Quick! I didn’t even notice where they came from. One on my right, the other on my left—they materialized out of thin air, their swords already at my throat.
— Oh-ho! What quick lads! — I said, carefully sliding my index fingers between the blades and the skin of my neck, tilting my head back.
A pretty foolish move, considering that each of them was far stronger than me. Meanwhile, warriors poured in from all sides, led by Marj, surrounding us with swords at the ready. My Mia crouched low, her fingers extending into long claws, and long feline whiskers appearing on her flushed cheeks. Her usually calm, fluffy tail now stood straight up, lifting her short skirt all the way to her back. Now that’s a transformation! I thought. But the view from behind was probably even better!
— Let him go, or I’ll rip your brat’s eggs right off! — she hissed.
She wasn’t joking. If I were one of these guards, I’d definitely reconsider. Stopping such a fury…
— Lower your swords! — Marj bellowed. — You’re in the Trade Guild, not your princely court!
— Calm down, Marj! — I said loudly. — You did well, but to these two, you’re about as threatening as partridges. They could turn this into a one-sided massacre. — And you, Mia! I’ll handle this.
— So, kid? — I turned to the young noble. — Maybe we just walk away peacefully, or are you still convinced you can handle the consequences?
— I’ll have you rot in the ground, you lowborn! — he shrieked again…
What an unreasonable creature! Where do people like him keep coming from, just to make my life harder?!
— What’s going on here? — came a voice from behind me.
Old Hek resolutely pushed through the line of guards and stepped between me and the noble brat.
— Oh, so it’s the prince’s eldest son causing trouble again! — His voice dripped with such contempt it was almost nauseating. — Lord Eldest Prince’s Son, if you so much as lay a finger on a guest of the Trade Guild, the guild will immediately invoke Article Three of the Charter and impose a trade embargo on the princely court. Furthermore, under that same article, the guild’s bank will demand immediate repayment of all credit lines, initiating asset seizure procedures on all movable and immovable property of the princely court! If you’re confident, Lord Eldest Prince’s Son, that your foolish head will remain on your slender neck after such a move, go ahead—swing your sword. If not, then leave this place at once, and don’t let so much as your scent linger here!
The unfortunate prince’s son turned pale, then red, then pale again with every word from Hek, slowly realizing what kind of mess he’d gotten himself into.
— I’m counting to three! — Hek raised his voice. — One!
— Release me! — the prince’s son screeched at his guards and bolted for the door.
— Your father will receive a full report on your actions in the guild tonight! — Hek called after him.
The two guards who had their swords at my throat simply… dissolved into thin air. I tried to memorize how they moved, but there was little I could grasp.
— They’re strong! — I said enviously, watching them go. — Thank you, Hek, you saved me this time.
— Bah, it’s nothing. That little turd stirs up trouble regularly. I just hope I don’t live to see the day he actually becomes prince.
— Thank you, all of you! — I turned to Marj, his men, and Mia. — But please, don’t risk your lives for me again. Those two were far too strong—you wouldn’t have stood a chance. Do we have an agreement?
A murmur of agreement passed through the group, and some even nodded. Mia took my hand.
— Well, shall we head to the Mage Guild?
— Sorry, but I need to change my plans while my memory is still fresh. Marj, is there a training ground nearby?
— Take him to the guild’s warehouse training ground! — Hek shouted on his way back to his office.
— The old man’s hearing is still sharp! — I muttered under my breath.
The Trade Guild’s training ground was massive. It had more than just stacks of practice weapons and strength-training machines—it also housed several second- and third-class sparring dummies. I scanned the area, then walked over to a weapons rack and picked up a short training spear for close combat. A few warm-up swings got my blood moving, and then I transitioned into practicing piercing strikes—left hand nearly immobile, right hand fully controlling the spear from the base, allowing instant changes in direction, force, and reach.
At first, I moved slowly. Then faster. Faster still! Striking an imagined opponent—foot, knee, groin, stomach, chest, throat, head—then reversing the sequence. Faster and faster, until the air around the spearhead began to hum. From stationary strikes, I moved to attacks in motion—advancing, retreating, flanking left and right. My feet had to be firmly planted at the moment of each strike, maximizing power.
Faster! Stronger! Even faster! This wasn’t my limit! The air buzzed around me, droplets of sweat flying from my hands, some evaporating into steam under the sheer force of my swings.
Gradually, the warriors around the field stopped their training, moving closer to watch. But I kept going, until—
CRACK!
