-Chapter Fifty-

Harvest

-Three months after Lia’s initial Awakening-

-Six months after Aelius’ Mana-Chain Initiative-

-Nine months after the trio’s departure from the Village of Dawn-

-Twelve months after Aria arrived at the Dragon’s Haven-

“Did you hear the rumours?”

Whispers echoed about the courtyard.

“Concerning the new headmaster’s apprentice?”

“That’s her right there.”

“They say she’s the descendant of an anonymous Noble…”

“She decimated all the Mages above her year.”

“She’s as breathtaking as the rumours.”

“A genius…”

In the past three months, Lia had gotten used to the strange, alienating gazes she received from the other children.

They looked at her as if she was a foreign creature. The her of the past would have been fazed but now in the present, she pays it no heed.

At times, she wonders if this is what Aelius went through as a child? She heard that he used to be a student of a similar Academy, where he was singled out just as she was.

But it was useless thinking about something insignificant like that. He had a mission, and she had her own.

As Lia crossed the Academy courtyard, she quickly arrived at the staff office and entered, before proceeding to the top floor, where the headmaster’s office awaited her.

The black haired girl, now almost seventeen, had her true beauty blossoming. Thanks to Asura’s rigorous exercise regime and diet plans, Lia was developing rapidly into a desirable woman..

But she was also focused on carrying out her task at hand, which was soaking up every bit of conventional knowledge already known to man from the best candidate she had snagged - the headmaster.

As Lia knocked on the wooden door, an elderly voice called through from the other side.

“Enter.”

Upon stepping in, as she had done almost every day for the past three months since arriving here, she was met with her ‘master’. the principle of Saint Ernia’s Gate Academy.

Opposite her was the old aged man, in his early hundreds, with long hair falling past his back and a long trailing beard of white.

The man was so old, even his eyebrows had turned white.

“Lia.”

His solemn face immediately lit up into a beaming smile.

“Good morning sir,” Lia smiled in return as she stepped into the room with her books.

“Yes, good morning indeed. We have some coffee, would you like some?” he offered, gesturing to a nearby coffee table in the office.

“No thank you. You know I’m not a coffee drinker.”

“Well, that does have its own merits,” the old man smiled sheepishly. “Did you sleep well yesterday?” he asked.

For a moment, Lia’s mood dropped. And then she mustered a smile again.

“Of course.”

The headmaster sensed her hesitation, but sighed, debating whether to pry further until he ultimately decided not to.

For the past few weeks, she had been growing more and more restless over something.

“That’s good to hear.”

She had rejected him when he offered her a mansion, and he assumed it was because she liked her home.

But upon investigation, he found she had no parents or family.

Well, it was more likely that they were killed due to her genius. He knew Lia was a one-in-a-million existence. He was aware she was being pursued due to the nature of her capabilities.

When she first came to the Academy and auditioned months ago, he immediately knew he had to have her.

And after digging further into her background, he realised very quickly that she needed protecting. And he was determined to do just exactly that.

But there were mysteries. She kept secrets about herself closely guarded.

The source of her restlessness. The home she returns to everynight that is merely an empty little, humble house in the border town of Araho.

Her earrings, which held unimaginable magic and technology. If the headmaster knew any better, he would have coveted those earrings. But because he knew Lia’s nature, he knew those earrings were ultimately but accessories on a greater piece of art.

However, there was no way Lia was able to create such an artifact herself. A genius though she were, she was still but a blank canvas. If she had the understanding to create such an intricate artifact, she would not need to come to him to learn magic.

There is another force that has ahold of her. A force that cared for her enough to bestow on her an artifact that was more precious than an entire magic tower. And for some reason, she is not learning magic from them.

But putting all those thoughts aside, the headmaster mustered a carefree smile. He wants to be someone Lia knew she could rely on of her own will.

So for now, he’ll pretend he doesn’t know anything and wait for her to open up to him. While protecting her from somewhere she cannot see.

“How was your assigned homework for yesterday?” he asked.

“It’s all done. Would you like to check?” Lia responded and the elderly man nodded.

