《Lord of Charm》


 Chapter 1 Prologue

    ?He was the strongest, A god above all gods, However, he was no longer happy about it. After the initial excitement he was only met with contempt and scorn by everyone around him ¨C the pile of betrayed friends, abandoned lovers, and lies he has left behind him on his way to the top left almost nobody unaffected, everyone who took part in his journey was used and disposed of.


    The gods were no exception, they fell for his charms, too, and nearly all of them were used by him just to be discardedter when they could no longer be of any help to him. Whoever wasn''t used, at least knew one god who was treated this way.


    "they''re all hypocrites. Who didn''t leave behind him a huge pile of bodies on their ascendence to godhood? On the other hand, I have only abandoned my allies behind without any massacres! In fact, I must be the god with the lowest kill count ever! Hypocrites! I simply did what made the most sense with what I had!"


    The man shouted at the empty air, and the casual venting of a god sent ripples that might have caused a supernova somewhere.


    "Anyone would make the same choices as me. I''ll prove it!"


    He made his decision, he will show the world that everyone would take the same route as him, even the purest of them all. He thought of a n and immediately started its execution.


    "First, I need a genuinely good person, someone at the bottom of power with a long journey ahead of him if he wishes for power."


    He started scanning mortal countries, searching for someone with good opportunities to take full advantage of the powers he ns to endow his chosen one, yet one who should not abuse those powers by his moral code, limiting himself to slow development and weakness.


    "Aha! This one fits the bill perfectly."


    The god watched a young man, 18 years old, patiently providing food to an old beggar on the street.


    "Third son of an Earl. He won''t inherit his father''s title, and because he has no other redeeming qualities other than going around and helping strangers, he won''t get any good job under his big brother''s future rule and he is aware of it, therefore, he shouldn''t have any political inhibitions against my gifts and does not need to worry about appearance and rumors.


    Another side of this background is he isn''t clueless about the big world, he is capable of meeting powerful people, and he tasted richness and power yet is about to lose it soon. Most importantly, he doesn''t have an ounce of talent in magic, which is going to allow him to utilize my gift to the maximum."


    The god set up their meeting in advance, nned it all, and included all possible scenes in his nning. One''s thinking process gets extremely fast the more one evolves, and at his stage, he didn''t need much time to see through a meeting with a mortal he has already observed for a few days.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    After all, he even watched the young man when it seemed nobody was watching him, and the young man thought he could act freely without the restraint expected of a noble who makes an appearance outside. In other words, the god has seen most sides this man had to show.


    "nning your next abuse and maniption yet?"


    A feminine voice was heard, as a beautiful woman showed up out of thin air.


    "Shiraze, have youe to say your usual insults?"


    Goddess of hatred, Shiraze, had long smooth ck hair, fluttering behind her all the way down to her ankles while her bangs fell on her forehead. Skinny, yet endowed with an hourss figure boasting mouth watering thighs which were revealed by her tight ck dress. Above all, her red eyes were shining and took all the attention away from her body.


    "She has no ill intentions, Shiraze simply can''t control her hatred. I hope you will not hold it against her, Promiscuous Lord."


    Goddess of purity and Shiraze''s sister, Shirane. The god ignored their tant disrespect towards him and obvious hostility, after all, he couldn''t do anything to them as they weren''t truly there but only using their magic to appear in front of him.


    Shirane''s body was like her sister''s but had a bigger chest and bottom. However, her shining red eyes gave away their rtionship, they were an exact copy of Shiraze''s. Simrly to Shiraze''s revealing dressing code, Shirane''s left leg was brought outside her white sleeveless dress with every step she took. Her long white hair was very distinctive, especially the contrast with Shiraze''s ck hair.


    "Hmph, stop ming me for the fall of the goddess of love. she only has herself to me for her corruption."


    The god snorted and waved his hands, making the two disappear from his sight.


    "It''s time to meet the young man. Gale, was it?"

 Chapter 2 1 – A Chosen Man

    ?Gale Stormborn was on his way back to his mansion after finishing his usual charity tour. Waving and nodding to themoners greeting him with affection, he made his way toward his home.


    "My father only has a few months to live, maybe a year. I must find a solution to my social status before that, or I will have to start my life as amoner. However, I don''t even have a profession to help me live as one."


    Gale murmured his troubles as he suddenly noticed a wide area ahead being cleared of people. Looking ahead, he saw a tall, muscr man walking down the avenue, his head held high as he passed through with an aura of nobility around him, enjoying the respect of themoners who made way for him. He had short, fashionable, and well-maintained ck hair apanied by blue eyes.


    "Hello Naron, I hope you''ve been well."


    Gale greeted first, ignoring his superior status as a son of an Earl while Naron, although being an heir, was only the son of a Baron. Naron was Gale''s childhood friend, however, in recent years, Naron has stopped initiating any contact with him, probably because of his bleak future in the noble society.


    "Thank you, Lord Gale. I''ve been doing well. I''m in a bit of a hurry, please forgive me".


    Gale sighed. Even those who used to butter him up in the past have stopped regard him with any importance.


    "Greetings, Lord Gale"


    A young pretty maid greeted him as he entered his chambers. She had white hair, pair of pink eyes, and a curved body. Her breasts weren''t big but perky nheless, while her thighs were quite a sight to behold, her butt would often make Gale''s eyes go astray when she was with her back to him. In front of Gale was a big room, with a king-sized bed in the middle. Next to one of the walls, there was arge desk with a few shelves filled with books above it, and next to another wall was arge closet. The walls had some paintings Gale has taken a liking to and a few swords for decoration.


    "I already told you, Nina, you don''t have to address me officially when we are alone."


    Nina smiled and nodded "I know, Lord Gale."


    Nina served Gale his dinner, and they ate it together, against etiquette. After dinner, Gale suddenly started feeling dizzy.


    "Weird, I''m never so tired that early."


    Gale decided to take a quick shower and go to bed, thinking this must be the result of cumtive fatigue. He quicklyy down and fell asleep.


    Gale opened his eyes and saw he wasying on a soft, pleasant carpet. He looked around slowly, confused, and took in all the views in front of him.


    As a noble, he immediately understood he was in a throne room, however, the grandeur of this room far outstripped the throne room of his king. Looking up at the throne, he saw a man sitting on arge golden throne.


    He tried making sense of the man''s look, but could only see a blur, unable to see through the man. Yet, he somehow knew this man was beyond handsome.


    His charm was so high that Gale couldn''t stop the urge to please any desire of this man. He didn''t know it, but he was able to keep her senses only because the god held back his aura.


    "Your Majesty, may I know where I am?"


    The man gave him a satisfied nod.


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® "You''re quite sensible, epting your current situation and being careful with your words. You are in my pce, so allow me to y the host. Would you like anything to drink?"


    "Thank you, Sir. I''m unworthy of such treatment. May I ask what I''m doing here?"


    While Gale knew he can''t do much to resist someone who brought him to his pce without letting him even notice the trip there, he preferred to be as careful as he could.


    "I summoned you. You are about to lose your power and influence, aren''t you?"


    "I am"


    Gale frowned. Since the man already knew his circumstances, there was no use in denying it. Thinking quickly, he reached the only conclusion he coulde up with - This man must be trying to recruit him to act as a spy for him with a tempting promise.


    "I''m not trying to recruit you."


    "Wha-what? I-I never said you were!"


    He panicked, was this man a powerful mage who could read minds? Did mages who can read minds even exist? Unfortunately, he didn''t know much about the subject.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I''m also not reading your mind; your expressions are simply easy to read."


    Of course, that was a tant lie, how could a face of a noble from birth be easy to read? But the god didn''t n on exining in depth the calctive abilities of gods.


    "I''m the God of Charm, for reasons that you don''t need to know, I need someone pure-hearted and kind to seed me. As long as you''re willing, I will gift you with some of my powers, those powers will allow you to stand on the top of your world."


    Gale narrowed his eyes suspiciously, this gift sounded too good to be true.


    "Why would you pick me? There must be other kind-hearted people and most of them with better talent than me. After all, I don''t even have any talent, to begin with."


    "This is precisely your redeeming point! My powers are far beyond the talent of mortals, their talents can only hold it back, not boost it. As for why I didn''t choose amoner, it''s because you have a better starting point to reach sess, and I know you already had a taste of power and remained uncorrupted."


    Of course, the man didn''t mean thest part, he simply believed Gale remained kind all these years because he didn''t have much to lose by being kind, and he wasn''t tempted by a greater power and potential he couldn''t have. Until now, that is.


    "A god though? How can I believe it?"


    However, even Gale knew he was lying, he couldn''t exin it, but he felt smaller than dust, meaningless as a pebble when he looked at this man. Besides, he couldn''t even see this man properly, and the man could read his mind! He decided to move on.


    "Can I say no?"


    "No"


    "What if I choose not to do your taskster?"


    "I''ve never nned on giving you any tasks, you''re free."


    "What if I don''t n to even try bing a god and seed you?"


    "As I said, the choice is all yours."


    It was too fishy, but it didn''t seem like he had much of a say in the matter.


    "Then I shall ept your gift with gratitude, Your Majesty."


    A light suddenly enveloped his body and pain excruciated his whole body, making him fall to the floor. He could feel his bones crack and heal, his skin being torn and grow again, his muscles getting filled with tears and heal back. Even his nose seemed to change somehow.


    A few minutester an extremely handsome man stood up and checked his own body. His skin felt like velvet, softer than a princess''s skin. His color was slightly tanned, and he had well-defined muscles, but not ripped. Right, the man was Gale. Gale felt like his body was much lighter than before, a result of a healthy body, and had much more power and stamina than his previous sickly body.


    "Would my family even recognize me? Will they let me back into the house? Wait, How can I get back? Will he even let me go back?"


    Gale mused to himself as he checked his body.


    "Your body is not truly here; I''ve only summoned your soul. That''s the source of the fatigue you''ve felt before going to sleep."


    The God of Charm showed off his ability to read through Gale.


    "Can''t read my mind? Isn''t this lie a bit too obvious? But if this isn''t my real body, does it mean this new body won''t follow me to reality?"


    "I wasn''t reading your mind; I simply calcted your possible responses. Your current body is a representation of your real body, so yes, this body will follow you to reality."


    The god kept answering his thoughts. Gale gave up on trying to hide anything by this point and decided to just live with the fact someone can read his mind.


    "All right, that''s enough. Shoo, shoo."


    Gale was suddenly banished from the pce and felt the recognizablefort of his bed as he woke up and opened his eyes to the familiar ceiling.

 Chapter 3 2 – New Life... Right?

    ?Gale opened his eyes and recalled the weird encounter he had in his sleep.


    "Was it all true?"


    He got up and went to the mirror. After all, if it was true, the most prominent proof would be his new looks. Standing in front of the mirror, he gaped.


    "Is this the blessing of the God of Charm? I''ll be attracting any woman''s attention with this weird gift!"


    In front of him was the reflection of a young man in which he saw a little resemnce to his former self. He looked now more like a much more sessful brother of him rather than himself. His red hair turned smooth and glossy as if he had been nurturing it for years with top creams enhanced by the greatest magicians the country had to offer. His face turned sharp; his jawline had sharp chiseled angles with no extra fat anywhere. His green eyes seemed to have hypnotizing effects on whoever tried to look at them.


    "It''s amazing! No, I''m amazing!"


    He kept admiring his well-toned muscles, no trace of his skinny former self remained. His lips were full, his nose straight, and his posture screamed power and allure. Even his height has increased by 15 cm, making him 183 cm tall.


    "It''s the moment of truth. I must check it."


    Gale inhaled deeply and exhaled. He tried to calm his mind from excitement and mentally prepare himself. When he felt ready, he held his pants and pulled them down at once.


    "IT GREW! IT GREW!"


    "Lord Gale, why did you scream? Did anything happ- wait who are you? Where is Lord Gale??"


    Nina came in curiously after hearing Gale''s loud exims only to be shocked by his new look. Luckily, Gale already pulled his pants back up when he heard her footsteps.


    "Hahaha, it''s me, Gale! time for me to go out and enjoy my new life." Then he added to himself quietly "that being said, is it really the whole gift? Impossible, right?"


    A few days passed, yet Gale felt nothing different except for all the stares he was getting from men and women alike. If until now they were reverent, now they also contained passion and even lust.


    "Lord Gale, Lady Atress will arrive this evening for dinner, your father has requested your attendance."


    Lady Atress was a Viscount heir who practically already did all the duties of a Viscount instead of her mother. She was quite a talented young mage at the age of 22 and has taken a liking to Gale, despite being 3 years younger than her, at the age of 19. He didn''t particrly like her but also didn''t dislike her, so when his father brought up their marriage as an option he decided to agree if he can''t find a better solution for his impending decline. While he got the gift from the God of Charm, he still didn''t notice any change in his magic or powers. Thus, he felt like nothing has changed in his overall situation.


    "Please ept the invitation."


    "I''ve already done it. I was told Lady Lena and Lord Donne will also be there."


    Donne was his big brother and the heir to the Earl title. They''ve never had any special rtionship, making Donne willing to toss him aside for hisck of skills. It was quite a given he will be present at the family dinner as he lived in the main mansion.


    Lena, however, was under the tutoring of one of the Fire Witch, the rank 3 mage in the kingdom, and lived away from home, making it quite surprising she was there as thest time she came to visit was a few years ago. She was the eldest sibling in the family and the oldest of the three of them, and have always spoiled Gale, her favorite brother, whenever she came home.


    Gale kept trying unsessfully to cast his first spell, from any type of element, yet nothing happened other than Nina''s failure to hide her amusement from watching Gale.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Only because you''re a pretty boy now, it doesn''t mean you can also cast magic. Come, it''s time to dress up for dinner."


    Gale wore his formal clothes, elegant ck breeches, a white waistcoat, and a ck coat decorated with silver that reached his knees, and Nina helped him straighten his clothes and close the buttons.


    "All set to go. Good luck, Lord Gale!"


    Nina wished him with a sweet smile and sent him off. As Gale arrived at the main mansion the servants bowed and announced his arrival to his father.


    "Good to see you, son. I hope you can impress¡­ Wait, how did you turn so muscr and handsome? Even a duchess would snatch you now! I was worried she would change her mind after seeing how sickly and thin you were, but I guess I have nothing to worry about."


    His father''s stupefied look was quite a rare sight, and Gale enjoyed seeing it.


    "Thank you, father. I''ve been trainingtely, and I have seen some results."


    He felt like he shouldn''t tell about the God of Charm without his permission first. He looked around expectantly but couldn''t find the person he was searching for.


    "I''d hope you''re excited to see Miss Atress, but Lena is getting ready, she will be here soon. Remember to do your best to impress Miss Atress, she is already a stage 2 magician at such a young age, she could provide you with a good life after I''m gone, my life span is almost over."


    His father knew he was looking for his big sister as their rtionship has always been good.


    "Is it really impressive? Lena was already stage 3 a year ago when she was 22."


    "Don''tpare them. Your sister has one of the greatest talents in our kingdom, even the young generation of the royal family can''tpare to her. While Miss Atress might be considered average in the most powerful families, she is considered a genius anywhere else in our kingdom."


    There were 10 known stages in the world. A magician in the pre-stage, before one bes a true magician, is called a Novice Magician. When one gets to the next stage, stage 1, he is called a Magician. Stage 2 was an advanced Magician and stage 3 was called Expert Magician. In their Kingdom, Miyena, in order to be a noble of the Viscount rank or higher, one has to be a stage 4 Mage.


    When one ranks up to stage 4, he enters the Mage phase, which follows the same naming sense as the Magician phase ¨C Mage, Advanced Mage, and Expert Mage. Among nobility who had the means and resources to nurture their young generation, the average age of stepping into the Magician stage, which was called True Magician sometimes to be differentiated better from the Novice Magician stage, was 18.


    The next rank-up would take 5 years on average, and each rank-up took double the time as the stage before. However, as one went past age 30, he would normally have to start to work to help his family, which would slow down their rank-up to be a stage 3 Expert Magician, making it longer than 10 years on average.


    Atress, who ranked up to the Advanced Magician rank right after her 22 birthday, was above average. While a year might not sound impressive, it is 20% faster than 5 years, which would have an impact in the long run.


    Not only that, but she also already took on much of the workload from her mother already, which most don''t do until the age of 30. If Gale could take off some of her workloads for her, she''d surely get to the third stage before 30, and maybe even the fourth before 45.


    "Lady Lena and Lady Atress have arrived!"


    A servant''s announcement has interrupted Gale''s thoughts.

 Chapter 4 3 – Powers Unlocked

    ?"Lady Lena and Lady Atress have arrived."


    The servant''s announcement had sounded in the hall and two women walked into the hall. On the right, was a youngdy who resembled Gale quite a bit, especially after thetter''s recent changes. She had a gorgeous oval-shaped face, Almond shaped green eyes, and long, silky red hair. Her long-sleeved shirt revealed an average chest, neither big nor small, yet her cleavage revealed its perfectly round shape. Her long legs, a derivative of her tall stature, were wrapped with tight ck pants, and on her waist was a sword against all social conventions among nobles about bringing weapons to such events. Upon seeing Gale, her face immediately formed a smile as she quickly ran to hug him.


    "Gale, there you are!"


    "My dear sister has never listened to etiquette, and it only gets worse the older she gets."


    Gale thought to himself. Of course, he didn''t mind. Nobody else minded it either, as she had the talent to back such small misconducts up. Besides, when she gets to the sixth stage, the highest stage in Miyena, she will informally have one of the highest social statuses in the country.


    There were only 12 sixth-stage mages in the whole kingdom, and her master, The Fire Witch, was ranked 3 among them.


    On her left, a blonde-haired woman walked into the hall. Her round face was cute looking, but only slightly above average. She had short stature, her short hair reached her shoulders, and her purple eyes looked unique.


    "Hello Miss Atress, I''m d to meet you again."


    Gale greeted her first as his usual behavior.


    "Gale? I apologize, I''m happy to finally meet you again, Lord Gale."


    She couldn''t hide her initial surprise, as Gale looked nothing like before, but she quickly pulled herself together and curtsied to Gale. Gale received Lena''s hug and separated from her. He didn''t think much of the surprise she showed as it was a normal reaction, given the fact she only saw his scrawny version before. However, he thought he saw a sh of disappointment in her eyes.


    "Why should she be disappointed? Is it not a better version of myself? I probably imagined it or misinterpreted her countenance."


    While theck of reaction from Lena''s side seemed weird, it could be easily attributed to her carefree attitude and the fact that she rarely saw him every few years. Besides, no matter how he changes, he''d remain her little brother from her point of view.


    Gale''s mother arrived along with Donne, and the family sat together with Atress around the table as the servants served the food.


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® "Lord Gale, I''m ashamed I''ve forced myself on you, I will understand if you choose to refuse my marriage proposal."


    Gale was caught in surprise. The real meaning behind this sentence seemed to be she wanted to withdraw her proposal, yet he couldn''t understand why she would, now that he looks so much better.


    "Atress, are you saying my little brother isn''t good enough for you anymore? Have you found a better spouse perhaps?"


    Undoubtedly, only Lena was tactless enough to ignore the unwritten rules of nobility to only speak in subtle hints. Lena immediately snapped at her for implying she is not interested in Gale anymore.


    "Lady Lena, how is that possible? He is so handsome and attractive now. He surely can find a woman of a higher status than mine now and open new doors to the Stormborn family."


    Atress'' glib tongue hadn''t failed her; she obviously had prepared for a possible objection from Gale''s side. Gale started to panic since he knew very well this was simply a rejection coated with beautiful words.


    Although good looks helped, power was more appreciated, and even females who wanted a weaker husband than them to be the dominant side at home, would at least ask for someone from the same phase as them ¨C the Mage phase.


    In Miyena, to be titled as a noble above the Baron title, one had to be in the Mage phase, while dukes even had to be in the fifth stage. After all, there was arge difference in power and the life span between phases. A magician in the Magician phase normally lived up to 150-200 years, depending on their exact stage, while a mage in the Mage phase normally lived up to 400-600 years, depending on their exact stage.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    It only made sense a mage wouldn''t want to marry a normal person who would live up to 100 years under great care and die while she was still considered young. While it held true for Atress as well, she''d at least get the benefit of forming ties with an Earl family, and she also showed a personal interest in Gale before.


    "No, I must make her want me again. I''m the most attractive man I''ve ever seen aside for that God from my dream. I can do it; she will fall for me."


    Gale was determined, he felt he could conquer any woman''s heart and Atress was no exception. Their eyes met, and those thoughts kept filling Gale''s mind. It was a subtle change, but his eyes glowed green for a short moment as they kept looking at each other.


    "Ahm, of course, if Lord Gale is still willing, I''m very interested in getting married to him."


    Atress spoke as if entranced, her mind turned foggy for a moment and she felt like the current Gale also had a different type of charm to him. "Yes, he just looks so assertive and dominant now, I never knew I liked such men. I guess you learn something new about yourself every day." Atress thought to herself.


    Atress'' words caught the family unprepared, they didn''t expect such a quick change of heart.


    "Gale, are you willing?"


    Lena asked him hesitantly, unable to decide whether this change of heart was good or not. However, Gale didn''t even hear her, he suddenly felt enlightened. He realized something; a gift from the God of Charm would be about charming others! He approached it all wrong from the very beginning, his powers must be the powers to seduce others with his high charm. He decided to give it a try again.


    "I am willing, sister, thank you for worrying about me. Miss Atress, when would you like to set our wedding?"


    He smiled sweetly at Atress and kept thinking over and over in his head "She is in love with me, she is in love with me" with more devotion than a monk repeating his mantras.


    "As soon as possible...?"


    Atress spoke with an uncertain voice.


    "Are you hesitating?"


    "No, no! I want it as soon as possible!"


    She spoke with more confidence this time. She just felt like she must not lose her chance to live with this man.


    "Father, mother, you''ve heard her. I''m also interested in getting married to Miss Atress soon. How about setting the marriage for 2 months from today?"


    "Little brother, are you sure? Isn''t It moving too fast?"


    Lena had some difficulties seeing her little brother getting married so quickly without any warning, can she still spoil him if he is married? Wouldn''t it make it harder to keep treating him like a child?


    "Yes, Lena, I''m very sure of my decision on the matter."


    "All right then"


    Lena agreed reluctantly as she was left with no choice.

 Chapter 5 4 – A False Maid

    ?The dinner was over, and Lady Atress went back to her mansion. She kept feeling like something wasn''t right, but she couldn''t put her finger on it.


    Gale went outside and waited for Lena to join him, and as expected, she joined him shortly after. He smiled at her; he knew she brought him gifts. Most of the swords decorating his rooms were gifts from her, and each sword was far more valuable and practical than a simple decoration.


    Although she tried her best to spoil him, she was simply too self-centered and never spared any thought to the possibility he has different points of interest than hers. She was his safety in case he failed to take care of himself when Donne inherits the Earl title.


    "How is your training going?"


    "I''m learning a lot from my master; my fire spells have reached quite a high level too. However, she lets her friend help me with my wind spells as she doesn''t have much expertise with them. How about you? I think you''ve gained a bit of muscle since thest time I saw you."


    "As expected of you, big sister. Only you would call it a bit of muscle and treat it as a small change."


    He was a bit upset, he was waiting to see her astonishment when she first sees him, and he wanted to hear herpliments, too. While he wasn''t desperate for praise from others, he did like it when Lena praised him. After all, he liked it when she gave him gifts and affection.


    "Haha, I''m sorry, you turned into the most handsome man in the world, Little Gale."


    "Don''t pat my head as If you were appeasing a kid."


    "But that''s what I''m doing."


    "Fine, fine, just let me go."


    Gale quickly released himself from his sister''s grip and they kept on walking around the city together.


    "Gale, have you unlocked some kind of magic?"


    "No, why?"


    "Are you telling the truth? Back then at the dinner table, I felt a movement of manaing from you towards Atress, While I''m not sure whether dad had noticed it too because of his medical condition, I''m confident in what I sensed."


    Gale didn''t answer immediately. He first thought of the pros and cons of telling his sister the truth. Eventually, he realized that she is the one person he can always trust, but still chose to hide the details, as he didn''t know if the god he met allowed him to tell her everything.


    "I didn''t know it was magic until now, and that it operated using mana like other spells. I found out I can charm people when I try thinking about it repeatedly, but I only found out about it at today''s dinner when I wanted Atress to change her mind about withdrawing her proposal. I still don''t know the restrictions and potential of this ability, nor the way it works."


    "It seemed like your ability went into her head and affected her brain. Try doing it on me, try charming me into telling you my secret."


    "Are you sure? What if it works?"


    "It''s ok, even if it does, I still trust you to keep it for yourself. Even if you don''t, it won''t change much if the information is spread. It''s more important to help you understand the extent of your powers."


    She was practical as always, she''d never let him y around unsupervised with his new abilities and preferred to keep an eye on it until he gets it under control, so he won''t hurt himself.


    "All right, thanks. Sister, won''t you tell me your secret?"


    He tried to say it out straight while thinking in his head "tell me your secret, tell me your secret."


    "Hmm, I can feel your spell trying to make me tell you my secret, but it''s quite an obvious interference from outside, I''d take it as an offense and as an attack against me if someone else was to use it on me."


    "If it''s so aggressive, howe Atress couldn''t feel it? Even if her sensitivity to the mana movement isn''t as sharp as yours, she should''ve felt it when I did it directly to her. Or wait¡­ how is it possible you can pick up something father couldn''t? Although he is sick, he is still in a different phase, it should be impossible for you to have sharper senses. Unless¡­"


    A big, beautiful smile bloomed on Lena''s face as Gale''s jaw dropped.


    "Hahaha, is my smile really so beautiful?"


    Obviously, Gale''s jaw dropped for a different reason.


    "Your smile is as beautiful as a volcanic eruption."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Huh? Are you saying I''m the type of beauty that nobody hopes to be around?"


    "Forget all those stuff! Is what I''m thinking true? For you to have better perception than Father, it must mean you''re also at the fourth stage! How is it possible?"


    "Bingo! I just ranked up a few days ago. I came home to see you because of my breakthrough. I felt some rest was due."


    "But you only ranked up less than 3 years ago!"


    "That''s why my master told me I broke the records of the Miyena kingdom by breaking into the fourth stage so young and so soon after breaking through the third stage. It only took me 2 years and 8 months to rank up from the third stage to the fourth."


    Gale was naturally happy for his sister. Besides, the stronger she was, the more benefits he could get as her brother, right?


    However, there was still the problem of the charm. Was it impossible for him to charmdies above the fourth stage? Wouldn''t it mean he can only charm young girls who still haven''t developed their strength to the maximum? And he couldn''t do it near anyone in the mage phase either, or else they would sense it.


    "Lena, there''s something else I want to try."


    Lena stopped and turned to him to allow him to do his magic, in the literal sense. Gale looked at her and started thinking in his head "I''m your brother, you can trust me" repeatedly.


    "I''m your brother, I''d never hurt you. You can trust me with anything."


    "Yes¡­ I trust you with all my heart."


    "You can share anything with me, I will help you with it as long as I can."


    "I don''t think you can help me with that."


    Lena spoke slowly, entranced.


    "Even so, I''d be happy if you share your troubles with me."


    "Okay, Nina is my friend, I threatened to beat her inbat practice every day if she doesn''t protect you for 5 years."


    Gale was caught unprepared. Does it mean Nina was at least an Expert Magician? After all, she came a year ago when Lena was still one as well, and Lena would only aim for the best she could have. Suddenly, Lena snapped out of it with a betrayed look on her face.


    *SLAP*


    "You made me spill out my secret!"


    "AHH, it hurts!!"


    "Uhm, I''m sorry, I just wanted to teach you that your magic can''t deal with the consequences. Anyway, how did you seed this time?"


    Gale chose to ignore the tant lie and cooperate with her attempt to change the subject.


    "Well, you told me it felt intrusivest time, so I thought about how I could make it feel less intrusive. I realized I should make the charm more suggestive, with less forced logic, and make it sound reasonable to you. So, I told you that you could trust me since I''m your brother, and indirectly made you tell me your secret instead of just demanding it."


    "So, you can charm higher ranks too, but they will snap out of itter, be careful not to make them do something they will regret enough to go after your life."


    "Yeah, I guess. What about the mana movement?"


    "It was much more subtle, I believe most mages would feel it only if they searched for it, and someone in the magician phase wouldn''t feel it at all."


    Apart from his burning cheek, Gale was quite satisfied with what he learned about his powers today and tried to think of ways to improve his abilities as he returned home. Nina wasn''t there, but now that he knew who she truly was, he didn''t worry about it. Since she is his bodyguard, shouldn''t she worry about him?


    He got to his bedroom when he started feeling an odd sensation of exhaustion he had already felt once recently.

 Chapter 6 5 – A Better Understanding

    ?Gale opened his eyes and saw he wasying on a soft, pleasant carpet. He looked around slowly, finding himself in the familiar throne hall. Although it was his second time, he still felt overwhelmed by the grandeur of the ce just like the first time he saw it. Furthermore, now that he wasn''t as nervous as before, he could observe it even better.


    He didn''t look around too much, to avoid seeming rude in front of a god whose temper was unknown. He stood in front of the man sitting on the throne and bowed formally.


    "Your Majesty, why have I been summoned?"


    "You''ve noticed some of your powers. Now that you started your journey to the summit, I thought it was time for us to meet again."


    "Does it mean that you will teach me how to use my powers better?"


    "Not really, I will only give you a brief exnation. The way you use them is only up to you, and whether you master your powers or not depends on you."


    "I understand. Thank you in advance for guiding me, Sir."


    "You have the power of charm, which some might call seduction. As you''ve noticed and done before, you can charm others to do your bidding. This power operates the same way as spells; however, this ability is on the God level."


    Seeing Gale''s confused face, he continued his exnation.


    "Although it affects the mana, it will do it in a way of a whole phase above you. Meaning, as you are now it will operate as a spell at the top of the magician phase. Once you get to the True Magician stage yourself, it will work as a spell at the top of the True Mage stage."


    "I''m afraid I will never make it that far. As you already know, I can''t do magic. I tried practicing also after I received your gift, and I still couldn''t."


    "Your way of improving your magic is a bit different. You need to steal it from your partners."


    "Steal? How do I do it? Will it ruin their talent and make their stages regress?"


    "They won''t drop a stage as long as you don''t go too far, but it will take a high toll on their body, making it impossible for them to improve until they recover. The more you take from them, the more the damage bes irreversible."


    "What do you mean by partners?"


    "Sex partners."


    "That''s a bit weird, isn''t it? Anyway, I''m going to get married soon and I will only have one wife."


    "Do you think married people sleep only with their spouses? Why do you think I changed your look? Just so you could keep hanging around with one weak wife?"


    "But I don''t want to hurt her feelings, besides, I don''t want to go around ruining others'' lives and future potential"


    "Then just sleep with them once or twice, you wouldn''t reap as many benefits, but they could recover within a few weeks. They probably won''t even realize you stole from them if you take just a little."


    "Then that''s what I''m going to do. I feel sorry for cheating on my wife, but wouldn''t I die early and leave her alone if I don''t do it? I think it''s best for both of us.


    I just feel a little bad about bing a skirt chaser, wouldn''t my image be ruined?"


    "Sure, if such a sloppy rationalization works for you. Besides, you don''t have to chase skirts, there''s nothing wrong with chasing pants too if you know what I mean. The world has progressed, you know."


    "What kind of progress is that? I prefer chasing skirts. Wait¡­ did you¡­?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Gale gave him a weird look but decided he won''t judge others'' tastes.


    "Be it as it may, I have to exin something to you. You could think of your partner''s energy as a pce. There''s the outer wall, and inside it, there are all kinds of nice things, but none of them are really important or irreceable. Moving farther inside, you can enter the pce. You might find better treasures to steal- I mean, to take. And even better, you can find the treasury and find the best treasures that the kingdom has to offer."


    He exined his example.


    "Your way of improving your magic with women works the same way; if you sleep with them only once, you can enjoy the treasures of the outer wall, or in other words, you could only get to a stage that is a whole phase under hers.


    Around your fifth time with them, you will leave damage that would take them years to recover, yet you''d be able to get to a stage lower than theirs by 2 stages. After the tenth time, you would be one stage under them, ruining their future potential to raise their stage."


    "What if I continue?"


    "After 20 times, you''d be able to get to their stage, crippling thempletely and destroying their connection to mana."


    "Doesn''t it mean my wife is doomed?"


    "Of course not, you can control your ability, if you choose to restrain yourself, she''d lose nothing during sex with you. However, I wouldn''t rmend remaining weak in the long run, do you truly want to die after only a few years and be at her mercy for your whole life?"


    The man''s words had a persuasive effect on those who heard him. Gale started considering whether he really should leave crippled women in his pursuit of strength. However, he quickly stopped himself.


    "I will seduce stronger women and slowly rank up; I will not go against my principles only for power."


    The man nodded "That''s right, I chose you because you were supposed to make those decisions. However, a high charm is not only a blessing. It could also be a curse if someone decides to capture you and keep you as a sex ve."


    "Can''t I just steal their powers then?"


    "Not necessarily, if they are more than 3 stages above you, they can feel your attempt to steal from them and stop it. using the same analogy with the pce, you could say they have too many guards for someone weak as you to steal without their knowledge even in the outer yard."


    "What about the women who are higher than me by 3 stages or less?"


    "They wouldn''t feel it at first. The higher their mana perception is, the faster they will notice it. Someone 3 stages above you will notice it at your third intercourse most of the time."


    "Then I can just wait a few weeks between each session to let them heal, right?"


    "No, it''d be the same as going out of the out walls, and next time you''d have to enter it again. In other words, the count will be reset."


    Gale thought for a moment and realized it made sense. If they healed, he would go back to the starting point. He had a few more questions.


    "But how does it work? Will I be able to cast all the spells they have?"


    "Do you know what makes one magician? What''s the real difference between a magician and a mage?"


    The God of Charm saw Gale shaking his head and sighed. Gale was d he asked this question; he was determined to get as many answers as he could now before God sent him away likest time.


    "Well, that''s your problem, I''ve already exined everything I wanted to exin. Now shoo, shoo."

 Chapter 7 6 – Lenas Plans 1/2

    ?"Good morning, Lord Gale. Breakfast is ready to be served."


    Gale woke up on his bed, and a trail of saliva leaked from between his lips. He slowly recalledst night''s events.


    "Damn it! I had so many questions! Why does he have to do that?"


    "Hmm, what happened? Did someone make you upset?"


    He heard Lena''s voice questioning him. He thought about whether he was allowed to tell her about the God of Charm, understanding it was yet another question he couldn''t ask before the god sent him away.


    "No, it was just a dream. Good morning, Lena. I did some experiments with my ability, and I have some questions to ask youter about magic and magicians, will you help me?"


    "Yes, of course. Let''s go eat breakfast first."


    He got up, took a shower, and wore fresh clothes. He entered the dining room and found Lena and Nina talking to each other.


    "I''m here, I hope I didn''t make you wait for too long."


    "It''s ok, Nina and I were talking about a few things, now that you know her identity. She had to know she still is not allowed to hit on you."


    "Why can''t she?"


    "Do you want your friends to hit on me?"


    "Fine, I get it. Let''s eat."


    Nina was pretty, but it wasn''t like he had feelings for her. He just had her in mind for his first target to seduce as she was of a higher stage than Atress, and avable. When he thinks about it, Lena is right, he shouldn''t go after Nina. She is Lena''s friend, and he wouldn''t want to hurt her. Breakfast was served by Nina and the three ate together.


    "So, what did you want to talk about?"


    Lena asked Gale as they entered an isted training room, where his secrets could be kept safe.


    "I found out I can increase my stages by having sex with women of higher stages. The higher their stage, the higher the benefits I can reap from it."


    "How would you experiment with your ability? Did you go to a brothelst night? Were you upset this morning because they threw you outside when you were drunk?"


    Lena looked at him suspiciously.


    "What? No! Your imagination is too wild! I just¡­ mediated on it."


    "You found out you can increase your mana control by having sex through mediation?"


    "Exactly, so let''s leave it alone for now. The problem is that to achieve maximum effects, I must do it repeatedly with the same person, and they would get injured from it. By the time I get to their stage, they''d be crippled."


    "Are you nning to cripple Atress?"


    "No, I can control whether to take energy from them or not, so I''m nning to seduce other women and take energy from them once or twice only. After a few weeks, they''d heal."


    He continued exining to her the way it worked as the God of Charm exined to him. Lena, as expected, was quick to understand the crux of the problem.


    "You don''t want to hurt others, so you just n to advance slowly, and might get stuck at an early stage. This won''t do at all; I have a better solution."


    Gale knew his sister pretty well, and also knew she was quite selfish and wouldn''t hesitate to tell him to take advantage of others if it would help him greatly. While she wasn''t bullying the weak, she would do so if she felt the benefits of doing so exceeded the importance of her morale code. He waited for her to continue, prepared to quickly deny and object.


    "We could go to jail, find someone who was sentenced for a long time and offer her to exchange her powers for freedom and money. Aren''t they all there because they tried going against thew for money in one way or another?"


    "Nobody would agree to that. They only need to wait a few years in jail to go out healthy. Why would they sacrifice their future because of a few years?"


    There were no prisoners who got a life sentence. Those would be executed to prevent wasting food and resources on them. It made no sense for a magician or a mage with a long life expectancy to give up their future for a few years.


    "We could at least try, let them decide. You never know one''s circumstances, it might be urgent for them to leave jail as soon as possible."


    "All right, I''m willing to try. But if they refuse, we are not going to force them. They also need to know the risks before we let them decide."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "No problem. I must go now to my daily training."


    Lena quickly left, and Gale went to read in the library about magic.


    Lena walked down the street, heading towards the local jail.


    "Lady Lena, it''s an honor to see you visit. What brings you here?"


    The jail manager came out quickly to greet her after he was notified of her arrival.


    "What is your name?"


    "Neal, Ma''am."


    "Neal, do you have female mages jailed here?"


    "No, Ma''am. Only normal people and magicians."


    It was a weird question, but the manager knew his ce, and it definitely was not to question an Earl''s daughter, who was also known as one of the best geniuses in the kingdom.


    "Fine, how about Expert Magicians?"


    "We have a few, some of them are female. Should I make a list?"


    "Yes. Write their crimes, how long they have left to serve, and most of all, I want someone desperate for money, help, or anything else they can''t get but I can."


    "Yes, Ma''am."


    30 minutester, Lena sat with a list in her hands. She went through the list and chose the 3 best ones. Indeed, the best for her meant the worst situations they could be in.


    One''s kid was kidnapped, and in her desperation to find him she broke into the wrong house and attacked innocents. Another had a sick father and tried to rob travelers to raise money for treatment. Thest one seemed to be sitting for attacking her husband and his friends, yet she imed she was framed by him.


    All three of them were expert mages, and the third was even a rare darkness-type magician, while the first two were fire and earth. She didn''t know which elements Gale wanted, but she figured she''d just prepare them, and he could chooseter.


    "Hello Mira, I''m Lena Stormborn, the daughter of Earl Stormborn. I heard your son was kidnapped."


    "Hello, Lady Lena. It''s true! Please save my son, I''m willing to do anything!"


    The middle age woman was the first one on Lena''s list, after all, any mother would be desperate if her son was kidnapped and they couldn''t save him. She expected it to be easy to convince her.


    "I''m not a guard, nor an investigator. it''s not my job to search for lost kids."


    "He was not lost, he was kidnapped! Please, since you came here it means you came with an offer, tell me what it is, I''ll do anything."


    "Speaking with smart people is indeed convenient. Tell me, would you sacrifice your future? Be a normal person for the sake of your son?"


    "I¡­ I would."


    The woman thought for a few seconds and answered. The reason the life span of magicians was longer was because of the mana they used to strengthen their bodies, thus, even if she lost her connection to mana she wouldn''t lose much.


    She was already quite old and wasn''t sure how long she''d need to break through the next stage while raising her son and working, and she was willing to sacrifice those chances to have her son back.


    "Good, tomorrow a man wille here. He wille here for a month or so, your job is to have sex with him every day. When he''s done with you, you''ll lose all your powers. You can''t ask questions and you can''t tell anyone about it."


    After telling her about the stick, it was time now for the carrot.


    "During this month I will mobilize all the guards to find your son, and you will be released after you lose your connection to mana. Remember, if you tell anyone about the details of our deal or of what happened between the two of you, both you and your son will meet your end."


    The woman was confused about the details, as it all sounded weird. But she agreed nheless; Lena was herst and only hope. She couldn''t bargain and had nothing else of value to offer to an Earl''s daughter.


    "Yes, Lady Lena, I understand."

 Chapter 8 7 – Lenas Plans 2/2

    ?"Yes, Lady Lena. I understand."


    Satisfied, Lena left Mira''s room and went to continue working on her n. Soon after, a simr conversation took ce with the second woman on the list. She also agreed after being reminded she probably won''t ever reach the mage phase, and her life span wouldn''t be damaged.


    As for the third, she had lost everything. Her husband already left the city and moved somewhere else with all their money and their 2 children who were too young to understand what was going on. She knew he would poison their mind against her, saying she abandoned them or something simr.


    Just like Lena expected, with a promise of revenge and bringing back the kids, she was willing to sacrifice her abilities although she still had a good chance to be a True Mage within 40-50 years.


    The average of 20 years, after all, was the average of the talented nobility who had an abundance of resources and time to practice. Satisfied with the results, Lena instructed the jail manager to prepare a clean,fortable room with arge bed and a shower, give her the key to it and let Mira live in it for now.


    She wanted to be able to lead Gale there directly, so he won''t get a bad name for his actions. Undoubtedly, his actions might be interpreted as abusing weak women to satisfy his lust. When all was done and prepared, she went back home and instructed the guards'' captain to find the people she has promised to find.


    The next day Lena and Gale ate breakfast together, and Gale decided to ask a few questions for clearance.


    "Lena, what turns a magician into one? What happens that makes one rank up to the stage of a magician?"


    "As you know, the difference is their control over mana. ording to my understanding of the ranks, I''d say it''s about getting recognition from the mana, or maybe from the world itself. You could exin it by saying that a Novice magician still doesn''t have full recognition, but the world decided to give him a chance to prove himself.


    A True magician was recognized by the world as worthy and is given the ability to affect mana, while it sounds like he has control over it, it is not true. It''s more like he can request the mana to do things and the mana will do them.


    As he can only ask for "favors", the mana starts rejecting them after he makes too many requests, which is also known as being out of mana. The higher the stage of the magician, the more requests the mana will ept from him.


    As for Mages, you could say they are like friends with the mana, the mana will be much more agreeable with them, doing what they ask for with better motivation, thus bringing forth more power, more uracy, and more efficiency. Mana agrees to more requests from mages both in quantity and quality, meaning it would let them cast greater spells that require a higher level of maneuver of the mana.


    I believe that a Magus gets tomand the mana, which would make everything faster than simply asking for cooperation, and it would allow the Magus to use it endlessly. However, since I''m not one yet, I can''t know for sure."


    "I see. Then it would make sense if my powers would let me connect with the mana, but learning how to use this connection would still be up to me. But ording to your exnation, I don''t understand why magicians are better in some elements than they are in others, isn''t all magic derived from mana regardless of the element? If it only depends on their connection with the mana, there shouldn''t be a difference."


    "My analogy isn''t perfect as it is hard to clearly exin an abstract concept like mana with words and analogies. While mana is indeed one, at the same time it isn''t. It''s separated into different types that each boosts another element, somewhat like a white light that contains all the other colors.


    Magicians mostly have a higher affinity with a certain type of mana, and not with the general mana. As you already know, my affinity is higher with fire and wind, but I also have a good affinity, albeit weaker, with the other elements."


    Gale understood her, it meant that even if he could advance easily by sex, he''d still have to spend time mastering the spells. He believed he could get all mana types simply by gettingid, but it''d take more time to master the spells. There was no doubt, it''d still be much faster than anyone else, probably even faster than Lena.


    He nned to raise his ranks slowly and practice spells, otherwise, wouldn''t it be embarrassing if he lost to a True Magician when he was a True Mage only because he was busy chasing skirts all day without practicing any spells?


    "Although it sounds like everyone has the same recognition by the world, thus making all magicians of the same rank, it also isn''t true. There are multiple factors in one''s strengthpared to his peers of the same stage.


    For example, the world might see more potential in someone, letting them be stronger in the magician phase, and this might derive from a better understanding of mana while in the Novice Magician stage, ranking up at a younger age and more."


    They finished breakfast and Gale had no ns for the day, as he knew Lena ns to take him to the local jail.


    "I see, thank you. Are we going now to jail?"


    "Aren''t you too excited about it, little brother? Shouldn''t your morning boner calm down by now?"


    "I- I didn''t mean it this way, I just didn''t know when you want us to go! And everything is calm, thank you for your concern."


    Gale replied with a hint of bitterness in his voice. Lena was a good sister, but she enjoys teasing him a bit too much.


    "Haha, I''m joking. Don''t worry, we can go now."


    They went together to the jail, and Lena led him straight to the room she "booked" the day before.


    "Howe you have the key to this room, and why are you taking me here?"


    He asked suspiciously, did she do something yesterday?<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I instructed the manager to keep this room clean for me. Since we will bring women here, I didn''t want it to be connected to you, or you might get a bad name."


    "Oh, that''s considerate of you, thanks."


    Lena opened the door, and as Gale looked around his eyes were met by the sight of an average-looking middle-aged woman sitting on arge bed, wearing only her underwear. Mira, who knew what to expect, wanted to do her best to seduce the maning and didn''t want to wear a prison uniform in fear it would make him dismiss her, making her lose her only chance in saving her son.


    "Hello, My Lord. I''m Mira, at your service."


    She said as she looked down. She was not bashful, only scared of the young man''s fetishes that would cripple her in the future. She was ready for the suffering and pain that will probably apany this session.


    "Hello Mira, you can use my name. I''m Gale."


    Gale, who still didn''t have his first time, was quite nervous himself. They just stood and looked at each for a few moments.


    "Do you already know the deal and the risk of losing all your connection to magic?"


    "I do, Lord Gale."


    "Are you still willing? Why?"


    Mira looked hesitantly at Lena, who narrowed her eyes in a silent threat. Mira understood what she should do ¨C hide some of the truth.


    "I have something urgent I must do, and for that, I need to go out of prison, yet I still have to serve a decade here."


    "What is so urgent? Maybe I can help."


    "It''s ok, it''s personal and it doesn''t worth your attention, Lord Gale."


    "AHM, you guys can go straight to business."


    Lena''s voice startled them both. Mira and Gale both looked at her with nk faces, was she nning on watching them doing the deed? Mira was sure the two of them were siblings just by seeing the obvious resemnce to each other. Were they both perverts? Gale''s worries were quite simr, why the hell she wanted to watch them?


    "Umm, Lena, are you nning on watching us?"


    He asked carefully.


    "Of course, we don''t know much about the way your powers work, therefore, I must be here to supervise everything in case something goes wrong."


    "I''d feel very ufortable doing it with you here."


    Gale gave her a ring hint to leave. However, it didn''t seem to convince her.


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® "Your life is more important than your feelings."


    "I refuse to do it with you here."


    "FINE, I will wait outside the door. Just make sure to scream if something happens."


    Lena was unsatisfied, she was pretty worried about Gale and didn''t really care about his privacy.


    "Ok, I will SHOUT if something happens."


    Gale emphasized the word ''shout''. Why should he scream, was he a girl? She should phrase her words more carefully next to other people!

 Chapter 9 8 – Quality Time With Mira 1/2*

    ?Mira watched Lena leave the room with relief. These siblings were definitely perverts. she wasn''t sure she made the right choice anymore, but it was toote to regret it. She was already exposed to some of their secrets, and she didn''t know if they''d let her live without delivering her part of the deal.


    "So, umm, let''s begin?"


    The circumstances were weird, and he wasn''t sure how he should begin. Should he just ask her to spread her legs and go in for the win?


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® Mira was taken aback by hisment. Shouldn''t he be a sadistic man? Why is he being insecure now? Now that she got to observe him, she could tell he was very young, around 20, an age most people still didn''t develop wild fetishes. Maybe it was his first time, she thought. She smiled at him.


    "Yes Lord Gale"


    She got up, and walked to him, wiggling her hips seductively. She put her hands on his chest and moved her fingers slowly downwards as she tiptoed to reach his lips with hers. She looked at him, he was really the most handsome man she had ever seen, and his lips looked more tempting than her own. She''d be happy to apany him if not for the fact she knew she was going to get hurt.


    "Wait, we don''t have to do it, I only need the prating I think."


    "You think¡­?"


    "Ah, I mean¡­ yes I think I only need to prate, we don''t have to do beyond that."


    "O-Ok."


    She nodded at him and couldn''t stop herself from feeling disappointed. She preferred to enjoy it too if she was going to sell her body to such a good-looking man anyway. Gale, trained in nobility manners did not miss her look.


    "Do you want to do it properly?"


    He wasn''t insensitive. If she sacrificed herself for him, he''d grant her wishes. Although she said she needed to leave jail, he believed he benefited from this deal more than she did.


    "If I onlyy down, I''d feel like a tool. if it''s ok with you, please let me serve you and make it more enjoyable for both of us, Lord Gale."


    Gale thought it made sense and agreed. Mira wasn''t a bashful teenager, she was an older woman, who had already had a child. She held his hands and ced them around her waist. She rubbed her chest against his, while her hands held his cheeks and pulled his face towards her.


    Their lips met, but it was an awkward kiss, mainly because Gale was inexperienced in kissing. Mira was patient, she felt aroused by teaching him everything from the beginning, it even made her feel like she has got this elegant man only for herself.


    Mira dragged out their kiss for longer, her tongue licking his lips as if seducing them to open for it. Gale caught the cue and opened them, letting her tonguee in. he tried engaging her tongue with his, and almost moaned when he felt her wet, warm tongue wriggling in his mouth.


    "I hope I can satisfy her too."


    Those thoughts started manifesting in his mind. Mira suddenly felt as if it was the best kiss she had ever had in her life. Right, he was inexperienced, but it was quite sexy in its own right!


    She kept his face glued to hers as if possessed, and indulged herself in the softness of his lips, even his saliva felt alluring to her. She felt hot, she needed to feel more of him. She moved back her head, and a string of saliva kept them connected.


    "Touch me more."


    Her voice was a little hoarse in the heat of the moment. She moved his hands from her waist to her butt, hinting at him to hold it. Gale was a fast learner; he moved his hands, rubbed it, and eventually grabbed her ass with his hands.


    "Mm"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    A soft moan escaped Mira''s lips as she felt his palms squeezing her. She buried her face in his neck, kissing it.


    "Ahh"


    This time it was Gale who couldn''t stop himself, a sharp, pleasant pain attacked his sense as Mira bit him. He was squeezing herrge, soft ass with his hands when he suddenly felt an urge, telling him to do something.


    *SLAP*


    He spanked her ass, sending waves in it.


    "Ahh"


    It was Mira''s turn to moan, she didn''t expect this shy boy to p her ass out of nowhere, which made it feel even better. She pulled him to bed, made him sit down, and climbed on hisp, trapping him between her thighs and knees.


    She held the hem of his shirt and pulled it off him. Gale started feeling strong stress in his pants as he saw Mira looking up and down at his body as if she was checking out hotmodities.


    "My body is hot, she loves it."


    He felt a surge of confidence seeing her interest in him. Mira, who already thought she was gettingid by a godly-looking guy, suddenly thought she might get addicted to this body, it looked as if it was chiseled by the best sculptor in the kingdom. She removed her bra, setting her boobs free.


    Happily, in a world of magic, ady of her age could easily keep them firm. Gale felt charmed by them, hypnotized by their swaying. They were the east-west type, and each nipple pointed in another direction. He cupped them in his hands, making Mira feel a pleasuring sensation moving through her body.


    "Mm, would you like feeling them up close?"


    She pushed him down,ying him down on the bed on his back, while his feet were still on the floor. She leaned down, letting her bare chest rub against his, and kissed his lips again. Gale was ready this time and forcibly pushed his tongue into her mouth.


    Mira was caught unprepared and lost this small battle yet didn''t feel down about it. She weed his warm tongue into her mouth, wrapped her own around it, and started sucking on it, covering it with her saliva. She put her bottoms down, sitting directly on his pelvis as she kept ying with the tongue that invaded her mouth.


    The stimtion was too much for Gale, he felt his lower body turn hot, and it became quite painful to keep it in his pants. He tried moaning, yet it barely came out of his upied mouth. He sent his hands down to unbutton his pants. He tried pulling them off to free his big friend, but he was trapped under Mira''s ass and couldn''t lift his hips.


    He grabbed her ass with one hand, squeezed it, and pped it with the other, making her lift her butt on instinct. The pain made Mira lift her body and her saliva dripped all over Gale''s lips.


    "You''re quite eager to have a taste of me, young boy."


    Her way of addressing him changed in her thirst without either of them noticing it. However, it made sense to change your way of addressing someone when theyy under you, trying to pull their dick out of their pants with your saliva on their lips. She rubbed her butt yfully on his body.


    "Do you want me to help you free this guy?"


    She could see the bulge in his pants quite clearly and wanted to tease him a bit more. She still didn''t see it, but it seemed like this guy was blessed in all aspects of his looks.


    "Yes"


    His hips moved up, desperate to feel her body rub against his. Mira slowly brought her face close to his pants, and while keeping eye contact with him, started pulling down his pants.

 Chapter 10 9 – Quality Time With Mira 2/2 **

    ?Mira''s face was almost attached to Gale''s pants, just above his member, as she maintained eye contact with him. She held Gale''s underwear along with his pants in her palms and pulled them both down at once, making his dick pop out of his pants.


    A weak p resounded as the dragon''s rising momentum was blocked by her waiting lips. She took it in her hand and smiled suggestively as she moved her lips slowly from the shaft to its tip.


    "Ahhh"


    It was too much stimtion for Gale''s first time. His lips shook for a moment and then froze in ce as he started shooting his jizz all over her face.


    "It''s true that a big cock shoots it stronger."


    She said with an impressed tone. She kept eye contact with him as she took part of it with her finger and put it in her mouth.


    "What?!"


    Her eyes opened wide in surprise. It was way tastier than she remembered it to be!


    "What happened? I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to let it out on your face."


    Gale panicked a bit, not sure if he was wrong and should''ve somehow kept it in.


    "Don''t worry about it, it was an impressive load."


    She smiled at him to reassure him. She believed it was going to be a few minutes until he gets it back up, so she thought of letting him serve her in the meantime, getting her all wet and ready for action when he was hard again. As Gale panted, he suddenly felt energy fills his body, renewing his stamina. His friend turned big again quickly.


    "Blessing of charm has many benefits."


    He thought to himself, looking with self-pride at the surprised countenance of Mira.


    "Boy, are you trying to avoid serving me? This won''t do at all."


    "Wh-what? What do you mean by ''serving'' you?"


    "Come, I will teach you how to use your fingers and tongue."


    She sat on the bed, her legs spread open forward, as she hinted to him to approach her. Gale rolled and got on his four as he advanced.


    "That''s a good pose, darling. Now use your hands to please me and tease me with your tongue."


    She led one of his hands to her mouth, inserted two fingers in, and sucked on them, covering them with her saliva. Then, she showed them the way to her clit. Gale felt a sensation of arousal washing over his body as she pulled out his fingers from her mouth, making his dick wriggle in protest at theck of action. He started rubbing her clit back and forth, causing her to moan erotically.


    "Try moving it in circr motions."


    She guided him and he followed. A strong feeling of pleasure hit her senses.


    "Ahh, it feels so good, keep going, yes¡­"


    She kept moaning while asking for more and boosting his confidence in the process. When she felt that he got used to those movements, she pulled his head to her tits.


    "Mm, now y with my nipples using your tongue at the same time."


    It was something he wanted to do ever since she removed her bra, and now he pounced on them like a hungry predator on amb that kept wiggling its ass in front of them. He kissed her right tit under, above, and around the nipple, leaving the best part for the end; He brought his eating habits to bed.


    "Mmm, yes, put my nipple in your mouth and insert a finger inside me."


    Gale took her nipple inside his mouth and sucked on it, enticing her to keep moaning for him. He suddenly had an idea and acted on it. He bit her nipple and at the same time pushed his middle finger inside her wet hole. He could feel her pussy walls contracting on his finger, trying to suck it in as he kept pumping it in and out.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "AHH, YES!!!" She eximed in joy.


    "Keep it going, don''t stop!"


    She almost begged with a hoarse voice. She moved her hips back and forth, trying to fuck his fingers as she pressed his face stronger to her chest, causing him to squash it.


    "I want to cum, go down and lick it."


    Gale hesitantly lowered his head to her pussy, and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself when the smell overwhelmed him. Honestly, it didn''t smell so good, but he was so horny it only aroused him. His thoughts were interrupted when he found his face pressed forcibly to the wet spot of the impatient, horny woman.


    Gale stopped thinking and started licking her clit slowly, spreading his warm saliva all over her pussy as he added his index finger to the pumping. The taste of her juice pervaded his tasting buds, her moans filled his hearing sense, her wet pussy contracting on his fingers and her waist in the palm of his other hand filled his touching sense.


    Her strong smell overwhelmed him, and the view of her oozing pussy and seeing her face twisted with pleasure still dirty with his cum didn''t help either, it was all so arousing that all he wanted was to go inside her.


    "AHH, YES!"


    Mira didn''t do much better, she came on his fingers and gasped for air in her orgasm. Her body kept shaking in her climax, and her pussy tried to swallow Gale''s fingers like a hungry monster.


    Suddenly, Gale''s perception turned sharper, all his senses improved, and he could faintly sense something in the air as if another type of air was added to the normal air. Unfortunately, he didn''t have time to think about it.


    "Put it in. Right. Now."


    Mira demanded his attention, or to be more precise, his dick''s attention. She was so horny she couldn''t find it in her to wait and she pushed him down and climbed on him. One hand supported her by holding Gale''s thigh, and the other took his dick. she aimed it at her slit and sat down.


    "Ahhh"


    Theirbined moans filled the room, creating a lustful symphony. The noises of their pelvises hitting against each other repeatedly resounded through the room as Mira kept bouncing on Gale''s dick. Her tits were jiggling up and down every time she sat down, and her pussy wrapped around Gale''s thick dick as if it was meant to be there in the first ce.


    Gale groaned when he felt his big friend push through, paving its way toward a new home. He could feel his balls bounce and hit her fat ass whenever she sat down, and her hands gripping his thighs only added to the bliss. Gale cupped her tits in his hands and squeezed them as she kept riding his manhood.


    "AH, this size is so big, so perfect! I want more of this cock!"


    She kept singing praises to Gale''s cock, and Gale couldn''t hold it back any longer.


    "I must cum, I can''t hold it!"


    "Cum inside me, let me feel how hard you can shoot this!"


    She requested and Galeplied. He moved his hands to her ass, grabbed it, and pulled it down, making her pussy take his whole length in for his peak. He spasmed under her and started ejacting his sperm when he was deep inside her.


    "Ahh yes, give it to me baby."


    Mira moaned as she felt the hot cum filling her, she orgasmed at the same time.


    *Squirt*


    She squirted badly, covering Gale''s dick, waist, and thighs with her fluids.


    "Haa¡­ Haaa¡­"


    She gasped for air as her orgasm came to end. She slowly dropped her body to lie on Gale''s bare chest, their naked bodies press against one another. Gale''s dick turned cid as they caught their breath and slipped out of Mira''s pussy. However, it wasn''t the only thing that came out. Their mixed juices kept flowing out of her, dirtying their thighs.


    Again, Gale felt his perception gets better, and the feeling of another substance around him got stronger. He decided to think about itter; after all, they were just taking a short break.

 Chapter 11 10 - Results

    ?A few hourster, Mira and Galey next to each other in bed, breathing heavily, taking in the obscene smells. After catching their breath, they went to take a shower and Mira washed Gale.


    "I almost forgot you were of a noble birth."


    Mira chuckled as she washed his body. After they finished showering and dressing up, they opened the windows to air the room. Gale who prepared to leave and opened the door, suddenly saw Lena sitting down a few meters away. He already forgot about her presence out of the room.


    "Was she listening?"


    Mira wondered to herself and felt a bit embarrassed. She felt she might have exhibited too much enthusiasm for a woman who signed up for her own crippling.


    "Are you ready to go back home? You must be tired. I could hear you working very¡­ hard."


    "She did listen! I knew she was perverted!" were Mira''s thoughts. It seemed Gale''s image improved in her eyes, but not his sister''s. Gale blushed and protested.


    "You weren''t supposed to be listening to us!"


    "Listened to you? You were so loud in your screaming you almost ruined my hard work of keeping this ordeal a secret from the people around."


    "What? Did someone hear us?"


    "I don''t think so, when I noticed things got louder I put up an air barrier using wind magic to dim the sound."


    "And¡­ were you outside the barrier?"


    Gale asked with slight hope, but with a feeling that he would regret asking.


    "Of course not, how''d I hear you if you cried for help?"


    He gave up on arguing with Lena and decided to move on. Gale said his goodbyes to Mira and left the jail along with Lena. They sat down to eat dinner together as Gale was too busy to eat lunch, and Lena started asking him about the results of his session with Mira.


    "Do you feel the mana?"


    "Yes, after we had a few rounds I started being able to feel the mana around me. It feels hot and fiery. On one hand, it can bring forth destruction, and on the other hand, it can improve lives."


    "This is the feeling of the fire-type mana. It seems you would inherit the affinities of those youy with. What stage are you at? Did you be a True Magician yet?"


    Lena was quite excited about her brother''s improvement. It was an untraditional way to improve, but she was always bugged by the fact that her brother will die when she was still young due to his inability to be a magician.


    "I can''t quite tell my stage, because it all happened at once and I didn''t have time topare. I felt a rise in my strength 4 times today, but I don''t think it''s possible that every time I felt it rising it was getting to the next stage."


    "Of course not, you can, and must, advance inside your stage before you can get to the next one. It''s something like having more and more responsibilities until your boss recognizes your efforts and decides to promote you. Before the promotion, you''d still be in the same role with the same rank, but your authority would be superior to someone who just got promoted to an equal role."


    "I think I''m a True Magician now, at some point I suddenly felt a connection with mana in contrast to the beginning when I only felt it like something foreign to me, which was simply there."


    "It does give such a feeling. Congrattions on your rank-up, Gale."


    Lena pped excitedly and gave him a tight hug.


    "After you finish your¡­ training, I will teach you ways to improve your usage of mana, spells, and most importantly, how to guide mana through your body to strengthen it. The more types of mana you use to strengthen your body, the stronger your body would be and the longer you''d live even if you don''t advance farther."


    She had to pause when she tried to find an appropriate word for Gale''s¡­ well, training, but moved on quickly after convincing herself this was all her pure little brother was doing. "Exactly, it''s just unorthodox training", she thought to herself.


    After Lena went to her room in the main mansion, Gale was left to his own devices. He recalled today''s events and couldn''t help but get excited.


    "Wait, wait, that''s not what I''m trying to think about."


    That''s right, Gale was trying to think of the way his powers worked today. He could feel at times that Mira got more excited and hornier, and he could corrte most of those cases with the times when he encouraged himself in his thoughts, or really wanted her to show a reaction to something he was doing. He figured this had to do with his charming abilities.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Furthermore, She acted as if she was on drugs every time he came inside her as well as whenever she tasted his jizz. While he didn''t know if that was a normal reaction of a horny woman, it seemed more realistic to attribute it to his charming abilities as well.


    "I think there''s nothing else I can learn about my charming abilities for now, let''s test my magic."


    He started ying with the mana around him. He put a candle on the grass outside and tried lighting it with his fire. Sounds of cracking resounded and everything in a radius of 5 meters from Gale was set aze, burning the candle and the grass alike.


    "AHHHH"


    Gale shouted in panic.


    "What happened? Lord Gale, are you ok?"


    Nina was startled to see the yard going on fire around Gale. She quickly reacted and a strong wind came from above and pressed the mes to the ground, making them crisp in theirst struggle to survive. Once the mes were extinguished, she quickly went to Gale who was unharmed except for losing his clothes.


    "Haa¡­ ha¡­ I thought I was going to burn myself to death."


    "What just happened? Did you just do magic?"


    "I did, I''m a true magician now."


    Gale announced proudly.


    "Haha, don''t look so proud when you burned your clothes just now. Let''s get inside and get you a change of clothes."


    Nina couldn''t help butugh at his proud look as he stood there with scorched clothes.


    "Ah, right. I didn''t expect for a fire to start, I was just trying to guide mana to light a candle."


    "Congrattions on bing a True Magician, Lord Gale, those are great news. However, don''t try to execute magic without any supervision before you get more proficient in it, magicians are respected because their spells and magic can kill, not because they can light candles without a match, or wash the dishes more quickly."


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® "You''re right, I will practice it under guidance next time."


    He said embarrassedly. He should''ve realized there was a reason Lena didn''t just give him the spells to practice but wanted to be next to him when he tried.


    Meanwhile, at the same time Gale was busy burning his yard, a tall man came to Lena''s room.


    "You''ve been home for a few days, it is time for you toe back."


    "I''m busy, tell Master I''m dying my return by a month."


    "What reason should I give her?"


    "Something came up."


    "I don''t think it counts as a valid reason. What came up?"


    "None of your business, just tell her I won''t being this month."


    The man sighed and turned to leave when he heard her voice again.


    "Oh right, tell her that if she sends here someone to investigate, I will kill them. If they are too strong, I will wait for when I''m strong enough to kill both the spy and the one he reported to."


    The man sighed again. If her master sent a spy, wouldn''t the person they reported to be The Fire Witch herself? This crazy girl just threatened to kill her own master who was also the third strongest person in the whole kingdom!


    He knew she could say that without getting punished because of who she was, she was the hope of The Fire Witch. The Fire Witch ced her hopes on her to be a True Magus and help her get to the next stage too, lengthening her life and making her stronger.

 Chapter 12 11 - Goodbyes

    ?Gale was sitting on his bed, wondering why Lena didn''te to have breakfast with him as always. He got up, stretched, and went to the dining room to have a cup of tea.


    "Lord Gale, good morning. Should I prepare breakfast?"


    Nina was there, ying her role as a maid perfectly.


    "You don''t have to act like a maid, I know you want to be undercover to offer me better protection, but we could hire another maid."


    "There''s no need, Lord Gale. I''ve always wanted to y the part but never did it because it was better to keep practicing my magic. Check out how cute this outfit is!"


    She spun around, showing off her maid outfit. Now that Gale looked at it, it was much fancier than a normal maid''s outfit should be. He rolled his eyes at her.


    "How much did this outfit cost? wouldn''t it be a shame to ruin it doing chores only to look cute?"


    "I do the chores with magic anyway, so there it''s risk-free."


    This reminded Gale of another n he thought of.


    "Nina, could you teach me some fire magic?"


    "No, Lady Lena already said she will teach you herself. Her skills with fire magic are far superior to mine, and I''d get my ass whipped if something happened to you under my teaching."


    Gale had no choice but to say around the mansion and wait for Lena''s arrival since he didn''t have the keys to Mira''s room.


    Lena was standing in a deserted ce, fire was slowly rising and swirling around her. At times, the fire took a form of a snake, at others, it took a form of an orb. The snakes were corrosive, they bit stones, sand, and everything in their path, setting them aze and making them burn to ashes, while the orbs would simply explode. Although she was a True Mage now, she couldn''t fight another True Mage as she was right now due to her inability to use mana as mages should.


    Her original n was to go out for a vacation at home and go back to learn under her master, but now she had to learn how to control it by herself to control the situation in case something goes wrong with Gale''s abilities.


    Lena felt the mana was happy to help her, she still didn''t have any Mage stage spells in her repertoire, but even the magician ones were cast faster and with more power. She felt from the mana''s movement that it was fixing her spells, improving their power input.


    Gale was left in suspense for a week as he had no idea what Lena was doing, and he couldn''t go too far from the mansion considering he didn''t know when Lena woulde to search for him. Finally, she was there.


    "I was practicing my mana usage."


    Lena simply said what she was doing the past week without exining, after all, she never felt she needed to exin her actions.


    "Let''s go."


    2 additional weeks passed, during which Gale and Mira had sex like rabbits. They did it over the bed, the floor, in the shower, and once over the dining table, making them giggle when they ate lunch the following day. Gale finally rose to the Advanced Magician stage and was only one step away from getting to the Expert stage. However, Gale had conflicting feelings about taking this final step.


    "No, you already have lost your capability to rise to the Mage Phase. If we continue, you''ll lose your connection to manapletely."


    Gale suddenly pushed Mira away from him when she tried riding him again. During those 2 weeks, he didn''t only have sex with Mira. He learned about her likings, her background, some of her dreams, and more. Naturally, he started caring about her, and if he could, he would also bring her with him.


    Unfortunately, she made it clear that she had her own life and couldn''t follow him when she gets out. The truth was she wanted to follow Gale and have a noble backing her, but Lena already instructed her to refuse when Gale brings the topic up.


    "Then what should we do? We still have 2 hours before you leave."


    Gale moved his fingers on her thighs and started kissing her neck, inducing a soft moan from her mouth.


    "I can control whether to absorb your energies or not."


    Mira smiled, they were going to have 2 hours only for themselves, with no hidden motive.


    "Mm, I''d like that."


    Two hours passed early, and Lena opened the door without knocking.


    "We''re leaving."


    Gale and Mira, who already knew Lena''s ways of conducting herself, had already taken a shower and dressed up in advance, so Gale immediately parted with Mira and left with Lena.


    "How long do you need to get to the Expert stage and be done with Mira?"


    "Hmm about that, I decided not to."


    "Not what?"


    "Not to ruin Mira''s connection with mana. I''d feel bad about it, her life would be ruined if I do it. Even her former job required her to be a magician, so crippling her would mean leaving her defenseless and unable to provide for herself in this life."


    "Are you sure about it?"


    Lena knew Gale had a strong moral code, and she wouldn''t try to make him go against it. It was one of the reasons she liked him and treated him as a pure kid in the first ce.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I''m sure. Thank you for helping me to get stronger."


    "Don''t talk as if you''re already done. You still have 2dies to eat."


    "Eh, I''m not ''eating'' them."


    "Mira''s screams tell a different story. Anyway, tomorrow be prepared to meet Rachel. Have a good night, I need to go back to my training."


    Night arrived, and Lena revisited the jail.


    "Release Mira from jail."


    She instructed Neal, the prison manager, to uphold her promise. She had already found the kidnapped son as well. After bringing Mira out, Neal bowed and left, leaving the two women alone.


    "Let''s go, I have rented a house nearby."


    Lena led Mira into the city. Mira didn''t know what to expect, but she didn''t expect Lena to lead her to the slums. They went past drunk beggars and homeless people who could barely cover their bodies with tattered clothes. The smell was terrible, it was a mix of alcohol, body odor, sewerage, and vomit. Mira felt nervous, why would Lena lead her here, was she really simply too cheap to rent a house in a decent area?


    They reached an isted house in the corner of the slums, and Lena took out a set of keys and opened the door. They entered directly into a small kitchen with a dining table for two in it. Mira could see there was one closed room and a bathroom further inside.


    "Is this where I''m going to live?"


    "Not quite."


    "Is this where I''m going to die?"


    "Yes, you know too many of Gale''s secrets. I don''t know the consequences of his powers bing known, and I don''t n on finding out before I''m strong enough to protect him."


    "Does he know I''m going to die here?"


    "No, he is too soft."


    "I see. What-what about my son? Will you keep your promise to me to save him? Please, let me live long enough to see him onest time."


    Mira started sobbing and spoke hurriedly, she didn''t want to die.


    "I''ve saved him. I knew you''d wish for that, that''s why I brought you here. This house is where the child traffickers kept him. I''ll bring him out now, be careful of your words if you wish for him to live. As long as I believe he doesn''t hold any grudge against me, I promise to take care of him and his future."


    "Thank you."


    Taking in deep inhales to calm herself, she asked to see her son.


    "Bring him out."


    A man opened the closed door and brought out a small kid. He was Dan, Mira''s son, and he seemed healthy, well-fed, and wore nice clothes. It was a kind gesture by Lena to show he was in good hands and Mira didn''t have to worry about his future. Dan ran to Mira''s embrace as soon as he saw her.


    "Mom! You''re finally here!"


    "I am, sweetie. Are you injured? Are you hungry?"


    "No, mom. I was saved by that big man a few days ago. At first, I thought he was going to take me away too, but he took good care of me and promised me I will see you in a few days. Look! He kept his promise! Haha"


    Little Dan giggled happily in his mother''s embrace, as he spread his arms when he talked about the big man as if trying to convey how big he was with his gestures.


    "Mm, it''s true. Good people keep their promises, Dan."


    Mira stroked his hair gently; she missed him greatly and felt a massive relief after seeing him safe.


    "Mom has to go to work now, Dan. Go with the big man and follow his instructions, he knows mom and promised me he would take good care of you until I return. Be a good boy, ok?"


    Mira barely held back her tears as her son nodded. Dan already feltfortable with the man he considered to be his savior and didn''t mind waiting for his mom toe back with him.


    "Go, take him to their new home."


    Lena yed along with Mira''s act and pretended he was going to go see her again when she sent the man away with Dan.


    "Anyst request?"


    "As long as you raise Dan properly, I''m satisfied."


    A few minutester, a silhouette of a woman came out of the door, her red hair was easily seen even under the darkness of the night. Lena walked back home, feeling slightly troubled by her own heartless actions, but quickly thought of Gale''s safety and felt she did the right thing.

 Chapter 13 12 – Atress Arrival

    ?This morning Gale and Lena were having breakfast together with Nina as always when they made ns to visit the jail to meet Rachelter in the afternoon. Lena has already instructed Neal to let Rachel move into the apartment where Gale was having his sessions with Mira, so everything was prepared for Gale to arrive.


    "Do you really have to marry Atress now? You''ve be a magician; you can be a free person now."


    Nina asked curiously, ultimately, she thought there was no reason for him to marry Atress anymore.


    "I thought the same thing, but Lena insists I should marry her. She wouldn''t even tell me why."


    "Haha, you have a lot to benefit from marrying Atress, pretty boy."


    It was a hint; his benefits will be earned thanks to his good looks. He tried thinking what meaningy under Lena''s words but couldn''te up with anything. Atress was a stage 2 magician he didn''t n to cripple even if they get married, and her affinity was earth which he was already going to obtain from Rachel.


    He tried going at it logically; The only benefits he needed were strong women, and the only strong woman in Atress'' house was Atress'' mother, the viscount herself. WAIT! It couldn''t be what Lena meant¡­ right?


    "Ahm, my dear big sister, you aren''t telling me to go after Atress'' mother, right?"


    He asked carefully, causing Nina''s face to brighten with understanding. She was already aware of Gale''s ability to improve by gettingid by stronger women, although she wasn''t aware of the details.


    "Haha Gale, you really are going to be a milf hunter for the rest of your life!"


    Gale blushed, he couldn''t find words to retort; the stronger he bes the stronger he would need his women to be, and the stronger women were mostly the older ones who have practiced for longer.


    "Hahaha wait, wait, no! Sooner orter, you''d turn into GMILF hunter!"


    Nina burst outughing, making Gale get annoyed by her teasing.


    "There is no such term! Besides, if they''re strong enough to make me go after them, their magic can easily keep their youthful look. I''ve heard that above rank 7 some people like to be in their child form!"


    Lena raised an eyebrow at him.


    "Do you want to go after children, Gale?"


    "What-what? No, that''s not what I meant! I just said there are young-looking women at high stages."


    "Right. You''ll probably like Rachel, she has a petite build."


    "As I said, I''m into big-"


    "Lady Atress has arrived!"


    The guard saved him from falling into Nina''s and Lena''s trap. It can be quite scary to be bullied by 2 girls¡­


    Lena red at the guard who interrupted Gale, sending shivers down his spine.


    "What is she doing here?"


    "Lady Lena, I didn''t ask. She only said she wish to meet with Lord Gale."


    The guard replied with a slight fear. He kept trying to understand what he has done wrong to anger Lady Lena and make up for it.


    "Good timing, bring her in."


    The guard didn''t know what Gale meant by calling it ''good timing'', but he simply left to bring her in. The trio left the dining room and moved to the living room as it would be impolite to host her with the table uncleared. Lena took a seat, Nina left to stand by their side as a maid should, and Gale remained standing.


    "Come, sit with us. I hope you don''t mind my sister Lena will apany us."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Gale got up and offered Atress a seat when she came in. He wouldn''t send away his sister, thus, he simply said a few polite words that would force Atress to agree to her presence. At the end of the day, only Lena broke the rules and spoke her thoughts directly.


    "Of course, I don''t mind. I thought we would discuss a few things about our wedding, but there shouldn''t be a problem if Lady Lena chooses to listen."


    Atress spoke politely, yet her words meant that Lena shouldn''t stick her nose in their personal concerns as an engaged couple. Additionally, by emphasizing the word ''listen'' she clearly hinted Lena can listen, but not talk.


    "As long as you don''t use any underhanded tricks on my brother, I will stay out of your discussions."


    Lena smiled at her. She wasn''t easy to bully, and she never cared about Atress'' hints to leave or stay out of it.


    "So, what is it you want to discuss regarding our wedding?


    "When I went home the other day, I couldn''t stop myself from thinking we might''ve been¡­ rush, in the heat of the moment. Don''t you think 2 months are rather too short to n a marriage and allow the couple to get to know each other better?"


    Gale quickly understood what happened. He could deduce that his charm''s effects weren''t eternal. When Atress had time to think about it more carefully at home without his constant influence, she realized that she made a choice she didn''t want. Now, one month has passed since their agreement, which meant their wedding should take ce next month.


    "I believe setting it to next month was a good choice. I feel excited to get to know you better during this month."


    His green eyes showed a faint shine and Atress felt herself getting pulled into them.


    "But I have a lot of work to do, and we won''t be able to spend much time together this month. Maybe we should dy it by a few months, we could make the wedding even grander."


    "Are you saying you don''t want to marry me?"


    The shine in his eyes grew slightly stronger. Unlikest time, he was now an Advanced Magician, and he could feel the flow of mana, allowing him to use his ability considerably better. If before he was like a blind man shooting a machine gun everywhere to hit his target, how he was a seeing man shooting a machine gun around his target. There was room for improvement, but at least he got the direction right.


    "No, I want to marry you. You''re right, maybe I was just nervous about it."


    Nina and Lena watched it happen with interest. It''s not every day you get to see someone get charmed and make bad life-changing decisions.


    "I think it''s a good choice toply with Atress, dy it by a month."


    Lena stopped them. Gale looked at her, confused about her sudden support in dying the wedding when he was only doing it because of her. Even Atress was surprised by the sudden turn of events, she never expected Lena to take her side.


    "Hmm, since both of you advise the same, let''s dy our wedding by a month. Is it enough, Atress?"


    "Yes, of course. Thank you, Lady Lena."


    They exchanged a few pleasantries and parted. Back in the living room, Gale questioned Lena.


    "Why did we need to dy the wedding? Why do we even need to hold the wedding in the first ce?"


    He suddenly remembered he never got a response to his question about his sister''s goals.


    "Haha, you will find out soon enough. Don''t worry, you don''t need to hit on her mom."


    "I still think it''s annoying you wouldn''t tell me, but I''m relieved to know that at least I don''t have to cheat on her with her mother."


    "That''s not what I said. Don''t worry, you''re not Atress'' type anymore, so she will not pest you about maintaining a married lifestyle as long as you don''t charm her."


    Lena teased him with a mysterious smile. Sadly for Gale, he had no idea what she was talking about.

 Chapter 14 13 – Meeting Rachel

    ?"All right, let''s go meet Rachel!"


    Gale stood up with excitement. After his experience with Mira, he was expectant to meet with Rachel. He''d lie if he said he didn''t like the action. Undoubtedly, the fact that Mira''s face often contorted from joy and pleasure encouraged him greatly.


    "Chill, you''re going to have almost 2 weeks with her."


    "Do I really need to ruin her connection? I''m already an Advanced Magician, so I only need to get her affinity with the earth, I don''t need to absorb her connection with mana."


    "You''re right, but ording to your experience with Mira, your affinity grew the more you spent time with her. I believe your affinity grows on a scale, and not as a one-time thing."


    "Hmm, you''re right. Does it mean that if I get an affinity from an expert magician I''ll have to also absorb one from a True Mage, Advanced Mage, and an Expert Mage?"


    "I don''t think so. Within phases, your affinity remains the same unless you consume a special natural treasure or a potion. However, the former is rare, and thetter is both expensive and has only a marginal effect. It''s also impossible to stack the effects of many potions as you''d develop immunity quickly."


    "Then¡­?"


    "Then it means you''ll have to absorb affinities from Magester, but once you absorb a True Mage''s affinity, you''re all set for the Mage phase. Do note that more talented mages have better affinities than others and different mages sometimes have a different type of affinity with the same element.


    For example, my affinity with fire is more leaning toward explosion and burning, so I''m not good at concocting potions, which requires affinity with warmth, development, and utilizing materials. Besides, Potion brewers often have an affinity with both water and fire."


    After Lena finished exining affinities to Gale, they marched together in the jail''s direction. As always, Lena led him to the door and unlocked it. For his first meeting with Rachel, she went in with him to make sure everything goes smoothly.


    --------------


    3 days earlier:


    Lena decided to meet with Rachel and instruct her on what answers to give to Gale in advance, to prevent a situation like the first time Mira and Gale met each other, in which Mira didn''t know what parts of the truth she should hide.


    At the end of the day, Rachel might not be as smart as Mira and get the hint just by seeing Lena narrowing her eyes, which might result in her giving answers she shouldn''t and affect Gale''s willingness to take advantage of her situation.


    "Hello Rachel, remember our deal? The time hase, and you''ll be meeting with the man I told you about in a few days."


    "I remember, Lady Lena. I will hold up my end of the deal, I just hope you will heal my father as promised."


    Rachel was a cute looking short girl. She was 40 years old, yet with the longer life span of an Expert Magician she looked more like a version of herself at the age of 20. But what made it even more special was her petite build; she was short, 150 cm only, with big round brown eyes that resembled those of a kid''s.


    Her ck hair reached her upper back, and if not for the clear mana''s acknowledgment of her, one might think she was 13-14 years old. Her petite body included small breasts, which Lena estimated as B cup, and a cute, little rear end. Overall, she would be the choice of men who were into younger girls but wanted to keep it legal.


    "The man''s name is Gale. As you already know, you will lose your connection to mana forever after he sleeps with you for a couple of weeks. However, he is slightly gullible and has a soft heart, making it difficult for him to hurt others. When you meet him for the first time, he will ask you whether you''re aware of the risk of losing the connection to mana, and why you''re doing it anyway.


    I expect you to answer that you''re aware, but you have your own goals you want to pursue, however, you will miss your chance to achieve your goals forever if you don''t get out soon. Luckily, those goals don''t require you to have a connection to mana in order to achieve them. Understood?"


    "Yes, Lady Lena."


    The teen-like woman nodded with understanding after taking a second or two to process Lena''s words. Lena''s guts told her that something was suspicious about theck of questions and the woman''s countenance, yet she quickly dismissed that feeling when she saw Rachel''s innocent look.


    "Remember, if you try backing out of the deal after agreeing, both you and your sick father are doomed."


    With ast warning, she turned back and left Rachel''s cell.


    -------------


    Back to the present:


    Opening the door, Gale and Lena came into Rachel''s house. While she didn''t follow Mira''s example of avoiding wearing the prison uniform, she wore only the top. However, as short as she was, the shirt was long enough to cover her until the thighs, and Gale could only apud her for seeding in making a prison shirt look cute.


    "Hello, are you Lord Gale?"


    Rachel looked at him with her big eyes and curtsied.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Uhm, yes, hello Rachel."


    Gale lost his cool for a moment. Although Lena has told him in advance that Rachel is petite, he just hadn''t expected a woman above 40 to look so young.


    "I''m d you look so gentle and handsome. When Lady Lena told me of the deal, I was worried it was someone scary."


    Rachel said with excitement and happiness in her voice. She was taking good advantage of her strongest point ¨C being cute. Gale couldn''t help but feel the urge to assure this woman the process won''t hurt.


    "I promise it won''t hurt at all. But why are you still agreeing to lose your connection to mana only to be released a few years earlier?"


    Lena looked intently at Rachel and waited for her answer. She didn''t like her behavior so far at all, it felt like she was trying to manipte Gale to take pity on her and develop a desire to protect her.


    "I have other goals to pursue, and I will miss the best time to achieve them if I wait any longer in jail. My connection to mana isn''t important to me, it won''t even damage my life expectancy."


    Lena heaved a sigh of relief; she wasn''t sure the woman will act by the rules she imposed on her. "I guess her father gets to live", she murmured to herself.


    "I see, do you want my help pursuing those goals when you''re out of jail?"


    "Thank you, Lord Gale. You''re as kind as I was told you were. However, some things can only be achieved by oneself without using external help."


    "All right, let me thank you in advance. Although it''s a trade and you also gain what you want, I still benefit from your loss."


    "It''s okay, it''s my honor to be of any use to you, Lord Gale."


    She lowered her head in respect.


    "Ok, I will leave the two of you and be outside."


    Lena left the room and Gale stayed alone with Rachel. He approached her and sat in bed. He didn''t know how he should take the first step with such a young looking woman. Mira always took the lead at first, and onlyter when he feltfortable around her, did he have no problem just walking to her and trying anything he wanted. Unfortunately, that wasn''t the case with Rachel yet.


    "Come, have a seat by my side."


    He invited Rachel, who still stood by the bed waiting for him to act first, to sit.


    "Yes, Lord Gale."


    "You don''t have to address me as a lord, we are going to be intimate soon. Just say my name."


    "Ok, Gale. Do you want to¡­ touch me?"


    She sat right next to him, her thigh touching his, and asked shyly. Gale felt his heart racing, he never felt this type of stimtion. He reached out with his hand to her face and held her cheek.


    "I do. You''re so pretty, I want to kiss your lips."


    He said and leaned down to her lips and started kissing her. She kissed him back, using her lips only. Unlike Mira, she gave an inexperienced feeling, as if it was the first kiss of a shy teenager.


    "Rx, enjoy the feeling."


    Gale wanted her to enjoy kissing him and be more cooperative. Without him even noticing, his green eyes shed with a mellow light. Rachel immediately sent out her tongue to his mouth. Their tongues met, and touched each other for a moment, seemingly checking each other. A momentter they started coiling around each other like they met their lifelong partner, mixing their saliva to the point they could taste one another.


    "AH!"


    Rachel quickly backed away from the kiss, panic shing through her eyes. Gale was confused, the kiss started feeling so good, so why did she suddenly stop? He suddenly saw her reluctant expression and felt worried.


    "What happened? Did you change your mind about the deal? Did I do something you disliked?"

 Chapter 15 14 – Rachels Scheme *

    ?Warning - you might want to wait for the next chapter. unless you have no need - two pump chumps for the win! *inserts cheering emoji*


    -----------------


    Rachel was confused; she nned to act the role of a shy, inexperienced youngdy, so why did she suddenly go for a deep kiss? Was that something shy girls do on their first kiss? She just lost herself in the heat of the moment when she heard his voice, but it was so unlike her!


    Gale, on the other hand, felt guilty when he realized he must have used his charm on her and made her do something she didn''t want. He felt like he vited her.


    "I''m¡­ I''m sorry, I was just startled by how I couldn''t stop myself from kissing you."


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® "It''s ok, you don''t have to apologize. There''s nothing wrong with being passionate about kissing, and it wasn''t your fault."


    Gale pitied the girl, she must have been surprised at her sudden actions and he couldn''t exin to her his charming abilities, as it was better if fewer people knew about it. If his charming powers were known, it''d be much moreplicated to take advantage of this abilityter.


    Rachel saw that her image wasn''t ruined in the man''s eyes, and thus decided she can keep up the innocent act.


    "But¡­ I liked the feeling."


    Her voice was bashful, and her cheeks had a faint blush.


    "Me¡­ me too."


    Gale was stunned by the cuteness, he already forgot he was speaking with a woman more than two times his age. He was determined not to identally use charm on her again.


    Rachel had a good reason for acting like that; she believed there was no way Lena would let her go after knowing too many details about Gale''s wondrous way of improving. At least, she knew she wouldn''t let anyone leave the ce alive if she was in Lena''s ce. She could already see through Gale''s character; he wasn''t one to abuse his power and take things by force, so she felt it was her chance.


    She knew she couldn''t hide from Lena even if she managed to convince Gale to let her go unharmed as she already knew too much, so there was only one avable solution; get Gale''s support and backing when Lena wasn''t there, then, Lena would be forced to ept it, else she''d hurt her brother''s feelings.


    "Do you want to try again?"


    She was pulled out of her thoughts by Gale''s question. She waited for a bit and nodded coyly.


    "Yes."


    Of course, she left it for Gale to initiate the kiss. Gale hugged her and pulled her to hisp.


    "Hug me tightly."


    He instructed and sheplied. He felt her silky, short arms hugging him and her small chest press against his, her soft butt was sitting in hisp, supposedly testing his self control. He ced his left hand on her lower back, held her chin with his right, and pulled her close to his face.


    "Close your eyes, Rachel, and leave everything to me."


    The feeling of having such a young girl all for himself was quite addictive, he suddenly felt he understood how Mira must have felt when she was guiding him in his inexperienced times. Rachel closed her big eyes, and Gale couldn''t stop his heart from racing when he saw a young girl closes her eyes on hisp,pletely defenseless.


    He hugged her tightly as he led her lips to his. Softly, their lips met, and they could smell each other''s fragrance. Rachel, embraced by Gale''s strong arms, felt his scent making her slightly moist down there, and she could barely stop herself from going wild and ruining her carefully nned act. She rubbed her private part on Gale, trying to get rid of the itch she was feeling.


    Gale, aroused by her movement sent out his tongue on an adventure, to explore new warmnds. He felt Rachel''s full lips part, and his tongue entered the promisednd. A moist, fragrantnd, with a snake-like existence inside. Their tongues yed tag with each other, one chases and the other retreats, one captures and the other gets captured.


    The steamy kiss has long woken up Gale''s friend, making it poke Rachel''s butt through his pants. Her shirt was slightly pulled up by their movement, making her sit directly with her panties on him. Gale and Rachel both were washed with waves of pleasure, yet Gale persisted with his attack; his tongue was dancing with hers, feeling the delicious, slippery tongue of the youngdy on hisp.


    Rachel, who was captivated by the moment of the kiss, let out a small moan into Gale''s mouth and backed away to catch her breath, leaving only a string of saliva between their mouths as evidence of their steamy moment. Well, that and the big bulge in Gale''s pants. That and the stain on Rachel''s panties, which only kept spreading.


    "Haa¡­ haa¡­"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Rachel breathed heavily and tried to focus. She kept getting lost in pleasure, and that wasn''t part of her ns!


    Contradictory to his promise, Gale wanted to make Rachel feel good so badly that his charm went out of control, making her hornier with every single breath of his smell, and with every taste that she had of his tongue. However, Rachel was determined to save her life. She stopped the kiss and gave him a hesitant look, worry was written in big letters on her face.


    "What happened, dear?"


    Gale asked her worriedly.


    "I feel like there is something special between us, yet we will have to part ways so soon. It makes me sad thinking about it."


    Rachel said with a cute pout on her face.


    "We don''t have to, Rachel. As long as you''re willing, I''ll take care of you for the rest of your life!"


    Rachel almost gaped; she knew he was na?ve, but she didn''t think it would be that easy to get such a promise from him.


    "But¡­ it''s not only that."


    "Tell me what''s on your mind, as long as I can, I''ll do my best to fix it."


    "I¡­ I don''t want to lose my connection to mana!"


    She said with a pained face, her big eyes were wet with tears that threatened to stain her cute face.


    "What? Since I''m willing to take responsibility for you, I would never take your connection away. Do you wish to be with me?"


    "I do, but what about your sister? She said she''d kill me if I don''t give up on my magic for you."


    "Don''t worry about her, she will listen to me. I will tell her I want you to be with me. She always concedes to my requests."


    Rachel was left speechless by how smoothly it all went. Didn''t his parents teach him not to trust strangers so easily?


    "Ok, I trust you."


    She gave him a peck on his mouth. Gale pulled her to bed with him,ying her beside him. He sat above her and pulled off her shirt, leaving two white moundspletely exposed. Rachel took full advantage of having small boobs; she was braless.


    He groped the two white rabbits in his hand, taking their entirety into his palms. They fitted right in, letting him enjoy the touch of softness when he squeezed, and the feeling of having the world within his grasp when he pressed. He dived into her neck and started licking his way down to her chest, leaving a trail of kisses on his way between her breasts, forming a small stream of saliva on her skin.


    "Ahh, My love, I want to feel you more, give me more!"


    She moaned and begged. She couldn''t say it clearly while acting her cute persona, but she was desperate to feel his touch on her wet ce. She sent a hand down, as if unable to stop herself from touching herself, and rubbed her clit over her panties.


    "Ahhh"


    She moaned with relief when her pussy was finally stimted. Gale naturally didn''t miss it, he kept going lower with his mouth to her belly, teasing her just about the waist with his tongue, and stroking her inner thighs with his fingers, right next to her panties but without getting too close to herdy parts.


    "Please, take them off!"


    She yelled when she couldn''t take the forey anymore.

 Chapter 16 15 – Rachels Scheme 2/2 **

    ?"Please, take them off!"


    Rachel''s shout resounded in the room, her voice was filled with the erotic tone of an aroused woman.


    "Hmm? You were such a good girl so far."


    Gale had the urge to tease her, even when shey down with flushed cheeks, breathing heavily in arousal, she was still quite cute. Hearing his words, Rachel pouted.


    "You are bullying me!"


    She said coyly, and moved up her right foot, rubbing it against Gale''s hard dick which was just above her knees.


    "Ahh"


    Gale groaned with pleasure and waited a few more seconds to enjoy the sensation to its fullest. When he felt ready to move on, he quickly removed all his clothes and leaned above Rachel, their bodies were touching chest to chest, crotch to crotch. He pulled her panties off and rubbed his cock on her hole, without going in.


    "Do you want it babe?"


    "I¡­ isn''t it too big for me?"


    Her eyes bulged when she saw his size, it simply didn''t look like it was created for the smaller poption. Her reaction was seamless, and Gale fell for it hook, line, and sinker. He was brimming with pride. Undoubtedly, this was his favorite part of his new look.


    "Haha, I will do it slowly."


    He kissed her on her lips, trying to reassure her he will be gentle.


    "Okay, I trust you."


    She said and closed her eyes. She was acting cute but her pussy was oozing with juices, telling a different story; a story of a house in need of an inhabitant. Gale slowly moved his fingers on top of her entrance, eliciting an excited moan from Rachel. He rubbed her lower lips and kissed the uppers at the same time, but Rachel decided to stop remaining too passive for fear to lose controlpletely.


    She sent a hand between his legs and grabbed his dick, stroking it slowly. Gale didn''t expect her to make such a bold move on him, he shook for a moment in pleasant surprise. However, he didn''t want to lose to an inexperienced girl; he had to show her how much he has grown in his sessions with Mira.


    He immediately went down on her and tweaked her nipple at the same time as he pressed his lips against her lower ones, in a deep, wet kiss. He sent his tongue to check the humidity inside, to taste the juice river that was flowing out.


    Rachel kept moaning without rest, unable to contain the feeling of the tongue swirling inside her, touching her everywhere it could possibly reach and teasing her weak points one by one. his nose was pressing against her clit as he pressed his face to reach deeper into her with his snake-like tongue, causing every second to feel like paradise for Rachel.


    "AHH, YES BABY, PUT YOUR DICK INSIDE ME! RIGHT NOW!"


    Her cute persona disintegrated like sand in the wind, what remained was a horny woman, showing her needs without inhibition. Gale was stunned, he suddenly remembered she was above 40! Of course, she knew about sex, and it was very likely she had experienced it before!


    Rachel didn''t give him time to overthink it, she grabbed his head, pushed her pelvis against it, and pressed his head against her pelvis simultaneously, the best thing she could have after getting drilled by his massive tool.


    *squirt*


    She lost control and squirted, soiling Gale''s handsome face with her nectar. Gale never saw iting, even in all his sessions with Mira, she never squirted. Hell, he didn''t even know it was an option! Her smell overwhelmed his senses, making his cock pulsate stronger than his heart.


    "I''m going in."


    He announced. Seeing her squirt all her juices broke hisst line of defense, and he could only surrender to his desires. He put his member in front of the entrance, held it, and slowly pushed it in, guiding it in the right direction with his hand.


    "Ahhh¡­"


    He let out a groan together with Rachel as he got inside. He could feel the walls in her pussy forcibly making room for his dick as he pushed it through. Those walls kept contracting and wrapping around his dick like a hungry snake trying to swallow a fat animal in one go.


    He started pumping it in and out slowly, letting her get used to the feeling of his dick filling her. Rachel, on the other hand, had her eyes closed while she felt like she was sent straight to heaven when she was prated. Gale''s charms worked almost full time at the moment, making her feel every bit of pleasure almost as strong as a mini orgasm.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Are you ready?"


    "What for?"


    She opened her eyes with surprise.


    "AAHHH, YOU SAID YOU''D BE GENTLE!"


    But Gale couldn''t restrain himself anymore. He shoved his dick all the way in, letting their pelvises meet.


    "I''m sorry babe, it just felt so good I had to get more of it."


    He gave her a few seconds to recover from the pain and started moving his hips rhythmically. He felt like he wanted to crush her under him, he felt like he couldn''t get deep enough in their current missionary pose. He lifted her legs and pushed them against her chest.


    Seeing her trapped under him in such a pose almost made him drool. The sounds of thighs pping an ass were almost everything one could hear in their room along with the creaks of the bed and their shared moans.


    "I''m cumming, I can''t hold it anymore!"


    He pushed his dick all the way inside her and started ejacting inside.


    "AHHH"


    She moaned even louder than when she squirted, getting hooked on the feeling of his charmful semen inside her. She spasmed under him, getting another orgasm. Her sweaty face was red, her hair was glued to her face by the sweat and her breath was uneven.


    "Haa¡­ I hope¡­ there''s more toe, my love."


    She said with a flirtatious tone, making Gale grin.


    "I thought you were a puredy, but now you can''t have enough of me."


    "This is your fault, it felt too good!"


    She pouted, quickly regaining her cute persona. She messed up a few times, but she felt it couldn''t be helped; Even an angel would get horny in those circumstances. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him for a kiss as he leaned above her.


    Galeplied and they connected with their lips, letting his manhood slip out of her. Now, Gale had another chance to show off his charm abilities; before they even finished their kiss, his dick already got hard again and rubbed against her with new vigor.


    "No rest?"


    Rachel asked carefully, slightly shaken.


    "Don''t tell me, you''re already out of steam?"


    "Hmph. I can do it all day if you can."


    She was apetitive girl, no matter which persona she was using, and she didn''t feel mana from him, which means he was either a normal human or he still didn''t strengthen his body with mana despite being one.


    She pushed him off her with her foot, rolled in bed, andy with her bottom towards him.


    "Come if you''re ready."


    She wiggled in front of him, and the view of her wiggling ass still red from the ps of his thighs a few minutes ago,bined with her pussy continuously leaking his jizz out, would turn anyone into a horny beast. Thus, just like a starving beast with tasty meat in front of it, Gale pounced on her.

 Chapter 17 16 – First Argument With Lena

    ?Gale and Rachel kept enjoying their time between the sheets, and engrossed in their steamy love scene, they lost the track of time. This time, Gale totally forgot about Lena''s bad habits and kept having a go at Rachel, and Rachel didn''t know of Lena''s habits in the first ce.


    "Are you ready? Time to go."


    The door creaked open, and Lena''s voice put a halt to their echoing moans. Gale froze in ce, still entangled with Rachel''s body, while Rachel barely hid her smirk. She already felt like she had the upper hand in the schemingpetition she believed she had with Lena.


    "AHHH"


    Rachel shrieked with panic. Gale immediately stood in front of her and hid her naked body from Lena''s sight with his.


    "Don''t aim that thing at me."


    Lena pointed at his spear, which was seemingly ready to beunched and impale an unsuspecting girl. Gale wore an embarrassed expression and quickly covered his private parts, not before he covered Rachel with the sheets.


    "Lena, could you wait outside? I''ll take a quick shower ande out."


    "Ok, hurry up. Don''t let the girl join you inside else you might forget yourself in there."


    Lena instructed and went out. Gale quickly entered the shower and started washing with hot water. Rachel was still thinking about how to proceed with her ns when the door was opened again.


    "He is quite protective of you."


    Lena remarked. She decided toe back while Gale was showering. This time, Rachel didn''t bother hiding her naked body; she felt she was already safe as Gale''s woman. Her body, dirty with sweat, jizz, and her own juices she has squirted out,y exposed to Lena''s eyes.


    "We just hit it off really well."


    Rachel smiled at her.


    "I might be your sister inw soon if Gale doesn''t want to let me go. Judging from his passion those few hours, I don''t think he will let me go."


    "Did you seduce him?"


    Lena said quietly. Although her voice was quiet, Rachel could hear her well, and she felt the threat in that short question.


    "I didn''t do anything on purpose, we just formed a connection in the first moment."


    Rachel decided not to provoke Lena, it would be stupid to make her an enemy even if she can be Gale''s woman sessfully. Although she was amoner, everyone heard the rumors about the talented daughter of the Stormborn family.


    She believed that if she showed sincere love to Gale, Lena would ept the inevitable and let them be together. Honestly, it wasn''t even difficult to y the part; Gale was just too attractive, and after a few hours with him, she didn''t know if she could be satisfied by a normal man ever again.


    "Even if Gale wants you, I won''t let it happen. Don''t get your hopes up. If I think you tried manipting his feelings, you already know what to expect. Do your role, give him your affinity with the Earth element and I willpensate you generously."


    Lena was a bit worried, she didn''t want to fight with Gale over a woman who wasn''t even talented enough to be worthy to be Gale''s partner in life. After she finished what she came to say, she quickly left the room again before Gale coulde out of the shower.


    Rachel had her own preparations before Gale came out of the shower, as she wanted to look more presentable. She got up and quickly wiped herself of all the sweat and the other liquids, and put on the oversized prison shirt, making herself look cute again.


    Gale finished his shower quickly and came out with his underwear on. he dressed up and gave a goodbye kiss to Rachel, who in return took his hand and led it under her shirt, letting him find out she wore nothing beneath it.


    "See you tomorrow, darling."


    She said with a coquettish smile as she sent him off. Gale could only leave with his imagination running wild, forming a small bulge in his pants again. He inhaled, calmed himself, and went out to meet with Lena.


    "How was the day with Rachel? Did you get some earth element affinity?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Lena probed as soon as he got out, she wanted to make sure he didn''t pity the woman and held himself back.


    "Ah¡­ about that¡­"


    Gale nned to think about the way to approach Lena and tell her about his feelingster, but he didn''t think she will bring it up so quickly before he could think of the right way to tell her.


    "Don''t tell me, did she convince you to take pity on her?"


    "She didn''t convince me! I just felt a real connection with her as soon as we met, I just know she would be a good partner for me."


    Gale decided to just let it out and be honest with Lena. Either way, the truth woulde to light eventually, and he was already determined to protect Rachel.


    "She MANIPULATED you, brother! Don''t believe just any vixen''s act, you''re supposed to be the charmer, so why do you get charmed by an average woman?"


    Lena berated him angrily. She couldn''t believe her brother was so na?ve, she thought him to be smarter than that.


    "No, she was genuinely scared of you and tried to hide the truth. She even told me we must separate after I''m done with her! Only because she is bad at hiding her feelings, I could see through her pretense and extract the truth from her! How could you threaten her with death if she doesn''t give up her connection? It''s horrible!"


    Gale confronted Lena directly and gave her a piece of his mind. Lena, on the other hand, was furious. This woman led her little brother by the nose! She already decided in her anger to watch over Gale fucking all the women she will ever supply him with, or one day she might find him ackey of some random woman!


    "The reason I''ve threatened her is obvious! it was to prevent her from manipting just the way she did!"


    She tried to knock some sense into Gale''s head but to no avail.


    "I won''t let you hurt her. If you do, I will never forgive you, Lena. She is innocent, not everyone is scheming against us. Her feelings for me are pure."


    "NO WOMAN IS WORTHY OF YOU IF SHE ISN''T AT LEAST AS TALENTED AS ME!"


    Lena screamed at him. she would never let him marry a mediocre woman; He could only have the best as his partner, especially now after he had found out that he has an even higher potential than her.


    "Talent in magic isn''t everything, sister! Doesn''t it mean I wasn''t worthy of Miss Atress when we believed I was talentless? This is just hypocrisy!"


    Gale pointed out her hypocrisy, he truly believed one shouldn''t pick their partner only by magic talent and prowess standards. Personality and temperament were way more important; wouldn''t a good woman make him happy regardless of her strength? If he was strong enough to protect the two of them, he didn''t need his woman to be strong.


    "It''s different!"


    "How?"


    "You are my little brother!"


    Her reasons werepletely subjective, but in a sense, her words were true in a different meaning. Who wouldn''t want to be the sister inw of one of the most talented mages in the kingdom?


    "I''m done arguing about it, I''m just asking you not to hurt her. If you love me, please follow my request."


    "Fine."


    Lena gave him her consent and they went home. Gale was excited, he instructed Nina to clear the room next to his for a new resident. He had already decided to free Rachel from jail tomorrow and bring her to live with him in his mansion.


    He started writing a list of women''s clothes he believed would fit Rachel, and contemted which gifts she''d like. He even started nning how to tell Lena he can''t marry Atress and cancel their forting wedding.


    Lost in his imagination for the future with Rachel, he fell asleep.

 Chapter 18 17 – Preparations For Rachels Arrival

    ?The next morning Gale ate breakfast along with Nina, as Lena didn''te this morning. He still had a few hours until she''de in the afternoon to take him to jail, so he decided to go out and buy some things for Rachel. He finished eating, put on clothes, and left the mansion.


    He walked in the streets, stopping from time to time to help someone lift something, or buy things he didn''t need from shops that didn''t have customers. He always did it to help the less sessful people to earn money and bring food home, and at the end of his trip, he''d just let the guards in the mansion take whatever they want and instruct them to donate what was left to different institutions that needed those items.


    Today, after finishing his trip to the market he went to the more expensive areas, as he didn''t want to appear cheap in front of Rachel with his first gifts to her. He entered a jewelry shop with Nina and called the owners toe out and aid them.


    "Hello, Sir. I''m Debbie Ocean, how may I help you?"


    The jewelry shop owner was a woman who looked in her 40s. she was generally well-maintained and wore a beautiful short ck dress and had a diamond ring on her left fourth finger, indicating her cat was already someone else''s pet. That being said, the way she looked at Gale made her look more like a hungry cougar.


    "I''m looking for a ne to gift to a special someone. Can you rmend me something that would look good on her? She is short, around 150 cm tall, with big brown eyes and dark hair. Her skin color is white."


    Gale said all information he thought could be relevant for picking a ne. The woman nodded her head and led them to the nes area.


    "That would be either a red gem like the Fire Opal gemstones for matching color or you could gift her a blue gem like Sky Blue Topaz for contrasting. What do you think?"


    "I''ll go with the red ones."


    The shopkeeper presented to him a few nes with a high price tag on them.


    "If you want to impress her, those are the best nes I have to offer. Of course, if it''s beyond your budget¡­"


    The shopkeeper said thest sentence with a questioning tone, making it sound like he wouldn''t be able to impress his special someone if he can''t even afford those high end gems.


    "No problem, she is worth more than any of those gems. I''m willing to pay that much on my first gift to her."


    Gale knew she was using marketing tactics and trying to make him buy it even if it was out of his budget, but as the son of an Earl, it was affordable. He chose a golden ne with an embedded Fire Opal and left the shop after paying, with the ne packed inside a fancy box suitable for an expensive present. He went home cheerful, thinking about the happy expression on Rachel''s face when he tells her she is free and can live with him, and her excitement when he wore the ne on her neck.


    He found Lena waiting for him at the gate, so he quickly refreshed himself and went out.


    "You seem awfully excited."


    Lena remarked when she saw he could barely remove the smile from his face.


    "That''s right! I decided to invite Rachel to live with him. I will free her from jail today."


    As the son of an Earl, he could easily get almost anyone out of jail. The citizens couldin about them for abusing their power to the king, but unless it happened often nobody would care about such a small matter, as long as he didn''t free a serial killer or a high profile criminal. As for a small time robber like Rachel? Nobody would even bother submitting aint.


    "How about waiting a few days to get to know her better?"


    "Haha, we get along so well I forgot I''ve only known her for a day. I''dply if she was anywhere else, but I don''t agree to let her remain in jail anymore."


    They arrived together at the jail and went to Rachel''s room as usual. Gale expected to enter alone as always, but this time Lena had other ns.


    "I thought we talked about it, I can''t do it with you watching us."


    "You don''t even absorb her affinity, are you really stupid enough to think I''d wait outside just so you can fuck her?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Gale''s jaw immediately dropped; It utterly escaped his memory! The reason Lena apanied him in the first ce was to watch over him as he grew stronger. It would be extremely weird if his big sister had to stay guard outside jail just so he can have his fun with his woman.


    "Umm, so why did youe with me?"


    "How are you going to release her? We were keeping your identity a secret from the jail employees all this time, so you can''t just ruin it and tell them it was you. If you release a woman who was prisoned here for robbing after spending some quality time with her, you''d get a bad name."


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® "Oh, that makes sense. I''m surprised you''re willing to help me set her free, I appreciate it."


    "Of course, I''ll always help you when you need me, brother."


    They entered Rachel''s room together and found herying on the bed, in her usual outfit; only wearing a prison shirt.


    "Hello Gale, Hello Lady Lena."


    She got up and curtsied in front of them. She wondered what Lena came into her room for.


    "I''m here because Gale wants to set you free, and it would be simpler if I requested your discharge. However, before I do that, Gale, ask her if she has any hidden motive or agenda for flirting with you and whether she truly loves you."


    The instruction surprised both Gale and Rachel. Rachel thought it was a stupid demand since nobody with a hidden motive would reveal them only because they were asked; that''s the meaning of the word ''hidden'' in the term. Gale, on the other hand, simply thought it was unnecessary, he didn''t want to use his charm on Rachel and take her privacy and free will from her.


    "He doesn''t have to ask. Something between us just clicked from the first moment. I only act on my true feeling; my love for Gale."


    Gale felt moved by the romantic words, while Lena cringed from the cheesy sentence.


    "Oh, trust me. Nobody can lie to Gale when he uses his puppy face."


    Gale rolled his eyes in response to Lena''s sarcasm and approached Rachel to do his magic.


    "Rachel, I love you. Do you know that?"


    His eyes shone with green, and Rachel nodded slowly. He already learned it was best to activate his charm in steps rather than jump straight to the point.


    "I will do my best to help you and save you."


    Rachel nodded again, this time with more confidence. It made sense; he loved her, and therefore he will help her.


    "You can trust me with all your feelings and secrets, I will never turn my back on your nor betray your trust."


    Everything made so much sense to Rachel. This man, who looked like a god, cared about her and loved her. In her mind, she was the luckiest woman alive, and she felt like she can just tell him all her problems and they will crumble instantly. This time, she nodded without hesitancy at all.


    "Tell me, all the love you''ve been showering me with, is it real?"


    "No."

 Chapter 19 18 – Rachels Truth

    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® ?"Tell me, all this love you''ve been showering me with, was it real?"


    "No. I started liking you at some point after we had sex, but I don''t love you as much as I disy."


    Gale was shocked, he couldn''t believe he was being yed the whole time. It would be too humiliating, and he knew Lena would mock him in the future every time he''d try to oppose her opinion when it came to women. He turned his head to Lena and saw her smug smile, and immediately tried to hold out hope they misunderstood her in some way.


    "Don''t be too happy yet, maybe she just means she loves me but showers me with even more love because she wants me to like her back?"


    Gale''s words were aimed at himself more than they were aimed at Lena.


    "Rachel, I''m d you shared it with me, dear. I want to know more about you, why did you pretend to love me?"


    Rachel felt excited, he called her ''dear'', it must mean he likes her, and she did the right thing to share her problems with him! She looked into his shining green eyes and felt she should just entrust herself to this man and everything will be fine.


    "There are two reasons; the first one was I believed Lena will kill me to hide your secrets once you were done with me because I''d do the same in her ce. The second reason was that I felt I could get a lot of benefits by being with an earl''s son, who also has a wondrous ability to get stronger quickly."


    Lena, who stood behind Gale, felt irritated at the fact Rachel saw through her ns and regretted not guiding Gale''s questions to be more specific to prevent such things from being said out loud. She didn''t want Gale to think about what might have happened to Mira. She decided to quickly intervene to stop Gale from thinking too much about what Rachel just said.


    "Ask her how she''d benefit from being your wife."


    "I see, you did the right thing, dear. But I don''t understand how''d you benefit from being my wife, do you mind exining?"


    "Of course I don''t mind babe. There are two prospects to my ns; the first one is the possibility your powers will allow you to get to the top of the kingdom. In this case, I''d have much to gain simply by being by your side; it would allow me to get any resources I need to get stronger.


    The second prospect is in the event you show signs of being tired of me and recing me with someone else or supposing your powers can''t truly get you to the top, I could just sell the information about your abilities for a high price. I''m sure many people would be interested in such unique abilities."


    Gale''s heart broke. True, he knew her only for one day, but he really felt they had something real between them, and now it all shattered in his face. He looked at the cute, round eyes that stared into his eyes, the adorable round face of a youngdy.


    He remembered her endearing terms when she addressed him, the way she moaned his name when they got intimate, and the first inexperienced kissing session they had. He felt stupid for falling for everything and believing someone would fall in love with him in an hour without his charm.


    Rachel was a prisoner who was taken advantage of for her situation, and he was the one enjoying the benefits. The fact she didn''t hate him for that was already only exinable by his charm abilities. He felt a lump in his throat and just wanted to leave, but Lena still wanted him to ask another question.


    "Ask her why she epted my offer if she didn''t want to lose her powers."


    "Your thinking process was brilliant, dear, and your ns had a lot of potential. But why did you take the risk with people who could destroy you given they found out about your ns?"


    It was weird; she could just wait a few years in prison and get out, so why did she need to take such an obvious risk?


    "I felt it was my lucky chance and I had to grab it. Without you, I could only reach the Mage Phase in a few decades. As you probably know, the older one is when he bes a mage, the lower his chances to rise to the Advanced Mage stage are. Without you, Mage would be my limit, but I felt that with your support and abilities, I might have made it to the Advanced Mage stage, or even the Expert Mage stage!"


    Her eyes almost shone with excitement, clearly seeing the vision of herself standing at the top of the kingdom with the strength of an Expert Mage. Unfortunately for her, it''ll never happen.


    "She aimed high only to crush down at a speed she can''t survive. I hope you won''t get attached to women so easily in the future."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Lena said a fewst words and left the room, indicating Gale to start taking Rachel''s affinity with earth mana. However, Gale wasn''t in the mood to have sex with Rachel.


