Are these two putting on a double act?
I haven't even agreed to anything yet.
"Your Majesty, if I defeat him, then I should also have the right to decide whether or not I accept the position of Chief Mage, correct?"
"Haha… naturally, that would be allowed."
"But it seems you still haven't realized just how prestigious the title of Chief Mage of the Kingdom of Loren truly is."
Oh?
So the man standing before me… could he be the strongest mage in the Kingdom of Loren?
But the strongest shouldn't that Level 6 Archmage?
Rei had once met Loren's Level 6 Archmage—the president of the Mage Association, Fizer.
Fizer was also a native of Loren.
The man standing here wasn't Fizer, yet he clearly had quite a reputation. That meant he was probably not a Level 6 mage.
Most likely… Level 5.
Rei spoke to the man before him.
"I'm not purely a mage. I might use abilities from other classes."
"Being able to hold multiple classes is your own ability."
The Chief Mage known as Jiezhu replied calmly.
"I naturally won't restrict you to using magic alone."
"The battlefield is here?"
King Lotdan smiled pleasantly.
"That's right. Right here."
Rei drew out the Voidring Starwood Staff.
After its recent modification, the tail of the staff had been sharpened into a spear-like point. It was an adjustment made by Aizen, allowing it to barely function as a spear in close combat.
The mere thought of Rei using Void Starwood in melee combat had made Aizen's heart ache a little.
"Very well then."
"Please enlighten me."
The moment the words left his mouth—
Rei had already appeared directly in front of Jiezhu.
[Source Body · Flashstep (4th Tier) (LV: 301)]
Rei hadn't spent this journey making no progress.
Under Iz's guidance, his improvement along the way could only be described as terrifying.
Invincible Style — Third Form: Army-Breaker Heavy Slash
At the instant he arrived in front of his opponent, Rei swung the Voidring Starwood Staff in a sweeping arc!
The staff moved with the crushing weight of a greatsword!
As the staff cut through the air, spell patterns lit up along its length!
But at that exact moment—
Rei's intuition screamed a warning.
Without a second thought, Rei immediately withdrew his attack.
At the same time he retreated rapidly backward while releasing a barrage of spells: falling boulders, towering walls, freezing water spheres, shadow swamps!
In an instant, the area around Jiezhu was completely engulfed.
"Fifth-Tier Origin Magic."
"All magic… is mine."
Whoosh!
Rei suddenly realized he had lost control of every spell he had cast.
Almost simultaneously, all the magic he had just released surged toward him like a collapsing mountain!
Tch…
No wonder he was so confident.
An Origin Magic capable of seizing control of another mage's spells.
As expected of a mage—always capable of surprising me.
But even though the control of those spells had been stolen…
The counterattack rushing back toward him looked like it was moving in slow motion.
Rei's thought speed was simply too fast now.
For him, the vast majority of enemies' movements appeared like slow-motion playback.
He had already placed trigger-based spell traps directly ahead.
This danger couldn't threaten his life.
Still, if it could be avoided, he would avoid it.
That thin white membrane that had flashed across Jiezhu's body just now—
Was that a reflective magic shield?
Truly insidious.
If his martial technique had struck directly just now, it would have meant hitting himself.
The white membrane had already disappeared.
Reflective spells like that only lasted an instant.
[Source Body · Flashstep]
Crack—
Rei's body flickered with a sharp flash of light—
And he appeared behind Jiezhu.
All the spells under Jiezhu's control were still surging forward.
Compared to Instant White Flash, the Fourth-Tier Flashstep was far faster.
Invincible Style — Army-Breaker Heavy Slash!
The heavy staff swept out once more!
CRASH!
The shield at Jiezhu's side shattered like glass!
BOOM!
This time, the Void Starwood struck Jiezhu solidly.
The immense force erupted outward.
His body was blasted away, flying across the hall before smashing violently into a distant palace wall!
Rei stood where he was, staff in hand.
This wasn't a combat arena.
If someone died here, they died for real.
Rei had no intention of pursuing with killing intent.
So stopping here was enough.
