Morning in the palace was… deceptively peaceful.
Blue skies. Cool breeze. Birds chirping like they didn't care I almost got dissected by royal mages yesterday.
I stretched, hands behind my head, walking aimlessly along the stone paths of the inner gardens. Everything here was too clean. The grass looked combed. Even the statues were smug.
Still, it beat sitting in that fancy guest room, waiting for nobles to decide my fate.
I wasn't in the mood for nobles.
Unfortunately, nobles were very much in the mood for me.
"There he is," a soft voice said behind me.
I turned—mistake.
A small group of well-dressed young ladies stood nearby, fans half-raised, eyes glittering with thinly veiled curiosity.
"Sir Ark, was it?" one asked, stepping forward with the confidence of someone who had never been told 'no' in her life. "You're the one who rescued Her Highness, correct?"
I blinked. "…Yes?"
"How brave. And… how curious." Her smile sharpened. "A man of mystery is always intriguing."
The others giggled.
I took a careful step back.
They took two steps forward.
"I must say," another one said, her eyes flicking over me, "you're quite attractive, Sir Ark. Much more striking in person than I expected."
That made me freeze. I glanced down at my worn, ragged clothes. Was she talking about the same guy standing in front of her? I resisted the urge to double-check if I still had monster guts on my boots.
"I, uh, appreciate the sentiment," I said, trying to steer the conversation away from my face. "But I'm really just—"
"Leaving," a new voice cut in. Clam yet intimidating and not remotely amused.
Celyne Virellian stood nearby, arms behind her back. Her expression was carved from stone, her gaze sharp enough to flay.
The noble girls froze.
"Sir Ark has matters to attend to," Celyne said. "If you'd kindly stop obstructing the path."
The girls offered tight-lipped smiles, murmured half-hearted farewells, and retreated.
"Thanks," I muttered, walking toward Celyne. "You're good at scaring people."
"Discipline," she said simply.
"And here I thought it was my charm driving them away."
"Not likely."
Fair enough.
Before I could add a comeback, another voice chimed in—lighter, amused.
"You're attracting quite the audience this morning."
Lana approached, hands clasped behind her back, a knowing smile on her lips.
"Not my fault," I said. "I was just walking."
"Well, walk less suspiciously next time."
"I was literally walking in a straight line."
"Suspiciously."
Celyne exhaled. Barely.
"You'll need to get used to this," Lana added. "You're a guest of the royal family. People will watch."
"People can watch from a distance."
"Some won't. You did save a princess, after all."
"Right. Regretfully."
Lana's eyes glinted with amusement. "Come. Father will summon you soon. But not today. Two days, perhaps. Until then, enjoy the spectacle."
I looked at Celyne. She hadn't blinked once since arriving.
"…Can't wait."
Lana walked beside me with a little too much energy for someone who called this a casual stroll. Celyne followed, silent, composed, and probably ready to freeze me solid if I sneezed wrong.
I stretched, hands behind my head. "So, just to confirm. You two really have nothing better to do?"
Lana smiled. "Consider it a royal escort service. Free of charge."
"How generous."
"Besides," she added, "you are the mysterious outsider who saved a princess and can't use magic. People are curious."
"That last part didn't need emphasis."
"Hmm? Just stating facts."
I could hear nobles whispering from a safe distance. Loud enough for me to catch phrases like "magicless commoner" and "brute strength".
Typical nobles bastards.
I glanced at Celyne, watching her usual aura of polite frost. "So that cold air trick. Is that just for intimidation, or are you leaking on purpose?"
"Mana manifestation," she said without missing a step. "My body aligns with ice. Uncontrolled output results in environmental influence."
"If you wish to control mana," she said, "you must first sense your core."
"My core." I nodded sagely. "Let me guess,it is near my chest."
"It's located near the solar plexus," she said, unfazed. "Focus inward. Ignore external stimuli. You'll feel it as warmth. Pressure. A pulse."
"And once I find it?"
