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Jacks grunted in agreement, his burly frame seeming to shrink under Kai’s scrutiny. "We wouldn’t call ourselves weak," he offered a touch defensively. "Since our strength within the tower lies at the lower middle range among the apprentices."

"Though, it should change since we are hoping to get a master soon and would get strong enough to become adepts in a few years," Klan added to Jacks’ explanation.

A low-mid range apprentice. The words hung in the air, heavy with implication. If what he knew of the structure of Mage rankings stood there, it would mean both of them were at the second rank of a Mage journey.

It wasn’t anything special since most Mages could be apprentices with time, effort and resources, but they were oddly weak even for an apprentice.

They said they weren’t the worst out of the lot, so Kai wondered whether the training they had been given was simply shoddy or it had something to do with them not having a master yet.

"Apprentices, you say," he said, his voice betraying none of his disappointment. "Then perhaps you could elaborate on the structure of the Archine Tower. How many Mages reside within its walls? How are they further divided?"

Klan stepped forward, his shoulders squaring slightly. "Hundreds, Lord Arzan," he began, a flicker of pride returning to his voice. "Hundreds of Mages, most falling within the ranks of apprentice and novice."

Kai leaned forward, his eyes narrowed. "And what of the more experienced Mages?"

Jacks took over the explanation. "Do you mean adepts?" he rumbled and continued once Kai nodded. "There are a scant three dozen adepts within the tower. Mage Actra was one of them. They are the backbone of the Archine Tower’s research and training. Most of them are going in and out of the tower, since after reaching the adept stage, their training becomes more specialized. A lot of them teach our classes, but I know a dozen who are mostly busy with the kingdom’s work or different expeditions. Some are also sent to nobles as temporary retainers as part of an agreement of the tower and the kingdom."

Kai knew Jacks was hinting at Actra from the last line, but he ignored it. Three dozen adepts were around the number he had expected and although he would have liked it if there were fewer of them, there was nothing he could do.

"And beyond that?" Kai pressed. "Does the tower store any savants and Mages beyond that rank? Who exactly runs it?"

Klan and Jacks exchanged a glance, a silent communication passing between them. Then, they both nodded and explained.

"On the very pinnacle," Klan said, "stands the council. There are eight members and each of them is an exceptional Mage in their own right, renowned across the land. They are the ones who guide the tower’s direction and are the strongest Mages in the kingdom."

Kai’s eyes flashed, a spark igniting within him. "How many of them are savants?" he pressed his voice firm. "I’m pretty sure the council will have a few of them."

Klan puffed out his chest, a hint of pride colouring his cheeks. "Three, Lord Arzan!" he declared. "Three esteemed savants, each wielding the power of a fourth circle Mage!"

Savants won’t be easy to deal with.

Kai sighed inwardly. Having three savants meant that the tower had considerable strength and he wouldn’t be able to deal with them at his current stage.

Though, he needed more information before forming a plan.

"And what of the Tower Master?" Kai continued, his gaze unwavering. "The one who leads this council?"

Jacks cleared his throat, stepping forward. "The Tower Master," he began, his voice dropping to a reverent whisper, "is Magus Veridia. One of the few Magus in the world, a 5th Circle mage. I’m pretty sure you must have heard of her."

A fifth circle Mage. Kai barely hid his frown as he heard it.

He forced himself to focus, pushing aside his growing unease. "And this Magus Veridia," he said, barely managing to keep his frown at bay. "What do you know of her? Is she in the tower a lot?"

Klan and Jacks exchanged a hesitant look. "She is there, but we see her rarely," Klan admitted. "Magus Veridia is… deeply involved in her research. Most of her time is spent within her private quarters."

Kai nodded. If that was the case, then he doubted he was going to cross paths with her anytime soon.

When he had regressed to this era, he had guessed that magi would be around since the mana density was so high. It had been the rank he held when he had regressed and back then, he was the only magus in the world left.

His master had been the last one before him and he had only heard of a few others in records deep in the library. So, hearing that a few magi were around the world really set in the fact that he would have to deal with completely different things from now on.

At the same time, it gave him a lot of curiosity to check out the tower for himself.

"And what about training?" he demanded in a sharp voice and moved on with his questions. "The combat abilities you displayed during your first day here… lacked any sharpness and finesse, to say the least."

Both Klan and Jacks bristled at his words, their faces flushing a deep red. "But… but we are not trained for battle, Lord Arzan!" Klan sputtered. "Our focus is on spell theory and—"

"You both are second-circle Mages and not trained for battle?" Kai interrupted, his disbelief colouring his tone. "How is that even possible?"

"Obviously," Klan sputtered, his voice laced with indignation. "We can’t partake in battle training yet! We’re still apprentice Mages, focused on getting our foundation—"

Kai cut him off with a raised hand, a frustrated sigh escaping his lips. He understood that the Mage ranks were the same in this era and the novices and apprentices focused more on theory classes and research. But second circle Mages, wielding a significant amount of raw power, and yet completely untrained in combat? It defied logic. There was something fundamentally wrong with the Archine Tower’s approach.

