Aiden’s blackened hand shot after the [Sage’s] face the moment his interface popped up.

  Aiden willed his hand to stop but it was as effective as commanding the wind. The [Sage] jerked in surprise and stepped away from him. Actually, Aiden couldn’t categorize what the [Sage] did as stepping away. One moment he was standing within the reach of Aiden’s blackened arm, the next his body was a static blur and he appeared a step away.

  Aiden couldn’t tell if the [Sage] was too fast or if he had used magic to accomplish the action.

  In the [Sage’s] place three geometric circles appeared. Each one was filled with runes and sigils and geometric signs. The first glowed a soft green, the second was a soft red, and the third was an amalgamation of colors.

  All three moved to swallow Aiden’s still outstretched and. He did his best to pull it back but nothing happened. It did not listen.

  The first circle wrapped itself around his arm and shattered like broken glass almost immediately.

  [Spell Reset has been detected]

  …

  [Spell Reset does not take effect]

  The moment the first circle shattered, the second swallowed his still outstretched arm. The fact that Aiden refused to move from his spot was the only thing that kept the arm from shooting forward and attacking the [Sage].

  [Spell Time dilation has been detected]

  …

  [Spell Time dilation does not take effect]

  The circle shattered just as the first had, and the third swallowed his hand.

  [Hybrid spell Nature’s reverb has been detected]

  [Hybrid spell Nature’s reverb takes effect]

  The forearm slackened, then went limp at Aiden’s side.

  Aiden stared at the hand with a touch of worry. What just happened?

  As for the [Sage], he stood comfortably in front of Aiden, a few steps between them. However, there was nothing comfortable about his eyes. They watched Aiden’s arm in apprehension and caution. They scowled at his arm even though the man’s expression was calm and placid.

  “How does your arm feel?” he asked.

  Aiden tried to move it but only got a twitch out of it. “Weak,” he answered.

  The [Sage] narrowed his eyes. “Interesting.”

  Brandis was still a standing mess behind the [Sage]. “How is anything that has just happened interesting?” he asked, his voice a little too annoyed.

  Aiden guessed that Brandis didn’t like how startled he had become. A man as strong as him was likely not used to being so startled.

  “What makes it interesting,” the [Sage] answered without looking back, “is that his arm is supposed to be dead.”

  Aiden’s jaw dropped and the [Sage] gave him what looked like an apologetic look.

  “When you’ve grown to be as old as I am,” the [Sage] said, “you realize that if something is capable of surprising you, then you should never pull your punches. And I was right.”

  Brandis frowned. “You were right in trying to render the arm of our most promising guest useless?”

  The [Sage] sighed as if having to deal with a loud child. “It would not be a permanent death. There was a spell designed to recreate the life of the arm from across nature, a spell to reset the status of the arm and a spell to slow its death.” He finally looked behind him, at Brandis. “The intention was to put the arm back to its natural state.”

  “I thought you said the state of his arm was special?” Brandis said.

  “It is.”

  “Then why did you try to get rid of it?”

  The [Sage] held up his hand and his fingers were blackened. They were the fingers he’d used to hold up Aiden’s blackened arm.

  “Anything that can do this to me from just a touch is a weapon too powerful to be left hanging around.”

  Aiden had recognized one or two aspects of the first two spells. And while the [Sage] had told the truth, he had not told the complete truth.

  While Aiden had been an [Enchanter], he had learnt a thing or two about spells in his past life. Finding out that spells were the older brothers of enchantments, superior in every way, he had convinced himself, like [Enchanters] before him, that studying them could grow his enchantments in some way.

  If there was anything he had learnt from studying spells, it was the ability to identify a thing or two about the geometric symbols associated with them. And while the [Sage] had used spells to accomplish the things he’d said he’d tried to accomplish, Aiden had definitely seen some geometric combinations that had done more than just the things he’d claimed he’d tried to do.

  For one, the [Reset] spell had carried a touch of spatial magic. He wasn’t entirely certain but that spell had not been designed to reset the time of the arm but the position of the arm.

