After Larnus's death, a heavy silence fell over the deck. No one had expected Captain Thenerev to step in personally—let alone strike with such brutal decisiveness. What he did went completely against the rules of the Union, but not a single soul dared to speak up. The fear in the air was thick enough to choke on.
Then something changed. A cold shiver ran down everyone's spine. A monstrous presence was approaching. In a flash, three figures appeared on deck: the same ancient mages who'd been escorting the ship. Behind them came Aurus. Agis, Thaloe, and Merion all wore cryptic smiles, like they were enjoying the show. No one could guess what they were thinking.
After a few tense seconds, Agis broke the silence with a calm voice, as if he were talking about the weather.
—"So, Aurus. How do you want to handle this?"
Aurus shrugged like it was nothing.
—"Larnus started it. His death is justified. I won't intervene."
Thaloe gave a slight nod. Merion just clicked his tongue, unimpressed.
—"Then that's that."
No one noticed at first, but Thenerev hadn't moved a single muscle since the mages arrived. He was paralyzed, trembling. Their aura alone had him pinned. The man William once saw as unstoppable now looked like a trapped rat facing three hungry beasts.
The elders said a few more words—calm, but sharp as knives.
—"Everything's fine... for now. But we won't tolerate another mess like this."
And just like that, they vanished. No sound. No flash. They simply disappeared.
The instructors collapsed to their knees, eyes full of fear, staring at William like desperate beggars. Anyone with half a brain could tell—those old monsters had moved for him. This wasn't the first time they played bodyguards. They usually did it for Union perks and never cared about the casualties. But this time, they'd stepped in... and that scared the hell out of everyone.
William noticed the shift. Still clutching his bleeding arm, he stood up and stared straight at the instructors' captain.
—"I'll be back later. And if I hear anything... you better have answers."
Without waiting for a reply, he walked away. Each step firm, unshaken. The sailors joined him, some chuckling nervously behind him.
—"Did you see that? Our mighty captain, frozen like a statue!" one of them laughed.
—"Kid made him look like a puppy in front of a pack of wolves!" another added.
It wasn't that they didn't respect Thenerev—they just needed to let off steam after what the mages had put them through. Laughter was their only pressure valve.
—"Hey William!" one shouted, mimicking his heroic pose. "You should start selling action figures!"
As they patched him up, the captain silently walked over and handed him a small bottle.
—"Drink this."
William took it without a word. Angel spoke immediately:
"Scanning content. 70% match to the potion Aurus gave you before departure."
William didn't even flinch. The sailors caught on right away.
—"Look at him! Bet he drinks these like water!" one joked.
—"Rich boy doesn't even know how rare this stuff is!" said another.
William used the jokes to steer the conversation.
—"Are these potions really that rare in the Academy?"
One sailor gave him a serious nod.
—"Crazy rare. That bottle could save your life. Back there, it'd go for at least twenty mana quartz."
William raised an eyebrow.
—"Mana quartz?"
—"Yeah. Special stones mined from certain caves. They hold ultra-pure mana. Perfect for powering up or running experiments."
—"And they're used as currency?"
—"Among the elite? Yeah. It's the coin of power."
They kept chatting. William soaked in the info like a sponge, cataloging every detail. Eventually, he stood and headed to his cabin.
Just as he reached the door, Aurus's voice echoed down the hall.
—"Come to my room."
William turned and made his way over. Inside, Aurus was seated at a desk, holding a scroll. He dropped it to the floor and looked at William.
—"Cast the fireball again. At me."
William blinked.
—"Are you... sure? I might hurt you."
Aurus grinned.
—"If you manage to hurt me, you can ask me for anything you want. And I'll give it to you gladly."
William hesitated, then nodded and focused. He channeled mana, summoned the flame, and hurled the fireball. As soon as he did, his knees buckled. He hit the floor, dizzy and panting.
Aurus smiled.
—"You can only use it twice before you run dry... That's pretty impressive."
William gasped for air but grinned through it. Aurus picked up the scroll and handed it to him.
—"Getting hurt by a knight is a disgrace for a mage. This is the most basic defense spell: mana shield. Study it. When you've mastered it, come see me again. If you can learn three spells before reaching the Academy... I'll give you a special gift."
William's eyes lit up.
—"Deal."
Back in his cabin, he opened the scroll and instantly realized something: this spell was a beast. The runes, the gestures, the pronunciation—everything was ten times harder than fireball.
Fireball was simple: visualize the flame, recite the chant, channel mana through a few parts of the brain.
Mana shield? That was a whole different game. It demanded near-total brain activity, like switching on every light in a castle with one thought. The shield had to deploy instantly, and the incantation was a tongue-twisting nightmare.
William took a deep breath and smiled.
—"A challenge worth my time."
And he started reading again.