As we navigated the seemingly endless corridors leading to the Duke's office, I couldn't help but feel unfamiliarity and confusion wash over me. A part of me wanted to shout, "Finally, I'm out!" but considering the delicate situation I was in, I decided to temper my excitement. Being born into nobility came with its fair share of restrictions, and the notion of truly reveling in my freedom was distant, almost elusive. Having been confined to these walls for so long had taken a toll on my confidence. Never before had I felt the world threatening to swallow me whole with every door that opened, except... well, perhaps a time or two in the past. But those were memories I'd rather not dwell on. And now, here I was, approaching the entrance to the Duke's office. Nana gave me a reassuring nod before knocking on the door. "Come in," came a gentle, yet unmistakably authoritative voice from within, just a few seconds after the knock. "Yes, Your Grace," Nana responded, her tone respectf
The GEM-sensor not only detected the presence of energy fluctuations in individuals, but also provided an estimate of their strength, albeit with a margin of error. It offered a basic measurement to work with. As the boy approached our vicinity, the intensity of the light emitted by the crystal oscillator grew brighter, and as he moved away from me towards the duke, it gradually dimmed. I considered myself fortunate, or rather, I acknowledged that it was thanks to Lord Roman's meticulous adjustments to the sensor arrays. If he had not replicated and improved upon Evandor's innovative design, I wouldn't have been able to capture the boy's energy signature so swiftly, without undoing my stealth measures and risking exposure. Carefully concealing the device back in my storage ring, I shifted my gaze towards the boy, blending in with the others. The boy exchanged greetings with his father, who avoided making eye contact throughout their conversation. What caught my attention, however,
The air around her began to ripple—no, I corrected myself—it was the mana. The mana around her behaved in a way that could only be described as rippling. I could sense it, but it wasn't strong enough for me to be absolutely certain of what was happening. Suddenly, a veil seemed to lift from my eyes, and my senses sharpened. What I was experiencing wasn't a misconception, it was the truth. Apart from the ring on her index finger, I saw no other physical objects in her empty palms. Finding it rather amusing, I gave in to my heightened senses, holding back a chuckle at how I was indulging my curiosity and senses today. I allowed my senses to take over, and the world around me transformed. Seeing the world through my senses felt like finally finding that melody that had always been on the tip of my tongue. It was an entirely new experience. However, for some reason—perhaps because it was my first time surrendering to my senses—I felt incomplete. But apart from that lingering feeling
After the short but amusing introduction with Lady Loza, the atmosphere in the room shifted to one of seriousness. Shortly after, Duke Roman introduced us to the seemingly plain middle-aged woman. However, it turned out that she was no ordinary woman but an esteemed instructor from a prestigious academy—Vagratas Academy. Vagratas Academy, an institution hailed as one of the most exalted sanctuaries for any of the would-be-mages who possessed both the necessary background and talent to enter. While there were other academies scattered throughout the Dominion of Medalia, the gap between those second-rate institutions and Vagratas Academy was insurmountable. That was the kind of titan Vagratas Academy was. Those who qualified to graduate from this academy were guaranteed a prosperous future and life. It was rumored that the top graduates could even become honored guards, instructors, or military leaders for influential families. Some choose to focus on research by joining mage guilds
"What are you waiting for?" she asked, her voice hinting at her anticipation. "Um... where are the target dummies?" I asked in return, feeling confused and unsure where to start. She let out a short laugh. "My apologies, I forgot this is your first demonstration, Yon," she said, clearing her throat. "But this is not that type of demonstration." "Then..." I started, curious about what she had in mind, but she interrupted me before I could finish my question. "If it were a matter of target dummies, I wouldn't have come here personally. Why go for the egg when you can go for the chicken, am I right?" She held up a finger, signaling me to stop from any further inquiries. "Now, surprise me!" she declared. Taking her words as my cue, I sprinted towards her, running straight like an arrow, and quickly conjured a dazzling orb of light in my palm. Without hesitation, I tossed the orb into the air. It soared through the courtyard, casting its brilliance and distracting the instructor. S
As the darkness spell erupted out of my control, it spread rapidly across the courtyard. Instructor Cherin reacted instantly, dropping into a low stance and slamming her hands onto the ground. "Earthen Shield, rise!" she commanded. Stone and sediment exploded upwards all around her in concentric circles, forming a dense stone dome just as the darkness magic arrived. I began to pant heavily, struggling to contain the spell but failing. However, I remained unharmed because the spell bore my own mana signature. **** Inside the dome, Cherin grit her teeth against the oppressive force pushing against her shields. The young boy's power was apparent, but untamed. She drew more deeply on her own reservoir of mana. Cracks began to appear in the stone, the darkness seeping through like ink. Yon stared in horror, realizing too late the magnitude of his mistake. But Cherin held on strong. "By the earth that yields and the stone that stands, I command - halt-malinah!" Her voice echoed with
Why does it feel like this is not the first time he has ignored me? Doesn't the boy realize that instructors from the Central Dominion are treated as elites? In any other circumstance, I would have had him and his family executed. In all the other dominions I've traveled to, I have been treated with the utmost respect, cared for and revered. I had forgotten what it feels like to be ignored like this. It reminds me of the day I met Lord Roman, the man who changed my perspective on the world. Who would have thought that these feelings and memories would resurface in this way? Calm down, Cherin. You've let yourself be carried away ever since you met that boy. You spent only a short time with him, and yet you allowed your emotions to override your self-control. Take a deep breath and accept it. You have just been ignored by a country boy. Listening to my own advice, I took a deep breath, raised both my hands, and slapped my cheeks to snap myself out of it. The heat rose in my face, and I
Without looking back, I headed to my room, one hand using the wall as support while the other pressed down on my solar plexus. Is something wrong with my mana core? Cold sweat beaded down my face as the gripping pain became more intense. By the time I reached my room, I curled into a ball on the floor, unable to reach my bed. My fear and worry grew alongside the pain, until a thought crossed my mind. Sending a pulse of mana into my core, I shifted my focus away from the pain and directed it inward. Almost instinctively, I began drawing in mana from the surrounding atmosphere, much like an infant reaching for its mother's milk. Throb-throb-! As if guided by some mystical force, my breath fell into perfect synchronization with the mesmerizing pulse of the sphere within me. Throb-throb-! Driven by an innate impulse, the rhythm of my breath effortlessly harmonized with the undulations of my radiant sphere... my mana core. I was now face to face with a radiant yellow sun. My mana c