    He noticed his charm abilities only worked when his partner had an orgasm and lost herself in pleasure, which made him conclude his ability''s design was to steal his partner''s affinity and connection to mana when they were too charmed to resist, which happened during an orgasm.


    It made sense that just ejacting by himself wouldn''t help, as his powers were derived from charming others and no partner would be charmed by an early shooter who only cared about his member''sfort. Thus, he was averse tomitting himself to please Rachel in bed now after everything he heard.


    "I''m leaving, I will think about it and decideter what to do regarding your situation."


    Gale left the room and Rachel was left alone, confused. She thought he wouldfort her and love her even more after theirst conversation. Her problems were supposed to be solved there and then by Gale, yet he just left her alone. Her eyes slowly regained their clearance as she recalled everything that just transpired.


    "NO! WHY DID I TELL HIM ALL THOSE PLANS?"


    She shouted in horror. She felt her world was falling apart, and her death was inescapable. She, a mere prisoner at the third stage, just admitted to trying to take advantage of the earl''s children. The fact that Gale left meant he didn''t n to protect her anymore, and she was sure as hell that Lena would tie up any loose ends to keep themselves safe.


    Her door creaked open, making her turn her head just in time to see Lena who just came in. Their eyes met, and Rachel could feel her impending death.


    "No! I''m sorry! I promise I will give Lord Gale my connection and affinity! I will just lie down with my legs open without saying a single word! I swear!"


    She kneeled and lowered her head so fast it bumped against the floor, leaving a stain of blood on her forehead. In her fright she didn''t even feel the bruise, she just kept kneeling and begging for mercy, bumping her forehead on the floor over and over again.


    "Poor little Rachel. Your cute appearance can''t earn you anypassion from me. I warned you more than once, why did you have to ruin everything?"


    "I was wrong! I was wrong! Give me another chance, I swear I won''t let you down again!"


    Lena slowly came closer to her as they spoke, and stopped only when her feet were only a few centimeters away from Rachel''s lowered head. She raised her foot and ced it on top of Rachel''s head, pushing it down on the floor.


    "Argh"


    Rachel let out a muffled groan of pain. She tried her best to remain silent and show no signs of resistance. She had to survive! She had to go through this humiliation and survive!


    "You trampled on my brother''s feelings, and now you''re here groveling at my feet. Tell me, do you still think it was your chance to get to the top in one step?"


    "No¡­ I was wrong and blinded by greed. I know my ce now."


    Rachel answered, with renewed hope she can survive. Gale still needed her to increase his powers, and she believed that she could make Gale take pity on her through her suffering expressions even without saying a single word. Even if he doesn''t take her as his wife, he might still spare her.


    "Good girl. However, you overestimate your worth. Expert magicians are asmon as flies."


    A snake made of fire came out of Lena''s boots, fried Rachel''s brain instantly, and turned Rachel into ashes under the watchful eyes of Lena.

 Chapter 20 19 – Learning Magic 1/2

    ?Gale was lying in bed the whole day doing nothing. He kept reying in his mind the day he spent with Rachel. He couldn''t believe it was all fake, and he didn''t even know what to do with all the gifts he bought her.


    "Busy pitying yourself, Lord Gale?"


    Nina came in and looked at him wasting his time.


    "Yes, I feel like I''m a hypocrite for expecting a girl I was taking advantage of to love me."


    "You didn''t try to make her fall in love with you, she simply acted like it and you fell for her act. You have nothing to feel ashamed of; you''re still young and inexperienced in interacting with others who have ulterior motives in approaching you."


    "So should I be ok with being tricked and manipted?"


    "No, you should move on and learn for the next time. Test their sincerity before you truly trust them and try thinking if they might have other reasons to associate with you. When you have power, many people will aim to use you for their needs and goals."


    "I think I still prefer to spend the day in bed."


    "I''m sure you do. You might not know it, but Lena is disobeying our master by being here. She was supposed to go back a few days ago, yet she chose to risk getting kicked out to stay here and help you get stronger."


    "I didn''t know it. Will she be ok? She shouldn''t risk her future for me!"


    Gale became worried for Lena and felt guilty for falling to pieces when Lena was doing her best for him. Truth be told, Nina exaggerated in her words, she just wanted Gale to get up and improve himself instead of getting depressed over something he had no control over.


    The Fire Witch wouldn''t kick out Lena as long as she doesn''t disappoint her; her monstrous talent was worth repressing some negative feelings and ignoring small wrongdoings like being a monthte. Or at least pretend they were small first, and then ignore them altogether.


    "If you want her to feel reassured enough to go back, then get up and get stronger."


    Nina said all she had to say, so she left the room to let Gale think it through. Gale got up from bed and stood in front of the mirror for a few minutes. He still admired himself every time he saw his figure.


    "Ok, it''s time for you to move on. You still have the dark element to absorb even if you don''t want to see Rachel anymore. With the next woman, I will just do what I came for and leave. This time I won''t delude myself and get humiliated again."


    He spoke to his reflection in the mirror and made up his mind to move on.


    He left his room and found Lena meditating in the living room on the sofa, while fire snakes slithered around her. He watched with wonder in his eyes as he saw the fire snakes move around Lena without scorching anything around her. He didn''t understand how it was possible for fire not to scorch what it touches.


    "What are you staring at?"


    Lena felt his presence and opened her eyes.


    "Why isn''t the fire burning the furniture around you? Isn''t this spell useless?"


    "You''re useless. Didn''t I tell you mana bes your friend when you get to the Mage Phase? Would your friend burn your furniture when theye to visit?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    It made sense when she put it like this, but he couldn''t see the fire as his friend no matter how he looked at it. He decided to shut up to avoid additional bullying.


    "I''m ready to move on, but I won''t absorb the earth mana affinity from Rachel, please introduce me to the next woman."


    "It''s ok. I knew you''d feel like that, so I sent Rachel back to her cell and called the next woman to the room."


    Lena didn''t hesitate to lie about Rachel''s whereabouts, she wanted to be done with it without having Gale throw any tantrums about Rachel''s death, or worse, think about Mira''s fate.


    "Let''s head to the jail, just please refrain from making any emotional attachment with her. She''s a darkness magician. Her name is Celty Stur. She lost hope in life and I promised her to solve her problems if she is willing to give up her magic for you. It''s a fair trade and you don''t have to worry about it; she''d probablymit suicide without it."


    Gale shook his head. He didn''t want to absorb Celty''s magic yet. He felt like he needed a break from these women, and chose to use this opportunity to learn first how to control his magic and strengthen himself. During his session with Rachel, she could roll him over any time she wanted and dominate him, which he didn''t like. It could be hot to let his partner take control sometimes, but it wasn''t hot to be helpless about it.


    "I hope you can first teach me how to use my fire magic and strengthen myself."


    "Are you sure? You can do itter with both darkness and fire. It is indeed more effective to strengthen yourself as early as possible, but a few days wouldn''t change much."


    "I''m sure, I want a way to protect myself."


    It would be awkward to hide under Lena''s skirt if a random True Magician threatened him only because he didn''t learn how to use his Advanced Magician powers.


    "All right, let''s go to the backyard, there is an empty ce for training there that we can train at without worries."


    They went together to the training area in the backyard and Lena instructed Gale to sit down and listen.


    "As I already told you, mana allows you to make requests to it when you''re in the Magician phase. The more talented it assesses you, the better the requests it would let you make. Since you stole the affinity and connection of an Expert Magician, and the mana started sensing you only a few days ago, I''d say that the mana thinks you''re an Advanced Magician baby on the verge of breaking into the Expert stage. This is normally a perk only animals have, making mana strengthen them far more than it would strengthen a body of a magician of the same stage."


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® "Does it mean my body will be strengthened far beyond the normal standard of humans?"


    "That''s my educated guess, but we will see if it''s trueter. Remember you''ll have to strengthen yourself with other types of elementster, too. Even if you strengthen your body with an element at a young age, the benefits of one element are limited."


    "So you''ve strengthened yourself with 2 elements? Wouldn''t it mean that if I strengthened myself with 4 elements in my current stage my body would be as strong as yours?"


    "Get off your high horse. Although I prefer using Wind and Fire, I have a passable affinity with the four basic elements and with the light element. In fact, my light element might be the best of all my elements, but there is nobody who can teach me using it in our kingdom. I will try to find a teacher or learning materials when I travel the continent one day."


    He finally understood why his sister was considered a monstrous genius; she was strengthened by 5 elements! He felt he might''ve underestimated the other magicians other there.


    "Nobody in the Mage Phrase was strengthened with only 1 element, the requirement to be a mage is being strengthened by at least 2 different elements. Even my master, The Fire Witch, has an affinity with earth and wind besides fire. She has the word ''fire'' in her name because it''s the main element she uses when she fights, and the others only boost it and her physical body. There''s a rumor one needs to be strengthened by 4 elements to advance to the Magus Phase, but we don''t have any Magus in our kingdoms so nobody can confirm it."

 Chapter 21 20 – Learning Magic 2/2

    ?"I know there are 3 Empires and we are in the m Empire. How is our kingdom''s strengthpared to the other kingdoms of the empire?"


    "This doesn''t concern you right now. it won''t be relevant before you can at least be an Advanced Mage. However, I heard some countries have different ways to use their magic."


    "How many Advanced Mages do we have in our kingdom?"


    "Only a few thousand. Unless you go to the capital, finding more than 2 or 3 of them who aren''tpanions would be quite challenging. Enough of all that now. Let''s start with basic magic."


    She created a stick with earth magic and drew a 10 meters long and half a meter wide line in front of Gale.


    "Just focus, sense the mana around you, and will it to send a fireball forward. You pass this test once your fire passes the 10 meters mark without going out of the lines. Good luck."


    "That''s it? No more exnation?"


    "Are you an idiot? What is there to exin? Sense, will, and shoot. That''s all."


    "All right."


    It didn''t sound simple to Gale but he didn''t have a choice other than to give it a try. He closed his eyes and slowly felt the mana around him until he grew ustomed to it. When he felt ready he opened his eyes and ordered it to throw a fireball forward as he raised his hand. A wave of fire was sent from his hand, spreading everywhere anding to a stop 3 meters ahead.


    "What was that supposed to be? Ask it to condense into a fireball, why is it so spread?"


    "I don''t know, it just wouldn''t listen! Maybe Mira''s affinity wasn''t fit for a fireball?"


    "It was her main spell ever since she was a Novice Magician. I''ve already made my research."


    Gale wisely stopped making excuses and tried kept trying repeatedly, giving the mana a detailed request of what it should do. However, the more details he added, the less the mana listened to him.


    "Lena, it doesn''t work. The more detailed my request is, the worse the results I get."


    "Are you¡­municating with the mana using words?"


    "Yes, why?"


    "Do you think mana cares about words? How do animals use it then?"


    "Then what should I do?"


    "Just imagine it and ask it to happen. Don''t imagine the fireball to be huge as it would consume a lot of mana. Just imagine the fireball with a 10 cm diameter. Remember, even a friend will lose their focus if you talk too much, let alone someone who just acknowledges your existence."


    "But such a size wouldn''t do anything in a real fight!"


    "If it''s a condensed fire it would make a hole in the chest of a True Magician. Unfortunately, you can''t cast sophisticated spells like my snakes before you be a mage. Sophisticated spells are spells that have a long term effect, for example, my snakes would keep chasing the target after the initial attack, while your fireballs only need to be dodged once."


    "Do you know what exactly Mira''s types of affinities with fire are?"


    "No, you''ll have to find it out for yourself by meditating and casting different spells."


    Gale tried imagining a fire condensed into a ball and being shot forward. This time, it was a ball with a diameter of 30 cm, and it flew 20 meters before it dissolved. Unfortunately, it went out of the lines around the 2 meters mark.


    "Hey, therge size means I identally made it too strong?"


    "No, it means you suck and you couldn''t condense it properly. If you shot that at a talented True Magician, he would be able to block it by himself."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Hearing Lena''s words reminded Gale of more exciting activities he had with Mira.


    "I don''t mind sucking."


    He mumbled and kept trying to throw a proper fireball. By the end of the day, he could condense it to a 12 cm diameter, only 2 cm away from the goal Lena has given him. Additionally, his fireball asionally didn''t even go out of the lines. It still did most of the time though.


    "Am I really so bad at magic?"


    He felt discouraged. He tried his best the whole day and couldn''t finish the basic spell Lena has given him.


    "What happened?"


    Nina asked at the dinner table when she saw Gale sulking. She knew he was practicing his magic in the yard and even came out to watch him a few times. It seemed he was doing well, and she didn''t believe the world didn''t give him an outstanding grade when he gave him recognition to use the mana.


    After all, he should be considered as only a few days old Advanced Magician baby in the world''s eyes. While hecked the natural instincts of a beast, he was still blessed by the world with a simr affinity.


    "I trained the only day, yet I could only condense my fireball to a diameter of 12 cm, and I still miss the target most of the time. Lena was so impatient I felt like she was going to give up on me entirely."


    Heined to Nina, d he had someone to grumble to about his day. To his surprise, he didn''t find an ounce of sympathy in Nina''s expression. The word bitterness was written in big letters all over her face.


    "So you just wanted to brag? Do you know that True Magicians on average can only condense their fireballs to a diameter of 15 cm, and except for very talented individuals only Advanced Magicians can get it down to 12 cm?"


    "I am an advanced magician, which means I only got to the average level after all my hard work."


    "BUT THEY NEED A WEEK TO GET TO THAT LEVEL!"


    "What? A whole week?"


    "YES! Even I, who is considered a genius needed could get it to 12 cm after 4 days of training as a True Magician, and it stayed as my limit until I got to the next stage. You got to this level within a day without prior training as a Novice Magician. As for your aim, it''s more about training your reflexes so you won''t have to think about the direction you want the fireball to go. There are no shortcuts in training your aim."


    "What about Lena? How long did she take?"


    "Ahm. She is an anomaly. She made it to 10 cm within 2 days as a True Magician. She could get it down to 7 cm when she got to the next stage."


    "And now?"


    "I don''t know. But she wouldn''t use a simple spell anymore. She only uses the sophisticated ones now."


    "But aren''t you a wind magician? I remember you used a wind spell to put off the fire when I practiced magic and had an ident the other day."


    "No, all the students of the Fire Witch have fire as their main affinity. My wind affinity is so weak I can''t even strengthen my body with it. I only used it because it was the least messy method to put off the fire, and it wasn''t anything serious that required me to use my full powers."


    Gale felt slightly awkward at his question; it was quite obvious she had a fire affinity since she was a student of the Fire Witch.


    "So, do you think getting to 12 cm in a day is good for an Advanced Mage?"


    "It is. It''s basicallyparable to Lena''s achievements, which are records as far as I know. The reason she is so impatient is that she is Lena. She just wants you to seed on your first try and forgets she also needed time to get it right."


    "That makes sense."


    Feeling more joyful, Gale ate his dinner.

 Chapter 22 21 – Fire Strengthening

    ?Gale kept practicing his magic, and by the end of the third day, he could condense his fireball to 10 cm. Additionally, he didn''t miss by more than a few cm anymore, which wasn''t enough to miss the lines.


    "Ok, good job. You still need to practice other types of mana maneuvering, learn to aim while moving, and improve your range, but this is enough mana control to start the strengthening process. Learning other spells without strengthening can prove to be dangerous."


    "Then why did I practice the fireball spell?"


    "Strengthening yourself with magic requires you to ask the mana to seep into your body, it would be dangerous if you don''t have enough proficiency to even make a fireball sessfully. Most experiments showed that the most basic spell that allows fire mages who master it to strengthen their bodies without danger is the fireball."


    "I see, that makes sense. So how does strengthening one''s body works?"


    "Magicians normally only strengthen their skin and muscles. The more talented ones can slightly strengthen their bones, but not by much. Strengthening the body can be considered a natural process; as part of the world''s recognition, it also strengthens our body and allows us to be closer to it and live longer. What you need to do is simply wish for the mana to strengthen your body once you understand the right way to make requests from it, and it would do it for you. The more recognition you have, the more it will strengthen you."


    "How do I understand the right way?"


    "Did your brain melt from too much fire training? What did you do those past 3 days?"


    Gale kept his right to remain silent. He asked because he wanted easy and quick answers without having to think.


    "Now, sit down, feel the mana around you, and wish it to make you stronger, live longer, and be more connected to the world."


    Gale sat down and followed her instructions. He sensed the mana around him. After a few days of practicing magic, he already felt like he understood the way mana worked much better. He even anticipated the next time he gets to charm others and see again how it works.


    He already made up his mind to learn to depth the way his charm abilities work instead of just letting it work on auto mode. He didn''t believe the God of Charm would just give it to him as an eternal gift, and even if it was his intention, he could probably take it away anytime he wanted, which Gale didn''t like at all.


    Gale felt the mana swarming around him, moving in the space close to him, and some of it was even attracted to him. It was the fire mana that got attracted to him.


    "All the elements make you stronger, faster, more durable, and more stic. However, each element boosts those aspects to a different extent. Earth focuses on the durability and raw power, but gives only a minor boost to speed and sticity. Wind focuses on speed and sticity, but gives only a minor boost to the other two aspects. Fire and water follow the same logic; fire strengthens mainly your raw power and speed, and water strengthens mainly your sticity and durability. You don''t have to ask the mana to strengthen those aspects, it will just do so by itself because that''s the meaning of being fire-type mana. The process should take a minimum of 3 hours; when I did it in your stage mana strengthened me for 2 hours in all elements, except for light-type mana which did it for 4 hours."


    Gale listened to everything Lena said and focused on his wish. He channeled his wish to the mana around him, to be stronger and be closer to the world. Slowly, mana started seeping into his skin, burning it and renewing it. He felt his skin turns stronger and more stic with every second passing.


    "Now your skin will remain young longer. Probably the most important part of the strengthening process for a pretty boy."


    It was a joke often used on female magicians. Lena would be lying if she said she wasn''t even slightly jealous on the day she returned home when she saw he became more beautiful than her.


    Gale ignored her and kept feeling the mana''s movements. At the same time as the mana continued tempering his skin, it started seeping into the fibers of his skeletal muscles and reinforced them.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    His muscles'' constitution started changing, making them stronger and more explosive. It didn''t hurt; On the contrary, it even feltfortable, as mana improved the magicians to reward them for its acknowledgment.


    Mana now was strengthening both his muscles and skin, and Gale waited excitedly to see whether it will get to his bones; if it does, he can be considered a genius, which he wanted to brag about to Ninater.


    Slowly, mana started seeping into his bones just as expected and reinforced it. He remembered Lena saying it shouldn''t get long once mana started to reinforce his bones as the mana wouldn''t strengthen them by much, yet time passed and mana didn''t stop seeping into his skin, muscles, and bones. The process which Lena described as three hours went on for 4 hours and a half, nearly as good as Lena''s best element. Lena nodded in appreciation.


    "It''s not as good as my light element, but it''s better than the rest of my elements. If you can do the same for the rest of your elements, you might get better results overall."


    "Not as good as your light element? Didn''t you say it was shorter by half an hour?"


    "But yours started from nothing, while mine was already strengthened in the True Mage and Novice Mage stages. Combined, I was strengthened for 6 hours in light element and 3 in the rest."


    Gale didn''t mind having one element worse than Lena''s strongest one, just like she said, overall, his results should be better eventually. Even if they weren''t, Lena was on his side anyway. Besides, what even Lena didn''t know was how long his bones were improved; the world which considered Gale a few days old, strengthened his body almost as much as it would do for beasts!


    "All right, use those next 3 days to practice your aim, especially aiming while moving, and get used to your newly reinforced body. With 4 and a half hours'' worth of fire mana strengthening, you should be approximately two times stronger and faster than before. 3 days from now I''ll take you out hunting some first stage beasts. The beast''s stages don''t have names, but first stage beasts are equal to True Mages, second stage beasts are equal to Advanced Mages, and so on."


    "Why can''t I hunt second stage beasts then?"


    "Don''t underestimate them only because you''re at a higher stage. It would prove difficult for you to defeat the first stage ones since you have no fighting experience and you''ve never been in life and death situations before. When you''re able to defeat a few of the weaker beasts without any problem, you can try fighting one at your stage. Now go brag to Nina, I know you''ve been waiting for it. Tomorrow, we will start your training regime."


    It was true, he really wanted to show off in front of Nina. She would be considered a top genius anywhere else other than by Lena and Gale''s side, so he enjoyed bullying her. He already realized that while Lena spoke as if three hours weren''t much, it was probably because of her outrageous standards.


    Gale entered the dining room and found Nina waiting for him at the table. He sighed with a dejected face as he sat next to her.


    "I can''t believe it, my strengthening process was so short. It barely passed Lena''s minimum requirements."


    He sighed again, his face showing huge disappointment. Nina''s face formed a frown; her judgment from what she knew about the way mana worked told her he should have had at least three hours of strengthening process. Why was he so upset?


    "How long was your strengthening process?"


    "4 and a half hours."


    mes fluctuated around Nina, burning the dinner she was just about to serve as she looked at Gale''s crestfallen face.

 Chapter 23 22 – End Of Training

    ?The next day Gale met again with Lena in the backyard to start his new training regime. To his surprise, he saw Nina waiting with her.


    "I won''t train you personally today. I also need to train, and I can''t spend all my time with you. In the first 3 hours of your regime, you''re going to practice dodging Nina''s attacks to adjust to your body''s new strength, and during the next three hours, you''ll practice shooting fireballs while moving. You''ll practice dodging again to use this time to replenish your mana, and for thest three hours you''ll shoot fireballs at Nina while dodging hers at the same time."


    "I also need to train¡­"


    Nina mumbled her misgivings about the arrangement. Why did she have to babysit him? She was already forced to guard him for a few years, but now she was also forced to train him.


    "But Lena¡­ doesn''t it mean I''ll have to move and run for 12 hours?"


    Gale had his own misgivings regarding this regime. He wasn''t sure he was going to survive it if it was going to be so intensive.


    "I know your worries. Although you''re awake more than 12 hours you shouldn''t overwork your body. You can try meditating and sense the way mana reacts to small requests in order to understand its mechanics better."


    "That''s not what I meant. I''m also worried about overworking myself!"


    Gale joined Nina''s murmurs, yet both didn''t voice their concerns out loud in front of Lena. Lena heard them loud and clear, but she pretended not to.


    "Oh, I wille to check on you from time to time to make sure everything is all right."


    She added in a threatening tone and left the ce. Gale and Nina quickly discarded their ns toze around when they get too tired to continue.


    "Hmph. You''re going to pay for your bragging from yesterday."


    Nina said with a menacing smile; she decided that since she must do it, she will make the most of it. She was going to torture this monster as she always dreamt to do to Lena but couldn''t. She swore to herself to capitalize on her chance to beat him while she still can, and she would take great pleasure in imagining Lena in his ce.


    *BOOM*


    Gale ducked quickly and jumped to the side.


    "Hey! Warn me first before starting!"


    "No animal will warn you out in the wild before killing you, I''m giving you the best real-life simtion you could ever get."


    Nina had a happy smile seeing Gale''s surprised look and kept shooting fireballs at him. She didn''t put much power in them, so each hit would only give him a small burn that could be easily healedter with a cheap potion. However, to make him miserable, she increased the velocity of the attacks, shooting the fireballs rapidly.


    Gale kept running around the backyard, rolling on the sand and jumping from side to side. He never got proper training before, so all his moves were inexperienced and stiff. His reflexes were pretty bad too.


    They kept at it for three hours before it was time to switch, and Nina gave Gale a 15-minute break to catch his breath. Gale was lying on the floor, exhausted, breathing heavily, His clothes were all torn and scorched; he still had his dignity only because Nina wasn''t devious enough to aim at the more dangerous parts.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The short break was soon over, and Nina positioned herself 20 meters away from Gale.


    "Now start shooting your fireballs and pay attention to my movements when I dodge. Try to imitate my moves so you can use minimal movements to save your stamina in the long run, and not lose your footing and bnce in the short run."


    Gale took a deep breath and casted fireballs repeatedly just like Nina did to him. However, they were aplete mess and only a few of them were even in the right direction.


    "Haha, trying to get back at me? Sadly for you, you still can''t use magic so rapidly yet. Don''t try to shoot more than one fireball every 3 seconds or you''ll be out of mana soon and miss most of your shots anyway."


    He grimaced but listened to her. Even if he couldn''t return the favor yet, he wanted to do his best to improve. Lena started running away from him and Gale chased, casting a fireball every few seconds.


    At first, he waspletely off-mark; shooting moving targets was much harder than shooting static ones, and shooting moving targets while moving himself was even harder. As time passed, Nina had to put more active efforts into dodging, lest his spells would hit her.


    At the end of the three hours session, he didn''t hit her even once, and except for a little sweat, she waspletely unharmed.


    "Take 15 minutes and we can do the fun part again."


    Nina smiled sweetly, and her happiness was almost reflected in her pink eyes. She tied her white hair back in a ponytail and prepared to torment Gale again. As soon as the 15-minute break was over, a fireball was shot toward Gale, however, he was ready this time; he expected Nina to act petty again.


    He was already on his feet, and he tried to imitate Nina''s graceful moves from earlier and dodge with a minimal shift of his body weight, which rewarded him with a burn to the side of his waist. It didn''t discourage him from trying again, he actually felt gratified when it only hit his side and not directly his chest; it meant he was in the right direction. His moves turned more refined the more they practiced, and they quickly started the fourth andst phase of his daily training.


    When they finished the day''s training regime, Gale was full of bruises, his muscles were sour, his hair was messy, and he was scorched all over. Nina used earth magic to make an improvised stretcher and carried him home.


    When they returned, she helped him wash his body of all the mud and dirt and fed him with a recovery potion. An hourter Gale felt like he could move again and started meditating just like Lena''s suggestion to improve his mana sense. He went to sleep exhausted, unsure whether he wants to wake up the next day.


    This routine continued for 3 days, during which Gale improved his aim, shooting velocity, and movement. He gotpletely used to his body and Nina trained him seriously on his feet work, to make him more agile and have better chances to defeat a faster beast.


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® In his spare time, he either read books about the beasts in the nearest forest in preparation for his hunt with Lena or he trained in affecting mana around him mildly and sense the way it moved in response.


    "All right, I''m here now. are you all set to go out to the forest?"


    Lena came to find him on the fourth day. Her threat was empty and she didn''te to check on them a single time those 3 days, yet the possibility was enough for Nina and Gale to take it as a potential risk that shouldn''t be taken.


    "I''m all set."


    He took a bag with some cookware, spices, and a book with information about the forest. He believed that if he needed something else Lena would be there to support him with her magic.

 Chapter 24 23 – Hunting Wolves In The Forest

    ?Lena and Gale left the mansion and headed towards the forest Lena chose for Gale to train at.


    "Where are we going?"


    "We''re going to a forest right out of the city, its name is Alwin Forest. The strongest Beasts there are in the third stage. The higher ones were killed or chased away by the kingdom when our city was established."


    They shared a hot wind horse on their way there. Hot wind horses were popr mounts; they were third-stage horses with a strong affinity to wind and fire as a sub-affinity, which boosted their speed to the level of a fifth-stage wind mage''s sprint. Three hourster, they left the horse to wait for them outside and went into the woods.


    "ording to the book I read about the forest, this area should be the habitat territory of a wolf pack. Wait, you didn''t know what we were going into?"


    He added thest words when he noticed the surprise on Lena''s face.


    "I had no idea, I just figured we could enter and beat whatever we saw first. Don''t worry, nothing should be able to defeat me in this forest."


    "You''re jinxing it."


    ording to the book, the average of the pack was the second stage. The Alpha was at the peak of the third stage, and there were some other third-stage wolves. The weaker members of the pack were in the first stage, and only the cubs were unranked,parable to Novice Magicians.


    "I can sense a few beings 200 meters away from here. Only two of them are in the first stage, so I will take care of the rest of them. Let''s go."


    Lena started moving toward the wolves she sensed, and soon the sight of 5 wolves was revealed in front of them. Three of them were eating while the other two stood guard and only watched the others eating with hungry looks.


    "The ones excluded from the group are the weaker ones that you can take care of. I''ll keep the other busy."


    Lena instructed Gale to attack and performed her fire snakes magic, summoning 6 fire snakes that started crawling toward the eating wolves. Gale didn''t need to be told twice; he simply locked his sight on the two wolves, ignoringpletely the stronger ones as if they weren''t there. He shot a fireball from his hiding spot at the right wolf, hitting its torso.


    The wolves had earth and water affinities, which made them quite sturdy, yet a first-stage wolf couldn''t possibly survive a direct hit from an advanced magician unharmed without using its own magic. Taken by surprise, the wolf was hit by the fireball; The fire burnt its flesh and opened a gap in its side, causing blood to start spilling out. It copsed with a weak whimper as its life started to fade.


    "I did it!"


    Gale cheered excitedly. The other wolves immediately noticed him the moment the fireball was shot, and all of them were about to pounce on him when 6 fire snakes jumped from the bushes and ambushed the three stronger wolves. However, Lena left the weaker wolf free to keep its attack, and it did exactly that.


    The wolf ran swiftly to Gale and pounced on him. Gale, surprised by its speed, could only shift his weight to the side making a narrow escape from the wolf''s maw. It was enough to escape death, but not enough to prevent a gash of blood to appear on his arm, staining it in crimson. Gale swore in his head and immediately tried to shoot another fireball.


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® Unfortunately, the wolf was much more experienced in fighting than Gale and it disengaged Gale by jumping backward, saving itself from a simr fate as its friend.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Gale used this chance to position himself better and gain his footing back. He could now shoot a fireball every second if he didn''t move, and once every two seconds if he did.


    He stood without moving and cast fireball after fireball, leaving the trees around scorched as the wolf jumped from side to side to evade the iing fireballs or used water to negate the ones it couldn''t dodge in time. Luckily, fireballs werepressed fire and worked more like a bullet, so except for the direct hits, the fire dissipated when the spell''s mana was depleted and didn''t burn the whole forest down.


    The wolf slowly got closer to Gale, and Gale slowly was pushed back, which made his rate of firing drop. The wolf took the chance to pounce at him, sure of its victory. Suddenly, Gale''s weight shifted forward and instead of retreating he jumped toward the wolf, and a fireball was shot from his other palm right into the wolf''s open maw.


    He couldn''t use fireballs with two hands rapidly, but he had no problem preparing a single one with his left hand and waiting for the opportunity to shoot it. Fear was reflected in the wolf''s eyes as it saw the fireball enters its mouth, and it knew it met its end. The wolf''s momentum didn''t stop, and it crushed into Gale''s embrace. Gale caught it and threw it aside after stumbling a few steps backward.


    "Took you long enough."


    He turned around to see Lena sitting on a dead wolf''s body. The other two were lying on the ground next to her, all of them had their whole bodies intact, making them look just fine if you didn''t look at their burnt heads.


    They kept walking around the wolves'' habitat. Lena preferred not to kill them needlessly, so unless she had to, she tried to just repel the stronger ones while letting Gale improve his skills. He quickly learned their attacking pattern and adjusted himself ordingly.


    Now whenever he fought a single wolf, he would dodge its maw by a few centimeters, ce his palm under it and shoot at the exact moment the wolf can''t dodge, ending its life. When faced with a few of them, it was a bit tricky, but he would still win at the cost of a few wounds.


    "Am I ready to fight second-stage wolves now?"


    He asked Lena with anticipation. His wounds didn''t cause him any problems since Lena could easily treat such superficial wounds with her light magic as long as none of his organs or bones were damaged.


    "No, the difference is much bigger than you think. You''ll be ready only after expanding your spells variety further and preferably gaining a second element."


    She hurriedly discouraged him from biting off more than he could chew. Gale nodded in understanding and moved on. He realized in his battles that using only fireballs was quite limiting his fire''s potential.


    "Your training will be over once you can defeat four first-stage wolves by yourself."


    Lena decided to set a clear goal for him as there was no point in staying there if he can''t improve his magic further. She sensed a group of 10 wolves and without bothering to check their stages, they went in their direction to confront them. They didn''t ambush the wolves anymore as it would ruin the purpose of their exercise.


    A loud howl resounded as soon as they got noticed by the wolves; it was the Alpha of the entire pack.


    "Crap! Run, Gale, run! The alpha was promoted to the fourth stage, it can hold me back while the other wolves attack you!"


    Gale heard Lena''s panicked shout next to him.

 Chapter 25 24 – A Bitter Fight

    ?Lena''s shout drove Gale to act without hesitation; he turned around and ran with all his might in the direction they came from. Meanwhile, the alpha cast water magic to restrain Lena who in response shot wind des at him; Fire was weak against water shields, but air des were quite effective.


    The Wolf stepped back to dodge the des and used earth boulders against her. Out of the other 9 wolves, one was in the third stage, four were in the second stage, and thest four were in the first stage, acting asckeys for the stronger wolves.


    "NOO!"


    Lena yelled when she saw the wolves running after Gale.


    A few days ago:


    Lena was sitting in a secluded ce, fire and wind were raging around her in turns, yet never at the same time.


    "I can''t get the fire mana and wind mana act at the same time. One acts only when the other diminishes."


    Lena sighed; she told Gale and Nina she woulde to check on them asionally, but she remained in the same spot all this time, trying to use both elements simultaneously. It was an arduous task, and not even all sixth-stage mages could do it.


    Most dual-element mages would simply switch between their elements ording to the situation, while the others rarely ever used their sub-element inbat.


    Back to the present:


    "NOO!"


    Lena yelled when she saw the wolves running after Gale. Suddenly, dozens of orbs made of fire were shot from her open mouth toward the chasing wolves. The amazing part was that the wind des were still attacking the alpha wolf!


    In her moment of desperation, Lena instinctively requested the fire mana to help her, and the fire manaplied without waiting for the wind mana to diminish. The wolves immediately responded by raisingrge waves to contain the bombing, and the stronger ones took the front. That was the way a pack worked; they defended each other.


    However, even if the 9 wolves worked together, it wasn''t that easy to contain attacks of a mage when they were still in the third stage and lower. The orbs exploded, evaporating the waves and sshing them everywhere. The third-stage wolf in the front took the full brunt of the attack and perished on the spot.


    The second-stage wolves were sent crashing against the trees with loud whimpers, breaking most of their bones. Unfortunately, the four first stage wolves were only slightly bruised after the other wolves took the real brunt of the explosions.


    Lena tried to make another request from the fire mana to obliterate the wounded second stage wolves and kill the first stage ones too; although she wanted Gale to fight against four wolves she wanted to be there to intervene should the need arise. Yet, the mana didn''t listen. She was limited again to one mana type at a time.


    *Howl*


    A furious howl resounded; the alpha was angered by the sight of its subordinates getting killed while it was kept at bay by the wind des. Itmanded the wolves to chase the human who ran away, as it knew they couldn''t help him against the female human. The fight between Lena and the alpha wolf kept raging as boulders, waves, air des, and fire snakes could be seen everywhere.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Gale was running away from the wolves when a loud BOOM reverberated throughout the forest, shaking the ground. He could feel the wind and the shockwaves from the explosion on his back as he kept running.


    Suddenly, he heard a noise behind him, prompting him to turn around and see 4 wolves with light bruises closing on him. He could sense the mana around them, and he knew they were only in the first stage. Although he was a fire-type Advanced Magician and they were earth and water type first stage beasts, his speed couldn''t match that of a beast strengthened by two elements.


    He decided to take the initiative rather than being defensive, so he quickly prepared two fireballs; one in each palm. Once they were charged he jumped on the trunk of a thick tree, stopping his momentum, and pushed his feet as strong as he could, causing himself to be thrown toward the nearest wolf.


    "Got you!"


    The surprised wolf couldn''t change its course of movement in time and could only put up a water shield. The fireball evaporated the shield and left a wound on the wolf''s fur. However, it wasn''t over yet. Gale raised his left palm and shot the second fireball he had prepared in advance, hitting the wolf''s head directly and killing him.


    It all happened in a matter of 2 or 3 seconds, yet it was enough time for the other wolves to react. They quickly changed their positions and pounced at Gale from three different directions. Gale already anticipated this result after fighting with wolves the whole day, and he quickly jumped toward the right wolf, making the ones from the front and the left miss and crash against each other.


    He had one final trump card; he shot hisst fireball which he started preparing the moment he shot his first one from his mouth. The wolf already cast an earth spell in an attempt to wound Gale with bullet-like stones, and couldn''t defend itself nor dodge in time. The fireball hit his neck under the jaw and opened a hole, letting a sunray pass through to the ground.


    Unfortunately, Gale didn''t leave this exchange unscathed; he was hit by 2 blunt stones in his left arm, which got broken in two different spots. Moving it now caused him immense pain, rendering him unable to use it to its full potential. He was once again exasperated by hisck of spells, he only knew how to use a fireball properly.


    "I must nag Lena to teach me more spells, especially multi-target ones!" Gale said to himself.


    In theory, one could make any request from the mana and it would do it if it wasn''t beyond the recognition one was given, spells were pretested requests that would achieve maximum results in minimum mana consumption. If Gale tried making a request he didn''t have a spell for and it was deemed tooplicated, the mana would do nothing or only cast a spell with a weak effect.


    2 wolves remained, and before Gale could readjust himself he was bombarded by stones again. He went down to the ground and rolled behind a near tree, using this chance to catch his breath. The stones didn''t hit his bones, but they did leave a few deep cuts on his arms and legs. One stone even prated his stomach and was stuck inside. He bled profusely as he nned his next move.


    "I must execute my n perfectly if I want to live." he thought and prepared himself.


    He knew the way the wolves act; they would try to surround him and attack from two different directions, which meant they would appear simultaneously from each side of the tree. He quieted down his heavy breaths, ignored the pain, and listened.


    He heard the sound of their paws on the ground getting closer and he prepared two fireballs again; this time one with his right hand and the other with his mouth.


    When the sound was right behind the tree, he chose the right direction as it required less body movement since he was using his right arm. He raised his palm at the surprised wolf and shot the fireball. The wolf jumped to its right as Gale was too close for him to cast a spell in response.


    The attempt wasn''tpletely futile, the fireball from Gale''s right hand missed his head and hit his left side, leaving a huge gash in its side across its body from the front shoulder all the way to its behinds. The wolf copsed in pain and could only watch the second fireball leave Gale''s mouth and end its life.

 Chapter 26 25 – Encountering Royalty

    ?Gale stood above the corpse of the wolf he just killed and waited for the final phase of his battle against the wolves. Thest wolf immediately started running when it heard the howl of the former, and it ran to the other side of the tree where the human was supposed to be, only to find the ce empty.


    It ran around the tree and found Gale and the wolf on the other side. To its dismay, the wolf was dead and Gale was alive, without any new injuries. It decided to take its chance against Gale, the human was stronger than him, but he was also heavily wounded and exhausted.


    The wolf carefully walked around Gale in circles, trying to find an opening. It saw the 2 steps tactic Gale deployed against the first wolf and decided to be more careful.


    "Hmph, you''re trying to let me bleed to death, aren''t you?" he snorted at the wolf.


    he knew he couldn''t survive a long fight given his injuries. Gale charged two fireballs as always and jumped in the wolf''s direction, risking it all. The wolf watched Gale jumping and it took a step backward, trying to keep its distance away. It saw Gale''s mouth open and it immediately dodged to the right, away from Gale''s right arm.


    The human was predictable, although it thought the human would use first his arm and then the mouth, the order didn''t really matter too much. Those thoughts still lingered in the wolf''s mind when Gale raised his wounded, broken left arm with a pained groan and aimed it at the wolf.


    "Ahhh"


    He clenched his teeth to resist the pain from his battered body and shot the fireball out. The fireball shot straight to the wolf''s brain, leaving a hole in its skull. Gale and the wolf both copsed, the former from exhaustion and wounds while thetter from death. Gale fought for breath as he lied on the ground and hoped to be found by Lena before getting eaten by another wolf.


    "Who''s there?"


    He heard the voice of a young man followed by steps approaching in his direction. Gale couldn''t shout, so he waited patiently for them to get closer. The steps turned hesitant as they got nearer, the people undoubtedly chose to be careful and not to rush into an unknown situation. A few secondster, a group of 5 people came behind a big tree and saw Gale lying on the ground.


    "He is severely wounded, let''s check his identity."


    A man from the back said. Unmistakably, he was the leader of the group. They let go of the spells they prepared in case of an attack and got close to check on Gale.


    "Who are you?"


    "Gale¡­ Stormborn."


    Gale let out a grunt in his pain. He made sure to say hisst time loud and clear, which would reveal his identity.


    "Are you from Earl Stormborn''s family?"


    "I am his youngest son."


    "Wait, I heard this name before. Gale Stormborn is the favorite brother of Lena Stormborn, he is the sickly one."


    A young woman in the group suddenly said. She was standing next to the young man who gave orders earlier and they seemed quite close. Hearing her words, the young man raised a surprised eyebrow.


    "Are you sure? Although he is wounded, it''s still obvious that this guy looks better than me. There is nothing sickly about him."


    "Maybe he is faking his identity to make us save him?"


    "I don''t. I''ve been healed by my sister a while ago. She should¡­ be here in a few minutes. She''s¡­ fighting with a fourth stage alpha wolf."


    He had difficulties speaking injured, yet he had no choice but to exin his situation. He didn''t know who those people were, but they weren''t dressed likemoners and didn''t act like ones.


    "Okay, even if he lies it wouldn''t be a problem, we could just deal with itter. This might be a chance fate has gifted to you to leave a good impression on Miss Lena."


    The young woman quickly persuaded her brother to help. She was quite interested in the handsome manying on the ground, but she had other goals bying there that didn''t intertwine well with making a move on Gale.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The young man nodded in agreement and quickly ordered his men to take care of Gale. Their followers consisted of 2 men and a woman, and it seemed that the men were serving the young man and the woman was serving the youngdy.


    "He has a stone inside his stomach. ire, you have earth affinity, help us take it out."


    One of the two men asked the middle-aged woman for help. The woman nodded and came closer to Gale. She looked at the stone and concentrated. Suddenly, the stone turned into dust which flew out of Gale''s body. Gale couldn''t perceive her stage, and he assumed she was in the third or fourth stage.


    "It''s out, you can do the rest."


    The men quickly fed Gale a potion and his wounds quickly started healing. Evidently, the potion was of high quality and rank, as it could improve even the deeper cuts and the hole in his stomach at a rapid rate.


    "You can rest, we will stay here to guard you. Jamie, you go and find out if Miss Lena is all right. Gale, please point in the direction you havest seen Miss Lena."


    The young man quickly made his arrangements. Gale started suspecting those people''s motives; they clearly were interested in meeting Lena. Even the way the youngdy referred to him as "Lena''s favorite brother" meant they did their research on Lena.


    "Who are you?"


    Gale decided to ask as they didn''t seem to have any ill intentions toward him.


    "Oh, I apologize for ourck of manners. We are from the Mynne family."


    Gale''s eyes opened widely; it was the royal family! The Miyena Kingdom was named after them. He quickly thought about what the royal family might be doing in their Earldom and connected the dots; the only option was a marriage proposal!


    Gale kept thinking and realized it made sense when they talked about leaving a good impression on Lena by saving him. The royal family didn''t oppress talented people to remain at the top; they preferred recruiting them to their side, mostly by marriage.


    "I see you recognize the name. I''m Prince Florian, the fourth son of His Majesty. She is my little sister, Raya. She is the fifth daughter."


    Gale couldn''t bow in his situation, so he decided to nod.


    "Thank you for your aid, Your Royal Highness."


    "We are in the woods, there''s no need to be so formal. You can address us as Prince Florian and Princess Raya, or simply as prince and princess as none of our other siblings are present."


    Gale felt they were too friendly but just attributed it to their wish to form a good rtionship with Lena.


    "We heard you were unable to be a magician, yet I can feel you are in the second stage now. Did Miss Lena really heal you onlytely?"


    The prince was quite sharp, and he realized something didn''t sound right. It normally took 5 years for the average noble to get to the Advanced  Magician stage once they stepped into the Magician Phase, yet Gale couldn''t be healed a long time ago or their research on Lena would discover this development.


    "Indeed, there was a weird phenomenon when I was healed, and I was promoted directly to the second stage. We didn''t understand how it happened either."


    "What about your affinities?"


    "I only have an affinity with fire."


    Gale took out his trump card, and it worked like magic. The prince who was initially interested in the way to improve quickly lost his interest instantly. In his eyes, Gale couldn''t be promoted to the Mage Phase with a single element, so it was all meaningless.

 Chapter 27 26 – Politically Correct

    ?Jamie started jogging into the woods in the direction Gale pointed in, and a few minutester he found arge forest clearing. The trees were ck, barks and boulders wereid on the ground everywhere and the ce looked like it went through a disaster. Sitting and leaning her back against a tree was Lena, and a few meters awayid a bleeding corpse of arge wolf, with scorched fur and its body full of cuts and burns.


    Lena''s condition wasn''t that good. Her right arm and left leg were both broken, and her body had many small cuts and bruises. Her flesh wounds were already semi-healed with her light-type mana, but the same couldn''t be said about her bones. Jamie approached her and Lena raised her vignce seeing a strangering.


    "Hello, are you Lady Lena? I''m Jamie, the guard of His Royal Highness the fourth prince Florian. Gale showed me the way here and said you might need help to defeat a fourth-stage wolf."


    "That''s me. Where is Gale?"


    Lena ignored everything he said and asked about Gale first. She wouldn''t forgive herself if something happened to him because of her carelessness.


    "He is injured but he will be fine soon, His Royal Highness gave him a high-rank potion. He is healing as we speak."


    Lena sighed with relief and kept healing herself. She already consumed a potion that was helping to mend her broken bones, but it would take a few hours topletely heal.


    "What is the purpose of the prince foring to the forest?"


    She asked without adhering to formal addressing. The guard was already aware of her rebellious nature, it was all written in the files they collected on her, so he didn''t care about it. After all, if the prince''s ns go well, she''d soon call the prince using his first name anyway, and she''d be Jamie''s boss too.


    "He nned to visit your home along with Her Royal Highness the fifth princess Raya."


    The only usible reasons Lena coulde up with for the royal family to visit her home were war, oppressing a rebellion, and marriage. Since there was no war nor rebellion, and the prince sent someone to protect her, it must be the third option. However, since both the prince and the princess were sent, she didn''t know if it was aimed at her or Donne. If she had to guess, she''d say it was probably for her, since she was the more talented one. Or maybe both?


    "Since hees with good intentions, tell him I need to rest for 3-4 hours before I''m fully healed."


    Jamie took out a squared device from his pocket, inserted mana into it, and spoke.


    "Sir, Lady Lena won the fight, she is safe but injured. She needs 3-4 hours of rest to be fully healed. Should I keep guard?"


    "Yes, tell her we will keep Gale safe too until she arrives. Was it really a fourth stage wolf?"


    The prince added a question at the end. It seemed like everything was wrong in their info, when did she be a mage? It raised her value by multiple times!


    The guard was stunned; he totally forgot about it. Lena was only 23 years old, what kind of concept was bing a mage at this age?


    "Yes, Sir. It''s true."


    The prince was d he approached them with sincerity. He doubted his father''s orders to approach her before, but not anymore. He might have brought better gifts if he knew she was so strong already.


    A few hourster, Lena got up and they reunited with Gale''s group. Both Gale and Lena were fully healed by then.


    "We are going back home; we have nothing left to do here. Update meter on the details of your fight against the wolves."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Gale and Lena went to the main mansion together with the royal delegation. Upon arriving, a servant announced their arrival and they were led to the mansion''s entrance. Evidently, the prince sent a messenger in advance, as the yard was clean and decorated.


    "Wee to my house, Your Royal Highness. You may leave your belongings here."


    Earl Stormborn waited for the prince''s arrival at the door and bowed to the prince and the princess. He showed them a room where they can leave their belongings and led them to therge dining room.


    Earl Stormborn sat at the head seat and ced the prince in the seat of honor, to his right, and to the prince''s right, he ced Lena. To Earl Stormborn''s left sat the princess, and Donne by her side. Gale sat next to Lena and his mom was sitting opposite the earl.


    Gale understood the scheme as soon as he saw the seating order; the princess came for Donne and the prince came for Lena. It was easy to forget Donne''s talent because of the constantparison with Lena, yet he was a genius in his own right. At the age of 21, he was already on the verge of breaking through the third stage, and he was expected to get there when he would be 22 or 23, which was the average age for nobles to get to the second stage.


    The food was of a much higher standard than usual, and a chef from the city was hired to cook the meal.


    "The food is delicious, thank you for your hospitality."


    Princess Raya remarked. She was quite confident about marrying Donne but wanted to help her brother have a good conversation with the host. She was confident because ording to the files on Donne, he was ambitious and wanted to get better chances to be a marquess. However, getting the title of a marquess was anything but easy; there were only 40 of them in the whole kingdom and 3 dukes. However, she was worried about her brother''s sess as she didn''t think Lena was interested in marriage.


    "Thank you for yourpliment, Princess Raya."


    "So what''s the deal, why are you here?"


    Lena ruined all chances of having a politically correct conversation and asked directly. She was never a big fan of going in circles in the name of manners. Surprisingly, it made the fourth prince smile.


    "You are as direct as the rumors say, Miss Lena. We are here to propose a marriage alliance between our families. Of course, we haven''te empty-handed."


    The prince raised his hand and his guard entered the room with gifts.


    "The royal family was indeed considerate and sincere. They sent the fourth son who is known for being talented and uninterested in the throne for Lena who shares simr traits, and the ambitious fifth princess who is known for her beauty and talent."


    Gale''s mommented. Gale was surprised, his mother rarely expressed any interest in politics. Or in anything else; he only saw here to the family meetings, eat, asionally nod her head, and leave.


    "Of course, we are very sincere about the proposal."


    The fourth prince was a True Mage at the age of 35, making him one of the youngest mages in the kingdom, while Princess Raya was still an Expert Magician, she was expected to get to the Mage Phase by the age of 40, which the royal family estimated as an equal talent to Donne''s.


    "I refuse. I won''t be bound by a kingdom, and I n to leave the kingdom eventually and find new ways to get stronger and improve."


    "That brings me to the next reason we are here; the imperial tournament."

 Chapter 28 27 – Ring Of Fire

    ?"That brings me to the next reason we are here; the imperial tournament."


    Lena looked at him with a confused look. ''Imperial'' meant it had something to do with the empire, not the kingdom, which was on a higher scale. Yet, her teacher never told her of such an important event.


    "You must be thinking your teacher would''ve told you about it. However, only the royal family has the authority to send contestants. Our kingdoms have ten spots: Three of them are reserved for the royal family, five for nobility, and the remaining two spots can be won in a tournament my family organizes in the capital.


    The imperial tournament is meant to allow people from the imperial city to pick talented individuals from the smaller kingdoms and nurture them. Those nurtured can''t participate in the kingdom''s politics anymore, yet they are the main reason kingdoms don''t go after each other; many choose to protect their kingdom from the Magus of the other kingdoms, making wars between kingdoms involve only mages."


    It seemed the royal family''s way of doing things was right; they gave others opportunities, who, in response, would show gratitude when they were stronger. The royal family didn''t even have to worry about rebellion; the empire banned the ones who turned too strong from participating in the kingdom''s politics. They did it in order to avoid situations where royal families oppressed the power of their residents, which would lower the overall power of the whole empire.


    "So, what does it have to do with me?"


    "I want to offer you one of the spots meant for nobility."


    "And your terms?"


    "None. Even if we don''t give it to you, you would easily gain one of the free two spots fairly. However, I do have a request. I''m one of the three royal contestants, and I''d like us to cooperate. We can be trained together in the empire and explore the world as partners."


    Prince Florian said his proposal openly, just the way he knew Lena preferred. However, Lena wasn''t impressed.


    "Prince Florian is a talented person, yet I believe you can''t keep up with me. I might consider it if you save me another spot from the nobles."


    "Do you want to bring Donne?"


    "No, I''m not interested in leaving the kingdom, I prefer staying here as a noble than going to the empire and bing a mere soldier. She must be talking about Gale."


    Donne replied instead of Lena. He felt Gale''s Advanced Mage aura the moment he saw him, and now he could guess his sister''s intentions.


    "That''s a problem. Although he is eligible with his stage being higher than his peers, only magicians with two elements or more can be epted."


    "Don''t worry. I believe he has another affinity we need to find out. We didn''t uncover it yet simply because he has started practicing magic onlytely."


    Lena reassured the prince. Her ns were already set in motion, and she expected Gale''s power to soar in the near future.


    "However, I must warn you that there is a risk of death. I doubt you''d face any danger, but I can''t say the same about Gale."


    "Excellent. When is the tournament?"


    The prince was taken aback. Didn''t the files say she was overprotective of her brother? The stages of Gale and Lena were already wrong, so what did he even pay those intelligence organizations for?


    "It happens once every 30 years, and all people under the age of 45 can enter. It will take ce next year. So did we agree I''ll make sure to keep a spot for Gale, and you''d partner up with me?"


    "No. I will consider letting you court me if you can get the third rank."


    "I''ve never nned to settle for less than winning."


    "Oh, I''m not being lenient with my standards. I''m demanding you defeat everyone other than me and Gale."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Prince Florian gaped at her; he didn''t know where she got her confidence from!


    "All right. Since we''ve agreed, I shall not talk more about the matter."


    The dinner continued and quickly came to an end. Donne was exceptionally satisfied; his marriage with Princess Raya was almost set. He only needed to go to the royal pce and ask for her hand from the king. It was only a formal process since Princess Raya has already given him her oral consent.


    The next day Lena and Gale arrived at the backyard to continue his training. Gale described his fight with the wolves andined he needed a spell targeting a few enemies at once, otherwise, dealing with many weaker beings would be difficult.


    "Today I will teach you the spell Ring of Fire. Your fire''s attributes are igniting and spreading, which is quite simr to my corrosive attribute. With a ring of fire, your fire could kill many enemies at once or prevent enemies from getting close to you if you use it right."


    She waited for Gale to sit down and be mentally ready to cast a new spell.


    "Close your eyes and ask mana to form a ring of fire around you. just imagine a perfect circle of condensed fire. Next, imagine it ignites everything around it, and everything it touches catches mes."


    A ring of fire slowly formed around Gale; however, it was more like a small round wall rather than a ring.


    "Try again. Condense the ring further or it won''t be potent enough."


    Gale practiced it for hours until a ring of fire encircled him, and its size, diameter, and height were all to Lena''s satisfaction. Nina was watching from the sidelines and immediately came to keep her oath to bully Gale.


    "It''s still not perfect. Here, let me show you."


    Gale looked at Nina warily; he felt like she had something personal against himtely. After a short hesitancy, heplied nheless. Nina walked towards him, and he manifested his ring of fire as quickly as possible, trying to prevent her from getting closer.


    Nina grinned in his direction and stopped. Without warning, she jumped above the ring and Gale, who couldn''t multi-cast, had to watch her foot descend until it connected with his cheek, sending him flying backward.


    With his world spinning, Gale slowly stood up and red at Nina.


    "You could just jump above it to prove your point, why did you kick me?!"


    "Pain is the best teacher."


    She nodded her head righteously. She was just doing what was best for Gale, nothing else.


    "Let''s do it again, I still need to show you it''s also possible to slide under the ring."


    "I¡­ IT''S OK, I GET IT!"


    Gale quickly retreated to Lena''s side, seeking protection from Nina''s bullying. He looked at Lena with a betrayed look.


    "Isn''t this spellpletely useless then?"


    "All right, Nina, enough. you had enough fun. It''s useless because you are only in the middle of practicing it. This spell''s potential will be put into use if you can summon the ring instantly and at any angle and height, which would catch your enemy unprepared. Just like you aimed your fireballs, you also need to time and aim your ring of fire. The real power of this spell will only be revealed when you be a mage, and you''d be able to summon a few rings and make them rotate around you as you wish."


    Gale spent the next few hours rapidly summoning and canceling his ring of fire spell until Lena called the day off. The next day was just as tedious as the previous one; Gale spent it summoning his ring of fire from all kinds of angles until hepletely mastered the right way to use it.

 Chapter 29 28 – Testing The Charm

    ?"You will meet with the darkness magician woman tomorrow. Her name is Celty Stur. As I warned you, please refrain from developing emotions toward her. Just get in, get in, get out, and get out."


    "You said everything twice."


    "I know what I said."


    Gale rolled his eyes as soon as he realized Lena''s joke and moved on.


    "Please don''t do to her what you did to Rachel. If she isn''t interested in giving up her magic, then don''t make her."


    "I already told you. If she doesn''t get help, she will probably kill herself. It''s a fair trade. In a sense, our deal is like a miracle for her."


    "I don''t want to take advantage of someone''s situation and troubles. How about that; I will offer to help her without any terms, and if she still wants to give up her magic, I''ll ept it."


    "No. That''s simply not how you trade with people. You offer something, and they offer something of equal value to you. We offered her the only thing she desires, and she should offer the only thing we desire in return. By helping her for free and expecting her to still give you her magic, you''re not being nice. You''re just acting na?ve and stupid. Since she readily epted the deal, it only means she feels she gains more than she loses."


    "That¡­ makes sense."


    Gale relented and agreed. His desire to get stronger helped him to slightly bend his morals. Fundamentally he believed in helping the weak, and that was the way he lived his life until now. Yet when he looks at it as a trade, it solves his internal conflict.


    "I start feeling like I''ve started thinking only of my own benefit ever since I got those powers. Today I will go to the market and help themoners, to remind me of my values and who I am."


    Gale decided to spend his day helping others. He wore casual clothes that wouldn''t make him stand out too much and left the mansion.


    "Clothes, robes, dresses, nkets. Everything you need to keep yourself warm!"


    "Spices, recipes, cookware. Keep your kitchen equipped!"


    He heard people shout and describe their merchandise everywhere. As usual, he went to the empty stalls, trying to help those who couldn''t find customers. He''d check their merchandise, pretend to be clueless, andpare the prices they give him with the true market price.


    As long as it was of good quality and they didn''t ask for more than 110% market price, he would buy arge quantity and leave. The fairer they were, the more he would buy. As for the dishonest ones, he wouldn''t help those.


    He didn''t even try to help those who offered a high price and expected the customer to bargain for a better price, as he felt they were aiming at those who didn''t understand the conventions of the market.


    "Excuse me, Sir, are you single?"


    He heard a feminine voice behind him. He turned and found a cutemoner girl, around 18 years old, looking at him with burning cheeks, a hopeful gaze, and admiring eyes.


    "If I knew you''d approach me today, I''d do my best to remain single. However, I''m engaged now."


    Gale smiled kindly and rejected her. He heard whisperings 20 meters behind her and to his shock, he saw a group of girls leaning close to each other and talking in a low voice. He could easily hear them with his enhanced senses. Obviously, they didn''t imagine he was an Advanced Magician at such a young age.


    "He looks like a prince. NO, HE MUST BE THE PRINCE! He will never ept our advances."


    "From the way he is dressed, I think it''s more likely that he is a son of a sessful merchant. I believe it''s our chance, I bet all women are too nervous to ask him out. Let''s check with Sophie, she went to test the water after losing the bet."


    Gale who has been hanging around with people of higher stages has forgotten about the devastations his charm can bring to the lower stages, especially under the Magician Phase. He quickly turned away and distanced himself from the love-stricken girls. He looked around him and realized that almost everyone sneaked nces at him, even the older men and women! He couldn''t help but feel somewhat harassed.


    Gale closed his eyes and concentrated. Once he could feel the mana around him, he made it stop swirling around his body. Almost instantly people started losing their obsession with him and the market went back to its usual activity.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Seeing all the women looking at him with thirsty eyes made him remember Mira and his blissful sessions with her.


    "I should check up on her. Lena said she was living happily with her kid and left the city so I should just trust her for now. I can check on Mira after my trade with Celty is done."


    He quickly repressed his thoughts about Mira. Every time he thought about her, he felt like he should check on her, yet subconsciously quickly repressed those thoughts without knowing why. He decided to busy his mind with testing his charm abilities; how far would they make a weaker person go for him? Would they be able to make them do the normally impossible? Do they affect men too?


    He left the market and went to the road. He walked for a bit until he saw a chubby middle-aged woman walking alone. He approached her to test the answers to his questions.


    "Hello, prettydy. Are you single?"


    The woman turned to look at him and went into a daze for a moment as soon as she saw his overly handsome face.


    "Um¡­ No?"


    She said hesitantly as if she wasn''t sure of her status herself.


    "Are you asking me?"


    Gale looked at her with an amused smile. He found it to be fun to tease these people. The woman looked at him reluctantly, she seriously thought of just denying reality and saying she was single and seeing where this conversation is going. Her husband would understand if it was with this young man, right? She knew she would understand if he lied to be with this man.


    "I¡­ am married."


    She said with a sad voice. Gale was stunned, he didn''t even actively use his charm yet, and she almost denied being married right off the bat. He decided to tease her further. He leaned forward until his mouth was a few cm from her ear and whispered.


    "Would you spend the night with me?"


    "I don''t think it would be appropriate. You can find better-looking women easily."


    She said it unwillingly as if she was hoping he would prove her wrong. Gale smiled and looked into her eyes. His green eyes shone with a weak light as he asked his next question.


    "Did you ever cheat on your husband?"


    "No, I love him. I never thought of cheating on him before."


    "Before? Would you cheat on him with me now?"


    He thought of how much she wanted to spend the night with him and the light in his eyes became slightly brighter.


    "I would. I''d do anything to spend the night with you."


    "What if I want you to beg me to sleep with you in the market?"


    "I will not hesitate."


    He got the answer to his first question; they would go very far.

 Chapter 30 29 – Mental Powers

    ?He got the answer to his first question already; they would go very far. He decided to get the answer to his second question; would they do the normally impossible?


    "Do you see therge boulder over there? Jump on top of it in one go."


    She was a True Magician so her physical abilities were above that of an athlete without magic. He picked a boulder that was nearly 10 meters tall, so it was impossible for her toplete this challenge. Given her untrained chubby body, Gale estimated she could jump to a maximum height of 3-4 meters only.


    The woman nodded as soon as she heard his instruction and started running to the boulder to have a good swing for the jump. She jumped with all her might yet could only hit the boulder. Surprisingly, she reached the peak of her jump at 6 meters!


    Gale ran to her when shended on her feet and saw her legs trembling; she could barely remain standing. Her muscles were too strained.


    "It seems my charm would make weaker people go beyond their limits, but not do the impossible."


    It was time to check if it works on men too.


    "I''d like to meet with your husband."


    The woman was stunned. She didn''t think this was what the young man was into. She cheered up considerably; if her husband would be included in the fun, he might not mind it!


    "Of course, I live not far from here and he is at home."


    The woman replied with a dreamy voice and headed back home with Gale in tow. A few minutester they stood in front of a simple squared house. It was spacious enough to amodate a couple along with a few children, but it was a simple design and was furnished modestly.


    "Hubby, I''m home with a guest. He has a suggestion for us, I hope you won''t be quick to refuse."


    The woman opened the door and called her husband toe. Gale had no idea what suggestion she was talking about, so he just decided to ignore it and find outter. Gale waited for her husband to arrive, expecting to meet a bald, chubby man. But when he saw the husband of the chubby woman he was stunned.


    A man in his thirties entered the room. He was tall, tanned, and muscr. His face looked handsome when one didn''tpare it to Gale''s.


    "This is as imbnced as nothing should be."


    Gale muttered under his breath.


    "Who are you and what''s your suggestion?"


    The man asked Gale. He was also a True Magician and was easy to affect with charm. Gale didn''t really feelfortable with charming men, so he decided to just check it and get it over with. His eyes shone with green as he thought about how this man wanted to please him and serve him. He couldn''t bring himself to think of bolder things.


    "I need money. Can you lend me everything you have?"


    He decided to check something extreme; he already found out he didn''t need to butter up weaker magicians and could charm them directly.


    "But we would have nothing left for ourselves."


    The man said with difficulty. He looked like he felt really bad about raising his worries when Gale asked for help.


    "It''s ok, just give me everything you can spare then."


    "I can do that."


    "Do you want me to pay it back?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "No, no! please ept it as a gift! I just hope you can visit us again."


    It was ridiculous. The man gave away all of their savings while the woman encouraged him and looked at him with pride as if he did the right thing. Gale was quite impressed by the possibilities and potential of charm.


    "It''s ok, thank you. I was just testing you. Because you were so sincere with me, I will give you a small prize."


    Gale stopped the man from going to collect all his money and gave him a sack of gold coins as reimbursement for messing with him and his wife. Gale felt he had nothing to do outside anymore and went back home.


    ------------------


    Lena was waiting in a house she rented in the city. A few minutester the door opened and a man entered. It was the same man who always supplied her with information.


    "Lady Lena, The Fire Witch has answered your question."


    He bowed and told her the news. Lena sent a question to her master about mental skills. She asked her if she knew of skills that could affect the mind and persuade others to do something they wouldn''t want to do under normal circumstances. Her real goal was to find ways to resist Gale''s powers and ways for Gale to counter those defenses.


    "Show me."


    She instructed the man and sat down as she received the book her master sent her.


    "Developing the Mind" was the book''s title. As she skimmed through the book it included many ways of improving one''s mental defenses. Apparently, mental attacks users weren''t unheard of. Although rare, there were quite a few of them.


    The book even included charmers, but it said they were a weaker type of mental experts, as they could charm only someone from a lower stage. It was considered quite useless because normally you could just kill a lower-stage enemy without making them fall in love with you first.


    "So it''s rmended to develop those abilities only when you''re in the Mage Phase, as it takes a good mana control to practice those methods."


    The book also mentioned that mages usually started practicing such methods only when they hit a wall and didn''t know how to advance. It was a good way to strengthen yourself when you have nothing better to do; after all, it would be harder to defeat you with mental attacks if you had high mental defense, but it was even harder to defeat you with mental attacks if you were in a higher stage.


    Lena decided to start practicing one way to improve mental defense by asking the mana to pressure one''s mind mildly constantly. It was a good passive way to improve your mental defenses, but you''d have to cancel it if you expected to have to use intense magic either in training or fighting soon as it took a toll on the one practicing. Since Lena was mainly practicing her control of mana, it could even be counted as exactly that when she tried to activate another magic at the same time.


    Gale entered the mansion and found Lena waiting for him.


    "What happened? Aren''t we going only yesterday?"


    "I have news regarding your powers. There are ways to resist mental influence like charming, and apparently, mature mages who don''t seerge strides in their magic anymore practice those ways often to strengthen their mental defense."


    "So there are other users of such powers. I wonder why those people are so rare, we haven''t heard of anyone who uses it until now."


    "It''s because their powers aren''t very useful against people of the same level, and almost useless against higher levels. Another reason is that learning such attacks require high talent in this field. Mostly only scheming people have this talent. It doesn''t have anything to do with element affinity since it can be used with every type of mana."


    "So you''re saying older mages would be more difficult to charm than you."


    "Exactly. It''s an important piece of information you should remember for the near future. Now sleep well, you have much work to do tomorrow."


    Lena smiled innocently and left the mansion.

 Chapter 31 30 – Tasting Celty**

    ?You might want to keep it in your pants this time guys.


    -------------


    Gale, Lena, and Nina sat down for breakfast the following morning.


    "You are going to be hard at work today, eat a lot."


    "Ha ha ha. I get the feeling you prepared for today. Let it all out, what else you got?"


    "Actually it might be better if you don''t eat too much; you''ll be having a lot of meat soon."


    "Hit me with some more."


    "OH, I got a good one for doing it in jail!"


    "What is it?"


    "Go feel her cor, officer!"


    "I¡­ don''t do that kind of stuff."


    Nina and Gale were bantering again this morning while Lena just enjoyed listening.


    Soon after, Gale and Lena left the mansion and went to meet with Celty. As they arrived, Lena led Gale to the usual room and left them alone to do their thing.


    "Hey, I''m Gale."


    "Hello, Lord Gale. My name is Celty."


    She bowed politely and waited by the bed. She had curly hair that reached her shoulders, her skin was white, and her height was average. Gale scrutinized her body from top to bottom. She had a perky butt and C-cup size, which Gale knew he was going to enjoy. However, he already decided not to get too close to her.


    "Tell me the truth and I will protect you. Do you really want to make this trade with us?"


    "Absolutely, Lord Gale. Originally, I didn''t want to live anymore. My 2 kids were taken from me by my husband and are probably being fed lies against me. I don''t know if I ever see them again, and whether they''d even want to see me again after everything this man will tell them."


    "What if you could get justice without sacrificing your magic?"


    Although he was convinced for the most part, it still didn''t sit well with him. He wanted to hear it from Celty.


    "I''ve already tried. Nobody would listen to my case; my husband''s scheme was thorough, and everything pointed the me at me. Until I met Lena, I had no hope. I''m having no second thoughts about it, and I have no qualms about it."


    "All right. Do you have additional requests?"


    "No, Lord Gale. What Lena has offered me is enough for me. It''s not like my life is going to be shorter, you don''t need to feel hesitant about it."


    "Since you agree, I won''t talk about it anymore."


    Gale decided not to have any further conversation with her, as he didn''t want to get familiar with her.


    "If you don''t mind, let''s get onto it. I won''t talk much, but I promise to make it feel as good as I can."


    He didn''t really have a choice about it, his powers only worked when his partner peaked. Luckily, his high charm affected women''s arousal when he used it and even helped his jizz make them feel good, so the task was much easier than it would be for the average man.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He took off her clothes, and let her help him remove his. Hey her down on the bed and started kissing her while massaging her breasts with his hands, trying to get her into the mood with his eyes shining green.


    Celty was still a woman, and she was impressed by his good looks from the first moment she saw him. When he started activating his charm actively, she immediately started feeling hot just from being close to his naked body.


    She moved her fingers over his well-defined muscles as she enjoyed his touch. She rolled into a position above him and started kissing her way from his neckline to his manhood, leaving a trail of saliva as if she didn''t want to lose the way back to his lips.


    "Ah!"


    She eximed in surprise when he pushed her back down and took his spot above her. She moaned softly as she felt a surge of pleasure when his lips met her neck, and his fingers got familiar with her nipples.


    "Today is about your pleasure, let me do the work."


    Gale didn''t have sex with her to feel good, so he didn''t need her to serve him. As soon as the fishy smell reached his nose, he kissed her lips to block her view with his face, and surprised her with an ambush on her clit, stroking it gently with his fingers.


    "Mmm!"


    Caught by surprise, she let out a moan right into his mouth in the middle of the kissing and raised her pelvis in an attempt to feel the fingers better. Galeplied and rubbed it stronger, moving his fingers rhythmically as his tongue took advantage of her open mouth andunched an attack against the slippery snake inside, which wiggled in a futile fight against his tongue.


    Gale pushed 2 fingers inside and started pumping them in and out, making wet sounds echo in the room. Gale would lie if he said his ego wasn''t boosted by her ecstatic moans, yet he was doing it without really caring, it was more like he was working systematically rather than having a sex session with ady.


    When Gale felt Celty''s heavy breathing and her desperate hips movements, he knew he could start serving the main dish to the open mouth below; even the lips down there were drooling in hunger. He leaned above her, grabbed her thighs, and held them open.


    Celty looked at him with expectant eyes as she waited for the meal to be served to her lower lips. Gale didn''t disappoint; he waved his long sword, threatening to push it all the way to her womb. He shoved it roughly as he leaned on her with all his weight and squeezed her breast with his right hand.


    Their symphony of moans and groans soon resounded in the room, and they kept going at it until sunset. Gale wasn''t trying to be creative; he simply used his big size, good looks, charm, and big size again to please her, and changed only between 2-3 positions.


    Simr scenes followed in the next 2 weeks; Gale arrived, teased her until she was wet enough, and had sex with her until sunset. They didn''t speak a single word except for a few polite words before and after each session, keeping the trade "professional".


    Gale kept using this chance to feel the way his charm operated, tweaked with the output from his thoughts, tried to use images in his imagination instead of thinking about words repeatedly, and overall improved his understanding of his powers both in stealing magic from other and in influencing others'' thoughts.


    Each day he would go to shower alone a few minutes before sunset ande out fully dressed. Normally she''d go to shower after that and go out to find an empty room as Gale and Lena had already left.


    Two weekster:


    Lena led Celty out of jail after instructing Neal (the jail manager) to release her and take care of all the necessary papers.


    "I will take you to a temporary apartment. I''ve rented it for 6 months, after this you''ll be on your own."


    Lena briefed Celty on her "future life" as they entered the backyard of a cheap secluded house.


    "Wait, I feel mana movements that aren''t supposed to be there, there is someone inside."


    Lena stopped outside and concentrated for a moment. She could feel her man, Celty''s two kids, and another person she didn''t recognize. He was a third-stage magician, and he felt familiar, yet he didn''t at the same time. She didn''t think much of it as she didn''t have a reason to be afraid of a magician.


    They opened the door and went in together.


    "I didn''t know you were so cheap that you''d bring my benefactor to such a run-down ce, sister."


    Lena was horrified to see Gale sitting there, and her man was looking downward with an awkward look on his face.

 Chapter 32 31 – Confronting Oneself

    ?3 days ago:


    "I have some suspicions. If you want me to ensure your life and your kids'' life, then cooperate with me. Don''t tell anyone you''ve lost your magic yet."


    Gale instructed Celty after theirst session. He finished absorbing her connection and affinitypletely, leaving her without any connection to mana anymore. The following day, when Lena led him to Celty''s room again, he went in alone as always.


    Instead of removing his clothes per usual, he sat down and started practicing his newly found darkness affinity. His darkness'' traits were silence and stealth, which allowed him to mute noise and cover his body in the dark, making him less visible.


    Celty instructed him on how to cast the silence spell and the darkness assimtion spell in the next two days. On the third day, he felt ready to strengthen his body, which would also make others recognize him as an Expert Magician.


    It took him a total of 12 hours toplete the process. Unlike the other four elements, light and darkness would give a powerful boost to a single primary attribute while the rest were boosted mildly. The type of attribute strengthened depended on the specific affinity''s trait. In Gale''s case, it was flexibility, and in Lena''s case, her light-mana empowered her speed.


    Once the strengthening process was over, he left before Lena arrived to pick him up to investigate the ces Lena has rented in the city.


    ---------------


    Back to the present:


    "Gale, this is just a temporary residence. She can move wherever she wants when she''s ready."


    Lena thought quickly and decided to exin it that way.


    "Take her to meet her kids in the other room, I will speak with Gale."


    She gave her instructions to the man who guarded the kids and beckoned Gale to follow her outside. Gale followed and the two were soon a few hundred meters away in a secluded ce.


    "Tell me the truth, what were you nning to do to her?"


    "Send her away with her kids, Gale. I rented this apartment for her for six months so she can reunite with the kids and buy necessities for their journey. That''s all."


    "Really? Then Mira must be still preparing for her journey, not much time has passed since she reunited with her son. How about I check up on her?"


    "I¡­ Mira has already left the city."


    "When?"


    "Right after she reunited with her son. I already bought her everything she needed for the journey and sent her off."


    "YOU''RE LYING, TELL ME THE TRUTH!"


    Gale was furious. He was angry with both himself and Lena. He closed his eyes in his pursuit of power and pretended not to know Lena''s likely actions. She wasn''t a soft hearted person and wouldn''t take risks that could be solved by killing a person or two. He knew all this yet closed his eyes to the truth. He felt Mira''s death was his fault.


    "Fine. Since you already know it, why are you still asking? I''ve killed Mira, and I will kill Celty too."


    Lena said stubbornly. She knew her brother''s character and felt it was a waste of time to argue about it. She wanted to hide it from him and let him remain guilt-free, but he was too smart for his own good sometimes.


    Gale felt his feelings overwhelm him when he heard of Mira''s death. He should''ve known! He should''ve stopped it!


    "I¡­ I will not let you kill Celty too. We''ve already taken advantage of her situation; killing her is excessive and cruel."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He had to save Celty. He wouldn''t make the same mistake twice.


    "What if she tells others about your abilities to absorb others'' magic and affinity by having sex with them? Since you''re an Expert Magician now, it means you''ve already strengthened your body, which means she instructed you on using darkness magic. She knows too much about your secrets. We must kill her, Gale, for your safety."


    Gale had to persuade Lena. If he couldn''t persuade her, he won''t be able to stop her from killing Celty as she was much stronger than him. He thought frantically in an attempt to find a solution to this predicament.


    "How about that; I will take her as a maid to help Nina. If she is inside my mansion, it would be easy to keep an eye on her. We can hire teachers for her kids and the kids wille back to the mansion only in the evening."


    It was slightly unscrupulous, but it was the best idea he coulde up with that would solve the matter of his safety and let Celty remain alive. Basically, the n meant he''d hold Celty''s kids as hostages to ensure her loyalty. She agreed to lose her magic for her kids, so there was no way she''d risk their lives for money. He decided to make it up to them by providing them with good resources and education.


    "That''s reasonable. However, be careful. Don''t give her too much freedom. I will instruct Nina to keep an eye on her. In 3 years, Nina''s time as your bodyguard will be over, so if you can''t find an alternative way to keep an eye on her by then, it will mark her death."


    "Deal."


    He didn''t mind, he was confident to be strong enough to protect his secrets in 3 years. And anyhow, it was a very long time, and a lot of things would change by then. He still felt sad about Mira''s death, but he couldn''t change the past. However, he could change the future.


    "I''d rather you didn''t bring me any more women if you n to kill themter."


    "I won''t bring you any."


    She didn''t want to create more and more variables like Celty and wanted to let Gale try his way. He was extremely young and he was already an Expert Magician, so it didn''t matter if he wasted a few years. Even she got to that stage only when she was 21, and Gale was only 19.


    "However, I want you to promise me something. Don''t hesitate to kill others if they try to kill you, enve you, or endanger your life."


    "I know. I wouldn''t hesitate. If someone decides to kill me, he needs to bear the risk of dying by my hands instead."


    "Good. It seems you''ve grown in those past few weeks. By the way, how long have you been strengthened?"


    "12 hours by the darkness mana."


    Lena almost gaped at him. The fire mana only strengthened him for 4.5 hours, so she expected him to be strengthened for 9 hours in his third stage. However, it seems that because he climbed a rank much faster than the world expected, he gained an additional boost. Possibly, his darkness affinity was stronger than his fire''s since he absorbed everything from Celty, unlike what he had done with Mira.


    "That''s awesome! My overall time being strengthened with light mana was 13 hours in the third rank, so it''s almost equal. If you can get the same amount of hours in the rest of the elements, you''d be a monster!"


    It was Gale''s turn to gape at her. He was sure he could brag about his 12 hours long strengthening process, yet he was still behind her. She wasn''t renowned as the best genius in the kingdom for no reason.


    "You didn''t strengthen yourself using fire mana yet, did you?"


    "I didn''t. I nned on getting your or Nina''s instructions before trying."


    "Good. Let''s do it when we return. One more thing, if you get to the Mage Phase, don''t do anything with your powers without being properly taught. Come to me, or mom if I''m not avable."


    "Mom? Is she powerful?"


    "Obviously, she isn''t the earl''s wife because she''s pretty."

 Chapter 33 32 – Mom

    ?The next day, Lena helped Gale to strengthen his body with fire. It took 4:30 hours, making it 9 hours overall, which allowed Lena to confirm her assumption.


    "My assumption was right; you''d have a much better strengthening if you would have taken Mira''s affinitypletely."


    "You can''t me him for failing at sucking her dry, it was his first time."


    "Nina¡­"


    And just like that a month passed since Lena came home, and it was time to go back to her training with her master.


    "I suggest you don''t strengthen your body using fire if you get to the mage phase without a better fire affinity. it would be a loss in the long run as you can''t strengthen again with the same element in the same rank. Generally, don''t strengthen yourself using a weak affinity; obtain a good affinity first."


    She offered him ast piece of advice before leaving. Soon after, she left and Gale remained with Nina and Celty.


    "Lord Gale, you have a month until the wedding. Do you know how to prepare?"


    "Um, no¡­? I need to prepare?"


    "Did you n to just attend your wedding for a few minutes and slip out when nobody notices?"


    "I didn''t think about it. I guess I need to prepare. Nina, my dear maid, won''t you help me prepare everything I need for the wedding?"


    His eyes shone with green as he asked for a "favor".


    "What? I¡­ I guess I could help you out since you need my help."


    "Great, thank you. I will leave everything in your hands."


    Nina stayed dazed for a few seconds, then started thinking about what a wedding of nobles should include. When she found out she had no idea, she realized what happened.


    "DON''T USE YOUR POWERS FOR SUCH TRIVIAL MATTERS, AND DON''T USE THEM ON ME!"


    She screamed, yet Gale was long gone.


    Gale wanted to fix things between him and Donne so he went to the main mansion to find him. When he entered, the guard at the entrance announced his arrival. As soon as he entered the mansion, he felt a strong wind force lock on him, and he was pulled along the corridor for a few meters until it sucked him inside a room.


    "Son, I haven''t seen you for a few weeks and you''ve be quite mysterious. I was surprised to see you at the Advanced Magician rank when the royal family came to visit, but because I never really checked I figured you must have practiced a few months or years behind our backs, and I wasn''t updated. But how did you suddenly get to the Expert stage?"


    It was his mom, Lady Elizabeth Bathory Stormborn. Bathory was her maiden name, but Gale didn''t even know her background.


    She looked in her thirties and her face was quite simr to Lena and Gale''s. She had a beautiful oval face and silky red hair. She was tall, and her body shape was slim for the most part, with considerable curves for decoration. The main difference that stood out was her blue prominent eyes which stood in contrast to her kids'' green eyes. Their green eyes came from their father.


    He knew she was a mage because Lena suggested asking for her help when he gets to the mage phase, but he couldn''t tell her exact stage.


    "Hello, mother. You could''ve summoned me if you were curious about it."


    Gale decided toin first about the rough treatment he went through.


    "Hmm, I''m sorry, my delicate flower. Now, how about you also tell me how you got this interesting charm ability you used on Atress when she came to visit?"


    Gale lost his cool for a moment. He forgot about it; his mom was there too!


    He didn''t feel safe telling her his secrets. It''s not like he thought she wanted to harm him, but just that she never really interacted with him. She only interacted with Lena because of her talent. She even barely interacted with Donne despite his talent, and he had no idea why.


    "Mother, what is your current stage?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He asked carefully instead of answering her demand.


    "You''re asking me questions instead of answering mine. Could it be you''re afraid of my motive? That I''d hurt my own son?"


    "That can''t be, mother. I was merely surprised as you''ve seldom interacted with me before."


    "That was when I thought you couldn''t do magic. I''d ensure your life as my kid, but that''s about it. We had no interests inmon, so I simply wouldn''t intervene in your life as long as you weren''t in danger."


    "Doesn''t it mean you only care about your strong kids? Aren''t we all your kids?"


    "It doesn''t mean that, it means that I''m not interested in the goals you pursue if they aren''t power. Since you didn''t pursue power, I had nothing to talk to you about."


    "Then what about Donne?"


    "His goal is too narrow; he only wants to be nobility in our tiny kingdom instead of aspiring to go to a higher stage and be stronger. I have nothing to talk to him about as well."


    "Then what about yourself? Aren''t you still here?"


    "You sure love asking questions. Sure, I will entertain you onest time. I am nning to leave in a few months."


    She said with a sad voice. Gale understood the meaning of her words; she was still there to be with her sick lover.


    "Why did you marry dad if power is everything?"


    "I already told you, your previous question was thest one I answer. If you want more answers, then answer some of mine first."


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® She didn''t relent this time and demanded answers. Gale thought frantically as he couldn''t decide if he should trust her and how much.


    "Don''t act stupidly. I''m still your mother, and I wouldn''t try to steal anything from you or harm you. Did youe across a treasure that healed you and boosted your advancing speed?"


    She did hear of some natural treasures that could be found once every few hundred years in the world. Gale would have to be extremely lucky toe across such a fruit, but she didn''t have any other exnation. She tried finding a way to improve his talent ever since she found out he couldn''t do magic, and all her efforts were for naught.


    "I didn''t. I hope you don''t force me to tell you everything, but I found out I have special powers that allow me to charm others and absorb their connection to mana and their elemental affinities. Ites in the price of their own affinities and connections, so I can''t use it freely."


    Gale decided he could trust her that much since Lena told him to approach her when he needs help without warning him to be careful of her. It meant Lena trusted her.


    "Both men and women?"


    He felt disturbed by being asked such a question by his mom. Was she worried she won''t have grandchildren if his orientation was different?


    "Why are you looking at me like that? I''m asking about the limitations of your abilities."


    "Oh, right. It works on both men and women. But I still didn''t use it on men except for a simple test to see if it was possible."


    He decided to add thest sentence just in case.


    "I don''t care about your preferences. I guess you yed around with your new powers and charmed an expert magician then. Do you want me to supply you with some mages?"


    "Umm, as much as I appreciate the thought, I already decided not to steal from others anymore unless they try to harm me first."


    He was shocked by her offer to supply him with mages as if they were sheep that only needed to be herded. He assumed she was an Advanced Mage since she was so confident in overpowering other mages.

 Chapter 34 33 - Making Up With Donne

    ?"Although I appreciate the thought, I already decided not to steal from others anymore unless they try to harm me first."


    Gale refused his mother''s offer to get him some mages to get stronger quickly without thinking twice.


    "That''s a bad mentality. We can easily find bad people who deserve to lose their magic; It might even save some of your belovedmoners."


    "I''m not a judge, and I''m not going to rape them only because they deserve to lose their magic. I don''t want to force myself on other women."


    "Fine. Then why are still getting married to that viscount girl? She isn''t talented enough to keep up with you."


    "I don''t know myself. I thought it wasn''t necessary anymore, but Lena insisted."


    "Hm, Lena did?"


    She thought for a moment and suddenlyughed.


    "I guess it means the rumors are true. You''ll be fine, don''t worry."


    Gale started getting frustrated; everyone understood Lena''s n except for him, and he was the most crucial person for that n!


    "Let me show you something you need to know first. Try to charm me into doing anything."


    She said before he couldin. He didn''t think much of it.


    "I''m your son, you can trust me."


    She nodded in return.


    "You can trust me, you have no reason to hide secrets from me, mother."


    He decided to take the charming process in small steps, as she was a stage higher than anyone else he had ever tried to charm before. He emphasized the word "mother" to remind her of their special bond.


    "I want to get to know you better, please tell me what stage you are in."


    He decided to ask the question that he wanted to know the most. He looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to fall for his charm, and only realizeter his charming abilities are far beyond the standards.


    "I''m just a Novice Magician."


    She said and rubbed his head as if praising him.


    "Your charm ability is much better than I thought. Even I felt a small urge to tell you the truth. However, I hope you learned your lesson not to mess up with people you can''t deal with."


    Gale smiled bitterly; he didn''t expect her to resist it so easily, he thought she was underestimating his charm. He decided to ask something else without the charm powers.


    "So mother, why did you marry dad if only power matters?"


    "He used to be one of the most talented people in the empire. Sadly, he got sick because of a bad potion he consumed. Otherwise, how could he be so old only at the age of 152?"


    She said with a bitter voice. Gale knew those details before, so apparently, his mother didn''t n on giving him more information on the matter.


    "You may leave now."


    She signaled him to leave the ce and turned back to read something.


    Although he was forced by his mother, he learned a good lesson from this encounter; he should be careful when trying to charm older mages with better mental capabilities.


    Gale headed toward Donne''s study room to talk to him. He arrived in front of his door and knocked.


    "Come in."


    Donne''s voice was heard, and he went in.


    "Hey Donne, I''m here to fix our rtionship."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "It was never broken."


    Donne looked up from his documents and looked at Gale who just entered the room. Gale thought he was just trying to make it easier to mend their rtionship but still felt sour about Donne''s ns to abandon him.


    "What about when you told me you''ll abandon me when you be the earl?"


    "When did I ever say that?"


    "You said you wouldn''t provide for me anymore, and you also don''t have a job to offer me."


    "I said I won''t support your charity anymore, and you''ll have to get money for that yourself. The part about having no job for you is true."


    Gale was startled. He was pretty sure it wasn''t what happened.


    "That''s not what I understood from your words."


    "I can''t banish you from the family, Lena would destroy the ce."


    It did make sense; even Donne wouldn''t dare to anger Lena. In fact, Gale always suspected that Donne feared her in secret.


    "Is that all you''vee for?"


    "I guess¡­?"


    "Do you want a job now that you''re a magician too?"


    Gale nned to leave the kingdom long ago, he wouldn''t remain in a ce where the strongest was only in the Mage Phase with his unlimited potential.


    "I don''t, I n to leave the kingdom and reach beyond the Mage Phase."


    "That''s perfect. If both you and Lena can achieve that, my promotion is all but guaranteed."


    "Your talent isn''t much behind Lena''s, why do you want to remain here?"


    "Our families have been nobility for generations, and I won''t let it end now. Having a family here will always guarantee the safety of our family and will be a ce to retreat to in case future generations don''t have a Magus to protect them. I don''t know if you''re aware of it, but Maguses are being suppressed by the empire. They get good treatment, but the empire makes sure they can''t get out of their control."


    "I didn''t know it. But how are you nning to be a marquee? Their numbers are fixed."


    "Our grandfather''s title. He is going to pass it to our uncle, that''s why father only got the earl title. I''ll make sure I get the marquee title, and I will pass the earl title to my second son with the princess. Grandfather doesn''t even contact us ever since father became weak, I will make sure he''ll regret it."


    Gale was surprised to see the fire in Donne''s eyes. He could tell that Donne carried a strong resentment toward their grandfather. Their grandfather, Marquee Stormborn, has given a lower title to their father when he got sick and never talked with them ever since.


    "All right, but I don''t n to be suppressed. I n to be stronger than anyone on this continent."


    Gale left and went back to his mansion and met with Nina and Celty.


    "Let''s go outside, we have one month to train before the wedding takes ce."


    In the next month, Gale stayed at his mansion and learned from Nina fire magic, and darkness magic from Celty. Aside from his previous spells he also learned to make his fireball explode.


    Unlike Lena''s fireballs, their explosion wasn''t about damage. It was about spreading and igniting, due to his different affinity with fire. Once his fireball exploded, it would send small mes in a 5 meters radius sphere, causing everything that gets caught in it to catch fire.


    He also improved greatly in using his shadows assimtion and noise cancetion spells, and he could easily pass behind Nina''s back without her noticing him. At night she''d need a maximum of 20 meters distance from him to see him, and the less moonlight present, the closer she''d have to be in order to be able to see him.


    One more thing he improved was his reflexes; he had Nina shoot at him from close range to improve them. He trained his dodging skills by having her shoot at him while he had to dodge. He practiced his aiming by chasing Nina, and he learned to double cast spells from the same element, so now he could shoot fireballs with both hands at the same time or use a ring to deter others in a fight while shooting a fireball to attack.


    He couldn''t use fire spells and shadow spells at the same time; Lena could do it only after a lot of training as a mage. So he also learned simple thrusts with daggers and the right ces to stab if he would ambush from behind.


    A month soon passed, and his wedding time arrived.

 Chapter 35 34 - Wedding

    ?The day of the wedding arrived. Atress Astor was a noble heiress while Gale wasn''t, which meant he would marry into her family, and he would be a viscount with Atress'' title. Because of that, the marriage took ce in the yard of the Astor family''s mansion.


    Staying true to the traditions, Gale and Atress didn''t see each other in the preceding week, which alsomeant they didn''t see each other for one month and two weeks; thest time they met was when Atress came to ask Gale to cancel or dy the wedding.


    Gale and Atress were waiting in their respective waiting rooms, each with their family. Atress was escorted by her mother, and Gale was escorted by Donne. His father was too sick toe, and his mother preferred staying by his father''s side.


    When the time came, both parties left their rooms and went to the decorated carriages that waited for them outside. Special carriages and coachmen were hired to take them to the marriage venue, where their guests were waiting for their arrival.


    In the carriages, however, some conversations didn''t fit the joyous day.


    "Why are you marrying her? She is only a viscount, you aren''t nning to stay in Miyena Kingdom while she does, and you are now considered more talented than her. Given the fact I can''t feel your stage well, you''re probably an Expert Magician by now, although I don''t know how it is possible."


    Donne tried to dissuade Gale from this marriage. Although it would taint his name and might make future matches troublesome, he doubted a 19-year-old Expert Magician would have a problem getting married. He was sure even the royal family would try to match him with one of the princesses or a duke''s daughter. He didn''t know Gale presented himself as a single-element magician to Prince Florian and Princess Raya, and he didn''t even know Gale''s elements.


    "I''m sure. I don''t know why, but Lena who was against the marriage originally, changed her mind after I showcased my talent."


    A very simr conversation was going on in the other carriage. Lady Nancy Astor, Atress'' mother, didn''t like the match as well.


    "Why are you getting married to a waste? He will die young, he won''t be able to support you should you get into a predicament, and he is just sickly looking. When will you get over this weird preference of yours?"


    Atress'' mother was trying to dissuade her from marrying Gale.


    "I don''t know, when I tried meeting him to cancel the marriage, I just felt like I must not miss the opportunity to marry him. Unfortunately, he isn''t sickly looking anymore. He is now healthy and muscr, probably much more to your taste."


    Atress dissed her back for her taste in younger men.


    "Hm, that sounds¡­ interesting."


    Lady Nancy licked her lips in an udylike manner.


    "Don''t forget he has a mage mother and a monstrous sister."


    "I didn''t forget it."


    The carriages arrived at the wedding venue and the soon-to-be married couple started walking to the altar at the front. The bride''s face was hidden by a veil, and she was wearing a traditional white marriage dress.


    There was no religion in the kingdom, as they believed in the supremacy of powerful magic users, thus, couples normally ask a minister from the kingdom to lead the ceremony. In Gale and Atress'' wedding, it was Baron William de Huntingfield, Naron''s father.


    "Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the face of this congregation, to join together this Man and this Woman in holy Matrimony¡­"


    Baron Huntingfield started the ceremony with the traditional opening speech. Then, he turned to the groom for his vows.


    "Wilt thou have this woman to thy wedded wife, to live together after the kingdom''s ordinance in the estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love her,fort her, honor and keep her in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?"


    "I will"


    Gale took the vow. He didn''t n to keep it or his powers would be a joke, but it was all just formalities anyhow. Baron Huntingfield turned to the bride.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Wilt thou have this man to thy wedded wife, to live together after the kingdom''s ordinance in the estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love him,fort him, honor and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?"


    The bride''s vow was the same as the groom''s as in the magic society the woman could be stronger than the man, and the king''s heir would be oftentimes an heiress if she was more talented than the princes.


    They finished their vows, and they prepared to put the rings on each other''s fingers.


    "With this ring I thee wed, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow."


    Gale then kneeled before the bride, and removed the garter from her thigh, just above the right knee. He amused himself by thinking to remove it with his teeth, but nobles rarely did it. He threw it to the crowd, without checking who was the lucky person to catch it.


    The wedding soon ended, and the guests left the venue. Naron came to congratte Gale before he left.


    "Lord Gale, congrattions on this blissful match. I wish you prosperity along with Lady Atress. I hope that you can bring fame and honor to our kingdom and citizens."


    He was acting much more amiable than thest time they met. Gale knew his social status did a 180 degrees turn; he was above a Baron''s heir now as the husband of a viscountess'' heiress, and he knew Naron''s father has felt his stage and notified Naron to be respectful.


    "Thank you, Naron. I appreciate your attendance."


    He said superficial words and left. Naron left him when he was weak, and Gale didn''t n to grow closer to such a person after getting stronger.


    He knew that after this ceremony, word of his current stage would spread quickly. There were many expert magicians and even a few mages at the wedding, as many were interested to attend the wedding of an earl''s son and a viscountess heiress, either to form connections with the couple and other guests or just to be polite in case of future interactions.


    Gale and Atress left the venue after parting with the guests and were apanied by Viscountess Astor, Nina, and a few other servants.


    "Having an expert magician as your maid is quite impressive, Gale. I''m also quite impressed by your stage, I''ve heard you were unable to use magic, yet you are an expert magician yourself."


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® The viscountess remarked after sensing Nina''s stage. It startled Atress greatly; she was sure he wasn''t strengthened by magic at all when they hadst met less than two months ago. How was it possible to get to the expert rank so quickly?


    "Thank you, Lady Astor. I hope it will be enough to keep me and Atress safe."


    They arrived at the mansion and went in. Nina was led to her chambers by other servants, and Gale was left alone with Atress and Nancy.


    "I will instruct the servants to show you the room we''ve prepared for you."


    "Won''t we live together?"


    "Sorry, but no. I have no interest in men at the moment."


    Atress ced him in a separate room, which confused Gale. Was his charm broken?


    Atress nced toward Gale onest time and left. She thought it was a shame he changed, he used to be just her type in the past.


    Gale was led to his room and started examining it. It was arge room with a king-size bed in the middle. There was another door leading somewhere else, but it was locked. He decided to ask Atress about it tomorrow.


    He was deep in thoughts of what his goals should be here when the door creaked open and Nancy entered his room.

 Chapter 36 35 - The Astor Womens Taste

    ?The door creaked open and Nancy entered his room. She was wearing a pink nightgown which highlighted her deep cleavage and thick thighs.


    Like her daughter, she had pink eyes and blonde hair. Her sleek hair was voluminous andbed elegantly down to tailbone length. Even more than her impressive assets, Gale found her hair to be her most attractive trait.


    Her stature was quite short at 165 cm, and her slender waist made her bubble butt all the more eye-catching. Her face was mature, yet its round shape gave a younger feeling, especially since it had no stains or wrinkles.


    Gale looked at her wriggle her way toward him, wondering what she was there for.


    "Hello, Lady Nancy. Why are you visiting your son-inw in the middle of the night?"


    "I''m just so busy during the day, so if I waited for a chance to meet you during day time it might take too long. I want to get to know the man who married my daughter, is it not natural?"


    She said with an innocent smile and sat on his bed by his side, her thigh only a few centimeters away from his.


    "It is natural to be curious about your daughter''s husband. But shouldn''t we meet in a ce more¡­ formal?"


    "We are family, why do we need to be formal with each other?"


    All her arguments made sense, yet Gale wasn''t as na?ve anymore, especially when it came to other nobles. He might have thoughtmoners didn''t scheme much, but he was always careful toward other nobles.


    "That''s true. But isn''t it inappropriate for us to be alone in my room in the middle of the night, especially when you''re in a nightgown?"


    "I was about to go to sleep when I thought to visit you, thus, I''m wearing a nightgown. Don''t overthink it, sweetheart. Or¡­ you can''t control your thoughts when you see me?"


    Gale looked at her suspiciously and ignored her teasing question. This endearing way of addressing him is exactly what would make others overthink.


    "So, how should we get to know each other better?"


    "How about you tell me why you''re interested in a woman weaker than you and of a lower status?"


    "Don''t you believe in true love?"


    "Oh, I do. But you have barely interacted with each other, so I doubt love had anything to do with your decision. I''m worried you might have hidden motives in marrying my sweet daughter."


    "Then, don''t you believe in love at first sight?"


    "Don''t be cheeky, you''d try to interact with her more often if you truly felt that way."


    Nancy wasn''t satisfied with such answers. She caressed Gale''s hair and leaned closer.


    "How about we start slowly; tell me your favorite food and I''ll tell the servants to serve it tomorrow."


    It was beef tongue with spicy sauce. Nancy got up slowly after getting his answer and promised to return when she has the time.


    Gale wanted to charm her and find out why she was trying to get close to him when he is married to her daughter, but after his mother demonstrated older people''s mental defense, he didn''t feel safe to try.


    The following day, Gale was left alone the whole morning. Even Nina was busy with her training, as she felt like she was going to be left behind by Lena and Gale soon, and didn''t like the feeling of being useless. She was promoted to the expert magician stage 5 years when she was 25 years old, and she had her own pride.


    "Lord Gale, Lady Nancy has invited you to have lunch with her. She has instructed me to tell you she has kept her promise and hopes you will dine with her."


    A servant''s voice was heard beyond Gale''s door, who was training his mana maneuvering skills. Gale expected that to happen, as she seemed eager to bond with him, so he quickly dressed up and followed the servant to the main dining room.


    "I''m d you''ve made time for me."


    Nancy greeted him when he entered the room and he saw they were eating in front of each other at a small round table rather than the main long table. He sat in front of her, and the servants served the food; beef tongue as promised.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    As they ate and chatted, Gale suddenly felt something rubbing against his leg. He looked at Nancy, unable to say anything with the servants around. He felt her toes tease his leg, going up from his foot slowly to his knee.


    "Mm, Lady Nancy, why didn''t Atresse to see me today?"


    Gale asked in an attempt to distract her into a conversation. He found it quite weird that Atress didn''t evene to check on her new husband.


    "Do you want to know her secret?"


    Gale nodded curiously. He suspected there was something wrong with Atress ever since she lost interest in him.


    "Come, lean closer. I can''t have all the servants hear it."


    Gale leaned closer above the table. He was slowly getting caught in Nancy''s pace. He couldn''t say he didn''t enjoy the way her foot roamed all over his legs. He had a feeling it''d soon reach more prosperousnds in its journey.


    Nancy stood up and brought her mouth to his ear.


    "She only likes weak men who can only be at her feet¡­"


    Gale''s widened his eyes in surprise; it actually made sense! He was brought out from his surprise by a wet feeling on his earlobe, indicating he was just licked by the mature woman in front of him.


    "¡­Unlike me. Don''t be too disappointed; although you don''t fit her taste anymore, you fit mine now."


    Nancy sat back after finishing her sentence. Gale sat down and started thinking about his next move. He didn''t know Lena''s ns but felt they were going haywire since he couldn''t even be with Atress anymore.


    "I must go, Lady Nancy. Thank you for the food, it was delicious."


    Gale got up and left her alone. He decided to go meet Atress and see if he can salvage the situation with his charm. He knocked on Atress'' door and waited for a reply.


    "Come in."


    He entered and found her sitting in front of a desk and reading documents.


    "What are you here for? You''re free to go wherever you want in the mansion and can practice your magic in peace."


    "Dear, we''re married now, you should want to be in my presence. You should be excited to see me."


    His green eyes shone as he activated his charm. He had apprehensions regarding charming an older mage, but none when it came to a youngdy who was a stage weaker than him.


    "I am happy to see you here, darling. May I help you with anything?"


    Atress couldn''t stop a surge of excitement and happiness. She felt lucky to have her husbande to visit her even though she has mistreated him. Suddenly, Atress believed that all preferences were irrelevant whenpared to a man like Gale.


    "Yes, dear. Why did you ce me in a different room, and why didn''t youe to visit me?"


    "It was my mistake. I thought I only liked men who are nothing without me, who would depend on mepletely. But now that I see you, I know I was wrong. I will always be by your side, my love."


    Her pink eyes lost their focus, and she started feeling a twitch in her crotch after looking straight into Gale''s eyes, and she could smell a faint scent from that direction.


    "Would you be jealous if your mom flirted with me?"


    -----


    I added Gale''s image in paragraphments in chapter 2

 Chapter 37 36 – Dominatrix 1/3 *

    ?"Would you be jealous if your mom flirted with me?"


    "I know she will, and I thought it might solve my problem if you were interested in her. But now I won''t let her. She always goes for men under 20, especially the handsome ones."


    Gale felt a tinge of dissatisfaction in his heart. He thought even a mature woman like Nancy couldn''t hold herself back when it came to him, but maybe he turned too narcissistic. He decided to reject all her future advances.


    "Thank you for telling me, dear. I will go now to practice my magic as you suggested, you can keep up your good work."


    He left her study without waiting for an answer and went to his room to practice. Soon, night fell and a familiar door''s creak resounded in the room.


    "I''m not interested in bing another one in your body count. Please leave."


    Gale didn''t wait for Nancy to speak before chasing her away. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse. Gale found himself locked in a ring made of stone that he couldn''t get out of; all his fire spells barely left a mark, to say the least.


    "What a naughty boy, is it the right way to speak to your mother-inw?"


    An intoxicating scene was revealed in front of Gale as soon as he looked in the door''s direction. Nancy was wearing a ck leather bodysuit that did nothing to hide her curves. Herrge breasts, at least D-cup, looked as if they were on the verge of escaping their captivity and her exposed thighs formed the coveted hourss shape.


    ck, semi-transparent stockings covered her legs, held by the sexy garters on her thighs. Gale was so captivated by the scene that he forgot to struggle against the ring holding him for a few seconds.


    "Why are you dressed like that?"


    He asked the first question on his mind, setting his priorities right. Nancy approached him slowly, her thighs swinging from side to side as if attempting to hypnotize him.


    "From now on, you may only speak with my permission."


    She licked her lips at the sight of the godly-looking young man in front of her. She had to admit that despite her well-endowed body, she wasn''t at his level.


    "Huh? What are you talking about? Let me go, what do you think you''re doing?"


    "Bad boys must be punished. Luckily, I like punishing my boys and teaching them to behave."


    A long whip appeared in her hand, enhanced by her earth magic. Her main element was earth, followed by fire affinity. She brought her arm up and struck Gale''s chest with the whip.


    "Ahh!"


    Gale groaned in pain. He couldn''t make heads or tails of the situation. She just entered his room and started whipping him, and he had no idea why.


    "Mm, I love that groan, let me hear more!"


    Her breath turned hurried and a tinge of red colored her white cheeks. She started striking Gale again, hitting his chest twice more.


    "Ah! Please stop!"


    Gale''s eyes shone with green as he grunted in pain. He did it subconsciously, he didn''t even n to use his charm against her.


    "Oh poor boy, I was too excited. You''re right, I should savor you slowly."


    Gale sighed with relief, both from the ceased whipping and from the fact she didn''t notice his charm. The charm didn''t workpletely, as she just stopped whipping him temporarily, but nned to continueter.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Did you ever wonder what is behind the other door in your room? Let me show you."


    Nancy''s excited voice made Gale worry, although he was curious about what was behind that door previously, he really wanted it to remain closed right now.


    Sadly, he had no control over that. Nancy unlocked the door and opened it, revealing a rather small room inparison to his; it was only 6x5 meters. There was a king-size bed in one corner, and a wardrobe hid a whole wall. Other than that, there was a device with chains and cuffs both at its top and at its bottom, and a massage bed.


    Nancy dragged Gale with the ring of stone into the room and dropped him on the bed.


    "If you behave nicely, you will be punished less. Be mommy''s good boy, ok?"


    "What are you nning to do tomorrow? In the future? You can''t keep me here forever!"


    *crack*


    She struck again with her whip, leaving a red mark on his stomach this time. She moved her fingers slowly over the red marks on his chest and roamed toward the new mark on his stomach.


    "When I''m finished with you, you will beg me not to let you go. That''s how it always ends."


    She kissed his neck and licked it, leaving saliva to reflect the light on his skin. She generated a few des and cut all of Gale''s clothes, leaving him naked.


    "I don''t like the fact my little boy stands taller than me."


    The ring around Gale pushed him down, forcing him to kneel and look at her from below. He started panicking and thought frantically about how to get out of this situation. He still wasn''t sure she would be unable to notice and resist his charm if he used it more tantly.


    Then, a realization suddenly struck his mind. He already inferred the other day that Lena would only send him to a ce where he could get stronger women. He came to the only conclusion possible ¨C both she and his mother knew about Nancy''s habits yet sent him there without any warning!


    Although it irritated him to no end, he was also relieved at the same time; both Lena and his mother believed he can deal with Nancy, otherwise, they wouldn''t let hime here by himself.


    He quickly thought about his next course of action. Since she was abusing him and obviously nned on keeping him as her boy toy, he had no reluctance in taking her power. However, he had to make her feel so good with him that she wouldn''t spare a thought to notice the changes in her connection to mana.


    It had to be very gradual, and he had to do everything carefully. Slowly, a n hatched in his brain.


    Nancy interpreted his silence as fear. She hoped he wasn''t too timid, or it might ruin some of the fun.


    "You don''t have to be afraid, you can anticipate the best night of your life. You are going to find the new pleasure you''ve never felt before meeting me."


    She caressed his cheeks gently and rubbed the whip against his inner thigh, letting it touch his exposed manhood. His dick betrayed him without thinking twice; it answered the call and stood tall, craving a woman''s touch.


    "You act as if you don''t like it, but your body tells me the truth."


    She smiled and held his chin. She lowered her head to match his height and kissed his lips. Gale couldn''t move at all, the ring felt so heavy he could barely remain on his knees, and his hands were locked in it too.


    He felt her hand bends back his head, and her tongue slips into his mouth. Her hands were everywhere; on his back, on his chest, arms, stomach, and asionally brushing against his hard dick.


    "Now, will you be mommy''s good boy?"


    "Yes¡­ mommy."

 Chapter 38 37 – Dominatrix 2/3**

    ?"Yes¡­ mommy."


    Gale already understood he had to take it slowly with Nancy and charm her gradually. He nned to y along, please her, and eventually make her lower her guard.


    "Mm, good boy. Since you''re a fast learner, here''s your reward."


    Nancy pushed him down, making him lie on his back. She sat on his dick, still wearing her bodysuit, and rubbed her ass against it while clutching his shoulders.


    "Mm, do you like feeling my ass on your cock?"


    "I do, I would love it even more if it was skin to skin."


    "Not too fast, naughty boy."


    The sight of Nancy''s body wrapped in a tight bodysuit and the feeling of her fat ass on him was beyond his tolerance, and he let out a moan of pleasure.


    "Reward time is over, now it''s time to serve your mistress."


    Nancy opened the bottom of her bodysuit, revealing her pink pussy. She positioned herself just above Gale''s face.


    "You smell so tasty, mistress. I think I really might beg you not to stop."


    Even amid the erotic scene, Gale didn''t lose his focus. Well, at least notpletely. He continued his n to make her trust him, believe he was hers, and sooner orter turn her addicted to him.


    "Then have a taste, make sure to lick it clean, baby."


    "Yes, Lady Nancy."


    Nancy sat down, aiming her lower lips to give a direct kiss to Gale''s lips, and she was going for a deep kiss.


    "Ahh!"


    She moaned as soon as his tongue started its exploration inside her. Just the thought of sitting on this fine man made her produce more liquids, and her cunt fed Gale unceasingly.


    "Take out your tongue."


    She instructed and Gale obliged; he stuck his tongue out straight into her.


    "I need more of this!"


    Her mind became chaotic in her arousal, she didn''t even remember thest time she was so horny over someone''s face. She started bouncing her ass on his face, fucking it as if her life depended on it. Gale''s tongue kept going in and out every time she smashed her pelvis on it.


    Gale added an extra service; he kept moving his lips every time her cervix touched them to add to the pleasure. In her euphoria, her hands grabbed his hair and pulled up as if trying to make his tongue go deeper.


    Nancy quickly sumbed to the pleasure. Gale''s charm worked full time, which made his touch many times more pleasuring to the point it gave Nancy a feeling of bliss with every thrust.


    She sat down as she peaked, and her vag oozed her love juices when she squirted all over Gale''s face.


    "Haa¡­ Haaa¡­"


    She breathed heavily after her orgasm and got up. She looked at her piece of art with contentment; she liked the view of Gale''s face wet with a mix of her juice and pee.


    "You made me feel good, so I will let you feel good too."


    She smiled at Gale and held his dick in her hand, stroking it slowly. Gale let out a sigh of relief, it was getting sore with every passing minute.


    "It''s my delight to please you, Lady Nancy. I will do my best to always make you feel good."


    He looked at her with a submissive look on his face. His n so far worked, she didn''t notice he stole a bit of energy from her when she had an orgasm. He knew he could still take a few times before she''d notice, and during those times he nned to make her too addicted to notice when it starts to deal real damage.


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® Nancy bent down and held his dick in her hand, she slowly brought her lips to its tip.


    "I''m not a bad mistress, I also know how to spoil."


    She smiled suggestively while keeping eye contact with Gale and let her lips brush against his dick when she spoke. She caressed his stomach with her second hand as she started making out with his shaft, just above the ballsack. Her fingers traveled to his waist, to his thigh, and back to his waist.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Ahh"


    Gale couldn''t stop a moan from slipping out from the sensual treatment. When suddenly-


    "AHH! STOP!"


    He yelled in pain when he felt his balls being gripped violently and squeezed.


    "Are you giving memands? You know I like to punish naughty boys who don''t know their ce, right?"


    "No, no. please let my balls go, Lady Nancy."


    He said with difficulty, trying to ignore the pain.


    "Do you know why I''m doing this?"


    "I''m sorry, mistress, I don''t."


    "You haven''t been taught manners as a kid, but no matter, let me teach you. When a boy gets spoiled, he needs to say ''thank you'', do you understand now?"


    "I do, thank you for making me feel so good."


    She loosened her grip and licked his balls, extorting a moan of relief from him. She spat her saliva on his dick and started stroking it with her hand slowly. While Gale was immersed in the feeling of her warm saliva and palm on his dick, he suddenly felt his balls enter a wet, slippery, and warm heaven.


    "Ahhhh!"


    He groaned with excitement as Nancy took his balls in her mouth and sucked on them while her tongue yed with his testicles.


    "Thank you, mistress, please don''t stop!"


    He put his hand on her head and pulled it closer to his balls as if trying to make her swallow the whole package. Nancy started feeling her clitoris react again, getting itchy and begging to be touched. She started stroking his dick faster while touching her clit with the other hand, and her tongue kept wriggling against his balls.


    It was time for the main dish; she took his balls out of her mouth and licked his tip.


    "Mm, you have such a thick dick baby. It''s going to feel tight in my mouth."


    She looked into his eyes and took his dick in her mouth. She didn''t even reach halfway before it started poking her throat inside, and its girth was enough to fill her small mouth almostpletely.


    "Mmm, mmm"


    She let out moans as extra service while sucking. She was surprised; normally she had fun sucking young men''s dicks and hearing their reactions, but now it wasn''t just that. the dick itself was delicious! Thought about a "Gale dick vor" lollipop for girls crossed her mind, and she felt she was onto something.


    "I''m cumming!"


    Gale warned her when he felt unable to hold back anymore. To his distress, he stopped feeling Nancy''s tongue all over his dick, and even her lips stopped sucking.


    "You don''t let me know when you cum, you ask for permission."


    "I understand. Please allow me to cum for you."


    His eyes shone with green and affected Nancy''s judgment.


    "Good, let it all out in my mouth."


    Nancy felt a thirst to have his cum, and took his dick in her mouth again. Her saliva kept dripping all over it, down to his balls and his thighs. She shoved a finger in her pussy and started pumping it while expecting the nearing ejaction.


    Gale''s dick twitched and started shooting his jizz out, right into her throat. Her choking sounds didn''t help, and he felt so aroused that a surge of pleasure washed through his body nonstop. As soon as Nancy felt him ejacte, she pushed a second finger inside herself and experienced another orgasm.


    "Crap, it wasn''t the goal for which I was supposed to use my charm."


    He let out a sigh in his post-nut rity.

 Chapter 39 38 – Dominatrix 3/3**

    ?*SMACK*


    "Still not saying ''thank you, mistress'' for allowing you to cum?"


    "I''m sorry, mistress. Thank you for letting me cum in your throat."


    "That''s better."


    Nancy caressed his cheek which had her handprint on it. She nned to spit the cum as always, but it tasted so good that she couldn''t resist swallowing it this time.


    "Your dick and cum are delicious, how is it possible?"


    "I don''t know, but I''m happy you like it, mistress."


