¡± Marcus asked.

    ¡°Remember what I told you about Livia ¨C once you teach someone magic, they are your responsibility forevermore,¡± Pliny told him. ¡°If they start killing people, extorting merchants for protection money, or kidnapping innocent vige girls, no one will care that you didn¡¯t personally order them to do any of that. They wille to you for restitution and demand you do something about it. It cannot be any other way ¨C the whole system of the Silver League rests on the idea that adepts will teach their students how to use their powers responsibly, and restrain them if they fail to live up to their teachings. The more students you take on, the more likely it is that you will have to make an enemy out of some of them, perhaps even y them.¡±

    Unbidden, a memory of one of Pliny¡¯s history lessons surfaced in his mind. A story about a small academy founded by an entric spirit manifestation mage.

    Sessa, the founder of the Four Seasons Academy, was a very powerful mage that had some unusual ideas about the best way to teach students. Every four years, he would ept 64 students into his care. At the end of the first year, he would expel half of the students out of the academy and continue teaching the remaining 32. He would then repeat this for the next three years, expelling half of the generation at the end of each year, eventually ending up with only 4 students from the initial 64. These four would then be admitted into the Four Seasons Academy as permanent members.

    The idea was that by continually culling lowest performing students, the academy would be left with only the very best by the end of it. The problem was that this teaching method meant that the academy produced a lot of well trained, highlypetitive mages that were set loose on the surroundingnds. Few of them were willing to retire quietly into obscurity, and they had trouble getting epted into other adept organizations. Many turned to banditry and crime, or just in caused trouble in various ways. Many came to Sessa toin about their actions, but he turned them all away, saying it was not his problem. These people stopped being his students the moment they were thrown out of it, he said, and were never full members of the Four Seasons Academy to begin with.

    When the Silver League was first established, one of their very first joint actions was to dere war on Four Seasons Academy and burn it to the ground. Sessa, despite being one of the most powerful mages of his time, was not powerful enough to stand against thebined might of the entire Silver League, and perished with the rest of his school.

    ¡°I will keep your words very close to my heart,¡± Marcus told Pliny. ¡°How many students do you think I should take?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a hard question, my boy,¡± Pliny told him. ¡°Truthfully, the smartest option would be for you to take on one to three students to start with. However, I have no idea how long this newfound enthusiasm for teaching of yours willst, so I feelpelled to saddle you with as many children as I can.¡±

    Marcus gave him a silent, unamused look. Was that really something the old man should be saying out loud?

    ¡°Eight to twelve should be manageable,¡± Pliny continued. ¡°Go higher than that at your own risk. And, again, under no circumstances let people talk you into taking on more than twenty. That aside, can I presume you intend to test the children here for magical talent andpatibility with your foundational technique?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but not now,¡± Marcus said.

    ¡°It couldn¡¯t be done now, even if you wanted to,¡± Pliny told him in an exasperated tone of voice. ¡°Such a thing takes time to organize. Of course, we should also give some time to Livia to settle in a little before you spring this up on her.¡±

    ¡°Two months from now,¡± Marcus suggested. ¡°How about that?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Pliny agreed. ¡°Remember that you also have to set up supplies and amodations for your new students.¡±

    Right. All these children will have to be housed somewhere. That was important.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a concrete n for that yet, but I will figure something out,¡± Marcus admitted.

    ¡°Don¡¯t wait too long. Two months isn¡¯t that long for something like this. Buildings take a long time to change hands,¡± Pliny advised him. He was silent for a moment, considering something for a few seconds. ¡°Anyway. We¡¯re getting a little ahead of ourselves, I think. I wanted to hear more about Livia, especially since you n to take her as your student. How did you even meet her? It must be quite a story, considering the impression she left on you.¡±

    ¡°It sure is,¡± Marcus agreed. He collected his thoughts for a moment and then started retelling of his recent experiences. ¡°So, I was just minding my own business, trying to find a pair of dead people on the eastern edge of Elora, when I saw this man in a ck robe waiting for me by the road¡­¡±

    * * * *

    After he dropped off Cricket at the orphanage and spent some time talking to Old Pliny, Marcus did the same thing he had thest time he visited the orphanage.

    He went to visit the Sacred Oak and have a chat with him.

    He had browsed his spellbook over and over again in his free time for possible solutions to the soul seed imnted in his soul, and he didn¡¯t find anything particrly useful. Soul magic was rare and restricted, and Marcus was by no means an expert in it.

    He had also meditated on the problem, trying to analyze his own soul for any trace of foreign influence. Nothing jumped out at him. If the Sacred Oak hadn¡¯t told him what was happening, he doubted the truth would have ever urred to him. How can you fix a problem that you cannot even see?

    The tree was still where he had left it. Of course. Not like the oak could move, even if it was highly magical. It stood there in the clearing, branches gently swaying in the wind, beckoning him toe closer.

    ¡°Wee, my child,¡± the Sacred Oak spoke to him. ¡°Have youe to learn the soul seed spell?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯vee to learn the soul seed spell,¡± Marcus replied. Stupid tree. ¡°Don¡¯t be so smug about it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe I¡¯m being smug. It¡¯s simply your imagination,¡± Sacred Oak said. ¡°Though I must admit, I am surprised to see you here so soon. I assumed it would be a few more years before you relented and came here to benefit from my teachings.¡±

    ¡°If I am going to do this, then there is no point in stalling,¡± Marcus said. ¡°Soul magic is hard to research, and I don¡¯t dare tell anyone what is truly going on. It¡¯s likely that even several years from now, I won¡¯t know much more than I do right now.¡±

    Marcus was no longer a young mage advancing by leaps and bound over his peers. While he had high hopes that his journey towards the pinnacle of magic wasn¡¯t done yet, it would likely take him a long time to get to a higher tier of power.

    No, if he wanted to figure this soul thing out, he needed to learn the soul seed spell. Only by learning how to perform it and studying it in action could he hope to untangle what it was really doing to him in turn.

    Although what he was doing was dangerous, and probably hical, Marcus wasn¡¯t someone to agonize over a decision for months or years. He decided to do this, so he might as well seek out the oak now.

    Though there was, of course, more to it than that.

    ¡°Let me ask you something. Are there any conditions for the soul seed technique to be sessfully used on someone?¡± Marcus asked.

    ¡°Yes. Many,¡± Sacred Oak responded. ¡°Strictly speaking, any person who hasn¡¯t achieved the rank of spirit manifestation or equivalent is a valid target. However, anyone who has a good grasp on their soul will be able to sense the intrusion and resist the imntation. Even low-ranking adepts are typically impossible to affect.¡±

    Marcus scoffed internally. He knew it.

    ¡°So this is a spell meant only to be used on people who have no magical training whatsoever, or areplete beginners that have only started their studies,¡± Marcus surmised.

    One of the first things apprentice mages were taught was how to feel and study their own soul, because it was a necessary prerequisite towards virtually every other step in their training. So when the tree said low-ranking, it meant <em>really</em> low-ranking...

    He had already suspected this was the case, but it was nice to have it confirmed.

    ¡°You could always exin things to people and ask for their permission. That would allow you to give your blessing to just about anyone,¡± Sacred Oak helpfully exined. ¡°Though I would be very careful about who you try this on.¡±

    Marcus had no intention of ever exining this to anyone. He had no idea how people would react if they knew what kind of magic he was learning, but it would be very bad. Not just for him, but also for Great Tree Academy, his future students, and anyone else tangentially rted to him.

    ¡°Have <em>you</em> ever tried this on someone?¡± Marcus asked curiously.

    ¡°Oh yes, lots of times. I have lived for a long time, after all. You have to have some excitement every once in a while,¡± Sacred Oak said. ¡°Believe it or not, some people have even sought me out on their own in order to give me their entire life¡¯s work, all that they have ever aplished.¡±

    ¡°Why would they do that?¡± Marcus asked.

    ¡°It depends from person to person. One of them wanted to find a worthy sessor, but could never do so during his lifetime. He made me promise I would pass on his technique and spell to a fitting candidate in the future. The other was a lone survivor of a small academy, sick and dying, who hoped their legacy could rise again one day when the circumstances are right. Another still was remarkably generous, sharing his insights to man and beast alike, and saw nothing wrong with giving me ess to everything he knew.¡±

    ¡°Ah. You¡¯re like a living heritage record!¡± Marcus said.

    ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t think that will work for you,¡± Sacred Oak opined. ¡°Humans, even powerful ones, are notoriously short-lived.¡±

    That was true. Achieving spirit manifestation did prolong one¡¯s life slightly, but that only amounted to a decade or two extra at most. If one wanted to live in perpetuity, they had to ascend to the Outer Heavens.

    Marcus was quiet for a moment, considering things.

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s not drag this out,¡± he eventually said. ¡°Tell me what I must do.¡±

    ¡°Seeing how you¡¯ve practiced the Soul Tree Technique to spirit manifestation and beyond, I imagine you have a pretty good grasp on the logos of grafting, yes?¡± Sacred Oak asked.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Marcus confirmed.

    Grafting was one of the more important concepts contained in the greater idea of the tree. All manner of tree cuttings could be grafted onto a tree, even ones from apletely different species, and the tree would simply incorporate them into itself and keep growing and living. Although many people weren¡¯t aware of it, many domesticated trees were created entirely by grafting two different trees together while they were still just saplings.

    The logos of grafting was the main reason why the Soul Tree Technique could amodate almost any spell or magical ability into itself. As such, Marcus had made sure to study it very closely and incorporate a lot of it into his spiritual foundation.

    ¡°That is good, because it is a prerequisite for this to work correctly,¡± Sacred Oak exined. ¡°Despite being called a soul seed, the whole process is more akin to taking a cutting of your soul tree and grafting it onto another person¡¯s soul¡­¡±

    Sacred Oak continued exining the process to Marcus, taking time to go through the entire process step by step. Of course, a verbal exnation of a spell would not be nearly enough to teach someone to cast it, but an outside record was not necessary when you had a living teacher who knew the spell present.

    Marcus¡¯s soul touched that of the Sacred Oak, allowing him to study the soul seed spell etched upon it. It was one of many thousands of such spells, all glittering on the edge of his perception like a river of stars. A surge of greed for knowledge and magical power urged him to try and steal some of them while he had the opportunity, but he resisted it.

    He focused on the task at hand, instead.

    The whole process took several hours, and at the end of it the tree decided to demonstrate the spell so that Marcus could see how it was done.

    Before Marcus could say anything, Sacred Oak sent a tiny glowing mote, otherwise invisible to anyone not connected to the tree like Marcus, into a squirrel climbing along its branches. The mote sank harmlessly into the squirrel, who seemedpletely unaware anything had even happened. Marcus was able to study the whole thing closely, and the process did help exin the exact mechanics of the spell to him, but something bothered him about this¡­

    ¡°You just tore away a piece of your soul and stuffed it into a squirrel,¡± Marcus told the tree. ¡°I know it¡¯s just a tiny piece, but isn¡¯t this a horrific waste? How long will it take you to recover from that?¡±

    ¡°No creature, no matter how simple, is truly without any insights to offer,¡± Sacred Oak chided him. ¡°As for your question¡­ why don¡¯t you try it out yourself and see what happens?¡±

    Marcus gave it a suspicious look, but the tree said nothing. Could it even see his facial expressions? Surely it could. He wasn¡¯t sure, but he thought he noticed it react to his bodynguage during their earlier exchanges, so it surely had some way to visually perceive the world. It knew the shapes of their¡¯s continents, for instance.

    Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he closed his eyes and focused inward, perceiving his soul tree in as much detail as he could. He spoke the chant taught to him by the Sacred Oak in a low tone of voice, carefully performing every step of the spell, and then stopped. After a moment of hesitation, he mentally reached towards one of the smaller branches of his soul tree, barely even a twig¡­ and snapped it off.

    There was a brief pang of pain, and a feeling of lessening that inevitably came with losing a part of your soul, but nothing, <em>nothing</em> like the pain and agony he had felt in the past whenever he tried something like this.

    He opened his eyes, giving Sacred Oak a bewildered look.

    ¡°What¡­ is this?¡± he asked the tree. A tiny mote of light floated in between his hands, though it would be invisible to anyone but Marcus, if any bystanders were present.

    He felt he could do this¡­ many times. Many, <em>many</em> times.

    ¡°Just how many soul seeds can you create?¡± he asked the Sacred Oak, a realization growing in his mind.

    ¡°I make hundreds of them every single year,¡± the tree said. ¡°Not just for Great Tree Academy, but also for the nearby vigers that pay homage for me, curious travelers that try to pray for luck, and so on. A single squirrel¡­ is barely a perceptible loss. Though I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to do it nearly as frequently as me for quite some time.¡±

    Marcus stared at the soul mote dancing in his hands. He only realized after a few seconds he had stopped breathing at some point. Not because the process was so stressful, far from it, but for the sheer realization of what kind of power he now wielded.

    He definitely had to keep this a secret at all costs.

 Chapter 9: Shadows of the Ancients

    Chapter 9: Shadows of the Ancients

    After finishing his meeting with Sacred Oak, Marcus went off deeper into the Eloran wilderness and found a secluded spot on the bank of a small river to sit down and think. The spot he picked was a nice patch of grass situated in the shade of a willow tree, and suspiciously free of any weeds or rocks, so Marcus suspected this was a secret fishing spot for some nearby viger. Still, they weren¡¯t here now, and Marcus would hopefully be long gone by the time anyone else came here.

    Although the talk with the ancient tree had left him somewhat shaken, he found his mood improving quickly. He was in no immediate danger, and the day was quite nice. The sun shone brightly on the riverbank, lessened to just the right brightness by the branches of the willow beside him, and the bird calls that surrounded him were a pleasant kind of noise. The kind that drowned out annoying thoughts and helped him rx.

    The mosquitos would normally be a problem, but his magic warded them away.

    Entranced by the scenery, Marcus let his mind wander and began to wave his hands in front of him, his palms and fingers shifting from one mystic gesture to another. At first, nothing really happened, but then the dust and loose gravel around him began to fly into the air and converge into a floating ball of earth in front of him.

    It wasn¡¯t really a spell. It was instead a kind of instinctual application of mana borne out of a lifetime of repetition and practice. This kind of magic was sometimes developed into legitimatebat moves and useful magic abilities by various adept traditions, but mages like Marcus typically only used them as shaping exercises ¨C a way for them to practice their control over mana and gain insight into various logos, which they could thenter use to learn and cast actual spells.

    Marcus was actually really bad at this sort of thing. His soul was powerful and well suited for spell casting, but he had no elemental affinity whatsoever. His foundational technique also didn¡¯t help here, as the Soul Tree Technique wasn¡¯t particrly great at anything specific. People who excelled in this kind of unstructured magic were usually elemental specialists or bloodline users who focused heavily on one specific type of magic. Marcus was instead more like a magpie, collecting every shiny new spell he encountered, no matter how disconnected and ipatible it was with the rest of his arsenal.

    Still. Marcus was a powerful mage with a powerful soul, so his unstructured magic capabilities were no joke. He continued umting loose earth into a ball in front of him, streams of dust converging into it from all directions, until it was a little smaller than his own head. Then, his gestures shifted, and instead of earth he started telekically picking up droplets of water from the river to add them to the sphere.

    He wanted to create ayer of water on top of the soil, but that proved to be harder than he thought it would be, because the loose material kept absorbing the water. Instead of a sphere of earth surrounded by water, he got an ugly muddy sphere.

    After adding some more water into the mess, he suddenly stopped gesturing. Tiny droplets of water hung still in the air, as the sphere of mud kept floating in front of him, even as his arms dropped to his side. He frowned. This wasn¡¯t going to work.He flicked his hand dismissively in front of him, and the mud sphere wasunched away from him and into the center of the river, where it entered the water with a massive ssh. Marcus watched the ripples spread across the river surface for a while, took a deep breath, and then started waving his hands again.

    This time, he didn¡¯t just lump the soil he levitated together into a loose ball. Instead, hepacted the dust and soil as he worked, hardening it and gradually turning it into something more akin to stone. He then added a few actual rocks and pebbles and formed a stone crust over the sphere, and <em>then</em> started adding the water, picking up water droplets from the river again and adding it to the sphere. Some of it still got absorbed by the rock, but enough stayed that he managed to create ayer of water on top of it. He carefully raised and deformed some of the rocky crust of the sphere upward, creating tiny inds and continents that jutted out of the wateryer, and then heated some of the water droplets until they turned into steam. He separated that steam into tiny clumps, streams, and vortices and set them dancing just above the surface of the sphere.

    With the final flip of his hand, he set the sphere in motion, causing it to spin in ce, and leaned back to admire his work. His very own miniature¡­ should he add anything else?

    Unbidden, the vision he experienced some time ago forced itself to the forefront of his consciousness, demanding to be remembered. The memory of the copsing oveid itself onto theary sculpture in front of him, and he found his creation suddenly crumbling, breaking up, imploding¡­

    Marcus sent the mini hurtling through the air and into the center of the river, where it met the same fate as his earlier failed creation. He stared at the expanding ripples for a moment, and then shook his head to clear it. He had distracted himself long enough.

    He took a potion bottle out of his pocket and stared at it contemtively. To anyone else, the bottle would appear to be empty. However, Marcus could clearly see a tiny ghostly mote of light bobbing up and down in the containment field of the magical bottle. It was the soul seed he had made under the Sacred Oak¡¯s tutge.

    The soul seed in his hand represented an immense potential for power. Not just in the sense it was a nigh-undetectable spy device, but also in the sense that the spell allowed him to rtively painlessly separate pieces of his own soul. In his estimation, recovering the loss inflicted by this one soul seed should take him¡­ about two weeks, at most. And in the meantime, his power was very slightly lessened, but he was overall mostly just as capable as he always was. That was unreal. Usually that threw a mage¡¯s entire inner core into turmoil, severed their attunement to some or all of their spells, made their thoughts sluggish, and vented part of their mana reserves into the local environment. In the immediate aftermath, a mage was unable to cast anything but the simplest of spells, and a full recovery took months toplete. Comparing all of that with what happened when creating a soul seed, the difference was like night and day¡­ and Marcus had a strong suspicion that any ritual or magic item that required a piece of the caster¡¯s soul would readily ept a soul seed in its stead. They might even work <em>better</em> that way.

    Additionally, the ease with which Marcus could make soul seeds meant that ¡®expanding his soul tree outwards¡¯ as Sacred Oak put it, would be a lot quicker and easier than Marcus thought it would be. He thought he would be able to imnt two or three of these a year, and at the cost of his own immediate advancement¡­ but now, he understood that he could hand these out at the rate of twenty to forty a year without really impacting himself much.

    Marcus had initially doubted this spell would do much for him, since it was unlikely he would get much out of people below the rank of spirit manifestation, and it was impossible to predict whether someone could reach spirit manifestation at the start of their career. Even with all the natural talent in the world and with the best teachers money could buy, betting on a specific student to reach that far amounted to gambling.

    But if you could bet on forty people each year, well¡­ that was a lot of chances to get it right.

    That aside, he was wondering what to do with the soul seed in the bottle. ording to Sacred Oak, a soul seed would wither and die if not attached to a soul within a day or two of creation. Marcus didn¡¯t want to imnt it into some random passerby, but he also didn¡¯t just want to waste it¡­ this was a piece of his soul, for heaven¡¯s sake!

    He shifted the bottle in his hand for several seconds, at a loss for what to do, when he suddenly realized he could always do what his tree teacher did and put it into an animal. He had criticized the tree for it, but knowing what he knew now¡­ he kind of liked the idea. It would allow him to study the effects of the spell on something inconsequential before he used it on an actual human being.

    For the next few minutes, Marcus walked along the riverbank, looking at various animals he encountered. Perhaps it was his change in behavior, or the way he was looking at things, but the animals that had been mostly ignoring him until now suddenly became skittish and quiet. Even the cacophony of birds singing around the riverbank lessened around him as he walked. He considered a stork, a deer, and an otter, but they all fled from him as soon as they noticed him and he didn¡¯t feel like chasing after them.

    Finally, he spotted a river turtle resting on one of the stones next to a river. It also tried to escape him as soon as he approached, but it was too slow, and he managed to flip it on its back with a wind spell before it could dive into the water. He quickly picked it up by the sides of its shell, and then retreated back to his spot under the willow to perform the magic in rtive peace.

    He studied the river turtle as he walked, noting that it seemed to be in good health. It was just a simple animal without a hint of spirit, but Marcus could swear it was ring at him when he peered into the depths of its shell, where it had retreated to after he caught it.

    The turtle was a great choice, he felt. Turtles were famously long-lived and notmon prey animals, so the soul seed should have plenty of time to root itself into its soul. On top of that, if he simply ced it on its back, it would be unable to get away from him and escape, so he could focus on the magic without worrying how to restrain the beast.

    However, the moment he approached his spot under the willow, an alternative option suddenly ur to him. He stopped in his tracks, turtle still held in front of him, and stared at therge willow tree.

    He could just¡­ imnt the soul seed into another tree. Wouldn¡¯t that be even better than a turtle? The willow in front of him was also very long-lived, unlikely to be eaten any time soon, and surely verypatible with this sort of magic¡­

    He nced at the turtle in his hand, and then at the willow, torn by indecision. Finally, after several seconds, he realized: why not both?

    He had just marveled at how easy and painless it was to create soul seeds. What was stopping him from creating another right here and now? Two research subjects were better than one, right?

    Half an hourter, Marcus watched one very annoyed turtle jump into the river and swim away, unaware that it had just be a host of his soul fragment. To his right, the willow looked unchanged, but it too had be a branch of his soul tree.

    Marcus didn¡¯t sense anything from either of them. ording to Sacred Oak, this was perfectly normal, as it took time for the soul seed to integrate itself into a host soul. The tree was vague about how long that would take, so Marcus suspected it might be a while. That said, one of the few soul magic spells that Marcus had learned in his travels was a tracking spell that allowed him to sense parts of his soul, regardless of distance or obstacles between them. It was originally intended for tracking down lost spellbooks and other magic items made out of caster¡¯s soul, but soul seeds were also valid targets. Casting that spell allowed Marcus to track the turtle underwater as it sped away from him, so at the very least he knew that the imntation process was a full sess.

    Now all he could do was wait.

    * * * *

    Marcus had something of a n for the next few days. He was going to wander around rural Elora, visiting various viges and checking them out for a good ce to settle down in and build his academy. It should be a ce with lots of room to grow, with ess to plenty of trees, and somewhat isted so that people couldn¡¯t bother him and his students too easily. But other than that, he didn¡¯t have anything specific in mind. Some mages invested a lot of attention in calcting a proper location for their home, taking into ount things like the flow of geomantic leylines, historical significance, alignment of the stars, and so on. But Marcus felt most of that was meaningless, so he didn¡¯t bother. Besides, most of the good spots were already taken, especially in Elora, and he couldn¡¯t just walk in and take over.

    All of that turned out to be meaningless, however, because before he could begin his search, a snow griffonnded next to the orphanage. Someone hade for him.

    Marcus looked at the creature from the safety of the orphanage building, taking note of its greyish fur decorated with leopard-like spots, its long fluffy tail, and its owl-like head, and let out an audible sigh of relief. Out of all the possibilities, this was the best one. Griffons were very widespread across Tasloa, but they came in a wide array of different types and subspecies. Snow griffons like this one were a rare sight, found only on the highest mountain peaks and teaus. There was really only one person Marcus could imagine owning this kind of griffon.

    By the time he approached the creature, Beortan had already dismounted, and was rummaging inside the leather bags strapped to the griffon¡¯s side in search of something. The man quickly turned when he sensed Marcus approaching and the two stared at each other for a second.

    Beortan was a tall, imposing-looking man. He had a short, neatly-trimmed beard, thick bushy eyebrows, and a wide-shouldered build. His ck hair was long, but tied into a tight bun on top of his head. Despite being an elder of the Great Sea academy like Marcus, he eschewed current academy fashions and instead wore a primitive-looking outfit made out of beast furs, with a steel dagger prominently disyed on his belt. Marcus had heard some say back in the Great Sea that Beortan was a typical example of the mountain barbarian tribesman, but Marcus had visited some of those mountain tribes. Even by their standards, Beortan was a particrly intimidating figure.

    Marcus cleared his throat and began to speak.

    ¡°First, let me begin by saying that-¡°

    ¡°Save it,¡± Beortan told him curtly.

    Marcus hesitated, not sure how to react to that. He nced at the snow griffon waiting patiently beside them, and the beast stared back at him unflinchingly with its bright yellow eyes, its emotions inscrutable.

    Beortan snorted at him derisively. ¡°Let¡¯s just say I¡¯ve had to suffer a lot of embarrassment thanks to you and leave it at that. I was rightly furious at you when I heard you fled like a dog with a tail between its legs, but after a while¡­ eh. What¡¯s done is done. Just don¡¯t do this again, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Marcus agreed uncertainly. He expected Beortan to be way madder than this. He certainly would be, in his ce.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Beortan suddenly said. ¡°Are you alright now?¡±

    ¡°Hm? What do you mean?¡± Marcus asked, confused.

    ¡°Are you still upset at your loss?¡± Beortan pressed.

    ¡°Oh. No, not anymore,¡± Marcus said, shaking his head.

    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Beortan said, nodding. He sighed, casting his gaze upwards for a moment, as if offering a prayer to the gods. ¡°Marcus, Marcus¡­ what am I going to do with you, my battle brother? We could have used you in thest war, you know?¡±

    ¡°I heard,¡± Marcus said.

    ¡°Well, like I say, there is nothing to it now. What¡¯s done is done,¡± Beortan shrugged. He pointed at the snow griffon patiently watching them in silence. ¡°Hop on. We have a lot of work ahead of us.¡±

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Marcus frowned.

    ¡°To Great Sea,¡± Beortan told him. ¡°We can talk while we fly.¡±

    Marcus greatly preferred his orb of flight to animal mounts. It was faster and didn¡¯t have a mind and desires of its own. However, he knew Beortan was very proud of his griffon and didn¡¯t want to offend him, so he reluctantly climbed on top of the beast¡¯s back.

    Soon, they were flying high over Elora, traveling south. The Great Sea Academy was situated on one of therger inds in the Harpy Archipgo, and couldn¡¯t be reached except by ship or via flight. And going there by ship was no easy feat, either ¨C the inds of the archipgo were all surrounded by steep cliffs, and the sea was treacherous and full of dangerous reefs and shallows that could easily sink a ship. Flying was actually the easiest way to reach the Great Sea Academy.

    This was not unusual for Great Academies. They were all founded on ces rich in natural magic, where powerful magical creatures and nts were abundant, and there was plenty of ambient mana for training apprentices and creation of magical items. They guarded their immediate territory jealously, driving off all unaffiliated outsiders, regardless whether they were mundane citizens of nearby kingdoms or adepts looking to encroach on their territories. As a result, all of them were surrounded by dangerous wilderness and somewhat difficult to approach.

    Such istion also made the academies hard to besiege and assault by mundane kingdoms that surrounded them ¨C something that resulted in the academies dominating local polities around them, eventually turning most of them into mere vassals and puppets.

    ¡°How is the situation at Great Sea?¡± Marcus asked Beortan as they flew over the ocean.

    ¡°Could be better,¡± Beortan answered. ¡°My tribe is unaffected, but other minor powers took a beating.¡±

    ¡°Let me rephrase that¡­ will I be attacked the moment I step into the city?¡± Marcus rified.

    Beortan was quiet for a second.

    Well, that wasn¡¯t very reassuring.

    ¡°Beortan?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You know, I was mad when you just left without saying so much as a word to me, but considering what happened to Gnaeus in the end, maybe it¡¯s a good idea you disappeared for a while. I just wish it wasn¡¯t for six damn years¡­¡± Beortan grumbled.

    Marcus frowned. Gaius and Marcus weren¡¯t the only ones who nominated themselves for academy leadership in the aftermath of the Academy War. There was a third man who did so called Gnaeus. Marcus never took him particrly seriously, but Gnaeus came from a respected background and had his supporters. He received more votes than Marcus in the end, so one could argue he was a biggerpetitor to Gaius than Marcus was.

    ¡°What happened to him?¡± Marcus asked.

    ¡°Gaius had him assassinated,¡± Beortan said. ¡°Well, we don¡¯t know for sure it was Gaius, but who else could it be?¡±

    ¡°A lot of people,¡± Marcus said. Gnaeus was notorious for his brutality towards his enemies¡­ and he had lots of enemies, both inside and outside the academy. ¡°I hate to defend Gaius, but I imagine a lot of people would want to kill that man.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but no one was punished for it,¡± Beortan said. ¡°You¡¯d think Gaius would want to clear his name and find the culprit if he hadn¡¯t done it. Yet he only did a token investigation and quickly swept the whole thing under the rug.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Marcus said, humming.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be immediately attacked, or even that Gaius will brazenly order your death,¡± Beortan said. ¡°However, I do think it would be convenient for him if you died, so if someone tried to eliminate you¡­ well, it costs him nothing to sit back and watch to see if they seed. I would be very careful about picking fights in the future if I were you.¡±

    He continued conversing with Beortan for a while, catching up with the various events that had urred in his absence. Beortan had spent a lot of time travelling and in his tribalnds, so his knowledge of happenings in the Great Sea Academy was somewhat spotty, but obviously way better than anyone Marcus had spoken to so far. He was a genuine elder, after all, and one that had achieved a spirit manifestation rank too. His influence was not trivial.

    ¡°Ha ha, your information is outdated, brother Marcus!¡± Beortanughed self-indulgently. ¡°I am no longer just a lowly spirit manifestation adept! In the six years you have been absent, I have already ascended to the Unification Stage! You¡¯re going to have to treat me as your senior now!¡±

    Marcus quietly stared at him, wondering what to tell him. He usually undersold his abilities, but it didn¡¯t feel right to deceive Beortan in particr.

    The man noticed his strange silence and his gloating smile quickly fell from his face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± he began.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, junior brother Beortan,¡± Marcus told him with a small smile. ¡°You¡¯re still one step behind me.¡±

    Beortan uttered a loud, lengthy curse.

    ¡°I hate you,¡± he told Marcus, ring at him. ¡°How are you advancing so fast? The heavens made a mistake.¡±

    ¡°Gathering a variety of experiences all over the world is good for your inner growth,¡± Marcus told him.

    ¡°And what do you think I do with my time? Sit on my ass all day and look at the clouds? Hmph,¡± Beortan said sourly. ¡°I expect your help when it¡¯s time for me to ascend again.¡±

    ¡°You think you can make it?¡± Marcus asked curiously.

    ¡°If you can do it, why can¡¯t I?¡± Beortan challenged. After seeing that Marcus didn¡¯t object to this argument, he immediately calmed down a little. ¡°By the way, Gaius has also ascended to sixth rank mage.¡±

    Marcus visibly flinched at the news. What¡­ how? Beortan he could understand ¨C his friend was already a spirit manifestation mage when Marcus left into exile, and was known to be very talented and driven. But Gaius was just a foundation mage when Marcus left. Even with the resources of the entire Great Sea academy supporting him¡­

    ¡°Ascension through the ranks seems to be somewhat easier thesest few years,¡± Beortan told him. ¡°It¡¯s nothing extreme, but there are a lot of new spirit adepts walking about these days, even in minor powers, and people have taken notice. There doesn¡¯t seem to be anything obvious causing it. People are saying it¡¯s the will of heavens. What do the heavens think we need all these spirit adepts for, I wonder¡­¡±

    ¡°The portals, maybe¡­?¡± Marcus guessed.

    ¡°So you¡¯ve heard about that,¡± Beortan said. ¡°I don¡¯t know. There was a huge surge of new portal openings a while ago, but it seems to have been a one-time event. I don¡¯t know what to make of it.¡±

    Eventually, the snow griffon approached the Harpy Archipgo and the conversation died down due to ack of topics.

    The archipgo really was strange, Marcus thought, unlike any other ind chains he had seen in his wanderings. It had many inds, and most of them were tall and oval-shaped, and surrounded by sharp vertical cliffs. It was like a collection of giant pirs rising out of the sea. Only a few ¡®normal¡¯ inds with gentle sloping coasts scattered among the garden of rock, looking almost like imposters. And there, in the center of it all, was a single mind-bogglingly high pir of stone rising into the sky, absolutely dwarfing all of the other inds around it. Legend had it that this giant pir-ind was a tower that fell from the sky in the distant past, and originated from another world. Marcus wasn¡¯t sure what to make of that story, since the ¡®tower¡¯ didn¡¯t look particrly artificial, but he had to admit there was something unnatural about it. Even by the standards of Harpy Archipgo itself.

    As they entered the archipgo, Marcus spotted small ck shapes flying in the distance, clearly trailing them but keeping their distance. With his magically-enhanced eyesight, Marcus could see they were harpies ¨C the winged female humanoids that gave the archipgo its name. They were the original inhabitants of the archipgo, before the ancestors of Great Sea Academy came here and imed the inds. Even now, the harpies effectively controlled most of the inds, since their flight allowed them to inhabit the omnipresent cliffs which dominated the region.

    Their rtionship with humans was¡­plicated. But Marcus doubted they would attack them.

    They soon approached Great Sea Academy itself. It was located on thergest of the normal inds in the archipgo ¨C outsiders often expected it to be located on thergest pir ind, since it was the archipgo¡¯s most prominent feature, but that ce was considered too dangerous. Even the harpies avoided settling there.

    The snow griffon approached the ind carefully, circling it once to make sure the defenders knew they wereing. The Great Sea Academy wasrge and majestic ¨C much more impressive than theparatively tiny Great Tree Academy. The building was shaped like a giant sprawling castle, built from sparkling white stone that never seemed to get dirty, and with a great many towers jutting from it. The roofs were bright blue and very vividly-colored, and asionally a ghostly multicolored outline of a magical shield enclosing the academy could be seen flickering over it as the multitude of wards protecting it interacted with the bountiful ambient mana that suffused the archipgo.

    The academy even had a full-sized city attached to it. It was called Adria, and it housed not only all the students and apprentices that attended the academy, but also all the mundane servants and the various supporting industries necessary to maintain thefortable existence of mages here. Most of Adria¡¯s citizens weren¡¯t adepts of any kind, nor were they official members of the Great Sea Academy. There was still a lot of prestige in living here, and Marcus knew from experience that they even tended to look down on actual academy apprentices and students if they judged them to be too low in status for their tastes.

    Beortan didn¡¯t seem to be going for the academy building itself, and instead directed the griffon tond on the outskirts of Adria. There was a small stable there that seemed to house several other griffons and other flying beasts like giant swans, and Beortan handed his snow griffon over to the people there to take care of while they were on the ind. He seemed to have done this often in the past, because the staff knew who he was and asked very few questions.

    Marcus didn¡¯t say anything for the most part ¨C he just dismounted the griffon and followed Beortan¡¯s lead. He wasn¡¯t used to this kind of riding, so his legs felt all weak and wobbly for a few minutes afterwards.

    ¡°My orb of flight is so much cooler than this,¡± he mumbled to himself.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Beortan asked him, frowning.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Marcus waved him off. ¡°I thought you were taking me to the academy.¡±

    ¡°I am, but I managed to convince them you¡¯d be tired after a long journey and that you¡¯d need to rest for a day before you could meet them,¡± Beortan told him. ¡°They probably saw through me, but they didn¡¯t seem bothered. They¡¯ve waited for six years already, so what¡¯s one more day?¡±

    Beortan turned around and walked away in the direction of the city, motioning with his hand for Marcus to follow after him.

    ¡°So where are we really going?¡¯¡± Marcus asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to meet your remaining supporters,¡± Beortan said.

    ¡°I still have some supporters?¡± Marcus asked, greatly surprised.

    ¡°Very few, but yes,¡± Beortan said, not bothering to turn around. Marcus sped up his pace so he could catch up to him and walk beside him. ¡°There is me, of course, and also Publius ¨C that old librarian you worked for during your apprenticeship. There is also this one-armed warrior adept called Fabius who ims he served under you during the First Academy War and still remembers you fondly. And finally, there is one person that you¡¯ve never met until today.¡±

    ¡°A person I¡¯ve never met¡­¡± Marcus repeated slowly. ¡°Why would they be a supporter of me, then?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Beortan said mysteriously. ¡°He¡¯ll exin it to you better than me, so just be patient until we get there.¡±

    ¡®There¡¯ turned out to be a very familiar and nostalgic ce for Marcus. It was an old library where Marcus had been assigned to work as a helper during his time as a student at the Great Sea Academy. Back then, the ce was a run-down wreck on the verge of copse, run by an old mage called Publius who seemed to have given up on both maintaining the ce properly and his own life in general.

    Today, the ce looked clean and intact, and Marcus saw plenty of people going in and out of it as he and Beortan approached. Apparently the meeting he was about to participate in was going to happen here of all ces.

    ¡°Publius is your most zealous supporter,¡± Beortan exined. ¡°Even more so than me. Not long after you left a bunch of anonymous attackers painted the entire wall of the library with insults and threats, but he didn¡¯t let that stop him for arguing in your favor to anyone who would listen. He¡¯s just an average mage too, not a powerhouse like you and me, so that took real courage if you ask me¡­¡±

    Marcus sighed internally. ¡°He didn¡¯t have to do any of that. I wish he didn¡¯t risk his life for something pointless like this.¡±

    ¡°Clearly he didn¡¯t think it was pointless,¡± Beortan pointed out. ¡°Let¡¯s go in and meet your fans.¡±

    * * * *

    Once inside, they were quickly found by Publius, who¡­ looked even older than Marcus remembered. Publius had been an old man already when Marcus met him as a young student, and was now in his eighties, and it showed. His skin was heavily wrinkled and covered in dark splotches, and his movements were slow and shaky. Despite this, the man¡¯s eyes lit up the moment he saw Marcus and he loudly greeted him and started bombarding him with various questions.

    Marcus knew why Publius was acting this way. It was Marcus who had helped the old man renovate his library and saved his family from bankruptcy, so he definitely felt he deserved some good will from the old man¡­ but he didn¡¯t expect the old man¡¯s gratitude to be this strong.

    ¡°You will have to forgive the rest of my family, Master Marcus,¡± Publius said sadly. ¡°They-¡°

    ¡°Forget it. I know how it is,¡± Marcus told him, waving him off. ¡°I won¡¯t hold it against them.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Yes. I knew you would understand,¡± Publius said, nodding. ¡°I am old and I don¡¯t care what they do to me, but they have to think of their future. This room is secluded enough. Sit down and I will call the other two over.¡±

    The room they were in was a very simple one, probably intended for group reading sessions, and featured onerge oval table with a number of chairs surrounding it. Marcus and Beortan sat down, but didn¡¯t have to wait long before Publius returned with two more people.

    One of them was a smiling muscr man who was missing one arm. A toothpick stuck out of his mouth, and although he didn¡¯t give Marcus any enthusiastic greetings, he did give him a good-natured wave with his one good arm. Marcus remembered this Fabius fellow. He was one of his more reliable soldiers during the war, and he felt he was very fair to him ¨C and to all men and women who served under him during that time ¨C but he didn¡¯t think he had done anything special to deserve his gratitude.

    He turned his attention to the other man. He was a proud-looking man dressed in a simple-looking, yet clearly expensive ck robe made out of finest silk. He carried a staff in his hand, tipped with a small sculpture of some kind of monstrous aquatic creature, he waspletely bald, and he sported a long ck beard.

    His dress and mannerisms suggested that he saw himself as powerful, but he was not a spirit manifestation mage. He was alsopletely unfamiliar to Marcus, so he assumed this was the mysterious ¡®supporter¡¯ he was yet to meet.

    Unlike Fabius, who immediately picked a seat opposite of Marcus and Beortan and sat down, the unknown man stopped in the middle of the room and bowed slightly towards them. Or, Marcus realized, towards him specifically.

    ¡°Greetings, Master Marcus,¡± the man said. ¡°I am Risid Gardhelm, though the locals call me Calvus, so you may too. I am the High Priest of the Temple of Dark Waters.¡±

    Marcus gave Calvus a long, scrutinizing look. Temple of Dark Waters¡­ that was an interesting name for an organization. Unlike mage academies and other adept organizations, priests didn¡¯t have any kind of minor organization coexisting with them. There were only three Temples allowed to openly operate on the ¨C the Temple of the Illuminated Pantheon, The Raven Temple, and the Temple of the Sun and the Moon. Any heretics attempting to found a new ¡®temple¡¯ were quickly destroyed as soon as they were found.

    This was because all Temples were backed by one or more actual gods, and they didn¡¯t toleratepetition. After the first abyssal incursion, the Illuminated Pantheon strong-armed all the neutral gods into joining them, and killed off any who would not ept their offer.

    Since then, any new temples were either demon-worshipping cults in disguise, or dedicated to alien gods of distant worlds, and the Illuminated Pantheon tolerated neither.