  He tried to send my arm back to wherever it had come from.

  Aiden would not stake his life on that guess but he was willing to stake his arm on it. The man had tried to actively rid him of the arm itself. There was still the possibility that he had tried to get rid of whatever was affecting his arm and not the arm itself, though.

  But the spell hadn’t taken effect.

  Does that mean it’s immune to spatial magic somehow? Aiden wondered.

  Brandis’ words pulled him out of his thoughts.

  “Are you alright?” the king said.

  Aiden opened his mouth to respond only to realize that King Brandis had not been talking to him.

  The [Sage’s] eyes moved away from his blackened finger to settle on the king and he snorted in amusement.

  “You are too young to be worrying about me, king Brandis,” the [Sage] said. “However, the answer you are looking for is yes. I am fine. The fingers are merely dead.”

  That didn’t sound fine to Aiden.

  “They will be fine in due time.” The [Sage] dropped his hand and looked at his shattered staff on the ground. “The real loss is in the staff. Replacing it will be nigh impossible.” He frowned. “I will have to bargain once more with a fool I should never bargain with.”

  “Didn’t you say that it was forged from the heart of something called a Tel-arsat?” Brandis asked.

  “And cooled with liquid flowing from the eye of Armoon,” the [Sage] said. “Yes. When I had forged it, those ingredients weren’t difficult to come by. Now, however, I would have to pay a hefty price to get my hands on them. A waste,” he muttered. “A terrible waste.”

  Aiden stood where he was, doing his best to hide his expression of grave shock. The [Sage] and the king spoke of these things only by name because he was not supposed to know what they were. He was nothing but a simple summon, even if slightly complicated. There was no way he would be able to figure out what the names they used were. At best, he would simply know that they were supposed to be powerful.

  But Aiden knew exactly what they were. Tel-arsat and Armoon were powerful names. He knew the latter because he’d heard of it a few times. The former, however, was something he’d only heard of once. There were no known records of it, at least as far as Aiden knew.

  He doubted King Brandis even knew what it meant.

  Armoon was a name that could be found in any records on the other side of Nastild. Many said it was the water from which the world was birthed, a mythical thing capable of feats referred to as miracles even in a world of magic.

  People called it liquid life, and it was protected by a clan of knights that answered to no one but themselves. Some people said that its location was a secret that was lost to time. Some people said that it was exactly that; a myth. It had existed once but had since gone extinct.

  As for the clan of knights that protected it. Some people speculated that it was a clan of giants, others speculated that it was a clan of elves. The most famous rumor was that it was a clan of half-men.

  Aiden had never confirmed the rumors and the [Master of The Order] had never dwelled on it.

  Tel-arsat, however, was a name Aiden had learnt from only one mouth, and he had been told the name only because of his relationship with the [Demon King] at the time, Ted.

  It was a name he had learnt from the [Master of The Order] and had been forced to never speak of again.

  It was the name of the last [Demon King] to plague Nastild before Ted.

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  And the [Sage] had forged a staff from the creature’s heart.

  Just how old is he? Aiden wondered, even though he knew it was more likely that the heart had just lived long enough after the [Demon King’s] death for the [Sage] to get his hands on it.

  But he doubted that. There was just something about the man and the concept of [Sages] and how those who knew of them handled it that screamed age. They felt like ancient beings to him.

  But such was the way of things shrouded in so much mystery. They transcended the concept of time.

  He’d always known that the staff was powerful, but now he understood just how powerful it was.

  What if the spells were only powerful enough to send me back because of the power running through the staff? He asked himself. What if that was what sent me, not just the combination of spells?

  It took Aiden only a moment to realize that he was actually focusing on the wrong thing. Yes, the staff was powerful, but there was something else he was ignoring.

  He raised his blackened arm and looked at it. It shattered when it touched this.

  It begged the question on what exactly his arm now was. Just how powerful was it, and how could he tap into that power?

  “Yes.”

