Chapter 63: An unexpected Twist I.

Zeke was roused from his slumber by one of the maids in the morning. From the moment he opened his bleary eyes, he knew that this day would be a trying one. He regretted his decision to stay up so late immediately as he tried to shake the sleepiness from his mind.

He dragged himself to the training room and donned his resistance suit. The gears and springs of which finally provided the necessary stimulus to fully awaken him.

Upon stepping onto his obstacle course, he attempted to best his previous time, though he ultimately fell short. Still, by the end of the exercise, he was wide awake and alert, if not triumphant. As was typical, his heart pounded in his chest, a sensation he had yet to find a way to tame. He took a shower, allowing the water to wash over him as he waited for his pulse to slow. He knew from experience that until his heart calmed, his mood would be increasingly irascible.

Zeke put on a set of fresh clothing, one of the few ones that had survived yesterday's experimentation, and made his way to Sophia's mansion. Her home was located in the prestigious and affluent noble district of the city. Zeke didn't pay any attention to what he was wearing. He was not concerned about running into any members of the imperial family or nobility. Sophia had assured him that she lived alone after all.

Zeke wandered the noble district for a while. He didn't know his way around these parts very well, as he had not needed to come here very often in the past. The description Sophia had given him led to a section with the most affluent villas he had ever seen. The guards the patrolled the streets at regular intervals gave him suspicious looks. It was readily apparent that he wasn't from around here by his cheap clothing and darting eyes. Zeke had to agree with their assessment, he also didn't feel like he belonged here at all. As quickly as he could, he made his way to Sophia's mansion.

He approached a grand building. It was surrounded by lush gardens and tended to by a team of diligent workers. Zeke was surprised at how different from his imagination the place actually was. For one, the mansion was truly enormous. Even from the outside, he could see a flurry of activity as servants bustled about. They were constantly ensuring that the house was spotless and in perfect order. He couldn't help but think that when Sophia mentioned "living alone" she must have had a different understanding of the term.

For a second, Zeke considered that he might have come to the wrong place. A moment later, however, he spotted the plaque beside the gate that said "Willensbrecher". The familiar name ensured Zeke that he was indeed in the right place.

Zeke was just about to call out to one of the gate guards nearby when the man opened the gate and stepped aside. The boy was left wondering if he had missed some kind of secret password. The young mage could not help but feel a sense of unease, as he couldn't quite make sense of the guard's behavior. Was it normal for the guards to simply step aside for any stranger that approached?

As he stepped inside the gate, he couldn't shake off the feeling of something not being right. He was starting to worry about Sophia's safety. But then he heard her voice in his mind, clear as day, "Come in already." The guard, upon seeing that Zeke's confused face had cleared up, gave him a smile and a knowing wink.

As Zeke entered the grand mansion, he couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and wonder. He was struck by the stark contrast between the opulent surroundings and the humble home he had grown up in. The grandeur of the mansion was a clear reminder of the social divide between himself and Sophia. He couldn't shake the feeling of inadequacy, and he found himself feeling self-conscious in his simple linen clothes. For the first time in Zeke's life, he wished he had taken the time to groom himself better.

Sophia greeted him with a radiant smile as usual, but as she got closer, her smile faltered. She now looked at him with a concerned expression on her face.

"What is wrong?" she asked, her voice tinged with worry.

Zeke was confused by the sudden change in Sophia's demeanor. Had he already made some kind of mistake in etiquette? Tentatively he asked, "what are you talking about?"

Sophia's expression changed to one of disapproval, "You were so excited to be here when you arrived at the gate. Now, only minutes later, you seem uncomfortable. Did you think I wouldn't notice?"

Zeke had to remind himself that he was dealing with one of the most talented Mind Mages of the empire. He knew that hiding his emotions from her would be a futile task. He looked around the palace with a bitter smile and spoke. "It's nothing serious, I just felt a bit out of place when I realized the grandeur of your home."