    ¡°I understand the look in your eyes,¡± Calvus said, joining the others around the table. ¡°Let me assure you that I will bring you no trouble with the established temples. We have permission for what we do from the Illuminated Pantheon.¡±

    ¡°How can that be possible?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°Why would they make an exception for you?¡±

    ¡°Although we are called a temple, the god we worship is already dead,¡± Calvus exined. ¡°We draw power from his corpse, which lies on the bottom of the ocean in a nearby sea trench.¡±

    Marcus didn¡¯t know what to say to that. What an¡­ interesting deity to worship.

    ¡°Although they¡¯re strange, Temple of Dark Waters is an old organization and the Illuminated Temple has known about them for centuries and never acted against them,¡± Beortan told him. ¡°Whatever trouble Calvus brings your way, it won¡¯t be due to heresy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not here to bring trouble,¡± Calvus assured him. ¡°In fact, I am here simply to introduce myself and express a desire for friendship. That is all.¡±

    Marcus raised an eyebrow at him.

    ¡°Yes, really,¡± Calvus said, nodding seriously.

    Marcus rubbed his forehead, saying nothing for a moment. He looked around the table, studying the group in front of him. Fabius was pouring himself another ss of wine from the bottle Publius had brought in on the meeting, and seemed to be barely listening to the conversation.

    ¡°Before we go any further,¡± Marcus began, ¡°I just want to say I have no intention in involving myself in academy politics anymore. That chapter of my life is done as far as I¡¯m concerned. So if you¡¯re hoping for some kind of benefits by associating with me, I would really reconsider.¡±

    ¡°Eh, don¡¯t be so serious,¡± Fabius said, taking a sip of wine and leaning back in satisfaction. ¡°This is just a meeting between friends. I don¡¯t know about the others, but I¡¯m here to meet my oldmander and hear if he had some interesting stories to tell to an old soldier. Figured you might also need some help after being absent for so long. I know I have only one arm left, but I¡¯m pretty handy with things. Instead of worrying that we¡¯ll ask for favors, why don¡¯t you tell us if there is something <em>we</em> can do for <em>you</em>. That¡¯s what we¡¯re here for, after all.¡±

    Marcus thought about it. Well, there was one thing they could possibly help with¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m currently mostly preupied with finding a suitable ce to buy and reorganize into a small academy,¡± he told them. ¡°I am nning to take on some students, and I need a ce to house and teach them. If you know a suitable ce, I¡­ would¡­¡±

    He trailed off when he noticed everyone except Calvus was sitting straighter and looking at him in surprise.

    ¡°What?¡± he protested, annoyed. ¡°It¡¯s really not that strange that I¡¯m taking on students, is it?¡±

    ¡°Ahem,¡± Fabius suddenly cleared his throat. ¡°Actually, General, I happen to have a son that ising of age soon and he has always looked up to you¡­¡±

    ¡°Master Marcus,¡± Publius said, ¡°my great-granddaughter has recently been tested by the academy and they found she has great innate talent for magic¡­¡±

    ¡°Marcus, my battle brother¡­¡± Beortan began.

    ¡°Beortan, you¡¯re a sixth rank mage, why would you need me to-¡° Marcus began.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t snub your best friend who has stayed loyal to you throughout all these years of absence, would you?¡± Beortan asked him in a grave tone of voice.

    Marcus nced at Calvus, but the man seemed to have no intention of saying anything. He looked calm and stoic, but Marcus could see hints of amusement dancing in his eyes.

    ¡°Please¡­¡± he begged. ¡°One at a time¡­ stop speaking over each other and talk to me one at a time¡­¡±

 Chapter 10: Laurels

    Chapter 10: Laurels

    It took a lot of time for Marcus to convince the gathered men to leave the issue alone. He was still setting things up, he said, so nothing was certain. Not to mention, he still needed to test these children before he would even consider teaching them. They epted this, begrudgingly, but Marcus knew this wasn¡¯t over. This was just a stalling tactic on his part, and Beortan, at least, would be hard to refuse.

    He was really surprised that Beortan wanted him to take someone from his n as his student. He was an extremely powerful mage himself, and the technique practiced by his White Dragon n was an ancient legacy not inferior to the Soul Tree Technique in any way. Why would he not simply teach his kin their own traditional ways?

    For the same reason that Marcus intended to test all the candidates himself before he would ept any of them as students ¨C because not everyone waspatible with the Breath of the Dragon. And if they had to practice something else, what better alternative than another spirit rank mage with an equally prestigious foundational technique?

    Something like that was hard toe by, especially for a small vassal faction like Beortan¡¯s. If he agreed to this, Marcus was potentially handing away the Soul Tree Technique to the White Dragon n. Very few mages would agree to this.

    Sleep did note easily to Marcus that night. Not because of the teaching issue ¨C he would deal with that in due time ¨C but because his uing meeting with the leaders of Great Sea Academy felt like a trap. Yet, it was one that he had to walk into. Beortan¡¯s assurances that it was just a formality were not really sessful in dispelling his worry.

    It didn¡¯t help that he couldn¡¯t sleep in the wilds like he was used to. Adria was too big and developed, and every piece of the ind they were standing on belonged to <em>somebody</em>. He couldn¡¯t just set up camp on the outskirts of the city and sleep out in the open, so he had to rent a room at one of the inns and sleep on a bed like a normal person. Annoying.

    In the end, he got up extremely early, before the sun rose fully on the horizon, and started to wander the city to clear his mind for the uing meeting and to familiarize himself with the city again. It had been a long time since he lived here, and while he did hear a lot of stories yesterday, stories were a poor substitute for first-hand experience. If one listened to the stories, the Eastern Lands were a wondrous ce of golden temples and flying cities, where people casually rode on dragons and ate magical nts every day, but Marcus hadn¡¯t seen any such paradises when he travelled there in person.

    Adria was a lively ce, even at this time of day. Ships were constantlying and going at the port, braving the dangerous waters around the archipgo to bring vital goods to the wealthy city, so the working day started early. Shops were already in the process of opening up for the day, and the streets were full of people milling about in a hurry. He even encountered an argument between two groups of warrior adepts yelling and hurling insults at each other in the middle of the street, but thankfully just going around them was enough to avoid getting involved. Neither group seemed eager to involve an unknown mage in their dispute.

    He stopped at some of the shops to browse their wares out of idle curiosity, especially if the shops advertised they sold ¡°genuine magic items¡±. He used to love doing that in his youth, checking out strange trinkets, potions, and mechanisms, always hoping he would find some hidden gem among all the junk on disy. s, all he ever found was anything but amazing or valuable. He supposed he wasn¡¯t the only person with that idea, and that anything good got snatched up by various parties very quickly.Eventually, he found his way into a flower shop that sold a collection of seeds from magical nts. After browsing the selection for a while, Marcus could tell the shopkeeper was being truthful, as the seeds on disy did resonate faintly with Marcus¡¯ spirit, indicating they had some kind of magical bloodline. However, he was doubtful that many of them could be cultivated. Magical nts typically had a lot of very specific conditions that had to be satisfied before they could sprout and grow into a healthy adult nt, and these seeds did note with any instruction manual. In fact, some of them did not evene with a name associated with them!

    A young woman also came to check on the seeds not long after Marcus entered the shop. One look was all Marcus needed to realize she was wearing some kind of magical disguise to hide her true appearance, but he ignored her and did notment on it. Disguise magic was restricted, and was most often used by children of the wealthy and powerful so they could move around more freely without being recognized. Just the fact the woman was using such a spell meant she was probably someone important, and Marcus did not want to create bad blood by calling her out on her disguise in public.

    He did not bother with disguise spells. The more powerful a mage got, the less useful they became. This was because there were less and less people of higher ranks of power, and they had increasingly distinctive abilities that few other people shared. If Marcus started casting spells seriously, people would quickly realize who he was, even if he looked nothing like he usually did. On top of that, spirit-rank adepts could detect that a disguise was being used, even if they couldn¡¯t discern the true shape of the person underneath. All in all, by the time Marcus had gotten his hands on one of these spells, they no longer had much use for him.

    Although Marcus was content to ignore the woman and just check out the magical seeds, she wasn¡¯t content to ignore him. After looking over the seeds she started shooting him anxious nces, and then eventually called out to him.

    ¡°Do you think these are real?¡± she asked Marcus.

    Marcus looked at her more closely. She was a very pretty woman, with long ck hair and a thin, attractive figure. The clothes were brown and practical, but clearly brand new and made out of something more expensive than your usual traveler would wear.

    As far as disguises went, this one was pretty bad. With the kind of looks she was sporting, she would be turning heads wherever she went, and plenty of people would remember a gorgeous young woman stopping by. She should have made herself look uglier, if you asked him.

    ¡°They¡¯re all real, but they¡¯re also something of a lure,¡± Marcus told her. ¡°Growing these is not just a matter of nting them into the ground. The shopkeeper is probably counting on buyers eventuallying back here so he can sell them instructions on how to actually grow these.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± the shopkeeper protested from behind him. ¡°That¡¯s nder! Do you want to get thrown out of the shop!?¡±

    ¡°Also, some of these nts take decades to grow into full maturity, even if you do everything right,¡± Marcus continued, unconcerned with the man¡¯s threats. ¡°That said, warp orchids, goldleaf, and fireflowers should all be safe picks. There are easily-acquirable guides on how to grow them elsewhere on the market.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m interested in the elephant tree,¡± the woman said, biting her lips and looking kind of anxious. ¡°I know growing it would be challenging, but I just wonder if these are even its real seeds. I heard the nt rarely produces them.¡±

    Marcus remembered that nt. He had also sought it out in the past, since he heard it could help adepts practice defensive magical abilities, and he was honing his Diamond Skin ability at the time. s, the elephant tree was not actually a tree (or an elephant), but was instead a sort ofrge sulent, so hispatibility with it was less than he hoped.

    The elephant tree was one of those nts he mentioned that took decades to grow into maturity. It only grew in certain arid valleys of the Hamdraut mountain range to the south of the continent and it took forever to fully develop. ¡®Challenging¡¯ was an understatement. He seriously doubted the woman could grow it in a garden somewhere.

    ¡°They¡¯re really seeds of the elephant tree,¡± Marcus confirmed. He didn¡¯t try to talk her out of trying to grow it. ¡°I saw them in the wilds and they looked and felt just like these.¡±

    The shopkeeper seemed like he was preparing for some kind of speech in defense of his goods, but when he heard that Marcus was actually giving legitimacy to his shop he stepped back from the scene.

    The disguised woman ended up buying no less than five different seeds, including a mystery seed that even the shopkeeper wasn¡¯t sure what to make of. It was a waste of money, especially that mystery seed, but she clearly came from a wealthy family and could afford it. Truthfully, was something like this so different from what young Marcus used to do when he scoured the various shops in search of a powerful artifact that everyone but him had overlooked? Both were a huge gamble, and people liked gambling.

    He left the flower shop without buying anything himself and went back to the entrance of the inn he was staying at, where he found Beortan impatiently waiting for him.

    It was time to meet Gaius and the Great Sea elders.

    * * * *

    Marcus had thought Gaius would bring him in front of the entire council of elders to justify himself, but he was wrong. Instead of publically confronting him in front of everyone, Gaius wanted to have a private conversation with him in his office.

    Marcus had mixed feelings about that. On the one hand, he wouldn¡¯t have to make any public speeches. On the other hand, it would make it a lot easier for Gaius to try something underhanded. Marcus had been to the consul¡¯s office once before, during his time as a general in the Academy War ¨C it was an isted and heavily defended ce, hard to approach and hard to leave.

    Ultimately, he had to risk it and go. Refusing to meet Gaius like this would be seen as a huge slight against him, and a signal he still carried a grudge against the new leadership of the academy. Besides, Beortan was adamant that Gaius wouldn¡¯t be so brazen as to openly attack him at this meeting, and Marcus trusted his judgment.

    Beortan wouldn¡¯t be apanying him to the meeting, of course ¨C only Marcus was invited.

    Although he had only been here one time years in the past, the consul¡¯s office wasn¡¯t a ce that was hard to find. The path there wasrge and wide, a long corridor lined with statues on both sides, and with vivid frescoes of historical scenes covering the walls. The statues were made of marble, and painted with colors to be extremely lifelike. They all depicted previous consuls of the Great Sea Academy, all of them standing proud or striking up dramatic poses. At the start of the corridor, the statues came in pairs, as the academy used to elect two consuls at once in the past. It was apparently done so they could keep each other in check and promote wiser rulership. However, at some point in the past one of the consuls managed to chase away his fellow consul and assume total control, abolishing the practice. The statues reflected this, bing sparser and no longering in pairs roughly half-way through the corridor.

    As he passed through the long corridor and approached therge oaken door to the office, Marcus stopped for a moment, staring at the statue of Gaius next to him. As the current consul, his statue was thest in line, just before the entrance to his office. A tall, handsome man in purple robes greeted him; a friendly, gentle smile permanently affixed to his face. Aurel wreath was ced on his head, and one of his hands was outstretched, holding a gilded scroll.

    Marcus resisted the urge to audibly scoff at the sight. There was a pair of heavily armored guards guarding the door not far from him, and he would rather not express obvious distaste for Gaius in front of them.

    He tried to continue onward, but an armored hand stopped him.

    ¡°Halt!¡± one of the guardmanded. ¡°State your purpose!¡±

    Marcus was quite sure the guards knew who he was and why he was here. However, he didn¡¯t intend to make a big deal out of it.

    ¡°I am Marcus King. The consul has summoned me here for a meeting,¡± he told the guard.

    ¡°Wait here,¡± the guard ordered, before darting inside the office to confirm things with Gaius. He came back a few secondster to inform Marcus that Gaius was ¡®busy¡¯ and that he should wait for a little while.

    ¡®A little while¡¯ turned into five minutes, then twenty minutes, then an hour. The pair of guards standing by the door did not speak to him at any point, remaining silent and motionless like they were just another of the many statues in the corridor. Not that Marcus really tried to strike up a conversation with them, either. He ignored them in favor of studying the frescoes and the statues, admiring the craftsmanship. There were so many little details included¡­ he wondered how many people who passed through this ce actually stopped to take a closer look and admire what they were seeing.

    Oddly enough, the long wait actually seeded in making him calm down and stop worrying about the uing meeting. If Gaius was willing to waste time on petty games like this one, he probably didn¡¯t intend to have him ambushed the moment he stepped through the door of his office.

    ¡°Come in,¡± Gaius¡¯s voice suddenly said. The word was spoken in normal volume, but it suffused the space inside the entire corridor, and was impossible to ignore or mishear.

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any urrences.

    Curious. Marcus did not recognize the magic involved with making this happen. That didn¡¯t happen often.

    He strode forth towards the door, and this time the guards did not intercept him. They silently moved to the side to let him pass, and even did a slight bow to him as he passed. When Marcus opened the door and strode into the office he found Gaius sitting behind his desk, hands cross in front of him in a triangle-like gesture, his face mirroring the one on the statue out in the hallway, right down to the infuriating friendly-looking smile. The only difference was that the man in front of him wore sses, whereas the statue outside did not.

    The office had changed greatly from how it was when Marcus hadst seen it. Antonius, the previous consul, had rarely been in his office, and it had been fairlycking in decoration and luxury when Marcus had visited it. This time, however, the entire wall behind Gaius was turned into rows and rows of shelves that held a variety of books and scrolls. Many expensive-looking cabs full of shelves and drawers were also scattered strategically around the room, disying minor trinkets and curiosities. Gaius¡¯s desk wasrge and free of any scratches and blemishes, looking as if it was bought yesterday, and everything on it seemed carefully arranged to give the proper impression. There was a bottle of ink with an expensive feather pen stuck in it, two stacks of documents of exact same height, and a vase full of dead, dried-up flowers.

    Marcus supposed that the dried flowers were supposed to be artistic or something, because he had seen them disyed prominently by other people as well. Personally, he would have just ced a living potted nt on the table instead.

    Gaius wasn¡¯t alone, of course. Marcus fully expected that Gaius wouldn¡¯t want to face him on his own, so this wasn¡¯t a surprise, but it was still somewhat annoying that he got called into a private conversation and the other side had no fewer than four other people with him.

    Standing to the right of Gaius, there was an aging man with an angry scowl on his face. He stared at Marcus with undisguised antipathy, looking as if he wanted to start berating him on the spot. That was Cornelius, one of Gaius¡¯s oldest allies and his personal attack dog. Gaius liked to maintain an image of a genial and polite gentleman at all times, so when he needed to make his displeasure known or enforce something unpopr, he sent Cornelius to do it in his stead. It had been like this back when Marcus had still been at the academy, and ording to Beortan, Cornelius served this role to this day.

    To the left of him there was a younger, less well known, but far more dangerous man, looking at Marcus while leaning on a staff. The man¡¯s expression waspletely unreadable, and based on what he heard about him, Marcus suspected he wouldn¡¯t talk much in this meeting. Herodian was Gaius¡¯s personal advisor and ¨C though these were officially just rumors ¨C also served as his spymaster.

    These two were a constant presence near Gaius, rarely being far from him during public appearances, but the other two people in the room were a bit unexpected. One was a balding, wrinkled old man in borate white robes who held himself with quite a bit of pride and vitality, despite his advanced age. He was Cato, a patriarch of the prominent Uticensis family - one of the traditional powers of the Great Sea Academy. The other person was a middle-aged woman in a blue dress, her hair arranged in an borate bun and wearing a lot of expensive-looking jewelry. She was Octavia, one of the few female elders currently active in the council.

    Both Cato and Octavia stood some distance apart from Gaius and his two henchmen, indicating they didn¡¯t quite want to be seen as totally in his camp. This made sense, since they both had their own factions and weren¡¯t really known as loyalists of Gaius by any means. They weren¡¯t on Marcus¡¯s side, to be sure ¨C at face value, Cato didn¡¯t really like him because he was the leader of the conservative faction and Marcus was an outsider from a minor vassal faction ¨C but they weren¡¯t necessarily on Gaius¡¯s side either.

    Marcus didn¡¯t know what to make of this, so he simply strode forward to the center of the room and made a slight bow to the gathered elders. There was no chair for him to sit on, and even if there was, everyone except Gaius was standing, so he would have to stand too.

    ¡°Greetings consul, elder Cato, elder Octavia, elder Herodian and¡­ brother Cornelius,¡± Marcus greeted.

    ¡°You!¡± Cornelius yelled, bristling at the informal way he was addressed. Despite his loyal service, he was never made a proper elder, as that required a certain level of personal power and acknowledgement of the other elders, neither of which he had. He probably had some other fancy title bestowed to him by Gaius, but Marcus hadn¡¯t been interested enough to find out which beforeing here, so he couldn¡¯t humor him even if he wanted to.

    Gaius ced his hand on Cornelius¡¯s arm to signal him to calm down.

    ¡°You know, elder Marcus, there is a proper set of traditional greetings meant to be used in circumstances like this,¡± Gaius told him politely.

    ¡°I know, but I don¡¯t remember how they go,¡± Marcus admitted. ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m just an orphan from a minor kingdom, and it¡¯s been six years since I wasst here.¡±

    ¡°And yet you wanted to be the leader?¡± Cato remarked from the sidelines. ¡°Ridiculous.¡±

    Marcus said nothing to this.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you back, elder Marcus,¡± Gaius said after a second of silence. ¡°I take it that your pilgrimage has been sessful, then?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Marcus confirmed. ¡°I realized many things about myself and the world in thest six years. I understand my long absence wasn¡¯t well-received by some, but I felt I needed to do this for the sake of my soul and peace of mind. Hopefully I didn¡¯t cause too much trouble.¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Gaius assured him. ¡°In fact-¡°

    ¡°Please,¡± Octavia suddenly spoke up. ¡°Gaius, we did not do this in front of the entire council specifically so we wouldn¡¯t have to do this whole theater. Let¡¯s move on to the meat of the meeting, shall we?¡±

    Gaius considered it for a second, giving Octavia a slightly unhappy side nce. She met his look head on, crossing her arms over her chest in defiance.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Gaius said, sighing dramatically. ¡°Marcus, I wasn¡¯t just reciting generic pleasantries earlier when I said it is good to see you back. The academy could use your help in theing days. <em>I</em> could use your help. However, I must ask you inly: why are you back?¡±

    Marcus didn¡¯t answer immediately. In truth¡­ this was still something of a mystery to him. He didn¡¯t fully understood what had driven him to return. That said, this wasn¡¯t really what Gaius was interested in.

    ¡°I¡¯m willing to ept the decision the elders of the Academy made six years ago,¡± Marcus said. ¡°In fact, I¡¯vee to believe they made the right call in making you the consul instead of me. My candidacy had been a mistake, and I¡¯m d things turned out the way they did. In light of that, there is no reason for me to stay away any longer.¡±

    Cato and Olivia seemed surprised at the way he phrased that answer. Cato especially seemed taken aback, as if he couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. Herodian simply tapped his staff thoughtfully, his eyes never leaving Marcus, even for a second. Cornelius, however, scoffed loudly at the words.

    ¡°So much rubbish just to say you¡¯ve decided toe back here like a beaten dog, begging for scraps. What¡¯s the matter? The outside world was too harsh for you?¡± He told Marcus bitingly.

    ¡°Cornelius, be polite,¡± Gaius said absentmindedly, his fingers intertwined in front of him in contemtion. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful to hear, elder Marcus. Your pilgrimage may have been just an excuse, but it seems to have resulted in enlightenment nevertheless.¡±

    ¡°Are you nning to have me assassinated?¡± Marcus asked him bluntly.

    ¡°You! You dare?!¡± Cornelius protested, sounding as if he couldn''t believe what he was hearing. Octavia also seemed fairly scandalized at the suggestion, but neither Gaius nor Cato seemed shocked at the question.

    ¡°Those are mere malicious rumors, elder Marcus,¡± Gaius assured him. ¡°I am a man of virtue. We might not quite see eye-to-eye, but surely you would not think so low of me?¡±

    ¡°There haven¡¯t been any prominent killings in the academy for a very long time,¡± Octavia assured Marcus. ¡°The other elders would not stand for such uncivilized behavior.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. Killings among elders are for savages in Poisonwater and Giant Thunder Hall,¡± Cato stated. ¡°This is not the way we do things around here. Please do not disrespect your consul and fellow elders with such frivolous usations in the future.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Very well,¡± Marcus said. He hadn¡¯t been sure what to expect when he asked that question, but he was reassured by the reaction he got. ¡°In the interest of honesty, I want to inform you that someone has ced a bounty on my head. I don¡¯t know who they are, but the news was delivered to me by a member of Raven Temple, so it should be credible.¡±

    He didn¡¯t mention anything about the reasons for the bounty that Helvran stated. They didn¡¯t need to know that. In all honesty, he was telling them this solely so that he could have an excuse to be a little paranoid and odd in the near future.

    ¡°The academy will keep an eye out for anyone plotting against you, elder Marcus,¡± Gaius assured him. He made a strange, casual-seeming gesture with his left hand, and Herodian nodded barely-perceptibly in response. ¡°Sadly, Great Sea has many enemies these days, so narrowing down who is behind the bounty will be difficult.¡±

    ¡°You need to stay in the academy, elder Marcus,¡± Octavia told him. ¡°I would have made this request of you regardless, but this makes things even simpler. Anyone willing to ce a bounty on a spirit manifestation mage like you is likely not weak. These are chaotic times. The academy could use your help, and you could use the academy¡¯s protection.¡±

    ¡°Incidentally, I¡¯ve actually advanced to the unification stage during my travels,¡± Marcus noted, trying to sound as casual as possible. He probably failed. ¡°I¡¯m not just a spirit manifestation mage any longer.¡±

    The room suddenly got very quiet for a few seconds. Even Cornelius seemed at a loss for what to say, swallowing heavily and growing pale.

    ¡°Congrattions, brother Marcus,¡± Gaius finally said.

    Oh, so he was a brother now?

    ¡°Thank you, brother Gaius,¡± Marcus said with an exaggerated smile. ¡°I heard you also advanced to the unification stage while I was gone.¡±

    Gaius nodded politely in response, but he suddenly seemed a little bit less confident around Marcus than he was before.

    ¡°Truly, you are the blessed generation,¡± Cato sighed. ¡°That said, I must mirror elder Octavia¡¯s request that you stay at the academy. There is no need for you to do much, in all honesty ¨C your very presence here will make certain people think twice about making trouble for us.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to stay on Adria specifically, but I fully intend to stay within Great Sea¡¯s territory,¡± Marcus said.

    Gaius shared a silent look with Cato and Octavia.

    ¡°That¡­ should be fine,¡± Octavia said. ¡°Even an asional journey should be fine, but please ¨C no more six-year pilgrimages outside the Silver League. Though perhaps <em>I</em> should go on such a pilgrimage, considering how beneficial it seems to have been for you.¡±

    The conversation continued on for quite a while after that, consisting of an even mixture of probing questions meant to check where Marcus stood on various things, and simple informative lectures where the gathered elders informed him of the important events that had urred in his absence. Some of that he had already found out from Beortan, and none of it was truly shocking or critical, but he was pleasantly surprised they were even willing to offer information like this.

    Despite their ims that the academy needed him, there was absolutely no mention of having Marcus help with thebat side of things. If another war broke out, they would want his help, no doubt, but Gaius seemed wary of letting Marcus garner attention by disying hisbat prowess against the academy¡¯s enemies.

    In all honesty, Marcus was not eager to jump into action on the academy¡¯s behalf either, so this suited him just fine.

    Unfortunately, the conversation then turned towards his various duties as an elder of Great Sea Academy ¨C things that he had utterly ignored in his six years of absence, but which the gathered elders insisted he now had to tackle. Apparently he had six years of tax reports he had to make¡­

    ¡°Actually, there is one more request I must make of you,¡± Gaius added. ¡°You see, ever since the end of the Second Academy War, the academy has had a shortage of skilled mages, and the council of elders has made a decree that high rank mages must train at least five new apprentices in theing years. I know you are wholly dedicated to your own personal advancement, however-¡°

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯m already taking on students,¡± Marcus said, waving him off. ¡°That should be taken care of by the end of the year. What else?¡±

    Idly, Marcus wondered if Gaius was also covered by this decree. Did he also take some students of his own to teach? Probably not. The academies began as educational institutions, but these days their leaders were not particrly involved in teaching the new generation.

    Besides, for a leader of a major faction to take on a student was always a highly political decision. Such a move was inevitably seen as picking a sessor.

    ¡°You are taking students?¡± Gaius frowned. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡±

    ¡°This is the first time we¡¯ve spoken in six years,¡± Marcus pointed out.

    ¡°Ah, that is¡­,¡± Gaius fumbled. ¡°Yes, what I mean is, you cannot simply choose anyone you wish for this by walking through streets of Adria. You are a distinguished elder of Great Sea Academy. A proper judging ceremony has to be performed.¡±

    ¡°To be honest, most of the children I will pick wille from the orphanage I grew up in,¡± Marcus told him. ¡°I told Pliny, the caretaker there, to start organizing a testing site where I will pick a handful of orphans.¡±

    Cato frowned. ¡°The traditions-¡°

    ¡°This <em>is</em> a tradition,¡± Marcus said, cutting him off. ¡°I¡¯m an orphan from that very ce¡­ as I¡¯m sure you know. I was part of several children chosen from the orphanage to learn magic, and now I am paying that forward by teaching a group of orphans myself. This is virtue.¡±

    Cato frowned, but said nothing. The traditionalist faction he led cared a lot about ceremonies and proper manners, but they were also big believers in the concept of virtue and righteous behavior. It was dubious whether the idea that Marcus described could really be called a ¡®tradition¡¯, but it was certainly in line with the ideals that Cato championed.

    Gaius, on the other hand, was rubbing his face slightly with his eyes closed.

    ¡°Marcus,¡± he said. ¡°You must think of the bigger picture.¡±

    ¡°I know you will want to saddle me with a student from the Great Sea Academy and I am fine with it,¡± Marcus told him. ¡°He or she can join the orphans I pick up from my old orphanage. They won¡¯t get any preferential treatment, but I promise I will teach them to the best of my ability. Just don¡¯t give me any ckers, yes?¡±

    Gaius stared at him for a second.

    ¡°Three students,¡± he said.

    ¡°No, I can only ept one,¡± Marcus protested stubbornly.

    ¡°Three,¡± Gaius insisted.

    ¡°One,¡± Marcus responded.

    ¡°Three.¡±

    ¡°One.¡±

    ¡°Oh for heaven¡¯s sake,¡± Octavia mumbled.

    ¡°Three,¡± Gaius repeated.

    ¡°Two, and one of the children wille from my own Uticensis family,¡± Cato suddenly said.

    Everyone looked at him in surprise, even Marcus.

    The Uticensis family was practically nobility in Great Sea Academy, and Cato was known for his distaste for ¡®foreign¡¯ influences, which also included people from various vassal factions loyal to the Great Sea Academy. The idea that he was willing to send one of his descendants to learn from a foreign barbarian, even a powerful one, was¡­ surprising.

    ¡°Cato?¡± Gaius asked in surprise.

    ¡°There are no objections to this, I imagine?¡± Cato asked, shifting his gaze between Gaius and Marcus.

    ¡°None,¡± Marcus and Gaius answered in unison, throwing a surprised look at each other afterwards.

    Marcus rubbed his chin spectively. The loyalty of the Uticensis family members to the Great Sea Academy was beyond questioning. With a student hailing from them, nobody could use him that he was snubbing Great Sea¡¯s influence. He was worried that he would get some arrogant brat that looks down on his teacher and fellow students, but he was willing to ept that risk.

    ¡°The agreement is struck,¡± Gaius said. ¡°I shall assemble a short list of candidates, and a short judging ceremony will be held six months from now where you will pick the mostpatible student among them. As for the other one, I trust that Cato will handle that on his own with no need for my involvement.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Cato nodded.

    ¡°I conclude this meeting for now,¡± Gaius said, rising from his seat for the first time since the meeting had started. Herodian, having stayedpletely silent and motionless throughout the entire meeting, immediately straightened up at the move. ¡°My legs are growing numb and I could use a walk. Elder Marcus, please remain in Adria for a while longer. I have a feeling several more of your fellow elders will want to talk to you in theing days.¡±

    Marcus nodded, but internally sighed in defeat.

    He just knew this would be a very annoying, uing week.

 Chapter 11: Test of Time

    Chapter 11: Test of Time

    There was a connection. It took more than a week, and the feeling was very faint, but he could finally sense a connection between himself, the river turtle, and the willow tree. What¡¯s more, once the connection formed, he could feel it strengthening rapidly with every passing day.

    Marcus experimented with the new sensation every single day, whenever he had some free time. It was a curious thing, this connection. He could not look into the mind of the turtle and read its thoughts, nor could he tap into its senses and see through its eyes. He could sense the state of its soul, which gave him insights into its current emotional state and how healthy it was at the moment, but that was all. It could be because it was just an animal, or because the connection was not yet strong enough, but his gut told him no. Soul seeds and their link to him were a new experience, but he had tried hundreds of different spells over the years and had developed something of an instinct when judging new ones. He could guess pretty reliably what their limitations and restrictions were, even after just trying them, and that experience told him that the link between him and his two test dummies was fundamentally limited. He would never be able to use the connection to spy on their minds, seize control over their bodies, or spiritually attack them.

    But he could use other spells that specifically did those things, using the connection as a conduit ¨C one that allowed him topletely ignore distance restrictions. He tested that by casting a number of trivial, harmless spells on the turtle through the connection. He was pretty sure they worked, since he could feel the turtle¡¯s soul quivering slightly as it freaked out over what was happening to it, but it was admittedly hard to tell if they worked exactly as intended without being there to witness it in person.

    He strongly suspected that spells cast through this connection also bypassed most forms of defensive magic as well, but since neither the turtle nor the willow had any defenses, he was unable to test that.

    All in all, these experiments did not exactly put Marcus¡¯s mind at ease regarding what Sacred Oak could do to him. He was sure there was more to the connection than just being a spell conduit, but even if it was just that, that was still extremely dangerous. The tree had thousands of spells in its arsenal. Though¡­ would such spells be somehow undetectable just because they were cast through his connection with the Sacred Oak?

    The answer was almost certainly no. At least, Marcus couldn¡¯t think of any reason why this would be the case. He couldn¡¯t detect the soul seed because it had be a part of his soul by now, and presumably didn¡¯t even exist as a separate entity from him, but if Sacred Oak ever cast a spell of any kind on him, he would likely detect it immediately, even if he couldn¡¯t stop it from happening.

    Marcus couldn¡¯t recall a situation where a spell had ever suddenly appeared on him out of nowhere. He would have definitely remembered such an incident vividly, especially if it had kept happening periodically. Didn¡¯t that mean that Sacred Oak hadn¡¯t used their connection to cast anything on him? But then how was it getting anything out of him? The tree said it learned everything Marcus learned. Marcus wasn¡¯t learning everything the river turtle was learning, and he doubted he would once the connection between them solidified either.

    There was something he was missing here. He could talk to the tree again, but he wanted to get answers on his own if possible. It was too early to give up and beg for guidance. He also tried to map his own connection to the Sacred Oak, using what he had learned from the willow and the turtle, but he couldn¡¯t even <em>find</em> the connection, much less follow it back to the source. That said, he had fully expected things to be this way, so this didn¡¯t frustrate him. If the connection was that simple, Marcus would have already detected it long ago.

    Overall, he was pleased by his progress on that front. What he was less pleased about was the rest of his week, which consisted of going from one meeting to another to talk to people who clearly didn¡¯t like him very much. It wasn¡¯t like all these fellow elders and Great Sea officials had some important issue they had to discuss with Marcus, they mostly just wanted to get a handle on his personality and opinions after his return from exile. Marcus understood why this was important ¨C you had to make sure your powerful spirit-adepts hadn¡¯t gone crazy or decided they hated you during their long absence, because then you had a situation on your hands ¨C but it was still a giant waste of his time, and he resented them for it. He didn¡¯t intend to stay on Adria or be active in Great Sea politics, so many of their questions were pointless and exhausting. Especially since many of them had simr concerns, yet didn¡¯t talk to each other before speaking to him, making him repeat himself many, many times.That said, the people he spoke to were more respectful than he had expected them to be. He thought that since he had left on such bad terms, and had so thoroughly been shut out from the current ruling powers of Great Sea, that they would feel superior to him and treat him with barely restrained contempt. Perhaps even open contempt. However, aside from some snidements here and there, his fellow elders were cold but polite. The main point of contention was that they didn¡¯t believe him when he said he intended to stay away from Great Sea¡¯s internal politics.

    ¡°The allure of building an abode in some isted ce and shutting out the world ismon among mages,¡± one elder told him. ¡°Unfortunately, the world is rarely inclined to y along with such fantasies.¡±

    There was some truth to such statements, Marcus reflected, especially since he was about to get a bunch of students. Apprentices had a tendency to get their teachers into trouble. Still, he felt he wasn¡¯t being unreasonable. In a way, he had the support of academy leadership in his resolution to stay away, since Gaius surely didn¡¯t want him gaining political power either.

    In any case, after spending a week on nonsense like that, he felt his task here in Adria was done. He had soothed the fears of his fellow elders and it was unlikely the academy would take a unified hostile stance towards him, which was all he really wanted. It was time to leave. He tracked down Beortan to one of the small arenas in the west side of the city, where young adepts dueled each other for the entertainment of the crowds, and sat down beside him.

    ¡°I will be heading back to Elora tomorrow,¡± he told Beortan without preamble. ¡°There is no need to ferry me back. I just wanted to let you know I¡¯m leaving.¡±

    ¡°Humph,¡± Beortan responded.

    Marcus wished he could say he knew his old friend long enough to interpret that undecipherable grunt, but the truth was he had no idea what that was supposed to mean. It didn¡¯t seem like an angry grunt at least.

    ¡°Please talk to me like a normal person, Beortan,¡± Marcusined.

    ¡°I¡¯m watching the fight,¡± Beortan told him, his eyes fixated at the two mages fighting in the arena below. ¡°Wait until the intermission, at least.¡±

    Marcus focused on the fight in the arena, trying to see what had so captured Beortan¡¯s attention. He couldn¡¯t see it. It was just two rank one mages hurling elemental projectiles clumsily at each other. One of them was using a fairly typical fire bolt spell, while the other was using some slow-moving frost ball that didn¡¯t explode. In the mana-rich environment suffusing Adria, such simple spells could be sustained almost indefinitely, so this fight was mostly just a matter of who would be the first to make a mistake while dodging the opponent¡¯s spell.

    The audience seemed to mostly agree with Marcus, because most of the seats around them were empty and there was very little cheering or noiseing from the audience. It seemed to be mostly a filler fight in-between actually exciting bouts. Though each of the mages seemed to have at least a couple of friends that kept shouting encouragements and hurling insults at the opposing side.

    ¡°This is a boring fight,¡± Marcusmented.

    ¡°Unfortunately,¡± Beortan said, learning back in his seat. ¡°I considered taking the ice elementalist as my apprentice, but if this is the best he has to offer, I¡¯m not interested. A shame.¡±

    ¡°You wanted to take an outsider as an apprentice?¡± Marcus asked curiously. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a small legion of candidates back in your n?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good to shake things up sometimes,¡± Beortan said. ¡°The n has gotten quitecent and insr as ofte.¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t afraid they would do something to your new student?¡± Marcus asked.

    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t do anything too extreme,¡± Beortan said dismissively. ¡°And if the apprentice is truly worthy of my tutge, they¡¯d rise to the challenge and win my n¡¯s respect despite some minor setbacks thrown their way.¡±

    Minor setbacks, right¡­

    In the arena below, the match was drawing to a close. The ice ball throwing wizard sumbed to exhaustion and tripped slightly while dodging one of the fireballs. His opponent seized on the opportunity, and not long after the match was dered in his favor.

    Beortan didn¡¯t seem upset, even though it could be argued that his side lost.

    ¡°Speaking of which, have you considered my request yet?¡± Beortan asked him.

    ¡°I did,¡± Marcus said. ¡°I will take one of your n as my apprentice.¡±

    ¡°You will?¡± Beortan seemed honestly surprised.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you pick one for me, but the usual conditions apply ¨C they must be at least a littlepatible with the Soul Tree Technique, and if they ck off or make trouble for me, I¡¯ll send them back to you,¡± Marcus said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that nonsense. If they ck off or make trouble, just hit them until they learn their lesson,¡± Beortan told him. ¡°Our n doesn¡¯t tolerate ckers and trouble-makers. They should already know better.¡±

    Marcus resisted the urge to rub his forehead. Teachers using physical violence to enforce discipline was quite normal in the academy, but Marcus was of the opinion that beatings were not a good motivational tool.

    No matter. Beortan was a good friend and Marcus trusted his judgment. The rumors about mountain tribes being a bunch of fur-d savages with a might-makes-right mentality were just prejudiced exaggerations. Surely the man wouldn¡¯t send him a bunch of little menaces that only respected threats of immediate violence to keep them behaved.

    Surely.

    ¡°Anyway, what about Publius and Fabius? Are you also taking their children as students?¡± Beortan asked after a second or so. ¡°Well, grandchild in the case of Publius, but you know what I mean.¡±

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the vition.

    ¡°No,¡± Marcus said, shaking his head. ¡°I met with them privately and, after speaking to the children they wanted me to teach, I told them no. They were disappointed, but not too much.¡±

    There was a lot of disinformation floating around regarding how hard it was to be a mage or other adept. Some people imed one had to be blessed by the heavens upon birth, or carry a prestigious bloodline. Others im that every single person could be an excellent adept, if only they could find a foundational technique perfectly suited for them.

    What was indisputable was that there were far more children capable of bing a mage or a warrior than there were resources avable to support them and skilled teachers willing to take them under their wing. Meaning there was a huge glut of candidates, and mages who took on apprentices could afford to be picky about it. Publius and Fabius probably never actually expected Marcus to agree to their requests. If they could secure a powerful mage as a teacher for their rtives, great! If not, well¡­ it didn¡¯t hurt to ask.

    ¡°What was the issue?¡± Beortan asked curiously. ¡°Did they exaggerate how good they were or what?¡±

    ¡°They definitely exaggerated how good they are. You know how it is,¡± Marcus said. Parents always thought their children were way better than they actually were. ¡°That isn¡¯t an issue. Most of my students wille from the orphanage, and their talents will likely be nothing special.¡±

    A lot of powerful mages like Marcus refused to ept students that didn¡¯t have something special going for them: a bloodline ability, a prestigious family line, a suitable elemental affinity, an amazingpatibility for their foundational technique, or an incredibly high talent for magic in general. Exceptions were made for children of friends and rtives, but it was otherwise agreed that a person needed to be something quite special to attract the attention of a spirit-rank mage.

    However, Marcus didn¡¯t intend to be that picky. Great talents were hard to find, and he didn¡¯t want to spend years and years searching for just the right student to impart his teachings to. Even if Publius¡¯s and Fabius¡¯s rtives had mediocre potential, Marcus would not turn them away just because of that.

