Dalquilae, whilst still in midair, led the group over to Royal Legion West's central courtyard. It was a tiled section filled with old trees, potted plants, and the multiple golden eagle statues mentioned beforehand. There were also a few sets of tables and chairs for potential students to use in their leisure time. Unfortunately, due to the guild not having new students for quite some time, they were now left to collect dust.

Lancer couldn't help but notice how oddly depressing the whole temple looked. It almost felt as if it would have been completely abandoned if not for Dalquilae, Kai, and the other Coligadian Spell Casters' presences.

Lanosis found its decrepit condition a tad bit funny, given how cocky and sarcastic Kai's attitude was.

"Yeesh. Some magical place you got here, Kai."

Dalquilae got up into Lanosis's personal space and looked at him dead in the eye. He backed away out of minor revulsion.

"Watch your mouth, hatchling! You may have grown up in the Gamma Kingdom, but you're no longer there anymore. I suggest you show some respect to what will, eventually, become your new home."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. But keep in mind that I was a crowned prince, lady. Any place outside of Snardentus needs to earn my respect." Lanosis grunted as he desperately tried to swat the Aquila away. "That applies to you as well, Kai."

The old man pointed at himself with an exaggerated look of shock on his face.

"Me? Aw. And here I thought humiliating you in our tag match was enough for you to respect me. Guess I was wrong."

Lanosis glared dangerously at Kai. Dalquilae could feel his Eun levels steadily increase in that moment. Considering how much of a temper the boy had, this emotional reaction wasn't all that surprising.

"Care to repeat that?"

He tightly clenched his fists together, much to Lancer's chagrin.

"Oh, come on, man. He's just trying to get under your skin again. That's what he does."

Lanosis, sadly, ignored him. He stomped over to Kai and raised a fist in front of him.

"What's there to repeat? Lancer managed to best me and you didn't. I was hoping you'd be able to learn from that experience and respect me as your future instructor."

Kai's innocent grin only seemed to exacerbate Lanosis's anger even further. Sparks of blue electricity began to reverberate from his enclosed fists.

"Then how about we go another round then, huh? I've learned plenty from last time."

"If that's what you want, then who am I to stop you?"

Dalquilae perched herself in between both men. She needed to stop this argument before it got even uglier and, potentially, more destructive.

"Absolutely not! As long as I am here, there will be no fighting in the courtyard! Save that for the temple's dojos and training pavilions." She shouted. "At least Grandmaster Zuken could be there to keep you two hooligans out of trouble."

"Wait, Grandmaster? There's someone above Kai and the other masters?" Lancer asked in curiosity.

"Indeed there is."

The boys looked to see four figures emerge from inside Royal Legion West's temple. A tall, muscular old man around Kai's age stood in front of his three colleagues, sporting a brown cape and silver hair that arched upward in two separate directions. His green eyes were calm, yet held a certain level of fierceness that even Lanosis found somewhat intimidating.

It was obvious that this Grandmaster, Zuken Tartur, held a level of power and authority far above Kai's. His aura alone proved such a fact to be true.

"I should know. That's who I am."

He glanced over at the two boys and smiled.

"Figured you'd be making a grand entrance, Zuken. Can't say I'm disappointed." Kai chuckled.

"I learn from the best, old friend." The spellcasting master replied. "Now, if I were to guess, I'd say you two are Lancer and Lanosis Leoto, correct?"

They nodded their heads in unison.

"That's right, yeah, but... how did you know both of our names already?"

Zuken gestured his hand to a short woman standing to his right. She had short wavy blonde hair that was turning gray in a few places, and wore a furry winter hat that covered most of the top of her head. Judging from the look of indifference on her face, this woman probably wished to be anywhere else, but here.

"That would be the work of Master Cadroka Nero. She's our resident Psychic Caster and fortuneteller." He informed. "She oversaw and overheard your first encounter with Kai through her crystal ball. Pretty nifty trick, isn't it?"

Kai playfully wiggled his eyebrows and smiled at his fellow Master Caster.

"Were you worried about me that much, Caddie? How considerate of you!"

Cadroka rolled her violet eyes. "The only thing I'm worried about are these Snardentian children and what they'll be doing here. You? I couldn't really care less."