    Nancy nodded and continued with her next act. She waved her hand and 4 rings of stone were created, one around each of Gale''s limbs. His limbs were spread to the corners of the bed, leaving himying exposed.


    "Hmm, still hungry, aren''t we?"


    Nancy chuckled as she saw his cock erect so soon after cumming. She found his stamina least as impressive as his talent in magic. She took it in her hand and spat on it, lubing it with her saliva.


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® "I''m always hungry to eat you, Lady Nancy."


    Gale yed his part well; he ttered his new mistress without hesitating. Truth be told, he thought it wasn''t a bad way to get stronger. He considered searching for other perverted women in the future, it was a good way to utilize his charm to the fullest and enjoy a guilt-free boost in his power.


    He said he wasn''t a judge and wouldn''t force himself on criminal women, but if criminal women forced themselves on him¡­ well, he could only do his part for the sake of society.


    "How about you let me feel how this massive dick fits inside me?"


    "I''m sure it will feel amazing, ma''am."


    Her pussy was already salivating just from seeing his spear aiming at the sky, and she quickly helped herself.


    "I saw how much you love my ass, boy. I will let you enjoy it this time."


    She sat on his dick with her ass facing him in a reverse cowgirl position. Gale felt like her ass took his whole view, it was so perfectly round that it seemed like there was a pair ofrge spheres levitating above his waist.


    If Gale had a wish right now, he''d probably use it to free his arms and hold that ass in front of him but unfortunately, he didn''t have one. Nancy slowly let her ass sink down, allowing Gale''s dick to open her pussy a little by little. It was way too big to take all of it at once.


    "Ahhh."


    She moaned softly when her ass finally rested on his waist. She felt it filling her hole so wonderfully that her vaginal walls were all squeezing it simultaneously, trying to milk it dry. Gale didn''t fare any better, he couldn''t stop moaning as he felt the slick and soaked hole closing on his dick repeatedly.


    Nancy started bouncing her ass on his dick slowly, and gradually quickened her movements. The sounds of her ass pping his waist echoed in the room, mixed with their moans and the sound of a wet pussy getting fucked.


    "AHH, I need it deeper inside me!"


    Nancy stopped fucking Gale and raised her butt. She turned around, grabbed his legs, and lifted them. She held his legs from under his knees and pushed them down toward his chest, making Gale''s dick be at the top, with nothing interfering with her pussy from swallowing it.


    She sat on his dick again and started bouncing on Gale, this time letting him enjoy the spectacle of her jiggling tits. She enjoyed seeing his eyes glued to her breasts, and grabbed them with her hands. She didn''t have to worry about his legs going back down; the rings were taking care of them.


    Gale was so hypnotized by the hot scene of the woman above him squeezing her tits and ying with her nipples while riding his dick that he almost forgot his unusual position. He didn''t know how to feel about his anus being exposed like that, but he didn''t have to think about it right now.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Mistress, it feels so good, I love being inside you!"


    He groaned as she fucked him. He didn''t forget topliment her and activate his charm, and Nancy felt she was going to squirt again after only a few minutes of feeling his manhood.


    "Mistress, do you love feeling my dick inside you?"


    "I LOVE IT!"


    She screamed it, she was riding it with an unfocused gaze and a drop of saliva slipped out of her lips unnoticed.


    "I think we might get addicted to each other, Lady Nancy."


    Gale kept feeding her with his charm, slowly building her addiction level by level.


    "AHH! I''m going to cu- AHH"


    She squirted in the middle of her sentence, and her liquids gashed out. They flowed on Gale''s dick, thighs, and finally soaked the bed. Gale''s charm took every bit of pleasure to the extreme, and a True Mage couldn''t resist it no matter how strong her mental defense was, since it wasn''t influencing her mind directly.


    "Mistress, I will please you so much you will never be able to sleep with another man."


    "I love how it sounds, now be a good boy and keep going, fuck mommy until I''m satisfied."


    His shackles turned into dust and vanished, and he was free to move again. It was his choice to build trust between them; show her he wouldn''t try anything funny even when he was unshackled.


    "Yes mommy."


    She was on her knees, and he went behind her and pushed her down on four. Then he pulled her hands from behind, making her head fall down on the bed while her ass was still up. He quickly pushed his dick back inside her moist cunt and started thrusting inside her while holding her hands.


    The sounds of his thighs smashing against her ass resounded in the room again as if it never stopped. Nancy''s sore pussy was still sensitive to touch, and she felt so much pleasure she thought she might never agree to let him out of her.


    He released her hands and grabbed her hair instead, pinning her face down against the bed as he rammed inside her. He pped her ass with his other hand; he was fantasizing  about watching the ripples in her fat bottom when it was spanked the whole time.


    "May I cum inside you mommy?"


    "Do it, you can cum inside me as much as you want without asking first for today baby"


    Gale came, and with his burst, Nancy went through another orgasm. Her hips were shaking and she copsed on the bed with Gale on top of her, gasping for air.


    They kept at it for three days and three nights without a break, using only mana to nourish their bodies. Although it was possible, it was harmful in the long term, so nobody did it regrly.


    Gale kept stealing her energy bit by bit every time she orgasmed and was too busy with her own paradise to notice. Every once in a while he washed her mind repeatedly by describing how she was dependent on him, how she could never live without the feeling of his dick inside her.


    Nancy was slowly getting brainwashed, and finally stopped noticing time and logic. All she could feel was Gale''s touch over her body and all she could think about was her next orgasm. She became an addict.


    By the second day, their roles were reversed and she was the one begging to get screwed by her master, while Gale called her his dirty girl.


    During this long session, she was high for so much time that Gale finished stealing her connection to the mana and affinities in three days only. The same process which took him 14 days with Mira and 10 days with Celty, onlysted 3 days with Nancy, as he was just absorbing energy nonstop.


    At the end of the third day, Gale copsed on the bed next to the now crippled Viscountess Nancy Astor.

 Chapter 40 39 - Aftermath

    ?At the end of the third day, Gale copsed on the bed next to the now crippled Viscountess Nancy Astor. 10 hourster, Gale woke up to frantic shouts.


    "WHAT HAPPENED TO ME? WHY CAN''T I FEEL ANYTHING?"


    Nancy woke up before Gale, and her clearance of mind allowed her to think properly after 3 days. The first thing she noticed was herck of connection to mana. She quickly calmed herself down and thought of the events that urred before losing her connection.


    Luckily, it was easy; only one thing happened. She was just fine, thereafter she had an experience of ecstasy for three whole days, which led her to the present. With an angry expression, she looked at Gale who just opened his eyes.


    Gale saw her furious round face looking at him and quickly understood his plot was found out. However, he didn''t care much; although she had a much stronger body than him, she would still be helpless in front of a barrage of fireballs.


    Besides, other than dodging, most people didn''t bother training in any hand-to-handbat or weaponsbat. After all, they would fight using spells and a sword can''t protect you effectively against fireballs.


    "Why are you so angry, mistress?"


    This time the nickname was sarcastic, making Nancy flinch. But she had to know what happened, and whether it was going to be permanent.


    "Do you know what happened to me?"


    She decided to ask in a roundabout way; she preferred to keep it a secret in the slight chance Gale had nothing to do with it. Gale quickly considered his options; if he admitted it, there would be no way back. He was the one responsible for her future demise.


    The kingdom''s rules demanded viscounts to be mages, which meant she''d lose her title and her daughter couldn''t take it either since she wasn''t even close to bing a mage.


    She''d probably attack him if he admitted to being responsible for her loss of magic, but if he tried hiding it, she''d eventually find out anyway. His secrets would be at risk if she found out, but his morals couldn''t let him kill her after he had already used her as she had never tried killing him, but if she did¡­ he made his decision.


    "It was me, I have the ability to destroy others'' magic."


    "Is it permanent?"


    "It is."


    "Is it reversible?"


    "It is not."


    She gripped his throat with her hand and started strangling him. Gale choked and struggled to free himself, yet her physical abilities were above his.


    "Why did you do this to me? You couldn''t even control your lust with me for three days straight!"


    She didn''t understand; for those three days, he kept ttering her and reassuring her with care and passion. Everything was so convincing, she even had this feeling she finally found the best man for her. How did ite to this?


    "Did you really think I wanted to be your boy toy? I only fooled you so you let your guard down and I could free myself."


    He spoke with difficulty because of theck of air, but strangling a magician was a long process. They could hold their breath for a long while after being strengthened.


    "No! No! I can''t lose my title! Do something, turn me back to normal!"


    She started panicking. She threw him on the floor, making him dizzy for a moment. She sat on his chest and started punching his face repeatedly, trying to crush him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Irreversible? THEN I WILL MAKE YOU PAY!"


    She screamed with hatred, fully intending to kill Gale. It was the cue Gale was waiting for; it was his signal that he can kill her without any guilt. Although she was physically stronger, it could only take her this far in a fight against a True Mage.


    Gale decided to let her taste her own medicine and instructed mana around him to create four heavy stone rings, one for each limb. He didn''t know the right way to make it more cost-effective, but as a True Mage, he could afford to be wasteful when pitted against a person with no magic.


    Four heavy rings formed on Nancy''s limbs and tied her down, leaving her pinned to the ground with her limbs spread. Gale nearly forgot his original goal for a moment; they were both still naked so the image in front of him was quite captivating. He quickly regained his cool and went back to his cold demeanor.


    "How does it feel to be chained and helpless?"


    "Let me go! The kingdom won''t let you go if you murder a viscountess."


    She got a harsh wake-up call from reality. She was helpless now in front of Gale who could only beg for her mercy a few days ago. She had to resort to other means to convince him not to attack her.


    "I was attacked first, I merely defended myself. Is anyone going to attest against me?"


    "Atress will, she would easily understand you''re the only one who could''ve killed me."


    "Haha, whose side will she take? Yours, or her dear husband''s?"


    "She doesn''t even-"


    She was about to retort when she realized something. Gale has affected her, a true mage, to the point she trusted himpletely, so what if he does the same to Atress?


    "I don''t need to try to convince her, she will beg me to let her take my side when she finds out I''m a True Mage."


    Nancy gaped at him. She didn''t have a connection to mana anymore so she had no idea he was promoted before he told her. She understood the meaning behind his words. ording to the rules viscounts had to be mages, but Atress was nowhere near that rank while she herself just lost her magic.


    Gale implied that Atress'' only hope to remain a viscountess now was through him. She''d let him inherit her mother''s title so she can be viscountess as his wife. Atress was too ambitious to be amoner after working as the viscountess in practice for years, and she wouldn''t take her mother''s side in a hopeless struggle. It was Nancy''s fault for wasting her time chasing young men.


    "Then keep me as your partner. I will make sure the viscount title will pass to you even if you divorce Atress, and I will make sure to please you every night!"


    In her mind, Atress had abandoned her already, so she abandoned her too. She wanted to live, she was only 210 years old which was barely half the lifespan of a True Mage!


    "I have no need for you. Who knows when you will try to kill me in my sleep if I leave you by my side."


    "Then just leave me be, I promise not to cause trouble. I''m too weak to cause trouble anyway! I only tried to turn you into my boy toy, not to kill you!"


    She was begging Gale, bringing up any pleas she could think of. Gale hesitated; what she said sounded right. She really didn''t mean to kill him before he stole her magic, so wouldn''t it mean he killed a person for no reason?


    "Don''t hesitate. Kill her."


    "Who is it?"


    Gale quickly turned around and found his mother standing behind him.

 Chapter 41 40 - A New Beginning

    ?Gale quickly turned around and found his mother standing behind him. Shocked by the unexpected visitor, he immediately doubted his eyes.


    "Mother? How are you here?"


    "I''m not here, it''s just a spell I left on you to allow me to keep an eye on you. Unlike my irresponsible daughter, I left it as a fail-safe in case something went wrong with the n. It was also a good chance to observe the way your abilities work."


    Gale''s face turned red when he thought about his unspeakablest few days. He was quite sure no son would want his mom to see him starring in those scenes. He didn''t know if to feel harassed about being watched, or angry that she just admitted to understanding Lena''s ns yet said nothing.


    "Did you¡­ watch?"


    "I did, but I was concentrated on observing the movement of the mana around you every time you had charmed this woman and absorbed some of her energies. This ability is quite ingenious, even I wouldn''t be able to copy it. If a powerful charmer had the chance to watch you execute this technique repeatedly, he''d probably be able to improve his own technique by leaps and bounds."


    Hearing that she observed carefully every time Nancy peaked didn''t make him feel any better, especially when taking into ount they have peaked together many times. He started feeling frustrated, why were all the female members of his family sticking their noses in his privacy?


    "Is it going to remain forever on me?"


    "No, it would onlyst for a few more days before the mana disperses. Maybe a week."


    He red at his mom and couldn''t stop himself from feeling disturbed. It was a privacy breach!


    "Don''t me me. You only told me you had the powers to absorb others'' magic, but you never specified the way you did it. I must admit though, I''d never thought you were such a professional boy toy. I almost regret being your mother."


    Gale felt goosebumps spring up all over his skin as he trembled in his ce when unweed thoughts about dreadful scenes with his mother invaded his mind. His mother was as much of a bully as Lena.


    "Rx, I''m just joking. Anyway, kill her. Don''t leave your dirty job for others and pretend it makes you pure."


    She pointed at Nancy who was still captured at the corner. Nancy was cowering on the floor since the moment Elizabeth showed up; she knew there was no way a True Mage could cast such a spell, and not even an Advanced Mage could. It meant Elizabeth was at least an Expert Mage, which meant there were 13 of them in the kingdom!


    Nancy lost hope of survival; knew nothing could convince an experienced woman like Elizabeth, unlike a young man like Gale.


    "But she never nned to kill me, why can''t I spare her life?"


    "You already know why. If you keep her alive it would only force me to kill her myself. My spell isn''t enough for that, so I''d have toe here myself. If that happens, I''ll have to kill everyone in the mansion to protect your secret."


    Gale sighed. He convinced himself that Nancy has brought it on herself by trying to detain him. He created a fireball, condensed it to a diameter of a single centimeter, and shot it. Nancy''s body quickly caught fire and turned into ashes in front of Gale.


    "Come back home. I will train you until it''s time for me to leave. Once your training ispleted, you will go on your own journey to explore our continent."


    ----------


    6 monthster:


    Gale, Nina, Elizabeth, and Donne were standing next to Gale''s father''s grave. The funeral just ended a few minutes ago and it was time to say goodbyes.


    "you''vepleted your training. Now go and don''t rely on your status, since nobody will protect you. Go to the capital and try to put what you learned to some use. You will hear about the Bathory house when the right timees."


    Elizabeth offered some parting words before she turned around and left. In those past 6 months, Gale learned how to harness his new powers as a True Mage.


    He only strengthened his body with earth mana; his affinities with darkness and fire didn''t increase when he was promoted, thus, he decided to wait until he gets affinities in the Mage levels before strengthening the rest.


    "I hope you can make a name for yourself in the capital and in the empire, so we can build a safe home for our descendants to thrive in."


    Donne and Gale nodded at each other and left the cemetery as well.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Where are we going now?"


    Nina asked Gale as they walked toward the cab center to hire a coachman to take them to the capital.


    "To the capital, we''ve talked about it."


    "What are we going to do in the capital?"


    "Ehm, train and wait for the tournament?"


    "So you have no idea."


    They arrived at the center and started to search for a cab. It was a 2 week''s journey by carriage, part of which was through isted ces without any settlements in a radius of a few kilometers. They would always wait for carriages to assemble and only leave when the convoy included 10 Expert Magicians or 2 True Mages.


    "Hey Gale, check this man out. He looks young yet he is already an Expert Magician. We should befriend him during the ride, he must be from a good background."


    "Then let''s sit by his side."


    When 3 more Expert Magicians arrived a convoy of 15 carriages set out. The convoy had let the Expert Magicians and Gale ride for free, while the carriages that didn''t have Expert Magicians had to pay protection fees.


    Gale and Nina followed the man into the carriage he sat in, forcing 2 other travelers to switch carriages with them. Their new carriage was now the most important in the convoy; out of the six guards, there were three in the same one.


    "Why are you following me?"


    The man asked with a worried ce, it was evident that he didn''t want to pick a fight with a mage.


    "You look young for your stage, so we wanted to make friends. How is it, feel honored?"


    Nina answered with a haughty tone; she enjoyed using Gale''s status as a mage.


    "Don''t try to intimidate him. Sorry for her behavior, she''s just a bit yful. I''m Gale, may I know your name?"


    Gale''s politeness improved their image in the eyes of the stranger whose face was already slightly distorted from Nina''s answer.


    "I''m Lionel y. Delighted to make your acquaintance. You can call me Leo in such informal circumstances."


    "Informal? Does it mean you''re a noble?"


    Gale was surprised to find out Leo was a noble. Leo had a short stature, around 170 cm tall. His body outlines weren''t visible since he was wearing a hooded robe that covered his clothing underneath them, so it was hard to determine his build. His hood was down, letting Gale and Nina see the face of an average-looking man with long, blond, curly hair, emerald eyes, and a slightly crooked nose.


    "I''m the son of a Baron in the rence dukedom. I try not to unt my nobility rank too much in front of strangers since my nobility rank is the lowest. I''m always worried to boast in front of a higher-ranked noble."


    Hisughter sounded real and friendly, making Gale feel morefortable around him immediately, especially because he also preferred not having to use his title as an earl''s son. His father''s title passed to his mom temporarily until Donne would get to the Mage Phase.


    Nina, however, was less trusting toward strangers. Her knee hit Gale''s, hinting at him to ask again with his charm on.


    -----


    if you got this far, please leave a review!

 Chapter 42 41 – Getting Caught Up In Dukedom Politics

    ?Nina''s hint to check whether Leo was speaking the truth startled Gale who felt she was overcautious. They have barely met, why would he lie so soon?


    "I''m really d you told me who you really were."


    His green eyes turned bright, making Leo''s chest tighten with guilt and regret immediately. Even his expression changed as he contemteding clean with the truth.


    "Is there anything else you would like to tell me? You don''t have to worry about my reaction, I won''t judge."


    Leo''s guilty expression didn''t avoid Gale''s eyes, so Gale decided to give him another push.


    "I¡­ I only said half the truth. My realst name is rence. I''m sorry I lied to you, I just have to be cautious with strangers or I might get killed so I tried hiding the truth."


    His regret forced him to exin his actions, which revealed extra information.


    "Lionel rence? As in the rence Dukedom?"


    Nina asked with an astonished tone. The reason for his exceptional stage at a young age became crystal clear; he enjoyed the best resources, tutors, and genes in the kingdom after the princes and the princesses.


    "Yes, I''m the second son of Duke rence. My father decided to adopt the royal way to select an heir and said we should allpete. He tried banning us from killing each other, but there are endless hidden schemes and attempts on my life."


    "How many contestants to the title are there?"


    "There are four. My eldest sister and two younger brothers. There are two titles since my father can also grant an earl title."


    "How do youpete?"


    "There are two aspects. The first one is strength; the stronger we are respectively to our age the higher we are valued. The second one is getting merits like killing the family''s enemies, winning tournaments, earning money, and making potions."


    Nina suddenly remembered his earlier phrasing and a question popped into her mind.


    "He took this method from the royal family? Does it mean they alsopete this way and try to kill each other?"


    "Yes, in fact, they don''t have the ban on killing each other and the winner is determined when all the others get killed. It has been the method of choosing an heir ever since a king was almost killed by his brother who lost thepetition. The royal race is still ongoing right now."


    "So what if they simply don''tpete and kill the winner?"


    "All the dukes and the royal family who don''t participate in thepetition for the throne take an oath to kill the one behind such a scheme. This tactic is no different from throwing one''s life away."


    They kept chatting and Leo told them he is going back to the dukedom after recruiting the local earl, a few viscounts, and barons. Unfortunately, the local earl died before he had the chance to meet him and his wife who inherited the title disappeared, so he couldn''t recruit them, but negotiations with the lower-ranked nobles went well.


    Gale and Nina obviously recognized the story about the earl and offered to join hands with him.


    "I''d love to, I can assign you a mansion to sleep at. I will make sure to arrange a maid for the cooking."


    Gale gaped at him when he heard this arrangement. Duke''s sons were indeed in another league.


    Suddenly, before Gale could agree to this offer, they heard a shout: "Wolves attack!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Wolves don''t usually attackrge convoys, particrly because they can also feel our stages. I''d say it might be someone trying to go after Leo''s life. Be careful, we don''t know who is behind this."


    Nina warned before they quickly stepped out of the carriage. The wolf pack was sprinting toward their convoy in an arrow formation. At the head, two fourth-stage wolves were leading the pack with 5 third-stage wolves on each of their sides.


    "Ah, it''s wolves again. At least this time it''s a different type."


    Gale sighed, it seemed like wolves were his sworn enemies. Unlike the earth wolves that he met in the forest, Air wolves were more offense-oriented; their main element, wind, allowed them to move extremely fast, while their sub-element, fire, gave them superior power and an additional speed boost.


    "Everyone, get into positions! Our mage will take care of the fourth-rank wolves and each of the expert magicians will fight against 2 third-rank wolves. If you can''t defeat your enemies just hold out until someonees to your aid! Everyone else, whether you survive against the weaker wolves will depend on you!"


    Leo shouted orders as if it was the most natural thing in the world, and everyone followed them without thinking twice.


    "Gale, we are counting on you. If you can''t defeat them or hold out until we can support you, we are all dead for sure."


    Gale nodded and assembled with everyone in front of the carriages just a few seconds before engagement. He immediately shot a barrage of small stones against the pack to pull the attention of the stronger wolves.


    -------------


    6 months ago:


    Gale stood in front of his mother to start his training, feeling slightly nervous.


    "Viscountess Nancy''s affinity with the earth element is quite famous; it''s restraining and weight. It means your strongest powers are in restraining others and using the weight of the stones for your defense. However, you should be considered a two-month-old baby in the eyes of mana, which means it will probably act like your best friend now that you''re in the Mage Phase."


    "What does it mean?"


    "It means that I expect your spells to be almost as powerful in volume as an Advanced Mage. Let''s start with a simple spell often used to massacre arge amount of weaker enemies. Stones Barrage."


    Elizabeth taught Gale the mage rank spell and guided him until he could perform it perfectly. Essentially, this spell worked in the same way as spamming the first rank spell ''stone bullet'', which was exactly what it sounded like. Small stones formed around him and were shot into the distance for hours as he practiced the spell.


    A few dayster Gale could load 30 stones per second.


    "Good, now you can be considered an efficient bug spray. However, such a spell will only be deadly against first-rank beasts, and if they share the burden among arge group it won''t deal any damage at all. This brings us to your affinity; train on making the stones weigh as much as adult men."


    -------------


    Back to the present:


    His barrage did nothing to the stronger ones, but it had helped to save many human lives; The higher-ranked wolves had to dodge and protect themselves from the stones and couldn''t offer any help to their allies as their offensive orientation worked against them. The Stone Barrage spell reaped the lives of the first-rank wolves and wounded heavily the second-rank ones, even iming their lives at the third hit.


    Unfortunately, the fourth-rank wolves reacted quickly and with a burst of speed they sprinted in front of Gale, pouncing on him with their jaws open and wind behind their back to make it nearly impossible to dodge. They forced Gale to cease his barrage and defend himself, yet he had already reaped the lives of half of the pack in those few seconds.


    Meanwhile, it seemed the wolf pack had simr ns as Leo since each of the Expert Magicians was attacked by two third-rank wolves.

 Chapter 43 42 – Battle Against Air Wolves

    ?The convoy slipped into chaos almost instantly. There were screams of people getting injured or killed, whimpers of wolves that got hit by spells, and endless spells were cast in all directions by magicians and wolves alike.


    Nina and Leo stood back-to-back, each facing 2 wolves in front of them. They used this tactic to prevent the wolves froming at them from behind but also forced them to have each other''s backs.


    Because they were both geniuses who got higher recognition from the world, making them stronger than other Expert Magicians, the other Expert Magicians were depending on them to finish their fights soon ande to support them.


    Gale lured the strongest wolves away from the rest of the envoys to prevent their fight from dealing too much damage to people and property. A few hundred meters away from the rest of the battles, the two wolves started circling him, forcing him to keep his guard up the whole time.


    Gale was patient, he had trained his timing and spells to the highest degree under his mother''s tutorage. The wolves tested him by aiming wind des and fireballs against him, which he had blocked with simple stone shields.


    After a few minutes of probing, the wolves lost their patience and attacked. One wolf created two wolf clones made of fire and charged at Gale while the other stayed in the distance and gathered strong winds around it.


    When the fire wolves came closer to Gale, the wolf that used wind spells charged with a powerful gale behind him, making him close the distance almost instantly in an attempt to catch Gale off-guard with a two-sided coordinated attack.


    Gale, however, was ready. He cast tworge cages made of stones, catching inside the two wolves. The cages'' restraining properties weakened all spells, making the fire wolves unstable and slowing down the wind wolf.


    Unfortunately, the wolves weren''t fourth-rank beasts for nothing. The two fire clones crushed against the cage and exploded, breaking it down and freeing their caster. The other wolf simply coated himself with wind and fire before attacking the cage with its sharp ws, making a holerge enough for himself to get out.


    Gale''s attacks didn''t end there; he rapidly cast 4 restraining rings and ced them all on the wolf that use its sub-element since it was slower. The wolf quickly jumped out of the way and used a wind spell to dodge the rings, yet could only dodge 2 of them. Two extremely heavy rings of stone were formed around two of its legs, slowing down the wolf by half and weakening any spells he''d try to use.


    The wolf howled with anger, it felt humiliated to have those rings on itself. The other wolf took a second longer to break the cage and waste to the action, so it only saw the aftermath. It dashed toward Gale to keep him busy and allow the other wolf to break the restraints.


    Gale knew he only had a few seconds before the situation will revert back to its starting point, but he would lose the surprise effect in the next round, so he had to injure or kill a wolf before the next round started.


    Right in front of the dashing wolf, he summoned an arm of stone from the ground with its fingers ready to clutch their target. The fingers closed on the iing wolf and Gale immediately turned it a few times heavier to slow down the wolf.


    The air wolf shot a few air des it had prepared in advance and opened a hole in the palm in front of it, allowing it to continue dashing in Gale''s direction. Gale kept retreating toward the restrained wolf, but the air wolf was too fast. Its jaws were only a few centimeters away from Gale''s right leg, ready to tear it off.


    -------------


    5 months ago:


    This time Celty stood by Elizabeth''s side in the training area; it was time for Gale to train his shadow spells.


    "Your shadow affinity is indeedcking. However, your connection to magic is far superior to the average mage''s, thus allowing you to still cast mage-ranked shadow spells efficiently as long as you do it at the right time."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Elizabeth exined the reason she decided to make him train in an element he was weaker at instead of only training his earth magic.


    "I don''t know much about shadow spells, so Celty will instruct you on this topic ording to her knowledge. Although she isn''t a mage, she trained it for a long time and should be knowledgeable about it."


    "Yes, Lady Elizabeth. I researched my main spells which I''ve already taught Lord Gale; noise cancetion and shadow assimtion. In the Mage Phase, the noise cancetion can dim the noise by 99%, making it nearly impossible for anyone to hear you. Shadow assimtion can make you assimte with shadowpletely now, letting you enter it and pop out a few meters away."


    Happily, Celty had already found the spells and passed them to Gale to train in. He kept trying to ambush his mother with a knife in the next few days using those spells. It never worked, but he did manage to master the spells.


    -------------


    The wolf believed victory was his as his jaws closed on Gale''s leg, only to feel its jaws clench against each other, biting nothing.


    Shadow Assimtion!


    Gale assimted into the shadows and popped right next to the restrained wolf which was a second away from breaking free of its restraints. Gale held above his head arge heavy sword made by earth magic in his two hands. He pulled down his hands and the sword followed, straight to the wolf''s neck.


    The wolf had no defensive skills, but it tried its best to dodge with a wind spell that made it dash forward, however, the restraints slowed it down too much. Gale''s sword descended on it just before the back legs, cutting the body in two.


    *HOWL!*


    The wolf howled with pain and terror as it lost two legs and could only copse and bleed to death. The air wolf''s dash took it too far away from them and it could only watch its friend getting severely injured.


    Now it was one vs one, making Gale feel much more confident in winning although he had revealed his trump cards; he could direct all his spells on one target. Gale cast a stone barrage against the wolf, narrowing its path, and forcing it to slow down to dodge the bullets as it tried to approach Gale.


    Because the barrage made its speed ineffective, the wolf removed its speed buff and cast air des instead. It instantly turned slower, but it could still dodge all of the bullets without much effort. Three des flew toward Gale, who stepped aside to dodge them.


    But fourth-rank beasts'' spells weren''t that simple to dodge; the des did a U-turn and chased him. He double-cast and summoned a heavy wall in front of him, which the des had cut through at the cost of half of their charged mana.


    Gale took the chance to create an opening in his wall and entered through it, forcing the des to take another U-turn to chase him. The walls had already closed behind him and stopped the wind des again, this timepletely blocking them.


    The wolf had used this opportunity to get close during the time its spell kept Gale busy, despite dodging all the bullets Gale fired at him nonstop. Now, they were only 5 meters apart from each other, looking into each other''s eyes.

 Chapter 44 43 – Victory

    ?Gale stood in front of the wolf and they looked into each other''s eyes. They both were preparing their spells for their forting sh, aiming to wound their enemy in their next move.


    The wolf used his spells again for speed and power buffs, while Gale used his to prepare a trap for the wolf. The moment the wolf bolted toward Gale, Gale waved his hand upwards, and 3 pirs came out of the earth in an attempt to break the wolf''s bones.


    Gale had to use pirs instead of spikes to utilize his heaviness affinity to the maximum; his power was greater when it came to blunt attacks. The wolf used a momentary speed buff it had prepared and dodged the pirs.


    Gale was left with one spell and the wolf had only its passive speed buff and power remaining. However, that speed-up got the wolf extremely near, and Gale could not dodge in time with his inferior speed as an earth mage, and the wolf''s fangs closed on his shoulder.


    Gale simply opened his arms and embraced the iing wolf; at that moment, his body turned into stone and the real Gale was ejected out of it from behind. The wolf crushed into the stone statue and was captured in its embrace. It immediately hit the statue with its paw, breaking it, but it was enough time for Gale to cast another pir.


    The pir rose from the ground and struck the helpless wolf that was falling to the ground after breaking the statue. The wolf let out a miserable whimper as the pir broke some of its ribs and caused internal damage.


    Gale didn''t want to lose this opportunity and started shooting fireballs; it was a far faster element for attacks, and now that the wolf was already wounded it could deal enough damage even with Gale''s lower affinity with it. His affinity with fire wasn''t low in the first ce; it was in the Mage Phase too since it was Nancy''s sub-element.


    3 fireballs were shot at high speed toward the wolf and exploded, sending sparks everywhere nearby. Everything that was touched by a single spark was instantly ignited and burned in mes. However, the wolf wasn''t one of those things; it was still fast enough to fall back and dodge the sparks despite the pain.


    *HOWL*


    The wolf howled loudly and started to run away at full speed. Beasts of higher ranks had higher intelligence, and they wouldn''t waste their life in a fight they were likely to lose, so the wolf simply turned tail and ran away.


    As soon as the loud howl resounded in the convoy, all the remaining wolves started running away in the same direction as their leader, which might not have been a smart decision since Gale was standing in their way.


    Gale, however, believed in preserving nature and had let them go without any further massacre; they wouldn''t be able to attack again any time soon, and by the time they will be ready he will be in the capital.


    Gale quickly ran to where everyone else was fighting to check on Nina and found the ce in chaos; out of 15 carriages, 5 were ruinedpletely beyond repair by the battle that just took ce, and only 2 carriages remained undamaged since they were in the further end of the convoy.


    The ground was littered with the corpses of humans and wolves alike. At least half of the humans were killed despite Gale''s initial attack which helped to reduce the wolves'' numbers greatly. Without his barrage in the beginning, there would be hardly any survivors by then.


    Nina and Leo were leaning on each other back-to-back, exhausted. Gale found out from questioning Ninater that by the time they had killed one wolf each, one Expert Magician had died and the 2 wolves she was fighting against filled the gap created by the wolves they had killed.


    It took them a few minutes to kill one before, and it didn''t get any easier in the renewed fight. By the time Nina had killed another wolf, another Expert Magician died and both the wolves that fought against him attacked Nina, forcing her to fight one against three.


    The third Expert Magician was injured during her fight, but she managed to take down one of the wolves and keep the other at bay until the end of the battle. Gale offered her a potion to help her recover and went to meet with Nina and Leo.


    The coachmen and merchants who survived buried the fallen humans and treated the wounded ones. Once they finished, they cleared the way of the wolves'' corpses and broken carriages. They gave 20% of the belonging of the fallen to Gale, who refused the offer since he couldn''t carry items, and neither did he n to open a stall to sell them in the capital.


    Aspensation for his battle, they gifted him 80% of the items worth in cash which could help himter in the capital. Nina and the rest of the Expert Magicians got half of that aspensation, while the merchants and coachmen divided the rest among themselves.


    "Excuse me, Lord Gale."


    Gale turned around to see a merchant bow to him with a slightly ufortable expression.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "What is it?"


    "I wanted to offer you a business deal; you''ve killed a fourth-rank wolf and its corpse can be used for many crafts and even as food. I believe that you don''t have the time to sell it yourself, so how about I sell everything for you and take amission of 10%."


    That was the first time he heard that beasts'' corpses could be used that way and wondered why Lena and the prince ignored the fourth-rank wolf Lena had killed in the forest. Then he quickly understood; for royalty and a student of an Expert Mage, it was probably considered peanuts.


    "All right, I will leave it to you. Does a wolf really taste good though?"


    "It does, it was nourished by mana to a high degree. With the right chef, it''s even considered useful to magicians and might even give a slight boost to one''s affinity with the beast''s elements."


    Gale nodded and went to sit by the side with Leo and Nina until the convoy will be ready to leave again.


    "You''re extremely strong, Gale. I didn''t expect you to defeat 2 fourth-rank wolves before we could offer any help. You''ve even left the battle unscathed."


    Leoplimented Gale as soon as he sat by their side. Leo had a long gash on his thigh which was currently fading after consuming a healing potion. Nina only had a few scratches that would heal on their own in a few days and wouldn''t hinder herbat prowess, so she didn''t take any potion.


    "Thank you, Leo. It was quite a nerve-wracking battle, but I managed to win by using tactics wolves wouldn''t be able to see through."


    Nina was still bothered by the attack; she wanted to find out the instigator.


    "Leo, how likely do you think it is your siblings'' fault that we were attacked today?"


    "I don''t want to sound paranoid but I believe it''s very likely to be instigated by humans since wolves wouldn''t attack arge convoy with enough power to kill half of them unless they are starving, and those wolves didn''t seem to be starving."


    "Don''t worry about it, I will take care of it. If they want us dead, they should be still in the surroundings. What are your siblings'' stages?"


    "My big sister is a True Mage, while my little brothers are both Expert Magicians. However, it won''t be them on the field but their subordinates. Each of us has 2 True Mages subordinates on the surface, but we''ve all secured some more in the dark. They can''t employ the 2 that are associated with them or they might get caught, so it''s very likely the instigators are unknown mages who can do their dirty work for them."


    "What about Advanced Mages?"


    "Impossible, they are as strong as a duke, and wouldn''t lower themselves to be subordinates of a duke''s child that might not even be the duke."


    After Leo exined the situation clearly to Gale and Nina, they separated and went to meditate or practice magic to test new things they understood during their battle. Night fell by the time the merchants were ready to depart again, and they chose to camp there for the night and leave in the morning.


    At night, Gale got up from his sleeping bag and cast his shadow spells, turning almostpletely invisible and silent. He closed his eyes to feel movements of mana around him and quickly found faint traces of mana maniption in the distance.


    He walked in that general direction, changing his route a few times ording to the feeling he was getting from the mana around him. After going 2 kilometers to the south he finally heard some noises in the silent night.

 Chapter 45 44+45 – Infiltration

    ?After going 2 kilometers to the south he finally heard some noises in the silent night. When he reached the noises originated, he saw 3 tents behind a bonfire with one man keeping guard.


    Gale quickly nned his next moves. At the night his concealing technique was much more effective than during the day, but if he got too close to the fire he might get found out. He closed his eyes and sensed the mana around the man and rxed as soon as he found out he was only an Advanced Magician.


    Gale approached him silently, and when he was right in front of the man he covered his mouth with his hand. The man tried to shout, but the noise was almostpletely silenced by the dark magic coating Gale''s palm.


    "Don''t make a sound, we are on the same side."


    Gale''s eyes shone with green light as he charmed the man with a whisper. Soon after, the man stopped struggling and rxed, affected by Gale''s charm.


    "I''m sorry, I was just startled since I didn''t expect you to show up. Who are you though?"


    The charmed man didn''t see the weirdness in the situation and found it very usible that someone from his side showed up in the middle of the night unannounced.


    "It''s ok, I just didn''t want to wake up the others, you guys had a long day."


    "I know, right? Thank you for your consideration."


    "I just need to write a report on today''s results, did you seed?"


    "We didn''t. We were lucky enough to stumble upon a good chance to incite the wolves against Lionel today, yet he had a strong mage by his side who defeated the two fourth-rank wolves and repelled the wolf pack."


    "Stumbled upon the wolves? Wasn''t it your n in the first ce?"


    "No, we found a treasure the wolf leaders were keeping. We cut a small part of it and gave it to our coborator in Lionel''s convoy to carry it with him and lure the wolves. It made the pack think that the convoy stole it from them."


    "I see. What kind of treasure is it?"


    "It''s a sixth-rank rare ore with destruction lightning attributes. It could be forged into a powerful dagger that can cut through the defenses of anyone under the sixth stage and in the hands of an assassin it can be used to kill even Expert Mages if they attack quick enough. Well, at least in theory."


    Gale smiled excitedly; it wouldplement his darkness concealment magic perfectly until he became a magus!


    "Where is the ore?"


    "Lady Sol has it. She said she willpensate us for taking it for herself, but I kind of doubt that."


    "Oh, right. How many are you here and what are your stages?"


    Gale asked the guard casually to tell him all the information about the camp and devised a n to deal with them. Since they tried to kill him once and probably try again a few times more by the end of his trip to the capital, he didn''t mind killing them and taking their belongings.


    The guard told him they were a group of 5 underlings of Lady Tara, Lionel''s eldest sister, who were sent to get Lionel killed on his way home. The strongest in their group were Sol and Jack, two True Mages, while the rest were Expert Magicians.


    "What do you n to do with the convoy that Lionel is part of?"


    "We don''t care much about the weaker ones, but the Mage might have a chance to sniff us out in the next attack, so we are nning to kill him just in case. Otherwise, our lives would be at risk if word came out that Lady Tara killed her little brother."


    "Drake, are you talking with someone?"


    They heard a whisper a few meters away followed by iing steps.


    "Oh right, my shift is over. It''s Cole, he got up for his shift. Hey, Cole! Come see who came to visit!"


    Cole heard no vignce from Drake''s voice and came out of the shadows to meet with Gale.


    "Who is that?"


    "Rx, I''m on your side. I''m here to take write a report to Lady Tara."


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® Gale''s eyes shone again and Cole needed no further exnation about what was going on. Gale leaned over to Drake''s ear and whispered an instruction.


    "Wait for me a kilometer south from here."


    "I''m going out of the camp for a few minutes; got to answer nature''s call."


    Drake excused himself as soon as he heard Gale''s instruction; he got excited at the thought he might experience new adventures today he had never dreamed of, yet he''d love to agree if it was with Gale.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Gale chatted with Cole for half an hour when Cole remembered Drake went out.


    "It''s weird, howe Drake didn''te back yet? He might have been attacked, I need to go check on him."


    "No, no! you must stay guard here in camp, Cole! Don''t worry, I will go and check on him."


    "Really? Thank you! You''re really different from the other Mages who look down on us Magicians only because we''re weaker."


    "Don''t worry about it."


    Drake was leaning against a tree in the forest, waiting impatiently for Gale toe and meet him as promised.


    "I hope he will take it slowly at first, I''m quite nervous."


    He was busy with his own fantasies when a shadow appeared behind him and a fireball was shot out of it right into his head, leaving behind nothing but ashes in a few seconds. Nobody knew what Drake was imagining before his death, but maybe it was for the best.


    Cole saw Galee back to the fire by himself and wondered whether something bad had happened to Drake.


    "Where is Drake, is he ok?"


    "He is fine, he is already in his bed."


    Gale''s eyes shone again and Cole discarded any other questions on the matter. A few hourster the third guard got up for his shift and a very simr scene took ce, leaving Gale to marvel at how easy things went against charmed enemies.


    Gale arrived at the campfire for the third time that night after taking care of Cole, but this time he kept himself concealed and killed the guard in a simr fashion as he killed the other two. He looked at the leaders'' tents; Jack was a water mage with wind as a sub-element, while Sol was a wind Mage with fire as her sub-element.


    "Ah, I really need affinity with water magic, it''s a shame it''s a man. However, getting affinity with wind and a boost for my fire affinity can''t be a bad thing."


    Gale sighed as he thought of the loss he took by facing a male enemy. He wrapped himself in shadows and entered Jack''s tent, ready for the kill.


    He stayed a few meters away from Jack in order not to wake him up and canceled his shadow spell, since he couldn''t multi-cast spells from different elements, before shooting a fireball at Jack''s heart.


    The moment mana started moving when Gale undid his shadow spell, Jack woke up. It took him a second to understand what was going on before he tried to jump out of bed and defend himself with water magic, but it was a second too much; the fireball hit his shoulder and left a hole in it, rendering it useless.


    His side quickly caught on fire from the sparks that came out of the fireball''s explosion, causing him a huge deal of pain, but he waspletely awake by then; he used his water magic to put it out and made a small sphere of water around him to protect himself from any following fire spells.


    Gale, however, already dropped fire casting and cast an earth spell ¨C the stone pir.


    A heavy, blunt pir made of condensed stone came out of the ground and broke Jack''s water sphere, hitting his legs directly and breaking them.


    "AHHH!"


    Jack let out a loud scream just before a small yet heavy stone pierced through his head and left a hole inside. It''d be a tough fight if Gale didn''t catch him unprepared, but sadly for Jack, he did.


    Gale''s ambush was over the moment Jack let out a pained scream that woke up Sol from her sleep. She quickly ran to Jack''s tent and saw a tall pir going out from the tent''s ceiling, giving her a bad premonition as she knew Jack couldn''t cast earth spells and she had seen this spell only a few hours ago.


    -------------


    A few months ago:


    "Gale, what is your most powerful magic?"


    "It''s earth, it''s the element I have the highest affinity with."


    "Wrong, it''s your charm abilities. You have no idea how great and unique they are; no charmer I''ve ever heard of can evene close to your charm."


    "It''s not that good. Stronger enemies always realize they were charmed and act against me soon after. I got beaten by Lena when I made her tell me something just a few months ago."


    "Did you try using your charm for a very long time on someone? You might find out its effects willst much longer if you put more effort into it for a longer time, that''s how most charmer''s abilities work."


    "I didn''t, but it does make sense when I think about it. I will give it a try if I ever have the chance."


    Such was a conversation between Gale and Elizabeth during one of their training sessions.

 Chapter 46 46 – New Companion

    ?Jack''s scream woke up Sol from her sleep, prompting her to quickly run to Jack''s tent and see the tall pir that wasn''t supposed to be there. She recognized this pir; she had seen it when she watched the battle between the fourth-stage wolves and the mage who apanied Lionel.


    Sol quickly used a spell called "Wisp of Fire" which created small wisps made of fire around her. Her affinity had the attributes of spreading and decaying, which would leave the environment around her barren if left unattended. Her wisps of fire would burn objects, and each object burnt would generate another wisp, spreading the fire further.


    The moment Gale stepped out of Jack''s tent he saw Sol in front of him, making him nod in appreciation. Sol was tall, 175 centimeters high. Her body was muscr yet lean, it made her look powerful but still on the feminine side. She wore nothing but shorts and a bra since she just got up from bed which revealed her toned abs and moderate cleavage.


    "Done looking?"


    She didn''t engage in battle immediately. She preferred scaring him off and running away since she didn''t know the full extent of his strength or how he killed Jack so quickly. She was still young and had a good chance to reach the fifth stage, which was the reason why Tara picked her and Jack as her helpers.


    "Not just yet, would you spin for me?"


    Gale decided to y too; he became quite petty after suffering Nina''s and Lena''s teasing those past few months. His eyes shone with green and Sol did a spin for him.


    "Now I''m done, thank you for your patience."


    Sol was confused for a few moments until she realized what had happened. She actually did a spin for him!


    "I¡­ I''m d you enjoyed it. Now, why are you attacking us, and what is your purpose?"


    She decided to pretend nothing unusual happened or else she might lose the initiative in this exchange.


    "I wasn''t attacking you, I simply passed by and asked for directions when yourpanions attacked me."


    "Oh¡­ I see."


    Sol, affected by Gale''s charm, thought it was pretty weird for someone who was part of a convoy to ask for directions but agreed that attacking him was an overreaction.


    "I hope you don''t want to attack me too, I wouldn''t want to fight a beautifuldy when I can be friends with her instead."


    Gale''s smile almost made Sol''s mind go nk, and she couldn''t control her cheeks from burning at hispliment. Her wisps were slowly disintegrating in thin air as she was caught in Gale''s charm.


    "Thank you, I''d love to get to know you better too, handsome."


    She was bold; she wouldn''t agree to lose to someone in an exchange of words and act shy. No, she must take the initiative back. Sol had long forgotten he was her enemy and started seeing it as a flirting contest instead.


    "Haha, how about we sit together and talk then?"


    Herpetitive spirit made Galeugh as she tried to be the dominant one in the rtionship that started taking shape between them. He decided it was time to leave this ce.


    "Oh, but look how messy it is. How about we go to my camp? It''s only a few kilometers to the north from here. I''m sure you''d love it there, the people are nice and some of them can cook great food."


    His charm did its magic again and Sol''s curiosity was piqued, making her anticipate seeing Gale''s camp as if she didn''t watch it a few hours ago.


    "Yes, you''re right, we can talk at your camp."


    She said with aposed tone, trying not to appear overexcited about it.


    "Let''s not waste yourpanion''s belongings. Let''s pack it up first and take it with us."


    Gale and Sol quickly took everything the others had left behind and went to the camp where everyone was sleeping except for those who stood guard.


    "Who is it?"


    An Advanced Magician heard the steps and their voices iing and quickly cast a water shield in front of himself.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "It''s me, Gale."


    Gale''s figure gradually lightened as he got nearer to the fire that kept the guards warm.


    "Oh, hello Lord Gale. Don''t forget to have a good night''s sleep, you worked hard today."


    The guard nodded respectfully when he saw Gale but then noticed the other figure following him.


    "Lord Gale, may I ask who this woman is?"


    "Don''t worry about her, I know her and fully trust her."


    Gale''s words ttered Sol, she was ashamed for inciting the wolves to attack a man like Gale and even nning to kill him while he hadplete trust in her. She should''ve been more careful and made sure not to bring any harm to him when attacking Lionel.


    Gale''s hand embraced her waist and pulled her close to him as he started heading towards his tent.


    "Come, we can go to sleep now and chat tomorrow during the journey."


    He had a stressful day and a long night right after, he was quite tired. Although he could nourish himself with mana and skip a few nights of sleep, it wasn''t worth doing without a good reason since it became harmful if used regrly.


    "All right. But where do I sleep?"


    She nodded with a slight disappointment in her heart. She wanted to enjoy hispany for longer.


    "With me, are you against it?"


    Gale smiled at her and Sol quickly felt encouraged by the fact she didn''t have to separate from him so quickly; she had never bonded with someone so fast.


    Theyy down in bed, and Sol''s heart started racing as Gale embraced her from behind, letting his hand roam a little on her body before settling around her waist. She could hear his steady breath behind her, his body heat wrapping around her, his smell filling her nostrils, and¡­ his member poking her.


    In the morning Sol woke up as she felt Gale''s touch missing and saw him get up. His training schedule with Elizabeth habituated him to get up after the minimum hours of sleep he needed, so Sol woke up after him although she slept for longer.


    "Show me what we got from all the guards."


    He instructed Sol as soon as she woke up.


    "Mm. When is the convoy leaving?"


    "I don''t know. They probably nned to leave a while ago, but nobody would dare to hasten me."


    "Okay."


    She showed him the spoils from his battle,pletely unperturbed by the fact that the previous owners were supposed to be her allies. She didn''t know them before this mission, so she didn''t really care whether they died or lived anyway.


    There was money stored in four golden cards used to store money by the kingdom which worked like credit cards. Gale simply took them; they had a magical defense against being used by people other than the real owner, but it could only prevent magicians from using them.


    Other than money there were a few potions that previously belonged to the magicians and a small bag.


    "Is that all? I expected more from a mage."


    Gale said disappointedly. Those potions were nice to have, but it wasn''t much.


    "Lord Gale, could it be you don''t know what this bag is?"

 Chapter 47 47 – Introducing Sol

    ?"hm, is it a container of sorts?"


    "It is an enhanced bag. Lady Tara uses those as wee gifts to the mages she recruits since they are very difficult to obtain for anyone who isn''t at least a duke and they are very useful."


    "What''s special about it?"


    "The space inside is dozens of timesrger than it looks. This bag can contain at least 300 liters, and it is considered a low-quality magic bag. There''s also a gravity spell inscribed on it making everything inside weigh only 10% of its real weight. Since only mages from empires can manufacture those, only dukes and royalty can put their hands on them in the kingdom."


    "That''s awesome! I didn''t even know gravity magic existed!"


    "In theory, you can use it if you have a high affinity with the four basic elements, darkness, and light. However, nobody qualifies. When manufacturing those items, a few different experts cast their spells together and slowlybine them into gravity magic."


    Gale instantly felt excited; magic made of all elementsbined sounded overpowered, and he seemed the perfect person to do it!


    "I see, thank you for your exnation."


    His words quickly made Sol happy she could be of help to him and unt her knowledge.


    "Lord Gale, you can keep it since I already have one from Lady Tara."


    "Thank you, I ept this gift. We are so close by now, don''t use formalities when addressing me, Sol."


    He smiled and used her name to create more intimacy between them, and it worked great. Honestly, nearly anything worked great when his charm was involved if the target could rationalize it, and the stronger Gale waspared to the target the more forceful the rationalization could be.


    "Sol, do you think Lionel will recognize you if he sees you?"


    "He will. I''m considered famous in the dukedom as a genius baron heiress. He had tried to recruit me but I wouldn''t serve under a magician, so I refused."


    "Hm, would you quit serving Tara to be by my side, Sol?"


    "I would, nothing would make me happier than doing just that."


    She answered in a heartbeat. She was sure her destiny was to be with this man, or else she would not know happiness in her life.


    "Great, I wouldn''t want to part with you so soon after we just met. There''s no need to hide you from Leo, he doesn''t know you were serving under Tara anyway. Even if he makes the connection, we can just say I convinced you to move to my side."


    "Gale, I don''t know what Lionel has said to you, but he isn''t as innocent as you think he is. Don''t you think it''s weird he is traveling with no bodyguards?"


    "It is now that you mention it. Howe?"


    "It''s because his mage servants are all on a mission to kill his younger brother while the rest are collecting information on Tara and the youngest brother who contend for the title. You should be careful, too."


    "I didn''t know that, thank you for your warning."


    Gale leaned closer to Sol and their noses brushed against each other and they were close enough to hear and feel each other''s breaths.


    "I''m really happy you are here with me. You are happy too, right?"


    He decided to use his charm abilities repeatedly once every few hours to make sure Sol wouldn''t think of unnecessary things like why she was flirting with her enemy.


    "I am happy, I want to remain by your side forever."


    "You can, you only need to be truthful with me and tell me if you are hiding anything. You said I need to be careful with Leo, but do I need to be careful with you?"


    His lips were touching hers, teasing them with a light brush and departing away, leaving Her frustrated and hungry for more.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I¡­ I''m afraid you will hate me if I tell you."


    She felt an irresistible urge to tell her about how she incited the wolves to attack him and how she wanted to kill him.


    "I won''t judge so I hope you can tell me, otherwise it will be more awkward when I find out without you."


    She felt it was true, she couldn''t hide it forever. She looked down shamefully and came clean.


    "We nned to kill you after killing Lionel. I''m so sorry, I promise I don''t want to kill you anymore!"


    Gale nodded with satisfaction, since she told him about her n to kill him, it meant she waspletely under his charm. He only had to keep at it for while and checkter whether shees back to her senses and tried to rebel.


    "It''s all right, I forgive you. Thank you for telling me."


    He took a step away from her and turned to leave. Their skins stopped touching each other, leaving Sol with an empty feeling. She took a step forward and grabbed his hand.


    "Please don''t be angry with me, I promise I will never try to harm you again and protect you with everything I got if you are ever in danger."


    She felt a sense of pain in her chest as soon as he stepped back. Although he said he forgave her, she didn''t believe he wasn''t hurt by her actions after saying he trusted herpletely. Gale''s charm distorted her reality more and more the longer she was under its effect.


    "It''s ok, I''m really not angry anymore. Let''s go outside and meet with the rest of the convoy, we made them wait for a long time."


    Sol nodded with relief and they left the tent. They found the camp all packed up and ready to leave except for themselves. They sat down on a rock and were served a meal while other travelers quickly packed up Gale''s tent for him.


    "Isn''t this Sol of the Jenner house? What are you doing here?"


    "Oh, you know Gale''s new girlfriend? Is she a noble too?"


    Lionel''s and Nina''s voices were heard as they sat down by their sides and scanned Sol.


    "I met her yesterday, she will be traveling with us to the capital. By the way, we won''t face any further attacks on our trip."


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® Gale didn''t exin much with his words and didn''t n to, he had no idea how to tell his adventures fromst night and chose to simply skip them. Nina and Lionel caught on quickly.


    "Is she the instigator of the wolves'' attack on us? Could it be she is on Tara''s side?"


    Lionel asked carefully. He was unsure of his current situation; if she was on Tara''s side, did it mean that Gale fell for her beauty and changed sides? That would put him in imminent danger!


    However, if it was the other way around, then he could take advantage of it and take down Tara, which was no less exhrating than the first option.


    "She is on my side now, she won''t give us any troubles anymore."


    Leo immediately drew a sharp breath in excitement.


    "Then we can turn the tables on Tara with her help, that''s amazing!"


    However, Tara didn''t do anything against Gale, and going against her was against his principles. He would help someone in danger in front of him, but he won''t help him take revenge. It would be unfair to the other person if he just attacked them without hearing their side first, especially after he heard that Leo sent men to kill his own brother.


    "No, there''s no ''we''. I''m not taking any part in this contest. I will help you survive the trip to the capital, but we will part ways after that."


    Gale drew his line; he won''t kill for others, and he won''t kill innocents without investigating, which he didn''t n to do.

 Chapter 48 48 – Living In A Mansion *

    ?"No, there''s no ''we''. I''m not taking any part in this contest. I will help you survive the trip to the capital, but we will part ways after that."


    "No, wait. You did save me, and it would be shameful for the duke title if I can''t at least arrange amodation for you. How about that, I will arrange a small mansion for you and yourpanions, and it will be separated from mine. Let me show my gratitude."


    "Since you put it this way it will be rude to decline. Thank you, I will be d to take you up on your offer."


    Gale saw no reason to refuse, he didn''t like the idea of looking for lodging anyway, and none of hispanions liked the idea of going to a public ce like an inn.


    The convoy''s route was from Gale''s hometown to the rence dukedom''s capital, Antwerp. The merchants would do business in the city, sell merchandise from other ces for a high price, buy the local merchandise for cheap, and move on to the kingdom''s capital.


    The trip to Antwerp continued without any incidents, and Gale controlled himself from making any moves on Sol since the others would hear everything from outside the tent.


    Using his charm, he kept on teasing her with his touch, saying sweet things, and instilling the idea she trusts and loves him to the point she would be willing to protect him with her life.


    A few dayster, the convoy arrived at Antwerp and agreed to rally again two weekster and depart to the capital. The roads to the capital were much more secure so nobody was worried about finding Expert Magicians for the trip instead of those who died to the wolves. Besides, they had a second Mage now that Sol followed Gale everywhere like an infatuated puppy.


    Gale and his two femalepanions followed Leo to a fancy restaurant in the city center and were seated in a private boot as soon as Leo showed his family token.


    "You guys can remain and drink here for a while, I will go back home and send a servant toe here and show you the way to your mansion."


    Two hourster, Gale left the restaurant along with Sol and Nina. As soon as they were outside, a pretty maid approached them and bowed to Gale.


    "Lord Gale, I''m Moira and I will act as your head housemaid. I''ve been instructed to take care of all your needs."


    She smiled suggestively as she said thest sentence. She was bitter at first when Leo told her that the lord she would be serving was a skirt chaser, but now she felt like Lord Lionel got it wrong; the skirts were probably chasing the man!


    Her imagination was running wild and she could see the thirst in the eyes of the femalepanions whenever they looked at Gale.


    "Haha, Leo saw through your real self, Lord Gale."


    Nina enjoyed embarrassing Gale at every chance she got; she was exasperated at the fact he was already much stronger than her and there was nothing she could do about it.


    "Ahm, that won''t be necessary, thank you."


    Gale quickly cleared his throat and declined the maid''s offer, making her pout with a disappointed face.


    "You can always call me if you change your mind. Now, would you like me to lead you to your mansion to refresh, or would you prefer to keep touring the city?"


    "Let''s go and get refreshed first, we can tour the cityter."


    The trio followed Moira to a cab and rode for a couple of minutes before arriving. The mansion wasn''t too small; it was around the same size as the mansion Gale owned back in his hometown.


    The mansion had simple and symmetric architecture, three floors, and a small backyard. The first floor consisted of arge dining room, a meeting room, a living room, and a guest room that was assigned to Sol who didn''t n to use it.


    The second floor had arge bedroom which Gale took, a study, and a few rooms of which Nina picked one for herself, as far as she could from Gale so she can get a good night''s sleep.


    The third floor had chambers for the maids and servants.


    The first thing Gale did was ask Moira to prepare a bath for him. She quickly called a maid with water magic and together they prepared a warm bath for Gale.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Are there only maids in the mansion?"


    Gale asked suspiciously when he saw the other maid was also quite young and easy on the eye.


    "Yes. Lord Lionel said you preferred pretty women, so none of us are above 30. If you have a body type you desire, just say the word."


    She said it politely and with a tone one might when asking what he would like for breakfast. Gale was left speechless by Leo''s actions.


    "That''s¡­ quite nice."


    He admitted. He did prefer cute young maids.


    He entered the bath and let out a sigh as soon as he felt the pleasure of the hot water wrapping around his body. He closed his eyes and rxed.


    Quiet, hurried steps interrupted his reverie and he looked up to see Soling into the room, wrapped in a towel.


    "Lord Gale, may I join?"


    He scrutinized her curves, her long muscr thighs, and her arms. She was tanned, a result of training under the sun regrly. She kept her brown hair short at shoulder-length, and it fit her perfectly.


    She waited patiently and posed for Gale to have a better view of her assets, then she did a spin that exposed the curves of her butt for Gale.


    "You like it when I spin for you, don''t you?"


    She smiled seductively and came closer to Gale and stood a few meters away. She didn''t enter the bath, and her position intentionally allowed Gale, who was looking upward, to see some of her secrets.


    "I do. Join me."


    A maid stepped forward to wash Sol but was stopped by Moira.


    "Let me."


    She went behind Sol and removed her towel with a pull, leaving her naked. Sol didn''t feel shy; Gale already explored her body with his touch every night when they slept together on their way to Antwerp.


    "I will help you spice things up, Lady Sol."


    Moira whispered in her ear, and Sol nodded expectantly. Moira poured hot water on her, making her hair and body wet. She then took a handful of soap with her hands and started applying it to Sol''s shoulders.


    "Oops, forgive me, Lord Gale, my clothes got wet."


    She removed her maid attire and remained only in her underwear. She slowly pressed her body against Sol''s back, letting Gale enjoy the view of her mounds getting pressed. Her thigh touched Sol''s butt, leaving all kinds of thoughts and imaginations in Gale''s mind.


    Slowly, she smeared the soap on Sol''s shoulders, then moved her hands over Sol''s arms, over her sides, and over her belly. She purposely left the breasts unattended to tease Gale, yet the most impatient one was Sol herself.


    She grabbed Moira''s hands and pulled them to her breasts and pressed them against herself. Moira quickly adjusted to the situation and started groping, leaving them shining from the soap that covered them.


    Gale''s manhood immediately felt a twitch at this scene, unable to remain quiet in front of the arousing view.

 Chapter 49 49 – Undercurrent Danger

    ?Somewhere in Antwerp:


    "Give me your report."


    Tara rencemanded the man bowing in front of her.


    "Yes, Lady Tara. The assassination attempt on Lord Lionel has failed."


    "Why aren''t the mages who were given the task here to report?"


    "That brings me to the next part of the report. Four of them haven''t returned and it''s safe to assume they are dead."


    "And the fifth?"


    "It''s Miss Sol, however, she joined Lionel''s convoy with another mage who protected him, and now she sleeps in the same mansion as that mage."


    "Are you saying she betrayed us?"


    "I suspect it''s worse, she might have¡­ yed us right from the beginning. The mansion they''re staying at belongs to Lord Lionel as well."


    Although he said ''us'', Tara was irritated to no end by the way he implied she was led by the nose into a trap, making her lose a mage subordinate. It might also cost her the support of Jack''s father, a local viscount.


    "Who is the male mage?"


    "He is unknown. From questioning members from their convoy, we only know his name is Gale and that he is an earth mage with fire as his sub-element."


    "Do we know from what family he is? We need to make sure whether we can kill him or not."


    She wouldn''ty back and take the loss, she wanted to take revenge for her subordinates. However, she was careful; she wouldn''t start a war with someone she shouldn''t over one mage.


    "He doesn''t seem to have ast name, he is probably just amoner Lord Lionel picked up during his travel with the promise of benefits and resources."


    "Thank you, you may leave."


    The man bowed again and left the room.


    "Richmond, check whether the report is true."


    "Yes, Lady Tara."


    A voice was heard from the shadows and a man''s figure was revealed. He was a mage with a rare darkness affinity. He bowed and left the room toplete his task.


    A few hourster, Richmond returned to report to hisdy.


    "Lady Tara, ording to my investigation the report seems true. Miss Sol lives with a mage called Gale. I only found out he came from the earldom of Stormborn inside our territory, but he never showed any sign he was a noble except for his manners."


    "He shouldn''t be a son of a duke or marquee. That earldom is east from here and there are no dukedoms in that direction. As for marquees in that direction, I know their sons, and none of them is called Gale."


    "I confirmed this with our data on the nobles inside our Dukedom. Apparently, the earl himself just died and his title passed to his wife since his heir is still too weak."


    He didn''t have time to make a deep research, but it seemed enough information for acting. The worst case was if he was from the family of an earl, and it wasn''t that high. Besides, they could handle the


    "Then killing him shouldn''t pose any risk, you know what to do."


    "Yes, Lady Tara."


    Richmond bowed and left the room.


    -------------


    Gale''s POV:


    The next day Gale woke up with Sol by his side, still naked and in dire need of a bath afterst night''s affair. Moira, to her dismay, was sent away after her show with Sol. Gale nned to finish plundering Sol''s magic before departing to the capital and didn''t have time to y with a plus one.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He wouldn''t kill her or leave her behind after she sacrificed herself, although unknowingly and under his charm, so he nned to keep her as a maid.


    He gave three of the money cards he plundered to Nina to buy their necessities and whatever she liked, and kept for himself only the richest card, the one that belonged to Jack, the True Mage.


    He spent the next week rxing and having sex with Sol most of the time, charming her to the point she was so obsessed with him that she didn''t bother with magic and check her connection to mana.


    However, it was time for Gale''s test of whether a long process of charm would be effective.


    "Sol, my dear. I have something to tell you."


    "Tell me, my love."


    Sol and Gale were cuddling in bed after a long session, prepared to fall asleep.


    "Having sex with me is dangerous. Anyone who has sex with me loses their magic slowly until they lose itpletely. Your magic was already damaged to the point you''d need a few years topletely recover, and if we keep doing it you will reach the point of no return."


    "What? Why? What happened to my magic?"


    Sol panicked and started sensing the mana around her. She found out it was broken, it felt as if the connection was jammed and full of white noise.


    "I absorb my partners'' magic; it means that if you keep sleeping with me I will get all your affinity and magic. It will benefit me a lot but be detrimental to you."


    Sol hesitated for a moment, she didn''t know what to say. She didn''t want to lose her magic, but the more she thought about it the more she was certain she couldn''t live without Gale.


    "Will you abandon me when I lose my magicpletely and be of no use to you anymore?"


    She asked with uncertainty. She was trying to convince herself Gale isn''t that type of person.


    So that''s the charm''s limit, Gale thought to himself. She wouldn''t just sacrifice her magic even if he said he tossed her aside.


    "I wouldn''t abandon someone who made a sacrifice for me. If you choose to continue, I will always take care of you and keep you by my side."


    It wasn''t a lie, but it was a distortion of the truth. He wouldn''t keep her as his love interest, just as a maid.


    Sol took a deep breath and made her decision.


    "Then I agree. I don''t need my magic if it allows me to be by your side."


    She decided to put her trust in Gale, unaware she was affected by his charm for a long time.


    Gale was satisfied with the result; it meant he could brainwash anyone if he needed. It just requires patience and attention.


    Other than his time with Sol, Leo also came to visit every other day and took him out to famous restaurants in Antwerp. He also introduced him to their culture like popr ys and attractions.


    Nina reported to him that Leo''s order of assassination was sessful, and now there were only three contenders for the duke title. He felt a sting in his heart, he didn''t feelfortable hanging out with someone whomitted fratricide.


    He convinced himself he will be leaving Antwerp in a week and probably never meet with Leo in informal settings again. He had no reason to reject Leo''s goodwill.


    On the tenth day of his stay in Antwerp he decided to go outside for a trip; Leo rmended he visits a famous spot just outside the city. Moira apanied him on his trip, excited to find a chance to be alone with her new idol.


    "I wonder why Lady Sol didn''t want toe, but not that Iin."


    Moira said her thoughts out loud. Sol lost her magicpletely 2 days ago and was feeling unwell as result. She wouldn''t go out for a few days until she gets used to her new condition.


    "She just needs some time alone. Don''t think about it too much."


    Gale quickly found an excuse and was about to change the subject when-


    *BOOM*


    Gale covered himself in an earth shield just in time to protect himself from the orb of fire that exploded against him.

 Chapter 50 50 – Battle Between True Mages 1/2

    ?Gale covered himself in an earth shield just in time to protect himself from the orb of fire that exploded against him.


    However, Moira wasn''t as lucky. She couldn''t react on time as an Advanced Magician, so she was sted by the collision of Richmond''s fire magic and Gale''s earth magic. She was mortally wounded with third-degree burns all over her body and chunks of her flesh were torn by the shockwaves.


    She was lying unconscious in a small pool of blood a few meters away from Gale, making him feel stressed to rush and help her.


    A man''s figure stepped out of the shadows with a disappointed face. He didn''t expect another True Mage to be able to block his ambushpletely since it was extremely difficult to block an ambush from a darkness mage of the same stage.


    Luckily for Gale, his connection was far stronger than normal mages thanks to his young age, and he had an affinity with darkness mana which allowed him to feel Richmond''s magic sooner than others.


    "Moira! Move!"


    He tried running to Moira to feed her with healing potions but wind des were homing on him, blocking his way and forcing him to retreat.


    He took a deep breath and cast tworge cages made of earth; he was inside one and Moira was inside the other. He needed time to calm down and assess the situation, and the cages served as shields from the enemies.


    He understood he couldn''t take care of Moira while he was still fighting, so he had to kill his enemies as fast as possible and treat herter.


    Fire, wind, and water spells bombard the cage shielding him, slowly forming cracks around it. He saw through the cracks of the cage that he was surrounded by three mages. The darkness mage used his sub-element to attack while the other two seemed to be using their main ones.


    "Who are you? Why are you attacking us?"


    "You picked the wrong side, now it''s time to pay for your choices."


    Richmond gave him a short answer and kept attacking the cage that defended Gale.


    "I chose no sides, I nned to leave for the capital in a few days from now."


    Richmond was surprised for a moment, but he quickly realized it might be just a lie. And anyway, it was toote to stop now.


    Since he made his decision, he wouldn''t keep debating with Gale on whether it was correct to kill him. The cage suddenly fell apart, leaving behind debris and dust that hid Gale''s figure inside it. The attackers could only see a figure standing and they quickly shot their spells at it.


    Two air des hit the figure; one cut off its neck and the other removed one of its legs.


    "That''s it?"


    They were surprised, wasn''t it too easy? Why did they even bother ganging up with three against one?<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Wait, no! It was just a distraction! I feel darkness magic!"


    Richmond suspected the situation and tried to feel the mana around him more carefully and found out Gale''s n, but it was toote.


    *BOOM*


    "AHHH!"


    Richmond felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu; a figure of a man stepped out of the shadows and shot an orb of fire, "Orb of Sparks" was the name of the skill. Gale aimed at the unprepared wind mage because his defense was the second lowest other than the darkness mage, but it wouldn''t be easy to ambush a darkness mage.


    The orb exploded half a meter away from the wind mage and sparks flew at him at high speed, making every spot a spark touched ignite, lighting the mage''s body on fire. It didn''t end there; due to Gale''s spreading affinity, the fire spread to the whole body almost instantly.


    You guessed it; the new affinity he gained from Sol, decaying, quickly made the flesh burn and rot. The Mage tried using his earth magic to cover himself with earth but it was toote. He was mortally wounded, and a simple stone bullet spell left a hole in his head.


    Gale used his chance splendidly and took down one enemy swiftly, reducing the enemy number to two only.


    "You''re a threefold mage with a double main element!"


    Richmond''s deration sounded like an usation as if Gale was supposed to tell them in advance he had another affinity they didn''t know of. Threefold mages were rare, and double main element threefold mages were even rarer; it meant that they had two affinities in the level of a main element.


    Richmond thought Gale''s earth and fire were both main elements after seeing hisst spell while darkness was his sub-element.


    Gale didn''t n to exin to Richmond about his elements, he simply repositioned himself during this time and prepared to deal with the other two mages.


    "There are still two of us Richmond, we don''t need to worry. His trick won''t work twice."


    The water mage quickly waved a red g that normally doesn''t end well. Gale decided to take down the weak link in the chain; the darkness mage. After Richmond''s initial ambush, his power was reduced significantly since his darkness spells were good mainly for concealing.


    Gale cast a stone pir under the water mage''s legs in an attempt to distract him and dashed toward Richmond. However, the water mage used a sphere of water which simply pushed him away from the pir in a smooth movement as soon as the pir touched the sphere.


    He bombarded Gale with ropes made of water, causing him to slow down in his dash toward Richmond. Richmond didn''t stay idle; he took advantage of Gale''s slowed speed and summoned fire snakes that tried to constrict around him and burn him.


    Gale was ready for them and cast with his stone pir also a shield spell simultaneously, deflecting the fire snakes. However, water seeped through the cracks between the shields and started binding him.


    Gale decided to overpower it with brute force and canceled his earth spells. He used his fire mana to cast as much fire as he could at once, evaporating all the water around him. His connection with mana was extremely powerful, so at the cost of additional mana, he could use fire to overpower water.

 Chapter 51 51 – Battle Between True Mages 2/2

    ?With his extremely powerful connection to the mana, he could use fire to overpower water at the cost of additional mana.


    He kept sprinting toward Richmond while radiating powerful mes around him, evaporating all of the water spells before they made contact with him. His mes even overpowered Richmond''s fire snakes, who did his best to keep casting spells desperately.


    Gale nned to finish it quickly, so he decided to bulldoze through the fight and just be tiredter; he was near the dukedom''s city and didn''t believe they would attack him inside. Even if they did, Tara would need time to tend to her losses if he kills the three mages here and she wouldn''t be able to assess his strength properly.


    Since they originally surrounded him, Richmond was separated from the water mage and had no defense, therefore making Gale target him.


    When Gale got too close, Richmond used a defensive darkness spell; it covered the area around him in a radius of 30 meters in darkness, blocking all senses. It made it impossible for Gale to determine his location inside it.


    Gale''s affinity was darkness was weaker, allowing him to sense only a radius of 10 meters around him the moment he stepped in.


    The good news was that the water mage couldn''t find Gale either, and he could only watch the fog of darkness from outside, making them lose their 1v2 leverage.


    A race against time started for Richmond as soon as Gale entered the fog. Richmond started running around him in an attempt to go back to the water mage''s side and shoot his spells behind his protection. However, he didn''t know how much Gale could sense inside the fog.


    He estimated it as 15 meters to be on the safe side and had to circle around Gale, which was nearly 50 meters. He started sprinting inside the fog; he couldn''t use fire mana to protect himself or Gale would sense his direction and his darkness didn''t offer enough defense to survive Gale''s spells.


    In response, Gale used his newly learned spell ¨C ''Wisp of Fire''. It summoned above a hundred wisps of fire that swarmed over the fog. He could guess Richmond''s objective; running out of the other side of the fog would be detrimental to him since he would be alone with Gale.


    Gale instructed his wisps to split into two small swarms and each one took one of his sides. Gale stood in ce and concentrated in anticipation.


    *Woosh*


    Fire was ignited 15 meters to his right when Richmond couldn''t dodge one of the wisps. He used his speed and flexibility to a great extent, yet there were too many of them. He had to protect himself with a fire spell that burnt the wisp when he was almost out of the fog.


    Gale shot his orb of fire spell right away in that direction. The orb exploded and thousands of sparks were shot around it, making it impossible to dodge. Richmond used his fire spell again and took a leap, yet it didn''t hold, and his right arm and chest were hit.


    Hended on his stomach outside the fog with his body burning and decaying quickly, but luckily for him, the water mage reacted as soon as he saw the situation and put the fire off.


    A stream of water wrapped Richmond inside it and carried him behind the mage. His arm was pretty much useless now, all that was left of it was a horrifying sight.


    He drank a healing potion, but it would take a while until its effect will show. He was breathing heavily and writhing in pain, but he knew it wasn''t the time to feel sorry for himself; he stood up and started preparing his spells.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The fog of darkness slowly faded and Gale was seen standing surrounded by his wisps. As soon as their gazes locked, they shot their spells.


    two waves of water washed the wisps, extinguishing them inrge numbers. However it was not enough, it only reduced their numbers by 90%. Richmond''s me burned most of the rest and they dodged those that were left. The wisps homed on them, forcing them to cast another spell to get rid of them.


    Gale used his favoritebo; he cast an orb of fire and shot it toward them. However, the water mage was ready this time. He created a sphere of water around the orb and all of the sparks were contained inside it.


    They were in a stalemate; Gale''s fire was stopped by the water spells and the water spells were stopped either by Gale''s fire or earth spells. The same thing was true for Richmond''s fire spells.


    Gale would probably win an exhaustion battle, but he didn''t have the time to wait for it; Moira was at death''s door and required treatment. He ran to Richmond and quickly stood 5 meters away from the water mage. The water mage prepared his defensive water spell, ready to enter the same stalemate just in close range.


    Gale had other ns; he summoned arge wall of earth that hid him from the two mages and ran to it. Now, he was on one side of the wall and the water mage was on the other. They were only a meter or two apart.


    ------------


    A few days ago:


    Gale looked at Sol sleeping next to him exposed and sweaty. Most of the time those days they were either in the middle of a love session or right after it, and now was the after part.


    Gale just finished absorbing a great deal of her affinity and he wanted to feel it. He still didn''t know what her sub-element was.


    He closed his eyes and felt the mana around him. As always, he felt the darkness one that he perceived as ck, the red one that represented fire, and brown for earth. However, he suddenly felt a weak, transparent affinity. He manipted it to swirl around him and felt a weak breeze on his body.


    ------------


    Back to the present:


    Gale constructed his wall of earth rather than stone, to make it durable against water and fire but weaker in front of more tangible attacks.


    Richmond and the water mage quickly retreated and bombard the wall with spells, turning it into a death trap in case Gale tries to remove the wall and appear close.

 Chapter 52 52 – Confronting Leo 1/2

    ?Getting close behind the wall seemed like a bad move from Gale''s side; he''d have to use another spell to remove the earth, and then he would be able to use only one more spell since all three of them only mastered dual-casting.


    Richmond and his ally simply switchedpletely to offense, and if Gale would remove his wall he wouldn''t be able to take on 4 spells with a single one.


    However, in the middle of their retreat, arge de of wind swiftly cut through the soft earth and made its way to the unprotected water mage. He screamed in terror as he saw the de gets closer and closer until it cut his body in two vertically.


    "Fourfold mage! Who are you?!"


    Richmond astonished shout of despair echoed in the vacant area. Fourfold mages were so rare that less than 5 of them were known in the kingdom, even fewer than Expert Mages. Fighting a random mage and finding out he was a fourfold mage was probably as unlucky as unlucky can get.


    Gale himself was amazed by the benefits he had from using different elements. He used darkness to surprise and ambush one mage and wind to kill another; he would never be able to defeat all three of them if he only used two elements.


    Using a different element allowed him to catch them unprepared and counter their special affinities and spells, putting him on the higher ground all the time.


    "I''m Gale Stormborn, you should''ve asked before attacking."


    "Gale Stormborn the son of thete Earl Stormborn? How is it possible? Most of the reports told us he has no magic at all while some others said he was an Expert Magician. Besides, he is under 20 years old, how can he be a mage?"


    Richmond refused to believe that they angered a 19-year-old mage. The only way to keep a good rtionship with someone so talented would be to remove Tara''s candidacy, otherwise, the rtionship of the rence family with Gale would be sour forever.


    Gale didn''t answer, he simply conjured wisps of fire. Richmond woke up from his thoughts with a p of despair; he couldn''t block this attack on his own. He used his fog of darkness again and ran in the opposite direction.


    Gale couldn''t find him, but he already had a solution. A tall pir rose under his feet, taking him above the fog. Now, he could observe the fog and see the direction it was heading in. He could easily estimate Richmond''s location since he would be in the middle.


    The wisps swarm through the fog and quickly screams resounded again for the third time that day. When the fog was lifted, there was nothing left but ashes and a small bag, which was simr to the one he found on Jack.


    He quickly ran to Moira and fed her with his best healing potion, which was a fourth-rank one. her breaths slowly turned even, and her pained expression rxed.


    Gale was far from happy; Moira lost one of her arms, crippling her forever. Additionally, her body was full of burns that would leave scars unless he could provide her with fifth-rank potions which he didn''t have.


    He suddenly had a thought; if they tried to kill him, wouldn''t they also try to kill Nina and Sol?


    ---------


    Same time as the attack on Gale:


    Nina was meditating in her room, trying to break through the fourth stage and be a mage. Suddenly, someone she didn''t sense appeared in front of her.


    "You look quite beautiful. It''s a shame I have to kill you."


    The mage was quite carefree; he didn''t have to worry about killing a magician.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Are you sure you can afford it though?"


    She took out a golden token with a symbol of fire carved on it.


    "A student of the Fire Witch?"


    The mage''s attitude changed instantly from dominant and carefree to frightened. Both he and Tara would be in trouble if they angered the third strongest person in the kingdom, and even if Tara would keep her life, he definitely wouldn''t keep his if he killed the witch''s student. He only served Tara for benefits, he wasn''t going to do something suicidal for her.


    *BOOM*


    "crap!"


    The building started copsing after being hit by a spell cast by the mage that was sent to kill Sol. Nina immediately jumped off the building through the window and left without any hindrance.


    ---------


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® As soon as this thought popped up in his head he used earth magic to make a stretcher for Moira, put her on it, and ran back to the mansion with Moira hovering on the stretcher behind him.


    The sight of the destroyed mansion waited for him when he arrived. Evidently, there was a massive explosion on the second floor which knocked down the whole mansion.


    "No!"


    Gale ran frantically to the mansion but other than debris and ruins there was nothing left. He remembered his time with Nina; the times when she served him every day in disguise as a powerless maid, the times when she teased him, the times when she trained him.


    He thought of thest few days when he suddenly realized something; Leo kepting and took him out repeatedly to crowded ces, letting everyone see them hang out together in public.


    He had a realization; Leo machinated it. He knew Tara would be furious about him killing her mage helper and Sol''s betrayal. Since he refused to work under Leo, he just tried to pitch Gale against Tara and hoped Gale could kill a few more of Tara''s mages before going down.


    Furious, he left Moira on the stretcher and cast a cage of earth around her to protect her from the weather and any curious bystanders. He ran straight to Leo''s private mansion.


    As he came closer to the mansion he coated himself with a concealing darkness spell and easily passed by the guards unnoticed.


    When he closed his eyes and felt the mana around him, he found out he could sense three mages in the mansion. Since they weren''t prepared for an attack, they were scattered across it.


    He couldn''t fight them all, so he nned to take care of them individually before capturing Leo. The mansion was 5 floors high and the mages were on different floors. He picked the one on the second floor which would allow him to intercept one of the other mages and keep the battles one on one.


    He quickly located his first target and prepared for an ambush.

 Chapter 53 53 – Confronting Leo 2/2

    ?Gale located the room where he sensed a mage and stood outside of it. Gale used his darkness magic to prevent the door from creaking or making any noise when opened. Right in front of him sat a meditating woman cross-legged, and droplets of water were moving around her. Evidently, she was trying to connect better to the water mana and improve herself.


    Gale had a chance to use his spoils of battle; he drew a knife made of fourth-rank materials he found in Richmond''s bag and threw it at the meditating mage. He quickly canceled his darkness magic right after and cast a few wisps of fire to attack her.


    The dagger hit her shoulder, waking her up from her meditation and disabling her left arm. She tried to quickly use mana to create a wave of water around her, but two wisps managed to slip in. One made a hole in her right arm and the other hit her thigh.


    Gale didn''t n to kill her; she did nothing wrong. She just served under the wrong person, but that didn''t give him the liberty of killing without distinction when he could avoid that.


    She used water to stop her body from burning, and Gale, who stood only a few meters away, dashed and kicked her chin, sending her into a deep unpleasant sleep.


    He fed her with a fourth-rank sleeping potion so she won''t wake up before he is gone and left the room. The mages immediately felt the mana disturbance caused by the short fight.


    Gale covered himself in darkness again before they could sense his exact location and spied on the mages'' paths. He saw them running upward, which told him that Leo was at home somewhere on the top floor. Otherwise, they would run outside to keep the mansion safe from the fight.


    Daniel was a mage employed by Lionel, he was eating in the dining room on the first floor when he noticed an attack on the second floor. He wasn''t sure if it was an attack, but since it took ce inside the mansion and the while rare darkness mages existed, he decided to quickly go up and protect Lionel.


    As soon as he stepped onto the second floor he cast his wind spells in case the attacker was waiting, but nothing happened. He walked around carefully and didn''t lower his guard just yet.


    He scanned his surroundings and kept sensing the mana for the slightest disturbance to give him a hint about the location of a possible darkness mage. Eventually, he gave up and decided to check the room where he felt the magic earlier.


    He opened the closed door and found a female mage knocked out, but still alive and well. He noticed a few burns but he had no idea what her sub-element was, so he couldn''t confirm whether it was an attack or an ident in practice.


    "Who would dare attack Lord Lionel inside Antwerp? It must be an ident. Besides, an attacker would kill her."


    He convinced himself and took out a squared stone. He channeled mana into it, forming a connection with another stone on the top floor.


    "Lord Lionel, do you know whether it''s an attack? I found a female mage on the scene knocked out and slightly wounded, but she will be fine. Do you know of anyone with darkness magic that might dare to attack us?"


    Lionel was with the other mage on the other side of the connection, and he tried thinking of someone who had a grudge against him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Only Tara has a darkness mage subordinate, and she wouldn''t dare send him here. He won''t be able to kill three mages, and my father wouldn''t let her off even if he could. This is likely an ident. Bring her here and let''s wait for her to wake up and tell us what happened just to be safe."


    Although he was much calmer now that he knew the female mage was alive and well, he preferred being careful.


    The mage affirmed and closed the connection. He left the room and headed to the staircase to go up to Lionel. He was much less careful now that they concluded it was most likely just an ident.


    He would soone to regret that; a knife pierced into his right shoulder out of nowhere, making him unable to use it. Gale used the same spellsbination he used against the female mage and got the same results.


    He left the two sleeping mages behind and went up to the top floor. He could already feel a mage with 3 expert magicians gathered in one of the rooms, and he figured Leo was one of the magicians.


    He opened the door, this time unconcealed, and walked in.


    "Hello Leo, how are you doing?"


    Lionel was surprised to see the neer. He didn''t expect that there was an actual intruder in his mansion, and he didn''t expect it to be Gale even if there was one.


    "Hi Gale, I''m doing great. I was very worried about you when I heard the news regarding the attack on your mansion. It''s great seeing you alive."


    "I bet it is. I might even kill a few more of Tara''s mages for you, right?"


    "What do you mean?"


    Leo wasn''t in politics since birth for nothing; he didn''t flinch for a moment when facing those very real usations.


    "Don''t y dumb. I thought you might be a good person although I knew you''ve killed your own brother, but I was just delusional. Moira was your subordinate, wasn''t she? The maids in the mansion were subordinates as well! How could you put them in a trap that might lead to their deaths?"


    Gale was furious and vented his feelings by shouting. He felt it was unforgivable to betray those who served you and send them to their deaths. It was even worse than the fact Leo machinated a death trap for him, who saved Leo and kept him safe during their travel.

 Chapter 54 54 – Leaving Antwerp

    ?Gale was furious at Leo and barely stopped himself from attacking him.


    "What happened to Moira? Is she ok?"


    "She will live, but she lost her arm because she stood too near to me when I was ambushed by Tara''s mages."


    Gale was taken aback by the genuinely concerned expression on Leo''s face to the point he almost believed the whole ordeal had nothing to do with him.


    "I see, I''m d to hear she is alive. I willpensate her and her family handsomely so she would never face any financial problems in her life and supply her with the best potions I can to help her recover as soon as possible. Regarding the maids, it saddened me to learn of the death of two of them and Sol''s death."


    Gale was surprised to learn that not all of them died, but then he quickly caught on to the meaning in Leo''s words; Nina wasn''t killed! Although he didn''t want Sol to die, he didn''t have the emotional capabilities to think about it when Nina was at risk.


    "Then where are Nina and the rest of the maids?"


    "The maids are here, but Nina decided to go to an inn."


    "Stop pretending to be nice. Tell me, why did you want Tara to kill me?"


    Gale''s green eyes became lighter once he lost his patience with Leo''s saint-like act, forcing Leo to answer his questions truthfully.


    Leo immediately felt like he was drowning in Gale''s eyes, unable to stop a strong desire to please the man before him and do everything he says from emerging.


    "Tell me, why did you want Tara to kill me?"


    "I''m sorry! I didn''t want her to kill you, but she has too many mages by her side. You were able to defeat two beasts of the equal stage, so I believed you could kill a few of her mages if I instigate her to attack you."


    "And the death of your benefactor means nothing to you if you can have the duke title?"


    "I would be even more grateful for his sacrifice! It''s just the life of one person, how can it bepared to the title of a duke?"


    "Lord Lionel!"


    The only mage that was still awake was shocked by Leo''s statement; Didn''t it mean Leo would sacrifice him too if it raised his chances to earn the title? He didn''t think much about Leo sacrificing some maids, but he now realized it might not stop with just maids.


    "I¡­ why did I say that?"


    He woke up from the charm after doing somethingpletely against his nature, but it was toote.


    "Give me a good reason not to kill you right now."


    Gale felt it was wrong to kill Leo; although he did what he did to make Tara attack him, ultimately, it was Tara who tried to kill him and not Leo. In a sense, the fact that Gale killed all three of his attackers and survived was an even better oue for Leo.


    "You are in Antwerp, if you kill me my father will never let you go. You''re strong for a mage, but you can''t defeat an Advanced Mage yet."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    It was a valid reason that Gale couldn''t refute, and Gale didn''t want to kill him in the first ce. He nodded and stepped back.


    "I left Moira in the destroyed mansion, it''s your responsibility to take care of her as you promised. If there''s a next time, I will kill you even if your father stands in front of me and watches."


    He left a final warning and went out of the mansion to search for Nina. He knew Nina''s character and went straight to the fanciest inn that they visited with Leo to have lunch often.


    "Lord Gale, Miss Nina instructed us to take you to her room if youe here."


    Gale saw a few waitresses run toward him, and the fastest one bowed first and passed Gale Nina''s message. The rest had disappointed looks after losing their chance to interact with Gale. Ever since his first visit to the restaurant, the waitresses would race to serve him first every time he dropped by and even the owner was helpless about the fangirls.


    "Thank you."


    Gale thanked the waitress with a smile and beckoned her to lead the way. A few secondster, when the waitress awoke from her daze, she quickly led him to Nina''s room.


    The waitress knocked on the door and announced Gale''s arrival, and a few secondster Nina''s voice was heard.


    "Come in."


    Gale entered the room and looked around him. It was arge room with a king-size bed in one corner. He found Nina sitting at the dining table with a jar of wine and luxury food.


    "You sure know how to enjoy life. We can''t afford such meals all the time you know."


    "You''re talking as if this money was earned by your hard work, didn''t you just rob this? I bet you got even more after the recent attack."


    Gale nodded with dismay, but still took out one of the money cards and one of the magic bags he looted and gave them to Nina. He sat down in front of her and poured some wine for himself.


    They quickly caught up and told each other about the happenings of thest day, making Nina frown when she heard Leo''s part in this attack.


    "Forget it, we will leave Antwerp in a few days, let''s just stay here and refrain from making trouble. We can''t deal with the duke yet if we cross his line."


    They rented an additional room for Gale for three nights and nned to stay in the inn until it was time for the convoy to leave.


    --------


    Tara left her mansion and moved to her chambers in her father''s mansion as soon as she heard of the results of the attack on Gale. To make things worse, the subordinate she sent to kill his womanpanion came back and reported that Nina was a student of the Fire Witch and had her emblem.


    She feared that she angered the wrong people and decided to retreat and be under her father''s protection.


    "Hello sister, seems like you''ve met with an unfortunate disaster."

 Chapter 55 55 – The Fire Witchs Daughter

    ?"Hello sister, seems like you''ve met with an unfortunate disaster."


    She looked in the direction of the voice and saw Eric, the third andst contender for the title. His smile was full of schadenfreude; he was the one with the lowest chance to win the race, yet a single misfortune might make both his siblings lose their right to the duke title.


    "Eric, little brother. I''ve heard you holed up here in fear, I guess it was true."


    She bit back, refusing to be mocked by the weakest of the three contenders.


    "You should be careful now sister, I heard you just lost 5 of your 8 mages in under a week, which makes you weakest in the contest. Would you like me to tell you a secret?"


    Tara hesitated; she was always careful of Eric. Although weak, he loved scheming behind the scenes.


    "What''s the secret?"


    "The man who gave you the report on Gale omitted details on purpose. It''s understandable since he is Leo''s spy."


    He smiled and left Tara to her devices, feeling excited by what was about toe; he had his own spy hiding among Leo''s mages.


    --------


    Gale and Nina had a few peaceful days until the time to depart to the capital arrived. The convoy assembled again outside Antwerp and left the city toward the capital.


    Other than a few beasts of the second and first ranks there was nothing exciting, and within a week they arrived at the city gate.


    Gale and Nina used this trip for practicing their magic and meditating to understand mana better, and other than that, they just rxed from all the stress they went through in Antwerp.


    At the city gate, there was no need to stay in the convoy anymore; they didn''t need the transportation, and the convoy didn''t need their protection. They separated from the rest of the convoy, paid the entrance fees, and searched for an inn.


    "We should go to the bank and transfer all the money from the cards you''ve looted to our cards. Do you have yours locked?"


    "It''s locked, but only for the magician phase. Mages can break it easily."


    "Cancel it when we get to the bank, I''m sure you noticed that none of the mages'' cards you took were locked. Only magicians do that."


    "Why shouldn''t I purchase a better lock service to prevent theft?"


    "It''s frowned upon. For example, we can''t transfer money from the magicians'' cards and must use them directly. If the bank put its hands on a locked card of dead owners, they just take the money for themselves. Mages leave it unlocked so in some cases if they lose their battle they can get away with their lives in exchange for their money. In other cases, some mages wouldn''t even let their enemy''s family members go if the card was locked, especially if it''s a mage-level lock."


    "That''s a weird culture I didn''t know. Fine, I will leave it unlocked."


    They found a fancy hotel and rented two rooms sponsored by Antwerp''s dead mages.


    "Let''s go meet tomorrow with my teacher and Lena. Now that you''re stronger than me there''s no point in me staying with you and hindering my practice, so I can just practice under my teacher''s instructions. I feel I''m about to break into the Mage Phase soon, and her guidance can be of great help to me."


    Gale obviously didn''t mean to hold Nina back just so she can serve him drinks and act like a maid, which she stopped doing ever since they departed from his hometown anyway. She had her pride and wouldn''t act like a maid in public.


    "That''s great, maybe she can teach me how to use my fire spells better."


    They settled their business in the bank and it was time to take care of the lightning stone Gale got from Sol.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I will introduce you to a sixth rank cksmith, he can make a good sword of it."


    Nina grew in the capital and seemed to know her way around. They rented a carriage and rode to the smithy Nina mentioned. As they entered, Nina walked to the man in the counter.


    "Call old Luke here, tell him Nina wants to see him."


    She waved her emblem in front of the man, and the man just nodded and went into the workspace behind the counter and called Luke.


    "What do you want? Did you lose another bet and came to buy a sword?"


    Luke came out andined as soon as he saw Nina, making Gale look at Nina with pity when he understood who Nina bet with; Lena loved swords and her collection was quite big.


    "Ah, no. This time I''m here because my friend got a sixth rank lightning ore, we want you to make it into a sword."


    "That''s interesting, let me see."


    Sixth-rank ores were precious and rare in the Miyena kingdom, he only got the chance to craft them once or twice a year, which was why he rarely crafted anything himself those days.


    "I can make a sixth-rank sword from it. I know you''re irresponsible and expect everything to be ready for you, so I guess you have no other materials to support it. I will take 50,000 gold for the materials and 10,000 gold for the work."


    "That''s too much!"


    "No it''s not, people would pay 100,000 gold just for my service, yet you darein?"


    "Fine, cheap old man. How long will it take you?"


    "2 months."


    Luke wasn''t offended by Nina''s attitude and just answered. Gale felt troubled; everything he lootedbined only amounted to 10,000 gold. He had no money for the materials!


    "Fine, just send the bill."


    Nina, however, solved the problem with a single sentence. Gale was getting curious about her status, it sounded weird that all the Fire Witch''s disciples had an unlimited to her bank ount.


    The next day, Nina led Gale through the city until they reached arge gate, with two expert magicians standing guard.


    "Wee back, Lady Nina. Lady Shana has been worried about you; you should meet her as soon as possible."


    "Oh¡­ I will."


    She said with a carefree tone and went in with Gale in tow.


    "Seems like your teacher really likes you, is she like that with all her students?"


    "No, she was probably training Lena cruelly for sending me away to protect you. By the way, I''m her daughter."

 Chapter 56 56 - Sparring

    ?"By the way, I''m her daughter."


    Nina dropped a bomb and continued walking. Gale didn''t know what to be more impressed with; Nina''s background or Lena''s courage to bully the daughter of a sixth-stage mage.


    They entered a huge mansion and went across the hall to the dining room; Nina made sure to arrive on time for breakfast; the chefs in the mansion were experts, and she missed the food there.


    As soon as they entered the dining room, Gale felt a wave of heat washes over him. The mana pressured him, almost forcing him to stumble back out of the dining room while the heat made him feel like he was about to melt.


    Gale, as a mage, coated himself with mana and resisted. He pushed his way through the pressure and entered the room. He was very close to being considered the mana''s favorite, and he wouldn''t let mere pressure beat him.


    "Hmm, a mage? Lena told me you became a magician, which I could hardly believe. So you are Gale that used my daughter as a maid, that''s courageous."


    Gale smiled at the woman as if he didn''t feel the extreme heat and didn''t consider remaining silent; he judged from Lena''s and Nina''s attitudes that even if she goes a bit hard on him, she wouldn''t actually injure him.


    "That''s me, I''ve helped your daughter to make one of her dreamse true; she always thought the maid outfit looked cute."


    Both Nina and Shana red at him and the mana around Shana fluctuated for a moment, but Gale didn''t back out.


    "You''re quite brave, but it''s time to put you back into your ce. Sit down and have breakfast with us, after it I will let you duel against mages of the same rank as you."


    Shana wore a sadistic smile when she imagined Gale''s pride getting crushed under the attacks of her disciples, although she had already promised Lena to train him.


    Nina entered the room and sat down next to her mother, while Gale sat in front of the two women. His recently developed habit kicked in and he started to scrutinize Shana with his gaze.


    Shana was as short as Nina, around 163 cm tall. Her hair was simrly white, but her eyes had a darker shade of pink, making them look more like red. She was quite beautiful by Gale''s standards.


    "Hello mom, I''ve missed you so much!"


    Nina said with a coquettish voice and held her mother''s hand in her palm.


    "Hmph, you left me for years to y around with a handsome boy. I admit your taste is good but is he better than me?"


    "Don''t act like that, if I came to visit you wouldn''t let me go back. I lost a bet and had to keep my promise."


    She rolled her eyes at Shana and started filling her te with food from the table.


    "Of course I wouldn''t let you go back, you need to train. Now don''t even think about having a rest until you advance to the Mage Phase."


    An hourter Shana brought Nina and Gale outside to the training area, where her students gathered. She had 4 students excluding Nina, and all of them were there. Gale saw Lena meditating with closed eyes at the side while different types of mana fluctuated around her.


    "Your big sister is a freak; she seems to always be in a state close to enlightenment and never faces any bottlenecks and difficulties."


    Shana sighed and pped her hands.


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® "Everyone,e here."


    All her disciples were females for the simple reason she only epted female disciples. The three girls assembled in front of them while Lena ignored the call.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Hi Nina, nice to see you''re back. Who is the handsome boy?"


    The girls immediately were interested when they sensed the young man was a mage; the only males in the mansion were the guards and servants who were only magicians, so their thirst was quite strong.


    "He is Lena''s little brother, Gale."


    The magical words ''Lena''s little brother'' made the girls instantly behave themselves and one girl who was too close even took a step back. Their fear of Lena was evident.


    "Oh, hi Gale."


    They still sneaked a few nces that they couldn''t control, but overall, their self-control was praiseworthy.


    "Girls, Gale is a young mage who didn''t face any well-taught mages yet. I want you to help me make him more modest, who is willing to spar with him?"


    Shana waited for the girls to volunteer yet nobody stepped forward.


    "Huh? Since when do you need to think twice about sparring with someone?"


    "Ahm, mom. He is Lena''s brother."


    Nina pointed out the problem; the girls feared getting beaten by Lena as revengeter. Everyone present knew she loved Gale and her overprotectiveness.


    "The first girl to beat Gale will be banned from challenging Lena or epting a challenge from her for the next year."


    Shana was pissed off; she was acting prideful in front of Gale and those girls were a disgrace!


    The girls'' expressions instantly lightened up and all three of them stepped forward at the same time, they might have been even slightly too eager to fight.


    "Jay was first, the other two, step back."


    The other two girls wore disappointed expressions as they went backward, giving Gale and Jay the space they needed to fight. Suddenly, they felt pressured, prompting them to look to their side and meet Lena''s re.


    "Crap."


    Gale and Jay stood 15 meters apart from each other and prepared for the fight.


    "3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­ fight!"


    Gale used his fire wisps spell to swarm over Jay, followed by a fireball that was supposed to explode with sparks. Since the Fire Witch was so confident, he didn''t hold back at all.


    However, Jay summoned a wall of fire and everything that went through it just burned and dissipated, including Gale''s mes. The wall started barraging him with fireballs that exploded when getting near Gale, hitting him with shockwaves.


    Gale retreated and called forth a cage of stone to protect himself, yet 3 fireballs were enough to make it copse and he was sent flying,nding on his back painfully.

 Chapter 57 57 – Tough Love

    ?3 fireballs were enough to make Gale''s stone wall copse and he was sent flying,nding on his back painfully.


    To add insult to injury a few more fireballs exploded above him, dealing him no damage but making a clear statement that Jay could take his life within seconds.


    Gale slowly got up and looked at Jay with astonishment; even though there was no way she had a better connection than him to the mana, her magic swallowed his easily, as if his fire was a stage under hers.


    "How is it possible? How many years did it take you to be a mage?"


    "16 years, when I was 32."


    Jay said with pride. It was a true achievement even among the top; the fourth prince became a mage around age 33, and he was the best the royal family showed outside. Even Sol who was considered a genius was over 40 when she advanced.


    "Then how your magic can defeat mine so easily?"


    "Because your control over it is a mess, you basically release all control the moment youunch your spell, and your mastery of the spells is at the bare minimum level required to execute them."


    Jay exined to Gale his shorings and went back to stand with her friends.


    "Boy, did you have enough or do you want to spar with another one of my students?"


    Shana asked with a pleased tone, and her voice hinted she hoped Gale wasn''t satisfied yet. Her wishes came true; Gale wanted to see if all her students were so strong, or if Jay was special.


    "I will fight one more."


    Shana beamed and called the other girls with a happy voice.


    "Okay girls, the first one to arrive gets the same deal as Jay."


    "No need, I will take it. Jay already exined to you your shorings, so why do you want to spar again? Does it matter if the rest of them are not as strong as her? Even if they were weaker, which they aren''t, you must only aim at the top and never be satisfied with defeating the weak."


    Lena stopped Shana and took the stage, lecturing Gale to change his mindset before starting the fight.


    "No need to count, you may attack whenever you want."


    Lena signaled Gale with her hand toe at her and stood without moving. Gale felt nervous about fighting Lena; she was always the unbeatable sister, the best in her generation who cannot lose.


    However, he gathered himself and cast stone pirs from both of Lena''s sides. Without casting a spell, Lena stepped forward and dodged them both in the nick of time.


    "Your casting isn''t covert enough, I can easily judge from the mana movement where the attack ising from and what element you are using."


    She kept lecturing him while dodging the next pirs Gale used. Gale understood he can''t hit her with the pirs and decided to force her to act by using his stones barrage.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    It worked; Lena cast a sphere of water around herself and all the stones that hit the sphere entered the current of the sphere, circled her, and got shot from the other side.


    "The power is too low, each stone is only equal to a second or third-rank spell, which makes it useless against an experienced mage. It might even be sent back against you."


    The sphere''s current changed; instead of releasing the stones behind Lena''s back, they made a full circle in the stream and got shot back at Gale, hitting the iing stones with precision.


    Gale quickly stopped casting his barrage; he knew that the stones hit the other stones instead of hitting him only because Lena wanted them to. Lena followed and canceled her water sphere.


    Taking advantage of Lena''s passive approach, Gale took his time and summoned over a hundred wisps of fire and sent them to attack her. Lena waved her hand and a thin wall of stone emerged from the ground in front of her, blocking the wisps from advancing.


    "I trained you to condense your fireballs for days, why are your stone pirs so damn big?"


    The wisps crushed on the wall and dissipated, leaving nothing but a ck mark on the seemingly weak wall.


    "By making the pir so big your mana is less dense, making it more like a normal stone and less like a powerful spell. Remember, with the aid of mana, a thin wall can weigh just as much as a thick one, but it''d be much stronger because of the mana density. A thick stone is superior to a thin wall only if their mana density is the same."


    Gale sent a sharp air de in an attempt to cut through the wall, yet nothing worked. Lena stopped supporting her wall and let the mana scatter, making the wall crumble under its own weight.


    "Again."


    Galeplied and shot other air des, to which Lena responded by creating her fire snakes. The snakes passed above the des, 2 snakes per de, and the fire sucked in the air from the des. The snakes attacked the helpless Gale and left a small burn on his limbs.


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® "You don''t keep the density of the mana in your air des, I only had to suck the air out. Remember, the element without the support of mana is fragile."


    Gale understood he was still too uneducated about magic. He became a magician less than a year ago, and his mother taught him mainly the basics magicians needed to know.


    "I understand, I surrender."


    "Good. I could do the same also with the wind element, you need to utilize your elements to the maximum. Spend the time until the tournament practicing. It''s almost guaranteed you will win your bracket, but it''s better if you can leave a good impression."


    "My bracket?"


    "Yes, the tournament is divided into three brackets by age ¨C one for magicians between ages 16-25, one for magicians and mages between ages 26-35, and one for mages between ages 36-45."


    "Wouldn''t it make the tournament extremely unfair for the younger ones in every bracket?"


    "In terms of winning, yes. But if they are talented, they can almost always leave a good impression on the testers. The main goal in participating is to be chosen to train in the empire, not to win."


    "Wait, you said I''m going to win my bracket, but you are also 24. Are you going to let me win?"

 Chapter 58 58 – Training Under Shana

    ?"Wait, you said I''m going to win my bracket, but you are also 24. Are you going to let me win?"


    "Of course not, I''m going to participate in the bracket of 36-45. I promised the prince I will marry him if he gets the best rank other than us. Since you''re in another bracket, it makes it second rank. However, if I go there and meet him before the finals, it means he would lose his chance to get the second rank."


    "So why did you even make that promise?"


    Gale and Nina facepalmed at the same time at Lena''s weird actions.


    "It''s fine, I wouldn''t enjoy fighting in the other brackets anyway, I heard one of the other kingdoms has a genius that might advance to the fifth stage before the tournament. He might give me a little challenge."


    Lena spoke with confidence about defeating someone above her level. While it was true he would be a newly advanced fifth-rank mage, it was still a higher stage.


    "Don''t look at me like that, the change between ranks within the same phase is mainly in quantity, not much change in quality. While it''s a big quantity, it remains possible to surpass."


    Nina nodded her head when hearing Lena''s im.


    "She''s right, her body is far stronger, faster, more durable, and more flexible than most fifth-stage mages, she was strengthened by 5 elements which only makes the gap increase with every rank."


    "My connection to the mana should be equal to that of an Advanced Mage who advanced around age 90-100. Gale''s should be the same I guess because he got weaker affinities but advanced younger."


    They chatted and caught up, Lena was mainly training all those past few months, so she was acting as a listener for Gale and Nina. She wanted to know everything and Gale didn''t find a reason to hide anything from her.


    When they finished chatting, Gale felt it was time to train; he was all pumped up ever since his battle with Jay. He wanted to wield the same power and was determined to win the tournament.


    "I''ll go and train with Lady Shana, I must prepare for the uing tournament. See youter."


    The three separated and went back to their training. during the next few months, Gale was trained in turns by Shana, Lena, and the other disciples.


    -----


    A few monthster:


    Gale and Jay stood in front of each other, prepared their spells, and waited for the signal to start.


    "Go!"


    Both dashed forward at the same time, and Gale summoned little bumps on the ground, trying to make Jay trip. In response, Jay summoned a circle of me under her feet that burned everything to the ground and kept sprinting.


    "GOOD LUCK GALE!"


    The 2 other disciples, Violet Mirth and Dion Fortune, cheered for Gale. In those past few months, they became more and more obsessed with Gale as time passed; they were affected by both his good looks and talent.


    Gale unsheathed his new sword, it had a beautiful ck de with purple shades and a bit of lightning running through it when he channeled his mana into it.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Don''t use a weapon, that''s cheating!"


    "Since when? It wasn''t mentioned in the rules!"


    Gale, however,plied and sheathed the sword back. He shot air des endlessly, mixed with exploding fireballs among them; he learned how to multi-cast with different elements during his training.


    Jay didn''t intend to be passive, so she put the fire off with water spells and used fire to suck the air out of the des. Gale then decided to use his new trump card which he worked on for the few past days.


    He used his stone barrage spell, but this time all the stones were dense with mana, and each of them could be considered a weak fourth-rank spell as their speed increased and their course became unpredictable.


    Jay used a wall of me to burn them all, expecting to im yet another win on Gale. However, without her noticing, one stone suddenly vanished into the shadows and appeared a few meters ahead, right beyond the fire wall; Gale could cast his shadow spell on his earth spell, something usually only Advanced Mages could do!


    *POP*


    3 balloon popped a few meters behind Jay and the screams of the cheerleaders increased by an octave.


    "Haha, you lost!"


    Galeughed happily and looked at Jay expectantly.


    They weren''t really sparring this time; they just yed a game of popping the opponent''s balloon and took it to the extreme.


    "Ugh, fine!"


    Jay removed her pants, shirt, and bra, remaining only in her panties. The penalty of the game was removing one clothing article for each balloon lost in one round. Gale stood in front of her proudly, his shirt was already off and he had only pants and underpants on.


    Shana and Lena looked at Gale and the girls with embarrassed looks, feeling like their brother/disciples were smearing their names. The girls were too enthusiastic about having Gale join the mansion, and although Shana enjoyed his presence too, she couldn''t act promiscuously like Gale and the girls; she had a reputation to maintain!


    "Hahaha, why are you two acting all embarrassed and shy? We young people like to enjoy our lives!"


    Nina stepped into the training grounds for the first time after a few months of training on her own.


    "Easy for you to say, it wouldn''t feel so weird if he wasn''t my brother you know."


    Right after Lena replied, she suddenly noticed the change in the mana activity around Nina.


    "Hey, congrattions! You finally got to the Mage Phase!"


    "Hehe, that''s right. And I''m only 28 years old this year, that''s the youngest here except for you!"


    Violet and Dion advanced to the Mage Phase at ages 32 and 33 respectively. One thing Nina wouldn''t mention out loud was that she got a lot of inspiration from sensing the mana''s behavior from Gale when he spent his time with Sol, which probably sped up her advancement by a year or two.

 Chapter 59 59 – Open Tournament

    ?Nina got a lot of inspiration from sensing the mana''s behavior from Gale when he spent his time with Sol, which probably sped up her advancement by a year or two.


    Gale also didn''t just fool around with the girls. After consulting with Lena about it, he decided from time to time to absorb energy from the girls he slept with. Naturally, he didn''t want to hurt them or limit their future, so he never absorbed more than once from the same girl before shepletely healed back, which was a matter of a week or two.


    He used it to learn more about his ability, both to improve his mana control and to try to imitate it consciouslyter. When he tried doing it consciously after a few months of training, he could take a small amount of energy, but it was only 10% as effective as when he let the ability work automatically. However, it also counts as progress.


    "All right everyone, dress up and enough with the games. In a few days we are going to the tournament where you will have a chance to mingle with the other kingdoms'' participants and get to know them. Be careful; there are always those who try to act friendly just to make you drop your guardter. Some of them might even aim to kill you, but that''s rare."


    Shana finished her briefing; all the girls got the spots from those meant for nobles, which meant they took most of the spots for the middle bracket.


    "Now go and rest those next 3 days so you can be refreshed for the tournament."


    She dismissed them and quickly turned away and left; she knew that the next thing all those girls would do is topete for Gale''s attention, and she didn''t want to be there to watch it happen. She even felt a sting of envy that she couldn''t find a man from her generation that interested her that much.


    As expected, Jay immediately hopped into Gale''s embrace, pressing her boobs against his arm and rubbing it ''coincidentally''.


    "You know that Dion and Violet won''t let you have me all for yourself, how about all three of youe to my room at the same time?"


    Gale made the offer he had been fantasizing about for a long time. He rarely slept alone, but he also didn''t get to bed two girls at the same time.


    "You''re greedy today, babe. We all know I give you the best experiences, why do we need them next to us?"


    Dion caught Gale''s free arm and pressed her against her boobs as if trying to emphasize how bigger hers werepared to Jay''s. They were indeed bigger, but Gale liked all sizes so it didn''t help her much.


    The girls continued to bicker for a while, but they all followed Gale to his bedroom, unwilling to miss theirst 3 nights with him. Thanks to his charm and acquired skills, they would enter a world of ecstasy during the nights with him, and they knew they might not get to experience it again after the tournament.


    The four indulged themselves in debauchery during the days off while Nina and Lena hung out in the city and went to watch the tournament for the 6 open spots that the kingdom organized for the imperial tournament. There were 2 spots for each bracket, making it 3 different tournaments.


    There were 24 arenas, each around 10*10 meters. Since thepetition was open to everyone, making a normal tournament would be tedious and long, so the kingdom just put all those arenas and anyone who could stay unchallenged for 2 hours would advance to the finals.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The finals consisted of 16 contestants and thest two participants remaining would be sent to the imperial tournament.


    Right now, Lena and Nina were sitting in a VIP booth they rented with Shana''s money and watching the games.


    All 24 arenas were taken, and fights were ongoing nonstop. A contestant could leave the arena to take a rest without losing his right to get back on it only after 5 sessive wins, otherwise, he couldn''t challenge the arena again if he left.


    The first few hours were boring; there was a flood of average participants who took the stage and used it for various reasons ¨C some used it to test themselves against their peers, some ns used it topete among themselves without the intention to win the actual tournament, and there were various other reasons.


    As the numbers went down, breaks of a few minutes between fights became normal; when the elite remained they were too prideful to challenge tired opponents and wanted to let them get refreshed before their next fight.


    "So, anyone caught your eye?"


    Nina asked for Lena''s opinion. She already noticed two impressive figures.


    "Yes, there is one impressive man in the young bracket, and another in the middle one. Nobody else is worth mentioning so far."


    Lena gestured towards a young man who stood unchallenged in the young bracket. Although he was only an Expert Magician, Lena was impressed by his prowess because he was amoner, which meant he probably didn''t have guidance on the same level as nobles do.


    Next, was a man from the middle bracket. He stood out the most because he was the only mage in a bracket consisting of magicians. Because he only faced magicians, he only used earth magic so far, and they had no idea whether it was his main or sub-element. In a few minutes, three hours would pass and he would be sent to wait for the tournament.


    "Although themoners generally have inferior genes in terms of magic affinity and theyck guidance, there ought to be a few geniuses among them because of their sheer numbers."


    Nina nodded in appreciation; she noticed the same two people. A few hours passed and the qualifiers ended, and the tournament was set for the next day.


    Nina and Lena didn''t bother going back; there was nobody relevant to their fights except for the mage in the middle bracket, but there was nobody who could force him to show his true strength.

 Chapter 60 60 – Stepping Into The Arena

    ?3 dayster, Gale and the girls assembled at Shana''s mansion and set out to the tournament. Since Shana lived in the capital, and the Miyena Kingdom hosted the tournament this time, it wasn''t a long trip.


    "There are 5 kingdoms under the Amistrys Empire; they are mostly ranked by the number of sixth-stage mages they have, and by the number of magus backing them. In this sense, our kingdom is ranked fourth."


    Seeing their frowns, Shana decided to borate.


    "While it sounds low, the truth is that the difference between the five kingdoms is minimal, and nobody would dare attack the others even if the empire did nothing to stop us. Besides, nobody knows what hidden troops each kingdom has."


    Shana started briefing the group about their political situation as she didn''t want them to appear as uneducated vige bumpkins in front of the other kingdoms'' representatives.