  Aiden perked up at the [Sage’s] voice and found the man looking at him.

  “The names you’ve heard are extremely powerful items,” he said. “Arguably the most powerful items in this world. And your arm destroyed them with a single touch.” He walked forward until he stood right in front of Aiden, within reach of his arm. The [Sage] bent down to peer at the arm. “I would argue that your arm, either has the most powerful defense of any-thing in this world or could arguably become the most powerful thing in this world.”

  At his table, Brandis was already seated again. “Why do I sense a headache coming.”

  “Don’t be a child, king,” the [Sage] chided. “Power isn’t always a bad thing.”

  “You’re one to talk,” Brandis muttered. “When you have the most powerful thing in the world, it paints a target on your back. Should anyone find out about this, they’ll all be coming for my kingdom.”

  The [Sage] chuckled as if he hadn’t just lost a very powerful weapon. “I assure you that coming for you because of this will be confidently in the realm of stupidity.”

  Brandis had his head leaning back so that he looked up while he massaged his forehead. At the [Sage’s] words, he brought his head down and looked at the man.

  “What about your… friends?” he asked.

  A sharp scowl touched the [Sage’s] lips, but it was gone as quickly as it came. He did, however, rise back up to his full height and remove his attention from Aiden’s arm.

  “My friends have items just as powerful as I do,” he said. “Should they turn their eyes to the young Lord Lacheart, understand that there will be negotiations to be had. Your kingdom will not suffer for it.”

  Aiden watched both men talk about the other [Sages] so easily in his presence.

  Is this how maids feel? He wondered.

  He was so unimportant and miniscule to them that they spoke of every and any thing in his presence so simply and casually. They didn’t even use codes, not necessarily.

  Someone who had no idea what was really going on would know nothing. They would be unable to follow the conversation. They would be like an infant present during gossip between adults.

  The [Sage] looked from Aiden to his arm again.

  “Truly powerful,” he said, stroking his beard. “Do not be alarmed, but the spell I hit you with, was meant to render your arm useless for at least a few days.”

  Aiden raised the hand again and flexed his grip. It was already working fine. He did notice, however, that the small streaks of red that had been appearing had disappeared. The [Sage’s] spells had done something after all.

  “It feels fine,” Aiden said after a while.

  The [Sage] nodded. “I can see that.”

  On his chair Brandis chuckled a little. “You continue to impress me every day, Lord Lacheart.”

  Aiden bowed slightly. “As long as it pleases you, your grace.”

  A moment of silence followed his response.

  In the silence Brandis gave him an odd look. “Why does it feel so sarcastic when you do it?”

  Aiden paused. “What?”

  “That.” Brandis gestured at his slightly bowed position, then looked at the [Sage]. “You see it, too, don’t you? Everyone bows to me everyday and tells me things like ‘as long as it pleases you’ and it feels genuine or at least it looks like they do it just because they believe they should. On him it just looks like sarcasm.”

  Aiden stood up straight, unsure.

  The [Sage] shrugged. “Maybe it’s the title. He’s the only one in the palace that uses it to address you.”

  Brandis paused to give it some thought then shook his head. “I don’t think that is it. It’s a touch defiant but it’s definitely genuine, and rightly so. It’s why I don’t mind. But the bow and the ‘as long as it pleases you,’” the king had actually mimicked Aiden’s voice childishly. “Something about it just rubs me the wrong way.”

  The [Sage] returned his attention to Aiden, stroking his beard. “I think I can see what you are talking about.”

  Aiden wasn’t sure if they were playing with him or not.

  “How about we have him not do it again?” Brandis said as if he was making a suggestion. “I mean, I’m king, and everyone has to do something of that level with me. But that,” he gestured again, then shivered visibly. “Yes, let’s not do that again. Agreed, Lord Lacheart?”

  Aiden nodded slowly, his confusion evident. “Yes, your grace.”

  “Now, on to more important topics,” the [Sage] said. “Is there anything else you think might have added to this entire experience or do you genuinely think that it might just be something about you or you and your colleagues?”