The wooden shaft of my spear shattered into splinters, unable to withstand the force of my strikes against the air itself.
— He broke it! — The murmurs spread. — He broke it just from swinging in the air! How is that possible?!
— Huuuuuh, — I exhaled, dropping into a lotus position right where I stood.
Now, having warmed up and cleared my mind, it was time for the real reason I came here. Closing my eyes, I visualized the movements of those two warriors in every detail. I broke them down—muscle by muscle, the precise sequence, the exact amount of force applied at every moment…
I stood up, eyes still shut, and took my first step.
GGRRGGH! Pain!
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Another step.
Oh, for the love of—!
Lacking the necessary strength in my muscles, I tried compensating by accelerating my blood circulation, causing my veins to bulge like black-blue snakes beneath my skin.
A minute to catch my breath. Then again—step! Another step! Don’t stop!
Slowly, the pain faded. My body adapted. My movements began to resemble the instantaneous shifts of those two warriors…
An hour later, utterly drained, I collapsed onto my back in the dirt.
— Haaaaaah! — I exhaled hot air from my lungs, which felt like they were on fire. — Good!
What if… I combined this movement technique with my spear skills? The thought struck me suddenly. That would be interesting to test. But I had no strength left for experiments.
— Lord Aney, — Marj knelt beside me. — Have you… just reached the rank of Battle Master?
— Battle Master? — I repeated, staring at the sky. — I don’t know. Can I check somewhere?
— Of course! — Marj stood and offered me a hand. — Follow me. Your movements just now… Only a Battle Master can do that!
His voice carried both admiration and concern.
Marj’s voice carried both excitement and concern at the same time. We approached a large steel box at the edge of the platform. Its surface bore only a black square plate, half a meter by half a meter, and a round dial above it.
— You need to strike this square twice with all your strength. First, without using your aura. The second time, channel your aura into the hit. After that, your true strength will be calculated.
I exhaled and threw a straight punch at the square with full force. My bones hummed from the impact. Then I repeated the strike, this time unleashing my aura completely. The needle on the dial began to move.
First-class warrior—lower rank, middle rank, upper rank.
Second-class warrior—lower rank, middle rank, upper rank.
Third-class warrior—lower rank, middle rank, upper rank…
The needle kept climbing, and for a moment, it seemed like it would cross the Battle Master threshold. But no, after wavering slightly, it stopped just one thin line away from Master.
— Fuuuh, — Marj let out a breath. — That’s good, very good. Otherwise, we’d have had a problem.
I looked at him in surprise, expecting an explanation.
— If you had reached the level of Battle Master, the balance of power in the principality would have been disrupted. Then, you’d have had to decide—either leave the principality and go to one of the kingdoms or empires where you wouldn’t have to hide your strength, or swear allegiance to the princely court. There’s no other way. The Church of the White Twins strictly enforces this rule—it’s part of the Charter.
For example, the princely court is the strongest in military might, the trade guild dominates in wealth, and the artisan guild holds power through its production and equipment. This balance was established by the church after the Dark Ages, and it holds across the entire continent. If it is not maintained, the continent will once again be engulfed in endless wars and strife. At least, that’s what the church claims.
So, things in this world were more complicated than they first appeared. But there was no use dwelling on that now.
— Let’s go home! — I said to Mia, who had been standing aside.
— Master! — Mia jumped up and looked into my eyes. — If you had become a Battle Master, I would never, ever have told anyone!
— My little kitten! — I laughed, stroking her head. — Come on, let’s go.
That night, I dreamed of something strange. I saw myself—not young anymore—sitting over the pages of an old notebook, making corrections or notes in the margins. The pages were filled with numerous magical circles and seals, the text was written in strange runes, and most of the drawings were diagrams of the human body, individual bones, organs, and muscles.
— I’ve seen these pages before! — The realization jolted me awake.
Yes, I had definitely seen these, or something very similar, when I first appeared in the forest before creating a magic circle for the first time. But how was that possible?
— Mia! We’re going to the Mage’s Guild!
The Mage’s Guild was located in the eastern part of the city, so after leaving the house, we decided to walk instead of hiring a carriage. Mia wanted to show me the city’s trade square and market along the way.
The market was crowded, noisy, and chaotic. Vendors shouted, advertising their goods and calling out to buyers, while customers yelled back, haggling over prices. Stalls and displays were filled with a colorful assortment of cheap wares, but nothing particularly valuable caught my eye. Mia bought two skewers of battered meatballs and handed me one.