    "However, tournaments like this one are extremely important; every kingdom offered two territories that generate profits of millions of gold coins every year for this tournament, and the empire itself added 8 territories. Overall, there are 18 such territories. In each bracket, the kingdom whose participant ranks first gets to choose 3nds, the second rank gets 2nds, and the third gets one."


    "What if the same kingdom upies all the top spots?"


    "Then they will get all thends. However, it never happened because every kingdom has its own geniuses that enjoyed endless resources. Besides, the winner is usually the empire; the kingdoms send 50 participantsbined, and the empire sends 14 to fill it to 64. Although they never send their best mages as it wouldn''t be fair, they still send powerful ones."


    "What happens to thends if the empire wins?"


    "The empire takes back its 8 territories and the other 10 are divided ording to the ranking of the kingdoms. That''s why the empire is generous; they don''t n to give it."


    They got on the carriage and rode to the capital''s colosseum where the event will take ce. The colosseum was a huge round building; in its middle was a round arena with a radius of 150 meters, and surrounding it were 3 floors, each consisting of rows over rows of seats. Magicians and mages had much better vision than normal humans, so the rows stretched to a long distance.


    Additionally, the empire provided light magicians for the event who projected the battle in the air for the back seats, which made it worthing even for the weaker magicians if they could secure tickets.


    "Remember, although we don''t have a bad rivalry with any of them because wars between kingdoms are forbidden by the empire, we still have otherpetitions overnds with our neighbors ¨C Igrebah and Evelonia. Those two kingdoms could be considered our rivals, so normally our contenders and theirs like to provoke each other."


    With that, Shana''s debrief was over, and they reached the Colosseum. There were six entrances, each protected by dozens of mages. Every entrance was held by a different kingdom and thest by the empire.


    The group went to their kingdom''s checkpoint and identified themselves using their emblems and their participation tokens.


    "Lady Shana, we prepared a room for your group at the end of the hallway."


    A guard bowed and led them to their waiting room. The room was spacious enough for all 6 of them and it had 3 small dressing booths. To the disciples'' disappointment, Gale was sent to change in a booth and wasn''t allowed out of there until Lena gave him green light.


    When he came out, everyone was already dressed in theirbat gear, which offered some defense and most importantly was durable enough to hold without getting torn off during a battle.


    "You were called to attend the introduction ceremony in the arena."


    A guard''s voice followed a knock on their door, and they left the room. Upon entering the arena, they faced a bright light that filled the whole colosseum, and the deafening cheers of the crowd echoed.


    "Hello Miss Lena, it''s good seeing you again."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The fourth prince, Florian, received them and beckoned them to stand by his side. They were thest to arrive; the other 24 participants were already there.


    "Let me introduce you to our kingdom''s best in each bracket. Everyone, this is Lena Stormborn, the famous genius of our kingdom. She became a mage at the age of 23, and today will win the young bracket for us."


    Florian wore a big smile as he introduced Lena first to show his appreciation for her. However, Lena shook her head.


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® "No, there would be no challenge in the young bracket, and my little brother can easily win it. I will win the oldest bracket for our kingdom."


    "There are already 10 participants for this bracket, you can''t just decide to participate here. All of us are experienced mages who have a better chance of winning than a rtively new mage."


    One man stepped forward and disapproved of her words. He was one of the weakest in the bracket and was worried that Prince Florian wouldply with her request to please her; everyone could see his interest.


    "I see, then protect yourself."


    Ten fire snakesunched themselves at the man who spoke, making him open his eyes with horror. He did his best to summon winds to put off the fire, yet the snakes slithered through the winds and bit his limbs. 5 snakes dissipated before reaching him, yet the other 5 were enough.


    "AHHH!"


    His scream of pain resounded in the arena, pulling everyone''s gazes toward them. The view of a man being bitten by fire snakes in four limbs and his chest was seen by everyone, and the snakes exploded, causing fractures and burns all over his bones.


    "Unfortunately, the older bracket has one wounded participant. I will be happy to fulfill my duty to the empire and take his ce to represent us in the imperial tournament."


    Lena spoke with a respectful tone, yet nobody believed she was respecting them for a single moment.


    "Brazen! Criminals must be punished!"


    A fifth-stage mage jumped onto the stage from the first row on the top floor and shot des of air at Lena.


    "Duke Lancaster, please know your ce. Since your son is weak, it''s better now that he can''t put our kingdom''s name to shame now in front of everyone."


    His des burst into mes and the air was sucked out of them. Lady Shana appeared a few meters away after she also jumped from the first row. That was the truth of the world; power mattered more than status, or more precisely, power gave a higher status than a title.


    ---------


    Author''s notes:


    Remember that one of the best features of Webnovel is to let readers convey their thoughts bymenting on paragraphs and chapters to the author. Use this feature!


    On March 20, 2023, the novel will be in the new arrivals section of Webnovel, I will appreciate positive reviews that will help convince newers to give the novel a try <3

 Chapter 61 61 – Crowds Favorite

    ?Lady Shana appeared a few meters away from Duke Lancaster after she also jumped from the first row. The duke paled when he saw the woman speaking; he was only an Advanced Mage and couldn''t fight an expert one. The worse part was that if he steps back now, he will be an even greater joke.


    "Miss Shana, is she your disciple?"


    Instead of answering, Shana summoned a storm of fire around him, wrapping him with fire. The duke summoned a storm of wind to deflect it, yet it could only hold back the fire for a few seconds before it''d crumble.


    "Lady Shana! Let me go!"


    He changed his way of addressing to that one would use when addressing someone of a superior status. Shana canceled her spell and the duke''s perspiring figure was revealed. By this point he had no more dignity remaining, so he just grabbed his son and left the arena.


    "Wee to the tournament everybody! I''m your man, Steve Howard!"


    A powerful voice echoed in the colosseum, taking everyone''s attention away from the Miyena Kingdom''s participants.


    "I will be yourmentator today, and we already got to watch a short teaser from the Miyena Kingdom! As always, today we will start with the youngest bracket for magicians between 16 and 25!"


    The tournament always started with the young bracket because it was the least exciting one; none of the kingdoms ever had a mage to offer for that bracket.


    A man sat down by Shana''s side at that moment and sighed.


    "Ever since I heard of your youngest disciple, I hoped this year our kingdom will put a stop to the young bracket fa?ade. The empire always prepares a 25-year-old mage to own that bracket, and their magicians often also get the second or third ces. Did she really have to go and show off in the oldest bracket? The empire mostly sends an Advanced Mage there¡­"


    Shana smiled in response and decided to give the man some hope.


    "Don''t worry, she left the youngest bracket in her little brother''s hands. He is only 20 years old, but he is already a mage. As for the fight against the Advanced Mage, I believe she has a good chance of beating one."


    "Huh, that''s interesting. A 20-year-old mage? That puts even that girl''s crazy achievement into proportion. Well, I hope he has enough mastery to defeat the kingdom''s mage."


    Meanwhile, all participants above age 25 returned to their waiting rooms where they could watch the matches through light magic items the empire supplied, or just rest and prepare for their turns.


    "Fighters, please form a line and wait for your kingdom''s turn to be introduced. When it''s your turn, just go to the spotlight and bow when your name is mentioned. Try to perform a powerful-looking spell when you enter for hyping the crowd."


    A judge gave them a debrief about what was going to happen, and they formed lines ording to the order they were registered. Gale camest; thus, he was thest one in Miyena''s line.


    "Let''s start with the kingdom that piqued our interest, they seem to be eager for a fight! Miyena Kingdom!"


    Gale''s group walked toward the spotlight and stopped a few meters away from it.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "First we have¡­ Marco Rider! He is an Expert Magician while only 22 years old!"


    A youth stepped into the spotlight and sent fireballs into the air, making them explode with different colors. The crowd was mostly from the Miyena Kingdom for obvious reasons, so they cheered loudly for their representatives. Steve called the other fighters one by one and they stepped and did their best to leave an impression on the crowd.


    "Last but not least, Gale Stormborn, a mage at 20 years old! WHAT AM I SEEING? A 20-YEAR-OLD MAGE? The Miyena Kingdom prepared a surprise for us today!"


    Gale entered the spotlight and used both earth and fire spells at the same time; a fit that only the more experienced and talented mages could perform. Simply put; a very strong connection to mana was required to request it to deploy two elements simultaneously.


    Gale made dozens of round stones raise in the air and form a circle, and at the same time also called forth his wisps of fire. Each wisp wrapped around a stone, making it look like a burning stone. The stones then formed two crossed diagonal rings around him and kept rotating.


    The crowd''s cheers turned into screams of enthusiasm, some even started chanting Gale''s name. He was the face of their kingdom right now, and those who were more knowledgeable knew it meant that for the first time, a kingdom might win the young bracket.


    "Check who he is!"


    "Why didn''t I know the Miyena Kingdom had such a young mage? Didn''t you say they had a female prodigy?"


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® Such murmurs could be heard if anyone listened to the booths of the different kingdoms, and even the empire''s. Gale came out of nowhere; most people weren''t even aware of his existence except for a short line written in their reports on Lena as her little brother that nobody remembered.


    "Wait, Stormborn? As in Lena Stormborn? Are they siblings?"


    Someone asked out loud and everyone was convinced this was the case instantly; if the sister was a prodigy, why can''t the brother be one too?


    However, most of the ones who kept tabs on promising youths doubted it, their reports said Lena had a moderately talented brother and apletely talentless brother, and Gale didn''t fit either of those criteria.


    "Hey, grandpa, is he really Lena''s brother?"


    "It shouldn''t be possible. Although Lena''s youngest brother should be of a simr age, he was talentless ording to our investigation two years ago. Maybe the main Stormborn family was lucky. Besides, even if he was Lena''s brother, it has nothing to do with us."


    The old man replied to his young granddaughter.


    "You''re saying that, but didn''t youe all the way here to watch her?"


    The granddaughter smirked when she saw her grandfather refusing to answer and pursing his lips.


    The weird thing was that a very simr conversation could be heard in a different booth, but with a grandson instead. That was the destiny of those who were believed to have no strength; neither of Gale''s grandfathers recognized his name.

 Chapter 62 62 – Let The Games Begin

    ?Gale returned to his ce after showing off and waited for the rest of the kingdoms to be introduced.


    "Now let''s wee the Evelonia Kingdom¡­ Igrebah Kingdom¡­"


    One by one the fighters entered the arena, but none of them disyed much enthusiasm; they all lost any hope to get into the top 3 after Gale was introduced. The empire always secured 2 spots of the top 3 in almost every bracket, and Gale secured the third spot.


    "The moment we''ve been waiting for, let''s give a warm reception to the empire''s geniuses!"


    Although the empire controlled the kingdoms, the kingdoms didn''t dislike the empire. It was their shield and sword against the other empires, and it kept them safe. They saw themselves as part of the empire, and the empire''s geniuses got a warm wee wherever they went.


    The crowd pped for the geniuses with mixed feelings of envy and admiration; those were the people who enjoyed the best genes, the best resources, and the best guidance in the empire. They were the cream of the crop of the empire magicians.


    "First, and one of the two most likely winners for this tournament, cheer for Lord Drake Smaug!"


    A teenager entered the arena with a smile and waved at the crowd. He was good-looking; he had glossy ck hair that contrasted with his light blue eyes. His muscles were well-defined, and his face was handsome. If not for Gale stealing most of the fangirls earlier, he would probably get much more hysterical love screams right now.


    "Good luck, Gale. He is your main opponent in this tournament. He is quite famous and ording to the empire''s rankings, he is known as a fire and wind mage. Despite his teenager-like look, he should be only a few days shy of his 26th birthday and he advanced not long ago, just about 2 months ago."


    It was a prince whom Gale already forgot the name of. He also participated in this tournament and was a 24-year-old expert magician. Except for Gale, everyone was 23 or older, and the same was true for the other kingdoms.


    As for the empire, their representatives were mainly 20-22 years old, except for Drake and another 25-year-old magician who was close to advancing and was supposed to take the second spot.


    Ironically, as Gale aged normally until his 19th birthday, he seemed the oldest in the group who became magicians at younger ages and slowed their aging process when they were 16.


    Gale nodded with gratitude to the prince and waited for the empire''s introduction to end.


    "Now is the moment we''ve all been waiting for, LET THE GAMES BEGIN!"


    Steve''s voice resounded and the judge took his spot in the arena. He used earth magic and 64 stones floated in the air.


    "Fighters! Each stone has a number between 1 to 64. Go pick your stone, and the fights will begin ording to the stone you drew, so the first fight will be number 1 against number 64, the second will be number 2 against 63, and so on."


    The fighters quickly took their stones and prayed not to face any of the mages. Most of them even wished the two mages would face each other in the first round, so their road up would be as easy as possible.


    "Hmm, number 7. I will have to wait for a while before my fight begins."


    Number 1 was the older magician of the empire and he was destined to fight Gale in the quarter-finals, which meant he wouldn''t get to the top three. To the crowd''s delight, Drake drew the number 26, promising them exciting finals.


    "Number 1 and number 64, take your spots. The rest, please wait for your battles outside the arena."


    Gale and the rest left the arena and went back to their waiting rooms. This time, he didn''t get the room from before but a smaller one where he was left alone. He decided to watch the fight with the magic item in the room.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The magicians bowed to each other, and the fight began when Steve counted down to zero. Gale didn''t listen to the introductions, so he didn''t recognize the fighter who drew the number 64. Honestly, he might not even recognize all the fighters from the Miyena Kingdom.


    Number one, Zach, opened first and cast water spells to restrain his opponent. Number 64 was at a disadvantage; his main element was fire, making water his weakness. He tried opposing with his earth sub-element spells, yet the water slowly broke his defenses.


    A few minutester, that magician was on his knees with a few broken bones in his chest.


    "I surrender."


    The crowd cheered for the intense battle and the judge announced Zach''s win.


    The next fights weren''t much different, and soon Gale''s turn arrived.


    "Let''s cheer for the local hero, Gale Stormborn!"


    Steve hyped the crowd, and deafening cheers filled the colosseum. The female spectators were the loudest; nearly all the singles screamed with the hope to be noticed by Gale, and even some with boyfriends or husbands screamed in an attempt to draw Gale''s attention.


    Gale smiled at the crowd and waved at them while stepping into the arena.


    "He waved at me, AHHHH!"


    "No, are you blind? He was obviously looking into my eyes when he waved!"


    Steve was rendered speechless; he didn''t expect someone from the young bracket to be so popr, and at that even before hepeted once!


    "Ready? Fight!"


    Gale used a weaker version of his stone barrage, which sent dozens of stones equal to third-rank spells at his opponent. His opponent was a female, which made him feel slightly bad about it, but that''s it.


    Generally, males and females were regarded the same in the Miyena Kingdom. It would be suicidal to be a misogynist in a society with female mages; they''d just kill you if you got on their nerves. The other side of the coin was that mostly there wasn''t much chivalry in the kingdom either.


    The girl used wind magic to generate wind against the stones from below and change their course so she can slide under them, but Gale''s stones were part of a mage-rank spell; they could change their course at Gale''s will.


    The stones quickly found their target and hit the female magician in different spots. Gale wasn''t heartless; he made them slow down before they hit so none of the girl''s bones broke.


    "ARGH!"


    It was just very painful.

 Chapter 63 63 – The Young Bracket

    ?The first round passed quickly and there were no surprises; Gale, Drake, and Zach all won their fights.


    During the second round, Gale enjoyed the crowd''s cheers and wanted to hype the crowd. Besides, his opponent was a fellowpetitor from the Miyena Kingdom, and he wanted to allow him to showcase his talent.


    "Come at me."


    He wasn''t stupid enough to reveal his trump cards before the finals just to amuse the crowd, but since he already revealed his earth affinity, he could use it in different ways.


    His opponent, a male fire magician, was grateful for getting the chance to show his spells. He feared going down like the unlucky magician Gale faced in the first round without a chance to fight back. But now, if he fought well enough, he still had a chance to be selected to be trained in the empire, and it was all that mattered to him.


    The magician started multi-casting fireballs at Gale. Gale didn''t move, as a Mage, He could perceive everything easily. Exactly a meter away, round shields appeared in front of him, blocking every fireball with precision. Every shield was big just enough to block a fireball, and if it missed by a centimeter, the fireball would hit Gale.


    "We get to see the best youths in the Miyena Kingdom duel today! Gale lets his opponent attack first, showing off his defensive earth magic with great precision. How long will this fightst? Will he finish it quickly as he did in the first round?"


    Steve''smentating helped the less proficient crowd to understand the impressive technique Gale used. Steve focused on Gale since he was the one the Crowd really cared about.


    When the magician felt he couldn''t show much more by sending fireballs he summoned a small pir of fire under Gale''s feet; he didn''t know when Gale will put an end to the fight and wanted to use this chance to disy all his best moves.


    "Gale doesn''t attack back yet and remains defensive. Is he doing it to let his fellow Miyena''s representative disy his talents? It seems he would be a great friend, folks!"


    The crowd finally understood why Gale ''struggled'' against a magician for so long. The fight went on for another minute during which the magician did his best to disy all his best moves, and Gale decided to put an end to the fight before the crowd gets too bored.


    Gale started with weaker attacks, to let the opponent struggle with defense first instead of knocking him out instantly. Half a minuteter, Gale felt he allowed his opponent enough screen time and used his stone barrage spell.


    The magician quickly got hit a few times and was eliminated.


    "AH!"


    Judging by the magician''s painful scream, Gale still wasn''t that good at holding back against weaker opponents.


    The second round passed and the third arrived. This time Gale faced someone from the empire, so he just eliminated him swiftly with a pir stone to his ribs. He used a different spell to keep the crowd entertained.


    In this round, it was Drake faced someone from his side, and everyone had expectations from him to behave the same way as Gale.


    "Will Drake go easy on his fellow empire fighter? Fight!"


    However, Drake didn''t think it was necessary to prolong the fight; the other fighter was going back to the empire anyway. He cast a powerful wind that instantly knocked his opponent out of the arena, and the fight was over.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Ooooh!"


    The crowd let out a loud sound of disappointment. Although the opponent didn''t need the favor, Gale already set an example of how to behave against a friend. Drake''s eyes twitched in annoyance; he didn''t expect the crowd from the kingdom to let out a sound of disappointment.


    Finally, the fourth round arrived ¨C the quarterfinals. Gale and Zach went into the arena and faced each other. Zach sighed whilementing over his bad luck that brought him to face a mage before the semifinals.


    He was going to fail the mission he was given to secure second or third ce in the tournament, which also meant he lost his prize. Thosends generated tons of gold for the empire every year, and the more he could secure, the better rewards he''d get.


    "This is exciting! The empire''s second-strongest fighter against our local young hero. Will Zach be able to contend against a mage? Will Gale end it quickly? Fight!"


    The fight began and Gale didn''t want to make such an important fight too boring. He summoned earth pirs; if he was as good as described, he should be able to survive for a while as long as Gale doesn''t multi-cast.


    Zach didn''t disappoint; he used his water to push himself from the pirs and he stumbled from pir to pir, performing a weird ungraceful dance of sorts.


    The empire''s participants all felt embarrassed to see their fighter being treated like that and felt the urge to yell at Gale to finish this painful sight.


    Gale suddenly noticed the way it must have seemed to people outside; it looked like he was toying with Zach on purpose!


    "Ahm, you can attack."


    Gale let out an embarrassed cough and invited Zach to attack him. He didn''t mean to look down on Zach or humiliate him in this fight, it was out of good intentions.


    Zach red him at in response, feeling even worse about the fact his opponent had to stop attacking to let him fight back. He should''ve at least done it in a more subtle way, to let the crowd think Zach performed aeback!


    Zach started barraging Gale with spells, yet Gale summoned a wall that blocked everything, and nothing could pass.


    "Zach''s spells can''t go through, did Zach run into a stone wall?"


    Steve''sment made the crowd chuckle, and Zach felt aggrieved. Why were they expecting him to fight on equal grounds against a 20-year-old mage anyway? This guy would be considered a monster even in the empire!


    Soon, Gale took pity on him and decided to end the match. The next moment his stone barrage appeared again and disqualified Zach in a few seconds.


    The semifinals weren''t much different for Gale and Drake, and the time for their fight in the finals has almost arrived.

 Chapter 64 64 – Third Place

    ?"The semifinals are over, and honestly, we got no surprises; the fighters who advanced to the finals are none other than Gale and Drake!"


    "However, before we continue to one of the most exciting fights in the history of the young bracket, there is one thing to settle ¨C the third rank! Let''s invite the fighters from the semi-finals to the arena, Jack and Julia!"


    Steve invited the two and the crowd pped excitedly. Although they were eager to watch the finals, the magicians'' fights were also fun to watch, and the crowd respected them.


    "First enters Jack, the seventh prince of the Miyena Kingdom. A fire and earth magician and 24 years old. Second enters Julia from the empire, she showed us so far wind and fire as her elements. She is only 22 years old ¨C what will prevail, experience or youth?"


    Jack was more experienced since he was two years older, but Julia got better guidance and advanced a few years younger. As for who had a higher affinity ¨C they didn''t know.


    The judge counted down to zero and the fight began. Magicians used almost only their main element and neglected their sub-element, simply because the spells weren''t very diverse in the magician phase.


    Additionally, magicians preferred using their time to advance to the mage phase early rather than using it to master a second element. They''d have enough time for that as mages, and they''d also learn it faster as mages since they''d have a stronger connection and affinity.


    Julia was faster and started by casting air des. It put pressure on Jack since it was difficult to block air magic with fire for magicians. He used his earth magic to summon a shield and deflected the air de. The magician''s air des also had a weakness; with the right angle and a good enough defense, you could deflect them quite easily.


    Jack used this chance to cast a few fireballs at Julia who answered with a strong gale of wind, aiming to put them out. However, Jack prepared a surprise for her that he didn''t show in his previous matches. The fireballs exploded before the wind could affect them much and sent strong shockwaves in arge radius.


    Julia, who faced Gale earlier, tried her best against Gale since she didn''t like the fact that someone younger than her from the kingdom surpassed her, but Jack who was more mature and responsible as a prince, kept his cards hidden since he knew he couldn''t win against Drake anyhow.


    Jack already started dashing forward the moment heunched his fireballs, using his multi-casting to cast a buff of speed using fire magic. The shockwaves sent Julia stumbling a few steps back and made her lose her footing, which made the spare spell she multi-cast earlier dissipate.


    She had to cast again yet she already saw new fireballs iing toward her, this time from a shorter distance. Still surprised by the unexpected turn of events, she didn''t think of a good way to counter those exploding fireballs yet and tried generating a strong gale again.


    Unfortunately, she faced the same consequences; the fireballs exploded much closer to her and this time she fell back and Jack got even closer. She quickly rolled back and kicked the ground to get up, yet something unexpected happened.


    Jack canceled his fire magic and used his earth magic again for making a hole in the ground right where she was about to kick, making her lose her footing again and fall awkwardly.


    Julia''s face turned red from embarrassment; she fell t on her face because of a cheap trick!


    Yet Jack didn''t care; he couldn''t switch to fire fast enough, so he just cast a few stone bullets. As their distance was much shorter now, the stones quickly hit Julia''s arms and left fractured bones.


    "AHH!"


    She yelled in pain and her casting crumbled. Jack quickly used this chance to switch to fire spells again and cast a fireball.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "That was a surprising match guys! It waspletely one-sided! Jack cunningly owned the fight with his experience and didn''t allow Julia to retaliate ever since the beginning. With that, The Miyena Kingdom secured 2 spots of the top three in one bracket!"


    Steve''s excited voice was heard as a stone wall raised from the ground and blocked Jack''s fireball. It was the judge''s, and it meant the match was over.


    The crowd excitedly pped and cheered for Jack; it was rare for a kingdom to win two spots in the top 3 of the same bracket.


    "Now, let''s invite the protagonists of the night; Gale and Drake!"


    Drake''s path to the arena was lit and he walked on cue. He used fire magic to appear as if he was burning in mes to excite the crowd, and it worked. The crowd apuded and waited for Gale''s entrance.


    As soon as their favorite fighter appeared in the arena, the crowd instantly red up and screamed frenziedly.


    "Good luck, Gale!"


    "Bring honor to our kingdom!"


    "If you win I agree to spend the night with you!"


    All types of screams mixed in one another, and Gale just smiled and waved at the crowd.


    "On one side we have Drake, a famous genius of the empire, known to be a fire and wind mage. On the other side, we have Gale, the local genius of the Miyena Kingdom. What are his elements? Nobody knows, he came out from nowhere! So far he only showed us his earth magic. Is it his main element? Is it his sub-element? I can''t wait!"


    Steve''smentating did well to agitate the crowd, and everyone was eager to watch the fight. The judge himself was impatient, and he quickly counted down to zero.


    "Without further ado, fight!"


    Gale and Drake stood in front of each other and neither made the first move.


    "You are only 20 years old. Your talent is amazing, but I bet you''ve only been a mage for as long as I have been one. Even the empire''s record is 22, and it only happened once."


    "No, I''ve been a mage for a whole year now."


    Gale crashed Drake''s hopes quickly and got ready to fight. Drake''s face turned pale; beforeing he was told he can forget about the first rank in the young bracket because of a young woman. He felt relieved when she moved to another bracket, but now he was at a disadvantage again!

 Chapter 65 65 – Young Brackets Finals

    ?"Without further ado, fight!"


    Drake was already feeling nervous about the fight; he used most of his time traveling in the kingdom as a tourist rather than stabilizing his magic and learning how to use it properly ever since he strengthened his body.


    Gale on the other side was just as nervous; originating from the empire meant he got better magic education and had better basic mana control.


    Gale decided to do the first move. He started double-casting powerful pirs, but in contrast to his duel with Zach, he condensed the mana to the maximum.


    Drake felt the movement in mana and already knew this spell from the fight against Zach. He used a wind spell that boosted his speed and dodged the pirs that kept popping from the ground.


    Gale was fine with this stalemate; continuous spells like boosts took much more mana in the long run, and Drake would run out of steam first.


    Of course, Drake felt differently about the situation. When he felt morefortable with dodging the pirs, he removed one of the speed boosts and used his now-free casting slot for air des. The des moved in the air in unpredictable routes and intertwined with one another to confuse Gale and make it harder for him to defend.


    Gale canceled one of his pirs casting spells, reducing the burden on Drake, and had to cast shields to protect himself. His affinity with the earth mana was, give or take, equal to Drake''s affinity with the wind mana. It showed how talented Drake was; this earth affinity was Nancy''s main affinity, yet wind was just Drake''s sub-element.


    Thanks to his manapressing training under Shana, each shield took on two air des before breaking down, which meant they were still in a stalemate in Gale''s favor; Drake''s speed boost took more mana than Gale''s pirs, and he cast two des for every shield of Gale, which meant he still spent more mana than Gale.


    Drake didn''t practice dual casting with different elements yet, so he had to switch to firepletely. He used his wind magic to back off to the other end of the arena for a short break from the fight and switched to fire mana.


    "Drake was forced back and switched to fire mana! Will we see his signature move?"


    And Drake didn''t disappoint. He summoned the spell for which he was famous in the empire, firebirds. Each animal had its own benefits; Lena''s snakes slithered, which made them difficult to block. Gale''s wisps were numerous, which gave a different type of advantage. The birds'' advantage was that they were fast.


    Birds started flying swiftly toward Gale who had to use arge wall to block them. This time he was the one maintaining a continuous spell, so it was his ''responsibility'' to break the stalemate. Additionally, Drake''s fire magic was considerably stronger than his earth magic and his wall held only because hepressed his mana better than Drake.


    "How are you ranked among your peers in the empire? Are you one of the strongest?"


    Gale wanted to know about the wider world outside the kingdom. This man advanced to the mage phase only two years older than Lena was when she advanced to the mage phase, and he wanted to know if it was considered normal.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I''m the fourth youngest mage at the moment. Among all mages under 50, my age of advancing is ranked 17th. The first rank advanced a month after his 24th birthday.


    Drake didn''t mind the stalemate, so he provided Gale with a full answer. Gale was relieved to find out Lena would be considered exceptional in the empire as well, otherwise, it''d be toote for her even if they got good guidance after the tournament.


    Gale decided to break the stalemate and used fire mana to cast a speed boost on himself. He kicked the ground and ran forward, sliding under the firebirds. Thanks to the sudden change of pace, the birds couldn''t change their route on time and missed him.


    "It''s fire magic! And it''s more powerful than his earth magic! Gale was cornered and forced to reveal his fire magic!"


    Steve''s shouts pumped up the blood in the spectators'' veins as they all roared with enthusiasm over the new magic revealed.


    Gale continued by summoning his own signature move, the wisps of fire. Dozens of wisps emerged from the air around him and half of them met with the birds iing. Since the wisps'' target was to protect Gale, they didn''t need to chase after the birds, which neutralized the birds'' main advantage ¨C speed.


    The birds ran into the wisps and couldn''t pass through; although Sol''s affinity was slightly weaker than Drake''s, the difference wasn''t big and Gale''spressing was far superior. Each bird was met with 2 wisps and got destroyed.


    "What am I seeing?! The firebirds met their counter and got destroyed by Gale''s spell!"


    The other half of the wisps swarmed Drake who did his best to dodge them with his speed buff and burn them down by casting a firestorm that embraced them all. However, by the time he managed to destroy them, a few fireballs appeared next to him and exploded, causing sparks to fly all over the ce.


    Drake was in a crisis, his casting speed was stretched to the maximum and he was barely holding on. A few sparks weren''t blocked in time and found his legs and stomach, leaving behind painful burns. The pain made it difficult for him to concentrate, slowing down his casting speed which led to even more injuries.


    "Drake is falling behind, can he make aeback? Oh! He fell to the ground!"


    A st sent Drake off his feet and without thinking he used at once a powerful firestorm by using a single cast instead of casting two spells. Although the mana consumption of such arge spell was enormous, he wanted to buy himself enough time to stand up and catch his breath, yet he suddenly felt the mana moves under his stomach.


    There was no dy like Drake expected, because Gale already mastered casting spells of two different mana types simultaneously. A pir of stone came out of the ground and hit his stomach, making him fly in the air out of his firestorm with blood and saliva dripping out of his mouth from the impact.


    He was still in the air, paralyzed by the pain when a barrage of stones started hitting him and breaking his bones. Hended on the ground without moving, and a wall made of stone was raised in front of him to protect him from any further injuries.

 Chapter 66 66 – Intermediate Bracket

    ?A wall made of stone was raised in front of Drake to protect him from any further injuries, and the match ended.


    "Gale Stormborn wins the tournament and takes first ce! How long has it been since a kingdom won this bracket?!"


    The crowd went mad; the cheers and screams filled the colosseum and overtook even thementator''s voice.


    "Gale showed us his fire magic, and it was beautiful! Second ce goes to Drake Smaug, and third ce goes to Jack, congrattions to the winners!"


    The young bracket was concluded with Gale''s victory, making him famous throughout the kingdom. His name and achievement will arrive in every noble''s household within days, and those present have already sent their intelligence agents to discover his origins.


    "Tomorrow we will host the intermediate bracket, and in two days the older bracket and the awards ceremony. Don''t forget toe back!"


    Steve announced the end of the day and everyone got up and started leaving. Although the fights started in the morning, it was already after sunset. Not only the fights took a long time, but they also had to take breaks between rounds to heal the participants who were wounded in their previous fights and replenish their mana.


    To prevent the fans from swarming the fighters, the fighters went back to the waiting area where they could use a different exit. Gale found Lena and the girls waiting for him with an unexpected guest; Donne came to watch the tournament.


    "Great job Gale, it was a spectacr fight."


    "Thanks brother."


    "Why are you so formal with each other? You were awesome!"


    Jay and the girls were already carefree around Gale and they all started hugging him in turns. After finishing with all thepliments and good words, they headed out only to see the exit blocked; the crowd found the ''secret'' exit.


    "GALE! I''M YOURS TONIGHT AS PROMISED! YOU WERE AMAZING OUT THERE!"


    Fangirls screamed at the top of their lungs as soon as Gale''s team could be seen, and a huge crowd, mainly consisting of girls, was revealed to the team''s astonished eyes.


    Lena''s face twisted in annoyance; she had enough thirsty girls around her, and seeing hundreds more was beyond her limit. Powerful winds started brewing around her and hit the crowd, granting dozens of humans the ability to fly.


    "AHHHH!"


    The screams changed from heated to scared; almost all the girls were only magicians. Mages were rare and esteemed in the kingdom, so they had too much self-respect to scream like degenerates.


    The group quickly left through the opening Lena created and headed home.


    "That was overreacting, sister."


    Galeined to Lena about injuring those women for no reason. He liked his fans, they supported him and cheered for him through the tournament, and he thought it was wrong to hurt them now.


    "Hmph, you''re already bedding three geniuses here, why do you need all these women now?"


    Banters,ughter, and conversations could be heard as they rode home on a carriage until they finally arrived.


    "All right, go to sleep early today and rest well before tomorrow''s fights. In the intermediate tournament tomorrow we have Jay, Nina, and Dion. Gale, stay away from those three."


    "Hey, I never slept with him!"


    Nina protested when Shana included her in her warning, but her mother just shrugged it off.


    "It was just in case."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Don''t worry Gale, I''m free tonight."


    Violet smiled flirtatiously at him, and Gale held her hand and led her to the bedroom with a n in mind to release the stress he umted that day.


    The next day everyone got ready and left again. This time, Gale was sitting with the audience. He got a seat next to Shana on the top floor at the front.


    "Do you think they have a chance at winning?"


    Violet asked with a concerned voice. They could easily get so many spots in the intermediate bracket simply because no kingdom had 10 mages before 35 to send. They''d all send 4-5 mages who were their best geniuses in that age group, and fill the remaining slots with magicians.


    "Wee to the tournament everybody! I''m your man, Steve Howard!"


    Steve opened with his usual line and everyone apuded.


    "Friends, we gather today to see which of these mages, these fighters, have the right to call themselves true champions! Only thest one standing will have earned that honor."


    All the participants went on stage and Steve introduced them one by one. This time the empire sent 14 mages ranging from 28 years old to 35. The ones under 30 were mainly newly advanced mages who weren''t expected to win and were just sent on vacation to have fun.


    "This is Lara Crowell. She is 35 years old now and famed to be a promising water and air mage in the empire."


    Steve introduced one good-looking female mage who was wearing a gray tank top and brown pants as herbat outfit and waved to the crowd.


    "Is she the one sent to win this tournament?"


    Gale asked Shana with curiosity. He already understood that the empire would send one of their geniuses to secure first ce in every bracket, and she seemed the one for this bracket.


    "It''s her. But there''s also someone strong from the Igrebah Kingdom who might win. Jay is the strongest in our group and she is an experienced mage, she might win too."


    Lena who just entered the booth answered Gale instead of Shana.


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® "Where have you been?"


    "Lady Shana gave us 1000 imperial gold coins, so I went to bet on Jay''s win."


    "Are you sure that''s a responsible thing to do? You won''t have much more money if they take us to the empire."


    "I betted 4000 coins on Jay and 4000 coins that our kingdom will have 2 spots in the top 3. Each bet is like a 1:10 ratio, so I''m gonna hit the big time. Just like I turned those 1000 to 10,000 by betting on you."


    "Heh, if you''re so confident, why not bet everything?"


    Lena kept her right to remain silent; she really wasn''tpletely confident of Jay''s victory.


    "The draws are out, let''s see the bracket!"


    Steve''s shout brought their attention back to the stage and they searched for their friends'' names. Dion, Nina, and Jay got the numbers 2, 16, and 18 respectively, which meant Nina and Dion would meet in the semifinals assuming they can both get there, and Jay would meet the winner at the finals.


    Nina''s future in the tournament seemed bleak though, Lara was number 50, meaning she was facing number 15 and Nina would be next.

 Chapter 67 67 – Nina VS Lara

    ?Dion, Nina, and Jay got the numbers 2, 16, and 18 respectively, which meant Dion was in the opening fight.


    Dion''s opponent was one of the geniuses of another kingdom who was a mage as well. Unfortunately for him, Dion''s fire broke through her attacks and finished the fight within seconds.


    "Wow, the Miyena Kingdom keeps surprising us today! Will they own this bracket as well? Let me tell you a secret, friends. Dion was seening to the arena along with yesterday''s champ, Gale!"


    Steve said thest sentence in a whisper as if he was sharing a great secret, only that it wasn''t quiet at all; his voice was empowered by magic. The crowd cheered as soon as they heard the gossip and there were talks about the possibility that they were an elite squad of the Miyena Kingdom.


    Nina faced a magician, so she didn''t get to showcase her talent in that battle. Lara faced another mage of the empire and won pretty fast too, leaving the crowd unentertained.


    "Now we are having another member of the Miyena Kingdom''s group who came along with Gale and Dion. Jay ising!"


    She fought against a mage and overpowered him with her fire magic expertise. Shana''s students were all geniuses she picked up carefully even frommoner families and groomed from a young age. She was strict and forced them to train for most of the day, and the results were apparent.


    The second round started and there were 20 mages left and 12 magicians. Dion eliminated one of the younger empire''s mages and Nina''s battle against Lara arrived.


    "THIS IS EXCITING! A battle between one of the Miyena Kingdom''s geniuses, a mage at only 28, against the empire''s strongest ¨C Lara! I''ve been told Lara advanced to the mage phase when she was 28 as well. Can Nina win?"


    Nina and Lara faced each other, and the judge signaled them to start fighting. Lara opened with water dragons and Nina had to use her second element, earth. Nina summonedrge boulders and shot them into the dragons.


    Lara knew Nina''s intentions to deform the dragons from within by making the boulders explode inside them, so she made the dragons slither like snakes and dodge the boulders. However, Dragons weren''t snakes; they were bigger. The boulders changed their routes and entered the dragons and exploded.


    The stones deformed the water and a huge hole was opened in the dragon''s bodies, making everything beyond that fall to the ground.


    Nina sent additional boulders, this time against Lara herself, who used a sphere of water to change the boulders'' route with the current, sending them crashing behind her. Her water dragons started to regenerate their upper half while she blocked Nina''s spells.


    Nina sighed and realized she can''t really deal damage to Lara with earth magic, yet she didn''t mind keeping the stalemate. Dragons were a costly animal to maintain, and Lara couldn''t afford to y a game of exploding and regenerating.


    Lara had other ns. She had been a mage for a few years and enjoyed great teaching, she could cast spells from different elements simultaneously by now. She canceled her water dragons and kept the water sphere to protect her while shooting air des that kept changing directions.


    Nina tried blocking them with earth, yet they cut right through it. She only advancedtely and still didn''t masterpressing to the maximum, and she also didn''t have time to switch to fire.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She braced herself and generated earth shields as hard as she could and moved between the air des. She tried taking them on at the right angle, yet it wasn''t as easy against mages since the des kept changing directions and angles.


    It was looking like she was performing a dance, with the des and shields surrounding her.


    "You''re more slippery than a fish!"


    Lara was getting annoyed as she controlled the air des. She couldn''t hit Nina, and Nina was manipting the air des and deflecting them in ways that made them sh against one another, forcing Lara to keep generating more and more des, eating her mana away.


    "This is amazing! Nina still has much to learn as a mage, but her fighting skills are superb. This must be the most beautiful fight we''ve seen so far!"


    Although it looked impressive, moving so much was eating at Nina''s stamina slowly, and she was lucky to have the earth mana affinity to boost her endurance when she strengthened herself.


    Coupled with her fire affinity which gave her speed and the power both elements added to her, she kept at it for a few more minutes, dancing and pivoting between the des and avoiding serious injuries with every move.


    Suddenly, Lara felt the mana stirs under her feet, and she quickly focused back on her water sphere. A pir of stone came out of the ground and tried to pierce through her sphere. Lena''s attribute wasn''t heaviness like Gale''s so she preferred pirs with sharp edges.


    When Nina felt like she figured out Lara''s pattern and could divert her attention from the des, she used the pirs to attack Lara, making her reinforce her water sphere and waste more mana. She aimed to raise the mana-draining speed and to have a better chance of exhausting Lara first.


    In turn, the des'' attacks turned slower and more predictable when Lara had to focus on defending and not just attacking.


    Although Lara was stronger as a mage, she didn''t have Nina''s proficient footwork and could attack and defend only with magic.


    10 minutester, Lara started feeling burdened mentally and she felt the mana was getting a bitzy when answering her calls, making the spells a tad weaker.


    Nina, however, didn''t fare much better. She was breathing heavily and her sweat dripped from her body to the floor. Her clothes were drenched in sweat, and she was only forcing herself to move at that point.


    "This fight has been a crazy performance! I don''t know who will run out of steam first, but even if it''s Nina, she has shown us enough talent to earn our respect!"

 Chapter 68 68 – Dion VS David

    ?Nina was breathing heavily and her sweat dripped from her body to the floor, while Lara''s spells were losing their might gradually.


    Lara suddenly had an idea; she stopped the air des and generated her dragons again. They were flying toward Nina who used her boulders again to explode the dragons. However, this time the dragons exploded first and created arge wave of water.


    The wave overwhelmed Nina and threw her to the ground, making her stop casting her pirs too. Lara canceled her sphere of water and stuck to using one spell; she could use the spell''s full might instead of two weakened spells.


    Nina groaned and tried to get up, yet once she stopped moving it was difficult to start again. She coughed out water while still on the ground, and slowly struggled back to her feet.


    Unfortunately, Lara didn''t n to give her the chance to do that. She cast a water canon spell which sent a powerful jet of water to Nina''s chest. Although Nina was an immobile target now, she could still cast her spells.


    She raised two walls of stone and blocked the jet. She was mentally exhausted and couldn''tpress the mana well, making the first wall unable to bear the water jet.


    Lara felt frustrated; water spells were best for defense, and stone was a strong counter to the water''s offensive spells. She started casting air des one after another, cutting through Nina''s stones, and walked toward her. Nina couldn''t stand up; she just sat on the floor and cast her spells.


    Each air de cost two walls, and Nina''s mana started draining quickly. Soon Lara stood in front of Nina and used her water sphere. The current sent away every wall and put out any fire spell Nina tried to cast.


    Soon the sphere touched Nina and carried her in the current around Lara in circles. Nina was losing focus as she drowned and was ejected out at high speed and crashed on the ground, losing consciousness.


    The crowd pped excitedly and chanted her name as she was ced on a stretcher and taken out of the arena for treatment by the empire''s mages. Although she lost, she earned their respect in her fight against someone stronger.


    "Lara is the fight''s winner. I didn''t expect it to be so close, yet Nina gave a solid fight and we cannot remain indifferent to her efforts!"


    The crowd apuded again, this time for Lara, as she staggered out of the arena to the waiting room in exhaustion.


    The round continued and soon came to an end with 14 mages remaining and 2 magicians. The next round offered another interesting fight; Dion was facing the genius from Igrebah Kingdom and might be disqualified from the tournament before the semifinals.


    "Now prepare for another rush of adrenaline, herees Dion from the Miyena Kingdom on one side, and David from the Igrebah Kingdom! Dion showed us her explosive fire spells, and David showed a unique shadow affinity. Both are 35 this year and are famous geniuses in their respective kingdoms. Get ready!"


    The judge counted down and the fight began. Unlike the rest of David''s opponents, Dion had some experience against the shadow element thanks to Gale. Although Gale''s affinity was weaker, she wasn''t as overwhelmed as David''s previous opponents.


    The lighting in the arena was dimmed slightly specially for making it fair for David, and he vanished the moment the countdown reached 0. However, fire opponents had a good way to counter shadows if prepared.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Dion castpressed orbs of fire which shed light all over her surroundings, making it impossible to ambush her from close range. She closed her eyes and concentrated to feel the mana around her.


    Suddenly, she felt a ripple in the mana behind her and she instantly jumped to the right and raised a sphere of fire around her.


    One of the reasons David was considered a genius was because of his sub-elements. He had two of them. One was wind affinity whichplemented his shadow element by providing swift attacks, while the other was earth affinity, which provided him with a defense that most assassins didn''t enjoy.


    This time he specially used wind magic; he threw a dagger at Dion and boosted the throw with wind magic to make it faster. Dion was just as versed in dodging as Nina, and her vignce helped her dodge the dagger with only a cut on her shoulder. She cast fire on her skin and burned it with a groan, ceasing the bleeding.


    "You might lose your bet on our kingdom iming two spots in the top three."


    Gale told Lena next to him.


    "No, my bet was on point. He had only one chance."


    Next, he tried again from her right. This time Dion knew what wasing and the moment she sensed it she ducked and dodged the daggerpletely, rendering this method useless. Although the daggers were fast, he had to throw them from 50 meters away to remain hidden from the light.


    She suddenly sent 4 orbs of fire in 4 different directions and David was caught unprepared. Luckily for Dion, she managed to predict his route and sniff him out. He was revealed out of the shadows and Dion showered him with fire spells instantly as all the orbs around her were shot at him.


    David quickly raised a stone wall to block the orbs, yet Steve''sment wasn''t random; Dion''s spells were explosive. The orbs exploded on contact with the wall, making it crumble and send debris everywhere.


    The rest of the orbs crossed and almost hit David, but he was a mage for enough time to learn dual casting with different elements simultaneously. Although it was a perk of the more talented mages who advanced early, none of the participants in the tournament wasn''t a genius, thus making it seem standard.


    He cast a wind spell to generate a strong wind that carried him away from the orbs, and the explosions happened over ten meters away from him. Although he dodged the fire, he didn''t dodge the shockwaves, and he lost control of the wind and was thrown back.


    Before touching the ground, he already felt a sense of danger; a pir of stone wasing from the ground and would impale him to death if he couldn''t respond on time.


    He quickly cast a shield around him and the hit turned into a blunt crash. Although it was preferablepared to being impaled on arge skewer, it was still crashing. His body was extremely flexible thanks to the shadow and air strengthening, and durable thanks to the earth strengthening.


    The flexibility helped him disperse the hit all over his body rather than taking it in one ce, and although it hurt as hell, he wasn''t out of the game yet.

 Chapter 69 69 – Jay VS Lara

    ?He quickly cast a shield around him and the hit turned into a blunt crash. Although it hurt as hell, he wasn''t out of the game yet, albeit with a broken rib.


    The broken rib prevented him from stretching too much, and Dion took full advantage of it. Just like Drake, Gale''s opponent from the finals, she used firebirds. The birds flew at high speed toward David, and Dion herself was running toward him from the moment he was thrown back to close the distance between them.


    David was forced to take the defensive; he couldn''t dodge properly anymore and the shockwaves from the birds were troublesome. He used earth shields to block the birds and powerful gales to negate the shockwaves he couldn''t block with his earth spells.


    Although hispressing abilities were on par with Dion''s, his affinity with his sub-elements wasn''t as strong as Dion''s with fire. It forced him to use two casting slots to protect himself from one of Dion''s.


    "David is pushed back, will it be the end of the way for him? Assassins truly aren''t at their best in directbat tournaments like this!"


    Thement was true; he was in this situation because Dion expected the attacks from him in the first ce.


    Dion didn''t care though. She used her free casting slot to boost her birds'' number, and soon David was overwhelmed and was sent flying again, this time with burns on his torso and a few more broken bones. He didn''t get the chance to retreat to the shadows from the moment he was revealed, and it was his downfall.


    "Everyone, apud David for this fight! If they were fighting outside during the night as most assassins do, who knows how''d the fight turn out!"


    The crowd wasn''t stingy with their apuse; they were impressed by David''s fights and enjoyed the unique style ofbat he showed them.


    "Our winner who advances to the quarterfinals is Dion from the Miyena Kingdom! it seems very likely that the Miyena Kingdom will have two slots in the top three again!"


    An hourter, the quarterfinals started with 8 mages remaining. Both magicians from the previous rounds were unlucky and met mages as opponents, giving the mages free wins.


    The empire was out of luck in this bracket; their second-strongest candidate was disqualified by Lara in the quarterfinals, and the third strongest who could probably put up a good fight against Dion met Jay instead and lost as well.


    The semifinals arrived and it was time for a fight between Lara and Jay, in which Jay nned on executing her payback for beating Nina.


    Jay was considered the best among Shana''s disciples aside from Lena because she had three elements, and two of them had an affinity as strong as a main affinity. She had fire and air as the main elements, and water as a sub-element.


    "The fight we''ve been waiting for, Lara from the empire against our local candidate, Jay!"


    The referee counted down and the fight started. Jay started with the fastest spell ¨C air des. Lara defended herself with a water sphere, and the current of the sphere negated the des. However, some air still went through the sphere, leaving small cuts on Lara''s skin.


    Lara cast her water dragon and blocked the air des with them. The dragon was stitched back to normal as soon as the air de passed through it since the cut was too clean to make the spell copse.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    When going through the strong water pressure inside the dragon, the des were weakened to the point they didn''t pose any threat anymore.


    "Those dragons are toorge. They''d be effective against animals or a group of weaker people, but less against equally powerful humans."


    Lena remarked next to Gale.


    "Why are you saying that? They seem to work perfectly fine against Jay."


    Gale asked as they watched Jay running away from the dragons, hopping like a bunny between the dragons. Being caught by a single dragon was almost a guarantee to be captured without any ability to break free without an extreme burst of mana.


    Soon after, Gale got his answer. Jay slid under the iing dragons and managed to position herself behind a few dragons at once and sent air des to cut the dragons from behind, where the air pressure was the lowest, with balls ofpressed fire following them.


    Each fireball burst inside the dragon and the explosions sent strong shockwaves around them, creating arge hole in each dragon that the rest of the air des could pass through unhindered, and forced Lara to spend much more mana on preventing the dragons from copsing.


    "Jay just tickled the dragon''s tail yet Lara is the one in danger!"


    The crowd cheered as air des and fireballs passed through the dragons and reached Lara who didn''t have any expertise in physical dodging. There were only 4 dragons and three were gone. Since fireballs and air des were simple spells inparison, Jay could summon 8 of them, so there were 4 pairs to block when only one dragon survived the ordeal.


    Lara used her second cast slot for her normal defensive spell, the water sphere. The surviving dragon wriggled and positioned himself between the Lara and the iing spells head-on, exploding at the cost of two pairs.


    Unfortunately, it wasn''t enough. The des wereing, and Lara could only watch and brace herself for the impact. The spells re-arranged themselves midway, and the two air des took the lead.


    With a huge burst of mana, Lara boosted her water sphere to the maximum, and the two air des were nullified after leaving a deep cut in the sphere. One fire spell exploded right inside the cavity the des left behind and the sphere deformed, causing Lara to stumble back from the shockwaves.


    Her worst nightmare was yet toe; thest fireball had almost a free route to her body, with only a water sphere on the verge of copse to ovee.


    As expected, thest explosion broke through her defenses and sent her flying in the air with fractures and burns across her body.


    "Lara is on the ropes! Can she still make aeback? No! more fireballs areing and she is still on the ground!"


    The judge had to raise a wall and put an end to the fight, and Jay''s victory was announced.

 Chapter 70 70 – Intermediate Brackets Finals

    ?The judge had to raise a wall and put an end to the fight, and Jay''s victory was announced. The crowd cheered in craziness; their home kingdom won two brackets!


    "Can you believe it? The Miyena Kingdom won two brackets! And not only that, but they also have two spots in the top three again!"


    Gale pped along with Violet and Shana, yet Lena seemed disturbed. She wasn''t pping, and there was a frown on her face.


    "What happened?"


    Violet asked Lena with concern. She wasn''t sure why would Lena be upset that Jay won the battle.


    "There''s a rule that third ce can challenge second ce for their spot if it''s not the same person who defeated them in the semifinals."


    Shana exined and Gale understood the crux of the problem and exined further.


    "Then there''s a good chance that Jay would lose on purpose, so Lara won''t be able to challenge Dion. But Lena bet 4000 on Jay''s victory, which she is going to lose. Lena, just go and im your 40,000-gold prize for betting on the Miyena Kingdom having two contestants in the top three and bet them on Dion''s victory."


    Lena nodded and left. The ratio was 1:2 for Dion''s victory and 1:1.2 for Jay''s victory. She imed her prize and put it all on Dion, making the ratio go down to 1:1.9.


    The fight for third ce started and Lara was getting the upper hand as time passed. A few minutester, her dragon caught her opponent between his teeth and swallowed him into his body.


    Everyone could see him being slowly crushed inside, unable to execute any spell amidst the water pressure and the mana movement to support the dragon.


    Half a minuteter, the judge used an earth spell to break through the dragon and save him from too much damage, and Lara was announced as the winner. She still had a chance to get second ce if Jay won the finals, and she was nning on it.


    "Now for the finals; Jay from the Miyena Kingdom against Dion from the Miyena Kingdom. I heard they were fellow students as well; does it mean they already know all about each other''s weaknesses?"


    The referee signaled the girls to get ready and the fight started. The girls started exchanging fire spells, each was canceling the other. To the crowd''s bewilderment, Jay was pushed back by the explosions and was slowly stumbling back to the end of the arena.


    "What is going on? The fight seems so one-sided, is Dion stronger than we thought? Jay doesn''t seem to be as physically active anymore either!"


    Steve shouted out everyone''s thoughts as they watched Dion iming the advantage by dodging some of Jay spells while Jay tanked all Dion''s spells head on. They already watched Jay controlling her positioning and disying her dodging skills in her match against Lara, so it made no sense now.


    They kept watching when a pir came under Jay''s feet.


    "Oh, no!"


    Jay eximed as the pir raised and hit her in the ribs, throwing her in the air.


    "Eh, isn''t this¡­ too fake?"


    Steve''s voice wavered as he watched Jay''s bad acting skills when she pretended to be unable to get up from thest hit. The acting was too obvious; the impact was too weak, she should''ve been able to dodge it, and Dion was supposed to use sharp pirs in the first ce, not blunt ones.


    Meanwhile, many discussions could be heard from the empire''s booths in the crowd. Many ns and academiese to watch the contest whenever it''s hosted in order to pull talents to their sides.


    In onerge room that was spectating on the arena from the top floor, 5 people sat next to one another. If Shana was present and tried to sense their stage, she might be stressed to find out she couldn''t sense any of them. They were all Magus.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Charles, did you set your eyes on anyone yet?"


    "Hmm, this time all of us might pick someone. There was the boy who won the young bracket, the three girls from the Miyena Kingdom, and the darkness user from the Igrebah Kingdom."


    Charles wore a thoughtful face; in every tournament, there were only 2-3 people who piqued their interest, and they''d have topete with their offers to pull those people to their sides. Now, they all had a good chance to get one talented person.


    Although they weren''t desperate to get those people, it was embarrassing whenever someone preferred apetitor force over them. For them, the recruitment was more aboutpeting rather than about the kingdoms'' talents.


    "I''m getting the pretty boy, don''t even dare try to take him away from me."


    One woman looking in herte twenties said with a dreamy voice. She didn''t seem to care much about the rest of the talents.


    "Hmph. Alice, you''re more than ten times older than him, are you sure he will be interested? He will be better off by my side."


    Another woman who was looking in her middle twenties mocked Alice as she munched on a local dry snack.


    The room was getting dangerously hot when one of the men intervened and coldness seeped from his skin.


    "Chill, Alice. You''re already hot enough as you are. Isobel, you''re only 10 years younger than Alice, why are you capitalizing on this difference all the time?"


    "Shut up."


    Both women answered. Lucas was a renowned skirt chaser, and neither of them liked him. He had been courting Alice for a few decades now, but Alice would decline every time; rumors said he slept with dozens of the female students in his academy.


    "What about you, William?"


    Charles asked the man who started the discussion.


    "I''m waiting to watch the older bracket. There''s still the young mage girl who decided topete above her age."


    William answered and the rest''s expressions turned into surprise. They all camete and missed the drama in the beginning, so they weren''t aware of it. They normally camete to the young bracket and left after the intermediate.


    They were interested in watching the weaker magicians in the young bracket, and they picked their favorites after the intermediate bracket as they believed the contestants from the older bracket were too old to groom.


    "That''s interesting. Young people should be more hot-blooded!"


    Charlesughed and the five decided to wait until the mentioned girl showed whether she had the skills to back her courage.


    Those five people were the representatives of the top 5 academies in the empire, and normally nobody declined their offers.

 Chapter 71 71 – Forces Rankings

    ?"I just got an update, the five academies will stay to watch thest bracket, thus, the usual ceremony held after the intermediate brackets will be postponed until after the older bracket."


    Steve announced to the crowd thest developments that took ce. Normally, there would be one ceremony after the intermediate bracket in which the five academies picked the ones that piqued their interest, and another ceremony at the end in which the rest of the forces from the empire gave offers to the rest of the participants.


    "However, let me give you the normal exnation that''s usually given at this point. There are three ranks of forces in the empire: gold, silver, and bronze."


    He gave everyone a few moments to digest his words before continuing.


    "The bronze-rank forces have at least 5 expert mages, while silver forces have at least one true magus. Remember, even in a bronze-rank force you have a far better chance to advance to the expert mage phasepared to staying in the kingdom."


    He emphasized thest part to prevent the participants from looking down on the bronze forces; they still had much more resources and knowledge than anyone in the kingdom could offer, perhaps other than the royal family.


    "As for gold-rank organizations, there are only 9 of them in the empire. Although there are nine, only 5 are here today to recruit you, and those are the 5 academies I''ve mentioned before. Each one of them has a grand magus as its head or as an honored member."


    Seeing the hopeful expressions of all the contestants he felt obligated to pour cold water on them lest they will lose their opportunity when getting an offer from a lower rank force.


    "Normally they only take one person each or even less. Getting an invitation from a bronze-rank or a silver-rank force is an option you must not let go."


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® He then remembered onest thing he should''ve mentioned before finishing his exnation.


    "As for unranked forces, they will not participate in the ceremony, but they might invite you if you didn''t join any force after the ceremony. Good night everyone, see you tomorrow for the final bracket!"


    Everyone started leaving the colosseum gradually and Gale and his group did the same. Upon reaching home, Shana repeated her warning to Gale and went to her room.


    Tonight, it was Violet''s turn to pout while watching Dion and Jay take Gale''s arms and follow him to his room. Since she had to fight tomorrow, she couldn''t join them.


    "By the way, did you also make a fortune out of your 1000 gold through the gambling system?"


    Gale asked the girls. Because he only ced his bets after the drawings were done and didn''t bet on the first bracket, his profits weren''t high and he only had 5000 gold. Lena inparison had 76,000 after she ced her 40,000 on Dion''s win with a 1:1.9 ratio.


    He wasn''t sure how much gold he''d need in the empire, but 5,000 sounded too little ever since he heard about Lena''s wealth.


    "Yup! I got 21,000 gold now."


    Dion lost a few of her bets and she also wasn''t as bold as Lena with some of her bets, so her profits were significantly lower. However, it was still more than four times than Gale''s.


    "Hehe, I made 91,000 gold! I ced my bet on Dion''s win before the draws!"


    Jay giggled victoriously when seeing Gale''s and Dion''s gapes.


    "If you send Dion away and let me have you all for myself tonight, I will give you 5,000 gold. How about that, dear?"


    She smiled seductively and moved her fingers on Gale''s bare chest.


    "Hey, that''s not fair!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Dion protested against the offer.


    *SLAP*


    A red handprint decorated Jay''s butt as she took a sharp breath from the sudden p.


    "Since when am I a prostitute?"


    Gale rolled his eyes at Jay and rolled to kiss Dion to make a stand against selling himself for gold.


    Time flies when you have fun, and the morning arrived quickly. Everyone got up early and they headed back to the colosseum for the older bracket.


    "Good morning everybody, today is thest day we get to watch thrilling fights between mages, and this time not only the best geniuses participate, but all of them are experienced and powerful!"


    Steve greeted the excited crowd and called the fighters to draw numbers for the fights.


    Gale and the girls sat in Shana''s booth on the top floor as always, except for Lena and Violet who participated in the bracket.


    "I have to remind you that this tournament we have an exception never seen before ¨C the Miyena Kingdom sent a participant younger than the bracket''s age limit. We never had this situation before, and the judges decided to allow her to participate! A 24-year-old mage in the bracket for 36-45!"


    Steve updated the crowd about Lena''s participation in the bracket and the crowd wore confused expressions. They couldn''t understand why the kingdom wasted their chance to get second ce in the young bracket for such a risky gamble.


    "Did you guys ce all your money on Lena?"


    "Obviously."


    Everyone in Shana''s booth nodded in agreement. The ratio was 1:15 for betting on Lena''s victory, and all of them believed it was practically free money.


    "Haha, the gambling house from the empire doesn''t know whom they''re dealing with."


    Jayughed happily and everyone joined. Gale even ced all of Lena''s gold at her request, and they''d all have a fortune by the end of the day.


    "It''s good that you believe in one another, but you must be responsible for your money. It wasn''t easy for me to give you so much gold, and I might not be able to give you more if you lose it."


    Shana cleared her throat and said with the tone of a responsible adult, making everyone''s expressions turn weird.


    "Don''t pretend you didn''t multiply your wealth a few times in thest two days, and don''t pretend you didn''t ce all your money on Lena."


    Jay pointed out mercilessly Shana''s hypocrisy and Shana diverted her eyes back to the arena to avoid meeting everyone''s gazes.


    "The draws are over, let''s see the results!"

 Chapter 72 72 – Beginning Of The Older Bracket

    ?"The draws are over, let''s see the results!"


    The group searched for their friends'' names right away and let out a sigh of disappointment when they saw their numbers. Lena was number 36 and Violet was number 32, which meant they''d meet in the quarterfinals and only one of them could get into the top 3.


    Gale didn''t forget Lena''s deal with Prince Florian and searched for his name. Luckily for the prince, he was in the first half of the bracket with the number 64. He was in the opening fight and wouldn''t meet Lena until the finals.


    "Prince Florian got lucky, he might have a chance with Lena."


    Gale said his thoughts out loud only to be met with a headshake from Shana.


    "It''s not that easy. His division has the 3 of the 5 geniuses, and he will have to fight 2 of them to advance."


    "The 5 geniuses? Who are they?"


    "The 5 geniuses is a title for 5 geniuses who got to the mage phase at age of 29, each one of them belonging to a different kingdom. Can you guess who is ours?"


    Gale moved his gaze to Jay, he remembered she also advanced when she was 29.


    "Is it you, Jay?"


    "It is, and you also know another one of them, it''s David. The darkness mage who lost to Dion in the Intermediate bracket. Dion was just lucky enough to face him in a tournament since he is an assassin and head-on fights aren''t his thing."


    "I see, then Prince Florian will have a hard time considering he was a mage only for 3 years."


    "I heard the king purchased a set of rare seventh-grade potions for some of his offspring, which raised their affinities and even strengthened their connection to mana. So he might be as strong as the five geniuses."


    Gale''s eyes widened when he heard it was an option, but Shana hurried to cool down his enthusiasm.


    "As far as I know there are only 3 seventh-rank potion-brewers in the empire. Each set costs around a million gold coins, and they wouldn''t ept requests from just anyone even if they have the money; they are very busy. I assume the king emptied arge chunk of the royal vault to buy those sets."


    Gale sighed and focused back on the tournament; it was about time for the fights to begin.


    Steve invited Florian and his opponent to the arena and the battle began.


    "On one side we have the fourth prince of the Miyena Kingdom with fire and earth affinities, and on the other side we have Roy Cobra from the Evelonia Kingdom, one of the five geniuses, with the same affinities!"


    Florian''s first fight was against one of the five geniuses and Gale hoped he would win. Although he didn''t care whether Florian gets Lena''s hand or not since it was Lena''s business, it would be embarrassing if her suitor lost in his first match.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Florian attacked first with fire spells, forcing Roy to take the defensive. Roy replied with fire spells of his own, and explosions echoed in the colosseum. This exchangested for a few minutes, and Florian was on the losing end since his affinity was more about decaying than explosive power.


    Roy smiled with confidence and ran toward Florian with the intention to finish the battle early, making Florian''s face turn grave. Roy bombarded Florian with fire spells, making him retreat slowly to the end of the arena until he was trapped against a wall.


    Just when Roy got close and believed the shockwaves would send knock Florian out eventually, 4 walls of stone were raised from the ground and surrounded Roy, blocking his view. At the same time, Florian drew a knife, instilled it with his mana, and threw it at Roy.


    Roy, who knew both casting slots were used to raise those 4 walls, blew them up without worrying about the next spell following since Florian had no casting slots.


    To his dismay, as soon as the walls crumbled, a knife coated with darkness element appeared in front of him, and by the time he could perceive it with the darkness'' camouge abilities, it was toote. The knife pierced through his right leg and left a hole behind it.


    "Oops! Roy forgot Prince Florianes from the royal family and has a mountain of magic weapons and treasures at home! Prince Florian used a throwing knife made of metal with darkness element properties!"


    Roy, who lost his movement ability and had to face his opponent''s attacks head-on, was slowly overwhelmed by Florian who could avoid some of his opponent''s spells by dodging.


    "The winner is Prince Florian! With a cunning move he rendered Roy''s leg useless and imed the win!"


    Steve''s shout was heard as soon as the referee had to put out the decaying fire that spread over Roy''s body. Although it might have been slightly underhanded, that''s how battles worked, and Florian won fair and square within the tournament rules.


    Diverting his attention back to Shana, he asked a question that popped into his mind.


    "Who is the leading candidate of the empire?"


    "Lareth Geld and Jaina Proud. Lareth is a water and earth mage and Jaina has water and air affinities. Both of them should be 44 years old and advanced around the age of 29, the same as the five geniuses."


    Shana pointed at a muscr man and a skinny, short woman. Searching their names in the draws, he found Lareth as the next battle of Lena and Jaina will face her at the semifinals.


    The round continued and there were no surprises; the five geniuses and the empire''s strongest candidates won their matches.


    Soon, Lena''s turn arrived, and everyone watched with curiosity - can someone so young defeat the top geniuses of the kingdoms?


    "Now is the match we''ve all waited for. The first fight of Lena Stormborn, a famous genius of the Miyena Kingdom. Promoted to the mage phase at age of 23, known to have all four basic elements. But can she defeat those experienced mages after being a mage for only a year and a half?"


    Steve waited a few minutes to let his words sink in and added one more gossip he had to share.


    "For those of you who don''t know yet, she is also the sister of Gale Stormborn, the champion of the young bracket!"

 Chapter 73 73 - Lenas Performance

    ?Chapter 73 ¨C Lena''s Performance


    Lena''s turn arrived and she got on stage, facing a mage named Zach from one of the five kingdoms. He was 45 this year and advanced when he was 32, making him a genius worthy of participating in the tournament.


    Those who advanced after 35 were just there to fill the spots, and nobody expected much from them.


    Lena and Zach stood in their spots and the referee signaled them to start fighting.


    Zach started with a barrage of stones, which Lena countered by forming a sphere of water around her.


    "Woho! Lena is already on the defensive in her first fight! Will she be ok?"


    Steve shouted only to get a mental p to his face right after. Zach wasn''t a newbie and maintained minimal control of his stones. The control was meant to prevent them from being sent back in a water sphere spell, and only allow them to be deflected.


    However, to his horror, the pull was so strong that he was forced to spend enormous amounts of mana, or otherwise, the stones would circle around Lena instead of being ejected behind her.


    Wastingrge amounts of his mana, he forced the stones out of the sphere and Lena clicked her tongue in annoyance that she failed to send them back at him.


    Multiple snakes appeared in the air andunched at Zach who created arge cage to trap them inside. The problem with snakes was that they could slither around shields, and with Lena''s precision, she could make them hit the same ce if he used a wall.


    His only option to stop them was to hit them directly without giving them the option to dodge.


    The stone cage shrank on the snakes and tried to put the fire out by allowing no air inside, yet a few of the snakes exploded simultaneously and the cages broke from the explosion, leaving half of the snakes free.


    They quickly attacked Zach who caged himself in desperation with his avable casting slot and they exploded on the cage, making it crumble. Before he could cast another spell, an orb of fire appeared through a newly formed gap in the cage and exploded inside.


    The referee hurriedly raised defenses, but it was toote to block that explosion. Luckily for Zach, Lena didn''tpress the fire to the maximum to avoid killing him, but unluckily for him, she wasn''t kind enough to spare him from third-degree burns and broken bones, so he had plenty of those now.


    "Amazing! She overwhelmed her opponent in under a minute! She fights two brackets above her age yet makes it feel like she was fighting two brackets under her age!"


    Steve wasn''t miserly when it came toplimenting Lena. He felt it was an opportunity to hype the crowd since she could be easily considered the most interesting participant in the bracket.


    She was strong, beautiful, young, domineering, and fought older mages without a problem. Additionally, she was the older sister of another bracket''s champion.


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® "You need to be careful in your next fight. Seems like you aren''t going to get a free win against a newbie as we thought at first."


    Jaina warned Lareth next to her. She was nervous about facing him in the semifinals since their strengths were equal, and the winner would get more prizester. However, she''d pick fighting someone from the empire over someone equally strong from the kingdoms any day.


    If they can''t take first ce in this bracket too, the imperial family will probably give no rewards at all since they lost theirnds.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Go check Lena''s updated ratio of winning this bracket."


    Jay told Dion who went to check out of curiosity.


    "Haha, it''s 1:5 and it''s still plummeting!"


    With every second plenty of customers came to bet on Lena, making the prize ratio of those who ced their bets on her victory after the draws were revealed reduce with every moment.


    "Now to the second round, we have plenty of juicy fights! Two of the five geniuses will fight to check which kingdom''s genius is superior! The young heroine against a top contender from the empire! Each of those fights would be worthy to take ce in the semifinals!"


    As always, Steve hyped the crowd toward the next round. The crowd cheered and screamed, unable to wait patiently for the matches promised.


    Soon, the second round started and the winner between the two geniuses of the five geniuses was settled. Prince Florian would face him in the quarterfinals in the next round.


    As for Lareth and Lena, they stood in front of each other and waited for the signal to start. Although they both lookedposed, Lareth was on the edge the whole time; if he lost to a far younger mage from a kingdom, he''d turn into a joke!


    "Fight!"


    Lena didn''t wait long to start bombarding Lareth with powerful spells. The most frustrating part for Lareth was that the spells kept changing elements to counter his spells, always putting him at a disadvantage.


    "It feels like Lareth is facing a whole squad meant specifically to counter him! Whatever he tries to do, Lena''s next spell counters!"


    Lareth was cursing under his breath while he was taking hit after hit, unable to stop the attacks. When he used his water affinity, countering spells from the earth and wind elementsnded. When he used his earth affinity, Lena countered it with fire and wind.


    Switching defense spells felt like switching lines when waiting for a service; the other line always seemed to be moving faster, and each defense he raised felt like Lena had an even better counter for it.


    If it wasn''t enough, each of Lena''s spells felt like a huge beast running him over because of her higher affinity and stronger connection.


    Lareth was running all over the arena, dodging fire snakes, air des, water snakes, and stones desperately without a chance to catch his breath. He gave up on offense long ago and was just concentrating on surviving and trying to oust Lena''s mana capacity.


    His wounds piled up only slower than his frustration, and he was soon leaving behind a trail of blood wherever he went.


    A few more minutes passed and Lareth copsed on the ground, unable to take another step.


    ------


    AN: Sorry, had time to publish only one chapter today.

 Chapter 74 74 – Delaying For Time

    ?Lareth copsed on the ground, unable to take another step. The judge defended him with a cage of stone and ended the battle.


    "She won! Without a single injury, she defeated a genius of the empire that was expected to win the tournament!"


    The crowd cheered and apuded; the noise was second only to the cheers Gale won. To be fair, Gale couldn''t hold back his charm from affecting weaker people while fighting, so when he faced another mage, he looked even more attractive to the crowd.


    However, not everyone was as happy to see one of the top two fighters of the empire fall. One of them was a representative of the imperial family. Although he wasn''t there to recruit people, he was there to represent the emperor since it was considered an imperial tournament.


    His job was to pick fighters who would undoubtedly win first ce to win for the empire, yet he already failed in two brackets. To make things worse, thest bracket didn''t seem to be any better.


    "Come outside for a moment, I need to talk to you."


    The participants of the empire heard his voice from their waiting room. They all left their rooms and went outside to meet with him.


    "Listen, no matter whether you''re going to win or lose your fights, do your best to prolong them to the maximum. I don''t care if the crowd boos or gets bored, you must make the bracket too long for the semifinals to take ce today."


    The empire''s candidates looked at him patiently and waited for his exnation, but it never came. As a magus, he didn''t find a reason to exin himself to the young mages in front of him.


    "Yes, sir."


    Some bowed, and those of a higher social status didn''t, but all agreed to follow his instructions. Although he didn''t carry words from the emperor, he was still given authority over the tournament by the emperor.


    They went back to their waiting rooms and the tournament resumed as normal, yet one thing changed. At first, nobody noticed it but slowly it became evident.


    The mages from the empire changed their tactics and focused on dodging and blocking. Almost every fight an empire''s candidate took part in was stretched to the maximum, ending only when one side was out of mana.


    Every fight ended with both fighterspletely drained in both stamina and mana, and the crowd started to get impatient.


    "What''s going on? The battles seem to be long, are the empire''s candidates dragging the fights on purpose? It seems like they''re trying to gain time for something!"


    Steve''smentating only agitated the crowd who grew bored of pointlessly long fights. They were quite monotone, and everyone grew tired of them.


    "But for now we are having an interesting fight! Lena is fighting her friend from the empire, a fellow student under the Fire Witch of our kingdom, Violet Mirth!"


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® Violet had an ugly expression on her face. She was hoping to get to the top 3, yet she was matched with that monster.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Good luck Violet, do you need me to hold back to show your talent?"


    Lena asked insensitively, not even conscious enough to lower her voice. Violet wanted to scream at her "It sounds sarcastic if you say it like that!". If she admitted she needed her opponent to hold back to disy her powers, wouldn''t it mean she had none?


    "Ahm, no, thank you. Just fight normally."


    She held her exasperation back and answered the only answer she could give considering the setting.


    "Hahaha! Is she taunting her friend or is she really that insensitive to ask it aloud?"


    Steve asked the crowd who replied withughter. The judge took a moment to collect himself from the surprise and started the battle.


    Violet was experienced with fighting Lena. Lena forced all the girls to fight her until she overtook them and then kept challenging them just to try to beat them faster. She would keep a record and track her improvement by trying to beat the girls faster than before. Needless to say, she was the only one enjoying this type of training.


    Violet used a huge burst of mana to trap Lena inside a storm of fire. It was a spell aiming to kill, but she wasn''t worried about Lena for a single moment. She knew she didn''t have long, and she nned to go all out from the very beginning.


    Indeed,rge waves of water were shot from the spot Lena stood and the deadly firestorm turned into a simtion of a rainy day. Violet didn''t bother switching to her sub-element to counter the water spells; Lena would just change her element too.


    She used arge explosion of fire in front of Lena, trying to distract her with the bright light following and the shockwaves. Lena, however, remained impassive. As soon as firebirds rushed out of the light they were each faced with a water snake.


    Each bird was directly swallowed by a snake and the fire was extinguished directly, leaving half-evaporated snakes behind. Lena shot powerful beams of water, each containing immense power and water pressure.


    This time, using fire to defend herself wouldn''t be wise. Violet used her wind magic to cast a strong wind to push herself away from the water beams. She was sent flying by her own spell and rolled on the ground to lessen the impact and got on her legs only to duck again.


    Lena just kept pumping mana into the spell and turned around towards Violet. The water beams were pretty much chasing Violet as she used wind spells to keep throwing herself around the arena to dodge them.


    Now, both Violet''s casting slots were taken; she used one to generate winds to help her dodge the attacks and buffed herself with speed to react fast enough for when the water beams followed.


    Lena still had a casting slot free, and she used it for water snakes. They scattered around Violet, waiting for her tond within their reach to bind her.


    "Violet seems trapped! Does she have a n to survive this?"


    The crowd was holding its breath whenever a beam missed Violet by a few centimeters each time, and they couldn''t move their eyes away.

 Chapter 75 75 – Bullying Violet

    ?Water snakes scattered around Violet, waiting for her tond within their reach to bind her. Violet could see them and tried her best tond away from them.


    Sadly, it was enough to make it too difficult for her to dodge the beams now. Whenever shended on the ground, a snake would pounce on her and try to bind her, forcing her to use additional moves to dodge the snake too.


    Eventually, a beam hit her side and threw her in the air, making her lose her breath. A few snakes behind her immediately seized the chance under Lena''s control and wrapped around Violet.


    Violet struggled to set herself free but to no avail; each snake destroyed was reced by another. She was just spending her mana and stamina in a futile struggle.


    Soon, another beam hit her while she still couldn''t move, this time in the right shoulder. Her shoulder de made a disturbing noise as it took the hit and her arm got dislocated.


    "AH!"


    Violet shouted from the pain. No matter how often she gets beaten by Lena, it was never getting easier. Honestly, Lena enjoyed beating Violet. she was vexed with her friends those past few months whenever they fangirling Gale in front of her.


    She surrendered and the fight ended. Although she didn''t get to show too much prowess in this fight, she wasn''t worried about it. She knew her journey would end in the quarterfinals since the draws were out, so she did her best to showcase her talent in her previous battles.


    "Lena did it again, she beat her opponent hands down within minutes! I''ve already started missing such short fights!"


    Thementating stung Violet''s heart, but she just sighed in defeat and epted her bad luck. Steve then started talking again.


    "It''s alreadyte and in the previous brackets, we already finished the tournament by this time. The judges, along with the empire''s representative, decided to postpone the semifinals and finals until tomorrow. That''s it for today, thank you foring!"


    Unsatisfied murmurs raised from the crowd, but they had no choice but to cooperate. Everyone left the colosseum, and Gale and the girls did the same.


    "Be careful Lena, the empire''s candidates seemed to be stalling for time on purpose. Their representative also pressured the judges to postpone the semifinals. If I had to guess, I''d say it''s because they believe Jaina can''t defeat you and they either have a way to boost her power or get rid of you during the night."


    Gale warned his big sister worriedly. No matter how much he thought about it, those were the only two reasons he coulde up with. Either those reasons, or they''d switch Jaina with an all-powerful twin sister who looked just like her.


    "Don''t worry, they wouldn''t dare harm her during the night. Not only everyone would be suspicious of them, but they''d also enrage the representatives of the 5 academies. Besides, they would suffer a great loss by losing a genius of the empire for a fewnds."


    Shana calmed him down by exining why Lena can''t be in any danger. It meant they wanted to boost Jaina''s power somehow, and he figured it might cost them a fortune.


    "Why would they suffer a great loss? I thought the empire got many magi."


    Gale asked the first question that popped into his mind.


    "Many? They can''t have too many magi. The empire with more magi will have the chance to break the equilibrium and conquer the others. ording to the power ranking list, there are only 71 known True Magi in the empire. ording to estimations, even including the hidden ones there are only around a hundred of them."


    71 magi in the whole empire! Gale got a far better understanding of the importance of a single magus now. They were the pirs of the empire, and they were worth much more than a fewnds, especially when those would be lost only for 30 years until the next tournament.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    -------


    Somewhere in the capital:


    The empire''s representative, Derek, summoned Jaina to his room. When she arrived, he signaled her to leave the guards behind and enter. Since her guards wouldn''t help her fight off a magus anyway, sheplied and entered alone.


    "Check out those potions."


    He beckoned towards a box on the table and Jaina opened it to check its contents.


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® "3 mana absorbers and 3 mana connectors?"


    "Indeed, those are for you."


    Jaina was taken aback. Those potions were in the seventh grade, and each cost a few million imperial gold coins. She looked back at Derek.


    "Is this an instruction made by the emperor?"


    She asked with a hint of coldness to her voice.


    "No, it''s mine. Do it and I will owe you a favor. I''ve paid for those potions myself, and you can enjoy the effects."


    The potions'' effects would give her great benefits; by consuming them all she would be able to get to the fifth stage overnight and even get herself strengthened by one element.


    Besides, a favor from a magus wasn''t something one could take lightly, especially when the magus was part of the imperial family.


    "Sorry, I refuse."


    Jaina refused without thinking twice. Although it seemed like a dream offer, it was anything but a dream offer. After consuming those potions, the next ones'' effects would be so minor it wouldn''t be worth the exorbitant price.


    It might be important to mention that nearly half of the current magi only advanced using this potion when they were stuck at the sixth stage. Basically, by using those potions to advance to the fifth stage, she would essentially cut her chances to get to the magus stage by half.


    Although she was a genius, she wasn''t even in the top 5 among her peers, and even most of the top 5 would be stuck at the sixth stage forever.


    Magi had a lifespan of a thousand years, yet there were only around a hundred of them; it meant that on average, in the past 1000 years, only one magus was born every decade. She couldn''t afford to cut her only hope to the magus stage!


    "Let''s be honest Jaina. Out of all the magi I know, none of them wasn''t considered a top genius of his generation. Even with the help of the potions, your hopes to get to the magus stage are unfounded."

 Chapter 76 76 – Older Brackets Semifinals

    ?"Even with the help of the potions, your hopes to get to the magus stage are unfounded. Isn''t it better to have leverage on your peers for now and advance to the next stage? This way your rank among them might improve."


    It was true, but what genius would agree to give up on their dreams to stand at the top for some short-term gains?


    "Still no. If I can''t aspire to the top, I will lose my motivation to get stronger. I''m sorry, but you need to get someone else."


    "There''s no someone else! Tomorrow is your fight against Lena Stormborn, and you already know you can''t beat her. Consuming the potions won''t reduce your chances of getting to the next stage as much as you think; since it will help you to get to the Advanced Mage stage earlier, your chances to advance further will still improve."


    Seeing she was slowly changing her mind, he pushed more.


    "Does your family even have a rtionship with a seventh-rank potion brewer to give you those potions when you''re at the sixth stage? If you win the tournament, I will add to the deal 3 seventh-grade potions of your choice."


    She was convinced by now. Getting 9 seventh-grade potions was impossible for her family even if they offered their whole fortune. Just the costs were in the millions, and that didn''t include the lengths they''d have to go to create a strong rtionship with a seventh-rank potion brewer.


    "And additionally, I still get a favor from you whether I win or lose?"


    He nodded and pointed at the training room nearby.


    "Yes, now let''s go in and I will instruct you on advancing."


    Jaina took the box with the potions, they entered the training room, and the advancing process began.


    --------


    Shana''s group went to the tournament to resume their matches the next day. The first semifinal fight scheduled for the day was Prince Florian versus Elsa Scarlet, a water and air mage and one of the five geniuses.


    The fight was intense, and most of it was a long stalemate that no side could break. In the end, when both sides were exhausted, the advantage of having powerful weapons started to get more obvious. Florian only had to instill a small amount of mana in the weapon to generate a powerful attack, while Elsa had to spend more mana to block it.


    Eventually, the battle ended with both fighters kneeling on the ground. Slowly, Florian managed to get up on his feet and Elsa copsed to the ground, ending the fight with Florian''s victory.


    "That was unexpected! Prince Florian showed might beyond our expectations and managed to get to the finals! Does it mean the Miyena Kingdom will get two spots in the top 3 again?!"


    Gale nodded in appreciation yet sighed with pity.


    "If my guess is correct and the empire boosted Jaina, his originally low chances to be above everyone other than Lena are now nonexistent."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Next, was Lena''s turn. As soon as she got into the arena and faced Jaina, she could feel something was off. She probed Jaina with her mana sense and found out she couldn''t get any information.


    Jaina, who felt Lena''s probing, smiled at her in response and didn''t react. Gale''s spections were right; the empire decided to boost its candidate and they have done so splendidly. Jaina was boosted all the way to the Advanced Mage stage!


    "What am I feeling? Jaina is an Advanced Mage! Is it the reason the empire''s candidates did their best to stall yesterday? Our favorite genius might have to settle for second or third ce!"


    Steve told the crowd what happened, and the crowd booed indignantly. Everyone felt that the empire bent the rules and couldn''t ept their loss. Their kingdom was close to making history in the tournament, yet the empire used its abundance of resources to trample on those efforts.


    "Silence!"


    Derek''s voice shook the crowd and waves of powerful mana surged in the colosseum, making everyone turn silent with paled faces. The suppression of a magus wasn''t something they could take lightly, especially given the fact most of them were just magicians.


    "Don''t be too harsh, Derek. They were just slightly agitated."


    A feminine voice was heard by everyone, and the suppression was removed, letting everyone breathe with relief. It was Alice, one of the representatives of the 5 academies. She also didn''t like Derek''s intervention. Since he lost, he should''ve epted that loss instead of pouring resources on someone just to hide his ipetence.


    After themotion passed, the referee counted down to zero, and the fight began.


    Jaina, who was a water and air mage, opened with air spells. She believed that her casting speed and her connection to mana would allow her to overpower Lena by brute force.


    Lena used fire snakes to suck the air of wind spells. Despite the air des'' superior speed, her control was perfect and she managed to weaken the spells by half. As for the other half, they were met with a stone barrage that easily took care of them and continued toward Jaina.


    Jaina didn''t have a reason to worry; she used the ssic water defense spell, water sphere. The water sphere started evaporating from the fire snakes but held enough even to protect Jaina from most of the stones before copsing.


    The stones were exploding inside the water sphere in an attempt to deform it, but the strong current carried the debris behind Jaina and ejected it. Water cannons were formed around Jaina and started shooting water jets at the same time as Jaina was dodging the remaining few stones from the barrage.


    "How is that possible? Lena''s spells are only slightly less powerful than Jaina''s, an advanced mage! Look how she raises her stone walls from the ground, they keep denting and adjusting their defending angle to deflect the powerful water cannons with the least pressure possible!"


    At this point Steve was basically fanboying Lena, encouraging her and cheering for her along with the crowd to win the battle. Jaina was enraged by thementating, she felt deeply wronged! Everyone was cheering for Lena to defeat her, and it was affecting her mentality.


    "WHAT''S WRONG WITH TAKING AN OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN MORE POWER?"

 Chapter 77 77 – Reaction Time

    ?"WHAT''S WRONG WITH TAKING AN OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN MORE POWER?"


    Enraged, Jaina screamed and released huge bursts of mana. She was using one casting slot to defend herself with a water sphere against Lena''s attacks and one slot to change the beams into water birds.


    The birds worked simrly to the water beams, in the sense they flew as fast as a bullet, and their hit was blunt, but they were more flexible and unpredictable in their route. The downside was that for the same reasons, they were also weaker.


    "Lena is speeding towards Jaina with no hesitation! She jumps and dodges the birds, using only the minimal spells to deflect one or two! Are those the benefits of being strengthened by four different elements?!"


    They were unaware of the light element which made it 5, Lena didn''t show it yet in her battles.


    Jaina was going crazy as the battle passed and the crowd didn''t show any change in its behavior even after her recent outburst. She removed her water sphere spell and used both slots for offensive spells; one for the water birds and one for the water cannons.


    The water cannons were meant to restrict Lena''s movements while the birds were meant to deal the damage.


    Additionally, she ran to meet with Lena to shorten the distance, which would give Lena even less time to react.


    "How is Lena reacting so fast to everything Jaina does? Her reaction time seems inhuman."


    Gale noticed this peculiarity and asked Shana, who just shook her head to sign she didn''t know either.


    It was a weird sight; although Jaina''s spells were faster, the one who umted wounds when they got closer was Jaina. The shorter the distance between the two women got, the more Jaina couldn''t react in time to Lena''s spells, while Lena''s dodges turned risky but still sessful.


    They were so close now, that whenever Jaina cast a water cannon, it''d take around a quarter second to reach Lena, including the charging time. Yet Lena''s shields were generated in precision as if she had ample time to prepare for each shot.


    "AH!"


    Jaina screamed as a stone bullet from the barrage hit her leg. She was concentrating on offense only and tried to dodge Lena''s attacks without any defensive spells. When they got too close, she couldn''t dodge anymore even with her special flexibility as a water and air advanced mage.


    The bullet left a deep cut on her right calf, and a steady stream of blood started leaking from her injury.


    "AH!"


    Another scream was heard; the moment of pain made her lose concentration for a split second which cost her another deep cut, this time on the thigh of the same leg.


    She hurriedly dropped the extreme offense and raised a sphere of water to protect herself. Their distance now was only 3 meters away and both couldn''t get any closer to each other.


    Lena kept using exploding boulders to take advantage of the water sphere''s weakness, while Jaina tried to retreat to the former stalemate. However, Lena stayed within the three meters distance without fail.


    Because of Jaina''s running and moving, the cuts failed to close even with her heightened healing speed as an advanced mage, and her wounds kept bleedings. On the other hand, Lena only had a few bruises in ces Jaina''s spells grazed her.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Jaina started to panic; she felt like she might lose if things continue that way. She had to keep spending a lot of mana on replenishing and fixing the copsing water sphere, which would lead her to lose her main advantage as a higher-stage mage ¨C her mana reserves.


    "Damn those ridiculous body stats and reaction time! And why the hell are her spells so damn powerful as a true mage?!"


    She cursed under her breath as she felt those were her main problems. She was already regretting getting provoked by the crowd and running to meet Lena in close range where those advantages came to full disy.


    "They are in a stalemate! None can break the other''s defenses, yet Jaina''s mana expenditure seems much higher! Lena''s spells can contend against those of an advanced mage, how does she do it?!"


    Steve''s astonished shout reflected everyone''s feelings. This match was boiling their blood even more than Nina''s fight against Lara. Seeing a fight of this level was too rare in the kingdom!


    "I think it''s because Lena''spressing abilities are extreme. Although Jaina advanced and uses more mana for her spells due to her stronger connection, she still didn''t have time to train and improve her manapressing abilities as an advanced mage."


    Shana shared her thoughts with her students who nodded in understanding, and Shana continued.


    "So while Jaina''s spells are superior in quantity, they are inferior in quality. I still can''t exin Lena''s reaction time though."


    Although Lena''s spells were slightly weaker, she overcame the problem with precision and countering Jaina''s element.


    *BOOM!*


    The water sphere copsed in one big explosion and stones hit Jaina''s body in different body parts, leaving numerous bloody wounds behind. Jaina screamed in pain and stumbled back, and arge shield made of stone saved her head from getting hit by the iing stones and exploding.


    "STOP! FIGHT''S OVER, LENA WINS!"


    The judge shouted hurriedly as he spent a lot of mana at once. He was only an advanced mage himself and he advanced at a muchter age; he was worried Lena''s spells would break through his defensive spell and kill Jaina.


    Lena stopped casting her attacks and stood in ce, breathing heavily. She won, but it wasn''t easy at all. She had to maintain full concentration throughout the whole match and always run at high speeds. Naturally, it was very taxing on her stamina and mind.


    The crowd screamed as if Lena already won the finals, and the chants of Lena''s name would make an outsider think she was the kingdom''s savior.


    Inside the booth of the five academies, the representatives looked at her with interest.


    "Judging from her reaction time, it''s safe to assume she advanced to the mage phase with talent alone, without any potions boosting her connection. That''s amazing, whoever manages to get her attention must take good care of her. I wonder if her brother is the same."


    Charles said out loud everyone''s thoughts, and excitement could be seen in their eyes.

 Chapter 78 78 – Finals

    ?"STOP! FIGHT''S OVER, LENA WINS!"


    Jaina was carried out of the arena on a stretcher and tears were running down her cheeks. She felt disappointed in herself. Frustrated about losing after being forcibly boosted. Now that she lost, she wouldn''t even get the promised three seventh-grade potions, which made it almost certain she was destined to remain in the Mage Phase.


    Gale and the girls pped excitedly with the girls as Lena stood victorious in the arena. There was an hour''s break, and it was time for the finals.


    "It seems you were right a year ago, I can''t win against you. Do you think I will be lucky enough to get second ce? Jaina seems too downcast to challenge me."


    Prince Florian said to Lena as soon as they faced each other.


    "I doubt. Although she doesn''t care, the empire cares. They will make sure she challenges you."


    Florian sighed with disappointment. Even without the kingdom''s interests in mind, he would still be interested in Lena. She didn''tck in a single field; she was smart, beautiful, talented, and strong. Well, maybe her patience could improve, but nobody is perfect, right?


    "3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­ fight!"


    The referee counted down when he saw they finished their short exchange and the fight started.


    Florian felt that conceding without a fight would leave a negative impression on Lena, so he decided to entertain her. He sted her with spells and used his darkness-steel dagger from the beginning.


    As excepted, it didn''t do much. Instead of attacking, Lena used a wind spell to boost her speed and flexibility and a fire spell for power and even more speed. She dodged the spells and deflected the dagger with her palm and closed in on Florian.


    Florian tried to jump aside to get out of her way, yet given all her body stats, she could easily follow. She sent a round kick at Florian who managed to raise a stone shield in time to block it.


    Using her crazy response time and flexibility, she followed the round kick with a jump and kicked with her other leg under the shield, to which Florian couldn''t react in time.


    Lena fell on the ground after the double kicks, but Florian suffered much worse. The kick connected with his stomach, knocking the air out of him and sending him flying a few meters beforending on the ground and rolling on his side a few times.


    A kick from a body strengthened by five elements plus boosted by two spells was no joke, and it probably caused some internal damage.


    Lena quickly jumped back to her feet and ran toward Florian again, who gathered himself together when she was already close, and hurriedly raised a 10-meter tall wall to hide himself behind it and stop Lena''s mad advance.


    However, he didn''t take into consideration that with poweres great jumping power. Lena jumped high into the air, kicked the wall once, twice, and reached the top of it with her hands. She pulled herself up beyond the wall and jumped down toward Florian.


    Florian tried to resist by sending a barrage of stones he believed she wouldn''t be able to dodge midair, and he was right ¨C she couldn''t.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Instead, she switched the wind boost spell with an earth boost spell, which increased her endurance and power. She kicked and punched the stones with brute force and a bit of technique and reached Florian again.


    Florian moved to the side again, which saved his face, but not his shoulder.


    "Ahh!"


    He groaned in pain when Lena''s punch connected with his shoulder, causing fractures all over his shoulder de. Before he could recover from the pain, a sweep kick made him fall to the ground and an axe kick followed and broke some of his ribs.


    "Stop! Lena wins!"


    The judge felt bad watching and stopped the fight as soon as possible. Nobody expected Florian to win, but Lena''s violent and unmagelike way of fighting provoked pity for Florian from all the spectators.


    "I don''t date men who need their opponent to be downcast to win second ce."


    Lena said to Florian quietly and he just groaned in response. Even if she wanted to reject him, was there any need to be so violent about it? He thought bitterly and let the healers carry him to get treatment.


    Two hourster, he waspletely healed and ready for battle.


    "Jaina uses her right to challenge second ce. Let''s call the fighters to the arena!"


    However, Florian wasn''t up for another round of beating. As soon as he was called back to the arena, he announced his surrender and was moved to third ce, while Jaina got second.


    "The final results are 3 first ces, a single second ce, and two third ces for the Miyena Kingdom. 2 second ces and a single third ce for the empire. The Miyena Kingdom gets to retain its twonds and get 11 morends for the next 30 years. May our empire and kingdoms flourish!"


    The crowd apuded and the tournament was concluded.


    "Now, for the ceremony! All winners please stand here, you will be receiving offers from the different forces of the empire first. The winners from the empire will get their rewards from the imperial family''s representative."


    It was done this way to let the 5 academies pick their favorites first and leave when they were done. Nobody would dy the 5 magi for no reason; their time was important, and even if it wasn''t nobody would dare tell them that.


    Following the instructions, the 9 fighters formed three lines. In the first row were the different champions, in the second row were those who won second ce, and in the third row were those who won third ce.


    The five magi appeared in front of them and nodded in appreciation as they looked at the young mages. They were never interested in so many mages from the kingdom before at a single tournament.

 Chapter 79 79 – Gold Forces Offers

    ?Steve started exining to the people present the way the recruiting process worked.


    "Let me exin; every force interested in taking you in will make an offer to you, and you can pick the one who you think fits you the most. Additionally, everyone who was in the top three is eligible to get one more prize, which the recruiting force must give separately from the offer."


    He gave them a few seconds to process his words and continued.


    "If you remain in the kingdom, then it''s the kingdom''s responsibility to grant you a reward, and if you''re from the empire, then it''s the empire''s."


    There was no point in keeping the candidates from the empire with the kingdoms'' group, so the ceremony started with their rewards. As a second-ce winner, Drake got a set of fifth-stage potions to shorten his advancing time to the Advanced Mage stage.


    Jaina didn''te to the ceremony out of shame and wasn''t shameless enough to demand more rewards after getting 6 seventh-grade potions and a favor from a magus. As for Lara, who won third ce, she received a single fifth-grade potion as a reward.


    Although it might seem of lower value, consuming a fifth-grade potion as a true mage was a luxury. Potions'' effects were utilized to the maximum only when consumed by a practitioner of the same rank.


    The members of the empire left and only the kingdoms'' candidates remained behind. In a tacit understanding, the silver and bronze forces stood at the side and let the top 5 academies pick their students first.


    First, the 5 representatives went to those who didn''t win a rank at the top.


    "David, although you haven''t won a ce at the top, it was only because you aren''t fit for head-on battles. We would like to offer you to join us, which academy would you like to join?"


    They eachy down their offers and benefits, which were pretty much simr to each other, and David chose Charles'' academy, also known as Crossed Academy, after being promised that his academy had the most darkness-mage teachers and assassins.


    Unfortunately, the rest of the five geniuses who didn''t win, as well as Violet, didn''t get an offer from the academies due to their older age despite their talents.


    "Nina, you are extremely talented and have great prospects. Would you like to join my academy?"


    This time the representatives showed even more interest. She was only 28 and could be nurtured from a rtively young age. The students of the academies normally graduated when they were 50 years old or upon bing expert mages. Usually, the former happened first.


    Besides her age, there was one more reason for them to be interested in her.


    "Your fire element has a great life attribute. It means that your future as a potion brewer will only be limited by your rank. Our academy is proficient in the arts of potion brewing, and we can offer you great benefits."


    This time William was the one who spoke first, and seeing the other representatives remaining silent, Nina understood he wasn''t bragging for no reason. She looked at her mom who nodded at her and epted his offer to join the Holy Woond Academy.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Next was Jack who was close enough to the mage phase to be relevant. However, his terms weren''t as good as the ones David''s got. He picked Midjar Academy, mainly because he fell in love with Isobel the moment hey his eyes on her.


    Isobel smiled suggestively and the five continued to the next candidate, Dion. They skipped Prince Florian because of his age, which meant he''d probably have to pick a silver-rank force.


    They didn''t try to recruit Dion either, probably because she was already 35 and on the verge of being in the other bracket. Gale, seeing it, was quite amazed by their standards.


    "I''m sorry young girl. We normally never recruit students above 30. We make a few exceptions in this tournament because the candidates didn''t have the best resources and guidance, which would make it unfair to ask them to be of the same standards as the young practitioners of the empire, but we only make those exceptions for triple-element mages and special element mages."


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® William smiled and exined to Dion the circumstances when he saw her disappointment.


    "Don''t worry, there are many silver-rank forces here that can nurture you to the maximum and will be happy to offer you great benefits."


    Dion appreciated his encouragement and nodded. Silver forces had a magus in their ranks, they couldn''t be bad.


    Next was Jay. She was only 31 years old and could be recruited to the 5 academies due to her triple elements. The first to make offers were William, Charles, and Isobel. Next were Lucas and Alice. It was evident that Lucas and Alice''s offers were much better than the other three''s, and the insiders knew it was because of theirpetition.


    They knew everyone was going to invest their best offers for Gale and Lena and couldn''t guarantee to get one of them, which meant Jay was theirst chance to make sure they don''t go home empty-handed. It would be quite shameful if nobody picked their academy after all.


    "Listen to my offer; we will provide you with fourth-rank beasts of your elements for your meals until you rank up."


    Jay widened her eyes in surprise and her face almost revealed her greedy thoughts.


    "We will provide you with fourth-grade potions and ointments until you rank up."


    Jay was confused; her offers were getting better than Nina''s, and she didn''t really get why. However, she wisely decided to shut up and make a contemting face. The desperate two magi fell for her little scheme hook, line, and sinker.


    "We will add 10 thousand of imperial gold for your personal use every month, so you can use them to get additional benefits."


    "We will give you the right to train for 10 weekly hours in the training rooms for free. You must know those have a very high demand and are very difficult to ess."


    They added offers far beyond Jay''s worth and she hurriedly decided to ept Lucas'' offer of free potions and time in the training rooms before they could retract them. Only then Lucas'' face distorted when he realized he was scammed by a girl eight times younger than him.

 Chapter 80 80 – Gales Choice

    ?With Jay''s choice of joining the Moon Nova Academy, it was time for the main dish; the five representatives looked at Gale and Lena with hungry eyes. Lucas and Alice didn''t even hide a spark of lust in their eyes, each with a different target.


    They already decided to approach Gale first and leave Lena forst. They judged that Lena''s prospects were better as they felt her affinities were much higher, and Gale only showed two affinities in his fights. In fact, they didn''t even get how Gale got to the Mage Phase so young without potions with his affinities.


    "First we would like to ask you a few questions if you don''t mind."


    The one who spoke was William, the oldest of the 5. Lena and Gale looked at him and nodded to sign he could go ahead and ask.


    "First, did you advance without using potions to boost your ranking up?"


    "We didn''t use potions other than healing potions."


    Gale replied and Lena nodded in agreement. A glint of excitement passed in the representatives'' eyes.


    "At what age was your first interaction with mana?"


    This question made more sense since the real age of practitioners was from their first interaction with mana. Only then the mana acknowledged their existence, and the connection the practitioner would form with the mana depended on the time passed from that point.


    "I started when I was 17, I became a mage at 23, five years and 10 monthster."


    Lena replied first and Gale followed.


    "I started when I was 19, I became a mage 3 monthster."


    "Impossible!"


    They were shocked at Lena''s achievement, but Gale''s im was beyond belief.


    "That''s the truth."


    Gale shrugged and insisted on his answer.


    Suddenly, he felt a powerful pressure on his mind and William asked again.


    "At what age was your first interaction with mana?"


    Gale kneeled and held his head in pain; the pressure was beyond what he ever experienced.


    "It was when I was 19¡­ and I turned a mage¡­ three monthster!"


    He replied with difficulty and the pressure disappeared.


    *BOOM!*


    A few fire snakes exploded a few centimeters away from William out of nowhere, yet they were all contained inside water spheres that didn''t even waver from the explosions.


    "Rx girl, he is perfectly fine. We just had to test whether he was speaking the truth since what he said sounded downright impossible."


    William frowned and turned to face Lena. He didn''t attack her or tried to punish her for her rudeness. He was already regretting not letting one of the other magi test Gale and take the hit in their image in Lena''s eyes. He decided to say "we" to let his friends share the me with him.


    "Either he is telling the truth or his mind is as strong as an old expert mage, which would be no less impressive."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He turned around to his friends and told them his conclusions. The five magi all looked at Gale like he was a juicy piece of meat.


    "You can have free ess to the training rooms, and all potions and ointments that don''t directly boost your connection. Additionally, we will get you three seventh-grade potions to boost your affinities. Those are the most expensive seventh-grade potions in the empire, and all are sold in auctions for dozens of millions of imperial gold."


    "Same."


    "Same.


    "Same."


    "You can add more terms, I can agree on my academy''s behalf. You will have a magus as your personal teacher."


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® "I can too."


    The magi all offered the same terms ¨C everything. Gale gaped at them in amazement when he realized how much they valued him. He understood there was something bad about consuming potions that boosted connection since nobody tried to entice him with those.


    "Why don''t you offer me connection-boosting potions?"


    He decided to ask anyway.


    "They will be a detriment to your future. You will be exined everything when you get to the academy you choose."


    The magi didn''t think it was time for a lesson in magic, so they kept their answer short.


    Gale made his decision from the very beginning when he heard one academy was specializing in assassination and the darkness element. However, a certain woman came and put a stop to his ns.


    "Take Alice''s offer and join her Dream''s Peak Academy. This one fits you the most."


    The 5 magi turned around to look at the neer and raised a surprised eyebrow.


    "Who are you, and why are you interfering?"


    "Hi mom, why do you say that?"


    Gale answered the question for them, and the magi froze. Since she was Gale''s mom, she was also Lena''s mom. They didn''t know their rtionships in the family and didn''t know how to respond. If they appeared too hostile, they might lose both Lena and Gale. Yet if they didn''t resist, she might send both to Alice!


    "Miss, Alice''s academy is too dangerous for such a rare talent. Do you know their academy believes in the approach of letting the strong rule? He might even die in such an environment without a proper backer."


    "Nonsense. I''ll be his backer if needed. Nobody will harm him in the academy!"


    Alice quickly refuted everyone''s warnings and tried her best to calm down Elizabeth. She didn''t know why Gale''s mother would rmend her academy, but she wouldn''t miss that chance.


    "That''s even more dangerous miss. Professor Alice is single, and she is probably older than you. Wouldn''t it be dangerous to leave Gale in her care?"


    Lucas decided that since Alice never showed any interest in him, saying a few bad words about her couldn''t reduce his chances with her any further.


    "It''s ok, you don''t need to convince me. I''ve made my research, and this is the best academy for Gale. He also doesn''t need a backer and constant protection; it will hinder his growth."


    Gale and Lena understood his mother''s intentions; she wanted him to go to the most dangerous academy because he wouldn''t absorb others'' magic if they didn''t harm him first. Only at an academy like Alice''s, there would be people who might aim for his life and allow him to absorb others'' magic without conflict with his moral code.

 Chapter 81 81 – Meeting The Grandparents

    ?"Take Alice''s offer and join her Dream''s Peak Academy."


    Gale''s mother repeated her words, but he was still unsure whether he should listen to her. He looked at Lena, he expected her to be against putting him in danger, yet she just nodded in agreement.


    He sighed with annoyance. She''d attack a magus for hurting him yet send him to a dangerous-sounding academy. How did it make any sense?


    Well, by now he decided not to be trusting and overly merciful anymore. Although he wouldn''t harm or abuse those weaker than him nor try to steal from those stronger, he didn''t feel that those who wanted to kill him deserved his mercy.


    "Fine, I still want all the benefits you''ve promised."


    Alice smiled seductively, went close to him and tiptoed to his ears, and whispered.


    "No problem, I can even teach you directly myself if you want."


    She took a step back and Gale felt a slight sense of loss when her breasts left his chest. He gulped and focused on the overall situation again while Lena rolled her eyes. She felt somewhat disappointed to see her brother losing his cool over a pair of boobs.


    "I¡­ I will decide after seeing my other options as well."


    He forced himself to say and Alice pretended to be hurt.


    "I guess I''m not good enough for you. Am I not pretty enough?"


    "Ok, enough with the games. You''ll have enough time to flirt with my son in the academy when I''m not in front of you. How about you, Lena?"


    Elizabeth didn''t enjoy seeing a 150-year-old woman flirting with her son and put an end to it. However, she still encouraged Alice to do it behind her back; she''d be more than satisfied if Gale could absorb her magic.


    "I offer the same terms I''ve offered Gale."


    "Me too."


    Everyone offered the maximum to Lena as well. However, she had another point of interest.


    "Which one of you is the best for improving light magic?"


    "Haha, it''s us!"


    Lucas said with a smug face, and everyone got even more jealous. Nobody knew she even had an affinity with the light element!


    "Then I will join Moon Nova Academy, Jay is also a good sparring mate."


    "Haha, of course, of course! I will be more than happy to be your personal teacher if you''d like."


    Lucas said with a big warm smile. Combined with his handsome face, he would fool any na?ve girl.


    "No. I will only agree if the head of the academy will teach me himself. I don''t need a mediocre teacher."


    Lucas'' smile vanished in a heartbeat and his face distorted with anger. He was one of the only 71 known magi in the empire, is that mediocre?


    "I will ask him, but he might not agree. As a Grand Magus, he is a very busy person."


    He forced himself to swallow his pride and answered with difficulty. He already swore to himself that he will eventually get into her pants whether she likes it or not.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "After she sees my size, the word ''mediocre'' will never be associated with me again in her mind."


    He thought to himself and forced a smile. Despite being a magus, Lena''s talent and potential were beyond his by far.


    "All right. We finished recruiting, now it''s time to announce the prizes."


    The standards were already set by the imperial representative, and they needed to give something of simr worth.


    "Jack, for winning third ce you will get a set of 3 fourth-grade connection boosters to help you get to the Mage Phase soon. I decided on 3 fourth-grade potions instead of a single fifth-grade one because they''d be much more useful for you as a magician."


    "Jay, for winning first ce you will get two sets of fifth-grade potions. One to boost your connection and help you advance to the next stage sooner, and one to help you boost your affinities."


    "Gale, for winning first ce you get 300 thousand gold coins. It''s only symbolic since you have free ess to all of the academy''s potions and facilities."


    "Lena, for winning first ce you will get 300 thousand gold coins. Just like Gale''s, it''s only a symbolic prize."


    The 5 magi then instructed their new students to meet with them a weekter so they can say their goodbyes before departing to the academies.


    The ceremony continued after the magi left and the silver forces stepped forward while the bronze forces waited behind. Violet and Dion enrolled together in a female-only academy, and Prince Florian chose to remain in the kingdom.


    "Wait!"


    "Wait!"


    Two male voices were heard when Gale and Lena were about to leave and they turned around to look. Two middle-aged men were walking quickly toward them. Behind one of them was a little girl and behind the other was a young man in his twenties.


    "Do you need anything from us?"


    Lena asked with an impatient voice. She wanted to leave before the crowd stopped her and Gale. The old men looked at each other hesitantly, and one of them decided to speak first.


    "Haha, how could I ask for something from my beloved grandchildren? I was just a little disappointed neither of you popped by to say hello to your grandparents when you were on your way to the capital."


    Heughed awkwardly but was only met with the silent looks of his grandchildren.


    "I''m Harry Stormborn, I hope to mend our rtionship. After all, blood is thicker than water."


    Harry Stormborn was a tall man, 190 cm tall, with tanned skin. His hair was blonde and his eyes as green as his grandchildren''s.


    "Hi cousins, I''m Anna." The young girl was around 11 years old, and her cheeks still had baby fat, making her look adorable. Half of Gale''s anger vanished just by looking at her.


    "I don''t know any grandfather. Do you know one, Gale?"


    "¡­Me neither."


    He hesitated for a moment when looking at his cousin, yet steeled his heart and denied. His fear of Lena''s violent nature overtook Anna''s cuteness.


    "I''ve already instructed to prepare three mansions for you two and for your brother close to my own, I really hope we can reconcile. I was mistaken in not reaching out to you, but you need to understand I was furious when my most talented son was crippled."

 Chapter 82 82 – Departure

    ?Harry Stormborn was a proud man, although he wanted to reconcile with his grandchildren, he tried not to show his nervousness.


    "I was mistaken in not reaching out to you, but you need to understand I was furious when my most talented son was crippled because of someone else."


    "So you abandoned him?"


    "I didn''t abandon him! he chose this woman over his family although it was all her fault he was crippled!"


    This time the second man didn''t remain silent.


    "No, it''s this woman who chose a cripple over her own family. I''m sorry we didn''t have a rtionship until now, my dear grandchildren. You don''t ever have to go back to the kingdom if you don''t wish to; I''ve prepared mansions for you in the empire to live in whenever you''re on vacation from the academy or graduate."


    "Hello cousins, I''m Mark, and this is our grandfather, Salomon."


    The young man introduced himself and his grandfather.


    "You both forget that those woman and cripple are our parents."


    Lena replied coldly. She didn''t like their attitude, nor the fact that they came to reconcile right after they showed their immense potential and not before.


    "You¡­ you''re right. It''s wrong to refer to them this way next to you. However, it''s not that I didn''t want to stay in touch with my own flesh and blood, it''s just that my most talented daughter was wasting her potential by remaining by the side of someone so weak."


    Lena''s re made Salomon think he might''ve spoken too much.


    "There are many implications for being with someone weak. For example, you were born before his poisoning, and look how talented you are. Donne came after it and his talent in magic is much lower than yours because of it. I don''t know howe Gale''s talent improved, but he waspletely talentless in magic!"


    Salomon tried to exin his reasons for being angry with his daughter.


    "Hmph, she would bepletely shameless to abandon him after he ate the poison meant for her. It''s my son who should''ve left her for involving him in her problems, leading to his downfall!"


    Harry didn''t let Salomon smear his son''s name.


    "We get it, we get it. But you won''t be able to reconcile with your grandchildren now if you don''t admit you were both wrong and stop criticizing their parents."


    Mark quickly intervened when Lena''s expression turned angrier with every passing moment. Gale himself was feeling repulsion toward his grandparents when they kept arguing about which of his parents was in the wrong.


    "Mark is right, just apologize!"


    Anna rebuked the two old men. The sight of the young girl scolding two old men whom he couldn''t sense the stage of was quiteical for Gale and dispelled some of his repulsion.


    Harry and Salomon red at each other for a short moment and hesitated. Eventually, they both preferred their grandchildren over their egos.


    "You''re right, we should prioritize our rtionship with our grandchildren now that it''s toote to change anything. I''m sorry."


    Harry apologized first and even bowed to his grandchildren, which caught them unprepared.


    "It''s true, my rtionship with you is more important. I n to go and meet with Donne after it, too."


    Salomon apologized right after Harry and bowed.


    "We ept the mansions and the family''s resources. We will see about the reconciliation."


    Lena took the benefits and left them hanging about whether she agreed to form a rtionship with them or not. Gale found it reasonable, so he just nodded, waved at Anna with a smile, and left.


    "Bye-bye Gale!"


    Anna waved back and the four watched their backs as they left.


    A weekter, those who were meant to leave for the empire met at arge airport and faced 5rge airships.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "What are those?"


    The kingdom bumpkins asked with curious eyes.


    "Haha, that''s our ride. Those are airships manufactured in the empire, each one costs in the billions! Come abroad, we''re heading to the academy."


    --------


    A week ago:


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® After the five representatives left the colosseum they went to the mansions they were given by the king for their stay. Alice was enjoying the meat of a fifth-rank beast when the door to the mansion opened, and a figure came in.


    "Who is this? Not many dare barge into a magus'' house, especially when they''re home."


    "Hello Alice, I''m Elizabeth."


    Alice saw the redhead woman walks slowly toward her, acting as if she was an invited guest.


    Alice was getting irritated. Although she was the mother of two geniuses, a mere woman from the kingdom didn''t have the right to act as she wished in front of her.


    "May I know what you are doing here, Miss Elizabeth?"


    "You may. But first of all, let''s make things clear."


    Mana burst from her body and Alice widened her eyes in surprise. She released her aura to contain the pressure, and Elizabeth stopped.


    "How old are you?"


    "I''m 144."


    "So, why are you here?"


    This time Alice''s irritation was gone and she was taking Elizabeth seriously.


    "To make sure you understand your role when ites to Gale."


    "And what is my role when ites to Gale?"


    "To protect him from the shadows, without letting him know you''re protecting him. I told you not to protect him earlier just to make sure he doesn''t getcent."


    "I never nned on letting him be permanently injured or killed. I believe you already know the worth of a 3-month-old mage."


    "Of course I do. However, he is too peaceful and hates conflicts. Although he came a long way, he is also still na?ve and inexperienced. I want you to help him improve in this aspect."


    "And how am I supposed to do that?"


    "Your task is simple. I want you to encourage conflict between him and other students. He has a weak spot for beautiful women, so make sure to pit him against as many women as possible. Only then he will not fall for honey traps."


