The next morning, the students gathered in front of the large bulletin board in the academy's courtyard. When Vanil used magic to suspend the parchment in the air and read the names one by one, the buzz in the courtyard gave way to a deep silence.
"Our delegation: Thalendir, Revia, Lyra, Rota, and Kael..."
As the names echoed, the reactions within the group were completely different.
"Of course, it's me," said Thalendir, sweeping his long green hair back. A smug smile played on his face, showing that she saw this selection not as a favor, but as the inevitable outcome.
"The Central Kingdom deserves to see the grace and power of a true elf."
Revia was as cold as ice, as always. She merely nodded slightly; her gaze held no emotion. She was completely unresponsive.Rota and Lyra, however, stared at each other. Rota swallowed hard,
"Are you kidding me? We're actually going..."
Lyra, her expression wavering between excitement and fear, squeezed Kael's arm.Kael, however, wasn't paying attention to any of the words. His eyes were shining; all he could think about at that moment was what kind of place the Central Kingdom was.
Unlike the crowd in the square, there was a tense atmosphere in the principal's office. When Zephyros burst through the door, Felan was sitting at her desk, looking exhausted.
"Felan, what does this mean! Where did this idea for an inter-academy tournament even come from?"
"Calm down, Zephyros, I don't know either. We received a direct summons from the king of the Central Kingdom. This isn't an invitation—it's an order."
Zephyros slammed his fist hard on the desk.
"What about Kael? Why did you put Kael on the list? You know the Central Kingdom's chief wizard, Luminos, will be there! That monster of a man from the 9th Ring will see the dark essence within Kael even if he just glances from afar. You're throwing the kid straight into the fire!"
"Zephyros, I had no other choice," Felan said helplessly.
"The student records have already been sent to the center. Kael is the second person to reach the 4th Circle at the academy. If I'd removed him from the list, they'd have suspected us even more. After the Echimer incident, hiding Kael has become impossible. You know that too."
Zephyros clenched his teeth. Sending Kael there was like throwing a lamb right into the middle of a pack of wolves. He began pacing back and forth in the room. Despair gave way to a frantic search for a plan.
After pacing around the room for a while, Zephyros suddenly stopped; an idea had come to mind.
"We can't deceive a mage like Luminos by sealing his perception,"
"Felan, can you give me a few teleportation scrolls?"
Zephyros had gone to see Kael as evening approached.
"So you're setting out...."
"How quickly time flies... Just yesterday you were a little boy struggling not to drown in the flames, and now you're going to represent an entire kingdom."
Zephyros placed his hand on Kael's shoulder and reached into the pocket of his robe with his other hand, pulling out three scrolls—rolled up and bearing seals.
"Listen, son," Zephyros said seriously.
"No matter what happens, I'll always be by your side—you know that. Just in case I can't reach you in time, I've brought you a few teleportation scrolls. These are specially prepared, high-level teleportation scrolls."
Kael immediately sensed the intense mana energy in the scrolls. Zephyros placed the scrolls in Kael's palm.
"Keep these in your dimensional ring, and use them without a moment's hesitation at the slightest sign of trouble. This tournament, this spectacle... it could all be a mask. If Luminos seems to sense what's inside you, I'm giving you these scrolls so you can save yourself."
Kael clutched the scrolls tightly. The gravity of the situation was evident even in Zephyros's trembling voice.
"Master... Thank you," was all Kael could manage.
Zephyros gently ruffled Kael's hair, just like in the old days.
"Don't thank me—just come back safe and sound. Your existence in this world is more valuable than that kingdom's tournaments. Go and do what you must, but don't forget: there's always a family waiting for you back home."
The morning of Kael's departure began with far more commotion than he had expected at home. Ever since Nerya learned that her son was going to a dangerous place like the Central Kingdom—and for that famous tournament, no less—she hadn't been able to sit still.
"You're not going anywhere, Kael!
Kael went over to his mother and took her hands.
"Mom, it's just a tournament. Besides, we're under the academy's protection. This is an opportunity for me—it's the best way for me to improve."
Nerya resisted for a moment, but when she saw the determination in her son's eyes, her shoulders slumped. Kael was a child who, once he set his mind on something, was hard to dissuade—his mother knew this all too well. After a brief silence, Nerya kissed Kael on the forehead and hugged him tightly.
Kael smiled, reassuring his mother one last time, then grabbed his bag and walked out the door.
The Eastern Kingdom's carriages were waiting in the Academy Square. Once the group had gathered, they split into two. Kael, Lyra, and Rota settled into a spacious carriage, while Thalendir and Revia were directed to the other one.
As soon as the carriage began to move, Thalendir smoothed out his silk cloak and, glancing at Revia—who stood before him as still as an ice statue—assumed his usual haughty demeanor.
