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A couple of guards, their hands heavy with crates filled with stones moved around the space with grunts and occasional growls when they picked the items up and carried them towards the warehouse.

With sweat beading on their brows, Malden’s workers wrestled with long, cumbersome wooden beams.

"Lord Arzan, it feels like such a long time since I saw you." Malden’s voice came loud amidst the noises of metal and manpower. "The whole city’s buzzing with the news of your victory against those monstrous spiders. I heard some… vivid descriptions of your powers! About how you handled them so well. I couldn’t help, but stop to listen to a few workers on the wall share the story and how you rained down flaming arrows at them."

His words flew from his mouth one after another, almost as if he had practised them before talking to him. Kai raised his hand, cutting him off shortly.

"Did you bring the herbs I requested in the letter?"

Malden, momentarily deflated, slapped his forehead with a dramatic sigh "Ah, the herbs! Yes, yes, they’re all here, safely nestled in their own little crates. Though," he leaned in, "there was one I couldn’t acquire."

Should have started with that, Malden.

A frown creased Kai’s brow. Since he had decided to head towards the capital, he knew he had to prepare well in advance and that’s why, he had ordered a few herbs from Malden to make a special potion. One that might help him out against the Archine Tower.

"Which one?" Kai asked, hoping it was not one of the main ingredients.

Malden cleared his throat and shrugged nonchalantly. "I think it’s called Blursage."

His frown deepened and by how crestfallen Malden looked, he realised that the herb was important for Kai.

It was the main herb he wanted due to its properties of clouding one’s mind. He had no idea if it was rare in this era, but it had been in his time because many groups and cabal intelligence networks would make good use of it.

"Why didn’t you get it, though? Your reply mentioned that the herbs would be easy to find?" Kai questioned straightaway.

Malden wiped nonexistent sweat from his brow, his jovial expression replaced by a grimace. "Market’s been dry, Lord Arzan. Blursage isn’t exactly a popular request, and you know these types of herbs are taken by alchemists and nobles to wither away in their warehouses. I heard about the place where I could get them. But it’s too dangerous of a place to venture even if I hire our usual mercenaries." He thought for a moment on his own words, frowning as he scrunched his nose up. "Large mercenary groups wouldn’t even touch the job until I gave them a hefty sum, so it was outside what I could manage."

His words came out rather scared than anything. Kai wondered what the man was so scared about, but if it was really like that, then he did understand that he couldn’t let Malden use a large sum for his personal request.

"Why is it so? Is it located in a monster nest or a wasteland?"

"No, Lord Arzan." Malden shook his head. "Blursage apparently grows on a specific hilltop on the corner of Sylvian Enclave. It’s close to the main road that heads towards the capital. The problem is a nasty bunch of bandits around here. It’s a large pack, a militant force and with them there, it’s nigh impossible for me to get it without getting caught by them."

Kai’s brow furrowed further. This was an unwelcome complication. Still, the alternative— arriving at the capital without the Blursage— was even worse. He doubted he was going to be as confident dealing with the tower without it.

"Bandits, you say? How many are we talking about?"

Malden winced. "Big group, Lord Arzan. Estimates range upwards of three hundred, and those are just the ones they’ve seen. Nasty bunch, ruthless and well-armed."

Malden repeated the word ’nasty’ as if it was a moniker owned by them.

Kai tapped his chin thoughtfully. The detour was a nuisance, but the capital was directly on the other side of these bandits. They were an obstacle he’d have to deal with eventually since growing bandit groups were a nuisance especially when they were next to his territory in the Sylvan Enclave.

Besides, he had long since gotten over the threat of mere bandits, especially after reaching the third circle. Three hundred bandits, while a significant force, wasn’t insurmountable.

"Alright, Malden," he said. "Since it’s on the way to the capital, we’ll take care of them. Consider it a… pre-emptive strike."

Malden’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Deal with them, Lord Arzan? But they’re…" He trailed off, seeing the steely resolve that was present in Kai’s eyes. Arguing wouldn’t do any good. Kai was sure Malden knew better.

"You can either follow me, or I will go with necessary preparations to the capital. Your choice, Malden. Either way, I appreciate you finding the rest of the herbs," Kai said and gave a small nod.

Malden immediately cleared his throat, trying to salvage the situation. "Well, that certainly changes things! In that case, we’ll be much better prepared. I already had Gorak and his team lined up for the trip to the capital, just in case. With them, your guards, and your formidable skills, Lord Arzan, we’ll secure that Blursage and be on our way in no time!"

Kai gave Malden an impassive look. Although it was clear Malden wasn’t entirely sure about his decision, he was going with it. The man was a good salesman and knew where to put his money and trust in.

Seeing his look, Malden coughed and turned away to look at the flurry of activity of the guards and workers.

Kai followed his gaze and stared at the carriages. A sense of excitement bubbled in him since he was going to be exploring the rest of the world for the first time.

Having already informed everyone of their impending trip to the capital, Francis was going to stay behind to manage the city and oversee the construction efforts. Killian and two more Enforcers were following them with a chunk of guards.

Malden, too, would be accompanying them, as he had business dealings in the capital that conveniently aligned with their travel plans.

It gave them more people, but it was a good thing since it would take a week to reach the capital and having a large number of people meant more protection. However, he was sure the bandit group Malden mentioned would love to take on them.

As they stood there, Malden cleared his throat.

"Forgive my curiosity, Lord Arzan, but what exactly do you need the Blursage for? Is it some special concoction to give the nobles in the capital as a gift?"

Kai offered a noncommittal shrug. "Part of my preparations," he said simply. "I have a few things I need to attend to in the capital, and this herb is just a necessary ingredient."