“As expected, you are fast. We can continue moving down my teachings at this rate.” He took the notebook she was offering to him and skimmed it, pleased at the perfect score.

“Your understanding of magic progresses in bounds everyday.” He snapped the book shut. “Shall we do the same today?”

Suddenly, he noticed her expression change.

“Lia?”

Her eyes left focus and suddenly, it seemed something else had occupied the entirety of her attention.

“I’m sorry!” She suddenly gave him a bow. “I need to go!”

“Wait- Lia?” the headmaster reached out in arm in surprise, but she disappeared in a blink.

“A teleportation spell?”

So she was already capable of such.

But his own genius was not something to be matched.

He wanted to respect her privacy, but what if she was encountering some sort of danger? He needs to follow.

With his impressive magical prowess, the headmaster began to trace the destination of her teleportation spell and locked on, before grabbing his large, wooden wand beside his bright white robe, and followed after her.

—-----------------------

When the headmaster landed, he thought he’d be arriving into the middle of chaos. Yet, he was bewildered when his feet hit the ground, for him to have arrived in a small, dark room.

“W-what?”

Looking around him with the only source of light being small slits in a window-side curtain, he found no trace of Lia.

Instead, it was only a modest room with wooden boards for floor, a single bed, and a desk with an open journal on it.

“Don’t tell me…” the headmaster approached the desk, wearing a scowl.

It appears he was outbested. The teleportation spell Lia used had a proxy-jump used.

In other words, he can no longer trace her true destination.

And the location of the proxy was none other than her small home in Araho.

How was this possible? The things they were covering each day were all basics. Could it be that she was already capable of such complex spells, despite her rudimentary understanding?

Or was she pretending to have such a poor understanding of magic? No, what would the use of that be?

He knew. He knew when he saw it in her eyes, she was just like him when he was younger.

She was not faking her lacking understanding of magic. She exhibited genuine passion when learning from him, and that was why he reciprocated genuine passion when teaching her.

So that can only mean that she was already capable of advanced magic.

The only thing she hid from him was the extent of her talent, it seemed.

As he looked down, he found handwriting that matched Lia’s in the journal, and the latest entry was from recently.

Squinting, he began to read, incredibly intrigued.

Headmaster Graham is a kind soul. I can tell he genuinely cares for me.

I can also tell he also expects to teach me many things, for many years to come.

I feel guilty that I can’t do that. I wish I could repay him somehow for the sincerity he’s given me.

He’s one of the few people to do so.

But I’m getting impatient.

Aelius is still not awake yet. I must have woken up so much earlier than him thanks to my powers.

When I was reconstructing my Mana Chains, it felt natural to me. The Mana bent to my will however I wanted. I took for granted my own abilities, because Aelius is taking so much longer to do the same.

It’s lonely, gazing at his sleeping face.

Three months since I have woken up have already gone by. Aelius has already been unconscious for half an entire year.

We haven’t heard from Saki since the last time she got in touch.

As for me… I’ve already accomplished my goal of trying to find a teacher.

I have already made this unknown power mine, with thanks to Headmaster Graham’s teachings. I already did so two weeks ago.

Since then, I’ve continued learning the primitive magic belonging to normal Mages, but what has been more beneficial for me has been exploring this new territory of magic on my own.

My thesis for Mana becomes more holistic the more I meditate, and the more I meditate, the more irrelevant the mundane magic of others has become.

Aelius was right. I only needed a teacher to learn the basics. Now that I have the fundamental core ideas, I can expand in whatever direction I want.

When will he wake up? I miss him, and there are too many important things we are neglecting.

Saki. Aria. My brother, Leo. Uncles. Our sworn enemies.

I don’t know how much longer I can live here, pretending like all these other things aren’t happening.

Everyday I go back into Headmaster Graham’s office and it is suffocating. But he still wholeheartedly teaches me.

I feel terrible for not being able to be the student he desires to see in me.

I don’t know what to do. Aelius, please wake up.