"Ah, don't be like that. I know you love me with all your cold, shriveled heart."

"Love isn't how I'd describe it..." She grumbled under her breath.

Seeing that his attempts to get a rise out of Cadroka had failed (for now, at least), Kai moved onto his next target, Master Ralkorodane Udulu. He was an old man with two strips of flame-like white hair placed atop his ears. He also had a mustache of the same color that covered both his upper lip and chin.

His hairstyle was somewhat ironic due to the cool, frosty haze that followed him wherever he stood. Even after years of practice with ice magic, Ralko still couldn't seem to keep that sensation under control.

"Speaking of something else cold and shriveled, glad to see you join the party, Ralkorodane! Kill any more of Nell's plants today?" Kai quipped.

He snorted, causing the haze around his body to become even more pronounced. "Ugh! How many times do I have to tell you?! I did not kill them, Kai!"

"You sure? The frozen leaves say otherwise."

"The weather suddenly got a little colder that day! I had nothing to do with it!" Ralko snapped.

To his left, Master Nella "Nell" Soother patted him on the back in a supportive, reassuring manner. She was a semi-voluptuous woman with incredibly long black hair that extended just below her back and waist. She also wore a form-fitting dress and dark red lipstick on her mouth.

"Remember what I told you about that temper, Koko. One of these days, you're going to catch yourself cold if you keep overreacting to Kai's antics like this." Nell advised.

Lanosis wasn't expecting this serious old man to have such a cutesy nickname.

"Pfft. Koko? What kind of—"

All of a sudden, he felt his mouth be incased in a thick sheet of ice. Cool mist sizzled off of Ralko's finger as he glared at the boy in annoyance.

"I suggest you don't finish that sentence, brat. Some people shouldn't have even blabbed that humiliating name out so casually!"

Nell stuck out her tongue and shrugged. "Oopsie."

Lanosis tried his best to rip Master Ralko a new one, but all that came out were a series of incoherent mumbles. His younger brother would have found this hilarious, if not for the serious situation both of them were currently in.

"You mind... um... getting rid of that?" Lancer asked.

"Do we have to? I'm actually starting to like him a lot more like this. He's definitely quieter, at least." Kai muttered.

Zuken shook his head. "Let the child speak his mind again, Ralko."

The Ice Caster flicked his finger and converted the ice covering Lanosis's mouth into small, shining snowflakes. He did not look amused by what just happened.

"Remind me to get you back for that later, Koko." He grunted. He then darted his eyes from one master to the other. "So we got five old people and a talking bird. Doesn't seem like Royal Legion West really has all that much going for it, don't you think?"

"Hmph. Neither does your attitude, Mr. Leoto." Dalquilae huffed. She then flew into the air and perched herself on top of Zuken's shoulder.

"Well, it does seem like you guys are pretty powerful and know your stuff, but I have to agree with Lanosis. The look of this temple makes it seem like there'd be more... well, Spell Casters here." Lancer said. "Maybe some students around our age, to be more specific."

The five Master Casters exchanged knowing, tentative looks with one another. It appeared that they were aware of something that Lancer and Lanosis weren't informed about.

"At a time, Royal Legion West did, in fact, have many students from each country in Coligad. All five of us went from student to student on a regular basis, but, unfortunately, this turnout took a considerable decline once the Caster War took place." Zuken glowered.

He looked down at the floor and continued to recall those darker, more violent days.

"For five long years, every continent and their governments were pitted against the Warlocks, barbarous tyrants who drained the Eun from innocent people and distributed it amongst themselves for the sole purpose of increasing their current level of power. Led by Balthazar Zolto, their current Warlord, they laid waste to the entire world and spilt as much innocent blood as they could. Neither Spell Casters or Eunons were spared from their destructive wrath."

"Eunons?" Lancer asked.

"It's what we call people who aren't able to cast magic by normal means." Kai informed. "Trust me, there's more of them than you'd expect."

The Leoto brothers nodded and continued listening in on Zuken's explanation.