    ¡°The problem was in their attitude. Publius¡¯s granddaughter is decently talented ¨C not as much as Publius had praised her, but enough that she¡¯ll probably secure herself a spot in the Great Sea Academy in a few years. However, she is clearly a very sheltered girl who just wants to hang out with her friends and enjoy life in a big city like Adria. I don¡¯t think she cares too much about bing a mage. It¡¯s just something that everyone¡¯s expected of her ever since she showed decent magical talent from a young age. When we talked, she seemed horrified at the prospect of losing all of her friends to move in with a bunch of orphans and a stranger she doesn¡¯t even know. Even her parents seemed hesitant about the idea. I don¡¯t want to deal with all that.¡±

    ¡°Fair,¡± Beortan nodded.

    ¡°As for Fabius¡¯s son, he doesn¡¯t want to be a mage. He wants to be a warrior, like his father,¡± Marcus continued. ¡°His father disapproves. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware of this, but while all adepts get a lot of respect from the mundane citizenry, mages are considered more prestigious than warriors and other martial adepts.¡±

    This wasn¡¯t something unique to the Great Sea Academy, in all fairness. It was like that all over the Silver League, and even in the Eastern Lands. There were a lot of reasons for this, but the main one was that warriors rarely achieved higher ranks of power. Bing a warrior was easier than bing a mage, and warriors got more benefits out of being an adept early on, but the higher one climbed in ranks, the more the situation reversed itself. For every spirit-rank warrior like Timijan, there were five or more spirit manifestation mages.

    It was virtually always better to have a handful of really powerful adepts instead of an army of weaker ones. Therefore, it was arguably natural for mages to be valued higher than warriors and other adepts, and Fabius was far from the only warrior who pushed his children to be mages instead of continuing the family tradition.

    ¡°It speaks well of Fabius as a father that his children want to walk down the same path as him, even if he disapproves,¡± Beortanmented. ¡°It means they admire him.¡±

    ¡°But I am not a warrior, and cannot teach his son to be one,¡± Marcus said.

    ¡°True. I think you did the right thing in refusing,¡± Beortan said. ¡°My perspective is different because Ie from a mountain tribe where warriors are more respected than here in civilizednds, but I think Fabius is making a mistake. By trying to dissuade his son from following in his footsteps he is severing his martial legacy, shaming his teachers and ancestors.¡±

    ¡°What about people who fell on the path before they had a chance to take on a student?¡± Marcus asked.

    ¡°They cannot be faulted in this,¡± Beortan answered. ¡°idents and tragedies are inevitable. Hopefully they have brothers and sisters who will continue their legacy in their stead. Otherwise, it is the fault of their teachers for not passing on the techniques and spells to enough people to continue the legacy in spite of hardships on the horizon.¡±

    Marcus didn¡¯t say anything to that. It was hardly the first time Marcus had heard such opinions, yet he knew there were legacies being lost around them every single year. Thepetition for space and resources was fierce, and there were many casualties. Many of these legacies were just variations of existing ones, so arguably it was not a big loss, but still.

    When Marcus was young, his teachers had told him that history was a constant state of decline. Every generation was worse than the previous one, less glorious and more steeped in corruption and sin. Marcus didn¡¯t really take that to heart, then or now, but he couldn¡¯t help but idly wonder whether the number of legacies in the world was increasing or decreasing each day.

    ¡°Oh yes,¡± Beortan suddenly said, breaking him out of his musings. ¡°I did what you asked and looked around for a ce you could build your school on. I think I found a perfect ce ¨C it¡¯s a tiny academy on the northern edge of Elora that has fallen on hard times recently. They were all but destroyed during the Second Academy War, and thest two remaining mages have been looking to sell the ce. I understand the ce is in bad condition, and there are no significant resources nearby, but you said that didn¡¯t matter to you.¡±

    Beortan had never actually set foot on the ce personally, but he did show him a bunch of crude drawings and pointed at the spot on the map where the academy was located. It did look good¡­ on paper, at least.

    ¡°I am not paying anything until I visit the ce in person to confirm this ce is actually what the owners im it is,¡± Marcus said. ¡°But it does look perfect at first nce. What is it with the name, though? Amethyst Academy?¡±

    Adept organizations had all kinds of weird names, but usually these names weren¡¯t nonsense ¨C they hinted at the kind of magic the academy focused on. A name like Amethyst Academy would suggest they dabble in gem magic, but Marcus knew for a fact that only one academy practiced gem magic to any significant degree, that being Crystal Mountain. They guarded those spells <em>very</em> jealously¡­

    ¡°You can change the name to something else,¡± Beortan said. ¡°You¡¯re buying thend and the building, not their legacy. The current owners understand this is the end of the line for their school. They don¡¯t expect buyers to continue their traditions.¡±

    That wasn¡¯t what Marcus was worried about, but he decided not to pursue the topic with Beortan.

    It was probably nothing.

    * * * *

    Marcus returned to Elora, this time relying on his own flight capabilities instead of a griffin or some other magical beasts.

    His first stop was at the Great Tree Academy, where he asked Titus for a favor in investigating possible sites for school, including the failing Amethyst Academy that Beortan mentioned. While the Great Tree Academy wasn¡¯t a major power, Elora was their home ground, and they surely had a lot of insight into what made for a good location for a base of operations. He still intended to check up every ce personally to see if it suited his tastes, but he needed some way to narrow down the selection. Titus was very amodating to his request, even suggesting some more ces himself.

    He then went to the orphanage and told Pliny that he would stay there for a couple of days while he waited for Titus to report back to him about the ces he mentioned. Officially, he was just resting. Unofficially, he was observing the children of the orphanage as they went about their day and interacted with one another. He did that both by walking around in the open, seeing how they reacted to his presence, and by using invisible eyes and rock beetles to spy on them when they thought no one was looking. One day he quietly sat in the back of the room during their history lessons with Pliny, the next day he helped Pliny fix up the walls of the orphanage with his earth magic, and on the third day he left to explore the nearby forest and returned in the evening with a whole boar to roast over the fire for everyone¡¯s enjoyment.

    The children didn¡¯t initially know what to make of all this, but some of them already thought he was looking for a student even during his first visit here, and it wasn¡¯t long before they all reached a consensus that this was definitely what was happening. They had no real proof of this, they just repeated this idea between one another until they were all convinced it had to be true. Amusingly, they were convinced only one lucky child would have the honor to be chosen.

    Less amusingly, this generation of orphans was quite friendly with the children in the nearby Willowhill vige, and Marcus got to observe first-hand how quickly and efficiently rumors spread from the orphanage ¨C first from the orphans to vige children, then from said children to their parents, then to the neighboring viges, and beyond.

    No wonder the rumor of his searching for a student spread so far after his first visit.

    ¡°Cricket seems to be doing well,¡± Marcus remarked to Pliny one evening.

    Marcus had spoken to the girl not long after arriving to see how she was faring. She admitted to him that she had gotten into a fight with one of the girls on her second day at the orphanage, but she refused to say over what. She liked the orphanage, she said, but she didn¡¯t like that Pliny was stopping her from exploring the forest around the orphanage on her own.

    ¡°She¡¯s a hard-working girl,¡± Pliny told him. ¡°Likes gardening, which is rare. Unfortunately, her reading and writing skills are terrible, and her interest in history is about the same as yours was when you were her age.¡±

    ¡°I developed an appreciation for history as I aged,¡± Marcus told him. ¡°And speaking of which, did you ever hear anything about Grandfather Trees, elves of the Silver Aeon, or our world being named Chaoswood?¡±

    Pliny tapped his chin spectively for a few seconds, frowning here and there.

    ¡°I did hear a bit about the ancient Empire of the Silver Aeon,¡± Pliny remarked finally.

    ¡°Are they from the time of the First Abyssal Incursion?¡± Marcus asked.

    ¡°No, far earlier than that,¡± Pliny shook his head. ¡°They were a truly ancient state. They existed around the time of the Sphere Builders. A controversial codex written by Elphex the White ims they were already an ancient and powerful state by the time the first Sphere Builders showed up on Tasloa.¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± Marcus said slowly, trying to process that. ¡°So what happened to them? I mean, they¡¯re obviously gone, right?¡±

    ¡°Depends on who you ask,¡± said Pliny. ¡°But it is said that the core of their realm was located in the center of our continent, right where the Sea of Leaves currently resides.¡±

    Marcus was taken aback at that statement.

    ¡°I traversed the Sea of Leaves quite recently,¡± Marcus remarked. ¡°I know I didn¡¯t do a detailed search, but I didn¡¯t see any remnant of a glorious magical civilization there. Elven or otherwise.¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t the first one to make that observation,¡± Pliny told him. ¡°It is for this reason that some historians argue against their existence, iming them to be a mere myth. However, the official history endorsed by the Illuminated Temple includes them in their timeline, so it would seem the gods vouch for their existence. If so, someone must have gone to great efforts to erase every trace of their existence from the Sea of Leaves. Only the gods know what terrible enemy they provoked to deserve such a fate, and they aren¡¯t saying anything about it.¡±

    Afterwards, the topic of the talk turned towards the uing judging ceremony where Marcus would pick his new students. Pliny was organizing things behind the scenes, but Marcus had some ideas of his own about how to go about doing this. Especially now that he had some time to observe the orphans. However, some of his ideas were a bit¡­ unusual.

    He described his ideas in great detail to Pliny, wanting to hear his opinion. Pliny listened to it all in silence, and once Marcus was done, he continued staring at him.

    ¡°Err,¡± Marcus said, eventually feeling a little put off by Pliny¡¯s silent stare. ¡°I know this is all a little unorthodox, but-¡°

    ¡°No, no, there is nothing wrong with this,¡± Pliny interrupted him. ¡°I¡¯m just thinking about how we could set this up. Some of the ideas are a little extreme and will have to be toned down, but I understand what you¡¯re trying to do. You¡¯re testing their courage and willpower in addition to everything else. However, I hope you¡¯re aware that this could potentially fail every single candidate at the judging ceremony, yes?¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t have to pass the tests,¡± Marcus said. ¡°Just do better than the other candidates. Which ideas do you think are a problem?¡±

    ¡°Well for one thing, making them face an illusory monster is liable to result in most of them running away screaming, no matter how clearly you exin it can¡¯t actually hurt them,¡± Pliny remarked. ¡°Perhaps an animal like a viper or a stray dog might be more appropriate? And forcing children to ascend a set of stairs under the effect of increasingly powerful gravity magic could easily result in broken bones, not to mention it would require us to build an entirely unnecessary set of stairs. A simple strip of t ground should be enough of a challenge¡­¡±

    And so it went.

 Chapter 12: Final Verdict

    Chapter 12: Final Verdict

    It was not a simple matter to judge how good someone was at practicing magic. After all, it wasn¡¯t like there was a single innate characteristic that one could measure and point at as proof that someone would make a great mage if given a chance. Instead, mages trying to evaluate potential students looked for people with strong souls,patibility for their foundational technique, and ability to handle various forms of magic exposure. If all or most of these tests came back with high results, the candidate was almost certainly a good one ¨C barring any issues with their personality and work ethics, they were likely to go far. However, such a result was rare. Most people that deviated from the norm had only one good trait or were a mixed bag with a list of pros and cons. As such, the final judgment about any particr candidate tended to be somewhat subjective. Especially since powerful mages often had their own esoteric ideas of what was <em>really</em> important for a mage to have¡­

    Marcus stood at the center of the wooden stage that had been temporarily erected just outside the Willowhill orphanage. There was arge crowd of people gathered around the stage ¨C all of the children living in the orphanage, many of the families from the nearby Willowhill vige, and even a handful of travelers passing through the region who had decided to stop and watch the spectacle for whatever reason. On the left corner of the crowd, Marcus could see a handful of richly-dressed men who he recognized as royal agents ¨C observers sent here by the king of Elora to take notes and report back to him. Also present was a small group of older children that kept themselves visibly separate from the rest of them, apanied by a pair of severe-looking mages. This group was part of the Great Tree delegation, so it was understandable they were a bit awkward when interacting with others.

    All of these people gathered here were present for the same reason: to attend the judging ceremony and have a chance to be chosen as Marcus¡¯s students. Marcus estimated there was about 150 candidates present in the crowd, plus a bunch of adult spectators.

    Marcus stood on the stage in silence, his fingers rhythmically tapping on his staff as his eyes repeatedly swept through the crowd, observing them. The usual procedure for this kind of event was for the organizer of the event to make a dramatic entrance, showcasing some of his magic and wealth to the gathered candidates ¨C not just because powerful mages tended to be prideful people, but also to reassure the candidates they¡¯re making the right choice and motivate them to try their best to get chosen. Yes, the adults had told the gathered children that Marcus was a powerful mage and how it would be an incredible boon if they were to get chosen by him, but most of these candidates were in their early teens and had their own thoughts and biases. Landing on the stage on a powerful magical beast or a cloud of magical energies, openly dressed in a dazzling and borate outfit, wielding an obviously magical weapon¡­ these things tended to do a lot to put the candidates in the proper mindset for a judging ceremony.

    But Marcus refused to do any of that. He had simply walked onto the wooden stage like a regr person, wilding no visible magic, dressed in his usual robes, and carrying nothing except his simple wooden staff. And now he was just watching the crowd in silence for a full minute, ignoring the confused muttering from the people watching him. In all likelihood, the only reason the crowd was so rtively calm was that Pliny and Titus were standing a few steps behind Marcus, to the left and right of him respectively, lending him their authority by their very presence. Pliny was well-known and respected by the orphans and locals alike, and Titus was the leader of the Great Tree Academy. If they stood behind Marcus and at his side, that meant he <em>had</em> to be someone powerful and distinguished.

    If anyone asked him, Marcus would say this was just another test for the gathered candidates to ovee.

    ¡°My friends,¡± he finally spoke. ¡°Wee. Thank you foring here. I see that a number of curious passersby have joined us, so let me formally announce the asion: I am here to choose five or so students from these gathered children. More if you¡¯re all brimming with talent. None if you are all inadequate. Although some of you are here by happenstance, you are wee to participate in the judging ceremony, if you have children of appropriate age present. We¡¯ll call it fate.¡±

    There was no inherent reason why people couldn¡¯t learn magic as very young children or as mature adults. However, very young children did not have the mentality to practice magic responsibly and grown adults usually had families and other obligations to worry about. As such, it was generally agreed upon that the best time to start learning magic was when one was somewhere between twelve and sixteen of age. Marcus did not intent to deviate from that custom.

    In any case, his statement that he was going to allow random travelers to participate visibly annoyed some of the gathered orphans, and one of them immediately called out to him.¡°Oi! Big guy! I thought you used to be one of us! What gives?¡± one of the orphan boys protested. He pointed rudely at the Great Tree children huddled together on the right side of the gathering. ¡°You even brought a bunch of people who are already mages! What kind of nonsense is this!? How are any of us supposed topete with <em>that</em>?¡±

    Marcus waited for him to finish speaking and then fixed him with the most intense stare he could manage, letting a tiny sliver of his spirit leak out of him. Not enough to manifest a ghostly tree behind him, but enough to give even regr people in the audience a subtle feeling of mental pressure. Of course, the orphan he was staring at was particrly affected.

    ¡°They are notpeting with you, young man,¡± Marcus told him. ¡°I will pick exactly one of them as my student, assuming any of them pass the muster. Not one more. Make a good showing here, and one of the five students I spoke of earlier could be you.¡±

    The boy tried to respond, but after a few seconds of opening and closing his mouth in silence, he only managed an unintelligible mumble in response.

    Marcus reined in his spirit, and the entire crowd suddenly seemed to take a deep, panicked breath.

    Hm. Maybe he¡¯d gone a little overboard on that one.

    ¡°We¡¯ve gotten side-tracked already,¡± Marcus remarked loudly. ¡°But maybe it¡¯s for the best. Instead of giving you a long motivational speech, let me just state this: the only way to truly fail my tests today is to give up and or not give it an honest try to begin with. You should also remember that nothing you see today can kill you or even truly hurt you, no matter what it looks like at first nce. All the dangers you encounter are illusory in nature.¡±

    His words did not seem to put them the gathered people at ease.

    ¡°Now that we have that settled, I will tell you what the first test entails,¡± Marcus continued. He pointed at the orphanage not far from the stage. ¡°We will start with something simple. Your first task is to run tenps around the orphanage building and thene back here.¡±

    The children nced at one another in confusion. Although most of them had never been at a judging ceremony, they knew in broad strokes how they usually went. The candidates were usually presented with a number of magical items to see if they resonated with any of them and how strongly, a mage or two held their hand and performed some kind of esoteric examination on them. Sometimes a test of patience, or an interrogation under a magical oath was required, but a disy of physical prowess was not typically mentioned.

    This was because mages did not need to have strong bodies to perform their magic. The ability of a mage to cast their spells depended primarily on their mental and spiritual traits.

    This kind of test was more appropriate for a warrior adept than a mage¡­

    ¡°Why are you all just standing there?¡± Marcus asked them, feigning puzzlement. He knew why they hesitated, but didn¡¯t feelpelled to exin himself. ¡°Didn¡¯t I just say that the only way to truly fail my tests is to give up? You will all fail if you don¡¯t start running.¡±

    Almost immediately, some of the children started to break off from the group and start running towards the direction of the orphanage. Those few were soon followed by a dozen more, and then the whole group started to break off from the spectating adults and run towards the orphanage in a disorganized wave.

    Marcus paid close attention to those who reacted first, and was a little pleased that Cricket was one of the first children to heed hismand and start the avnche. He knew he¡¯d liked her for a reason.

    ¡°No trying to sabotage others!¡± Marcus yelled, not bothering toe down from his wooden stage. His voice was magically carried so that every candidate in the area could hear him as if he were standing right next to them. It was the exact same spell that Gaius had used on him during theirst meeting. Marcus had hated that Gaius had ess to something he didn¡¯t, so he went through quite a bit of trouble to track down the spell in question. ¡°Yes, tall boy, I¡¯m talking to you! Try to trip the other children one more time and you¡¯re disqualified. And the three of you hiding behind the orphanage building, what do you think you¡¯re doing? Do you think I was born yesterday? I¡¯m adding two moreps to your count just for that!¡±

    He kept shouting threats for a few more minutes before the children finally understood that he had some way of monitoring them, even from a distance and through walls. After a while, they stopped trying to outsmart him with ¡®clever tricks¡¯ and just kept running.

    They were doing better than he thought they would. Perhaps because his candidates were mostly orphans and rural vigers, but they seemed be in decent shape. Many of them had slowed down considerably after only a fewps, but none of them looked like they were on the verge of copse from a little bit of exercise. If Marcus had done this test in a big city like Adria, he suspected he would have gotten much, much worse results¡­

    He nced to the side and saw that Titus had taken a step up to join him on the edge of the stage.

    ¡°The candidates you brought are doing much better than I¡¯d thought they would,¡± Marcus remarked. ¡°They don¡¯t even look that resentful that I¡¯m making them runps.¡±

    ¡°We are a minor academy situated on the edge of wilderness. Our members are frequently given tasks that require them to traverse the forest for days at the time. A certain level of physical fitness is expected of all our recruits,¡± Titus told him, a hint of pride in his voice. He gave Marcus a strange look, however. ¡°That said, I must admit I¡¯m a little mystified as to why you¡¯re doing this. What does running have to do with picking a mage?¡±

    ¡°I want to see how they react to physical stress. I don¡¯t care who is first and who isst, I care about who quits and who pushes through till the end,¡± Marcus said. ¡°That said, my lessons will involve lots of hands-on experience and travelling around, so it will be nice to know in advance which of the students I pick have to be whipped into shape and which don¡¯t.¡±

    Marcus observed the Great Tree candidates running around the orphanage for a second. Although they were currently behind the orphanage building, Marcus had scattered a number of arcane eyes throughout the area, and there were essentially no blind spots where his vision couldn¡¯t reach. He was still limited in his ability to divide his attention between everything that was happening, but that was not a big issue at the moment.

    He couldn¡¯t help but notice that all of the Great Tree candidates were suspiciously clustered together as they ran. That was very suspicious, because the group consisted of three boys and three girls. Barring magic use, boys were nearly always faster than girls, yet the three boys seemed reluctant to speed up and leave their female counterparts behind. Looking at the group more closely, Marcus realized that two of the girls were the same ¨C they were also capable of going faster, but they refused to do so.

    The reason for that appeared to be a tall girl with long brown hair and sses. She was the final part of the Great Tree delegation, and she was clearly in the worst physical shape out of all of them, visibly struggling and breathing heavily as she ran. Yet, the other five refused to leave her too far behind, as if afraid of showing her up too much.

    Thinking back on it, Marcus realized that even when the group was standing in front of the stage, everyone basically followed her lead, moving when she did and rarely saying anything unless she spoke to them.

    ¡°Be honest, Titus,¡± Marcus said. ¡°You want me to choose the girl with the sses, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Titus was visibly taken aback by the question. ¡°Wha- How? Was I that obvious?¡±

    Marcus raised an eyebrow at him. Titus had the decency to look slightly ashamed.

    ¡°Julia has a wood affinity,¡± the Great Tree leader admitted. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to say anything but she¡¯s the natural choice for your student.¡±

    A wood affinity¡­ it was almost tragic. Having an elemental affinity was usually an incredible advantage, and guaranteed that you would have mages fighting over who gets to teach you. However, since wood spells were functionally non-existent, most academies didn¡¯t care about children with wood affinity. Great Tree academy was probably the only academy that ced some kind of value on them.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like that the other children are holding back for her sake,¡± Marcus said. ¡°I¡¯ll have to make sure to put all the other Great Tree children before her when conducting the next test, so they can¡¯t know how she did before making their own attempts.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to them after this,¡± Titus sighed, rubbing his temple. ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t tell them to do this.¡±

    Marcus nced to his other side, where Pliny had stepped forward to stand beside him and Titus while they were talking.

    ¡°I forgot to ask, but how did the written exams go?¡± Marcus asked Pliny.

    Pliny had organized a test of basic reading and writing skills for the orphans a few days before this judging ceremony, as part of the general preparations for the event. It also tested for other academic subjects, such as mathematics, geometry, history, and religion. The academies did something simr with their candidates, but even more extensive. Since Marcus was dealing with a bunch of orphans who lived in the middle of nowhere, he had opted to be very tolerant of the poor results, but he still wanted to know what he was dealing with.

    ¡°Since you decided to add a bunch of neers to the candidate pool on a whim without consulting me first, the results are obviously iplete,¡± Pliny told him matter-of-factly. Oops. ¡°But yes, I tested all the orphans and the Willowhill vigers. The results are all over the ce, like usual, but there are a few gems here and there. Is there someone in particr you¡¯re interested in? Livia did awful, in case you¡¯re wondering.¡±

    ¡°The short, shifty-looking orphan with ck hair and dark eyes,¡± said Marcus, pointing at one of the figures running in the distance. He tried to remember the boy¡¯s name. He did his best to memorize the names of every orphan in preparation to the day, but he wasn¡¯t confident he didn¡¯t mix them up in his head. ¡°Renatus, yes?¡±

    Pliny was silent for a second.

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s him you find interesting,¡± the old man finally said, sounding a little defeated and annoyed.

    ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Marcus asked curiously.

    ¡°Do you remember when you first came back?¡± Pliny asked. ¡°I was telling you about how one of the kids caused a road ident and somehow caused a merchant wagon to flip over?¡±

    ¡°That was him?¡± Marcus asked.

    ¡°That was him,¡± Pliny confirmed.

    ¡°Hm,¡± Marcus said, not sounding particrly scandalized. ¡°I¡¯ve been watching him thest few weeks I spent around the orphanage. He is¡­ as you said, interesting.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a bigger troublemaker than you were,¡± Pliny warned him. ¡°That said, he actually did extremely well in the academics test.¡±

    ¡°Do you think he cheated?¡± Titus asked, frowning.

    ¡°No, this is normal,¡± Pliny shook his head. ¡°Renatus is a huge troublemaker, but he¡¯s always been one of my best students. He actually listens during my lessons and even asked to borrow some of the books in my office to read in his free time. I¡¯m not surprised he did well on the written test. The problem is not that the boy is dumb. The problem is that he¡¯s clever enough to think up all manner of wild ideas, but not clever enough to realize he shouldn¡¯t try them.¡±

    After a while, the candidates started finishing theirps and a steady stream of children started returning to the space in front of the stage. Marcus watched them like a hawk, vignt against people trying to cut corners near the end, but by this point all of them knew he had some way to spot cheaters and no one tried to im they finished moreps than they did. Even the ones he punished by adding on extraps for cheating actually finished all the extraps before trying to return.

    Marcus waited until there were only eight people still circling the orphanage before deciding to move onto the next phase. The crowd in front of him was getting increasingly loud as they talked to one another, indicating they had rested long enough.

    ¡°Alright everyone, listen up!¡± he shouted, mming his staff onto the wooden paneling of the stage a few times for emphasis. ¡°The eight of you who are still slowly walking around the orphanage, dragging yourselves along like earthworms, you are disqualified! You fail not only this test, but the whole judging ceremony. The rest of you, follow after me.¡±

    Having said that, he left the stage, ignoring the loud protests of the eight candidates he just disqualified, and then proceeded to walk with purposeful strides towards a seemingly empty patch of grass to the east of the stage.

    The children followed after him, some of them still a little wobbly after their recent exertion. The ones at the front were a little confused where he was leading them, however, as there was seemingly nothing in front of them.

    ¡°What is he doing <em>now</em>?¡± one of boys the whispered to his friend. He thought he was quiet, but Marcus had better senses than most people realized. Even his fellow mages usually underestimated how well he could see and hear. ¡°He is not going to have us hike through the forest, is he?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Marcus said, suddenly stopping in ce. He snapped his fingers theatrically, and canceled the illusion covering the ce in front of him. The air shimmered and blurred, and thendscape in front of the crown fell apart like a bad painting dropped into a river, revealing arge stone basin filled with metallic spheres. Each sphere was made out of brass, and aplicated web of lines was carved into their surface. They gleamed brightly under the summer sun, and many of the children were unfamiliar with different metals and loudly wondered if they were looking at solid gold instead.

    The stone basin was surrounded by a circle of dirt, where all grass had been uprooted, creating a clear boundary. Marcus was standing on the very edge of that circle.

    ¡°Your next task is to im one of the metal spheres behind me,¡± Marcus said, pointing at the stone basin. ¡°However, this is not as simple as it appears.¡±

    He made a serious of quick gestures with his left hand, and arge grey snake seemingly materialized out of thin air, coiling itself protectively around the edge of the basin. ck, tiger-like markings covered its grey body, and a pair of small horns jutted just above its eyes, which were slitted and bright yellow. It reared its head threateningly in the air, flicking its tongue curiously at the group.

    All the children collectively took a step back. Some more than one step. One girl screamed.

    ¡°This snake is only an illusion,¡± Marcus told them. ¡°It is not poisonous, and it will not do anysting damage. However, it will still bite you if when you try to grab one of the spheres it is protecting.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious!¡± the girl who screamed protested loudly.

    ¡°Who wants to be the first to give it a try?¡± Marcus asked, ignoring her outburst.

    Marcus expected the whole group to hesitate for a long time. He wouldn¡¯t have been surprised at all if nobody volunteered to be first. In that case, he would have simply taken out the list of participants Pliny had made for him and started going through it alphabetically.

    Instead, after a second of silence, one of the orphan girls straightened herself up and strode forth without hesitation. She didn¡¯t slow down her steps even when the horned snake opened its mouth and hissed at her approach, clearly preparing to strike. She stepped straight into the snake¡¯s attack range, not even attempting to dodge the strike, and shot her arm forward to snatch one of the spheres in the basin.

    The snake struck without hesitation, burying its illusory teeth into the girl¡¯s shoulder. The girl winced, but didn¡¯t cry out in pain. She simply threw herself back, brass sphere clutched desperately in her hand, and then took a deep, panicked breath. Her other hand immediately shot towards her wounded shoulder, only to find itpletely healthy and intact. Not even her clothes were damaged by the fangs.

    Marcus stared at the girl appreciatively, impressed with her courage. While the snake¡¯s fang did no damage, they did <em>hurt</em>¡­ and yet the girl in front of him powered through the pain and the fear without any visible issue.

    She did not look particrly remarkable at first nce ¨C just a regr orphan girl with short, messy blonde hair, average in height and build. The only notable feature was an old scar clearly visible on her left cheek.

    ¡°Cassia, right?¡± Marcus asked her.

    His question seemed to break her out of her shock, and she stopped examining her shoulder. She immediately took a deep breath and stood prouder, extending her hand towards him to show off the brass sphere she was holding.

    ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± she said. ¡°I win, right?¡±

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°You win,¡± Marcus said, bursting intoughter. ¡°I will definitely remember you.¡±

    Marcus turned towards the rest of the gathered children and pointed at the stone basin guarded by the snake. The illusory animal seemed unconcerned by how utterly ineffectual its bite ended up being, and continued coiling around the basin in clear warning to all future attempts.

    ¡°Who wants to go next?¡± Marcus asked.

    * * * *

    Inspired by Cassia¡¯s show of bravery, one of the orphan boys immediately stepped forth next to give it a try. Marcus instructed Cassia to stand to his side, separate from the rest of the group, and cleared some space for the attempt.

    The boy confidently strode forth towards the snake, trying to replicate Cassia¡¯s feat by simply reaching for the sphere and ignoring the snake bite. Yet, fear got better of him. His hand reached out too slowly and hesitantly, and before his fingers could close around the brass sphere, the snake bit him in the wrist.

    He immediately jumped back with a cry of pain, his other clutching his bitten wrist. The pain faded quickly, and he soon realized, as Cassia did, that he was unharmed. However, unlike Cassia, he didn¡¯t have a sphere in his hand. His trial wasn¡¯t over yet.

    The boy looked at Marcus, then back at the brass spheres guarded by the illusory snake. Gritting his teeth and balling both of his hands into firsts, he stomped towards the basin again.

    It took him two more tries before he managed to im a sphere of his own.

    The third person to make an attempt was Cricket. Amusingly, after stepping forth to make an attempt, Cricket then spent the next thirty seconds visibly talking to herself, trying to hype herself up with things like ¡®You can do it!¡¯ and ¡®It¡¯s not real!¡¯. Marcus was just about to poke her with his staff to break her out of it when she stepped forward towards the snake.

    Despite talking to herself about how the snake was just an illusion and the pain was nothing, Cricket opted not to confidently walk into the snake¡¯s attack range. She did not want to get bitten and, credit where credit was due¡­ she seeded.

    By hesitantly hovering near the edge of the snake¡¯s attack range, Cricket eventually managed to bait the snake into lunging towards her and missing. Before the snake could recover and make another attack, Cricket snatched a sphere out of the basin and ran out of its range. The snake did not follow.

    ¡°I did it!¡± she yelled, running towards Marcus with a sphere clutched so hard in her hand her fingers were turning white. ¡°I did it, I did it, I did it!¡±

    ¡°You did it,¡± Marcus nodded. ¡°Now stand to the side and let others make the attempt as well.¡±

    After Cricket, another twenty or so children volunteered to make the attempt. Most of them opted to try and copy Cricket¡¯s method rather than Cassia¡¯s, which was probably a mistake, as most of them ended up being bitten several times due to this, instead of just once. They simply didn¡¯t have Cricket¡¯s timing and reflexes, and were unable to duplicate her feat.

    One of thest people to volunteer was Renatus, that troublemaker that Pliny spoke so negatively about. Unlike others, he had a rtively unique method in mind. He took off his shirt and swung it at the snake, hoping it to distract it and im a sphere without issue. He actually did seed in confusing the illusion and the snake missed him with its first strike, but in his rush to im the sphere before it recovered he tripped over his feet and was too slow to recover himself. He ended up being bitten in the ass as he made his retreat.

    He did im a sphere after only getting bit once, though, which was better than most.

    ¡°Congrattions,¡± Marcus told him. ¡°Now please put your shirt back on and step to the side.¡±

    ¡°Um, actually, can I just say something to my friend before I do that?¡± Renatus asked.

    Marcus stared at him for a second, trying to think up a reason to deny his request.

    ¡°Go ahead,¡± he eventually said.

    Renatus quickly ran off to another orphan and pulled him to the side before whispering something into his ear. He then ran back to Marcus and joined the group of twenty or so children who imed the sphere from the basin.

    Whatever Renatus told his friend, it clearly convinced the boy to volunteer for the attempt next. He was very reluctant, and he ended up being bitten no less than four times because of it, but he did im a sphere for himself by the end of it.

    After him, there were no more volunteers. When Marcus called for the next attempt, everyone shifted awkwardly in their ce, kept their head down, and tried to look as small as possible.

    Marcus took out the list of names from his pocket and started reading it in alphabetical order. Although fearful, most of the children did step forth when he read their names. Marcus deliberately scrambled the order by which the six candidates from Great Tree Academy made their attempts, ensuring that Julia made her attemptst. All six ended up iming a sphere of their own, and truthfully, Julia was probably the bravest among them. While she did not volunteer to make the attempt, she basically copied Cassia by simply walking up to the snake and epting a bite in exchange for snatching a sphere as quickly and efficiently as possible. The only difference was that she screamed upon being bitten and was more obviously frightened afterwards.

    Not all of the children that made the attempt seeded in getting the sphere. Many of them gave up after being bitten too many times, or tried to im a sphere without risking a bit and failed. It didn¡¯t help that as children sessfully imed sphere after sphere, the remaining were now concentrated deep in the center of the basin, making them harder to snatch without getting bitten.

    Marcus separated these candidates into two groups, one for those who had made the attempt but failed, and another for those who had seeded in getting the sphere. However, when someone failed to step up when their name was called, or stepped up but then failed to make so much as a single real attempt at getting the sphere, Marcus sent them back into the waiting group, along with those who hadn¡¯t yet made any attempts. By the time Marcus reached the end of his list, this third group contained more than 40 people.

    ¡°Onest chance,¡± Marcus told them. ¡°Do any of you want to make a second attempt?¡±

    He waited for ten seconds. Nobody stepped up.

    ¡°Very well. All of you are disqualified,¡± he told the entire group.

    Many of them looked like they expected this, but two of them ran away crying. Marcus simply turned away from them and stepped up towards the group that had made the attempt at the snake, but gave up before getting the sphere.

    ¡°You have failed,¡± he told them. A few of them visibly winced, and all of them looked either dejected or sullen. They probably expected to be disqualified as well, but Marcus had other ideas. ¡°However, I have said at the beginning of this that the only way to truly fail my tests is to give up and not try, and I meant it. Perhaps you will do better at other things.¡±

    They immediately brightened up at this.

    Marcus snapped his fingers at the snake coiled around the stone basin, and it immediately copsed into smoke and faded away.

    ¡°You will need one of the spheres for the next test, so please im one for yourself now that the snake is gone.¡±

    There was a brief stampede as the whole grouped rushed towards the basin. Marcus waited patiently for them to finish, amused by their pushing and cursing to be the first one to im one. There was more than enough for all of them, after all.

    ¡°If you¡¯re all done here, then follow me,¡± Marcus told all the remaining candidates, gesturing with his staff. ¡°The next test will be happening over there.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me!¡± one of the girls called out to him, waving her hand in the air to make him notice her. ¡°Is this a puzzle box?¡±

    She pointed at the brass sphere in her hand.

    ¡°It is,¡± Marcus nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll exin more when we reach our destination.¡±

    ¡°Ooh,¡± he heard her mumble to herself. ¡°I like puzzles¡­¡±

    Marcus led them to another seemingly empty patch ofnd. This time, no one was confused when he snapped his fingers and caused the illusion on the area to fall away, revealing several rows of wooden stools. Enough for all of them to pick one to sit on, with plenty of them left empty.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he told them. ¡°There will be no snakes involved this time.¡±

    Nobody seemed to find this joke funny, for some reason.

    ¡°As one of you has already guessed, the sphere you¡¯re holding in your hands is actually a puzzle box. There are nineyers to the puzzle, with a new one unlocking every time you solve one. You will each pick a seat in the area, after which illusory ck walls will spring up and separate you from the rest of your fellows so you can¡¯t coborate with one another on solving the puzzle. You have exactly one hour to solve as manyyers of the puzzle as you can manage. The more the better. Any questions?¡±

    A hand immediately shot up in the air. It was the girl from earlier who had asked him about the sphere being a puzzle box.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Marcus asked.

    ¡°I solved it on the way here,¡± she said.

    ¡°I highly doubt that, youngdy. There is n-¡± Marcus began, but quickly cut himself off so as to not appear truly foolish.

    She was holding her outstretched hand towards him, showing individual pieces of the sphere piled into a crude lump. The puzzle box had been clearly disassembled entirely.

    Marcus immediately dismissed the notion that she had crushed it. The brass sphere was made out of metal and magically reinforced. No one here had enough physical force to forcefully pry it out. Even Marcus would struggle to do so. The only way it wasing apart was if someone solved all nineyers of the puzzle correctly.

    But that was almost as ridiculous. The sphere was a copy of something Marcus had stolen from the ancient ruins of the Four Seasons Academy. It had taken Marcus two months to fully solve it, and that was with all the clues found in the area where he had discovered the original. He knew he wasn¡¯t exactly a puzzle person, bute on! This girl really solved it in the ten minutes it took him to bring her to a new area?

    ¡°How?¡± he demanded.

    ¡°U-um, is there something wrong?¡± she said, suddenly uncertain. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to offend¡­¡±

    ¡°There is nothing wrong, I just want to know how you figured it out so quickly,¡± Marcus quickly rified.

    He had chosen the puzzle box precisely because he¡¯d thought it to be impossibly difficult for the children in front of him. He expected most of them to be stuck on the secondyer by the end of it. The idea that someone could solve itpletely never even crossed his mind.

    ¡°Oh well, the ball is clearly a riddle about the four seasons and the sun and the moon,¡± She picked up two of thergest pieces from her palm. ¡°If you looked at these lines here-¡±

    ¡°Stop, stop,¡± Marcus said quickly, waving both of his hands in front of him wildly. ¡°I believe you. You¡¯re giving too many clues to the other candidates! They¡¯re supposed to tackle this with their own wits. All of you quickly pick a seat and start! Time is already ticking! One house! Go go go!¡±

    The other children scrambled towards the chairs, scattering in the area. Nothing seemingly happened when they sat down, but from the way they stared at their surroundings Marcus knew the illusory barrier he had put on the stools was working. The illusory walls did not stop Marcus or anyone from outside from seeing everyone clearly, but from the perspective of the children, they had be suddenly surrounded by featureless ck walls and everything had gone deathly silent.

    He had told them this was to prevent them from coborating on solving the puzzle, and it was. But it was also deliberately somewhat disturbing and meant to unnerve them. If any of them couldn¡¯t bear the darkness and the silence and rose from their seats before the time limit was over, they would be disqualified on the spot.

    ncing beside him, he saw that the girl who solved the puzzle hadn¡¯t joined the others in iming a seat of her own. She seemed uncertain what to do, and was staring at him curiously.

    ¡°You stay here,¡± he told her. He couldn¡¯t help himself from sighing. ¡°You know, that was supposed to be a really difficult puzzle.¡±

    She smiled at him awkwardly. ¡°I like puzzles,¡± she said.

    ¡°I can see that,¡± he said. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    She was not one of the orphans, nor one of the Willowhill vigers, and neither was she part of the Great Tree delegations. She was the child of one of the travelers who had stumbled upon the judging ceremony while passing through the area and had chosen to stay and observe. Only three such people sent their child to try their luck in the ceremony, and two of these were already eliminated.

    ¡°udia,¡± she said.

    ¡°Where are you from, udia?¡± he asked her. ¡°Tell me about yourself.¡±

    The other children had known origins and allegiances, but udia was a traveler he had allowed to participate in this on a whim, and was thus a big unknown. He would look into her more closely if she actually got chosen, but for now he wanted to know at least some basic facts.

    ¡°I¡¯m from Drelzen,¡± she said. ¡°That was, um, in the Siliciel Kingdom, except I don¡¯t think it exists anymore. It¡¯s in the Chaoswood region, and after the first Academy War, the king and the rest of his royal family were killed by rebels. After that, my family decided things weren¡¯t safe for us anymore, so we went north to try and find a new home elsewhere.¡±

    Ah. She was a refugee. Marcus imagined there were a lot of those right now, especially ones pouring out of Chaoswood.

    He tried to think up something encouraging to say, but he wasn¡¯t really good with words in this kind of situation.

    ¡°I see,¡± he simply said after a few seconds.

    The two of them stared at the rows of children sitting on their stools, most of them staring at the brass puzzle box in their hands inplete silence.

    After a few seconds of this, udia spoke up again.

    ¡°Do you have another puzzle box for me to solve while we wait?¡±

    * * * *

    Since udia gave everyone present a giant clue regarding the puzzle, they did much better at solving it than Marcus had originally intended. None of them hade even close to fully solving it like udia had, but Julia and Renatus both managed to solve fiveyers of the puzzle, which was impressive. Five more students solved fouryers of it, and then most of the others had gotten stuck on either the second or the thirdyer.