The headmaster pulled away, unsure of what to make of what he just read. He’s stumbled onto something strange.

Suddenly, he heard a whoosh and spun around, bewildered, only to see Lia returning to the room with a grave look on her face.

Their eyes met and she blinked in surprise, and the headmaster realised he had been caught red-handed following her.

“L-Lia, are you alright?” he asked, stepping forward.

“W-wha- how are you here?” she questioned him and he swallowed a gulp.

“I followed your traces to this place, because you suddenly disappeared…”

He nervously waited for her to speak up, and she bit her lip before turning away.

“I’m sorry to have worried you. It was nothing. Let’s return to the Academy.” As she looked back to him, she mustered a small smile.

What did she see?

—-----------------------

Lia, who had received a sudden jolt, immediately returned to the Main Bunker with high hopes that the person she had been waiting for all along, had finally opened his eyes again.

Yet… when she landed and came running around the corner to his room, she found an empty bed.

No notes. No message. Nothing.

He indeed did reawaken, and he left somewhere straight away in a spell she could not trace.

She expected to be able to run into his arms. But the first thing he did upon waking up was… go elsewhere.

And all of her pent up anticipation crashed down like a tidal wave.

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All that awaited her was an empty room. Not even his sleeping face to see anymore.

—-----------------------

-One month ago-

“Where the hell is Karl?” a drunken voice spluttered.

“Huh? Yeah, where did that bastard disappear off to?” an equally drunken voice responded.

In their silence, the cackling of a campfire could be heard in the forest, until they heard twigs snap in a clumsy manner, and both turned to the trees.

The odd and uneven footsteps came closer as they watched with raised brows, until they saw the familiar figure of their missing third shakily step out into the clearing.

“Where did you go, yah bastard?” the first man merrily cackled, seeing Karl in his drunken state.

“Lads, lads.”

The one named Karl put his hand up.

“Listen closely. You need to tell me if I’m going insane.”

“...Okay?”

The other two raised their eyebrows at him yet again.

“Follow me this way. I must be seeing things, but I think there’s children out here.”

“Huh? Children? What are you talking about? Maybe they’re just passing by. Child of Noble’s or something.”

“No, no.” Karl shook his head. “They live here. They have a village here.”

“Oh, didn’t know there was a village out in these parts,” the other shrugged but Karl shook his head yet again.

“Come, come. Come!”

“Ohhh, alright!”

The other two men threw down their wine flasks, stomped the fire out and began to trudge through the trees behind Karl, who led the way.

“How far is it, mate. Come onnnn…” one of them groaned.

“It’s close,” Karl responded, and as he promised, they soon came to a stop at his beckoning.

“Let’s hide here and watch.”

The two men were confused, but abided.

As they knelt down behind a bush and peaked out into a small clearing, they saw nothing.

“There’s just the side of a mountain. Karl, you really have finally lost it.”

“Hold on, just watch. I know they’re coming back out soon,” Karl insisted, causing his two companions to grumble.

They remained there for quite some other time, unsure of what they were meant to be waiting for.

Until, as they gradually lost focus except for Karl, who watched intently the whole way through, suddenly hissed at them to watch.

And as they raised their eyes back up to look out, they saw the surface of the rock waver for a moment and two children come wandering out.

“Come on, let’s get back before Brian finds out!” one called to the other and they disappeared into the trees.

“Did you see that?” Karl asked.

“W-wha- magic rock?”

One of the drunken men pushed himself to his feet and stumbled up to it, trying to place his hand through but it really was just rock.

“Come back! Come back!” he heard from the bush and ran back to them, escaping sight just in time to see the two children return with some wild flowers in their hands.

The three men hiding in the bush kept their breaths deathly silent as they observed the two children disappear into the rockface like it wasn’t there.

“This…”

One of them was out of words for a moment, as Karl turned back to him.

“Was it just me who saw that?” he asked.

“This…”

Suddenly, the man’s flabbergasted expression turned into a frightening smile. “Smells like money.”

