《My Blood Mage System》


 Chapter 1: Act I: The old and the new | The lost son

    <h4>Chapter 1: Act I: The old and the new | The lost son</h4>


    Ding, ding, ding, ding.


    Cael red at the source of the sound¡ªthe silver teaspoon stirring sugar in his little brother''s tea. It moved on its own, animated by a simple domestic cantrip. The sound itself wasn''t as grating on Cael''s ears as the fact that it moved on its own. But there was nothing Cael could do about it.


    He lowered his eyes to his breakfast and kept tearing at the fried eggs with bacon¡ªthe only avable way to express his annoyance.


    "Vittorio, if you can''t use this spell properly, then don''t use it at all." Their father''s harsh voice rose above the table. The teaspoon immediately stopped.


    "Sorry, Father," Vittorio mumbled. As soon as Gianni, cated, turned back to his food, Vittorio immediately gulped down half of his cup.


    Now their mother was the one to frown at the younger son. Emilia hated when her children didn''t show proper table manners, even now, when only family was present. But instead of saying anything, she gestured with her palm, and a fresh croissant left a basket in the middle of the table and floated to her te. Emilia began to methodically cut it into pieces.


    A normal breakfast at Oliveira household. Dishes and utensils floated through the air by magic; instead of servants of flesh and blood, half-transparent specters moved the empty dishes to the kitchen¡ªa third circle spell made and maintained by their father.


    From the windows of the dining hall, built on the tenth floor of Oliveira tower, a magnificent view of their city, Sanremo di Mare: the red and orange tile roofs, the gray stone wall, the golden wheat fields and the green mountains that propped up the blue sky.


    "Vittorio, have you finished memorizing the paragraphs your father has tasked you to?" she asked after a minute.


    "Y-yeah!" Vittorio sat straighter and nodded. "I can recite it right now, if you want!"


    "That''s not magic for the dining table, son," their father, Gianni, interrupted with a snort. "And you know that even reciting a spell can be dangerous if you can''t properly control your mana."


    "But I can, Father," Vittorio grumbled.


    Cael, feeling no appetite, put another piece of egg into his mouth and slowly chewed. No one paid him any attention. As usual. The conversation at the table continued to circle around thetest news and Vittorio''s studies.


    It didn''t matter that Cael, who was twenty¡ªtwo years older than Vittorio¡ªwas the family''s heir by birthright. Their father had already named Vittorio his heir, because¡­


    In this world where magic and wizards reigned supreme, Cael was born with no mana. A rare anomaly that his family had fruitlessly tried to cure for two years¡ªuntil Vittorio, healthy and energetic, was born. And this was how Cael ended up on the sidelines of life.


    Everyone from the dumbest peasant had magic. Spells were passed from parents to children and closely guarded, the magic knowledge being one of the most precious things in the world. But evenmoners had ess to simple spells to make fires, blow dust from the floor or wring out clothing.


    The Oliveira family had an entire library of spells that they have gathered for generations. Cael memorized them all¡ªbut couldn''t do anything with them. His mana pool wasn''t just tiny¡ªit waspletely blocked, and Cael couldn''t pull a single spark of mana out of it.


    *At least I wasn''t born poor. I should be happy that I can lead afortable life instead of toiling dirt from dawn to dusk,* Cael tried tofort himself, for yet another time, but it was impossible when he was doomed to live as a worthless burden on his family.


    He could never be his father''s heir, no matter how hard he studied politics, geography and mathematics¡ªhis vassals won''t ever ept a manaless viscount. All Cael had to do was to not dishonor his family by doing something uncouth for a noble.


    Like picking a profession that didn''t require magic. A profession that would''ve given Cael some purpose. The one and only time Cael tried, his father had locked him in the tower for a month.


    Cael morosely looked at his cup of tea. Sugarless, because mixing his tea with his hands like aplete invalid, was torturous when his brother did the same with a spell.


    He hurried to finish his food and stood up from the table. "Mother, Father, I''m going for a walk."


    Father nodded absentmindedly, not even looking at his eldest son.


    Cael clenched his fists, and added, "Towards the main square, where I would dance half-naked for some coin."


    This got his attention. Gianni threw Cael a freezing re. "Try me, and you won''t leave your room for a year."


    "Cael, don''t goad your father," Mother said, pursing her lips. "And don''t go too far from the city."


    "Walks¡­ You walk so much, and what are you going to find there? Mana?" Vittorio asked, too quietly for anyone but Cael to hear.


    Cael scowled at him, and just before leaving the hall, threw, "Maybe I will, Vit."


    Half an hourter, Cael was walking through the streets of the city. He didn''t have a particr goal, but he hated to sit in his room all day long. There wasn''t much for him to do there.


    Cael liked to y some music on his lute, to sing and even wrote several songs, the art being one of the few outlets. When he tried to escape his family that one time, he nned to be a bard.


    Cael also trained with weapons in their family''s training hall, but without magic to strengthen his attacks and body, his skills with a rapier seemed worthless. He mostly trained to keep his body fit and his reactions quick.


    Then there were books in their home library¡ªmost of them about magic¡ªto keep himpany.


    Right now, Cael wasn''t in the mood for either. He needed to calm down first, and walks helped.


    "Oh, hey! Look, that''s Kale-No-Mane!" a high-pitched voice made Cael frown. He turned to see five familiar kids run up and surround him with mocking grins on their faces. He knew them, and they knew him, and they knew no one would care to give themshes for what they were doing.


    Cael surely wasn''t going toin to anyone that he was bullied by children.


    "This nickname is as stupid as you," Cael threw at them.


    "Ha! Your face is stupid, Kale-No-Mane! Manaless lordling!" the kids'' ringleader threw back, causing other children to erupt in snickers and giggles. "Cael had no mana, so he was real sad; he jumped off his tower, that was very bad!"


    Cael grit his teeth. This terrible example of poetry was new to him, andpletely untrue. He hadn''t given up on life that much.


    "Just go away, little grubs." He raised his fist. "I can spank you even without mana."


    A few kids squealed in fear, but their leader feigned bravery. "Spank us? Ha! Catch us first!"


    The boy said a magic word, threw out his hand, and a gust of wind sent a handful of dust at his face. "Run, boys!" the ringleader shouted, and the children ran away,ughing and screaming.


    While Cael sneezed and blinked, ready to give the children a few kicks as soon as he''d be able to see them again, they disappeared behind a corner.


    Cael scowled at the empty street and kept walking.


    In a dozen minutes, he left the city walls and reached his favorite ce. It was a part of the riverbank, hidden from the surroundings by trees and thick bushes. Cael''s secret spot, where he could rx and forget for a moment about all his troubles.


    Cael didn''t notice when he dozed off, but he woke up from a loud sound nearby¡ªlike something tearing in two with tremendous force. Startled, he shot up to his feet.


    ck-jawed, Cael stared at the stranger who stood in front of him. A stranger¡­ who looked just like Cael''s father.

 Chapter 2: I am you

    <h4>Chapter 2: I am you</h4>


    The stranger wore an ornate set of light armor, which looked as weathered as the man himself. On the second nce, the stranger''s hair was different¡ªnot curly, but straight, like Mother''s. His eyes, too, were green like hers¡­ Or like Cael''s. And they bore the weight of ages.


    Cael froze, stricken by an impossible realization.


    "Cael Oliveira, listen closely. I don''t have much time," the stranger chuckled bitterly, and then winced, grabbing his chest. His legs buckled, and he fell to one knee. "Cael, I am you from the future. Dark, terrible future."


    "What?!" Cael shook his head and took a step back. "That''s impossible. Only ninth rank mages of legends could travel in time, and they don''t exist anymore! And I can''t use magic at all!"


    "*I* am a ninth rank mage," the stranger, who *did* look terribly alike Cael, if Cael aged ten years, pped his chest and winced again. "This had started eons ago, but also didn''t happen yet. In the original timeline, we were twenty-five years old when we met Dante Amato. This mage took pity on us and healed our mana blockade. Four yearster, our wife died in a fight with a Starspawn scout, and we began to seek ways to reverse time. Twelve yearster, the Starspawn army had invaded our world. Four yearster, they have won."


    Cael listened to this oundish story in stunned silence. There was just too much to begin with. Except¡­


    "Are you wounded? I can call a healer!.."


    "It''s pointless. My exhaustion could be cured¡ªbut my timeline, and myself, would soon be erased. This is the price of our hopes," the stranger closed his eyes. "Just listen. You will believe it all when I finish."


    Cael pinched his lips, but stayed quiet. He almost believed the future self already¡ªit was just hard to ept his words yet. His alternative future and all that came with it¡­


    The stranger''s voice was grave as he spoke. Grave and almost void of life, like a battlefield strewn with bodies and vultures.


    "We from that timeline learned how to travel in time by then, and what price it took. But the world has been destroyed¡ªwe had no other choice. We have gone as far in the past as we could, found another version of self, cured their condition and warned them of the future catastrophe. But it still came, and humanity still lost, no matter what this Cael did. But he also learned how to travel in time, and so continued the cycle. And the next one, and the one after him. I don''t know how many there were. But I have failed, too."


    The Future Cael winced, and his entire being rippled for a moment, like flowing water. "I''ve finished gathering mana for what I need to do. Come here, Cael. I need to touch you for this."


    "To cure me?" Cael walked up to the Future Cael and dropped to his knees near him. "What about the Starspawn? Who are they?"


    "What I will give you shall exin everything I don''t have time for." The Future Cael lifted his hand and put it on the center of Cael''s chest. "Goodbye. I hope you will be thest."


    A muffled cry left Cael''s mouth. He fell to the ground, curling into a fetal position. Tears stung his eyes and flowed freely down his face. More and more shes of pain stabbed him, each worse than the other, until he couldn''t bear it anymore. His mind gave up, and so did his body.


    Darkness swallowed him.


    ***


    *Blood Mage System activated. Greetings, user. I am your Blood Mage System. Consume the blood of powerful creatures to gain Blood Points. Use Blood Points to purchase new abilities and stat increases.*


    *What a strange dream,* Cael thought.


    *If you have questions, user, you can ess me at any time through your thoughts. Please confirm that you have received this message.*


    Cael closed his ear with an elbow and closed his eyes tighter. This voice was annoyingly insistent on waking him up and sounded right in his head. His bed was also strangely hard and cold. And something tickled his cheek.


    *User, please, confirm that you have received this message.*


    "Yes, yes¡­ Shut up."


    Cael groaned, scratched his nose, and opened his eyes. For a moment he stared at the grass under his nose, and then, with a gasp, shot upright.


    He was still at his secret spot, but the Future Cael was never to be found. Judging by the sun, Cael was out for an entire day and night, which exined why he was so cold and sore.


    Only the pressed down grass where he stood showed that he was real and not Cael''s dream. That, a voice in Cael''s head, and that he could feel his mana pool!


    Cael put a hand on his chest and closed his eyes. So tiny, just a dozen sparks, no more¡ªbut it was there! Full of mana that asked, pleaded to be released!


    Joyousughter bubbled in Cael''s stomach like champagne. He jumped to his feet and danced wildly through the clearing, unable to contain his euphoria. Only several minutester, breathing heavily and flinching at his sore muscles, could Cael stand still.


    He still grinned from ear to ear. The next step, of course, was to use a spell! Cael raised the hand, his fingers pinched together¡­


    "*Spark*!" he eximed in Arcani, thenguage of magic, and snapped his fingers. Caelughed when a tiny spark of fire lit on his finger, dissipating in a moment. "*Spark, spark, spark, spark*!"


    Cael created new sparks until he had no mana left, and only then did he pay attention to the voice that had woken him up.


    *This was not a dream, right? There was a voice?* he thought, frowning. *A Blood Mage System¡­*


    *Correct, user. I am the Blood Mage System, and I ampletely real. In your terms, I am a ninth circle magical construct, created to assist, empower and inform you, user.*


    Cael gasped. "Ninth circle? Did the Future Me make you?"


    *Correct. Since he made me from the mana of this timeline, the timeline erasure had not affected me. But I don''t have my own power reserves to help you. You need to consume the blood of powerful creatures to fuel me and my capabilities.*


    "This is so weird," Cael rubbed his forehead. It was so strange to talk to himself¡­ "Couldn''t he have just made me powerful? And why Blood Points? Blood Magic?"


    *It was my creator''s favorite school of magic, which he learned from vampires. As for my structure, it was based on Starspawn magic and allows you to improve in natural order.*


    "Starspawn magic¡­ What are those Starspawn, actually?"


    *Starspawn are creatures of unknown origin who have arrived in our world from the farthest reaches of the sky, where the stars are. They possess unique magic, are sentient, and n to enve or destroy humankind.*


    "Still so weird," Cael shook his head. "Alright! So you will strengthen me to fight them, right?"


    *I will do everything in my capabilities to help. My capabilities are limited.*


    "That''s better than nothing," Cael smiled. Oh, how his father would be shocked to see him casting spells!