    Cricket and Cassia both solved only oneyer of the puzzle, and even that with great difficulty.

    Very few people got disqualified in this round of testing, but ten candidates failed to solve even the easiest aspect of the puzzle within the time limit, and Marcus considered that aplete failure and sent them away. Either they hadn¡¯t even tried to think about the puzzle, or they were too stupid to be a mage.

    After this, he led the ny or so remaining candidates back to the wooden stage where the event had begun. He climbed back on it and motioned them to quiet down and listen.

    ¡°The next test will is also thest one, and arguably the most important one. This is where I will test your overallpatibility with magic and my foundational technique,¡± Marcus said.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you start with this!?¡± somebody shouted.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me summon the snake again,¡± Marcus threatened.

    Only silence answered him. Marcus was pleased.

    ¡°In the beginning, the gods spoke the world into existence, speaking words of power to both describe and define everything in existence. They determined what can be, and what cannot be. They set boundaries and rules, transforming the ever-churning primordial chaos that surrounded them into an orderly garden where lowly beings such as us could live our lives and aspire to join them in their heavenly abodes one day,¡± Marcus said. ¡°These words form a pattern that makes up everything around us. You, me, the rocks and the trees around us, the ocean and the sky. I call them words, but they are more than that. The adepts call it logos, and it is thenguage of creation itself.¡±

    The actual description of world creation differed slightly, depending on which temple or priest you asked, with some iming the world was sung into existence, written like a book or a scroll, or drawn up like an architectural blueprint.

    ¡°Logos is not some unnatural or mystical thing. You encounter it every day of your lives. You are suffused with logos, defined by it. In a very real sense, you <em>are</em> logos. And that is why it¡¯s important that you approach this test with the right mindset. What you think of as talent for magic is simply an ability to resonate with the world around you andprehend the logos that surrounds us.¡±

    Marcus doubted that many of the children understood even a fraction of what he was really saying. But they didn¡¯t have to. He simply had to put them into the right mindset for this. Although he was simplifying things a lot, having a proper mindset meant a world of difference for this kind of testing. Enough so that some families had their children take hypnotic potions before this kind of testing to make sure they were in an ideal mindset for the judging ceremony.

    ¡°Close your eyes,¡± Marcus said. He closed his eyes too. He would not need him for what wasing next. ¡°Take a deep breath. Breathe out. Feel the air as it leaves your body. Extend your awareness outwards. Try to feel the world around you with your soul.¡±

    Marcus let his spirit re out behind him. Although their eyes were closed, Marcus knew that everyone in the vicinity was currently witnessing a massive ghostly oak materialize in the center of their consciousness.

    ¡°Everyone,¡± Marcus spoke, his voice boring directly into their minds and soul. ¡°Repeat after me: I nt in my soul a seed of a mighty tree. Its roots stabilize the earth. Its branches reach out towards the heavens¡­¡±

    Every foundation technique had a magic chant. It was not real logos, for mortal words could never express the transcendental concepts that made up creation. But they could point towards the right way ¨C a path that other people had trailzed in the past, cutting channels of understanding that future generations might follow.

    Marcus repeated the words for the Soul Tree Technique again and again, a hypnotic repetition of words and concepts. The mass of children repeated the words back at him, gradually synchronizing their pronunciation and timing as time went by. The reason was simple ¨C he wanted to see howpatible everyone present was with the Soul Tree Technique.

    Compatibility with a foundational technique was easy to determine ¨C just have a person try to perform it in front of you for a while, and see how they do. A single hour or repetition was enough to get a very urate reading on how suitable someone was to practice a particr technique. Unless there were external factors at y, a student was unlikely to suddenly develop an affinity for a foundational technique they were no good at, no matter how much time passed.

    Marcus could already tell that some of the children werepletely unsuited for the technique. They didn¡¯t chant along with the others, insteadpletely losing themselves in the illusion of the oak tree. They were mesmerized by it, their minds lost in a maze of thoughts and sensations, unable to follow any path. Some of the others were reciting the chant, but he felt no resonance from them ¨C they just spoke the words, but didn¡¯t seem able to connect to the underlying logos that actually made the technique work. Finally, there were about ten children that did performed the foundational technique correctly, and were resonating with its logos, but that resonance was weak and did not improve with time. They would be able to practice the technique, but theirpatibility with it was very bad.

    Out of the 90 candidates that had gone into this final trial, 30 had already been effectively eliminated. However, Marcus did not intend to immediately send them away. There was still a chance that some of them actually had really good elemental affinities and mana responses, and were simply poorly matched with the Soul Tree Technique in particr. It was a somewhat weird foundational technique, after all. If so, Marcus would not choose them as his students, but he would refer them to some other mage so they could try their luck again. Marcus had lots of enemies, but also quite a number of friends ¨C his rmendation letter would carry a lot of weight with certain people.

    After an hour of this, Marcus stopped. He opened his eyes and let the ghostly tree fade behind him. In front of the stage, the children started to wake up from their trance and discuss among themselves how they did.

    ¡°How did I do?¡± someone demanded.

    ¡°Master Marcus, how did we all do in the test!?¡± another agreed.

    ¡°The test is not over yet,¡± Marcus told them. He pulled up a list of names again. ¡°When I call your name,e over on the stage and give me your hand. Ahem. Aelius King?¡±

    One of the orphans immediately ran up to the stage and stuck his hand at Marcus. He was positively vibrating with excitement.

    Marcus went through the names very quickly. Judging ceremonies in most academies could be very lengthy affairs, sometimes taking ce over the course of several days. It was difficult for a bunch of low-ranked mages and mundane bureaucrats to puzzle out someone¡¯s magic talent, and usually involved a collection of magical items and even specially enchanted rooms that candidates were meant to be exposed to. Marcus, however, only really needed to hold their hand, connect to their soul, and subject them to a rapid session of small tests, most of them so subtle that the people he was judging didn¡¯t even realize there was a test to begin with. It was basically the same thing he had done with Elid, and it only took him a minute or two per person.

    The onlyplication was when he got to the Great Tree delegation. They, unlike the other children present here, had already undergone several months of mage training, and were notplete beginners. That¡­plicated things.

    Practicing magic strengthened the soul and increased one¡¯s ability to react to mana, and there was no way to distinguish whether someone had seemingly great talent because they had received prior magic instruction or because they were naturally talented. Assumptions could be made based on the student¡¯s circumstances, but Marcus did not know of their circumstances, so it was very hard to judge which of them was more talented than the other.

    As such, he took nearly five minutes to do full testing on Julia, and when he finally let go of her hand, he found her staring at him with a frown, visibly biting her lower lip.

    ¡°Is there something you wish to say?¡± he asked her curiously.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t¡­ doesn¡¯t this kind of test usually involve items¡­ and stuff¡­¡±

    Of course. She had gone through another judging ceremony already, when she joined the Great Tree Academy, so she undoubtedly knew how these things usually went.

    ¡°It does,¡± Marcus confirmed, nodding sagely. ¡°Mages typically bring out a plethora of magical items such as rune tablets, elemental crystals, special potions, trapped magical insects, and whatnot. Then they observe whether the candidates can make them react in some way, and make educated judgments about their talents based on that.¡±

    ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you doing that?¡± she asked, a trace of challenge in her voice.

    ¡°Because I¡¯m a fifth rank mage, and I absorbed all sixmon elements into my foundation and spirit, as well as several umon ones,¡± Marcus told him, unbothered by herck of faith in his abilities. ¡°And since I have a spirit, my mana is like an extension of my body, and I can detect even the most minute alterations resulting from your attempts to interact with it. There is no better detector of elemental affinities and mana sensitivity than me. Any items I bring up would be superfluous.¡±

    ¡°<em>All</em> sixmon elements?¡± she asked, disbelievingly.

    ¡°And a few umon ones,¡± Marcus pointed out.

    She looked like she wanted to call him a liar.

    He nced at his list and crossed out her name.

    ¡°Marcellus King?¡± he called out. ¡°Get over here. I¡¯m done with miss Julia.¡±

    * * * *

    After he had finished assessing all of the candidates, Marcus retreated to one of the rooms inside the orphanage, apanied by Titus and Pliny, so they could discuss the results of the testing. The final choice was ultimately up to Marcus, but he wanted to discuss his thoughts with them and hear their opinion.

    Unfortunately, Marcus did not have any amazing news to report. If he had to describe any of the gathered children as ¡®talented¡¯, he would say Julia, Renatus, and another male orphan named Volesus were good. Just good, however ¨C not amazing. If this were an examination conducted by the Great Sea Academy, everyone except those three would be turned away. Even then, those three would merely be given a chance topete for the final selection, and there would be no guarantee they would get in. If Julia had a more useful elemental affinity, she would be instantly snapped up, but as it were, she would have topete against more mundane candidates that nheless had far greater mana sensitivity and other advantages over her.

    Great Tree Academy being just a minor academy, couldn¡¯t afford to be as choosy, and would consider a slightly wider array of candidates. Julia, Renatus, and Volesus would be almost guaranteed to get into their academy, and they would be willing to consider some of the others, who had one or two really good traits and little else.

    udia, for instance, had excellent resonance with four different elements ¨C air, earth, fire, and water. Unfortunately, none of them rose to the level of elemental affinity, so most academies would not be interested, as most magical legacies specialized in one type of magic and being reasonably good at four different ones was considerably worse than being really good at one of them. However, Great Tree Academy didn¡¯t have a strong specialization, so they would take notice.

    Cricket and Cassia, despite having impressed Marcus in other tests, were very average magically speaking.

    He was inclined to pick them anyway.

    ¡°All of this is just pathetic,¡± Titus told him. ¡°Even this Renatus and Volesus¡­ you could get guys just as good from my academy, except they would have proven work ethic and some basics already driven into them. It seems such a waste of your talents to spend years of your life teaching these¡­ mediocrities.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not filling all my students with members of Great Tree Academy, Titus,¡± Marcus told him. ¡°I admit that Julia is good. She and Renatus are the only ones I¡¯d describe as somewhat special-¡°

    ¡°It¡¯s disrespectful to even mention that brat¡¯s name in rtion to Julia,¡± Titus frowned. ¡°Special? Don¡¯t make meugh. I heard from Pliny about him while you were doing your tests. He¡¯s just a troublemaker with eyes bigger than his stomach. And why is he special, but not this Volesus fellow? You admitted yourself that Volesus had the best scores out of everyone out there.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a secret,¡± Marcus told him mysteriously.

    Titus made a crude gesture at him.

    Marcus ignored it. He was the bigger man.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re looking down on my charges a little too much, Titus,¡± Pliny told the other man. ¡°Some of your own academy staff ultimately came from this ce, remember? And besides, even if none of the children Marcus takes under his wing end up aplishing much, it¡¯s not the end of the world. He can always take another generation of students.¡±

    After some more arguing, writing down names and then crossing them out, Marcus made a finalized list with six names. It went like this:

    -Julia Candida

    -Renatus King?

    -Livia from ck Spruce Vige

    -udia from Drelzen

    -Cassia King

    -Volesus King

    ¡°I think this is it,¡± Marcus said. ¡°Once I add two people from Great Sea, and one from Beortan, that will be nine people. That¡¯s a good number. Spiritually significant.¡±

    Marcus was not the biggest believer in numerology, but it was clear to him from studying various magic lore that some numberbinations were better than others. Number three and its multiples tended to show up a lot in various ces.

    Considering the nature of logos, it was not a big stretch to guess that numbers yed a role in how the world was constructed.

    ¡°Well, you know what I think,¡± Titus said. ¡°I think you could easily drop Cassia and Livia from that list and not lose much. But if you want to pick at least five orphans, I guess you got to pad out the list somehow.

    Pliny nced at the list in Marcus¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Why is there a question mark next to Renatus¡¯s name?¡± he asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you liked him?¡±

    ¡°No, I said he was special,¡± Marcus said. ¡°I need to speak to him in private before I decide if I want to teach him or not.¡±

    Pliny and Titus gave him other a questioning look.

    ¡°Wait. There is seriously something special about him?¡± Titus asked.

    Marcus nodded.

    ¡°Why are you keeping it a secret from us?¡± Pliny asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t the whole point of this meeting for us to advise you? We can¡¯t do that if you keep things to yourself like this.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not something rted to today¡¯s judgment ceremony,¡± Marcus said, shaking his head. ¡°Everything I found out about him today, I told you. It¡¯s what I saw about him while I was living in the orphanage these past few weeks and observing the children.¡±

    ¡°I missed something?¡± Pliny asked, surprised. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve noticed something this old dog hasn¡¯t. These are my charges, Marcus. I see them every day, and believe me, I pay extra attention to troublemakers like Renatus.¡±

    ¡°Then, I presume you¡¯re aware that he¡¯s something of a thief?¡± Marcus asked.

    ¡°Thief?¡± Pliny was taken aback. ¡°No, I¡­ I mean, he did steal a few things from the vige when he first got here, but I put a stop to that quickly. He doesn¡¯t do that kind of thing anymore.¡±

    ¡°He does,¡± Marcus told him. ¡°He just learned how to use his divine blessing better to avoid detection.¡±

 Chapter 13: Mysterious Powers

    Marcus sat in what was normally Old Pliny¡¯s office in the orphanage, tapping his chin thoughtfully as he tried to figure out the best approach for this. He had told Pliny and Titus to leave the room and call Renatus here so Marcus could have a private conversation with him, but truthfully, he did not know what the proper way to handle something like this was. He had travelled the world and seen many things, but rarely did he have children under his care to worry about.

    A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Before he could tell the person toe inside, the door cracked open and a child¡¯s head peeked into the room experimentally.

    For a moment, Marcus considered telling Renatus off for not waiting for his response before opening the door. What was even the point of knocking if you were just going to do that? However, he just silently gestured for the boy toe inside instead.

    Renatus immediately slipped inside, closing the door behind him. Marcus would usually pay such minor details no heed, but knowing what he did about the boy, he noted that Renatus had managed to close the door while making only the slightest of sounds.

    ¡°Uh, I was told you asked to see me?¡± Renatus said.

    ¡°I did,¡± Marcus nodded. ¡°Please sit down, young man.¡±

    ¡°Ahh¡­ it feels weird to be called that,¡± Renatus protested. He did walk up to the chair Marcus had pointed out and sat down as instructed. ¡°I know you¡¯re an exalted elder from the Great Sea Academy, but how about you just call me Renatus?¡±

    ¡°Sure. Renatus it is, then,¡± Marcus agreed.

    He studied the boy in front of his for a second. He was short for his age, with ck hair and very dark eyes. Renatus was clearly somewhat nervous, which made sense for someone invited for a private talk with an authority figure, but he didn¡¯t appear to be terribly nervous. He clearly didn¡¯t realize how much Marcus knew about him. He also seemed to have trouble sitting still ¨C his fingers and feet were constantly twitching and shifting in ce ¨C but Marcus knew from his previous observations that this was standard for the boy.¡°So, uh, what did you want to talk to me about? Did I pass?¡± Renatus asked, too impatient to just sit in silence like this.

    ¡°You did pretty good at the tests,¡± Marcus told him, folding his fingers into a triangle in front of him. ¡°You¡¯ve got courage, you have some brains, and you did well at the magic talent examination. You would be easily epted into the Great Tree Academy, I think.¡±

    ¡°But not good enough to be epted by you,¡± the boy guessed.

    He sounded disappointed, but also resigned. As if he already expected to fail.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that,¡± Marcus told him. ¡°You could be better, but the other children aren¡¯t exactly amazing either. You are definitely one of my favorite candidates right now.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, perking up. ¡°Oh! But I¡¯m kind of¡­¡±

    He trailed off suddenly.

    Marcus raised an eyebrow at him. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°N-nothing!¡± Renatus quickly assured him. ¡°I, uh, know Old Pliny probably told you some stories about me, but it¡¯s all super exaggerated, okay? That guy is always after me for some reason.¡±

    ¡°Really? Elder Pliny actually had some uncharacteristically generous praise for you. Said you always paid attention during his lessons and even pursued academics in your own free time, without him having to hound you about it,¡± Marcus told him.

    ¡°Ehh!?¡± Renatus seemed at loss for words. ¡°I guess Old- I mean Elder Pliny-¡°

    ¡°He did say you were something of a troublemaker, as well,¡± Marcus added. ¡°However, I won¡¯t take that too much against you. We¡¯ve all done some stupid things here and there.¡±

    ¡°Err, yeah, yeah,¡± Renatus agreed, nodding vigorously. He started gesticting wildly with his hands. ¡°It like you say, Master Marcus. I will definitely turn a new leaf and not cause trouble, ha ha ha! Why would I risk being sent away from a great teacher like you? That would be crazy!"

    ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s good,¡± Marcus told him. ¡°That said, I haven¡¯t finalized the selection just yet. Do you perhaps have any special abilities or magical traits that you haven¡¯t told anyone about? That would definitely seal the deal and ensure you were chosen. Everyone is always on the lookout for people with something special about them, after all.¡±

    Renatus immediately flinched back in his seat, his eyes widening. He then seemed to realize his reaction was suspicious, and tried to recover hisposure. However, he then froze and gave Marcus a long stare, realization dawning on his face.

    ¡°Y-You know!¡± he used, pointing his finger at him usingly.

    Rude.

    ¡°I know,¡± Marcus confirmed. It was fun while itsted, but he wasn¡¯t going to y games forever.

    ¡°Wait,¡± Renatus said, narrowing his eyes. ¡°What <em>do</em> you know?¡±

    ¡°That you have a divine blessing, stupid,¡± said Marcus, controlling his urge to roll his eyes at him. ¡°Who do you think you¡¯re talking to?¡±

    ¡°Y-You even know it¡¯s a divine blessing?¡± Renatus asked, his shoulder slumping slightly.

    ¡°If it were anything else, you would never have been able to keep it a secret for so long,¡± Marcus said. ¡°A key feature of divine blessings and other miracles is that they cannot be detected by mortal magic. Their effects can be observed, but they use no mana and do not register as magical in any way. If what you had was a chaos mutation or an inherited magical ability, you would have been caught ages ago for magic use. Not to mention that I would have been able to detect it when I examined you on the stage earlier.¡±

    ¡°Wait. You didn¡¯t detect it when you held my hand?¡± Renatus asked.

    ¡°How could a mortal mage ever detect a divine blessing?¡± Marcus asked rhetorically. ¡°Of course I didn¡¯t detect anything unusual then.¡±

    ¡°Then how¡­?¡±

    Instead of exining with words, Marcus held out his hand in front of him and conjured an illusory screen in front of Renatus¡¯ face. A life-like scene of the boy skulking around in the nearby Willowhill vige was projected on it. The boy on the screen expertly kept out of sight of wandering vigers and old grannies looking out of their windows to pass the time and eventually slipped into a storage shed, where he made his way towards a collection ofrge bags. He ced his hand on one of them, and the bag just¡­ disappeared.

    After that, Renatus on the screen fled the scene, at one point suddenly bingpletely invisible to avoid getting noticed by one of the vigers.

    Renatus watched the illusion with a look of resigned amazement on his face, clearly fascinated by the illusion magic that made this re-enactment possible, but also increasingly aware that there was no way to trick Marcus about what he had been doing when he had clearly seen everything.

    Finally, the boy had enough of this. He waved his hand through the illusory screen a couple of times, disrupting it and causing it to fade away. He then sighed heavily. It was a loud, very dramatic sigh. Very theatrical and exaggerated. Celer would like this kid, Marcus thought to himself.

    ¡°Undone by a single bag of walnuts,¡± Renatus said sadly. ¡°I knew it was a bad idea to do that while there was a powerful mage visiting the orphanage.¡±

    ¡°But you did it anyway,¡± Marcus pointed out.

    ¡°I used my abilities when there were other mages visiting, and they never noticed something was wrong,¡± Renatus said defensively.

    Not too surprising. No matter how powerful a mage was, divine magic could not be detected. Unless the mage in question had a reason to suspect Renatus was up to something and had ess to sufficiently advanced spying magic that could covertly observe him, it would be hard to catch the boy in the act.

    Marcus was quiet for a second, tapping his fingers against each other thoughtfully while staring at Renatus. Renatus, for his part, shifted even more nervously under his gaze.

    ¡°You know,¡± Marcus said. ¡°I don¡¯t actually mind that you kept your divine blessing secret.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± Renatus asked, surprised.

    ¡°I don¡¯t. Mages always have their share of secrets, even from their own teachers. It is in our nature. The main reason <em>not</em> to keep secrets is that it limits you in how effective you can be. If you¡¯re keeping some of your abilities a secret, you will miss some opportunities you would have gotten otherwise, and you might lose people and things you care about just because you didn¡¯t want to reveal all your cards to your opponents. But, well, you¡¯re still a kid, and no one is relying on you. I can respect your self-control in keeping something like a divine blessing a closely-kept secret instead of revealing it to everyone straight away in hopes of getting a privileged treatment. What I cannot respect, though, is the stealing.¡±

    Renatus opened his mouth to defend himself but Marcus shut him up by lifting his palm at him. There was no actual magic in the move, but the boy was smart enough to recognize that Marcus was telling him to shut up a listen.

    ¡°I know what you¡¯re going to say, and it would just be insulting,¡± Marcus said. ¡°If you are so cavalier about using your abilities to steal that you¡¯d risk getting caught over a bag of walnuts, it means you¡¯ve been using your divine blessing to steal constantly. This isn¡¯t a one-time thing, or a two-time thing, or even a five-time thing. <em>Constantly</em>.¡±

    Renatus lowered his head in shame.

    Well, if he still had the capacity to be ashamed at the usation, at least there was some hope for the kid yet. That was encouraging.

    ¡°Anyway, here¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do. I will ept you as my student,¡± Marcus said.

    Renatus raised his head, giving him a surprised look.

    ¡°However, I will give restitution to the Willowhill vigers for the damage you¡¯ve inflicted over the years,¡± Marcus continued. At least, he assumed this has all been going on for years at this point. He had no idea when Renatus got his divine blessing. ¡°You will owe me for this.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Renatus horridly agreed. ¡°I will definitely pay it all back, it¡¯s just-¡°

    ¡°And you will apologize to the vige elder for your actions,¡± Marcus added.

    Renatus¡¯ face soured, clearly unhappy at the thought of having to apologize. However, to his credit, he didn¡¯t actually say anything in protest.

    ¡°I know I should make things right, but is it really a good idea to tell everyone I have a divine blessing?¡± he asked Marcus slowly and hesitantly.

    ¡°Oh no, we will definitely keep that part to ourselves,¡± Marcus assured him. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to fully cover this up. I already told Old Pliny about this, for one thing. However, the less people know about your divine blessing, the better. The only thing the vigers have to know is that you¡¯ve been stealing from them. Don¡¯t even mention there was magic involved, let alone divine magic.¡±

    Renatus stared at him silently.

    ¡°As I said, Mages always have their share of secrets. It is in the nature of the profession,¡± Marcus shrugged.

    He didn¡¯t want anyone else to know that his student had undetectable stealth magic. For one thing, such an ability was more powerful the less people knew about it. More importantly, though, if knowledge of his abilities spread, a lot of people would always be extremely wary of him, and a lot of doors that would otherwise be open to him would close.

    Powerful stealth magic was automatically powerful assassination magic, and mages ¨C even powerful mages ¨C were very vulnerable to assassinations.

    ¡°What would happen if I just¡­ refused to be your student?¡± Renatus asked, biting his lip. ¡°Do I even have a choice at this point?¡±

    ¡°You always have a choice,¡± Marcus said. ¡°And in any case, I¡¯m not interested in unwilling students. If you think dealing with me is too troublesome, you can stay here until you¡¯re ready to leave the orphanage. Keep in mind, however, that I will inform Elder Pliny of everything I know and as your caretaker, he will surely have his own thoughts about what needs to be done in regards to your¡­ behavior.¡±

    Renatus swallowed heavily.

    ¡°There, there is no need for that! I was just speaking hypothetically, Master Marcus,¡± Renatus assured him, waving his hands in front of him. ¡°Of course I want to be your student!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Marcus told him. In truth, there was no way Renatus could be allowed to run amok in the mundane world with no oversight from anyone. ¡°Do me a favor and describe how your divine blessing actually works. I am going to be your teacher, and I already know about it, so I trust you have no problem with this.¡±

    Renatus seemed slightly hesitant about the idea, but eventually nodded to him and began to talk.

    This novel''s true home is a different tform. Support the author by finding it there.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to exin because sometimes even I don¡¯t get it,¡± Renatus said. ¡°But I have the ability to generate these invisible bubbles. If I make them swallow objects, they be weightless and invisible, and the bubbles follow me around as I move, carrying things for me.¡±

    ¡°Aha. So that¡¯s how you carried off that big, bulky bag with seemingly no effort,¡± Marcus mused. He had wondered about that. He had already figured that there was more to Renatus¡¯ abilities than just making things invisible, but it was interesting to hear how the blessing actually worked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Renatus nodded. ¡°The bubbles are weird. It gets harder to create more of them than I already have, but it doesn¡¯t seem to matter if I¡¯m carrying five bags of flour in them, or five individual leaves. They both require five bubbles to carry. Five bubbles is the maximum I can create at the moment.¡±

    ¡°At the moment, you say. So I¡¯m guessing the number you can create increased over time?¡± Marcus asked. Renatus nodded affirmatively. ¡°And surely you can just lump those five leaves together into a single pile and put them in the same bubble?¡±

    ¡°Uh, no,¡± Renatus said, shaking his head. ¡°I tried that and the bubbles refused to recognize the leaf pile as one object. They have a mind of their own, and they decide on their own what is and is not an object. They don¡¯t want to swallow anything living aside from myself, either. Really, I can¡¯t even make them move the way I want to ¨C they just follow after me like a bunch of ducklings. All I can do is order them to swallow and spit things out.¡±

    Something clicked in Marcus¡¯s mind hearing this description.

    ¡°So when you turned invisible back during your walnut heist, you were putting one of these bubbles over yourself, then?¡± he asked Renatus. ¡°That¡¯s why you didn¡¯t make the whole trip while invisible. You cannot move while inside a bubble.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Renatus confirmed. ¡°I also don¡¯t see very well with a bubble over me. Everything is gray and blurry, and sounds are distorted. It can be hard to figure out what is happening around me. I don¡¯t like using that trick, but it can be handy sometimes.¡±

    It made sense to Marcus that Renatus¡¯ divine blessing revolvedpletely around the weird bubbles hemanded. Marcus had only encountered a divine blessing twice in his life before meeting Renatus, but each time it had a pretty narrow theme. One of them gave a young warrior the ability to summon copies of any sword they touched, including magical ones, and the other couldpel anyone in the vicinity to answer their questions truthfully.

    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you know what god gave you your powers?¡± Marcus asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Renatus said, shaking his head. ¡°I just woke up one day, about a year and a half ago, and I had this. I don¡¯t know how, but I knew in my heart instantly that this was a divine blessing.¡±

    Hmm. Much like Marcus couldn¡¯t get the vision of the copsing out of his mind, perhaps? There was a weight to the vision, and it demanded to be remembered and considered seriously, in a way that couldn¡¯t possibly be natural. It was entirely possible that the blessing Renatus received came with a simr revtion of its divine nature attached to it.

    He nodded slightly, lost in thought for a moment. From what Marcus had read, this story was quitemon among those who possessed a divine blessing. Such divine gifts were rare, but less rare than most people realized, and they urred all over the with little established pattern. Some of them were explicitly given by the gods of the Illuminated pantheon or the other two temples, but in that case it was mostly given to their own priests and faithful, usually for major achievements and a lifetime of service. However, most of the recipients of divine blessings were seemingly random people, usually children or young adults, who had done nothing special to deserve them. The blessings were provided by an anonymous source, and came with no obligations attached to them.

    This was quite strange, since gods were prideful beings and liked to take credit for their deeds. The official story from the Illuminated Pantheon was that the gods asionally blessed random mortals as an expression of their innate goodness and generosity, but Marcus had heard some heretical theories that these blessings came from an outside source. An alien force so grand and powerful that even the gods of the Illuminated Pantheon did not dare go after its mortal agents.

    In any case, Marcus actually preferred things to be this way. If Renatus had been given a blessing by a specific named god, Marcus would have no choice but to hand him over over to whatever temple that god was associated with. As it was, the priests had no right to butt their heads into his business, and Marcus liked it that way.

    He discussed some more details with Renatus and then sent him out of the office so he could consider the things he found out in private.

    * * * *

    Afterwards, Marcus summoned the six chosen candidates in front of the orphanage, and offered to be their teacher. He didn¡¯t really think any of them would refuse, but tradition demanded that a mage formally ept his students in front of witnesses so that there was no ambiguity in these matters.

    In big academies, the deliberations regarding test results could take several days to resolve. In this case, the whole process only took several hours, even ounting for his interrogation of Renatus. Much of the crowd was still here, as people were curious about who would get eventually chosen ¨C the vigers had gone home when Marcus retreated into the orphanage to discuss the results of his tests, but came back quickly once the word came out that he was ready to announce his choice.

    Marcus quickly called out six names and had them step out in front of him. He expected some disappointedments from the rest of the candidates that didn¡¯t get chosen, maybe even an outburst or two, but mostly the crowd just erupted into mumbling and gossip. They seemed to find great significance in the fact four out of six of the chosen were girls, which made Marcus a little sour inside.

    Of course <em>that</em> was what they fixated on¡­ just what kind of person did they think he was?

    ¡°Julia, Renatus, Livia, udia, Cassia, Volesus,¡± Marcus spoke. ¡°The six of you possess the drive and the talent to be my students. Do you ept my guidance and authority?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± the six immediately shouted.

    ¡°I will do my best to turn you all into excellent mages, but you must understand - I am a very demanding teacher. You have a difficult path ahead of you if you decide to walk down this path with me,¡± Marcus told them. He stared at them for a second, but none of them seemed hesitant or tempted to step away. ¡°Very well. In that case, let us not drag this out any more. Step forth, and receive my blessing.¡±

    The six approached Marcus one by one, and as they did, Marcus did two things.

    The first was that he recited a short spell chant and ced his palm on top of the student¡¯s head, and then imnted the soul seed inside of them. The chant and the palm were not necessary and were mostly for show. He had already created the soul seeds after speaking to Renatus and finalizing his list of chosen students, and the imntation process did not require such obvious spellwork. However, doing things this way allowed him focus on the process, which was still new to him, without arousing much suspicion from his new students. If any of them thought there was something unusual about Marcus cing a hand on their head and chanting strange words as part of their initiation ceremony, they didn¡¯t say so out loud.

    The imntation process went smoothly until it was time for Julia to receive a soul seed. As someone who had already been epted into the Great Tree Academy, Julia already had Sacred Oak¡¯s soul seed. As such, the attempts to imnt a new soul seed into her failed. Marcus had expected that ¨C his intuition had already made him suspect he would not seed. However, what he expected to happen was that the existing soul seed would interfere with the imntation of the second one, causing a rejection.

    What happened instead was the Sacred Oak¡¯s soul fragment inside Julia outright <em>devoured</em> Marcus¡¯s own. It seized the soul seed Marcus sent the moment the two touched, tearing it apart and somehow feeding on its tattered remains. Although he felt no pain, it took all of Marcus¡¯s self-control not to flinch back in shock when he witnessed it through his spiritual senses.

    How brutal. Although Marcus was spiritual kin to the Sacred Oak, the tree¡¯s soul fragment did not hesitate at all to attack him, and was clearly more capable in soulbat than Marcus was. Marcus was also rather sure that this defense would work on more than just a rival soul seed. It was likely that any kind of possession attempt or attack on the soul would be resisted by the imnted soul seed. That meant that having a soul seed basically gave one a certain level of soul protection that was beyond anything a beginner mage could muster up on their own.

    His thoughts wandered to the various minor incidents in his youth, where he resisted attempts to charm him or attack him spiritually. At the time, most people, including himself, simply assumed he was a strong-willed individual with a powerful soul and that his ability to resist things he shouldn¡¯t have been able to were just a product of inborn talents, but Marcus now suspected there was more to it than that. Producing a soul seed through the use of Soul Tree Technique required one to be of at least Spirit Manifestation rank, so having one defending you was like having a tiny Spirit-rank angel on your shoulder watching out for you.

    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± Julia asked, making no attempt to remove his hand from her head. He must have nked out a bit longer than he thought.

    ¡°You have a surprisingly powerful soul,¡± he told her, pulling his hand back.

    She seemed embarrassed at thepliment, muttering something that sounded like a thanks and retreating back from his reach.

    The second thing Marcus did was give all six of his new students an identification seal in the shape of arge circr medallion. It was pale white, made out of the bones of white livyatans that Great Sea¡¯s whaling ships often hunted ¨C a powerful but rtively inexpensive magical material that was hard to acquire for mages who weren¡¯t members of Great Sea Academy. Carved into the gleaming white bone was an image of a giant tree towering over mountains, shrouding thendscape under its vast canopy.

    The medallions were primarily an identification tool that his students could show to anyone that questioned their allegiance, affirming their status as his students. However, they were also minor items imbued with protective enchantments ¨C a product of Marcus¡¯s recently experimentation on the potential of soul seeds when used in magic item construction. He had personally made these in the lead-up to the choosing ceremony.

    The children studied the white medallions with great interest, flipping them repeatedly in their hands and tracing the carvings with their fingers, perhaps sensing that they were not entirely mundane objects.

    After that, Marcus had to deal with a bunch of annoying but necessary minor issues. He had to talk to udia¡¯s parents, for instance, since they were travelling refugees and he had to have some way of knowing what their ns were and how to keep in contact with them. In practice, he would have to help them out a little so udia wouldn¡¯t have to waste her time worrying about what would happen to her family while she was gone.

    He also had to talk to Pliny and Titus about Renatus. He ended up telling them that the boy¡¯s blessing enabled him to turn invisible. It was obviously not the whole truth, and Marcus could tell that both Pliny and Titus understood this, but the two men did not push him too hard for additional details.

    After those matters were settled, he informed his new students that they had the rest of the day and tomorrow free to say goodbye to their families and settle their affairs, before they would all set off towards their new amodations.

    * * * *

    Marcus stood in front of a small stone tower, his new students fanned out behind him. The building had seen better days. The roof was partially copsed, many of the roof tiles missing and exposing the wooden framework beneath. There were traces of an extensive garden surrounding the tower, but it had been not maintained in a long time and was utterly overgrown with weeds now. The front door was seemingly ripped off its hinges at some point and was now lying on the ground some distance away from the entrance.

    This was the Amethyst Academy, or at least the remains of it. Marcus had bought it from thest two surviving members while waiting for the judging ceremony to start. Although it looked kind of bad, the overall structure of the building was solid and the primary defensive enchantment of the tower was still intact, so the situation wasn¡¯t as bad as it looked at first nce.

    ¡°This ce is a ruin,¡± Cassia said behind him.

    ¡°It¡¯s our ruin,¡± Marcus said, turning to face his students. ¡°As your first task, you will help me fix it up.¡±

    ¡°Ehh!?¡± Cricket protested. The others looked simrly shocked.

    ¡°This will be our home from now on,¡± Marcus told them. ¡°Bringing it back to a livable state is in your best interest as much as it is in mine. I don¡¯t want to hear anyints.¡±

    ¡°But, but¡­ look at the ce! This could take weeks!¡± Cricket protested.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll do the difficult tasks like fixing up cracks in the walls, carrying heavy objects, and recing the roof tiles. I predict it will only take us three or four days to restore the ce if you work hard.¡±

    ¡°I, uh, are you going to teach us some cleaning and repair spells to make the work go faster?¡± Volesus asked. He was a pretty unremarkable boy of average height with short brown hair. The only notable feature he had was a long thin scar on his left cheek, apparently gotten while bringing a kitten too close to his face as a young orphan.

    ¡°No magic lessons willmence until the ce is fixed up and ready to receive students,¡± Marcus said, folding his hands over his chest. ¡°Besides, how would I teach you any spells? You aren¡¯t even rank one mages yet.¡±

    Seeing how everyone except Julia was giving his nk looks for iprehension, Marcus sighed internally and decided to give them a quick lesson in magic theory. He was serious about there being no magic lessons until the tower was restored, but this was pure theory, and it would give them some perspective of the long road in front of them.

    ¡°In order to cast even the simplest of spells, you need to use mana, the magical energies that suffuse mystical ces and creatures of the world, to power them. However, you don¡¯t have any mana, so you need to get it from the world around you.¡±

    He extended his arms into the air and gestured at thend around them.

    ¡°This tower has been built on one of the natural nodes of power on the. There is power all around us, but I bet none of you can feel it.¡±

    The students shared questioning looks between each other, silently realizing that none of them felt anything special about this ce. Some of them gave Julia searching looks. The Great Tree girl was keeping herself visibly more distant from the rest of the children, apparently reluctant to really interact with them. Marcus hoped that wouldn¡¯t persist, or else he would have to intervene somehow.

    ¡°No, not even Miss Candida can sense the ambient mana of this ce. Not unless she¡¯s actively performing the Soul Tree Technique, that is,¡± Marcus told them.

    ¡°Oh! I get it!¡± udia said. ¡°The foundation technique you made us perform lets us connect to the magic around us!¡±

    ¡°But I could barely even think while I was going through the chants and motions of that technique,¡± Renatus pointed out. ¡°It took all my concentration just to keep myself immersed in it and do everything correctly. How can we cast anything while doing that?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t,¡± Marcus said. ¡°You hit the nail on the head. A non-mage like you can only connect to the logos of the world around you and sense ambient mana while performing a foundational technique. But while you are doing that, you obviously cannot cast any spells. Meaning you are incapable of casting anything.¡±

    It was actually possible forpletely normal, untrained people to use magic through borate rituals and magic circles made out of exotic magicalponents. However, these were extremely dangerous even for full-blown mages, since they often invoked the aid of spirits and various outer powers. Marcus didn¡¯t want them to know about this yet, lest they be tempted to try them on their own in secret.

    ¡°So what do we need to do in order to cast spells?¡± asked Volesus, eyes shining. He seemed really excited by the prospect of magic. Well, they probably all were.

    ¡°Be persistent, mostly,¡± Marcus told him. ¡°Perform the Soul Tree Technique that I showed you daily, whenever you have some free time and your soul feels fresh enough. Again, again, and again, until the foundational technique is so instinctive, so ingrained in your soul, that you no longer need to go through the motions and speak the chants to activate it. Then practice it some more, until resonating with it is nothing but a single act of will, and you no longer need to expend any attention at all to keep it going. At that point, you will be mystically connected to the world around anytime you wish, and will be able to focus on performing a spell without your body and attention being taken up by the foundational technique that you practice. At that point you will truly be a rank one mage, and will be able to count yourself as one of the adepts.¡±

    This process that Marcus described was, as far as he knew, identical for all adepts. It didn¡¯t matter whether someone was training to be a mage, a warrior, an artificer, or an assassin, they were all initially tasked with integrating their foundational technique into their soul through stubborn repetition before they could actually begin to practice their magic.

    Of course, the speed at which someone went through this process differed greatly depending on how talented some person was and other details, but Marcus actually expected most of them to take that first step rtively close to each other. The only exception was Julia, whose wood affinity would cause her to internalize her foundational technique much sooner than the others.

    As for the others, well¡­ their talents were all mediocre, and there was a limit as to how often one could perform a foundational technique in a day. The act of practicing a foundational technique puts considerable stress on the soul, especially if Marcus wasn¡¯t present to make things easier by manifesting his spirit like he did at the judging ceremony. Without his help, his six students, bursting with life and enthusiasm as they were, would not be able to keep practicing the Soul Tree Technique for more than half an hour at the time. In any case, Marcus intended to push all of them to their very limit, so unless one of them had an umonly resilient soul, their work ethic shouldn¡¯t matter too much in this early state.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± Marcus said, ¡°We wasted too much timezing around already. You six start carrying out all the broken furniture and see if there are any items inside worth salvaging. Meanwhile, I will get rid of the nest of dire centipedes currently infesting the basement.¡±

 Chapter 14: The Mighty

    As the days went by, the tower gradually started to look less like an abandoned ruin, and more like a legitimate ce to live in. The roof was fixed, the cracks in the walls sealed up, the floors swept clean of dust, animal droppings, and other detritus, and a new front door was installed. Old, broken furniture was taken outside to be disposed of, and new furniture that Marcus had bought in the nearest town was brought in to rece it. The gardens were still overgrown with weeds, but the rampant growth had been mowed down to a more manageable height, and it was possible to walk through them without ending up stung bytles, burdock, and various insects.