—-----------------------

-Later that week-

“Karl, you bastard, you disappeared like that on us again!” one of the men’s voices angrily shouted as Karl returned through the wooden door to the tavern.

“Lads, lads. I found someone interested.”

“What?” The man gestured to the table he sat at for Karl to join him, and they huddled up. “Do tell,” he asked Karl.

“Some sketchy guy in a black robe seemed veryyyy keen. I accidentally overheard, they call themselves the Forbidden Order or something. Do you know of them?” Karl asked.

“Mmm… no. Must be some criminal ring from outside of Farrien. I don’t know what they are doing here in Kanaria territory. How much did they offer?”

“He said if what we said is true, they’ll pay out a hundred gold.”

The three men’s eyes lit up.

“...What are you waiting for? It’s a hundred gold, mate. Go back and tell them to get ready!”

“Okay, okay!” Karl excitedly left the table and ran back out the tavern, leaving his two friends smiling at each other.

“We struck gold this time.”

—-----------------------

-Present time-

Brian cried out as he saw the rocks above the entry tunnel come crashing down onto Aria and her father.

He knew Aria was good at magic, better than him even. But was she good at combat? Was a different question.

The force of the impact sent wind blowing so hard in his direction that he had to close his eyes from the dust and debris shooting out.

What if she had been injured? Could he handle it?

But he was relieved to see, as the dust cleared, that she and her father were safe from the rocks underneath a strong Mana barrier.

“Aria, shine a light for me!” her father asked of her before unsheathing his blade and diving into the tunnel way.

Without any verbal casting, Brian saw her shoot a light into the dark path ahead of them. Suddenly, he realised she was better than he’ll ever be.

She was capable of making the decision to erect a barrier in such a short moment, and it was so strong it withstood that impact. Furthermore, she does not even need to verbal-cast to use such strong spells, unlike him.

But now was not the time to think about that. There has to be some sort of way he can help.

Without being left behind, Brian followed Aria into the tunnel. Ahead of them, her father made a path through what turned out to be dozens of enemies in black cloaks.

They all turned out to be small fry, with the strongest only being at the Fifth Ring. The former Archduke, one of the two generals who led the army of Farrien at the war a decade ago, had seen far worse odds.

To him, a warrior at the Seventh Ring, flashing through them was like slicing paper. In no time, they came back into the forest outside of their hidden mountain.

But as soon as the trio stepped out, they were shocked to find a gigantic ring of cloaked men surrounding the entry into the mountain.

The Archduke who was clutching his sword as he stepped out, grit his teeth as he became visibly unnerved, and his knuckles wrapped around his blade turned white.

Aria grimaced as well, narrowing her eyes as she observed the ring.

The people they had slashed through to get here were truly small fry. They left all of their main forces outside, and out of the ambushers, a dozen of them were at the Sixth Ring, with even three Seventh Ring fighters leading them at the forefront.

“State your purpose!” the Archduke demanded. “Just who are you, to assemble such a frightening force?”

An elite army capable of taking down Farrien, if not for the Holy Knights’ presence.

“...”

The enemy leader stepped forward, a figure with their head hidden, wearing a much fancier black robe.

As they raised an arm, Aria noticed a blazing, golden ring drawn on the robe.

“Forbidden Order…” Aria cursed and her father grimaced.

“You recognise them?” he asked over his shoulder.

“Yes…”

“The dragon,” the person opposite them began to speak. It turned out to be a woman’s voice. Serene and soft, it hardly held any intimidation to it. Yet it was incredibly commanding.

“We have come for the dragon. Relinquish us the dragon and we will return.”

“Keep dreaming!” Aria shouted back, raising her staff. “Father, buy me some time. Boost!”

A light shone at the top of her staff, and began to pulse rapidly. Every wave of energy that shot forward contained so much strength in each pulse, it was as though it was slowing time itself, shooting through the waves of enemies.

From her magic, a low, deathening hum filled the air. All who heard it could tell from the rising pitch and quickening pulse that she was building up something.

It didn’t take no longer than a few seconds for the woman opposite her to command, “Attack!”.