    The next moment, he remembered about the current time. He disappeared from the tower for a day! Would his father decide to lock him down again? He needed to get home soon!

 Chapter 3: Drink their blood

    <h4>Chapter 3: Drink their blood</h4>


    On the other hand, if his father was going to lock Cael down, he could at least try out his system before that happened.


    Cael turned his feet towards a butchery shop. It didn''t take long for him to buy a y bottle of pig blood. With it in tow, he went back towards the secret clearing and sat down.


    He closed his eyes, enjoying the fresh breeze and the smell of young grass and blooming flowers. Tree leaves gently rustled in the wind, and sunlight warmed Cael''s skin.


    It was a perfect spot for meditation.


    All books agreed that the only way to increase a man''s mana pool was to spend mana, then meditate and rest to replenish it. Over and over, until like a muscle, the mana pool grew.


    Right now, Cael''s mana pool was empty, but when he concentrated, he could feel the mana in everything around him. All colors, all vors¡ªthere was mana of air in the wind from the open window, mana of nts in the nts, mana of earth in the ground under his feet¡­


    With a touch of will, Cael pulled some mana from air and added it to his mana pool. This was enough to fill it.


    Cael softlyughed at his sess. Before, he couldn''t even feel mana, but just like everyone always said, it *was* absolutely easy. The hardest part was to use spells, and to train your mana pool as quickly as possible.


    There were potions, artifacts and spells that could make meditation more effective, but there was no recing both natural talent and hard work.


    Except¡­


    *Blood Mage System, are you there?*


    *I am always there, user.*


    *System, so you tell me, if I drink that blood,* Cael eyed the bottle in his hands, *I might be stronger?*


    *This amount of ordinary pig blood will grant you, user, 1 Blood Points. Your next upgrade costs 1 BP. You currently have zero BP.*


    *Next upgrade? Listen, exin to me how it works.*


    *By consuming blood, you will gain BP in amount based on the owner''s power and the amount of blood consumed. When the amount of BP reaches a certain amount, you will be able to purchase an upgrade. It could be an increase of one of your stats, a special talent, or a spell of blood magic. Some upgrades can only be purchased after you fulfill their prerequisites. You can also spend BP to heal your wounds and restore mana.*


    Cael''s eyes widened. Well, if chugging blood gave him power¡­ It was gross, but nothing more. He heard about dark mages who have consumed others'' souls to increase their strength.


    *And what about time travel? The Future Me didn''t help me with that?*


    *Those spells are tooplex to fit into my memory. But when you achieve their requirements, you would be able to get talents that will make studying time magic easier.*


    Cael nodded.


    *System, what are my stats?*


    *The four stats are mana, body, mind and soul. Mana increases your mana capacity, mana restoration speed, and mana control. Body increases your strength, speed, and vitality. Mind increases your memory,prehension, and thought speed. Soul increases your willpower. The current estimation of your stats,pared with people of the same wizard rank¡­ Mana¡ªextremely weak. Body¡ªaverage. Mind¡ªabove average. Soul¡ªabove average.*


    Cael''s shoulders slumped. *System, you are merciless.*


    *I possess no emotions, and therefore, indeed, am merciless. I am also objective.*


    *Did the Future Me give you a sense of humor?* Cael shook his head and reached for the blood bottle. Gross! *Does blood pudding count for BPs?*


    *No, user. The blood must be raw and unspoiled.*


    "Ugh," Cael grimaced and uncorked the bottle. The metallic smell hit his nostrils, and he pinched them. Then, without giving himself a breather, Cael gulped down the disgusting liquid.


    The bottle was big enough that Cael didn''t think he''d be able to finish it, but he didn''t feel bloated, no matter how much he drank. It was as if the blood disappeared as soon as it entered his stomach.


    There was no getting rid of the aftertaste, though.


    *User, you have gained 1 BP. A new upgrade is avable.*


    *What are my options, System?*


    *You can increase one of your stats, user. All other upgrades don''t meet the prerequisites.*


    "Wait, what?" Cael threw his hands in the air. "But what about talents and all that?"


    *Your base stats are too low to purchase any of them, user. Increase them first.*


    *Fine. Then I increase mana!*


    *Understood. You now have zero BP, and 10 BP left until the next upgrade. Increasing mana¡­*


    Cael gasped as he felt energy surging through his mana pool. He felt ufortably inted and light, as if a gust of wind could push him to the floor. A momentter, the feeling subsided.


    When Cael checked his mana pool, it was at least five times bigger than before, and full to the brim. About fifty sparks! Not enough to be even a first rank mage, but enough to¡­


    "*Light,e forth*!"


    A ball of light the size of a baby''s fist floated above Cael''s outstretched palm. The simple spell exhausted most of Cael''s mana pool, but he didn''t care for that.


    He could use magic now!


    Cael meditated for a few minutes to restore his mana pool again, and stood up, leaving the empty bottle behind. He had a sizable sum saved in his personal stash¡ªallowance money that Cael had nothing to spend on.


    He''d be able to buy the blood of magical creatures from an alchemist. It would be so easy¡­


    With those thoughts, Cael hurried towards home.

 Chapter 4: Sweet revenge

    <h4>Chapter 4: Sweet revenge</h4>


    There was one group of people Cael forgot about in his excitement and hurry to get home and share his joy. But these people hadn''t forgotten him.


    "Hey, look who''s that! It''s the biggest loser in the city! The manaless lordling!"


    A familiar gaggle of kids surrounded Cael, making him realize he walked past "their" street again.


    The kids'' ringleader grinned at Cael, showing a fresh hole in ce of one of his teeth. "Kale-no-Mane, want to y a game with us? We will throw balls, and you will dodge!"


    "Dodgeball!" other kids squealed in excitement. One of them raised a cloth ball and jumped in enthusiasm. "Let''s y dodgeball!" Without waiting for others to agree, the boy threw the ball at Cael''s head.


    Cael ducked, and the projectile harmlessly passed over him.


    "Enough!" He clenched his fists. He really wasn''t in the mood for it now. "This is thest day you pester me."


    "Oh, really?" the ringleader grinned. "And what can you do, Kale-No-Mane? Tell our moms? Tell YOUR mom?" Heughed, and the rest of the childrenughed, too. The sound grated on Cael''s ears.


    A spell came to his head on its own. A simple cantrip¡ªCael should be able to cast it even without training and with his minuscule mana pool. He raised a hand to his chest.


    "*Magic''s might, invisible force!*"


    The ringleaderughed louder. "Are you trying to scare us with a spell? Manaless loser, don''t you know spells need mana to work? Kale-No¡ªOuch!"


    The spell ate Cael''s entire mana pool again, but it was worth it. An invisible copy of Cael''s palm, formed entirely out of mana, grabbed the boy''s ear, catching himpletely unawares.


    This spell, Mage''s Hand, was most often used to move small objects¡ªjust another take on domestic telekinesis spells out of many. But it could be used this way, too.


    "What, what, what?!" the ringleader stood on his toes, blindly trying to free his ear with his hands.


    "Impossible!" a kid gasped from the side.


    "Kale has mana now?!"


    "He just did a spell! A spell!"


    Cael grinned and looked down at the helpless boy in his invisible grasp. "Apologize for your behavior."


    "Sorry! I''m fucking sorry, don''t tear off my ear!" the boy whined out. He was, like most bullies, not all that brave when met with superior force.


    His friends weren''t very sympathetic to his plight, either. A few already ran away, while the others watched with wide and scary eyes, but didn''t interfere.


    "My mother would''ve told you to wash your mouth with soap," Cael shook his hands, but let go. His spell, taxed by such harsh use, was going to go out soon, anyway.


    The boy almost fell on his knees, holding his bnce at thest moment. With both hands grabbing his tomato-red ear, he scowled at Cael with teary eyes.


    "The worthless Kale grew into another bastard noble!" The boy shouted and ran, his friends following him.


    Cael snorted and kept on his way, whistling a merry tune.


    Revenge was damn sweet.


    ***


    The guards that stood watch at the tower''s entrance met Cael''s wish shocked looks. Their rank wasn''t high enough to see details of Cael''s mana pool with a nce, but they could sense that he had mana in it now. He grinned at them and silently walked by. But his mood soon dimmed.


    Cael had a distinctive feeling that his absence was noticed only because he skipped breakfast. Mother was always insistent on having them together as a family. And she always kept a tight watch on everything that happened in the Oliveira tower¡­


    So when her ghostly, magically-carried voice called Cael "for a talk", he was not surprised.


    "My son, where have you been?" Emilia asked, pinning him to his seat with the strength of her disapproving look. "You have disappeared for a day, only to return with mana in your mana pool. Did something extraordinary happen?"


    She appeared her usual collected, proper self, except that the knuckles of her fingers, clenched on a pair of knitting needles, were white with tension.


    "Yes, Mother!" Cael grinned, but then paused. He couldn''t tell anyone about his encounter yet¡­ He couldn''t even imagine what terrible consequences could happen. Ninth circle magic! Some people would destroy entire countries to have it.


    When Cael stayed silent, Emilia frowned. "Well?"


    "I don''t know." Cael slumped his shoulders. "I just fell asleep on a riverbank, then woke up like this a dayter. Maybe my condition just passed by itself!"


    Emilia''s lips pinched into a tight line. "This is hard to believe."


    Cael shrugged. "Well, maybe a fairy visited me in my sleep, and instead of tearing out all my teeth, cured me."


    His mother sent him a sharp look. "Such gall is unbing of the Oliveira heir. And you are your father''s heir now, Cael, no matter what. However this happened, I''m d," Emilia lowered her eyes. "I only wish this had happened at a better time."


    Cael sucked in a sharp breath. He didn''t think about that before, but¡­


    "What? What happened, Mother?"

 Chapter 5: A shadow approaches

    <h4>Chapter 5: A shadow approaches</h4>


    "The¡ª" Emilia began to speak, but was interrupted by a bang of an opening.


    Vittorio burst into the room. "Brother! I''ve heard the news from the guards! Fuck, you really did it!" He let out a bark ofughter. "You went and got yourself some mana!"


    The next moment, he froze under Emilia''s stern look. "I thought you were adult enough to not speak like a street knave indies'' presence, Vittorio."


    "Sorry, Mother." Vittorio bowed his head, but his shame didn''tst longer than a second. "How the hell did you manage that, Cael?"


    "Vittorio." Emilia didn''t raise her voice, but the tone alone made both her sons swallow their words. "Cael. Both of you, sit down and listen."


    They did. Emilia took a seat at the opposite end of the tea table and began to speak.


    "As Vittorio already knows, yesterday your father got a letter from the head of the Nuvoloso family. Enzo Nuvoloso dered that our orichalcum mines, ording to the old maps, belong to his family¡ªand therefore Oliveira must surrender them to him."


    "What?!" Cael shot up from his seat. "He had the nerve?"


    Enzo Nuvoloso was a fourth rank mage and ruled overnds next to Oliveira''s. Cael always knew that he was a power-hungry bastard, but now he threatened to wage war on their family?


    "Right after the old Count Lhese died," Vittorio growled. "What a thug. He knows that Lhese''s heir can barely dress himself, not to mention wage war on him."


    "Exactly." Emilia nodded. "For now, Enzo merely threatens, because he doesn''t want to waste warriors if he can avoid that¡ªbut I have no doubt that we are to expect war. An uneven war."


    Cael clenched his fists. Another reason to be powerful, fast! But he also wondered¡­


    *System, did the Future Me know about Enzo''s ns?*


    *I do not possess this information. My creator had only put in me future knowledge of Starspawn attacks.*


    *That''sme¡­ Though, I suppose, it''s a miracle he had time to put all that other stuff in you.*


    *Correct, user.*


    "Let theme!" Vittorio shook his fist in the air. "We will just defeat Enzo and his army."


    "No one can treat our family like this," Cael said gravely. "Nuvoloso will break their teeth of the walls of our tower, and when they do, we will strike them back!"


    "This is not for you to decide, boys, but for your father." Emilia pinched her lips. "I only tell this to you, so you would be careful in the future. Please, take care if you leave the tower from now on. These walls are protected with many enchantments, but outside¡­ Who knows what treachery Enzo would use against us?"


    "We will be fine, Mother!" Vittorio snorted. "I can protect myself. Now, our eldest¡­" He grinned snidely.


    "Protect yourself from a fourth rank mage? This just shows that your magic rank doesn''t give you any brains," Cael threw back.


    "Cael is right, Vittorio. Don''t be arrogant." Their mother stood up. "And, Cael¡­ I''m sure your father will be happy to hear about your miraculous recovery, but right now, he has a lot on his te."


    "So much that he probably didn''t notice my disappearance," Cael muttered.


    *But that just gives me time to use the Blood Mage System.*


    ***


    Leonardo the alchemist was clearly surprised to see Cael in his shop. And even more surprised by Cael''s question.


    "Monster blood? Well, only yesterday your father''s knights had brought me a fresh swamp dragon carcass." He caressed his long gray beard. "I have recently finished pouring its blood in bottles. But why would you need it, signore Oliveira? Despite the rumors, it doesn''t possess any extraordinary features in its unprocessed state."