Sophia rolled her eyes, taking his hand and leading him to the second floor. As they entered a room that looked like a study, Zeke was surprised by what he found. There was a stark contrast between this room and the rest of the palace he had seen so far. The study was simple and unadorned, unlike the opulence on display in the rest of the mansion.

Sophia sat on the couch, gesturing for Zeke to take a seat beside her. The boy took the offered spot beside her, feeling a sense of unease as she scrutinized him with an intense gaze. After a moment of tense silence, she spoke up, her voice serious.

"Do you know how mind control works?" she asked casually, as if inquiring about the weather.

Zeke hesitated, unsure of where this conversation was heading. "I...I suppose so," he stammered. "Isn't it about overwhelming a target's mind and controlling their actions with magic?"

Sophia shook her head, her expression grave. "No, that is just what the Geistreich want people to believe. In reality, the easiest way to control someone's mind is to chip away at it constantly. After doing that for a while, they can't tell left from right anymore."

Zeke sat on the couch beside Sophia, listening intently as she began to explain the intricacies of Mind Magic. "Let me give you an easy-to-understand example of what I am talking about. Do you think this house, this palace, looks like this by accident?" she asked, gesturing around her, indicating the mansion they were in.

"Of course not. Every single detail was designed to evoke a certain emotion in those who visit. Because that is exactly how mind magic works. It is very hard to force a person to do or feel something they don't want to. But you can easily create a situation where they are inclined to do or feel certain things."

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Zeke furrowed his brows, trying to make sense of Sophia's words. He had heard disconcerting rumors about what the Mind Mages of the Geistreich family could do. But what Sophia had just described sounded more like subtle manipulation than the proper mind control he had imagined. Could his mentor have been wrong about this?

"What about the stories of the Geistreich breaking the minds of their opponents and turning them into puppets?" Zeke asked, his voice filled with uncertainty. He didn't know if this was a taboo subject, but he really wanted to know the answer.

Sophia shook her head. "Those are just stories, meant to intimidate. The true mark of a good Mind Mage is their ability to control the way others perceive reality around them. It might be subtle, but this way is much more effective than using brute force."

Zeke sat back on the couch, deep in thought. He had been led to believe that the Geistreichs Mind Magic was a blunt tool of oppression, but now he was beginning to see it in a different light. Perhaps there was more to this magic than he had previously thought.

Sophia continued her explanation, her eyes gleaming with knowledge. "The moment you stepped into this house, you likely felt as though you didn't belong here. Perhaps you even felt that you were not on the same social level as the owner of such a grand palace." She gestured towards herself with a sweep of her hand. "It's not quite the same for everyone, but I believe that was the feeling my mother intended to instill in visitors when she had this house built.

"You see, that is exactly how a Mind Mage operates. Before even meeting you, they will try to make you feel uneasy and unsure of yourself. You were already thinking of yourself as inferior. And in such a state, it is the perfect position for a mind mage to start planting suggestions into your head."

Sophia leaned back into the couch as if the explanation had drained her of energy. Zeke sat in silence, contemplating her words carefully. After a moment, he spoke again.

"All of that makes a lot of sense to me, but I don't think Maximilian would misunderstand to such a degree. Not if that was all there was to it."

Sophia seemed unwilling to meet his gaze, her eyes avoiding his as though she had something to hide. For a moment, there was nothing but silence between them, and he could sense that this was not a topic she was eager to discuss. But then, with a deep breath, she began to speak.

"You are correct," she said, her voice low and measured. "Your mentor, Maximilian, has indeed seen another side to our Mind Magic. As you might have realized already, it is a powerful tool for diplomacy, trade, and negotiation. A Mind Mage almost always has the upper hand in any non-violent confrontation. Our magic, however, is not as useful on the battlefield. But my ancestors did not rise to their position through peaceful means, you see."

She paused, her eyes flicking up to meet his for the briefest of moments before looking away once more. "What Maximilian was referring to was a special procedure, one that my family has developed as a weapon of war."