    The ce still looked pretty rough, but Marcus felt it was getting good enough to move in. The rest of the work could be done gradually over the uing months and years. His students needed something to keep them upied when they weren¡¯t studying and resting, anyway. Giving young mages too much free time would lead to trouble.

    ordingly, Marcus was currently setting up his things in the biggest room at the top of the tower, which Marcus had imed as his own. The tower was quite small, so even this ¡°big¡± room was rtively tiny, but Marcus didn¡¯t mind. He had spent thest six years travelling all over the ce, with his entire belongings carried in his backpack ¨C he didn¡¯t have that many possessions to store, so this office was more for the sake of appearances than anything else.

    In all honesty, Marcus would have been happier not having a room and just camping out in the nearby forest. s, that wouldn¡¯t be a good idea. As a teacher, he had a responsibility to look out for his students, and that meant he couldn¡¯t leave them alone in the tower. It was advisable, at least in these first few months while they were still adjusting to the life of a mage trainee, to always be close to them in order to respond to any emergencies, break up fights before they could turn lethal, and prevent roving monsters and hostile adepts from harming them.

    Marcus stood on the doorway, admiring his handiwork. He thought he had done a fairly good job of arranging the furniture and adding some aesthetic carvings to the wall with his stone shaping magic. The bookshelves were sadly empty, and there were no potted nts he could put in strategic ces across the room, but he couldn¡¯t do anything about that at the moment. He made a mental note to buy some stuff to fill in the space when he got the time.

    The sound of someone running up the stairs interrupted him from his musings. Having spent several days with them, Marcus was starting to recognize his students by the way they walked and made sounds, and he immediately knew it was Cricket climbing up towards him. Only she made this much noise whenever she did things.

    ¡°Master! Master! There are people at camp asking to meet you!¡± Cricket shouted, before she had even climbed her way all the ways to the top where Marcus stood waiting for her.

    ¡°Hm?¡± Marcus asked, frowning. Cricket soon came into view, breathing somewhat heavily due to exertion, but otherwise fine, despite running all the way to the top of the tower. ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°We never saw them before. There are four of them, and they say they¡¯re here to talk about business. We think they¡¯re adepts of some kind.¡±They were probably representatives of the local powers looking to introduce themselves¡­ but what kind of business could he have with them, really? He had no intention of entangling himself in local politics ¨C he just wanted to establish his own small school in peace and mind his own business. Hopefully this was all just a formality.

    He followed Cricket down and then towards the nearby forest, where he and his students had established a temporary camp. This was where they ate, rested, and slept while the tower was being prepared for habitation. Marcus didn¡¯t mind that arrangement in the least, but some of his students were grumbling. Oddly, it was Volesus who seemed to be the most upset about their current situation.

    In any case, the neers immediately went for the camp in order to seek him out, which was interesting. They had clearly been observing them for some time if they knew to go to the camp instead of the tower, and had no trouble locating said camp. It wasn¡¯t exactly hidden, but it wasn¡¯t ced in in sight of the path approaching the tower, either.

    Cricket pointed excitedly at the four guests as they approached, and Marcus ruffled her hair to calm her down.

    ¡°Yes, I can see them,¡± he told her. ¡°It¡¯s not polite to point like that.¡±

    He observed them as he approached. There were two men and two women in the group, all very young ¨C in their twenties at most, and possibly younger. That was curious, as representatives sent by established factions tended to be experienced people, and thus a bit on the older side. Sometimes they sent a younger apprentice with an older diplomat to sit at the meetings and observe, but this was unusual.

    One of the four was a muscr man with a stony expression on his face, and a bow slung over his back. Standing next to him was a red-headed girl with short hair and some kind of symbols painted over her face. There was a big knife prominently sheathed in her belt, and she was leaning on a spear.

    The third one was a handsome blonde man with a sword attached to his belt and a shield hanging on his back. He seemed very ufortable to be here, and kept fidgeting nervously and looking at the Marcus¡¯s students gathered at the camp. That was a bit amusing, since he was almost certainly a bigger threat to them than they were to him. He probably didn¡¯t realize none of the children were actual mages yet.

    Finally, thest guest was a willowy brown-haired girl that looked very frail and small next to the other three. The other three neers were, Marcus guessed, warrior adepts of some kind. But the fourth woman looked too physically weak to be one. The sole mage of the group, perhaps?

    In any case, he never slowed in his approach, so he was soon in front of the group.

    He bowed slightly and greeted them.

    ¡°Wee,¡± he said. ¡°I apologize that I cannot offer you much in terms of refreshments and amodations, but as you say see, we¡¯re in the middle of cleaning up the ce and are yet to move in. What can I do for you?¡±

    ¡°So, this may be a bit rude to ask, but with you moving in and fixing the ce up, can we assume the Amethyst Academy is gone?¡± the spear-wilding girl asked.

    ¡°Miss Tuga, perhaps we should introduce ourselves first?¡± the blonde man suddenly offered. He cleared his throat a little, before turning towards Marcus. ¡°Greetings, sir. I am Dain, a warrior, and this is my wife Eleanor, an alchemist.¡±

    Dain gestured towards the tiny, willowy girl that Marcus had assumed was the mage of the group when introducing Eleanor.

    ¡°Finally, these two,¡± said Dain, gesturing towards the stony-faced man with the bow and the spear-wielding woman, ¡°are Klukas and Tuga, both hunters. The reason why mypanion asked about the Amethyst Academy is that we had regr business with them before their decline.¡±

    ¡°They are truly gone,¡± Marcus confirmed. ¡°Thest two surviving members dissolved the school and each went their separate way. They sold me the right to thisnd, so it¡¯s mine now.¡±

    ¡°So what¡¯s the academy called now?¡± Eleanor asked.

    ¡°Well, I¡­ must confess I haven¡¯t thought of a name for it yet,¡± Marcus admitted.

    There was a long moment of silence as everyone, including his students standing behind him and listening to everything, processed that.

    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t look at me like that! I¡¯m bad with names, okay?¡± He huffed. ¡°In my head, it¡¯s Marcus¡¯s Academy. I¡¯m Marcus, by the way. Marcus King, the new owner of what <em>used</em> to be the Amethyst Academy.¡±

    ¡°Orphan?¡± Klukas asked. The surnamed immediately gave it away, Marcus supposed.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Marcus confirmed. ¡°Anyway, what kind of business did you use to do with the Amethyst Academy, and why do you think we also need your services?¡±

    ¡°Amethyst Academy was a small faction, and you don¡¯t look any bigger,¡± Tuga told him. ¡°This ce is in the middle of nowhere, too. There isn¡¯t any big nearby market where you can go to buy whatever you want. If you want to eat meat, you need hunters. If you want magical herbs, you need someone good with nts to find and gather them for you. And sometimes you will want additional security and you¡¯ll need some adepts you know and can trust. You seem powerful, so you could probably do all of this yourself¡­ but do you actually want to bother with that?¡±

    That¡­ was a good question. Sure, Marcus could do regr hunts and use his orb of flight to make regr shopping runs to the nearest big poption center, but that sounded like it could get pretty annoying in the long run. Any problem he could solve by simply paying the locals would be one less issue he had to worry about.

    ¡°Tell me something,¡± Marcus said. ¡°If you¡¯ve been working with the Amethyst Academy, then surely you know what happened here. Why is the tower in this state?¡±

    Marcus had long wondered about that, but had never gotten a straight answer out of the two surviving members who sold him the property. They imed that most of the members had died in the Second Academy War, along with the founder of the Academy himself, and that this triggered a rapid decline of the Academy¡­ but the tower showed signs of battle damage. It wasn¡¯t just neglect andck of maintenance that turned the building into its present state. Even more curiously, the children had diligently searched through the remains inside and failed to find anything of worth.

    Naturally, Marcus had expected the two survivors to carry off anything truly valuable, but the extent of the tower¡¯s destion was excessive, in Marcus¡¯s opinion. Even the pans and eating utensils were gone from the kitchen.

    The four adepts in front of him shared a look between each other.

    ¡°We aren¡¯t entirely sure,¡± Dain said carefully. ¡°But we do know that the tower was attacked several times by unknown assants. Eventually, the remaining members of the academy didn¡¯t dare stay in the tower, and it was left unguarded. After that, some of the opportunistic locals from the surrounding viges raided it for anything of value.¡±

    Dain didn¡¯t say anything else, but Marcus could guess what the man was thinking. Clearly the Amethyst Academy had angered someone much stronger than themselves, and were all but destroyed as a result. As for the four in front of him, they may have been working with the Amethyst Academy, but they weren¡¯t actual members, and they no doubt distanced themselves as fast as they humanly could from the failing organization, fearful they will get caught in the crossfire.

    ¡°Did the members of the Amethyst Academy practice crystal magic, by any chance?¡± Marcus asked.

    ¡°They were a generalist mage tradition,¡± Eleanor said. ¡°The reason they were called Amethyst Academy was that the founder of the academy had this big purple gem that amplified his powers and gave him strange abilities. He was a rank four mage, but with the help of the gem, he was said to be able to stand up to spirit manifestation mages. The academy practically worshipped the gem. Unfortunately, the leader was in during the Second Academy War, and the gem vanished after that. Presumably whoever killed him took the gem with them.¡±

    What a curious story. He would have really liked to get his hands on that gem to satisfy his curiosity, if nothing else. Perhaps the new owner would let him simply take a look at it for a moment, if he managed to track them down?

    He noticed, Eleanor giving him a hesitant look.

    ¡°What is it?¡± he prompted.

    ¡°This might be a rude question, but who are you really?¡± Eleanor asked.

    ¡°Eleanor¡­¡± Dain sighed.

    ¡°What makes you think I¡¯m something special?¡± Marcus asked curiously. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just like the founder of the Amethyst Academy, lording it over my students through a powerful item.¡±

    ¡°When that guy here came here and set up his school, the two biggest local powers ¨CHarpy Feather Academy and Academy of the Sacred Hearth ¨C immediately started harassing them and testing their might,¡± Klukas said, answering instead of Eleanor. ¡°But now that you¡¯re here, they¡¯repletely quiet, and staying away. Clearly they know who you are, and are afraid to provoke you.¡±

    ¡°Is this Marcus guy really such a big deal?¡± Renatus asked one of the other students, trying to whisper but being a little bit too loud. Whoever they were talking to immediately shushed them.

    His students were listening intently, but didn¡¯t try to butt in and join the conversation, which Marcus was happy about. They would just blurt out things he didn¡¯t want them saying.

    ¡°I am an elder of Great Sea Academy,¡± Marcus said. ¡°As well as a spirit manifestation mage.¡±

    All four of them immediately grew rmed. Even Klukas, who seemed the mostposed out of them, looked like he wanted to bolt from the spot and escape into the forest surrounding them.

    ¡°I am not particrly well versed in the advancement systems of martial adepts and alchemists, but since you didn¡¯t immediately recognize me as a spirit adept, I¡¯m going to guess you are all second rank or lower,¡± Marcus said.

    ¡°We¡­ we are all mere second rank adepts, yes,¡± Dain admitted.

    ¡°Hm. Myst question, then: why should I work with you rather than, say, some of those neighboring minor powers you mentioned?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°I bet they could supply me with everything you can, and then some. I understand the Amethyst Academy had a rivalry with them, but I bet I cane to some kind of agreement with them.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Dain began, then stopped. He was clearly struggling to think of some argument in his favor.

    ¡°If you are who you say you are, you are probably here to get away from everything and enjoy some peace and quiet,¡± Tuga suddenly said. ¡°Why else would an exalted spirit manifestation mage from a major powere to this forgotten ce? And if you want to remain separate from the world, forging links to Harpy Feather and Sacred Hearth is a mistake. They are both ambitious and driven, andpete with each other as much as they do with outside factions. Once they have any kind of influence over your school, they will push and prod at you constantly, trying to lure you into their orbit.¡±

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    Marcus gave the four of them a serious look. Even though his revtion of being a spirit manifestation mage from Great Sea had scared them, they calmed down pretty damn quickly and stayed focused on the reason they came here in the first ce. If nothing else, they had his respect for that.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good point,¡± Marcus admitted. These academies would likely try things even without Marcus approaching them first, but he had to admit that making himself reliant on them for basic supplies would not help him stay distant from local politics. ¡°Still, even if you worked with the Amethyst Academy, you¡¯re strangers to me. Is there someone who can vouch for your trustworthiness?¡±

    ¡°The vigers,¡± Klukas immediately said. ¡°We work with the surrounding viges all the time. They will confirm we are honorable in all our dealings.¡±

    The other three shuffled in ce ufortably. Powerful adepts lived practically in a different world from mundane, non-magical humans that popted the viges and towns of a ce like this. When adepts asked someone for someone to guarantee your reputation, they mostly meant ¡°other adepts¡± rather than literally anyone.

    However, they didn¡¯t offer any alternatives to Klukas¡¯s suggestion.

    ¡°Very well,¡± Marcus said after a moment of thought. ¡°I wanted to take a tour of the nearby viges anyway. I might as well as ask them about you while I¡¯m doing it. Meet me at the tower in two weeks ¨C this camp is temporary and will be moving into the towerter today.¡±

    ¡°Really!?¡± Cricket asked behind him, before realizing she was interrupting his talk and covering her mouth with her hands.

    ¡°Yes, really,¡± Marcus told her, giving her a warning look. He turned back towards the four guests. ¡°Anyway, there is little else to say at this point. I¡¯m not trying to shoo you away, but I won¡¯t give you an answer until I talk to the vigers. You are wee to stay here for dinner, however.¡±

    ¡°Well, if the offer is genuine, we might as well stay and eat,¡± Tuga said, giving him a casual shrug.

    The other three nodded to each other appreciatively.

    Marcus hadn¡¯t actually expected them to agree to his suggestion, but he tried not to have it show on his face.

    ¡°Right this way, then,¡± Marcus said, pointing at the crackling fire in the middle of the camp. He had left the children tending to the fire while he was away in the tower, and to their credit, they hadn¡¯t let the fire go out in his absence. Probably because they knew their meal depended on it. There were a bunch of meat skewers suspended over the fire, and a pot of soup was already cooling over on the ground nearby.

    Not one to waste an opportunity, Marcus attached spy beetles to each of the four guests while they sat around the fire and ate. Viger testimonies were nice, but nothing could rece first-hand information.

    * * * *

    After the visitors had left, Marcus directed the children to dismantle the camp and bring everything into the tower. Like him, they didn¡¯t have much in the way of possessions, so this wasn¡¯t a difficult task. Even Julia, despite having an actual family and home before joining the Great Tree Academy, didn¡¯t own much.

    ¡°I am the fifth child, and the third daughter,¡± she told Marcus when he asked her about it. ¡°My family didn¡¯t have much to give me when I left to join the academy.¡±

    In any case, the tower was not big enough to give everyone their own room. The tower contained a kitchen, a small library (currently devoid of any books), a big room at the top that Marcus imed as his own, and only three rooms meant for habitation. That meant that his students would have to pair up and share a room with another. Marcus didn¡¯t think that was a problem, since that kind of thing was pretty much standard for all academies. Space was too precious to waste in most ces, and student amodations were not high on the list of priorities. When Marcus had just been a student at the Great Sea Academy, his room was a glorified barracks that he shared with seven other students, and he had to buy his own chest if he wanted somewhere to store his personal belongings in.

    Really, these amodations were incredibly luxurious in Marcus¡¯s mind.

    ¡°This sucks,¡± Volesusined. ¡°I thought bing a mage meant moving up in life. This is worse than it was back at the orphanage.¡±

    ¡°Even in the great academies, if you want luxury, you usually have to pay for it,¡± Marcus told him. ¡°Keep in mind that soon, I will take in another three students, so each of you will have another upant to share your room with. I suggest you enjoy the situation while itsts. It will only get more cramped from here.¡±

    ¡°Those Amethyst Academy people who lived here before us were surely much bigger than this,¡± Julia said spectively. ¡°Surely they didn¡¯t cram all of their members into three tiny rooms. Plus, this tower has no ssrooms or training halls, nothing. Is this really the headquarters of an entire organization?¡±

    ¡°Most minor organizations are like this. They have to make do with very modest resources, including building space,¡± Marcus said. ¡°And I suspect that Amethyst Academy was really just the founder and handful of his followers, not some big operation. That said, the basement of this ce is quite extensive. Bigger than all the facilities aboveground, I think. There are two storage vaults down there, an underground training hall, and a whole row of additional student amodations. In fact, I¡¯m pretty sure that the actual students of the academy lived underground, and the rooms I¡¯ve given you were actually reserved for the higher-ups of the academy.¡±

    He was actually pretty sure that the basement level was even bigger than it seemed, because there were signs that the Amethyst Academy hadn¡¯t actually built the basement level so much as repurpose an existingrge cave system thaty beneath the tower. There were several corridors that ended in dead ends, where earth magic was used to seal something away. Marcus guessed this was where the basement connected to the wider cave system, and where the dire centipedes he had cleaned up hade from. At some point he would unseal these to check out whaty beyond, but for now he was content to let the whole thing remain as it was.

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve ced wards on the entrance of the basement. Don¡¯t go there without my permission for now,¡± Marcus told them. ¡°Trust me, the rooms down there are way worse than those up here. You wouldn¡¯t want to sleep there if you can help it.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s warded, that means no giant centipedes can get to our rooms from there, right?¡± udia asked fearfully.

    There was a minor incident a few days prior. While udia and Cassia were carrying an old broken cab out of the tower, a dire centipede resting inside the object got disturbed by their actions and crawled out to menace them. udia reacted particrly strongly to the creature, immediately running outside, screaming. Marcus found it amusing that she was brave enough to face a snake, albeit an illusionary one, but was absolutely terrified of an oversized bug. Dire centipedes weren¡¯t even that big, really, only about 60 centimeters or so¡­

    ¡°The centipedes are gone, don¡¯t worry,¡± he told her. Plus, he had an antidote for their poison, so even if she ended up bitten she wasn¡¯t going to die. ¡°Anyways, go talk it over amongst themselves who gets to pair up with whom and which room is yours. If you can¡¯t reach an agreement I¡¯ll decide for you, and won¡¯t hear anyints, so try not to argue too much. You have the rest of the day off, so make sure you get a good night¡¯s sleep because I will wake you up at dawn to begin your training.¡±

    ¡°We get to finally learn magic?¡± Volesus asked excitedly, eyes immediately lighting up.

    ¡°If by ¡®learning magic¡¯ you mean repeat the Soul Tree Technique repeatedly under my supervision, then yes,¡± Marcus said. ¡°We don¡¯t have a real training hall here, but honestly, it shouldn¡¯t matter much. The Soul Tree Technique is best practiced outdoors anyway, preferably among the trees. There is no shortage of that around here.¡±

    The primary advantage of an actual training hall was that you were unlikely to be interrupted by other people, and there wasn¡¯t any danger of being attacked by wild beasts and monsters. However, this ce was really isted and Marcus will be there to supervise and protect them, so neither of those should be an issue.

    ¡°Oh right,¡± Marcus said after thinking about it for a moment. ¡°You should also think of what sort of tree you want to be.¡±

    Everyone except Julia gave him nk looks.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a mistake to pick anything other than an oak?¡± Julia asked.

    Marcus raised an eyebrow at her.

    ¡°My teacher¡­ my, uh, <em>former</em> teacher said that the oak is the most suitable tree to resonate with when practicing the Soul Tree Technique, and that picking anything else is a bad idea,¡± Julia exined.

    ¡°Well, I also picked an oak, so I¡¯m sympathetic to that idea¡­ but that strikes me as needlessly restrictive,¡± Marcus said. ¡°A tree is an ancient and powerful symbol, and its associated logos is so vast it¡¯s unlikely any human canprehend it in its entirety. Most members of the Great Tree Academy pick an oak as the tree to resonate with, but not all. Willow, spruce, and olive trees are also rtively popr, and there is no proof they have a harder time of practicing the Soul Tree Technique. If you have some kind of special connection to a different type of tree, then don¡¯t hesitate to pick that. The tree that you¡¯re cultivating in your soul is, at least in the spiritual sense, you. A reflection of your aspirations and ideals. It¡¯s important that you identify with it on a personal level. But if you don¡¯t know what tree to pick, well¡­ you can¡¯t go wrong with an oak. It is the King of Trees, after all.¡±

    ¡°King of Trees?¡± udia repeated.

    ¡°The oak is great in stature, both physically and spiritually,¡± Julia said, standing a little straighter and prouder. ¡°It is the tallest tree in the forest; a symbol of strength and longevity. Perun, the head god of the Illuminated Pantheon, favors it. Legends say it is the most powerful of all trees, able to survive through all manner of hardship and cmity.¡±

    ¡°I guess we know which tree you chose to resonate with,¡± Renatus said, chuckling.

    ¡°It¡¯s also linked to the logos of lightning,¡± Marcus said. ¡°Lightning magic is offensively powerful, but very difficult and dangerous to practice. Having an oak as your spiritual tree makes the process easier, and that¡¯s a powerful advantage. That said, the other trees have their own boons to offer, so my earlier point still stands. For instance, willows are linked to the logos of water and the moon, and even a powerful but elusive logos of luck. Just pick what feels right to you.¡±

    ¡°But you should probably pick the oak,¡± Julia said resolutely.

    Marcusughed. He knew that the oak tree had a most exalted reputation among the members of the Great Tree Academy, but he had forgotten how opinionated some of the members were about their choices.

    ¡°Yes, you should probably pick the oak,¡± he agreed with her patronizingly, ruffling Julia¡¯s hair affectionately. She jumped out of his reach, scandalized by his action. He looked at the rest of his students, his expression getting more serious. ¡°But seriously, give it some thought while you rest.¡±

    * * * *

    After giving his student an impromptu lecture about different trees and their symbolism, Marcus retired to his office at the top of the tower and left them to their own devices. In truth, he was 90% sure that all of them would pick the oak as their tree, because they were probably all just like him when he had joined the Great Tree Academy: they had no pre-existing preferences and they had heard the oak tree was big and mighty, associated with the gods and royalty. Certainly, that is how far Marcus¡¯s thinking went back when he was young.

    He sat in his brand new chair, in his brand new office, tapping his fingers on the table rhythmically as he considered his next actions. He kept doing that for a long time, lost in thought. His soul connection with his students was still fresh and barely developed, so he couldn¡¯t do much experimentation with that. He had a bunch of minor issues to tackle regarding the tower and its surroundings, but they weren¡¯t urgent and he didn¡¯t feel like dealing with that at the moment. He still wanted to explore that strange metal underground chamber that he and Celer had visited through the rift, but the timing wasn¡¯t-

    ¡°Ah,¡± he said to himself quietly.

    Celer had told him to call her when he got himself some students, hadn¡¯t she? Said she had a gift for them, whatever that meant. However, Marcus still didn¡¯t have all of his students assembled yet. There were still three more students to pick. Plus, he kind of wanted to get to know his students before he let Celer drag them into her schemes.

    His butterfly friend would have to wait for a while longer.

    After a few more seconds, he closed his eyes and threw his consciousness to one of his spying beetles to check up on his students in the lower half of the tower.

    * * * *

    ¡°Obviously, Renatus and Volesus get to share a room,¡± Julia said, her arms crossed over her chest. ¡°They¡¯re the only two boys so they have to share a room.¡±

    ¡°But he¡¯s a thief!¡± Volesus said, pointing at Renatus. ¡°I don¡¯t want to share a room with him, I¡¯d have to constantly watch out for his sticky fingers!¡±

    ¡°You!!!¡± Renatus said, fumbling at a proper response due to his outrage.

    ¡°What? Am I wrong? We all heard your public apology, you know! There¡¯s no use in denying it,¡± Volesus said, unrepentant.

    ¡°I never stole from the other orphans, and you know it!¡± Renatus said heatedly. ¡°What would I even steal from a loser like you?¡±

    ¡°Well I am definitely not sleeping in the same room as Volesus,¡± Cassia said, leaning on the wall with one hand while the other rested confidently on her hip. ¡°He tried to look up my skirt once.¡±

    ¡°I did not!¡± Volesus protested, his face going red. ¡°You- You¡¯re practically a boy, anyway!¡±

    ¡°We, we shouldn¡¯t fight,¡± udia whined pitifully. ¡°Master Marcus said-¡°

    ¡°Anyway!¡± Julia said with a raised voice, trying to assert some kind of authority again. ¡°How about this: Renatus and Volesus get one room, Cassia and Cricket get the other-¡°

    ¡°NO!¡± Cricket and Cassia shouted simultaneously, throwing angry looks at one another.

    Julia looked very confused at the outburst, and Renatus straight upughed at her in response.

    ¡°Shows how little you know about us, princess!¡± Renatus said. ¡°Cricket got into a fight with Cassia within the first day of arriving into the orphanage, and they¡¯ve been at each other¡¯s throats ever since! Getting them into the same room? It¡¯s like stuffing two wildcats into the same bag! And who made you our boss, anyway?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Cricket shouted in agreement, nodding furiously. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you were in this Great Tree Academy of yours, but you¡¯re just another student here, no different than us! Who do you think you are? Why should we listen to you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, the leader should obviously be me,¡± Cassia said.

    Absolutely everyone gave her a look like she was crazy.

    ¡°What?¡± she protested. ¡°I¡¯m joking, but it¡¯s not such a crazy idea. What¡¯s wrong with me being the leader?¡±

    Julia cleared her throat.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not trying to be leader of anything, but you are all behaving like a bunch of surly children, so I-¡°

    Marcus cut the connection to his spy beetle and leaned back on his chair. He had heard enough, and didn¡¯t n to intervene in any way.

    They weren¡¯t trying to kill each other, so he would let them work it out among themselves.

    * * * *

    Over the next week, Marcus started to seriously teach his new students. The core of this new teaching was repeated practice of the Soul Tree Technique, which they did in the mornings, at high noon, and in the evening. When they weren¡¯t doing that, he was lecturing them on different magical herbs and creatures, sometimes bringing in live examples from the nearby forest to demonstrate things, and made them practice their reading and writing skills. Most of the children were orphans, so he took it in stride that most of them were verycking in this regard, but to his surprise even Julia didn¡¯t exactly excel at literacy.

    Marcus had expected to handle all the magical lessons for his students all by himself. He was, after all, a very versatile mage with a lot of spells in his spellbook and mastery of many different logos. However, he was starting to realize that most of his students required additional instruction in purely academic subjects, something that he wasn¡¯t sure he could adequately provide¡­

    He sighed internally. Things were fine for now, but it was one more thing he had to find a solution to in theing months.

    In any case, the constant lessons he put his students through were starting to wear on his students. They were enthusiastic about it for the first couple of days, but after the fourth and fifth day, Marcus could see they were bing more frustrated and started to look for opportunities to ck off.

    But Marcus was having none of it. If anything, he increased their workload after he noticed it, pushing them to train the foundational technique for longer and longer each day. In arge academy, students often found many different ways to get out of training regrly, but unfortunately for them, there was only six of them and it was trivial for Marcus to keep an eye on everyone and make sure they were working on whatever task he gave them.

    One day, after he and his students were done with their morning training and were walking back to the tower, a familiar figure approached him.

    ¡°Helvran?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    A young man in a ck robe, a live raven perched precariously on his shoulder while a wooden staff of the Raven Temple cked rhythmically on the ground as he walked¡­ Marcus recognized the man long before he had gotten close enough to see his face.

    It was the priest that had apanied him to the Serpentooth penins to find Cricket.

    ¡°Greetings, Master Marcus,¡± Helvran said, giving him a small bow. ¡°I have a somewhat immodest request to make of you, if you would hear me out.¡±

    ¡°Sure, go ahead,¡± Marcus said, gesturing with his hand for Helvran to get on with it.

    Helvran gave the tower behind Marcus a good, long look.

    ¡°Err, yeah, I know if doesn¡¯t look like much,¡± Marcus said. ¡°We¡¯re still working on it.¡±

    ¡°Mister ck Priest!¡± Cricket said, running up to them, having realized who Marcus was speaking to. ¡°I thought I would never see you again! I never thanked you properly for saving me¡­¡±

    ¡°Greetings, Miss Livia,¡± Helvran said, nodding to her respectfully. ¡°I am d you are doing well. I must confess I didn¡¯t expect you be a student of magic so soon, but congrattions nheless.¡±

    The ck-d priest turned towards Marcus again, the raven on his shoulder fixing him with its ck gaze at the same time as the eyes of its master.

    ¡°Do you perhaps have room for another person in this tower of yours?¡± Helvran asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure we can find the space,¡± Marcus told him. ¡°But why? Don¡¯t tell me you have been exiled from your temple?¡±

    ¡°Perish the thought,¡± Helvran told him severely. ¡°No, I have been sent here as an official liaison between you and the Raven Temple. I look forward to our long-term cooperation.¡±

    ¡°An official¡­¡± Marcus said, confused. ¡°Why would I need an official liaison with the Raven Temple? This academy has only just got established! It doesn¡¯t even have a name yet!¡±

    ¡°You really should figure out a name, Master,¡± Cricket told him. ¡°It¡¯s getting a little embarrassing, getting all these guests and you can¡¯t even tell them what the ce is called.¡±

    ¡°Hush, you!¡± Marcus told her. He gave Helvran a searching look, but the mysterious priest simply stared back at him in silence.

    ¡°Come on in,¡± Marcus said, motioning towards the tower. ¡°We¡¯ll talk more in my office.¡±

 Chapter 15: Chain Reaction

    One thing Marcus definitely had to give Helvran ¨C the death priest was very good at keeping his cool. If Marcus had been in his position, he would have been at least a little hesitant about imposing on his host so suddenly, but if Helvran had any doubts about Marcus and his new students, he did not show it. He politely introduced himself to the children watching him from the sidelines, and then he followed Marcus into the tower.

    Helvran appeared to be a very curious person. His head swiveled from side to side, silently taking in the recently renovated interior of the tower as they ascended to the top of the tower. When they finally arrived at the office, the priest stopped at the entrance to take in the interior of the room.

    ¡°The sight isn¡¯t much, I know,¡± Marcus told him. ¡°I¡¯m still setting up here.¡±

    ¡°Why do you have a wagon wheel in your office?¡± Helvran asked.

    How perceptive.

    ¡°I like to break it periodically and then practice fixing it with magic.¡± Marcus said.

    Marcus watched the priest intently for a reaction, but the man¡¯s face did not change in response to this admission.

    ¡°Everyone needs a hobby, I suppose,¡± Helvranmented diplomatically.

    Marcus offered no further exnation. He gestured towards one of the two chairs currently present in the office, indicating Helvran should take a seat, and then sat down on the other one himself.Helvran gestured to the raven sitting on his shoulder, and the bird briefly took off to perch itself onto one of the empty bookshelves in Marcus¡¯s office. After that, he took the offered seat and waited for Marcus to speak.

    ¡°So,¡± Marcus began. ¡°What does the Raven Temple want from me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen the signs,¡± Helvran began. ¡°Chaos storms urring outside of season, dimensional rifts opening up with increased frequency, a surge of new spirit adepts across all factions¡­¡±

    ¡°The vision,¡± Marcus added, nodding.

    ¡°The vision?¡± Helvran asked, uprehending.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± asked Marcus, raising his eyebrow. ¡°Surely an organization as prestigious as the Raven Temple has a spirit adept or three.¡±

    ¡°My brethren are called upon to ascend to the outer nes the moment they achieve our equivalent of spirit manifestation,¡± Helvran said. ¡°It seems to be rted to an of agreement made by the Raven God and the Illuminated Pantheon. We are allowed to operate freely and independently, but our spirit adepts must leave the as soon as possible. Since our existence is backed by a literal god, it hasn¡¯t been too much of an issue.¡±

    There was a moment of silence as Marcus processed that. He actually had no idea that Raven Temple was limited in such a way. He wondered if the Sun-Moon Temple also had a simr restriction ced upon it¡­

    ¡°What¡¯s this about a vision?¡± Helvran asked.

    Not seeing a reason to keep quiet about it ¨C the temple probably knew, they just didn¡¯t feel the need to inform Helvran for whatever reason ¨C Marcus told Helvran about the things he had seen while touching that random tree next to the pond. He also added a bunch of details he had only gotten from talking to the Sacred Oak, though in his retelling of the story these were simply things he personally had seen and puzzled out from the vision.

    ¡°Amazing,¡± Helvran said. He didn¡¯t sound all that amazed, in all honesty. ¡°No wonder the high priest sent me here. I¡¯m already learning new things. More importantly, this will make things much easier to exin.¡±

    Oh, so Marcus was going to get an actual exnation?

    ¡°You know something, then,¡± Marcus said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Helvran confirmed. ¡°I may not have been sent any visions, but our high priest does get direct instructions from the Raven God from time to time. What you saw was doubtlessly the destruction of the nearby of Sadyrit at the hands of abyssal forces.¡±

    Marcus hesitated.

    ¡°By nearby, surely you mean in another star system?¡± he asked.

    There were three habitables around Tasloa¡¯s star, four if one counted Tasloa¡¯s moon. The others were hard to reach, even with magic, so they stayedrgely isted from one another. Only selenite tradeships made regr trips between theses, and they allowed no passengers aboard their vessels.

    From what Marcus understood from talking to Celer, it was already very unusual to have so many habitable worlds in a single system. Expecting them to have a thriving transportwork between each other as well was probably asking too much.

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s around another star,¡± said Helvran. ¡°But it¡¯s a rtively nearby star, and it had been an important bastion in the fight against the abyss. With its fall, the abyssal forces are free to turn their greedy eyes elsewhere, emboldened by their sess. Many other nearby worlds have already been struggling for a while and are finding themselves overwhelmed. This could easily start a chain reaction where world after world starts to fall.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s terrible,¡± said Marcus. ¡°But, and forgive me for being a little cruel here, what do such distant events have to do with us, on this? We have basically no contact with the others here, so we can hardly be expected to help such distant ces. Theses might as well be on another ne of existence from our perspective. A problem for the gods themselves to tackle, I think.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately not,¡± Helvran told him. ¡°While travel between differents of the material ne is difficult, there are invisible corridors connecting them, allowing one to open rifts that allow passage between them.¡±

    Something clicked in Marcus¡¯s head. The recent dimensional rift he examined, which didn¡¯t seem to be abyssal in nature, the proliferation of rifts in general¡­

    ¡°Yes,¡± Helvran nodded, guessing his thoughts. ¡°The recent surge in rifts happening all around us isn¡¯t just indicative of an increase in abyssal incursions ¨C though we will likely see more of that too ¨C but also of others seeing the writing on the wall and trying to create an escape corridor in order to flee their doomed homes. Some of thes in the sector are already being invaded, not by the abyss, but by other nearbys trying to carve out a new home for themselves. If the natives lose, they may very well try to invade another, even weaker in response. In any case, such desperate refugees are all going to eventually make their way here to Tasloa, so we need to be ready.¡±

    ¡°What? Why would they inevitably make their way here?¡± Marcus asked, baffled.

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s normal for a to have this many rifts opening on it all the time?¡± Helvran asked. ¡°Even before the first abyssal incursion, our was prone to rift generation. Sometimes they even form spontaneously, with no conscious effort from either side. There is nothing mundane about that. Perhaps it¡¯s a consequence of our periodic chaos storms weakening our dimensional boundary, or the action of some ancient god, but Tasloa seems to be very easy to connect to. As the situation in the local sector gets more desperate, they will surely notice this. Opening a rift to another is already a difficult undertaking, doubly so if you¡¯re trying to transport an entire invasion force and arge refugee poption. A that is easy to connect to, located in a star system with two other habitables¡­ we are a very tempting target. Possibly the only viable one, for some.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Marcus began, before hesitating. That was a lot of information to take in at once. ¡°Hopefully nothinges of it, and we all go on with our lives as if nothing happened.¡±

    That sounded a lot better in his head¡­

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Helvran readily agreed with his sentiment. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t hurt to start preparing, which is why Raven Temple is keen to spread the word and forge connections with powerful people. To be honest, I¡¯m surprised the other two temples haven¡¯t also sent a representative here. They probably will, sooner orter.¡±

    Marcus hoped he was wrong. He didn¡¯t need three different priests bickering about things right in his home base.

    That aside, he still didn¡¯t see why he needed an official liaison with the Raven Temple. And it was very suspicious that Raven Temple was so interested in him, just as he had begun to dabble in soul magic. There was a lot more to this story than what Helvran was saying, but in Marcus¡¯s opinion, the priest in front of him didn¡¯t know it either. He simply did as he was told by his leadership.

    Marcus opted not to pursue this matter for now. He didn¡¯t think the Raven Temple wanted to harm him.

    ¡°This is all very interesting, but you didn¡¯t really answer my initial question. Sure, the Raven Temple expects to work with me in the future, but surely you don¡¯t have to be here on a permanent basis for that. What exactly do you expect to do here as the official liaison from the Raven Temple?¡± Marcus asked.

    He honestly didn¡¯t mind letting Helvran stay for a few weeks, but if the man intended to just be a leech on his resources for years on end, providing nothing more than vague connections to his parent organization, he wasn¡¯t going to y along with this.

    ¡°You tell me, Master Marcus,¡± Helvran answered calmly. ¡°I was told you will have a need for my help.¡±

    ¡°A need for your help?¡± Marcus repeated slowly. He tried to think about what he needed at the moment that Helvran could help him with. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have experience teaching children how to read and write, perform basic arithmetic, and so forth?¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± Helvran nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not a specialty by any means, but I have taught temple initiates such things in the past. Raven Temple does not have the best reputation, so a lot of our recruitse from the poorer, less educated sections of society.¡±

    Convenient, but also a little disturbing. Did the Raven Temple leadership really predict that Marcus would need help teaching academics to his students? Or were they spying on his somehow?

    ¡°Well, then,¡± Marcus told Helvran. ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of game your temple is ying here, but congrattions! Consider yourself recruited as a teacher of the Zenith Academy! You already met your students, so you can start with the lessons tomorrow afternoon, after they¡¯ve had a chance to rest from their morning exercises.¡±

    ¡°Zenith Academy?¡± Helvran asked.

    ¡°I came up with a name for it while we talked,¡± Marcus nodded.

    ¡°Are you sure you want to go with that, Master Marcus? Naming your academy like that¡­ it might be taken as a provocation by many people. Not to mention, if the results of your teaching do not measure up to the name, people might-¡±

    ¡°I really like the name,¡± Marcus interrupted him. He stared at the death priest stubbornly.

    ¡°Zenith Academy it is, then,¡± Helvran said, sighing slightly. ¡°I knew this assignment was going to be a trial.¡±

    ¡°Actually, that reminds me of something. Can I ask you a religious question?¡± Marcus asked. Helvran nodded. ¡°What does it take to be a god?¡±

    Helvran raised an eyebrow at him.

    ¡°I¡¯m just curious,¡± Marcus said dismissively. ¡°A spirit told me something, and it made me think there might be a connection between staying on the material ne and bing a god.¡±

    ¡°From what I understand, it¡¯s actually easier to be a god in the outer nes than it is to be an earth god,¡± Helvran told him.

    ¡°Earth god?¡± Marcus asked.

    ¡°As opposed to heavenly gods,¡± Helvran rified. ¡°Heaven and earth, the outer heavens and the material ne. When a person rises to godhood on the material ne, the result is somehow different than when they do it in the outer nes, though I don¡¯t know in what way. It is not something my superiors ever felt I should know. After all, I am a priest of an existing divinity, and can never ascend to be one myself.¡±

    ¡°So priests cannot ascend?¡± Marcus asked. Was he out of line asking these kind of questions? Well, whatever. Helvran seemed like a sensible man ¨C he would surely put a stop to his questioning if he went overboard.

    ¡°The advancement of priests is superficially simr to that of mages, in the sense that both of us are building internal mana reserves, gathering logos, and creating a spirit, but whereas mages are constructing a personal ideal, a priest is simply getting closer to their god by emting their magic and ideals. I am not building my own spirit. I am simply drawing upon my connection to the Raven God to create a lesser emanation of him housed inside of me. As such, there is nothing to ascend. The Raven God is already a divinity, and I am just a wed reflection of his greatness,¡± Helvran exined.

    ¡°That¡¯s a somewhat depressing description of priesthood,¡± Marcus nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure the priests of the Sun-Moon Temple and the Illuminated Pantheon would phrase things differently, but the Raven God is a god of harsh truths. I see no need to sugar coat things. One bes a priest to serve a god, not to be one.¡± Helvran hesitated. ¡°That said, I did read in one of our books that it is theoretically possible for a priest to be acknowledged by the universe and ascend to divinity¡­ if the god they worship is dead, that is.¡±

    ¡°A dead god¡­¡± Marcus mused out loud. His recent meeting with Calvus floated up to the forefront of his mind. ¡°Are you talking about the Temple of Deep Waters?¡±

    ¡°This is who I was thinking of, yes,¡± Helvran nodded. ¡°They have been trying to bring their lord back to life for quite some time now, by raising one of their own as a recement deity, with tacit approval of the rest of Tasloa¡¯s gods. This was apparently done before in ancient past, and on other worlds, so it¡¯s not entirely a fool¡¯s errand. If done right, resurrecting a god in this fashion should be significantly easier than giving birth to a new divinity through personal apotheosis. But s, their goal remains out of reach, even after all this time.¡±

    ¡°How can a god die, anyway?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°I thought gods were spiritual entities, immune to the old age, and capable of reforming back on the spiritual nes if their avatars were in here on the material ne.¡±

    Certainly, lesser spirits were all capable of such. Their forms on the material ne, when summoned, were all just ectosmic vessels constructed by the summoner to hold their spirit. If these vessels were ever destroyed, they were just violently flung back to their home ne, eventually reforming intact. The only way to really kill a spirit was to pay them a visit on their home ne.