    "That''s my business, not yours." Cael straightened his back and copied the haughty tone with which Father dealt with people below his station. "How much would a hundred golden scudo buy me?"


    Leonardo, a second rank mage, stared at Cael. The silent battle of wills continued for several seconds. Leonardo was the first one to look away.


    "A quarter, signore Oliveira."


    Cael frowned. "Two quarters."


    By the end of haggling, Cael had a quarter and a third of ckish-red swamp dragon blood, and a ss bottle it was in. He wrapped it in his cloak and went towards his secret ce.


    There, he settledfortably and stared at the bottle with apprehension. Pig blood was disgusting¡ªthis thing looked and smelled *vile*. Cael couldn''t even imagine what potions could be made from the liquid.


    "Alright, let''s get to it. Time to get strong, quickly."


    It tasted even worse than it smelled. Like slimy mud. Several times, Cael had to wash his mouth with water from the river so he could continue drinking without puking.


    *You now have 295 BP, user,* System announced when Cael finished. *Nine upgrades avable for purchase.*


    Cael, feeling as green as a swamp dragon, looked at the empty ss bottle. *Gods, this system clearly has its limits¡­ The limits of how much blood I can drink before I get sick.*


    *User, the Blood Mage Systemes paired with a solution to this problem. You can purchase blood magic spells, some of which allow you to consume blood directly into the system space.*


    Cael perked up. *Really?*


    *Yes. Although, right now, you don''t meet prerequisites for any of them.*


    *Right,* Cael''s shoulders slumped. *And when will I?*


    *The first blood magic spell, Lesser Exsanguination, requires you to spend four more upgrades on mana, one more upgrade on mind, and one more upgrade on body.*


    Cael hummed, pacing around the clearing as he thought. He wanted to buy something immediately, something awesome!.. But he knew that this was the time to stop and think. A mage needed to have a cool head at all times.


    This was the foundation of his stairway towards power and prominence.


    *What does this spell do, System?*


    *It allows you to pull an enemy''s blood out of his body and gather it into a sphere in your palm. This blood could then be used for other spells of blood magic, or consumed for BP. As this spell is extremely weak, it only pulls a small amount of blood, and doesn''t work if the enemy doesn''t have open wounds. This is the very basic spell of blood magic and a prerequisite for all the other spells in this school.*


    What a useless spell on its own¡­ Cael supposed that if the enemy was already wounded, it could weaken them, but nothing more.


    *Alright. System, if I spend upgrades to meet prerequisites to Lesser Exsanguination, what else I''d be able to buy?*

 Chapter 6: The foundation, the celebration

    <h4>Chapter 6: The foundation, the celebration</h4>


    *You will be able to purchase talents Arcani Understanding, Elemental Affinity, Trial by Tooth and Artifact Appraisal. All they are beginner-level talents with *


    *And they are?..*


    *Arcani Understanding increases yourprehension of Arcani, allowing you to understand the meaning of others'' spells. Elemental Affinity slightly boosts your spells of a chosen element, as well as increases your mana restoration speed in areas dense with mana of that element. Trial by Tooth lets you eat alchemical ingredients to understand part of their properties. Artifacts Appraisal allows you to understand the general purpose of an artifact from their aura.*


    Cael hummed in thought. Arcani Understanding sounded immediately useful for fighting other mages, while Elemental Affinity would give him power, but a limited one. Other talents were for crafting, and Cael didn''t have resources or knowledge for it.


    No. What he needed now was to increase his stats, train to use more spells in practice, not just in theory, and seek ways to get more blood.


    Money would only go that far. Cael needed to fight! On his own, as a free bounty hunter, or join the ranks of his father''s soldiers. Then he''d be able to splurge on talents and spell upgrades for actualbat-relevant spells.


    *Alright, System¡­ By the way, don''t call me ''user''. Just Cael. You have no name yourself, right, System?*


    *Understood, Cael. But I do have a name¡ªit is Blood Mage System.*


    *That''s not a real name¡­*


    *It is a sequence of sounds my creator, and then you, have used to identify me. Therefore, by definition, it''s a name.*


    *If you say so, System. Anyway, I want to buy Lesser Exsanguination with all its prerequisites, Arcani Understanding¡­* That still left him with one upgrade to spare. *And one more mana upgrade.*


    *Confirmed. Upgrades in progress¡­ 87 BP until next upgrade.*


    This time Cael felt so dizzy he had to sit down, but just like before, the overwhelming feelings of energy coursing through his body and his mana pool quickly subsided. When his head cleared, it somehow grew even clearer than it was before. Thoughts became easier. Movements, too. But of course, the change in his mana pool was the most obvious.


    The words and passes of a new spell sprang to Cael''s mind.


    "*Crimson river, follow your master!*" he eximed, not putting any mana into it. Still, he grinned, and his thoughts raced towards his next step. He should go to the training hall there and test some basicbat spells¡­ Good thing that sensing the state of other''s mana in detail without instruments was hard even for high-ranked mages, and impossible for those like his third-ranked father. Cael didn''t want to exin his sudden growth spurt to Mother or Vittorio.


    His stomach growled. Cael looked at the sun, which hung low over the city.


    But first, he''d better get home before he waste for dinner.


    ***


    Cael wasn''t toote, but he still was thest one toe to the dining hall. Usually, only Mother and, asionally, Vittorio came to dine here. Father preferred to eat in his study, and his sons ate in their room from time to time.


    But today he was shocked to see everyone present. And the dinner itself wasn''t a usual one, either.


    The long table was full to the brim with delicacies. Cured meats, olives, cheeses, artfully arranged vegetables and fruits¡ªand that was just the first course. Their family cook¡ªnot a spectral servant, as those were too primitive forplex tasks, but a real person¡ªreally worked hard.


    "You havee, after all, son," Emilia stood up to greet Cael. "Good thing that you didn''t vanish for a day again and miss a feast in your own honor."


    Cael was struck speechless. For a moment, tion filled him¡ªthen he met his father''s dark stare.


    "Indeed, Cael. Do not think that your miraculous recovery lets you prance around, doing whatever you want¡ªor makes you my heir. While Vittorio is a stronger mage than you, he''s the one to inherit mynds."


    "Thank you, Father, for your generosity," Cael spoke venomously as he walked towards his seat.


    "I will teach you magic, of course," Gianni continued, as if ignoring Cael''s remark. "Maybe you will even be of use in the uing war."


    "Enough, husband of mine. This isn''t the time for such words." Emilia gently patted Gianni''s elbow. "The difficulties of yesterday shouldn''t stop us from having joy today. Quite the opposite¡ªit''s more important now than ever to remember that not everything is bad in the world. And we all, no matter what, are family."


    Gianni looked down at her, his harsh features softening. "You are, as always, wise in all matters, wife of mine." He sighed and turned to Cael. "Congrattions, son."


    "You still have no chance of beating me, brother," Vittorio whispered to Cael. "You''ve basically been born anew today, so I''m eighteen years older!"


    Cael snorted. "Just wait and see, Vit."


    "Children," their mother chastised, forcing them into silence.


    "You will have enough time topeteter, boys." Gianni stood up and lifted his wine goblet. "For my eldest son, Cael Oliveira, and his health!"

 Chapter 7: The first practice

    <h4>Chapter 7: The first practice</h4>


    "I have to inspect the condition of our border guards," Gianni said over breakfast this morning. "Vittorio, you will go with me. Cael, practice on your own. I will see to your training when I return."


    Cael was disappointed, but could only agree. Besides, he was itching to try out all the spells he knew.


    The training hall was almost on top of the Oliveira tower and took most of the floor. It was a spacious round room, with lines of magical stones and glyphs creating a protective that covered all its walls, floor, and ceiling. There were no windows. Instead, against the walls stood racks with training weapons and armor. Instead of mannequins, a round stone panel on the wall allowed visitors to summon illusions of enemies.


    In short, it was the second most expensive room in the tower after the library.


    Cael came to the panel and moved his hand over the engraved words. After some consideration, he touched the engraved word "bandit". A momentter, near the far wall appeared a realistic illusion of a hairy, dirty thug in chipped armor.


    Cael cracked his knuckles, recalled the magic words, and touched another word on the panel, "fight".


    The bandit sprung to life. For several seconds, it just stayed there, looking around and giving Cael time to prepare. The illusion, even if it looked real, waspletely soundless, though. He still moved his lips as if roaring a battle cry when it charged at Cael, swinging his sword.


    Cael took a deep breath. This was just training, and the illusion couldn''t harm him, but he still felt his heart beating faster. Not from fear, but from anticipation of using power.


    He stretched his fingers, as if drawing an invisible bow, and rapidly chanted, "*Arrow of magic, fly true!*"


    Mana surged within Cael in response to the Arcani words, and he focused it in one direction, pouring it into the spell''s mold. A half-transparent, purplish arrow of pure magical energy formed between his fingers.


    By then, the charging illusion was only three steps away from Cael, but he didn''t even blink, knowing that it was harmless. His mind was clear as still water, and the time seemed to slow down. Was that an effect of adrenaline, or of his mind upgrade?


    Cael let go of the arrow.


    It flew true, though from this distance, it would''ve been impossible to miss. The sharp projectile pierced the thug''s chest, going straight through it.


    The thug disappeared with a soft popping sound, and the arrow hit the far wall. It broke on the protective array, leaving only a rapidly dissipating cloud of sparks.


    "Nice," Cael grinned, looking at his hands. This spell he used was, by existing ssification, just a zeroth circle spell, or a cantrip. But it was a cantrip that could deal actual damage, while using very little mana.


    He only spent maybe one thirtieth of his mana pool. But Cael was eager to try something more powerful. A proper first circle spell, one that is likely to kill an ordinary, unprotected person even if it doesn''t hit a vital spot¡­


    But this was only one spell. And the easiest one. Now Cael wanted to try out something hard¡ªhard enough that he didn''t need another illusion for a challenge.


    Grasping Vines spell.


    Cael bit his lip. This was a first circle spell¡ªbut it was a spell of the nts subschool of the Nature school. Most of those spells were much harder to cast outside of natural environments¡­ Like in this stone training hall.


    But if one of his selves was a genius who became a ninth rank mage in twenty one years, then Cael would be forever ashamed if he won''t be able to cast some first circle spell!


    He closed his eyes and concentrated. The text of the book on nts spells appeared before his mind''s eye. To cast Grasping Vines somewhere in nature, you only needed to alter an existing nt.


    To do the same where there were none, the mage needed to create a magical simcrum of a nt. The text of the spell stayed the same, but the flow of mana changed. The book had illustrations on how to act in both cases.


    Still with his eyes closed, Cael slowly read the spell, focusing on each letter and on the responding surging of his mana.


    "*Spirits of nature¡­*"


    Cael''s mana rose in a wave, seeking an appropriate vessel for a spell¡ªbut there were none. It was going to ssh at the room''s barriers,pletely wasted, but Cael grit his teeth and held on to it. The mold for the nt simcrum was a part of the spell, and following the book''s instructions, Cael poured his mana right into it.


    "*¡­awaken and grow¡­*"


    Mana, the disobedient thing, was so eager to escape, especially from hisplex spell. He had to concentrate as hard as he could, and even so, part of it escaped his hold, dissipating in the air.


    Before his mind''s eye, he could see the spell slowly solidifying. But until it was finished, the spell trembled each time Cael''s hold on it weakened even slightly. If he lost concentration, it would shatter without a physical anchor.


    "*¡­no trespasser¡­*"


    He was close, he could feel it, but it was taking much more mana than Cael expected. He poured almost a half of his mana pool into the vines, and only then did they finally grow stable enough to let go. With relief, Cael finished the spell.


    "*¡­shall leave thy domain!*"


    He opened his eyes. A six-meter-wide circle of snaking vines was growing under his feet. The nts, thin and leafless, moved on their own. Some of them already entwined Cael''s feet to his knees with their long stems, and more were moving to join them.


    Cael grinned and forcefully pulled his foot, tearing the vines¡ªbut new ones came in its ce. Anyone who walked through this space would be severely hampered. Easy pickings!


    But then Cael looked at his half-empty mana pool and sighed. His control of mana was abysmal. He could feel all the wasted mana simmering in the air. Must be a quarter of his mana pool.


    This, though, was just the beginning. There were still a lot of spells to try.

 Chapter 8: Magic to magic

    <h4>Chapter 8: Magic to magic</h4>


    Father returned only the next day. He came to the training hall just when Cael practiced aiming with Arcane Arrows at small, mobile illusions of bats.


    He watched in silence while Cael shot them down one by one, much slower than he himself would like, before speaking.


    "Not bad, son, for your second day. But it''s time to begin to train you properly. We will have to be quick with it, too. I hope you show much more talent than your brother."


    Cael spent several seconds catching his breath before speaking. "Really?" he bit out. "Well. What would you want me to do, Father?"


    "Don''t talk back at me like that, first." Gianni red. "Meditate. Restore your mana. Then, I want to see what you can do in an actual fight. Or, as close to one as we can do here."


