The moment Ezekiel regained consciousness, he knew something was amiss. He couldn't make out anything in the absolute blackness surrounding him. He was lying on a hard, wooden surface, and he could hear the sound of hooves on the ground and metal-rimmed tires on cobbled streets.

Ezekiel didn't move an inch, instead using his [Perfect Spatial Awareness] to take in his surroundings. He did not want to give away the fact that he had regained consciousness. The radius of his spell had reached around three and a half meters after his last use of a space affinity crystal. He could clearly identify his surroundings through it.

Zeke was lying in the cargo hold of a carriage, a cloth draped over the loading area. He knew those kinds of carriages well, as the farmers of his village used them to transport wheat and grains. He took a moment to evaluate his own situation next. His hands and feet were tied with chains and manacles, and he had a gag in his mouth. The restraints and his position made it clear that he was a prisoner. He didn't know why, but his unknown assailants were transporting him somewhere.

Through the use of his spell, he could make out two people sitting on the coach of the carriage. Both of the men were staring ahead as they guided the vehicle through the streets of the capital. Ezekiel recognized from the quality of the tiles beneath the carriage that they had left the noble district behind. If he had to guess, Ezekiel would put his money on them being in the crafter quarter right now.

Ezekiel's mind raced as he tried to piece together what had happened. He had been on his way to meet Maximilian when he was ambushed. But by whom? And why? Zeke decided to just stay put and watch the two men as the carriage made its way through the city, he needed more information before he could act. He lay there, taking in his surroundings, his mind working quickly to process what was happening.

As they left the main street and entered one of the dark side alleys, one of the men finally spoke up. "Are you sure he's not going to wake up?" the first man asked, his voice filled with uncertainty.

The second man scoffed, his voice full of disdain. "I've used that tool to knock out ogres before, and they didn't wake up for hours. How would a little first-year mage be able to wake up before we leave the city?"

The first man didn't seem convinced. "I don't know, Ed. They told us to be careful with this one. There must be a reason for that."

The second man just shook his head. "When will you ever learn to relax? We managed to catch him. He's chained and gagged. So what if he were to wake up? Can he run away like that?"

This seemed to calm the first man down, as he relaxed back against the backrest. Ezekiel realized that judging from how nervous the first man had still been, not much time could have passed since he was taken. He relaxed a little at that realization. The capital city was huge, and they seemed to be moving through a lot of back alleys. At this pace, it would take them hours to leave the capital.

Ezekiel waited for the man to speak again and decided to think of an escape plan in the meantime. Some time passed before the first man spoke again. "Why would that guy pay us so much money to get rid of a first-year Fire Mage? I thought they were pretty much all under the control of his family anyway?"

The second man, Ed, responded in a conspiratorial voice: "He is not a Fire Mage, Sam."

Sam was taken aback by that claim: "What? With that hair? He has to be." Sam said.

"No, he's a blood mage, perfect affinity, even," Ed replied.

The moment Sam heard that the person they had kidnapped was a blood mage with perfect affinity, his demeanor completely shattered. He whisper-shouted at Ed. "Please, Ed, please tell me that the guy we just kidnapped is not the rumored student of Maximilian Bombastus von Fucking Hohenheim!"

Ed quickly clamped a hand over Sam's mouth, his tone urgent. "Not so fucking loud, man. Do you want us to get caught!?"

Sam calmed down after a moment, nodding to Ed to release him. Ed looked into Sam's eyes, still skeptical if it was really alright to release him already, but without a better choice, he withdrew his hand.

There was a tense silence between the two men for a while before Sam spoke again. "Are you out of your mind to accept this contract?"

Ed seemed to ponder Sam's question for a moment before he replied. "Look, Sam, times are tough right now. With all the nobles preoccupied with the war, there isn't much work for people like us. I tried to turn the contract down, I swear I did. But that bastard just told me that we wouldn't have any more Feuerkranz business if we turned this down. That's not something we can afford to happen, Sammy, it's just not."

There was a moment of silence between the two men as Ed spoke. Sam began to relax, though only because he seemed resigned to the situation. "Fine, it's too late to back out anyway now. But do you realize what will happen to us if that crazy old man catches us? I heard he killed more Feuerkranz mages than a whole Valorian knight order, the last time they tried to force him to give up his research. If I had to choose who I want after me, it wouldn't be that old monster, let me tell you."

Ed actually chuckled at Sam's comment. "My dear friend, you don't need to remind me of the danger we're in," he said. "Do you think I relish the idea of dragging this boy outside the capital in the dead of night? If it weren't for that old man, we could have killed him and tossed his body in a ditch somewhere. But with the connections that man has, we might as well turn ourselves in if we did that."

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He leaned in conspiratorially, his voice dropping to a whisper. "No, today we're doing everything by the book. We'll take him outside the city and drive for a couple of hours. Far enough that the life mages won't be able to feel his death anymore. Then, we'll hide out in the wilds for a while until this entire thing blows over. With the reward from this job, we won't need to work for at least a year after this, Sammy."

Ed seemed proud of how meticulously he had planned everything. Zeke, on the other hand, could feel cold sweat running down his back as he realized what was in store for him should he be unable to escape.