"You'll learn control. Without it, any attempt at magic would be… destructive."
"Good thing I'm not doing magic, then."
"That can change," Celyne said. Simple. Direct. Like it was a fact.
I wasn't so sure.
I looked at Lana. "You've probably got some ridiculous magic too, don't you?"
She tilted her head, smiling. "Light magic. Divine by nature."
"Divine, huh. So you're blessed, holy, and all that?"
"Exactly. Light magic is rare. Healers, protectors, wardens of purity."
"Sounds exhausting."
Lana's grin widened. "Oh, it has its moments. Shields, illusions, even a little offense if needed."
I made a show of considering that. "Let me guess. You glow in the dark."
A soft laugh escaped her lips.
"I can arrange that," she said.
I had no doubt.
"Anyway," I said, stretching again, "I'm honored to be flanked by Ice and Light. Makes me wonder what my element would be."
Lana raised a brow. "Given your current record… maybe earth?"
"That sound boring.I am more of a fire guy."
Even Celyne's lip twitched. Slightly.
We kept walking. The nobles kept staring. The palace kept pretending this was normal.
Two more days of observation, huh.
Piece of cake.
Probably.
We'd been walking in circles for a while now.
To them, it was a peaceful stroll through the royal gardens. To me, it was court-approved loitering.
At some point, Lana glanced up. "It's about tea time."
Of course it was.
A few turns later, we reached a marble pavilion straight out of a noble family's painting. White stone, polished table, chairs that looked like they'd shatter if I sneezed wrong. The view was nice, though. Very conqueror-who-has-nothing-left-to-conquer vibes.
We sat. Tea was poured.
Celyne stood, as expected. Statuesque. Still. Probably judging my posture.
Lana sipped her tea, then said it casually, like small talk. "Let's discuss magic."
Of course. Tea, then magic. Very normal.
"There are four elemental magics," she began. "Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind. The basics."
I nodded. Basic was good.
"Then there are Divine magics. Ice, Lightning, Light, and Dark. Stronger, rarer, and often associated with blessings or bloodlines."
"Let me guess," I said. "You're Light magic."
"Correct." No modesty. She didn't need it.
My gaze shifted to Celyne.
"Ice." Short. Cold. Expected.
Lana set her cup down. "You, however, are a mystery. No magic signature. None at all."
I'd noticed. Especially after being prodded by mages like a dead animal.
"Even the least talented have a faint mana presence," she continued. "But you… nothing. Which is why we're curious."
"Curiosity is dangerous," I said.
"So is ignorance." She smiled, but her eyes were sharp. "We'd like you to try sensing your core."
"Right now?"
"Why not? It's peaceful. The tea is warm. Celyne's here to stop you from dying."
A pause.
"…Reassuring."
"If it's difficult, I can lend you mana," Lana added. "A small amount. Just enough for you to feel it."
"Sharing mana sounds personal."
"It is." She said it plainly. "But this is for learning. Don't read into it."
"I wouldn't dare."
She extended her hand, palm up. A faint glow shimmered over her skin. Warm, like sunlight trapped in glass.
I sighed. There was no backing out now.
"Alright. Let's see what all the fuss is about."
I reached out.
The moment Lana's mana touched me, I can feel the mana flowing through inside me.
Then I followed the where the mana flow and reach to a center where mana seem to gather.
But then something cracked.
Inside.
The world blurred.
For me, silence.
Void.
The same massive clock stood there, ticking away like it had all the time in the world.
tick
Then reality snapped.
Mana exploded out of me.
No warning. No control.
The ground shook. Stone tiles split. The tea table didn't even get a chance to complain before it was reduced to firewood.
Celyne was faster than thought.
"Lana! Back!" she shouted, ice forming mid-air.
Lana didn't flinch. Light gathered around her hands, a weak shield snapping into place.
But it wasn't enough.
The force of the blast pushed her back, her boots scraping against the cracked stone.
Celyne lunged, raising another layer of ice between them and the storm.
And for a heartbeat, everything was chaos.