    He left after this, returning in half an hour. This time, not alone. With him came one of the family knights, a first rank mage.


    "Marco!" Cael smiled at the familiar face. In the past, Marco taught Cael how to fight with rapiers. "How''s your sister?"


    The knight, a sharp-featured dark-haired man wearing a tunic with the Oliveira family crest on top of his own, nodded to Cael. "Thank you, signore Cael. She''s been feeling good recently¡­ Spring always does wonders for her health. But," Marco threw a nce at Gianni, "we are here to train, not to chat."


    "Yes. I have little time today, son, so let''s be quick. Today, I want to see all you got. Marco will be your sparring opponent. Use magic, weapons, anything you want. I will put shields on both of you¡ªthe fight willst until one of them breaks."


    Cael and Marco nodded in understanding. Gianni nodded back and raised his hands.


    "*Mystic veil of protection, I call upon thee! Let thy skin be covered with an unseen shield, impervious to harm and as strong as steel!*"


    While his father chanted the spell, Cael focused on the flow of his mana. Thick threads flowed into the spell''s mold, with only a small amount of mana leaving it to fill the air. Father''s control really was much better than Cael''s¡­ He spoke much faster, too.


    When he finished, ayer of magic, visible only to mind''s eye, covered Cael''s skin, solid and imprable, but not restricting his movements. Then Gianni did the same for Marco and went to stay near a far wall.


    "Begin when you are ready," he said.


    "Rapiers?" Marco asked, going to the rack with training weapons. Cael fell in step.


    Cael frowned, thinking. He needed both hands to assist in his spellcasting, but a weapon could get handy¡­ In the end, he chose a short dulled dagger, which he tucked in his belt. "This."


    Marco shrugged and took a rapier instead. Then he walked several steps away from Cael before turning to face him. "Ready?"


    Cael crouched a little and took a deep breath. A mage''s head must be cool and clear at all times! Especially in battle. "Yes."


    "Thene." Marco raised his hands at his sides. The corners of his lips stretched a slightest bit. "I have to give an advantage to a novice."


    Cael grit his teeth, but recognized the goading for what it was. Marco knew about Cael''s hotheadedness as much as Cael himself.


    "Don''t mind if I do," Cael threw back.


    He lowered his voice and hurried to read a spell, one of those he practiced yesterday. "*Oh, winds that dance¡­*"


    As Cael expected, Marco didn''t wait for Cael to finish. With his rapier moving through the air like a magic wand, he began to chant his own spell. Cael strained to hear the words.


    Marco didn''t raise his voice, either, but the sound of Arcani was so familiar to Cael thanks to System that he caught the meaning of them, anyway. "*Winds of a raging hurricane¡­*"


    *A wind de spell,* Cael recalled.


    This momentary loss of concentration made him falter and almost lose his own spell, so he quickly focused on reading the rest of it. "*¡­through the leaves, let my steps be as swift as the blowing breeze!*"


    "*¡­de of piercing wind!*"


    They have finished their spells at the same time. Just as Cael''s feet grew lighter, infused with magical speed, a forearm-long de of wind, almost invisible in the clear air, flew from Marco''s fingers.


    But Cael was prepared, even if he couldn''t trace Marco''s attack well. He dashed to the side in two long, graceful steps, already chanting his next spell.


    The fight began in earnest.

 Chapter 9: Blade to blade

    <h4>Chapter 9: de to de</h4>


    By the time Marco''s wind de hit the wall behind Cael, the knight himself already rushed towards Cael, the second spell on his lips.


    Cael didn''t fall behind with his own magic. An Arcane Arrow spell¡ªa thin but solid arrow of pure magic¡ªflew from his fingers towards Marco. But Cael was so intent on putting more distance between himself and the opponent that his aim was off.


    Marco ducked under the arrow and sent his own spell¡ªanother wind de, but only palm-sized. Cael dashed to the side again, but this time the attack got close enough that he heard it buzzing over his ear.


    They continued to throw cantrips at each other. The first exchange drained Cael of a hefty portion of his mana, and he knew Marco was the same. All the while, they kept running around their arena, with Marco constantly trying to push forward and press Cael into a wall. The only reason Marco didn''t seed was Cael''s enchantment¡ªand that the training hall had no corners.


    The knight got the first hit when Cael slipped and dodged in a wrong direction. It was just a nce that smashed harmlessly at Cael''s shoulder, but he felt the slight tremble of his Father''s shield. It weakened slightly, but the mana within was still strong.


    "First blood," Marcomented, which was his mistake. Cael used his distraction to even the count with an arrow that hit Marco''s chest.


    "Don''t get distracted, Marco!" Father called out from the side he was at. A slightly opaque spherical shield protected him from stray attacks.


    Marco huffed, but nodded. Both he and Cael breathed heavily. Cael''s heart beat like a drum, his blood screaming in his ears with excitement, while his body asked for a breather. His opponent paused to catch a breath, too.


    Moving like this was exerting, but having to constantly chanting spells didn''t help fighters to save their stamina.


    The lull in the fight let Cael examine his state. He had about half a mana pool left, enough for another first rank spell, even a sloppy one, with some cantrips to spare. But the Windstride spell on his feet was fading away, and Cael knew that without it, Marco would pin him to a wall like a butterfly. In melee range, Marco had an advantage and wasn''t afraid to push it.


    He needed a n. Cael swiftly recalled spells in his arsenal. There were plenty, but it made picking an optimal one only harder. One, though, fit the situation perfectly. He didn''t practice it before, but he got the hang of first rank spells yesterday.


    Marco has thought something up, too. Instead of rushing Cael again, he began to chant a new spell, and the time for nning was over. It wasn''t a Lesser Wind de¡ªthis Cael understood from the first surge of Marco''s mana.


    Just to give Marco nothing to worry about, Cael threw another Arcane Arrow¡ªby then they only took him a moment to cast¡ªand grinned when it hit Marco''s shoulder. The knight''s dodge was too slow, but he didn''t stop his chant.


    "*¡­let my steps¡­*"


    *He''s going to cast Windstride!* Cael realized. *This might actually work to my advantage.*


    Cael stopped, too, and hurried through the words of his next spell. It didn''t matter how much mana he wasted in his hurry, because if he failed this, Marco would turn him into a pincushion, anyway. "*Wrath divine, thunderbolts of the sky, let thy power¡­*"


    Marco''s spell wasplete. The knight dashed towards Cael, too quick for him to avoid the confrontation.


    Cael dashed to the side again, saving precious seconds. Thest words fell from his lips. "*¡­gather in my hand!*"


    A de of the training rapier, dulled but still able to leave nasty bruises or worse, flew towards Cael''s throat.


    His bare palm, sparkling with an electric charge, stopped it only centimeters away from the skin. Cael''s shield wobbled a little, a bit more of mana leaving it, but Cael only grabbed Marco''s rapier tighter.


    The next happened in an instant. The charge of the spell left Cael to flow through the metal of Marco''s weapon into the knight himself. Lightning cracked and sparkled, attacking Marco''s shield.


    Marco''s eyes widened. For a heartbeat, the fight froze on a precipice of a win or a loss¡­ Then, Marco''s shield shattered, letting a few remaining lightning sparks to singe his skin and clothing.


    "Curses!" Marco eximed, pulling back. "What was that?!"


    "Hm¡­ The Lightning Touch?" Gianni approached Cael and Marco, looking at them with furrowed brows. He scratched his chin. "I almost forgot I had it in our library."


    Cael grinned at his victory. "Not surprising. It was in the darkest corner of the library, in The Book of Touch."


    His father blinked. "I recall something like this¡­ Hm. Well, you certainly showed a surprising dedication to magical arts, Cael. While you, Marco¡­ You rely on your fencing skills too much. Might and magic should work inmon."


    "Thank you, Milordo," Marco put a hand to his chest and bowed.


    "You will have a prime opportunity to fix your mistakes in the future. Marco, you will be Cael''s sparring partner until he can train with his brother. Your second-inmand will help you with your other responsibilities. Now, both of you, rest. Cael, I will bring you your training schedule tomorrow."


    "It''s an honor, Milordo!" Marco said with more feeling.


    Cael shed him a smile before turning to Gianni and giving him a deep nod. "Yes, Father."


    When Gianni left, Marco turned to look at Cael. His face stayed impassive, but there was approval shining in the knight''s eyes.


    "That was most impressive, signore Cael. Especially for someone who only learned how to use spells yesterday. Your father has told me¡­ As well as the cook and three other soldiers. By now, I think, the rumor had spread through the entire city."


    "Thanks, Marco," Caelughed. "Impressive. I am impressive now¡ªin a month, I swear, I will be amazing!"


    Marco shook his head. "Just don''t fly too high into the clouds."

 Chapter 10: The first birds

    <h4>Chapter 10: The first birds</h4>


    The question was¡ªdid Cael have a month?


    A month to slowly train and increase his power?


    He wasn''t sure. The recollections of an erased timeline were a quietly ticking clock; and a much more present tension came from the Nuvoloso family.


    Father exchanged letters with other lords-mages, securing alliances against the greedy neighbor and calling on vassals for military aid, Mother knitted furiously, and their children trained, whether or not they wanted it.


    Vittorio believed he was ready to fight this instant, and didn''t forget to mention it to everybody who would listen. Cael shared the desire to meet their enemy face to face, but knew that Father won''t send his children to a battlefield unless something changes.


    Vittorio was still his heir, too young and precious to send out on his own; and Cael was still mostly useless.


    For a week, as more and more news came from Oliveira''s borders with Nuvoloso about movements of enemy soldiers, Cael spent his days training. He sparred with Marco or illusions until his mana pool was empty to thest drop, then meditated and repeated everything again until evening, when he would fall in bed, dead asleep with exhaustion.


    Even Father had noticed that behavior, which was when he said, "You are exhausting yourself, son. The dedication is admirable, but if you approach training this way, you will just burn yourself out. Now go and take a break. Do something else for a day."


    This was how Cael ended up in his secret spot near a river, quietly ying lute and enjoying the wonderful weather. He realized there and then¡ªhis father was right, and he needed a break. His body and soul breathed easier when he returned hometer this evening. His mind felt sharper and clearer than during thest week.


    In that sharpness, things Cael probably wouldn''t have noticed another time, stood out especially brightly. A rare bird sitting on a tree, a cloud with a funny shape, a man with strangely deep mana pool and perceptive eyes chatting with a guard near the city''s gates.


    Cael frowned and, instead of passing by, came up closer. He caught a bit of the conversation.


    "¡­you think?"


    "Of course! What, you think our lord takes weaklings in his army? We¡ª" The guard paused when he noticed Cael''s approach.


    Cael straightened his back and made his best Father''s impression. In the end, whether or not people admitted it, he was the next in the line of Oliveira lords. As of now, almost a full-fledged first rank mage. All hecked was the size of his mana pool, otherwise his father would''ve long ago admitted it.


    This was how ranks worked. You needed a confirmation of a superior to get it, often to pass an exam of some sort. The higher your rank was, the harder those became. The ranking system, after all, was entirely men''s doing, an attempt to bring order to the chaos of magic.


    Regardless, the guard was only a zeroth rank, amoner. And he stood at attention under Cael''s re.


    "Signore Oliveira! I, uh¡­"


    "I don''t think you are supposed to chat with passersby on duty, soldier," Cael said, and nced at the strange traveler. "And who is this?"


    "Forgive me, signore. I am just a humble traveler." The man bowed and stepped away, not looking above Cael''s eyes. On closer inspection, he looked painfully unremarkable. "I came here, because I''ve heard there''s an alchemist in this city¡­ I hope to be his student."


    That exined his mana pool. The man must''ve trained on his own, because alchemists needed mana as much as all other kinds of mages¡­


    "Don''t distract guards any more," Cael told him and continued his return to the Oliveira tower.


    Two dayster, Cael finished his training earlier than usually¡ªearly enough to not feel like he was going to fall asleep on his feet. He needed to go somewhere today.


    The alchemy shop hasn''t changed since thest time Cael was there, unlike Leonardo. The old man looked positively haggard.


    "Signore Oliveira? If your father had sent you, then no, his empowering potions are not ready yet, they need to age! Five more days!"


    "I didn''te from my father," Cael said, walking in. "I just wanted to ask a question."


    "Oh!" Leonardo exhaled with relief. "Good, very good. Ask away."


    "Did anyone ask to be your student recently?"


    "I wish!" The alchemist huffed. "I would drink a bottle of aqua fortis for a second part of hands these days."


    Cael nodded. Could this traveler have been a spy? Father would want to hear this, except it''s not like Cael had anything but suspicious. He won''t even be able to describe the man. ck hair, brown eyes, average height¡ªhalf the city looked like this!


    In the end, it wasn''t like Cael could track this person on his own, so he had told Father about this¡ªand he replied exactly what Cael had told himself.