As for the spells that had flown wildly toward the distance, Rei simply used [Source · Flashstep], converting them into void consumption and swallowing the stray magic entirely.
"It's over."
The entire battle had been brutally direct.
The first close-range attempt had been blocked by a prepared trap.
The second time, he circled behind—
And one swing of the staff sent the opponent flying.
Rei looked toward the figure sliding down the distant wall.
This guy…
Crude on the surface, but meticulous underneath.
He had deliberately provoked Rei to make him careless…
While secretly preparing a trap.
He had also anticipated that Rei would use martial techniques and physical combat, so he had pre-cast a reflective shield in advance.
A Level 5 mage's characteristic was the ability to pre-chant spells—casting them ahead of time and holding them without releasing them until the right moment.
The length of time they could hold the spell varied from person to person.
Some could only maintain it for a few seconds.
Others could hold it for several minutes.
If Rei had truly believed the man to be reckless and smashed down with that strike…
The reflected force hitting himself probably wouldn't have felt pleasant.
Unfortunately—
Rei's intuition was simply too sharp.
He sensed danger before it arrived.
Which meant he would never fall into such a trap.
Being able to foresee all danger…
Was simply too overpowered.
"Haha! Brilliant! Truly brilliant!"
"Lord Jiezhu, do you still have any objections?"
Two healing casters had already gathered beside Jiezhu, treating his injuries.
Sitting on the floor, he weakly shook his head.
"Your Majesty… have you truly decided this?"
"I have served Loren for many years."
"What do you mean by that, Lord Jiezhu?"
"Have you forgotten how you obtained that position in the first place?"
Lotdan's smile carried a trace of coldness.
"Back then, didn't you challenge the former Chief Mage and force Aimon to step down?"
Perhaps it was because of the season of the Cold Moon, but the temperature in the hall seemed to drop several degrees.
Jiezhu opened his mouth twice, unable to say anything.
Finally he lowered his head.
"…Yes. I understand."
"Haha, Lord Jiezhu, there's no need for self-pity."
"Even if Rei becomes the Chief Mage, you won't be left without a place."
"You can assist Lord Rei in the future. Naturally, your待遇 will remain excellent."
Rei stood silently to the side, watching the exchange between ruler and minister.
Sigh…
What I hate most are scenes like this.
Power struggles.
Schemes and intrigue.
I have zero interest in any of it.
And it easily breeds jealousy.
Attracts unnecessary hostility.
Open attacks are easy to block, but hidden knives are hard to guard against.
Even I sometimes consider poisoning others.
Let alone people who are far more ruthless.
Once you become a thorn in everyone's side, you'd have to guard against enemies everywhere.
Lotdan turned to look at Rei again.
His eyes seemed to read Rei's thoughts.
He simply smiled.
"Lord Rei, don't rush to refuse."
"I'll have someone show you around personally so you can see the benefits you would gain."
"After that, it won't be too late to make a decision."
Rei glanced at the Voidring Starwood Staff in his hand.
Even if that was how he felt…
He hadn't planned to reject the offer outright.
In the end, he would have to see everything carefully before deciding.
"Then I thank Your Majesty."
"Haha, no need to be so polite."
"When you grow as powerful as Izparut, the Kingdom of Loren will merely be a stepping stone for you."
"When that day comes, we can address each other as brothers."
Rei studied the king before him.
He looked only twenty-six or twenty-seven.
The history of Loren recorded that it had only been five years since the old king passed away and Lotdan ascended the throne.
Rei felt the gazes around him.
He didn't respond to the "brothers" remark.
Instead, he simply observed proper etiquette.
"Thank you for Your Majesty's praise."
Lotdan didn't press the matter.
He simply waved his hand with a smile.
Soon someone came forward to escort Rei.
And led him out.
Watching Rei's departing back—
Only then did Lotdan produce several sheets of white paper from his sleeve.
They were filled with writing.
Records of everything investigated about Rei.
"Heh… it's hard to imagine…"
"So many astonishing feats."
"And all accomplished by an eight-year-old child."