"Zolto and the Warlocks were defeated, thankfully, but their damage to perceptions of spellcasting and magic as a whole was already done. Nowadays, even fourteen years later, Spell Casters are either feared or considered nothing, but remnants of a past era that refuses to die." Royal Legion West's Grandmaster revealed. He clutched his head in frustration and took a deep breath. "And considering that our guild's main specialty is building harmony between Eunons and Spell Casters, it's all a little bit frustrating to deal with, to be honest. But, eh, such is life, I suppose."

Lanosis crossed his arms and took a moment to process this information. He held out his hand in confusion.

"So what then? We're living in some world where spellcasting is dying out or something? Pardon me if I think that's just a tad bit misleading. Magic was pretty much all the rage back in the Gamma Kingdom. The Shadow Kingdom is likely the same way too."

Cadroka pursed her lips. "The Gamma and Shadow Kingdoms are notable exceptions, not the rule, Lanosis. They, at one point, may have been called Royal Legion North, but the moment that invisible barrier of theirs was created, their relation to us was rendered null and void. They barely involved themselves with the Caster War, so any mention of them should be considered irrelevant to this discussion."

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Her eyes then glowed a bright pink as she transmitted a telepathic message to both Lancer and Lanosis's minds.

Just like how your arrival here brings about far more problems than benefits, Gamma Princes.

The older sibling narrowed his eyes and glared at her.

"What's that supposed to mean? If you have something to say, say it out loud, so everyone can hear it, granny!"

"No need. Everyone understood what I said quite well." Cadroka snorted. "I can control telepathic messages in whatever way I desire, after all. I wouldn't hold the title of Master if I wasn't able to."

Kai furrowed his eyebrows and stood in front of the Psychic Caster. As always, it appeared that she was jumping to conclusions in the worst way possible.

"Lighten up a little, Caddie. These two have been through a lot today." He whispered. "I don't think they have anywhere else to go..."

Cadroka still wouldn't budge. She grimaced and slightly pushed Kai away from her using psychokinesis.

"That may be the case, but children of the Gamma Kingdom don't just leave Snardentus without good reason. There's a chance they could lure a group of Gamma Casters to this temple and bring untold amounts of destruction to it. I just don't think we can afford that kind of risk."

The old master recovered from Cadroka's push and adjusted his staff. He had known Cadroka long enough to realize that there was something more to her erratic behavior than she claimed. "Hm. This is because of him, isn't it? You still think he'll pose a threat to any new students we take in, don't you?"

A mix of sadness and rage was suddenly etched over Cadroka's face. She then bit her lower lip and tried her best to conceal that reaction.

"Typical. You always try to psychoanalyze me in these types of situations, but it never, nor will it ever, work, Kairo! I know what's best for this Royal Legion and your choice to bring in these two boys is not it!"

Zuken casually raised both of his hands and latched onto the two Masters' energy signatures with his own Eun. Within the blink of an eye, he then thrust them apart from each other and positioned them on two separate sides of the temple's courtyard.

"Save your bickering for later. I don't appreciate your immediate dismissal of these children, Caddie, but I do understand your concerns, nonetheless."

"Woah. What kind of magic was that?" Lanosis gaped in awe.

"Force Magic. I grab onto my own or another person's Eun, and manipulate it any way I see fit. This includes altering their kinetic energies and positions, which I just showcased now."

The thirteen-year-old nodded. From his perspective, Grandmaster Zuken already seemed way more interesting and competent than Kai was. These unique abilities of his pretty much proved that assumption to be the case.

"Cool."

Lancer then cleared his throat and tried to ease Cadroka's worries in some way.

"I know you don't really trust us right now, but... what Kai told you is true. Our dad, King Lanctern Leoto, was murdered by some monster named Gammael just a few hours ago, give or take. He's taken over the entire Gamma Kingdom, so we really can't go back there, even if we really wanted to." He said while struggling to hold back his tears. "W-We're not even sure if our mom is still alive..."

"Oh, you poor dears!" Nell gasped. "Is there anything that can be done to fix this?!"

"Yeah. Getting strong enough to kick that guy's slimy, turncoat ass and take back our home!" Lanosis yelled.

Ralko balked at such a ludicrous declaration.