    In light of that, it made no sense that the god could have its corpse lying on the bottom of the sea, here on the material ne.

    ¡°Everything can and will die,¡± Helvran said. ¡°That is the first harsh truth that the Raven God teaches us. Even the Raven God himself will one day meet his fated end.¡±

    ¡°So you don¡¯t know either,¡± Marcus summarized.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Helvran admitted. ¡°But it¡¯s not so unusual for stories to talk about gods being killed. These things have happened before.¡±

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    That was true.

    ¡°In any case,¡± Helvran continued, ¡°I hope these questions really are just idle curiosity. You have students to teach, if nothing else. Leave the dreams of godhood aside for the decade or so.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully, by that time, you¡¯ll be long gone from this ce and won¡¯t get caught up with any divine retribution I bring upon myself with my arrogance,¡± Marcus joked.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Helvran said. He sounded deathly serious. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have said it better myself.¡±

    * * * *

    After some thought, Marcus decided to use his earth magic to simply build a house for Helvran next to the tower, rather than shoving him into the basement of the tower or forcing his students to hand over one of the rooms to him. Marcus was quite good at making temporary shelters through earth magic, but making permanent amodations was something new to him. Most mages still built their abodes through old-fashioned methods, and simply used magic to ward and enhance the building, rather than building one magically from scratch. As a safety measure, Marcus brought a non-magical builder from a nearby town to oversee the construction, adjusting the house based on hisments. Helvran also contributed to the construction, asking Marcus to add a small shrine to the Raven God inside the building.

    Afterwards, Marcusunched a few weak offensive spells at the ce, just to confirm it wouldn¡¯t copse easily, and pronounced the workplete. Oddly, the builder he invited to oversee the work refused payment for his services, iming that just witnessing a mage¡¯s construction process was enough for him. He was very insistent on this, and eventually Marcus gave up on trying to get him to ept his money.

    In any case, Helvran moved into the new house withoutint and afterwards, his raven familiar could often be seen circling the skies above the tower and hunting for berries and small animals in the surrounding forest. No predator bothered the ominous bird, and even the local ravens seemed wary of it.

    Marcus continued to teach his students every day, his ability to sense them through his connection to their soul growing every single day. This was not just because the soul seed rooted itself into their soul, but also because they were steadily advancing in their mastery of the Soul Tree Technique. He found that he could sense exactly how well they resonated with it, with basically no effort at all. It allowed him to spot and correct any mistakes they were making immediately as they happened. It was the first obvious result he had gotten out of the soul seeds, and the sheer rity of the information he was getting out of them shocked him. Did it only work on magical traits? But then why did the Sacred Oak imply that even mundane animals could provide him with useful information?

    The only person he couldn¡¯t do this with so far was, of course, Julia. However, Julia had a natural wood affinity, and was advancing rapidly even without any detailed instruction from him.

    Marcus was actually d that Julia was under the influence of the Sacred Oak rather than him. It allowed him topare progress between them, and hopefully puzzle out what the soul seeds were actually doing.

    He had been wrong about his prediction that all of the students would pick oak as their spiritual tree. Cricket actually picked a spruce tree, saying her vige was literally named after them, so she simply had to choose that one. And udia picked the linden tree, saying that her home town had a big linden tree in the middle of their town square, which was used for oaths, weddings, and other significant asions.

    The rest had no strong feelings one way or another, and simply picked oak.

    Currently, Marcus was teaching his students something new ¨C non-magical staff fighting. He had given each of them a big wooden stick, and was making them fight inside a warded field that prevented any serious injuries inside of it. The goal was mostly to trip the other person prone on the ground, but predictably, most of the children were just trying to whack each other with direct strikes instead.

    Marcus didn¡¯t let it bother him. He hadn¡¯t been much better back in his student days either.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what the point of this is,¡± Juliained during one of the breaks in the fighting. She was not doing well in the duels and couldn¡¯t keep a note of bitterness out of her voice. ¡°Why do we have to learn this? We aren¡¯t warriors.¡±

    ¡°In the long run, you¡¯re right. You aren¡¯t warriors and the value of hitting things with a staff will gradually diminish as you grow stronger,¡± Marcus told her patiently. ¡°But first you need to survive to get there. Right now, you¡¯re very weak. You don¡¯t know even a single spell, and even when you get some, your ability to cast them will be limited by various factors. You need a fallback option for when you cannot summon the willpower to concentrate, or you run out of mana. When I was first sent outside of the academy, I was actually given a crossbow to defend myself.¡±

    ¡°So why not give us crossbow lessons?¡± Julia challenged.

    ¡°I will,¡± Marcus told him with a smile. ¡°After you get proficient with the staff.¡±

    She pouted at him.

    ¡°There are plenty of minor magical creatures that you can handle well enough with a big stick. Remember those dire centipedes from earlier? Beating them dead with a staff from a safe distance is entirely viable. They¡¯re not that fast and don¡¯t have good eyesight,¡± Marcus said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I would dare get near one, even with a staff,¡± udiained, clutching her staff protectively over her chest.

    ¡°So, this is probably a stupid question, but even if we aren¡¯t warriors¡­ is it possible to be one?¡± Volesus asked. He and Cassia seemed most eager about these staff exercises. ¡°I mean, is there a reason why you can¡¯t be both a mage <em>and</em> a warrior?¡±

    ¡°You can do both, but it¡¯s a bad idea,¡± Marcus told him. ¡°Fundamentally, all adept pathspete for the same limited resource - your soul. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve all felt exhausted after training the Soul Tree Technique every day, even though you¡¯re just repeating the series of simple chants and movements. This is because your soul must be able to support your training, and at some point you reach your limit. Your mana reserves, once you establish them, will require a certain amount of soul power to remain stable. The logos you gather from the world around them will require soul power also. And so on. I¡¯m not sure how things work with warrior adepts exactly, but their advancement will also require your soul as the foundation. If you try to pursue two adept paths at the same time, you will have to split your soul power between them, restricting your growth in both.¡±

    Despite Marcus saying that, he knew that quite a few people were attempting to do just that. Volesus was not the first person toe up with the idea ofbining adept paths, and some people went for it despite knowing about the drawbacks. Traditionally, however, it was considered a bad idea.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean if you had an especially powerful soul, you could practice two paths without any downsides,¡± Volesus persisted.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Marcus began uncertainly. ¡°It would require incredible dedication and a lot more time dedicated to basic training¡­ but I suppose there is nothing inherently stopping that from working. Though I have never, and I mean <em>never</em>, heard of such an amazing person so overflowing with soul power.¡±

    ¡°There is no way any of us are that amazing,¡± Renatus noted tiredly, leaning heavily on his staff.

    ¡°None whatsoever,¡± Marcus confirmed. ¡°I have an extremely good grasp on your souls, and I regret to inform you that they¡¯re all average in strength. Very, very average. It will require a lot of work just to keep up with your more talented peers in the great academies, so I won¡¯t allow you to spread yourself thin by pursuing another adept path.¡±

    ¡°Umm, we don¡¯t really have to keep up with people like that, do we?¡± udia hesitantly asked.

    ¡°Yeah, we shouldn¡¯tpare ourselves to people like that,¡± Cassia said, sounding resigned.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Julia challenged. ¡°We have the man who is supposedly the most powerful elder of the Great Sea Academy as our teacher. We should aim for greatness and not give up so easily.¡±

    ¡°Well said, Julia. I like your attitude. Though you could have dropped that ¡®supposedly¡¯ out of your speech,¡± praised Marcus. He tried to ruffle her hair, but she dodged out of the way. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll forgive you this once but I don¡¯t want to hear such defeatist talk out of you. I don¡¯t mind if you don¡¯t be masters of magic, but I expect you to give it your all. Maybe you¡¯ve forgot, but there are three more students joining us soon, and they¡¯re not going to be your average talents. Are you just going to let theme over and surpass you? That¡¯s why I was saying you will have to work hard to keep up with your more talented peers. They won¡¯t be some distant people out of sight, in another academy ¨C they will be your fellow students.¡±

    ¡°How do you know in advance they¡¯re all going to be more talented than us?¡± Julia asked, frowning.

    ¡°They will have all gone through a lengthy selection process just to get a chance to be at that judging ceremony,¡± Marcus said. ¡°They will have had to prove themselves many times. It would be more surprising if they weren¡¯t more talented than you.¡±

    The children were quiet as they processed that.

    ¡°Anyway, I wasn¡¯t trying to demoralize you by saying that. Quite the opposite,¡± Marcus said with a sigh. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to practicing your staff work for now. I seem to have been a little overzealous by having you fight each other immediately ¨C let¡¯s just focus on swinging the staff repeatedly in order to build some arm strength. Maybe we should also run a fewps around the tower every day from now on¡­¡±

    Once their protests ran out, Marcus set them to swing a staff through the air repeatedly for a while, before dismissing them and letting them have some rest. Under normal circumstances, they would have been making good progress. However, his conversation with Helvran made it clear to him that these were not normal circumstances. There were dark days on the horizon, and raising these children into powerful mages was not just a matter of personal pride anymore. It was a matter of their own survival, even if they didn¡¯t know it.

    He would be stepping up their training from tomorrow onward.

    * * * *

    Marcus flew high above the sea, heading towards Adria, his six students flying along with him, scattered in a loose sphere around him. This was not the first time he had used his magic to fly with them, since he had also used flight to transport them all to their new home in the former Amethyst Academy, but that had been a rtively brief flight and he had been too absorbed in his own thoughts to really pay attention to their reactions. This time, since the flight was lengthy and took most of the day, he had all the time in the world to note how they handled the experience.

    Most seemed to be enjoying it, especially in the beginning, but were by now starting to show signs of weariness. Marcus had been taking frequent breaks along the way, much more often than he would have if he was flying alone, but since they were now flying over the open sea, there was nowhere tond. They would just have to endure it for a couple of hours.

    Curiously, the student who seemed to be most enjoying the experience was udia. Marcus had learned over the time he had spent with his students that she was generally the most skittish one, shying away from any sort of conflict and danger. However, one wouldn¡¯t know it by looking at her now. She was flying with her arms outstretched like wings, eyes closer, and a smile on her face. She seemed to be enjoying every moment of it.

    It reminded Marcus of Cricket and her bird imitation, except that Cricket was apparently feeling too shy to do that in front of other people. She kept a serious fa?ade throughout the whole flight, asionally throwing udia curious nces.

    Thankfully, he soon spotted one of the pir-inds and immediately charged course towards it. Usually the pir inds were quite habitable on top, despite the strange shape, and this one was not an exception. It was a verdantndscape of unspoiled wilderness, rarely visited by man. Marcus circled the ind twice, performing a basic search for obvious dangers, and when he failed to find any,nded in thergest clearing he could find and let his students rest and recharge for a bit before they continue their journey.

    ¡°Teacher!¡± udia was immediately upon him. ¡°Um. When do we learn how to fly on our own?¡±

    ¡°You need to be at least a rank two mage and have your own internal mana reserves to be able to fly,¡± Marcus told her. ¡°Open aircks any significant mana reserves in most ces. But honestly, even that is only enough for brief flights. To truly do something like this, you need to be a rank three mage or above.¡±

    To truly replicate Marcus¡¯s feat and bring six other people with her, udia would have to be even stronger than that, as well as in possession of some kind of flying item like his Orb of Flight¡­ but that might be discouraging to hear, so Marcus stopped himself from mentioning it.

    He hoped that this, at least, would motivate her to try harder. She was a smart kid, but not an especially passionate or dedicated worker.

    ¡°These inds are so strange,¡± Renatus noted.

    ¡°Like you¡¯ve seen many inds before,¡± Cassia rolled her eyes at him.

    ¡°W-Well, I¡¯ve talked to sailors! And looked at pictures in books!¡± Renatus protested defensively.

    ¡°This is great!¡± udia said. ¡°When I be a real mage, I want to fly all around the world and see everything!¡±

    ¡°This is cool and all, but real powerhouses would go around riding powerful beasts like dragons,¡± Volesus said with his hands folded over his chest.

    These kids sometimes really were asking for a beating, Marcus thought.

    ¡°Dragons are intelligent beings and insanely prideful. You¡¯d never get one to agree to be a steed for you,¡± Marcus told him. ¡°The best you can hope for is a griffon.¡±

    That said, dragons were alsoscivious creatures capable of breeding with seemingly everything. Someone dedicated enough might be able to find a magical creature with a distant draconic heritage, weak and stupid enough to yield to a powerful adept.

    Marcus didn¡¯t really see a point in that, aside from empty prestige, but some mages cared quite a bit about things like that.

    ¡°What about a flying ship?¡± Renatus asked. ¡°I read about that in a story.¡±

    ¡°That was a fairytale,¡± Cassia told him.

    She also muttered ¡®stupid¡¯ quietly into her chin, but Marcus didn¡¯t think Renatus heard her.

    ¡°Every great academy is capable of building an airship, but they aren¡¯t allowed to own one,¡± Marcus said, shaking his head. ¡°If the Lygos Empire found out they were trying to evade the airship ban, they would send their fleet to bomb the academy into ruins as an example to others.¡±

    The students looked at him like he was crazy.

    ¡°Where is the Lygos Empire?¡± udia asked. ¡°Is that somewhere in the Eastern Lands?¡±

    ¡°It is east of the Silver League, but when most people talk about the Eastern Lands, they¡¯re actually talking about a set ofrge kingdoms on the other side of the continent,¡± Marcus exined. ¡°There are actually two more human regions between them and us. One of them are the Hamdraut City States. They¡¯re fairly small and less developed than us, so people rarely think about them. The other is the Lygos Empire, which is located at the south of the continent, roughly in between the Silver League and the Eastern Lands. They are by far the most powerful force on the, and they have a giant fleet of airships that they use to bully everyone around them intopliance. Even the elves fear them. Anyway, they have long decreed that only they have the right to build and maintain airships, and anyone who defies that gets a visit from their massive airfleet.¡±

    ¡°Howe we have never heard of them?¡± Volesus asked. ¡°You¡¯d thing an empire that amazing would be on everyone¡¯s tongues.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re just a non-magical trader, you will only perceive the Lygos Empire as a prosperous trade state situated along the path to the Eastern Lands,¡± Marcus said. ¡°Powerful, yes. But even Hamdraut City States are powerful in their own right, capable of policing their territory. You¡¯d have to be a powerful mage before you could begin to understand just how dangerous the empire really is, and most powerful mages would rather not talk about them.¡±

    ¡°Master, you travelled all the way to the Eastern Lands, right? Does that mean you have been to the Lygos Empire?¡± Cricket asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Marcus confirmed. ¡°It was an unpleasant experience.¡±

    In Marcus¡¯s opinion, Lygos spirit adepts weren¡¯t anything special. One on one, they were roughly equal to the ones in the Silver League and the Eastern Lands. However, they had so very many of them that they could potentially drown any individual enemy in sheer numbers, and they had airships which allowed them to move rtivelyrge forces across the with ease.

    They were also arrogant beyond belief, treating Marcus as a poorly-socialized savage during his brief stay there.

    After some more small-talk, the group continued flying towards Adria, stopping by on several other pir-inds along the way. It was an uneventful trip, though the six students did get excited about spotting a flock of harpies in the distance.

    Finally, the groupnded at one of the designatednding sites on their destination. The sight of the Great Sea Academy was absolutely breathtaking for the children, just as it had been for Marcus back when he had first seen it. Though, for Marcus, the first view of the ind and its academy came from a ship at sea. He hadn¡¯t experienced the privilege of being transported via air when he had arrived to Adria as a student.

    In any case, the judging ceremony wasn¡¯t due to start in another two days. Marcus had deliberately arrived early to give his students some time to explore the city and rest. Since Adria was full of criminals and scammers, especially if one took a wrong turn somewhere, Marcus would not allow them to wander off on their own, but it should be fine to let them wander around in the safer, more public areas.

    ¡°This ce¡­¡± Volesus began, looking around everywhere with obvious admiration. ¡°This is what a Great Academy looks like¡­¡±

    ¡°No, this is what the city built around it looks like,¡± Marcus told him. ¡°The real academy is even more luxurious and amazing.¡±

    ¡°Master, you¡¯re one of the elders here, right?¡± Volesus asked. ¡°So why are we in that tiny tower instead of here?¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re my students, not students of the Great Sea Academy, and I like my tower better,¡± Marcus told him. ¡°This ce doesn¡¯t have enough trees.¡±

    If Volesus had an opinion about that, he didn¡¯t voice it. Good. Marcus didn¡¯t want to exin the circumstances of his exile to his students.

    He was in the process of leading his students to one of the inns where they could rest from their long flight, when a strange man and a young girl osted him.

    Marcus didn¡¯t even realize the two were going towards him at first. He had noticed them, of course. How could he not? They were both wearing exotic clothes painted in garish colors ¨C the man was wearing blue robes decorated with images of clouds, birds, and flowers, and the young girl trailing beside him was wearing a vivid red dress full of ck patterns that reminded Marcus of mes.

    The man was unmistakably a spirit adept.

    Well, their sense of fashion was unusual, and it was curious to meet a spirit adept he did not know, but Adria was a big city with lots of travelers and new spirit adepts did arise more frequently these days. Marcus thought nothing of the duo, until the man walked up to Marcus and his group with purposeful, almost provocative strides. The young girl followed after him, quickening her steps to keep up with herpanion.

    ¡°You!¡± the man said, his voice booming. He pointed a finger at Marcus dramatically. ¡°I¡¯ve finally found you!¡±

    Marcus was taken aback. He pointed a finger at himself in a silent question of disbelief.

    ¡°Yes, of course I¡¯m talking about you!¡± the man said. Or shouted, rather. He almost seemed to be speaking to the crowd as much as he was to Marcus. ¡°Did you think your actions would never catch up to you?¡±

    By now, Marcus had noticed something strange. The girl standing silently beside the man, staring straight into Marcus¡¯s eyes with strange intensity¡­ she was not human. Her eyes were red like blood, her skin pale, and her ears were pointed like an elf.

    She also had a bloodline of some sort.

    ¡°Sir, I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Marcus said. ¡°Why don¡¯t you calm down and exin yourself. We¡¯re both exalted spirit adepts, we should be above these kinds of petty outbursts.¡±

    ¡°Petty outbursts. Hmph!¡± The man said, snorting derisively. He put his hand on the back of the girl beside him and pushed her forward. She stumbled a bit, clearly not expecting it, and red back at him in response before fixing Marcus with her unnerving gaze again. ¡°This here is your daughter. It¡¯s time you took responsibility for her.¡±

    The people in the street watching the spectacle immediately erupted into hushed conversation.

    Marcus was outraged. He couldn¡¯t possibly have a daughter. His dedication to reaching the pinnacle of magic was pure and absolute!

    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous,¡± he told the man frostily. ¡°She¡¯s clearly an elf.¡±

    ¡°What? Why would that be a problem?¡± the man sneered. ¡°I know this ce is a primitive backwater, but you can¡¯t possibly tell me you¡¯ve never seen any half-elves in your life?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even know such a thing was possible,¡± Marcus replied.

    ¡°Not going to take responsibility, I see,¡± the man said, cking his tongue. ¡°I knew it would be like this. But¡­ maybe it¡¯s better this way. I would have had to test your skills before leaving her in your care, anyway.¡±

    The man stretched out his hand and an borate staff manifested in it out of some invisible space.

    Before Marcus could say anything, the manunched a fireball straight at him.

 Chapter 16: Noble Lineage

    It was odd, Marcus wouldter reflect, but having a fireball suddenly thrown directly at you wasn¡¯t nearly as shocking as he would have guessed. For a while now, Marcus had been trying to operate in unfamiliar waters¡­ but fighting? If there was anything Marcus was really good at, it was fighting. The feeling of slipping into abat-ready mindset was familiar and reassuring, and he didn¡¯t hesitate for even a moment.

    He acted wordlessly and immediately, turning to his side in a single step and thrusting both of his hands away from him. One, holding his staff, was thrust towards the iing fireball, creating a concave shield of force in the path of the fiery projectile. The other, holding nothing, was thrust towards his students behind them. Young and inexperienced as they were, they were still frozen in shock, struggling to process what had happened.

    Two things happened simultaneously. The fireball hit the concave shield and exploded, but the shield redirected the st right back at the spirit mage who cast it. Secondly, a wave of force hit Marcus¡¯s students from his outstretched hands, lifting them up in the air and carrying them off into the distance, away from the fighting.

    The girl with blood red eyes reacted faster than Marcus¡¯s own students, perhaps because she had already expected something like this, and ran off the moment herpanion threw the fireball at Marcus. When the redirected fireball st washed over the area where the man stood, she was already gone and wasn¡¯t caught in it alongside him.

    The gathered crowd, previously happy enough to stand on the sidelines andmentate on the public dispute, immediately fled the scene amid screams and shouted curses. Some reacted faster than others, but nobody wanted to get caught in the crossfire. Adria was full of mages, and this wasn¡¯t the first time a dispute between them erupted into an actual spell exchange.

    The mes washed over the gaudily-dressed man, who did not attempt to dodge them in any way. Unsurprisingly, when the spell faded, he was unharmed.

    This wasn¡¯t too much of a surprise. The signature ability of a spirit mage was that they had the ability to inject traces of their spirit into their spells, allowing their magic to have a certain measure of life and conscious intent. Obviously, the mes created in such a fashion would not harm their creator, even if they were somehow redirected back at them.

    Marcus didn¡¯t pause. Before the fires had even fully cleared, he was already casting an offensive earth magic spell. Spears of stone erupted from the road stones the strange mage was standing on, attempting to spear him through. The man flew up in the air to avoid them, and simultaneously swung his staff towards Marcus again. Four zing whips shot out from the staff towards him, causing him tounch himself into the air as well. The whips carved deep groves into the road where he once stood, the edges glowing with heat.

    Marcus snapped his fingers and the stone spikes he had created earlier detonated into a cloud of needle-like stone shards. The needles showered the entire area, burying themselves deep into the road stones and the walls of nearby buildings, but most importantly¡­ they shot upwards towards Marcus¡¯s enemy, who had only flown a little bit to avoid his spikes and was directly above them.The man tried to hurl himself away from the st zone and shield himself, but was not fast enough. His shield weakened the needles, but broke in the process, and an expanding cloud of needles ended up¡­ passing straight through him.

    The man momentarily shifted into a humanoid form made out of fire, and the needles passed through it without harming him at all.

    ¡°Oho! You¡¯re even better than I hoped!¡± the man praised loudly.

    Marcus didn¡¯t deign to grace that with a verbal response. He threw a lightning bolt at his opponent, but the man created some kind of pitch ck orb in his hand that sucked the lightning in and absorbed it.

    He then raised his staff into the air and a mass of ck tentacles burst out of the ground between them. Their tips quickly bulged and split-apart, opening up into giant ming flowers that lunged towards Marcus from several different directions. Simultaneously, a strange sort of dimensional spell enveloped Marcus, pressing in on him and hampering his attempts to move out of the way of the attacks.

    This guy¡­ dimensional magic like this was not a small matter. There was no way his enemy was just a spirit manifestation mage. He had to be rank six or seven, at least.

    ¡°Implosion!¡± Marcus shouted, closing his fist before him like he was catching a fly. There was arge boom as everything in front of him, including air, suddenly rushed inward,pressed into a tiny spot in the middle. The ck tentacles and the ming flowers on top of them, the nearby roof tiles, the rubble strewn across the street, and every other object that wasn¡¯t firmly attached to something were instantly crushed by indescribable pressure.

    The inward-pulling force also tried to suck in the opposing mage, but the man was quick to react. He immutably mmed into the ground, stabbing his staff into the remains of the road, where it seemingly took root and refused to be dislodged.

    Following the initial copse, the air bounced back, and a massive st wave radiated outward, dealing further damage to everything in sight.

    Both Marcus and his enemy were still for a second following this.

    ¡°Gods¡­ are you crazy!?¡± the man shouted at Marcus. ¡°That could actually hurt someone!¡±

    ¡°You threw a fireball at someone in a highly popted area,¡± Marcus pointed out. ¡°At least I made sure there were no bystanders when I started demolishing the entire area.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t like he had copsed the surrounding buildings or anything. The people huddled inside should be fine, if a little shaken by the experience.

    Anyway, Marcus had had enough. He didn¡¯t know who this man was, but he was clearly very powerful and Marcus couldn¡¯t afford to hold back against him.

    He threw away his simple wooden staff. It ttered to the ground and rolled away from him slightly. Then, much like his opponent, he stretched out his hand and summoned his <em>real</em>bat staff from his own pocket dimension, held in the storage bracelet hidden beneath his sleeve.

    The dark brown staff wasrger and more borate than the one he usually carried out in the open. Both tips were decorated with metal tips made out of silver, and glittering golden runes covered its entire length.

    He red out his spirit in a silent challenge, an illusion of a gigantic ghostly oak manifesting behind him.

    ¡°If you have any honor, let¡¯s take this out of the city so no bystanders are hurt,¡± Marcus told the stranger.

    If the man didn¡¯tply, Marcus had a few ways of forcing them outside of Adria. It was just that they all had serious side-effects and he would rather avoid using them.

    ¡°Wait,¡± the man said. He held out his hand towards Marcus in a cating manner. ¡°There is no need to go this far.¡±

    Marcus snorted at him contemptuously. He threw a fist-full of gems into the air, and they promptly started to glow and orbit around him, like several dozen deadly little stars.

    ¡°We¡¯re causing too much of a scene,¡± the man said. ¡°The locals will send someone to investigate.¡±

    ¡°I am a local here,¡± Marcus pointed out. ¡°I am an elder of the Academy, and you are a mere outsider. Why would I care about academy enforcers? You¡¯re the only one who will have to exin himself.¡±

    Marcus knew that there were already some forces from Great Sea Academy present. However, they were not spirit adepts, and they had enoughmon sense to stay away and simply observe the situation.

    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong, my dear Marcus,¡± the man said, giving him a cheerful smile. ¡°This body is just an avatar. If I¡¯m truly cornered, I¡¯ll just let it dissipate. You¡¯ll be left alone to exin what happened here.¡±

    Marcus narrowed his eyes at him, trying to figure out if the strange man was telling the truth.

    He probably was. Damn it.

    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± he demanded.

    ¡°Well I told you earlier, didn¡¯t I?¡± the man said. ¡°I want you to take care of your daughter.¡±

    ¡°She isn¡¯t my daughter,¡± Marcus told him. ¡°The bystanders are long gone, so why do you continue this charade? We both know it isn¡¯t true.¡±

    ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± the man asked, raising his eyebrow at him. ¡°Elves are so simr to humans and proficient in changing their appearance. Any random woman you slept with could have been an elf in disguise.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t slept with anyone ever, elf or otherwise,¡± Marcus told him matter-of-factly.

    The man stared at him for a second, mulling something in his head for a few moments. ¡°There are spells that allow one to sidestep that part of process and impregnate a woman anyway, without the need for-¡°

    Marcus stared at the man wordlessly.

    ¡°You could have also been memory wiped at any time without realizing it. That happened to me more than once, you know,¡± the man continued. ¡°And there are rituals that will make someone your spiritual sessor, even if they¡¯re not really your biological child¡­¡±

    Marcus continued to stare at him in silence.

    The man gave up on his exnation with a resigned sigh. ¡°Listen, do me a favor and just take the girl as your student, will you?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t exactly leave a good impression here,¡± Marcus said. ¡°Why would I do you a favor?¡±

    That said, Marcus reigned in his spirit and rxed his posture a bit. It didn¡¯t seem like the man was interested in fighting anymore. The ghostly tree behind him faded out of existence, and the glow of the orbiting gems dimmed considerably.

    ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± the man nodded happily. He made a small movement with his hand, and the staff he was holding suddenly disappeared into thin air. ¡°My approach was a little rude, but I can¡¯t just leave my precious Iris to just anyone. I had to test your skill and character. Surely you understand?¡±

    ¡°No, I really don¡¯t,¡± Marcus told him. ¡°Who are you and why would you want to hand over your daughter to a stranger?¡±

    ¡°I am Shamshir, a duke of the Fire Orchid Kingdom,¡± the man said. He paused for a second, clearly expecting some kind of reaction from Marcus based on the name.

    ¡°Never heard of it,¡± Marcus told him.

    ¡°No, of course not¡­¡± the man mumbled to himself. ¡°Nevertheless! Iris is not my daughter, though I do care for her as if she were my own kin. s, due to certain misunderstandings, I am being actively hunted by some very dangerous people and cannot afford to keep her around.¡±

    ¡°And you thought the best option was to hand her off to me?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°She needs a wood element foundation technique to bring out her full potential, but there is a strangeck of wood element traditions on this,¡± Shamshir said, frowning. ¡°I don¡¯t understand ¨C the element of wood is extremelymon in the universe, and there is no shortage of wood logos around us. Why would the local wood traditions be this rare?¡±

    Marcus said nothing.

    ¡°You¡¯re arguably the only option I have,¡± Shamshir said, shaking his head. ¡°Everyone else is simply too weak for me to entrust her to them. So please do a favor for this old man and take care of her for a while, will you? She¡¯s a good child, and very talented. I doubt you¡¯ll find a more suitable student no matter where you look.¡±

    Marcus looked at the man more closely. He didn¡¯t look that old to Marcus. Shamshir appeared to be in his thirties, with smooth skin and shiny ck hair with no hint of white. Looks could be deceiving among adepts, but anyone who disguised themselves to look younger than they really were would not mention their age so casually.

    Plus, there was the fact that Shamshir was strongly implying he wasn¡¯t from Tasloa¡­

    ¡°Where do you and your not-daughter reallye from?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°Are you from another, or from the Outer nes?¡±

    The man smiled at him mysteriously.

    ¡°It¡¯s best that you know as little as possible,¡± he told Marcus. ¡°This is already painting something of a target on your back.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re really not making this any more appealing,¡± Marcus told him.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°Then how about this: I am a rank eight mage and I will be eternally in your debt if you do this for me,¡± Shamshir said.

    Gods¡­ Marcus could tell that the man in front of him was powerful, but if he was really a rank eight mage, then he was one of a handful of the most powerful people on the. These kind of adepts were little more than myth and legend in modern times. As far as Marcus knew, there wasn¡¯t a single rank eight mage in the entire Silver League.

    Of course, it was easy for Shamshir to say he was a rank eight mage, and difficult for Marcus to check if there was any truth to that. Unlike spirit manifestation mages, oversoul mages did not have any obvious tells.

    Before he could say anything, a pair of Great Sea Academy spirit adepts ¨C a mage and a warrior, flew over andnded on the ruined street some distance away. Marcus gave them a hand sign, signaling them to stay away from now, but when he turned to Shamshir again he found the man rapidly turning into me and dissipating into the surrounding air.

    ¡°We have a deal, then,¡± Shamshir¡¯s rapidly fading voice said. ¡°I¡¯ll bring her over when things calm down a little.¡±

    Thest thing to remain of Shamshir was his toothy grin, which was thest thing to turn into mes and disperse.

    And then Marcus was left alone in the ruined street. He looked around, checking the devastation around him. He didn¡¯t see any evidence that they had killed anyone, mostly because everyone had vacated the area as quickly as possible, but the damage to the surrounding buildings was¡­ more serious than he had thought.

    He nced at the two spirit adepts watching him in the distance. They looked rather impatient and annoyed, and it would be up to Marcus to exin what happened here.

    This was so unfair. And he also had to find his students, too. They were nowhere to be seen, and while he could sense through his soul connection with them that they were alive and well, he would still feel better if he knew exactly where they were and what they were doing.

    He put away hisbat staff back into his storage bracelet and picked up his usual simple one from where he threw it away. Then, steeling himself with a big breath, he started walking towards the two adepts giving him expectant looks.

    This was going to be difficult to exin.

    * * * *

    Marcus had thought that everything he and Shamshir had said to each other would have been overheard by Great Sea Academy adepts observing the fight from the distance. After all, they might have been too weak to get involved in the fighting, but that wouldn¡¯t stop their listening in on them. Many adepts had enhanced senses, and there were spells to amplify that further. However, it turned out that at some point during their fight, Shamshir had erected a privacy field around them without Marcus ever having realized something was amiss. Nobody could hear anything, and even their appearance had been blurry and indistinct. That meant that thest thing anyone had heard was the man using Marcus of having a daughter he had to take care of.

    That was a mixed bag. On one hand, that meant Marcus did not need to address Shamshir¡¯s strange statements in any way, and was basically free to say whatever he deemed appropriate to the Great Sea¡¯s spirit adepts investigating the matter. On the other hand, said spirit adepts seemed to take Shamshir¡¯s im that Iris was Marcus¡¯s daughter at face value, and kept referring to the incident as a ¡®paternity dispute¡¯.

    As for Iris, his supposed elven daughter, she was nowhere to be found. After she had fled the scene of confrontation, her trail had immediately gone cold and the Great Sea adepts admitted they had no idea where she had gone.

    Was she also just an avatar? Very curious.

    In any case, Marcus kept his suspicion that the man was not a native of Tasloa to himself, but exined practically everything else. Even the fact the man had imed to be a rank eight mage, which the two adepts didn¡¯t take very seriously at all.

    ¡°We get a few of these every year,¡± Valerius, one of the two adepts, saidnguidly. ¡°Surprised he didn¡¯t im he was a ninth rank mage instead. Might as well go all the way if you¡¯re already being ridiculous.¡±

    They let him go. Although his fight had caused great devastation, there were plenty of eyewitnesses to confirm he hadn¡¯t started things, and that it was the other man who first started the conflict by throwing a fireball into a crowded area. Plus, he was an outsider, unlike Marcus.

    Marcus immediately set off in search of his students, though he didn¡¯t have to look very far. Though they had fled from the fighting after his spell had carried them off into the distance, they had been reluctant to go too far. They immediately crowded around him when he walked up to them, bombarding him with questions andining about the bruises they¡¯d gotten bynding awkwardly on the road stones after he had hurled them away from the fight.

    Marcus was d to see they were all fine. He was less d about who was keeping thempany.

    ¡°Mister Agrippa was kind enough to keep uspany while you were fighting,¡± Julia told him, pointing at the smiling man next to them. ¡°He says you are friends.¡±

    They didn¡¯t seem to have any idea whom they had been speaking with.

    ¡°Hello, Gaius,¡± Marcus said, giving the man a polite, but guarded look. He seemed to be alone at the moment, which was unusual.

    ¡°Hello, old friend,¡± Gaius said, nodding at him slightly. ¡°I got here as fast as possible when I realized there were two spirit-rank mages fighting in the city, but I only caught the tail-end of the fight. I was so surprised to see you involved¡­ it¡¯s quite unlike you.¡±

    That sounded like sarcasm to Marcus.

    ¡°Well, you know. I can¡¯t really stand aside when someone starts throwing area of effect spells in the direction of my students,¡± Marcus told him. ¡°Thank you for keeping them safe.¡±

    ¡°It was nothing, really,¡± Gaius said, waving his hand dismissively. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind, but I answered some of their questions about you. I¡¯m surprised you¡¯ve told them so little about you in all this time¡­ I know you don¡¯t like to brag, but you were keeping things a little too close to your chest, in my opinion.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ We had no idea you were some famous general,¡± Livia told him.

    ¡°Yeah, we thought you were just some minor elder or something,¡± Volesus added.

    ¡°There is no such thing as a ¡®minor elder¡¯,¡± Marcus told him. In theory at least, they were all equal in status and had the same voting power. Though things were not quite so simple in practice. ¡°Anyway, since we¡¯re talking about keeping things too close to your chest, did Gaius inform you that he¡¯s not some random friend of mine but instead the Consul of the Great Sea Academy? That is, the current leader of us all?¡±

    They all immediately turned towards the smiling, friendly-seeming man in shock, and then collectively took a step back as if faced with a poisonous viper. A proper reaction to Gaius, if one asked Marcus.

    In case, Gaius justughed at the reaction.

    ¡°You got me!¡± he told Marcus, though his eyes remained fixed on his shocked students. ¡°I was indeed avoiding mentioning that. It¡¯s refreshing to talk to someone who doesn¡¯t know who I am every once in a while¡­ you¡¯ve gathered an interesting bunch, I must say.¡±

    They separated not long after that, Marcus leading his students away while continually reying hisst battle and conversation with the strange outworlder who called himself Shamshir.

    ¡°So,¡± Marcus asked his students when they put some distance between them and Gaius. ¡°What did you and Gaius talk about?¡±

    They shared a hesitant look between each other. Eventually, Julia cleared her throat slightly and began to speak.

    ¡°Mister Agrippa, I mean¡­ Consul Agrippa, he told us about your role in the war against Veldoran, how you lost against him in the academy¡¯s Young Talent Competition,¡± Marcus grumbled at that internally, though he managed to keep his face nk in reality. ¡°He also told us about Great Sea Academy¡¯s most important vassals, how the selection process for new students works, and the reason why you don¡¯t want to stay here on the main ind.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Marcus asked curiously. This should be good. ¡°Why <em>do</em> I refuse to stay here?¡±

    ¡°Err¡­¡±

    Julia seemed to struggle answering that question.

    ¡°That Agrippa guy basically said some people aren¡¯t happy you¡¯re epting a bunch of irrelevant orphans as your students,¡± Cassia told him. ¡°That you don¡¯t think we can handle being here.¡±

    Yes, people like Gaius. Did this guy have no shame?

    Actually, why was he even asking that¡­

    ¡°W-Well, he didn¡¯t really say it like <em>that</em>,¡± Julia protested.

    ¡°What, are you unhappy about being lumped in with us peasants?¡± Cassia mocked.

    ¡°Now you¡¯re just provoking me!¡± Juliained. She turned towards Marcus. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s about it, really. We didn¡¯t have that much time before you found us. He seemed to have a really high opinion of you.¡±

    ¡°You should be more careful around him in the future,¡± Marcus told her. ¡°He might seem friendly, but he¡¯s still the current leader of the Great Sea Academy and he has his own goals and motives. He can close many doors for you if you say the wrong thing around him.¡±

    ¡°Or open them,¡± opined Volesus.

    Marcus strongly considered smacking him in the head with his staff.

    ¡°You¡¯re too young to y politics,¡± he told him. ¡°Focus on your training instead.¡±

    ¡°Um, teacher? About that girl from earlier¡­¡± udia suddenly spoke up. ¡°That man who attacked us said she was your-¡°

    ¡°She¡¯s not my daughter,¡± Marcus cut her off.

    ¡°But-¡°

    ¡°That guy is just your bog-standard scammer,¡± Marcus insisted. ¡°I bet he tries that trick on every wealthy-looking passerby he encounters.¡±

    udia pouted at him slightly, and seemed to judge him silently with her eyes. His other students also didn¡¯t seem terribly convinced by his argument, either.

    However, they didn¡¯t say anything more on the matter, and Marcus was not interested in talking about the subject any further.

    * * * *

    Over the next two days, Marcus led his students on a tour across Adria, showing them various curiosities, like the flying beasts held in stables across the city and the famous Adria open theater, where mage actors used illusions and other spells to bring stories to life in a manner most people never experienced. He also bought all of them a set of fancier robes, so they would look more presentable at the uing judging ceremony. They wouldn¡¯t bepeting there, of course, but they would be present, and everyone would know who they were.

    One night, after his students had gone to sleep, Marcus decided to summon Celer.

    Therge white butterfly immediately materialized in a puff of white smoke in front of him, staring at him with her bigpound eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± she eximed. ¡°Oh, we¡¯re in Adria! The ambient mana here is so rich and sweet¡­ I could never mistake it for something else.¡±

    Marcus didn¡¯t know what she was talking about. He didn¡¯t perceive any difference between ambient mana in Adria and that of, say, Crystal Mountain. Both of them were areas with very abundant ambient mana, yes, but it all really felt the same to him, really.

    She flew several quick circles around the room and then settled back down in front of him.

    ¡°So? What¡¯s the asion?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I will be choosing my final batch of students soon, so I wanted to keep you informed. You said you had some kind of surprise for them,¡± he told her.

    ¡°Ah! You haven¡¯t forgotten!¡± she said. ¡°You sure took your time. I was going toe over with my own power and scold you if you hadn¡¯t done this soon. Do you think the eggs can wait forever!?¡±

    She pped her wings, blowing some irritating dust straight at his face. He was expecting as much, so he managed to dodge most of the dust cloud¡­ but not its entirety.