    "That''s¡­ a weird request from a mother."


    "I''m just open-minded. In fact, I wouldn''t mind if you go after him too. Just wait for when he is an expert mage so you don''t hinder his progress."


    Obviously, Elizabeth wanted to cause conflicts with females so he can absorb their magic, and not because of his naivety. As for asking Alice to wait for him to advance to the Expert Mage stage, she was just sure Gale had no chance of charming her as he is currently.


    "I''ve done my best for you, my kids. Now it''s my time to avenge your father."


    She muttered to herself when she left Alice''s mansion.

 Chapter 83 83 – Arriving At The Academy

    ?After a few days'' travel in the airship, Gale reached the academy and Alice came to talk to him.


    "The academy is divided into two precincts. One is meant for those under 25 and one for those above. As a mage, I rmend you go to the one meant for the older students since you won''t have much to gain and learn in the one meant for magicians."


    "Then I will follow your advice."


    Alice''s countenance turned thoughtful for a moment, and shortly after she revealed a smile.


    "We have a few ranking lists in the academy. I will put you into the one for ages 25-35 at the fourth rank, but you''d still be unranked in the full list because of the advanced mages. The full list includes the top 100 in the whole academy regardless of age."


    "What are the benefits of being on the list?"


    "Most of it is meaningless for you since I granted you full ess to the training rooms and potions, but it gives the other students mainly those things."


    She continued before Gale could give up on his spot.


    "But, there are still a few important things. First is the amodation. The dorms have magic circles inscribed on the walls, the floors, and the ceilings. Those magic circles collect mana from the surroundings but require constant maintenance. The rooms meant for the top students have the best magic circles which make the mana density in the room much higher."


    "So I will live and sleep in a better environment. Is that all?"


    "No, the best training rooms are only avable for the top 10. Although you have unlimited time in the training rooms, you''d have ess only to the normal ones if you aren''t in the top 10."


    "Do the students have any duties?"


    "Of course, but you have 3 months of limatizing to the new environment in which you don''t have to perform your duties. Come, I will take you to your new apartment."


    "If I take the apartment of the fourth rank, does it mean everyone under my rank needs to change apartments along with their ranking?"


    Gale wondered out loud.


    "Haha, it''s not as bad as it might sound. The rooms are inscribed with a space magic circle that was made by a few magi. When we announce a change, it teleports all personal belongings to the new apartment of the individual."


    Then she exined further.


    "Besides, it''s not like every apartment is different. It''s generally divided into ranks 1-3, 4-10, 11-100, and 101-500. You probably got the apartment of rank ten who got the one of rank 100, who got the apartment of rank 500, who probably doesn''t exist, so it was free."


    "How many students are there in the academy?"


    "The number isn''t fixed since at least a few hundreds die every year, but it should be around 25,000 if we include only those above 25."


    "What can we use gold coins for in the academy?"


    "Mainly extra sses, better meals, and materials if you want to train a second profession. However, the main currency is magical gold. Each is worth around a hundred normal gold coins. As for what magical gold is, you will see soon."


    They reached Gale''s apartment and Alice stopped outside.


    "That''s your apartment. You can explore it today and rest. Tomorrow, a student wille to fetch you and you will choose your personal teacher as promised. Don''t expect them to teach you everything though; all the magi here are busy with their own training and research. They will only give you pointers once a week."


    Gale thanked her and entered the apartment.


    "Hello Gale Stormborn, I''m the support system, Alessa. You can ask me questions regarding the amodations and the academy. You can also request me to buy food and materials from the academy''s store."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Gale heard a pleasant genderless voice as soon as he closed the door.


    "What? Alessa? Where are you?"


    He looked around confused, looking for the person who just spoke.


    "I''m everywhere."


    Gale started worrying when it cleared some of his misunderstandings.


    "I''m part of the apartment, I''m not a human. My job is to alert the staff in case of damage that needs to be repaired and help students with misceneous tasks. Other than that, I don''t monitor the students'' actions."


    Gale nodded and found it reasonable. He walked around the apartment and inspected the different facilities. First was his bedroom. It was arge room with a king-size bed in the middle. To the side, there was a chair and a desk with a few shelves, but they were all empty.


    He left the bedroom and visited the bathroom. It had a 5-meter-radius round bathtub. He could already imagine all the steamy activity that could take ce with so much space. Other than that, there was a toilet and a shower that seemed standard.


    "Alessa, can you fill the bathtub with hot water one hour from now?"


    "Yes."


    In his mind, Alessa was an invisible maidservant. When he tried imagining it, he would see a weird genderless version of Nina.


    Other than that, he found arge kitchen with a dining table that was enough for 5 people, and he guessed it meant he could invite other students to his apartment.


    "Alessa, what is on the menu for today?"


    "Checks permissions for Gale Stormborn¡­ can eat the meat of third-rank beasts and nts of the same rank for free. Fourth-rank food is 10 IMG and fifth-rank food is 100 IMG per dish." (A/N: IMG ¨C magical gold)


    "What?! But I was told I can have as much fifth-rank meat as I wanted!"


    "Checks again¡­ permission denied. Requirements to exercise your rights to eat better food for free: hold 1 record for fourth-rank food and 3 records for fifth-rank food."


    "What records are there?"


    "Please be more specific. Which record would you like to know about?"


    "Never mind."


    He decided to ask the professors the next day about it. Apparently, although he was promised benefits, he had to show some achievements first.


    He explored thest room in the apartment which was a personal training room where the mana density was a few times higher than outside.


    "Alessa, how is the mana density herepared to the normal environment outside?"


    "Outside, the mana density is 1 MDU (A/N: mana density units), and here it''s 3 MDU."


    Gale decided to have dinner, take a bath, and call it a day.

 Chapter 84 84 – Beasts Power System

    ?Gale got up in the morning and had a vegetarian meal for breakfast, which consisted of different third-rank nts. Although they were tastier than normal nts and had more nutrients, they didn''t really provide him any help in his magic practice.


    *Knock knock*


    "Who is there?"


    He opened the door and found a young man, looking like he still wasn''t in his twenties.


    "Hello, are you Gale Stormborn?"


    "Yes, who is asking?"


    "I''m Zach, I was sent by Professor Alice to bring you to the magi''s meeting. Please follow me."


    Gale was already prepared since Alice warned him about it yesterday, thus he just left his apartment and followed Zach. They left the dorms and walked for 10 minutes until they arrived at a huge campus. Zach led him to one tall building and knocked on the door of one of the meeting rooms.


    "Enter."


    They entered and Gale saw 6 people sitting around a long table, seeming to be waiting for him.


    "Sit down with us."


    Alice smiled at him and the rest nodded with smiles on. One of them signed Zach to leave and close the door after him.


    "Can you tell us again about your age and your first interaction with mana?"


    One of them asked. Gale answered and everyone nodded in excitement.


    "Let''s check his affinities first."


    One man brought a few orbs and exined.


    "Each orb belongs to a different element. We can use those to assess your affinities with each element. We were told you''re a fire and earth mage, do you have other affinities?"


    Gale thought for a moment and decided to hide his other affinities for two reasons: the first was that they were weak and probably not worth mentioning in front of magi, and the second was that he could im he just hid his affinities if in the future he improves the affinities with the other elements.


    "Those are indeed my only elements worth mentioning."


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® The professor revealed a disappointed face but quickly hid it.


    "I''m sure they are very high then. Please put your hand on the orbs and channel the relevant elements into the orbs in the purest form you can. You can tell the right element by the orbs'' colors."


    He forced a smile and gave Gale two orbs. Gale poured fire mana into the red one and earth mana into the brown one, and they started glowing.


    "The affinities for mages are divided into 7 ranks, with D as the lowest and SSS as the highest. Each rank has a scale from 1 to 100, and the higher the number the closer the affinity to the next rank. Let''s see yours."


    Alice exined as he poured his mana.


    "A-52 for earth and S-90 for fire."


    Alice said, her voice having a mixture of surprise and disappointment in it. They didn''t sense wrong in the arena; his affinities really weren''t special.


    "How is it possible that he advanced so early with those affinities? Although his fire affinity is high, it''s just like the rest of us."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    One man in the room said out loud everyone''s thoughts.


    "Well, let''s see his casting speed. Alice said Lena''s was on par with a genius advanced mage''s speed."


    Alice gestured towards a wall while facing Gale.


    "Attack this wall with as many fourth-rank spells as you can."


    Gale double-cast fire orbs against the wall as fast as he could, and everyone''s expectant eyes turned cold.


    "Weird, it''s normal. Wait, did you strengthen yourself with two elements yet?"


    "No, only with the earth element."


    "That must be the reason. The reason everyone was excited is because of your young age. Do you know the names of the beasts'' phases?"


    "No. I only know they''re ranked from 1 to 9 and are equal to mages of the same rank."


    "That''s true, but just like humans have 3 phases, the beasts have the same number of tiers. Those are the Magic Tier, the Elite Tier, and the Ruler Tier. A beast can get to the Elite Phase in two ways; through hard work or better genes."


    "And how is it relevant?"


    Gale didn''t understand why they started talking about beasts when testing him.


    "Bear with it until I get to the point. Beasts that entered the fourth rank through hard work are still considered Magic Beasts; they''re inferior to those who got there by having better genes."


    She continued her exnation after a few seconds.


    "Those with better genes simply get to the same rank in their maturation process. They are blessed by the mana with higher intelligence and far higher powers. Only they are worthy of the name Elite Beasts."


    Gale was starting to get the gist of the matter.


    "And this is relevant because of the way the world recognizes beast''s tier?"


    "Exactly. When a magic beast gets to the fourth rank it''s already quite old. However, when an elite beast gets there it''s only between 6 to 10 years old. When the world feels it, the mana-strengthening process bes much greater. Not only it makes their bodies much stronger, but it also strengthens their mind."


    Gale now understoodpletely. The world wasn''t exactly sentient but worked ording to fixed rules. If a human could get to the mage phase within 10 years, the world would judge them as an elite beast and offer additional boosts. It also exined Lena''s sick reaction time and her casting speed.


    "This boosting only happens from the second element strengthening since all beasts have at least two elements."


    "What about rulers'' maturation time?"


    "That''s exactly why everyone has great hopes for you. Their gains are even better! Before exining about them you need to understand that each tier is divided into three: lower, medium, and higher."


    "A lower elite beast will be a fourth-rank beast when it''spletely mature at 10 years old. A medium one will be in the fifth rank, and a higher elite beast will be in the sixth rank."


    "And the same sub-ranking is also relevant in the Ruler Phase?"


    "Indeed. However, we don''t know of any higher ruler beasts existing in our continent. And most importantly, the world recognizes it by six checkpoints ¨C the first one is entering the fourth rank before one year old, and the second is entering the fifth rank before two years old!"


    She said with shining eyes as she looked at him. The world will consider him a higher ruler beast when strengthening himself with a second element, and if he could get to the fifth stage within 8 months, his strengthening process will be maxed in that level too!

 Chapter 85 85 – Ruler Beasts Strengthening

    ?"So, who is willing to be his personal teacher?"


    Alice asked the other mages in the room.


    "I''m sorry, but his affinities are too low. Even if he managed to get to the fourth rank somehow, I doubt he can keep up the speed. The furthest he can go is the seventh rank like us."


    The other magi were of a simr opinion.


    "Don''t worry Gale, I will be your teacher."


    Alice told Gale when she saw none of the other magi agree. Although she had doubts too, she was excited about the possibility. If he could get to the mage phase so fast, there was no way the limits he showed were his true limits, right?


    "Thank you, Professor Alice."


    Gale bowed to show his respect. The rest of the magi left the room and Gale was left alone with Alice.


    "Professor, could you clear some of my doubts?"


    "Go ahead."


    "Why should strengthening elite and ruler beasts enhance my casting speed?"


    "Their intelligence is far higher than magic beasts'', and that happens only when the mana strengthens their brain and mind in the fourth rank. As a human, your mind is already better than a beast''s, so when mana sharpens it further, your thinking abilities and thinking speed will improve. As a result, your casting speed will improve."


    "I see. And why can''t people get to the mage phase within ten years with expensive potions?"


    "Because beasts don''t concoct potions. Once your connection was improved through potions, the world automatically judges you as a human. ording to findings, if you try to feed elite or ruler beasts'' cubs with potions, they will refuse to consume them before they''re fully mature. It might be an instinct that lets them know they will lose their privileges if they consume them."


    "I see, thank you for answering my questions. But how rare can someone be a mage under 10 years?"


    "Without potions, there''s around one person every century. Currently, our empire has 11 grand magi and 8 of them became mages under 10 years. It''s said that anyone who achieved that can be a grand magus, and some believe it''s even a requirement for bing a great magus."


    What she didn''t tell him was that the strongest grand magus had done it in 8 years, so Lena''s 6 years record, which ced her in the higher elite tier, is considerably better. Of course, there was noparison when talking about Gale.


    "All right. Normally, students have immunity to challenges for three months after their enrollment in the academy. However, since you upy an important spot in the top 10, you aren''t eligible for this privilege."


    "Can I refuse challenges?"


    "You must ept all challenges unless you''ve beaten someone of a higher rank than the challenger in the past month or had a duel that day."


    "All of them? wouldn''t it mean I''d be dueling people every day?"


    "If so, it means you''re not ruthless enough. But if someone from the top 10 challenges you, it''d already cut the number of people who can challenge you as long as you win. Only those under 35 are allowed to challenge you. However, as you are now, you will probably drop from the top 10. You will have to strengthen yourself with fire."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Alice took Gale to her personal training room, and he felt the extraordinary mana density.


    "It''s 30 MDU here, but generally you don''t need such a room at your rank. However, It might help your strengthening process, which is why I brought you here."


    Gale sat down, closed his eyes, and started focusing on the fire around him. Mana slowly started seeping into his skin and the process began.


    "Generally the length of the process of strengthening for true mages is identical to the length when they were true magicians. Although the mana does a far stronger strengthening, it does it much faster."


    Alice exined as Gale went through his process.


    "However, I believe yours will be longer because of the ruler beast''s boost."


    Mana seeped through his skin to his muscles. The skin and the muscles kept burning and renewing in rapid session. Although his control over mana improved leaps and bounds under Shana''s teaching, it wasn''t enough for the crazed rumbling mana inside his body.


    "AHH!"


    Just when it felt like his body might burn down, the mana started acting as if it got amand from above and limited itself to the right ces with the right amount. The world which recognized Gale as a beast, helped him go through the strengthening in the most natural way.


    The pain turned into pleasure, and Gale could barely hold back a moan as he felt his body turns stronger. In the end, he couldn''t.


    "Mmm¡­"


    The mana entered deeper into his body, strengthening his blood vessels too. His blood flow turned smoother, it could easily keep his body at the right temperature now. He instinctively knew that he could survive in much hotter and colder environments after the strengthening.


    Next were his bones. Compared to the strengthening they went through when he was a magician, this time waves of mana flooded his bones. His whole skeleton went through breaking, remodeling, and healing.


    But none of those hurt. It was like a tingling sensation over his body, making him feel rxed andfortable.


    Mana continued flowing to his organs and every other part of his body. Eventually, slowly and safely, the mana started seeping into his brain.


    By closing his eyes and feeling the mana''s movement he could visualize how it washed over his brain, erging andpressing it repeatedly.


    The process continued for several hours before it ended. Alice was right; although he was strengthened for 4.5 hours as an expert magician, he was now strengthened for 6 hours straight only at the true mage stage, which was supposed to take only as long as strengthening in the true magician phase.


    "Amazing! 6 hours! People with your affinity are normally done after slightly over an hour in your stage! And the mana maniption, even I got inspired from seeing the world at work!"


    Alice yelled excitedly when she felt the mana leaves Gale''s body. His aura turned far more powerful than before, and although she didn''t feel any danger, she could tell he gained a huge boost in his connection, intelligence, and body powers.


    "Let''s measure your affinities again."


    Alice suggested with a pensive look.

 Chapter 86 86 – First Challenge

    ?"Let''s measure your affinities again."


    Alice took out two orbs and handed them to Gale. He already knew the process; he poured his fire mana into the red one and his earth mana into the brown one.


    "Earth remains unchanged with A-52."


    She waited for the fire affinity to stabilize and pped excitedly.


    "YES! It''s SS-30! That''s a huge boost!"


    "Isn''t it only 40 points?"


    Gale said disappointedly.


    "Are you stupid?! The difference between each rank is far more! Even if you consumed 3 seventh-grade potions to improve your affinity, you could improve it only to S-100 and the effects would stop there. Now, you can improve it to SS-45 with the help of potions."


    She exined to him why it was a big deal and passed her excitement to Gale. She handed him 6 bottles.


    "Here are the promised potions. Those are seventh-grade affinity boosters. Three for fire affinity and three for earth affinity. Save them for now in your magic bag, and we can practice so you can adjust to your new body and powers."


    They sparred for 3 hours until Alice decided it was enough and sent him back.


    "Ok, it''s enough. I also have things to do. Tomorrow Zach wille to your apartment again to take you to your sses, good luck in your fights."


    Gale went back to his apartment and thought of everything that happened to him that day. He had to admit that the benefits of hisst strengthening were huge. He even FELT smarter after it. He could notice easily better ways to use his spells and improve their power and control.


    In those three hours of training with Alice he improved at a scary rate, which made him understand how Lena became proficient enough with her magic to defeat older mages despite being a mage for only a year and a half. If he fought in the intermediate bracket, he''d probably lose somewhere in the quarterfinals.


    "Oh crap, I forgot to ask her about the records!"


    He thought to himself as soon as he got back to his apartment and ordered dinner. He ate what he could, took a shower, and went to sleep.


    The next morning, he heard knocks on his door again. Opening the door, he found Zach waiting for him.


    "Good morning Gale, it''s time for sses. Professor Alice told me to show you around today."


    They went together to the same campus they visited yesterday and Zach exined about the buildings.


    "As you can see, each building has a different shape. The squared building we visited yesterday mainly includes meeting rooms, training rooms, and research rooms for the staff. Students only go there if they participate in research with a professor, or when they need to meet one like you did yesterday."


    Gale nodded to express he understood, and the tour continued.


    "This is the round building; it''s mainly used forbat sses. It has a lot of inscriptions everywhere so even advanced mages can fight there freely in certain areas. You will go there for humanbat sses, spells practicing, and beastsbat sses."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "The triangle building is the smallest and other than the first floor, also the emptiest. It''s the building where we learn history, politics, and theoretical knowledge about magic and beasts."


    Gale looked and saw many people go in and out of that building, making him curious.


    "The first floor seems popr. What can you find there?"


    "Two things. One is a dining room in case you don''t want to go back to your apartment to have a meal, or if you want to eat with new friends. The other is the exchange office. You can use it to exchange gold, materials, potions, and bodies of beasts you''ve hunted."


    "But why don''t people learn theoretical knowledge and other things?"


    "Simple, our academy only rewards power. Since there is no incentive to know those things, not many people bother to learn them. Now the rectangle building is thest one, the one for second professions. Although some of them are weak, I advise you not to bully them since you always need their service."


    Gale agreed and Zach finished his exnation.


    "That''s it for today. You have a ss in humanbat now in the round building, room 0013. The first two numbers indicate the floor, and thest two indicate the room number on that floor. To know your future sses, just ask Alessa. You can also get a wristband version of it in the exchange office."


    They separated and Gale went to his ss. He entered the round building and saw the first ssroom was 0001. He continued walking down the hall until he found ssroom number 0013.


    He entered the ss and found out he waste due to the tour Zach gave him on campus. Upon entering, he found everyone standing in arge circle with the teacher in the middle of it, and everyone turned to see the neer.


    "Hello, professor. I''m Gale Stormborn, I''m new to the academy."


    "Take a spot in the circle. I''m Mercury, you don''t need to use honorifics when addressing me."


    His height was average at 175, but his robust body waspletely ripped. He was wearing a tight tracksuit and was barefoot.


    "Hey, are you the one who got the fourth rank? How did you get it? I never heard you challenged Neriya for it."


    "I was just given it as soon as I enrolled. I didn''t challenge anybody yet."


    He answered the truth which only made the one asking angrier.


    "I see. I, Mars Truman, challenge you today."


    Gale didn''t expect it to be challenged as soon as he entered the door. Curious, he wanted to know his first opponent''s rank.


    "What''s your rank?"


    "Now I''m ranked 101st."


    He said with an irritated voice, and Gale understood his anger. He lost his apartment due to Gale''s passing him in rank and kicking him out of the top 100. However, Gale found him a little bit stupid. Did he think the academy gave the fourth rank to someone who would lose to the weakest person in the previous top 100?

 Chapter 87 87 – Threat

    ?Mercury didn''t intervene in their conversation but just listened. When he thought it was enough, he raised his hand and spoke.


    "Since you two want to duel, our lesson is a great time to do it. Enter the ring and fight. You don''t have to worry about getting hurt; since I''m here, I will stop the battle when the winner is clear."


    Gale nodded and entered the circle of students that made the ring. The students took a few steps back to give them more space and Mercury gave the signal to begin.


    "Don''t worry about anything, all the professors in the academy, me included, are at least Expert Mages so you can go all out."


    Gale already decided it was a great chance to make an example out of the first challenger to reduce the number of people who might dare challenge himter.


    Mars used his magic to create water bulls, which charged at Gale as soon as they were formed. Gale looked at them and just waved his arm, creating a firestorm.


    As soon as the firestorm radiated a wave of heat, all the students took another step back and generated some light defenses.


    "I''m pretty sure it''s over for Mars."


    A few students muttered to their friends, and their prediction came true right away. The bulls evaporated as soon as they met with the firestorm, and Mars'' water sphere was evaporating just as fast.


    Suddenly, a huge wave of water raised and put out the firestorm. Gale looked in the direction the wave came from and saw Mercury nodding at him with appreciation.


    "Match over, Gale wins."


    He announced and Mars fell to his knees in defeat.


    "Wee to the ss, Gale. Now take a spot and let''s begin. Today we practice martial arts."


    This time Mercury had a better attitude; power was respected in Dream''s Peak Academy, and Gale had proved himself.


    "Although many mages neglect their physical abilities due to the belief they only need their magic to win their fights, physical abilities can boost your overall power by at least 20% if you utilize them right. This boost can make the difference between life and death in a battle. This applies even more in a chaotic battle with many soldiers."


    Gale agreed with him; he already saw how Nina nearly beat the much more experienced Lara in the tournament due to her physical abilities. He also saw Lena wiping the floor with Florian''s ass with martial arts and physical abilities only.


    "Now pair up, I will show you different exercises and you can try them on each other in turns. Don''t be a bunch of wimps, deal with the pain."


    "Gale, do you have a partner? I''m avable too! Want to pair up for today''s ss?"


    "Hey Gale, I''m also avable. I can also show you around the campuster and have lunch together."


    Two girls immediately pushed themselves on Gale and started barraging him with their offers.


    "Don''t those two always pair up with each other? Is he so great that they just forgot they were partners for half a year?"


    Mars said with envy to his partner, who just shrugged in response.


    "Wouldn''t you leave me too if he offered you to spar with him? Even if we don''t get into his bed, being friends with someone so strong can save your life in our academy."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    A few other girls instantly discarded their initial hesitation andunched themselves the same way as the first two girls.


    "Begone, thots! Gale, don''t let those thirsty girls trap you, what you need is a real friend during your time here in the academy."


    One guy barged into the mess and approached Gale while pushing the girls to the side. Gale was about to agree to his proposal when another girl pushed him away.


    "Shut up Margi, everyone in the ss knows you''re into boys."


    Gale widened his eyes; it was a close call!


    "Enough, Gale you can practice with either John or Ronda. Ronda is ranked third in the top 10 and John is ranked sixth. They can make good partners for you."


    A mental pressure pressed on the students around Gale, and they took a step back. Mercury pointed at two students, and Gale was about to pick John who seemed to be friendlier.


    "I will be his partner. John, do you have any objections?"


    However, Ronda stepped forward first and took the spot next to him.


    "Uhm, no. Go ahead, Ronda."


    John stepped back and Gale noticed some students looking at him with surprise. Some were even whispering quietly to their friends, yet Gale had no idea what all the fuss was about.


    Mercury demonstrated a sequence of kicks twice to the students.


    "Everyone, now do those kicks against the air. When you master the sequence, practice them on your partner in turns, and your partner''s job is to either dodge or block your kicks. Good luck."


    Gale and Ronda started practicing the kicks against the air. Evidently, Ronda was well-versed in martial arts; within a few attempts, she already got the sequence right. In contrast, Gale was getting only half of it right.


    Although he practiced dodging and using his body under Shana''s instructions, it was only the basics. He didn''t have much time to learn how to fight.


    "The fastest way to practice those arts is in a real fight, you''re wasting your time by kicking the air. Let''s practice, I will start."


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® Ronda said to Gale and immediately started acting on her words. Sheunched forward and started the kicking practice. Gale quickly took a step back to dodge the first kick and ducked to dodge the second. However, the third one connected with his chin, sending him a few steps backward.


    Ronda didn''t hold back; she continued the sequence ruthlessly, swiping his legs next to make him fall, followed by an axe kick to his chest.


    "Ahhh!"


    Gale groaned in pain after thest kick. Luckily, Ronda didn''t boost her power with additional spells, so although the kicks hurt as hell, he didn''t break anything.


    "By the way, when Joanna challenges you, you better lose and give him your position. Now stand up, it''s your turn."

 Chapter 88 88 – New Friends

    ?Two hourster, Gale stepped out of ss. His body was sore everywhere; after the kicking sequence, Mercury also demonstrated a punching sequence and then a sequence that mixed punching and kicking.


    Due to her proficiency in martial arts, Ronda got them right after a few attempts each time, and then just started attacking Gale despite his protests. Mercury just pretended to see nothing as he believed pain and real fighting were the fastest way to learn anyway.


    "Hey Gale, would you like to have lunch together?"


    Three people approached him as soon as he came out of ss. He looked at them and found one tall guy with ck hair and handsome facial features, and pretty two green-haired girls who looked nearly identical. The main difference was that one of them was more tanned than the other and had shorter hair.


    "Sure, where would you like to eat?"


    "We can eat in the triangle building. I see you also don''t have a wristband yet so we could first go and get one in the exchange office. Do you have 100 IMG?"


    "Hmm, I don''t know. I had around 400,000 normal gold, which Professor Alice took from me and said she would put in my ount, so I won''t have to carry the coins around. I don''t know if I can pay with those coins instead of IMG."


    "Professor Alice herself? That''s amazing! And it''s a big sum, are you from a noble family maybe?"


    "Uh¡­ I don''t know that either."


    The three looked at him awkwardly, but it was the truth; Despite knowing his mother''s family was living in the empire, he didn''t know what their social status in the empire was!


    "Never mind. Anyway, you can use normal gold, but it would cost you 100 times more. The wristband alone will cost you 10,000. Why don''t you turn your gold coins into IMG?"


    The young man came back to his senses first and asked another question Gale had no idea how to answer. He felt like a country bumpkin, and he felt like a bumpkin from a more and more backwater country with every question.


    "You can do that?"


    The three weren''t sure if Gale was teasing them for saying obvious things, but seeing his face, the tanned decided to answer truthfully. Getting teased a bit was worth making friends with a genius. Her voice was shy, yet she wanted to make a good first impression.


    "Yes. You need to work along with other mages so thatbined you can use all four basic elements; wind, earth, fire, and water. Then you just need to pour those four types of mana at the same time and amount into the normal imperial gold coins."


    "If it''s so simple, why is the value of IMG so much greater?"


    "Each coin takes around a minute to fill, that''s why the extra value; nobody wants to waste their time filling coins. In an hour, a normal mage can only charge around 60 coins. Most of the students in the top academies are geniuses, so if you pair with the right people, you can even charge two or three coins simultaneously."


    The girl exined.


    "I see¡­ it isn''t worth it. I will just spend the coins."


    Gale didn''t care about spending money for various reasons; first, money was meant to be spent. There was no point in hoarding it instead of getting stronger. Second, the academy already promised him many things for free if he can break a few records. Third, if pushes to shove, he could always take advantage of his grandfather''s proposal to support him.


    "We didn''t mean you should do it yourself. But let''s first get the wristband and sit for lunch. Coming to think of it, we still hadn''t introduced ourselves. I''m Tim Silvia, ranked 31 on the list."


    The girls hurriedly introduced themselves after him.


    "I''m Amanda Noons, ranked 32 on the list."


    "I''m Valentina Noons, ranked 19 on the list."


    The girls confirmed his suspicions that they were sisters, most likely twins. Amanda was standing near Tim, while Valentina was the tanned girl who exined how to charge IMG earlier.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I''m Gale Stormborn, ranked 4 on the list."


    He introduced himself the same way as they did although they probably knew it from the ss, and they went together to the exchange office. Inside, he saw a long counter with two old men giving service and a few stations of self-service.


    "You don''t really need human service for a wristband. It''s more for selling beasts'' corpses or collecting orders you''ve done via Alessa. Since you''re in the top 10, you don''t need thetter; your orders will be delivered to your door."


    Amanda exined to Gale when he should use each type of service and he approached an empty self-service station.


    "Please pour your mana into the machine to start."


    Gale followed the instruction and poured his mana.


    "Mana identified. Student: Gale Stormborn. Confirm?"


    "Confirm."


    "What service do you require?"


    "I want an Alessa wristband."


    "First time detected, cost reduced by 50%. Charging 5,000 imperial gold coins, confirm?"


    Gale didn''t know the first time was 50% off, so he just saw it as a pleasant surprise.


    "Confirm."


    "Say 1 to collect the wristband from the counter. Say 2 to have the wristband delivered to your apartment."


    He looked at the busy counters and made his decision instantly.


    "2."


    After confirming and saying he didn''t need any further service he left the ce and met with his new three friends again.


    "I chose the delivery option, so I still don''t have it. Let''s go to eat?"


    He exined the absence of the wristband and the four headed to the dining room.


    "Here, there''s an empty table for four."


    They pointed at an empty table. As if they nned it in advance, Amanda and Tim walked quickly to the table and sat next to each other, leaving the other empty seats for Gale and Valentina to sit next to each other.


    "Come sit with us guys. By the way, Amanda and I are together, so Amanda is out of limits. However, Valentina is still single."


    Tim said, making Valentina blush. Gale instantly understood what was happening; Amanda and Tim were acting as wingmen for Valentina!

 Chapter 89 89 – Mortality Reasons

    ?Gale didn''t think much of the situation. He also didn''t mind if a girl was interested in him; ever since he got blessed by the god of charm, most girls were interested in him anyway.


    He sat down and gestured to Valentina to sit by his side and sheplied with a happy smile.


    The four ordered food and Gale found out they were ordering rank 3 dishes for 3 IMG per dish, while he was getting those for free.


    "How much do rank 2 dishes cost here?"


    "It''s 1 IMG per dish. As for rank 1, they''re for free. You''re quite rich if you didn''t even check the dishes under the third rank."


    "Haha, I can afford them. Since you eat them too, aren''t you rich?"


    "Well, kind of. My grandmother is a countess, and their grandfather is a viscount."


    "Oh, that''s pretty impressive. Are you the heirs of your families?"


    "No, there are rarely any heirs in the academy. The mortality rate here is around 4%; out of the 25,000 students present in the academy at the moment, you can expect nearly a thousand to die."


    "So why did your families send you here?"


    "They didn''t. Each of the top 5 academies sends 10% of their recruits here randomly. This academy was built to make sure nobody forgets the basic rule of our world; might make right. The imperial family and the nobles all agreed that the only ones who can''t be sent here are the named heirs of the noble families."


    "But what is so dangerous about the academy?"


    Gale had one duel, and although people could get injured, it seemed impossible for people to get killed in those duels with expert mages acting as judges.


    "First of all, there are the duels. Most of them happen in the duels arena, not in a ss like yours. The arena only stops the fight when one side admits defeat or loses consciousness, so deaths aren''t that rare there."


    "Are the nobles fine with the fact that their kids get killed here?"


    "Of course not. Mostly, people won''t kill a kid of a noble family of simr strength. Do you know why our academy isn''t smaller than the rest of the academies despite only getting 10% of their recruits?"


    "No, why?"


    By that logic, Dream''s Peak Academy should''ve been only 4/9 of the size of the other academies, yet Tim said they were the same size.


    "Around 40% of the students here are recruited from other schools like us, we were Midjar Academy''s recruits. Around 10% of the students enrolled here as their first choice, either because their families'' beliefs align with the school''s methodology or because theye from amoner''s background and can''t afford the other academies."


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® "What about the rest?"


    "Those are the people with the highest mortality rate in the arena, and they are also the majority in the academy for students under 25. Those are orphans with high affinities that the school''s executives found in the streets and brought here. They strive to get stronger and be rewarded by the empire on the battlefield."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Gale found it cruel, but he also understood they had a much better shot at improving their livespared to the orphans who weren''t chosen.


    "Since they are taught to fight ferociously from a young age, they sometimes fight to the death in the arena. So out of the deaths in the arena, only 10% or less are nobles."


    Gale thought for a moment and decided to ask a question that popped into his mind.


    "To be honest Ie from the Miyena Kingdom. I''ve been selected toe here after the imperial tournament for the five kingdoms. Ie from an earl''s family, but do the titles of the kingdom hold any importance here?"


    "I''m sorry, but they don''t. However, I''m sure you can get into a viscount family easily by marriage."


    Amanda said with a smile, and everyoneughed at the obvious hint.


    "Is the arena the only cause of death in the academy?"


    "Oh, not at all. It''s probably the lowest of them all. There are two more reasons; everyone must take on one military mission every year, and everyone must sell 5 beasts of their rank every year. You will eventually hear about itter."


    Satisfied by the answer, Gale decided to finally ask the question that intrigued him the most.


    "Do you know something about the academy''s records?"


    They thought for a moment and the first one to reply this time was Valentina.


    "Yes. There are many records, but they are extremely hard to achieve. Some are even in specific challenges; you can see a list of them if you ask Alessa to show you the ''hall of fame''. For example, there''s a record to be the youngest to enter the top 10 on the overall list."


    Gale decided to check themter and find the records he can break as soon as possible. Since he was 20 years old, he could probably break all the records requiring a young age.


    The four finished their meal and it was time to separate. Gale didn''t mean to really get a girlfriend because he knew he''d have to cheat on her at some point if he got the opportunity and reason to be stronger.


    Ever since he heard he had only around 8 months left before losing his higher-ruler beast status, he felt a sense of urgency to rank up. However, he knew he couldn''t just use innocent women to boost himself. Part of him wished to have an excuse to use his abilities, but he was pretending that part didn''t exist.


    Despite his ns to stay single, he did enjoy theirpany and nned to befriend them as long as they didn''t condition it by dating Valentina.


    Since he had no idea what other sses he had, he went back to his apartment and nned to check the hall of fame. As soon as he entered the apartment, he saw a package at the entrance.


    "A package of an Alessa watch was epted. I''m d you liked me enough to ask for a second me."


    Gale heard the now familiar voice of Alessa, and he could imagine a genderless Nina making a smug face. He shook his head to forget the unnecessary thoughts and opened the package.

 Chapter 90 90 – Beast-Hunting Class

    ?"What sses do I have today?"


    "Today you have beast-hunting ss and spells practice. Do you want to take any second profession?"


    "Yes, I will take the magic circles ss."


    He thought it was a perfect option for him. Many circles required two or more mages since they required 4-6 elements. His advantage was that he could potentially get all of them by himself, and with his sharp mind as a higher ruler beast, he could probably perform plenty ofplicated magic circles without support.


    "Magic circles ss added to your schedule. The ss takes ce on Mondays."


    Today was Thursday. Each ss was usually 3-4 hours long with a break or two in the middle, but his schedule was still quite free. He understood the academy gave the students a lot of free time to self-practice and rank up.


    But Gale had one minor problem; he had no idea how to practice and rank up normally, and at this point, he was too afraid to ask. He only advanced by plundering his female enemies'' energies, he never practiced increasing his connection!


    However, he still had other things to practice. He was nowhere near Lena in his casting proficiency, and although he could overpower most students with sheer power, he didn''t know if it also applied to the top 10.


    "You have a new notification."


    "What is it?"


    "You were challenged by Dean Brown, ranked 42. You must ept within 3 days."


    "Sure, ept and set it for tomorrow."


    "You have a new notification."


    "What is it?"


    He was getting challenged repeatedly by various people. Although he defeated rank 101, not everyone was there and saw his prowess. There were over 5000 students in his age group, and many disliked the idea of someone starting from the top without climbing up.


    However, only the students of the top 100 could challenge him after his previous duel. Overall, he got challenges from ranks 77, 50, 42, and 18.


    Since he already epted the challenge of rank 42, he decided to wait until after the duel so the weaker challengers will be denied automictically. As for rank 18, he set his duel with him for the day after tomorrow.


    He left for the theoretical beast-hunting ss. Thanks to the simpleyout of the building, he could easily find his way to the right ssroom.


    He entered the ss and found a female redhead teacher. She was short and chubby, not resembling a huntress even one bit. Since ss didn''t begin yet, everyone was talking to their friends, and nobody noticed his arrival.


    He found an empty seat next to a cold-looking girl and sat there, earning a cold gaze in the process from the girl next to him.


    "Pretty boy, you should mix with other nobility. Don''t sit next to an orphan."


    "The name is Gale. I''m from a kingdom, so don''t worry about that."


    "Kingdom? so you''re a weakling. You don''t have the right to sit next to me. I don''t like people sitting around me, especially men, so go away."


    "There''s no other free seat, so I''m sorry, but I''m staying. I''m ranked 4 in our age group, I''m pretty sure I have every right to be here."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    This time his eyes shone with green light and the girl next to him rxed.


    "Oh, so it''s you who got his rank unfairly without fighting. Hmph, I will challenge you soon and reim my position at the top 10."


    The girl snorted in dissatisfaction.


    "Oh, so you must be ranked 11. What''s your name?"


    "None of your business."


    Gale rolled his eyes and found it pointless to use his charm for that when he could just check his Alessa Watch. He found the list and searched for rank 11, seeing the name "Joanna". Probably because she was an orphan adopted by the academy, she didn''t have ast name.


    "Joanna? I''ve heard this name before. Oh right, you''re Ronda''s girlfriend!"


    He remembered the fiery girl who kept beating him in the martial arts lesson. Her warning was to lose on purpose if Joanna ever challenged him.


    "How''d you know that?"


    She squinted her eyes and finally turned to look at him more carefully.


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® "Um, she was my partner in martial arts lesson, and we bonded really fast, so she told me about you."


    Joanna seemed like a proud person, and he guessed she wouldn''t like it if she heard he was threatened to let her win, and he preferred not to enter their romantic drama.


    "She never bonds with anyone, you''re lying. Whatever, I will ask her about itter directly."


    She trusted Ronda and didn''t need to ask strangers for information about her behind her back.


    The ss soon began and Gale turned his attention to the teacher.


    "Hello students, I''m professor Mary Hamilton. In my course, you will learn about the different beasts in the 3 hunting grounds of the academy. As you all should know by now, you have to go out and survive on any ground of your choice for 3 days every month."


    Gale looked around and saw that everyone knew about it except for him.


    "Additionally, you need to hunt sessfully 5 fourth-rank beasts by the end of the year. Does anyone know why the training grounds are dangerous?"


    One student raised his hand and Mary allowed him to speak.


    "There are fifth and sixth-rank beasts in the forest. Additionally, there are some elite beasts and even the weakest isparable to the weaker students in the top 100."


    Gale suddenly understood he was lucky to fight with old fourth-rank magic beasts on his way to the capital. If he fought an elite beast, he''d definitely die or have to run for his life.


    "Correct. Although rare, there are even a few higher elite beasts, and those can even fight against normal advanced mages when they''re still in the fourth rank. Students die in the training grounds every year, I hope you can remember that."


    She wanted to make sure they understood why her theoretical ss was important since she knew students only liked to attend the more practical lessons. The lesson continued and she taught them about the forest near the academy and the animals that reside there.

 Chapter 91 91 – Moon Nova Academy (Lenas POV)

    ?Lena and Jay followed Lucas to his academy''s airship and boarded it. On their way, one student that Lucas brought with him to the kingdom came to talk to them.


    "Hey, I''m Manuel Lopez. I will be in the same age group as you in the academy, so I hope we can be friends. I''m ranked 3 on the list for students under 35."


    He said with a friendly smile. He showed off his rank to make a good first impression.


    "Hey, I''m Jay. I wonder what my rank would be."


    "Haha, I''ve seen your fight and you''re extremely powerful! You might not know it, but ording to researchers from the empire, less than 1% of the poption has three elements. And that''s excluding themoners who have only one element or very low affinities."


    "Why aren''t themoners included in the numbers?"


    "It''d be less than 0.001% if we included them. The reason the academies don''t count them is that they''re irrelevant to their research. Even if the empire could find a way to increase those chances, themoners wouldn''t be able to afford them."


    Jay didn''t like it since she was amoner picked up by Shana herself, but she knew it wasn''t Manuel''s fault. He was just born into this world as it was. The fact that he treated them well despite being from a kingdom was already enough to show his good character.


    "Hi, Lena, right?"


    He turned to Lena who remained silent all this time.


    "Yes."


    "Is it true you''re only 24 years old?"


    "It is."


    "She doesn''t mean to offend you, she just doesn''t talk much with strangers."


    Jay said awkwardly when she felt Manuel''s slight frustration from Lena''sck of responsiveness. She knew the truth, and it was because Lena probably deemed him too weak to be relevant in her life.


    "That''s ok. To be honest, she''d probably ranked third in our age group instead of me."


    "Third? Do you have someone even more talented than Lena in the academy?"


    "Haha, no, no. Miss Lena is the most talented mage I''ve ever met. However, our age group is 25-35, and there are no students under 25 in the academy except for a very few talented ones. The top two students are advanced mages. They are just older."


    Lena smiled upon hearing his words. She was worried that she won''t face any challenges when she heard she was studying with students under 35.


    "What are the benefits of being ranked first?"


    Lena finally spoke, encouraging Manuel to keep talking.


    "Well, the top three students get to study directly under a magus once a week. Additionally, we get more resources and attention from the teachers."


    "''We?'', I thought you were out of the top three now."


    "Ahaha¡­"


    Heughed awkwardly. He was starting to regret approaching her.


    "You''re right. But the second-ranked student is 35, so next year he will move to another group age. In contrast, I''m still 33 years old. Who knows, I might even get to the next stage in a year or two and be ranked above you."


    "If you take a whole year, I''m afraid it''ll be toote."


    Lena said and left Manuel gaping. Ever since she was strengthened by all 5 elements as a mage, her training speed was boosted by a huge margin. She didn''t even know why, but she felt herself steadily getting closer to the next stage.


    "By the way, what would be Jaina''s rank if she was in this school?"


    "Well, she was 38 years old, so I don''t know. But if she was 35 with the strength before being forcibly advanced, she''d be around the sixth rank on our list. After advancing, she''d be third excluding Miss Lena."


    Their conversation ended, and Lena spent the rest of the way training. Jay and Manuel kept getting closer to each other since they weren''t training maniacs like Lena and had some free time.


    Lucas also tried approaching Lena a few times, yet she never talked back. Frustrated, he just gave up for now and decided to tryter when she realizes the benefits of having a magus as her backer.


    The group reached the Moon Nova Academy a weekter, and Lena was sent to a normal room meant for people who weren''t on the top 500 list. She had 3 roommates whom she didn''t bother to ask for their names.


    Jay and Manuel came to visit her and took her out for a tour outside with them. Since Lena requested for the academy''s head to be her teacher right from the beginning, her meeting with the magi was dyed by a week.


    Manuel took the girls to get their Shiri watches, their academy''s version for Alessa. On the first day, he showed them around campus.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "You got a new challenge."


    Manuel''s watch''s voice caught him unprepared; nobody had challenged him in a long time. Jay looked at Manuel with curiosity, while Lena smirked.


    "Who is it?"


    "You were challenged by Lena Stormborn, unranked. You must ept within 3 days."


    Manuel sighed and looked at the smirking Lena with irritation. Couldn''t she talk to him about it before sending out a challenge?


    "Ah, whatever. Let''s do it in two days."


    Manuel set the time for two dayster, and the tour ended. Manuel parted with them and went to his residence.


    "You turned the tour''s mood sour. Couldn''t you wait until it ended?"


    Jayined to Lena.


    "We already know our way around the campus. He was just trying to spend more time with us because we look good. If he is Lucas'' student, he must be as pervert as Lucas."


    "That''s not true, he was very nice to us throughout the journey."


    "Sure. Don''t take it to heart, I''m sure he just went to pack his stuff before I''m taking his lodging."


    Lena wasn''tpletely wrong; he didn''t really need to pack things since the inscriptions could teleport them to the new apartment when he loses his spot in the top 3, but he was indeed looking at his bed with the eyes of someone about to move out of his childhood home.


    The top lists system worked in their academy quite simrly to the one in Gale''s academy. The main difference was that almost no student would fight to the death, and the arena would stop the fight when one student couldn''t block a hit even if he was conscious and didn''t surrender.


    Two days passed and the time of their duel arrived. Fights of the top three were announced by Shiri to everyone, and it served two purposes: The first was to bar students from blindly challenging the top ranks and wasting their time, and the second was to let the other students watch and learn from their betters.


    The seats in the arena were almost full. A rumor spread about a rare genius who came to the academy and that she was the one who challenged Manuel, and curious students came to check the duel out. Even if the rumor was proven wrong, they''d still be entertained by the public humiliation of the challenger if the gap was too big.


    "Fight!"


    There was a human judge for their fight. Manuel came from a marquis household, and his family paid generously to the academy to ensure his safety in fights that were deemed dangerous.


    As soon as the battle started, Lenaunched toward Manuel, boosted by a wind speed spell and protected by a water sphere.


    She dodged what she could and defended what she couldn''t and faced him after a few seconds. Manuel watched her fight against Florian and knew what to expect. He clenched his teeth in anger and boosted himself with fire and earth spells to boost his strength as much as he could.


    Since Lena was using a wind spell that boosted only speed and flexibility, he believed he would be able to counter it with explosive strength.


    Oh, how wrong he was. The power and speed of a 5-time-strengthened higher elite beast wasn''t something for humans topare.


    Lena easily dodged his kick by leaning backward, disying her exceptional flexibility and response time. Before he could finish his kick, her leg was sent upward and hit him in the armpit, sending him rolling to the side. The power behind the kick was insane, and his shoulder de cracked despite the earth spell''s boost.


    She appeared right next to him before he could get over the pain and performed an axe kick down to his chin, sending him to a dream of more pleasant things.


    The crowd was silent. Everyone felt that they might have been too passive those past few months in which nobody challenged Manuel. Wasn''t he too weak to hold that spot?


    Manuel was going to see a long list of challenges when he woke up, and he''d have to remind the other students why nobody challenged him before.


    "Lena Stormborn wins!"


    The judge dered her victory and soon the top list was updated on everyone''s watches. Lena left the arena with the pouting Jay by her side.


    "You should''ve gone easy on him and let him show some might before beating him."


    "That''s stupid. No enemy will satisfy your ego before killing you."


    A week soon passed, and it was time for Lena to meet the magi of the academy. During this week she attended sses to learn more about the world of magic and chose a second profession as well.


    She chose healing as her second profession since her light affinity was a huge advantage in that field.


    Jay also wasn''t lying back and doing nothing. She challenged some of the top 100 and gradually got to rank 21 before losing.

 Chapter 92 92 – First Official Duel

    ?Gale was browsing the ''hall of fame'' on his watch and searched for records to break.


    "Alessa, I see a record for the youngest to enter the top 10, and the current holder of the record was 26 when he had done it. Why doesn''t it count that I broke the record?"


    "Checking¡­ Since you got your rank without fighting, your achievement will only be counted once you defeat an actual student in the top 10."


    It sounded reasonable so Gale didn''t argue, and kept searching for other records he could break. He mainly concentrated on records that included the word "young" in them.


    "Youngest to hunt a higher elite beast, 32. I can break that, right? I''m a ruler beast after all."


    He thought to himself. He decided to ensure he could defeat someone in the top 5 before attempting, but it seemed simple.


    "Hmm, youngest to be an advanced mage, 37. Since I aim to be an advanced mage in 8 months, this one should be an obvious choice. I need 3 records to have ess to free fifth-rank dishes, so those three will be my targets."


    "You have a new challenge."


    "Eh, who is it now?"


    He received plenty of challenges, but all of them would be gone after his duel with rank 18, so he didn''t worry about them. He checked the screen and found out it was Joanna.


    "Huh, she really challenged me."


    He epted for the day after the fight with rank 18 and went to train. Friday to Sunday were days off, so other than his fights he had nothing to do but practice or hang out with Tim and the twin sisters.


    "All right, it''s time to go."


    He went to the arena which was a separate building on campus. It was in the shape of a pentagon and had 10 floors. Each floor consisted of 5 arenas that couldbine into arger one.


    The lowest floor, which was the sturdiest, was meant for battles between expert mages. The next 3 floors were meant for advanced mages and the top 6 for true mages. Since his duel was considered at the top of the fourth stage given their ranks, they were booked to the fifth floor, the sturdiest floor for true mages.


    He stepped into the arena and faced Dean. Dean was a short dark-skinned man with a shaved head. His muscr body was lean, and a scar on his left cheek made him look in constant anger with the world.


    "Fight!"


    Alessa''s genderless voice was heard, and the fight began. Dean was from a low nobility family and the Dream''s Peak Academy charged twice the price for human judges during fights as part of their beliefs. Thus, the fight took ce without a human judge.


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® Dean generated des made of stone thatunched against Gale, who cast a few wisps that immediately burned the stones, making them decay to dust.


    The rest of the wisps flew quickly to Dean, leaving behind only debris when they passed through his earth spells, and his fire spells didn''t fare any better.


    A wisp broke through his defenses and attached to his leg, burning it at rapid speed.


    "AHHH! I SURRENDER!"


    He couldn''t run away since he was surrounded by the sheer number of wisps, and couldn''t defeat the wisps, either. He surrendered, and the fight ended.


    The small crowd watching the fight watched with amazement. They didn''t expect the fight to be so one-sided, yet it happened in front of their eyes. Gale''s fire spells'' prowess was off the charts, and it''d be nearly impossible for most mages to defend against them. Even Gale himself didn''t expect such results from the strengthening.


    "Wow, your fire spells are amazing! How old were you when you advanced to the mage rank?"


    Valentina asked enthusiastically as soon as the four of them sat to eat in the dining room.


    "19, it was less than a year and a half ago."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "WHAT?"


    The three looked at him with incredulous eyes.


    "What''s your fire affinity?"


    "It''s SS-30."


    "That''s amazing! You might be a magus in the future! I heard the lowest affinity a magus can have is S-67."


    Amanda said excitedly.


    "Don''t give up, Amanda. If we can get seventh-ranked potions to boost your affinity, you can get there too."


    Gale didn''t know how rare SS affinities were, so he decided to ask them about theirs.


    "What''s the affinity of your main elements?"


    "I''m S-44."


    "I''m S-56, and Valentina has the same affinity since we are identical twins."


    Valentina nodded to confirm her sister''s words.


    "Is it rare to have SS affinity?"


    "It is. The academy only epts people with affinity above A-70. ording to the information the academy releases, there are only 10,000 students with an affinity of S and above. Which means they couldn''t find 15,000 others with S affinity. Since the poption of the empire is over a billion, it shows you how rare it is."


    "What about SS?"


    "The academies keep it a secret, so we don''t know. But since there are only 10,000 with S affinity, I''d say there are under a hundred with SS."


    "And SSS?"


    "If there is any, then it''d be a top secret. Otherwise, the other empires would do their best to kill them before they turn too strong. I''d think you had it if you didn''t tell me otherwise; being a mage at 19 years old is crazy!"


    "Ahaha, I don''t know how I managed to do it myself."


    Heughed awkwardly, and the meal continued. After they finished eating and parted, Gale checked his watch and found out he had two notifications.


    "What is it?"


    "You gained 10 IMG from Dean for winning the fight. You gained 50 IMG from Oliver Davies for surrendering before the fight."


    The academy added a penalty for students who got cold feet and wanted to cancel an approved duel.


    "Hm, so Oliver is the one ranked 18. I guess Joanna wasn''t scared though."


    He went to train over his mana control, and two days quickly passed.

 Chapter 93 93 – An Accident

    ?The two days were Friday and Saturday, so he had the days off. He only went out to have lunch with his friends and spent the rest of the days in his training room. The problem with casting spells as a mage was that spells made by others weren''t as effective anymore.


    Mages could potentially cast far more delicate spells, and those needed a lot of detailed images in the mage''s mind when requesting the mana to do the mage''s bidding. So, while premade spells were good as ayout, the mage had to add the details in his mind.


    Gale was working on his wisps magic during those past days; he found it very difficult to make them change their route when he instilled more mana into them, so he always had to choose between power and control; a limitation he wanted to ovee.


    The days passed and his duel with Joanna arrived. When it was time to leave his apartment, he found Valentina waiting for him outside.


    "Hey Gale, I wanted to wish you good luck. Do you mind if I go with you to the arena?"


    "Of course not, thank you foring!"


    He said with a smile. Valentina was quite sweet, and they even nned on going to lunch without the extra wheels.


    "I''m sure you can beat her. She wouldn''t be able to overpower Dean like you did, although she would win too. But be careful, don''t let your guard down."


    Valentina said with an encouraging smile.


    "Thank you for your concern. Don''t worry, I won''t take her lightly. She must be strong considering she was in the top 10."


    Gale smiled back upon seeing hers.


    "Try not to harm her too much. There''s an unspoken rule that if you defeat Joanna, you must do it as gently as possible."


    She warned with an awkward voice. Winning a duel gently was quite a weird thing to say.


    "Is it because of Ronda?"


    "Yes. She is extremely close to the advanced mage stage, and despite being still in the true mage stage, she is almost tied with the man ranked second. She only lost to him because she ran out of mana first, but the other guy wasn''t much better."


    Gale sighed at the bothersome situation. He wasn''t that good at controlling his spells yet and holding back was quite difficult.


    "Most importantly, the now fifth-ranked student is an advanced mage, and he lost when he tried challenging her for her spot in the top 3. He probably didn''t bother challenging you because your benefits aren''t really much better than his, and he is turning 36 soon."


    They arrived at the arena, and Valentina parted with him to go to the auditorium while Gale went to the arena.


    This time, the seats were nearly all taken. His overwhelming victory over Dean was known to everyone who didn''t go out hunting, so most of the avable students chose to arrive.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Gale looked at the crowd and saw Ronda sitting at the front with a frown on her face. He didn''t know it, but she argued with Joanna just before the duel.


    He found Joanna already waiting for him, and as soon as he got to his spot, Joanna instructed the dueling system to start the duel. There was no human judge this time as well, which was understandable given the fact Joanna said she was an orphan.


    "3¡­2¡­1¡­ fight."


    Alessa''s genderless voice said with a natural voice and the fightmenced. Gale used his fire wisps spell, nning to finish the battle the same way he did with Dean. It was the spell he controlled the best, and the only fire spell he got that could be separated into small parts to deal minimal damage.


    However, Joanna was there when he fought Dean. Since she nned to fight him, she wouldn''t miss an opportunity to gauge his strength.


    After watching Gale use his fire wisps before, she thought of a countermeasure; she just had to be on the move from the very beginning and prevent them from ganging up on her.


    She started to run as soon as the battle started, and the wisps were having a hard time changing their path and home on her. Gale didn''t want to hold back too much against a top student of the empire and used much mana in his spell.


    Since the wisps weren''t lumping together, their main numerical advantage was gone. She could deal with the spell when they came at her in smaller groups.


    Joanna used earth shields to block the wisps, and despite the decaying attribute of Gale''s fire, each shield could hold on for a few shes before being consumed by the wisps.


    "Fighting isn''t only about spamming powerful spells, there''s much more to it!"


    Gale didn''t want to cast a second spell. He was concentrating on making the wisps home on Joanna, and controlling a second spell would make his control even rougher.


    Now that Joanna broke free from the wisps'' encirclement, she could maintain her defense just through constant running and the shields. She''d definitely run out of steam before Gale, but she didn''t n to get to that point; she had no problem casting a second spell.


    She ran closer to Gale, as close as she could without being trapped by the wisps, and started barraging him with stone bullets. The wisps would stand in their way and consume them, but it also lessened her burden and she could run as close as 5-10 meters away from Gale.


    A few minutes passed and Joanna couldn''t break the stalemate. Gale was improving his control over the wisps through the battle constantly, and she even felt that she had slowly to retreat and take her distance again.


    She clenched her teeth and decided to go through a small sacrifice for the win. She ran closer than she should''ve and gave up on defense. Instead, she created a huge sword made of stone andunched it at Gale.


    Gale had no choice but to cast a second spell to defend himself. Everything happened too fast, and he instinctively raised a huge firestorm with a burst of mana that burned down the sword.


    The wisps lost their inhibition and stormed at Joanna, who got too close and was unable to dodge, burning her to dust.

 Chapter 94 94 – Rondas Fury

    ?The crowd watched Joanna being unable to defend herself and get consumed by fire wisps with surprise. It all happened too fast and the loud cheers still didn''t die when only dust remained behind.


    "NOOOO!!! JOANNA!!!"


    A pained scream echoed in the arena, silencing thest noises of the students. Ronda stood up with bloodshot eyes while watching the arena.


    -----


    An hour ago:


    Joanna and Ronda were facing each other, Joanna with a stubborn face while Ronda was mainly annoyed and frustrated.


    "It''s not that I don''t trust you. I just feel morefortable when I know you''re safe."


    "I know, and I love you for being worried about me."


    Joanna ced her hands around Ronda''s waist and leaned forward, giving her a long kiss on her lips. Ronda didn''t resist the kiss, but she also didn''t kiss her back. She was still mad at her.


    Joanna stepped back and continued her argument.


    "But I don''t agree that you pay the academy for a human judge. I will win this battle for sure. Gale only has a powerful connection to mana, he isn''t well-versed in fighting. You told me that yourself; he couldn''t keep up with your martial arts in ss while I can. If you really believe in me, don''t insist, my love."


    "Will you not budge no matter what I say? You know money isn''t a problem for me."


    "I won''t."


    "Fine, just promise me you will be careful and not hesitate to surrender if you''re in danger."


    "I promise, so kiss me back."


    "No, I''m still mad at you."


    Ronda said and left towards the front seats to wait for the match to begin.


    "I love you."


    Joanna called after her but didn''t get an answer from the upset Ronda.


    --------


    Ronda''s expression was crazed with fury, and she leaped from the seat to the arena, attacking Gale with air des as she ran to him, fully intending to kill him in her anger.


    However, a snake of water appeared in front of her faster than she could react and wrapped around her, pinning her to her spot. As for her air des, they were nullified at a speed nobody in the room could perceive.


    "You cannot kill my student, little girl. If you want to kill him, you must do it by the rules. Wait for him to challenge you for your rank or spend a thousand IMG to force a challenge on him."


    Alice appeared in the air in front of everyone and restrained the raging Ronda.


    "Release me, bitch! I''m going to kill him!"


    But anger isn''t enough to defeat a magus. A wave of cold water washed over her and brought her to her senses.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Watch your tongue, girl. I will let it go this time because of your sorrow, but next time expect it to be painful."


    Ronda looked at Gale with hatred but stopped struggling. She understood it was pointless, and she didn''t have any problem with money anyway.


    As soon as Alice released her, she opened her Alessa watch and issued a challenge. Gale sighed and checked his watch. He felt bad about killing Joanna and he never nned to kill her over a trivial challenge, but she pushed so far that he couldn''t control his magic well enough.


    Fourth-rank magic was too dangerous to y with, and Gale didn''t me himself for Joanna''s mistake. He felt bad about it, but it was ultimately Joanna''s decision to risk her life, and that was the result. She couldn''t possibly be unaware that he might use a second spell to win, and it was her job to be careful, not his.


    Gale saw a new challenge on his watch, but this time he didn''t have to ept it. He saw he had the option to refuse the challenge for 500 IMG. It was just a way for the academy to get easy money from nobles.


    "Refuse it, she is still too strong for you to defeat. Save some money since she can forcibly challenge you every month."


    Alice instructed him. Since he knew Ronda wanted to kill him, he decided to trust Alice''s judgment on this one. He refused the challenge and left the arena under Ronda''s hateful watch.


    He went outside and soon saw Valentinaing to meet him with a worried face.


    "Be careful, Gale. Ronda isn''t just a genius, but she is also the daughter of an honorary marquee."


    "What''s that?"


    "Um, it''s a title that the empire grants to magi who didn''t have a title or weren''t the heirs of their family. If their son also bes a magus, that title bes permanent, and a marquee family without a magus is demoted to keep the number of marquees consistent."


    Gale nodded to show he understood, and the pair went to have lunch together. Valentina was used to people getting killed in the arena and during missions, so she didn''t make a big deal out of it. She herself had to kill a few people as part of her missions previously.


    Gale looked at Valentina and decided to make a move.


    "Hey, would you like to have lunch at my ce instead of eating here?"


    "Hmm, okay."


    She agreed with a shy voice and followed him to his apartment. When she entered, she looked around curiously. She had never been to a top 10 apartment before.


    "You can look around if you want, don''t be shy."


    He encouraged her and showed her around the house.


    "Aw, your room is so big! The bed is also twice bigger than mine!"


    "Haha, I''m sure you will get there in a year or two if you keep working hard. You already advanced one rank today!"


    She rolled her eyes at his joke.


    "I was ranked 18 before you came too, so I just got my former rank back."


    "So I only need to be challenged 8 more times and you can get your own top 10 apartment, right?"


    "Don''t aim to kill your opponents for such stupid reasons!"


    They kept talking and sat down to eat.

 Chapter 95 95 – Lunch With Valentina*

    ?Wait for tomorrow if you want the whole smut scene at once.


    -----------


    Gale had one more notification on his watch when he rejected Ronda''s challenge. He broke the record of the youngest to enter the top 10!


    Since Joanna was in the top 10 before he joined, he made the system count his rank by defeating her, and he could finally order fourth-rank dishes freely.


    "Let me pick the food for today, Vale."


    He showed a generous smile and opened the menu on his Alessa watch. Since he could order them freely, he nned to not hold back.


    However, when he opened the menu, he saw an option to pay with one record stone to make the menu for fourth-rank dishes free.


    ''Wait, does it mean I will need additional 3 more records to open the fifth-rank dishes? So I''d need 4 overall instead of 3?"


    He thought internally. However, a hungry girl was sitting in front of him, and he had to decide whether to click the confirm button quickly.


    "Don''t buy anything too expensive, we can stick to our normal dishes. They are tasty too."


    Valentina decided to speak out when she saw his hesitance. She didn''t lie, and she also really didn''t mind having a normal meal. Third-rank dishes were delicious, and she wasn''t with Gale because of his wealth.


    "No, no, it''s ok. Let me treat you to a good meal today."


    He quickly clicked ''confirm'', and almost failed to maintain a forced smile on his face when he saw the quota for fifth-rank dishes regress from 1/3 to 0/3.


    ''Whatever, there are plenty of other records to break."


    He stopped caring about it and concentrated on enjoying Valentina''spany. The food arrived 15 minutester, and Alessa brought it automatically to the table.


    "Are those fourth-rank dishes? I told you not to spend too much!"


    "Haha, don''t worry. I didn''t even feel the price. Don''t hold back, I ordered a lot of food."


    He chose to hide the fact he got the food for free. After all, nobody brings a coupon to the first date.


    Valentina just thought he wanted to give her a good time, so she appreciated the thought and didn''t argue any further. She decided to hold back and not eat too much to avoid making the bill too high, so she picked a dish and took a bite.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Mmm, this is so tasty, I can probably count on one hand the times I had fourth-rank dishes."


    She sighed with contentment as she stuffed more and more food into her te. She forgot her previous thought as she kept refilling her te. She forgot how tasty it was when she made her decision earlier, and honestly, she was kind of a foodie.


    "Mm, they are tasty."


    Gale nodded with a serious face as if he ate them every day. He wouldn''t let her guess that it was his first time eating fourth-rank food or she might think he couldn''t afford it.


    They finished eating and kept talking about their lives before the academy. As they spoke, Gale took her palm in his above the table and held it. Valentina closed her palm and held his hand in response.


    Gale stood up and pulled her gently, prompting her to stand up ande closer to him. Valentina was 8 centimeters shorter than him at 175 cm, with a lean and shapely body. She was a leggy beauty, and her long legs were extremely attractive.


    He held her chin and leaned down for a kiss, and she responded by slightly parting her lips apart and closing her eyes. Their lips connected, and he took it slow. She was inexperienced in her actions, and their kiss was separated after 2 or 3 seconds only.


    She opened her eyes and looked at him with a light blush on her cheeks. He gave her 2 seconds to sort her feelings and thoughts, then pulled her for another kiss. This time Gale attacked with his tongue after the first second and licked her lips, trying to make her open her mouth wider.


    His right hand held her chin close to him, while his left hand roamed her back until finding a good spot on her waist.


    His tongue''s offensive maneuver seeded, and it intruded her mouth, letting him feel her warm and wet tongue wiggles against his. She was hesitant at first but then mustered her courage enough to fight back.


    Her tongue wrapped against his, letting them both enjoy a tingling pleasure. Gale''s hands lowered to hold her behind her thighs, just under her butt, and he lifted her in his arms while still connected in a kiss.


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® When he lifted her, their lips parted for a short moment and a string of saliva stretched between their mouths, falling to their chins. They connected again with another kiss quickly.


    Gale carried her to his bedroom while they were still kissing, hitting a few walls on his way without even noticing. The touch of his hands sping on her thighs sent a sensual feeling through Valentina''s body, and she started getting hungrier for his touch.


    Gale ced her gently on the bed and climbed above her, kissing her around her lips for a tease. Then, he started sucking and nibbling on her skin all the way from her cheek slowly downwards to her neck.


    He left his saliva wherever he visited, and Valentina moaned gently and ran her hands through Gale''s hair. She then pressed his head lightly against her skin to enhance the sensation.


    Gale got to her neck and bit it with his teeth not so gently, leaving his mark and causing Valentina to moan in pleasure mixed with pain. He lifted himself above her by leaning on his left arm, and let his free left hand grab her thigh and rub it as he worked on her neck.


    Valentina closed her legs on his hand in her excitement, and it took him a few more nibbling and kissing to make her release it.


    He raised again and grabbed her shirt, intending to pull it off. She cooperated by lifting her back slightly and he quickly removed it.

 Chapter 96 96 – Steamy Time With Valentina**

    ?After pulling her shirt, Gale raised to his knees and appreciated the view of Valentina''s body in only tight pants and a bra. Her cheeks slightly reddened under his gaze, but she enjoyed it nheless.


    Valentina slid her hand under his shirt and rubbed his abs gently with her warm hands.


    "Remove your shirt too."


    Gale smiled at her request and removed it without hesitation, revealing his muscr body to her. Coupled with his charm, it was impossible for Valentina not to gulp when she looked at him.


    Gale grabbed both her breasts in his palms and started massaging them above the bra while kissing her neck. Still with her breasts in his palms, he started kissing his way down to her now-revealed cleavage and licked her skin.


    Valentina let out a stifled moan as she felt her boobs get squeezed. She felt embarrassed about it and tried to hold her moans back. She didn''tst long; Gale''s smile made her feel more confident with herself quickly, and the pleasure helped too.


    She was now removing her bra herself, and she pressed Gale''s head to her nipple forcibly. Galeplied and started licking around the nipple, leaving her unsatisfied. He used his hand to move his finger over her other breast and tease it the same way.


    Valentina was moving under him, trying to get the good yet annoying feeling to pass, but to no avail; Gale was stronger than her and he wouldn''t stop before enjoying her soft breasts to the fullest.


    He decided he had teased her enough and finally took her nipple in his mouth and found it already hard from the teasing. He started sucking on it as he tweaked her second nipple with his fingers.


    Valentina was rubbing her legs against Gale in her pleasure, encouraging him to continue. He left her nipple with his fingers and slid his hands into her pants and started rubbing her pussy over her underwear.


    "Ahh¡­"


    As soon as his fingers touched her, she moaned again. He rubbed it as he bit her nipple and pulled gently, then pressed his head into her boobs to squeeze it, and used Valentina''s moans and hurried breaths to tune his movement and touch the right ces.


    When he felt her underwear gets damped, he sat above her and unbuttoned her pants. She lifted her butt a few centimeters in the air and he pulled her pants off along with her panties, leaving her lying naked in front of him.


    She opened her mouth again, but Gale stopped her before she could ask him to dress off.


    "Nope, you''ll have to do it yourself this time."


    Valentina looked at him for a moment, unable to decide her next course of action. Then she decided to do it; he was already watching her naked body, what is there to be shy about?


    He stood up and she sat on the edge of the bed, her face at his waist''s height. She removed his belt and unbuttoned his pants. She could already see arge bulge in his pants, and she expectantly pulled his pants down.


    Only in boxers, Gale''s hard dick was much more prominent. She took it in her palm through the boxers and started rubbing it gently, making Gale let out a pleased groan. Encouraged by his reaction, she used her other hand to run her fingers on his thighs, moving from his inner thighs to his waist and the way back.


    Gale was enjoying the treatment and let her do her thing freely, only stroking her hair or her shoulders asionally.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Valentina felt Gale''s dick grow until it was pushing against the boxers tightly, and she pulled the boxers down, letting his dick pop out like a bird set free.


    She grabbed his dick in her hand and made a weird face when she realized there was room for her other palm on the shaft.


    "Use spit or it won''t feel good."


    She looked at him again, unsure what to do.


    "Don''t worry, just spit on it. It''s sexy, I promise."


    Since she didn''t know what to do he chose to tell her the much hotter option rather than let her do it on her palm first. She leaned above his cock and let her saliva drip on it while severing the string from her mouth with her hand.


    She started rubbing both her hands when she suddenly remembered something her sister suggested to her before the date with Gale and her cheeks flushed.


    Gale was enjoying the sensation when he suddenly felt something warm and soft touch him. he looked down to see Valentina grip his dick with her hand, raising it upward, while licking his shaft from below.


    "Ah, this¡­ is so good."


    He groaned with pleasure from the unexpected service. Valentina was getting more confident by his reaction, and after a long lick from the shaft to the tip, she put it in her mouth.


    Feeling her warm breath on his cock, her lips closing on it, and her moist tongue ying with the tip was overwhelming Gale with pleasure, making him tense his body for a few moments.


    Encouraged by his body''s reaction, she held his shaft with one hand and started sucking with her mouth, going back and forth as deep as she could. Gale could tell her inexperience by her gags; she couldn''t get to the halfway mark.


    "Do you mind if I move?"


    He held her hair back from her face to make her feel morefortable as he asked for her to sign she was ready.


    "Mm"


    Her answer was muffled for¡­ obvious reasons. But it was clear enough to understand she didn''t mind trying, and she stopped moving. Gale pulled her hair to make her raise her head up slightly and started moving slowly.


    He pushed neither hard nor deep; he moved his hips with a slow pace to let her calm down first, and slowly paced up and tried to go a bit deeper. He made sure not to overdo it, but at first, she still gagged, and her saliva dripped all over his dick and her chin as he fucked her mouth.

 Chapter 97 97 – Plucking A Flower**

    ?Looking at the saliva dripping from Valentina''s mouth turned Gale on, making him lose his patience to enter her lower mouth. He took his dick out of her mouth and bent down to kiss her.


    They shared another wet kiss, and Gale moved his hands to her sides; he grabbed her body and pushed her backward, sending herying on her back. He made sure she was wet with his fingers, and to his delight, his finger came out well-lubed.


    "I''m going to enter."


    He warned and she nodded back. She closed her eyes and waited nervously when she suddenly felt Gale''s strong hand holds hers. Their fingers intertwined with each other as Gale used his other hand to ce his dick on her entrance.


    He rubbed it a few times and kissed her, helping her calm down and rx her muscles before he pushes it in. A few secondster, he pushed it inside slowly.


    "Mm¡­ this is so tight!"


    He groaned with pleasure as Valentina''s pussy pressed the tip of his dick. He felt like he was opening a new hole in her creamy cave as he pushed his way through.


    "Ahh, it hurts!"


    Valentina wasn''t sharing his pleasure yet, she found it painful. Gale was still pushing his tip through when he suddenly felt a resistance blocking his way in.


    ''Is this the hymen? It''s my first time with a girl who still got it.''


    He got excited at the thought of having Valentina''s first time. He didn''t really mind if it wasn''t his girl''s first time, but it was still nice to experience tearing the hymen once. It also exined her shy behavior until now.


    It was like being chosen to cut the ribbon in a ribbon-cutting ceremony. You would like your office regardless of whether you were the one cutting the ribbon, but didn''t it have a special meaning when you did?


    "I''m going through the hymen, ok Vale?"


    He squeezed her hand in his to assure her it would be ok and held her second hand too, intertwining their fingers the same way as the other hand.


    "Mm, do it."


    She opened her eyes and their gazes crossed. They looked into each other''s eyes as Gale pierced her shield with his magical spear and Valentina let out a pained groan.


    "Don''t worry, I will go slowly."


    He slowly brought his dick back to her entrance and pushed again gently. A few drops of blood dripped from her pussy and stained the bed under them, but neither of them cared about that.


    Captured in his own world of pleasure, Gale was slowly thrusting his dick inside Valentina and brought up the pace as time passed.


    He saw she was still having a hard time enjoying the sex, as feelings of pain and pleasure were washing over her in turns.


    "Do you want me to continue?"


    "Yes, don''t worry. Keep going Gale."


    Hearing her positive response, he decided to ease her pain. It''s not like he made her have sex with him, so what''s the point of having a special power if you don''t use it to help those you care about?<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "It won''t hurt as badly for long, in a few seconds, you will gradually stop feeling pain and only pleasure will remain."


    He smiled at her and spoke with a strong voice as his eyes shone with a green light.


    "Mm, I can already feel the pain eases."


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® Valentina smiled back and Gale started fucking her again. He was going back and forth, every thrust going deeper inside her. He let out his charm, affecting the mana around him mildly to make her first time more memorable. For him, it was like adding a sex toy to their sexual life.


    Affected by his charm, Valentina was gradually losing herself in the pleasure. She was moaning hard and even started moving on her own to match Gale''s rhythm. Their hips were now meeting as Gale was pushing all the way through, and with every thrust the sound of his hips pping hers echoed in the room.


    "Yess! YES! I want it more babe!"


    Valentina lost her first shy demeanorpletely as she wrapped her legs around Gale''s back and pulled him to thrust stronger inside her. The new position also helped her spread her legs wider, which in turn allowed Gale to prate deeper.


    "I feel something, I feel- AHHH!"


    Valentina climaxed in the middle of her sentence. She wasn''t a squirter, but her moans and the way her vaginal walls were convulsing on Gale''s dick were enough proof of her pleasure. Out of reflex, she tried closing her legs in her orgasm, which resulted in her legs pressing Gale deeper inside her.


    They were still holding each other''s hands as Gale kept ramming her pussy, making her feel waves of pleasure, bringing the blissful sensation back right after it passed.


    Her tits were swaying in round motions as Gale rammed inside her, and her moans were turning into ecstatic screams as she climaxed again.


    The sensation of her pussy trying to swallow his dick was beyond Gale''s tolerance.


    "Ahh, I''m cumming too, Vale."


    He moaned as he felt his climax building up.


    "AH, YES! you cum!"


    Hernguage was broken as she couldn''t concentrate on her words. Gale''s body tensed as he pushed himself all the way inside and started shooting his jizz.


    Theirbined moans filled the room, joining the already present smell of body fluids. This time, Valentina proved that anyone can be a squirter. As soon as Gale finished his peaking, Valentina''s pussy gashed. Gale''s cream was washed outside, staining the bed and dirtying the thighs of both of them along with Valentina''s nectar.


    Valentina was breathing heavily after three orgasms, but Gale didn''t believe it was the limits of a genius mage''s body.


    "I hope you''re not tired yet, Vale. We still have a lot of time until sses are back tomorrow."


    He lifted her to him and kissed her, then threw her back to bed, this time on her stomach. He groped her ass with his hands and opened it, revealing her wet hole for the next round.


    The steamy day continued, and the smell in the room only strengthened as time passed, and orgasm followed another. At night, the couple finallyy down to sleep. They fell asleep in each other''s arms, still naked. Luckily, Valentina''s water affinity proved useful as she washed away their sweat and other fluids before going to sleep.

 Chapter 98 98 – Magic Circles Class

    ?The next day Gale woke up first. He got up quietly without waking up Valentina.


    "Good morning."


    It didn''t work. Mages'' senses were strengthened a lot by the mana and it allowed them to notice movements around them.


    "Good morning, Vale."


    They took a shower together and had breakfast.


    "Why did you order fourth-rank dishes again? You''re wasting your money. I know you can''t be that rich since youe from a kingdom."


    "Don''t worry about it, the academy gives me many benefits because I''ve advanced so young, so I can afford it."


    Gale had magic circles ss and beastbat ss, so he prepared and left the apartment.


    First was magic circles ss, so he went to the rectangle building where they taught second professions. He found the ssroom and chose a seat. Today he was rather early, so he just picked an empty one.


    As students entered the ss, he noticed that most of them kept their distance from him to the point that the whole ss was filled except for the seats around him. He didn''t really get what was going on, but the only notable event in those past days was Joanna''s death, so he figured they might be afraid of Ronda.


    "Hello, I''m Tom White, I''ll be one of your teachers for this ss."


    "And I''m Echidna rk, your second teacher. We will be teaching together since we have all 6 elements together."


    Gale was impressed by the academy''s resources. Darkness mages were rare, and light mages were even rarer. Not only that, but they had 3 elements each, which was also just as rare. Both thingsbined were even rarer-er!


    "We will start today with a simple defensive magical circle ¨C the elemental booster. Do you know what''s the hardest thing about attacking another country?"


    "Killing their magi?"


    "That''s second! With good enough magic circles, even expert mages can defend against magi. Of course, the costs would be high, but it can be enough to hold them back or even kill them if they aren''t careful enough. But when both sides have magi, the defending side can massacre their enemies if they have magic circles."


    The professors started with why their course was worth studying, and why a country without magic circles lost 50% of its defenses.


    "The elemental booster''s job is to boost your elemental attacks. When you make it perfect, it can boost your magic up to 5 times if you''re a mage, and up to two times if you''re a magus. Can anyone guess how many different versions it got?"


    "Six?"


    "Correct, but wrong at the same time since two versions are lost. The way these circles work is by choosing one element as the boosted element, and the magic circle can collect other mana types and convert them to the main element."


    Tom finished his exnation and Echidna picked it from there.


    "Since mana is actually one, you can theoretically convert the mana of one element to another. It''s pointless when you''re doing it yourself, but if you have a magic circle to do it automatically, then it''d be a great boost for your magic."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She waited a few moments to let the students digest the information, and one student raised his hand to ask a question.


    "Yes?"


    "If you trap an enemy mage inside the magic circle, wouldn''t it mean he will lose most of hisbat power if he is from a different element?"


    "Ah, not really. If he is inside the magic circle then he can just destroy one of the nodes and make it copse. There are other magic circles meant for traps and imprisonment; this one focuses onunching long-ranged attacks on iing enemies."


    The ss continued and the teachers exined how to draw the circles. The ss was divided into a few groups of 4, in a way that covered all four elements.


    "We don''t have the versions of darkness and light, but none of you have those affinities anyway. The circles for the other four elements only require you to cast with the mana of those 4 elements."


    Gale was left alone without partners but eventually joined a team of orphans that didn''t mind his conflict with Ronda. The ss went on for a few hours and they couldn''t even get half of the circle right yet.


    ''This is much harder than I thought. I guess such arts need a lot of practice to be truly proficient in them."


    He left the ss and went to eat lunch. Valentina told him she needed toplete her beasts'' quota, so she had to go hunting.


    She nned on going on the weekend, but because of Gale''s duel with Joanna, as well as their date afterwards, she decided to dy it for today and miss a few lessons.


    He met with Tim and Amanda for lunch and the trio ordered their food. To stay inconspicuous, he only ordered third-rank dishes as always.


    "How was your date yesterday?"


    Tim asked with a knowing smile.


    "It was great, we had lots of fun."


    Gale smiled back awkwardly. It would be ok if it was only Tim, but talking about it next to Valentina''s twin felt weird.


    "You must keep her safe. Remember Ronda hates you now, and you probably noticed that many people keep their distance from you. If she hears that Valentina is close to you, she might target her instead."


    "I will make sure not to involve her in this. But are you sure it''s ok if you guys sit to eat with me then?"


    "It''s fine. Ronda won''t attack just anyone unless they''re very close to you. If she killed anyone who interacts with you, the academy can kill both her and her father whom she relies on. Even if the academy believes in power supremacy, it knows the empire won''t survive if too many geniuses die indiscriminately."


    They finished eating and Gale went with them to the beastbat ss. On their way to ss, he saw Zach approaching him.


    "After your lesson Professor Alice wants to see you. You can find her in her office in the Square Building."

 Chapter 99 99 – Beasts Combat Class

    ?''I wonder what Professor Alice wants with me. I thought our weekly meetings were on Tuesdays."


    Gale thought to himself after Zach left. In his mind, Zach turned into an errand boy long ago.


    "You''re really lucky to have a magus care about you so much. If she takes your side all the time, then it''s even a better backer than an outsider magus like Ronda''s father."


    Tim said with an envious voice. Gale just shrugged and they kept walking to the ssroom in the Round Building. When they entered the ssroom, they found themselves inside arge room with a big arena in the middle of it.


    When the teacher arrived, Gale found it was the same teacher as humanbat, Professor Mercury. The bulky man entered the ss and started speaking.


    "I''m Professor Mercury for whoever doesn''t know me yet. We will learn about actualbat with beasts since it''s differentpared to fighting with humans. It''s easier in most senses since they are less diverse and less intelligent, but if you''re fighting an elite beast, it might be harder."


    Mercury exined to everyone what elite beasts were and the lesson continued.


    "Today I will let you fight some fourth-rank magical beasts for practice. Remember, you can get the best results in this ss if you go to the theoretical ss about beast hunting. This way you can apply the tactics you''ve learned there and use the weaknesses of the beasts to your advantage."


    He channeled his mana into a rectangle device and Alessa''s voice was heard.


    "Professor Mercury''s mana detected; permission granted."


    Mercury clicked a few spots in the device and a hole appeared in the ground of the arena. A red tiger came out, 4 meters long and 1.5 meters tall.


    "Let''s start with the highest ranked in ss so he can demonstrate for everyone, and the rest can give it a try after him."


    He checked in his Alessa watch the students list and found the highest ranked present.


    "Oh, it''s you again. Gale Stormborn, get into the arena. You cannot kill the tiger, or you''ll be tasked to go and capture another in your free time."


    He lied; it was his job, but he wanted to encourage the students not to kill the tiger to spare him extra work.


    Gale nodded and entered the arena. A barrier made of water magic was raised and he was trapped along with the beast.


    The tiger looked at him with hostility and started circling him. Since his job was to demonstrate to the other students, he chose not to just overpower the tiger with his magic, but to have an actual fight with it.


    He figured that this ss was synchronized with the beast hunting ss since they learned about this tiger among some other tiger species in the other ss, and now he faced one in this ss.


    Since he knew the patterns of the tiger''s attacks, he felt confident to take it easy. He boosted himself with a fire spell to have a stronger and faster body and waited for the tiger to attack.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The tiger was a wind and water beast type and mainly relied on its wind powers. As expected, the tiger enhanced its speed with a wind spell and generated strong winds around Gale to hinder his movements.


    Gale knew what wasing and felt relieved to see that the knowledge in the beast hunting ss was precise. Since they had stronger bodies, tigers often tried to force their enemies into a face-to-face fight, in which they''d hold the advantage.


    But Gale went through the strengthening of a ruler beast; a mere magic beast was weaker than him. He saw the beast pounce and send its w downward, and he just stepped aside and let it miss his shoulder by a few centimeters.


    The winds were getting closer to Gale, trying to hold him in ce, but a huge fire was ignited and vacuumed all the air of the winds, weakening them considerably until they werepletely gone.


    The tiger pounced again, and Gale ducked under the w and countered with a strong right hook, sending the tiger to the ground with a dislocated jaw.


    The tiger whimpered in pain and Mercury decided to finish the fight there.


    "Ah¡­ that was a good punch. But students, generally you should try to defeat them by using your magic more wisely rather than go into a wrestling fight with a tiger. Next student¡­"


    Mercury bound the beast with a water spell and sent it back underground to heal. The students started entering the arena ording to their ranks and fighting the beasts. Gale was quite bored and had nothing to do but sit back and watch the other students fight.


    Tim''s turn arrived and he faced the tiger. Unlike Gale, he didn''t try to fight physically but nullified the tiger''s winds by raising a wall of stone that allowed him to walk freely. When the tiger pounced at him, he was ready and summoned a pir of stone from the ground to sh with the tiger.


    The tiger would be sent back every time, and after each sh, its frontal legs turned numb from the shock. A few minutester, Tim defeated the tiger and returned to his spot next to Gale and Amanda.


    "Good job Tim."


    "Thanks!"


    "Good luck Amanda!"


    It was Amanda''s turn next since she was just one rank under Tim. She used her water affinity to resist the winds and another water spell to make the tiger''s w get even stronger momentum.


    The tiger stumbled a few steps forward uponnding, and Amanda used this opening tond a kick on its side from behind and bind it with a new water spell before it could recover from the kick.


    Although the battles weren''t that interesting, watching so many different fighting styles and mana maniption styles gave Gale different ideas about how to utilize his own magic. Although he wouldn''t imitate others'' attacks, he could still try to learn some concepts from the way they used their magic.

 Chapter 100 100 – Two-Week Training

    ?After the ss ended, Gale wanted to leave and train in his apartment to try some new ideas that popped into his mind while watching the other students fight in the beastbat ss.


    However, he didn''t forget Alice''s summoning and went to her office to find her. He knocked on her door and waited for a reply.


    "Come in."


    A few secondster the reply came, and he entered the office. He found Alice sitting at her desk and reading a book.


    "Professor Alice, did you wish to see me?"


    "Yes, we will do our weekly meeting today."


    "Are you perhaps busy tomorrow?"


    "Does it have anything to do with you? If I told you that I teach you today, then you wille to learn today. Unless you have ns for today and prefer to cancel your training with me for this week."


    Gale understood that training with a magus was a privilege. In fact, he improved in the few hours he trained with her faster than he did all those days of training by himself.


    "No, I''m free today. I was just curious."


    "All right. I hope you''re free those next two weeks because you''re not leaving this office until I''m satisfied. You''re in worse danger than you realize, and I need you to be able to defend yourself. It''d be a shame to lose such a promising talent early."


    "Am I going to train with you from morning all day and only go back to my apartment in the evening?"


    "No. You will eat and sleep in my training room too. Have you heard that Ronda defeated a new advanced mage?"


    "I have. But what does it have to do with me?"


    "Do you remember who can defeat mages above their stage?"


    "Elite beasts?"


    "Exactly. Ronda is a rare genius who advanced to the mage phase in 9 years, 9 months, and 9 days. Her prowess coupled with her background attracted many followers to her side. Some of them are even advanced mages from the older age groups, and if you go outside to hunt, they are very likely to ambush you under her instructions."


    ''Vale should be safe, we didn''t appear in public much, and even our date was in my apartment and not in the public dining room.''


    "But I want to go out and meet my friends or they might be worried about me. How about letting me out every three days?"


    He still didn''t want to stay apart from Valentina for two weeks when they just started their rtionship. He said three days because he estimated it as the time she''d need to finish her hunt.


    "No, don''t try to argue with me. They shouldn''t be seen too often by your side anyway if they don''t want to risk being targeted."


    Gale decided it might be a good idea to just train now and exin the reason for his absenceter. After all, it was a rare opportunity to learn directly from Alice for two weeks straight.


    -----


    During the beastbat ss:


    Ronda was sitting alone in her apartment, mourning Joanna''s death. She didn''t go out ever since the duel in her grief.


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® *knock knock*


    She heard knocks on her door. She looked at her watch and saw the visitor was Raymond. He was ranked eighth on the list of their age group and lived in the same zone as Gale.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She thought for a moment and decided to let him in. He was her follower for a while now, and he knew her emotional state. Since he came, it must be with a good reason. For his own good.


    "Why did youe to visit me?"


    "Hello, Miss Ronda. I have some news that might interest you."


    "What is it?"


    "As you know, I live in the same zone as Gale Stormborn."


    "Yes, what about it?"


    Just the mention of his name was enough to make her angry.


    "Today when I left my apartment, I saw a girling out of his apartment. It seems that she spent the night at his ce."


    "So he already found a slut to warm his bed? Is that all you have to say?"


    "No, no. I believe she isn''t just a one-night stand, but a lover. I asked around and found out her name was Valentina Noons, and she was seen by his side right after¡­ his duel. I also found out from Mars who lost to Gale in humanbat ss that he saw Gale eats lunch with Valentina, her sister Amanda, and another guy often."


    "Hmm, I see. So you''re saying she''s his girlfriend? You know we can''t kill indiscriminately in the academy, or even I would have to face the consequences."


    "I know. I believe it''s very likely."


    "I see. Then find out when the next time she goes hunting is. Or even better, if she is going on a mission soon."


    "That''s the next thing I wanted to tell you. She''s now in the forest. I''m not sure why, but instead of going on the weekend she went now toplete her quota."


    "If your lover had an important duel over the weekend, would you go?"


    Ronda asked with a pensive face.


    "Probably not. Are you saying¡­?"


    "Exactly. If they''re lovers, then it makes sense. I bet they were celebrating my Joanna''s death in his bed."


    She said with a furious tone through her clenched teeth.


    "Call Lidia here, she can take care of it."


    "I can do it too, she is only ranked 19!"


    "The gap isn''t high enough; she might slip away. If she slips away, we will never get another chance."


    -----


    During the next two weeks, Gale was training with Alice the whole time. He got to sleep only once every 2 days and had to concentrate to avoid getting gravely injured all the time.


    The intensive training showed its effectiveness rather quickly. His ruler-beast instincts allowed him to sense Alice''s proficient mana maniption, and he could put to test all the ideas he had from the beastbat ss along with new ideas he got from watching Alice.

 Chapter 101 101 – Attack In The Forest

    ?Gale improved by leaps and boundspared to before his training session with Alice. She felt reassured of her choice to believe in his potential when she saw how fast he could learn.


    "Good, you''re better than I expected. You may go now to meet your friends and attend sses again, have fun."


    "Thank you, Professor Alice."


    Gale left her room and went out. He tried to contact Valentina through his Alessa watch but got no response.


    ''Maybe she''s busy training.''


    He tried contacting Tim, and this time got a reply.


    - I''m in ss right now, you can meet me in one hour outside the Round Building.


    - Sure, I will be waiting for you.


    He spent the hour ordering huge amounts of food. He was starving after two weeks with Alice since she only let him take a meal break twice a day, and it was never long enough to fill his belly. He checked his Alessa watch a few times, but Valentina didn''t reply to his message.


    He waited outside as a stream of students left the building until he caught sight of Tim and Amanda walking toward him. To his bewilderment, there was no trace of happiness in their eyes when they saw him. In fact, there was anger in Amanda''s eyes.


    "Thank you for paying attention to us."


    She said with a sarcastic voice.


    "I''m sorry for disappearing without saying anything. Two weeks ago Professor Alice called me to her office and decided to train me for two weeks before letting me out. I will exin myself to Valentina too when she sees my message."


    He figured she must be angry with him for disappearing for two weeks right after sleeping with her sister. He could understand how people might misinterpret his intentions.


    "THAT''S SO KIND OF YOU! You said you will not pull her into your mess! If you disappeared a few days earlier, then maybe she wouldn''t get attacked by an advanced mage in the forest!"


    Amanda was trembling with anger as she shouted at Gale. Gale widened his eyes in surprise and fear.


    "What happened? What did they do to her?"


    He first felt fear for Valentina''s fate, then felt anger rising inside of him. He swore to himself that Ronda wasn''t getting away with it.


    "Do you even care?"


    Amanda refused to tell him, making him almost burst with anger at her. However, Tim saw that the matter was escting and answered instead.


    "She was injured badly, but luckily there was a guard nearby and he saved her. She is still recovering, but she was released from the infirmary to her room. If you sent her a message and she didn''t reply, it probably means she''s resting; it''s a side effect of some medicines."


    Gale heaved a sigh of relief when he heard she was saved.


    "Is there any permanent injury? Will she make a full recovery?"


    "There is none, and she will fully recover in a week or two."


    He sighed with relief again.


    "I will go to visit her. Thank you for telling me about it."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He turned around and left toward the dorms.


    ----


    2 weeks earlier:


    Alice kept an eye open for Ronda''s next move and expected her to try to take revenge. She also asked Alessa to inform her if someone rted to Gale goes outside the academy since those ces granted Ronda the best opportunity to act.


    "Student Valentina Noons left the academy and entered Monte Forest."


    Alessa''s voice sounded, and Alice rolled her eyes.


    ''Does this stupid girl have a death wish or something?''


    She opened her watch and texted one of the expert mage guards.


    - Follow the student Valentina Noons into Monte Forest. If she is attacked, save her after she gets injured.


    She added the second half after remembering Elizabeth''s request to make him quarrel with the academy''s girls.


    ''Well, if I let her kill Valentina, then the rtionship between Ronda and Gale will be unreconcble, and they will try to kill each other forever. If Valentina gets injured but not killed, it will somewhat appease Ronda, and despite Gale''s expected anger, the situation won''t deteriorate too much.''


    Ronda was recognized by the world as a lower elite beast, and her advance to the Magus Phase was very likely. Losing either her or Gale would be a great loss for the empire.


    She believed that once Ronda will ovee her grief, she will understand that it was an ident, and Gale wasn''t to me for Joanna''s death. Although she knew that Ronda and Gale wouldn''t be friends, Alice still believed they could at least avoid each other instead ofing at each other''s throats.


    ''And besides, if Valentina dies when I ban him from leaving my office, he will suspect me or even me me.''


    She was training him because she believed he could get to the top, so souring their rtionship wasn''t a wise thing to do.


    ------


    Gale waited for 2 hours outside Valentina''s door until she saw his message and Alessa''s notification that he hade to visit her. She asked Alessa to let him in, and he entered her room.


    Gale found her in her bed, covered with a nket, but seemingly unwounded.


    "Hey, Vale, are you ok? Do you need something?"


    He hurriedly went to her side and touched her shoulder in concern.


    "No, I just needed you by my side. Where have you been?"


    She reached with her hand to his and held it in her palm. He felt relief when he saw she wasn''t ming him for his absence. Her tone was worried and caring.


    "I''m sorry I couldn''t be by your side those two weeks. I was summoned to Alice''s office, and she didn''t let me leave or hear news from outside all this time. I only heard about what happened to you now and rushed here to see you immediately."


    He squeezed her hand gently to convey his worry and she smiled when she heard it. She''d lie if she said she wasn''t affected by Amanda''s theory that he abandoned her after taking a bite.

 Chapter 102 102 – Light Affinity (Lenas POV)

    Lena headed to the building mentioned in Alessa''s message to meet with the magi and the academy''s head. While in Gale''s academy the buildings were recognized by their shape, in Moon Nova Academy the buildings were numbered and were all in the same rectangle shape.


    Lena went to the first building, which was like the Square Building, and found the room. She knocked on the door and waited for a reply.


    "Come in."


    She entered the room and found herself in arge meeting room, with 8 people sitting around arge table, with an old-looking woman at the end.


    "Hello, professors."


    She greeted them and stood in ce while their gazes checked her out. A few secondster, the old woman nodded and spoke.


    "You do seem talented. Finding a higher elite human in our world is rare, and I never expected to find one in a kingdom. But what makes you think you''re eligible to be my student?"


    "Because I''m the best you got in your school unless you have a ruler human here."


    Lena said her reasons straight. Lucas already exined to her the uniqueness of mages who advanced early without boosts from potions.


    "We don''t have any¡­ well, let''s check your affinities then. I''ve heard you have affinities with 5 elements. Which one is your main?"


    "Light."


    The old woman gave her a yellow orb. She only cared about the main affinity since it was the most important one when measuring one''s prospects. The rest were only important to measure fighting prowess.


    Lena took it and channeled her mana inside the orb, until it shined with a powerful golden light.


    "That''s¡­"


    The magi were speechless when they saw the light. Even the academy''s head couldn''t remainposed.


    "SSS-60!"


    Lena already learned about the concept of affinities in her week at the academy, so she just smirked at the old woman.


    "So, am I eligible?"


    "¡­Yes. You can call me Professor Daphne."


    Daphne said with an annoyed voice. She didn''t like Lena''s smug face, but she also couldn''t deny that Lena could theoretically get to the ninth stage. Even though it was only a potential that might note true, nobody would give up on nurturing such talent. If she seeded, she''d turn the scales of war between the empires.


    "However, don''t be mistaken. You''re not the first nor thest to have an SSS affinity. All three empires had such talents, but the best they could reach was the eighth stage. I will nurture you with the hope you can be a ninth-stage mage one day, but if I see you don''t work hard enough, then I will stop investing in you."


    Daphne quickly added a warning. One problem with talented youths who had it easy was that they weren''t hard workers. Since there were people as talented as Lena before but they couldn''t break through the wall of the ninth stage, it meant that being talented wasn''t enough to get far.


    "No problem. I''ve always worked hard, and I won''t stop now. I n on getting past the ninth stage and finding what''s beyond."


    Lena dered her dream with a confident voice, and Daphne nodded with contentment. Although she didn''t believe Lena can achieve it, if one aims for the stars, they will at leastnd in the sky.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "You can find me here every Wednesday. Make sure to work hard and digest all your gains from each lesson before the next lesson arrives. You may go now."


    "Thank you, Professor Daphne."


    Lena nodded and left the meeting room. Wednesday was tomorrow, so she nned to train until her next meeting with Daphne.


    In the meeting room, the magi sat in their seats with solemn faces while waiting for Daphne to decide how to keep this matter a secret.


    Daphne thought for a minute and came to a decision. She took out seven inscribed scrolls made of seventh-rank beast''s leather and handed them to everyone in the room.


    "Take an oath not to reveal any information about Lena, and specifically not to reveal her affinity and talent, or tell outsiders about her potential."


    She instructed the magi and they put their palms on the open scrolls.


    "I swear not to reveal Lena''s affinity to anyone, not to tell anyone that we have a student with SSS affinity in our school, not to rmend anyone to be careful of Lena''s potential, not to¡­"


    The first person to take the oath was a young-looking female magus. She took a long oath that included all aspects that could lead Lena into danger if revealed, and the rest of the magi repeated after her.


    When they finished, each scroll''s magic circle shone with light and injected mana inside their bodies. If someone broke their oath, their scroll would burn and notify Daphne. Additionally, the mana in their body would explode and lead to grave injuries.


    Even though it wouldn''t kill a magus, if they were tracked down before they could heal, it''d lead to their death. They could safely break the oath only if they broke through the eighth stage and could overpower a magic circle from a lower rank.


    Lena woke up the next day and went to meet with Daphne first thing in the morning after having breakfast. Since Daphne said she will be there the whole day for her, Lena preferred to take advantage of the whole day instead of goingte.


    She noticed that all the food of the fifth rank was open for her to order freely after yesterday''s meeting with the magi, so she ordered a few dishes of different elements and started eating.


    As she ate, the mana in the meat entered her body and started affecting it, invigorating her and even giving her a slight increase in power. It didn''t make a big difference, but it was always better to get a little stronger.


    The most important aspect was that she got to sense the mana moving, and it was a movement on the fifth-stage level. After finishing her meal, she went to Daphne''s personal training room and found her meditating inside.


    "Good. I would be disappointed if you came only at midday."


    Daphne opened her eyes and looked at Lena who just entered. Lena on the other hand, was excited by the amount of mana in the air.


    "I see you already feel the mana''s density here. It''s 90 MDU in here. The magic circles were made by eighth-stage magi and their design was found in ruins from before the Hatred Era."


    Lena didn''t really see the importance of knowing history, so she didn''t care enough to ask for a lesson in one. The most important thing for her was to improve and get stronger.


    "How do we start training?"


    "Just attack me with your best attacks. I will always manipte the mana just slightly better than you so you can adjust and improve as fast as possible. After seeing your shorings today, I will be able to make a better n for next Wednesday."


    And thus, a day of restless fighting between Lena and Daphne began, with short breaks only to replenish Lena''s mana with fourth-rank potions and a few other short breaks when Lena needed to meditate whenever she felt enlightened.

 Chapter 103 103 – Meeting Ronda Again

    "Tell me everything that happened, Vale. I promise I will make Ronda pay for this."


    Gale was sitting next to Valentina''s bed and talked to her while they held hands.


    "As you already know, after you left, I went to the forest to hunt some beasts. I was tracking a fourth-rank magical beast for a few hours until I found a perfect moment to strike. At that moment, I jumped above it and used two offensive spells to hit it. However, everything got messed up when another powerful spell came from my right."


    Gale listened to her story quietly and let her finish.


    "Because I already cast my spells against the beast, I couldn''t defend myself, so the spell hit me and opened a hole in my stomach. I fell on the floor next to the beast, but luckily the wounded beast chose to run away rather than attack me, probably because it could sense that there was another human nearby after that spell."


    "And how were you saved?"


    "My attacker came out of the woods. It was Lidia Muller; she is ranked 33 on the top 500 list of the 36-45 age group. Sheughed at me and said it was my fault for opening my legs for Ronda''s enemy. But when she shot another spell at me, a water sphere emerged around me and defended me."


    "And that was the academy''s guard?"


    "Yes. He came and told Lidia that she couldn''t kill me. She couldn''t do much because he was an expert mage and killing other students on purpose is illegal, so she retreated. The guard fed me with a potion that helped sustain my injuries and took me to the infirmary, where I was unconscious for a week."


    "What was the guard doing there?"


    Gale wondered out loud.


    "I don''t know. Do you wish he wasn''t there?"


    She raised an eyebrow and Galeughed awkwardly.


    "That''s not what I meant, sweetie. I was just curious whether the guards patrol the forest often."


    "Not at all, that''s why it''s considered a great ce if you want to kill someone. The academy keeps it this way on purpose, so I was just lucky."


    Gale nodded but couldn''t get rid of the thought that Alice might have had something to do with it. But if it was the case, why did the guard wait for Valentina to be mortally wounded? Was he just unfocused and reacted toote?


    "The most important thing is that you''re safe. How is your injury now?"


    Valentina removed the nket and pulled up her shirt, revealing arge scar on her tanned skin.


    "It''s mostly closed, but there are some internal injuries and this scar. Is it ugly?"


    Gale traced the scar with his fingers gently and smiled at her.


    "Of course not, you got this scar for me."


    He bent down and kissed her on her lips, making Valentina smile happily.


    "Then I will not use any lotion to heal it."


    "I didn''t mean it that way."


    Valentinaughed and then groaned with pain when her wound sent a pulse of pain.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Be careful!"


    He held her like she was a ss about to break.


    "Rx, I''m not that fragile. But do you know what it means?"


    "What does it mean?"


    "That you need to be gentle with me tonight."


    "Are you sure? We can wait until you''re healed."


    "What? You don''t want to do it with me anymore?"


    "That''s not what I meant¡­"


    Seeing Valentina''s teasing smile he tweaked her nose and epted the challenge.


    "Don''te cryingter that you need a break because you''re still injured. I won''t show any mercy."


    He kissed her again and started removing his clothes. Soon, a steamy night ensued.


    -----


    The next morning, Gale left the apartment to attend humanbat ss. He also checked for information on his watch about the top list of the older age group and found the image of Lidia Muller.


    She was ranked 33 just like Valentina told him. Her skin was dark, and her curly hair was cut short, only a few centimeters long. Her facial features included full lips, dark brown eyes, and a few scars formed from cut wounds.


    He went to humanbat ss and soon Mercury arrived and started the ss.


    "Everyone, You are going to train again by fighting barehanded. However, today we will do it differently than normally because today we will include some buffing spells. Fire and air mages can team up with each other, and earth and water mages can team up with each other."


    Air and fire mages had their speed strengthened, so Mercury preferred not to mix them with water and earth mages yet. Then he saw Gale and Ronda and remembered they were a teamst time, but some drama happened since then.


    "Ah, Ronda you can pair up with John for this exercise."


    He pointed at John who walked toward Ronda. John was ranked sixth, and he was supposed to team up with Galest time before Ronda took his spot.


    "No need, Professor. Ronda and I have been partnersst time; it''s better if we partnered again rather than change partners every ss. You wouldn''t mind, right, John?"


    John''s lips twitched in annoyance. He was almost in the top 5, and it was the second time someone sent him off with a hinted threat in a week.


    "I don''t mind, please go ahead."


    He saw Gale''s power before and he didn''t think he could survive his spells if one of them connects, so he preferred not fighting him over partnering with Ronda. It''d probably be a bad experience for him to partner with her when she was still grieving.


    Ronda raised an eyebrow when she saw Gale taking his spot in front of her, but she didn''t back away from his challenge. If anything, she could vent a little by beating him up. Who knows, if she''s lucky enough, she might be able tond a killing blow before Mercury can stop her.

 Chapter 104 104 – Revenge In Baby Steps

    "Use the body buff of your main element only and practicebining the same 3 sequences we''ve been practicing this month."


    Gale buffed himself with fire mana and Ronda buffed herself with wind mana.


    "Start!"


    It was ss practice, and the boundaries were clear; they were trying to beat each other using only the 3 sequences.


    Ronda, boosted by wind mana, was slightly faster than Gale. Sheunched the first kick and got the initiative. However, this time, Gale didn''t try to dodge it.


    As a higher ruler human, he had his body strengthened to the extreme by the fire mana, which made his base power and even base speed far superior to Ronda''s. His brain was also sharper and had a much better reaction time and perception than a mere lower elite human.


    He blocked her roundhouse kick with his left arm and attacked by sending out a straight punch with his right hand. If their powers were the same, it''d never be possible; he wouldn''t be able to take on a roundhouse kick with one arm and still have a stable pose to throw a powerful punch.


    But the already existing power difference between them was empowered by his fire spell, and Ronda made a mistake by going for a long kick since she was used to fighting people with far weaker bodies than hers.


    The punch connected with her chest and sent her flying. Despite the order to use only buffs on their body, she used an earth spell at thest moment to avoid being injured too badly to continue.


    But Gale didn''t n to give her a break; despite blocking the hit she couldn''t stop the shock from it, so it still hurt and blew the air out of her lungs. Gale continued with the punching sequence with a hook to her jaw, and she defended with another spell.


    She didn''t dare use an offensive attack because it''d mean admitting her losspletely, but by using a defense spell strong enough to prevent heavy injuries but not too much to block any kind of damage, she could still fight back.


    This punch sent a shock to her brain, making her dizzy and almost fall and lose consciousness. But she persistently held on; she''d never agree to lose to Gale.


    "You underestimated me. I guess you aren''t used to fighting people with stronger bodies than yours. Well, try to survive to the third sequence!"


    Gale provoked her as his next punchnded on her neck and made her choke. She was struggling to take in air when the next punch to her stomach blew out any air she managed to take in.


    Gale charged at her again, and she tried to focus on his figure. Her vision was blurred, and she knew she didn''t stand a chance of fighting back in her condition. Her first mistake was just fatal.


    ''No! He killed Joanna, I can''t lose!''


    She used a sphere of water around her, revealing her third affinity. Gale''s fist was negatedpletely, sent away with the sphere current. She used this chance to start the punching sequence herself with the same straight punch Gale sent to her earlier.


    Gale couldn''t dodge it nor block it; she was slightly faster than him with her wind mana buff and he was caught unprepared with the water sphere.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "AHHH!"


    A feminine scream echoed in the room. The one screaming was none other than Ronda; Gale didn''t n to take on the punch because of Ronda''s cheating, so he just cheated too. Her punch entered a hot fireball for a fraction of a second before she pulled it out, but it was enough to leave a huge burn on her whole unprotected hand.


    "Ronda, Gale, stop!"


    Mercury gave them the instruction to stop and raised a wall of stone between them. He only took it down after they took a few steps back.


    Gale looked at Ronda with a smirk while Ronda looked at him hatefully. But Gale''s ns didn''t end there; there was still one step left. He had to leave an idea in her mind when Mercury was distracted by another student who cheated to im a win and didn''t pay attention.


    "Joanna was too weak to deserve you. Only someone as strong as you can be by your side."


    His eyes shone with a strong green light as he charmed Ronda. Ronda felt that what he said made sense; she needed a partner who could stand by her side as an equal rather than someone who needed her protection. Unbeknownst to her, she entered the first phase in Gale''s n for revenge.


    Alice thought they will just hate each other but be unable to harm one another, However, that''s only because she didn''t know of Gale''s ability to charm others, and most importantly, his ability to steal affinities.


    After ss, he went to visit Valentina again in her room. She was still lying in bed but wore different clothes. This time she expected him, so she prepared and changed her clothes to something better looking.


    "Hey Vale, how are you doing?"


    "I''m doing great, I''m d you came."


    "Of course I came. I thought about it, what do you think about moving to my apartment at least until you get better? You don''t have free deliveries and you can''t go out, and everything in my apartment is bigger which would be morefortable for you."


    "No, thank you. Although there is no rule banning it, it''s heavily frowned upon because it''d reduce the ambition and drive to improve and rise in the ranks. It''s fine, I will recover in a few days."


    She refused and exined her reasons. Gale nodded and didn''t pursue the matter anymore. He understood Valentina was a prideful woman and wanted to earn her privileges rightfully and not get them from him.


    "Just in case, I''ve instructed Alessa to allow you into my apartment without requiring my permission, so don''t hesitate if you want to move."


    "Thank you."


    She smiled at him and thanked him for his goodwill. He apanied her until the evening and helped her eat and take a shower. He only left when she felt tired and sleepy again from the potions.

 Chapter 105 105 – Special Mission

    ''Ronda''s affinity with wind magic must be above SS grade, but I don''t know about her other affinities. They are probably S grade. Since she wants my death and my loved ones'' deaths, she can only me herself for her demise.''


    Gale was making his ns and resolved to get rid of Ronda after stealing her affinities. After experiencing Rachel''s and Leo''s betrayals, he decided not to spare others if they can pose a risk to him in the future.


    "You have a new notification."


    Alessa''s voice sounded, and he checked his watch.


    "What is it?"


    "All students from the top 11 in your age group need to assemble in room 0112 in the Square Building within one hour."


    "Why?"


    "For more information, please attend the meeting."


    Gale finished his meal, changed his clothes, and went to the assembly. The Square Building was the one meant for the professors, so it seemed something important.


    Upon entering, he found himself to be thest one to arrive, which made sense since he only arrived a few minutes before the time limit. He couldn''t help it; he still wasn''t used to the taste of the fourth-rank dishes.


    Everyone turned to look at him as he entered, and the professor who sat at the head of the table started speaking.


    "All right, since everyone is here let''s start. You can take a seat, it might take a while."


    Everyone sat down and waited for him to exin his reason to invite them.


    "As you already know, all of you must do one mission on the battlefield every year as part of your training. We do our best to ensure that the missions aren''t beyond your abilities so no lives will be lost needlessly."


    Everyone nodded; it wasmon knowledge.


    "As the top 10, we decided to give you a special mission. Rank 1, rank 2, and rank 5 will be paired together since they''re the only advanced mages. As for the rest, you can pair up as you wish. We included rank 11 to make the number even."


    Everyone looked around them and started making ns about whom to approach and whom to avoid for this mission. Raymond and Ronda already nodded at each other as they nned to team up.


    "Let me make it clear, this will be a joint mission. All of you are going on the same mission but will move in cells of two. The top two cells will get a seventh-grade pill of their choice as long as the school can provide it."


    Everyone quickly changed their way of thinking. They didn''t need the one they could get along best with, but the strongest one they could team up with. It was apetition with a huge prize on the stakes.


    ''Although it might seem like there two teams can win the prize, the truth is that only one can. There is a team of 3 advanced mages after all. Oh well, it could make a great chance to advance with my n if I utilize this opportunity right.''


    "Onest thing. If your teammate dies during the mission, you will lose any benefits of ranked students for three years. Take it into consideration when you take risks during your missions."


    This rule was made to prevent the top students from sacrificing their teammates for winning thepetition.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "You may go now, just tell Alessa your teammate when you make your decisions. If both of you tell the same name, then your team will be registered. Those who can''t find a partner by next week will be partnered randomly with each other."


    Everyone left the room and went outside. Gale looked around and found Ronda walking with Raymond; apparently, she didn''t change her mind about teaming up with the eighth-ranked student, to Raymond''s delight.


    "Hey Ronda, are you teaming up with Raymond?"


    "Yes, what do you want?"


    She asked with a cold voice. Her hand was bandaged from the fight with Gale the other day and still didn''t fully heal.


    "I think that Raymond is too weak; can you really count on him when you fight against stronger opponents?"


    His eyes shone with green light as he activated his charm. He loved the most using his charm in those situations; it would work easily since he was stating the truth.


    "Huh? Don''t think you''re stronger than me. Whom Miss Ronda teams up with has nothing to do with you."


    Raymond took a step forward. He didn''t know where Gale was going with it, but it was obviously not in his favor.


    "Be silent."


    Gale poured his mana into his charm spell this time. It was directly against Raymond''s will, so it wasn''t that easy to pull off. However, Raymond was a normal human, and he was weaker than Gale in all aspects ¨C mental power, connection to mana, and affinity.


    Raymond felt a sense of fear and danger and took a step back, standing slightly behind Ronda.


    Ronda looked at him in disappointment. Although she felt Gale had a point earlier, she still wasn''t enough to change her mind. But now how could she trust Raymond if he can only hide behind her when someone slightly stronger than him threatened him?


    "You''re right, maybe I will ask John if he wants to partner with me."


    Her words made her point clear ¨C even if you convinced me that Raymond was a bad partner, I can''t trust you.


    "Haha, don''t be like that. Don''t forget none of us can afford to lose the resources of ranked students for 3 years; it would have a great impact on our future. It might even make the difference between bing a magus or not."


    His green eyes did their magic again, and Ronda was considering this option seriously. Raymond wanted to say something, but he had a strong feeling that he shouldn''t, so he remained silent.


    "Are you saying I should team up with you?"


    "Obviously. We are the strongest true mages in our age group."


    "Fine, but only if we take an oath not to backstab each other."

 Chapter 106 106 – Mental Strength

    The next week Gale was restless. He wanted to advance as soon as possible, and his n to get Ronda''s affinities was essential. After he was done with her, he nned to steal Lidia''s connection and rank up to the fifth stage.


    He understood that Lidia, as an advanced mage and an older person, had stronger mental power than Ronda. Furthermore, he didn''t know much about Lidia''s circumstances, so he didn''t know how to rationalize his orders effectively. He knew his mental strength will soar after being strengthened with another element after robbing Ronda.


    "Professor Alice, I''ve arrived for our weekly meeting."


    "I''ve heard you and Ronda teamed up for the special mission. Are you sure this is a wise choice?"


    "I''m sure. We even took an oath not to backstab each other with fourth-level scrolls."