"Impossible! Gamma Casters are in a league of their own, boy. Now that you're outside the Gamma Barrier, it'll take decades for you to even reach the level of an average Gamma Kingdom soldier, let alone one of their top generals."

"We don't care how long it takes us. We just want to grow stronger as Spell Casters and fulfill a promise we made to our uncle." Lancer turned around to look at all five Master Casters. "And you guys are our only hope of doing so."

The look of utter sadness and desperation on Lancer's face was palpable, but not entirely convincing for everyone there. Cadroka, as a Psychic Caster, especially found it difficult to change her perspective from one viewpoint to another. However, she wasn't a heartless old woman by any means. Try as she might, she just couldn't seem to stop herself from sympathizing with Lancer's pain. She too had experienced quite a bit of loss in the past, some of which still haunted her to this very day.

She then clasped her hands and ever-so-slightly softened her stance on the children's stay here.

"Perhaps my concerns were somewhat unwarranted, child. I truly am sorry for your loss." Cadroka then abruptly raised one of her fingers. "But in the end, it is not my decision to accept your enrollment as Spell Casters. That would be Zuken's."

Kai stroked his beard and said, "Well, I'm sure I should get a say in this too, considering that I brought them here and—"

"You know what I meant, Kai."

For a moment or two, Zuken rested a hand under his chin and inspected the boys' energies. They were rather low, of course, but had the potential to accelerate far faster than other children their age.

Lanosis, in particular, seemed to have the most potential by far. Although he wasn't a Spell Spirit's host like Lancer was, electric Eun appeared to fluctuate in tandem with his current emotional state.

Dalquilae adjusted her position on his shoulder and whispered, "What do you think, Grandmaster?"

"Hm. Decisions, decisions..." Zuken muttered under his breath. He exchanged direct eye contact with Lanosis before nodding his head.

"I see no issue with accepting Lancer and Lanosis as our newest students. It'd be a disgrace to Royal Brother Eaglar's memory if we left his guild to rot and decay like Royal Legion South did so many years ago." He proclaimed knowledgeably. "Though their training can only begin under one, simple condition..."

The two brothers glanced at one another in nervousness.

"And what condition would that be?" Lanosis asked.

Zuken grandfatherly smiled from ear-to-ear and held out his hand.

"I'd prefer that you two train under different instructors, rather than the same one. Lancer will be training with Master Kai while you, as the eldest brother, will be training with me."

A figurate pin dropped in that moment. Lanosis looked incredibly pleased by this request while Ralko almost fell backward from shock. Lancer, on the other hand, felt more conflicted than anything else.

"What?! B-But you're the Grandmaster, Zuken! You're supposed to observe our training practices, not take in a student yourself."

"Times are changing, Ralkorodane. I'd rather not stand around and do nothing as our Royal Legion collapses right in front of us." He stated matter-of-factly. "Besides, as a thirteen-year-old boy, Lanosis will be in need of more advanced training methods. He may be a loudmouthed ruffian now, but given the magical energy his body is giving off, I can see him becoming a powerful Spell Caster, eventually."

Lanosis deadpanned. "Dumb insult inside, I'd be down with that. You'll sure as hell be a better instructor than Kai would be."

Kai simply tipped his hat and smirked.

"Let your little brother be the judge of that, Lanosis."

"But why separate us like this? Wouldn't it be easier for us to learn at the same pace?" Lancer asked.

"You and your brother have very different personalities. You're kind, softspoken, and thoughtful while Lanosis is well, the complete opposite. No offense."

"None taken."

"These contrasting attitudes were reflected in your tag match against Master Kai. Lanosis was more outwardly aggressive in his attacks while you utilized your speed to outmaneuver Kai and knock him off his staff." Zuken continued. "In a sense, you're the thunder and lightning of a storm. Two sides of the same coin, but with abilities and attributes that differ greatly from one another at the same time."

Lancer took a liking to this comparison. "Thunder and lightning, huh?"

"Lanosis and Kai just aren't compatible with one another either. Mutual respect between a student and their master is required for training to work, and Lanosis simply doesn't hold such reverence for Kai at all."

"That's an understatement." Lanosis snorted.

"Oho! And you think he'll treat you any differently, Zuken? I see someone's cocky today."

