As Kael approached the monumental entrance gate of the Eastern Kingdom, he noticed an ornate horse-drawn carriage glistening in the morning sun and Lyra waiting right in front of it. Standing beside Lyra was one of the family's longtime servants. The moment Lyra spotted Kael's cloak from a distance, a huge smile spread across her face; she couldn't stay still and began waving, her excitement practically visible from meters away. As Kael drew closer, Lyra couldn't resist and took a few steps toward him.
"Kael! I'm so happy you came, I can't even tell you! Having to make that long journey to the Northern Kingdom all by yourself... Just the thought of it is so boring!"
"By the way, have you ever been to the Northern Kingdom before?"Kael adjusted his cloak and replied with a sheepish expression:
"No, to be honest, I've never once stepped outside the borders of the Eastern Kingdom in my life."
Lyra's eyes widened in surprise, "You must be joking! Really?"As soon as the journey began, the conversation in the carriage grew deeper.
"By the way, Lyra, you mentioned that your family lives in the Northern Kingdom. Why are you coming all the way to the academy in the Eastern Kingdom to study? I know there's a good academy in the Northern Kingdom too."
Lyra nodded as if she'd been expecting the question.
"Yes, you're right, there is. However, the Northern Kingdom Academy's curriculum focuses more on knightly discipline and physical strength. For mages, especially those who value pure magical potential, the Eastern Kingdom Academy offers a much more logical and comprehensive education."
As they traveled, the green and peaceful landscapes of the East faded into the distance, and their conversation spanned from memories of the academy to plans for the future. Lyra's gaze lingered for a moment on the ring on Kael's left hand. The engravings looked as though they had been crafted by a skilled and delicate artisan.
"Kael, the engravings on your ring are really beautiful—they caught my eye. Is it a family heirloom or something?"
Kael glanced at the ring for a moment before answering:
"No, not really. It's just a gift from a dear friend..."
As they approached the borders of the Northern Kingdom, Kael couldn't believe his eyes when he looked out the window. This place was completely different from the village-like, lush, and peaceful landscape of the East; it was a true metropolis, a place that seemed to exist beyond time. Most of the structures consisted of massive towers reaching toward the sky and metallic buildings. The moment Kael set foot in the kingdom, a sharp, metallic scent hit his nose. This was a true city of industry and craftsmanship. There were massive blacksmith workshops on every corner, and the air was filled with the constant clanging of metal, the sound of hammers, and the roar of machinery.
Lyra noticed Kael's astonishment and smiled.
"Ah, Kael, we're almost there—look! This is my home."
The carriage came to a stop in front of a magnificent mansion in a more upscale part of the city. The Solfyre Mansion, where Lyra lived, was just as grand as Kael's grandfather's estate; it simply featured a design with harsher, more industrial lines. The phoenix and flame symbols representing fire magic were intricately carved into the entrance door and walls. Lyra excitedly took Kael's hand and dragged him all the way to the mansion's massive door.
When they knocked, the one who opened the door was Lyra's little sister, Tesi, a sweet six-year-old girl. As soon as she opened the door, Tesi rushed toward Lyra.
"Big sis! Welcome home, I missed you so much!" Tesi said, hugging her sister. Then she lifted her head from Lyra's shoulder and fixed her eyes on Kael, asking with a curious expression:
"So who's this guy? Is he your friend?"Behind Tesi, Lyra's mother, Lina—a graceful and warm-hearted woman—appeared.
"Welcome home, dear," she said, hugging Lyra. Then she noticed Kael standing beside her daughter. When Lina saw Kael, a look of surprise flashed across her face. With a playful tone:
"Oh my, Lyra has brought her boyfriend home! How quickly the kids grow up, don't they?"
Lyra's cheeks flushed instantly, and she protested to her mother in embarrassment:
"Mom! Kael is just a friend from the academy!"
Kael, smiling slightly at the situation, introduced himself politely.
"My name is Kael... Kael Krowell. It's a pleasure to meet you, my lady. Thank you for your hospitality, House Solfyre."
Lina was impressed by Kael's politeness.
"Oh, Kael, dear, you've come a long way; you must be tired. Please come inside and rest."
The interior of the mansion was just as impressive as the exterior. As Kael stepped inside, he admired the designs that reflected the legacy of the House of Fire Magic. The walls looked as though they were made of volcanic rock; at every corner were ancient statues symbolizing the fire element and rugs with flame motifs. The ceilings were high, the windows enormous; the metallic landscape of the industrial city was visible from every part of the house.
When they entered the living room, Lyra turned to her mother.
"Mom, by the way, Kael came here to learn about fire magic and improve his skills. Where's Dad? I don't see him—isn't he home?"
Just as Lyra asked this question, a deep, booming voice sounded from behind them. Lyra's father, Galm, had suddenly appeared behind her.
Galm had a truly imposing, intimidating, and authoritative appearance. He wore a bright red cloak adorned with fire magic runes; his gaze was stern and serious.
"Welcome, my girl. I was busy; I didn't notice you'd arrived," said Galm. Despite his stern appearance, his expression softened for a moment when his daughter hugged him.
Seeing this, Kael thought to himself, "It seems all burly men have a soft spot for their daughters."After letting go of Lyra, Galm fixed his stern gaze on Kael.
"Who's your friend? Aren't you going to introduce us?"
Kael swallowed hard in the face of Galm's imposing aura, but immediately stood up and tried to introduce himself. "I... I'm Kael, Kael Krowell, sir."
Galm was intrigued by Kael. As an 8th-rank fire mage, he could clearly see the complex mana fluctuations emanating from Kael. These fluctuations were different from those of a normal mage—deeper and more intricate. Galm's gaze fell on the sword at Kael's waist.
