Chapter Twelve
The Smarter you Feel, The Dumber you are
Loud silence engulfed the air as the Herb Mana Wasp shard fell on Doska's shoulder, leaving a mix of hatred, shock, and curious emotions in the audience.
"Eh? Why did it come towards me?" Doska muttered, her face filled with surprise.
"Then it was you! You burned your own hair and tried to blame us!" Jin Bei shouted angrily.
"Silence!" Horai cut him off, but inwardly he had pieced everything together. Sero had found her with burnt hair, and she was the one who had started the incident in the first place.
"Why did it land on you? It’s not like you burned your hair yourself, right?" Draka asked with a surprised expression.
"Of course not! Why would I do that? The reason the Herb Mana Wasp shard tracked me is because I used a Snow Silk Hair shard to lengthen it!" Doska said, sounding embarrassed.
"So you’re saying we’re having a trial over the burning of your fake hair?!" Jin Bei shouted with burning eyes.
"No, the Snow Silk Hair shard from the second path doesn’t help in growing hair; it only makes it silky and smooth so the miss doesn't have to wash it a lot," Daki explained calmly.
"Alright, alright! This case is starting to sound like a silly joke! We’re wasting my lady’s precious time," Alice said with irritation.
"No, the judgment will be postponed until sufficient information is gathered. In the meantime, a hundred gold will be paid to young master Sero Gaist and Hirlo Jin Bei as compensation, and Miss Doska will cover the cost of her meal," Horai said calmly.
"Very well, it seems my decision to join you was not wrong. High Judge Horai, please release the wronged parties, and then let everyone return to their daily lives," Nyoska said kindly.
"Understood, my lady!" Horai replied seriously. With a Single thought, the iron rope bindings Jin Bei and Sero fell like a dead snake, freeing them from their shackles. Everyone then bowed respectfully to Nyoska and slowly began to leave.
Doska was visibly embarrassed; not only had she been accused as the culprit, but she was also publicly humiliated as a voracious mage. And Draka could only watch as his future wife got shamed before the head of the family.
For Jin Bei, he was the true winner. Not only had he received compensation, but he had also recovered his lost money. Had he not maintained his pride, his face would have shown the biggest smile possible.
Sero had achieved his goal—drawing the family's attention and making his presence known. How many people had the fortune of meeting the head of the family on their first day as a mage? The answer was very few.
Yet, sometimes trying to gain attention brings more than one intends, and underestimating others is foolish in itself. With a deceptive smile and an air of satisfaction, Nyoska looked at Sero as she slowly raised her hand.
"Everyone may leave, except for young master Sero Gaist. I have a few questions for you if you don’t mind," Nyoska said with a playful tone. And when a clan leader orders, no one would dare to reject it.|
"I have a bad feeling about this, should I run? No, I will be struck down by Horai, if not the clan elder herself," Sero thought anxiously, as his keen instincts told him when he was in a situation he could not control. With a face feigning curiosity and concern, Sero approached the pond, meeting his sharp eyes with anticipation. They were alone in the bamboo grove, and no one could overhear them.
"Let’s stop pretending and playing boring games, little one. I will ask you one question; in return, you can ask me one question. Agreed?" Nyoska said with a sweet mother-like voice.
"Alright!" Sero replied, feigning surprise.
"My question is simple: Did you burn Doska’s hair?" Nyoska asked, sounding bored.
"No," Sero answered. Hearing this, Nyoska smiled and showed a pleased expression, as if she had gotten what she wanted.
Sero realized what was happening and warned himself. He wasn’t dealing with a child but with one of the clan’s leaders, and he wanted to understand why she smiled. He needed an answer.
"Won’t you ask your question?" Nyoska asked sleepily as she sprawled on the cushions.
"My question is: Do you use a lie detecting shard?" Sero asked with a cold face, no longer playing the fool. If Nyoska had a shard for detecting lies, pretending wouldn’t help at all.
"Hehe, very good of you! It seems you’re not just an ordinary orphan! Yes, darling, I use the Water Lotus Wind shard from the fourth path, which allows me to read the changes in the pond before you. The pond changes according to hidden winds that only appear when a person lies," Nyoska said with a laugh, then shifted her expression into seriousness. "And you are a very bad lier,"
"So you knew all along?" Sero said with a smile, dropping his pretense.
"Have you dropped your guard in front of the head of the Anira family? Do you underestimate me, little one? Now that I have this information, I can send you to Horai who will not treat you in a good way, so I will trade it with you for showing me your usefulness. As you can see, I have a slight hope in you since you managed to deceive my high judge," Nyoska said, standing up and walking towards the water pond.