Malden’s eyes narrowed as he considered Kai’s words, searching for a hidden meaning. However, the shrewd merchant knew better than to pry further. With a nod of understanding, he scurried off to address the logistics of their journey.

Leaving the bustle of the carriages, Kai made his way back towards the estate.

As he moved closer to it, he felt eyes on him and saw the shadow of a silhouette on a window.

He smiled and made his way towards that. He found Amyra nestled in a familiar spot, perched outside his study window, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"Eavesdropping, were you?" he asked with a smile as she turned around to look at him.

Amyra caught red-handed, let out a playful scoff. "Maybe, but I wasn’t able to hear anything from here," she mumbled, her cheeks flushing a light pink. "I just saw the carriages and was interested. Also… I heard about you going to the capital from Claire."

"Yes, I would be gone for three weeks, if not more."

Amyra sighed, lowering her head at that. Kai waited for her to say anything and after a few seconds, she raised her head and asked, "Can I come with you? I-I mean, the group to the capital?"

Kai’s smile softened.

"As much as I’d love to, Amyra, this trip to the capital isn’t exactly a sightseeing tour. It’s serious business, and I wouldn’t be able to keep you safe or spend time with you."

A small frown appeared on Amyra’s face. "But I can’t do anything without you. What will happen to our golem making?" she protested. Her voice slightly raised, but she straightened in her position, squaring her shoulders. "I wouldn’t know how to make golems alone or do anything here, Lord Arzan."

Kai looked at her, trying to get an idea of how to please her. He was hard-pressed to bring her since he didn’t want to deal with the trouble of protecting her. They had made good progress and he was sure she was close to telling him more about the questions he had carried all this time in his mind.

For now, he needed to make her understand that he wasn’t leaving her alone.

"True, but don’t fret it. My absence will be temporary. Besides," he added, a glint in his eye, "once I return, I’m bringing enough materials so we can start working on those larger golems I mentioned before."

Amyra’s eyes lit up at the prospect, but she quickly hid it. "Really?"

"Yes. Besides, you could practise with the clay in the library till then. Three weeks would pass by very quickly."

"But… what if you took more time?" She asked, her voice trembling.

Kai slowly moved his hands and patted her shoulders. She didn’t turn his hand away. "I promise I won’t. Just keep practising your shaping techniques. We’ll have a lot of work to do when I get back."

Slowly, she nodded and smiled.

***

Kai’s eyes were closed, his breathing slow and measured. After dealing with the day’s activity and packing his stuff up for the journey, he returned to his room.

He wasn’t just circulating his mana in the usual meditative pattern today. Since reaching the third circle, a new sensation had been brewing within him and he wanted to find out what it was.

The third circle was a stage where Mages would exponentially increase their mana pools as well as gain good mastery over their spells and elements. One of the things that would happen in this stage was the discovery of a new affinity.

It wasn’t a given as every Mage was different, but he knew this was what he felt in his core.

Most Mages would have two to three major elemental affinities. However, not every one of them would reveal itself straight away. A lot of times Mages would also just focus on one element instead of trying to master more.

Since unlike Enforcers, Mages could draw out power from various aspects of the world, the choices laid out to them were the major reason why they stood at the pinnacle of power.

There were also minor affinities towards other elements, but these were barely whispers, incapable of fueling more than rudimentary first or second-circle spells. He was only able to use healing spells due to this and even then, he was far from being able to use them well enough.

No matter how well he made the spell structure, it wasn’t easy to infuse the light affinity because he only had a minor affinity with it.

Most Mages wisely focused on mastering their primary and secondary elements because of this reason.

Kai had already confirmed his fire affinity, a blazing inferno that roared within him. The secondary element he had discovered was a gentle wind, a counterpart to the fire’s fury. It wasn’t as strong as his fire affinity, but it was good.

He wondered if both these elements had carried over through his soul, but he had no proof of it. He had read no research about affinities being connected to the soul rather than the Mana heart.

Though, at the moment, he cared nothing about it.

Since reaching the third circle, a new presence had been making itself known, one that felt more potent than even the wind, coming close to the power he felt from his fire affinity. It was a presence Kai yearned to identify, to understand.

If I could figure out this affinity, I would be able to grow even stronger than before.

Two affinities were strong, but he had already mastered both of them. A third one would let them grow in a different direction. But he knew the work he had to put in would be slow and concentrated.

He focused deeper into his meditation, pushing past the familiar warmth of the fire and the refreshing caress of the wind.

He searched for a spark, an echo in the vast canvas of his mana pool.

It was like swimming in a vast lake, trying to reach the surface, then looking around to feel that connection that bothered him quite a few times these days.

As he focused, a connection bloomed, a tendril of energy, unlike anything he’d experienced before. He chased that tendril, his concentration deepening into a trance.

He swam and swam deeper into the lake, running after it until he froze.

Suddenly, an image flashed in his mind— a woman with flowing white hair, her eyes mirroring his abyssal pupils stared at him. The way they dilated, almost made it seem like they were saying something. She enveloped him in a warm embrace, a whispered word escaping her lips, "My heir."

Her hands… They’re so… Cold.

The trance shattered, Kai’s eyes snapping open. His breath hitched.

The room was no longer his familiar chamber. It was a world of white.

Frost clung to the walls, the air laced with a biting chill. He reached up to touch his neck, the spot where the woman’s embrace had lingered. His fingers brushed against a sheen of ice.

He looked down, not knowing what had happened or who that woman was.

Ice… Seems like I found my third affinity.

A hesitant smile touched his lips as his hand came down from his neck to rub against the other. His heart beat loudly as he tried his best to calm himself down.

But was unable to do so for a long time.