If early awakening truly granted such immense power…
Then forbidding it because of a small risk was simply too wasteful.
A case like Messer had appeared only once in so many years.
And Messer's true goal had only been pursuing the Origin.
Not killing.
As king, Lotdan naturally knew many classified secrets about early awakeners.
In reality, after observation and control, those early awakeners only showed extreme obsession with pursuing their principles.
But such obsession could actually be managed to a certain extent with treatment and medication.
Moreover, that obsession didn't necessarily mean killing or extremism.
For example:
The principles of Guardians.
Or the principles of Healers.
Obsessively pursuing those principles had nothing to do with murder.
Rejecting early awakening entirely with a single sweeping rule was far too crude.
If Loren lowered its awakening age from 16 to 8—
How many geniuses like Rei might appear?
Perhaps Rei was already a genius to begin with, and early awakening simply amplified his talent.
But if billions of citizens in Loren awakened at age eight…
Within such a massive population, would they not produce another Rei?
Or ten?
Or even a hundred?
However…
Early awakening didn't only carry the risk of spiritual contamination.
There were also permanent bodily injuries, and many other complications at higher levels.
Until those problems were solved, it would be impossible to implement universal awakening at age eight.
Without the supervision of a Level 6 healer, performing a class change at eight years old was nearly equivalent to a death sentence.
Lotdan crushed the papers in his hand.
They burst into flames and burned to ashes.
This matter…
Could not be rushed.
It required long-term planning.
A minister below stepped forward with a report.
"Your Majesty, are the conditions you offered Rei perhaps too generous?"
"You already gave him the Void Starwood, our national treasure."
"And now you're granting him so much authority while imposing almost no obligations."
"What if he enjoys the privileges and then simply leaves?"
Lotdan looked down at the advising minister.
"This child's potential has been evaluated as comparable to Izparut."
"Do you not understand what that means?"
"And besides…"
"Haven't you noticed?"
Lotdan's gaze shifted slightly toward the back.
But he said nothing further.
At that moment, Iz was speaking with An Zheng near the rear doorway.
Some things…
Could not be spoken openly.
A king must sometimes remain silent.
The deep crimson velvet carpet felt like walking on clouds.
The corridor was magnificent—twenty meters tall.
Even giants walking through wouldn't feel cramped.
"This will be your residence."
Oh?
A residence within the royal palace of Loren?
It was an entirely independent palace complex, decorated primarily in red and white tones.
Noble.
Elegant.
"The king will assign you a butler and thirty-five servants to handle the affairs of your estate and daily life."
One butler.
Thirty-five servants?
"If you feel that's too few, more can be added. But for a palace of this scale—gardening, feeding mounts, cleaning and maintenance—this number is already more than sufficient."
Rei suppressed his surprise and merely nodded.
"Understood."
After briefly surveying the palace with his perception, the attendant guided Rei through a forest within the palace grounds.
The royal palace of Loren was truly enormous.
There was even a small forest inside it.
Deep within the forest stood a heavily guarded structure.
After presenting a pass token, the soldiers stationed outside stepped aside in unison.
The seals on the door were lifted.
"This is the Forbidden Library."
"Most of Loren's sealed forbidden books are stored here."
"The only people permitted to enter and read them are the King, the Prime Minister, An Zheng… and you in the future."
"Does Izparut not have permission?"
"Hehe. Lord Izparut does not."
Probably because he wasn't a citizen of Loren.
Rei scanned the room.
There weren't many books—just over a thousand.
But many contained hidden knowledge.
And even those that didn't probably recorded extraordinary information.
Otherwise they wouldn't be classified as forbidden texts.
After the Forbidden Library, they visited the Royal Grand Library.
A towering spire filled with rows upon rows of bookshelves.
An ocean of knowledge.
"These books can only be borrowed by a very small number of members."
"They are the finest works Loren has collected over the past two thousand years."
"They contain deep knowledge across many fields."
Rei's perception swept instinctively through the building.
He didn't find Pali.
And strangely—
He felt a bit relieved?