    "Of course Enzo would send spies to us. Just like I''ve sent spies to him," Cael''s father added. "Tell me if you spot this man again, Cael. I will tell guards to be on alert in case they meet him again, too."


    Cael knew this won''t help. By the time he would ry a message, the spy would be long gone from the spot. And what were the chances of meeting him again, anyway?

 Chapter 11: The chase

    <h4>Chapter 11: The chase</h4>


    Minuscule. The chances were minuscule. Despite that, Cael wanted to find this man. After all¡­ Maybe if he was more suspicious, he would''ve caught the spy the moment they''ve first met. Now he likely would be on high alert, while scouting the city''s defenses, Gianni''s forces and passing all that information to the enemy.


    So, as hopeless as the task felt, Cael wanted to catch the spy again. Every day from now on, he would take a break from training after lunch, when he was still fresh, and walk around the city. He preferred to go near ces that a spy might be interested in: the city gates, the soldiers'' barracks, the granaries, and others.


    There weren''t many mages in the city beyond the Oliveira family. Most mages ruled their own estates, or gathered in their liege''s court. Cael''s father had a baron vassal and six knights, and except for Marco, they all have been busy elsewhere.


    This left only free mages, as they were called. Those who refused to swear fealty to anyone and traveled where they pleased, sometimes stopping in courts of other mages to work. The alchemist Leonardo was like that, and besides him, there were many mercenaries and monster hunters.


    But amongst normal people in Sanremo di Mare, they were exceedingly rare. Every mage with a rank above zeroth stood out if Cael focused on sensing mana. He couldn''t feel mana farther than twenty paces away, but it was much more than amoner would be able.


    This was how Cael had found him. The spy''s mana stood out in a crowd, even if the man himself looked as ordinary as before. He chatted with an apple trader, examining her produce.


    Cael looked around. The marketce, not very populous at this time of day, had a single guard, whose job was to catch pickpockets. Usually, there were two, but Cael knew his father had been gathering as many people as he could at the borders.


    The spy had bought an apple and went to another stall. Cael walked up to the guard, watching the spy with a corner of his eye. He didn''t seem alerted yet.


    That changed when the man turned around and spotted Cael, who just approached the marketce guard. Cael''s eyes met the spy''s, and Cael saw surprise shining in them¡­ and then realization, as he nced at the guard near Cael.


    In the next moment, the spy changed his course, and with a calm, but brisk, pace walked towards the nearest corner.


    "Soldier, alert others that there''s a spy running away!" Cael threw at the guard, and without waiting for his response (with how dumbfounded the man looked, Cael would have needed to wait a long time), ran after the spy.


    He weaved between passersby with agility that he, like his other skills, spentst week improving. At the same time, he read a spell under his breath.


    "*Oh, winds that dance through the leaves, let my steps be as swift as the blowing breeze!*"


    He finished it just in time¡ªthe spy was about to hide behind a corner. With the Windstride spell to speed up his steps, Cael quickly began to shorten the distance between the two of them.


    They have left the marketce and now ran through the city''s maze-like streets. The spy was only a few paces away now, close enough for Cael to shoot an Arcane Arrow at, or charge and tackle him down.


    Close enough to hear part of the spell the man was chanting.


    "*¡­in your shadowy embrace!*"


    This spell was not in his father''s library. Cael slowed down a little as he felt the enemy''s mana pour into a form. If this was an attack, he didn''t want to run straight into it.


    The next moment, he was grateful for his foresight. An ink-ck cloud exploded outward from under the spy''s feet, blocking the view of the entire street.


    "Damn!" Cael felt the spy and his mana getting farther and farther away every second. One more, and he would leave the range at which Cael could sense him.


    Cael thought about what to do. Charge ahead? What if the cloud was poisonous? The wind began to disperse it, but that would take too much time to happen.


    He had to be smarter. Cael knew the city had only one gate, and therefore, only one way for the spy to escapepletely. Since he knew he was exposed, getting out of the city before the news spread to all the city guards seemed like the most logical option to Cael. He might catch them by surprise now, butter they will be on high alert.


    Cael hoped the spy thought the same way, because now Cael had a n.


    He turned towards a side alley, jumped over a fence, crossed a small garden (carefully avoiding stepping on the growing vegetables), breezed through another street, turned through another corner and, yes! The spy was just there, running towards him¡ªtowards the gates.


    Cael grinned. *You thought you could outrun me in this city? The city I grew up in?*


    The spy scowled and, without a pause, turned into another narrow alleyway, and another. He pushed crates and barrels left on the street under Cael''s feet, jumped over fences, trampled citizens'' gardens, even so, the distance between the two of them rapidly decreased.


    But Cael knew he really won when the spy turned into another alleyway. It was in the city''s poorest district. The houses here were wooden, not stone or brick, and the pathway between them was just trampled dirt. But this particr alleyway, Cael remembered especially, because of the house that had walls painted a fanciful blue.


    Also, because the alleyway ended with a dead end.


    Cael slowed his footsteps, smiling. He sensed the spy behind the corner, and sensed that he stopped, too. The man knew he was done¡­ But Cael doubted he would go down without a fight.

 Chapter 12: Blood for blood

    <h4>Chapter 12: Blood for blood</h4>


    When Cael turned the corner, he already had a spell ready¡ªan Arcane Arrow that waited to be let go¡ªand he could sense that the spy didn''t. He rxed too early.


    As soon as Cael stepped into the alleyway, a dagger whizzed towards his chest.


    He ducked, dodging, then gasped in pain when the dagger struck his left shoulder and stuck a knuckle deep in the muscle. The Arcane Arrow Cael was going to aim at the spy, fell from his fingers and hit a wall with a thud and a crash of a breaking spell.


    The spy already had a second dagger in his hand, aimed for a throw.


    "Fuck." Cael cringed, both from pain and self-deprecation. He should''ve known that a spy won''t be weaponless, even if he looked that way.


    He clenched his teeth, and while adrenaline still blocked out some of his pain, pulled the dagger out of his shoulder with a grunt. Blood poured from the gash, staining his shirt, but not too much of it.


    The next moment, he had to dodge another knife. This time, Cael was ready, and his magically enhanced feet easily carried him away from the attack.


    In response, he threw the bloodied dagger in his hand at the spy. It was a small knife, only a palm long and without a guard¡ªmade for hiding in boots and throwing at people. Cael missed by arge margin, but it gave him a moment to gather himself.


    He had a rapier on his belt, anyway. As good as this did to him. After a week of training, Cael learned how to cast cantrips with one hand, but the first circle of spells still took him two.


    "Give up, spy, and my father might be lenient towards you!" Cael said, not expecting a positive answer.


    He didn''t get one. The spy had pulled out a third dagger. This one was a longer de, more appropriate for closebat; but instead of using it, the spy read a spell.


    "*Arrow of magic, fly true!*"


    Cael didn''t need a hint to tell that an Arcane Arrow was going to fly his way. He dodged this projectile, too, but didn''t hurry with his own. Cael wanted to catch the man alive. He could be interrogated for a lot of information.


    Instead, he began to read a longer, harder spell. At least here, with ground and even some stubborn weeds under his feet, Cael would have an easier time using it.


    "*Spirits of nature, awaken and grow¡ªno trespasser shall leave thy domain!*"


    Thrice during that time, Cael had to dodge enemy''s arrows, but even within the narrow confines of the alleyway, Cael did so with ease, thanks to thest vestiges of his Windstride spell. It sputtered out and ended, together with the mana put into it, just when Cael finished his second spell.


    The weeds in the alleyway rapidly transformed, growing into long, grasping vines under the spy''s feet. They filled half the alleyway in a second, climbing even the walls. Their long stalks entwined the spy''s legs and even a hand that got too close to a vine-covered wall.


    Like a fly in a spider''s web.


    This was when Cael pulled his rapier out of its sheath. In a single dash, he got near the spy, the sharp tip of his de touching the spy''s throat.


    "Drop your weapon," Cael said, still breathing heavily. "Tell me your name."


    The spy panted, too. Despite his position, his lips curved into a smirk. He didn''t drop his dagger, but didn''t move, either. "My master knows my name, and he''s the only one who should. He''ll build a good grave for me, and my spirit will rest in it, even if my body won''t."


    Cael grit his teeth, both from the spy''s stubbornness and from the increasing pulse of pain in his shoulder. "You won''t die if you surrender."


    "Stupid boy," the spy bared his teeth at Cael. "There are things worse than death¡ªlike being a traitor."


    His dagger-wielding hand moved, and Cael acted on reflex, pushing his rapier forward into the spy''s neck all the way to the spine.


    The man''s hand weakened, dropping the dagger half-way towards Cael''s arm. With a wet gurgle, he fell down, blood pouring out of his neck in bursts.


    Cael inhaled sharply, its metallic scent filling his nostrils, and shook his head. Then he wiped the rapier on the dead man''s clothes, sheathed it, and pressed his hand over his wound, trying to ignore the pain.


    No sounds came from the nearby houses. If people there heard the sounds of a fight, they must''ve wisely ignored them. The alleyway didn''t even have any windows looking at it.


    "Death over dishonor¡­ The only way for a man to live," Cael muttered, looking at the spy''s corpse. "You weren''t a noble, but you lived as one. Father will send your body to Nuvoloso to be buried properly. He can recognize honor, too. He pestered me about it way too much."


    "Anyway," Cael added after a brief pause. "You are dead, anyway, soon to be worms'' food. You might as well help me save the world and protect my family."


    Cringing, he pulled his hand away from the wound. Left hand reached towards the dead body, while the right held at chest level, with fingers spread as if holding an invisible ball.


    "*Crimson river, follow your master!*"


    This was thest of Cael''s mana. His knees shook from exhaustion, but the result was worth it.


    Following themand of the Lesser Exsanguination spell, rivulets of blood flew from the growing puddle on the ground and from the spy''s wound. They went towards Cael''s right hand, gathering in a fist-sized ball over it. Then, with the knowledge that came from the same ce as the spell itself, Cael made the spell consume the gathered blood.


    *You have gained 42 BP. 45 BP until the next upgrade.*


    Cael shut his eyes. This was going to take a long while. But actually¡­


    *Hey, System, how much BP to heal this wound?*

 Chapter 13: The powers of life and death

    <h4>Chapter 13: The powers of life and death</h4>


    *Healing your wound would require 30 BP, Cael. Proceed?*


    *Yes!* Cael grit his teeth. He really wanted to be as stoic and impervious to pain as his father''s knights, but the truth was¡­ This was his first real fight, wasn''t it? Everything before was just training.


    The fact of this descended on Cael like a lead nket¡ªslow, hard, and heavy.


    He killed a man¡ªan enemy of their family¡ªand drained his blood to empower himself. And yet¡­ He realized that besides the pain from his wound and weariness from the chase, Cael felt great.


    Exhrated. More alive than ever.


    He won! If he needed a tangible proof of his worthiness, here it was¡ªthe corpse of his enemy! And he was going to be stronger from it. Better able to protect himself, hisnds and his world.


    Cael grinned.


    *Understood, Cael. You now have 12 BP left.*


    He felt a tingling in his shoulder, which soon grew in an itch that reced his pain. In another second, both were gone.


    Cael carefully rolled his shoulder, then poked it with a finger. Then, to make absolutely sure, he pulled his shirt down to see his shoulder. The skin waspletely unblemished¡ªnot even a scar. Only the leftover blood was left.


    "Wow." Cael fixed his shirt again.


    *I can''te back home like this¡­ Would raise questions, like where''s the wound? I''d need a second circle healing spell to heal it this well and quickly. Hmm¡­ System! How much BP do I need to restore my mana?*


    *20 BP, Cael.*


    Cael frowned. That was expensive¡­ He better to just meditate, since he had time.


    By that point, the Grasping Vines spell had expired, and the vines had turned back into normal weeds. Nothing stopped Cael from putting his cloak on the ground and sitting down to meditate.


    This area didn''t have rich mana, but it was enough. Each bit of mana Cael added to his mana pool felt different. Air mana brought a sensation of weightlessness. Earth mana was heavy and sturdy. Grass shared with Cael its peaceful growth.


    But the biggest source of mana in the alleyway was the energies released by the spy''s death. Mana of death, and mana of his spilled blood. It was only natural to gather them, since Cael wanted to recover his mana as soon as he could.


    He immediately didn''t like the mana of death. It was too cold and far from life. But the mana of blood was its opposite.


    It quickly dissipated, too vtile to exist for long, but how much energy was in it! It was like a moment on the brink of death, continued perpetually; a constant struggle at the limit of one''s abilities; life that prevailed against all odds.


    In that moment, Cael understood why blood was such a poprponent of many rituals, and why his predecessor liked blood magic. This was the raw power of a human being.


    He consumed all the blood mana in the alleyway greedily, and when he finished, his mana pool was almost full. He stood up, guessing that about five minutes must''ve passed. The blood on his clothes began to dry up.


    Then he chanted the Lesser Exsanguination spell, but instead of the corpse, aimed it at his own bloody clothing. The weak spell strained to pull on the crusting kes, but Cael pushed through, and in a few moments, the blood from his clothing gathered in his palm in a small red globe.