    "You must understand that you can easily create loops in such oaths when dealing with people inexperienced with oaths like you."


    "I understand. I will be careful, thank you for your concern. However, if I partner with her, we will get the best results."


    "All right, make sure not to die."


    Alice shrugged and didn''t pursue the matter anymore. Any school would value highly elite humans, and there''s no need to mention ruler humans. If they were in the same cell, it''d just make it easier for their secret guardians to save them in case it was needed.


    "Professor Alice, there''s something I''d like to ask you about."


    "What is it?"


    "I want to improve my mental strength. How can I do it?"


    "It''s not the time yet. There are many methods, but they put a strain on your mind, which would negatively affect your progress in magic directly. Do it when you are older, that''s what everyone does."


    "I won''t do it more than necessary. I just have a strong feeling it''s very crucial for me to improve my mental strength right now."


    Alice looked at him doubtfully. She knew that elite humans had strong instincts, and it was easy to deduce that ruler humans had even stronger ones. She couldn''t tell if he was lying.


    "All right, since you say so. But I strongly advise you to stop this training as soon as this feeling passes; you should focus on advancing to the next stage and keep your higher ruler human status."


    "I''m aware."


    "Let''s begin then. Although there is no natural way to measure mental strength as we do with connection stages, humans have made a scale themselves. I''m going to apply mental pressure on your mind, starting with the pressure an average new true mage can tolerate."


    Gale nodded and waited for her to start.


    "I will raise the pressure gradually by the same amount, each unit is called MSU ¨C Mental Strength Unit. When you lose control over your body and kneel or freeze, I will stop, and the pressure I applied earlier will be considered your score."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She started radiating pressure on Gale and he felt an annoying feeling in his mind. However, it was still easy for him to endure.


    Every 5 seconds the pressure increased, and slightly under a minute he fell to his knee with one leg.


    "12 MSU. That''s pretty good, the average in your age group in the academy should be around 3-5 MSU, depending on the students'' ages."


    "What about advanced mages?"


    "Well, other than having a stronger mind because of their connection and strengthening, they are also stronger and went through many more hardships than you. The average of advanced mages from the age group above you should be around 15."


    "I see. So how do I improve my mental strength?"


    She took out a device that was lying on the floor in the training room and gave it to him. She hesitated for a moment, then took out of her magic bag a few fourth-grade potions.


    "This device can apply mental pressure around it, up to 100 MSU. To strengthen your mind efficiently, you need to use pressure 1-1.2 times above yours. Take those potions; they will help your mind heal faster and endure stronger pressure, which would elerate your improvement speed."


    She decided to give him the potions because she wanted him to be done with this kind of training soon and go back to improving his connection. She also decided to let him use her training room for the high mana density.


    "Just use this room until you''re done, you know the way out. Since you don''t need me, I''m leaving."


    She showed him how to use the device and left the room. For the next week, Gale just sat in Alice''s training room and strengthened his mind. He only went out to spend some time with Valentina and returned to his training right after.


    Soon, the week passed, and he went to the assembly spot before being sent out for the mission.


    ''My mind should be around 17 MSU now. I should be able to charm easily mages with under 34 MSU if they''re neutral toward me, but the more hostile and untrusting they are, the lower the limit.''


    Gale was satisfied with the results of his training. The intense trainingbined with unlimited potions showed great effects.


    He arrived at the spot sent to him through his Alessa watch and after 30 minutes everyone else arrived. Ronda stood next to him, and Gale saw that Raymond had to pair up with someone he didn''t know.


    The magus who met them spoke first and everyone listened.


    "There is an unranked force in our empire that''s betraying us and recruiting more mages to their cause. They wish to ruin the current order of the empire, and the army decided to kill them to prevent instability in the empire. This is Normie, he will be the captain for this mission. Normie, you can brief them."


    The guard came forward and spoke.


    "Sir, it''s Norman. Everyone, I''m Norman and I will be your captain for this mission. You must follow orders strictly, or you will be punished. The organization is calling itself ''Freedom'', and they are nothing but anarchists that endanger the citizens of our empire."

 Chapter 107 107 – Infiltration Begins

    "The organization is calling itself ''Freedom'', and they are nothing but anarchists that endanger the citizens of our empire. This is Emma, the vice-captain for this mission, and you must respect and follow her orders as if they were mine."


    He made a short stop and looked at everyone.


    "This is a military mission, and you will act like soldiers until we sessfullyplete it. Is that clear?"


    "Yes, sir!"


    "Good. ording to the intelligence reports, ''Freedom'' only has one expert mage, and we will take care of him. Additionally, it has 6 advanced mages, 31 true mages, and a few dozen magicians of different stages. We found out they have a meeting in a few days for now and everyone will be in their headquarters."


    Everyone nodded to indicate they understand, and he continued to exin the n.


    "We will travel there and raid their HQ during the night before the meeting. The team of advanced mages will be in charge of exterminating the enemy''s advanced mages, while the rest will be in charge of exterminating the true mages."


    "How is the score calcted?"


    One of the students asked Norman.


    "You can''t get points for killing enemies under your rank, and you will get double the points if you kill an enemy above your rank. For each advanced mage you kill, you get 3 points, and each true mage is worth 1 point."


    "That''s unfair, it will be too hard to surpass the advanced mages team!"


    "Life is always unfair to the weak."


    Norman gave a simple answer. 31 true mages divided by four teams were less than 8 on average, and to surpass the advanced mages team they had to kill 19 of them. But there was still a hidden disadvantage; the advanced mages could kill some of the true mages and prevent the other teams from collecting points!


    "Let''s go out! Each pair can ride on one horse."


    Normal shouted and went to a group ofrge horses that stood in a line. Because of his sickly body, Gale didn''t learn how to ride a horse when he was younger.


    "Ahm, can you hold the reins? I need to meditate; I feel on the verge of enlightenment."


    He coughed and asked Ronda with a straight face.


    "You can''t ride horses, can you?"


    She rolled her eyes and took the reins. He sat behind her and ced his hands on her waist. It was an unexpected great chance; he used his charm, which made his touch much more pleasurable.


    "Mm. Wait, move your hands to my shoulders."


    A soft moan escaped Ronda''s mouth and she hurriedly asked him to move his hands.


    "Why, do you have a sensitive waist?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "What? No! it doesn''t matter where you ce them."


    She didn''t want to admit she was pleasured by his touch. So she just bit her lips to the verge of bleeding to forcibly stop herself from feeling too good. Gale, on the other hand, pretended to try to get a better hold and moved his hands from time to time, sending a shiver down her spine.


    "It''s much nicer to be in your presence than I thought. I think we could really get along."


    "Keep dreaming. I still n to kill you when I get the chance."


    Those were her words, yet she was thinking he might be right inwardly. The ride went on for 12 hours until dark and the group opened 2rge tents. The men took one, and the women took the other.


    "I need to go to clear my mind."


    Ronda told Gale as soon as their feet touched the ground. She quickly entered the woods next to their camping spot and disappeared. Gale just smiled to himself; with his heightened senses as a ruler beast and their proximity, his sense of smell told him the situation was fishy.


    2 dayster they could see arge mansion ahead of them and they stopped.


    "We will storm in right at midnight. The mages will be scattered in the mansion in their rooms. ording to reports, true mages should be in groups of four or five, while advanced mages are either alone or in pairs."


    He didn''t include the magicians in his report since their numbers didn''t matter. Each one of them was far stronger than an average mage, and they could easily ughter magicians.


    "Nobody will save you if you die, so be careful and don''t be too greedy for points. When we charge in, make sure to either kill all the magicians in our way or knock them out if you''re soft-hearted. Just don''t let them rm the mages in the mansion before we are inside. As for after that, you don''t have to kill them if you don''t want to."


    There was nomand to exterminate the magicians because many of them were just servants, and even if they had the same ideology as the mages, there was nothing they could do about it.


    "Everyone, take this rope. Emma, please do it."


    Emma was brought specially for the infiltration mission. She had the darkness affinity and could hide the group during the night from the magicians'' eyes quite easily as long as none of them bumped into one.


    Norman gave them a long rope to hold since they couldn''t find their way either inside Emma''s darkness, and they advanced like that to the mansion.


    At the gate, there were 4 magicians standing guard on the ground and other 2 magicians on a tower with arge bell.


    "I kill those on the ground, you kill those on the tower."


    His voice couldn''t exit the darkness, but Emma heard it.


    "3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­"


    Six stones flew at a high speed in a boomerang line. Each stone met one temple, went through to the other temple, and made its way back to the darkness before falling to the ground silently. The six guards died without knowing how they were killed.


    The group opened the gate and Norman left 6 statues where the guards were to fool anyone who looked from afar in the darkness of the night.

 Chapter 108 108 – Infiltration Continues

    The group opened the gate and entered therge yard. They walked unnoticed until the back entrance of the mansion where 4 additional magicians stood guard. This time Norman did the killing by himself, and they went to open the door.


    However, the door was locked; they kept only the front door open during the nights. He looked at Emma and they nodded at each other.


    Emma cast another darkness spell and a ck fog covered the door and passed through the cracks around it. Norman used an extremely condensed stone sword to cut arge hole in the door, and the team could pass through. Not even the slightest noise could pass through the dark fog.


    Norman turned to talk to the students behind him.


    "Ok, everyone, split up and kill as many as you can, as fast as you can. Do your best not to get noticed so we won''t lose our surprise advantage until thest moment. Emma and I are going to the top floor to fight with the expert mage."


    Emma then spoke for the first time ever since she was introduced.


    "Remember you are operating in pairs to have each other''s back. If you face a powerful enemy or too many enemies, you must help each other escape and not try to sacrifice each other''s lives. It will increase the survival chances of both of you."


    "Yes, ma''am."


    "All right. Good luck ande back alive."


    Norman wished them luck and every team picked a different direction.


    "Let''s go to the third floor. The first two floors are probably full of magicians."


    Ronda told Gale and went to the stairs. He nodded and followed her upward.


    "We should start with the second floor, there might be mages there."


    "We can''t afford to waste time; this is apetition."


    They climbed straight to the third floor and watched the trio of advanced mages going to the fourth floor to fight with the enemy''s advanced mages.


    They ran through the hall and stood in front of a door.


    "ENEMIES ATTACK!"


    A scream echoed in the mansion, and the students realized someone was found.


    Ronda and Gale looked at each other and nodded. They understood there was no point in walking carefully now; it was better to just barge in amidst the confusion and kill as many as they could before the enemies had a chance to group up.


    Ronda generated a strong wind that blew the door away and they both ran inside the room with charged spells. They saw 4 mages inside the room, still in their pajamas, and shot their spells without hesitating. They agreed before that Gale would always attack the enemies on their right while Ronda will attack those on their left.


    Gale sent a huge swarm of wisps to attack the two mages on the right, and their defenses crumbled almost instantly until they were surrounded and devoured by the wisps.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Ronda sent air des that cut through their defenses and beheaded them after their defenses crumbled. Naturally, the air des were faster than the fire wisps.


    "Hmph, you''re too slow."


    She smirked and Gale rolled his eyes. They left quickly and decided on using mass distraction instead of opening the doors. Gale barraged the right walls with fireballs that kept decaying and eating the walls while Ronda sent air des that opened holes they could see through.


    They just ran forward until they saw another room with 5 mages. This time, the mages were standing together and ready to battle. There was no surprise effect, unsurprisingly, considering the mess they''ve done.


    "Freedom will fight for freedom, and we will slip away from the grasp of the imperial family and the nobles!"


    "For freedom!"


    The 5 mages had the initiative because of the noise Gale and Ronda made. They shot their spells as soon as Gale and Ronda appeared, but they didn''t pose any threat. Gale used 2pressedrge walls of stone to defend them both, and the walls crumbled under the attack. Nheless, they still managed to stand until the final attack.


    Ronda followed with her usual air des that cut through the weakest 2 mages instantly but were blocked by the other three.


    "No, Ron!"


    One female mage shouted in despair when she saw her lover''s head roll next to her feet. But neither Gale nor Ronda seemed to be interested in watching the tragic drama; they had apetition to win.


    As if they agreed on it before the fight, 2 mages instantly used four spells to attack Gale, while the third kept her two casting slots for defense.


    This time Ronda was the one who made arge wall. She used only one because the second one will hinder their own attacks. Her calctions were right; the four spells crashed against the wall, and except for the cracks, the wall still stood.


    "They are too strong!"


    One mage shouted in despair when he realized the disparity in their strengths. Gale was so used to fighting geniuses in the academy that he forgot how weak the normal mages were inparison.


    Gale sent tworge firestorms against the three mages and the firestorms went through the wall, burning it too. The female mage who was responsible for the defense had water and earth affinities, which were the reason she was responsible for the defense in the first ce.


    She used a huge burst of mana and spent it all on a single powerful sphere of water to block the firestorms, but after the first one was extinguished, the other went through and burned the three of them, leaving nothing but ashes behind.


    "Let''s go, we still need to kill 10 more."


    They ran back to the hall and found a group of 12 mages in front of them. Apparently, all the mages on the floor assembled to fight them off together.


    They faced a bombarding of spells and used all four spells to defend themselves. Suddenly, an air de flew and almost cut off Ronda''s right leg. In the nick of time, Gale pulled her, and the de missed.


    "An advanced mage!"

 Chapter 109 109 – Combined Firestorm

    "An advanced mage!"


    Ronda shouted to Gale after thetter saved her. They started running back in the direction they came from. real heroes don''t put up a fight when the odds are against them.


    "Haha! The empire''s dogs are running, kill them! We have nothing to fear with Lord Blue with us!"


    Freedom''s mages got a morale boost and gave chase with renewed enthusiasm.


    By running away, Gale and Ronda prevented the enemies from surrounding them, and they had to defend only their backs. The problem was the advanced mage; his attacks were powerful, so while Gale defended against him, Ronda had to defend against all the others by herself.


    "What should we do?"


    He asked Ronda. She had a higherbat experience than him and she fought an advanced mage before, so he wasn''t embarrassed to ask.


    "We need to pretend to be on the verge of losing and catch them off guard with a surprise attack. Can you endure some pain?"


    "Sure."


    Although he was never at risk, he did have his share of pain when training with Lena, Elizabeth, and Shana. Alice wasn''t that gentle either.


    "We need to mix our wind and fire spells into a double firestorm. It would be much stronger than your normal firestorm."


    They both started letting the weaker spells slip through their defenses. It required all their concentration to be able to determine which attacks they could endure and which they shouldn''t even try to.


    "We are breaking through their defenses! They are on theirst legs, keep pushing through!"


    One of the mages shouted and everyone listened. The spells were hitting Gale and Ronda, sending them stumbling a few steps back. Bruises were piling up on their bodies one after another, but they could still endure.


    "Now!"


    Ronda shouted and the duo released their offensive spells. The mages were spamming offensive spells by now and most of them didn''t think it was necessary to be ready with defense when it was 2v12, especially with an advanced mage by their side.


    "Careful, defend yourselves!"


    Ronda executed her windstorm and Gale added his firestorm to it. They were focusedpletely on the task and could only stand in ce without moving. Luckily, they had enemies only in one direction, which the storms covered.


    The storms slowly merged and the weaker of the enemy mages'' spells disintegrated just from the huge mana pull of the storms, while the stronger ones dissipated after entering the storm.


    Thebined storm advanced at a fast speed toward the 12 mages, and they did their best to cast defensive spells. The best they could do was cast a single spell with the time they had left, and 12 defensive spells raised in the air.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The defenses crumbled one by one, and the mages'' screams resounded throughout the whole building. The walls were burning and decaying, the floor was melting, and chunks of stones fell from the ceiling.


    The storm faded, and only one man stood, 100 meters away from Ronda and Gale. The floor and the ceiling between them were gone, and even the walls were missing.


    "CRAZY BITCHES, WHO DID THAT?"


    A scream was heard on the floor above them. Looking up, they saw 2 mages with burns on their bodies standing and looking down toward them, along with a male mage who was unharmed.


    Gale recognized them. The injured were the advanced mages ranked second and fifth in his age group while the uninjured one was ranked first. Apparently, they just killed 2 of their enemies and were facing the other 3 advanced mages when the ground started shaking.


    Caught unprepared, thebined firestorm engulfed them and only the strongest one among them could defend and remain unharmed. The worst part was that the enemies were out of the attack range.


    "It''s their problem, let''s focus on our enemy, he survived."


    Ronda said with a cold voice and they looked back at the advanced mage in front of them. She was right; he only dared scream at them because he was an advanced mage. Other than him, they didn''t know how many casualties they caused on the floor below them.


    The advanced mage managed to cast a second defensive spell at thest moment with the time the other mages bought him with theirst struggle. Thatst spell saved his life, but he was still injured and expended a huge burst of mana to defend himself.


    However, Gale and Ronda weren''t much better. They had bruises, cuts, and even a few broken bones. Gale broke his right arm and a few ribs, while Ronda had a deep cut in her right leg that hindered her movement.


    "It''s 1v2, we can win."


    He said and Ronda nodded in agreement. They weren''t normal mages, while their enemy wasn''t even a genius advanced mage.


    The fights on the three floors affected by their spell started again, and Gale cast a few long stone paths from their end of the chasm to the other. They started running toward the advanced mage and cast one offensive spell each. They kept their second casting slot for defense.


    The advanced mage retreated; he doubted he could win against the two after seeing theirbined spell earlier.


    ''Screw it, I just need to get out of the HQ and run away. I already saw other 3 advanced mages on the floor above and who knows how many others there are. I was lucky to getid in a true mage''s room tonight and be on a lower floor during their attack.''


    That true mage burned in thatstbined firestorm. It was a shame to lose the pretty girl he just got, but his life was more important than revenge.


    There were no more walls around him, so he jumped outside and used a strong wind to glide as fast as he could.


    "We killed 20 mages, and we are wounded and not in our best condition. There''s no reason to chase after him since our first spot is already secured."


    Gale told Ronda his thoughts. They weren''t soldiers, andpleting the mission wasn''t their goal. Their goal was to do their part and get the best rewards. Since they already achieved that, they didn''t n on risking themselves any further.

 Chapter 110 110 – Alone Time With Ronda

    After deciding not to fight any further, Gale and Ronda jumped out of the mansion and sat on the grass in the yard. They could see some magicians running back and forth in panic.


    "Sir, Ma''am, why are you killing us? We did nothing wrong!"


    They heard someone sobbing and looked at the 14-year-old boy in front of them. He had a fearful look, but he chose to beg for mercy for the chance to be spared. He wasn''t even a novice magician yet.


    Ronda just waved her hand in annoyance.


    "Leave, I don''t care about you."


    "But then someone else will kill me."


    "Just leave through the main gate kid, nobody is chasing the magicians or people without magic."


    Hearing the conversation, Gale suddenly realized how much he had changed. He killed the mages tonight without even knowing what their crimes were. He did it only because the academy told him to do it and because he was trying to get closer to Ronda.


    Just not long ago he believed he wouldn''t kill others if they didn''t antagonize him, and those people didn''t. At least not until he tried to kill them first.


    ''But since they were criminals worthy of death judgment, they would probably endanger others if we didn''t kill them.''


    He rationalized his actions and felt he did the right thing. Just because they weren''t a danger directly to him, they were a danger to many others, and if he didn''t kill them only because they didn''t try to kill him, that''d make him selfish.


    In his mind, hepletely forgot he didn''t even know what their crimes were to this very moment.


    "Thank you."


    Ronda''s voice woke him up from his reveries. He turned his head toward her and smiled when he saw her looking back.


    "Don''t mention it. We are partners, and you can trust me to have your back even if I don''t have to."


    He smiled at her with his shining green eyes and ced his hand on her thigh. He squeezed it a little and removed his hand.


    Ronda lowered her eyes in shame; she realized he knew what was going on and yet chose to save her from the advanced mage''s attack. In their oath, they agreed not to backstab each other. It meant they couldn''t disclose each other''s location, attack each other, or do anything that would endanger each other.


    However, she left a loop on purpose. Nothing in the oath said they had to save each other in case of danger. Thus, Gale could choose to let her die, but he chose to save her anyway. The worst part was that he just confirmed that he was aware of this loop the whole time.


    "Don''t feel ashamed. We met through a weird twist of fate, but I still feel we share some kind of a bond. There are barely any other elite humans in the empire."


    Gale''s words made her raise her head and look at him in surprise.


    "You''re an elite human too?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Yes, that''s why I said I''m the best partner for you. Can you truly love someone weak?"


    His charm was activated since the moment she thanked him, and her thoughts were falling into disarray. After knowing he saved her despite knowing of the loop in the oath, most of her hatred was dispelled.


    ''He''s right. He also didn''t kill Joanna on purpose. It was her mistake when she couldn''t estimate the difference between their powers and got herself killed. I''ve been unfair to him the whole time.''


    "I''m sorry for trying to kill Valentina. I was wrong, it wasn''t your fault that Joanna died."


    If you asked Ronda what''s the probability of her saying those words a week ago, she''d probably send an air de at your throat. Yet here she was saying it.


    "I forgive you. You weren''t thinking rationally because of your grief, it wasn''t your fault. Luckily, nothing happened."


    He reached with his and held hers. Ronda felt the warmness of his palm and closed her eyes as she felt happy that he forgave her. Maybe they still had a chance to repair their rtionship.


    Suddenly, she felt something soft assaults her lips and she opened her eyes wide to see Gale leaning forward with his face in front of hers, and his lips pressing against hers.


    She froze and didn''t react. She neither kissed back nor retreated. His kiss felt amazing, and a tear dropped from her eye when she remembered herst kiss with Joanna, and how she didn''t kiss her back because of her anger. She really regretted that moment for days.


    In a storm of emotions, she held his cheeks with both her hands and pulled him close as she kissed him back. She pushed her tongue into his mouth in passion as she rubbed her tongue against his and tried to conquest it.


    Gale was taken by surprise; he didn''t expect her to be so passionate. He couldn''t know the emotions that surfaced in Ronda''s heart when he kissed her. He hugged her gently and they fell together on the grass into a lying position.


    "Argh!"


    He groaned with pain when his body hit the ground. In the heat of the moment, hepletely forgot he had some ribs broken.


    "Hehe, you deserve it for kissing me out of nowhere."


    She wiped a tear with her hand and licked their mixed saliva from her lips. There were still the sounds of fighting, although they were much weaker now. But they didn''t care, they justy one next to another, shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand.


    The fighting sounds slowly faded as all the enemies were exterminated except the advanced mage who managed to escape earlier.


    The mansion was aplete mess. In its middle was a huge hole caused by Gale and Ronda''sbined spell, and there were other holes and broken floors throughout the whole building.


    Surprisingly, the sixth floor barely had some cracks on the floor. Norman held the enemy''s expert mage in a stalemate when Emma appeared behind his back and beheaded him in surprise.


    Gale turned his head to Ronda and gave her a teasing smile.


    "Where do you want me to hold you on our way back? I liked the way you smelled on our way here."

 Chapter 111 111 – Ruins Exploration (Lenas POV)

    A month passed since Lena''s first training session with Daphne. She would attend sses for 4 hours from Monday to Thursday, and train most of the remaining time.


    "Lena, you''re so amazing! I can''t believe you just challenged ranked 2 for his spot while still being a true mage."


    She was eating lunch with her three new "friends". It''s not like they were trying to manipte her or take advantage of her; she just didn''t consider them as her real friends because those three were fanboying and fangirling her most of the time.


    Jay also backstabbed her and started having more intimate lunches with Manuel, so she didn''t see her much time outside sses. She apparently never heard of the "chicks before dicks" rule.


    "I knew I could defeat him after training in the academy''s facilities for a month. I would need a whole year to improve as much as I''ve improved in the past month if I weren''t in the academy. Besides, I feel like I''m on the verge of breaking through the next stage, and I''m looking for inspiration."


    She was bored of being on her own all the time. Even she enjoyed human interaction sometimes and didn''t like training all day long, so she found herself interacting with two of her fanboys and one of the fangirls.


    For some reason, those who weren''t her fans were too scared to approach her ever since her fight with Manuel, especially when they heard she issued the challenge while he was trying to befriend her.


    The three watched enviously as Lena wolfed down the fifth-grade dishes when Lena''s and us'' watches beeped and ryed a message. us was one of two men who apanied her lunch.


    "Top 10 students are required to assemble in the first building in room 0004 within 6 hours."


    "Haha guys, I will be leaving with Lena. I''m going to use this chance to get ahead."


    us said to his two friends, who frowned when they heard the message. The other two were ranked 11 and 13, so they weren''t invited.


    "Keep dreaming. If you want my heart, you must be at least almost as strong as me."


    Lena snorted at his delusions, and he grimaced.


    "I''m ranked 5, I''m plenty strong!"


    "No, you''re just average, and I''m only willing to hang out with you guys because there''s nobody better to hang out with."


    No matter how much she wanted to meet new friends, she wouldn''t spend it with weaklings. The talented always want someone of their level to talk to.


    "Kiyaah! Mean Lena is out!"


    --------


    5 hourster, Lena went to the meeting room along with us. After arriving, they had to wait only a few minutes until everyone arrived. Thest one to enter was a bald middle-aged man whom Lena recognized as one of the magi she met.


    "Hello everyone. As most of you know, the three empires have agreed on a few war sites, as well as have agreed on a few tournaments for other territories. Those agreements have been ongoing for thest few thousand years."


    By "most of you", he meant the nobles in the group, which was everyone except for Lena. There weren''t manymoners in the academy except for some children of rich merchants or other sessfulmoners who could afford to pay the tuition fees.


    "Some of those tournaments are meant for magi, some for mages, and some have an age limitation. This time, we are talking about special ruins. Those are ruins of an ancient organization which fell at the beginning of the Hatred Era."


    "If they fell at the beginning, doesn''t it mean they were weak?"


    One student asked the ring question that was raised in everyone''s minds.


    "Even if they were considered weak back then, they would be enough to conquer the continent now. They had a few ninth-stage magi after all. They set a powerful magic circle which the empires can''t take down, and it allows only those 35 or under to enter."


    "If it''s been around for so long, is there any point in going there anymore?"


    Lena said out loud her thoughts. If those ruins are from an era that ended 10 thousand years ago, what was left there to take?


    "There is, you will see when you get there. Let me warn you in advance, at least half of you will die if you choose to enter. Those ruins were given to our academy because it''s most beneficial for light element users, and of all the Gold forces, we have the most."


    It was true. There wasn''t a single light element user in the top list of Gale''s academy, yet other than Lena there were two more in the top 10 of Moon Nova Academy. Almost all talented light element users were recruited to this academy.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Lena understood that the light element users, herself included, were expected to take this chance to get stronger, but they still had the right to decline. This academy didn''t force its students to risk their lives.


    "If you want to go, stay. If you are too afraid, leave the room."


    Despite his provocation, 5 students backed off immediately, and one of them was a light element user. The magus gave him a disappointed look but didn''t say anything.


    Two men were hesitating about whether to leave or not; they were looking at Lena who stayed. Those were us and Manuel.


    ''I''m not leaving my idol behind! It''s my chance to prove myself and get her recognition.''


    us took a deep breath and chose to stay with Lena.


    ''It''s been fun with Jay, but I should aim higher. I might finally put my hands on Lena this time. Haha, imagine if she was injured and needed someone to take care of her.''


    With a simr thinking process but much less purity, Manuel chose to do the same as us.


    "The five of you will go out then. We will move in seven days from now, and you can expect to be there for at least a month. Lena, the headmaster said that if you ept this mission, you should go to meet her in her office as soon as possible. You may leave."


    As soon as they left, their Shiri watches announced the assembly spot for next week. Lena parted from us and went to Daphne''s office.


    "Come in."


    Lena heard Daphne''s voice when she raised her hand to knock on the door, so she just opened the office instead of knocking.


    "Since you epted the mission, I want to make sure you get as strong as possible before going. You can train in my personal training room during this week, and I will try to find some time every day to train you."


    Daphne pointed at her training room, and Lena entered. A week of training passed, and after being so much time in a room with high mana density, Lena felt closer to the next stage than ever. She just needed onest push to get there!


    The five students assembled where their watch told them and found the magus already waiting for them.


    "Hello again, I''m Elijah. I will take you to the ruins. Since you''re the geniuses of the academy and you go to a dangerous territory, I will protect you on your way there and back myself. However, I can''t protect you inside the ruins, and I can''t avenge you if you die. Remember that personal strength matters the most. You will be separated inside the ruins, and if the kids of the other kingdoms find you before you group up, you might fight to the death."


    The group followed Elijah to the beast grounds until they reached arge territory that was off-limits for students who weren''t working or studying there.


    "For whom it''s the first time in the beast grounds, you may look around and enjoy the view. The beasts groomed by the academy are all trained, so we let them roam the grounds freely. They know the borders of their area, and as long as they don''t go out, we don''t put a leash on them. As for the birds, they can fly unrestrained, but they''re trained to return once they hear a whistle."


    Elijah exined to the students about the area and Lena looked around with everyone else. It was a territory asrge as the academy''s campus, and beasts were walking around, running, or justying and resting. In the sky were a few blue feathered birds that seemedrge enough to carry their whole group.


    *Whistle*


    Elijah created a strong whistle sound with air magic and one of the birds dived toward them andnded next to Elijah. A strong gale blew on everyone, making their hair and clothes flutter behind them.


    "Those birds are sixth-stage beasts groomed by our academy to serve as mounts for long distances. Most of the time, only the magi or expert mages who are sent to emergence missions outside can use them, so make sure to enjoy the ride."


    One student who worked in the area ran to Elijah, bowed, and quickly did his job. He took a saddle out of his magic bag and ced it on the bird''s back, making it morefortable for everyone to ride on.


    Elijah nodded to the students and jumped on the bird''s back with the students behind him. Although it would be a little cramped, there was still room for a few more students should the necessity arise.


    "This is Kol, he will act as your guard in case I''m busy with something else. He is a graduate of our academy and an expert mage."


    Elijah made introductions with the seventh person, and the group took off toward the ruins.

 Chapter 112 112 – Teasing Each Other *

    Gale and Ronda rode together to the academy, and this time Gale was much more direct with his aggression. He would move his hands on her waist, stomach, back, and thighs. Ronda had a hard time focusing on riding.


    Each night she''d jump off the horse and go away from the group to the point there was a rumor she had a shy dder among the students. She had no choice, she had to change her underwear.


    Because there were few enough students for everyone to notice everyone, Gale didn''t try to go any further, or word of that would travel faster than their horses. After all, he didn''t want to ruin what he had with Valentina.


    Because of Gale''s actions, Ronda always kept a distance from the other students during their rides, so they wouldn''t be able to see it. That way, she was encouraging him to keep making advances on her.


    "Ronda, can you introduce me to Valentina''s attacker?"


    Gale asked as he cupped her breasts in his hands and squeezed, eliciting a moan out of her mouth.


    "Are you not satisfied by groping me while having a girlfriend?"


    Ronda answered, clearly irritated.


    "No way, I''d be satisfied by groping you even if I couldn''t touch another girl ever again."


    Gale pacified her with a sweet lie and a squeeze of her boobs.


    "Mmm, so why do you want to meet Lidia?"


    "I want to see who was courageous enough to attack my girlfriend, is that wrong?"


    "Mm, I guess it isn''t. I''d never think you to be the overprotective type while being so horny over me."


    Ronda couldn''t stop her moans when she tried to speak, but she also wasn''t one to back down. She sent a hand back to Gale''s lower body and rubbed her hand against his dick.


    "See? It''s so hard already. I bet you had blue balls for the past few days. If you beg me nicely, I might let you relieve some of the load, you know."


    Gale just moved his hands down to her thighs and gripped them tightly. Just because she spoke the truth didn''t mean he was going to lose.


    "What begging nicely? Do you think I can''t smell you when we''re that close? The one doing the begging should be you, I bet you have wet dreams about relieving my load."


    This time Ronda was forced to shut up; he also spoke the truth. But he still had a weakness she didn''t.


    "Ouch, fine, release it! We both like each other''spany and nobody should beg anybody."


    Gale groaned with pain as soon as her hand gripped his balls. Ronda wasn''t a very gentle person even when charmed.


    "Hmm, not good enough."


    She tightened her grip slightly, enjoying being finally the one inmand. But Gale just clenched his teeth and replied back.


    "No, mutual interest is the furthest I''m willing to go, or maybe you want me to stop moving my hands?"


    Gale slipped his hand into her pants and rubbed her clit with his finger over her soaked panties.


    "Tsk. Fine."


    She released her grip on his balls and cupped them with her hand, soothing them after the harsh treatment they went through.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "But what do you want to do with Lidia once you meet her?"


    Gale savored the pleasant feeling for a moment before answering.


    "I don''t know, I will make her apologize or something."


    It obviously wasn''t the reason, but it was difficult to think of a better excuse when her soft hand still caressed his private parts. He could just get away with it by using his charm, and he did exactly that.


    "Fine. But you must know I''m not sharing my partner with others, so you better make up your mind and choose one girl soon."


    She got carried away because of the suddenness of the circumstances, but she wouldn''t let it be that way forever.


    "I promise to think about it when we reach the academy. It''s just difficult to think rationally when you rub your ass all over my dick like that."


    He couldn''t stop another moan when she moved her butt up and down over him, and Ronda just smiled in return.


    "Maybe that''s the best way to make decisions."


    Those games continued all the way to the academy, leaving them both on the verge of exploding.


    Upon getting to the academy, the two immediately took off to the dorms. They had to report only the day after, and their situation was quite delicate.


    "Call Lidia to meet us after."


    Gale reminded her as they went to his room.


    "Fine. Are you still thinking about other girls when your hand is inside my pants?"


    "No, I was just reminding you."


    He kissed her neck to pacify her, and she sent a message to Lidia. She didn''t even notice what she was writing.


    "Alessa, let Lidia in when she arrives."


    Gale gave the order to Alessa and concentrated back on Ronda. Ronda was tall and muscr, evidence of her hard-working personality and all the time she put into her training. She was 181 cm tall, just 2 cm less than Gale.


    Despite her training, she still took care of herself with high-graded creams, and her white skin was softer than silk and more pleasant to touch than velvet.


    Her round breasts were on the smaller side, around B cup or slightly bigger. Her lean muscr body had defined muscles, and he could see how she worked hard to keep her butt round and not too muscr.


    He already tore her clothes off, and she left red marks on his skin with her nails in her hurry to remove his clothes. They threw the torn clothes on the floor, and he just pushed her onto the bed while he was still standing.


    With her ass on the verge of the bed and her legs on his shoulders, she looked at him with urgency.


    "Push it inside faster!"


    After a week of traveling with Gale teasing her body all over, there was no need for any further forey. Her pussy was leaking for hours, and she didn''t even know how many times she peaked from his touch during their travel together. She even traumatized the poor horse when she couldn''t hold back a gush froming out in one particrly strong orgasm.

 Chapter 113 113 – An Interruption **

    "AHH! I WANT IT HARDER!"


    Ronda demanded more the moment Gale just put the tip on her lower lips. She was too horny after a whole week of intense sexual tension. Gale just pushed his dick inside and let his charm out to work overtime.


    Gale groaned as her pussy sucked him in like a starving beast, and he felt like he wouldn''t be able to hold long this time. His precum was already all over his dick from before going in, and it mixed with her creamy vagina.


    "Alessa, generate a mirror on the ceiling."


    An idea came to his mind, and he acted on it. A mirror was ced above Ronda, making her see the obscene view of her horny expression, and her tits swaying up and down as Gale fucked her.


    It only made her hornier, and she thrust her hips forward, making her feel it much better.


    "Ah, I''m going to cum, babe!"


    Gale warned her after a minute into the act. His balls have been hurting for a long time now, and he felt like he could cause a flood in the empire with everything that was built inside.


    "Do it!"


    Ronda didn''t mind the early cum, she was on the verge of another orgasm herself. Gale pushed his cock inside, and when his hips pressed against her butt, he started letting everything out.


    "Ahhh¡­"


    He moaned as an intense feeling of pleasure washed over his body. With each shot he let out, he could feel his body screams in relief. His load was much more abundant than ever; Ronda''s pussy was spilling his cum like a milk container as she orgasmed herself from seeing Gale cum inside her in the mirror.


    Gale took his semiid dick out of her oozing hole and took a deep breath.


    "I hope that''s not your limit, or it''d be way toome."


    Ronda wrapped her legs around his neck and pulled him to her, connecting them with a kiss as he leaned over her. Being mages allowed them to be much more aggressive with each other without having to worry about squeezing their partner under their weight.


    They shared a long kiss and Gale''s little friend quickly started poking Ronda''s inner thigh, making her smile.


    "Seems like you''re ready to go at it again, what are you waiting for?"


    She opened her legs as an obvious hint to what shoulde next.


    "Alessa, generate mirrors on all the walls."


    All the walls were covered withrge mirrors and Ronda looked at him with an almost visible question mark above her head.


    "Since the world recognizes us as beasts, I''m going to mount on your ass, babe."


    He pulled her and made her roll on her stomach, then grabbed her waist and pulled her to her knees.


    "Hey! Nobody can fuck me from behind!"


    Ronda wasn''t one to give off control to someone else, and this position felt too submissive for her.


    *SLAP*


    A loud p sound echoed in the room as Gale spanked her ass, leaving a red mark.


    "Ooh!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She groaned with pain. She didn''t expect it to feel so good to get spanked! But her face turned red; she was never treated this way. She was always in control with Joanna and any other past partner!


    *SLAP*


    "You aren''t resisting anymore. You like being under me, don''t you?"


    Gale smiled while Ronda looked in front of her in the mirror and saw him standing behind her. She watched him raise his hand slowly, provoking her to act back. Yet she felt like she couldn''t move. It''s not that she couldn''t but more like she didn''t want to!


    *SLAP*


    "Now your ass looks much better."


    Gale nodded in satisfaction as he saw his red handprint on her fat ass cheek. Her pussy was still leaking some of his previous cum, and her whole ass crack and inner thighs were dirty with the mixed cum and juices of the two of them.


    "Mi¡­ Miss Ro- Ronda. I''m he-he-here."


    A stuttering voice woke them up from the world of pleasure they delved into.


    "Lidia? Why are you here?"


    Lidia looked just like the way Gale was told. Her most prominent feature was two knife scars under her left eye, forming the shape of two parallel vertical lines. Those scars made him imagine her as a rough person, but her dark skin seemed much smoother than he imagined it.


    Ronda, who got too immense in her horniness earlier, quickly got up from her four and stood on her legs next to the bed. However, it was hard to look threatening when her thighs were so dirty, and her face was flushed with a red blush.


    Somehow, seeing the scene of Ronda having her ass spanked only increased Lidia''s fear. She understood she wasn''t in a good position; first, she might be the scapegoat for her attempt to kill Gale''s lover, and second, she had seen something she definitely shouldn''t have.


    "Miss Ronda, you- you told me toe here. I left everything I was doing and came right away."


    Lidia tried to control her stuttering, but she was too scared. She didn''t understand how the two changed from mortal enemies into¡­ whatever they were.


    Ronda opened her Alessa Watch and checked her message. Lidia was right, in her hurry, she only wrote her toe without telling her to wait a few hours first.


    "What should I do with you now?"


    She sighed and asked Lidia.


    "Miss Ronda, I saw nothing."


    She had her eyes fixed on the floor since the moment she entered the room. After seeing what she saw, she didn''t dare raise her eyes any higher.


    Gale, on the other hand, had a far better idea. He looked at Ronda and activated his charm once again.


    "Ronda, babe. The problem is that she saw you in a submissive position, and you don''t want others to know about it, right?"


    "Right."


    She answered slowly as she was pulled into his green eyes.


    "Then why not just put her under something simr? Wouldn''t it make her unable to talk about it?"

 Chapter 114 114 – Controlling Lidia**

    "Then why not just put her under something simr?"


    Ronda thought about it for a few moments and finally reached a conclusion.


    "It makes sense."


    It didn''t make much sense, but she was much more suggestible under Gale''s charm for so long. Gale looked at Lidia who stared at him after hearing his proposal. She scanned his muscr body and handsome face and let her eyes rest for a moment on his still-hard dick.


    She couldn''t find a single fault in what she saw; she felt like she was getting a reward instead of being punished. Unlike Ronda, she didn''t have that much pride, and she was already someone''s subordinate.


    ''Will Ronda be fine with her man fucking me though?"


    That was her only hesitation. But thinking about Ronda''s ass getting spanked by this man, she felt that he could do whatever he wanted, and Ronda wouldn''t say anything.


    "Are you fine with this decision?"


    Gale asked Lidia and gestured for her to get closer. Lidia nodded and stepped forward, standing in front of Gale and Ronda.


    *SLAP*


    Ronda was merciless. She pped Lidia''s face as soon as got close, sending her stumbling a step backward. Lidia bit her lip and remained silent, not letting the slightest sound out.


    "Kneel."


    Lidia sat on her knees and looked up at the pair standing in front of her. She watched Ronda stand above her, spreading her long legs with Lidia''s head between her thighs. Lidia was a short girl, and on her knees, her face was just at Ronda''s crotch''s height.


    "Clean me."


    Ronda took her head and shoved it against her crotch, forcing Lidia to clean the juices and cum mix Gale left on her.


    "If I spot anything that isn''t your saliva in a minute, you can expect harsher treatment."


    Gale watched Lidia lick and nibble on Ronda''s thighs and crotch, taking in everything and swallowing it to make room for the next lick. Gale stood behind Ronda and rubbed his dick against her ass crack as he yed with her tits with his hands.


    "Did you ever have your backdoor opened while someone licks your front?"


    "I didn''t. Wait!"


    Ronda hurriedly stopped him when she felt his dick pokes her butthole. Gale didn''t stop; he moved his finger on her pussy and it came out sticky as if Lidia didn''t clean it just a moment ago.


    "I''m pretty sure you''re excited from the thought of it, babe."


    He brought his fingers to his mouth and licked them. Ronda closed her eyes and used a water spell to coat Gale''s dick with jelly-like water.


    "I am, do it."


    Gale pushed the tip inside, and the lube made it slip without much resistance. However, it was hot and tight inside, and he felt her walls widen as he pushed his way through slowly. He groped her tits as he pushed, squeezing them roughly.


    "Aahh¡­"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    They moaned together as his dick got inside, and Lidia kept licking Ronda''s clit. Ronda''s thighs were wet with Lidia''s saliva by now, and Lidia''s face was dirty after it was rubbed all over Ronda''s thighs when she did her job.


    Gale slowly prated deep into Ronda''s ass, until his cock finally could fit inside. Ronda started grinding her hips on his dick, letting his dick move and rub all her butt''s walls.


    "Rub his balls while you lick me."


    Ronda instructed Lidia, who obediently sent a hand between Ronda''s leg to Gale''s balls and cupped them in her hands. She massaged them slowly, sending Gale to a new world of pleasure as he fucked Ronda''s ass.


    The act went on for a few minutes, and both Gale and Ronda reached their limits. Ronda caught Lidia''s hair and pressed her against the wall and kept rubbing her pussy on her face forcibly.


    Gale on the other hand pushed harder inside Ronda''s ass, which also pushed Ronda''s hips against Lidia''s face. While it was ufortable for Lidia, it wasn''t enough to hurt an advanced mage, so she could enjoy the act of being roughed up by the two influential people above her.


    Lidia''s pussy was wet for a few minutes now, and she was using her free hand to touch herself, moaning asionally into Ronda''s pussy.


    "I''m cumming, Ronda!"


    Gale gave a warning before his sperm filled Ronda''s ass, washing her with a sudden sensation of pleasure.


    "AHHH!"


    Ronda let out a loud moan as her pussy gushed once more that day and she squirted all over Lidia''s face. Lidia choked on the sudden gush of liquids that entered her mouth and coughed, but Ronda kept her face pressed against her crotch without letting go.


    "Mm, now that you know that you can only be under me, you also need to have your ass spanked and opened since you watched it being done to me."


    Ronda said after her breath returned to normal. She turned around and pushed her ass crack at Lidia''s face to clean it, and Gale kissed her lips and held her ass open for her. Lidia caught the hint and soon Ronda felt the slippery, wet sensation of Lidia''s tongue all over her back hole.


    "Aah, how knew having your ass licked in the literal sense feels so much better than in a figurative way."


    Ronda moaned as she felt two tongues invade her body from two different spots. She sucked on Gale''s tongue while trapping Lidia''s head between her ass crack and the wall. Only a minute passed since her orgasm, and both her hole was ready to be plugged, and Gale''s rod was ready to supply her with electricity.


    "Get on your four and prepare your ass for me."


    Lidia went to the bed and got on four as per Ronda''s instructions. Gale stepped forward enthusiastically and moved his fingers on Lidia''s butt.


    "What do you think you''re doing?"


    He looked at Ronda who was signing him to move aside while having a strap-on dildo made of earth magic around her waist.


    "You weren''t thinking I''d let you taste another ass right after mine, were you?"


    She asked with her eyes squinted in suspicion.


    "Haha¡­ babe¡­ of course not."


    Galeughed awkwardly and denied her words unwillingly.

 Chapter 115 115 – Entering The Forest

    The next day, Gale and Ronda got up from bed and had breakfast together. Lidia was sent back to her apartment during the night after a few rounds, leaving the two to spend a blissful night with each other.


    "Hmm fourth-rank dishes, not bad."


    Ronda nodded as she ate her food. She wasn''t too impressed; she was eating the same dishes and even fifth-rank dishes asionally.


    "You''re an expensive girl to maintain if fourth-rank dishes are only ''not bad'' for you."


    "Don''t be cheap, money is meant to be used anyway. It''s better to spend it and be stronger as soon as possible."


    "I wonder if your father feels the same way."


    They talked and flirted during their meal until it was time to go and report their mission''s results to the magus who sent them on it. As they entered the meeting room in the Square Building, they found out that the reporting already started since they camete. They slept in after yesterday''s intense activities.


    "Why are you twote?"


    The magus raised his eyebrow as he looked at them. It wasn''t a secret those two were supposed to hate each other, yet they did their mission together and got along so well that they even arrived today with each other.


    "We slept in after the tough journey. We couldn''t sleep properly out in the open."


    Gale exined and the magus nodded.


    "It means you''re too inexperienced. You need to spend more nights in one of our three training grounds and get used to sleeping wherever you are."


    "Yes, Professor. Thank you for your advice."


    The reports continued and Alessa announced everyone''s kill count when it was their turn to speak. As expected, Gale and Ronda won first ce while the advanced mages team won second.


    "You can ask for your reward now, or wait for when you face a wall in your magic and want a specific potion to pass it. Which is it?"


    Gale and Ronda both chose to keep it forter. Gale didn''t even know what potions existed, while Ronda didn''t need one now.


    "I heard that you could kill an advanced mage but chose to let him go. Why?"


    The magus questioned them when they finished telling him about their part in the mission.


    "We were heavily wounded and exhausted a lot of mana before, so we weren''t confident enough we could take him out."


    Ronda exined her reasoning. It sounded like it made sense, but it didn''t; the other mage was more wounded than them, spent more mana than them, and their difficulty in dealing with him originally rose from the other 11 mages who were supporting him, not because of his individual strength.


    "Whatever, you can go."


    The magus snorted and sent them away. He knew she lied, but there was nothing he could do about it. He agreed with their thought process; they would gain nothing from killing that man except for being more tired and wounded. They weren''t soldiers and there was no incentive to chase that man.


    "Let''s take his advice and go to the forest together. I''m really inexperienced in camping outside in dangerous zones and having you with me would be reassuring."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    After they left, Gale asked Ronda to apany him to the forest for a hunting session. His charm worked like it nearly always did when he was talking to Ronda. She was slowly bing more and more trusting toward him. She already developed feelings as well.


    "Hmm, okay. But when we''re back you must break up with Valentina, I''ve waited long enough."


    "Sure. I heard there were fifth and sixth-rank beasts in the forest, and some of them are elite beasts. Is it true?"


    "It is. It''s dangerous there even for us, so you will have to keep your vignce high."


    "Well, how about bringing Lidia along? She could be a great bodyguard and a meat shield in case we need her to be one."


    "Do you still have fantasies about her? You should give them up, I''m not the sharing type."


    "She really would be a goodpanion since she is an advanced mage, that''s all I meant."


    "All right, fine."


    She sent a message to Lidia and the two waited for her to arrive at the entrance to the forest. When she arrived, the three registered their names in the guards'' booth and entered the forest.


    "Generally, the forest''s shape is close to a circle divided into 3 rings. The outer ring, the inner ring, and the core ring. Normally there are only beasts in the fourth stage or lower in the outer ring. As for the inner ring, it has some beasts in the fifth stage while the core ring has beasts in the sixth stage. By the way, there aren''t any elite beasts in the outer ring usually."


    "Why is the Core Area called a ring?"


    Gale asked Ronda who was exining to him theyout of the forest.


    "Because it is a ring, it''s not the center of the forest. In the center of the forest, there''s a huge magic circle from before our era. I heard that the five academies and the other golden forces are located where they are because of the magic circles around them."


    "What does this magic circle do?"


    "I''m not sure about the details, but it should increase fertility and make the beasts grow faster. This way they don''t go extinct, and we can use those ces for our training. It was probably used to train the younger generation of the force who ced this circle."


    The three entered the forest and marched straight to the inner circle. The beast density was much higher there, and they could face stronger beasts.


    ---------


    "Gale, Ronda, and Lidia went to the forest together. I''m following them secretly."


    Alice listened to her subordinate''s voiceing out of her watch and frowned.


    ''What is this boy thinking? And how did he manage to appease Ronda to the point they act like lovers?''


    - "No need, I will go there myself."


    She was curious and decided to follow them herself and find out what the trio was up to.

 Chapter 116 116 – The Nights With Ronda

    As soon as they entered the inner ring, they felt a change in the mana density. To Gale''s astonishment, it was almost as high as the mana density in Alice''s training room!


    ''I assume people don''t stay to meditate here since the beasts would eat them if they dared try. Those ancient magic circles are impressive.''


    Gale thought to himself and was already eager to check the mana density in the core ring. He could also understand now the incentive for the stronger beasts to remain closer to the center.


    "Be careful, in this area, there are leopards hiding among the trees. Be ready to react to any ambush we might face here."


    Lidia warned them both and took the front. She understood it was her job to protect them and ced herself ordingly.


    Just like Lidia said, a few minutester a leopard jumped from a seemingly innocent bush and pounced at them. However, Gale wasn''t scared of a power contest. The leopard only used spells to boost himself to catch his prey unprepared.


    Gale boosted his power with a fire spell and threw a punch at the leopard. The leopard was a fourth-rank magic beast and had no chance of fighting Gale in a contest of strength. With a whimper, it was sent flying and crashed against a tree. It broke arge part of its bones in that sh, and before it could run away, an air de beheaded it.


    "Try not to burn the animals, they''d lose their value and you might need to hunt more beasts to fill your hunting quota."


    "But I thought we only have a quota to train ourselves, do I have to bring back the materials to the academy?"


    "Yes, it''s not only a way to train us. It''s also a way for the academy to collect materials that would be used by the staff to conduct research or just manufacture more products. It''s one of the academy''s ways to sustain itself."


    Gale collected the corpse into his magic bag, and they continued their journey. That day, they only faced fourth-rank beasts by avoiding the nests of the higher-ranked beasts as marked on the map in their Alessa watch.


    "Lidia, you stay guard first while Gale and I will go to sleep, and we will switch after a few hours."


    Ronda said hurriedly and pulled Gale into the tent. After the whole time she spent with Gale she was already addicted to the sensation of unending orgasms for a whole night and couldn''t wait for nighttime to have Gale for herself.


    They camped in a cave in the outer ring and killed the fourth-rank beast that upied it before them.


    ''Sure, and I''m supposed to believe you that you''re going to sleep. I can smell your vagina from here.''


    Lidia thought inwardly but kept quiet and nodded. After being teased and being under Gale''s charmst night she was also craving him, so she at least understood Ronda.


    Gale and Ronda soon entered a steamy night, but this one was different; Gale felt that she was already deep under his charm. He started using his ability and absorbed her affinities.


    By the end of the night, he already stole arge chunk of her connection and affinity, and he estimated he was 25% way through.


    "Ronda, dear. Let me do all the fighting today and just be by my side. Since we are here for my training, it''d be wasted if you killed the beasts for me."


    Gale''s green eyes shone, and Ronda agreed to his request. The reason for his request was that he didn''t want her to feel her defective affinities and connection. He already went beyond the point where she wouldn''t notice the changes if she tried to cast a spell. She''d need a few months to heal from the damage he inflicted on her.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Maybe we should fight elite beasts or fifth-stage beasts, Miss Ronda. It''s a waste of your time to fight such weak beasts."


    Lidia suggested hesitantly. However, Ronda didn''t make the decision to go hunt stronger beasts. She looked at Gale and waited for his judgment.


    "I''m not ready to fight stronger beasts yet, I''m not quite used to fighting in the forest with the lurking beasts around me. Let''s fight magic beasts today as well."


    Gale used his charm and the two girls agreed without arguing. They spent the second day in the same boring way, and all Ronda could think about was the night with Gale.


    Another night passed, and Lidia was forced to stay guard all night again. It''s been over 48 hours since herst sleep.


    "Lidia, I''m sure you need some sleep after missing sleep two nights in a row. How about you go to sleep while Ronda and I will stay guard?"


    ''The hell with missing sleep. That''s because you''re having sex until you pass out and forcing me to stay guard all night!''


    "Thank you, Lord Gale, I will go to sleep then."


    She was avoiding nourishing her body with mana instead of sleeping, so she was just as tired as Gale said. Gale went back into his tent and kissed Ronda.


    "Shall we continue?"


    "What if a beastes?"


    "We''re in the outer ring, even if a beastes, none of them can harm us."


    Gale and Ronda smiled as they sent their hands toward each other''s bodies. Soon, they were naked again and their moans resounded again. Unluckily for Lidia, the tents had magic circles to block noise, and she didn''t know she was sleeping unguarded in the forest.


    ----


    Alice watched Gale walk back to his tent and she could sense his actions by sensing the air with wind magic.


    ''Are those two addicts? They''ve just been fooling around in the forest and spending the whole night screwing. Did theye here because of a fetish? And why the hell Ronda is sleeping with her former lover''s killer?''


    Alice''s mind was full of questions, but there was nobody to answer them.


    ''But there is a weird fluctuation of mana whenever Ronda has an orgasm. I don''t know what''s going on, but this magic shouldn''t be possible for mages to perform.''


    She kept watching them having sex for a while until she decided to leave for her own mental health. She was getting jealous when she saw Ronda''s face.

 Chapter 117 117 – Alices Frustration*

    Ronda was wearing a degenerated expression; her eyes were unfocused, her breath was hurried, and drool was leaking from her mouth to her chin as she kept experiencing orgasms one after another. She didn''t even feel her connection to mana getting broken in her pleasure.


    Gale was already 70% done. As he took more, his charm affected Ronda even more, which in turn allowed him to absorb her energy faster.


    Lidia came out of her tent 6 hourster only to find out that nobody was standing guard. She instantly got irritated at their irresponsibility.


    ''Did those two get horny again and left us unguarded? They should''ve brought another student to stand guard if they didn''t want to do it, I can''t stay awake all the time!''


    But she could only stare at their tent indigently and remain quiet; she didn''t dare show any objection. She waited for hours, yet the couple remained in their tent the whole time. She ate out of boredom and watched their tent with a nk stare.


    24 more hours passed, and finally, Gale came out of their tent. But¡­


    "Lord Gale, why are you naked?"


    Lidia devoured his naked body with hungry eyes as she looked at hime to her. He was carrying a heavy scent of sex and body liquids. Evidently, the pair didn''t bother taking a shower while being inside.


    "Come inside, we want you to participate."


    "But who will stand guard?"


    "No beasts in the outer zone can fight us, it''s ok even if they barge into our tent; we can kill them without pausing our activities."


    Lidia imagined the scene and a chuckle escaped her mouth. After imagining what was going on inside the tent, she was horny for hours now, so she got up and followed Gale into the tent without any objections.


    She found Ronda snoring lightly on the bed, fast asleep.


    "Lord Gale, are you sure Miss Ronda would be ok with it? It feels inappropriate doing it while she is sleeping next to us."


    Lidia got cold feet as soon as she thought it was done without Ronda''s consent. She didn''t feel like she lived long enough to dare steal Ronda''s man right next to her.


    "It''s ok. She said she can''t do it anymore, so I can just have you instead until she regains her energy. Don''t worry, even I wouldn''t dare cheat on her while she was sleeping next to me."


    His eyes shone with a green light as he lied unhesitatingly. Lidia nodded as it made sense and quickly ced her fingers on Gale''s abs. Gale grabbed her waist in return and pulled her close to him while kissing her on her lips.


    A few hourster, Ronda finally woke up. As soon as she opened her eyes, she found Lidia on her fours above her, rocking back and forth in a steady rhythm. It seemed so surreal that the two would dare do what they were doing, that she wasn''t sure if she was awake yet.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She pushed Ronda to the side and found Gale on his knees where Lidia''s butt should''ve been before she pushed her aside. To her amazement, Gale just smiled at her as if there was nothing wrong with the situation.


    "It''s ok dear, you can sleep for a few more hours."


    "Mm, okay."


    She nodded andy back, falling asleep soon after. Lidia looked at the scene with astonishment. She didn''t even notice that they changed positions to such an absurd ce in her ecstasy, but it only made her hornier when she thought of having a taste of Ronda''s boyfriend right above her.


    Gale rolled the sleeping Ronda to her stomach and gestured for Lidia toe.


    "Lay on top of her and push your butt out."


    Lidia got excited instantly as shey on top of her miss and parted her butt cheeks with her hands. The sight was quite amazing from Gale''s point of view. Two plump butts were on top of one another, and one of them was practically begging for him to use it.


    They didn''t go out for a whole week, rendering Alicepletely speechless every time she observed the tent. She thought the trio turned intoplete degenerates. Suddenly, she noticed something wasn''t right about the situation.


    ''Howe Ronda is always asleep when I check on them? If they take turns with Gale''s dick, I should sometimes find Lidia asleep while Gale and Ronda do the deed.''


    She realized that ever sincest week she didn''t see Gale and Ronda have sex. She wasn''t lucky enough to watch them in the instances when Ronda woke up and Gale sent her back to sleep with his charm, so it seemed to her that Ronda was always asleep.


    ''She is definitely alive. But the mana acts weird around her.''


    She sensed Ronda with her mana sense but couldn''t understand the deficiency in the mana''s movements. Because Ronda''s body was already strengthened to the fourth stage, Alice only sensed something was slightly weird because she was looking for abnormality.


    One day, Alice came to check on them again, but to her dismay, they were already gone. She sensed the mana to track their traces and started running in their direction. She was checking on them in longer intervals because she always found them having sex, so they already went far away.


    ''Hmm, I believe they pay attention to the map, but for some reason, they''re heading to air of an intermediate elite tiger in the fifth stage.''


    She didn''t understand what was going on, but she rushed after them. She saw how they didn''t dare fight anything stronger than magical beasts before they suddenly chose to leave the secr world for the enlightenment of promiscuity, so it seemed weird that they were suddenly so daring.


    To her fright, she soon felt with her mana sense a battle in the direction of the tiger''sir. When she got closer, she found Gale running away with all his might while defending against a huge orange tiger that sent earth and fire projectiles at him. A hundred meters behind him were the dismembered bodies of Ronda and Lidia on the ground.


    "Fuck!"

 Chapter 118 118 – Consequences

    Gale underestimated the strength of a mature intermediate elite beast when he charmed Ronda and Lidia into going and fighting one.


    He thought running away from the tiger while it kills the girls with his new rank as an advanced mage wouldn''t be a problem, but he was too inexperienced and wasn''t even strengthened yet.


    His main concern was that the guards assigned to them by the academy would intervene before the tiger could kill the girls, but to his dismay, they didn''t even intervene after it killed the girls and chased him!


    ''Maybe my suspicions about the academy assigning guards to us are false, and the guard who saved Valentina before her death was truly there by coincidence.''


    Gale started doubting his deductions from earlier and focused on running away from the tiger. He believed it would stop chasing him after he got to the Outer Ring and just go back to eat the girls'' bodies.


    "Argh!"


    One strong boulder broke through his defenses and sent him flying with a painful groan. He quickly got up and continued running as fast as he could, enhanced with air and fire magic.


    "Fuck!"


    He heard a familiar voice swearing and a strong wind blew behind his back toward the tiger. The tiger was caught in the wind and sent flying a few hundred meters with a few broken bones.


    "Professor Alice! Lidia and Ronda were grievously wounded, or even died!"


    He yelled as soon as Alicended next to him. She didn''t kill the tiger on purpose; killing an elite beast would be a waste instead of letting the students train themselves against it. This beast could fight against weaker expert mages as an equal and was a good training resource.


    "I already saw, they''re both dead. Why the hell did you even try to attack an intermediate elite beast?"


    She half asked and half yelled at Gale in her anger. She had no idea how to exin to the academy she took the responsibility to watch over the three students and because of her negligence one elite human died. She didn''t care about Lidia, but Ronda was a huge asset to their empire!


    Even worse, that would leave a stain on the rtionship between the academy and Ronda''s father, who was a magus himself. Despite the academy''s ims to risk everyone''s life, it wasn''t as irresponsible as it seemed.


    The teachers made sure to protect valuable students as elite humans and the offspring of magi. Ronda was both, and her death was a severe failure.


    "We were conceit and felt that we could deal with it with Lidia''s help after Ronda and I managed to almost kill an advanced mage in ourst mission. We didn''t expect it to be so strong!"


    Gale exined what happened and Alice frowned and swore again. She sighed and just went to collect the bodies of the girls. The tiger was immobilized by her bloodlust and could only sit down under the pressure as she ced the girls'' parts inside 2 empty magic bags.


    It was a gruesome sight; she had to collect different parts separately as the girls were defenseless against the tiger''s attacks without their magic.


    ''How did they die so horribly while only Gale could run away?''


    Alice thought to herself but couldn''te up with an answer. She suspected Gale of doing something since she knew he had a bad rtionship with Ronda.


    She found the whole situation of Gale''s sudden passionate rtionship with Ronda suspicious and was even more surprised when she saw him and Lidia in some daring positions with Ronda next to them.


    ''Whatever, if he did something then it''s their fault for picking up a fight with the wrong person. He is still a ruler human, and as long as he doesn''t disappoint my expectations, it''d be worth standing by his side against the wrath of Ronda''s father and the academy. I must not forget he also has a magus parent.''


    She remembered Elizabeth''s pressure when they met for thest time. She didn''t know where Elizabeth disappeared, but it was irrelevant.


    "I will take care of this mess. I just hope you can stick to your version of the story when someone interrogates you under strong mental pressure. The pressure you were under in the tournament will be nothing inparison."


    Alice warned Gale in order to prompt him to tell her in advance anything she needed to know. It would be easier to deal with those things if she knew about them before rather than finding out about them during the interrogation.


    "All right, thank you. Since it''s the truth, I will repeat the same words."


    Gale reassured her before she disappeared. He could hear her voice telling him to go back to the academy directly and he followed her instructions. He still had one more card left to get out of any trouble.


    ''If I show my worth, the academy will protect me. It''s time to strengthen myself to the fifth stage, but I must check my affinities first.''<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Gale arrived at his apartment and found Valentina waiting for him. She was alreadypletely healed a week ago and waited to see him for a long time.


    "Gale, where have you been? I heard you were back from your mission a week ago, but you didn''te to visit me. I decided to wait for you in your apartment and I was here for thest 3 days."


    Valentina quickly ran to him and gave him a hug. He groaned in pain and Valentina quickly let him go.


    "What happened? Are you injured?"


    She asked worriedly and inspected his body. In her excitement earlier, she didn''t notice his clothes were torn in multiple spots, and blue marks could be seen on his skin.


    "I was just in the forest to fill my quota, but I was injured by an intermediate elite beast in the Inner Ring."


    Gale exined to her, and she raised her eyebrow in surprise.


    "Why did you go there right after your mission instead of resting and meeting me first?"


    "I''m sorry Babe, it just happened. Ronda and I improved our rtionship during the mission, and I offered her to enter the forest together with Lidia and she agreed. Both of them died to the beast."


    He told her vaguely what happened and stroked her hair. Valentina''s eyes widened in surprise and horror when she heard the news.


    "What? Did you get them killed? Please tell me you didn''t, the consequences are too dire!"


    "I already told the academy that we made the decision to fight the tiger together, and they were just unlucky in the fight and died. I still wasn''t interrogated about the case, so I will face it when ites. I couldn''t forgive them for trying to kill you, Babe."


    He leaned down and kissed her on her lips but didn''t get a kiss back. He didn''t even notice his hypocrisy; he pretended to do it to avenge her, yet he enjoyed the process and didn''t think of her for a second when he shared a bed with Ronda and Lidia.


    "Are you crazy? If the academy finds that out, none of my family will be spared by Ronda''s father!"


    She just pushed him back and her eyes swelled with tears. She didn''t know what was going to happen now, but she feared the worst.


    "Why are you worried? I will protect you!"


    "You can''t protect me! You''re still too weak to fight a magus! The academy might protect you for your potential, but who is going to protect my family when we don''t have a single magus to back us?"


    She screamed at Gale in her anger, and her face waspletely red as she shivered and cried. She knew she might be protected while she was still inside the academy, but once she left the academy, only death awaited her if Ronda''s father got word of it.


    "I''m sorry, Babe! I didn''t think straight in my anger and let my feelings get the better of me. I will make sure not to mention your name no matter how much pressure I''ll be under."


    Gale tried to calm her, but it didn''t help.


    "You won''t be able to stop yourself from talking when a magus lets out all his pressure. Worse, Headmaster might do it himself, and you''d have to resist pressure emanated by a grand magus! Amanda was right; you''re too perfect. I shouldn''t have mixed with you."


    She pushed Gale who tried to hug her and left his apartment. She wanted to send a message to warn her family that they should at least hide the children. She then went to find Amanda to vent her emotions.


    ''She doesn''t understand I can take care of her with my abilities. Once I strengthen myself with four elements in the fifth stage, I will be a treasure of the academy.''


    Gale thought to himself and shrugged. After repeating it so many times in the process of charming Ronda, he started believing that Valentina wasn''t talented enough to be his partner. Ironically, one might say that Gale brainwashed himself.


    He waspletely different from the man who said power didn''t matter when he wanted to marry a magician.


    He decided to try to talk to herter after she calms down. Once his status in the academy will rise, she will surely beg him to take her back. But now he had more pressing matters; his Alessa Watch just passed him a message.


    "In three days, you''ve been summoned to the Square Building, room 1501."

 Chapter 119 119 – Body Strengthening Session

    "You''ve been summoned to the Square Building in three days, room 1501."


    ''Sure enough, Valentina was right. Floor 15 is the top floor, and only one person upies it.''


    "Alessa, please get me orbs to measure my affinities with the four basic elements. Just deduct the costs from my ount."


    He waited around 10 minutes until the delivery arrived. Since it was all automatically operated by Alessa, there wasn''t much need for waiting, thanks to his rank on the top list. He was now ranked third since Ronda was removed from it.


    He nned to strengthen himself with any element that had an affinity of above S-50, since it should be enough to improve those affinities to SS rank. Lidia''s main affinity was Earth Mana, while Ronda''s was Wind Mana, so Water Mana should be his weakest affinity.


    He chose to start with the Fire and Earth orbs and ced his two palms on them. He channeled his mana into the orbs and waited for the results to appear.


    ''Fire didn''t change and stayed at SS-30 as expected. Earth improved from A-52 to S-79, which means it''s worth using Earth-mana to strengthen myself. Now it''s time to check my best improvement and my worst one''.


    He took the Wind and Water orbs and channeled his mana into them. He looked at the results and smiled in contentment.


    ''Great, the Wind affinity is SS-73, making it even better than my affinity with Fire. Water is only S-32, so I can''t use it to strengthen myself yet unless I get the chance to improve it.''


    He cleaned the orbs from the mana they contained to reset them and thought about his next move.


    ''I could either trust Alice and ask her to use her personal training room or use my personal training room in my new apartment.''


    He already got a notice from his Alessa Watch that he could move to Ronda''s apartment whenever he wanted. He chose to move in first and check the MDU in the training room of the top 3 students.


    "Alessa, please move all my belongings to my new room."


    "Confirmed."


    He left his apartment and followed Alessa''s instructions to get to his new apartment. He entered the new one and found it to be simr to his previous lodging but grander. He didn''t care much about it; the main improvement was that his new bed wasrge enough to support foursomes, but he barely experienced one threesome anyway.


    He stepped into the training room and found out it had 15 MDU, half as good as Alice''s. Since he was just going through the strengthening process and the high MDU was only helpful to cut down the time, he chose to go through the process in his training room.


    He removed his clothes and sat down crossed-legged, revealing his abs and muscr body. He took a deep breath in and started calling for mana to strengthen his body. He chose to start with the Earth Mana.


    He was already considered a beast by the world, so unlike when he strengthened himself in the True Mage Stage, he was now getting the boost of a ruler beast right off the bat with his first element.


    He felt the mana gets into his body, strengthening his organs, muscles, skin, bones, brain, and blood vessels. Everything was strengthened, and he could feel it was different from the time he was strengthened by the Fire Mana.


    The Fire Mana made them stronger and added an explosive aspect that helped his speed, but the Earth Mana made his body stronger and mainly added to its endurance. He felt his body break down and reconstruct itself, and the result was better each time.


    The process continued for 9 hours straight without a break until it finally ended. Gale got up from his sitting position and stretched himself. Now, after the addition of the earth mana, his body was much more rigid.


    Water would add a lot to his power with the flexibility boost, but unfortunately, he would have to do with the sub-par boost of wind affinity.


    He was all sweaty from the process, so he decided to go and take a bath before continuing to the next affinity.


    "Alessa, please prepare a hot tub for me, and order randomly 4 fourth-rank dishes after the bath. I also want a cream cake to eat during the bath."


    "Confirmed."


    He enjoyed the sensation of being able to walk around naked at his house and chose to just go like that to the bath.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Alessa, if someone has permission to get into my apartment without asking first, remove all those permissions."


    "Confirmed."


    He dipped into the bathtub and a cake levitated toward him, supported by wind magic cast by Alessa. He found out that his apartment had a budget of 100 IMG per month, and those small spells would consume the magic from those IMG slowly. He didn''t worry about it; he didn''t even consume 50 IMGst month.


    ''It feels nice to walk around naked, let''s just stay this way until I''m done with the strengthening process.''


    He didn''t bother dressing up and had his meal. He suddenly had an idea but chose to dy it forter.


    ''I could tell Alessa I''m an advanced mage and break one more record now, but it''s better to wait with it and surprise everyone at the interrogation. I''m sure it will have a great impact on their decisions.''


    After the meal, he went back to his training room and focused on requesting the mana to initiate the process to strengthen his body with Fire-Mana. He closed his eyes and felt the now familiar sensation of the mana break his body into small parts and heal it back.


    This time, the whole process took 11 hours since his base affinity with Fire was higher than his affinity with Earth, and by the end of the process, he felt an explosive strength in his body. He felt like he could thrash any true mage using only his body, and it would probably be much easier after he uses Wind to strengthen himself.


    He took another break to bathe, eat, and sleep, and returned to his training room. It was time for the main dish, the Wind Mana. He made sure to get a long rest before since he knew he needed to be strengthened all the way from the Magician Phase to his current stage, as he was never strengthened with Wind Mana before.


    He closed his eyes and concentrated once again, letting the mana sip into his skin and strengthen him. He chose to strengthen himself only until the True Mage Stage, just to check the differences and improvements and take a break to be at his peak form before he continues.


    15 hourster, he opened his eyes and ran around the room. His speed doubledpared to before, and he knew he was far faster than Ronda. She was faster than him when they both were boosted once as true mages, but now that he was boosted by Fire Mana to the fifth stage and by Wind Mana to the fourth stage, he surpassed her by far.


    He also noticed that his strengthening wasn''t that much better than Ronda''s in the fourth stage. He could deduce that the real leverage of being a ruler beast was mainly disyed when he would be a magus.


    After another round of bathing, eating, and sleeping, he returned to his personal training room. He was tight on time and had only onest day before having to go to the meeting regarding Ronda''s death.


    He wasn''t as na?ve as before; he knew that nobody cared about Lidia''s death, and she would be lucky if her name would be even mentioned offhand.


    ''Let''s check my new affinities first.''


    He took out the orbs and poured his mana into the Earth Orb and the Fire Orb.


    ''Hmm, not bad. My affinity with Fire rose to SS-56, and my affinity with Earth rose to SS-35. I guess that because it was my first raise in affinity with Earth the boost was muchrger, while my Fire affinity was boosted before.''


    He then took out the Wind Orb and looked at it excitedly. On one hand, his affinity with Wind wasn''t boosted before. On the other hand, he stole it from Ronda who had her affinity boosted as a lower elite beast. So, the remaining question was whether it''d get a full boost or just the difference between a lower elite beast and a higher ruler beast.


    He filled the orb with mana and waited impatiently for the results.


    ''Argh, I guess I was too greedy.''


    He sighed but was still contended with what he got, nheless. His new affinity was SS-92, a small rise of 19 points only. However, he didn''t do the final strengthening to the Advanced Mage Stage yet.


    After cleaning the mana from the orbs, he sat down again and started strengthening himself onest time for that session. He felt the Wind Mana wash over his body and strengthen it. This time it boosted his speed considerably as well as his flexibility, which finally rose to an eptable level.


    The Fire Mana took 11 hours to finish strengthening him with a base affinity of SS-30, so he was expectant to see how long the Wind Mana would require. The hours passed, and the process was still ongoing.


    12.5 hourster, mana stopped rebuilding his body and he got up. He moved his body around and tried getting used to it; he went through too many changes in a short time without an opportunity to get used to it.

 Chapter 120 120 – Headmaster Albus Door

    He moved his body around and tried getting used to his new strength.


    "Alessa, shoot projectiles at me."


    The training room was thergest room in his apartment. It was around 15x20 and included features to help practicebat. One of these features was the dodging program, in which Alessa shot plenty of colorful projectiles and the student had to dodge as many as he could.


    Right now, the program was still set to the maximum difficulty of the True Mage Stage, so Gale could easily perceive everything iing. He stepped to the side and dodged the projectiles and kept moving between them. As time passed, he was getting into the rhythm and his steps turned into some sort of a dance.


    His learning speed increased, and his instincts were improved, allowing him to get easily and quickly ustomed to his new body and the movements required to dodge the projectiles.


    "Stop the training program and prepare a hot bath."


    ''Now I need to check onest thing before going to sleep; my mental strength.''


    Last time he checked he had 18 MSU, and that was after being strengthened to the True Mage Stage with two elements, in which only one enjoyed his status as a ruler beast.


    That single boost was enough to make his mental strength begin from 12 MSU without any training instead of 1 as an average true mage. Now, he was impatient to see the boost he got after all the ranking up he went through.


    He found the device Alice gave him to train his mental strength and started it at 18 MSU. He could easily bear with the pressure which barely felt like an unpleasant sting. He slowly increased it to 19 and got used to the pressure before increasing it again.


    After each increase, he waited a minute before increasing once more. It was just training, and it would be stupid to cause himself mental damage by being overconfident, especially when he needed to be in peak form for the interrogation.


    Half an hour passed and he was on 48, yet he could still increase the pressure. It already caused a huge burden on him, but he felt he wasn''t at his limits just yet. He kept increasing gradually for almost twenty more minutes until he reached 72.


    ''I feel that this is around my limit for now. Others work for years to increase their mental strength from 1 to such a high level and probably achieve much less, yet just my natural boosts got me there.''


    Gale let out a satisfied smile and left the training room to bathe and eat. He had less than 10 hours left before the meeting with the headmaster, and he had to get back to his peak form with a good night''s sleep.


    The next morning, he put on his academy''s uniforms and had breakfast.


    ''Top floor of the Square Building, I wonder what it looks like''.


    Gale arrived at the campus and headed straight to the Square Building. He could hear students whisper as he passed through, and he attributed it to his new rank in the top 3 after Ronda''s disappearance. He doubted the academy published her death before having a full report.


    He entered the building and went to the elevator which worked with a fourth-rank magic circle that was inscribed on its bottom.


    "15th floor."


    The elevator started rising until he got to the desired floor. As he came out of the elevator, he faced arge door that blocked ess to the rest of the floor.


    "Please channel mana into the handprint mark."


    He heard Alessa''s voice and searched for the mark. He found it on the wall next to the door and ced his palm on it to channel his mana.


    "Identity confirmed. Wee to the fifteenth floor, Gale Stormborn. Please head to the first room."


    Most of the floor was open since the headmaster had it for himself. He quickly found the door and knocked on it.


    "Come in."


    A masculine voice was heard through the door, and he entered the room and looked around him. He found himself inside arge room with arge rectangr table in its middle with an old man sitting at its head.


    There were 5 people inside the room. The first one was the old man who sat at the head. He had a healthy look which didn''t make anyone think his age affected his might, and his broad shoulders were straight and confident. His presence filled the room, and it was the reason Gale noticed him first.


    The only one in the room he knew was Alice who was sitting in her seat and signaled him to sit next to her. He nodded to her and stood behind the seat she was pointing at.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Gale Stormborn answers your summoning."


    Gale bowed to the headmaster and stated his name despite knowing the headmaster probably checked his details before he arrived.


    "You may sit."


    Gale sat down next to Alice and waited for the meeting to begin. He didn''t know what to expect, but then Alice was the one who did the talking.


    "Let me introduce you to everyone, Gale. First, we have our guest, Rob Lawler. He is Ronda''s father, and he came here to learn more about the circumstances that led to his daughter''s death."


    Gale saw a man sitting next to the headmaster across the table and nodded at him. The man had an unfriendly look and ignored his gesture, and Gale could assume that he didn''t like him. He probably suspected him after hearing about hisplicated rtionship with Ronda and that he was the only one who survived.


    "Then we have the guard in charge of the forest, Will Rock, and the man appointed by the academy to investigate Ronda''s death, Kevin Lung. Of course, we also have the headmaster of our academy, Headmaster Albus Door."


    Alice introduced everyone to Gale who nodded at everyone when Alice mentioned them. Other than Rob Lawler, nobody showed any hostility and nodded back politely. He also recognized Kevin as one of the magi he met when his affinities were tested.


    "Everyone, this is Gale Stormborn, he is my student as well as a mage at 20 years old from a Count family of the Miyena Kingdom."


    She offered them a short introduction and leaned back on her chair to state she had nothing else to say.


    Soon, three mana senses checked Gale and three surprised faces could be seen around the table. Gale couldn''t feel the magi''s probing, but Alice could. When she noticed everyone''s surprise, she raised an eyebrow and used her mana sense as well and the surprised faces count rose by one.


    "Gale, when did you get to the next stage?"


    By the reports, everyone thought he was still a true mage, which was already surprising given his age, but now they all felt he was an advanced mage.


    "After my near-death experience in the fight I had against the tiger in the forest, I went back to my apartment and sensed I was on the verge of breaking through. I was filled with sorrow and sadness over the death of my good new friend and lover and chose to immerse myself in training. Soon, something just clicked, and I advanced to the next stage."


    Gale gave the most reasonable exnation he could think of before attending the meeting and waited for their response. He chose not to hide that he was Ronda''s lover since he believed that Alice knew about it.


    Although she came toote to save them, he suspected the real reason was that she stopped paying attention to them after a whole week of them only having sex, and he could understand why she let her guard down.


    "Hmph, good for you; you found an opportunity in my daughter''s death."


    Rob snorted and sarcastically congratted Gale. He didn''t dare go too far inside the academy, especially when he was in the same room as two other magi and a grand magus.


    "Ronda''s death pained my heart. Our rtionship was rocky at first, but after one mission in which we risked our lives in battle together, we could finally understand each other and fell in love."


    "We already understood the gist of the matter from what Alice has told us. No matter what happened in the forest or whose fault it was, you''re still our student. We understand that geniuses sometimes overestimate themselves after experiencing sess, and it was Professor Alice''s responsibility to make sure Ronda didn''t die."


    This time Albus spoke, and everyone kept quiet and listened. The meaning behind his words was clear; he wouldn''t let Rob harm him. Instead, he shifted the me to Alice, whom Rob could do nothing against.


    Albus didn''t pay much attention to Gale when he first came to the academy after hearing about his affinities. He believed Gale will not be able to keep his ruler beast status and probably not even an intermediate elite beast status.


    However, as soon as he felt Gale was already at the Advanced Mage Stage, he knew Gale was a genius. Even if he couldn''t keep his ruler beast status, just being an intermediate elite beast was enough to entail his safety.


    "Sir, I object. I''ve been promised the academy will interrogate him with mental pressure. I hope the academy won''t renege on its word."


    Rob quickly objected and demanded what he was promised earlier. He understood the tides had changed when he felt Gale''s stage, but he wouldn''t give up revenge for his daughter so easily.


    A strong aura washed over Rob, and Albus emanated a powerful pressure that made him feel suffocated in his chair.

 Chapter 121 121 – Entering The Ruins (Lenas POV)

    The group was traveling on the bird''s back, and Lena used this opportunity to enjoy the ride. The bird flew at a much faster pace than she ever experienced, and it was even faster than the airships they took to the empire.


    She understood the airship had much more space and could move much more luggage and people, as well as travel much longer distances, but there was something freeing about flying on a beast''s back. Well, at least for the humans on its back.


    They moved at a high speed above a huge forest, cities, mountains, and valleys. They would stop every 12 hours to let the bird rest and continue their journey right after. In 3 days, they already reached the border of their empire to the neutral zone where the ruins were located.


    "We willnd in 30 minutes in the ruins'' area. We will walk on foot for 20 minutes before we arrive at the entrance, and only when all groups will assemble, you will be able to enter the ruins."


    "How many groups are there?"


    "There are 5. One from each empire, one from the Assassin Order, and one from the Church of Light."


    Everyone knew about the Church since they were popr among themon people. But most of them didn''t know what the Assassin Order was.


    "What is the Assassin Order?"


    "They''re an organization that works in the shadows and ept hit orders. All their descendants have an affinity with Darkness. Those who don''t either get killed or tossed out of the family."


    "But isn''t it rare to have Darkness and Light affinities? Even if one parent has the Darkness affinity, the kid will have less than 5% to inherit it."


    One of the students who knew the statistics asked about the Order''s traditions.


    "You''re right, but just like the priests of the Church of Light, they''re a group of inbreds. In order to keep the chances as high as they can, they marry with their siblings and within their ns to have high gic resemnce."


    Elijah exined and his tone was full of disgust. Evidently, he wasn''t a fan of those two groups.


    "Where does the Order work? Wouldn''t the empires attack them if they undermined the empire''s authority?"


    "Both forces work in all three empires. Since the Church of Light had swept the hearts of manymoners, the empires let it be. Their main activities are healing people and making them support their causes. We don''t know the Church''s long-term goals, but the empire doesn''t want to kill so many light users if they don''t call for revolution."


    "But what about the Assassin Order? If they kill people, doesn''t it affect the empire''s ability to enforce itsws?"


    "You''re right. The problem is that they''re extremely hidden. All three empires tried to unroot them from their territories, yet never found their bases. Both those forces have at least two Grand Magi in their ranks in every empire and a few other True Magi. However, they aren''t counted in the empire''s Magi List."


    From Lena''s perspective, the Church didn''t matter at all. They only had themoners behind them, and those could be easily oppressed since they were weak. She guessed that''s why the empire let them be until they grew too strong and influential in the empire.


    Now if the empire tried to suppress them, themoners could stop providing all the food and taxes, and it would be bothersome to deal with it. Additionally, they''d have to fight with 2 Grand Magi who were already inside their borders. Even if they won, the fight would cause massive damage to thends and could destroy whole cities.


    ''But the Order is quite dangerous. If someone orders a hit on my head, I''d probably have to fight for survival.''


    "Don''t worry too much about those two forces. The Empires made some agreements with them like letting them explore ruins like these, and in exchange, they would limit their activities. For example, the Assassin Order epts hits against dukes and the imperial family only if it came from someone from the same empire."


    Lena shook her head. As expected, most of those restrictions only kept the imperial family safe.


    The groupnded and soon reached the ruins'' entrance. Lena could see 3 groups waiting and deduced that one group was still missing.


    *BOOM*


    A huge fireball appeared right above them out of nowhere and was blocked by Elijah''s stone wall spell. Instead of a normal stone wall, it was a wall made of a powerful mithril, a powerful metal with silver color.


    The wall turned intonces that wereunched at the attacker, a skinny redhead man who led a group of 6 young mages. The man waved his hand and thences melted, falling down without causing any harm to his group.


    "Elijah, you still haven''t lost your touch."


    "Kurama, you shouldn''t embarrass yourself in front of your students by fighting someone you can''t beat."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Elijah led his group to free space, and they sat and waited for thest empire to arrive.


    "The group with the ck clothes and red-colored masks are the from the Assassin Order. Those with white robes are priests from the Church of Light. The group whose guardian attacked us earlier is from the Chijakor Empire. Now, we only wait for the Incan Empire."


    The group of the other empire looked quite different in Lena''s eyes. Their eyes were nt and monolid. Overall, they seemed also slightly shorter than the average in the Amistrys Empire, and their skin was slightly darker with different undertones.


    "If you meet someone from another group, kill them if you can and run away if you can''t. If you aren''t sure whether you can kill them, just probe them from a safe distance. They''ll likely do the same. Since everyone sends their light users, the assassins are at disadvantage in those ruins despite being usually the most dangerous group."


    Just when he finished talking, a huge green flying serpent with feathers on top of its long body could be seen in the distance. A few momentster, thest group from the Incan Empire arrived and everyone assembled.


    "Remember the rules. Whatever you get there is yours, you can kill each other if you want, but no more attacks once you''re outside. You can''t tell your guardian what items the other groups got before leaving the neutral zone."


    Those were the rules the empires agreed on many years ago, so everyone just nodded and got ready to enter. The 5 magi then channeled their energy into arge gate that seemed to have nothing beyond it, and slowly a strong light appeared in the gate and hid everything behind it.


    "What you see once you go in will bepletely different from what you saw behind the gate earlier. We don''t know how it''s exactly done, but we believe it''s a special magic circle made by light Great Magi that cast illusions on those who enter it. You will be separated when you go in, so try to find each other."


    Elijah exined to his group who nodded and ran into the gate.


    "Ready for another round, Elijah?"


    "I''m not that bored, you can fight it out with the priest."


    -------


    As soon as she entered, Lena cast on herself a simple yet effective light spell. This spell would prevent any Darkness mana user to sneak up on her through the shadows. Although it gave her location away from a longer distance, she didn''t want to get ambushed.


    She sensed the mana around her and searched for areas with higher mana density. With her higher elite human senses, she was much more efficient than normal mages. She wandered around aimlessly when she suddenly noticed the density would get slightly thicker as she walked south.


    She started jogging in that direction and soon she could see in the distance a man with the same light spell as her around him, and one man with green clothes standing next to him. They were sending weaker spells to probe one another.


    ''Priest robes, he must be from the Church of Light. As for the other, I think the group from the Incan Empire wore those uniforms.''


    They could see her as well when she got closer, so they stopped fighting.


    "We noticed the item here first, go search for something else."


    The Incanian frowned at Lena and tried to send her away. He didn''t want to start a three-way battle since everyone was True Mages, and he didn''t have any clear advantage.


    "What item is it?"


    "None of your business. Priest, wanna gang up on the Amistrysian girl first before continuing our fight? We don''t have room for newpetitors."


    "Sure- AAHHHH!"


    But before the priest could continue, Lena alreadyunched her attacks. She wouldn''t wait for her enemies toe to an agreement before starting the battle, so she sent her favorite fire snakes against the priest who was about to answer.


    The priest had one light spell active to prevent ambushes, and one wasn''t enough to stop Lena''s spell. He couldn''t even use his best affinity to defend himself since light doesn''t have good defensive attributes.


    He tried to pour as much mana as he could into arge circle of fire, but the snakes broke through it quickly, bit his body, and exploded. It was a gory scene and needless to say, he didn''t make it out alive.


    "Now it''s 1v1, still want toe at me?"


    Lena smiled at the man who offered to gang up on her and charged forward.

 Chapter 122 122 – First SSS Affinity

    "I understand Lord Rob''s grief and want to offer my cooperation."


    Gale agreed to the interrogation under pressure for two reasons ¨C one, he was sure he could go through it with his new mental strength, and two, he wanted to feel the pressure emanated by a magus.


    "Are you sure?"


    Albus asked him again doubtfully. After hearing the story from Alice, he doubted that there wasn''t something fishy in the situation. He thought Gale might have been underestimating the power of a magus.


    "I''m sure."


    "Kevin, you can do it. don''t overdo it, we can''t have his mental state copse and hinder his growth. I suggest pressure of 50 MSU, a young mage is unable to resist such pressure."


    "Headmaster Albus, I believe a genius like Gale should have a much sturdier mind. You should interrogate him under 150 MSU."


    Rob quickly raised the first suggestion by three times. Albus red at him and shook his head.


    "Do you want to break our student''s mentality? Kevin, in order to appease Rob for his great service to our empire, use 75 MSU."


    Rob just nodded with satisfaction. He was sure that Gale wouldn''t be able to go through 50 MSU, but he wanted to rise it a little just in case. He just threw a high number to make Albus raise his offer to the maximum instead of suggesting 75 MSU himself and settling eventually for 60 MSU.


    Albus gave green light to Kevin who stepped forward and looked into Gale''s eyes. He exuded his aura and pressured Gale, making him feel a strong dread. This pressure wasn''t the same as the one from the device which made his head hurt; it was just filling him with dread and fear to make him tell the truth.


    "What''s your name?"


    Gale felt a strong fear in his heart, but although he couldn''t suppress it since his mental strength was only at 72 MSU, he could still function just fine despite the fear. It didn''t reach the point of losing his wit and rational thinking.


    "Gale Sto-Stormborn."


    He faked a slight shaking in his voice to make it more convincing. Kevin nodded and asked the next question.


    "What was your rtionship with Ronda Lawler?"


    "We were lovers."


    "So why did you kill her?"


    "I''d never kill her¡­ I loved her! It was the tiger who killed her."


    "It''s your fault that she died!"


    Kevin kept exuding strong pressure on him as he med him for Ronda''s death. It was meant to force him to admit any wrongs.


    "It''s my fault, it''s my fault!"


    Rob stood up from his chair and clenched his fists in anger as soon as he heard Gale''s confession. He still didn''t dare attack next to Albus, who just frowned after hearing Gale admitting he was guilty.


    ''He underestimated the power of a magus. That''s disappointing.''


    But Kevin didn''t stop there, he kept pressuring Gale.


    "Tell me everything you''ve done."


    "I didn''t do anything, that''s why it''s my fault! I was the weakest of the three, and after the tiger ambushed Lidia and killed her first, Ronda used herself to shield me and buy me time to run away. I could only watch her get ripped to shreds by the tiger''s attacks without being able to save her. If I was stronger, if I could get to the next stage sooner, I would be able to save her!"


    Gale spewed lies and bullshit one after another, acting like he was ming himself for his weakness.


    ''I''ve judged him too soon. This also must be the reason he was able to advance so fast to the next stage; instead of being traumatized he chose to get stronger so he will be able to defend the ones he holds dear in the future.''


    Albus nodded in appreciation as he listened to Gale''s pained monologue. Rob also sighed and unclenched his fists. Although he was still partly ming Gale for Ronda''s death, he understood Gale couldn''t stop it. His daughter let her emotions control her and saved her lover instead of running away.


    "Ok, that''s enough, Kevin. We understand what happened, no need to continue or he might go through trauma. Rob, are you satisfied?"


    "I am. However, I''m disappointed with the academy''s inability to protect their most precious and talented students."


    Although Robined, he could do nothing against a gold force. He could only step back and do his best to get to the eighth grade and stand as Albus'' equal.


    "We apologize for our failure to take care of Ronda. We will learn from this painful ident in the future."


    Albus offered a fewst words and vanished from the room. Soon, Rob and Kevin vanished as well when they left at a speed a mage like Gale couldn''t perceive, leaving only Alice, Gale, and Will the guard.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I will take my leave now, Lady Alice."


    Will bowed and left awkwardly. Did they have to just vanish and leave him to walk out normally alone?


    "I''m surprised, how did you manage to go through the interrogation? And don''t sell me the crap about you and Ronda being lovers and that her death will be your biggest regret until the day you die. I''m not buying."


    Alice asked Gale straightforwardly after everyone left. She raised a barrier with her wind magic to prevent anyone from listening to them.


    "Professor, are you doubting my integrity? I thought you were the one who would always stand by my side and trust me."


    Gale asked with an offended tone, clenching his chest with his hand to convey how she broke his heart with her words.


    "Stop fooling around. Hurry up and tell me."


    "Fine, my mental strength rose to 72 MDU after advancing to the fifth stage. I could easily control my words and tell what I wanted."


    Alice gaped at his im and instantly pressured his mind with 72 MSU. However, instead of kneeling in pain as she expected, he remained standing and smiled at her. It wasn''tfortable, but he could withstand that pressure.


    "How is it possible?"


    "Haha, let me show you one more secret then."


    He took out a green orb and started pouring his mana into it in front of Alice''s eyes.


    "Wind Orb? Do you have wind affinity as well?"


    She found it weird that he only had two affinities with his talent, but she didn''t want to force him to show her his other affinities. Gale just nodded while he filled the orb with his mana.


    "No way! That''s¡­ SSS-1! Hahaha, now your advancing speed makes much more sense than before!"


    Aliceughed as she smiled widely. Now she felt that betting on Gale was a great choice, he had an SSS affinity! Although she assumed it was at the top of SS before and advanced to SSS after he strengthened himself, it didn''t matter.


    Gale''s reason to show some of his secrets was that he believed the more dazzling he would be, the more the academy would take care of him and nurture him.


    "Professor Alice, I still don''t control my powers so well, so how about you train me for a few weeks now?"


    "Sure¡­ that might help. When you''re out, I expect you to get the first rank of your age group. We will start tomorrow at 9 am, make sure to be at my office."


    Alice thought for a moment and agreed. She already understood that Galecked a lot of practical training, and even his basics weren''t too special. Gale agreed and the two parted.


    Now free, Gale decided to go and make amends with Valentina. Since the problem was solved, he believed she wouldn''t have a reason to be mad at him anymore. He went to her apartment and knocked on the door.


    Soon after, the door opened, and he stepped inside. The dining area was empty, so he entered the bedroom and found Valentina sulking in her bed.


    "You took long toe."


    "Sorry Vale, I had to prepare for my interrogation. Look, I advanced, I''m an Advanced Mage now."


    He smiled at her as he emanated his aura to make her feel his stage. Valentina''s countenance gave in her surprise when she saw that, but she didn''t say anything.


    "The matter with Ronda''s father was concluded, and he won''t pursue the matter any further now. Your family is safe, I told you that you could trust me to take care of you."


    He sat by her side and caressed her hair with his palm. He wanted to calm her down and make her understand she was safe by his side.


    "But now you''re an advanced mage and you''re just 20."


    "Yes, but I will turn 21 in a week."


    "Gale¡­ I don''t think we can be together."


    "Why? What do you mean? I thought you''d be happy for me. Is it bad that I''m growing stronger?"


    Valentina sighed. She enjoyed his caresses, so she chose to relish thosest moments before having to break up. She ced her hand on his thigh and stroked it gently with her fingers.


    "You''re too strong, Gale. The imperial family will only let you live if they can make you fall in love with one of their descendants and bind you to them. Otherwise, you''d be a two-edged sword for the empire; while you could help the empire win its wars, you could also go against the imperial family and destroy it."


    She understood that she could be killed just for telling Gale this information. The imperial family would have a better chance of getting Gale''s support if he didn''t know they''d kill him if they failed.

 Chapter 123 123 – Imperial Limitations

    "You''re too strong, Gale. The imperial family will only let you live if they can make you fall in love with one of their descendants and bind you to them."


    Valentina said softly as she looked at Gale and told him the reason that they won''t be able to be together if he is too talented.


    Gale''s hand clenched on hers when he heard that. Although he heard before that the imperial family made sure to remain at the top, he never thought it would have anything to do with him. After all, he didn''t have any aspirations to be a king or change society''s order.


    "How do you know it''s going to happen? I''m not politically involved in the empire, so they might not care whom I marry."


    "You might not be right now, but what if you be in the future? Or what if your son will be and you will support him as a parent?"


    Gale nodded as he understood where the imperial family came from. If there would be a revolution, it''d be certain that the new emperor wouldn''t spare the former imperial family to stop any chance of them returning to their position.


    "So you want to break up now although the imperial family didn''t do anything yet?"


    "Since we know they will, it''s meaningless to wait for them to separate us by force. If they hear you''re single, the whole process will be more pleasant for all of us."


    Gale leaned down and kissed Valentina on her lips. He caressed her face onest time before getting up.


    "All right. I will take my leave then."


    However, before he took a step away, he felt a hand grips his, and he stopped moving. He turned around and found Valentina sitting in her bed and holding his palm, stopping him from leaving.


    "I love you, Gale. Can you love me onest time?"


    ----------


    Gale was sitting in his room alone and thinking about what transpired between him and Valentina earlier. He remembered the words of Freedom''s members when they went on a mission to exterminate them.


    ''The imperial families and the nobility control our lives, and we only have what they allow us to have, huh. I''ve killed them all without thinking about whether they might be right, yet now I feel like it might be true. If I can''t even choose whom to love, this empire might not be the right ce for me.''


    Gale went to sleep and stopped thinking about it. He understood that revolting against the empire with his current strength was nothing but a pipe dream. First, he had to get strong enough to face the whole empire, and only then he could be free.


    ''Then I will have to utilize my strengths and be stronger.''


    Was hisst thought before falling asleep. Acting on his words, he went to meet with Alice the next morning to get trained.


    "You have a lot of potential. Your connection is far higher than any other Advanced Mage''s and might be as strong as an Expert Mage''s, however, youck experience and expertise in utilizing your connection and using mana."


    Alice exined his biggest weakness while he nodded since he already knew all of that. If not for that weakness, he would be able to defeat Ronda in one on one by arge margin with his superior connection to mana despite her better affinity.


    "Is that what we are going to work on for today?"


    "No, that''s what we are going to work on for the next 3 months. At the end of those 3 months, I''m going to remove you from your age group and ce you in the age group for students between 36-45."


    He had everything needed to be on the highway to sess. His connection was exceptionally powerful, his affinity was one of the highest in the empire, his body and mind were strengthened to the extreme, and he had a magus for a teacher.


    He trained under Alice for three months every day without a moment of rest. He would only get time for his meals, which were upgraded to sixth-rank dishes, and free time for sleep.


    During the first month he improved his basics of controlling mana in the Mage Phase, and thanks to his high connection to mana, high affinity, and high intelligence, he could easily grasp the right methods in a short time.


    "Now that your expertise is finally above the average True Mage of the academy, it''s time to teach you about the benefits of the fifth stage. I heard you and Ronda mixed a fire spell and a wind spell together, is that right?"


    "It''s right. We both created storms andbined them into a huge storm that killed 11 True Mages and severely injured one Advanced mage at once."


    "I assume you two could achieve that thanks to your connection as a ruler beast. Normally, only Advanced Mages canbine two spells of different elements, while True Mages can only pour more mana into a single spell to make it more powerful."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Gale remembered the time when he managed tobine spells of the earth and darkness elements together when he trained under Shana, but it was on a much smaller scale than what he achieved with Ronda. Back then, he only applied a simple darkness spell on a simple earth spell.


    "First try it with simple spells. For example, try tobine a fireball with a stone bullet, so the bullet will be on fire and get some decaying attributes."


    Gale gave it a try but found it harder than he anticipated. On his first try, the fire decayed the stone and made it melt, making it officially a failure.


    "You need to remember that mana is one despite having many types. One magic shouldn''t affect the other."


    Gale concentrated again and tried to request the Fire mana and the Earth mana to co-exist with each other. This time, the fire-stone bullet waspleted sessfully, and he shot it at the target Alice pointed at.


    "Better, you''re getting it fast. Again."


    Alice remarked when she saw his face falls as the stone crumbled and decayed in the middle of its trip to the target. When the spell hit the target, there was only fire with some ashes left inside the spell.


    He could finally perform a legitimate fire-stone bullet after a whole day of practice, and Alice nodded in contentment.


    "But this is only half a step. The bigger the spell, the harder it gets. This month you will practicebining your spells until you can easilybine different spells without anyg. Although you seeded in creating one simple spell, you take way too long to charge it."


    He spent the next 6 weeksbining spells. Every time he started tobine two spells, Alice would show him an example of how shebined them and let him try himself after he sensed the mana''s movements around her. She also showed him again whenever he asked her and helped him as much as she could.


    "Is it really necessary tobine spells? Why not just use two spells separately?"


    Galeined despite knowing he and Ronda couldn''t achieve as much destruction as they did if they cast their spells separately.


    "It''s simple, use stone bullets and fireballs against this wall separately."


    Alice summoned a stone wall in the training room in front of Gale. Gale did as she said and bombarded the wall with fireballs and stone bullets, yet nothing happened except for some small marks on the wall.


    "Nowbine them."


    Gale already masteredbining fireballs and stone bullets at that point, so he just had to do it on arger scale. When the barrage hit the wall, more and more holes appeared on it until it finally crumbled and decayed from the attack.


    "Onebined spell is far stronger than a few separate spells, that''s why. Bybining mana, you use a better form of mana for your spells."


    Gale sighed and continued his training. 6 weekster, he could pretty muchbine any spell he wanted, making him a full-fledged Advanced Mage.


    "Next is your mental strength. I didn''t n to tell you before you became an Expert Mage, but I think it''s necessary given your high mental strength. When your mental strength reaches 100 MSU, after some training, you should be able to start using a third spell simultaneously."


    "What''s the normal mental strength of a magus?"


    Gale was wondering about it for a while. He noticed the magi had no problem making him fall to his knees with their mental pressure without breaking a sweat, making him think that his mental strength wasn''t that special after all.


    "Do you know the basic requirements to be a magus?"


    "Yes, an affinity of S-67 or higher."


    "Although true, out of the known magi in the empire, maybe 10 of them have an affinity under SS-1. Those with lower affinity only have a chance if they have a great potion brewer behind them to support them with the best potions of the seventh grade."


    Gale shrugged as he didn''t care much about that. He already had 2 SS affinities and one was even SSS, and he didn''t need any potions to advance. He only needed a stronger woman.


    "More importantly, one''s mental strength must be above 150 MSU, or else their mind will break during the breakthrough. However, since the mental strength enhances by an average of three times, depending on how young one advanced, most people try to get as close as they can to 300 MSU before advancing."

 Chapter 124 124 – Fighting For Food

    "One''s mental strength must be above 150 MSU, but most people try to get as close as they can to 300 MSU before advancing."


    Gale understood why the enhancement of mental strength by the strengthening process was so important. Only this way he had a chance of advancing to the Magus Phase soon enough to keep holding his higher ruler beast status.


    It showed theplicated way nature worked to make the ruler beasts stay such; every time the beast advanced, it would get the required boost to help it reach the next stage soon enough.


    "So the average magus'' mental strength is around 600?"


    Gale asked Alice after he heard her exnation and got a nod from her.


    "There is a very important trade-off to do. Nobody ever advanced to the Magus Phase after passing more than 40% of his life expectancy, which is the main reason many people don''t break through. To achieve 150 MSU before turning 200, one needs to torment his mind for hours, especially if they only have two elements."


    "Wait, you can advance with only 2 elements? My teacher in the kingdom told me only people with 4 elements can be a magus."


    Gale remembered Shana''s words that the rumors say one must have affinities with 4 elements to get into the Magus Phase, but she did mention that it was only a rumor.


    "That''s false. But most magi have at least three elements since it gave them a head start. After being strengthened with three elements, their mental strength has a better starting point than someone who was strengthened only twice."


    Gale thought of Lena who had 5 different elements and probably enjoyed a huge boost in her strengthening every time she advanced. He even felt a hint of desire to quickly get more elements and boost himself further.


    "I guess magi can easily pressure me as I am since they have nearly 9 times more mental power than me on average. I have another question; how can I start exuding my aura and mental pressure the way you do it on me?"


    "You probably can''t, it''s a perk of Expert Mages. However, you might be an exception like the way you could mix elements as a True Mage. Anyway, let''s go back to training. We have two weeks to train your physical skills."


    For the next two weeks, Gale and Alice sparred in hand-to-handbat every day. Although Alice was generally nice to him, she didn''t go easy on him during his training, and he would have to consume fourth-rank potions to heal his bruises every day.


    However, thanks to his bestial instincts, he didn''t need much time to adjust to fighting and soon his fighting style resembled a self-made martial art. Following Alice''s advice, he could cut off many unnecessary movements and fight more efficiently every day.


    "Professor, do you use weapons when you fight?"


    "Not really, our empire isn''t well-versed in weapon fighting styles and we rely on our magic to fight. The other two empires are much better at utilizing weapons, specifically, the Chijakor Empire is more proficient with swords and spears, while the Incan Empire is better with knives and long-range weapons such as bows. Our empire has a more refined control over mana and uses magic better."


    At the end of the two weeks, the three months session came to an end, and it was time for him to mingle with the other students again.


    "You may go now, by next week your name will be moved to the other age group as I told you."


    He went home and opened the menu to order some of his favorite sixth-rank dishes, but to his dismay, he found out that his menu was locked again and required him to break some records.


    "To open ess to sixth-rank dishes, you need to break 6 records. Currently, you have only two points."


    The points were from having the record of the youngest Advanced Mage and the youngest to enter the top 3, but he still had to break a few more. He snorted at Alessa and started finding records he could break.


    ''Fine, I can get the first rank before Alice moves me to the other age group and get another point.''


    "Challenge rank 1."


    "Confirmed."


    His answer came soon; the duel was scheduled for 2 dayster. He kept searching for more records to break, and this time didn''t limit his search only to ''the youngest'' type of records.


    ''Okay, I found some good ones. The strongest physical hit in my age group, the fastest to finish a running track of 1 kilometer, the most flexible, and the most endurant. There is one record for each of the four physical attributes boosted by mana.''


    He chose to go and try to break the records for speed and power since he was boosted by both wind and fire. Flexibility was off the table since he wasn''t strengthened by water, and he didn''t really feel like getting beaten to his limit for a record, so he dropped the endurance test as well.


    Afterpromising on a meal consisting of fourth-rank dishes, he went to find the ce to break the records.


    He found out it was in the same Pentagon Building as the arena in a few separate rooms on the top floor. Since the tests didn''t involve magic, they ced it on the weakest floor, as the building wasn''t in danger.


    He found the room for the physical strength test ording to Alessa''s instructions and found a short line of people interested in testing their physical strength. The room didn''t only serve those who believed they could break the current record, but anyone who wanted to assess his own strength.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Next, Gale Stormborn."


    Using his special rights as a member of the top 10, he skipped the line and entered the room. The room had 3 separate devices so three students could take the test simultaneously while the other students watched them from behind.


    ''The power of an average True Mage in my age group is 6.9 PSU, which shows the quality of the students here.''


    1 PSU (A/N: PSU ¨C Physical Strength Unit) was equal to the physical strength of an average True Mage. It showed the excellence of the students since the average student was nearly 7 times better than the average mages in the empire.


    ''The record for my group age was 52 PSU, probably set by a lower elite human who was strengthened by fire and earth and became an Advanced Mage before 36. I guess it''s time for me to shine.''


    He stood in front of the device which was a cushioned pole with its base on the ground and prepared to kick it. He performed a spinning kick with his right leg and blew the device, making it m hard against the floor beforeing back up.


    *BOOM!*


    The students'' eyes were already fixated on him; not often they''d get to see a performance from a student from the top three. Everyone looked excitedly for the result of his kick.


    "OOH! It''s 109, over two times the previous record!"


    Someone shouted with astonishment as soon as the device showed the result. Everyone looked at Gale with awe as he turned around and left the room. Since there weren''t any intermediate elite humans in the academy, it meant that the student who set the previous record was far weaker than him after advancing to the fifth stage.


    "Wait, guys, doesn''t it mean he is at least an Advanced Mage now? But I heard he was so young that he was supposed to be only in the next age group!"


    "Yes, I checked the Hall of Glory when he entered the top 3, he is only 20 years old!"


    "KIYAAA, I can''t believe it!"


    "Lord Gale! Please look here!"


    "Lord Gale, are you going to im the first rank soon?"


    "I saw it in the arena''s announcements today, his fight for the first rank will happen in two days!"


    "Lord Gale, I''m single!"


    ''I''m already 21 though, I even ordered a sixth-rank birthday cake while I was training under Alice.''


    Gale thought to himself as he walked out toward the speed test with all the students from the physical strength test following him from behind. The line for that test turnedpletely empty now, and if someone chose to return, they could use the devices without any waiting.


    However, nobody returned. Having a chance to witness the speed test''s record broken didn''te by often.


    "Hey, what''s going on?"


    "Lord Gale just broke the record of the physical strength test, and now he is going to break the one for speed. Let us pass!"


    The students who were standing in line for the speed test were all startled to see all the other students crowding around the speed test, and some of the neers exined the situation.


    With everyone hyped behind him, Gale stood on the running track and waited for the countdown to reach zero before running.


    ''42.3 seconds record for the 1-kilometer track, I guess I should sprint.''


    To pass a kilometer in 42.3 seconds, the record holder ran at a speed of 85 kilometers per hour (A/N: nearly 53 mph for Americans <3).


    As soon as the countdown reached zero, Gale kicked the ground and started sprinting to the goal with everyone cheering for him to break the record. He was even more confident about his speed than about his power since his Wind affinity was much higher than his Earth affinity.


    He finished the track within 24 seconds, meaning his speed was 150 kph (A/N: 93.2 mph), thus breaking one more record.


    ''Two more to go.''

 Chapter 125 125 – Breaking Records

    ''Two more to go.''


    Gale thought to himself while walking out of the Arena. He checked the sixth-rank dishes again on his watch.


    "You have 4 record stones; you can open the fifth-rank dishes. Open?"


    "No."


    Right now, he held 5 records in the academy ¨C youngest in the top 10, youngest in the top 3, youngest to advance to the fifth stage, the best result in the speed challenge, and the best result in the power challenge.


    ''I still have some time before my fight against the top student, so let''s use it to break some other records.''


    He left the academy and headed to the forest he had some fond memories of. As he entered, he looked at the map and started jogging toward an old friend.


    He didn''t bother being quiet as he ran forward; whenever a beast came close to him he''d push it away with a strong wind that it couldn''t resist. As part of the academy''s culture, students tried not to kill beasts they didn''t need to kill, as to retain resources.


    Even by killing only those they needed, they already killed a lot of beasts, but it was still not enough to harm the forest''s ecology.


    Soon, he reached the ce he had to run away fromst time and greeted a certain tiger with a smile.


    "Hi buddy, I''m here for a rematch. I hope you don''t mind, do you?"


    The tiger just responded with a roar and pounced on Gale whileunching huge boulders coated with fire. Gale just sent a strong wind mixed with his decaying fire that ate the burning boulders and continued toward the tiger.


    The tiger quickly dodged the attack and pounced at Gale. Gale''s connection to mana was superior to the tiger''s as a ruler human, but his body was still slightly weaker due to their starting points and their body structure.


    Gale stepped to the side and the tiger missed him by a few centimeters. Gale then boosted himself with power and speed using fire mana and wind mana and quickly sent a punch just above the tiger''s back leg.


    *ROARRR*


    The tiger roared in pain as it limped on the wounded leg. Although it wasn''t enough to break the bone of an intermediate elite beast with earth affinity, it was enough to make it hurt a lot.


    Gale then summoned a barrage of wind des with decaying fire around it, and the tiger was too slow to dodge. It was an offense-oriented beast, and it chose to fight offense with an attack.


    The tiger summoned its favorite fire boulders again to meet with the air des, yet the des had the upper hand; each de cut a boulder and mutually destroyed another boulder.


    Soon, the wind des were stopped only a few meters away from the tiger, and this distance only got shorter with every second. Eventually, the tiger could only try to jump away and dodge, but the pain in its leg slowed it down, and the wind des were homing on it.


    *ROARRR*


    It roared in desperation this time as arge cut was formed on its side. Once this de hit it, it could no longer resist, and it was soon lying dead on the ground.


    "Alessa, check this out, I killed an intermediate elite beast."


    Gale wanted Alessa to write down this record. He already knew that the record holders were 29 for a lower elite beast and 48 for an intermediate elite beast.


    He figured the first was a lower elite human who could defeat a lower elite beast while still in the True Mage Stage, but the other must have waited to reach the Expert Mage Stage to win against an intermediate beast.


    "2 records written. Gale Stormborn is the youngest to defeat a lower elite beast and the youngest to defeat an intermediate elite beast."


    It was meaningless to make him fight against a lower elite beast when he already killed an intermediate one, so Gale just broke both records at once.


    "Haha, awesome. Open the sixth-rank dishes menu."


    "Confirmed. 0 record stones left."


    ''Now I just need to keep breaking a few records to also open the sixth-grade potions menu.''


    Gale took the beast''s carcass with him to give it to the academy and receive some money from it. Intermediate elite beasts'' carcasses were expensive, and it''d be a waste to just leave one there to rot.


    After selling it in the exchange office, Gale went to his room and practiced his mental strength until it was time to go to the duel.


    The first ranked was a male student named Jerry dwell, and he could recognize him from the mission they took together a few months earlier.


    Gale walked past the students who kept screaming his name and asking to date him, sleep with him, or just shake his hand until he finally managed to get to the arena.


    He found the seatspletely full, and there were still people outside the arena who couldn''t enter. There were students standing on the stairs, and even the hallways were full.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''My fight takes ce on the second floor, which is the sturdiest floor for Advanced Mages. They''re probably worried about attacks of mixed elements, especially since one element has SS affinity and the other is SSS.''


    Gale found his way to the arena and waited for his opponent who entered a few secondster. Jerry was used to the noise since he was always popr as the first ranked and even before that, but this time almost none of the cheers were for him, leaving him exasperated.


    However, he wasn''t delusional. Although he wanted some attention, he knew why Gale was much more popr given his superior looks and the age he advanced. After all, Jerry didn''t hold even a single record, while Gale held 7.


    "Lord Gale, I know that I''m not strong enough to issue the second floor, so it must mean you are. Although it means I can''t win, I hope you won''t mind if I do my best and try to learn from you."


    Jerry knew his limits well; he was already challenged in the past and knew he would only be sent to the fourth floor if not for Gale. The second and third floors were meant only for Advanced Mages who couldbine spells from different elements, which he didn''t master yet.


    Since he understood it meant that Gale was much stronger than him, and he already knew that Gale killed Joanna in a previous duel, he wanted to show respect so Gale wouldn''t kill him.


    "Don''t worry about it, do your best so we can improve together."


    Gale calmed him down and took his stance before the duel started.


    "3¡­2¡­1¡­ start."


    Alessa counted down and dered the beginning of the duel.