After the library came the Alchemy Tower, the Enchantment Hall, the Grand Forge…
With Rei's status, he could freely request Level 5 alchemists to craft potions, Level 5 enchanters to enchant equipment, and Level 5 blacksmiths to forge armor.
Of course, the labor cost was waived.
The materials still had to be paid for.
But even then, part of the cost could be reimbursed by the kingdom.
Finally, they arrived at the Royal Mage Tower.
This was the massive tower visible from far outside the city before entering Knoroya.
Inside, the first thing Rei saw was the constant flow of mages.
All dressed in robes.
"This is the gathering place for mages."
"And the magical center of Loren."
"As Chief Mage, you would be one of the most powerful figures within this tower."
"One of?"
"Yes. The others with equal status are Fizer, president of the Mage Association, and Izparut, the strongest mage registered with the Adventurers' Guild."
Those two.
It seemed the position of Chief Mage truly carried immense authority.
Which meant…
That man Jiezhu earlier—
Was actually a strong mage?
But compared to Iz, the gap felt enormous.
How could they hold equal authority?
Rei thought about it carefully.
Among the mages he currently knew—
Below Iz and Fizer…
There didn't seem to be anyone else.
Then again—
Compared to Izparut, every other mage felt like they belonged to an entirely different generation.
Rei's perception swept through the Mage Tower, examining the massive structure filled with scholars.
The academic atmosphere was extremely strong.
No wonder Loren was considered one of the greatest magical empires.
Oh?
Suddenly Rei sensed a familiar presence.
Hunmu?
Hunmu was inside the Mage Tower, teaching a group of students who looked around eighteen or nineteen.
His staff struck the board with loud cracks while he shouted angrily.
Something about "teaching you like teaching pigs."
So he really was in the capital.
Thanks to his Spatial Origin Magic, Rei had managed to defeat Luluvi.
Hunmu's theories had actually been quite eye-opening.
Unfortunately, during the War God Cup, there had been strict time limits on battles, so they hadn't exchanged ideas deeply.
If the opportunity arose…
Rei would truly like to discuss things with him again.
His mastery of spatial magic was extremely high.
And spatial magic was notoriously difficult to conquer.
Even Iz had said that his own knowledge of spatial magic was only superficial.
"In the Mage Tower, you can accept research tasks to earn contribution points and exchange them for rewards."
"Many mages also come here seeking help with magical problems—collaborating on spell research."
"As Chief Mage, you will receive a monthly salary of 10,000 gold coins."
"You may also convert this salary into 1,000 Mage Tower contribution points."
Rei roughly understood the function of the Mage Tower.
It was indeed a great place.
He wouldn't have to rely on the combat arena just to find people to exchange ideas with.
Soon after, they moved to the 15th floor and above.
"This will be your office area."
"But ordinary matters will rarely trouble you."
"You are free to do as you wish."
"On the 16th floor are the collected insights of Loren's sages regarding the Origins."
"Some are organized manuscripts. Others are handwritten notes written during moments of inspiration."
"You have the authority to read them."
"Additionally, the king will provide you with a contact list."
"It contains the contact information of top experts across Loren."
"If you wish to communicate with them, His Majesty can arrange meetings."
Truly…
Everything had been thought through.
Rei couldn't find any good reason to refuse.
Basically, everything he might need—
The Kingdom of Loren could provide.
"The king said you don't have to answer immediately."
"Knoroya is vast."
"You can explore the city and learn more."
"Loren's gates will always remain open to you."
Sigh.
Their hospitality really made refusal difficult.
"Alright."
"Please inform His Majesty that I will give my answer after some time."
The guide bowed respectfully.
Then left alone.
Rei stood inside the Mage Tower, overlooking the ring-layered architecture spiraling downward.
The scale of the building was almost a wonder of the world.
Yet it wasn't officially classified as one.
"Well… there will be plenty of opportunities to come here later."
Rei left the Mage Tower.
Outside, the streets were covered in snow.
Yet the roads were still busy.
Many pedestrians wore thick clothing.
Rei could sense strong fire-element fluctuations from their bodies.