"Not at all, my friend. If Lanosis proves to be troublesome, I'll make him respect my authority as his teacher. It may take a while, but he'll come around, I'm sure."

Lanosis gulped at the dark, almost threatening glint in Zuken's eyes.

Maybe being Kai's student doesn't sound so bad.

"Guess all of that makes sense. What'll Cadroka, Ralko, Nell, and Dalquilae be doing then?" Lancer asked.

"In time, they'll have their own students to train, hopefully, but at the moment, each of them will keep themselves rather busy around the temple. Nella cooks and cleans, Cadroka communicates with people from Coligad who are seeking magical assistance, and Ralko gathers supplies from Aquila Forest and other areas."

He then lightly stroked Dalquilae's chin, causing her to chirp with delight.

"As for Daily, she's our resident navigator and primary mode of transportation. She may assist you and Lanosis in your training every so often."

Lanosis quirked a brow. He wasn't sure if he heard him correctly.

"Mode of transportation? For what? Bugs?"

"I'd prefer if you didn't insist on insulting my intelligence, hatchling!" Dalquilae snapped. "You want me to show them, Zuken?"

"Might as well."

"Alright."

She kicked her feet off of Zuken's shoulder and soared into the air. To Lancer and Lanosis's surprise, green Eun engulfed the Aquila's body and transformed her into a gigantic, golden-feathered eagle. Her purple eyes were now more slanted and intimidating than before as she landed in front of the two boys.

The entire temple shook from side-to-side and knocked both of them off their feet.

"How did you—"

"Makes me put any airplane to shame now, doesn't it?" She said in a slightly deeper voice.

"I did mention that Aquilae could get pretty huge. Dale here is probably one of the biggest and strongest ones there is, in fact." Kai chuckled.

To everyone's further surprise, Dalquilae pecked her beak at Master Kai and sent him crashing down into the ground. There was now a huge crater in the temple's stone floor where Kai once stood.

"Ow..."

"Stop calling me fat, you ignoramus! I'm just... big-boned in this form! That's all."

"So, our training's going to involve us flying to different places then?" Lancer inquired.

"Not necessarily. Dalquilae will only fly you to locations that are in need of our assistance. It's really our only way of earning Jinko for our Royal Legion nowadays." Zuken explained. "Though improving our relationships with Eunon communities doesn't hurt either."

He then nodded his head, giving Dalquilae the signal to shrink back down to her normal form. After doing just that, the eagle winced in minor soreness.

"I really wish shrinking like this didn't do such a number on my back." She whined.

Nell frowned at the spot where Kai was nearly pecked to death. "And I wish you didn't do so much damage to the floor. I just had that cleaned the other day."

"Oh... sorry. We can always just have Kairo clean it up for you."

"Huh?! What did I do? I'm the victim here!"

"You're always the victim." Ralko spat in disgust.

"Enough, everyone. We need to give these boys some new clothes. We wouldn't want their identities as Gamma Princes to be compromised by anyone." Zuken instructed.

Nell clapped her hands together in excitement and beamed.

"New clothes, you say? Great! I know just the type of outfits they'll need."

Strands of her long black hair came to life and snaked their way over to the Leoto's. One by one, they branched out into even smaller strands until each prince was susceptible to their effects.

"Lancer, am I going crazy, or does her hair have a mind of its own?" Lanosis inquired.

"You're not going crazy at all, dearest! Through this unique variation of Body Magic, I'm able to transfer Eun into parts of my hair and control it in any way I see fit!" Nell warmly revealed. "Allow me to demonstrate."

The clumps of hair simultaneously pounced on Lancer and Lanosis, wrapping them up in tightly bound cocoons that kept their bodies in place.

"W-What's happening?"

"Gah! Get this stuff off of me!"

Nell wagged her finger. "Don't be struggling now, boys. My hair needs to scan your Eun to make sure it's creating an outfit that will suit your respective needs."

Heeding her advice, the two stopped moving and let the hair fully wrap around them. A tingling sensation could be felt brushing up against every pore of their skin until, finally, the clothes they were wearing had been magically replaced with new ones.

In a burst of tannish brown energy, Nell freed them from their cocoons and retracted her tendrils of hair. She looked relatively pleased by the results.