He opened his mouth to speak, a scathing retort forming on his tongue, but then stopped himself. Dwelling on their shortcomings wouldn’t solve anything. A gnawing suspicion was on the back of his mind, but he ignored it.

"So," he said, his voice regaining its composure. "Is Magus Veridia the one we’ll be meeting at the tower?"

Klan and Jacks exchanged another hesitant glance, a flicker of worry clouding their eyes. "We don’t think so," Jacks finally admitted. "The summons compel your presence, but whether the Magus herself will be present, it’s uncertain and highly unlikely. Likely, a member of the council will be there to investigate and, well… interrogate."

Kai nodded, a grim understanding settling over him. Interrogation. It seemed his initial assumptions about their visit weren’t entirely off the mark.

"I see," he muttered, his mind racing with possibilities. As if sensing his thoughts, Klan spoke up, a hint of curiosity lacing his tone.

"Now that you’ve awakened your magic, Lord Arzan," he began. "You’ll understand the weight Mages hold. You’ll get to know everything about being in power. The Archine Tower is an official institution of the kingdom, and by law, all Mages must eventually make their pilgrimage to the tower."

"A pilgrimage?" Kai raised an eyebrow. "That’s what you call it?"

Jacks cleared his throat. "In a way, yes," he rumbled. "You have been summoned for interrogation, but at the same time, the tower would probably assess you and register you no matter the outcome of the investigation. Though it’s rather… strange you haven’t been summoned sooner. Traditionally, Mages are assessed quite early in their development when they awaken."

Klan shot Jacks a warning glance, but it was too late.

Kai shook his head, pushing the revelation aside for now. He couldn’t care less whether the tower wanted to register him as a Mage or a criminal. He had enough questions swirling in his mind.

"Enough inquiries for now," he declared, his voice firm.

"Are we going to leave for the tower then?"

"Not yet," he said and the Mage’s face fell. Before they could say anything, he added. "Rest assured, my trip to the tower will happen soon. I simply have a few things to take care of in my territory and then, we can leave for the tower. Give me a few days."

Klan and Jacks looked at each other, a hint of relief washing over their features.

"We would wait till then."

***

Kai sat at the head of the table. Around him, Killian and Francis sat among a few other people. One of them was Phillips, the gruff hunter who sat rigidly in his chair, his usual gruff demeanour replaced by a haunted silence.

Two others were Feroy and Nelson who had taken time out to participate in the meeting.

"The situation is dire," Kai began, his voice heavy with the weight of the news. "The hunters and Francis probably already told you about it. I, myself, have confirmed it too. A beast wave is indeed coming, and it will reach the estate in three months."

Three months. The word hung in the air like a death knell. Killian was the first to break the silence.

"Three months," he repeated, his voice hoarse. "That’s… that’s not enough time."

Phillips grunted in agreement. "Tracks don’t lie," he rumbled. "These things take time to mobilize. Three months is a fair estimate. We’re seeing the early signs and as time goes on, there will be more attacks on the villages and the city before the wave truly arrives."

Francis offered a tentative nod. "From the records we’ve studied," he chimed in. "Most beast waves take three to four months to fully gather and attack. Three months is a safe bet."

Kai placed a document on the table, his eyes roaming around the room and coming back to the document. "Safe or not, that’s the time we have. And here’s what we know," he continued, pushing the document towards them. "Based on what I gathered with a spell of mine, these are the species confirmed to be participating in the wave."

A hush fell over the room as everyone leaned forward, their faces paling as they scanned the document. Kai watched their reactions, feeling their heart sinking with each passing second. Listed here, in stark black and white, were the names of creatures that sent shivers down even the most seasoned warrior’s spine.

"Goblins, trolls, arsonic bears," Killian muttered, his voice trembling at the last part. "The first two have a sizeable population around and arsonic bears are extremely tough to handle and could conjure up flames around their paws."

"There are also stalker hawks," Francis added, his voice devoid of its usual cheer. "Those monstrous birds are few in numbers, but we are hardly equipped to deal with them."

Kai had already gone through the list and most of the species listed ranged from Grade 1 to Grade 3. There were also those who were leaders of a monster tribe like the goblin lord he had fought before.

With everything, he knew they were going to have a hard time with each of them.

Feroy shook his head, slammed his fist on the table but quickly regained his posture. "Even with every Enforcer and guard we have at our disposal," he said. "We can’t hold back a wave of creatures like these! There’s no way we can survive!"

Kai steepled his fingers, his gaze meeting each of their eyes in turn. "That’s why I called this meeting," he said, his voice steady despite the rising panic in the room. "If there’s no chance of survival, we make one. There’s no other choice."