Probably warming magic tools.
A world with magic really was convenient.
Without protection, weather like this could freeze even Level 3–4 adventurers to death in the wilderness.
Inside the city, however, the temperature wasn't nearly as harsh.
Rei could freely control fire elements, and his mage robe itself provided warmth.
So the cold didn't affect him.
Following the map, Rei quickly crossed the Heaven-Link Bridge and arrived at Knoroya's Grand Library.
The moment he stepped through the entrance—
Rei immediately released his perception, scanning the entire building.
"…She's not here?"
Pali wasn't there.
Rei had subconsciously assumed she would be waiting for him in Knoroya's library.
"Guess that was just wishful thinking."
He chuckled at himself.
Then began searching for books containing hidden knowledge.
Out of millions of volumes, he eventually selected twenty-something books that contained secret knowledge.
He didn't read them immediately.
Instead, he calmly stored them away.
Then he headed toward the Grand Cathedral of the Life Church.
Life Church — Hall of Healing
"Little Rei, you came to see me?"
"Yeah. I came to visit Sister Kumironi."
Because of the Death Church incident, after arriving in Knoroya, Kumironi first had to attend a meeting at the church.
The meeting had just ended.
Now she was helping treat patients the church had accepted.
Kumironi was one of the few healers capable of curing certain incurable diseases.
In a world with healing magic, most illnesses were easy to cure.
Most people were healthy.
But there were still extremely rare and difficult diseases.
"Lady Kumironi… if it weren't for you, I wouldn't know what to do…"
"You're our savior!"
The patient knelt on the ground, clutching her sleeve while crying.
Clearly they needed her deeply.
"Sister Kumironi."
"What do you think of Loren?"
"Hm… it's pretty good."
"Most citizens' lives are guaranteed, and they don't have to constantly fear foreign invasion."
"Sister Kumironi, if I join the Kingdom of Loren… what would you suggest?"
She thought for a moment.
"That would be great."
"You don't need to imitate Iz."
"He has his own strange principles."
"I think joining Loren would be good for you."
"You shouldn't think that joining a kingdom means being restrained."
"In this world, the only thing that can truly restrain someone…"
"Is not being strong enough."
Hearing that answer eased Rei's mind.
He chatted with her for a while longer.
Learning more about Loren.
And watching the endless stream of patients she treated.
On this journey, Kumironi had barely needed to act.
After all—
Iz and the others rarely got injured.
Even if someone got hurt, Obades would be the first to withstand it.
Only after that would Kumironi step in to heal.
So ironically…
The ones she treated most were small animals they encountered on the road.
Or injured adventurers from villages they passed through.
After saying goodbye to Kumironi, Rei spent the rest of the day wandering Knoroya.
The White Tower, the Mage Tower, and the Observatory Tower were the city's three great towers.
The Observatory was said to belong to diviners, full of astrologers.
The White Tower was the gathering place of scholars, a sacred ground for high-level research.
Many mages were also members there.
Meanwhile, the Life Church controlled a large stretch of land outside the city—called The Soil of Growth.
A paradise for cultivators.
On his first day in the capital, Rei didn't rush to study.
Instead, he familiarized himself with Knoroya's culture and atmosphere.
The next day.
Rei returned to the royal palace.
This time he entered through the main gate.
"Haha! Lord Rei, you came back so quickly?"
"Are you satisfied with the conditions I offered?"
"If there's anything you dislike, feel free to speak!"
Rei maintained perfect etiquette.
"Your Majesty's offer is indeed excellent."
"I only wish to confirm the obligations I would have."
"If I accept your terms… will I truly have the freedom you described?"
Lotdan nodded.
"Of course."
"You may do whatever you wish."
"As long as you do not deny your relationship with Loren, do not sell our intelligence to foreign nations, and do not leak our secrets…"
"Everything else—do whatever you like."
"Treat the title of Chief Mage as a position with privileges but no burdens."
The king's promise was extremely weighty.
Rei could hear the quiet swallowing sounds from those present.
Their eyes were filled with envy.