    *I wonder¡­ System, would I gain any BP from this?..*


    *No, Cael. But you could use it for other spells if you learn any.*


    *A pity.* Cael threw the globe on the ground. *Alright, then it''s time to get more upgrades.*


    He needed to recover his mana one more time to drain all the blood from the body. It didn''t look much different from how it did before¡ªjust deathly pale. Like a pig ready for roasting.


    System dered that Cael had three upgrades ready for purchase, but he ignored it for how.


    *If somebody asks me where did all that blood went, I really won''t know what to tell,* Cael thought, biting his lip. *Would anyone even notice? Of course they would¡ªthis man has a pierced throat! There should be a puddle of blood!*


    And there was. His spell couldn''t recover the blood from the ground, and there was plenty that had soaked in. An idea struck Cael.


    He grabbed some of that bloody dirt and smeared it all over the corpse''s neck and chest. Now he looked dirty and bloody. Kind of.


    *This will do.*


    Then Cael looked through the spy''s pockets and bags. At first he found only ordinary things: travel supplies, some money. Then he checked the less obvious ces, patting the clothing for anything hidden and trying to guess where the spy would hide anything discriminating.


    He found three gold scudo sewn in the spy''s belt, another finger-long knife in his sleeve, and finally¡ªa small silver medallion in the heel of his left boot. A medallion with Nuvoloso crest on one side, and magical glyphs on the other. Cael could sense the mana lying within, but had no idea what the medallion did.


    *Could it be some kind of a disguise amulet?* He guessed. *Maybe Father knows. Regardless, it would be proof enough.*


    Cael took the money and the medallion. Then, with a smile on his face and a pep in his step, he walked out of the alleyway. It took him another five minutes to find a group of guards who clearly were trying to follow the spy.


    "You are all too slow," Cael said to them. "Somebody, tell Gianni Oliveira that I have killed a spy that got into our city!"

 Chapter 14: A Mages Mark

    <h4>Chapter 14: A Mage''s Mark</h4>


    Father''s office always was to Cael something akin to air of a legendary dragon. Full of wonderful and mysterious treasures, carefully sorted and arranged on shelves, decorated with heavy burgundy drapes and lit up by dozens of magical, eternal candles in golden chandeliers. A huge oaken desk stood near the only window, its waxed surface is shiny and clean of any clutter.


    And behind it, in a wooden chair as hard as the man himself, sat the dragon. Even without standing up, he looked below at anyone standing in front of him, including his eldest son.


    That didn''t diminish Cael''s good mood, though. Not after his victory.


    "I''ve examined the medallion you had found with tools, Cael," Gianni spoke, as grim as always these days. "You were wrong in your assumptions. The magic on it is not from the school of Illusion, but from Divination. It''s a Sending Amulet, an amulet which could send messages to its pair."


    Cael''s eyes widened. He thought this would take his father longer than the couple of hours that passed since Cael showed Gianni the spy''s body and passed him the medallion.


    "I wonder how many he found out and passed to Nuvoloso." Cael frowned slightly. "I should''ve called him out when I first saw him¡­"


    "No, you shouldn''t have!" Gianni pped his palm on the table, then clenched it in a fist. "Your couple of weeks of training don''t make you a battlemage, son. You don''t know how to ess threats if they don''t wear their Mage''s Mark on their forehead!"


    A Mage''s Mark¡ªa sign that your rank in wizardly had been evaluated and approved. Only a mage at least two ranks higher than the rank you wanted to get could give you one; if there were none like those, you needed approval of three mages one rank higher.


    Father wore his pinned to hispel, like a medal. A round silver token, no more than a coin, with three topazes in a triangle¡ªone for each of his ranks. On the other side, Cael knew, were engravings of his father''s name, and the name of the mage that gave him the Mark.


    It was against thew and the mages'' code of honor to forge fake marks, or to give them out to the unworthy. Punishable by death, usually in an unfair duel between someone with a fake Mark and someone with a real one.


    Cael finally pulled his eyes away from his father''s Mark and towards his face. His brows furrowed stubbornly. "This man was the first rank mage, at most. His mana pool was stronger than that ofmoners, but not as much as, say, Vittorio''s!"


    "And you think you can tell it so well, boy?" Gianni raised his brows. "I asked you to tell me if you see the spy again, not to chase after him, risking your life! You were lucky that he wasn''t more powerful. What would you do if he won? If he took you prisoner and brought you to his master? I doubt you''d have the strength to either kill yourself and withstand torture."


    Cael cringed from the mental picture, and from theck of faith his father had in him. Though, thetter wasn''t new.


    "I know myself and my enemies, Father," he spit out. "Just like the books about the art of waging war say. I knew I could, and would, win. I didn''t search for the man without estimating his power!"


    Gianni leaned back in his chair and looked at Cael with a deep, unnerving scrutiny.


    "Your mana pool had grown in leaps and bounds since you recovered from your disability. Your skills have improved, too¡­ Fine. You think you are a mage now, Cael? A real mage?"


    And Cael didn''t even spend histest upgrades yet¡ªdidn''t have time.


    "What do you think, Father?"


    His father snorted. "Insolence won''t help you in a fight, boy. Nor would it help you pass my test."


    Cael gasped. "A test¡­ *The* test? For my Mage''s Mark?"


    "Yes. I don''t think you are ready, but I think you are ready to get your nose brought back to the ground."


    "Or I will get my Mark, Father." Cael grinned. "You better make an order at a jeweler. I want rubies." It would be appropriate.


    Gianni scowled at him. "Leave now and spare me any more of your foolishness. You have a day to rest and prepare. And no more looking for fights, you hear me? There could be other spies in the city. They are like cockroaches¡­"


    ***


    For the sake of preparation, Cael returned to his room. Not to train, but to not be disturbed during choosing his upgrades. He also got himself some paper and a quill and sat down at a table to write stuff down.


    *System, it''s time to use my upgrades! What do I have avable amongst talents and spells?*


    *You can choose one of the next talents you already know about: Elemental Affinity, Trial of Tooth, Artifact Appraisal. You also have new spells and abilities avable for purchase, and a new special talent made avable by your life''s experiences.*


    Cael wrote all that down, then paused.


    *Huh? What do you mean?*


    *A part of my innerposition had adapted to your experiences, forming a new talent that reflects your inner desires or needs. This might happen again in the future, but I might not predict when or how. I don''t have control over that function.*


    "I wonder how many more surprises you have, System?" Cael muttered. "Tell me about this talent, then! And about the other new stuff you mentioned, too. Time to write it all down."

 Chapter 15: The exam, part 1

    <h4>Chapter 15: The exam, part 1</h4>


    *The special talent''s name is Sense Lies. It was created when you were deceived, but rectified your error by finding the deceiver and defeating him. This talent would allow you to detect dishonesty in people''s words. But it would cost you three upgrades to buy.*


    Cael bit his lip, writing it all down. This was really an amazing talent¡­ The feeling of being deceived was terrible, and he never wanted to experience it again. Even worse was that Cael suspected something from the start, but dismissed it until he confirmed his suspicions with the alchemist¡­


    *You can also purchase a talent Quick Coagtion, since you have learned Lesser Exsanguination. This talent would make your blood coagte almost instantly when you are wounded, greatly reducing blood loss.*


    This was something to think ofter. Cael sighed. There was just so much to buy, and so few Blood Points¡­


    *Besides that, you can learn next spells: Blood de, which uses blood in your possession to form a sharp and swift de, and Curse of Ill Health, which uses blood of the target to make them highly vulnerable to illnesses for a while.*


    *Wait.* Cael lifted his eyes from the paper in front of him. *These also became avable after I learned Lesser Exsanguination, right? Are there more beyond them in this¡­ spell chain? Spell tree?*


    *Correct, Cael. Blood de opens a tree of spells rted to direct maniption of blood. Curse of Ill Health opens a tree of spells rted to using blood to curse, track and strengthen other people.*


    The feeling of needing more blood intensified. Cael sighed. He felt that in the future, he would need to bind his notes into a journal. His personal book of spells, except instead of the spells themselves, it would be full of descriptions of spells.


    Which wasn''t unusual. Most of the spellbooks he had seen in his father''s library on seventy percentprised the author''s autobiography, on twenty-five percent of descriptions of spells the author had witnessed but didn''t know, and only five percent were actually about spells.


    *Alright. I am purchasing ''Sense Lies''. You are going to tell me more about the spell trees, and talent trees¡­ When I gather more blood.*


    *As you wish, Cael. Upgrade in process¡ªyou have 13 BP remaining. 127 BP until the next upgrade.*


    For several seconds, Cael felt like somebody was pouring water inside his skull until it was ready to burst. When the pressure left as suddenly as it came, he let out a breath of relief.


    He didn''t feel different, though, but he guessed he could test this talent whenever he wanted just by going to the market.


    For now, Cael had an exam to prepare for, and only a few hours until night to do it. After today, now that his tion had finally begun to die down, he was feeling tired.


    If only he knew what his father nned out for him¡­


    ***


    "A written test? Father, is that right?" Cael dumbly stared at the stack of clean paper sheets in front of him. A couple of quills and an inkwell stood on the table near him.


    He should''ve expected that, when Father told Cael toe to the tower''s study room. This was a ce where Vittorio took lessons in magic theory, and Cael sat and listened, wishing he could put them to practice, too.


    "Are you unhappy with something, Cael?" Gianni threw him a sharp look. "Do you think you know better than me how a test of your abilities should be conducted?"


    Cael chewed his lip. "But what about practice?"


    His father waved his hand dismissively. "I already know what you can do in practice, boy. But anyone can memorize a few spells and dumbly repeat them, not knowing even the meaning of the words. A true wizard should have a solid foundation in them. An education."


    He turned away from Cael and walked towards a ckboard. There, Gianni picked a piece of chalk and began to write down words in Arcani. More and more, until the entire ckboard was full of them.


    "First, trante this," Father instructed. "Some words here are missing¡ªadd them back, and include their Arcani trantion. The text itself contains your second task. You have time until lunch."


    With those words he went to sit at another table, where a pile of documents was already waiting for Gianni''s review.


    "Yes, Father," Cael nodded, biting his cheek to not grin. This was going to be so easy!


    After all, he understood everything that was written here. Even if in the past his knowledge of Arcani, although decent, was never so good.


    This all, though, was as long as the Arcani text was written on in the true Arcani glyphs, but in a simple transliteration. Arcani glyphs were much harder to learn, because they held some power whenever written. This made it extremely hard to put them into books, or even just to show them to pupils.


    An Arcani alphabet could just blow you up. Or at least singe your quill and burn your paper as you write them.


    If Father actually tried to test Cael about the glyphs, Cael would''ve failed miserably. He wondered if System had a talent to understand those, too¡­


    For now, he just focused on the text on the ckboard.


    *Magic is the most ¡­ and noble art. Mages use the originalnguage of ¡­ to shape mana, the ¡­ energy of the world. By calling upon aspects of ¡­, they make their mana take its ¡­ and its ¡­.


    Below are two spells. One of them creates an ice wall, and the other throws freezing wind at enemies. Exin why each of them calls out to different aspects of cold.


    "Eternal frost of the far North,e to my aid. Let your power be my chilling shield and my indomitable fortress."


    "Winter''s wrath, lend me your fierce frost. Let the icy gale consume all who oppose me and bury them under evesting snow."*


    Cael read this again and clenched his fists.


    *Father!* he shouted inwardly, sending his father''s turned back a re. *Are you serious? This is something to learn at the second rank! You are just setting me to fail¡­ But I refuse.*

 Chapter 16: The exam, part 2

    <h4>Chapter 16: The exam, part 2</h4>


    Cael swiftly wrote down the trantion of the text on the ckboard. This was the simple part¡ªbut the rest was harder. It required not only the knowledge of Arcani, but also knowledge of the magic theory.


    Cael was sure he read parts of this passage somewhere. It must''ve been something from one of Father''s spellbooks. Some words, though, he knew even without trying to recall the exact sentences.


    The second one was "creation". The fourth one was "nature", or maybe "world"¡­ No, it was definitely "nature". The fifth or the sixth was power, and the other one¡­ Cael couldn''t quite recall.


    He returned to the beginning. What could the first word be? "Old"? Cael frowned. This didn''t sound quite right. "Magic is the most *old* and noble art"?


    *No, it should be a stronger word. Something like¡­ Right! It''s "venerable". I remember now.* And it wasn''t from a book, at least not one Cael recalled. It was something Father liked to tell Vittorio during lectures¡­ Especially when Cael''s brother grew bored.


    Thest word took Cael the longest time to decide on, but eventually, he half-deduced, half-recalled that it could be only "shape". Shape, as in the shape that mana takes to be a spell.


    Finally, Cael added the Arcani trantions of the inserted words and read the full text once again.


    *Magic is the most venerable and noble art. Mages use the originalnguage of creation to shape mana, the sacred energy of the world. By calling upon aspects of nature, they make their mana take its power and its shape.


