Sylas leaned back in his chair, his fingers loosely clasping the goblet of wine in his hand as he regarded Veronica.
The leader of the Third Circle in the Blue Hope sat across from him, her striking emerald-green eyes fixed on him.
She was dressed in a flowing, black-and-silver, simple dress.
Veronica smiled faintly.
“Lord Sylas, it’s a pleasure to finally speak with you directly. We’ve heard much about your accomplishments and strength. To have someone of your stature aboard the Blue Hope is truly reassuring."
Sylas inclined his head slightly,
“The pleasure is mine, Lady Veronica."
Veronica took a sip from her drink.
“I must admit, I was intrigued by the recent events—the explosion in the practice room, for one. It’s not every day that such an impressive magical display occurs so brazenly.”
Sylas chuckled softly,
“Impressive, indeed. But reckless. Whoever cast that spell either wanted to send a message or was testing something they couldn’t risk elsewhere.”
Veronica nodded.
“Testing, you think? Or perhaps a show of strength?”
“Could be either—or both,” Sylas replied, his tone even.
“But one thing is clear: it wasn’t random. Events like these are never without purpose."
Veronica leaned forward slightly,
“And what of the other incidents? The engines, the magical creature sightings... Do you think they’re related?”
Sylas tilted his head,
“It’s possible. The patterns suggest coordination, though it’s difficult to say whether it’s all the work of a single group or multiple factions with overlapping goals."
Veronica’s brows furrowed.
“But wouldn’t they be detected? High-level magic doesn’t go unnoticed on a ship like this. The magical detectors are sensitive enough to catch even subtle fluctuations.”
A faint smirk crossed Sylas’s lips.
“You’re assuming everyone plays by the same rules. This isn’t a fair game, Lady Veronica. If someone is bold enough to cast high-level magic here, they’ve likely found ways to bypass the detectors—or at least minimize the risk of detection.”
Veronica’s gaze sharpened.
“You’re suggesting there’s a way to fool the detectors?”
Sylas shrugged, his tone casual.
“There’s always a way. Magical systems, no matter how advanced, are designed by people. And people are fallible. Exploitable. It’s just a matter of knowing where the weaknesses lie.”
Veronica leaned back,
“Then whoever is behind this is not only powerful but also resourceful. That’s... troubling.”
“It is,” Sylas agreed.
“And it means we need to be cautious. The last thing we need is to be caught off guard by someone who knows how to play the game better than we do.”
Veronica smirked.
“Do you think it’s one of the larger groups? The Dark Father, perhaps? Or the Lide-El Tis masquerading as the Rich Family but a cover for the Dark Sicke?”
Sylas chuckled,
“Dark Father is always a suspect, given their resources and penchant for chaos. And Lide-El Tis... well, let’s just say their masquerade isn’t as convincing as they think."
"But it could just as easily be an unknown player—a wildcard looking to make a name for themselves.”
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Veronica’s expression darkened.
“A wildcard would be dangerous."
Sylas nodded.
“True. But unpredictability can also be their weakness."
Veronica regarded him for a moment, then smiled faintly.
“You’re quite the strategist, Lord Sylas. It’s no wonder you’ve earned such a reputation. I thought you were just a genius new mage.”
Sylas returned her smile.
“Flattery will get you everywhere, Lady Veronica."
Veronica raised an eyebrow. “Are you proposing an alliance, Lord Sylas?”
Veronica did not care. Sylas thought her compliment was "flattery." Her focus was on something else.
Sylas tilted his head.
“Not directly. But it’s always good to have... friends. From the start, Third Circle and I were in a good relationship, and it was clear that we were going to help each other. Now it is best to make it official.”
Veronica chuckled softly,
“Friends, then. For now.”
Veronica leaned forward.
“If you uncover anything about the explosion—or the other incidents—I trust you’ll share the information."
Sylas met her gaze,
“Of course, the same would be expected from you."