"You know, Revia, I feel like this tournament is actually being held for me. It's been a very long time since the people of the Central Kingdom have seen the true power of an elf,"
Revia paid no heed to Thalendir, not once taking her eyes off the trees outside.Though annoyed by Revia's attitude, Thalendir continued speaking.
"I mean, Kael may be talented, but he's just a human. Your ice magic, on the other hand, is a bit... too straightforward. Can you imagine how people will be enchanted by my elf magic, blended with the wind?"
This time, Revia slowly turned her head. When her eyes met Thalendir's, the temperature inside the carriage seemed to drop several degrees at once, and a layer of cold air enveloped the surroundings.
"Thalendir, if you say one more word, I'll seal that mouth of yours—the one you're so proud of—with an icy seal until the tournament. Want to try!?"
Thalendir swallowed hard for a moment, wrapped his cloak tighter around himself, and averted his gaze, moving to the seat across from her.
"I-I was just... trying to lighten the mood. You're way too tense..."
In our trio's car, however, the atmosphere was much livelier. Rota couldn't sit still with excitement, constantly peering out the window."Gentlemen, ladies... I'm talking about the Central Kingdom!" Rota exclaimed, clapping his hands together.
"They say even the streetlamps there are made of pure crystal. I won't even get started on the food. Even if we lose the tournament, I have to get into that kitchen."
Lyra giggled and snuggled closer to Kael.
"Food is always on your mind, Rota. I'm actually curious about the arena. Having the best students from all five kingdoms there at the same time... Just imagine, everyone will be watching us."
Kael was calmer, but there was excitement in his eyes
"It won't just be students—kings and chief mages will be there too. This tournament won't be just about fighting; they want to see how far each of us can go."
The carriages continued speeding toward the central kingdom, leaving the green forests of the East behind and heading toward the massive towers and majestic walls rising at the very heart of the continent.Midway through the journey, the carriage jolted violently and slammed on the brakes, causing everyone inside to lose their balance. Lyra was flung directly onto Kael by the impact; Rota slid from his seat and slammed into the floor of the carriage.
"What the hell is going on!" Rota shouted, clutching his nose as he struggled to get up.
Kael, trying to keep Lyra steady, quickly opened the carriage door and leaped out. Right in the middle of the road stood a Black Salamander, its massive size blocking the path. The salamander's scales were as black as night, and the acidic saliva dripping from its mouth was melting the stones on the ground. The knights had drawn their swords and were trying to figure out how to approach this colossal creature.
Without a moment's hesitation, Kael extended his right hand forward. Mana began swirling rapidly in his palm; but this time, the fireball was denser than ever. The spell, glowing like embers, shot out with a shockwave and struck the salamander squarely in the chest.
Kael's mana-charged fire projectile had opened a massive, smoke-billowing hole in the salamander's chest with a huge explosion. As the creature collapsed to the ground, the guards stared in astonishment, their eyes darting between Kael and the colossal salamander on the ground.
"Wow..." said the knight commander as he lowered his sword.
"So this is the power of the prodigies the kingdom selected for the tournament... The kid finished the job in a single move, no less!"
Just then, the door of the other carriage slowly opened, and Thalendir stepped out, yawning."What's going on here? I was just sleeping soundly—what's all this noise?"
Thalendir scowled when he saw the dead salamander on the ground.
"What kind of disgusting creature is this?"
Kael didn't even bother to answer Thalendir; he simply climbed back into the carriage.
"The road is clear, we can keep going!"
The rest of the journey passed in silence, but when the Central Kingdom came into view on the horizon, everyone in the car was left breathless by the sight. This place was unlike any other kingdom. It was a marvel of civilization where technology and magic intertwined.
As they approached the city, small mana ships gliding through the sky and light-emitting magic towers rising between the buildings caught their attention. The houses were far more elegant than the stone structures of the Eastern Kingdom, built with the flawless harmony of white marble and glass. The streets were lined with magic-powered automatic sweepers and wide avenues illuminated by crystals.
But above all else, two colossal structures rose at the very heart of the city:
First, the Grand Arena. Even from a distance, this structure stood out like a majestic mountain; at its peak, a massive ring of magic, covering the sky, rotated slowly. This ring was the primary source of the seals protecting the arena, and the faint vibrations it emitted could be felt by mages even from miles away.
Right behind it stood the Central Kingdom Castle. The castle looked as if it didn't belong on the earth but had been brought down from the sky. Its spires pierced the clouds, their tips invisible; the castle was not merely a royal seat but seemed to be the very embodiment of power, knowledge, and authority.
Rota stammered, leaning out the window:
"K-Kael... I guess we've been living in just a small town all this time."
Kael, however, silently watched the massive magic circle. The immense power underlying this grandeur was both awe-inspiring and unsettling. Now, in the shadow of that vast arena and that luminous castle, the real game was about to begin.