    Below are two spells. Describe what they do based on their contents, and exin why. One of them creates an ice wall, and the other throws freezing wind at enemies. Exin why each of them calls out to different aspects of cold.


    "Eternal frost of the far North,e to my aid. Let your power be my chilling shield and my indomitable fortress."


    "Winter''s wrath, lend me your fierce frost. Let the icy gale consume all who oppose me and bury them under evesting snow."*


    This was trickier, but also more interesting. Cael found himself engrossed by the task. He knew both spells from the hours spent memorizing every spell in his father''s library: a Frost Wall and a Breath of Winter, both second-rank spells.


    The differences between them were much like that between a Wind de and Windstride spells. Both belonged to the same subschool of Wind Magic, both called upon the power of air, but the text of said calling was different.


    Cael recalled the texts of the spells. For Windstride, it was "Oh, winds that dance through the leaves, let my steps be as swift as the blowing breeze." The Wind de went with, "Winds of a raging hurricane, bring forth a swift and deadly de of piercing wind."


    Wind here and wind there. Cold here and cold there. Really, what *was* the difference?


    Cael scratched his nose with a quill. *So obvious, if you think about it,* he thought. *Those spells have different purposes, so the aspect of nature they call upon must reflect it. Like everything in the spell! So the spell for Breath of Winter has words like "fierce" and "consume". It''s all about attacking, while the Frost Wall spell is about protection.*


    This was already a good enough answer, but Cael didn''t want to give his father even a chance to say that his reply wasn''t good enough. When he wrote it down, he exined how each separate word joined the united purpose of the spell.


    By the time Cael finished, he filled two sheets of paper with his handwriting. He blew carefully on them to dry up the ink, then shook his tired hand and lifted his head to nce around.


    The sun outside of the room''s windows moved, showing that at least half an hour must have passed, but there was still plenty of time until lunch. Gianni still read through his paperwork, asionally jutting down some notes or writing on the documents themselves. If he meant to check that Cael wasn''t cheating, he didn''t appear to be doing a great job of it, with how little of his attention was on Cael.


    "Father," he called out. "I finished."


    Gianni paused, then straightened in his seat to pin Cael down with a look of disdain. "Does that mean you give up, Cael?"


    "No, I mean, I did what you asked me to!" Cael lifted his paper sheets. "Look!"


    "This can''t be¡­" Gianni muttered. "Give them to me."


    Cael stood up and passed him his writing. His father immediately began to read, his mouth pressing into a hard line as his eyes ran over the words.


    "Your handwriting is terrible, son," he pointed out.


    "Good thing that it wasn''t a part of the test, Father," Cael retorted.


    Gianni harrumphed, but said nothing more.


    The tension in Cael rose with every minute of that silence. His father didn''tment on anything else, didn''t even change his facial expression. Every few minutes, he would set aside pages he finished reading.


    It took him a dozen torturous minutes to put down thest one and turn to Cael.


    "If you have read ''The Theoretical Principles of Magic'' better, you would''ve remembered that the wording used in it to describe magic was ''Magic is the most ancient and noble art''. You should''ve also put ''shape'' and ''power'' in thest sentence in a different order. But¡ª"


    "Father, you are picking at my words!" Cael interrupted, bursting with anger. "I remember you telling ''the most venerable'', too."


    "I didn''t."


    A sharp pang of awareness shot through Cael. In this instant, he knew his father was¡­ not lying, but definitely not as sure in his answer as he appeared.


    Cael scowled, but before he could say anything more, Gianni spoke again.


    "*But*, as I was trying to say, your overall knowledge is¡­ impressive. Especially for yourck of proper education." Gianni sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Cael supposed this was as much as his father could admit his mistakes. "So, you asked for a ruby? It will fit well in silver. I will tell the jeweler to hurry."


    He passed!

 Chapter 17: Act II: To slay the dragon | Fear and delight

    <h4>Chapter 17: Act II: To y the dragon | Fear and delight</h4>


    At the same time, in a very different ce¡­


    Ginevra stepped into her father''s throne hall. On days when her father, Enzo Nuvoloso, held court, it always felt like she stepped through a boundary between worlds.


    Standing on the other side of those massive wooden doors decorated with beautiful engravings of nts and animals, she could hear the echoes of courtiers'' conversations, harshmands of her father, soft music that an enchanted lute yed to soothe Enzo''s moods. From outside, Ginevra could almost pretend she was in some other life, a life where a day was merely a stretch of time to pass, not another fight to win.


    But when she stepped inside, the harsh reality reminded her of itself. The "peaceful life" was a myth, a lie that weaklings convinced herself about to sleep better.


    It was like the entire opulent hall became submerged in water. All conversations stopped; all eyes were on Ginevra.


    She knew she was beautiful¡ªor at least, no one dared to say otherwise. Visiting bards put songs about her "stormy eyes", "rosy lips" and "waves of hair the color of dark wood". Well, Ginevra''s father paid him to do that¡­ Just another ode to the greatness of the Nuvoloso family.


    Now, no one watched Ginevra with awe. The eyes of these people, more than anything, held within fear.


    Fear was good. Fear was something Ginevra could depend on.


    Only eighteen years old, she already was a rank three mage, her steel Mage''s Mark with three amethysts proudly hanging from her right earring. This, though, was not why no one dared to meet her eye.


    Ginevra marched over the luxurious red carpet towards her father''s throne. Though only a count, Enzo liked to envision himself a king in hisnds. A king over everyone, including his only child.


    That meant that no matter how much Ginevra could ignore everyone else in this room, she must bow before Enzo.


    When she reached the first steps before Enzo''s throne, she lowered to one knee. Her clothing was that of a man, and not a set of mage''s robes, but afortable riding suit.


    "Lord Father," Ginevra spoke. "I have a report to make."


    Enzonced around at the courtiers, then looked down at Ginevra. His lips pressed together in distaste.


    "Was it so important to disrupt my proceedings, daughter?"


    "If some wait would kill your sycophants, Father, you would be best off feeding their bodies to pigs," Ginevra spoke, not hiding her disdain for these people. They all had one quality inmonck of spine.


    She knew all too well how hard it was to keep your back intact next to Enzo. Those people who didn''t even try were too pathetic to earn even a modicum of her respect.


    "Fine," Enzo scoffed. "Ginevra, follow me."


    He stood up from his bejeweled, gilded throne and walked towards the side exit. Ginevra fell in step with him. Through the door they entered Enzo''s private office, a much smaller and more modest ce. At least, it had fewer tapestries of great mages defeating endless hordes of enemies.


    Enzo sat down at his writing desk and propped his head on his chin. His dark eyes peered at Ginevra.


    "What did you want to say? Be quick."


    "Adriano missed his daily report for three hours. I assume he''s dead or captured by now. And he''s the only one of our spies that got to Sanremo di Mare and even approached Oliveira''s tower."


    Enzo frowned and leaned back in his chair. "Is that so? A waste. And you didn''t mention him reporting anything of consequence yesterday, didn''t you?"


    "Yes, Lord Father. But there was one thing he said yesterday that I thought wasn''t worth your attention. There''s a rumor that Gianni Oliveira''s eldest son miraculously recovered from his manaless condition and became a powerful mage overnight. Citizens were unsure if this was a divine blessing, or he sold his soul to devils. Adriano didn''t have time to find out anything more definite."


    "So, Cael Oliveira? Tsk." Enzo scowled. "Even if he healed somehow, maybe even learned some spells¡ªunlike most, he has ess to his family library¡­ It takes years to be someone better than a first rank cannon fodder. You shouldn''t worry about this one of Gianni''s spawn. Now, his youngest shows promise. In a few more years, he could even catch up with you. Another reason to deal with their family now."


    "Of course, Lord Father." Ginevra nodded. "Our other spies report as usual. Oliveira moves more of his troops to our border. Are you sure we should wait until he prepares for our advance?"


    Enzo clenched his fist, and Ginevra flinched inwardly. Even if on the outside not a muscle on her face moved, it was still enough to cause a burst of self-loathing in her chest.


    She was also weak.


    "Don''t question my actions, Ginevra. You know the n. Now bring it to life! And send someone to Sanremo di Mare. Keep them outside the city, but I must know when Gianni moves out himself."


    "As youmand, Lord Father."


    With a bow, Ginevra turned on her heels and left. As she walked past the fearful courtiers, she wished she could throw them all out in the dirt they belonged. She wished she could ride to the battlefield and unleash her icy rage at the enemy, so she wouldn''t have to burn in it herself.


    Another reason to do her work well. The sooner the spies will gather enough information, the sooner she would be able to move out.


    Ginevra couldn''t wait.

 Chapter 18: Power and ambition

    <h4>Chapter 18: Power and ambition</h4>


    The torture chamber always stank of old blood, no matter how hard it was scraped clean by tireless spectral servants. Today the smells of fresh blood and excrement filled the stuffy air here, too. It was the smell of a battlefield, but concentrated in a single room, where there was no escape from it. Ginevra breathed through her mouth.


    The prisoner, beaten, bruised, and recently missing half his fingers, sagged in his chains, unconscious. The torturer turned to Ginevra and tilted his head towards a bucket of water in a wordless question.


    She shook her head. "No. He told everything I wanted to hear. Dress his wounds and throw him back in the cell."


    Without waiting for confirmation of the torturer, Ginevra walked away, the heels of her boots clicking on the stone of this part of the Nuvoloso tower. A massive, several dozen storeys tall building, it had not only not only the opulent halls for courtiers.


    It took Ginevra time to find Enzo. Instead of being in his office, or his throne hall, or even in his bedroom, cheating on his wife, he stood in the observation room under the very top of his tower.


    Windows covered almost the entire span of this room''s walls. From there, one could see not just the entire city that surrounded the Nuvoloso tower, but also the scenery far beyond. If Ginevra brought a spyss, she could see tiny farming viges that spotted the greening hills, and many rivers that flowed between them. Even without, this was a view that took her breath away when she was a child.


    Now it all felt like a convenient point to observe the movements of enemy troops should anye to besiege the city.


    Enzo stood in front of a window that looked towards Oliveira''snds, his hands folded behind his back. When Ginevra entered the room, he spoke.


    "Everything the sun touches¡­ Don''t you want to hold thosends in your hands, daughter, to feel their weight and your power over them? And then to go even farther, where shadowsy, and to conquer those ces, too?"


    "What''s the point in conquest if you don''t have the strength to hold on to what you plundered? I would rather have the pure power, and when nobody can oppose me, the conquest itself would be unnecessary."


    Enzo chuckled. "You are still just a girl, Ginevra. That which you conquer bes your power, too. Power breeds power¡­ Which breeds even higher power, until the power bes supreme." He turned towards Ginevra. "What did you want?"


    She understood that her father''s philosophical mood was over. Ginevra bowed her head.


    "I''ve finished interrogating the spy we''ve caught, Lord Father. He had been stubborn and loyal, but pain breaks everyone eventually. I wouldn''t fully trust his words, though."


    "Don''t teach me life, daughter! What did he say?"


    "Not much, but he confirmed our spies'' reports about Gianni''s alliances with other viscounts. The new count Lhese, as you predicted, refused to give Oliveira any support, but with others things are yet unclear. Our spies mention envoys traveling back and forth in the past week, but they couldn''t capture any."


    "Other lords won''t dare to interfere. I''ve already reminded them what they would lose if they do¡­ They are cowards, almost all of them. Their forefathers might have been great mages and warriors, but their grandchildren are just spineless worms that enjoy inheritances they don''t deserve."


    Ginevra inwardly agreed with that assessment. This was a part of what made the Oliveira family such a convenient target. While they had allies, in truth, those were worthless. They wouldn''t stop Nuvoloso from swooping in and grabbing Oliveira''s territory, and they wouldn''t stop Nuvoloso from doing the same with the next lord¡­


    As long as the fools believed that they definitely would not be touched.


    "I left the detailed reports at your office, Lord Father. And thest thing¡­ There had been no confirmations about Cael Oliveira from the spies around Sanremo di Mare. But they have sighted another regiment of Oliveira soldiers moving towards the border. I believe that in another week there will be almost none left in the city."


    "Then another week we shall wait. Go, Ginevra. I heard you."


    Ginevra bowed. "Yes, Lord Father."


    ***


    This time, it was Enzo who called for Ginevra. When she appeared in his office, he stood next to arge map hanging on the wall. Several small gs pierced it, pointing at important keeps and cities.


    "Daughter. The hour is nigh. Our spies have gathered the information; my vassals have brought their soldiers, and those soldiers are, together with ours, at their positions. It''s time for you to move out. Prove your worth, lead my armies on Oliveira. You won''t need my help against Gianni. He''s only a third rank mage, one with barely any battle experience."


    Ginevra''s eyes widened. It''s been almost two dozen days since Enzo made the first move on Oliveira, and she''d been itching to fight all that time.