--
-
The repaired practice room hummed with a faint magical resonance as two mages, both at Level 2, stood opposite each other, their stances poised for battle.
The room had been carefully reinforced during its reconstruction, the walls now lined with shimmering runes designed to absorb and dissipate magical energy.
A small crowd of Level 3 mages, gathered on an elevated platform, observed the duel with keen interest, their voices a low murmur of commentary.
One of the combatants, a young man with sandy blonde hair and a determined expression, raised his hands, summoning a glowing orb of pure energy.
"Sun Orb…" The young man whispered as he cast the spell.
He then hurled it toward his opponent, a dark-haired woman clad in robes that seemed to absorb the light around her.
She responded by conjuring a swirling sphere of dark energy, which intercepted the glowing orb with a crackling explosion.
"Dark Crescent."
“That was a clean counter,” remarked a tall mage.
“Her timing is impeccable.”
A shorter mage with sharp, hawk-like features nodded.
“True, but his Sun Orb had more power behind it. If he can adjust his speed, she’ll have trouble keeping up. Dark Crescent is not the best spell when it comes to stopping projectiles of magic orbs, be it sun or moon…”
The duel continued with rapid exchanges of spells.
The blonde mage fired another series of Sun Orbs, each varied in size, in quick succession, forcing the dark-haired woman to retreat slightly as she erected a shimmering black shield.
"Good defense," commented a mage with a thin, braided beard.
“But her reaction time is a fraction too slow. Did you see how the second orb almost grazed her?”
The tall mage smirked.
“That’s the difference between Level 2 and Level 3. Fundamentals might be solid, but they lack the instinctive efficiency we’ve cultivated.”
The dark-haired woman suddenly dropped her shield and unleashed a spiraling wave of dark energy.
"Circle Moon Waves…"
The blonde mage raised his own shield in response, gritting his teeth as the wave crashed against it.
The room filled with the sound of crackling energy, the sheer force of the collision causing some of the onlookers to lean forward in anticipation.
"Ah, a gamble," the hawk-like mage said, his eyes gleaming. “She’s testing his endurance. Smart move.”
"But risky," the braided-beard mage countered. “If her energy reserves are lower than his, she’s setting herself up for failure.”
Below, the blonde mage grinned as he began to push forward, his shield holding strong against the wave.
“You’ll have to do better than that,” he called out.
The dark-haired woman smirked in response, her hands moving in a fluid pattern as she prepared another spell.
“Don’t get too confident.”
In a swift motion, she released a focused beam of dark energy, aiming directly at the blonde mage's feet.
He jumped back, narrowly avoiding the attack, but the maneuver disrupted his concentration, causing his shield to falter momentarily.
“She’s got him now,” the tall mage remarked.
But the blonde mage recovered quickly, using the momentum of his retreat to launch himself sideways.
As he rolled to his feet, he extended a hand and unleashed a wide arc of energy bolts, forcing the dark-haired woman to dodge frantically.
"Impressive," the hawk-like mage said with a nod. “He’s adapting. That’s a critical skill.”
The duel continued, both combatants showcasing their mastery of basic spells while improvising to outmaneuver each other.
The mages watching began to discuss the techniques more animatedly.
“Did you see the trajectory of that last spell?” asked a younger Level 3 mage, her tone excited.
“It was angled perfectly to cut off her escape route.”
"Textbook application," the braided-beard mage said, stroking his chin. “It’s rare to see such precision at Level 2.”
The dark-haired woman suddenly shifted her approach, summoning several smaller orbs of dark energy that hovered around her like a defensive barrier.
She then charged forward, using the orbs to deflect incoming bolts while closing the distance between them.
“She’s shifting to close combat,” the tall mage observed. “Interesting choice.”
"But dangerous," the hawk-like mage interjected. “If he maintains his range, she’s at a disadvantage.”
The blonde mage realized the shift and adjusted his stance, firing a concentrated blast at the ground in front of her. The resulting explosion forced her to halt her advance, giving him enough time to reposition himself.