"What do you want to know?" Sero asked with dread, fearing she might ask about his soul, age, or past life. If she did, even with his wisdom, he would not survive; she could kill him with a simple thought.
For the first time in his new life, Sero felt he had no chance at all.
"My second question is: Did you burn her hair using the Little Flame Shard?" Nyoska asked with intense curiosity in her eyes.
"Yes, I refined the shard in one day in my magic realm," Sero answered, completely surrendering to the esteemed entity before him.
A cold wind swept over the mountain, skillfully moving the cotton-like clouds and momentarily obscuring the sunlight. During this time, Nyoska gazed at Sero with a slight astonishment after hearing his words.
"You refined a shard in a day? With a single candle talent?" Nyoska asked again, as what he had said earlier was not a lie since she could not read the surface of the pond with the Water Lotus Wind shard.
"I refined the small flame shard in my magic realm in less than a day," Sero repeated, and once again, the pond remained still, leaving Nyoska in awe and admiration.
The fact was, Sero was not lying, or rather, he wasn’t telling a complete lie. He had indeed refined the shard in his magic realm, but he hadn’t done it himself; it was the mana of the ocean of time in his realm that did it.
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Saying that a shard was refined in one’s own magic realm was a given, implying that the person did the refining since no mage could enter another mage's magic realm. It also erased the possibility of secret outside aid from the clan.
Despite this, Nyoska did not consider it a natural talent. The difficulty in refining shards was due to the world’s mana that had to be expelled.
It was not uncommon for individuals with low talent to refine shards before those with higher talent, usually because the shard was empty of world mana.
In short, Nyoska did not have enough information to find a logical explanation. If she had known the truth about Sero and what he possessed, she would have reached the answer directly.
When humans hit a dead end, they naturally resort to the most logical excuse available, which in this case was attributing it all to his luck.
"So you were simply lucky. It seems fate took pity on you a little after Doska beat you up after you climbed the mountain. But you’re still a criminal and dared to harm one of my family members. To think that you didn't receive punishment but compensation for your actions is a joke from fate itself," Nyoska said as she held a lotus flower in her hand.
"Will I be punished then?" Sero asked calmly. On the outside, he appeared calm, but inside he felt pressured. He was in a position where he could not control his fate. A single word from Nyoska and his life would end entirely; he had no chance to escape or fight. He had reached a point of no return.
"I have a general idea about you. It seems you did refine the shard in one day, but no one would believe you, so you wanted to attract the attention of a high-ranking mage in the family to showcase that skill using Doska as a pawn," Nyoska said with a smile.
"You’ve exposed me; that was indeed my plan," Sero replied. Even if it wasn’t his complete intention, it was part of his plan, so it wasn’t a lie. Part of the truth was still considered the truth.
"Alright, I will leave you alone for now. You intended to attract attention, and you succeeded. Normally, I would order you to be whipped as punishment for what you did to Doska, but she has been acting impudently lately and needed some discipline anyway," Nyoska said with a tired face, then sighed gently.
"Then I will leave, my lady, as you wish," Sero said respectfully while clenching his fists.
"Also, you will not return to the inn. You refined your shard and thus met the guards' condition, but to conceal the matter, I will include it in the compensation. Although you do not deserve it, I cannot leave you like this. You may leave now, but you will always be under my watch," Nyoska murmured with boredom while sitting on the cushions and extending her limbs, leaving Sero to depart quietly without making a fuss.
"Hmm, it seems the heavens have granted him wisdom in exchange for his talent. Fate’s irony is indeed painful. But still, he managed to turn the scales and come out of the judgment as a winner," Nyoska thought silently as she looked at the lotus flowers floating in the pond.
A large smile appeared on her face, revealing sharp fangs as her pupils transformed into sharp shapes like those of cats and snakes. Many thoughts and conclusions crossed her mind, but they were interrupted when she felt a cold drop of water hit her smooth white face.
"Oh? It’s raining then. It seems the stormy summer season is approaching," Nyoska murmured softly, then took out an umbrella from her shadow before the clouds covered it while she silently gazed at the clear pond.
"Perhaps I should hurry with my plans then. Oh young child, you attracted the worst kind of attention possible, my attention," Nyoska sighed slowly and then walked under the raindrops, holding her red wooden umbrella, heading toward the central family mansion.
............
The land of the Anira family was built atop a great mountain, and transformed into an opulent district by the family’s ancestors. Caves were carved out and adorned to become a bustling trade center where various shards, polishing materials, and a range of food and medicinal goods were exchanged among family members.
