Having finished the stew, Kai pushed his tray away and basked under the rays of the midday sun filtering through the cafeteria window.

It was quite a large room, made to probably house all the Mages of the novice and apprentice ranks. Maybe, even adepts, but he couldn't be sure since they seem to have more privileges than the rest.

All he knew was that they had a separate cafeteria or they might even have their chambers to eat in.

He had walked in a while back, craving a peaceful solitude as he filled his belly before moving back to the library.

Since the exam was done, he had a few hours to finish the books he had been reading and then, in the evening, he was supposed to meet the blacksmith Killian had found.

He savoured the quiet for a moment longer, the clinking of silverware filling the space. With a satisfied sigh, Kai reached for his worn leather satchel.

Suddenly, the cafeteria doors swung open, and a wave of chattering Mages flooded in. Kai watched them with detached amusement as the room buzzed with post-exam chatter. Laughter and nervous whispers mingled in the air. He preferred the quiet more than any sort of chatter.

Just the expression on their faces was enough for him to know how their exams went. A few people masked their expressions, but their eyes revealed everything.

A familiar Mage grabbed his attention— Klan, his brow furrowed in a deep concentration despite the jovial greetings he exchanged with his companions. Beside him, Jacks practically bounced with excitement, his face lit with a wide grin.

Kai couldn't help but notice how contradicting they seemed and it couldn't take a genius to guess how their exams went.

Soon, he saw their eyes on him.

“Lord Arzan!” Jacks called out, waving enthusiastically. As they drew closer, he continued, “How did your exams go? Ours were pretty tough, but I think I did okay.”

Klan sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. “I messed up the spell-casting exam,” he admitted. “I only managed to cast two spells. It was a disaster. The invigilator looked at me like I was an idiot. My future is doomed.”

Kai nodded silently, his mind racing. He knew that any attempt to console Klan might come off as harsh nor did he have any reason to do so.

In his opinion, both Klan and Jacks struggled with spell structure and casting. Even if they have sufficient mana and theoretical knowledge, they barely have any practical experience and are as good as mana batteries.

Mages who had mana, but haven't been taught how to use spells sufficiently.

If he were to help them, he’d have to start from the basics, reinforcing the fundamentals.

“I’m sure you’ll get it next time,” Jacks said, trying to sound optimistic. “It’s just one exam, right?”

“It's easy for you to say. Your exam went well.” Klan countered, looking as if he had lost out on the opportunity of a lifetime.

Kai listened, weighing his words carefully. He briefly wondered if he should tell him that the path of magic wasn't something that ended with one exam and if he aimed to continue on this path, he would experience much worse in the future.

But in the end, he decided it was best to remain silent, offering a supportive presence rather than unsolicited advice.

After a few seconds of listening to Jacks’ words on how he did well in the exams and how Klan would have his chance next year, he was about to excuse himself.

A voice called out from behind him.

"Arzan!" a voice boomed in a jovial tone.

A jolt of annoyance and curiosity shot through Kai as he turned back.

A tall, red-haired Mage strutted towards him, his green robes clashing with the general crimson of the apprentices. A group of younger Mages trailed behind him, their uniforms marking them as apprentices and novices, the strongest of them being in the peak of the second circle.

The red-haired Mage himself looked to be comfortably in the third circle and he didn't do anything to hide the fact. Even flaunting his mana as he moved towards him.

“That’s Reyk Chase, the first son of Count Chase. I wonder what he's doing here,” Klan murmured, his eyes wide with a mix of envy and admiration.

“Probably here to ask his juniors about their test,” Jacks replied, glancing after Kai with a thoughtful expression. “He’s one of Savant Jasper’s disciples. I have heard rumours that he had spent quite a lot of time battling monsters away from the capital and I have seen one of his duels with another Mage. He's a genius when it comes to casting and duels.”

That’s all good for him, but how come he knew Arzan? Did they have some sort of history together?

It wasn't a wrong line of thought since a Duke's son would know people, but he had no idea if this Reyk was an enemy or not. He certainly wasn't a friend since Arzan didn't have any.

Was he just one of the nobles he was briefly acquainted with? Or a rival of sorts?

As Kai pondered on that, Reyk stopped right before him, a smile forming on his lips. A low whisper rippled through the crowd of Mages as Kai felt eyes gathered on him.