All of the enemy troupes flashed forward and her father dashed to meet them, clashing blades and sending sparks blinding them all.

“Barrier!” Brian called as he erected a Mana shield around Aria, before he noticed she had already given herself one. “Oh…”

Aria kept her eyes shut in focus, building the spell, recalling the words of her master.

The dragon, a survivor of few in her species. A wielder of lost, ancient magic.

Remember, Aria. We dragons have our own magic, but to call it dragon magic is wrong. It does inherently belong to us, but it is not dragon magic.

It is threshold magic. The ultimate aim of our magic is to penetrate the threshold of any given matter.

To overcome limits. If you can achieve such a thing, if you can break your limits, you can reach beyond that.

You can reach infinity.

The words were at the forefront of her mind as she felt her raging Mana Core forcefully push her Mana Rings outward.

Within her, an energy that could not be contained by a mere human body began to well up.

But in such a moment of concentration, she opened her eyes to see her father being overwhelmed by the numerous attackers.

Not only was he facing multiple low ranked fighters, among them were Sixth Tier and Seventh Tier mages.

In a short five minutes, he had been reduced to a smouldering mess.

Clothes torn, blood falling down his limp arm, breathing heavily and gradually growing weaker, concern suddenly overwhelmed Aria’s heart at the sight.

Suddenly, she wondered when she had become so in touch with her emotions again. In her past life, her father mattered little to her.

But fear struck her at the thought that he may end up giving his life here. Her father, her last blood.

Aria suddenly couldn’t bring herself to feel indifference at what she was witnessing.

“Just a little longer, father!” she pleaded to him. “Just stay alive a little longer!”

As if it heard her desperation, her power responded to her will.

Light lit up from around her, surprising her as she felt her spell breakthrough the threshold.

“Limit break! Eighth Tier - !” The light from her staff blinded everyone around them. “Starlight shower!”

All the light focused into an orb in the sky above them, blocking out the sky overhead.

Everyone froze as they looked up at it, and rapidly, hundreds of trails of light barraged down onto them.

The energy was light itself. It shot through the flesh of its victims like they weren’t even there, piecing numerous holes in its targets and leaving the ground destroyed.

Even the enemy leader, the woman from earlier, was unable to stop the light from her erected barrier.

Aria watched in relief as her father escaped his attackers, rolling back into safety, but the relief instantly dissipated when she felt an ominous presence.

Looking back across the clearing, she saw a figure come crashing down from the sky above, landing directly in front of the enemy leader with a fear some ‘boom’.

“Cease.” At the newcomer man’s voice, all of Aria’s light missiles immediately froze in the air, and so did her heart in fear.

The cloaked man, wearing an even fancier robe, opened his palm and all of Aria’s magic was absorbed into a small ball.

“Leader.” The enemy woman stumbled to her feet shakily. “You came yourself…”

“No way…” Aria felt the strength leave her legs and she slumped down onto her knees before him.

The man opposite her, stepped forward, playing with the ball in his hand like it was nothing.

“I know how dangerous this dragon can be,” he answered his underling.

He was a mage at the Ninth Tier.

“The dragon’s magic will enable any old trash on the side of the street to become strong, it seems,” his deep voice remarked as he approached Aria.

“Aria… no…” the Archduke pushed himself to his feet. “Don’t touch my daughter…”

“...The weak cannot protect anything. And you are weak. Cease your delusion,” the man answered but the Archduke did not heed the words.

Summoning his last remaining ounce of strength, he let out a warcry and charged the man down with his sword outstretched.

“Noooo!” Aria screamed in a shrill cry as her father closed in on the enemy, but the man simply waved his hand.

An invisible force sent the Archduke flying into the nearby forest. Aria heard her father’s sudden increase in speed break the speed of sound, and with a massive boom, he went through a tree trunk, and then another, and then another.

In despair, Aria saw a cloud of dust and a trail of destruction open up in the forest of almost a hundred metres, all caused by her father’s sprawling body.

“Noooo!” Aria cried at the horrific sight, looking back at the enemy that was gradually raising his hand to finish her.

