CH 21.1

as ablaze with scarlet hues and bursts of brilliant light. The towering black monolith that had rent the heavens into shreds was now naught but a smoldering heap of ash and cinder. Those fortunate enough to witness the cataclysmic event were awestruck, recounting the tale with bated breath. Ever since the mysterious tower’s appearance, people had been enthralled with the notion of a sorcerer who had swooped in to save the day. They sang praises, bestowed reverence, and even worshiped these magicians as agents of the divine.

At the mere sight of a robed figure, the masses would kneel in gratitude, marking the dawn of the age of wizards. With the advent of these mystical beings, the reign of the knights was greatly diminished, their dominance waning with each passing day.

Meanwhile, the nobility whispered rumors of a different ilk, their tongues wagging in hushed tones.

“Do you mean to say that Her Majesty single-handedly destroyed the tower?” one noblewoman asked incredulously.

“By the gods, are you implying that the Empress is a wizard herself?” another chimed in, aghast at the thought. “She flew into the sky and obliterated the tower with her own two hands. What madness is this?”

“I know, right?” a third nobleman interjected. “Could it have been destroyed before the tower even touched the ground? And what does that make her? A striker, perhaps?”

“Hmm,” murmured yet another. The Duke of Despone is undoubtedly attempting to enslave the Empress. But to think that she destroyed the tower all on her own! Is her class not higher than that of Lennox Poitiers?

“Strange indeed,” agreed the first noblewoman. “And what if the Empress were to accept Duke Despone’s offer? To be subservient to a group that includes Diane Poitiers’ brother, Lennox Poitiers… what would that entail for their relationship?”

“What relationship?” spat another. “It’s nothing but rubbish.”

“Be wary of your words,” the scorned nobleman warned, clearing his throat awkwardly.

“By the way,” he continued after a beat of silence.

“…Yes?” prompted another.

“Why would Gottrov send a princess, one who is rumored to be a wizard at that, to Ehmont? And with just blood ties to support her, no less?”

The group fell into a contemplative silence, mulling over the question at hand.

“From what I’ve heard,” one finally spoke up, “she’s the rightful princess.”

“That may be so,” another countered, “but they say that Gottrov is the Empress Dowager. It’s quite possible that the mother and daughter had a tumultuous relationship. Bloodlines are of little import when it comes to matters of power.”

“Watch your words!” chided a third nobleman, his tone fraught with caution.

“Keah hmm hmm,” the scorned nobleman replied with a shrug, his words dripping with unspoken disdain.

*******

The warm gusts of late summer wind stirred the air, carrying with them a handful of leaves that had prematurely shed from the trees of autumn. They swirled and twirled, eventually finding their way to rest on a stem and a leaf. Lionel pushed back the locks that obscured his eyes and gazed up at the clear blue sky. The memory of the fiery red hue that had adorned the heavens mere moments ago felt like a distant dream. Was it reasonable for him to feel disheartened at a time when the relief and elation of those who had escaped disaster should have been rippling through the air? He couldn’t help but wonder. But try as he might, he couldn’t shake off the heaviness that weighed on his heart. It had only been a few hours since he had contemplated how much longer he could endure in the fiery inferno of hell. Yet, amidst the black calamity, the Empress had looked up and spoken in a light, carefree tone.

‘It’s level 4, which is close to level 5, so I don’t have to wait.’

Her words echoed in his mind, crystal clear as if etched onto his brain. Lionel had tried to catch her as she fell, but all he had felt was the weight of her thin, fragile shoulders in his palms before her powerful magic had pushed him away.

In Ehmont, magicians were an enigmatic and elusive presence, even beyond the reach of the Minister of Defense. They guarded their secrets and moved in the shadows. This was the first time Lionel had ever felt the raw power of magic, and he replayed the scene over and over again in his mind. Looking up at the collapsing tower, he had opened his arms to catch the descending Empress. The sight of her was more overwhelming than any disaster he had ever witnessed: flames that poured like molten gold, eyes that glinted with a fierce light that surpassed even the fire, and black hair that cascaded down like a waterfall.

‘Anyway, thank you for your help. And for yesterday’s work.’

Her low, laughter-filled voice had tickled his ears, and Lionel had shaken his head slightly to clear it.

“Young master!”

It was only the butler’s call that had pulled him out of his reverie. Lionel had arrived at the entrance of Baldr’s residence without even realizing it, handing over his horse to the attendant and hurrying towards Theseus’s office.

Meanwhile, Duke Despone had rushed to the magician’s official residence and burst through the door.

“Lenox!”

At the sound of the Duke’s voice, Lennox Poitiers quickly emerged.

“Your Excellency, the Duke!”

Once they were both inside the headmaster’s office and the door had been firmly shut, Duke Despone turned to Lennox and spoke in a hushed and urgent tone.

“The Empress is a wizard?”

His face betrayed his anxiety and displeasure at encountering an unexpected twist.

Lennox simply nodded.

“That’s correct.”

“Is it true that she destroyed the tower alone, without any other wizard’s help?”

Lennox hesitated for a moment before replying.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Duke Despone frowned and took a step back. He buried himself in the comfort of the sofa and folded his hands together, his mind working furiously to calculate the implications of this newfound knowledge. How long he sat there like that, brow furrowed and head tilted to one side, was anyone’s guess. But eventually, he spoke again.

“The Empress is a wizard.”

Lennox strolled through the rose garden, basking in his own self-importance, when he caught sight of the tower engulfed in flames. His confident demeanor shattered in an instant as he watched the tower collapse before his eyes. And then the impossible happened – the one who had single-handedly destroyed the tower was none other than the Empress herself. Lennox was taken aback; he had never imagined that the empress, who had been married off to the emperor as if she were a mere pawn, would turn out to be a wizard, let alone a striker. It was a revelation that would have caught even the emperor off guard.

“Truly remarkable… you are a great talent. The Empress Gottrov neglected to mention something rather important.” Duke Despone’s voice was cold and grim, his long platinum hair sweeping across his face.

Lennox couldn’t shake off the ominous feeling that crept up his spine, causing goosebumps to form on his skin and beads of sweat to run down his back. Something told him that this was just the beginning of an unpredictable and perilous journey.