“Well, well,’’ Reyk drawled, his eyes moving all over him as Kai felt a faint trail of mana trying to oppress him. “I never expected you to not only awaken but even reach the second circle. Last time we talked, you still were depressed over the fact that you were a cripple. It seems like miracles do happen after all.”

So, he was an enemy.

If the man's attempt at oppressing him with his mana wasn't enough, his words were. His tone was one of sincerity as if he was simply happy to see him, but just the word “cripple” told his intentions.

Despite that, he calmed down any surge of anger he felt, aware of the gawking crowd.

“Yes, they do,” he said, giving a simple nod and turning around. “I would love to talk more, but I need to head to the library now. I'm pretty sure you have much better things to do.”

He tried to move past them, simply leaving since he didn't want to get pulled into any confrontation. Whatever problem he had with Arzan wasn't something he cared about, but he felt Reyk's mana surging around him.

The red-haired Mage planted himself firmly in his path.

"Hold on there, Arzan," Reyk said. “It’s not polite to run away since we have met after years. I thought I would never see you again. Don't you want to catch up a little bit?”

“No, I don't,” Kai said, calmly, but it seemed to simply annoy Reyk as the pressure increased.

“You have grown impolite since I saw you.”

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

“Maybe.”

Kai saw two of his lackeys block his path from the sides if he tried to move. Looking around, Klan and Jacks had already planted themselves in the back, clearly stupefied as to what was going on.

Everyone else in the cafeteria simply watched on like it was an interesting event.

Should I simply blast him off?

As Kai wondered that, a silence stretched around them and it seemed to annoy Reyk more and more as for the first time, a frown appeared on his face.

It seemed like he decided to give up any small talk and came to the topic. “I heard what's going on in your territory. A beast wave is going to devour it. I wonder what you are doing here at the tower. Perhaps looking for a master to take you in? After all, you would need a place to run to since your family had already abandoned you.”

Kai's eyes narrowed.

To that, more heads turned, eyes locking onto the brewing confrontation. It was clear the man was attempting to provoke Kai, his voice dripping with derision. Kai remained silent, his expression impassive, but the man’s words grew louder, demanding attention.

“You know I remember,” the man began, a sneer curling his lips. “At a party we attended a few years back, you had begged a savant who was there to take you as a disciple. I recall it was just after you have been branded cripple. Back then, you went as far as to kneel.”

A murmur rippled through the crowd, a mixture of disbelief and amusement. Kai’s silence seemed to embolden the man, who puffed up his chest and continued, relishing the attention.

“Are you going to do the same here?” Reyk asked, turning to his lackeys.

They erupted in laughter, the sound echoing off in the cafeteria. Their eyes glittered with malicious glee, feeding off the spectacle.

Kai’s mind raced. Reyk had given up any plans on being subtle and was openly insulting him. In most cases, this was easily going to lead to a duel or much worse, but he thought differently.

He knew he could easily silence the man with a well-placed spell or a cutting retort, but he chose restraint. He had nothing to prove to this crowd.

Instead, he took a deep breath, centring himself.

He didn't care too much about the authenticity of the story since he wasn't there. Knowing Arzan it might have been true or Reyk was simply exaggerating it. It didn't matter.

The question was why he was trying to confront him like this.

Several possibilities flashed through his mind. It might have been Veridia trying to show him his place by sending him a talented Mage who was closer to him in age. Or maybe it was simply Jasper who had looked offended in the investigation.

It could be even Reyk simply enjoying the humiliation of a Duke's son. Was this a test, a way to gauge Kai's reaction under pressure? Power games, no matter how childish, were a reality for those who held it.

But Kai wouldn't play their game. Silence, he decided, was his shield. Reyk craved a reaction, a display of weakness, but Kai wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

However, Reyk seemed to mistake Kai's silence for fear. His cruel grin stretched wider. "What's the matter, Arzan? Cat got your tongue? How about it? Kneel, beg for my tutelage, and maybe, just maybe, I'll consider taking you as my student. it won't be the first time and you'll have a haven when those beasts overrun your pathetic little territory."

The crowd that was initially amused by Reyk's words fell silent, their curiosity morphing into something akin to anticipation.

Kai knew the clock was ticking. Silence could be misinterpreted as weakness, but a wrong response could escalate the situation further.

He needed a way to deflect Reyk's attack, something that wouldn't give him the satisfaction of a rise out of Kai but wouldn't brand him as a coward.

A weary sigh escaped Kai's lips. "No," he said simply, turning to leave.