  Aiden didn’t need to give it any thought. Honestly, he had been expecting the question, not under such strenuous circumstances, but he had been expecting it regardless. The answer he had to give, however, was not one he was completely certain of.

  If he said that there was nothing, then they would likely try to pay attention to everybody, that included Ted. If he said he had a feeling that he was the only one, then he would have to back it up. The men in front of him weren’t like Elaswit who was inclined to allow him keep whatever secrets he chose to keep.

  There were multiple possible answers so he gave the one he knew would fly but was wrong.

  “I think I know what might’ve caused this,” he said.

  Brandis leaned forward in his chair and the [Sage] simply said, “And what could that be?”

  It would’ve been a secret to keep if it was a secret he shared with no one, but unfortunately, it was a secret he shared with Valdan. And Valdan, no matter what or who he was, was a loyal [Knight of the Crown].

  As much as he wanted Valdan to keep his secrets, it would not be fair to expect it of the knight. The man’s duty, after all, was to hide nothing that could be important from his king.

  “There was something I found in the cave after we defeated the monster,” Aiden said.

  With no staff to hold onto, it seemed as if the [Sage] wasn’t sure of what to do with his hands. The man folded his arms and something about looking at him with folded arms just looked out of place.

  “Out with it,” the [Sage] said.

  Aiden sighed. Here goes.

  “I found something called a crystalized demonic mana.”

  Brandis’ eyes sharpened immediately but the [Sage] couldn’t be bothered. Aiden kept a simple expression on his face.

  “Demonic mana,” Brandis said, voice hard. “In its crystalized form.”

  He was like a man holding back anger and fear at the same time.

  “Yes, your grace.”

  “Within my territory?”

  Aiden had a feeling that the question was rhetorical but still answered. “Yes, your grace.”

  Brandis sat back, face hard yet somehow tired. “I thought we had more time.”

  “Time has been a mess for a while now, Brandis,” the [Sage] said simply. “I would not advise putting much fate in it at this point. Besides, it has always been a deceptive thing.”

  “It fills me with joy that this does not bother you,” Brandis said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

  If his tone bothered the [Sage], he did not show it. Instead, he focused his attention on Aiden.

  “Now, Lord Lacheart,” he said. “Tell me why you believe that this object, crystalized as it was, may have played a part in your situation.”

  Aiden was certain that he couldn’t tell the truth on this part. In fact, the truth would only put him in far more trouble than he could handle.

  The crystal had been among Valdan’s belongings packed among his luggage. But Valdan was aware of the fact that it had been in Aiden’s pocket when they’d appeared on the other side. But Aiden hadn’t acted surprised or commented on how it had happened.

  Which means I can easily lie that I took it from the luggage before joining the carriage. He will doubt it but won’t have any proof to challenge it.

  Aiden paused as he actually considered it. There were possibilities of Valdan finding enough proof to doubt it, but he wasn’t sure that Valdan would want to go through such lengths to put him in trouble.

  Right now, Aiden felt as if he was taking advantage of Valdan’s growing acceptance of him.

  It’s necessary, he told himself, knowing that he only thought it to assuage his conscience.

  “I had it in my pocket when we teleported,” Aiden finally answered.

  The [Sage] waited as if there was supposed to be more. When Aiden did not continue, he said, “And?”

  Aiden looked from the [Sage] to the king. He’d been hoping that the explanation would be enough.

  “And it was smaller when we appeared on the other side.”

  King Brandis sighed. “We will have to look into this some more. Demonic mana is a lot of things, Lord Lacheart. But on this subject, I doubt it played a part in whatever has happened to—”

  The [Sage] raised a hand, silencing the king. “It reduced in size?”

  Aiden nodded slowly, watching the man’s thoughtful eyes. He was like a man staring at nothing while his mind was lost in grand and complex machinations in his head. A man plotting the future with all his knowledge of the past, making sure that whatever he had in mind was logical and possible.