He could see the reluctance in her eyes, the weight of her family's history heavy upon her shoulders. He knew better than to press her, and instead just waited for her to talk on her own.

"There is a way," Sophia began, her face contorting with discomfort. "To use Mind Magic to create those 'Puppets' that Maximilian surely told you about. But it is not a spell that can be used in combat."

She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "It is a technique that is used on prisoners. The reason it cannot be used in combat is that the method needs a long time to take effect. The person you wish to 'break' must be under the influence of the procedure for a prolonged period of time. We are talking about days, weeks even, for some people."

Sophia's eyes met Zeke's, and he could see her inner conflict in their depths. "For the spell to take effect, it needs to be supplemented by the application of violence and medication," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Or so the handbook claims."

Zeke knew immediately what she was referring to. She was talking about torture and drugs. The thought of using such dark methods made his stomach turn. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of person would sink so low, and the answer to that question made him uneasy. There was a long moment of silence between them before Sophia spoke again. The forced cheer in her voice made it obvious that she was trying to lighten the mood.

"The story of how Maximilian came to despise Mind Mages is a well-known tale, among those in the know, anyway. The story was once so famous that even the common folk were familiar with it."

Zeke was taken aback by Sophia's words. How could he, a student of Maximilian's, have never heard of these events if they were so infamous? Sophia seemed to sense his confusion and added, "I imagine Maximilian would never speak of those days willingly. Nevertheless, I believe you have a right to know what occurred in the past, would you like me to tell you about it?"

Zeke nodded, his interest piqued. He wanted to learn more about his mentor's past, to understand the events that shaped the man he knew today.

Sophia took a moment to gather her thoughts before imparting to Zeke the history of his mentor. "When Maximilian advanced to the rank of Arch Mage, he was appointed as the commander of the western wall." She began, but upon noting Zeke's confusion, she explained further.

"The 'Commander of the western wall' is a crucial position that was first established after the Great Western Expansion." Sophia elaborated, but after noticing that Zeke was not familiar with this term either, she could only sigh. He was starting to get embarrassed by his lack of knowledge on the subject. He had seen several books about the wars of the empire and historical battles in his mind's library but never taken the time to read any. If he was given the chance between spell theory and history he would choose the former every day. He still made a note to himself to at least learn the most important events in the history of the empire.

"The Great Western Expansion was a military offensive in which the empire capitalized on a mistake made by an enemy nation, gaining a substantial amount of territory in the west. However, our enemies were not pleased with this and launched fierce counterattacks. In order to hold on to at least some of the newly conquered land, the empire had to take drastic measures."

"The troops were ordered to fight a slow retreat, giving the empire enough time to build fortifications. Many soldiers sacrificed their lives to make this possible. Ultimately, the empire had to relinquish about half of the newly claimed land, but was able to secure the rest with the help of the western wall."

"To this day, the western wall signifies the westernmost part of the empire and the position of its commander is one of honor and responsibility. The story claims that when your mentor first accepted the position, he was eager to prove his worth. Maximilian tried his best to come up with creative measures to secure the territory.

But the commander of the enemy was an equally talented mage called Mara Sonnenstrahl. She was a light mage from the famous Sonnenstrahl family. It is said that she was Maximilian's equal in both battle-might and command. For years, the two of them danced around each other, both of them gaining small victories and incurring small losses. With time, it became obvious that nobody would be able to easily get an advantage over the other." Sophia told the story with excitement, as if talking about her favorite hero's tale.

"It is said that over the years, Maximilian developed a profound amount of respect for his opponent, Mara. Some sources even claim that he had fallen in love with her. Sophia said this last part with a strange note in her voice. Zeke was certain that she was among the people who believed in this theory."

But before Zeke could tease her about this, Sophia's face changed to one of deep sorrow as she continued. "People thought that things would go on forever like this, but after almost a century of back and forth, there was finally a change in the situation. Mara was captured."