As they rode through the twisting back alleys of the capital, Sammy's excitement grew as well. He and Ed began to discuss their plans for the vast sum of money they would soon earn. They both agreed that the best investment for such a large sum would be in the city's brothels. The vivid descriptions of their intended purchases sent a shiver down Ezekiel's spine. He had to get out of here.

Ezekiel's mind raced as he searched for any opportunity to escape. He was starting to consider taking desperate measures. But just then, the two kidnappers began discussing something of great interest to him. Sammy asked, "Do you have any idea why the young master would spend so much money merely to get rid of a kid?" Ezekiel's ears perked up. He had long suspected that these men had been sent by Alexander Feuerkranz. The young heir of the powerful Feuerkranz family. He had always wondered why the young lord seemed to hold such hatred for him.

"He didn't say," Ed began, and Zeke was already feeling disappointed after getting his hopes up. "But I do have a theory." Ed continued, clearly enjoying how much Sam was hanging on every word he spoke.

"Do you remember the Gründaum family, Sammy?" Sam nodded at the question and Ed went on with his explanation. "Have you heard anything about them in the last 50 years?"

Sam thought about it for a while, but couldn't come up with anything. "No, but I'm not exactly keeping my ears open for news of them. What are you trying to say, Ed?"

Ed had started to stuff his pipe and lit it before explaining further. "Well, the family doesn't exist anymore. All of them dead; parents, grandparents, and even the young ones. Do you know why?" Ed asked, but he didn't wait for a response before answering his own question. "Because they had the lineage of a Nature Mage with a Perfect affinity. All those families that we heard about over the years: The Gründaums, the Schattenwebers, the Blitzwerfers, all those families that were really famous for a while because of their perfect affinity progenitors have mysteriously disappeared over the years. Do you realize that?"

Sam didn't seem convinced, his brow furrowed in confusion. "So what? People die, families die. What's your point?"

Ed gave Sam a look, one of disdain and disappointment. "Do you really believe that, Sammy? You read too many fucking stories, my friend. How could such coincidences continue to happen? Let me ask you something that might change your mind. What do you believe is the difference between the four great families and all the other noble families?"

Sam thought for a moment, his mind racing to find the answer. "They have more power, more money, and better connections?"

Ed nodded, a hint of satisfaction in his voice. "That is true, but those things were all accumulated over time. The reason they were able to attain all those things is because of their bloodline."

"What bloodline? You actually believe in that crap?" Sam asked, his voice tinged with confusion and disbelief.

Ed paused, weighing the merits of continuing the argument. After a moment of contemplation, he decided to press on. "Yes, Sammy, I do believe that," he said, his tone dripping with disdain. "Do you truly think it's mere coincidence that almost all the mages in the empire hail from noble families? And of the roughly one hundred individuals with perfect affinities produced in the last thousand years, nearly ninety have been from one of the four great families. Can you truly call that coincidence, you fool?"

Sam was taken aback by the numbers, unable to form a proper response. He simply asked, "What do you think is the reason for this, Ed?"

Zeke was also interested in this theory, and he listened intently as Ed spoke. "So, you know how the core merges with the body as soon as a mage reaches the level of Arch Mage, yes?" Ed asked Sam, who nodded in response.

"There is a rumor going around," Ed continued, "that if those with a perfect affinity reach the Arch Mage level, something special happens. Their body gets attuned to the element so much that it changes them on a fundamental level. Apparently, the children of those people are almost guaranteed to have the same affinity, and a high one at that."

Ed leaned forward, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Let me tell you, Sammy, there is a reason all those kids from the four great families always have the same affinities as their ancestors. And every time a kid with perfect affinity is born, they can train him to the Arch Mage level and 'refresh' their bloodline."

Sam frowned, trying to make sense of Ed's words. "But what about the others? The kids with perfect affinities who aren't born into the great families?"

Ed leaned forward even farther. "Ah, that's the crux of the matter, isn't it? You see, if a commoner were to produce a child with a perfect affinity, there are two ways this could go. In most cases, one of the great families would simply adopt the kid. But if the mages refused, it would be seen as a threat to the established order. The great families wouldn't do anything right away, in my opinion. They merely wait and see if the mage manages to reach the Arch Mage level before passing away. If they don't, they don't do anything. But if they do, they eliminate any competition by eliminating the entire bloodline."

Sam's mind reeled with the implications of Ed's words. "But then why are we acting against this brat now? Why not just wait and see what happens with this child as well?"

Ed shrugged. "I suppose it's because of old man Maximilian. He's always been a thorn in the side of the great families. And with the child in his care, they can't force him to marry into one of their own. Not to mention, that there is no great family of Blood Mages in the empire anyway, nor will there ever be one. I think the great families have grown desperate. They see him as easier to eliminate now, while he is still young and weak. Rather than risk him growing into a powerful force they cannot control.

"Imagine, my friend, trying to catch a Space mage once they learn to teleport. It would be a nightmare. No, it is far better to strike now, while the opportunity presents itself." Ed leaned against the wooden backrest of the carriage, the weight of his words hanging heavy in the air.

Zeke listened with a mix of fascination and horror as Ed spoke. The man had revealed a dark truth behind the powerful bloodlines of the empire's mages. He knew that the mage might not be absolutely correct in his assumptions. To Zeke, however, this new information cleared up a lot of the mysteries that he had been wondering about.

As the conversation drew to a close, an idea began to take root in his mind. One that he knew was dangerous, yet it might be his only chance in this situation.