On the flatter areas of the mountain, the houses of the fortunate servants were constructed, and green spaces were planted with bamboo.
The bamboo cultivation was not only famous for its jade-like beauty but also as a means to conceal the arenas of combat and the lands of judgment from outsiders and spies.
As for the true palace, it was divided into three buildings connected by a massive wooden bridge made of bloodwood that encircled the entire mountain. The mountain itself was not immense but of moderate size; however, these buildings made it appear as though it were a divine gift to mortal men.
The palaces were: the Lion’s Palace, situated at the entrance and housing the simpler mages of the family; the Eagle’s Palace, distinguished by its towering height that grazed the clouds and housing the senior family members, as well as various doctors, investigators, and those responsible for linking the Anira family with the other two clans; and the Serpent’s Palace, located on the far side with a breathtaking view of the verdant lands, serving as the personal residence of the grand family member Nyoska.
At that moment, Sero sat in the guest hall of the Lion’s Palace, where his status within the family was being recorded.
“So you’re saying the Lady herself made you a family member as compensation for your indictment? Do you have any witnesses?” asked the guard, who had previously dismissed him, with a sneering tone. Deep down, he completely refused to accept the truth.
Despite his arrogance, he was merely a first-path mage, and those above him held the power to decide anything, even if it was against the rules he himself had set.
“So you dare question him after he’s delivered our Lady's message? Do you dare defy your masters?” A girl stepped forward with a fierce voice to defend Sero. Ironically, this girl was none other than Doska herself.
The victim of Sero’s efforts to gain the clan’s high members' favor was now personally defending him, causing Sero to fall into deep thought just from her voice.
“Do you vouch for him?” the guard murmured quietly.
“Of course! And if you don’t like what I’m saying, I’ll personally inform High Judge Horai, since you are the ones who got him involved in this investigation in the first place! Not only did you set him in an impossible condition to enter the family even for the high talents and defy Lady Alice’s words, but you dared to continue your bullying!” Doska shouted angrily, the ember of hatred from her singed hair still glowing, and she directed that fury at the guard.
“You speak as though you’re innocent. It’s good that someone taught you a lesson and burned your hair,” the guard thought in disgust, then handed Sero a pouch containing one hundred gold coins and a new shard.
“This is a Shard of Opening and Locking Wood. It’s used with a wooden door to open and close it at will, think of it as a magic key. Unfortunately for you, you won’t be able to refine it anytime soon. Therefore, besides the gold, there is a simple black iron key inside the pouch,” the guard spoke with sarcasm, though Sero seemed indifferent to his words.
The Opening and Locking Wood Shard was akin to a magical advancement of keys; only the owner and refiner could use it to lock a specific room in such a way that it wouldn’t open without their permission. Even if the room exploded and its walls were shattered, the door locked with the shard would remain shut.
However, like any shard, it had a drawback. All doors used with it had to be wooden, and if the door was broken under any circumstances, the shard would suffer significant damage, weakening its effectiveness.
“Thank you for your efforts,” Sero said respectfully with a simple smile, making the guard feel some regret for his harsh treatment.
First-path mages within the Anira family were few, mostly children, making the guard’s position seem laughable when compared to their power.
“By the way, what’s the price of a Shard of Opening and Locking Wood on the market?” Sero asked quietly, startling the guard and pulling him from his daydreams.
As for Doska, she smiled; she had also sold her Opening and Locking Wood Shard and felt a sense of kinship with Sero.
“Shards cannot be sold for gold! They are traded with mana stones!” the guard snapped, disgust written across his face.
Mana stones were the primary currency among mages, sometimes preferred over gold for two reasons.
Firstly, mana stones were not only a currency but also a means to enhance a mage’s mana concentration, allowing even those without anything to buy to use them to sharpen their power.
Secondly, they were not monopolized by the Spring and Jade Jar sects and only required a mana-rich environment and a few simple stones to produce, so outsiders' economic control wasn’t a threat when they were used instead of gold coins.
“It would be a hundred mana stones for a first-path shard, but that’s a fair standard price, so you’d be lucky to find buyers willing to pay that much—” Doska boasted, only for Sero to take her hand and pass her the shard.
“Then I’ll rely on you, big sister,” Sero said humbly, bowing his head before moving on, leaving Doska in bewilderment as she stared silently at the Shard of Opening and Locking Wood, then sighed.
“Big sister now, huh? You sly little devil,” Doska thought with a smile, then headed towards the commercial district.