Kai gave one last look at the fallen Mage, his mind already racing.

Reyk was sprawled across the floor, defeated and unconscious. Blood pooled around him and from the corner of his eye, he could already see healers running towards him.

His injuries were big, but they would heal with time. As for his pride, Kai wasn't sure about that.

He didn't like Reyk, but there was no animosity between them. He could only hope that the man would take a good lesson out of this and learn to pick his fights. If not, then he would probably come face to face with an enemy who wouldn't hold back one day and die a cold, bitter death.

Kai looked at the crowd and gave another glance at them.

Somehow, the ease of the victory was unsettling. He'd expected a tougher fight, at least one where he would be forced to deploy a few more spells. He’d expected Reyk to be a swifter caster, and use more counterattacks— instead, the fight had been a mere formality.

A cold satisfaction crept into him.

This victory would echo through the capital, painting him as a fearsome Mage and rumours would spread to every corner of the capital. It was both a blessing and a curse depending on how one saw it, but for someone who wanted to change things in history itself, having a reputation was a must.

If they hadn't before, Archine Tower would undoubtedly recognise his potential now. He hadn't done any spells that a peak second circle Mage wouldn't be able to do, but his casting speed and techniques would surely catch attention.

They would also put his strength at the third-circle level even if in their eyes, he wasn't a third-circle Mage yet.

Hopefully, that would make them hesitate before going against him. At least, he was sure that no adepts would dare to act rudely against him now.

At his age, such a feat would hail him as a genius and if he had appeared out of nowhere, that would have been strange, but Arzan used to be a promising individual whose mother was a Magus. His being able to defeat Reyk like this might come across as a shock at first, but it wouldn't be out of the ordinary if they simply dig a little into his background.

At most, it would be considered as a miracle that he was able to deal with his mana blockage. Most people would equate his strength to his inheritance and he could only hope that no one would try to snoop around him, hoping to get a part of it.

Even the princes would be interested in him to get him to their camps. Well, barring the first prince, whose face was now a sickly shade of pale.

As Kai looked towards him, Prince Eldric looked as if he couldn't wait to get out of the arena. Pure incomprehension was on his face. Most of the nobles in the stands shared that sentiment and only Leopold seemed to have somewhat expected this outcome, knowing that he had dealt with the necromancer.

Kai made his way outside the arena. The crowd stood up like a wave when he was moving, their eyes filled with awe and reverence. He didn't give them another glance as he climbed up the stairs.

Back in the waiting room, Killian was the first to congratulate him. “That was fast,” he said, his voice filled with genuine admiration. Kai simply returned a smile, the weight of the victory settling on his shoulders like a heavy cloak. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

Edrian stood by the window, his gaze fixed on the arena. He turned to face Kai, his eyes filled with a complex mix of surprise and intrigue. It was clear that he had not expected such a decisive victory.

“Congratulations,” Edrian said, his voice low. A beat passed between them as no one spoke until his brother shook his head. “I seemed to have underestimated you highly.”

“Thank you, brother,” Kai replied and gestured to Killian to start moving to leave the arena.

If he could, he didn't want to stay here for longer with Edrian. But before he could turn around, his way was stopped.

“Would you join me for lunch? As brothers, before we part ways. I have something to tell you.”

Kai hesitated. “Can’t it wait?”

Edrian shook his head. “I know you won't be in Hermil for long and trust me, it will be worth your time. It's about Lucian and the beast wave.”

That made him pause.

Even before, Edrian's reaction to Lucian had been strange and as he looked into his eyes, Kai doubted that he was lying. Still, to have lunch with him would mean more chances of him accidentally giving away his identity.

“We won't talk about anything else,” Kai said and Edrian looked surprised for a second before he nodded.

“Sure, I don't plan to reminisce about our past either. I have been learning to live in the future after all and what I'm about to tell you might help you make better decisions in your future.”

***

Veridia moved through the tower with the silent grace of a predator, her footsteps echoing in the grand halls.

The aftermath of the duel was roaming on her mind. Kai's performance had been nothing short of astonishing. A raw power, tempered by a tactical brilliance, had been unleashed in the arena.

She had a good inkling of his abilities, but what she saw was beyond her expectations.

Savant Jasper walked beside her, his face pale and drawn. The defeat of his disciple, Reyk, had shaken him to the core and even now, his fists were clenched. His eyes were filled with disbelief and astonishment.

It wasn't as if the Mage hadn't seen shocking things in his life, but he had a good amount of trust in his disciple's abilities and someone who had been unknown till recently had bested him and it was a one-sided battle at that.

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It would take a while for Jasper to accept it. And Veridia… shared that feeling.

As they moved, Mages passed them by, bowing to them when they took notice of them.

Both Veridia and Jasper ignored them, but as they got closer to the lift, a hushed conversation entered their ears. Two adepts and a few novices stood in a circle, their eyes wide with astonishment as they talked about the details of the duel.

None of them noticed Veridia and Jasper standing so close to them.

“I’ve never seen such a duel… It ended as soon as it began,” one of the adepts said.

“Yes, Reyk never stood a chance. He looked really confident when the duel began, but a minute into it, his face was pale and his spells lacked their usual intensity.”

“It was more like Arzan's spells were far more powerful. I have never seen a Mage cast so fast before. I didn't know we had such a person in our tower.”

“Yes, I never expected someone to come out of nowhere to best Reyk. He would have lost his life if the killing was allowed.”

Jasper's jaw clenched as he listened to the murmurs. He looked like he wanted to defend his disciple, to justify the defeat, but the words caught in his throat. A frown appeared on his face and he swiftly moved past the disciples who just noticed them and hurriedly bowed.

Veridia sensed his turmoil. But she waited until they were inside the lift.