    Gale ran forward, strengthened by both wind and fire and slid under Jerry''s water snakes that tried to bind him. They started the duel 100 meters away from each other, and Gale crossed it in under 2 seconds when sprinting at 225 kph. He could run at 150 kph without boosting himself with a wind spell, so he was far faster when he used it.


    He dodged the snakes that kept pouncing on him and soon arrived in front of Jerry and sent a kick. Jerry was a trained fighter, and although he was slower, he could at least take a step back.


    However, Gale already released his wind boost for speed, and a fire wisp came out of his kick and connected with Jerry''s stomach, leaving arge burn. He had a much faster casting speedpared to normal humans.


    "AHHH!"


    The worst part was that there were 10 more wisps around him, and he would''ve died if Gale chose to let them burn him.


    "I surrender!"


    Jerry quickly surrendered; he knew that he had to surrender when Gale showed mercy or next time he''d just suffer more.


    "Winner ¨C Gale Stormborn. Gale Stormborn is now ranked first in the list for students under 35."


    Alessa dered Gale''s victory and the crowd cheered loudly. Jerry was ashamed; he believed he could at least force Gale to use abined element spell to justify the usage of the second floor, yet he was defeated too quickly.


    "Gale Stormborn broke the record for youngest to be ranked first. One record stone granted."


    Gale smiled when he heard the notification and quickly jumped from the arena and sprinted out of the arena. He was tired of the screams of his fans and the dating offers he was getting from dozens of women even a few men.


    ''Now I just need to wait some days to be moved to the other age group and break a few more records for the free potions.''


    Gale thought to himself while enjoying an expensive piece of sixth-grade meat at his apartment. He smacked his lips when he finished the dish and quickly decided to order another. Those dishes were too tasty.


    A few dayster, his Alessa Watch finally received the notification he was waiting for.


    "You''ve been transferred to the age group for students between 36-45. You''re currently unranked, please issue a challenge to improve your rank."


    Gale smiled with anticipation when he heard the notification, but soon a few others followed.


    "You''ve been granted special permission to remain in this apartment for another year before having to move out."


    Gale was satisfied with this decision too; he had been around 6 months in the academy yet changed his room once before. He didn''t feel like changing apartments every few months.


    "You''ve broken the record for the highest speed in your age group."


    "You''ve broken the record for the highest strength in your age group."


    "You''ve broken the record to hold the most records at once."


    "You''ve received 3 record stones."

 Chapter 126 126 – Elizabeths Past

    "You''ve been transferred to the age group for students between 36-45. You''re currently unranked, please issue a challenge to improve your rank."


    "You''ve broken the record for the highest speed in your age group."


    "You''ve broken the record for the highest strength in your age group."


    "You''ve broken the record to hold the most records simultaneously."


    "You''ve received 3 record stones."


    Gale instantly smiled from those notifications and started nning his next moves. He already knew that there were no Expert Mages and no elite humans in this age group, so he could freely conquer the first rank.


    "Challenge rank 1."


    "Rank 1 was already challenged by a higher-ranked person this month. Pay 200 charged IMG to issue the challenge anyway?"


    "Yes."


    The highest-ranked student was a 45-year-old woman who advanced to the fifth stage when she was 33. After issuing the challenge, he waited a few minutes until he got a response.


    "Challenge epted. Duel scheduled for 3 days from now at noon."


    He didn''t have much to do now until he found a woman to improve his affinities or connection, so he just stayed in his training room and worked on his mental strength.


    "You''ve been summoned to room 1501, you need to arrive at 17:00." (=5 PM)


    Gale heard Alessa''s voice and stopped the device''s pressure on his mind. He was surprised to hear that the headmaster was summoning him again and had no idea what it was all about.


    ''Did I break too many records?''


    The more he thought about it the more he found it reasonable. The records were meant to motivate the geniuses to improve and strive to be the best, but he just set 11 records that were impossible to break.


    ''Maybe he will just give me ess to the sixth-grade potions?''


    He took a shower and had a meal before going to the headmaster''s office. This time he was alone there, making him feel like his theory might be right.


    He was summoned to the same room as the previous time, so he walked there directly and knocked on the door. When he entered, he found Albus seating at the head of the table with a man in expensive white clothes on his right.


    The man had short white hair and he was fully shaved. He exuded authority and power around him, and his countenance demanded others obey his words. He looked at histe forties, but Gale could guess from his aura alone that he was a magus.


    In front of the man sat a beautiful woman. Her long, white hair fell like a waterfall of silk behind her. Her captivating clear blue eyes had a prominent shape, and her perfectly proportional oval face made her look like an enchanting angel. Gale had to admit that she was as beautiful as Lena, and even had a slight edge over her because she looked much more feminine.


    "Gale, greet his highness the former emperor, Calig Amistria."


    Albus gestured toward the man so Gale can follow the proper ethics. Since he wasn''t the emperor anymore, Gale didn''t have to kneel, but he bowed deeply and respectfully in front of him.


    "May his imperial highness live forever."


    "Mhm, it''s more important that you greet my granddaughter, the first princess and one of the main contenders for the throne, Freya."


    Gale greeted the princess and sat down by her side by Calig''s instruction after she greeted him back.


    "I''ve heard of your marvelous achievements in the academy. Hearing such a promising man exists was an eye-opener for me."


    Freya smiled, and Gale almost lost himself in it. Her white teeth seemed to be dazzling, and her red, soft lips stretched perfectly. He couldn''t stop himself from smiling back.


    ''If someone told me she was also blessed by the God of Charm, I''d believe them.''


    He thought inwardly while thinking about what to answer to the princess.


    "Princess Freya, your words are exaggerated. Word of the first princess'' beauty and talent is spread far and wide in our empire."


    Gale answered with a bright smile of his own despite never hearing about her before. Although the princess was beautiful, he was just as dashing himself, and he was aware of that.


    Besides, he already knew what they were there for. There''d be only one reason for the former emperor to bring the first princess to the academy and call him for a meeting.


    "Haha, it''s good to see the two of you go along."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Caligughed happily when he saw that his granddaughter had a faint blush on her cheeks. If he didn''t know what she always looked like, he''d think the blush was just part of her makeup, but he knew it wasn''t.


    "Headmaster, why have you called me?"


    "Right. The first reason is that the former emperor and her imperial highness wanted to meet you. The second reason is to send you on a special long-term mission, and the third one is a mixture of the first and second reasons."


    After Albus finished speaking, Calig took it from there.


    "Gale, you''re probably unaware, but your mother is one of the best geniuses in our empire. However, she disappeared many years ago, and demanded we left her alone."


    Gale looked at him with surprise; he tried to understand where this was going.


    "She fell in love with another prominent genius of our empire. We wanted them both to marry into our imperial family, yet they wanted to be with each other and didn''t agree to separate. However, one day, a tragedy happened."


    "My father was poisoned?"


    "Close. A noble betrayed our empire and acted as a spy for the Chijakor Empire. He had invited all the geniuses of that time, along with many other nobles, to a huge banquet he had organized. This noble was an honorary marquis, or in other words, a magus."


    Gale nodded slowly and kept listening to Calig''s story attentively.


    "On that night, the noble put poison in the wine of the best 10 geniuses who attended the banquet. Your father, despite being a genius, came from a kingdom and wasn''t considered by many as one of the top geniuses. In truth, he was one of the best ones, but with his initialck of resources and his quiet nature, people just missed him."


    "So why did the noble poison his wine?"


    "He didn''t. He poisoned Elizabeth''s wine, but your parents were new lovers at the time. They flirted and had fun with each other, and your mom let your father drink from her wine while your father let her drink from his. Thus, each of them consumed half of the poison."


    Gale now understood why his father''s family used Elizabeth of his death. Although it was the noble''s fault, his father drank the poison meant for her.


    "The poison was very difficult to sense but extremely potent. Although your father and mother drank half of the poison each, Elizabeth''s body had two leverages over your father."


    "Is she an elite human?"


    "Indeed, she is the only intermediate elite human we had in our empire in the past thousand years. The second factor that came to y was her light affinity, and when both factors are taken into consideration, you can understand why she overcame the poison."


    "But my father didn''t."


    "True. Although it didn''t have an immediate effect, the poison slowly ruined your father''s and the other geniuses'' bodies from the inside. The imperial family got an intelligence report that this man was a traitor, but he ran away before we could catch him, and crossed the border to the Chijakor Empire."


    "And my father couldn''t be cured?"


    "We couldn''t save him. When the poison was discovered, it was toote. Our empire lost 10 geniuses from this ordeal, and we could do nothing to stop it. It was a great tragedy for our empire."


    "And that''s when my parents disappeared?"


    "We knew they left to live in the Miyena Kingdom, I called it ''disappearing'' because she was gone from the empire and stopped her influence here. As a matter of fact, she could''ve been the wife of the current emperor if she epted his proposal, so she had a lot of influence despite her refusal."


    Gale almost gaped when he heard that his mom could be the current empress but gave up on it because she didn''t want to separate from her lover.


    "Elizabeth left the empire around 30 years ago, and your father was poisoned 45 years ago. It took 15 years for Elizabeth to give up on finding a cure in the empire and leave to spend with her lover the rest of his life peacefully in the Miyena Kingdom."


    "But why are you telling me this now?"


    "Slightly over half a year ago, when you just enrolled in this academy, your mother left the empire with the intention to cross the borders to the Chijakor Empire."


    "To exact revenge?"


    Gale was worried to hear that; he believed his mom was likely a magus after hearing she was an intermediate elite human, but she still wouldn''t be able to fight a whole empire.


    "Indeed. The reason that magi can''t cross borders is that every empire has magic circles that would detect any magi and send the empire a warning. Once the empire is alerted, it can send other magi to annihte the threat. However, your mother invented a special device that can fool those magic circles and other probing magi, making it look like she was three stages under her true stage."


    "That''s amazing!"


    "It is. But now we are on the verge of a full-scale war against the Chijakor Empire because of it. to exact her revenge, she assassinated 2 magi and dozens of other high-profile targets."

 Chapter 127 127 – Mission In Chijakor

    "Now we are on the verge of a full-scale war against the Chijakor Empire because Elizabeth assassinated 2 magi and dozens of other high-profile targets."


    "What? Was she caught?"


    Gale asked and his eyes widened.


    "No. Catching a magus they can''t sense with magic circles isn''t simple, especially since they still don''t know how she does it. Now their empire is on high alert to find suspects and tries to find a solution to this problem. Since they don''t know how Elizabeth does it, they can only shoot in the dark."


    "Why did she kill so many?"


    "She first killed the magus who poisoned her and escaped. Then she kept going on a killing spree against his family and 10 of the best genius Expert Mages of their empire toplete her revenge. 2 of them were considered to have a great chance to be the next magi in their empire."


    "Thank you for telling me, but I still don''t understand why Your Highness had toe all the way here yourself to tell me that."


    "Do you like Freya?"


    "If I could keep looking at Princess Freya for a day, I would, and if I could look at her for a year, I would die starving."


    Galeplimented Freya''s beauty with a confident smile, making the faint blush return to the princess'' cheeks.


    "If Mister Gale would forget eating while looking at me, I''d forget breathing when looking at you. I can''t ept apliment on my beauty from someone who looks better than me."


    Freya wasn''t a shy girl who could only blush and act coyly. She was a powerful woman contending for the throne and acting shy only because it was the first time she met someone who looked better than her. She could receivepliments and return them as well.


    Another reason for her unusual behavior was that Gale didn''t restrain his charm while in the academy since nobody had a mind so weak that they''d lose rationality just from his passive charmful aura.


    Although she didn''t lose her mind, she already had a good opinion of Gale when she heard about his talent, and she was shocked to find out the rumors about his perfect visage were doing injustice to reality.


    "Haha, I''m happy you two get along, but please, flirtter without the two old men here."


    "Grandfather, you still have so many years to live, how can you call yourself old when you''re still at your prime?"


    Freyaplimented her grandfather and elicited a smile from him, but both she and Gale stopped talking, prompting Calig to continue his words.


    "She seems to like you too, but the problem is that you''re still unknown, and we cannot be sure you will keep improving at the same pace as you do now. Many geniuses advanced quickly to the Expert Mage Stage yet couldn''t be magi."


    "What do you suggest?"


    "We have a special mission for you, it will take you a few years toplete. When you''re back, you may have Freya''s hand if youplete it sessfully.


    After a short pause, he continued.


    "If you can keep getting stronger you might have a chance of making her the empress, and your offspring will be the next emperors and empresses. The current emperor still has nearly 50 years to be on the throne, so you have a lot of time to get stronger."


    ''They''re quite smart. They don''t just force me to marry Freya but even entice me to work for it. By risking my life to achieve it, I will already convince myself that marrying her is what I want.''


    However, Gale didn''t say that out loud. He understood he could only y along or die.


    ''I can at least admit they''re sincere, Freya is indeed beautiful and can even make me the next emperor if I''m strong enough to support her.''


    "What''s the mission?"


    "Elizabeth left us with an inferior device, probably a prototype of the device she invented. The version we have can restrain your magic by up to 3 levels, sending you to the Magician Phase until you turn it off or forcibly connect with mana to cast a spell above the restraints."


    "And you want me to use it?"


    "Yes, we want to send you to a spy of ours, a man we''ve managed to bribe. He will fake your past as amoner, and we will set the device to restrain your aura to the Expert Magician Stage. Then we want you to join the pce''s guards and steal an object."


    "And is there a n?"


    "No, that''s why it''s a long-term mission without a time limit. You''d have to figure it out yourself, we severelyck information. However, you can ask for help and advice from the spy. You can abort the mission if you feel they''re onto you."


    "I see. Freya, do you agree to it?"


    "Of course, but don''t fret, I wouldn''t mind letting you try to have me even if you feel you can''t do it."


    ''She''s not a na?ve girl, she''s ying on my pride to make me ept. After hearing that such a beautiful woman wants to date them anyway, most men would volunteer to prove their worth.''


    "Princess, you must be joking. How could I back down from a challenge in front of ady like you?"


    He acted his part in the show and everyone was happy.


    "Since you agree, that''s great. You can read in this book about Chijakor''s general structure to know what to expect when you get there. If you have any questions, you can contact Albus for more information. You''ll be moving out in a week from now."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Did you also contact my sister?"


    Calig looked at him hesitantly and eventually shook his head.


    "We didn''t."


    "Why?"


    "She had disappeared, I''m sorry."


    "Disappeared? Did she run away?"


    "No, she disappeared inside ruins. She was sent on a special mission to explore ancient ruins along with a few other students from her academy and other forces, but she didn''te back."


    "Are you saying she was killed inside?"


    "Unlikely. The ruins had an age limit for people under 35, so not many can kill her with this limitation. Furthermore, the fallen bodies came out of the ruins when the exploration time was over along with those still alive. She just didn''te out."


    "Do you have any hypotheses about what happened to her?"


    "We don''t know. One theory is that she died in a way that didn''t leave a body behind, and another says she found a great inheritance from the former owners of the ruins and got the chance to stay and train there. I''m sorry, but I won''t tell you what to think."


    Gale was shocked to hear about this. Lena was one of the strongest people in their group age, and he didn''t believe anyone under 35 could kill her. Even if her enemy was an advanced mage, she''d still be able to at least run away if not even defeat him. Her status as a higher elite wasn''t just for show.


    ''I will have to trust her and hope she''s all right.''


    "When is the next time those ruins open again?"


    "Only after you pass 35, and nobody under the Great Magus Stage can hope to barge inside unless all Grand Magi from all empires attack the ruins together. Needless to say, this is impossible."


    Gale nodded slowly and chose to trust Lena in theck of any better option.


    "But why did you pick me for the mission?"


    "The nobles'' geniuses are well known, and people in the other empires might recognize them from various tournaments and events from the past. As for themoners, you seem like the person fitting the most as your family has a grudge against the Chijakor family and you''re unlikely to switch sides."


    After answering, Calig got up and left the meeting room with a fewst words.


    "You may leave, now. Good luck in your mission, and I hope you will be part of my family the next time I see you."


    Before Gale left, Albus had onest thing to say.


    "Oh, and we will use the previous records and mention your name in a different section of your own in the Hall of Glory, or else the students would have nothing to strive for. Good luck in your mission, I hope you can help unite the continent under our Amistrys Empire."


    -----------------


    Gale returned to his apartment and thought about the mission he just received.


    ''I wasted my time breaking all those records, in the end, I can enjoy the open menu only for one more week before I have to go, and I can''t even open the potions menu.''


    He spent the next week reading the book and enhancing his mental strength. By the end of the week, it finally rose to 74. Normal mages often needed months to raise their mental strength by a single unit, and the time would only increase the higher their mental strength was, but he raised it by two in a few weeks.


    He learned that the Chijakor Empire was consisting of 3 main dynasties and a few smaller ones. The main dynasties created a triangle in the empire''s territory, while the smaller ones were between them.


    The dynasty that had a border with the Amistrys Empire was called the Nikkokuni Dynasty. The other main ones were Minjung and Xia, but he doubted he''d have to travel there.


    Each dynasty was independent, but they worked together to keep thebined empire safe from outsiders. To prevent danger from the other forces, the entrance was only allowed to magicians and mortals, and the dynasties guaranteed the safety of merchants, so they won''t need mages to escort them beyond the borders.


    He was supposed to join a caravan of merchants that belonged to a merchant group loyal to the imperial family to the Nikkokuni Dynasty and separate from them at night once he was already inside and meet with the spy to receive his fake background.


    He would then go to the test to join the imperial guards as a talented magician from amoner background and try to infiltrate into the treasury and find what he was looking for.


    He was looking for a small red gem that couldn''t be stored in a magic bag, but that''s all he knew about it other than the fact it should be around the size of his fist. Calig imed he didn''t need to worry about its uses and effects, and that it would be determinant to the empire.


    ''It''s time to go.''


    A week passed and he went to the stables where all the mounts were raised to start his journey toward the Nikkokuni Dynasty.


    ------


    End of Volume 3 - Academy Arc

 Chapter 128 128 – Infiltrating The Chijakor Empire

    Volume 4 - The Chijakor Empire


    ----------------


    Gale reached Persepolis City after a week of traveling on a fifth-rank fly beast. After he reached the city, the guard who apanied him on the journey took the beast and returned to the Academy.


    ''I''m here, in the closest city to Nikkokuni. I only need to meet with the caravan the imperial family set up for me and I can be on my way to cross the borders. I wonder how many others the empire sent; I don''t believe they only sent me and don''t utilize the new technology as long they can.''


    Gale spent the night in an inn and nned to go to the waiting spot of the caravan the following day. To his dismay, fourth-grade food was the best the inn had to offer.


    ''At least the imperial family gave me enough money to spend and will give me more once I cross the border.''


    Before leaving, a representative of the imperial family gave him two magic bags with a few thousand IMG. One had the Amistrys Empire''s currency and the other the Chijakor Empire''s currency.


    Overall, his stay in the inn cost 10 IMG, and most of it was for the food.


    The next day he left the inn after breakfast and went to the meeting spot as described on the map he was given.


    He found the caravan where it was supposed to be, and there were around 20 people overall, making it look like a group of merchants traveling together.


    "Hello, I''m Gale Stormborn, I''m here to join you to cross the border."


    Gale took out the token he was given for identification and the leader of the caravan nodded.


    "Hello, Lord Gale, I''m Jack, the leader of this caravan. You can join us but don''t cause any trouble and let us do all the talking when we cross the border. You can use this to hide your stage, you just need to let it stick into your back and it''s extremely hard to notice it."


    He gave Gale something that looked like a piece of paper in body color that had manyplicated inscriptions on it.


    Gale removed his shirt, eliciting a few gasps from the females in the caravan who were watching them, and used his mana to bring the paper to his back.


    The paper slowly integrated into his back and disappeared. Without looking for it deliberately while sensing the mana, nobody would even notice it was there.


    "Lord Gale, we couldn''t prepare a separate wagon for you since it''d look suspicious when the soldiers at the borders check our caravan, so I hope you don''t mind sharing a wagon with others."


    "Don''t worry about it. I also prefer not to take any risks."


    "Lord Gale, please join my wagon!"


    "Lord Gale, mine is the most spacious, you can ride on it!"


    "But your wagon is full!"


    "I will send the other two men to another wagon, so Lord Gale can ride only with me!"


    Gale looked awkwardly at the group of thirsty women who jumped out of their wagons and invited him to join them.


    "Since it''s inconvenient for you to host me, I will just join one of the men."


    Gale told the bickering women and turned away. He didn''tck sex and didn''t want to choose one over the others.


    The three women looked at each other decisively and had a silent agreement instantly after hearing his words.


    "Lord Gale, how about you ride¡­ with all three of us? We will bring the best food, the best wine, and the most spacious wagon."


    The three women asked suggestively, and Gale smiled. He did have something for mature-looking women ever since his first time with Mira, so he agreed and entered the wagon after them.


    Two men and one woman left the wagon under the women''s instructions and joined the wagons the other two women left.


    After 3 days of debauchery, the caravan reached the border, and Gale streamed mana into the inscriptions to hide his stage.


    Luckily, every few hours Gale would refresh the air using a wind spell, burn their fluids using fire, and wash himself and the women with a water spell. Thus, there was no heavy stench in the wagon.


    The four quickly dressed up and waited for the soldiers at the checkpoint to permit them to move.


    After checking the merchandise of the caravan and making sure everything was fine with it, the soldiers led the wagons one by one into a magic circle.


    Gale already knew about this magic circle; its role was to make sure there were no mages hidden somewhere in the wagon.


    "All clear, move!"


    The soldiers shouted and the caravan continued. Gale wasn''t worried about this checkpoint; he didn''t believe the imperial family didn''t check his first obstacle before sending him to cross the border.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Lord Gale, we crossed the border!"


    One of the women, Miranda, said while removing her clothes and going on her knees in front of Gale.


    "Girls, we should take a break, aren''t we in the Chijakor Empire now?"


    "So what? we still got an hour until we get to the mercenaries'' checkpoint. Let us take your first time on foreignnd."


    Miranda licked her lips hungrily and the other women quickly joined her.


    "Oh, we must not waste this hour then."


    Gale smirked and groped a butt in each hand, continuing their activities from before the checkpoint.


    The mercenaries'' checkpoint was where caravans would hire guards to protect them until the Nobu City, the closest city to the border from Nikkokuni''s side.


    After negotiating the price, Jack hired a group of guards with 10 True Mages and one Advanced Mage, and the group continued their journey.


    They traveled 2 more days until they finally reached Nobu City, and Gale went straight to the house of the spy he needed to contact.


    "Hello Lord Gale, I''m Takeo Yoshikawa. You can ask me for anything you need while you stay here."


    Yoshikawa was a True mage in histe fifties. He still had a chance to be an Advanced Mage in the future, but nothing beyond that.


    "Hello, Yoshikawa. I''d like to know my background and have the necessary documents."


    "Of course. Your new name is Urara Kisuke. You are the son of a local woman named Shirogane Kaguya with a foreign merchant who left the country after impregnating your mother. You''ve never seen your father, but unfortunately, your looks resemble him very much."


    Gale understood that he had to have a foreign parent to exin his different features. He looked very different from the locals.


    "And where is my mother now?"


    "She is living in Oda City on the other side of the dynasty. She encouraged you toe here to improve yourself and bring her pride as her only son."


    "Does she exist?"


    "She does for now."


    ''They probably n to kill this woman to destroy any suspicious evidence if someone tries to verify my background.''


    But Gale didn''t know her, so he didn''t think about it too much.


    "You need to move now to the capital, Heiankyo. The journey will take you two weeks by horse, and I will be there in three weeks."


    Nothing exciting happened during his journey to Kyoto. He bought a horse and rations for the journey and traveled alone. There was a river by the road, so there was nock of water, and he hunted for meat when he felt like it.


    A few road bandits and magic beasts tried to block his way, thinking he was a lone magician traveler, but he just canceled his limitation for a few seconds and activated it again after he killed those.


    When he reached the capital, he still had one week left until the assessment to join the imperial guard. The guards at the city gate let him in after checking his fake documents a few times.


    ''The means of the Amistrys Empire are impressive. The guards suspected me because of my foreign appearance yet couldn''t find any fault with the documents despite checking them multiple times.''


    He spent the next week traveling around the capital and enjoying the local cuisine and culture. He bought food from different stalls, yed some games with a few kids that wanted to y with a foreigner, and enjoyed the local wine.


    When the week finally passed, he left the small house he rented on the outskirts of the city and went to the designed ce for the assessment.


    As soon as he arrived, he found arge temporary stage in a spacious area with a few guards in official uniforms on it. He noticed immediately that all of them had swords on their backs or their waists.


    Since people at the Amistrys Empire rarely used weapons, it was especially conspicuous in his eyes.


    To his delight, the swords had the same design as the lighting sword he had obtained in the Miyena Kingdom, so he might finally have a chance to use those.


    "We will start the assessment in 30 minutes. Anyone who won''t be here at that time, will not be allowed to jointer and will have to wait for next year."


    One of the guards announced and everyone tensed up and chose to just sit on the ground and wait for the assessment to begin.


    Gale looked around him and saw that everyone was young, and nobody seemed from a special background. He learned that there were no nobility titles in this dynasty. Other than the imperial family, everyone, theoretically, had the same status.


    Instead of nobles, there were elite families. The elite families weren''t much different from the nobles; they owned most of the property, enjoyed resources, and held power over themoners in their area.

 Chapter 129 129 – Imperial Guard Assessment

    None of the people Gale saw around him seemed toe from an elite family, so he assumed that the elite families had their own forces in the dynasty or didn''t need to take the assessment with themoners.


    Everyone seemed excited; those people were from all over the dynasty, and some even came from other dynasties of the empire. It was their opportunity to improve their future and be stronger.


    "Okay, everyone, stand up in lines in front of the stage. We will first test your age; the assessment is only meant for magicians under 25 and mages under 35. If you''re older take the chance to leave now or you will be punished harshlyter for wasting our time."


    The same guard who shouted earlier announced the beginning of the assessment, and some of the older examinees sighed in disappointment and left.


    "Every year there are some people who think we can''t know their age only to regret itter, see it as your final warning."


    The guard gave them a vicious smile, and a few others chose to get up and leave. They didn''t know what was considered a "harsh punishment" for the guards, but it was probably unpleasant.


    "Now start going on the stage in an orderly manner and ce your hand on the right orb to check your age, and then channel mana into the left orb to test your affinity."


    There were three lines, and in front of each line was a pair of orbs. The examinees took turns to take the assessment, and some left with joy while others left in sorrow.


    Gale watched the results and found out the minimal affinity the guards epted was A-67, which was considered the minimum requirement to be an Expert Mage.


    Out of every 10 magicians, only 1 passed, which disyed the harsh requirements of the imperial guard. As for the 4 mages who attended the test, everyone passed since anymoner who could be a mage before 35 had a rtively good affinity.


    Gale''s turn finally arrived, and he stepped forward to be tested. He ced his hand on the orb which turned green to signify he was under 25.


    "Main affinity?"


    "Earth."


    He chose to use his weakest affinity. Gratefully, the device that limited his stage also limited his affinity to the Magician Phase, or else it''d seem like he had an SSS earth affinity if he used his mage affinity as a magician.


    The guard ced a brown orb on the table and Gale poured some mana into it.


    "SS-35, that''s great! Take this wristlet, you don''t need to take part in the next assessments. Go to the guard over there and show it to him."


    He got a brown wristlet that had the letters SS on it and wore it.


    "Sir, I was told to show you this wristlet."


    Gale stretched his hand forward to show the SS letters, and the Guard smiled at him.


    "SS earth affinity, you''ll have a bright future in our imperial guard. Show me your identifications."


    The guard checked the documents carefully and nodded after returning them to Gale.


    "Everything seems fine, you can wait over there until the assessment is over."


    Because of Gale''s foreign features, he made sure to double-check the documents but felt reassured after reading Gale just had a foreigner as a father, but his mother was a localmoner.


    Gale went to the ce that the guard pointed at and saw one man with a red wristlet with the letters ''SS'' written on it. This man was a True Mage, but he was still friendly.


    "Another SS affinity, they must be happy to have the two of us."


    "I was also surprised to find out."


    "Hello, fellow genius. I''m Arima Gorou, what''s your name?"


    "I''m Urara Kisuke, nice to meet you."


    "Oh a local name, I thought you might be a foreigner."


    "Just my father, but I''ve never met him."


    Gale gave a sad smile and killed the chat.


    "I''m sorry."


    "It''s okay, my mom gave me everything she needed and fully supported me."


    They watched the rest of the assessment silently and waited for the results. There were no other SS affinities in the group, so everyone had to take another test.


    The imperial guard only recruited 20 guards, so they had to screen out 42 people of the 62 who passed the initial assessment.


    "The mages can go to the other side, you all passed. As for the rest, separate into a group of advanced magicians and a group of expert magicians."


    Three more people joined Gale and Arima and sat by their side.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Sir, why is there one magician with the mages? There are limited spots, and it''s unfair that he can just pass withoutpetition."


    One of the magicians asked the guard and pointed at Gale.


    "Anyone else thinks the same thing?"


    "Yes, Sir, it seems unfair."


    A few more magicians spoke up once they had the legitimation to express their opinions. However, only 6 more magicians supported thisint; the rest were smarter and understood that Gale didn''t need to be assessed for a reason.


    The guard just snorted and turned to Gale.


    "Kisuke,e here. You will fight those unsatisfied, and you can go back to rest. As for you guys who challenged him, if you lose to him, you will be disqualified even if you''re stronger than all of the other magicians here."


    "Sir, this¡­"


    The magicians hesitated but had no choice, they already spoke up and the guard chose to teach them a lesson.


    "You, go first."


    Gale and the other man stood in front of each other, and the guard gestured for them to start fighting.


    The man took out a sword and coated it with his water spell. Although Gale''s connection to mana was reduced to the Magician Phase, nothing could stop his body from being powerful after he was strengthened as a Ruler Beast.


    He didn''t even need to use magic to defeat a magician with his body, but it would seem too suspicious if he beat someone from the same stage unarmed and without magic.


    ''Crap, I forgot the sword because I''m not used to fighting with it.''


    He left the sword in the magic bag and didn''t have time now to retrieve it in the middle of the fight.


    When his opponent shed down with his sword, Gale took a step to the side to dodge it and generated a stone bullet from his hand. He raised his hand and shot the condensed stone from his hand, hitting the man''s lower jaw.


    The man was dazed for two seconds, and it was too much. Gale shot a few other stones at his legs until the man fell.


    "Winner, Kisuke. Next, you go."


    Gale fought all the 7 people who spoke against him and defeated them in a matter of seconds. He made sure not to move too fast for a magician, but his perception allowed him to easily start moving at thest moment and dodge everything.


    "Anyone else is dissatisfied with our decision to let Kisuke join the imperial guard without any further assessing?"


    Everyone hurriedly shook their heads and felt relief that they weren''t stupid and asked unnecessary questions. In fact, they thanked those who spoke up; now they had 7 fewer people to worry about.


    Originally there were 15 spots left for 59 people, which meant they needed to defeat 3 people to get a spot as there was a spot for every fourth candidate, but Gale defeated 7 for his spot, so everyone was satisfied with it.


    ''In the end, I worked the hardest.''


    Galeined to himself in his heart but said nothing. He understood the guard wanted him to rough up the people who dared question his integrity, so he made sure to at least break a bone or two in every match.


    ''I didn''t overdo it and ruin their futures, and also satisfied the guard to get better treatmentter.''


    Gale watched the rest of the duels until there were only 15 people left. The guard chose 10 expert magicians and 5 advanced magicians.


    "Everyone, we will go now to the guards'' chambers and show you your rooms and the schedule for tomorrow. You have 30 minutes to say goodbyes to your rtives before we leave."


    Since Gale had no rtives, he just sat and waited for the 30 minutes to pass. He saw a few others like him, mainly those who traveled a long way for the assessment. All of them had rtives at home, otherwise, they wouldn''t be able to practice magic at all.


    Thirty minutes passed, and everyone assembled in front of the guards again. The guards made sure to check everyone''s identifications before moving out.


    "Get into the wagons!"


    There was arge group of wagons waiting nearby, and everyone entered in groups of four. The journey was only an hour long, so they passed it in silence except for a few pleasantries.


    The guards'' chambers were located near the pce. It included two buildings ¨C one for training, and one for living. Additionally, there were a fewrge arenas outside that the guards could use to spar with each other.


    The whole imperial guard included around 2,000 people, so they didn''t need vastnds like the Dream''s Peak Academy, and the arenas were all strengthened to support duels between expert mages.


    "Kisuke, Arima, you two can share a room for two. The rest will get rooms for four ording to your stages."


    Gale and Arima got special treatment thanks to their affinity.


    A/N: From now on, I will refer to Gale as Kisuke until he uses his original name again.

 Chapter 130 130 – Training As A Guard

    Arima and Kisuke, also known as Gale, got special treatment thanks to their affinity. Needless to say, Kisuke was happy about it; it was inconvenient to have men in his room. If it''s only Arima with him, then he will have some time alone when Arima has a guarding shift.


    "Good to see you again, Kisuke. Seems like we still have some time to be together."


    "d to be in the same room as you, Arima."


    Meanwhile, some of the other new recruiters frowned when they heard they will share their room with three other people.


    "Sir, is it possible to get better lodging?"


    "It is. Rise in the ranks and you will have more benefits. Right now, all the magicians other than Kisuke started from the lowest rank ¨C Trooper. The true mages are better; they started from the Senior Trooper rank. As for Kisuke and Arima, they both started as corporals, which means they will lead teams of troopers and senior troopers."


    "How can we be corporals too?"


    One of the recruits asked the guard.


    "Merits! You can either gain them in one big swoop by doing something great or umte them over time. Mostly, the only way is to umte them slowly since we don''t fight much. One more way is to be stronger; if you''re strong, nobody can tell you what to do."


    The guard exined to the group what they should do, and the group lost interest. They nned on training diligently from the start, and ''umting merits'' just means working normally.


    "Understood?"


    "Yes, Sir!"


    "Good, now you can go to your rooms. I will meet you here tomorrow morning at 8, don''t bete."


    Everyone dispersed and went to their rooms to unpack their belongings and prepare for bed.


    Kisuke and Arima didn''t do much together, so they just went to sleep after dinner.


    -------


    "Magicians,e with me. Mages, go with Lieutenant Ashira."


    The next morning, they separated into two groups and Kisuke was with the guard who led them so far.


    "Everyone, I haven''t introduced myself yet. I''m Lieutenant Haruka, and I will oversee your training for the next few months. You will be rewarded ording to your ranking among your peers."


    Haruka introduced himself to everyone standing in front of him and ordered them to stand in rows.


    "Who has a weapon?"


    Most of the recruits raised their hands in response. Before leaving, their parents used their family savings to buy them a good weapon to raise their chances to pass the assessment.


    "Anyone who doesn''t have one cane and take a sword from here. Those are the standard second-grade swords for new recruits. You can get better ones with merits."


    The few who didn''t have a sword went to pick one from the stand next to Haruka.


    "Who has realbat experience with swords?"


    This time, only 2 students raised their hands. Since Gale didn''t fight with swords, he didn''t raise his. Most of them didn''t have experience because they were frommoner families and didn''t get any fighting lessons.


    "Don''t worry if you don''t have any experience. Those who have it will enjoy a head start and can score better inpetitions and tests, but you will have everything you need to learn here. Now, draw your swords!"


    Everyone drew their swords, Kisuke included. His ck sword immediately drew everyone''s attention. The sword was long with a slightly curved, slender, single-edged de with a squared guard and a long grip to amodate two hands.


    The sword''s ck color and purple shades caught everyone''s attention, but at least Kisuke didn''t use mana to make the lightning attribute run on the de.


    "Amazing sword! It seems to have a lightning attribute as well. Where did you get it?"


    Haruka admired Kisuke''s sword and came closer to observe it.


    "Sir, this is our family''s treasure. My mother once found a lost child and took him home and fed him. A few dayster, there was news that an elite family was looking for their child who got lost, and my mother brought the child she found to the elite family''s house. When they heard she took care of him selflessly, they gifted her this sword."


    Kisuke made up an emotional story on the spot about how good-hearted his mom is.


    "You and your mother are lucky, but you brought this good luck on yourselves by doing good deeds. Why didn''t you use it during the assessment?"


    "I didn''t need to, and I don''t know how to use it. My mother provided for us by herself and couldn''t afford to pay a teacher for me."


    "I see. Do you know the sword''s grade?"


    "I don''t, but I think it might be in the fourth or even the fifth grade."


    Kisuke lied without hesitating. He preferred to seem as ignorant as possible since a magician shouldn''t be able to assess materials from grades higher than his stage.


    "I''m an advanced mage, and I still can''t understand it well, so I believe it might be in the sixth grade."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Haruka said with a hint of jealousy in his voice. His sword was only in the fifth grade, and he had to work for years to buy it. Not only that, but his sword didn''t have an elemental attribute.


    Haruka''s words made everyone take a sharp breath; for those magicians from poor backgrounds, the sixth stage seemed too far and unattainable.


    "All right, back to the lesson. I''m going to demonstrate a few times and you will repeat after me."


    He demonstrated a sequence of three sword strikes and looked at the recruits.


    "Now you do it. I will look around and correct your mistakes."


    Everyone started practicing the sequence and Haruka walked around them and corrected their postures and movements.


    "Put your foot slightly further."


    "Your core isn''t stable."


    He advised everyone and stopped them after 2 hours of practice. After watching them for two hours he could easily notice the experience of the two recruits who raised their hands earlier.


    With such basic movements, they only needed to be corrected once or twice before getting it right. He also noticed the fast learners in the group and nodded in appreciation when he watched Kisuke.


    Despite hispletely amateurish posture and movement in the beginning, he got itpletely right under 30 minutes as if he trained those moves for days.


    Obviously, it was thanks to the boost Kisuke''s brain and body gained from being strengthened as a higher ruler human.


    ''I should use this chance that I''m his superior to maintain a good rtionship with him now. With his high talent in both swordsmanship and magic, his future is far better than mine.''


    Haruka thought to himself when he looked at Kisuke and formed a n in his head to make him the teacher''s favorite.


    "Kisuke,e here. Use the sequence on me and I will block it."


    Kisuke stepped forward and attacked at the signal. He felt he could easily put more force behind his hits and send Haruka stumbling, but he restrained himself and only showed the power of a top-tier magician.


    "Good strength, good movements! Everyone, learn from Kisuke."


    Haruka gave him a smile and blocked his attacks. They did it a couple of times and Haruka turned to the recruits again.


    "Now sheathe back your swords and take some wooden swords. Select a partner and perform the sequence against each other in turns while the other needs to block like Kisuke and I just demonstrated."


    Kisuke looked around to find a partner and approached a pretty girl before anyone else could.


    "Hello, would you like to partner with me?"


    Kisuke smiled at the girl, and she nodded shyly. His foreign charm was quite powerful even when he held back his charm magic.


    They practiced all day, trying each time to attack and defend faster than before. Kisuke adjusted his speed to his partner and slowed down his strikes whenever she felt to block his sword, making the blows harmless.


    "Thank you for having me."


    The girl and Kisuke bowed to each other and separated when the lesson was over.


    "Hey, Kisuke,e here for a moment."


    "Yes, Sir."


    "You''ve done great today, you''re really a fast learner. There''s a new mission, and I wanted to ask if you''d like to take it."


    "But Sir, I haven''tpleted my training yet."


    "I know, but I saw you on your assessment and you''re already strong enough to take it. Normally, new recruits can''t go on missions, but thanks to your rank as a corporal, I can make an exception."


    "What''s the mission?"


    "The sixth prince needs a sparring partner. He is only in the first stage now, and practicing with him will grant both of you some benefits."


    "Sir, my swordsmanship isn''t good enough. Today was my first time practicing the sword."


    "His swordsmanship is much better than yours, but as an expert magician, you wouldn''t have a problem keeping up with him. As long as he doesn''t need to hold back, it''s not a problem."


    "Thank you, Sir. If that''s the case, I shall ept."


    "This is a great opportunity for you. You learn too fast to be with everyone, so by sparring with someone who has a better technique than you, you can learn much faster. Make sure to observe his movements and learn. Besides, you can use this chance to get closer to the prince."


    Although Kisuke agreed with the part about making connections with the prince, he was quite pessimistic about what he could learn from a teenager, and Haruka didn''t miss it.

 Chapter 131 131 – Inheritance Room (Lenas POV)

    "Now it''s 1v1, still want toe at me?"


    Lena smiled at the Incanian who offered to gang up on her and charged forward to attack the man.


    The Incanian quickly drew an arrow from his quiver and shot it from his bow, applying a water spell to it to make it powerful and unpredictable.


    Lena wasn''t impressed. With every stage she broke though, she was strengthened by 5 elements, which widened the gap between her and her peers even further. Although this Incanian was a genius of his empire, he was just a true mage, and Lena didn''t fear anyone from the same stage.


    She boosted herself with a new spell she learned at the Moon Nova Academy ¨C speed boost using light mana. On top of it, she boosted her speed again with wind mana, making her move at extreme speed.


    She easily dodged the water arrow and appeared in front of the Incanian who created a water sphere around himself. She coated her hand with wind magic and sent a chop to his neck, cutting through it and severing his head.


    ''Three spells¡­?''


    This was thest thought that lingered in the Incanian''s mind before his head was separated from his body, and his corpse copsed on the ground lifelessly.


    ''Hmm, it was a good choice to constantly train my mind since I discovered this option.''


    Lena contemted while she looked at the effectiveness of using three spells. Although she could defeat a peer in a matter of seconds with two spells only, she could do it in a single second when using a third spell.


    Ever since she found out about the concept of mental strength from Shana. She used a technique from the book that Shana gave her to put a constant strain on her mind 24/7.


    She first wanted to stop it when she learned in the academy about the bonus of being a higher elite human.


    The constant strain slowed down her advancement which might cause her to advance toote, but she changed her mind soonter when she learned about the requirements to be a magus.


    She was ambitious, and after checking her mental strength, she deducted that each strengthening she went through boosted her mental strength.


    When she realized it, she understood that the better her mental strength was before advancing to the next stage, the better the boost that the strengthening process would provide.


    If she managed to break through quickly enough, her mental strength at the Expert Mage Stage would be high enough for her to advance right away to the Magus Phase.


    After hearing there was a qualitative difference between a ruler human to an elite human, she set her mind on bing a magus before her time is up.


    After over a year of constant training and a huge head start as a higher elite human strengthened by 5 elements with insane affinity, she finally reached the 100 MSU marktely.


    She looted their magic bags and poured everything into her own before leaving to explore the ruins again.


    She found out they were fighting over a rare light artifact that she had no idea how to activate, and she guessed that they didn''t have either.


    However, she felt that the materials were beyond her understanding, which meant that the artifact was made with materials of the fifth grade or higher.


    ''Given the ce, there''s a good chance this artifact is of the seventh grade or higher, although it might be lower, and their deaths were in vain.''


    Nobody would want to fight to the death against other geniuses for something that wasn''t at least of the seventh grade. It would be a waste to die for something like that.


    She stored it in her magic bag and continued her exploration. She found a few more artifacts and stored them all, but other than that, nothing interesting happened.


    Eventually, she reached a circr stage that had arge orb in its middle. A few meters behind was arge double door made of wood from an unknown tree with arge stele made of stone next to it.


    There were a few bodies lying around, and she recognized them as students from the different forces. There were fallen from all five factions.


    There were still 4 survivors who seemed toe to a consensus to stop fighting. The four were 2 students from the Chijakor Empire, one student from the Amistrys Empire, and thest one was an assassin.


    The four stood on the stage and bombarded the door with their spells, but they couldn''t leave a single scratch on it.


    Because they were busy attacking the door, Lena noticed them first, but after she got closer, they noticed her too.


    Lena was hesitant at first about whether to continue or not. The reason was simple; all four of them were advanced mages!


    But since she could fight genius advanced mages as an equal as long as they weren''t lower elite humans, she chose to just go to the stage.


    "What''s going on here?"


    She asked the four mages who stopped their attacks on the door and waited for her.


    "Put your hand on the orb."


    Since she was a true mage, they didn''t take her seriously. One female mage from the Chijakor Empire just gave her an order and expected her to obey if she cared about living.


    "No thanks, why don''t you put your hand on it?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She asked suspiciously. She wouldn''t just follow the orders of others blindly.


    "Because I told you to put yours, and I''m a stage above you."


    The female mage answered, but then her partner stepped forward.


    "Ai, don''t be so cold. Don''t you see how beautiful she is? Beautifuldy, how about you listen to us? This orb checks the aptitude of the explorers, and the door would only open when someone who fits the criteria arrives. We tried to put ours on it, but apparently, it wasn''t enough."


    "So why are there so many dead people?"


    "Everyone thought we arrived at the treasury of the ruins and started attacking each other. In the end, only us 4 advanced mages survived, and we agreed to first check what was beyond the door before continuing to fight. Nobody wants to die because of an empty room."


    He let Lena imagine the tragic moment when they realized they couldn''t open the door.


    "And what are the prerequisites to pass the aptitude test of this orb?"


    "We don''t know. We think it measures light affinity."


    "And none of you has it?"


    Lena found it weird that none of them had a light affinity. She was sure that if the Amistrys Empire knew that those ruins were good for light mages, everyone else knew it as well.


    "I do, but it wasn''t enough. Now stop talking and ce your hand on the orb, we''ve answered enough questions."


    The woman wasn''t affected by Lena''s beauty and didn''t n to simp for her, unlike her friend.


    ''They''re all advanced mages before 35, so all of them likely have an SS affinity. If one of them has SS affinity with light mana and still couldn''t pass this test, it only means that the orb will open to my SSS affinity.''


    She was confused regarding the fact that nobody with SSS light affinity ever explored this ce before in the past few thousand years, but she quickly understood that no force would send someone with such a rare affinity to explore a dangerous ce.


    When she realized this should be true for herself as well, she soon got suspicious of the decision to send her here.


    ''Are they trying to eliminate me because I disagreed to hook up with the princes?''


    She pondered to herself, but soon forgot about it and focused on the orb. She walked forward and started channeling her light mana into the orb.


    The orb glowed with bright light as she channeled her mana, and the doors started to open slowly.


    "It''s working! Quick let''s get in!"


    They didn''t wait for the door topletely open and rushed in. Lena also stopped channeling her mana and ran inside after them. She was ready to fight.


    "Four illegible people detected, please leave."


    A voice resounded and the four looked at each other. Since the voice only mentioned 4, it wasn''t hard to infer it was ok for Lena to remain inside.


    "Should we leave?"


    "You can leave, I''m not leaving."


    In the room were many light artifacts, and the mana density was so high it was almost tangible. Lena estimated it was at least 300 MDU from her experience.


    Additionally, there were fruits and potions that none of them recognized, and each of them radiated a strong aura, which was enough to testify to their high grade.


    "I''m leaving. It doesn''t worth dying for light artifacts."


    The assassin dered and left the room. Although he knew that the Order would reward him for bringing such treasures, he wouldn''t be able to use those artifacts and potions for himself, and the reward wasn''t worth fighting 3 advanced mages that two of whom had a light affinity.


    "I will leave too."


    The guy from the Amistrys Empire left, and Lena was left alone with the pair from the Chijakor Empire.


    "Girl, you should leave. We won''t let you take anything anyway."


    But before Lena answered, a bright light filled the room, blinding everyone and making them all only see white light.


    "Inheritor, drink the potion."


    Lena lost her eyesight but soon rxed when she heard the voice speak again. Since it could blind her without a problem, it didn''t need to poison her.

 Chapter 132 132 - Hired By The Prince

    ?


    Kisuke was pessimistic about what he could learn from a teenager, and Haruka didn''t miss it.


    "Although he is a new magician and only 16 years old, he had been practicing with his sword ever since he was 6. The guards say that he had never missed a single day of training all those years. His technique must be extremely refined by now."


    "I see, I will treasure this opportunity."


    Kisuke also understood Haruka''s intentions. Haruka saw his potential and wanted to invest in him now so he can enjoy the fruits of his investmentter when Kisuke bes powerful.


    Next was a theoretical lesson about the local beasts around. It was necessary for the guards to have such general knowledge because they had to escort the princes and princesses when they went out.


    In the evening there was one more ss of mana control and magic casting. Although the residents of the Chijakor liked fighting with weapons, they still used magic to support and attack.


    Kisuke''s first session with the sixth prince was scheduled for the next day, and should the prince be satisfied, it would take ce on daily basis.


    ''I wonder if the prince is a spoiled kid. ording to the description, he should be sharp and indifferent, and only care about his sword practice.''


    Kisuke formed his opinion on the prince based on the prince''s diligent training regime. The spoiled rich kids never practiced so much until their parents forced them to.


    He went to his room and found Arima already there.


    "I heard you were favored by your lieutenant."


    Arima said when he saw Kisuke enters the room.


    "Maybe a little. What about yours, did he favor you too?"


    "My lieutenant has no feelings, so I don''t think he is capable of favoring people. But he did seem impressed by me and my prospects."


    "That''s great. Work hard."


    "You too."


    They had a little chat about their day and went to sleep. Arima was tired after an intensive day of training, while Kisuke was tired after training his mental strength while pretending to listen in ss.


    They mainly taught them about third-rank beasts and lower, so it didn''t interest him. Even if he met a magical beast he never learned about before, he didn''t need to know its weaknesses to p it to death in a single blow.


    But the strain caused by the mental training made him just as tired as the other magicians who learned and practiced all day.


    The next day, he arrived at the training grounds again, ready for the swords lesson. The sixth prince trained with his instructor during the morning and only needed a sparring partner in the afternoon, mainly to hone and digest his gains from the morning.


    "I hope all of you found the time to practice the sequence I taught you yesterday by yourselves in your free time."


    Haruka said to the recruits who looked at each other helplessly. They were exhausted after training the whole day, and they were still expected to train in their free time; of course they didn''t do it!


    Everyone nodded confidently and Haruka gave an ugly smile. He knew they were a bunch of liars; it wasn''t the first time he trained recruits.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Since you all trained the sequence yesterday, you all must be very proficient in it. To make sure you didn''t deviate during your self-practice, I will now test all of you. You will first perform the sequence against me, and I will do it against you right after."


    Everyone''s faces froze when they heard that but had no choice except to go and get beaten up.


    The first student charged at Haruka and performed the first strike.


    "It''s like you only regressed in your self-practice, you crouch too low!"


    Haruka took a step to the side and tripped the recruit with his leg, making him fall on his face.


    "You have to train more diligently!"


    Haruka kept beating up the recruits one by one, and only Kisuke and the two trained recruits couldplete the sequence sessfully.


    "Good job you three. Everyone, that''s the standard I want to see in my recruits!"


    Haruka shouted at the recruits who were busy rubbing their sore bodies. Although Haruka used a wooden weapon, he used more power than necessary on purpose to cause some bruises. He believed in drilling the exercises into one''s bones by force.


    The ss was soon over and Kisuke went to the sixth prince''s chambers ording to Haruka''s instructions. When he reached the chambers, he found two true mages standing guard at the entrance.


    "Who are you?"


    "Corporal Urara Kisuke, I''m here to serve as a sparring partner for the sixth prince."


    "Just a magician, hmph. Don''t speak unless His Highness wants you to, the prince doesn''t like wasting his training time."


    "Yes, Sir."


    Since the guard was one rank higher than him, Kisuke answered respectfully. In his mind, the guards weren''t worth his attention, so he didn''t get offended by their behavior.


    "Good, after entering just follow the hallway and ask the servants for instructions to reach the training room."


    He entered the chambers and asked a servant for instructions and soon reached in front of a wooden wall that could be slid to the right to enter the room.


    ''The architecture is very differentpared to the Amistrys Empire. Almost everything is made of wood, but because of the magic circles and the materials grades, the buildings are still as durable as the houses made in the Amistrys Empire.''


    Kisuke thought inwardly while looking around and appreciating the view.


    He soon entered the room and found a young teenager in the middle of a round stage surrounded by water training by himself.


    "Your Highness, I''m here to serve as your sparring partner. My name is Urara Kisuke, pleased to be in your service."


    The prince had a young, round face. His phoenix eyes and short ck hair gave him a handsome look, and his body was lean and flexible from his training.

 Chapter 133 133 - Bonding With The Prince

    ?


    The prince had a young, round face. His phoenix eyes and short ck hair gave him a handsome look, and his body was lean and flexible from his training.


    "Good, you''re here on time. Come here and let''s start. You don''t need to teach me anything, but you can advise me if you have anything to say."


    Kisuke was surprised by the prince''s open-mindedness. He was sure that the prince knew that his swordsmanship was amateur at best, yet still told him he could advise him.


    Kisuke entered the arena and drew his sword.


    "Nice sword."


    "Thank you, Prince."


    The prince charged at him and started attacking, applying different techniques to catch Kisuke off-guard. Although Kisuke''s techniques were much inferior to the prince''s, he didn''t feel any pressure.


    In his eyes, the prince moved in slow motion, and he could easily adjust whenever he was fooled by the prince''s feints.


    Kisuke used this opportunity to learn too, he was slowly falling for fewer and fewer feints and became able to understand the prince''s movements by observing his muscles.


    He also imitated some of the prince''s attacking sequences and kept improving them as the fight continued.


    "All right, stop. I need a break. You can do whatever you want for thirty minutes, and we will continue."


    The prince stopped their session and sat down to regain his stamina. They were sparring for an hour straight, and as a true magician, he was exhausted from the continuous pressure.


    "Prince, you have a really nice house."


    The prince lived in a rtively small house separated from the main pce.


    "Thank you."


    "Why do you live outside the pce?"


    Kisuke asked curiously. He didn''t speak to the prince during their training, but now the prince was resting, so he figured it''d be ok to have a conversation with him.


    "More privacy and quiet. I have my chambers in the main pce if I want to move there."


    "I see."


    The prince usually didn''t speak with others beyond what he had to because of his entric personality, but he had a very good impression of Kisuke. First, he didn''t waste any of the practice time, second, he simply gave him a very good feeling.


    The reason was Kisuke''s high charm. Although he restrained most of it, the small amount that leaked out was enough to make others like him and have a good first impression of him. It was one of the reasons that Haruka was so amodating toward Kisuke.


    As a True Magician, the sixth prince was very weak against those effects, and if Kisuke let out his charm entirely, the prince would probably do anything to please Kisuke.


    "Are you native to our dynasty?"


    The prince eventually took the initiative to speak after Kisuke didn''t add anything else.


    "I am. My mother lives in Oda City, and my father is a foreigner whom I''ve never met."


    Kisuke was already used to telling this story by now, so it came out naturally.


    "Do you have siblings?"


    "I don''t. Do you maintain a good rtionship with your siblings?"


    "It''s hard maintaining good rtionships with all of them. I have 5 brothers and 4 sisters, and all of us are always busy with our own businesses, so we don''t interact much with each other. Besides, some don''t like their half-siblings."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Kisuke read in the information book he received from Calig that Nikkokuni had an empress. The empress had a few husbands, so although they all shared the same mother, they came from different fathers.


    He found it weird at first because it was the other way around in the Amistrys Empire.


    "Do you have any siblings from the same father?"


    The prince shook his head with a hint of sadness.


    "Now, my father is thest concubine of the empress, so I''m the only one."


    Kisuke could feel the prince''s yearning for family, and an idea formed in his head.


    "I can be your big brother if you''d like."


    He smiled at the prince and his eyes had an unnoticeable green shine in them. He only applied a very small amount of mana on his charm, or else the boy would lose his senses.


    "Really? I''d love it!"


    The boy said too enthusiastically, but it was understandable that he was weak against the charm''s effects with his low stage.


    "30 minutes passed, let''s continue. You can call me Big Brother when we''re alone, but it might be inappropriate to do it in front of others for now."


    "Okay, you''re right."


    They continued their session for another hour until their time together was over.


    "I will be going now. I''ve learned a lot from sparring with you, Sixth Prince."


    "Since you''re my big brother now, just call me Tanjirou. My name is Oda Tanjirou."


    The empress''st name was Oda, and all her offspring used it.


    "Goodbye, Tanjirou."


    "See youter, Big Brother."


    Kisuke left Tanjirou''s training room and saw the guards again.


    "You have earned many merit points today. I''m afraid it''s improper for a junior to earn so much only because of luck. How about you share 10% of your points with each of us?"


    One guard smiled at him in a friendly manner. If Kisuke didn''t hear his words, he''d think the man was offering him help.


    "Such a few points wouldn''t make a difference for a personal guard of the sixth prince, Sir."


    The guard also thought so when he epted this role, but the prince didn''t interact with the guards at all and barely went out, so the guards rarely had a chance to umte points beyond the normal pay.


    "You shouldn''t ask too many questions. Just give us 10% of the points for taking care of you."


    The guard''s smile stayed on his face while giving a direct threat.


    "What if I report this incident to mymander?"


    "Then he will ask for 10% too. If anything, we are surprised he didn''t ask for it yet. You see, it''s very difficult to advance in ranks and magic, so this way the juniors can support their seniors. One day, you''ll be standing in our ce and your junior will help you out."

 Chapter 134 134 - Scheming For Benefits

    ?


    Kisuke could solve it all with his charm, but he had other ns.


    ''They can help me get closer to the prince.''


    He turned to the guards and activated his charm.


    "It makes a lot of sense. I will give you 15% then, and I hope you can keep taking care of me in the future."


    "Haha, you''re a very empathetic junior, Little Brother. We will take it gratefully then."


    The guards smiled and epted his payment. The merit points were saved in their watches. In the imperial guard, the automatic assistant was called Alekusa, and it was pretty much the same as Alessa from the academy.


    After transferring the points, the guards were already charmed. He gave the extra points to make them easily suggestible.


    "Big Brothers, when are you alone with the prince?"


    "We are alone with him 15 minutes before you arrive and 15 minutes after you leave. There are a few other simr gaps during the day."


    "I see, thank you for telling me. I''m leaving now, see you tomorrow."


    He gained 100 merit points from this session, which was quite lucrative. 8 hours guarding shift granted 80 merit points, but Kisuke earned 100 points by training with the prince for two hours and a half including the break.


    After paying 30% of his earnings to the guards, he had 70 points left. Advancing to the Sergeant rank costs 36,500 points and required the guard to be at the True Mage Stage.


    After paying for gear, training facilities, and food, a true mage could umte enough points after a year and a half. True Mages received 150 merit points per guarding shift, so their umtion was much faster.


    ''I wonder how many merit points I''m going to get from this n.''


    He passed that day by pretending to listen in General Knowledge ss and Magic Control. The next day, he left early to arrive 30 minutes before his session with the prince started.


    "Hey guys, how are you?"


    He smiled at the two guards at the entrance.


    "Oh, hey newbie. Aren''t you here too early today?"


    "I am. I was just thinking about how much we hate the sixth prince for not letting us benefit from being close to him. How can he expect our loyalty like that, right?"


    His eyes shone in green as he spoke, and the two guards had hypnotized expressions.


    "Shh, keep your voice down. His instructor is an advanced mage, he is inside with him now. But you''re right, I can''t be loyal to him."


    "If another prince offered you resources for giving him data on the sixth prince you''d agree, wouldn''t you?"


    "I would."


    "Me too."


    The guards nodded in agreement. As Gale''s charm continued affecting them, they kept sympathizing with his words, making them develop more and more hatred toward the sixth prince.


    "You should make it clear, or he won''t understand that you stand here every day to guard him, willing to put your life on the line in case of an attack."


    "What do you suggest, Little Brother?"


    One of the guards asked while being deep in thought. He felt that Kisuke''s words made sense; they needed to make the prince understand he needs to appreciate them more.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Soon, he will be alone with you for 15 minutes. One of you should wear a mask and beat him up, and the other cane after a few seconds and chase the attacker out. This way, he will see why it''s so important to have you guys by his side."


    It was a bad n no matter how one looked at it, but to the charmed guards, it seemed like the ultimate n. This n just covered everything!


    They didn''t even notice the biggest problem; the suspicious guy with the mask would have had to pass through them to enter the prince''s house.


    "You''re right, Little Brother. We will do that when the time is right."


    "Good, good. Remember, you''re the one who came up with this idea, so never mention my name or that we met today. Additionally, you''re going to forget the sixth prince''s rank and you will attack as if he was at your stage."


    This time, he used a lot of mana. He used his power as an advanced mage to the fullest for thestmand, as not being found out was the most important part.


    He quickly left and went toplete the next step of his n.


    The guards were standing in a daze for a few seconds before shaking their heads and returning to their positions.


    "What happened here? I''ve sensed a strong mana fluctuation."


    The prince''s instructor came out of the prince''s house with a frown.


    "Nothing Sir, we were just trying something."


    "Oh ok. Keep it down then."


    Although guards shouldn''t "try things" during their shifts, he didn''t really care since he wasn''t theirmander.


    -------


    Meanwhile, Kisuke ran to find the two guards who were guarding the outer wall of the pce.


    While the formers were only standing guard in front of Tanjirou''s house, those two were guarding the wall around the pce''s territory.


    "Sirs, I have something urgent to report!"


    The guards who were looking outside turned around and saw Kisuke running toward them.


    "Who are you?"


    "Urara Kisuke, Sir. I''ve been serving as the sparring partner of the sixth prince since yesterday."


    "What is it that you need to report?"


    "Sir, my session with the prince starts in half an hour, but I came earlier because I didn''t want to bete. When I arrived, I suddenly heard the two guards whispering between themselves. I quickly hid and listened."


    "So you eavesdropped on the guards. What is so urgent?"


    "Sir, theyined that the sixth prince doesn''t appreciate them, so they n to attack him after his instructor leaves. You must save the prince!"


    His charm affected the two guards and they nodded seriously.


    "But you should wait for him to attack the prince before saving him, this way you can get even more merit. They only want to beat him up, so he isn''t at risk. Make sure to kill the attackers to get maximum benefits!"


    He gave them onest instruction before leaving.

 Chapter 135 135 - Protecting The Prince

    ?


    After giving the fewst instructions, Kisuke rushed to the prince''s house and secretly got inside after the instructor left. Although his darkness affinity was low, he could make up for it with his strong connection to mana and pass unnoticed by the two guards.


    "Tanjirou, I''m early today, how are you?"


    "Big Brother! I''m d to see you here."


    Kisuke chatted with Tanjirou for a bit and waited for the y to start.


    "Prince, today I''m going to teach you a lesson!"


    A voice sounded from the door as someone opened it and came in. It was a thin man of average height, holding a wooden sword in hand.


    "Kis..?"


    The man stopped in surprise when he found out that the prince wasn''t alone. But he soon stopped himself from saying Kisuke''s name.


    "Ahm, I''m going to beat you up!"


    He ran toward the prince who stepped back. The man then coated his wooden sword with earth magic to turn it heavier and struck at the prince. He didn''t mean to cause any real damage, but in his mind, the prince was a true mage.


    "Prince, be careful!"


    Kisuke pulled the prince and protected himself with earth magic, but his magic was too weak. Kisuke''s defense crumbled and his shoulder got hit by the sword strike.


    He copsed on the floor with a groan, and the man looked at him in surprise.


    ''I get it, Little Brother must want to earn some merits too as the one to protect the prince with his body.''


    The guard smiled when he understood Kisuke''s n and waved his arm tond another blow. To the prince, the smile seemed extremely scary; the man smiled after hitting someone!


    "Traitor! How dare you attack the prince!"


    The two guards who were earlier guarding the wall barged into the room. They were both expert mages, the wall required stronger guards than a private house inside the pce''s territory.


    "Wait, no, Sir! It was only a prank!"


    The guard wearing the mask shouted, but the expert mage paid no heed to his shouts, and killed him with a single sharp wind de, creating a huge cut from his back to his chest.


    "Ah!"


    The prince shouted in fright; it was the first time he saw someone gets killed, and it all happened too fast.


    "Big- Kisuke! Are you ok?"


    He almost called Kisuke "Big Brother" out of habit, but then remembered he shouldn''t do it in front of the guards.


    The guards raised an eyebrow when they heard the weird nickname.


    ''He isn''t fat, why is he calling him big? Is it because of his height?''


    The guards wondered to themselves but just quickly approached Kisuke to check on him.


    As expected, nothing happened to Kisuke. After being strengthened by Earth mana to the fifth stage as a ruler beast, a weak sword strike couldn''t injure him.


    It barely left a blue bruise on his skin, and that''s because he hit himself after to make it look more believable.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "He is ok, just the bone might be broken. Here, take this potion."


    The guard offered him a fourth-rank potion generously. He was going to get a lot of merit points for saving the prince, so he didn''t mind giving a potion to the one who made it possible.


    "Thank you, Sir."


    "Your Highness, you can wait for the maids toe and clean the mess. You can either train here when it''s clean or go for a walk instead to clear your head. We are going to report this incident to ourmander."


    The prince thought for a moment before answering.


    "Okay, I think I need to go outside. Kisuke, you cane with me, I will make sure you get the same amount of merit points."


    "Yes, Your Highness. You don''t have to worry about my sry for today, it has been a great shock for you."


    The two left the house for a walk outside, and on their way out, they also saw the dead body of the other guard.


    Kisuke learned new things about the prince as they chatted. He learned that his instructor has been the same one ever since he was a child.


    This instructor had limited potential in magic and was too old to advance any further. However, the man was obsessed with swordsmanship, so his expertise in the area was better than many magus''.


    He also learned that the prince saw the empress only once a week when the whole family sat for a grand lunch together and that his father couldn''t leave the concubines'' chambers without the empress'' permission.


    It wasn''t personal against his father, but all the Empress'' men had the same treatment. He learned that the Empress didn''t allow her men to enter the Magus Phase, so they won''t get the status of an emperor.


    It was a setback for the Dynasty since all of them had at least SS affinity, or else the Empress wouldn''t make children with them. All of them had the potential to be magi.


    "Big Brother, we have an hour left for our session. I''ve already calmed down from earlier events, so how about we train in the remaining time?"


    "Sure, would you like to go inside?"


    "No, this ce looks nice."


    They were near arge pool of clear water and watched the fish swim inside. They stood up and sparred until it was time to return.


    "Tanjirou, I will escort you back to your house."


    "All right."


    When the two arrived at the house, they found one of the two guards that saved them earlier waiting at the door.


    "Your Highness. New guards have been appointed for you."


    The guard bowed first before turning to Kisuke.


    "Kisuke, mymander wants to see you."


    The two guards had the rank of Captains, which meant that theirmander was at least at the Chief rank.


    "I''ming."


    Kisuke followed the guard back to the imperial guard grounds and entered a separate building that wasn''t in the area where he lived.


    "Must be your first time here, here are the offices of those in the Chief rank or above."

 Chapter 136 136 - Raking In Merit Points

    ?


    "Must be your first time here, here are the offices of those in the Chief rank or above."


    Kisuke followed the guard inside and was led to an office on the first floor. The hallway was a long corridor, with white walls and nothing to see. It emphasized efficiency, and the inside of the building didn''t waste space on decorations.


    "Make sure to be extra respectful when you talk to Chief Shirokami. Only magi can have the position of a chief, so besides being higher ranked, he is also extremely powerful and talented. If you can get into his good books, you can only benefit from it in the future."


    "Yes, Sir. I will do my best to leave a good impression on him."


    The guard knocked on the door and opened it as soon as he got a response. He saluted to the man inside before speaking.


    "Sir, Urara Kisuke is here to report."


    "You may go now, leave us alone."


    "Yes, Sir."


    The guard who led Kisuke to the chief''s office left the ce, leaving Kisuke alone with the chief.


    "Kisuke, no need for formalities, we''re here alone. Come have a seat, you''ve done great merit for the dynasty today."


    "Thank you, Sir."


    The magus had long white hair, and his body was ripped with muscles. The uniforms sat tightly on him, and his squared head fitted his body proportions.


    Kisuke was wondering if he needed help to close those uniforms every day or if he could shove himself into them all by himself. Kisuke sat down on the chair that Shirokami pointed at and waited for him to speak.


    "Can you tell me again how you came to know of the guards'' n to attack the prince?"


    "Sir, I arrived early today because I didn''t want to bete, and that was when I heard the guards whispering about their ns."


    Kisuke was ready for this question to pop up; it was indeed weird that he knew to warn the guards outside in advance. However, he simply had to stick to his initial story. As long as there were no contradictions, he was safe.


    "What did they say?"


    "Sir, their words were offensive to the imperial family."


    "Don''t worry, you only need to repeat their words."


    "Yes, Sir. They said that they were tired of guarding the spoiled prince for a low wage and that they want the prince to stop staying in his room so they can get more merit points by guarding him outside."


    It wasn''t even aplete lie. They didin about the fact that the prince never left his house to go outside, preventing them from earning more merit points.


    "Is that all?"


    "No, Sir. They agreed that one of them would enter the prince''s house with a mask and heavily injure him, while the other would wait outside ande in the nick of time to save the prince and get many merit points. I assume they nned to share itter, but I already left to report this matter to guards outside and didn''t hear the rest."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Shirokami gave Kisuke a contemtive look while thinking about what he just described.


    ''Are they really this stupid? Even if the other guard saved the prince, he''d still be executed for letting a suspicious man enter the prince''s house and beat him up.''


    Although Kisuke knew that the Chief would find the story weird, the guards were already dead, and the only evidence they had was reality and his words. Since they didn''t contradict each other, they had no choice but to ept it.


    "I''m going to put some pressure on you to make sure you speak the truth, do you want to say anything else before we do it?"


    Shirokami gave Kisuke onest chance to add facts that he might have "forgotten" to mention.


    "I''m ready, Sir. I''ve said everything I had to say."


    Kisuke had nothing to be stressed about. Since he had done a meritorious deed, the Chief wouldn''t break his mind with too much pressure. Since the Chief thought he was only a magician, he wouldn''t use pressure stronger than 1 MSU.


    Kisuke distorted his face in pain as the Chief pressured his mind.


    "Tell me everything you didn''t mention earlier."


    "Sir, I''ve mentioned everything earlier!"


    ''I guess they were really just stupid.''


    The Chief thought to himself as he canceled the pressure. The possibility that Kisuke was an advanced mage who could resist pressure higher than 70 MSU never crossed his mind.


    "For your merits, you deserve some prizes. First, for warning the guards in advance, you get 10,000 merit points. Second, for protecting the prince with your body despite the threat of death, you get 15,000 points. Keep up your hard work and you can advance to the next rank soon."


    "Thank you, Sir."


    "You''re free to go."


    Kisuke left the chief''s office with a smile on his face and returned to his room.


    ''I need to climb the ranks as fast as I can. With a high enough rank, I can easily find a way to the treasury. Once I take what I need, I can just run away from the dynasty to the empire.''


    Right now, Kisuke had 25,170 merit points in his ount. The other recruits had 0 since they couldn''t even take missions. He would get to the Sergeant rank much faster than the normal year and a half most people needed.


    Since he had a sixth-rank sword, he didn''t need to spend hundreds or thousands of points to upgrade his weapon, and since he didn''t practice normally, he didn''t have a reason to buy resources to advance.


    ''I can''t orchestrate such events in the near time, or else it will be too suspicious. Since the prince listens to everything I say, I should instruct him to go outside and ask for me to escort him.''


    Despite learning how to use a sword in the morning, he didn''t mind missing some lessons. After all, he already developed his fighting style and didn''t n to switch it with the Chijakor''s style.

 Chapter 137 137 – Venturing Into The Forest

    ?


    "Hey Big Brother, how''s your week?"


    A month passed and Kisuke lived a peaceful life in the imperial guard. He would train using the sword in the early morning, spar with the prince in thete morning, and train his mental strength for the rest of the day.


    Although he didn''t have a device to check his mental strength, he estimated it around 81 MSU. Because of theck of the device, he had to train himself using a technique of pressuring one''s own mind that Alice taught him before he left the academy.


    "I''m good, Tanjirou. I was thinking, you can''t learn real swordsmanship only by sparring. Why not go fight some animals in the forest nearby?"


    "I don''t know, I like training peacefully here."


    Tanjirou said hesitantly. He always felt ufortable to refuse to Kisuke, so he rarely did that.


    "But won''t you have guards and servants with you if you go outside? You won''t be in danger, and someone will take care of all your needs."


    "The reason we take guards with us is not because of external danger. The most dangerous ones are my half-siblings."


    "Are they all really so bad?"


    "Not all of them. Out of my 9 half-siblings, 5 of them are obsessed with the throne, while 3 are neutral. Only my third sister is friendly and nice to everyone."


    "What about you?"


    "I don''t care about the throne. I only want to live my life freely and improve my strength. But those obsessed with the thrones don''t care, they fear that we might change our mind and try to contend for the threr."


    "How can your third sister be nice to everyone if they try to kill her then?"


    "Nobody dares try to kill my third sister. She''s our mother''s favorite kid, and you already know how special she is."


    "I don''t, I''ve never heard of her before."


    "You never heard of her before? She''s the most famous princess in the dynasty, and that''s without people even knowing much about her!"


    Kisuke didn''t lie. He didn''t know much about the princes and princesses of the dynasty. He was in the dynasty for less than two months, how could he know about them?


    "Tell me about her, please. Why is she so famous?"


    "She''s called the Angel of Darkness because of her special affinities. I''m sure you already know that people don''t normally have opposite elements, but it sometimes happens when one has three elements."


    "I do."


    Those who had two affinities never had affinities with Fire and Water or with Earth and Wind. It would be one of each pair. Only those who had 3 or more elements, like Lena, had affinities with opposite elements like Water and Fire simultaneously.


    "My sister is special because despite having only 2 elements, they''re opposite to each other."


    "That doesn''t sound so impressive, people who have three affinities have the same and one more in addition to the opposite affinities."


    Kisuke wondered out loud when he heard Tanjirou''s words.


    "Do you know which two opposite elements one can never have affinities with no matter how many affinities he has?"


    Kisuke widened his eyes as soon as he understood where Tanjirou was going with it, especially when he took the princess'' nickname into ount.


    "Light and Darkness!"


    "Exactly. My sister has only two affinities, and it''s those two."


    Kisuke noticed that Tanjirou was restless; he opened his mouth and shut it multiple times as if he wanted to tell him something, but he was held back for some reason.


    "Do you want to tell me something?"


    Kisuke decided to take the initiative to ask.


    "Um, you must promise me not to tell anyone about it if I tell you, Big Brother."


    "Sure, I promise. What is it?"


    "You see, it''s a family secret, but my sister has SSS affinity with both elements."


    Tanjirou whispered so only Kisuke could hear him just in case someone was eavesdropping.


    "That''s amazing!"


    Kisuke was genuinely impressed by the high affinities. He had only one SSS affinity, and he had to steal it from someone else and boost it with his strengthening process.


    "How old is your third sister?"


    "She''s 22, but she is already at the Expert Mage Stage!"


    Tanjirou started bbering about what it meant to be an expert mage before 10 years passed. The third princess was basically as talented as Lena, but enjoyed top-notch education from the moment she was born, giving her a serious edge over Lena.


    Kisuke knew thatmoners shouldn''t be aware of the mechanics of being elite humans or ruler humans, so he just listened and pretended to be surprised that such a thing existed.


    ''If I pretend to be an elite human, wouldn''t I earn a lot of attention and merit from the higher-up?''


    Kisuke got this idea while listening to Tanjirou talking. He was 21 years old now, and he could pretend to be in contact with mana for the first time when he was 15, although it was rare formoners.


    If he broke through the True Mage Stage now, he''d be a 6-year-old mage, which would make him a higher elite human.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "¡­ So since she is an expert mage after only 8 years of training, she has the status of a ruler human and will have a lot of benefits if she can advance before 10 years pass from her first touch with mana!"


    Tanjirou finished his story and exnations while Kisuke was still thinking.


    "That''s amazing, I understand why she''s your mother''s favorite. But back to our previous topic, how about leaving the pce''s grounds and enjoying hunting beasts in the forest?"


    "What if my siblings attack me?"


    "Don''t worry, your guards will keep you safe. I will be with you too."


    Tanjirou couldn''t resist Kisuke''s requests for long and soon yielded.


    "Fine, I will tell my servants to set a training trip in the forest. I will make sure to ask them to send you out with me for the highest pay possible."


    "Thank you, Little Brother."


    Kisuke smiled at the prince and messed up his hair with his fingers, making the prince pout as he tried to dodge.


    -------


    "Kisuke,e here."


    Kisuke''smander, Haruka, called him over after the sword lesson.


    "Sir, did anything happen?"


    "Yes, but it''s not a bad thing. The sixth prince is going to train in the forest, and he asked for you specifically. It seems you''ve left a very good impression on him; keep it that way and you can climb the ranks faster."


    "Thank you, Sir. I will follow this advice."


    "Good, just don''t forget who took you in!"


    Haruka joked with him before continuing.


    "Anyway, the mission''s reward is 500 merit points per day. If you practice with him, it won''t add anything, but you still must do it if he asks you. Understood?"


    "Yes, Sir."


    "Good. There will be many other guards with ranks above yours, so make sure to act respectfully and follow orders."


    "Yes, Sir."


    After giving him the date for the trip, the two parted and Kisuke went to train with Tanjirou as usual.


    Because of Kisuke''s quick improvement, he couldn''t train efficiently with the other recruits, forcing Haruka to act as his partner.


    After acting as Kisuke''s sparring partner during the lessons, the two grew much closer to each other and developed a sense of friendship.


    The trip was set to 3 dayster because Tanjirou wanted to follow Kisuke''s wishes as soon as possible, which was the minimum time required to prepare for it.


    Those three days passed quickly, and Kisuke found the prince with the other guards and servants outside the forest, ready to go in when everyone was ready.


    "Kisuke, you can join my carriage."


    Everyone looked at the prince in surprise.


    "Your Highness, are you sure about it? he''s just a guard."


    "He saved my life once, it''s enough for me to look beyond his current stage and consider his future."


    The prince recited the words Kisuke told him a few days ago with an authoritative voice.


    Kisuke nodded and entered the carriage. He never nned to walk next to the carriage like a normal guard; he already developed some natural pride as a ruler human.


    "Prince, we are on the outskirts of the forest, I think it''s the best ce for a first-stage magician to practice."


    The carriages stopped and one of the guards announced from outside the prince''s carriage.


    "Big Brother, I will go out now."


    "I wille with you."


    The two left the carriage and ventured into the woods with the guards behind them. Only around half of the guards followed them while the rest remained to prepare the camp and guard it.


    "Prince Tanjirou, I sense a first-rank gori 300 meters to the south, I rmend you fight it."


    Kisuke chose the gori since the prince was used to fighting humans, and the gori would resemble those more than a boar or a wolf.


    Tanjirou nodded and jogged in the direction of the Gori to face it. Soon, the gori sensed the prince and ran toward him with a loud scream.


    The gori threw small boulders it created with Earth magic, and Tanjirou dodged them as he got slower. Soon, the gori used its long hairy arm to swing a powerful whack at the prince, who performed his swordsmanship.


    The arm was covered with stone generated by magic, yet the prince''s sword was coated in an explosive fire that made his swing move much faster than it should be.


    The sword cut through the gori''s arm swiftly, and the gori screamed in pain as it retreated a few steps back.

 Chapter 138 138 – Hanako And Taeko Oda

    ?


    The gori screamed in pain as it retreated a few steps back. The prince and the gori looked at each for a few moments, and the gori turned around and escaped.


    A guard in the True Mage Stage instantly trapped the gori in a cage made of stone and dragged it back when he saw that the prince wasn''t chasing it.


    "Prince, what should we do with the gori?"


    "Nothing, let it go. I''m only here to practice, not to hunt. Since I''ve already defeated it, I don''t need it anymore."


    The group kept traveling in the forest and let the prince fight with first-rank beasts they met. The guards made sure to take care of anything above that to prevent any harm froming to the prince.


    In the evening, the group went back to the camp and saw the guards.


    "Sixth Prince, there''s something you need to know before you return to the camp¡­"


    One of the guards who stood outside the camp said with a hesitant voice while swearing his bad luck in his mind. Nobody wants to be the one to bring bad news.


    "What is it?"


    "There are guests in the camp."


    "Guests? Who are they?"


    "The third prince and the second princess."


    Kisuke already heard some general information about the prince''s siblings. The third prince and the second princess were full-blood siblings, and they supported each other in the race for the throne.


    Because of the empress'' way of life, the females in the imperial family were quite dominant. Thus, it was the prince supporting the princess who contended for the throne.


    "What are they doing here?"


    Tanjirou asked the guard who told him about the news with a frown on his face.


    "We don''t know. They only said they heard that you finally went out to train and wanted to see you."


    "Ok, you can keep watching over the camp."


    Tanjirou chose 2 advanced mages to escort him, and he went to the camp. They found one woman who looks in her early twenties with a man of the same age. However, the woman was closer to her thirties while the man showed his real age.


    The guards and Kisuke remained behind as Tanjirou sat down in front of his siblings.


    "Kisuke,e take a seat next to me, you don''t need to stay behind."


    Tanjirou called Kisuke to sit by his side. Kisuke didn''t act shy; he went and sat in front of the royals.


    "Sixth Brother, I''ve heard you grew very close to a magician who saved your life, it seems that the rumors were true."


    The princess remarked with a surprised face when she saw a mere guard sit down with three royals without hesitation.


    "Hanako, why are you here?"


    "Is this a way to speak to your older sister? Hanako and I just missed you after not seeing you for so long."


    The prince scolded Tanjirou for his unweing attitude.


    "That''s weird, you could''ve visited me when I was at my house. My doors are always open in front of my dear siblings."


    Tanjirou didn''t budge and answered with a confident tone. However, Hanako''s attention was already pulled away. Kisuke wasn''t holding back his charm in the forest; he didn''t worry about magi noticing it in such a remote ce.


    "I can see why you like to keep this guard close; he is so handsome. But you are a man yourself, it''s unbing for a prince to have such a forbidden rtionship. How about lending him to me?"


    Hanako smiled at her little brother who lost hisposure from her words.


    "The princess'' words make me happy, but I''m very loyal to Prince Tanjirou. I''m afraid I can''t agree to serve the princess."


    The princess ced her leg on Kisuke''s thigh and slightly rubbed it. In the forest, she didn''t have to act formally.


    "I don''t think you have the right to argue. If I want you, you''ll have to enter my harem."


    Hanako smiled at Kisuke as if she said somethingpletely normal. But Kisuke also didn''t n to act weak; he moved his hand and ran his fingers over her shin, making her feel a tinge of pleasure from his touch.


    "I don''t know if the princess can afford a man like me. I''m a very hungry man."


    Before Hanako could reply, Tanjirou quickly put an end to their flirting and pushed her leg away from Kisuke.


    "Kisuke, don''t talk nonsense. I already told you that you can use my name without honorifics, so why are you still calling me Prince?"


    Tanjirou wanted to establish their close rtionship to make his sister give up on having Kisuke.


    "You''re right, Tanjirou. We are too close to use honorifics."


    Hanako''s eyes widened when she imagined something forbidden in her mind.


    p¦Ánd¦Á---no¦Í?1,§ão§® "Could it be that you two are¡­?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I''m straight, you can still woo me, Princess Hanako."


    Kisuke sent her into a daze with a bright and charming smile.


    "Well, I didn''t expect to meet someone so interesting by Tanjirou''s side. Little Brother, make sure to keep one eye open all the time because I''m going to steal your friend from you. Takeo, let''s leave."


    "Already?"


    "Yes, I changed my ns."


    They originally nned to pressure Tanjirou while he was outside and threaten him, but she now had new ns.


    She took after her mother in many ways, and one of them was her leisure pursuit of collecting handsome men.


    "Find out his affinity."


    She sent one of her assistants to find out more about Kisuke. If he had an affinity lower than SS, she would forget about him. other than being handsome, good genes were important for the imperialdies when they picked men.


    ''With his temperament, he can''t be a good-for-nothing.''


    -------


    "Kisuke, will you abandon me if the princess wants to marry you?"


    Tanjirou asked him with an insecure voice after his siblings left the camp.


    "Of course not, I wouldn''t leave my little brother. Don''t worry Tanjirou, as long as I''m by your side, you can even be the emperor."


    Although it was a long-term goal, Kisuke already thought about the possibilities that would open for him if the next emperor considered him to be his big brother.


    "I don''t have such ambitions."


    "Don''t let the empress affect your mentality. As a man, you need to have high ambitions."


    "So women should have low ones?"


    "Urm, I didn''t say that. Everyone should have great ambitions, but we are talking about you at the moment."


    Kisuke felt that the powerful females in the imperial family made the males too timid. out of 5 people who contended for the throne, three were women and two were men, despite being more princes than princesses.


    "If I''m strong enough and the opportunity arises, I will give it a try. Otherwise, it''s better not to get tangled in the messy fight for the throne. Most of the contenders are likely to die."


    Kisuke only smiled in response.


    ''Hanako is only one mistake away from bing the first casualty of this fight.''


    ---------


    Six days passed since they went out to the forest, and Kisuke already earned 3000 merit points. Overall, he had 30,100 points after spending some points on clothes and resources to avoid looking suspicious.


    "Big Brother, should we go out?"


    "Go out without me for today, I will stay behind in the camp."


    Those past days Kisuke escorted Tanjirou into the forest and helped him to find magic beasts to hunt. At other times, they''d spar as they did normally.


    "Why?"


    "I feel like I might break through the next stage soon. I want to keep practicing."


    "That''d be amazing, you could be an intermediate elite human if you break through soon! Guards, give Kisuke as many fourth-grade resources as he needs to stimte his advancement. I will payter double the price of everything he uses."


    He didn''t have any fourth-grade resources because he was only at the first rank. He mainly used second-grade resources and some third grade to get inspired. The Mage Phase was out of his understanding.


    "Good luck, Kisuke. I will go out with the other guards for now."


    "Good luck, be careful."


    Kisuke closed his eyes and meditated in the prince''s tent. The tent had inscriptions to mute noises from outside that could be turned on and off. If the user expects danger, they will turn this option off to keep their guard up.


    He closed his eyes and trained his mental strength as always, but this time he made sure to keep fluctuations of mana around him at the peak of the third stage. He got to watch a magician or two breakthroughs in the past, so he knew what it should look like.


    This went on for a few hours, and he kept burning through the fourth-grade materials the guards gave him. He knew that they would resent him if he didn''t use those materials; the prince already promised to pay double for everything he uses. It was a great opportunity for them to make some easy money.


    After 5 hours, he created an eruption of mana with himself at the center. Unfortunately, he couldn''t loosen the limitation set by the artifact to the fourth stage until he pretended to strengthen his body.


    He couldn''t wait to connect to the mana again on the Mage Phase level. The time he spent as a magician made him feel like a man who lost his sense of smell or taste; something was missing.


    ''Now it''s going to be interesting. Amoner who turned into an intermediate elite human isn''t something that happens often, if at all.''

 Chapter 139 139 – Promotion

    ?


    ''Now it''s going to be interesting. Amoner who turned into an intermediate elite human isn''t something that happens often, if at all.''


    Kisuke went out of the tent and smiled at everyone who congratted him for his advancement. Most of them didn''t know about the extra benefits of his early advancement, but they still saw him as a genius who advanced early.


    "Thank you, everyone. I will undergo the strengthening process now, so please make sure to give me some space."


    Kisuke couldn''t wait to loosen up the limitation on himself, he really hated it. He only wanted to appear in front of everyone before doing it to make it official that he broke through the next stage.


    He sat in the tent again and made mana move all around him in a way that resembled the strengthening process as much as he could.


    Most people wouldn''t be strengthened for long in the fourth stage, so he went out after 5 hours, which would be considered a huge deal despite being less than the time he spent strengthening a single element as a ruler beast.


    After 2 hours, Kisuke pretended he finished strengthening himself with Fire Mana and changed the limit on his body to the fourth stage, making him take a deep, fresh breath. He felt like a blind man getting his sight back. He then ''strengthened'' himself with Earth Mana.


    "Such a long strengthening process, that''s amazing! Mine wasn''t even half of that!"


    Guards assembled around him when he went outside and exuded the aura of a fourth-stage mage. He found out Tanjirou already returned and was waiting for him to finish his strengthening.


    "Good job, Kisuke. We can return to the pce now. I''m done training here; it''s been a great practice. I believe I''ll break through the next stage within a few weeks."


    "Great job, Tanjirou. Now our sparing sessions will get more intensive for you."


    Kisuke smiled at him and the two got up to leave. Most of the guards felt a mix of envy and admiration toward Kisuke.


    On one hand, it was hard to dislike the handsome man. Something about him was pulling others toward him despite their usual apprehension toward foreigners.


    On the other hand, he never helped them with the manual tasks. Even now he was walking away with the prince as if he was part of the imperial family instead of helping everyone to pack up the camp.


    As soon as Kisuke and Tanjirou left the camp, a few guards took outmunication devices.


    "Princess, Prince Tanjirou''s guard and friend just advanced to the fourth stage."


    Those guards said simr messages, but all of them sent them to different people. The only thing the recipients had inmon was that they were all princes or princesses. There wasn''t much privacy in the imperial family.


    ----------


    A week passed, and Kisuke still had the same routine. This day, Haruka called him again.


    "Kisuke,e here."


    "Yes, Sir. Did anything happen?"


    "Yes, you keep surprising everyone every time. First, you managed to get close to the prince, then you saved his life by protecting him with your body, and now you even managed to be a true mage at such an early age. How old are you again?"


    "I was just lucky. I''m 21 years old, Sir."


    "In a few years, I might have to call you Sir instead. Anyway, Chief Shirokami wants to meet you again. Rumors say he wants to invest in your future, so make sure to be grateful and respectful. You don''t want to miss this chance."


    "Of course. I will be going then."


    He already knew where Chief Shirokami''s office was, so he didn''t need anyone to lead him. In a few minutes, he was already there, knocking on the chief''s door.


    "Come in."


    Kisuke entered the office and found Shirokami behind his desk. His body was as ripped as always, and his long white hair was one of the first things anyone would notice.


    "Sir, I was told you were looking for me."


    "Indeed. I was impressed to hear you advanced into the True Mage Stage at only 21. When did you first have contact with magic?"


    "When I was 15, Sir."


    "That''s great. Have you heard about the meaning of advancing to the Mage Phase before 10 years pass from your first contact with mana?"


    "Yes, I''d be an elite human. Prince Tanjirou told me about it during our practice."


    "Right, you became Prince Tanjirou''s close friend. I have heard you met with the second princess, and she showed interest in you. Not many have the chance to enter the imperial family, so think about it."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Kisuke instantly realized that Shirokami was in the second princess'' camp. He didn''t want to tell him to his face that he didn''t n to enter anyone''s harem, so he had to decline it politely.


    "Yes, Sir, thank you for your advice. I just can''t bring myself to leave the Sixth Prince''s side for now, but I will keep it in mind for when I have the intentions to get married."


    "Good, good. It''s important to keep an open mind. Back to your breakthrough, I decided to grant you 10,000 merit points so you can be promoted to the Sergeant rank. I will also attach a private tutor to teach you swordsmanship instead of the normal daily training since you''re now much faster and stronger than the other mages."


    "Thank you, Sir. I will keep this favor from the Imperial Guard in my heart."


    "Don''t thank me just yet. There''s one condition. You must take an oath to be loyal to the Imperial Guard. It will be done with a sixth-grade scroll, and it will be renewed in 20 or 30 years with a seventh-grade scroll."


    The seven-grade scrolls were too expensive, and he didn''t have any avable for a newly advanced true mage now. Since even an intermediate elite human wouldn''t be a magus before age 60 or 70, there was no point in spending one so early.


    "What is the content of the oath?"


    Kisuke couldn''t afford something like ''I will not harm anyone from the imperial family''. After all, he wanted to harm them and steal a treasure.


    "It says you won''t do anything to harm the rule of the imperial family over Nikkokuni. It also mentions you will give up your life to save the empress, and that you will not bring harm to her."


    "It doesn''t include the princes and princesses?"


    Kisuke noticed something missing and asked about it.


    "It doesn''t."


    Shirokami said it with an expression that meant ''read between the lines''. Kisuke realized why it couldn''t include not harming them; they were the biggest threat to each other. Each one of them had a camp of their own, and they would scheme to harm the other siblings all the time.


    Since the powerful guards were divided between those camps, they''d inevitably try to harm princes and princesses from other camps under the instructions of their leaders.


    "I see, I will be happy to serve in the Imperial Guard."


    It was only a sixth-grade oath, so Kisuke didn''t think much of it. Although normal Expert Mages would face death or severe injuries by breaking such an oath, he was sure that if he could be strengthened by 5 elements with SS affinity as a ruler human at the sixth stage, he would only suffer from mild injuries.


    "Sir, if I may ask, what are the consequences of breaking an oath?"


    Kisuke suddenly realized he wasn''t supposed to know how oaths worked as amoner and pretended to be curious.


    "You will die the moment you break it unless you''re at a higher stage than the oath you took. If you''re outstanding, you will be severely injured, and we will get your location the moment you break it."


    Shirokami exined to Kisuke why he shouldn''t break an oath, and Kisuke nodded in understanding.


    "Take this. Channel your mana into the scroll and repeat the words written in it."


    Kisuke took the scroll from Shirokami and read out loud the words from the scroll.


    "I swear not to harm the Empress or do anything that might bring harm to her. I swear to give up my life to defend the Empress should the situation require it. I swear not to do anything that would risk the rule of the Imperial family over Nikkokuni."


    It was a tad longer than Shirokami made it sound, but it wasn''t a problem for Kisuke.


    "I swear not to divulge any secrets of the empire to outsiders. I swear to serve in the Imperial Guard for the next 50 years unless the Empress relieves me of my duties."


    The oath was over and Shirokami took the scroll back.


    "You may go now. I''ve instructed the officers to promote your rank and hold a small ceremony. I won''t being, I have more important matters to attend to, so you will have to excuse me. Someone wille and tell you about your new benefits."


    "Thank you, Sir."


    Kisuke left Shirokami''s office and went to have his usual sparring session with the sixth prince.


    "Big Brother. Although you''ve been promoted and sparring with me was originally a job for lower-ranked guards, I''ve requested to let you stay here and continue to be my sparring partner. Your sry will raise from 100 merit points per session to 200."


    "It''s great, I was worried I won''t be able to guide my little brother anymore. Let''s start then."


    Over the next few days, there was a short ceremony in which Kisuke received his new rank. Additionally, he got a new room, which he had all for himself.

 Chapter 140 140 – Date With The Second Princess

    ?


    Over the next few days, there was a short ceremony in which Kisuke received his new rank. Additionally, he got a new room, which he had all for himself. And for a few of the female guards too, just to stay in shape.


    "Hello Kisuke, I''m Captain Hayato Sasagawa. Under Chief Shirokami''smand, I will teach you swordsmanship from now on every day before your session with the sixth prince. I hope you can be ready for harsh training. Since I''m spending my precious time training you, don''t expect to get any rest."


    "Thank you, Sir. I will train hard."


    Thus, a round of beating began. Hayato would teach him a few moves and practice with him harshly until Kisuke got it right. Just like he said, he didn''t go easy at all.


    "You learn fast. If you keep this up, you will be as good as the offspring of the elite families within a few months. They train with the sword since childhood, so it''s a great achievement."


    "Thank you, Sir."


    eaglesnov?1,§ão§® "Kisuke, your future is bright, and you can stand by the next empress'' side. The second princess wants to extend an invitation for you to meet her tonight for dinner. There''s nomitment, and she only wants to meet you again."


    "It will be my pleasure to ept."


    Inwardly Kisuke was grumbling about the fact that the second princess surrounded him with her people.


    "Great, I will let her know then. You can show this letter to the guards at the pce''s gates, and they will let you in. Someone will wait for you there and lead you to the princess'' house to meet her."


    "I will be there. Thank the princess for inviting me."


    Kisuke gave him a smile and left the pce.


    ''I''m not sure if the princess will be sincere with me or try to force herself on me. If she woos me sincerely, it will be against my values to steal her magic and get her killed. Hehe, it feels funny to be wooed and taken out for dinner by a girl; makes you feel like a princess.''


    He had to admit there was a certain charm to proactive girls. Although he would never agree to join a harem with other men, it was like a refreshing vacation in a separate world in which the women chased men.


    Although he didn''t know if it was the same formoners and elite families, he only interacted with the imperial family.


    -------


    "Hey Little Brother, I''m going on a date tonight."


    "Really? With whom?"


    "Hanako."


    "Second Sister? Is she forcing you?"


    "If she is, can you stop her?"


    "I can!"


    "Can you?"


    "I can¡­ try."


    "It''s fine, really, she just invited me for dinner. The food at the canteen isn''t that good anyway, at least I will have a decent meal."


    Kisuke was talking to Tanjirou during their usual break after an hour of sparring. Tanjirou wore a depressed expression when he heard Kisuke was dating his sister; if they be an item, he might lose Kisuke''s support.


    "Don''t worry though, didn''t you say you don''t have aspirations to capture the throne? Even if Hanako and I be a thing, I won''t let her do anything to you."


    "Big Brother, you deserve better than her. Do you know she already has one husband?"


    "Wouldn''t she divorce him for me?"


    "Why would she? She only collects men like our mother. If anything, you can expect her to add another man to her harem when she''s tired of you."


    "Then I will just have to turn her down when she invites me to a second date."


    Kisuke smiled at the nervous Tanjirou, making him pout when he realized Kisuke was just teasing him.


    "Whatever, go have fun. Don''t try to have sex with her and run away; once you ced your hands on the imperial family, you can never leave. If she wants to be exclusive with you, she''ll have to behead or imprison her current husband."


    "I never knew that, thanks for the heads up."


    ---------


    "Hello, I''ve been ordered by the second princess toe here tonight."


    Kisuke showed the letter with the princess'' signature to the guards at the pce''s outer gate.


    "Little Brother, aren''t you still new in the Imperial Guard? You''re so lucky to be noticed by a princess so soon."


    "I''m just lucky to be so handsome."


    "Hmph, show off. Go, don''t make the princess wait for you. Just follow the right path until you see the second princess'' mansion. It''s a 3 floors mansion, you can ask the guards around there."


    "See you around."


    Although the guards were one rank higher than him, it wasn''t an official setting, and he didn''t have a reason to be formal with them. As a mage and a sergeant, he didn''t have to act like a recruit anymore. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    After walking for a few minutes, Kisuke saw arge mansion ahead. Asking one of the guards around, he learned it was the second princess'' mansion as expected.


    ''Her mansion is much better than Tanjirou''s house. Must be the benefits of being older and having a proper faction.''


    Once the next emperor or empress would be selected, the rest of the princes and princesses would have to leave the pce''s grounds and move to mansions outside.


    "Hello, I''m Kisuke. I''ve been invited by the second princess to attend dinner."


    "Oh, you''re the handsome foreigner who is supposed to arrive. Go in, the second princess waits for you inside."


    "Sure, thanks."


    "Kisuke, you''ve made it. Come sit with me. Servants, serve the first dish. Guards, leave us alone."


    The guards frowned when they heard that. Although Kisuke would have to give up his lifeter if he harmed the second princess, he still could choose to do that.


    "Aren''t you still going to wait outside? Give us some privacy and leave quickly."


    The princess said impatiently, and the guards soon left without voicing any doubts.


    "Hello, Second Princess. You''re beautiful in this dress."


    She was wearing a traditional garment of the Nikkokunind. It had a wrapped front and long, wide sleeves. The dress had a broad sash horizontally around Hanako''s stomach. The fabric reached just slightly above her ankle.


    "Dress? It''s called ''Kimono'', it''s an article of traditional clothing we wear in official settings or when we want to look good."


    "I''m sorry, I''m so goofy when ites to women''s garments."


    Kisukeughed and tried to get out of the weird situation. He had no idea how to exin he didn''t know about traditional Nikkokuni clothing.


    "Men wear them too though."


    "Haha, you got me there. I''m clueless about clothes in general. Ie from a poor family, and I only had 2 pairs of clothes and a coat for the winter. Now that I''m in the military, I didn''t get the chance to wear anything fancy other than the uniforms."


    He decided to take the easy way out and activate his charm, conveniently making the princess trust him and move on.


    "It''s okay, with me you can have as many clothing articles as you want. Or you can also wear none, which would be fine too."


    She smiled at him suggestively.


    "I heard the princess already has a husband."


    "Why are you addressing me so coldly? Use my first name as you do with my little brother. Call me Hanako."


    "Hanako, I''ve heard you already have a husband. I''d be too jealous if I had to share you with others."


    "I can''t divorce him. How about that, if you prove yourself vital in my faction, I promise not to marry others, and I can even find a reason to execute my first husband for you."


    "That''s heartless. Wouldn''t you execute me too if a more capable man offered to serve you?"


    Hanako was getting anxious when she realized she made a blunder. The more she spoke with Kisuke, the more she felt a tingling sensation in her chest. She wanted to conquer this man no matter what it takes.


    "No way, Dear. I really want you to be by my side because I like you, that''s why I''m willing to give you such an offer. I married my first husband only because I wanted to gain the support of a magus, and his affinity was high enough to be my husband even if I be the empress."


    "Is he Chief Shirokami''s son?"


    "He is."


    ''That''s quite an open-minded father right there.''


    Kisuke thought to himself when he remembered how the chief encouraged him to get the princess'' grace.


    "Wouldn''t you need his support in the future, too?"


    "Not when I''m stronger than him. I''m sincere with you, I hope you can see it."


    The two flirted with each other as they had dinner, while the servants kept serving the next dishes.


    "Thank you foring. Here''s my gift for you, I hope it can help you advance sooner."


    She got up and walked to him, handing him a storage bag full of resources. When he reached with his hand to take the bag, she stepped forward, tip-toed, and gave him a long kiss.


    Kisuke held her waist and kissed her back deeply, allowing her tongue to start a war of attrition against his. The slippery feeling on his lips was wonderful, but Hanako was still the first one to let out a moan of pleasure mid-kissing.


    They separated from each other and wiped the saliva off their mouths with the back of their palms.


    "I enjoyed our dinner together. It''s a shame that going one step further would bind me against my will."


    Kisuke said with an apologetic tone and Hanako nodded with a distracted face. She was still savoring the taste of the kiss, and barely paid attention when Kisuke turned around and left.

 Chapter 141 141 – Oda Isuzu *

    ?


    A/N: You might want to wait 2 more days since it''s a three-chapter scene. You can also review and make me upload an extra chapter!


    ------


    Kisuke left the still-dazed Hanako behind and walked away. He wasmenting over his bad luck. He wasn''t even sure if it was good or bad luck.


    ''She is too sincere. Even when asked about her intentions while using my charm, she still only said nice things. I can''t hurt her for no reason, but I also can''t be exclusive with her and lose my best path to strength.''


    He was midway between Hanako''s house to the gate when he heard a voice calling out his name.


    "Kisuke, friend. How are you?"


    It was a man in front of him. He stood on the path and appeared to be looking for someone. Kisuke assumed he was that someone.


    "Hello, friend. Who are you?"


    "I''m Keiki Taiho, I''m here to represent Princess Isuzu."


    "The first princess?"


    "Indeed. She knows you''ve already had dinner, but she wants to invite you over for tea. I hope you can ept."


    "Of course, why not?"


    Kisuke smiled and gave an affirmative answer when he noticed Keiki was releasing his aura not so gently. He was exuding mental pressure on Kisuke, meaning he was at the Expert Mage Stage or higher. Since Kisuke didn''t feel any danger, he concluded he was an expert mage.


    "Good, follow me then."


    Keiki led him out of the path into another path, leading deeper into the pce grounds.


    ''I guess the first princess gets the best treatment. Her mansion is the nearest to the actual pce and is probably bigger. I wonder if her faction is more powerful than Hanako''s.''


    Soon after, he saw a mansion that seemed simr in style and size to Hanako''s, proving him wrong that the first princess had a better mansion other than its location.


    "The first princess is inside. Let me warn you that she is an advanced mage and only 33 years old, so be respectful and watch your tongue. She''s on the first floor, just continue straight until you see her."


    "Sure. Since you are the ones to invite me, you should be more respectful yourself. You don''t know whether you''ll be above or under me if I join your faction, do you?"


    Kisuke gave him a smile and entered the mansion, ignoring the pissed-off stare of Keiki behind him.


    "Hmm, so you are Kisuke. I''ve heard so much about you, and the rumors downy your good looks."


    Isuzu had long, smooth ck hair, coupled with pink, shiny eyes. Her stature stood tall at 174 cm, showcasing her long legs as she wore simple shorts and a t-shirt. Although she was dressed so simply, it did nothing to hide her beauty, but instead, gave her a hypnotic angelic look.


    Kisuke soon found himself bewitched by a pair of healthy puppies that looked back at him from the low cut in her shirt. However, the princess was also appreciating his dashing figure in the Imperial Guard uniform.


    "Not many men would dare look so long."


    "Maybe you''ve only met impotent men. Didn''t you call me here to have a look?"


    "Oh, you can look as much as you want. Here, have a cup of tea."


    "Thank you, I never thought I''d be served tea by the first princess of our great dynasty."


    Kisuke took the tea she poured for him and drank it slowly before looking back at her.


    "So, what did you call me here for?"


    "I heard you had a promising future, and I want to invite you to my faction. What do you think?"


    "Your second sister and your sixth brother made a move first. Aren''t you toote?"


    "Why, are they better than me?"


    "I never tried to rate you guys."


    "You should give it a try then. What''s my rating?"


    "Hmm."


    Kisuke scrutinized her body with a long gaze from the top to the bottom before looking into her eyes again.


    "Well?"


    She leaned back, giving him a better view of her assets.


    "What''s the point of bringing me here? You didn''t possibly n to seduce someone better looking than you only with your body, right?"


    "That''s confident, I like it. I almost didn''t believe it at first when I heard from the guards you were talking casually to Hanako and Tanjirou. Let''s just say that I want to get to know you better, so how about we drink more tea?"


    She poured more tea, refilling his cup, and pushed it back to him. Kisuke grabbed the cup and drank it again. Isuzu also poured herself a cup and drank it along with him.


    "It''s delicious, what is it made of?"


    "It''s made of fifth-grade purple berries. Have you ever heard of them?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I haven''t. What are they?"


    "They''re a type of fruit that can be used to promote one''s healing process and can even help lower stages improve their connection to mana."


    "Really? Thank you for spending such treasures on me."


    "Oh, it''s ok. They have one more effect; they boost one''s sexual drive. But it''s okay, it won''t make you lose your mind in lust, so if you like my dear sister, you should be able to resist it with some effort."


    "But weren''t you drinking it too?"


    "Indeed, I was. Can''t you see? I''m already so sweaty from being with you in the same room, alone."


    She raised her head and the light reflected on the sweat dripping from her neck, down to her cleavage. Her pointy nipples turned hard and could be easily seen through the fabric.


    "Do you like what you see? You may leave now at any time if you don''t want to stay. But remember, if you make a move on me, you will have to remain by my side forever."


    She slowly crawled on four toward Kisuke, arousing him further. Kisuke rose on her knees and waited for her to arrive.


    "I like everything I see. But can you really afford a man like me?"


    "Yes. You might not know it yet¡­ but you''d be my first husband if you take me right now."


    She whispered into his ear while moving her fingers over his chest. Her movements weren''t fluent at all but had a captivating clumsiness in them. She convinced Kisuke that she didn''t have much experience.


    "I''m pretty sure it''s your fire spells that make us both so sweaty rather than the aphrodisiac."


    Kisuke pointed out her lie, but still enjoyed the touch of her sweaty shoulders under his fingers. Although she was sweating, there wasn''t a trace of foul smell, making it obvious she prepared for this scenario in advance with the required perfume and creams.


    "You could sense it? I thought I had concealed it well with my darkness magic."


    eaglesnov?1,§ão§® Kisuke opened his eyes widely when he heard those words. It was like digging for a silver mine and finding a gold vein. The second princess had the water affinity he wanted, but the first princess had something even better.


    She gave off a spicy floral fragrance of poppies in their blossom, and Kisuke took a good sniff of it as soon as she got close enough.


    "You smell amazing."


    Heplimented her as he kissed her cheek and slowly went down toward her neck. He nibbled on it and kissed it repeatedly, feeling her salty sweat on his tongue.


    "Mmm, you can still turn back and go back to my sister."


    "Can I?"


    "You can. It''s just that I might be so offended that you left after tasting me, that I might identally kill you. Don''t you prefer to be the first man of my harem over being her second man?"


    She pulled his head back and yanked his lips with a strong kiss. Kisuke licked her lips, tasting her cherry chopstick as his eyes watched hers and glowed in green light.


    "Mm, you''re really a good kisser. But I think I can feel a bit of lipstick on your lips, could it be you are fooling around with me right after doing the same with Hanako?"


    She broke the kiss and asked him with a smirk.


    "Didn''t you say I must be your man or die?"


    "You''re making it sound as if I''m forcing myself on you. If you didn''t lick my skin so much earlier, you wouldn''t be in this mess, you know?"


    "Then I choose to join your harem as your first man. I just wonder if you''ll be able to get another man when you have me."


    He smirked back at her as his fingers yed with her hard nipples over her shirt. With her sweat, the shirt turned transparent, and the curves of her breasts were freely showing themselves.


    "You do deserve the title ''First Princess''."


    Kisuke smiled as he groped her tits in his hand and massaged them, making Isuzu moan in contentment. Boosted by both the aphrodisiac she gave herself and Kisuke''s charm, the pleasure was beyond normal.


    "Ahh!"


    She eximed in surprise when Ken''s hand quickly and nimbly pulled her shirt off, revealing her braless breasts. They were firm and jiggly, defying gravity as they pointed slightly to the sides.


    *p*


    "Ah, ouch!"


    She groaned in pain and red at Kisuke who pped her breasts.


    "Girls like you love it most when a man puts them back in their ce. Don''t you?"


    Kisuke smiled before pping again, making a wave of flesh move in her ample breasts.


    "Mm, I¡­ don''t¡­"


    "The smelling out of you tells me differently."


    Kisuke grinned when he smelled the familiar scent that follows when the south enjoys some wetness.


    Kisuke kissed her again, biting her lower lip as his hands moved to grope her ass. His fingers pulled her shorts upward, revealing the enticing curves of her thighs.

 Chapter 142 142 – Daddy With His Little Princess**

    ?


    A/N: Still not the end of this scene.


    -----------


    Kisuke kissed Isuzu again, biting her lower lip as his hands moved to grope her ass. His fingers pulled her shorts upward, revealing the enticing curves of her thighs.


    He pulled her to hisp, remaining connected to her with a deep, wet kiss.


    *SLAP*


    Another p echoed in the room, making Isuzu jerk up in surprise. Her face turned red when she thought about having her ass spanked by the man in front of her.


    "I''m a princess, do you dare keep spanking me?"


    *SLAP*


    eaglesnov?1,§ão§® "You''re my princess now, I can spank you as much as I want, and you will only beg me for more."


    "Mm."


    She couldn''t stop another moan from escaping her lips, right into Kisuke''s face. He burned her shorts quickly with a swift fire spell, uncovering her ass and thighs. Even her pussy was now on full disy, showing off a neatly trimmed garden above it.


    He threw her on the wooden floor and removed his own clothes. They didn''t have to worry about getting wild and rough on the floor as mages.


    "You''re not allowed to move without my permission now."


    "Can you stop me?"


    Isuzu taunted him back with a snort. As an advanced mage, she didn''t take orders from a true mage. He''d need to have the strength to back up such demands.


    "Want to check?"


    Kisuke moved his head just above her moist ce and spat his saliva on her clit. His fingers slid on the slippery spot, as he watched Isuzu makes lewd expressions with every jolt of pleasure.


    "I think you''ve enjoyed enough, I''m the one in charge here."


    Isuzu tried to get up only to get pushed back down forcibly by Kisuke.


    ''Is he stronger than me?''


    She thought to herself in astonishment when she realized she couldn''t fight back at all.


    "You can''t even fight back when you''re horny; your body craves for my touch so badly. Can you really say you''re in charge when you offer less resistance than a magician could?"


    Kisuke''s words only increased her surprise, as she started doubting if she really couldn''t get up because she was intentionally ying weak.


    Of course, Kisuke made it up; his body was just much stronger. With Isuzu trapped under him, he leaned down and let his tongue slither on the slit, from the bottom all the way up to the clit.


    He yed with the little button that was getting erected, swelling under Kisuke''s tongue. He then gave it a soft nibble as he teased the hole under it with his fingers.


    "Ahh! Yes, more!"


    With Kisuke''s charm fully on, the purpleberries'' effect, and Kisuke''s skillful moves on top of it, took the inexperienced Isuzu to another world of ecstasy.


    Suddenly, Kisuke stopped moving, and Isuzu''s heavy breathing turned desperate as she tried to push her pelvis against him and get herself rubbed.


    "Do you want me to continue?"


    "You must continue!"


    "I will consider it if you beg nicely."


    "Be¡­ beg?!"


    "Yes, beg like a slut. Beg to have your pussy yed with."


    "I can''t do it. I won''t do it."


    She said stubbornly when she heard Kisuke''s words. Although the horrible itch in her lower body wouldn''t go away, she couldn''t bring herself to beg a man to please her like that.


    ''How did ite to this? I only met him less than an hour ago!''


    She thought to herself desperately as she sent a hand to rub her pussy. However, Kisuke was too cruel. He flicked her hand away, and only let his fingers float on her juicy cunt without pressing them.


    "Please, do it!"


    "Call me Daddy."


    "What?!"


    "You heard me. Beg Daddy to please you, and I might do it."


    The itching was getting unbearable. Kisuke was also teasing it with light movements to keep her aroused and unsatisfied all this time.


    ''Screw it, it''s just a game for our sex.''<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She channeled her mana into the room''s floor, activating the silencing magic circle. She didn''t know how long this was going to take, but she couldn''t have all the guards hear her screaming ''Fuck me Daddy''.


    "Please me, Daddy¡­"


    She said thest words with a nearly inaudible voice, and Kisuke teased her by bringing his face near her hole. She could feel his warm breath on her body and his nose was rubbing her skin just above the clit.


    "I didn''t hear that quite well."


    "Please Daddy, make me a woman!"


    She screamed it out this time and gritted her teeth in humiliation. She felt her body getting hot from shame as if reddening her cheeks couldn''t convey her feelings anymore. Yet, no matter how much she struggled, Kisuke would pin her down to the ground.


    "Mm good, you are just gushing out fluids now. I knew that begging like a slut would be perfect for you."


    "No way, I''m pure! That''s my first time with a man, don''t make me sound like a whore."


    "Mhm, the purer the girl seems, the sluttier she is inside. Don''t lie to me, aren''t you naughty in your fantasies?"


    "AHH!"


    She arched her back as Kisuke''s tongue sent quivers down her spine. She felt like she was melting under his touch, and his fingers didn''t make help her contain her moans.


    "I feel something gushing, I feel like I have to pee!"


    But suddenly, a catastrophe happened. Kisuke stopped again and only teased her with his tongue.


    "Daddy, you can''t stop now!"


    "I can. Good girls need to make Daddy happy to get their reward."


    Ken smiled at her as he showed her his rock-hard dick. He got on top of her in 69, with his dick wriggling just above her mouth.


    "You want me to put this in my mouth?"


    She asked him with an intimidated voice. That thing was brushing against her lips, trying to infiltrate into her little mouth.


    With a wet lick on her lubricous clit and a rub of her pussy, she opened her mouth to moan, for just enough time for Kisuke to shove his cock inside.