"All done. What do you think?"

Lancer opened his eyes to see that he was wearing a blue tunic with a yellow, short-sleeved undershirt. He also had spiky yellow wristbands and shoes of the same color.

"It's gonna take some getting used to, but I like it a lot. Thank you, Ms. Nell."

"Yeah, this isn't bad. Not bad at all." Lanosis murmured. He was wearing a dark blue vest with long light blue sleeves and bronze shoulder-pads. He had a collar and belt that were bronze as well.

Nell brushed her hair back and said, "I knew you would like them. They're quite befitting of two young, handsome Storm Casters, I'd say."

Lanosis moved his arms around and flexed them a little. It was different from his original outfit, but far more comfortable by a large margin. Comfort, unfortunately, wouldn't do much take away from the downsides of their new living arrangements, though.

From this day forward, him and Lancer were no longer royalty. They'd need to live and act like everyone else now, no matter how difficult that may be.

"So... when do we start training?"

Zuken looked up at the sky and squinted his eyes. Apart from the moon and stars, everything else was pitch black.

"Perhaps tomorrow morning. You boys deserve some rest after everything you've been through today." He said. "Nell can go cook you something to eat in the temple's Dining Hall. I'm sure you're both starving."

"Well, now that you mention it..." Lancer's stomach began to growl, causing him to blush from embarrassment. "I actually am kinda hungry."

"Oh, why didn't say so, sweetie? Let's go and fill that tummy up with something delicious!"

Nell practically dragged Lancer and Lanosis inside the temple, much to their chagrin.

"Just don't get any of your hair on the food, please."

Once they were gone, Ralko nervously glanced over at the entrance in concern. He looked from the door to Dalquilae and his fellow masters in quick succession.

"I should... erm... probably see if Nella needs any help in the kitchen."

He then bolted after them, leaving a trail of icy mist and fog in his path. This caused Kai to chuckle at the Ice Caster's expense.

"Heh! Ralko's still being a big softy as always."

"For someone as sweet as Nella, it's hard not to be." Cadroka said with a slight grin on her face. She then became more serious and darted her eyes toward Kai. "Again, are you certain taking in Lancer as your student is wise?

Zuken narrowed his eyes. "Don't say another word, Caddie. That wasn't his fault."

"No, it's fine, Zuken. I get what she's talking about and trust me, I'm a little uncertain myself." Kai sighed. "All of us have a lot to learn from what happened that night, but this kid... he's different, Caddie. I can feel it. He managed to tap into Ridmos's power without any prior training, for Allimon's sake! That's not even something Balthazar Zolto could do."

"Yes, but Zolto is dead. You should have forgotten about that tyrant the moment you had your last battle with him." Cadroka snapped in frustration. "I have no clue what you're trying to pull here, Kairo, but that child, Lancer, is his own person with his own connections and responsibilities. He's not someone who can give you that fated rematch you've so desperately dreamed of. None of your past students could either."

Kai's eyes slightly drooped as he nodded his head in understanding.

"Caddie is right. The only similarities between Balthazar and Lancer are their Spell Spirit." Dalquilae chimed in.

"Exactly. That's why I have a chance to help Lancer establish a stronger bond with Ridmos than Zolto ever could." Kai said, revealing his main motivation for becoming Lancer's mentor. "Then, who knows? Maybe he will prove to be that great challenge I've always been looking for."

He then stretched out his arms and yawned.

"But for now, it's time to get some grub. I'm famished."

Without another word, he walked into the temple and headed for the Dining Hall. Cadroka pinched the bridge of her nose and, begrudgingly, did the same thing.

"I swear. That idiot better listen to what I had to say about all of this."

Zuken and Dalquilae were now the only ones left in the courtyard. He quickly gave the Aquila permission to join the others and stood alone, looking up at the moon. The Grandmaster frowned, thinking back to what Cadroka said to Kai just a few minutes ago.

Remember what happened last time. I wouldn't want that boy to experience the same fate.

"Let's hope that Prophet Shuno doesn't come back to haunt us then."

Afterwards, he turned around, causing his cape to flap against the wind as he entered Royal Legion West and joined the others.