    ¡°Wait,¡± he said, coughing. ¡°Eggs?¡±

    ¡°Err, well¡­ ah, forget it,¡± Celer said, fumbling slightly with her response. ¡°I hoped to keep it a surprise for a little longer, but maybe it¡¯s better this way. Yes, Iid a fresh batch of eggs recently, and have been keeping them in stasis until I heard back from you. I guess I can now finally let the caterpirs hatch and fatten up a little before I hand them over to your students.¡±

    Marcus didn¡¯t know what to say to that.

    ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll like the gift?¡± Celer asked excitedly.

    Marcus¡¯s mind drifted back to udia¡¯s horrified scream when she saw the giant centipede back at the tower. He didn¡¯t think she liked bugs very much.

    ¡°Mmmmaybe,¡± he told Celer.

    ¡°I bet they will,¡± Celer said. ¡°Everyone loves babies.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure this a good idea?¡± Marcus asked her. ¡°I like my students, but I¡¯m not sure your babies will be safe in their hands.¡±

    ¡°Oh Marcus, haven¡¯t you ever read about fairy butterfly reproduction?¡± Celer asked him, her tone of voice suggesting he had just asked somethingpletely stupid.

    ¡°No?¡± Marcus said, confused. Why would he ever read up on something like that? Were there even books discussing that kind of topic avable in the Silver League? ¡°I can¡¯t say that information ever came up in my reading.¡±

    ¡°Butterflies cany up to hundreds, even thousands of eggs during their lifetime,¡± Celer said. ¡°Fairy butterflies like me are a bit less fecund, but still. And though you might think less of me for admitting this, but we aren¡¯t exactly attentive parents. Most of my caterpirs will never make it to adulthood, and I have always been fine with that.¡±

    Marcus looked at Celer with newfound understanding.

    ¡°So you just abandon your babies to fend for themselves immediately after hatching?¡± Marcus asked. Celer shook her wings in an affirmative gesture. ¡°The life of a fairy butterfly is surprisingly brutal.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t abandon them immediately-immediately, but after watching over them for a day or two to make sure they¡¯re eating properly, I leave them to their own devices,¡± Celer said. ¡°It¡¯s okay. My mother did the same thing to me. It¡¯s how we normally do things.¡±

    ¡°But now you want to give them away to my students,¡± Marcus said. ¡°Surely that isn¡¯t what your kind usually does.¡±

    ¡°No, but this is better!¡± Celer told him excitedly. ¡°Come closer,e closer¡­ I¡¯ll tell you a secret.¡±

    Marcus leaned forward, humoring her antics. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ am only a lesser fairy butterfly,¡± she said dramatically.

    Marcus stared at her.

    ¡°I know,¡± he finally said.

    He thought she would try to st him with a cloud of irritating powder again, but she defied his expectations and controlled herself.

    In any case, of course he knew. Back when Marcus was trying to make a summoning contract with one of the spirit ns in the outer nes, he had tried to call many different beasts. s, not only did he not attract the attention of something cool like a celestial tiger or a hellfire drake, he couldn¡¯t even get one of the greater fairy butterflies to respond! Only humble little Celer was interested in responding to a summoning from a nameless mage hailing from a minor material world.

    That said, he did not regret making a contract with her, and things had worked out pretty well for him in the end. Who needs a mighty tiger or a drake when you can have a chatty, mercurial butterfly that can put people to sleep with one beat of her wings?

    ¡°You jerk. You could at least pretend not to know,¡± Celer told him. ¡°But anyway, did you ever wonder what makes a greater butterfly fairy greater, and why I¡¯m not one?¡±

    ¡°I did, but I always figured it was just a matter of bloodlines,¡± Marcus admitted.

    From what he understood, bloodlines were incredibly important to spirit animal ns. Spirit animals passively grew in power as they aged, with no need to practice any foundational techniques, so there was rarely much difference in power between adults of the same species unless one had some kind of exalted bloodline that set them apart from their fellows.

    ¡°A good guess usually, but my kind works a little differently,¡± Celer said. ¡°There are two ways for a fairy caterpir to be an adult. The first, and mostmon, is to simply grow up alone in the Dreamwood, growing fat on whatever vegetation they can find, avoid dying, and eventually emerge from the chrysalis as a lesser fairy butterfly. The second is to form a familiar contract for a mortal adept and keep it unbroken until they achieve spirit-rank. If the caterpir forms a chrysalis and transforms just as the adept condenses their logos core into a spirit, both of them will reap incredible benefits, and the caterpir will emerge as a newly-born greater fairy butterfly!¡±

    She posed dramatically in front of him, wings outstretched, her front legs wiggling in the air in what was likely supposed to be hand gestures.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that amazing!?¡± she demanded. ¡°Imagine. I could have sired a batch of actual <em>nobles</em>!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re getting a little ahead of yourself,¡± Marcus told her. ¡°My students bing spirit-rank adepts is not guaranteed in any way, even with me teaching them. You¡¯re not guaranteed to get even one noble offspring, nevermind a whole clutch. But putting that aside, I¡¯m curious. What does the human adept get out of this? What is this ¡®incredible benefit¡¯ they gain from babying one of your caterpirs all the way to spirit rank?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Celer admitted. ¡°But my elders all agree that the adept benefits a lot too, so it¡¯s probably true. And even if they¡¯re full of it, the human still gets a greater butterfly fairy as their personal summon. That¡¯s a pretty good reward, no?¡±

    She did have a point there, Marcus had to admit.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go along with this,¡± Marcus told her.

    ¡°Great! I knew you wouldn¡¯t let me down,¡± Celer said. ¡°I¡¯ll go prepare everything for the big reveal.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± Marcus said. ¡°Before you go¡­ did you ever hear about a Fire Orchid Kingdom?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ huuuh¡­¡± Celer thought about it loudly for several moments. ¡°Nope, never heard of it. I¡¯ve heard about the Blue Orchid Kingdom, and the Night Orchid Kingdom, but never about one that¡¯s a fire. Why do you ask?¡±

    Marcus exined to her what had happened recently and his conversation with Shamshir.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask around and see if the other butterflies know something,¡± Celer told him. ¡°Though I wouldn¡¯t hold my breath. That sounds like a ce somewhere on the material ne. There is no way an eighth rank mage is a ruler of anything in the outer nes, let alone a duke. But who knows, maybe it¡¯s just a meaningless title or something!¡±

    With that, Celer disappeared in a puff of smoke.

 Chapter 17: Subjective Opinions

    On the day of the judging ceremony, Julia and the others were woken up by their teachers early in the morning and led to arge training hall near the center of Adria. Unlike their cramped, dismal tower, the Great Sea Academy had actual training facilities for asions such as this, and there would be no need to make an improvised trial ground. It was a big ce with several rows of stands for the spectators, and arge t area in the middle, suitable for both physical and magical demonstrations by arge number of people. Of course, facilities like these were more important in a highly popted area like this than they were in the middle of a forest, as disputes were more likely to crop up in Adria than in their little corner of the woods.

    Their teacher set off towards their destination at a rtively fast walking pace, and his students followed after him like a line of ducklings trailing after their mother. Julia wondered what would happen if some of them fell behind or got lost, but after some thought, she decided he would immediately notice the issue and move to correct it. Their teacher often looked as if he wasn¡¯t paying attention to them, but every time it mattered, he showed incredible awareness of his surroundings. Supernaturally boosted senses? Spying spells? Whatever the case, he clearly wasn¡¯t as oblivious as he appeared.

    Julia had to admit, she had been harboring many doubts about their teacher for a while now. His appearance and attitude back during her own judging ceremony was very mundane and underwhelming, and he rarely demonstrated any amazing magic around her. The tower he had them repair was not really a dwelling of a master wizard, either. And finally, while she was not a material girl, the fact that he had never provided them with any expensive supplies, potions, or powerful legacies was a bit disappointing, and made her wonder if their teacher really was as powerful as people said he was. Half the point of having a powerful teacher was that he could provide you with resources that would speed up your training and growth through the ranks, no?

    The fight between him and the unknown mage had put all her fears to rest. While she only caught glimpses of their sh, it was enough to realize their teacher¡¯s might was absolutely awe-inspiring. No wonder Headmaster Titus had so much fear and respect for Marcus! Great Tree held regr battle demonstrations to raise morale and give younger mages some perspective, and nothing Julia saw in these events couldpare.

    In the end, her teacher was not a fraud. He was just entric.

    That was a relief. Julia could deal with entric.

    And speaking of their teacher being weird, he was clearly intending to repeat his actions from the previous judging ceremony and just walk into the room looking like a wandering pilgrim. Did he <em>enjoy</em> sowing doubt about his own abilities or was there some higher goal to his actions?

    The trip through the city was not eventful, and soon they entered the training hall, which was already quite packed by the time they arrived. It was hard to tell how many hopefuls had showed up to participate, since it wasn¡¯t just them present, but also their parents and rtives, who would be watching the whole thing from the spectator seats. However, if she had to guess, she would say there were about two hundred hopefuls scattered about. Strange. That wasn¡¯t so much more than at the judging ceremony she had gone through. You would think that in a big city like Adria, the number of candidates interested in being taught by a spirit rank mage would be much higher.

    After discussing something with a nearby guard, their teacher sent them to one of the spots in the front row where a number of seats had been reserved for them. He then left to organize the judging ceremony, while they were left to their own devices. Julia was a bit annoyed with this, since they had never established a leader amongst themselves, so if any of them decided to act out or make a scene, who was supposed to establish order and take responsibility?The first problem came up immediately when they arrived at their reserved seats. The front row was a coveted thing, and in their absence, a bunch of people had already imed their seats as their own. It took some arguing and throwing around their identity, but they managed to push them off and im their seats. The whalebone medallions their teacher gave them came in useful in this regard, as they were an undeniable proof of their identity.

    Julia thought that maybe once their identity became known, it would cause something of a stir among the other spectators. However, nobody seemed to care too much. They may have been Marcus¡¯s students, but that didn¡¯t seem to impress the crowd around them much.

    ¡°You¡¯re just a bunch of beginning students, hmph!¡± A man scoffed at them. He was one of those they had chased off when they were iming their seats, and he was not happy with them. ¡°Who knows how many of you will even be apprentices, let along real mages. I swear, young people get a little power and immediately start looking down on their elders. What is the worlding to these days¡­¡±

    To be fair, aside from him, nobody actually looked down on them so obviously. But Julia could sense from their attitudes that they didn¡¯t see them as particrly prestigious. The words ¡®charity¡¯ and ¡®orphan¡¯ were thrown around by some people in hushed conversations¡­ Julia ignored them, as amotion was developing in the center of the training hall, where their teacher was talking with a pair of Great Sea mages.

    Therge, heavy doors of the training hall were loudly and violently flung open as a man flew into the chamber on a flying carpet. He was arge man, in both height and width, richly dressed in blue clothes decorated with golden threads as well as lots and lots of buttons and other ornaments. An borate wide-brimmed hat was on his head, and arge cape billowed behind him as he flew.

    His flying carpet took him at full speed towards Marcus and the two Great Sea mages, only slowing down in thest possible moment to prevent collision. The man on the carpet jumped off of it and extended his hand to the side dramatically. The flying carpet them rolled itself into a tight cylinder with great speed and flew into his hand.

    The crowd around them erupted into spection.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that elder ius?¡± One of them asked. ¡°What is he doing here?¡±

    ¡°Are we going to have multiple elders vying for students today?¡± another guessed. ¡°Crap. This is going to invalidate all my bets¡­¡±

    One of the two Great Sea mages soon started waving his hands to calm the people down.

    ¡°Everyone!¡± he shouted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for themotion, but there has been a slight chance of ns! Elder ius has requested to make use of this opportunity to pick a handful of students himself, and we didn¡¯t see any reason to deny him. Elder Marcus is still going to pick a student today, as originally intended.¡±

    Julia frowned. Was Marcus¡¯s judging ceremony being hijacked?

    Their teacher didn¡¯t seem concerned, however. He was watching the neer with calm fascination, like one might watch a colorful bird dancing on their windowsill, not saying a word of protest.

    ¡°I assume brother Marcus has noins about this?¡± Elder ius said, turning towards their teacher and assuming a proud posture. In Julia¡¯s opinion, he was clearly trying to provoke a reaction.

    ¡°Not at all, not at all,¡± Marcus said in a friendly tone, seemingly oblivious to the provocation. ¡°To be honest, I always did think it was a bit of a waste to organize all this just to pick one student. It¡¯s good to see you here, brother ius.¡±

    Elder ius seemed to be at a loss what to say to that, and soon enough, more people started to stream in. These neers were clearly a more distinguished bunch than the current audience, and were often apanied by servants and subordinates rather than family. Most of them seemed to be spectators, and didn¡¯t bring any children or teenagers to participate in the ceremony, but one of them did. Julia didn¡¯t recognize the severe-looking man at first, but the audience reaction around her quickly clued her in.

    ¡°That¡¯s Elder Cato, isn¡¯t he?¡± one man remarked.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± a woman beside him, probably his wife, replied. ¡°To think a stubborn old goat like him would pick an outsider to teach one of his own flesh and blood. Isn¡¯t that crazy?¡±

    ¡°General Marcus is not just any outsider, though,¡± the man remarked. ¡°He¡¯s already an elder, and a spirit manifestation mage to boot.¡±

    ¡°He isn¡¯t a general any longer, and Cato certainly didn¡¯t have nice things to say about him when he was,¡± the woman countered.

    There was some more back and forth between the two, as well as a plethora ofments from the rest of the spectators. Julia strained her ears to try and overhear as much as she could without looking like she was eavesdropping, but everyone was talking over each other and it got pretty confusing.

    Off to her side, she could see Renatus asking people around him questions about the people that had started to stream in. Wasn¡¯t he worried that he would leave others with the impression of being an ignorant country bumpkin for asking these kinds of questions, thereby tarnishing their teacher¡¯s reputation, and theirs as well? No, apparently not.

    There was a teenager walking next to Elder Cato, and from the audience Julia found out his name was Regulus. He was a handsome boy with jet ck hair and simple brown clothes with no obvious decorations. He paid no attention to the loud spection of the crowd directed at him, as if it was none of his business.

    Julia instantly disliked him. ording to their teacher, there would be three new students joining them after today, and this guy was one of them. The Uticensis family he belonged to were basically nobility of the Great Sea Academy, and he looked like he knew it.

    He would probably be her biggestpetition.

    Sometime after this, another prominent group walked in - three people dressed in beast furs, leading a group of young teenagers. This was Beortan, Marcus¡¯s friend, bringing some of his own tribesmen to the judging ceremony. This time the crowd didn¡¯t know any names other than Beortan, so theirments were little more than background noise to Julia. The teenagers in this group seemed to be just as confused by their surroundings as Julia and her group were, and were looking around in obvious fascination.

    That said, while the White Dragon n candidates had clearly never been in Adria before, they were still members of an adept organization. Just a very isted one. ording to Marcus, White Dragon n basically had no mundane people ¨C all members of tribe were taught some kind of adept path, though many did not get far in pursuing them, and their foundational techniques tended to be of rather poor quality. Those that failed to acquire any supernatural power by the time they grew up tended not to live very long. The mountains they made their home in were a brutal environment.

    Unsurprisingly, none of the White Dragon candidates looked soft or physically unfit. They were all unusually tall, even the one girl they brought along, and all of them sported visible weapons ¨C knives on their belts and even a bow and arrows in case of one of them. The beast furs they were dressed in were also probably some kind of simple armor.

    Julia scoffed in her head. What a bunch of savages. What, did they think the judging ceremony would include ritualbat?

    ¡­on second thought, who knew what kind of strange thought would pop into their teacher¡¯s head. Perhaps they knew something she didn¡¯t.

    Maybe she should start carrying a knife too. Teacher Marcus sure seemed to have a lot of enemies.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Marcus said. ¡°Now that everyone has arrived, we can start the tests.¡±

    There was a majormotion as all the candidates brought here to be tested made their way to the center of the training hall, and almost everyone else was ushered out into the spectator stands or outside the building. The small number of staff that the academy had assigned to the asion struggled to direct the flow of people, but after some pushing and a lot of arguing, they managed to get everyone where they needed to be.

    ¡°Are they really going to have the mountain barbarians take the trials alongside our children?¡± Someone asked.

    ¡°Never mind that, are they really going to have the Uticensis boy participate in the ceremony? What is even the point? I thought his ce at Marcus¡¯s side was pre-arranged,¡± anothermented. ¡°Is Elder Cato really going to stand for such tant disrespect?¡±

    ¡°It makes sense when you think about it,¡± the third one added. ¡°A simple judging ceremony like this would surely be a joke to a young man of such distinguished background. He might as well participate and quiet any rumors about his right to be here.¡±

    Julia had a feeling all these people would be unpleasantly surprised if they really expected this to be ¡®a simple judging ceremony¡¯. In any case, Marcus was indeed having everyone who cameplete the trials together as one big group. The Adria hopefuls, the members of the White Dragon n, and the boy Elder Cato brought with him. And speaking of Elder Cato, Julia could not see any sign of displeasure on his face at having Regulus go through the ceremony instead of simply being given a free pass. He clearly had no issue with this, and had probably even expected it.

    After some thought, Julia realized that he never would have brought Regulus here if he didn¡¯t intend to have him participate. The only reason to do so would be because he had already agreed to it.

    After the candidates were all lined up in the center of the training hall and calmed down, Marcus began to adress them.

    ¡°Wee, everyone,¡± Marcus said. ¡°I am honored that my call for students has resulted in so many talented candidates standing before me today. I am not one for long speeches, so I will not drag this out longer than it needs to be. Let us begin the examination. As your first task, I want you to do ten¡­ no, twentyps around this training field. This ce is a little small for tenps. After that, we¡¯ll do some basic physical exercises, like jumping over obstacles and climbing a rope, and then move on from there.¡±

    There was a second of utter silence as everyone processed that. Apparently even people like Elder Beortan and Elder Cato weren¡¯t notified in advance what Marcus¡¯s tests exactly entailed, because they were visibly surprised at his word.

    Though, Julia couldn¡¯t help but note, neither looked actually outraged or panicked at the realization, either.

    ¡°Brother Marcus, is this really necessary?¡± Elder ius loudly protested. ¡°I know you¡¯re trying to give some glory to your friend Beortan, but everyone knows that the most important thing in a mage candidate is the strength of spirit, not that of body.¡±

    ¡°Hey. What are you trying to say here? Why are you bringing me into this?¡± Beortan demanded, putting a hand.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t think physical readiness is important in a student, Brother ius, you are free to ignore the results of this first phase when picking your students,¡± Marcus said calmly.

    It was a little mean, but Julia couldn¡¯t help but notice how rotund Elder ius looked, and apparently she wasn¡¯t the only one.

    ¡°This fatass looks like he could do with a fewps around the training ground himself,¡± Cassiamented next to her. The other girl was casually leaning on the railing in front of them, tapping her foot impatiently. ¡°Why does Teacher even tolerate this?¡±

    Julia¡¯s lip twitched upward a few times, but she managed to control herself. She didn¡¯t like Cassia. She was crude, belligerent, and much of her behavior was unbing of a girl¡­ but sometimes she could be funny.

    Down below, the gathered candidates seemed frozen in ce, as if waiting for someone to speak up and tell them they wouldn¡¯t have to run after all. If so, their hopes were in vain, for the only one who spoke up was Marcus.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you are all just standing here, but I will make this very simple for you all,¡± he told them. He raised his palm into the air. ¡°I will count to five, and anyone who doesn¡¯t start running by the time I finish will be instantly disqualified from the judging ceremony and sent away. One.¡±

    He curled a finger.

    Everybody started running. Julia through that maybe some of them were try to be stubborn or be frozen in indecision or something. But no, nobody even tried to protest. Even the other spectators around Julia epted the situation easily, simply grumbling quietly about how every spirit mage was strange in their own way. Apparently thest spirit manifestation elder who had held a judging ceremony in the city ¨C a woman named Martina ¨C insisted on making aplicated horoscope chart for each candidate before she allowed the rest of the ceremony to proceed as intended. Spirit rank adepts were so rare and coveted that people just epted their foibles and strange demands most of the time.

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    In any case, while everyone had started, not everyone was doing so well after a fewps. They did better than Julia thought they would ¨C she thought a bunch of kids from the big city would find this kind of trial alien, but they were doing alright. Many were better than she was, if she was being honest. However, some of them just didn¡¯t know how to pace themselves or were in extremely poor shape, and soon stopped running in favor of walking or even sitting down. Marcus shouted at those people, telling them to get up and continue because anyone who gave up would be disqualified, but some of them just didn¡¯t seem to care. One boy even made an obscene hand gesture and stormed off out of the training hall.

    As for the gathered audience, they at least seemed to enjoy the whole thing immensely, treating it almost like a race. Family members shouted encouragements at their candidates, and some of the crueler spectators jeered and booed at anyone doing badly or trailing behind.

    Julia was immensely d that she hadn¡¯t gone through her judging ceremony under simr circumstances. She could see some of the slower participants wilt away under the audience reactions and lose the will to continue, and she could easily imagine herself doing the same in their position.

    She also noted that Regulus was actually doing very well in this. He wasn¡¯t at the front of the group, but then again he didn¡¯t need to be. In fact, some of the people trying to race each other were risking burning themselves out too soon and being disqualified. Regulus was instead trailing after the front of the group and he didn¡¯t look like he was straining himself much in doing so. He was clearly in great physical shape, which disappointed Julia a little. She knew he was magically talented, but she kind of hoped he would get humbled a little in the physical portion of the test.

    The White Dragon tribesmen were also doing great, no surprise there. They were all at the very front of the group, with no one being able to match them in speed and stamina.

    After some time, when most of the candidates had finished their twentyps and Marcus simply disqualified everyone else who was left. These were all people who had effectively given up, and were just walking around instead of actually running. The remaining candidates were then put through another series of physical tests that Julia and the others didn¡¯t have to go through when they had been tested. Nobody failed this section, since Marcus only seemed to care about everyone giving the tests a try, and none of the remaining candidates gave up without trying.

    After that, a pair of Great Sea mages brought a stone basin full of familiar brass spheres and it was time for the candidates to try and snatch one for themselves while being menaced by a monster. However¡­ this time the monster wasn¡¯t a snake.

    Instead, it there was a giant illusory centipede coiled around the basin. It was red and purple, with a multitude of twitching legs that looked like daggers. It reared up into the air, twitching its antenna at the candidates, its toxicognaths snapping open and shut repeatedly, and released a soul-chilling, drawn-out rattling sound from somewhere on its body. Or, well, at least the sound chilled <em>Julia¡¯s</em> soul. And considering all of the candidates fearfully took a step back at the gesture, they probably agreed with her sentiment. She definitely wouldn¡¯t want to be in their ce right now¡­

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Marcus assured them. ¡°The centipede is entirely illusory and cannot hurt you. Well, you¡¯ll still feel pain when bitten, but that¡¯s just a trick of the mind. Your objective is to im one of the brass spheres from the basin. How you tackle the beast in the process is up to you.¡±

    ¡°This¡­ this is too cruel,¡± udia quietly protested from her seat. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have passed my test if we had to brave <em>that</em>.¡±

    ¡°Hush. Don¡¯t say such things in front of outsiders,¡± Volesus chastised her. ¡°If anyone asks, we had to face a hydra to im our spheres.¡±

    This time, the reaction of the gathered candidates was a lot less determined. Even though it was just an illusion, it looked very lifelike. Many of them simply refused to face the centipede, and even those that did brave its fangs were much more hesitant about it. Nobody was brave enough to go for the direct approach like Cassia did in their trial, and without a bold example like that, the candidates struggled to ovee their natural fear and the trial dragged on for far longer than it had back in Willow Hill.

    Julia gave the girl sitting beside her aplex look. Now that she thought about it, she wasn¡¯t sure just how brave she would have really been in front of that illusory snake if she wasn¡¯t also terrified she would be utterly showed up by this no-name orphan girl. Could Julia actually have <em>failed</em> that test without her¡­? It was a sobering thought.

    ¡°What?¡± Cassia demanded, giving her a suspicious look. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Julia said with a small sigh. She motioned towards the gathered candidates down in the training hall. ¡°What do you think you would do in their ce?¡±

    ¡°What else? Walk up to the centipede and im a stupid ball for myself,¡± Cassia scoffed. ¡°It¡¯s just an illusion. Who cares how scary it is?¡±

    ¡°The centipede looks easier than the snake,¡± Cricket opined. ¡°More scary looking, but less agile. I bet it would be easier to dodge its attacks.¡±

    Cricket¡¯s words seem to have some merit, because soon enough the candidates from White Dragon n made their attempt at iming a sphere and they all sessfully dodged the centipede¡¯s attacks.

    However, nobody else seeded in duplicating their feat. Even Regulus Uticensis, who clearly didn¡¯t fear the centipede as much as the rest of the Adrian candidates, got bitten once in the process of iming his sphere.

    Over half of the remaining candidates got disqualified in this round. They simply couldn¡¯t find the courage to approach the monster.

    s, the following tests, while no doubt nerve-wracking for the remaining candidates, were very boring to watch. They consisted of a series of written tests, a number of puzzles, and the candidates being put under some kind of mental illusion they had to break out from. It was a much more involved series of tests than what Julia and the others had to go through, and she was beginning to wonder why their teacher was so much more demanding of this series of candidates than he was of them. Didn¡¯t this mean he was holding them to a much higher standard? Were the snidements from surrounding spectators about Julia and the orphans being nothing but charity cases to him actually true?

    Thankfully, the spectators didn¡¯t actually know what kind of testing Marcus had put his existing students through, so they weren¡¯t loudly drawingparisons between them. Instead, they seemed to find the current round of tests just as boring as she did, and were instead discussing the merits of Marcus as a teacher for their children.

    Some of the things said were interesting. There were frequent remarks about Marcus having a conflict with the ruling powers of the Great Sea Academy, and even spection whether he had been exiled out of the academy until recently. Julia had already heard hints of this before, so it wasn¡¯t a shock, but it was interesting how everyone in Adria seemed to know about his problems with the current leadership.

    That said, Teacher Marcus was also clearly a figure of much admiration. Many of them insisted on calling him ¡®General Marcus¡¯ and praised him as a hero of the First Academy War. He had apparently been part of the small group of elite adepts that confronted and killed Veldoran, the evil wizard who was the true mastermind of the First Academy War, and betrayed humanity by leading an army of orcs into the Silver League near the of it.

    However, even these people, despite their admiration at his heroic achievements, had some reservations about Marcus as a teacher. For one, it was known that Marcus intended to drag his new students out of Adria, and that didn¡¯t sit right with a lot of people. Everyone and everything of importance was here in the city, they argued, and this decision to make his base elsewhere would surely severely hamper the growth of his students and their ability to make a reputation for themselves.

    They were also dubious about the foundational technique he practiced. It was not that they had anything against the Great Tree Technique in particr, but that the art wasrgely unknown and did not have any great names attached to it. As far as anyone could tell, Marcus was the only prominent user of the Great Tree Technique, and that just didn¡¯t instill a lot of faith in the gathered spectators.

    Great Sea Academy had its Three Great Techniques ¨C foundational techniques that almost everyone in the academy practiced, and which had a long history of great deeds attached to them, with many mages having rose to the rank of spirit manifestation and beyond by practicing them. Those were the Boundless Expanse Technique, Sacred Fountain, and The Elemental Star.

    Boundless Expanse Technique was the most prestigious of the three, but only the academy¡¯s biggest talents were permitted to learn it. Additionally, one had to have a water element affinity in order to practice it ¨C a normal person had no chance whatsoever to resonate with its mysteries. Gaius, the current Consul that Julia and the others had met recently, was a practitioner of this foundational technique.

    Sacred Fountain was also a water-aspected foundation a technique, but one with much more humble requirements. A regr person could practice it just fine, and it was rtively easy to get ahold of. It was the mostmonly practiced foundational technique in the Great Sea Academy.

    Finally, there was the Elemental Star. It didn¡¯t have any specific elemental leanings, but it worked very well with elemental magic in general. It was not exclusive to Great Sea ¨C all Great Academies had this foundational technique, and even a number of smaller adept organizations. It was the most versatile of the Three Great Techniques, but the least prestigious. The academy basically gave it to anyone whose elemental affinities did not lean towards water.

    Marcus didn¡¯t practice any of these three.

    ¡°So howe you agreed to send your son here?¡± Julia hear Renatus asked one of the men in the audience. He had been extremely talkative during all this, going from one audience member to the next until he found someone chatty enough to engage in conversation.

    ¡°Well, he is a spirit manifestation mage,¡± the man answered. ¡°I may grumble about the details, and I do think it would be better if your teacher was less unorthodox, but it would still be a huge step forward for my son if he could get epted by someone like that. Even if I were rich, no amount of money can buy an opportunity like that.¡±

    Down on the training grounds, the current batch of tests wereing to an end. Only one step remained, but that one step was arguably the most important part of the judging ceremony. Julia still couldn¡¯t understand why their teacher didn¡¯t just start with that and do all these other tests afterwards¡­

    ¡°There is only one thing left,¡± Marcus told the remaining candidates. All the White Dragon n members were still there, though most hadn¡¯t done too well in the more intellectual portion of the tests. As for Regulus, he had done consistently well in pretty much all of them. He definitely hadn¡¯t embarrassed his family, Julia had to admit. ¡°And that is testing your magical aptitude and affinity for the Great Tree Technique.¡±

    ¡°Um, do we have to practice the Great Tree Technique in particr?¡± one of the candidates asked. ¡°I heard-¡°

    ¡°Yes you do,¡± Marcus simply said. ¡°Anyway, you may have heard that this kind of testing involves a lot of borate equipment and mystical objects. However, as a spirit rank mage, I do not need any of that. I can just use my spirit to measure your potential directly. I originally intended to just quickly hold your hand, one after another, and be quickly done with this, but there is a problem¡­¡±

    He turned toward Elder ius.

    ¡°Hm?¡± Elder ius asked, raising his eyebrow at Marcus. ¡°What is the matter?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t n for your presence here, brother ius.

    ¡°If I just measure the candidate¡¯s affinities with my spirit, I will naturally have very urate image of the student¡¯s talents and affinities¡­ but you won¡¯t. You can¡¯t choose your own students among the gathered candidates like this. I can share my results with you, but I can¡¯t im I will notice everything that you find important. Should we have the academy officials perform the ssical affinity testing for your benefit, or are you fine with trusting my intuitions, brother ius?¡±

    Elder ius smiled. ¡°Fret not, brother Marcus. There is no need to go through all that trouble. Although I might not be an exalted spirit manifestation mage like yourself, I have my own methods of quickly determining a student¡¯s talent. Behold!¡±

    Elder ius reached into one of his pickets and retrieved a fist-sized golden sphere. It floated into the air and started to spin in ce. Julia was too far to really make out the fine detail of the object, but it did not look particrly impressive.

    Sure, a floating golden sphere was clearly a magical object, but¡­

    ¡°What is it?¡± Marcus asked, raising the question that everyone seemed to be thinking of.

    ¡°It is an artifact of the Sphere Builders,¡± Elder ius said proudly. ¡°It is a sensing sphere that can urately judge a person¡¯s magical talent.¡±

    An artifact of the Sphere Builders¡­ that had to be amazing, didn¡¯t it? They were an ancient human precursor civilization, and it was said that their skill in both magic and artifice far outstripped anything avable in the modern era.

    However, his im didn¡¯t seem to impress the people around him.

    ¡°There are so many factors in what makes for a good mage,¡± Cato suddenly spoke up. ¡°How do you know this thing¡¯s judgments are urate?¡±

    ¡°I have tested it thoroughly and consulted with other mages who specialize in examining young talent. I trust its results,¡± Elder ius said. ¡°I am confident it will prove its worth over the years, as its predictions start bearing fruit.¡±

    Cato produced a low grunt and said nothing, clearly not impressed with the exnation.

    ¡°Alright then. How do we do this?¡± Marcus asked Elder ius.

    ¡°Simply perform as you like, and I will have my sphere observe the candidates in the meantime. Once you¡¯re done, I will announce the score the sphere assigned to the candidate.¡±

    ¡°The score?¡± Marcus asked curiously.

    ¡°The sphere assigns each person it judges a number. If it¡¯s between twenty and thirty, they¡¯re mediocre. Anything more than that is good. Anything less than that is terrible,¡± Elder ius said.

    After some preparations, a familiar scene took ce, where Marcus called out people from a list of names, after which he would hold their hand for a few moments before telling them they were done and calling the next person. He didn¡¯t announce the results of his test, but Elder ius was not as restrained. It took only a moment for the sphere to react to a particr candidate, which it did by projecting a series of golden sigils in the air in front of it. Elder ius seemed to be able to read these, and after Marcus was done with the candidate he would call out a number.

    ¡°Twenty-two!¡± he shouted. ¡°Thirty! Thirty-three! Neen!¡±

    Each time he shouted out a number, he would get a variety of responses. Some didn¡¯t seem to care, others were visibly annoyed with him (especially if the number was low), and others seemed excited at getting a good score. Initially the spectators around Julia didn¡¯t like Elder ius¡¯s actions, but since Marcus wasn¡¯t disclosing the result of his examination to anyone, they eventually started to specte on the numbers being thrown around, and how reliable they might be.

    The idle spection continued until it was Regulus¡¯s turn. Marcus spent an umonly long time assessing him, and after he was done he actually asked Regulus a question instead of simply dismissing him and moving on to the next candidate.

    ¡°Are you sure you want to be my student?¡± Marcus asked, loud enough for everyone to hear him. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you. All of your spiritual attributes are incredibly high, your soul is umonly strong, and while you don¡¯t quite have an elemental affinity, your resonance with the logos of water is very pronounced. You might not be a good fit for the Sacred Fountain, but surely you would resonate well with The Elemental Star or one of its variations? It is an extremely versatile foundational technique that resonates well with just about everyone.¡±

    Marcus turned towards Elder ius.

    ¡°What does your toy say about him, brother ius?¡±

    The man straightened himself up, shooting a look of disdain before answering.

    ¡°My <em>ancient artifact</em> gives him a score of 57. The highest score it has ever given someone, if I might add. I suppose congrattions are in order, brother Marcus. It¡¯s not every day you are given an opportunity to teach a future legend like this.¡±

    Julia exhaled in frustration. She had been right. This guy was definitely going to be her mainpetition in theing years.

    Around her, the crowd immediately erupted into discussion.

    ¡°As expected of someone from the Uticensis family!¡± someone said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ isn¡¯t this guy just a minor Uticensis family member?¡± their friend countered. ¡°If he¡¯s so great, why would Cato hand him over to Marcus?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d our children aren¡¯tpeting against him,¡± a womanmented. ¡°Otherwise this would be so unfair.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m honored by your praise, Master Marcus,¡± Regulus answered. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid my situation is a little moreplex than you might have heard. I can¡¯t resonate at all with any of the major techniques in the Great Sea library. Not just the Elemental Star, <em>anything</em>. My uncle is hoping that since your foundational technique is so unconventional, it will work for me, unlike every other foundational technique I¡¯ve tried.¡±

    That send the crowd into another round of spection, but Marcus didn¡¯t seem concerned at the admission.

    ¡°Ah, I see,¡± Marcus nodded. ¡°Well, that¡¯s easy to check. Wait until I¡¯m done assessing the rest of the candidates and then I¡¯ll do a group test of howpatible you are with the Great Tree Technique.¡±

    There was no more majormotion after that. Rather amusingly, the White Dragon tribesman didn¡¯t seem to impress the ancient sphere Elder ius was using to score people. The highest rated one ended up the boy who carried the bow on his back, called Agron. The sphere rated him 33, which was slightly above average. Inparison, there were more than 10 candidates from Adria that scored in the forties.

    Beortan seemed really unamused by that, and for a moment it seemed like he was going to start a fist fight with the rotund mage. The audience found the whole thing very amusing.

    Julia really wondered about those numbers. Did they really mean something? Was their teacher actually going to take them into ount when making his decisions? Unlike Cato and Beortan, who seemed openly contemptuous towards Elder ius and his device, Marcus didn¡¯t show any visible distaste towards its use.

    Though he did call it a toy, so maybe not.

    In any case, the examination finished and Marcus lined up all the candidates to do thest part of the judging ceremony ¨C testing the affinity with the Great Tree Technique. Unlike the previous part, in which Marcus had kept the result of his examinations known only to himself, here he immediately delivered the verdict on everyone present, disqualifying people who showed no or weak affinity for it.

    To the great relief of Regulus, he wasn¡¯t one of them. He apparently had a firm, if unremarkable, resonance with their foundational technique.

    Elder Cato was visibly relieved at the announcement. He clearly wasn¡¯t sure himself if this would really work.

    ¡°This concludes the ceremony,¡± Marcus said. ¡°Normally you would receive the results of the selection after several days, once I had the time to carefully examine all the results, but I feel that my selection is very obvious already. The three chosen students are Diocles of Adria, Agron Whitedragon, and Regulus Uticensis. Thank you to everyone else who participated.¡±

    Julia didn¡¯t know who Diocles was, and neither did anyone else around her. However, she no longer had any opportunity to eavesdrop on their conversations because their teacher motioned for them toe down from the spectator seats and join him in the training hall proper. He likely wanted to introduce them to their new fellow students.

    However, before he could do that, Elder ius interrupted him again.

    ¡°One moment, brother Marcus,¡± the rotund mage said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I haven¡¯t forgotten. You will still have the chance to pick your students among the group,¡± Marcus told him.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it,¡± the man said, shaking his head. ¡°Like you, I¡¯ve already made my choice. I¡¯m picking Aper and Numerian.¡±

    ¡°Ah. The two candidates your¡­ ancient artifact¡­ scored the highest,¡± Marcus noted.

    ¡°Yes,¡± the man confirmed. ¡°I was quite surprised you did not choose either of them.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t agree with the sphere¡¯s scoring system, I guess,¡± Marcus said with a shrug.

    ¡°Hm. Care to satisfy me curiosity, then?¡± Elder ius asked. ¡°I¡¯d like to see what my sphere says about your existing students.¡±

    Julia was taken aback. Somehow she hadn¡¯t expected this.

    Marcus gave the man a knowing look, which Julia couldn¡¯t decipher, and then turned towards her and the others.

    ¡°Well?¡± he asked. ¡°Do you want to get rated by this thing?¡±

    Julia and the others shared a look amongst themselves and reluctantly nodded and agreed. Like Julia, they were all probably at least a little bit curious.

    Elder ius wasted no time and had his sphere observe them all, after which it spat out a quick session of numbers. Julia thought she would sense something, like an ominous feeling or maybe tingling of the skin, but the truth was that she felt nothing at all.

    The final numbers were as follows:

    Julia: 31

    Renatus: 34

    Cricket: 24

    udia: 23

    Cassia: 22

    Volesus: 43

    Julia didn¡¯t think she would care about the score given to her, but now that she heard what the stupid golden marble said, she was honestly getting kind of mad.

    Only thirty-one!? But she had a wood affinity! And she was the greatest talent Great Tree Academy had recruited in thest five years! And¡­ and Volesus was 43!? Even Renatus had been scored higher than her¡­

    This was so unfair!

 Chapter Interlude 1 - Crystal Mountain

    <strong>Interlude 1</strong>

    <strong>Crystal Mountain</strong>

    Crystal Mountain Academy had a long tradition of digging deep into the mountain upon which their academy sat, creating an extensivework of tunnels and underground facilities. The ce was hard to navigate even for native adepts, and all but impossible to infiltrate by outsiders. Once upon a time this undergroundplex had been a true underground city, sheltering adepts from attacks by dragons and other powerful magical creatures, which used to assault adeptal strongholds quite often and viewed Crystal mountain Academy with particr ire and greed. However, dragons had be rtively rare in modern times, thanks to being hunted frequently by orcs, and so much of the academy was moved to the surface for more pleasant living and greater convenience. These days, the underground section of the academy was mostly used for special training facilities, as well as secure vaults holding the academy¡¯s more sensitive resources.

    In the deepest, most secluded meditation chamber, forbidden from use to anyone except the leader of the Crystal Mountain Academy, there was a man. He sat in the center of the chamber, his eyes closed, taking deep breaths at regr intervals. He was shirtless and barefooted, tall, bearded, and extremely muscr. Any outsider who saw him would likely assume he was one of Crystal Mountain¡¯s warrior adepts, but he was in fact a mage. Crystal Mountain ced greater emphasis on physical fitness than other Great Academies, and their mages were known to be able to take a lot of punishment before being brought down, but even by their standards, this man was out of the ordinary.

    The chamber was roughly spherical, and the walls were absolutely covered in multicolored crystals of all sorts. These crystals glowed faintly, and anyone paying close attention would notice the light strengthened and dimmed in a rhythmic manner, synchronized with the man¡¯s breathing. As he inhaled, the crystals lit up. As he exhaled, they dimmed again.

    Suddenly, the man¡¯srge, bushy eyebrows twitched, and his breathing stopped. The crystals surrounding him flickered for a moment, and the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from outside the chamber.