    "AAMM OO!"


    She tried to speak, but her mouth was too stuffed.


    "You shouldn''t speak while you''re eating; those are basic table manners."


    Kisuke teased her with his words as he started moving his hips, fucking her mouth slowly. No matter how horny she was, this needed some getting used to.


    She was a mess; she was moaning with the dick in her mouth, making unrecognizable sounds whenever Kisuke''s tongue was sending jolts of pleasure through her whole body.


    Gradually, Kisuke sped up the rhythm, shoving his dick faster and deeper into Isuzu''s little mouth. Slowly, it was hitting her throat, making her choke and cough on it. The rough face fucking also made her head bang against the floor every time, yet neither of them noticed.


    "If I even feel the slightest hint of teeth on my dick, I will leave you edged for the rest of the night."


    She wanted toin, but she couldn''t speak. She was doing her best to keep her teeth away from the great spear that was impaling her throat while feeling a weird sensation of arousal from Kisuke''s smell above her.


    With every thrust of Kisuke''s hips, his dick woulde out covered with Isuzu''s saliva, making it drip and dirty her chin and face. She was already choking on her own spit as she couldn''t swallow it with a cock inside.


    After a strong wave of pleasure, she couldn''t hold it inside anymore. With a shiver and a muffled moan, she was about to cum, prompting Kisuke to quickly pull his dick out of her mouth.


    He didn''t trust her to control her jaw when she orgasmed. He made the right choice; she didn''t notice what her jaw was doing, and the moment she peaked she could only spasm in the bed while her pussy sprayed Kisuke''s hands and face with her nectar.


    "AHH! AHHH!"


    When she was done, she was heaving heavily under Kisuke, trying to catch her breath.


    "Look how dirty you made me, can you tell me again you''re pure when you squirt that much from having my cock in your throat?"


    "Mm, yes Daddy. I''m very pure, unless you can prove me otherwise."


    She gave him a smile, which could only be seen as lewd when her saliva covered half of her face. The formerly angelic visage was totally ruined by the current sight, which only made Kisuke hornier.


    "Oh, I''m going to prove you all right. Be ready to be Daddy''s little bitch tonight, Isuzu."


    "Yes, Daddy. Make me feel like a whore tonight!"


    With her post-orgasmic glow and reddened face, the sight was extremely arousing, and Kisuke''s dick couldn''t stop a twitch seeing it. Her sweaty body shined under the light, and the obscene smell of theirbined fluids was enough to send anyone into overdrive.


    With quick water magic, Kisuke cleaned himself from her squirt and prepared to enjoy another round with the first princess.


    There was something extremely hot about deepthroating a princess who had a good chance at bing the next empress. It was definitely something you could show off in front of others in the future.


    "Now you turn around, a bitch like should be ridden. Let me make you feel like the horny animal that you are."


    He rolled her over with his hands, and pulled her ass upward, making her go on four. In doggy style, her ass was pushed toward him and her back slightly arched down, giving himfortable ess to her secret tunnel.

 Chapter 143 143 – Wild Time With Isuzu**

    ?


    Isuzu was on her fours, sticking her butt out for Kisuke to use as he sees fit. She forgot about shame a while ago.


    Her butthole was small and clean, and Kisuke enjoyed seeing it twitch every time his dick would brush against it as it rubbed against her butt crack.


    *SLAP*


    "Mm Daddy, why are you punishing me now?"


    "Did you ask for permission to cum before squirting all over my face? You didn''t even satisfy me. You''ve been a bad girl, my little horny princess."


    "I''m sorry, Daddy, your dick just felt so good inside my th- AH!"


    *SLAP*


    "I don''t care about your apologizes, I''m going to teach you a lesson."


    *SLAP*


    "AH! YES! Daddy, punish me more!"


    Kisuke''s ps would send waves in her bubble ass with every spank while also leaving a satisfying red palm mark.


    Isuzu''s pussy was getting wet again, and the leaking juices were enough to testify to how horny she was. She was turning slowly into a degenerate under the extreme pleasure.


    "Now you can be Daddy''s cum dumpster. From a princess into my sex toy, a horny slut I can fuck as much as I want."


    Evidently, Isuzu loved the dirty talks. Her formal and respectful aura changed into that of a horny woman long ago.


    "Yes, Daddy, fuck me and show me how it feels to have a cock inside me."


    She wriggled her butt against Kisuke''s dick, tempting him to let the action begin. Kisuke didn''t need to think much to know what to do. He ced his dick on the entrance and rubbed it against her lower lips while groping her ass with his palms.


    "Take my dick in your hand and aim it into your pussy yourself. I know you want it inside."


    "Yes Daddy."


    She sent a hand backward and ced her small palm on Kisuke''s member, aiming it right into the entrance, before pulling it toward her while moving her butt carefully.


    As soon as the tip was inside, Kisuke felt a light resistance blocking his way in.


    ''She is a virgin like she said she was.''


    "Let Daddy turn you into a woman today."


    He pushed his dick inside swiftly, tearing through the membrane that was standing in his way.


    ''I wonder if a mortal could cut through a magus'' hymen after all the strengthening it goes through.''


    Kisuke hurriedly pushed away unrted thoughts and concentrated again on Isuzu who was shivering under him.


    "AH!"


    It hurt, but nothing that a mage couldn''t take. With her natural healing rate, the pain will go away in a second before she can feel just pleasure like any other woman.


    Kisuke started thrusting his hips, taking his dick in and out of her pussy. It was a world of lubricant tightness, hugging his dick from all directions and wrapping it with love juices.


    "Mmm"


    Kisuke''s moan started to intertwine with Isuzu''s, creating a symphony of lewdness as the two were having sex on the floor.


    The loud sounds of Kisuke''s thighs smashing into Isuzu''s bubble ass echoed in the room, adding another instrument to the moaning orchestra.


    "AH!"


    Isuzu shouted in surprise when Kisuke grabbed her hair without warning and pulled it, forcing her to arch her back further and allowing him to go deeper. At this point, he could feel himself hitting against her cervix with every thrust.


    "It''s too deep, it''s reaching too deep inside me!"


    She was calling it too deep, yet her pussy kept squeezing him like a thirsty beast desperate for water.


    With a strong pull of her hair, Kisuke forced Isuzu to lift her head in pain as he kept banging her on the floor, making her sway back and forth.


    "You''re not allowed to swallow your saliva anymore."


    Kisuke loved it when his women drooled as he fucked them, it had a certain charm to it. He formed a round ball with a smooth surface using Earth magic and controlled it with his mana to go to Isuzu''s mouth.


    "Open your mouth."


    She opened it as instructed and the ball was ced inside. Although Kisuke didn''t have straps to attach the ball, he could easily hold something so small through mana for a few hours without going out of mana.


    He inserted the ball into her mouth, gagging her and preventing her from talking and swallowing.


    "Good girl."


    Heplimented her as he fucked her even harder, making her tits rock in all directions as he was doing her roughly from behind.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The aphrodisiac was still in effect, andbined with Kisuke''s skills and size, the drooling part didn''t take long to arrive.


    The princess was desperately trying to swallow her saliva or keep it in her mouth, yet the swinging from having her ass smashed under Kisuke''s hips made it impossible to achieve.


    Her saliva leaked out of her mouth, leaving a wet trail on her chin as a sexy string dangled and dropped on the floor under her.


    "AH! AHH!"


    e¦Áglesn?¦Íel The feeling of humiliation from being gagged while getting fucked like a bitch overtook her emotions, and it only enhanced the pleasure she was sensing. She never thought she''d love being degraded so much.


    Kisuke felt her inner walls tighten up on his little friend, and he knew she was going to squirt again.


    *SLAP*


    "AH!"


    With a surprise p on her ass and a sting of pain, liquids started gushing like a river during the rain out of her cunt. She was convulsing under Kisuke''s touch and filled the floor and his thighs with her juice.


    Kisuke activated his charm. Although the second orgasm was normally too soon to absorb the woman''s powers, Isuzu was under the effect of the aphrodisiac she gave to herself, and she was a natural slut. She was drunk on pleasure like most girls would be after a dozen rounds with him.


    "Do you think you can rest? You didn''t make Daddy cum even once."


    She already went down from her palms to her elbows, barely sustaining herself from falling on her face. Using her lower position, Kisuke leaned forward, putting more weight on her as he rode on her.


    "AH! IIH IIH A EEOOH"


    She tried to beg for a second to rest yet failed with the ball gagging her. She could easily remove it if she wanted, and the fact that she didn''t, meant she was begging him not to stop.


    "Look what a dirty whore you are."


    Kisuke told her as he materialized a mirror with Water magic in front of her. Isuzu looked at her reflection in shock when she saw a figure with disheveled hair, red cheeks, and saliva covering half of her face.


    Her body was trembling from the constant pleasure, and the shame she felt from seeing herself getting it only made her hornier.


    "UUH EE AAEEYY!"


    Kisuke had no problem understanding this one.


    "Daddy is going to fuck you tonight until you can take in all of his cum. Even if you drop unconscious, Daddy will still use your dirty hole for his dick."


    With a moan, Isuzu''s pussy started tightening again.


    "What a slut. You''re the best cocksleeve Daddy could ask for."


    With his weight on her back, he started riding her roughly, making her barely able to hold up. He grabbed her head and pushed it down against the floor while banging her harder.


    Her face was pinned down against the floor, and every thrust made her feel a tinge of pain as they used no pillow to cushion the impact.


    "AHH!"


    She screamed into the gag ball with a messed mix of pleasure and pain. She squirted again from the rough treatment, and this time couldn''t hold herself up even on her elbows.


    She copsed down to aying position, but Kisuke didn''t care. He kept mercilessly riding on her with his entire weight pushing down on her.


    "Take my cum, Little Princess."


    He warned her before his body trembled and he peaked. His dick was pushed against her cervix, and he shot his cum straight inside.


    "I''M YOUR DIRTY CUM DUMPSTER, DADDY!"


    After too much pleasure, she identally broke the gag and screamed it out when she felt her pussy getting creampied. At that moment, she went through another orgasm and spasmed under Kisuke.


    "Wait a moment, Daddy. Let me take care of something."


    After getting a few seconds to breathe, she canceled the silencing magic circle and called out for the guards.


    "Make sure to mask Kisuke''s disappearance for a few days. Leave all food outside and let nobody enter my room."


    She had some big ns for the next few ns, but Kisuke had to report to duty. She had to instruct the guards not to interrupt them.


    Kisuke already got up from her, and she crawled toward him. Her pussy was dripping his cum all over her floor, and her thighs were dirty with sweat, cum, and her own juices.


    "Mm, let your princess clean you up."


    She said with a horny face as she started licking his dick. The half-cid dick was quickly regaining its vitality and vigor under the princess'' slippery tongue. When it was hard enough, she took the tip in her mouth and started sucking on it.


    Kisuke groaned in pleasure as he felt Isuzu''s tongue tangles with his dick. Leaving a wetyer of saliva all over it.


    Just watching her little mouth open up to contain his girth was enough to arouse him to no end, and the sight of his cum leaking from her pussy in pulses was a lethalbination.


    Encouraged by his moans, Isuzu started taking his dick deeper into her mouth and throat; she was a fast learner.

 Chapter 144 144 – Sororicide**

    ?


    Kisuke and Isuzu sank into days and nights of lewdness and debauchery. At one moment Isuzu was on her knees, and at the other, she was bent over the table. They did it everywhere, and the smell of their mixed liquids would fill the whole house if not for the magic circles.


    "This new guy must be crazily good. The princess didn''te out even once this week, we might have to enter and check if everything is all right."


    One guard said worriedly to his friend while they patrolled around the house. His friend just raised an eyebrow when he heard that.


    "Go ahead and try. I will make sure to console your sister when she loses her big brother."


    "Shut up and keep your filthy hands away from my little sister."


    But the point was clear. If they walked in at the wrong time, they''d die for seeing the princess in her intimate moment. None of them understood what could keep the princess engaged with this man for a week and abandon all her duties and goals.


    "But we will also be beheaded if something happened to the princess and we didn''t check."


    "The princess said she was okay, and that nobody is allowed to enter her room if they treasure their lives. If something happened to her, it must be toote anyway. It''s better to dy it as much as possible so we can live longer."


    Coming to a mutual understanding, the two continued their patrol without speaking.


    Inside the princess'' room, Kisuke and Isuzu wereying naked, cuddling each other. A week passed since their first session, and they were doing it almost without a break except for some sleep and food.


    By now, Isuzu was begging Kisuke for sex the moment she woke up, and she was so addicted she didn''t notice yet that her magic was gone for 2 days now.


    The problem was that Kisuke had no idea how to get out of this situation. If he went outside and left the degenerated magicless princess behind, the first suspect would be him when the princess'' condition became public.


    ------


    "Second Princess, you can''t enter! First Princess ordered that nobody is allowed to enter her room until she gives us permission!"


    "Screw off if you want to keep your life."


    "AH!"


    Earlier that day, Hanako got the news that Kisuke was missing. A week ago, Shirokami''s direct supervisor, Lieutenant Colonel Aoihige, told him that he wanted to meet with Kisuke and send him on a special mission for a week.


    Although they all knew that Aoihige was from Isuzu''s faction, they didn''t worry too much about it. They understood they couldn''t keep the other princes and princesses from trying to recruit the new promising youth of the Imperial Guard.


    After all, it was almost certain he would get to the eighth stage one day if he could be an intermediate elite human without any resources or guidance. The earlier you could ally with such a person, the more loyal he''d be in the future. When he is already strong, he wouldn''t appreciate their advances anymore.


    But today''s morning, the second princess got the news that it was all a lie, and Aoihige only used it to conceal the first princess''s actions. To her horror, she found out that Kisuke was in Isuzu''s room the whole time, and the two didn''t leave it since he was taken there.


    ''This bitch is going to pay for it if she stole him from me.''


    Hanako clenched her teeth in anger when she thought of the possibility Isuzu imed Kisuke to herself.


    ''No way it happened. He reciprocated my kiss, and I felt that there was chemistry between the two of us. He wouldn''t go after the first whore that opens her legs in front of him right after his date with me.''


    She tried to convince herself that nothing happened and that he was just being held in custody.


    She marched to the first princess'' house with a group of her expert mages and stormed inside. The guards tried to block her, but her underlings made sure to push them out of the way.


    The first princess'' guards didn''t dare attack her directly but only tried to block her way, which made it much easier for her to go inside without much resistance.


    She mmed the door open and barged inside with two guards behind her. They didn''t attempt to enter the room since they knew nothing could save them if they saw something they shouldn''t.


    Hanako''s jaw dropped in surprise and horror when she saw the scene in front of her. Kisuke wasying on Isuzu''s bed, with his hands above his head. His expression was full of suffering and pain, and there was a hint of tears in his eyes.


    Isuzu was pinning him down under her while riding his cock vigorously, moaning in pleasure with a tinge of craziness in her eyes.


    The sound of Isuzu''s ass mming down on Kisuke''s thighs resounded in the room, echoing in Hanako''s ears. The smell overwhelmed her nostrils, sending her into a daze.


    "BITCH!"


    She screamed in anger, making the couple turn their heads toward her. There was a surprise in their eyes, and the first princess smirked when she saw her sister staring at her riding her crush''s cock.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Seeing Isuzu''s smirk, Hanako couldn''t hold her anger inside. She aimed a water cannon at Isuzu''s head and shot it. She was only in the fourth stage, while her sister was in the fifth stage, but she still wanted to vent her emotions.


    Isuzu just waved her hand to create a wall in front of her, but to her dread, nothing happened. The mana didn''t react to her at all! She couldn''t even sense it!


    *BOOM!!*


    The water stream hit her head directly, sending her body flying away from Kisuke. She crashed against the wall and went past it, breaking the wall in her propulsion.


    Her body was lying on the ground without moving, and her orifices were all bleeding.


    "Isu¡­ Isuzu?"


    Hanako called out in surprise and anxiety. She never thought her sister wouldn''t block her magic and let it hit her directly. The water pressure smashed up her head, shattering her skull to pieces and destroying her brain.


    Isuzu was beyond saving, and she died there on the ground. Hanako quickly ran to her sister''s corpse and tilted it, trying to wake her up, but it was all futile; Isuzu was never going to wake up again.


    The two guards rushed in as soon as they heard the st and found Kisuke sitting naked on the bed and Isuzu rushing to her sister''s corpse. Just from the mana around them and the water spell they sensed, they knew it was Hanako''s deed that killed the first princess, although they didn''t understand how it was possible.


    Even if the first princess'' attention was¡­ diverted, she would still be able to at least survive the attack of a fourth-stage mage with some injuries. One-shotting someone one stage above you should be impossible unless you were a powerful darkness assassin.


    It''s not like they sneaked in covertly, so there was no reason for the princess not to notice them.


    -------


    A few minutes earlier:


    "Second Princess, you can''t go inside!"


    Kisuke heard this shout from the bed. Although the silencing magic spell didn''t let sounds out, it did let sounds in, or else the resident would be unaware even if a war broke out outside their room.


    He quickly shook Isuzu''s body until she woke up and looked at him with groggy eyes. With a wet kiss on her lips, and his fingers groping her butt, she quickly woke up.


    "Daddy, are you already hungry for my body?"


    She smiled suggestively as she rubbed her thigh against Kisuke''s private parts.


    "My little princess was such a good girl this past week. I want you now to take the lead and ride Daddy''s dick until I creampie you again."


    He smiled back as he cast his charm on her, making her eyes slightly lose focus. She smiled lewdly and climbed on his waist, inserting his dick inside her at once.


    "Ahh, Daddy''s dick fills me again. I think I can''t live without it now."


    Her mental state was almostpletely broken under Kisuke''s constant charm during this week. She was an addict.


    "Now ride it like a good girl. We might even have guests soon, and everyone will see how naughty you can get around me. Don''t stop even if someone sees us."


    "Yes Daddy, I promise!"


    "Now try to pin my hands above my head with yours, you can feel like you have control over me only this once."


    She turned horny when she heard Kisuke was letting her lead one time for a change. This whole week he was riding her all over the house, banging her mercilessly with nearly no break. A mortal would be dead by now if they went through the same treatment she did.


    She grabbed his wrists with her hands, pinning him down while bouncing her fat ass on his dick enthusiastically. To her surprise, his countenance didn''t seem that of an enjoying person, but as if he was being taken by force.


    She didn''t think much of it; she thought he was just ying along with their roley, and she just reveled in the feeling of his mighty spear piercing through her body every time she sat down.


    "BITCH!"


    She suddenly heard a scream from the door. When she turned her head, she found her little sister watching her as she cucked her. Isuzu purposely let out a moan as she brought her ass down on Kisuke''s dick under Hanako''s watchful eyes.


    She watched Hanako create a water cannon in anger and smiled mockingly while casting her defense magic. Yet nothing happened, and her head got crushed under her sister''s spell.

 Chapter 145 145 – The Empress Arrives

    ?


    "ISUZU! Please wake up!"


    Hanako screamed in panic while shaking her sister''s corpse. Her face was barely recognizable, and the formerly beautiful and delicate features werepletely deformed.


    "Hanako! You finally arrived! I was tortured by the first princess this whole week, and I could only hope you''de to save me."


    Kisuke was kneeling next to Hanako and activated his charm. It was a delicate situation, and he had to make sure Hanako only mes Isuzu and herself, leaving him out of the problematic situation.


    Hanako turned around to him when she felt his arm around her shoulders. He already cleaned himself with a Water spell and dried himself with a Fire spell, so she didn''t have to smell the obscene scent anymore.


    She felt relieved hearing that he was waiting for her to save him and that he didn''t do it with Isuzu out of his free will, but she was still busy panicking about her sister''s dead body.


    "Kisuke, what should we do? I can''t kill Isuzu inside the pce in front of everyone! I can''t!"


    "Hanako, you must calm down first. It''s toote to change the past, and you need to deal with the current situation. What are the consequences of killing your sister?"


    "Death! My mother would kill me for that!"


    "Calm down, Hanako. Your mother can''t me you if your sister died because she didn''t defend herself. I''m sure it''s not the first time you attack each other with spells the other could easily defend against."


    "But it''s the first time that they didn''t!"


    Before Kisuke could reply again, a powerful pressure pressed them down to the ground, and all the fighting between the guards ceased at once. He felt a strong dread climbs through his spine, and it wasn''t just him; everyone felt the same.


    "Who killed my daughter?"


    A strong authoritative feminine voice resounded in the area, and nobody dared to let out any noise. The ce turned quiet instantly, and everyone went on their knees.


    "Long live the Empress!"


    The Empress was floating in the sky, and she looked down and saw the bizarre scene underneath her. A handsome young foreign man with green eyes and red hair was hugging her second daughter while the two of them looked at the corpse of her first daughter.


    The weirdest thing about it was that both the man and the first princess were naked, and it wasn''t hard to deduce the origins of the scent that was filling the air around the room.


    The first princess'' corpse was outside the mansion after Hanako''s spell broke the wall, and Kisuke just didn''t mind appearing naked in front of the fighting guards.


    He did mind, but his goal of being by Hanako''s side was more important to him than his dignity. If that was the cost of staying alive, he didn''t mind giving the guards a glimpse of his assets.


    Although the Empress would normally pay attention to handsome guys, she wasn''t in the mood given her first daughter''s death. By sensing the mana around the first princess, she easily knew the identity of the killer.


    "Hanako, did you kill your big sister?"


    "Mother, it was an ident. I only shot a simple fourth-rank spell while she was looking at me, and I expected her to defend. She didn''t, and she took a direct hit."


    "Does that sound usible to you?"


    A powerful mental pressure attacked all the people nearby. Everyone felt their head splitting in two, except for one person. The Empress adjusted the pressure she applied to the people''s ranks, and Kisuke didn''t have a problem taking on pressure meant for true mages.


    "Mother, it''s the truth, I swear!"


    The Empress vanished from the sky and appeared in front of her daughter. She held her chin in her fingers and raised it so they could look into each other''s eyes.


    Hanako was filled with dread and fright as the Empress doubled the mental pressure on her mind, making her shiver under her touch.


    She would never be able to lie under so much pressure, and it was the most basic way of questioning someone with considerably weaker mental power.


    "Did you n to kill the First Princess today?"


    The Empress knew it would be useless to ask in general. All those wretched sons and daughters of hers were nning to kill each other. However, it required special guts to do it under her nose on the pce''s grounds.


    "No, Mother, I swear. I only wanted to save my lover."


    "Your lover? The naked man next to you whose smell is all over Isuzu''s body?"


    "Yes. After his date with me, she forced herself on him, and I only got the news today. I attacked when I saw her having sex with him, and instead of defending, she took the attack straight on."


    The Empress frowned upon hearing those words. She knew her daughter couldn''t think straight enough to make up convincing lies and tell them with a straight face while being under so much mental pressure.


    The only exnation was that she was speaking the truth, but why would Isuzu take the hit and die?<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She looked at the only variable in this equation, the naked man by Hanako''s side. After scrutinizing his body and face for a moment, she spoke again.


    "You, wear some clothes."


    One guard hurriedly threw clothes toward Kisuke after the Empress gave him themand and Kisuke dressed up in front of everyone without a choice.


    A strong pressure assaulted his mind and Kisuke estimated it was around 20 MSU. The Empress was ruthless; a normal true mage would be writhing in pain if they were under such pressure. They could even develop trauma from such pressure.


    "Did you do something to Isuzu?"


    Kisuke acted his part as well as he could. The pressure of standing in front of a woman who could kill him in a single moment was making him anxious, not to mention that this woman''s daughter just died. He couldn''t read her mood at all.


    "We had sex during the whole week."


    He didn''t lie but also hid the main part of the truth; he was charming her.


    "I can smell and see that. Did you poison her?"


    "I didn''t."


    "Do you know why she didn''t protect herself?"


    "I don''t."


    "You are now a widow of the imperial family. Since you touched my daughter''s body, you were inevitably her husband. We will see the arrangements once we finish investigating what happened here."


    "Mother, if he will be considered as my sister''s widow, I won''t be able to marry him. Please reconsider."


    Hanako clenched her teeth and said with difficulty despite her surging fear. The Empress just looked at her daughter for a moment beforeing to a decision.


    "There are too many witnesses. Do you still want to have it your way?"


    All the guards'' expressions froze with trepidation when they heard the Empress asks such a question. The imperial family wouldn''t let a bad name stick to them, which meant the only solution for the problem was having no witnesses. They all waited anxiously for the princess'' answer.


    "Yes, I must have him by my side."


    Hanako said with a cold tone, and the Empress just nodded in response. The guards all kneeled and banged their heads on the ground in desperation.


    "Wise Empress, I''ve seen nothing, I''ve seen nothing! Long live the Empress!"


    Everyone begged for their lives, but the Empress didn''t care about their plight. Since they were guards of the imperial family, yet a princess died in front of them, they weren''t clear of guilt.


    With a wave of her hand darkness filled the area, and Kisuke and Hanako couldn''t see anything. Even the shouts and begging of the guards were gone the moment they were covered by the dark fog.


    In under a minute, the fog cleared, and the view was open again. Hanako and Kisuke looked around them, yet there was no trace of the guards who were kneeling there just a minute ago.


    The yard was empty, and not even corpses or belongings remained behind.


    ''This is the power of an eighth-stage magus. It''s too scary; dozens of advanced mages and expert mages vanished in under a minute without a trace.''


    Kisuke felt a shiver going down his spine when he saw the results. The Empress wasn''t a merciful person.


    "I can see why my daughters are interested in a handsome man, but I''d rather have you dead than my daughter."


    The Empress said with a sigh. However, she didn''t kill him; her daughter was already dead, and it wasn''t directly his fault. By killing him, she''d only fall with her second daughter too.


    "You too can go now to Hanako''s house. I will call for you after I investigate the scene and learn more about what transpired here."


    The two got up from their knees and went to Hanako''s house ording to the Empress'' instructions. Kisuke and Hanako remained silent the whole way; they both weren''t in the mood to speak.


    Hanako was still shaken up from her sister''s sudden death, while Kisuke was thinking about how to get out of this mess. He didn''t want to marry Hanako, yet many guards were sacrificed for this goal by the Empress. It would be very problematic if the two didn''t get married now.


    -------


    The Empress stood in front of a man with short ck hair and a narrow face in a room underground. This man was the captain of the expert mages who were guarding the first princess during her death.


    She spared him and the captain of Hanako''s guards when she killed the rest because she wanted information. But they will pay their due soon enough when she was done with them.

 Chapter 146 146 – The Empress Investigation

    ?


    "You still have a chance to remain alive. I can''t trust a whole group of guards, but it''s not a problem when it''s only one. I wouldn''t want to lose a promising expert mage."


    The Empress said as she stood in front of the man kneeling before her.


    "The Empress is wise. My loyalty will never be shaken."


    "Tell me, Keiki. Why is Isuzu dead?"


    "I deserve to be killed! I couldn''t protect the first princess!"


    Keiki had no idea what to say; he also didn''t know why the first princess died. He made sure to hold back the expert mages of the second princess, yet she got killed by a mere true mage in a single strike.


    "Did you see any expert mage attack her? Did you sense any fluctuation from the man she was with?"


    One exnation she had in mind was that an expert mage with Darkness affinity ambushed Isuzu the moment Hanako attacked, and the second exnation was that Kisuke sneak-attacked her when she wasn''t ready.


    "I didn''t sense any additional attack other than the attack of the second princess. Neither from a third party nor from the man she was with."


    The Empress wore a contemtive face while she thought about it. The reason Keiki was the captain of the guards in charge of protecting the princess was that he was one of the strongest expert mages they had in the Imperial Guard.


    Even if an expert mage with Darkness affinity attacked, he''d still be able to sense it the moment that mage attacked. As for a new true mage, there was no way he could hide his spells from Keiki.


    The only other exnation was that a magus with Darkness affinity did something to Isuzu to prevent her from defending herself.


    ''But who would dare do that? The Assassin Order took an oath not to take orders for royalty.''


    The only injury they found on Isuzu''s corpse was the one from the water spell Hanako cast, so it had to be something that just canceled Isuzu''s magic or prevented her from casting any defense.


    If it was truly a magus of the Darkness element, it would be easily understandable that Keiki couldn''t sense the attack at all.


    "Did any magus contact Isuzutely? Did she behave weirdly? Anything you can point out that might help me find the culprit behind Isuzu''s death?"


    "There was nothing out of the ordinary in the past few months. Only one strange thing happened."


    "What is it?"


    "First Princess didn''t leave that man she was sleeping with the whole time. She disregarded her training, duties, and ns. It''s very unlike the princess to act irresponsibly."


    "Did you see her, or she was locked in the room with him the whole time?"


    "We saw her when she''de out to take the food for the two of them. Other than being remarkably happy, she seemed fine. We thought she might have¡­ fallen in love with him. People can get lost in love for a while sometimes."


    The Empress nodded in understanding. Everyone had those times, even she had it with her first husband until she got over him and married another.


    "I see. What about the man, did you see hime out?"


    "No, he was inside and never stepped outside. It was always the princess who took the meals for both of them."


    "Being served by the princess is quite an honor. Other than being pretty, does he have any other qualities that issue a battle between the two princesses?"


    "Yes, Empress. Despite being amoner, hetely advanced to the True Mage Stage at only 21 years old. ording to him, he made first contact with mana when he was 15."


    "So he became an intermediate elite human even though he didn''t have the same resources as the imperial family. He is indeed worthy of being my son-inw. Do you know about his rtionship with Hanako?"


    "He is the sparring partner of the sixth prince. Kisuke met the second princess in the forest when he apanied the sixth prince to a training session in the forest. ording to the guards, they flirted when she spoke to the sixth prince, and she liked him ever since."


    "He is sure a charming man if he could make Isuzu stay in her room for a week. How did Isuzu meet him?"


    "She heard he was having a date with Hanako and sent me to intercept him on his way back and bring him back to her. She decided that if she likes him too, she will seduce him with aphrodisiacs and im him as hers."


    "I see. Is there anything else you know that might help me?"


    "No. Thank you Empress for sparing my life."


    The Empress turned around and left the room while ck fog covered it. When the fog disappeared, the room was empty again, and there was no sign of Keiki.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She also questioned the captain of Hanako''s guards, yet she learned nothing new aside from the fact that Hanako has a serious crush on Kisuke. She frowned when she realized she had no leads to follow.


    ''The only ones who are capable of doing such a clean operation should be the Assassin Order, but the oath is still intact, meaning they never broke it.''


    She looked at the scroll in her hand and sighed. If the Assassin Order was hired to hit a princess, the oath''s scroll would lose its mana and the 5 heads of the order would suffer a bacsh from the eighth-grade oath scroll.


    If that ever happened, the three empires would take the chance tounch a massive attack to get rid of the Order, and those old fogeys would never take such a risk.


    ''Then the only other exnation I cane up with is that the Order did it without being asked. That would even hint that one of my children cooperates with them to ensure getting on the throne. If I find out who it is, I will execute them.''


    Although her thought process was based on the principle that if it''s the only usible exnation it must be the correct exnation, she didn''t consider that there might be powers she can''t fathom like a blessing from the God of Charm.


    ''It could be that woman who hunted some geniuses from my dynastytely, but she shouldn''t have an affinity with Darkness, so it shouldn''t be her.''


    She got irritated as soon as she thought of the slippery magus that was raising troubletely in the dynasty. She even went out to try to find that woman herself and still failed.


    ---------


    "Kisuke, you can change your uniforms. You won''t be part of the Imperial Guard anymore, now you will be protected by them instead."


    Hanako smiled as she pointed at the high-quality ck yukata that was neatly folded on the bed. She ordered it for him when he returned to her room after the incident at Isuzu''s.


    it was personally tailored for his sizes, and it came with long ck pants. The yukata had a beautiful embroidery of a coiled golden dragon.


    "Thanks, Hanako."


    Kisuke changed in front of Hanako''s expectant eyes, and she pped for him as soon as he finished.


    "It fits you perfectly!"


    But he was busy nning the near future. First, he had to find a way to get his freedom from Hanako. Second, he had to find out his affinities. He felt that his affinity with the Earth element and his Darkness element improved, but he wanted to know the exact numbers.


    "Hanako, do you think I could get some affinity measuring stones? I feel like my affinity with the Earth element rose after strengthening myself."


    "Yes, sure. Do you only need it for Earth? I heard you strengthened yourself with the Fire element as well."


    The guards felt the elements from when he faked his strengthening process and it obviously wasn''t kept secret from Hanako.


    "Yes, sure. Since we are getting so close to each other, I would like to share my secret with you."


    "What is it?"


    "I also need the one for the Darkness element."


    Hanako looked at him in surprise. It was a rare element, and she didn''t get it although her mother had it and used many techniques, magic circles, and potions that she purchased from the Assassin Order to raise the odds of passing that affinity to her children.


    "That''s amazing!"


    If Kisuke would be powerful in the future, she''d be practically safe from assassins. They were much less effective against magi of the same stage with Darkness affinity.


    She called her guards and instructed them to bring measuring orbs of all elements. It was a simple way to prevent them from knowing which element they were testing.


    A few minutester, the orbs arrived, and Kisuke put his hands on the orbs. He felt excited about it; it has been a while since he could use his Darkness element effectively in a fight.


    He started channeling his mana into the Earth Orb from his right hand and into the Darkness Orb from his left hand. Soon the two showed the results.


    "That''s awesome! Your earth affinity rose to SS-52. It should be because going through the strengthening process as an intermediate elite human boosts one''s affinities."


    Hanako exined excitedly when she saw that his affinity rose. But she was much happier when she saw the affinity with Darkness.


    "SS-84, that''s so high! Unfortunately, it won''t be enough to pass the threshold to SSS when you get to the next stage."


    She didn''t know it was the same affinity as Isuzu.

 Chapter 147 147 – Second SSS Affinity

    Hanako didn''t know it was the same affinity as Isuzu since the princes and princesses kept the values of their affinities secret from each other. Only their mother knew about it since they wanted her to appreciate them as eligible contenders for the throne.


    "Hanako, sweetie. I hope you can keep my affinity with darkness to yourself and not tell anyone about it."


    Kisuke''s eyes shone with green eyes as he charmed her. He figured that Hanako didn''t know it was the same as Isuzu''s affinity since she didn''t mention it. He didn''t know if anyone else knew, but secrecy would always be better when he was guilty.


    "Of course. What about your Fire affinity?"


    Kisuke knew he didn''t improve in that field, but he had to show it to her since she already knew he had an affinity with fire. He didn''t want it to look like he didn''t trust her.


    "SS-56, it''s a great affinity. You have three strong affinities; those are great news."


    She smiled as she ced her hand on his biceps and stroke them with her hand. With those affinities, her mother wouldn''t be against it if Hanako married him.


    "Hanako, do you think I can still go and spar with Tanjirou?"


    "You can, but remember, you don''t have to do it anymore. You can have as many resources as you want simply by being my husband."


    "Of course, thank you, dear. I was wondering if there is a ce where I can strengthen myself using Darkness Mana without anyone sensing it so I can keep my affinity secret."


    His eyes shone green as he activated his charm to make sure she wouldn''t lie or hide anything. He was in a hostile dynasty, and he couldn''t be too careful.


    "Of course. You can use the training room in my house. I will teach you how to operate the magic circles so you can keep the mana inside and prevent the people outside from sensing it."


    "What about people whoe inside after I''m done?"


    Hanako bit her lips for a moment. She hid it on purpose, but she felt horrible about it now. She should''ve never hidden anything from Kisuke.


    "There''s also a magic circle to purify the mana in the room from any element, I will teach you to use that as well."


    "All right, thank you, darling."


    The two headed to the training room and Hanako patiently taught him all about the magic circles in there herself. She loved being around him, so she preferred not to call someone else to do it for her.


    "You can be here for as long as you want, I''ll order the guards and the maids not to enter here until you''re out. I''m going to practice with my teacher, I haven''t trained with her in a while, and I don''t want my progress to be stagnant."


    Seeing Kisuke''s improvement also motivated her to get stronger as soon as she could. She didn''t want him to be stronger than her. Although he was an intermediate elite human, she wasn''t that much behind as a lower elite human.


    In fact, most of the princes and princesses were lower elite humans or intermediate elite humans. They practically showered in resources and were guided by the best teachers since they were born; the students of the academies couldn''tpare to them.


    Even in the Amistrys Empire, the imperial family was far better than the academies. Out of all the gold forces there, the imperial family was undoubtedly the strongest.


    Not only they had the best resources and teachers, but the empress had SSS affinity with darkness and only married men with SS affinity or higher, making their genes the best they could be.


    It was one of the ways the imperial families kept their statuses; they were simply the strongest. Although they couldn''t suppress the whole empire if they rioted against them, they could win easily against any single force that tried to oppose them.


    Kisuke and Hanako shared a hot, wet kiss, and Hanako left the house to meet with her teacher.


    Kisuke activated the magic circles in the training room and took a deep breath to calm down before starting to strengthen himself with darkness.


    A smile bloomed on his face as he felt the familiar sensation of the mana seeping into his body and strengthening it. He felt it in his muscles, blood vessels, organs, bones, and everything else.


    The Darkness Mana made his body flexible and durable. He felt the Darkness Mana enhancing his senses in a way that no other element could. He could hear everything much more clearly, his eyes saw further, and his nostrils could discern smells better.


    He felt his body improves and evolves for 7 hours straight until the process was finally over, and it was only the process for the fourth stage. He still didn''t go through the strengthening process of the fifth stage.


    ''I probably don''t have enough time to go through the strengthening process of the fifth stage before Hanakoes back. Eh, I will just lock the room and it should be enough to stop her from entering.''


    Although Hanako had the option to open the training room by force, it would expose Kisuke''s affinities to all the guards outside, and then the information would be reported to her siblings.


    It was impossible to get only loyal guards. Everything in the pce was filled with schemes, bribes, and benefits, and everyone knew that some of their guards were selling their information to other princes and princesses for resources.


    Those guards were loyal to the imperial family as a whole but not to any specific descendant. Although it might be a bad choice in the long run as they wouldn''t have the support of any royalty as they climb the ranks, it provided them with a lot of benefits in the short term.


    Kisuke started his next strengthening process, but this time there was another major difference. He felt his affinity with Darkness breaks through the SSS ranks, making him feel extremely close to the Darkness Mana.


    He could feel he was much stronger and more sensitive than before. His perception rose to new heights after 10 more hours of going through the strengthening process.


    His body waspletely soaked in sweat, but luckily, he took off his new clothes before starting the strengthening process, so they were safe. He washed with water magic and dried himself with fire before using the magic circles to purify the air from Darkness Mana and checking his new affinity.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''SSS-4.''


    It was even higher than his affinity with Wind Mana, and it was amazing. His body was now naturally harder to perceive and blended with the environment even if he didn''t try to.


    He could bet that if he walked down the market among the magicians there, many of them might not even notice him pass next to them.


    After dressing up and purifying the air and the Darkness Orb from mana, he unlocked the doors and went out to get some food. He found Hanako sleeping in her bedroom, so he ate alone before going to sleep in his room.


    -------


    Kisuke was eating breakfast with Hanako as he thought of a way to get that red gem he was sent to the Chijakor Empire to find in the first ce.


    "Kisuke? I have some news for you."


    "What is it?"


    "Do you remember how when I attacked Isuzu, she died without defending herself?"


    "Yes, what about it?"


    "My mother talked to me yesterday while you were training. She said that ording to her investigation, the only people who could pull something like that off are-"


    "Some like what?"


    "Like preventing Isuzu from defending herself when I attacked her. Anyway, I was saying, the only ones who can do it are the Assassin Order with a seventh-stage magus."


    "That''s quite far-fetched, isn''t it?"


    "No, because only a magus with Darkness affinity could slip under everyone''s perception and do it."


    "But I can''t believe the Assassin Order are the only ones who have magi with Darkness affinity and a motive to kill the Isuzu. What about the other empires? The other dynasties? Magi from our dynasty?"


    "With our strict checkpoints, it''s nearly impossible for other empires to infiltrate our dynasty. Risking someone as valuable as a Darkness Magus to kill a princess that has around 80% of dying anyway doesn''t sound like a good idea."


    When she saw Kisuke''s still doubtful face, she confessed.


    "Well, we have a situation right now and one magus from the Amistrys Empire managed to slip inside our dynasty somehow, and we still don''t know how. We still didn''t find her, but we will interrogate her about it when we do. Anyway, the Empress has her own methods to discern it can''t be them."


    "I see. What about the other dynasties in our empire or the magi in our dynasty?"


    "They''re all under oaths not to kill or help to kill the descendants of the Empress until they broke through the Magus Phase."


    "All right, this makes sense. So why are you telling me all this now?"


    "She wants to teach the Assassin Order a lesson and use this chance to see the talent and potential of her new son-inw. She wants tounch an attack on a base of the Order she found in our dynasty and kill some of them to remind them why they shouldn''t provoke her."


    "So I''m going to participate in this operation?"


    "Yes. We are going in 2 days before they can find out about it and change their base."


    --------


    The Empress sat at the head seat of the dining table while her children were seated around it.


    They were having a family meal and chatting merrily, pretending to be a happy and peaceful family.


    "So, how many readers did each of you convince to review our novel?"


    The Empress said with a cold voice and everyone''s expressions froze. They knew their chance at ascending to the throne depended on their performance.


    "We''re... working on it."


    They all mumbled while nning their heads to persuade readers to review the novel. Suddenly, The Empress spoke again.


    "Make sure they write a descriptive review. I want to see them referring to the writing style, character development, and power system."


    "Yes, Mother!"

 Chapter 148 148 – Going Out On An Operation

    ?


    "Yes. We are going in 2 days before they can find out about it and change their base. We expect one magus to be there, but our magi will take care of him. We only need to deal with those at the True Mage Stage."


    "The Empress is willing to put her children in danger like that? In a battle, you never know what''s going to happen."


    Kisuke asked with a surprised tone. The Empress just lost a daughter, and he didn''t expect her to send another daughter into danger. If she sent Hanako, it was very likely she sent other princes too.


    "Of course. If we don''t fight and face danger, we won''t be able to grow. She will take precautions of course; there will be expert mages and advanced mages to fight their equivalents from the Order. She will send a force at least three times bigger than the pessimistic estimation of the enemy''s numbers."


    "I see. Although there are still some variables, you will face minimal danger, unless you''re too weak to stand your ground against a weaker enemy."


    "Indeed. If we are that weak, she doesn''t mind if we get killed during the fight."


    It was quite heartless, but The Empress wanted her children to be strong enough to make sure the imperial family will keep standing firm after her death.


    She didn''t want them to die, she was just that confident of their strengths. They had very high affinities and endless resources.


    Kisuke and Hanako spent the two days left until the operation flirting with each other and going outside to enjoy the attractions the capital had to offer.


    Kisuke did one more thing. He reported his intermediary with the Amistrys Empire about the operation he was going to participate in. He made sure to tell them he is going there too so they won''t get him killed.


    ---------


    2 dayster, Kisuke stood by Hanako''s side in front of arge airship. They were standing behind The Empress along with a few other princes and their spouses.


    The Empress faced arge crowd in front of her and spoke. The crowd was members of the army of the Nikkokuni Dynasty, and they were ready to attack the base of the Assassin Order.


    There were three toons, each consisting of 300 soldiers. At the top of each toon stood a true magus meant to intercept the enemy''s magus during the battle. It was extremely hard to corner a magus, especially one with a high Darkness affinity like those from the Order had.


    If a true magus of the Darkness element decides to run instead of fighting when he is still in top condition, he had a good chance of running away from a grand magus.


    Other than that, each toon was made of 200 advanced mages and a hundred expert mages.


    However, The Empress didn''t n to kill the Order''s magus or a full-blown war with the Order might break out; she only wanted to teach them a lesson and give them a warning.


    "Everyone, get aboard!"


    The Empress finished her speech, and everyone went on the airship. Although normally ambushes were done at night, they took off at night so they could arrive at sunrise. Nobody wants to fight a group of Darkness Mages at night.


    The Empress used her Darkness magic to cast a huge camouge spell on the airship, hiding thempletely from the world. It blocked both sight and sound from leaking outside.


    As for when the sunes out, one of the magi who apanied them, Ichinose, had an affinity for Light Mana and was the only magus with Light affinity in the Nikkokuni Dynasty.


    He was brought on purpose; although the illusions that could be made with Light Mana weren''t as good as the camouge of Darkness spells, they were good enough to hide an airship in the sky.


    "Everyone, don''t cast any spell, and don''t disturb the disguise magic I''ve cast on us or you might reveal our presence to the enemy."


    The airship took off,pletely invisible in the darkness of the night under The Empress'' spell.


    "Hey, whom from your brothers tagged along?"


    Kisuke asked Hanako who was sitting on hisp. Her fourth sister still wasn''t a mage, so she didn''te while her third sister wasn''t in Nikkokuni at the moment.


    "My brother Taeko is here, I just asked him to give me alone time with you, so he isn''t sitting with us. My first brother and my second brother are here as well, they are both at the Advanced Mage Stage."


    "Are they from a different father?"


    "Yes, they share the same father, my mother''s first husband. They''re the oldest of us siblings."


    "Oh, how about introducing me to my brothers-inw then?"


    "Sure, why not? Let''s go."


    She got up from hisp and Kisuke walked by her side toward a lean, tall man. Nearly everyone had ck hair on the ship, making Kisuke''s red hair conspicuous like a dinosaur in the middle of a group of cats.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "You must be Kisuke, my dear brother-inw, twice! Good to finally meet you!"


    Evidently, he also got the news about him sleeping with Isuzu before her death. Although The Empress killed all the guards, some of the princes had already heard the news.


    "Kisuke, this is my eldest brother, Akito."


    "Good to meet you too, First Prince."


    "You can call me ''Big Brother'' like Hanako does, don''t be shy. We are family."


    Akito smiled and revealed two rows of white teeth. He then turned around to the woman by his side and introduced her.


    "This is Hibika, my wife. Hibika, meet Kisuke, he is my sister''s future husband."


    After exchanging some pleasantries, Kisuke and Hanako said goodbye to Akito and his wife and left to say hello to Hanako''s second brother.


    "Hello Hajime, meet Kisuke, my fianc¨¦. Kisuke, this is my second brother, Hajime."


    "Hello, Kisuke, nice to meet you. You can just call me Hajime."


    Hajime said with a pleasant smile after he was introduced. He gave the people around him the impression that they were safe to talk to him about anything they wanted and radiated an aura that made one feel they could trust him.


    "Good to meet you, Hajime. Who is thedy next to you?"


    "She is mine, so you will have to settle on having only my sister for now. Honey, say hi to Kisuke."


    "Hi Kisuke, I''m Hinata, good to meet you."


    She showed a beautiful smile as two cute dimples appeared on her round cheeks.


    After finishing with the introductions, Kisuke and Hanako spent the next few hours flirting with each other and making out in Hanako''s room. As a princess, she got a spacious andfy room.


    "Everyone,e out of your rooms. In 15 minutes, the operation begins, and we willunch our attack."


    One of the magi who joined the operation announced and everyone starteding outside.


    With a sigh, Kisuke forced Hanako off hisp and took a few moments to calm down his excited body.


    He had to wait a few minutes before the bulge in his pants diminished, and the two went out of the room with smiles on. They both had to change their underwear after over an hour of groping and making out.


    "You two took a while. Come, we were ordered to join Ichinose''s toon for this operation."


    Taeko gestured for them to follow him as soon as they came out of their room before going to the relevant toon.


    Kisuke, Hanako, and Taeko joined Ichinose''s toon, while Akito, Hajime, and their wives joined the other toons. They stood at the back of the toon, letting the other soldiers take the front as they charge inside.


    "Listen, this is theyout of the base. Each toon covers a different area. Remember, our goal is to kill everyone, so don''t take any prisoners. The other magi and I will take care of the enemy''s magus, so you have nothing to worry about. Just make sure to support yourrades and don''t let enemies from higher stages kill your weakerrades. Make sure to hold down and kill enemies in your stages."


    Ichinose showed on a hologram the n of the infiltration and exined to his troops how the operation was expected to work.


    "We are taking care of the western area. Soldiers, we''re out!"


    The soldiers jumped in an orderly manner out of the airship, still in the sky. Hanako grabbed Kisuke''s hand and jumped with them, dragging him with her. He was quite surprised as he never did that before.


    He saw Hanako''s calm expression and knew he was missing something, so he patiently waited to see what will happen. The three toons were covered in Ichinose''s Light magic to prevent the enemy from seeing them until thest moment.


    He was still in the air when he suddenly felt a strong wind underneath him, making everyone''s descent much slower. A few moments before hended, arge wave of water climbed seemingly out of nowhere and cushioned their fall.


    Kisuke never saw such a way to use magic; the soldiers cooperated to create a spell that saved everyone from sure death by crushing down the ground. Although he could survive it by himself with his SSS wind affinity, it wasn''t the same for the soldiers who didn''t have it.


    The only downside of this method was that everyone in the base noticed the huge mana surge that happened simultaneously in three different ces across the base, one ce for each toon.

 Chapter 149 149 – Team Spells And Squad Spells

    ?


    Everyone in the enemy base instantly felt the huge surge of mana when 300 soldiers cast their spells and became alerted.


    However, it was too sudden, and the enemy wasn''t given time to prepare. At that moment, 20 spells were shot out of the toon. The toon was divided into 5 squads that were divided into 4 teams each.


    Every team had 5 expert mages and 10 advanced mages, and the spells werebined spells of whole teams.


    Kisuke remembered the crazy damage that happened to the surroundings when Ronda and hebined a spell together, and when a team with expert mages and advanced mages did it, the damage was hundreds of times stronger.


    ''Wars aren''t child''s y. I won''t be able to survive against suchbined and organized attacks from trained soldiers.''


    Kisuke thought to himself while watching the huge spells being shot at different buildings, about to obliterate huge chunks of the base in a moment. He underestimated the power of a trained army. Before, he believed he could easily take on a whole squad of advanced mages.


    The buildings exploded all over the ce when suddenly Elizabeth''s voice resounded in the base.


    "Soldiers, listen to my orders. toon 1 and toon 2 leave your areas ande to reinforce the center. The enemy has been prepared."


    At that moment huge explosions echoed in the base and 7 people floated in the air.


    "Sukehiro! Why are you here?"


    The Empress asked a muscr man in histe thirties. He wore simple gray pants and a white top. His appearance wasn''t neat; he had whiskers, and his hair was long and messy.


    He had an overused wooden toothpick between his teeth as he looked back at The Empress fearlessly.


    "I heard you came to visit, so I made sure toe and protect my people. Why are you here?"


    It was aical sight to see; he used mana to hold the toothpick suspended in the air while he talked so it wouldn''t fall. When he finished talking, it just went back to its rightful ce between the man''s teeth.


    "As I''m sure you know, my first daughter died. After investigating the circumstances in which that incident happened, I concluded that the only ones with the ability to pull it off are the magi of the Assassin Order."


    "Then you can go back, it has nothing to do with us. Must be another empire that found a way to sneak into yournds or another dynasty managed to bypass the oaths."


    "Do you think I will believe it because you said so?"


    "Then we can fight."


    "Let''s do it; I would ughter any base of the Order even if you guys didn''t kill anyone I care about."


    It was true. Regardless of whether the Assassin Order took part in the assassination of the first princess'' life or not, she''d still send her troops to attack the base.


    The only difference it made was that she came there herself to make sure everyone did a thorough job of killing the Order''s members.


    "Then why are you pretending to care about your daughter''s death?"


    "Hmph, why are you ying tough? Since you''re here, it means you rushed here from the Xia Dynasty without a rest; you''ve already spent a huge deal of your stamina and mana."


    The two disappeared into the sky to fight each other to avoid implicating the mages in their fight. They were both under oath not to massacre mages of the other side unless it was an attack on their HQ.


    Since it was neither the dynasty''s capital nor the Order''s HQ, they''d get seriously injured from breaking the oath if they fought and killed dozens of mages with the fight''s shockwaves.


    In a simr manner, the three magi of the dynasty and the other two magi from the Order disappeared and fought in another ce. Although they could handle being next to the fight of the eighth-stage magi, they preferred not to.


    Since they were fighting in broad daylight and the Order''s assassins didn''t enjoy the element of surprise, they suffered from a disadvantage even without the numerical difference.


    However, they didn''t need to win; they only needed to hold the magi back for a while and let the other assassins fight fairly against the troops of the dynasty.


    Even if magi couldn''t directly kill the enemy mages, their presence alone could tilt the whole battle in favor of their side. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    For example, they could pressure the mind of all the enemies, neutralize the enemy''s attacks so their troops would be able to attack without any need to defend, and cage most of the enemy mages and let only some of them out to fight their troops until they''re all dead.


    None of those actions broke the oath against massacring mages yet would be determinantal to the other side.


    "Everyone, we are going to the center to help toon 3! Wind and Fire Mages, boost our speed!"


    The Deputy Commander shouted and led the toon to help the soldiers who were fighting in the center.


    At that moment, Kisuke felt a strong boost of speed washing through his body. It was another astonishing group spell; the boost was on the same level he could achieve by boosting himself without holding back.


    Given his SSS Wind affinity and high Fire affinity along with him being a Higher Ruler Human, his boost was far better than any normal expert mage could ever have. One must not forget that all the mages in the toon enjoyed this boost, not only him.


    The toon ran at full speed toward the middle of the base, which was around 10 kilometers away. They covered that distance in less than 3 minutes and saw toon 3 getting repelled back slowly.


    As a military, they had the upper hand in a group fight against assassins who were used to working solo or in small groups.


    But the Order still had one important advantage; they had powerful magic circles to boost their power.


    toon 3 was slowly taking casualties and being pushed back, and already lost over 50 soldiers by the time the other toons arrived. On the other hand, the defenses of the Order weren''t breached.


    While the attacks on the western and eastern sidespletely destroyed the empty buildings, the central part where all the enemies were was safe.


    "toon 1, support toon 3 to prevent any further casualties. toon 2, switch to squad attacks!"


    The expert mage who was given the right tomand the operation in the absence of the magi shouted orders to the toons and they acted like a well-oiled machine.


    toon 1, the one Kisuke was part of, shot their team spells against the magic circles of the Order, offering great relief to toon 3 who could stop retreating.


    There were around 600 assassins on the enemy side, and now with the two toons working together, they entered a stalemate. Of the 600, only around 80 were expert mages and 150 were advanced mages. The rest were true mages or lower.


    It was a great demonstration of the power of magic circles; the assassins managed to enter a stalemate in a direct group battle against an enemy far stronger than them despite being bad at group fights and direct fights.


    Sukehiro rushed with another magus to hold back the magi of the Nikkokuni Dynasty, but they couldn''t carry mages with them to the battle. It was the best they could do for their subordinates.


    Kisuke couldn''tbine his spells with the trained soldiers. He didn''t train with them, and he neverbined his spells with 15 people before. Thus, Kisuke, Hanako, and Taeko simply sent normal attacks and tried to help as much as they could.


    Kisuke could feel that the enemy tried to put mental pressure on them, but once the other two toons arrived, they easily negated the pressure.


    Suddenly, huge 5 attacks blew up against the building where the assassins stayed. Those were five squad attacks; each one of them was abined spell of 4 teams, or in other words, 20 expert mages and 40 advanced mages.


    Kisuke felt his face turning slightly pale when he saw the power of those sts. Although he believed he could survive a team attack if he put his all into dodging and defending, he knew he would never survive a squad attack.


    The main downside is that even trained soldiers needed a few seconds to load such attacks, which was the reason that two toons held the assassins back using team spells while thest toon charged the squad spells.


    Kisuke watched the building shake from the attacks, and he could sense that some of the magic circles were destroyed. After a few more rounds of those squad attacks, the building would be destroyed for sure, and the ughter would begin.


    "Again!"


    The assassins did their best to hold their ground against the military, but soon 5 more huge sts resounded in the base and a few more magic circles got destroyed, killing the assassins who were upying them.


    "Three more rounds and their defenses will crumblepletely!"


    However, after the third go, the whole building unexpectedly exploded, sending debris everywhere. At the same time, huge ck fog spread from the building and covered the three squads.


    It blocked sight and sound, leaving the toons in a confused state for a moment. However, they were elite soldiers, and the units that got picked to deal with an organization of Darkness Mages were trained to deal with such situations.

 Chapter 150 150 – Frontal Battle

    ?


    The fog blocked all senses of the Nikkokuni Dynasty''s soldiers, making them unable to find their enemies.


    Although the soldiers didn''t know what the others were doing, they all started casting simultaneously after exactly 1.5 seconds passed since the fog swallowed them and managed to pull off team spells sessfully.


    The team spells blew the fog away, clearing the area. The soldiers quickly assessed the situation around them to figure out what happened.


    "AHH!"


    At that moment a lot of screams echoed in the air; the assassins used this special st and fog to infiltrate the ranks of the soldiers and kill as many as they could with the element of surprise. At that moment, at least half of toon 3 got wiped out.


    "toons 1 and 2, kill the assassins. toon 3, regroup!"


    Themander shouted and everyone followed the order. The regroup order was to use only defensive spells and not attack back.


    toon 3 cast huge walls around them, protecting themselves from further harm. The toon''s deputymander used this time to rearrange the teams and the squads. The dead soldiers weren''t all from the same teams, so he had tobine teams and even squads.


    "toon 1, cast Zone of Light!"


    In every toon was a squad of specialized Light Mages to deal with the troublesome sneakiness of the assassins. The specialized squad cast a huge,bined Light spell, illuminating the whole area as if the sun came down from the sky.


    All shadows were wiped out instantly and all the hidden assassins were revealed where they stood.


    "Kisuke, Taeko, we can''t participate in this fight. We aren''t in sync with the soldiers and the enemies here are mostly at the Advanced Mage Stage or higher. Let''s step back and fight the ones in the True Mage Stage or lower."


    Hanako spoke to the two men and pulled their arms backward, distancing them from the messy battle.


    "All right, I can take the role to sense the assassins if theye near us. But it''s dangerous, what if one of the stronger enemy mages slips through the defense of the military and targets us?"


    Kisuke voiced his opinion on the matter.


    "We are standing at the back of the troops, so there''s the same risk by staying where we are. If a Darkness Mage at the sixth stage ambushes us here, the military won''t be able to react in time and save us. Since we are taking a risk by staying here anyway, it''s better to raise it slightly to gain some merits by killing assassins, or The Empress will look down on us for hiding behind the soldiers."


    "All right, I guess we can survive if we are ambushed by a fifth-stage mage. Let''s do it."


    At that moment, powerful darkness that could only be described as ck light was projected from the ground. It was anotheryer of defense in the base, and it was the countermeasure against the Zone of Light spell.


    The darkness covered the whole central part of the base, and it would hold on for at least 10 minutes. The light could still pierce through the darkness, but it was only enough to negate some of the darkness, not entirely remove it.


    "toon 1, work together to destroy the magic circle, toon 2 and 3, fight the assassins!"


    Although the assassins could fight again using the darkness, they lost the element of surprise they gained by blowing up their building earlier. Thus, they were at a disadvantage while fighting the soldiers.


    Themander of toon 1 quickly gave orders toplete the mission he was given.


    "Squad 1 cast defenses from the front, Squad 2, cast defenses from the back. The rest of the squads, destroy the magic circle!"


    The toon changed its formation; one squad took the front and cast a powerful squad spell to defend the toon. Another squad took the back and cast a spell as well, covering the whole toon with tight defense.


    Although the assassins would be able to break through those defenses if they attacked, it''d take time.


    The thing theycked the most was time; they were getting attacked by the other toons and couldn''t divert mages to deal with the first toon despite hearing the enemy''s orders.


    Huge sts resounded in the base as the squad spells tried to destroy the ground and get to the magic circles hidden under it, but there was another magic circle intertwined with the one that created the darkness.


    The second magic circle was a defensive type. It prevented attacks from both within and outside, and it was perfect to defend another magic circle that only worked on charged coins.


    "Keep attacking! They can''t have that many charged coins!"


    Each blow easily burnt the mana stored in 5000 charged coins. Since three squads were attacking, the cost of maintaining the magic circle was 15,000 charged per 3-4 seconds.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Every minute the attacks continue would cost the assassins over 250,000 charged coins. Although the organization had billions of it, it didn''t mean a small base had such a huge budget.


    The moment the magic circle would be destroyed the assassins that couldn''t leave will be doomed.


    The military worked efficiently and cast spells to prevent the assassins from running away. They put emphasis on keeping the fifth-stage and sixth-stage mages trapped, so a few assassins from lower ranks managed to escape.


    Most of those who managed to run away were true mages, as magicians couldn''t survive the sts of the horrifying war of the mages.


    Meanwhile, Kisuke tracked down assassins at the True Mage Stage and let the imperial siblings deal with them. Although his stage was limited to the fourth stage by the device, it couldn''t take his SSS affinity or his status as a Higher Ruler.


    When he concentrated on the Darkness Mana around him, even advanced mages couldn''t hide from his perception.


    ''I can sense one advanced mage that managed to get out of the military''s encirclement. Let''s retreat.''


    He thought to himself and told the siblings to follow him as he ran in the opposite direction to avoid that assassin. The trio kept hunting true mages and a few magicians while the battle went on in the previous area.


    "Having someone with Darkness affinity is a huge benefit. Unfortunately, Akito also has it, and his affinity should also be at the peak of the SS rank. As an advanced mage, he should have an easier time than us."


    Inwardly she was rather surprised by Kisuke''s efficiency in finding the assassins despite being at the same stage. Although she leaned on him because he had a better affinity than the assassins and his Intermediate Elite Human status, she didn''t think the difference would be that big.


    She couldn''t sense the assassins at all when he shed them out from hundreds of meters away.


    While Kisuke and his group were hunting for runaway assassins, the battle was still ongoing in the center of the base.


    "toon 1, keep attacking the magic circle, it can''t hold on for much longer!"


    2 minutes passed and the first toon was still attacking the magic circle. Themander estimated that there were enough coins for the magic circle to hold on for a maximum of another two minutes.


    It was a small base and most of the coins were used to support daily activities like training and fulfilling the daily needs of the assassins living there. They couldn''t have a huge stash of spare coins.


    Besides, they must have burnt a lot of coins in their first engagement, as well as even more coins to maintain the magic circle that created the darkness.


    The squad spells were powerful, and if the soldiers attacked separately instead, they''d take at least thrice longer to break through the defenses of the magic circle.


    Over those 2 minutes of fighting, the assassins managed to kill a few more soldiers from the third toon. Since that toon was the weakest now, they aimed to kill it off.


    The military wasn''t just taking a beating silently; they already killed around 20 expert mages and 60 advanced mages from the enemies.


    If it wasn''t for the difficulty of being the ones to attack and deal with the magic circles, the assassins would be wiped out long ago.


    Although those 2 minutes sound like a little, they were a lot of time for mages. During this time Kisuke and the others managed to kill 13 true mages from the enemy side.


    "Hanako, be careful, an advanced mage is heading toward us, and we can''t avoid him. Be ready to engage him in a fight."


    Hanako and Taeko instantly raised their guard and were prepared to defend themselves from an ambush. Although the three of them were true mages, they all were Elite Humans with affinities at the top of the SS rank.


    If the enemy was an average advanced mage, they wouldn''t fear fighting him 1v1, and when it was 1v3, they could win even if he was a genius if he wasn''t an Elite Human himself.


    "Ok guys, 30 meters away from us, will be here in a second."


    Kisuke sent a huge firestorm in the assassin''s direction. The assassin was a closebat fighter who wielded 2 daggers in his hands.


    When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Although the Order was an international organization, it seems that the local assassins were fond of fighting with weapons just like the residents of the Chijakor Empire.


    The assassin vanished from his spot to avoid the firestorm, but the light from the fire allowed anyone who was looking for it to see a dark silhouette.

 Chapter 151 151 – Fighting The Assassin

    ?


    The assassin vanished from his spot to avoid the firestorm, but the light from the fire allowed anyone who was looking for it to see a dark silhouette.


    The two siblings instantly reacted and used their spells to barrage the assassin with attacks.


    The assassin raised his daggers in front of him and crossed them, creating a circle of darkness in front of them as he ran forward to engage the three in closebat.


    The circle of darkness devoured all the spells thatnded in it, making them disappearpletely.


    The problem with fighting Darkness Mages was that most people didn''t spar against them often and didn''t know how to deal with them when they faced one.


    Kisuke took out his sword enthusiastically. Ever since he got it, he never had a chance to actually use it, and now the chance was finally there. He even knew how to use it!


    His body was far superior to the assassin''s, so he had nothing to worry about. With his perception and speed, the assassin would never be able to harm him. Although his connection to mana was limited, his body was still strengthened to the fifth stage.


    "Kisuke, be careful. We will back you up!"


    Hanako shouted nervously when she saw Kisuke charging forward with his sword. Kisuke channeled his mana into the sword, generating powerful lightning.


    The sword met the daggers, and the lightning was swallowed by the dark hole. However, it was easy to see that the assassin was strained by that hit; he even stepped back right away after sensing the hit.


    A spear thrust was sent right next to Kisuke''s head, passing by, and trying to pierce through the assassin''s head. Taeko was a spear user, and he tried to use Kisuke''s body to hide his attack.


    The assassin dodged the spear by retreating and a dragon made of water was sent from the spear to chase him. The dark hole in front of the assassin''s daggers ignited and turned into a dark fire.


    The fire ate the dragon in a second, making it evaporate almost instantly. Before the assassin could use the fire to attack, a sword swing came from below to hit his leg, coated in ayer of water.


    This time it was Hanako who used a katana like Kisuke''s. All four of them were using sixth-grade weapons. The prince and the princess couldn''t handle a seventh-grade weapon, it was impossible without enough mental strength.


    The assassin directly sent the fire to meet with the sword strike, defending himself again.


    ''It seems that although this assassin isn''t an Elite Human, he is still a genius mage on the same level as the mages from the academy.''


    It made sense as, unlike an empire, which has people from all walks of life, the Assassin Order was a professional organization for assassinating people. All the members were professionals, or else nobody would fear them.


    No matter how talented he was, the assassin was pressured by the three geniuses attacking him. Kisuke was holding back his power to the same level as Hanako and Taeko, so they won''t feel he was stronger than them.


    Every time the assassin defended himself, he had to quickly defend a different ce to avoid getting cut, burned, trapped, or sted. He had no time to attack, and slowly as the fight continued, the synchronization between the three improved drastically.


    The assassin found himself being pushed back and being on the losing side very quickly when his opponents improved their teamwork. He had to expand a huge amount of mana to defend himself from the unending barrage of attacks.


    Even worse, his mental power was under a lot of strain. He had to keep up his concentration to the maximum to block in time the attacks that came from different directions and sense Kisuke''s tricky attacks when he covered them with Darkness Mana.


    He also had to concentrate onbining the Fire Mana with the Darkness Mana, and it was also straining his mind.


    He was getting sweaty after a minute of intense fighting. He had to block more than 3 attacks per second on average during this exchange.


    *sh*


    He reacted one millisecond too slow and Hanako''s sword cut through his thigh, sending a stream of water into his bloodstream.


    "Argh!"


    The assassin groaned with pain as he did his best to disengage the three to get a second of rest to purge the water from his blood.


    He jumped away from the three, trying to run away. Earlier he attacked them thinking he could kill three enemy true mages, yet the joke was on him.


    Before he could evennd, a powerful sword strike wasing at his waist, and he had to block Kisuke''s attack to avoid being cut in half.


    He wanted to attack after defending since Kisuke''s spell diminished while his spell was still fine, but a spear came at him from below, trying to impale him.


    He ignored the pain in his thigh and defended himself from Taeko''s attack, and then again, he had to dodge and deflect Hanako''s sword.


    But in the next round, he sensed Kisuke''s attack, but when he tried to turn around and block it, the water in his blood vessels sted, ripping off the arteries in his leg.


    The pain made him slightly slower, and it was all that Kisuke needed to leave another superficial cut on the assassin''s body, hitting his arm.


    The stream of lightning numbed the feeling of his arm, making it feel heavier. In a moment of disaster, the dagger slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "No!"


    He shouted in despair as he saw Taeko''s spear about to pierce his chest. He defended it with his remaining hand, but he could only watch the sword strike that followed.


    Hanako''s sword swiftly imed the assassin''s head, and the three took a step back and breathed heavily while looking at the assassin''s corpse.


    "Good job guys, it was a tough fight."


    Hanako raised a thumb at the two men who smiled in response. Although they didn''t take any hits and werepletely safe, it was still an intense fight that required them to use their full strength. At least that''s what Hanako and Taeko thought.


    *BOOM!*


    While they were catching their breath, a huge explosion came from the center part of the base.


    The three looked at each other and nodded.


    "Let''s head back there and see what''s going on. Kisuke, cover us with Darkness Mana. We will approach the ce carefully and make sure what''s going on from a distance."


    They were already 7 kilometers away from the battle zone and had no idea what was going on there.


    Kisuke nodded and covered them with darkness, making it hard for others to perceive them.


    "I will lead the way; I will avoid enemies until we''re sure our side won this battle."


    Kisuke said and started jogging in the direction of the explosion. The other two jogged right behind him while being careful not to step outside the zone affected by his camouge spell.


    Although Kisuke called it jogging, it was only a term meant to describe the intensity of the activity; they were running at a speed higher than 50 kph (A/N: 31 mph).


    When they got closer, they slowed down their speed to be careful until they started walking.


    "Look, the fight is over. Those are our soldiers; I can recognize some of them. But there are much fewer soldiers than I thought there will be."


    Taeko was socializing with some of the troops while Hanako and Kisuke were busy fooling around in their room, so he knew some of the best soldiers. They were all elite soldiers of the dynasty and were worth knowing.


    ----------


    Five minutes ago:


    "Squads, strike again!"


    The squads that were in charge of destroying the magic circle charged their attacks again. They''ve been at it for 4 minutes now and their attacks consumed over a million of the enemy''s coins.


    They charged their squad spells again and bombarded the magic circle. Overall, around 50% of the assassins were killed, but the soldiers took worse hits, especially the ones at the Advanced Mage Stage.


    *BOOM!*


    After this round of squad spells the result was different, and the whole teau suddenly exploded with a huge fire spell.


    The soldiers defended themselves with mini-team spells. Normally they needed less than half a second to cast a powerful team spell, but now they didn''t have half a second. The explosion was too sudden.


    They weren''t elite soldiers for nothing; they instantly cast the defensive spells as cells of three mages.


    The explosion passed a few secondster and everyone reduced their defenses. Tragically, not everyone managed to survive the explosion.


    The explosion came from a third magic circle that was intertwined with the defensive magic circle and the darkness magic circle.


    As soon as the defensive magic circle crumbled, it used 100,000 charged coins to explode with Fire magic.


    The ones to take the full burn of the explosion were none other than toon 1 who worked together to destroy the magic circles and were the closest to its center. 3 squads were attacking the magic circle and couldn''t defend themselves in time.


    Luckily for them, the other two squads were maintaining defensive squad spells. Although those defenses crumbled under the explosion, they saved half of the toon while the other half got killed or suffered from serious injuries.


    "Damn assassins!"


    The assassins who were still left behind weren''t protected from the explosion. In fact, they had to defend themselves, and none of the advanced mages survived.

 Chapter 152 152 – Wasting The Magis Time

    ?


    "Haha, seems like your subjects paid the price for killing my assassins."


    Sukehiro and The Empress stood in front of each other in the sky. They didn''t really bother fighting since they knew they both weren''t able to injure each other unless they went at it for at least half a day.


    "It''s easier for me to get new soldiers than it''s for you to get new assassins."


    The Empress was right about that; she had a dynasty with billions of people while the Order mainly recruited descendants.


    They got some new blood too, but it was hard to find recruits when having a good affinity with a rare element was the threshold requirement to join. One should also remember that the local empire wanted to nurture such people too, so they hadpetition.


    "Hmph, don''t pretend not to care. Elite soldiers aren''t that easy to find or cheap to nurture."


    "If you say so. Anyway, it''s time for us to leave. Hopefully, I will be able to kill you next time we meet."


    "Good luck with killing me next time, but it''s not time for you to leave yet. We can''t part ways without fighting first."


    Sukehiro smiled at The Empress and drew a long ck sword. It was the famous "ck Onyx" katana that yed thousands of the Order''s enemies. Sukehiro used it to kill 4 magi of the Chijakor Empire, and ording to rumors, he even cut off a leg of a grand magus with it.


    It was a ninth-grade Darkness sword crafted before the Hatred Era, and it was found in ruins by the Assassin Order a few thousand years ago.


    "Why are we wasting time here? We haven''t fought all this time because we know there won''t be a winner even if we fight."


    The Empress frowned upon hearing Sukehiro''s words. The only reason they were floating so far away from the battling mages was because they had to do it to save face.


    It would be awkward if they just stood in the sky without doing anything while their subordinates killed each other, so they chose to pretend they were fighting in the distance.


    "Because I think I improved a little since ourst bout against each other and I want to test whether I can kill you now or not."


    Sukehiro smirked at her and waited for her to draw her sword too. He knew he couldn''t kill her even if he tried to sneak attack her, so there was no reason not to be courteous toward her.


    "Fine, since you want to waste time, I will let you have it your way."


    The Empress drew her sword and faced him. Her sword wasn''t inferior to his one bit; it was also a ninth-grade treasure, a relic from the past.


    Before the fight began, she only needed to do one thing.


    "Soldiers, find intact rooms in the base and use them to rest and recover from your injuries. I wille back when I chase away their vile magus."


    The Empress''s voice was heard by everyone down on the ground in the base.


    "I''m vile? I thought we were old friends. You might hurt my feelings, you know?"


    The two soon charged against each other and engaged in a monstrous fight. The weird thing about their fight was that it waspletely silent,cking the mboyant style of high-level fights. It was the way two Darkness Magi fought each other.


    Unlike what any potential viewer would think, watching their fight was boring; they were invisible most of the time and silent all of it.


    Upon hearing The Empress''s words, the three magi from the dynasty who were fighting the two magi from the Order frowned and exchanged looks. Although they were pressuring the enemy, they couldn''t get a victory, and they knew that the enemy magi could slip away whenever they wanted.


    They found it weird that the enemy didn''t run away after the battle between the mages was over. They felt they were fighting now pointlessly, but they had no choice but to fight back.


    To encourage themselves they thought of the scenario in which the assassins stayed beyond their limit, in which they would have a harder time leavingter.


    -------


    "Everyone, you heard The Empress''s words. Let''s all rest and refresh ourselves so we can be ready to move out when The Empress is back."


    The man in charge shouted to the soldiers and everyone started searching for empty rooms.


    All the princes left the main battle to hunt for escapees, so none of them was present during the moment of the explosion. They also didn''t bother searching for rooms; they just waited for themander to provide them with rooms.


    "Your Highness, I was sent to lead you to your room."


    Two soldiers stood in front of Taeko and Hanako. Each prince got a top floor of a building, and the soldiers made sure toy silencing magic circles to prevent noise from going outside the floors.


    Hanako and Kisuke followed their attender to the floor that was administered to them and entered a bedroom.


    Hanako impatiently grabbed Kisuke''s hand and pulled him after her to one of the bedrooms. The soldiers already made sure everything was clean and even did the bedding.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    As soon as the two entered the room Kisuke saw her starving eyes and gave her a soft kiss on her lips.


    He still didn''t have sex with her after all this time they spent together because he didn''t want to be shackled to her, but on the other hand, everyone already kind of thought they were a couple, so he was already shackled.


    ''Should I go for it and the hell with the consequences? She is pretty and very sincere about having a rtionship with me.''


    "Hanako, I know you want me, but are you willing to leave your current husband and never marry any other man in the future?"


    "I am."


    She said while squeezing his hand in an attempt to show her sincerity. She was in love with Kisuke and being around him during the past week only helped to deepen this feeling.


    She found him considerate and understanding, powerful and independent. Not less importantly, she found him the most handsome man she ever met despite her usual preference for the local features of the Chijakor Empire.


    "Okay."


    He stroked her hair with his hand as he leaned to kiss her again. The two fell on the bed together, still teasing each other with their hands and kissing without a break.


    Kisuke climbed on top of her, sending his hands under her shirt as he started nibbling on her ear. Hanako moaned softly when she felt his hands roaming her body and his breath against her ear.


    The two spent a steamy night together, unaware of the deadly battles that took ce nearby between the magi of the two sides.


    -----------


    After 12 hours of the battle of the 3 magi from the Nikkokuni Dynasty against the 2 magi of the Order, one of the assassins finally got hit once in his leg, shattering his bone.


    "You guys have yed hide and seek with us all day; seems like we are getting familiar with your favorite hiding ces."


    One of the magi from the empire mocked the assassins.


    "Whatever you say. You can only find us because of this Light Magus."


    The two assassins cursed Ichinose in their minds as they kept trying to hide from his Light magic. They only survived so long because they hid instead of attacking, and only came out to send futile ambushes when the magi from the empire tried to retreat to the base.


    "What''s the point of this game? Do you want to die so badly?"


    The irritated magus asked the two assassins who returned to their hiding spot.


    "It''s just so difficult to find a variety of sparring partners at our stage. We had to take this great chance to practice and improve ourselves to prevent our magic from stagnating."


    The magi knew the assassin was speaking nonsense, so he didn''t reply.


    "Since we are too injured to continue, we will take our leave now. Goodbye and enjoy your new base."


    The assassins vanished from where they stood earlier and ran away. Ichinose''s Light magic red out their dark silhouette for a short moment, but it soon disappeared again.


    "We will never catch them if we give chase. Let''s just give up on killing them and go to rest in the base."


    "What about The Empress? Shouldn''t we join hands with her to chase away their leader?"


    "It''s fine, he will leave too since he knows he can''t fight back if the three of us support The Empress. I heard The Empress and that man fought at least a dozen of times by now and there was never a winner, so The Empress isn''t in danger. If she wants us there, we can just wait for her to call us."


    "All right."


    -----------


    Meanwhile, just like the magus predicted, Sukehiro chose to retreat when he got the news that his subordinates escaped from the empire''s magi.


    The Empress got the message about the escape of the two Darkness Magi, and she looked at Sukehiro questionably. They were fighting for too long now and nobody got an edge over the other.


    If her magi came, they''d be able to tilt this battle in her favor, but they''d still be unable to actually kill the man.


    Although she originally didn''t n to kill any magus from the enemy''s side, she would happily kill an eighth-stage magus of the enemy side and plunder a ninth-grade treasure if she had the option.

 Chapter 153 153 – Imperial Tragedy

    The Empress looked at Sukehiro and waited for him to leave. If her magi came, they''d be able to tilt this battle in her favor, so he had no reason to stay.


    "I guess there''s no time for us to continue doing this. It has been fun sparring with you,e again in the future."


    Sukehiro cupped his fist in his palm and left the ce. The Empress knew she wouldn''t be able to find him, so she just returned to the base to rest before the journey back home.


    "Everyone, the vile magi of the Assassin Order have run away with their tails between their legs. Victory is ours!"


    The soldiers'' spirits lifted up when they heard their victory was final. However, there wasn''t the usual celebration of the side that won the battle; everyone mourned the dead. The casualties were far higher than they expected.


    The Empress also felt bugged about it. Sukehiro wasn''t supposed to be there, and there was one more True Magus than they expected.


    Furthermore, the assassins were prepared for their attack. Otherwise, they wouldn''t be grouped together with fully supplied magic circles.


    Although preparing for it didn''t save them, it cost the empire with precious soldiers and the toons'' morale took a heavy hit.


    ''Do we have a mole in our ranks? We kept the number of people in the know to a minimum. If it''s truly a mole it can''t be someone in a very high rank, or else they wouldn''t alert me just to kill a few mages.''


    Although those mages were precious to the empire, The Empress knew nobody would risk exposing their mole if they had ess to a lot of sensitive information.


    The Empress decided to give the toons''manders the instruction to check their forces for spiester.


    "I''m going to rest for 2 hours, and then we will leave back to the capital. Be prepared to leave on time."


    The only ones who heard those words were the 3 magi, the 3 princes, the princess, and Kisuke. As for the troops, they had to remain until the normal forces arrived and took care of the aftermath. As special forces, they had the privilege of leaving this type of job to others.


    She went to the room prepared for her by the soldiers and rested for two hours.


    When the two hours were over, she exited her room and boarded the airship. Nobody dared to dy The Empress, so everyone was waiting for her already aboard. Kisuke and Hanako already boarded it an hour ago, and so did most of the others.


    One True Magus stayed behind to oversee the issue of holding the fort and passing the responsibility to the new troops that were on their way.


    The airship took off and started its 6 hours trip back to the capital. Hanako was still glued to Kisuke the whole time; the beginning of rtionships was always the stickiest part. New couples can''t take their hands off each other in this phase of the rtionship.


    When they neared the capital, The Empress widened her eyes in surprise. She darted through the sky toward the pce grounds with the other 2 magi behind her.


    "WHAT HAPPENED HERE?"


    Her raging voice resounded throughout the whole pce. Everyone felt a sense of dread envelop them; nobody wanted to be the one to give The Empress bad news.


    But luckily for everyone except for one person, there was one woman directly under The Empress, an eighth-stage magus who was in charge of the defense of the pce. The only one who wasn''t happy about it was this woman herself.


    The woman appeared with a gloomy expression in front of The Empress as soon as thetter shouted. As the highest-ranked person in the pce during The Empress''s absence, she had to be the one to report the news.


    She was a tall woman with smooth hair. Golden bangs fell on her forehead, and she tied up her hair at the left side of her head with a scrunchie. Her blue eyes were in a phoenix shape, and her tall stature allowed her to look into The Empress''s eyes without raising her head.


    "Ai, tell me what is going on, and where are my children."


    The Empress couldn''t sense any of her children on the pce grounds. The only ones were those still a few kilometers away on the airship.


    "The Amistrys Empire infiltrated our dynasty and attacked the pce. I was held back by three of their eighth-rank magi, and the other magi were held back as well."


    She reported with a heavy tone. The Empress looked at her in surprise; it was unprecedented in a couple of thousand years. The Nikkokuni Dynasty wasn''t attacked for a very long time.


    "How can they do that without us noticing anything?"


    "They managed to sneak in arge number of Expert Mages disguised as magicians. We don''t know how they achieved it, but they have developed a technology that allows people to suppress their connection to mana and hide their real stage."


    By then the airship alreadynded and the few people onboard left the airship and listened to the conversation.


    "What happened to my children?"


    "Everyone who was here¡­ died. They killed many geniuses of our empire including the children of the imperial family."


    The Empress clenched her teeth in rage when she heard she lost her children. The fourth, fifth, and sixth princes were at their houses on the pce grounds as well as the fourth princess.


    Ai''s words meant that 4 of her children died while she was absent.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''Wait, absent?''


    The Empress realized what was wrong. The attackers were from the Amistrys Empire, the Assassin Order was ready for her attack on them, and the magi of the Order stalled even after the war was already over.


    The Assassin Order kept her and the other 3 magi busy on purpose so the Amistrys Empire can use her absence to attack!


    "Let''s go to the meeting room, I want to know what happened."


    "Mother, should wee with you?"


    "No, you will be given a full reportter, there''s no need for you toe."


    Although it''d be good for her children''s growth to be present in such meetings, she wasn''t in the mood for that.


    In arge meeting room, The Empress, Ai Hasaka, Shirokami, and 5 other True Magi were standing around arge map that wasying on top of a table.


    One of them was themander of the troops in the borders and he was there to report about the breach in their defenses.


    "I want a report about everything that you know."


    The man, Shio Saki, started reporting briefly everything he knew.


    "In the past months, there has been arge rise in the number of merchantsing from the Amistrys Empire. We noticed ittely, but they had arge amount of merchandise. Our spies in the Amistrys Empire heard rumors that a few merchantpanies put their hands on some new resources and have a lot of goods to sell. We thought the tide of the merchants was a result of the new resources grounds in their empire."


    "And those rumors were nothing but a hoax?"


    The Empress asked Shio.


    "Apparently so, yes. We guess now that those rumors were spread on purpose by the Amistrys imperial family to mislead us. Even worse, we believe those merchantpanies belong to the Amistrys imperial family, and now they have many troops roaming in our dynasty."


    "And it seemed it worked perfectly well."


    "Do we know how the Amistrys Empire or the Assassin Order knew we were going to attack that base?"


    "No, but we believe that one or more soldiers are spies of the Amistrys Empire. They started their covert operation when you took off. By the time we found out about it, we couldn''t reach you."


    "The base we attacked had magic jamming magic circles. They prevented mymunication device from picking up any messages from outside the base. I should''ve seen thising when they dyed us there and prevented us from returning."


    "We asked for reinforcements from Xia Dynasty and Minjung Dynasty, but although their magi rushed all the way here, the swift operation was over by the time they arrived. We also don''t know how many other Expert Mages they have in our territories now."


    Shio said with a dejected voice. It was a disaster for their dynasty. They lost a lot of geniuses at once, cutting the future generation of the dynasty.


    "Did you lose any children?"


    "Yes, I lost both my sons."


    "I lost my 3 daughters and my only son."


    The magi all said with gritted teeth and clenched fists as they thought about theirte children. Since affinity and talent were mostly passed gically, the easiest way to target geniuses was to target magi''s children.


    Being the child of a magus was a double-edged sword; on one hand, they enjoyed many benefits as guidance, high status, and a lot of resources. On the other hand, they had a huge target on their heads until they became strong enough to protect themselves.


    "What''s our casualties count?"


    "We lost 26,422 magicians, 8498 True Mages, 6888 Advanced Mages, and 3975 Expert Mages. We killed around 1700 Expert Mages and 2300 Advanced Mages¡­"


    "What are you hesitating to say?"


    "Kyojuro Ren and Gyutaro Daki died."


    "HOW?"


    Kyojuro and Gyutaro were both True Magi and were pirs of the dynasty. Their deaths were a huge loss for the Nikkokuni Dynasty.

 Chapter 154 154 – Surprising Call

    ?


    Kyojuro and Gyutaro were both True Magi and were pirs of the dynasty. Their deaths were a huge loss for the Nikkokuni Dynasty. They were around 600-700 years old and still had a few centuries to live.


    Coupled with the deaths of other 2 magitely at Elizabeth''s hands, the dynasty lost 4 magi in under a year. Every magus had many responsibilities, and the death of four magi at once created a gap in the dynasty''s forces.


    "The enemy''s Expert Mages, disguised as normal merchants,unched an attack simultaneously around the border. Since they all sneaked attack, they killed hundreds of Expert Mages at once, and next massacred the lower stages. Around 60% of our casualties happened on the border."


    "I assume they canceled the magic circles?"


    "Yes. They destroyed them from the inside, and the three of us came to stop them. However, we were held back by 10 True Magi and 3 Grand Magi. At first, we could resist with the help of the magic circles, but after the mages destroyed them, Gyutaro and Kyojuro sacrificed their lives to allow me to escape and warn the pce."


    "What about the other magi of our empire? Did you ask for reinforcements?"


    The Empress could guess the answer but asked anyway.


    "We couldn''t, they had one Darkness Magus that jammed the mana, and it was impossible to send any messages outside. We couldn''t stop him because of the other magi."


    "How many of our potential magi did we lose?"


    Potential magi were mages who were deemed to have the potential to advance to the Magus Phase. Out of the potential magi, only 10% or so would actually be a magus.


    "217 out of the 420 potential magi got killed. It means they killed around 20 future magi. 5 of the dead were Low Elite Humans and one was Intermediate Elite Human."


    Elite humans eventually became magi at least 50% of the time, so they were a great asset that was worth investing in and had much better chances of bing Grand Magi in the future.


    "I see. Everyone, I''m sorry for your loss. Did they break the rules of war?"


    The main rule of war was that magi couldn''t massacre mages and magicians.


    "No. They only used mental pressure on our Expert Mages and trapped them from running away."


    "Damn them. I will take revenge; I will speak to the other dynasties to n it. Did the Assassin Order participate in the attack?"


    The Order was forbidden from participating in wars between empires. If they did, she could recruit the Incan Empire to her side.


    "No."


    She sighed in disappointment. She couldn''t say that her fight with Sukehiro was the Order''s intervening in the war because she was the one to initiate the attack on their base.


    "All right. I want you to check the ID and the real stage of everyone who joined the military and the Imperial Guard in the past year. If anyone seems suspicious, run a background check."


    "Yes, Empress."


    The meeting was over, and everyone dispersed. Everyone was in a heavy mood; they knew there was going to be a war soon. Even as magi they could die in a full-scale war.


    ------------


    Kisuke and Hanako ate lunch together silently. They lost their libido after hearing about the nearing war, and Kisuke was quite upset about Tanjirou''s death. He was in the pce when the attack started and was yed easily as a magician.


    "So it''s only me and my two brothers left in the race to the throne. But first, we need to survive this war."


    Hanako said without much enthusiasm in her voice. She was ying with the food on her te with her chopsticks without eating it.


    "I''m sure we will survive. Isn''t our empire the strongest empire out of the three?"


    "It is, but it''s also the weakest at the same time. We are the strongest because we have the most magi in the continent, but we are the weakest because we are three empires in one. We only help each other when we are in dire straits."


    The Chijakor Empire had 140 magi, and that''s the number on the surface. It was twice the number known in the Amistrys Empire. Because of the rtive strength of the three dynasties, none of them agreed to be one under the other, and they only agreed to cooperate to survive against the other 2 empires.


    There were a few more dynasties in the Chijakor Empire, but the three big ones didn''t take them seriously; they mainly saw them as colonies. Those small dynasties would have to obey theirmands anyway, so it was difficult to see them as independent.


    "What about the Third Princess? I heard she was powerful, why didn''t shee with us to the mission?"


    "My sister is special. Unlike ours, her father lives in the Xia Dynasty. When my mother visited there for a few weeks many years ago, she fell in love with a prince there. When the prince found out that Mother has many husbands, he refused to go with her to Nikkokuni."


    "Why didn''t she agree to give them up like you did for me?"


    "I''m afraid my mother isn''t the romantic type, and that prince wasn''t as important to her as you are to me."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She smiled at him, and they rubbed their knees against each other under the table.


    "She refused to give up the rest of her harem, and the prince remained there. My sister, Kagura, has moved there topete for the throne under Mother''s encouragement. They rarely have an Empress there, and Mom wants her to change it."


    "I see."


    "By the way, there will be a search on everyone who joined the Imperial Guard in the past year, and you will probably be checked too. Apparently, the Amistrys Empire infiltrated our dynasty and there are many spies now. Do you need me to cover for you and prevent them from checking?"


    Hanako asked him in an uncertain voice. She realized that he came out of nowhere. The possibility that he was a spy who was above the third stage when he joined the Imperial Guard was more likely than that amoner became an Intermediate Elite Human with neither guidance nor resources.


    By offering to cover up for him, she meant that he could confess to her if he had to. She will make sure he will be fine as long as he truly bes hers and forgets his origins.


    "It''s okay, Sweetheart. They can check me."


    "Okay, prepare your ID then. Because you''re so close to me they might check your background too. If you change your mind, I just want you to know that you cane to me any time."


    "Don''t worry, I''m fine."


    His n was simple. He could just charm the ones whoe to check his ID if they weren''t magi. As for the background check, his contact from the empire already told him that his fake mother really existed and will be killed to hide his lies if needed.


    If those guys weren''tpletely stupid, then they have already killed her. Since he was covered from all fronts, he didn''t fear an investigation.


    He did feel bad about the old woman''s death, but he didn''t know her and never met her. He was also not the one who killed her, so he could close an eye and pretend he had nothing to do with it.


    ''I''m not the one who killed her, and I never asked someone to kill her. It''s not my fault.''


    He thought to himself and quickly changed the subject.


    "How about we go on a date tonight?"


    Hanako looked at him in surprise. They didn''t do anything other than training ever since they came back and learned of what happened in their absence.


    "Sure, it can be a nice change of pace."


    She wore a happy smile and agreed.


    ----------


    The two lovers came out of a theme park after having fun together. It was quite exquisite; they rode on Kamikaze water slides made and maintained by True Mages.


    The mages there created all kinds of fun rides as slides, hot springs, pools, roller coasters, and obstacle courses. They had fun for 3 hours and never had to wait in line thanks to Hanako''s status as a princess. Her bodyguards made sure of that.


    They dried themselves by making the water float away and went to have dinner in a restaurant in the city.


    "Gale,e meet me in the herbs shop three hundred meters from you to the east."


    Kisuke barely stopped himself from looking around in surprise. It has been a while since he heard his real name, and the owner of this voice was even more surprising. It was none other than his missing mother!


    "Sweetie, I want to buy some herbs for my magic practice. Do you mind if I stop by and buy some?"


    "Why do you need to buy them? We have many at the pce."


    He leaned forward and whispered in her ear, so the bodyguards won''t hear.


    "I don''t want the guards to know I take resources for the Darkness element. I can buy some anonymously here, so it will be much better."


    She thought about it for a moment and nodded.


    "You can go. I will make the guards stay with me. Do you need coins?"


    "No, I''m good. I received arge amount from the pce when I moved in with you."


    They shared a kiss and Kisuke left to meet his mother again.

 Chapter 155 155 – The Truth

    ?


    A few days ago:


    In the throne hall, a white-haired old man kneeled in front of the Empress. His name was Ichiro Netero, and he was one of the oldest magi in Nikkokuni. In fact, he was 920 years old and only had a few decades to live.


    His head was bald except for a white ponytail on the top of his head, surrounded by a shiny scalp. Hisrge earlobes were even more eye-catching than his untypical haircut, and his thick white beard hid the lower half of his face.


    "Ichiro, do you mind risking your life for Nikkokuni?"


    "I don''t. My time is nearing, and I have no hope of breaking into the eighth stage. How may I serve you, Empress?"


    "You must have heard of the magus woman who has been causing trouble in our dynastytely."


    "I have. She even killed two of our magi."


    "Indeed. She''s an Intermediate Elite human; normal magi will have a hard time facing her."


    "What about her? I''m afraid I can''t defeat such a woman myself."


    "You can''t. However, there''s a better solution. I once took an oath not to talk about it to anyone I don''t trustpletely, but you''re such a person. I also must make you take an oath not to spread it with an oath scroll equal to your stage."


    "I will take the oath then."


    Ichiro took the oath not to spread this information to others, and The Empress started speaking again.


    "A century ago, we had a spy in the Amistrys Empire. He was a magus who was oppressed by the imperial family, and he wanted freedom. One day, the Amistrys Empire gave him a mission in exchange for more power and freedom."


    "Did he betray us?"


    "No, it was toote for him. I could expose him any time I wanted. But I didn''t want to take any risks, so I gave him onest mission before he could cross the borders and live here."


    "What were those two missions?"


    "The Amistrys Empire gave him a mission to kill an Intermediate Elite Human who rosetely in their empire. She was young and powerful, brimming with potential. Her only downside was that she loved a man outside of the imperial family and refused to get married to one of the princes."


    "Their imperial family likes to hog the power, don''t they?"


    "They do. This downside was enough for them to decide to eliminate her. She is the same woman who wreaks havoc in our dynasty. The mission I gave him was to poison the best 9 Potential Magi of the Amistrys Empire along with the target. They were 8 Lower Elite Humans and 1 was an Intermediate Elite Human from the imperial family itself."


    "I remember this incident. I guess he did it then."


    "He did it, and their imperial family chased him, but he managed to arrive at our borders. In exchange for not opening a war against us, they demanded we won''t tell a soul about the fact they wanted to kill their own genius."


    "Why did it matter to them?"


    "Because the nobles would riot. They would find out that the imperial family kills their descendants if they were too promising in its eyes."


    "We agreed, and that brings us to our present situation. I''m tired of having this woman as my problem; I want her to be their problem."


    "I see. Consider it done."


    He bowed and left the throne hall under The Empress''s gaze.


    "I will reward your descendants for your merits."


    --------


    After giving Hanako a kiss, Kisuke turned in the direction his mother told him and went to the herbs shop. 300 meters weren''t much for a mage, especially not him, so he just dashed there and got there in a couple of seconds.


    Kisuke entered the shop and saw it empty of customers, with only a shop attendant at the counter.


    "She is in the back."


    The old woman behind the counter pointed to a door and Kisuke opened it and went inside. He saw a womanying on a bed with bandages wrapped around her waist. The bandages had a strong scent of powerful herbs and there were a few empty bottles of potions on the floor.


    "Mother? Are you injured?"


    Kisuke rushed to her side and dropped to his knees as he held Elizabeth''s hand.


    "It''s ok. I''m injured, but I should be fine within a few months. I''ve plundered enough rich elite families in Nikkokuni to cover my treatment."


    "What happened? How did you get injured?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Nikkokuni''s mages are on their toes now because of what happenedtely. When I was on my way to another target, they ambushed me and injured me."


    "And how did you know I was here?"


    "I saw you with the Sixth Prince in the forest some time ago. I wanted to kill him, but I saw you had your own ns for him, so I left."


    "But why are you hiding inside the imperial capital? It''s too dangerous for you!"


    The imperial capital had the highest concentration of magi, it was the worst ce for a fugitive to hide in.


    "It''s fine, I have my device. What level does it seem that I am to you?"


    Kisuke didn''t even pay attention to it earlier since he knew his mother''s real stage, but now that he looked, he realized he could only sense the power of a second-stage magician from her.


    "So it''s true, you really had a better version of the artifact you sent to the empire."


    "Indeed, but it''s not really the reason I''m so confident about being here. The ambushers were 3 magi, and one of them was a Grand Magus. One of the True Magi, an old man, told me something and provided me proof."


    "What did he tell you?"


    "Have you heard about how your father died?"


    "Yes, he drank the poison that was meant for you when a traitor magus tried to kill many geniuses of the empire."


    "That''s true, but only half of the story. The other half of the story was that the Amistrys Empire paid him to kill me, but as a traitor, he had onest job from the Nikkokuni Dynasty to kill some geniuses."


    "Are you saying that Amistrys Empire tried to kill you? How is it possible? You are the only living Intermediate Elite Human, you''re their strongest weapon and shield!"


    Elizabeth scoffed at his words.


    "The only one? who told you that?"


    "Calig, the former emperor. He said you are the only one who achieved that in the past millennium."


    "And you believed him? The imperial family hides their strength, but I know they have a few Intermediate Elite Humans. Calig is one himself. There are nobles who managed to nurture their children to be Lower Elite Humans, so, of course, the royal family achieved greater things."


    "Does it mean they''re after your life?"


    "You can say that. When I left the empire and went to live in a kingdom, they left me alone as they believed my magic will be stagnant without resources, but I still managed to get to the seventh stage. They didn''t want to attack me back then out of worry the nobles will notice something was wrong."


    Kisuke realized that he was in a tight spot. All the Amistrys Empire had to do now was give away his identity and he will be executed by the Nikkokuni dynasty.


    "What are we going to do then?"


    "Take this, it''s theplete artifact, the same as the one I''m using. By using it you can hide your stage, and nobody will find out. We can''t attack Amistrys Empire right now because they have Lena and Donne."


    "Calig told me that Lena disappeared inside ruins from the Hatred Era."


    Elizabeth frowned upon hearing it. She thought about it for a moment before answering.


    "They either killed her or something happened inside the ruins. We can''t act on it for now."


    "Are you going to turn yourself in for Donne?"


    "Of course not. They might have Donne as their hostage, but I have their whole empire as a hostage. I''m a magus that cane and go as I wish, they won''t dare make a move on Donne''s life."


    "What about your parents?"


    "My family gave up on us when I was weaker than them. Now, I''m stronger and I''m giving up on them. Since they made their choice to abandon me if I go with my lover back then, they can''t expect me to care whether they live or die."


    "All right, that''s your choice. I have to run away from the pce myself, I can''t remain there. I doubt they covered my tracks if they want us dead, and my background will be revealed soon even if they don''t give away information about me."


    "Do as you think but be careful. The earlier you can be a magus the earlier we can rescue Donne. He probably has a seventh-stage magus keeping an eye on him all the time now. When Donne is safe, I will publish the information about the empire killing talented children to make the nobles revolt."


    "All right, I need to go now, Hanako is waiting for me outside. I will just buy some herbs from the shop so she won''t suspect me."


    Kisuke kissed his mother on her cheek before saying goodbye and going out. He purchased all the herbs with Darkness attributes in the shop and returned to Hanako.


    "It took you a long time, did you get what you needed?"

 Chapter 156 156 – Coming Clean

    ?


    Kisuke and Hanako held hands again and returned to the pce.


    "It took you a long time, did you get what you needed?"


    "Yes, I have enough resources to train for a while. The shop was just kind of messy and I had to waste time searching for the herbs."


    Kisuke was making ns for his escape while he nodded and hummed absentmindedly whenever Hanako talked to him.


    "Kisuke, are you okay? I feel like you aren''t listening to me."


    Hanako pulled his hand gently, bringing his attention back to her. Surprised, he looked at her and patted the back of her palm with his hand.


    "I''m okay, don''t worry. We will have a conversation about it when we return to the pce."


    ''Should I just charm her and use her to save myself? Should I trust her instead?''


    Kisuke thought to himself while considering his options. Charming the princess would be an easy way out, but it would be betraying her trust. She even offered him help if he was a spy, he just wasn''t sure if this offer extended to the possibility that he was Elizabeth''s son.


    ''I can assume that the Amistrys Empire was sure they could get me killed here any time by simply telling The Empress that I was a spy. On the other hand, I''m sure they never expected me to have a rtionship with the princess. Now that she is the only princess other than the Third Princess, her word has even more weight.''


    The Amistrys Empire would never think he could get involved with the princess because of two reasons. The first was that it''s not that easy to date a princess, and the second was that they always liked the local features, and Kisuke looked like a foreigner.


    He was weighing his options. With the new device he got from his mother, he could try to escape to another dynasty. However, he didn''t want to move; he liked what he had with Hanako.


    ''Lena and Mother would tell me to run away and stay safe, but I think it can be a great chance. After all, why would The Empress deny a Higher Ruler Human? I could be her dynasty''s greatest weapon and shield if I marry Hanako.''


    After thinking about it he decided to give it a try and talk it out with Hanako and see her response. Although he created huge losses to the dynasty by reporting the attack on the Order''s base to his home empire, he believed that just having him on their side was more than enough to make up for the losses.


    "Hanako, let''s talk alone when we are home."


    "Okay."


    ---------


    "Honey, I want to tell you something about me."


    "Of course, what is it?"


    Kisuke and Hanako were sitting on their knees in front of each other in Hanako''s house. Magic circles and Kisuke''s Darkness spell made sure nobody was listening.


    "It''s as you suspected; I really am from the Amistrys Empire."


    "I see. Why did you change your mind now? You didn''t want to tell me the other day."


    Kisuke looked straight into her eyes and held her palm in his.


    "I thought about it and realized that I don''t want to part with you. I want to remain here in Nikkokuni by your side."


    He rubbed the back of her palms with his thumbs as he came clean and told her the truth about himself. He then remained silent and waited a few seconds for her response.


    "I want to be by your side as well. So you were at the fourth stage since the beginning? And is 21 your true age or the artifact can change that too?"


    She felt shy after her first sentence and started blurting out the questions that came up to her mind awkwardly. Kisuke enjoyed looking at her averting her eyes from his gaze.


    "I am 21, but I will turn 22 in two months."


    "And your stage? Could it be that you advanced beforeing and the truth is that you''re a Higher Elite Human?!"


    Her eyes were full of hope when she asked it. With a Higher Elite Human powerhouse by her side, she would have equal strength to Kagura whom her mother favored because of her potential. The best part was that Kagura didn''tpete for Nikkokuni''s throne.


    "I wasn''t at the fourth stage when I came here."


    "Oh. Intermediate Elite Human is still amazing. It''s a huge loss for the Amistrys Empire."


    Kisuke smiled at her. She didn''t seed in hiding her disappointmentpletely, but he knew she still loved him regardless. He didn''t n to hide his real status from her, he just enjoyed showing off.


    "No, you''re getting it wrong. I was an Advanced Mage when I entered the borders and joined the Imperial Guard. I''m a Ruler Human."


    He chose not to reveal hisplete status and let her misunderstand that he was a Lower Ruler Human for now. It would create arger impact if he dropped the bombter when needed.


    He didn''t n to hide it from her; it waspletely pointless to hide it when basically everyone important in Amistrys Empire knew about it. Sooner orter, Nikkokuni Dynasty will find out about it as well.


    "Ruler Human!"


    She widened her eyes in surprise, and Kisuke enjoyed every moment of it.


    "Honey, does it mean I can stay with you safely?"


    "Of course. You can hide while I speak to my mother. I wille to find you once she gives me her approval."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He was genuinely happy that she didn''t hesitate to promise to make sure everything will go smoothly, and even send him into hiding until it was sorted out just in case. It showed him how much she cared.


    "Wait¡­ there''s one more thing you should know first."


    She looked at him attentively before guessing what it was about.


    "Are you the one who reported our attack on the Assassin''s Order to Amistrys Empire?"


    "Oh, right. There are two more things you should know first."


    He forced out a smile when she reminded him of another problem.


    "There''s more?!"


    "Yes. Do you know about the woman who killed 2 magi and some geniuses of the dynasty?"


    "Yes, what does it have to do with you?"


    Kisuke squeezed her hand and exined.


    "You see, she''s my mother."


    Hanako gaped at him when she heard that statement. He kept dropping bombs on her which only made the situation moreplicated.


    "Mother¡­ as in mother and son?"


    She asked hesitantly with a slight hope that those words could be interpreted in a different way that she didn''t know of.


    "Yes, as in she is my mother and I''m her son. Do you think it''s going to be a problem?"


    "Ahm, no, no. Doesn''t it mean that if we take you in, we will solve the problem of her attacks? She might even join us. We just need to make sure you hide really well, you know, just in case."


    She stroked his arm with a mirthless smile. Hanako''s mind was racing as she starteding up with ways to convince her mother that marrying someone who was only second to his mother in the amount of damage he inflicted on the dynasty.


    "Honey¡­? You''re stroking too hard."


    Luckily it was only his arm, but it was still starting to get painful. Hanako woke up from her reveries and pulled back her hand.


    "Is there anything else I should know before we start making ns?"


    "Yes. I''m not just a Ruler Human. I''m a Higher Ruler Human. I had contact with mana for the first time when I was 19."


    "Is this real?"


    She shouted as her voice was filled with excitement. It would make her mother even less willing to kill Kisuke instead of recruiting him. She believed that the fact he came to her and confessed instead of running away will help her showcase his love to her.


    "It''s real."


    "Why didn''t you say so earlier?"


    "Wasn''t the impact much better by telling you in parts?"


    She pouted cutely and conjured a water ball above his head. He could dodge or block, but he figured he had iting, so he let itnd.


    "I guess you have a point."


    She was appeased by his heroic sacrifice and admitted it was a good strategy. She nned to imnt it when she spoke to The Empresster. She watched him control the water and make it float away from his clothes and evaporate it with fire.


    "But Kisuke, I have one more question before we n our next move."


    "Ask away."


    Kisuke fixed his sitting position and listened earnestly, eliciting a smile from Hanako.


    "In the future, you will be much stronger than me. I won''t be able to hold a candle to you if wepare our power as magi."


    "It''s fine, why are you worrying about it? If I''m stronger than you, I will make sure you will be safe and sound forever."


    She ced her palm on his cheek before proceeding with her question.


    "That''s not what I''m worried about. When that happens, nothing will be able to stop you from doing anything you want. Even imperial families don''t have Ruler Humans, let alone a Higher Ruler Human."


    "Doesn''t it mean that your reign will be safe and peaceful?"


    "It does. But it also means that you can marry another wife whenever you want, and I will not be able to do anything about it. My whole authority wille from your power since you will be the strongest and the emperor. Can I trust you to never have any other woman?"

 Chapter 157 157 – A Conversation Between Four Gods

    ?


    In a faraway pce:


    "What do you think your inheritor is going to do?"


    "I know what I would do in his ce. I would use the princess to get stronger, absorb her power, and leave to find better sources of power once she''s useless. I''m sure he will do the same."


    "Not everyone is a degenerate like you."


    There were 4 gods in that throne room. The first one to talk was an angelic woman with white hair and red shining eyes. One look at her, and anyone would be willing to sacrifice his life to serve her.


    Shirane''s long hair was smoothly falling behind her back like a waterfall, and her well-endowed proportions could be easily seen through the curves in her long white dress.


    She spoke to a man with a blurred face, yet she saw his true form before. Despite disliking him, she had no problem admitting he was as beautiful as the word beautiful could go.


    "No, Shiraze. All living beings are greedy for power and longevity. Didn''t he already bend his moral code plenty of time for the sake of his pursuit of power? He killed so many people he didn''t even know, all for the sake of benefits."


    The God of Charm replied to the hateful ck-haired goddess who always badmouthed him. He only entertained their presence because even he couldn''t reject Shirane''s requests.


    The gods were the embodiments of theirws, and when the Goddess of Purity asked for something, it was nearly impossible to say no. As the God of Charm, he enjoyed a simr effect on people, and everyone hated him for abusing it.


    The difference was that Shirane never abused her powers; she was pure. If she did abuse her powers, she wouldn''t be pure anymore.


    "Come on you guys. Can''t we just watch the drama show peacefully? I personally think he will say yes; she has been sincere with him, and he obviously developed feelings for her in the past few weeks."


    Those 4 gods were watching Galeing clean in front of Hanako. They didn''t have a problem both watching and talking at the same time; they were doing many things simultaneously.


    "You''re just a devil, why are you even here?"


    The devil god felt a strong pressure enveloping him, tainting hisw with hatred. He opened his eyes in fear and tried to get away from the Goddess of Hatred in front of him.


    "Enough, Shiraze. You''re a guest in my pce, you can''t act willfully here."


    A strong power of love canceled her hatred and saved the devil from his misery. The devil took a breath in relief and shook his head.


    "You were much better when you still had your pink hair. But no matter, I''m still willing to marry you."


    The devil said with a lewd smile as he ogled Shiraze''s voluptuous curves with lust.


    "Hmph, I''ve already lost once to the Devil of Lust. However, nobody can seduce me ever again, especially not a simple toy of the real Devil of Lust."


    Shiraze snorted and ignored his stares. Although this body was her true form, she wasn''t bothered by a being she considered to be lesser. Just like a human female wouldn''t be bothered by a dog seeing her naked, Shiraze didn''t care about the Devil of Lust.


    "I''m nobody''s toy. I''m Ashmedai, the one and only Devil of Lust!"


    Ashmedai said with rage when he was mocked by Shiraze but didn''t get any response. Those two goddesses were younger than him, yet they were both beyond his league.


    "Well, I wonder what you can be next when you also lose your Hatredw. Will it change your hair''s color again?"


    He mocked her back, touching a sensitive subject. Until around 10,000 years ago, Shiraze was still the Goddess of Love.


    She and Shirane were considered the fairies of the God Realm. They came out of nowhere and outdid the former gods, bing the youngest gods in the whole realm.


    However, the previous Devil of Lust managed to seduce Shiraze, the Goddess of Love. At the time, everyone loved Shiraze, and nobody could have any thoughts of hurting her. After all, just being near her would make anyone''s feelings overflow with love.


    However, the previous Devil of Lust seeded in ignoring his feelings of love. He loved many women in the past and betrayed them all; he didn''t hesitate to betray yet another love. At least, he could resist this hesitation.


    Shiraze fell in love with the Devil of Lust, and the two turned into lovers. The devil used his special powers of lust, stealing his sex partner''s magic. Thew of love was a great supplement to thew of lust. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    That fateful day 10,000 years ago, the Goddess of Love has fallen, and herw was stolen by the Devil of Lust. With the twows, the devil became a god, and his neww was Charm. Nowadays he was known as the God of Charm.


    "I could always be the Devil of Lust instead of you. You know how good I am at iming others''ws."


    Shiraze said with a contemptuous tone. When she became the Goddess of Love, there was already another God of Love at the time. She surpassed him and became thew of Love, making him lose his godhood.


    It was the same thing when she became the Goddess of Hatred; she surpassed the former goddess and made her lose her godhood too.


    "Nobody can surpass my sister; her hatred is pure. Ashmedai, you shouldn''t involve yourself in troubles you can''t handle. All Shiraze was saying was that you became the Devil of Lust only after the role was empty."


    Shirane spoke after a while. As the Goddess of Purity, she was immune to all types of sins and effects. Nearly every devil coveted herw, as it would make them much stronger, yet nobody could affect her in the slightest.


    Even the God of Charm, who could ignore his feelings and harm even the Goddess of Love, couldn''t charm Shirane.


    When the God of Charm became who he was today, thew of Lust was freed to the next Semi-god closest to defining thew of Lust, and Ashmedai was the man. However, the God of Charm didn''t dare to let thew of Love be freed.


    If he did, Shiraze would im it back instantly, and at that time, all her admirers would work together to bring him down. Even to this very day, he couldn''t make thew of Love as strong as Shiraze made it at the time.


    "Fine. Don''t get too excited,st time you brought an era of war to all worlds with your hatred. What do they call this era in Gale''s world again?"


    "The Hatred Era. War engulfed the whole continent and everyone''s magic regressed."


    "What about their Semi-gods?"


    "They have a few sleeping ones. They weren''t spared and even the Semi-gods couldn''t resist the deep hatred. When they started fighting, it tainted theirws, and they all became gravely injured."


    Shirane exined patiently to the devil as he asked her questions about that era. That era was nearly vacant of lust until he finally ascended to the status of Devil of Lust.


    However, when Shiraze lost herw of Love, her hatred surged, and all her love turned into hatred. Her hatred toward the God of Charm surpassed the hatred of the former Goddess of Hatred.


    The Goddess of Love, famous for her colorful pink hair, turned into the ck-haired Goddess of Hatred. ording to the legend, it would be enough for a person to see her lush pink hair for losing control and offering their life as a dowry.


    The universe couldn''t handle the sudden increase of thew of Hatred, and a tide of hatred washed all worlds, bringing an era of chaos and war everywhere. Only a thousand yearster, Shirane''s purity managed to calm down Shiraze''s hatred.


    Shirane even used her purity to enhance thew of Love in the God of Charm''s hands. She had no choice other than to help him if she didn''t want entire worlds to sink intoplete chaos and endless murder.


    "Anyway, I''ve always been intrigued about it. Howe you spend so much time around the God of Charm if you hate him so much?"


    Ashmedai turned to Shiraze and asked with a curious tone.


    "He''s too strong to be killed, so I can''t take revenge for now."


    The God of Charm just snorted when he heard her answer. He knew her true reason, but he knew she will fail.


    "She hopes to taint myws with hatred. As the God of Love, I''m not allowed to feel strong hatred toward anything, or someone might surpass myw."


    The God of Charm exined to the devil while looking mockingly at Shiraze who hoped to bring him down. Unfortunately, her sister couldn''t help her in her battle. The Goddess of Purity was too pure, and her essence of being prevented her from harming others.


    "Someone will eventually surpass you anyway. I just need to find the ones with potential before you do."


    There was a race between the God of Charm and his enemies. Whenever a powerful Semi-god of Love was discovered, they''d race to find them. So far, the God of Charm was always the winner in thispetition, and those semi-gods got killed.


    "By the way, Shirane. Gale isn''t my inheritor; I will kill him once he proves my point."


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