Chapter 17: [Duchy of Inferna] [8] Archmage Evelyn
A new day had brought with it new routines.
As usual, after a quiet yet tense breakfast with the Duke and his family, I was dragged to the training grounds by Iris’s seemingly inexhaustible energy.
The sun, despite the early hour, had already begun its ascent, evaporating the dewdrops on the grass. Elara was waiting for us, her posture as calm and dignified as ever.
I took my training sword and, at the very moment I took my first step toward Elara, the air around me suddenly thickened.
A violent gust of wind, an invisible hand I could not resist, gripped me and lifted my feet from the ground. In the blink of an eye, I was airborne, rising uncontrollably.
The wind began to pull me away from the training grounds, swiftly drawing me toward the dense forest that surrounded the Duchy’s lands.
I couldn’t make sense of what was happening. This couldn’t be one of Elara’s tests; her style was more elegant and controlled. This, however, was a wild and untamable force.
When I looked down in a panic, trying to understand the situation, I saw not worry on Elara’s face, but a knowing, almost amused smile. I understood then that she was in on this.
Iris was as bewildered as I was. Her eyes widened with concern as she looked first at me, suspended in the air, and then at the calmly observing Elara.
"Cass! Where are you going?" she called out in a panic. The moment she took a step toward me, Elara stopped her with a gentle but firm hand on her shoulder.
By now, I was so far away that I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I could discern Elara whispering something and see Iris’s shoulders slowly relax, her panic giving way to a curious anticipation.
Uncertain of what was to become of me, I continued to drift deeper into the forest, like a leaf at the mercy of the wind.
The treetops flowed beneath me like a white carpet.
After this strange flight, which lasted about five minutes, the wind magic carrying me ceased as abruptly as it had begun. A momentary feeling of emptiness was followed by the merciless pull of gravity... my body began to plummet toward the forest floor like a lead cannonball.
"Dammit!" I shouted. What was going on? In a panic, I instinctively tried to slow my descent with wind magic, but every attempt failed.
It was as if an invisible force had absorbed all the mana around me like a sponge, leaving only a useless void. Mana slipped through my fingers like sand, unable to grasp onto anything.
Seconds before I hit the ground, with the rustle of branches and leaves roaring in my ears, a searing flood of mana from an uncertain source deep within my body—a source I hadn’t felt in a long time—poured into my veins.
This wasn’t mana I drew from the air outside, but a power that was entirely my own, stored within me. This was the moment I had been waiting for! With all my might, I formed a cushion of wind.
However, it wasn’t enough to halt my fall completely, only to slow its deadly velocity.
When the inevitable end came, I crashed to the ground, breaking several tree branches and accompanied by the rebellious crack of my bones. The sharp pain in my back and leg screamed that at least two of my bones were broken.
Before I could even recover from the shock of the pain, that familiar sensation kicked in again. My regeneration ability had begun to repair the damaged tissues, and I could feel my broken bones setting back into place with audible cracks. Within seconds, the pain subsided, and my body returned to its former state.
Just then, I heard a mocking round of applause break the silence of the forest.
Clap... clap... clap...
"Bravo! As expected from the Duke’s new favorite, that was a rather impressive display of survival."
With difficulty, I got to my feet, brushed the dirt from my clothes, and turned toward the source of the voice. There, leaning against an old oak tree with her arms crossed over her chest, stood a woman.
With her short-cropped brown hair and jet-black eyes that shone with intelligence, she was examining me like a curious child who had found a new toy.
"Who are you?" I asked, trying to keep my voice as calm as possible while suppressing my anger.
Whoever this woman was, she had just played a game that could have cost me my life.
The woman ignored my question and continued speaking as she slowly circled me.
"Hmm, let’s see what we have here... Your body is in perfect harmony with mana, like an elf’s, allowing you to control the mana in the air as if it were your own limb.
At the same time, you can store pure mana within yourself, like a demon’s horn; that’s what saved you just now. You have reflexes as sharp as a werewolf’s, making the right decision even in the middle of a fall. And what’s this? This regeneration that heals broken bones in seconds... it’s as clean and fast as that of a pureblood vampire."
Each of her sentences was like a dagger, exposing my deepest secrets one by one. She stopped and stood directly in front of me.
"But you have neither pointed ears nor glowing horns. You are not a vampire, nor a werewolf. It is as if you are a superior being, blessed by all the ancient races, having taken their best traits. Tell me... what are you?"
Not only was this woman ignoring my question, but she was now interrogating me?
For a moment, I considered using my power to put her in her place, but the mana emanating from her—as deep and calm as the ocean, yet just as overwhelming—stopped me. I couldn’t see the limits of her power.
She chuckled softly as if she had read my intentions. "Calm down, little one. I had no intention of causing any permanent harm to the Duke’s precious guest. I just needed to run a little test."
The woman took another step toward me and introduced herself with a theatrical curtsy. "I am the most talented mage in this duchy, the most intelligent person, the most beautiful woman, and most importantly, the most humble human, the great Archmage Evelyn Starwhisper!"
She spoke with a conceited glint in her eyes, exalting herself more with each word.
My right eye twitched involuntarily at her words. This was the first time I had encountered such blatant narcissism.
Seeing that I said nothing, Evelyn continued her speech. "Ah, you’re speechless with joy at having met someone as magnificent as me, aren’t you? Hmm, hmm, I understand. It’s a common reaction."
My patience was wearing thinner with every word.
"You’re wondering how I guessed, aren’t you? And why I brought you here. It’s because I’m so brilliant, I know everything!"
I gritted my teeth and spoke in my most sarcastic tone. "Would the great and humble Evelyn Starwhisper deign to grant this humble child the honor of explaining why she brought me here?"
Ignoring my sarcasm, she snapped her fingers. "Since you insist, I’ll tell you.
Duchess Seraphina personally requested that I train you. Normally, I don’t accept such mundane tasks—my time is very precious, you see.
But she was so insistent that you were extraordinarily talented that I decided to conduct a little test to see for myself. And I must admit, you have potential that exceeds all my expectations."
Lady Seraphina had asked? Why? They were already sheltering me, hosting me in their palace. And now they had hired the Duchy’s Archmage as my instructor?
Although Duchess Seraphina had said they didn’t want or expect anything from me, I wasn’t accustomed to concepts like kindness. Even Kaiser, who had saved my life, hadn’t helped me for free; it was all part of a deal.
Even the goddess whose presence still lingered in my body, whose intentions I did not know, must have had a purpose.
Powerful beings never gave their favors for free. And now, one of the most powerful people in this duchy was offering me a priceless gift. Was this gift a blessing, or was it nothing more than a leash being fastened around my neck?