“Aria!”

Brian’s voice exclaimed as he jumped in the way, and the man coldly glared at the young teenage boy.

“The weak cannot protect anything. Cease your delusion,” he repeated and flung his hand.

“No!” Aria exclaimed, knowing that Brian definitely would not be able to survive the blow. Instinctively, she cast anti-gravity magic and flung Brian away herself, allowing him to softly land in a pit of dirt nearby.

“Aria!” Brian shouted with his outstretched hand, and suddenly, it dawned on him. His heart began to pound violently, his hands trembled as he watched in fear and shame as Aria was on her knees, powerless before her killer.

The leader of the Forbidden Order raised his hand yet again, before shooting it forward and plunging it into Aria’s chest.

“Ahhhhh nooooo!” Brian screamed in insanity, realising the man’s words were right. The weak cannot protect anything.

I can’t do anything to save her…! Before his very eyes, his weakness is coming to scar him for the rest of his life.

—-----------------------

How has this happened?

Aria’s breath caught in her throat as she tried to scurry away from her attacker, but he closed in on her too fast.

It was all too fast.

Somehow, they had gone from a normal day, to facing a Ninth Tier Mage in battle. To facing the leader of the Forbidden Order himself.

Amidst her thoughts of fear, her attacker does not wait for her.

A hand shot down to her chest and as she watched it move faster than she could react, she knew it was going to plunge straight into her heart and kill her.

And there was nothing she could do about it except await her fate.

Her muscles gave out as she froze, and the man’s hand shot down at her.

But just as she was about to be struck, instead, light blinded her from her chest.

A force shot out from its source and she saw the Ninth Tier mage repelled by it.

Looking down, Aria saw her precious necklace shatter into pieces, having just saved her from certain death.

“Trivial tricks,” the surprised man growled back, immediately reverting his posture and going in for a second strike. “You cannot escape your inevitable fate.”

But time almost seemed like it stopped as, for before he could finish her off, Aria heard the speed of sound broken yet again.

The air suddenly jolted, space itself folded, and a supersonic boom came from off in the distance.

Aria’s eyes widened as, before she could blink, a figure dashed in front of her and no force ever came.

Something - no, someone, met the Ninth Tier opponent head-on.

The impact was so fierce the earth for a dozen metres around them cracked, the trees waned, and for a moment, overwhelming force erupted around them.

And as abruptly as it came at first, the impact dissipated, leaving Aria gazing up at a familiar back protecting her.

“A-A…” Aria felt tears choke her up as relief flooded her mind. The fear of death fresh on her lips, it was now clashed with a nostalgic reunion.

“Aria!” Aria heard from over her shoulder and whipped her head over to find her injured father stumbling out of the trees, still alive.

“Who is this…?” the enemy commander wondered at a loss for words, throwing another blow.

Aria saw a dozen magic circles manifest around his elbow to enhance his attack, yet her saviour stopped it with ease yet again.

Finally, the enemy commander realised what sort of force he was facing and dashed back to his underling, cautiously observing the newcomer.

“What are you…?” The enemy commander could not fathom facing a teenage boy stronger than him.

“I originally was planning to spare your life but…” Aelius looked down to Aria over his shoulder and sighed. “You’re too vile. You witnessed her use an Eighth Tier spell at her age, yet you attempted to kill her. Someone like you who jeopardises the future generations for your own gain… is too dangerous to keep alive.”

“You cannot kill me. I exist to manage fate,” the other man shot back aggressively.

“You think you can ordain Fate?” Aelius asked the man with a scoff. “Then I’ll show you something.”

Before anyone could move, Aelius blinked to the man and tackled him to the ground with hand clutching his temple.

“So, great Divinator of the Order. How about you divinate this?”

The man struggled violently under Aelius’ hold, but eventually fell still, knocked unconscious, and Aelius pulled away from the man with a cold glare before he turned away.

Aria watched as he faced her, his eyes softened and a small smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

“Hey, precious. Sorry I’m so late.”