  The [Sage’s] brows drew together, his forehead wrinkled, his lips pursed as he slowly came to whatever conclusion his mind was coming to.

  “Perhaps…” he muttered, the words dying into the continuity of his thoughts. His frown deepened. “… Maybe…” his words grew incoherent, barely a whisper. They were so light that Aiden couldn’t hear them. No one could.

  Then the man smiled something worrying. “It is a possibility. Perhaps.”

  The [Sage’s] smile turned ecstatic.

  “From now on,” he said very suddenly, “you, Lord Lacheart, will no longer train with the knight.”

  “Sir Valdan,” Aiden said.

  The [Sage] paused. “What?”

  “The knight,” Aiden repeated, realizing that it was stupid of him and that there was no reason for it. Still, he was unable to stop himself. “His name is Sir Valdan.”

  The [Sage] nodded in understanding. “Yes, names, a thing of relevance. Sometimes I forget. Regardless, your training with the knight ends today.”

  “Any specific reason for this?” king Brandis asked.

  “He will need to be studied, paid attention to.” The [Sage] stroked his beard. “He will need a lot of attention. [Mages], [Enchanters]. People specialized mostly in spatial magic.”

  Brandis was thoughtful as well. “We have those. I can reassign a few people.”

  The [Sage] frowned.

  “But will it be safe?” Brandis asked. “You said your fingers died from just touching him. And I saw what it did to your staff. It’s good to know that you’re sturdier than your staff.”

  The [Sage] waved his words aside. “They just have to be careful. They are children but they are not stupid.”

  Aiden had it on good authority that the palace only employed the best. And children were not the best. Then again, everyone was probably a child in terms of skills to a [Sage].

  “But you have a point,” the [Sage] mused. “They will make mistakes, cause problems.” He looked at his fingers, greenish black with gangrene, and grunted. “Most of them will likely die.”

  “I’m not sure I’m willing to subject my people to a task that could kill them on an accident as casual as touching,” Brandis said.

  “And I’m not sure I can trust them to not mess it all up,” the [Sage] mused. “Perhaps I should get some people.”

  Brandis rubbed his head in exasperation. “Please don’t. My wife is still shaken up from the last group you brought in.”

  “She is stronger now. She will be fine.”

  “Still, I’m against it.”

  The [Sage] turned to look at the king. There was something in his eyes, but he said nothing. In the end, he looked away from the king.

  “Perhaps you are right,” he said in the end.

  Aiden simply stood there, quietly, knowing that their plans did not truly matter. All that mattered was that they didn’t stop him from going to the town of cannibals.

  “So…” Brandis muttered. “We’ve come to the conclusion that it’s too dangerous for normal people. Apart from my knight, is there another option?”

  “Yes,” the [Sage] said, eyes still on Aiden.

  What if he asks me to train with him? Aiden thought.

  His mind went immediately to what Jang Su had become so quickly. And he’d just learnt in this life that it had all been thanks to the boy training with a [Sage].

  Just how powerful can I become with the guidance of a [Sage]?

  It would be a tempting offer, a great deal.

  But it could also be a big problem.

  “From now on,” the [Sage] said. “While you train with the knight, I will be present. This is the best way to discover what your new… gift is truly capable of. It is also a way to confirm that it is truly a gift, and not a curse.”

  “Then they’ll have to change their training location,” Brandis interjected casually.

  The [Sage] frowned as if the idea displeased him. “This is not that important.”

  Aiden watched a sly grin touch the king’s lips.

  “It’s not?” Brandis said in a calm tone that belied a slyness Aiden could clearly see in his eyes. “I could’ve sworn that it is.”

  Brandis popped his brows playfully at Aiden twice, like an adult sharing a fun secret with a child.

  Aiden watched the [Sage] think again at Brandis’ words, emotions flickering across his face.

  “Yes,” the [Sage] said finally, eyes fixed on Aiden. “I have made my decision.”

  Brandis sat back on his chair with a wide, satisfied smile.

  “From now on,” the [Sage] said to Aiden. “You will train only with me.”