"Heal your disciple," she said, her voice demanding as the lift moved. "Let this be a lesson for him."

Jasper nodded, his voice barely a whisper. "I will speak to him. His organs weren't damaged, so healing draughts and some other medicines would let him out of the medicinal halls soon."

Veridia's gaze sharpened. "Don't hasten the healing process. Adept Reyk has a promising future. The longer he would stay in bed, the more he would think of his mistakes. You need to learn from this as well, Jasper. You pushed Reyk to provoke Arzan. Did you think I wouldn’t find out about that?"

Jasper bowed his head, a silent admission of guilt. "I made a mistake. But Arzan dared to step out of line. He had no idea how to speak, especially for a noble and I just gave a little push to Reyk to get him to learn a lesson. I had no idea it would turn like this."

Veridia shook her head. "With the power he displayed today, he has earned the right to speak his mind. He warrants our attention now."

With a final, withering glance at Jasper, Veridia stepped out of the lift and onto the top floor. "Do not follow me," she said, her voice cold.

Jasper nodded, stiffening as the lift moved down.

Veridia made her way to her office, her movements deliberate and slow.

The entire top floor was reserved for her and it was the place she had lived in for decades, but as she moved through it, she couldn't feel the peace and familiarity she would often get here. Something gnawed at the back of her mind and she knew it.

Right before she was about to enter the room, she reached into her robes, pulling out a crumpled letter.

It was old, the ink faded, but the words etched into the parchment held. Even if they would have been unreadable, she wouldn't have forgotten what was written on it. After all, it was a missive from a former rival, a plea to protect her son and raise him into a formidable Mage.

When she first received it, the words were boldly written on the paper. She hasn’t gone along with it, thinking of it as a waste of her time, but the bloodline has managed to show itself.

Anger surged through her. She crumpled the letter again, stuffing it back into her robes. A part of her wanted to burn it down into ash, but it was proof of that haughty woman begging her.

As she opened the door to her office and entered, a voice took her attention.

"It's rare to see you so disturbed, Veridia," the voice said, a hint of amusement colouring the tone.

Veridia turned to face the speaker, her posture stiffening. The top floor was out of bounds for everyone in the tower and only with her permission, they could come here. Otherwise, the enchantments on the walls would notify her. Yet a woman sat peacefully on the sofa in her office with a nonchalant gaze.

She was a woman with pale skin, white hair and piercing blue eyes. She wasn't particularly beautiful, her appearance withering with age, but there was a stark aura around her that was hard not to focus on.

Her identity was Queen Regina, the mother of Prince Eldric and Princess Amara. And she was also the last person Veridia wanted to see at the moment.

Veridia bowed, her voice filled with respect. "Your Highness, I was unaware of your presence."

Regina smiled, a cold glint in her eyes. "I had to come. Interesting things are happening, and I needed answers to a few questions. Like why have you failed to remove a large thorn that could cause needless trouble."

She stood up and walked around the office room and gracefully sat on Verdia's seat behind her desk. The Magus didn't say anything and sat opposite her.

Veridia's expression turned stony. "Are you referring to Arzan, Your Highness?" she asked, her voice steady.

Regina leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. "The other thorns have been dealt with. Only he remains. And you are failing."

"Things have become complicated," Veridia began, her voice low. "Actra failed, and his life was the price. And Arzan... his power is beyond what I anticipated. Dealing with an incompetent, powerless noble and someone who had grown to such power in such a short time are entirely different things. If you are here, it must mean you know what happened in the duel. Your eyes are everywhere after all."

The Queen's expression remained impassive, her eyes cold as sparks flew in between them. "It doesn't matter. You are the strongest Mage in the kingdom. If you cannot handle a simple task, then perhaps I should lend a hand."

Veridia's eyes narrowed. A bitter taste rose in her mouth, but she pushed it down. Normally, this shouldn't even concern her, but Regina's words were the truth.

This was indeed supposed to be simple, but they wasted too much time and fate managed to play its cards.

She still chose to stand her ground. "Lend a hand, Your Highness? Like you did with Actra? He was once assigned to your protection, remember? It seems he learned a few tricks there."

The queen's aura shifted, a cold fury emanating from her. Yet, her voice remained calm, almost serene. "I do not know what you imply, Veridia. I am merely a simple queen of the kingdom. But if you wish to see true power, I can offer a demonstration of those tricks you mentioned. But be warned, you might not like the consequences. So tell me, will you be able to afford it?"

Veridia's fist clenched involuntarily and whatever fight she had gathered left her.

"Understood, Your Highness," she said. "I will do my best. But I don't think we would have to worry. The beast wave should be his undoing and I doubt he's going to get any significant aid with it."

Regina nodded, her eyes glinting with menace as she looked around the office. "Let us hope so, Veridia. Otherwise, you will discover sides of me that even the King fears. You have served me well all this time and I hope you will do the same going forward. If the beast wave fails or he runs away, make sure you don't fail."

She stood up and made her way out without giving her another look. Veridia watched Regina’s retreating figure, her eyes filled with a burning intensity. The threat hung in the air as she walked out of the room.

Veridia followed her with her senses and only once the queen took the lift that she let out the frown she had been holding. Various thoughts passed by her mind, but she had no time to dwell on them.

Alone in her office, she rose from her chair, her movements stiff and deliberate. From a hidden compartment in her desk, she pulled out a document. It was a simple-looking paper, but she personally wanted to evaluate the contents of it.

It was Arzan’s exam paper.

A wry smile crept across Veridia's lips. Maybe in two decades, it was the first time she felt threatened. Not by power, but potential and she knew that before it could become anything big, she needed to deal with it.

“Let's see if the inheritance had made you any wiser,” she muttered and opened it up to begin reading.