— Thanks, but I’m not hungry.
— Your loss! — Mia bit into one of the meatballs and, chewing with her mouth full, declared, — Tasty treats are humanity’s greatest invention!
— What? — she said when I laughed. — I fell in love with humans because of their tasty treats! My whole childhood in the tribe, it was raw meat, raw fish… Sometimes, if we were on a hunt, the meat and fish would be dried. And that was my life until I turned fifteen! Ugh, disgusting. But humans… — she paused, searching for the right word, — know how to enjoy life!
— Be careful, though. Too many tasty treats turn fast kittens into fat, lazy cats.
— No way, that won’t happen to me! I know my limit—five to six portions of treats a day…
Joking and laughing, we finally arrived at the Mage’s Guild.
— Impressive! — I said, admiring the enormous four-story building made of yellow stone with a black-tiled roof.
At the reception desk in the lobby, a young blond mage sat rocking on his chair, absentmindedly creating magical circles that shot tiny flames at the magical butterflies fluttering out of a large glowing circle above his head.
— Good day! — Mia leaned on the desk, waving the silver plaque Hex had given her the day before. — We need to take a magic test!
The mage’s eyes slowly started drifting apart as he tried to keep one focused on his game while looking at us with the other.
— Oh! — he yelped as the plaque nearly hit his eye. Losing his balance completely, he toppled over along with his chair, crashing onto the floor. — Oww-ow-ow-ow!
The tiny flames and butterflies began drifting down, swaying in the air currents. As the sound of his fall settled, a pair of thin fingers gripped the edge of the desk, and soon, the mage’s head peeked over it.
— We’d like to take the magic test, — Mia repeated, blowing a butterfly off her eyelashes.
— Yes, yes, of course, — the mage finally stood up. — Follow me.
— Two silver coins! — he suddenly turned around mid-stride, holding out his hand.
I pulled out two silver coins and handed them over. He led me to a small table where a large glass orb rested.
— Place your hand on the orb and think about your mana, — he said, putting on dark-lensed glasses.
Think about my mana. Damn scholar. How do you even think about mana? Well, fine. Right now, I’m thinking about my mana. Thinking about mana. Thinking about mana… The silence stretched, but nothing happened.
— I’m sorry, but you have no mana at all, — the mage said, removing his glasses.
I pulled my hand away, wondering how this was possible. Hex had seen mana in me, yet the device showed nothing. But then—a sudden crack. The orb shattered into sand.
— Oh! — I raised a finger. — Looks like your orb was faulty! I don’t have to pay for that, do I?
— No, no, — the mage hastily swept the remaining sand off the table before pulling out a new orb and setting it in place. — Let’s try again.
I waited for him to put his glasses back on and tried once more. Thinking about mana. Thinking about mana… Still nothing.
Nothing… A wave of unpleasant disappointment washed over me. One failure was fine, but twice in a row? Maybe old Hek had really been mistaken.
— I’m afraid you truly have no trace of magic. This is a highly accurate device. I’m sorry.
But as I turned to leave, another loud crack rang out, and the second orb crumbled into sand.
— What the hell?! — The mage looked utterly bewildered. — Wait here for a moment.
He rushed off, leaving Mia and me exchanging confused looks. A few minutes later, he returned with an elderly mage dressed in a white robe embroidered with silver and a peculiar gray cap on his head.
— What do we have here? Hmm, hmm, — the elderly mage muttered, peering at me through a monocle. — Interesting, interesting.
He approached the table, scooped up a handful of the sand left from the shattered orb, examined it closely, sniffed it, and then—licked it.
— Aha! Aha! — Then, after another look at me, he sighed. — To hell with it. I have no idea what’s going on.
I began to wonder if it was time for me to start worrying. The elderly mage stepped right up to me.
— May I? — With these words, he placed his hand on my chest, right over my heart, and closed his eyes.
Several long minutes passed in complete silence.
— You undoubtedly have mana, and far more than a mage of the Fourth Circle. In fact, with my Third Circle, I can’t even determine the exact amount. But here’s what’s strange—you don’t have a single formed mana circle! Science says that’s impossible. A person should die if they have that much mana without a single formed circle! The sheer turbulence of the mana should tear them apart! Strange, strange… yes, yes!
— Excuse me, — I interrupted his rambling, — but is there any way for me to form this mana circle right now?
— No, that is absolutely impossible.