    The heavy stone door isting the chamber from the rest of the Crystal Mountain¡¯s undergroundplex suddenly swung open with a loud, ear-piercing screech and another man rushed into the room. The man was also bearded and rtively fit, but dressed in luxurious finery and not nearly as young. He was in fact quite old, and the fact he was still this healthy and fit in his advanced years was quite impressive in its own way.

    ¡°Headmaster Hishur! Headmaster Hishur! You must hear this! We-¡°

    ¡°I told you I was not to be disturbed,¡± Hishur interrupted, his voice harsh and full of annoyance. His eyes remained closed, and his pose did not change. Other than the movement of his lips, his body remained as still as a stone statue.Despite being reprimanded by the leader of the Crystal Mountain Academy, the old man seemed unconcerned.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Headmaster, but this is too important,¡± the man told him. ¡°We found another student with a crystal affinity.¡±

    Hishur¡¯s eyes immediately snapped open. For a brief moment, his irises glittered with a plethora of colors, appearing as miniature gems, but then the illusion faded and his eyes became dark brown and mundane. He leaned forward expectantly, eager to hear more.

    ¡°Truly?¡± Hishur asked.

    ¡°Would I joke about something like this?¡± the old man said. He walked up to Hishur and handed him a collection of papers, including test results, a background check, and a life-like drawing of the teenager in question. ¡°Have a look.¡±

    Hishur frowned internally at the fairly casual manner the old man was treating him. He had known Elder Tazitta for a long time, but they had never been friends, and Hishur couldn¡¯t help but see it as another proof that his leadership of the Crystal Mountain Academy was somewhat of a farce.

    But he said nothing. After all, he could be overthinking things. Hishur was very young, and had only recently be the Headmaster, so it was to be expected that many of the older elders had yet to warm up to him.

    In truth, Hishur hadn¡¯t even wanted to be the leader of the Crystal Mountain Academy. He was firmly dedicated to reaching the pinnacle of magic, and would have preferred if he was left alone to hone his skills, only being called during wars and emergencies. s, the academy was in a dire statetely. The hated Thunder Hall Academy, may the heavens curse them in every way imaginable, had inflicted horrendous casualties on them, killing many of their spirit adepts.

    The academy needed a strong and powerful leader, and Hishur had be something of an icon in the academy during the Second Academy War, despite not actively trying to. In the end, Hishur was asked to take up the mantle of leadership and stabilize the beleaguered organization, and he was too dutiful to refuse.

    Stolen novel; please report.

    He read the profile of this new talent they found. His name was Elid, son of a small merchant from Sycaruse. His spiritual traits¡­ well, they could be better. The boy wasn¡¯t exactly bad, strictly speaking, but ¡®average¡¯ wasn¡¯t going to cut it in a big academy like his own. Of course, they were still going to take him in. Him having an affinity for the element of crystal made up for all of his shorings. Still, Hishur couldn¡¯t help but be greedy and wish the boy actually had a little bit of innate talent in addition to his affinity. As it was, his arrival was fortuitous, but nothing truly astounding.

    Hishur suddenly frowned. Wait.

    ¡°How was this even discovered?¡± he asked Tazitta.

    The crystal element was one of the so-called exotic elements. It did not have its own associated elemental ne, and urred very rarely among people. As such, it was extremely hard to test for. The number of items that could detect it was so small that the Crystal Mountain Academy only had four of them in storage, and they were rarely brought forward for fear of being lost. In practice, the only way for a candidate to be discovered was for an existing student of the academy to show signs of having it after being admitted, after which they would be eventually tested by one of the few existing crystal magic practitioners.

    Hishur knew every other crystal magic practitioner in the academy. There weren¡¯t very many of them, and none of them were supposed to be anywhere near the candidates at the moment.

    Tazitta visibly hesitated to answer.

    ¡°Tazitta?¡± Hishur asked. ¡°What is the matter? Is there something wrong with the boy?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing is wrong,¡± Tazitta said. ¡°It¡¯s just that you aren¡¯t going to like this.¡±

    Hishur frowned. What was he missing? How could the boy¡¯s crystal affinity be discovered if not by one of their existing crystal magic experts?

    ¡°It was Marcus King, that former general from Great Sea who went into exile six years ago,¡± Tazitta said, sighing. ¡°He recently came back, and apparently met Elid and his father on the road to Crystal Academy. He tested the boy and then gave him a rmendation letter to show us.¡±

    Hishur¡¯s expression gradually became darker and darker as he continued listening. He had half a mind to publically throw Elid down the nearest mountain slope and sic the griffons at him for good measure, but¡­ no. No, the academy needed every crystal magic adept it could find. And it wasn¡¯t like the boy was really associated with that contemptible thug, if he understood Tazitta correctly.

    ¡°Just to be clear, this is the same Marcus who stole one of our heritage tablets, yes?¡± Hishur asked, unable to keep the anger out of his voice.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t steal them, Hishur,¡± Tazitta said carefully. ¡°We lent them to him as thanks for saving us from Thunder Hall¡¯s siege.¡±

    ¡°It was extortion and you know it,¡± Hishur said. ¡°Our leader had been killed in battle with Thunder Hall¡¯s butchers, our supplies were utterly depleted, and Marcus had his army stationed in the very heart of our academy at the time. We both know that, had the circumstances not been so dire, the Elder Council would not even have considered his request.¡±

    Tazitta looked like he wanted to argue the issue, but in the end he said nothing.

    ¡°The boy needs to be closely monitored at all times,¡± Hishur told Tazzita. ¡°Even if it appears like he has no connections to Marcus, we must not take any chances.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Tazitta said.

    Hishur took a deep breath, consciously calming himself down. He was angry, but there was no point in taking it out on Tazzita. Blowing up at his advisors and subordinates over old mistakes wouldn¡¯t do him any favors.

    ¡°I am impressed how calmly you¡¯re taking this, old man,¡± Hishur told Tazitta. ¡°This is quite concerning. The fact Marcus can detect crystal affinity in children means he has internalized a sizeable amount of crystal logos into his spirit. We need to recover that tablet from him as soon as possible, before he is able to ascend to the seventh rank and learn really powerful magic, such as Ebarti¡¯s Crystal Spear.¡±

    Tazitta smiled at Hishur, not bothered at being called an old man. ¡°With all due respect Headmaster, that¡¯s ridiculous. These spells you mention are fiendishly difficult to learn. Only three people in our history managed to do so, and they needed a crystal element affinity and knowledge of closely held secrets that are only passed down verbally from one elder to the next. Even if Marcus manages to reach rank seven in a decade or two, he doesn¡¯t have an affinity for crystal magic. Or any other elemental affinity for that matter. He¡¯s not learning anything except the bare basics of crystal magic.¡±

    ¡°If I remember correctly, the argument for giving him the tablet was that without a crystal affinity, it would be utterly useless to him,¡± Hishur pointed out. ¡°We both know how that worked out for us. The sooner we get the tablet from him, the better.¡±

    ¡°I probably don¡¯t need to remind you of this, Headmaster, but the academy isn¡¯t exactly in the best shape right now. We can¡¯t afford to get into open conflict with another Great Academy,¡± Tazitta said. ¡°Gaius, the consul of Great Sea Academy has recently announced that he has advanced to the spirit unification stage, and you are still in spirit manifestation.¡±

    Hishur knew of Gaius¡¯s im, but he wasn¡¯t sure how much he believed it. Saying you¡¯ve had a breakthrough was easy, but Gaius had never actually showed off his new rank on the battlefield nor made any demonstration. It could very well be that he was lying to put pressure on Great Sea¡¯s enemies. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time someone had tried that ploy. Although they were in much better position than Crystal Mountain, Great Sea wasn¡¯t doing all that well recently either.

    Even if Gaius was telling the truth, ranks weren¡¯t everything. It was entirely possible for an adept of a lower rank to defeat one above them, depending on various factors. Gaius¡¯s rapid advancement was strange, and Hishur suspected there was some kind of catch involved in it. Hishur, meanwhile, was unusually strong for a spirit manifestation adept¡­ and that wasn¡¯t just his pride talking. His skills were tested in countless battles against Thunder Hall¡¯s own spirit adepts, and his victories over them were proof that he was better than most.

    He¡¯d be willing to try his luck against a spirit unification mage, if push came to shove.

    ¡°I¡¯m close,¡± Hishur told Tazitta. ¡°I can feel it. Soon, I will also advance to the Spirit Unification stage. Once I do, we¡¯ll go pay Marcus King a visit.¡±

 Chapter 18: Incursion

    Not for the first time in his life, Marcus wondered what chaos storms really were. They had been a fact of life for everyone on the for hundreds of years now, but he knew from historical records that it hadn¡¯t always been so, and he¡¯d heard that others in the system did not have them. What event started the chaos storms, and why haven¡¯t they gone away after all this time? Whatever set this phenomenon into motion must have been absolutely titanic in scale. One would think that such an event would be widely recorded in every historical record on the, but Marcus could never get a clear answer out of any of them. Everyone seemed to me someone else for their origin.

    As his thoughts wandered along these lines, Marcus stared out through the window into the town outside. Glowing rivers of multicolored light were weaving their way in between the buildings, giving everything a dazzling gleam. An odd tinkling sound could be hear faintly through the window. The chaos storm was raging unabated.

    Marcus and his students were trapped here for the moment. They were forced to take shelter in one of the coastal cities when they saw the storming, and thankfully had no issue in finding a local inn with enough free space to amodate the ten of them. Marcus had been hoping that this surprise chaos storm would abate just as suddenly as it began, but unfortunately it seemed they would have to stay here over night.

    Thankfully, chaos storms rarelysted more than a day.

    ¡°Still no sign of it weakening, eh?¡± a voice called out behind Marcus.

    He turned slightly, realizing it was the owner of the inn. He was an elderly man, with a thin figure andpletely grey hair. He seemed to be a ratherpassionate sort, as he had taken in a bunch of vagabonds and city homeless into the ce when the storm started, even though they couldn¡¯t pay for the meals or a room for the night. Too cruel to let them die out there, he said.

    ¡°No, it seems we will have to wait for morning,¡± Marcus said, shaking his head.

    ¡°Ha ha, don¡¯t be so glum about it!¡± the old man said, pping his back for good measure. He didn¡¯t seem intimidated at all about Marcus clearly being some kind of mage. ¡°Stop worrying and go y a round of cards or two with your students. They all found ways to amuse themselves while we wait. You¡¯re the only one being so nervous about this. Just be thankful you weren¡¯t caught out in the wilderness while the evil storm rages about. Now <em>that</em> would be something to worry about¡­¡±

    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right,¡± Marcus conceded. It was indeed fortunate that they hadn¡¯t encountered the chaos storm while flying over open ocean, since there was little there to take shelter in. Marcus supposed he could have frozen some of the water and fashioned a shelter out of the ice, but he didn¡¯t have any convenient spells for shaping ice, so it would have been tricky. Not to mention that sitting in a block of ice in the middle of the ocean would be¡­ unhealthy in a number of different ways.He walked away from the window and went to one of the tables, where Regulus, Julia, and Cricket were sitting. His students were all over the ce, some of them interacting with the other guests, and the others amusing themselves by ying dice, cards, or talking to each other.

    He sat down next to Regulus, who was reading a book he had brought along from Adria. Some kind of fictional adventure tale, Marcus thought based on the title.

    The boy put the book down the moment he noticed Marcus approaching.

    ¡°Feel free to keep reading,¡± Marcus told him. ¡°There is no need to stop on ount for me. I¡¯m just here to rest my legs for a bit. It looks like we¡¯ll have to spend the night here.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I was curious about something,¡± Regulus said, looking a bit ufortable. ¡°Are you sure we are safe here? The doors and windows here seem a bit¡­ ah, <em>flimsy</em>.¡±

    Marcus chuckled at him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Chaos storms may seem like they¡¯re made out of ethereal and flowing material, but there is a certain cohesion and inertia in the streams of light. They don¡¯t just seep into any avable crack they encounter, unlike water. An enclosed space with no obvious holes is enough to keep it out. This ce is more than sturdy enough.¡±

    ¡°This ismon knowledge,¡± Julia noted. ¡°Have you really never experienced a chaos storm?¡±

    ¡°I have lived in Adria my whole life,¡± Regulus said. ¡°We¡­ our city is protected by a massive shield that wards off chaos storms entirely. They never reach the buildings at all.¡±

    ¡°That sounds really amazing,¡± Cricket said. She looked at Marcus. ¡°Are we going to get something like that at our tower?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Marcus told her. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to do that. Magical barriers fare very poorly against chaos storms. It is the nature of raw chaos to erode at the boundaries and separations between all things, and it quickly dissipates magical defenses, or even ignores them entirely. Great Sea Academy has a special department in charge of the academy¡¯s main rune array that powers its defensive enchantments, and nobody who isn¡¯t a part of it is allowed to so much as look at it, let alone learn its secrets.¡±

    It was clearly possible to create a magical barrier that protected against chaos storms, since every great academy had puzzled out a way to do so, but Marcus did not know how to make one. Every defensive spell he had was ineffective against them, except for the ones that made an actual physical barrier to block out the color streams. He suspected that all the known methods were extremely heavy on the mana consumption, because he had never seen those defenses employed outside of major magical sites.

    ¡°That said, I hope these unusual chaos storms stop happening soon,¡± Marcus remarked. ¡°If they continue happening into the harvest season, the crops might get tainted by traces of raw chaos, and who knows what the consequences of that will be.¡±

    Chaos storms usually urred during winter months and the start of spring. Arguably the best possible time for them, at least for the inhabitants of the Silver League. There were ces down in the south where the seasons were inverted, and the nts there were not safe to eat. The chaos storms were not really dangerous for the nts themselves ¨C in fact, they grew bigger and lusher under their influence ¨C but it took time for them to absorb the chaotic energies they were infused with during the storms. If the intermittent chaos storms kept urring well into autumn, things would get ugly very quickly¡­

    No doubt some people were already facing ufortable choices, given that some crops were harvested rtively early in the year.

    ¡°Teacher, can we talk about that rating device from the judging ceremony?¡± Julia suddenly asked.

    Marcus internally sighed. ius and his ¡®ancient artifact¡¯ were almost certainly sent to his judging ceremony to deliberately cause trouble. It was easy enough to see that, but Marcus hadn¡¯t cared much at the time. He assumed the point was to suggest to anyone watching that Marcus was not picking the best students, and maybe also to turn the entire even into something of a joke. He sessfully prevented thetter, and didn¡¯t care about the former. However, over thest couple of days, he realized he may have overlooked something. The whole rating thing wasn¡¯t just meant to cause reputational trouble for Marcus at the academy¡­ but also to cause discord among his students, too.

    ¡°You really should just forget about that,¡± Marcus told her.

    ¡°I just want to know if there is some truth to the scores it was giving, that¡¯s all,¡± Julia insisted. ¡°And besides, Volesus has been insufferable ever since he found out he¡¯s the highest rated among us.¡± ?

    Marcus had noticed that, yes. In general, if he¡¯d had to guess who would be most affected by that sphere¡¯s scoring, he would have guessed it would be Cassia, udia, and Cricket, since they were scored the lowest. But none of those three seemed to care all that much.

    Still, both Cricket and Regulus seemed to lean in closer to Marcus to hear his answer better. So they at least cared a little bit¡­

    ¡°There is <em>some</em> truth in the numbers it was spitting out, yes,¡± Marcus admitted. He couldn¡¯t figure out the exact mechanism by which the sphere was measuring people¡¯s traits, but byparing his own results with the scores he was able to puzzle out what traits it was taking into ount. ¡°Itpletely ignores elemental affinities, soul strength, and personality, and instead limits itself to measuring a person¡¯s mana-rted traits. It essentially tells you how good you¡¯re likely to be at mana shaping and general spell casting.¡±

    The sphere also likely didn¡¯t detect magical bloodlines and chaos mutations, though no one at the judging ceremony had either, so Marcus couldn¡¯t be sure.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t measure elemental affinities at all?¡± Julia sounded both relieved and puzzled. She frowned. ¡°Wait. So the high score it gave to Regulus was¡­¡±

    Marcusughed. ¡°Yes, Julia. That scorepletely ignored his high water resonance, as well his unusual soul strength. Honesty I¡¯d rate him much higher than what the sphere did.¡±

    Marcus knew this wasn¡¯t what the girl wanted to hear, but he also suspected she had already suspected as much. This was just confirming her suspicions.

    Regulus cleared his throat.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to feel bad about this, miss Candida¡­¡± the boy began.

    ¡°I¡¯m not jealous!¡± Julia immediately said.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you were,¡± Regulus said, gesturing in a cating manner.

    ¡°You are so jealous,¡± Cricket noted from the sides. She turned to Marcus. ¡°But it¡¯s weird. Why would the sphere ignore elemental affinities? Isn¡¯t that important?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s likely that whoever made the sphere <em>couldn¡¯t</em> give it the ability to detect elemental affinities,¡± Marcus said. ¡°To do that, the sphere would need to have aprehensive logos core capable of detecting multiple elements in people.¡±

    The three said nothing to that. They probablycked the context to understand just how difficult such a feat would be.

    ¡°Do you know why I could resonate with the Soul Tree Technique, but not any other foundational technique?¡± Regulus asked. ¡°What is so special about the technique you practice?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a very versatile foundational technique that can amodate virtually any spell or element,¡± Marcus said. ¡°But then again, so is the Elemental Star. So I¡¯m not sure what to tell you.¡±

    That said, it probably had something to do with the boy¡¯s soul. It felt¡­ old. Ancient, even. His unusual soul strength didn¡¯t feel like some innate advantage, but instead a product of simple spiritual strengthening that came with the passage of time and witnessing many experiences. Yet there was no evidence that Regulus was older than he looked, nor that he had experienced a lot in his life. He wasn¡¯t a ghost possessing a foreign body, either ¨C Marcus had nted a soul seed in him after the judging ceremony, just as he had in Agron and Diocles, and there had been no resistance to the procedure from Regulus.

    All in all, Marcus was at a loss as to what he was seeing. Perhaps once the connection between him and his soul seeds matured, he would be able to notice something that would exin the mystery.

    Seeing that nobody was saying anything more, Marcus rose from the seat.

    ¡°I should check up on the rest of my students,¡± he told the three. He also suspected that they wouldn¡¯t be able to rx much with him being here. ¡°And don¡¯t worry about Volesus. If he doesn¡¯te down to earth after we get back home, I¡¯ll start piling on work and chores on him until he calms down. Great talentes along with great responsibilities, after all.¡±

    ¡°That only applies to him, not to me, right?¡± Regulus said, smiling.

    Marcus smiled back.

    ¡°Err, teacher?¡±

    But Marcus had already walked away.

    * * * *

    The rest of the journey wasrgely uneventful. Marcusnded the group a fair bit of distance from their home tower because he had spotted a group of travelers being attacked by dire wolves as they flew, andnded to help them chase the beasts away. After that, he decided to take the group the rest of the way on foot rather than take flight again. They were not far from their destination and it would be a nice change of pace.

    As the tower came into view, his new students finally got a first look of the ce where they would be staying at for the foreseeable future. Marcus was pleased to see that they didn¡¯t seem visibly disappointed.

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t look that bad,¡± Marcus heard Agron tell the others in a low voice. He wasn¡¯t very good at keeping his voice down, unfortunately. Not that it would help him against Marcus, but still. ¡°I expected aplete wreck based on what you lot were telling me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because the six of us busted our asses to fix up the ce,¡± Volesus grumbled. ¡°Also, is it just me or am I carrying most of the bags for some reason?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just you,¡± Julia told him.

    Marcus¡¯s attention drifted from the conversation, however, because he spotted Helvran waiting for them in front of the tower in the distance. They had left the death priest behind at the tower to guard it from looters and other bad actors ¨C the ce had already been stripped down of anything valuable once when it got abandoned, and Marcus would not put it past the locals to loot it again if they left it unguarded for a few days.

    Something was wrong. Helvran usually had a serious, humorless attitude, but there was something particrly grim about his current posture and expression today. Also, his ever-present raven wasn¡¯t around.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Marcus immediately demanded when they got close. He gestured with his hand to the students trailing behind him, telling them to stop and be silent.

    He scanned the tower for signs of damage, but didn¡¯t see anything notable outside. Nothing that hadn¡¯t already been there by the time Marcus and his students moved in, in any case.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Helvran said. He seemed agitated, in his own stoic way. ¡°I tried to stop him, but I was no match for him.¡±

    ¡°Start from the beginning, please,¡± Marcus told him.

    ¡°A man came to see you yesterday,¡± Helvran told him. ¡°He said you knew him, and ignored me when I said you were absent and that he would have to wait for you outside. He forced himself outside, and even barged into your office and raided our food stockpiles. I tried to stop him, but hepletely disabled me with just a handful of spells. He didn¡¯t seem interested in hurting me, but-¡°

    ¡°Stay here,¡± Marcus ordered. He turned towards his students gathered behind him. ¡°And you stay here with him. If you hear the sound of explosions and fighting, run into the forest and put as much distance between yourself and the tower as you can.¡±

    Not waiting to hear their response, Marcus opened the tower¡¯s main door with an unnecessary amount of force and stormed inside, making sure his steps were very loud and obvious.

    Who the hell dared to break into his tower while he was gone!?

    Whoever they were, they werepletely shameless, because Marcus could hear the sound of talking andughing up at his office at the top of his tower. The sounds of Marcus¡¯s very obvious entrance didn¡¯t seem to concern them.

    He was halfway up the staircase when he recognized the voice. His face immediately darkened.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this,¡± he said out loud, gritting his teeth. ¡°This guy¡­¡±

    He ascended the rest of the stairway and forcefully opened the door to his office. He was immediately greeted with the sight of Shamshir sitting in his chair, drinking his wine straight from his bottle and telling some kind of joke to the other upant of the door. That other person was, of course, the strange elf girl who he had tried to pass off as Marcus¡¯s daughter back in Adria.

    The elf girl seemed to have been ignoring Shamshir¡¯s antics until now, sitting in one of the guest chairs with her eyes closed and her hands in herp, but the moment Marcus barged into the room she snapped into alertness, silently fixing him with her blood red eyes without saying anything.

    Shamshir, on the other hand, was a lot more vocal about his reaction.

    ¡°Marcus, my friend,¡± he said, the friendliness in his voice so pronounced a stranger might have been tricked into thinking it was genuine. ¡°You¡¯re here!¡±

    ¡°You bastard,¡± Marcus responded. ¡°Why the hell did youe here? I said no.¡±

    Idly, he noted that both of them had changed their clothes into something more local. They were wearing very drab, brown clothes that were likely bought for cheap somewhere in Adria. Perhaps the man really was on the run¡­ but if so, why was he behaving like this? For a man that was being hunted, Shamshir sure loved being provocative in the extreme.

    ¡°No, I distinctly remember saying we had a deal and that I would drop by when things calmed down a little,¡± Shamshir told him. He took another swing from the wine bottle after saying his piece, unconcerned with Marcus¡¯s anger. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve brought Iris. You can check her forpatibility with your foundational technique if you want, but I¡¯m sure she will do great.¡±

    ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± Marcus asked him. Compatibility with a foundational technique could be quite unpredictable. Regulus was the prime example of that.

    ¡°Because she has both wood and fire affinity,¡± Shamshir said, smiling widely at him.

    ¡°Hm,¡± Marcus hummed thoughtfully. That still didn¡¯t guarantee things, but it would indeed be very unusual that someone with a wood affinity had no resonance with the Soul Tree Technique.

    Shamshir was also probably expecting him to be inplete awe of his elf not-daughter having two elemental affinities at the same time, but the world was big, and Marcus had actually once encountered a mage with <em>three</em> elemental affinities. People with two or more elemental affinities were extremely rare, but they were notpletely beyond Marcus¡¯s understanding.

    In fact, Sessa, the ancient founder of the Four Seasons Academy, was said to have four elemental affinities ¨C air, earth, fire, and water ¨C and this was apparently a big reason why he was the most powerful mage of his era.

    ¡°Out of curiosity, are you aware of the local situation in regards to wood element traditions?¡± Marcus asked.

    Shamshir¡¯s smile dropped. ¡°I¡­ did some asking around after our talk. It appears wood affinities are rtivelymon, they just don¡¯t establish their own powerful traditions for some reason. That doesn¡¯t make much sense, unless¡­¡±

    Shamshir paused.

    ¡°In the distant past, someone hunted down all the wood element traditions in the and destroyed them,¡± Marcus told him. ¡°And there is evidence that this suppression is still going on. Powerful adepts of the Great Tree Academy have a tendency to meet unfortunate ends very young.¡±

    For the first time, Shamshir¡¯s carefree attitude seemed to dete.

    ¡°I see,¡± he said unhappily.

    ¡°What¡¯s more, it¡¯s not just wood element foundational techniques that were targeted, but also the spells too,¡± Marcus told him. ¡°Although I am a spirit manifestation mage-¡°

    ¡°You liar,¡± Shamshir said, visibly rolling his eyes at him.

    ¡°-I only know three wood element spells total,¡± Marcus finished. He didn¡¯t deign to address the man¡¯s usation at all.

    Shamshir was about to take another swing from the wine bottle he had looted from Marcus¡¯s stash, but he paused at the admission.

    ¡°Just three?¡± he asked disbelievingly. The elf girl also gave him a strange look, though she continued to stay silent.

    ¡°All three are very low level spells too,¡± Marcus remarked.

    The first spell Marcus knew was Ironwood ¨C a very simple spell that allowed the caster to strengthen wooden objects, making them sturdier. It was a spell Marcus had learned from the Great Tree Academy; the only wood spell they had in their archives. It had some uses when one was just a fledgling mage and real weapons and armor were expensive and heard to acquire, but it quickly became useless as one grew in power and ranks.

    The second one was called Entangling Roots. It was a spell Marcus had found etched on a piece of tree bark in some forgotten ruin. It was actually a rtively good spell for immobilizing enemies at lower levels of power, but by the time Marcus had discovered it, he was already a spirit manifestation adept and the spell was too weak to be of use. He had more effective methods of immobilizing people, ones that didn¡¯t require him to be outdoors and in close proximity to a tree with an established root system.

    Finally, the third spell was a bit unusual, called Exsanguinating Stake. It was an enchantment that could be cast on a previously prepared stake. Once such a stake was stabbed into a corpse or a dying opponent, it would forcibly absorb all their blood. This strange, off-putting spell was actually the mostmon wood spell on the ¨C Marcus had found it in hundreds of ces all over the world, in spell libraries big and small. Apparently there was once a type of evil fiend that fed on people¡¯s blood and was very difficult to truly put down. One could strike them down, only for them toe backter, fully recovered. These fiends were such a potent and pervasive menace, that even after they were eradicated, people took steps to preserve various methods of dealing with them, just in case they ever came back.

    These preservation methods seem to have identally saved Exsanguinating Stake from the-wide wood spell purge.

    He did his best to exin this to Shamshir, hoping that the man would give up on his ideas to fob off the elf girl on him once he realized Marcus was no wood magic adept. He may be practicing a wood element foundational technique, but he had no way to-

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Shamshir suddenly said.

    Marcus frowned. ¡°What do you mean it doesn¡¯t matter? I¡¯m telling you-¡°

    ¡°It¡¯s doesn¡¯t matter because I¡¯ll <em>give</em> you some wood spells. Wait a moment.¡±

    Shamshir materialized arge stack of books from some dimensional pocket on his person. They all dropped onto Marcus¡¯s table, which creaked ominously under the immense weight suddenly put upon it.

    The man then quickly searched the stack of books for something, rummaging through the pile while mumbling to himself in somenguage that Marcus did not understand¡­ which made him wonder how Shamshir spoke and understood the localnguage so well, given that he wasn¡¯t from Tasloa and seemed ignorant of a lot of obvious things about the cultures here. Was there was really easy way of learning the localnguage that Marcus didn¡¯t know about?

    ¡°Ah!¡± Shamshir said, triumphantly thrusting a book with a mossy green cover into Marcus¡¯s hands. The remaining stack of books quickly disappeared into Shamshir¡¯s dimensional storage while Marcus studied the book in his hands, leafing through it.

    True to Shamshir¡¯s im, it was a spellbook. Some thirty wood element spells were recorded within, and while they were all rtively low-level¡­

    ¡°None of these are higher than 3rd rank,¡± Shamshir admitted. ¡°But that should be more than enough to give Iris something to work towards for a year or two, and by then I should be able toe back for her. Naturally, you can also learn any of them that strike your fancy, or even teach them to your other students. I don¡¯t mind, none of these are secret where I¡¯m from.¡±

    ¡°This is the first interesting part of your offer I¡¯ve heard so far,¡± Marcus admitted.

    He didn¡¯t care so much about these spells for himself ¨C they were too weak to be of any use to him ¨C but his new students¡­

    Julia especially could benefit a lot for having ess to this.

    ¡°Ha ha, my dear friend, if I knew that securing your cooperation would be as simple as giving you a bunch of beginner wood spells, I would have started with that right away!¡± Shamshir said, trying to one more swing from the wine bottle, only to realize it was empty. ¡°Also, you need to buy more wine. You¡¯re all out.¡±

    Marcus resisted the urge to start a fight. It was his own office that would get trashed if he started a battle.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t agreed to anything yet,¡± Marcus pointed out. ¡°I just said you¡¯re finally on the right track. Bribe me more and I¡¯ll consider it.¡±

    ¡°Marcus, my friend, me and Iris are fugitives,¡± Shamshir said, looking very sad in an exaggerated manner. ¡°We were forced to flee our home with little but clothes on our backs and a few things we were able to hastily grab on our way out.¡±

    ¡°Ingrate!¡± Marcus used. ¡°You tried to ruin my reputation, bullied my teacher-priest, drank all my wine, and you can¡¯t even pay for your daughter¡¯s education. Aren¡¯t you ashamed for yourself?¡±

    There was no way Shamshir couldn¡¯t cough up more valuable stuff in exchange for this, Marcus wagered.

    ¡°I will pay you pack for everything, with interest,¡± Shamshir said, making a pleading gesture. ¡°I¡¯m just in a bit of a bind at the moment. Surely you can extend a bit of credit on ount of our friendship?¡±

    Marcus was about to continue putting pressure on him when something unexpected happened. For the first time, the elf girl brought along to be his student spoke up.

    ¡°I heard you are picking up orphans for your students,¡± she said out loud. Her voice was soft, but surprisingly mundane for such a strange and mysterious figure.

    Marcus gave her a long stare, which she returned.

    ¡°Most of my students are orphans, yes,¡± Marcus said.

    ¡°I am also an orphan,¡± she told him, staring at him with those red, piercing eyes.

    ¡°Iris¡­¡± Shamshirined, but she ignored him.

    ¡°My parents are both dead, my home lost to me,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m not asking for any special treatment, and my uncle will be gone from here soon and won¡¯t be able to bother you. Who knows if he¡¯ll even be alive in a year?¡±

    ¡°Sure, write my obituary already, why don¡¯t you,¡± Shamshir grumbled.

    ¡°Please ept me as your student,¡± Iris requested, ignoring him. Although she was technically pleading, there was some sort of innate pride in her demeanor that made Marcus think she was making a formal request instead. ¡°I will work hard and bring glory to your teachings. And I promise you that thest surviving scion of the Fire Orchid dynasty will never forget this kindness so long as she lives.¡±

    ¡°Iris!¡± Shamshir hissed. His eyes furtively jumped between her and Marcus, torn between paying attention to both of their reactions. ¡°You can¡¯t say things like that openly! We agreed that-¡°

    ¡°Enough,¡± she said. And Shamshir actually listened to her, too, instantly falling quiet. ¡°Your way wasn¡¯t working anyway.¡±

    Marcus stared at the young girl in front of his for a few seconds, studying her in silence. She said nothing to try and convince him further.

    ¡°Give me your hand,¡± Marcus ordered.

    She did so, and Marcus summoned his spirit oak behind him as he began assessing her spiritual and mana-rted traits.

    The first thing Marcus noticed, of course, was that she had two elemental affinities. Wood and fire, just like Shamshir said. She also had some kind of magical bloodline, which was amplified by her two affinities¡­

    No. Not amplified. It <em>required</em> those two elemental affinities to work. A person without wood and fire affinities would be a carrier of the bloodline, but it would be entirely dormant within them. What brutal requirements. People with two elemental affinities were extremely rare. Requiring two <em>specific</em> elemental affinities just for a bloodline to manifest itself was ridiculously specific. Did Iris¡¯s lineage have some way to force elemental affinities on their descendants? From what Marcus understood, elemental affinities were only weakly heritable ¨C there was no way to absolutely guarantee that a child would have, say, a wood affinity, even if two people with a wood affinity had a child together. Reliably passing on two elemental affinities was bound to be even more difficult.

    And that was without even getting into the question of whether every child inherited the magical bloodline itself. Most bloodlines were not reliably heritable either, and would start to weaken if they remained dormant for too many generations.

    No matter. Bloodline lineages were notoriously secretive about their abilities, so he wouldn¡¯t pry. He focused on the rest of her traits.

    Her mana sensitivity and shaping potential was¡­ good. Better than Volesus, but amusingly, worse than Regulus. Considering how Shamshir spoke about her, Marcus expected her general magical aptitude to be out of this world.

    Her soul, though, was absolutely zing. Powerful and vibrant like nothing Marcus had ever seen from a young beginner that had yet to begin their adept path. It was stronger than that of Regulus by far, but it didn¡¯t feel as old.

    Such a powerful soul would not provide the girl with any immediate benefits, but would be more and more prominent of an advantage as she rose in ranks. Soul power got increasingly important as an adept got more powerful.

    Marcus let go of her hand.

    ¡°Alright,¡± he said. ¡°Onest thing left to do. Repeat after me¡­¡±

    He took a deep breath and slowly went through the Soul Tree Technique, observing her reaction.

    ¡°I nt in my soul the seed of a mighty tree. Its roots stabilize the earth. Its branches reach out towards the heavens. From soil, it draws strength. In the endless sky, it finds purpose. Its roots entwine my fears. Its leaves drink in the sun¡­¡±

    Her resonance with the Soul Tree Technique was really good. It was roughly the same reaction as Julia¡¯s, which made Marcus think that her wood affinity was entirely responsible for it.

    There was a reason why Great Tree Academy valued wood affinity candidates so highly.

    ¡°Amazing, isn¡¯t she?¡± Shamshirmented when he was done. ¡°I bet you¡¯ve never seen anyone more talented than this, right?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s alright, I guess,¡± Marcus told him. He focused back on the elf girl. ¡°I ept you as my student.¡±

    He fished out a whalebone amulet from one of his pockets and handed it to her. Thankfully, he had made a number of extras while he was testing some things.

    She hesitantly epted the medallion, turning it over in her hands a few times, and then hanged it around her neck.

    ¡°It will be a bit of a bother to exin why I have an elven student,¡± Marcus told her. ¡°But we¡¯ll figure something out, I suppose.¡±

    ¡°Do humans and elves hate each other here?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No. We just have barely any contact with each other,¡± Marcus told her. ¡°The elves live on their own set ofrge inds to the west of here, and rarely trade with us or visit human cities. Having you here will be very unusual.¡±

    Not to mention her eyes. Even if she always wore a hat or a bandana or something, her eyes would still be incredibly eye-catching and attract unwanted attention.

    Oh well. Since he hadmitted himself to taking her in, he would just have to deal with it the way he usually did with troublesome things: by taking things in stride and tackling problems one at a time.

    Maybe he could tell others she was from some secret elven enve in the Eastern Lands. They were really far away, and subject to all sorts of wild rumors. What¡¯s one more?

    Not like he was going to meet someone from there who could call him out on his ridiculous tale anyway.

    * * * *

    After some more talk, Shamshir shared a few private words with Iris and then left the tower¡­ and he did it by walking off into the distance. Marcus was a bit surprised, since he had expected Shamshir to leave in a very shy manner, but apparently not.

    Marcus then introduced Iris to the rest of his students, telling them they had a surprise addition to the group. This kicked off a storm of spection and whispering, but thankfully none seemed to be hostile or outraged by the elf girl¡¯s presence.

    A week passed. Marcus made sure to keep everyone busy with training and tower renovation efforts. Since there were ten students now, and only three rooms, the conditions inside the tower were more cramped than they were initially. Also problematic in a number of other ways. The addition of Iris mucked things up in a numerical sense, since Marcus couldn¡¯t just assign three people per room like he intended to, but also there was an issue that boys and girls didn¡¯t want to mix with each other. There was no easy way of dividing five girls and five boys into only three rooms. At the moment, all the boys were crammed into one room, while the other two were divided among the girls. A situation that was causing some¡­ discontent.

    He would have to do something about that, so he had scheduled another meeting with that builder who had helped him construct a dwelling for Helvran next to the tower. His current n was to make ten little houses for his students outside the tower and just repurpose their current room inside the tower into something else. Guest rooms, maybe.

    He also intended to clean up the underground facilities beneath the tower, just in case the tower came under siege and he had to house everyone inside for prolonged periods of time.

    At the moment, though, they would have to bear with the situation. Marcus made sure they were as busy as humanely possible so they had less time to worry about small luxuries like that.

    The new additions were all interesting in their own way. Agron, for instance, was a passionate archer. He had brought along his bow with him when they had left Adria, and would diligently train his archery on the edge of the forest whenever he had some free time. With that kind of dedication, Marcus was surprised he hadn¡¯t gone for a warrior path instead, or maybe a hunter, but since Agron didn¡¯t skip on any of his magical training in favor of archery, he didn¡¯t care to question him much about it. Marcus even helped Agron construct a small archery range, putting up some wooden targets for him to practice. He had ns to eventually buy some crossbows and teach his other students how to use them, anyway, so it wasn¡¯t wasted effort in the long run.

    Regulus was a lot less prideful than Marcus feared he would be, and didn¡¯t try to hold himself apart from the rest of the group. Unfortunately, he was alsopletely inept at navigating his way through the forest, and seemed to fear the wilds around them. Marcus wasn¡¯t sure, but he thought that maybe the dire wolf attack they had encountered when they first arrived near the tower might have spooked him. Marcus had thought little of the incident, thinking it just a minor danger, but Regulus had already mentioned it three times around Marcus. He hoped the boy would get over that soon.

    Diocles was a child of a rtively unknown family that had only recently moved to Adria. Marcus knew that choosing him as his student probably ruffled some feathers, as he was neither greatly talented ¨C he was roughly equal to Julia, Renatus, and Agron, but with nothing truly special going for him ¨C nor did he have a prestigious background. However, seeing how those same people had probably sent ius to try and ruin the event for him, he didn¡¯t care much about their feelings.

    In any case, Diocles was a serious and industrious boy who took every task Marcus gave him seriously. He seemed to honestly enjoy the various chores he assigned to him, or at least did them with such zeal that Marcus couldn¡¯t tell the difference. He also worked on his training really hard, which was what Marcus had hoped to see when he picked him.

    As for Iris, she was obviously very talented when it came to practicing the Soul Tree Technique, but also in very poor physical shape. She was short and very slight of build, with almost no muscles. She got tired very quickly, and much like Regulus she knew nothing of surviving in the forest ¨C but was at least less afraid of it. Marcus was going to have a long road ahead of him if he wanted to bring her into good physical shape.

    He also made all four of them pick a personal tree for themselves. Agron picked pine ¨C apparently because it was the mostmon tree on the mountain slopes of his home mountain. Regulus picked the olive tree, even though a willow would have probably been a more appropriate choice given his high water element resonance. He imed the olive spoke to him on a personal level and, well, who was Marcus to argue? Diocles was less unusual, and simply picked oak.

    And curiously, so did Iris. Marcus thought her choice would be really exotic and unusual. Perhaps some alien tree that he had never heard of? Though that woulde with issues, since she would need to gain ess to that tree to resonate with its logos¡­ but still, he somehow didn¡¯t expect her to simply pick oak as her tree. There was no hesitation in her about her choice, either.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any strong feelings either way,¡± she told him. ¡°If you say the usual choice is oak, I pick oak.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a scion of a wood element magical tradition?¡± he asked. ¡°Surely you have <em>some</em> preferences.¡±

    ¡°No, not really. I know it¡¯s called a wood element, but that¡¯s just a limitation of humannguage. In reality, the element epasses the entire realm of nt-life¡­ and my lineage is associated with flowers instead of trees,¡± Iris said. ¡°So oak it is.¡±

    Something about that exnation really bugged Marcus. It made sense, but it somehow felt as an excuse rather than the real reason. For all that Shamshir insisted that Iris needed to use a wood element foundational technique to bring out her full talents, she seemed strangely ambivalent about the foundational technique she was learning. Something was off about that.

    All in all, things were progressing just fine. There were minor issues here and there, but he was sure that would work itself out in time.

    Thus, at the end of the week, he called over all of his students for a surprise announcement.

    It was time for them to meet Celer and pick their caterpir.

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