His escape route was cut short as Reyk's hand clamped down on his shoulder, his mana pressing down heavily now. "What do you mean, no? Are you insulting me by rejecting such a generous offer?"

Kai's frown deepened. He knew arguing wouldn't serve him well, especially with the entire cafeteria watching.

Still, a part of him simply wanted to burn everything down and leave, but that would simply mean more people would be after him. No, he needed a way to tell these idiots that he wasn't someone who they could go against.

He had given sufficient proof to the council that controlled the tower, even going as far as to reveal a skill like dual casting. But it wasn't like everyone in the tower knew of it.

Maybe it was time to demonstrate a bit of his strength in front of everyone.

He wouldn't go all out, but showing off just enough would mean no idiot would disturb him again.

"I don't believe you have anything to teach me," he said, his voice flat. "Frankly, I'd rather take my own life than stoop to begging for guidance from someone like you."

Reyk's face contorted with rage. "You have guts, Arzan, I'll give you that."

Kai's eyes narrowed. "Do you want to see them? Because from where I stand, yours seems remarkably absent."

A ripple of suppressed laughter ran through the crowd. Reyk's face flushed crimson.

His mana pushed back, but for the first time, Kai countered with his own, keeping it in its place as surprise flashed by Reyk's face.

"Alright then," he roared, stomping his foot. "If that's how you want to play it! I challenge you to a duel! You have a week to prepare. By the noble code, you can't refuse after such a personal insult!"

Kai swept his gaze across the expectant faces staring back at him. Another sigh, heavier this time, escaped his lips.

It looked like Reyk didn't want to end it in the cafeteria and instead wanted more of an audience. The man seemed the spitting image of an attention whore. Then again, lots of Mages were.

"Fine," he said. "I accept your challenge. I will be in the arena before I leave the capital."

With that, he turned and strode out of the cafeteria, leaving behind a stunned silence momentarily shattered by the chatter that erupted in his wake.

Kai cursed under his breath and his eyes gleamed. He had no idea if it was a scheme or if Reyk was just being a bully, but he knew that after the duel, Mages would think twice before trying to go against him.

***

They were walking down the streets of the art district. Killian was walking beside Kai in the back while in the front, the mercenaries walked with their heads held high. Raven was discussing something with Gorak while Finn and Finnigan were busy with their conversation.

“Reyk Chase challenged you to a duel? That man was always trying to pick up fights,” Killian said, his brow furrowed in annoyance.

"You know about him?" Kai asked.

“He used to attend birthday parties thrown by your father since Count Chase and he had memories from the war,” he muttered and looked as if he was thinking back to an event from the past. “He used to have a gang of lower nobles with him always and would target servants and even knights, so I have heard enough of him.”

“Was he close to me? It's been so long I barely remember those parties.” Kai asked, hoping to get something out of Killian.

“Not exactly, but he would be around you and your brothers. I remember you were always gloomy with him around, but then you have been like that always in the past.”

Kai simply nodded at that.

It meant that the possibility of Reyk being a bully to him was there, but he didn't know if Arzan had kneeled to a savant or not.

He deliberated whether to ask about it, but decided against it.

“I will deal with him in the duel,” Kai said and Killian simply nodded. The knight didn't seem particularly against the duel, already knowing his strength.

They passed a few shops that were busy with customers and Kai focused on the sights. These parts of the streets were fairly clean and he saw a lot more people here.

There was also a lot of shouting as people called for customers to their shops. A few workers ran around and he felt like the art district was the liveliest one among the four.

Soon, they got to their destination and Gorak stopped by the road, pointing to the sign of a shop.

It was a quaint storefront adorned with a weathered sign that read "Molten”, located at the far end of the street.

"This is my friend's shop," Gorak explained. "He agreed to meet with us."

“Is there anything I should know?” Kai asked, looking over at the sign and then at Gorak.

“Not really. He's fairly cool. He also took well to your diagrams and asked questions that I had no answers for. Also, he seemed like he would relocate if he deemed it beneficial to him,” Killian added and it was all Kai needed.

They pushed open the door and walked inside. A small bell made a noise when they entered.

It was a fairly small store, clattered with all kinds of weapons, but as he looked around, he froze. Not because of the weapons, but because of the presence of someone in the store.

Standing behind the counter, his massive frame dwarfing the cluttered workspace, was a minotaur.

His powerful physique and fierce red eyes instantly brought back unwelcome memories as they settled on him— the memories of fighting a similar creature before his regressor.

Kai's breath hitched in his throat.