"That sword you carry at your waist... Do you know what it is, son?"
Kael followed Galm's gaze. "Yes, sir, the Phoenix Sword. It was given to me by my master."Lyra sensed the tension in the air and immediately stepped in.
"Father, Kael needs help with his fire magic. He's truly talented, but he wants to improve his control. If I ask you, could you help Kael with this?"
Galm couldn't refuse his daughter's request, but his gaze toward Kael remained questioning.
"What could I possibly teach a knight about fire magic? Swordmanship and magic are entirely different fields,"
Lyra immediately objected to her father:
"Oh, Dad, don't be fooled by the fact that Kael carries a sword! He's actually a mage; his master just trained him physically as well."
"Nonsense!" Galm snapped, his voice hardening.
"There are fewer than ten mage-knights in the kingdom. You're exhausting yourself needlessly by training in both swordsmanship and magic—both require full concentration. You must choose one and master it; otherwise, you'll fall behind in both!"
Kael stepped in, trying to stand his ground against Galm's authoritative tone,
"Sir, my master always reminded me that even though we are mages, we must strengthen our bodies. He used to say, 'A mage must strengthen both body and mind at the same time.'"
"Listen, son," said Galm, his voice still questioning.
"Sword mastery and magic mastery are truly distinct and profound fields. If you try to learn both at the same time, you'll fall behind other magic users. For magic requires deep control of mana and mental focus."
Lyra cut her father off and interjected:
"Dad, Kael is a 4-ring mage!"
When Lyra said this, everyone in the room was shocked. Galm, Lina, and even Tesi stared at Kael in disbelief. A 4-ring level was nearly impossible for a student of that age.
"A 4-ring mage!?" Galm exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief and astonishment.
"Lyra, aren't you ashamed of making fun of your father?"
Lyra looked at her father with a serious expression.
"Dad, I'm not making fun of you! Kael is one of the two 4-ring students at the academy. The other is Revia—you already know that."
Galm paused for a moment when he heard Revia's name.
"Revia's family lineage comes from a special-class spell, Lyra—you know that too. Her situation is different..."
Galm then turned his gaze to Kael,
"Kael, what did you say your last name was?"
"Kael Krowell, sir,"
Upon hearing the surname Krowell, Galm was taken aback.
"Krowell? I didn't know Vaelmon had such a young and talented grandson..."
Lyra took advantage of her father's surprise to repeat her request.
"Father, will you help Kael?"
Galm gave Kael a deep look; he could sense the impact of the Krowell surname and the four rings.
"Alright, Kael, come with me."
As Galm stepped out of the living room, Kael prepared to follow him. When Lyra tried to tag along, her father stopped her.
"Lyra, you stay here. We have some private matters to discuss with Kael."
Lyra furrowed her brows. "Private matters? Dad, I hope you don't put any weird ideas into Kael's head!"
Galm smiled at his daughter with a playful expression.
"Oh, what strange idea? We're just having a guy-to-guy talk, that's all. Your sister Tesi really misses you; take care of her until we get back, okay?"
"Pffff. Fine..."
Lyra turned to Tesi and began tending to her.
Kael didn't even notice how the mansion's corridors had turned into a labyrinth as he followed Galm. When they passed through the large, iron-reinforced door ahead of them, they found themselves in the mansion's vast training grounds. The moment Galm reached the center of the courtyard, he swept his hand through the air in an arc. He wove a barrier of fire that covered the entire courtyard—so dense that its intensity could be felt even from the outside. This barrier was designed both to trap magical energy inside and to isolate every sound within from the outside world.
Galm turned around and took a step toward Kael. The fatherly expression on his face had vanished, replaced by a questioning seriousness; as he straightened his shoulders and advanced toward Kael, the atmosphere in the room suddenly grew heavy.
"All right, son," said Galm, his voice sharp and cold.
"Tell me, who are you?"
Kael instinctively took a step back when he noticed the look in the man's eyes,
"I-I don't understand, sir," was all he could manage.
Galm took another step closer; with each step, Kael felt the pressure mounting.
"Do you think you're facing a child? You say your last name is Krowell, but at your core, you're a fire mage. And yet, instead of the pure, crimson aura that should emanate from a fire mage, a sinister, complex, and dark aura ripples around you. You can't fool me, boy! Who are you? Speak!"
Kael was in shock. He hadn't even remotely considered that his dark magic, despite being sealed, could be detected by a mage. Zephyros had warned him about high-ranking mages, but had only told him, "Don't let them touch you." This man, however, could read the hidden essence he emitted just through his gaze. He needed to clear up the misunderstanding immediately,
"I inherited the fire magic from my father; he—"
Before Kael could finish his sentence, the mana within the arena erupted with such a violent blast that Kael's ears were literally deafened.
The shockwave radiating from Galm's body practically flung Kael backward. When Kael opened his eyes, he saw that his surroundings were no longer red, but surrounded by blue flames with a sharp brilliance. The energy Galm was emitting was so dense that Kael was struggling to breathe,
"W-what are these flames? The color... deep blue, much hotter than red flames; just standing near them is burning my skin. I feel like I'd turn to ash if they touched me."
Galm, amidst those blue flames, began slowly approaching Kael. His steps were slow but deadly.
"Do you think I'm playing games with you? It seems you haven't fully grasped the gravity of the situation, son. Do you really think I'd keep someone alive who's a threat to my family? Or are you counting on Lyra's innocence? You might have deceived my daughter, but you can't deceive me."
When Galm raised his hand, blue flames began to form in his palm. Kael had only two options: either reveal the truth and convince this terrifying sorcerer, or take his last breath on the training grounds of the Solfyre House.