    "Remember the strategy we spoke about. We can''t afford the losses that woulde from a direct confrontation. Exhaust the forces on Oliveira''s borders with a series of swift skirmishes. Provoke their strongest mages, and when theye to the border, separated and vulnerable, destroy them all. Then you''d be able to conquer Oliveira easily."


    The most smart strategy, but the one that further frayed Ginevra''s patience.


    "What about civilians, Lord Father? They are the most vulnerable and convenient targets."


    "Oh, yes." Enzo smiled. "Burn a few viges down, if you must. Pige and plunder¡ªthat improves troops'' morale. There are plenty of peasants in ournds that will be happy to toil on the freed ground."


    Ginevra nodded.


    "Understood. I won''t let you down, Lord Father. Oliveirands would be ours."


    "Not ours, Ginevra. Remember that. Not ours¡­ *mine*."

 Chapter 19: The first flame

    <h4>Chapter 19: The first me</h4>


    The situation with Nuvoloso grew more and more grim every day, and that gloom fell on the city like a cloud of toxic fog, poisoning people''s thoughts.


    Cael didn''t pay attention to rumors¡ªhe still devoted himself to training, though with Father growing too busy to oversee it, Cael had to study on his own. This was the best he could do for now. Though he kept taking daily walks through the city, he spotted no more suspicious people, and those served only for rxation.


    But Cael''s mother kept a hand on the pulse of Sanremo di Mare. She invited wealthiest and most influential citizens to tea parties and visited others'' houses, and then retold what she heard about at breakfasts in the tower.


    It was not from her, though, Cael found out the really important news, but from his brother.


    That noon, Vittorio barged into Cael''s room, not even knocking. Cael, who was busy writing down System''s seemingly endless spell and talent trees, alongside with a wealth of information about the Starspawn, hurriedly mmed the journal closed.


    Vittorio didn''t pay that secrecy any mind. He marched towards Cael, iling his hands in agitation. "Brother! Come, you have to help me. I will plead with Father, and you will plead against me, so he''d agree out of pure spite!"


    "Vit, have you got sick with brain rot? Didn''t Father lecture us about the dangers of cheap whores?" Cael asked, putting away his quill.


    "Ugh." Vittorio cringed. "Unlike you, brother, I spent my years on more worthwhile pursuits. Although¡­ Not that you had much choice, huh?" He raised his eyebrows.


    Cael unconsciously lifted his hand to touch the Mage''s Mark that hung from a leather cord on his neck. Silver medallion, a small ruby, and Cael''s pride. He scowled at Vittorio.


    "If you came to insult me, then close the door from the other side."


    "Ah, sorry!" Vittorio shook his head and even sounded genuine in his apology. "Listen, I''ve just heard from soldiers that got the messenger bird from our borders¡­ Nuvoloso had finally attacked!"


    Cael jumped to his feet. "What?! When, where, how¡­ Who won?"


    Vittorio pressed his lips together and rolled his shoulder in an undefined half-shrug. "No one. I think so, at least. They just rushed in at night, without a warning, killed as many of our soldiers as they could, and ran away as quickly as they came. Cowards¡­ But forget this! You know what it means, Cael? We must convince Father to send me to fight! I''m one of the strongest mages he has at his disposal. The rest are just first-ranked knights!"


    "Alright, let''s go. But¡­ I bet he''ll send me to the border instead of you. You? You are still the heir. And I''m your spare."


    Vittorio huffed. "If this is what it takes, I will ask him to make you the heir. Come on! We can''t just let those brigands attack us unpunished! And hurry. Father already gathers forces!"


    ***


    "No."


    "But¡ª"


    "I said, *no*. Vittorio, you aren''t going anywhere. I need you here, in this city, in this tower. You are the only one I can leave mynds to, the only one prepared to take care of them while I will be gone. Mother will help you, as well as my steward."


    Vittorio swallowed his answer and threw a pleading look at his brother. Cael shrugged.


    "I told you," he whispered. "But, hey¡­ You will basically be the lord of thend while Father is gone."


    "At least you are stuck here with me, too," Vittorio grumbled.


    Cael shed him a smirk and turned towards his father. Gianni didn''t appear to be at all amused by their antics.


    "What about me, Father? Can I go with you?"


    Gianni frowned. "This isn''t a game, Cael, and your recklessness¡­ It might easily kill you. You''ll have to follow my every order. Everymand. Down to the letter. I''m unsure you are able to."


    "I am, I swear, Father!" Cael pped his chest with a palm.


    His father eyed him skeptically for several seconds, then let out a tired breath.


    "It''s better than if you run off on your own. At least with Vittorio, I can expect obedience, even if it would be peppered with whining. You, Cael, just keep getting into trouble recently."


    "I don''t *whine*. And why does the stronger of us sit in the tower, while the weaker one goes to fight?.. This is just ridiculous."


    "Father, what trouble do you speak about? It was one time! One time."


    Gianni threw Cael a sharp look. "Don''t think I forgot your ''miraculous'' recovery. You disappeared for a day¡ªdid you think I wouldn''t notice?"


    Cael recoiled, taken aback. "But¡­ You didn''t even mention it!"


    "If you would lie to your mother, I wouldn''t expect a better answer. Or did you think Emilia is blind and deaf?" Gianni scowled. "There will be no ce for these secrets on the battlefield. You know something¡ªyou tell me."


    Cael swallowed, feeling overwhelmed for a moment. Did his father trust him enough to not press on with the secret of his Blood Mage System?


    Suddenly, the secret attained heavy weight, which settled on Cael''s heart.


    *Maybe then¡­ I should tell them?* He nced at his father, then at Vittorio. *No¡­ Not yet. I have to be stronger first!*


    "I imagine we understood each other, Cael. Go gather your things for a journey¡ªwe will leave the first thing tomorrow morning. Vittorio, you stay. I will exin what you are to do while we are gone¡­"

 Chapter 20: Shadows in the moonlight

    <h4>Chapter 20: Shadows in the moonlight</h4>


    Father didn''t joke when he said they were going to leave early. Gianni, a hundred of his soldiers, led by five mage-knights, and Cael, left at sunrise. Horses carried the mages and the carts with provisions, while normal soldiers marched on foot.


    It was a bnce between how fast their regiments will reach the target, and how ready they will be for a fight by that point.


    Cael and Gianni rode in the beginning of the procession, where they didn''t have to eat dust from the footsteps of their army. Cael''s father wore a set of orichalcum scale armor covered in Arcani glyphs that made it lighter and sturdier. This metal, while softer than normal steel, was much easier to enchant. Because of that, it was highly valued, and Oliveira''s orichalcum mine brought them no small amount of wealth.


    Cael only wore a chain shirt, also enhanced with magic. He wasn''t used to wearing heavier armor¡­ But Gianni insisted.


    "Do you have a n, Father? A reason you only moved out now?" Cael asked soon after their group left the city.


    He wasn''t afraid to be overheard. The footsteps of soldiers drowned out all the noises farther than three paces away. Cael had to ride side-to-side with his father to ensure his words would reach him.


    Gianni turned toward Cael, his steed marching forward without need for direction.


    "A n? Only an utter fool would march into war without one, son. Consider this a lesson. And that you even ask means that you can''t even guess what my n might be."


    "Another test, Father?"


    "No. You already failed that one, as I said. War is much like fencing¡ªwhoever attacks first gets initiative, but opens himself for a responding strike. And I hoped¡­ I hoped we would be more prepared for this war than we are now."


    A dark cloud fell on Gianni''s face but disappeared just as quickly as it came. In another moment, he was himself again¡ªa powerful, resolute general, mage and lord.


    "Yesterday''s ambush was only the first one. I am sure that Enzo''s n is to exhaust our forces with this tactic of rapid strikes, and then march forward through the charrednd. I am going to force him to abandon this idea."


    Gianni fell silent, and Cael understood it was his cue to guess. He recalled the art of strategic warfare, then looked around at the rows of soldiers.


    This was just a part of Gianni''s forces. Two more hundreds were spread over the border. But the border was wide, and this hundred of soldiers were *here*, and had seven mages in it. Including Gianni himself.


    "You are going to go to Nuvoloso''snds¡­ And march through it first?"


    "Indeed." Gianni''s eyebrows rose. "You actually *are* able to fix at least some of your mistakes. Yes. We will strike at the city of Lacrimarosa. If Enzo''s forces would be too busy elsewhere, we would take the city and from it would be able tounch our own swift strikes. If Enzo''s forcese to Lacrimarosa to join the city''s garrison or even ambush us¡­ Then we will ambush them instead."


    Cael''s eyes widened. *Smart!* he thought. He remembered from poking around the maps that Lacrimarosa was just a few hours away from the border with Oliveira. It wasn''t the richest city, but it blocked¡ªor opened¡ªthe way towards the capital of the county.


    "We will reach the border fortress that evening, and march onto the enemy territory in the morning," Father added. "And remember¡ªout there you will stay near me at all times. Never take off your Sending Amulet, either."


    Cael nodded, feeling for the small amulet he wore around his wrist. Father gave it to him together with the chain shirt. Gianni himself had half a dozen of them, each connected to an important person somewhere.


    ***


    By evening Cael realized that, though he could bear the diforts of traveling for hours on a horseback and eating rations, he didn''t like it at all. Those hours made him dream about achieving seventh rank.


    At this rank, mages could travel through mes, or walk through space, or use other means of skipping distance to their destination. Those who found or came up with the spell, of course. What was a mage without spells? Just a miserable pile of mana.


    The keep, with a normal garrison of forty men¡ªwhich just showed how much Father distrusted Nuvoloso, since a normal garrison had only twenty or even ten¡ªwas too small for the hundred that Gianni brought there. They had to build tents in the courtyard, though the nobles, of course, got rooms.


    Even if Cael had to share his room with Father.


    It was deep at night when Cael woke up from an ufortable feeling. A momentter, he realized it was just his dderining. Another downside of traveling¡ªthis keep didn''t have magical toilets, like Oliveira tower¡­ Only a chamber pot.


    Cael decided, though, to not piss with his father snoring just nearby. Instead, he crept out, nning to go to the wall. Take a breath of fresh air, too.


    He was passing through the courtyard when he spotted a dark shadow in the moonlight, sneaking between the tents. Cael froze, unsure that it wasn''t a trick of the lights, when he spotted another shadow.


    And this time, it was definitely not a shadow. It was a person.


    Cael sucked in a sharp breath.


    "rm! Intruders! rm!"

 Chapter 21: A superior force

    <h4>Chapter 21: A superior force</h4>


    Cael''s shout was immediately echoed by dozens of others. Oliveira soldiers woke up and would soon turn their weapons on the intruders.


    The silhouette Cael spotted froze for a moment. Cael used that time to read an Arcane Arrow spell and aim the magic projectile at the enemy. Two dozen paces divided them¡ªeven in the dark, it wasn''t too hard to hit the target.


    To Cael''s dejection, the intruder''s shock didn''tst that long. He noticed the arrow and moved out of the way, letting it harmlessly whiz by.


    "Retreat!" the man shouted in a voice that sounded unusually young for someone with a right to givemands. But Cael could sense bright mana in them; this person was a mage. A first-ranked, maybe? Or possibly even second-ranked.


    Cael didn''t see the other intruders until they began to move away from the courtyard and towards the wall. This was when Cael expected the closest enemy to turn his back and flee as well.


    Instead, this person, ignoring all the people who got out of the tents, dashed straight towards Cael.


    His eyes widened. *He''s quick!*


    "*Light,e forth!*" Cael eximed, throwing his palm towards the approaching enemy.


    There wasn''t time to do much more. In two seconds, he was already near Cael.


    At that moment, Cael''s spell created a ball of bright light in the palm which he had lifted towards the intruder. Not bright enough to blind in normal circumstances, but when a person''s eyes were used to the dark¡­


    The enemy halted, squinting at the light, and then at Cael''s face.


    This close, Cael could see that their face was covered in something ck, hiding their features; and that their body was pulsing with an enhancing spell of some sort. A spell tooplex for anything of the first, or even second, rank.


    It was at this moment Cael realized he was in deep trouble. Soldiers? They wouldn''t stop a mage that powerful! His best bet was to get to his father; but how? Cael''s first circle Windstride won''t let him be faster than the man under an unknown third circle spell.


    Speed. Something so simple, but so telling of the chasm in power between the first and the third rank. Or even fourth¡ªbut that would mean that this man was Enzo Nuvoloso himself, and Cael just couldn''t believe that.


    Even the third rank, though, was enough to kill him.


    What point was there in being a spellcaster if you are dead before you finish a single word in Arcani? That''s why the most powerful mages were those who learned how to cast spells wordlessly.


    Cael only heard about them.


    *Is this it? Am I going to die so stupidly? Will I piss myself too, when I''m dead?*


    The enemy raised a hand with a knife, and the moment of hesitation passed. Cael''s survival instinct kicked in.


    *Eat this!* he thought, pushing the ball of light towards the enemy''s face. The man dodged, but it gave Cael precious moments to dodge and break into a run.


    He weaved between the tents, extinguished campfires, barrels with provisions, and other clutter.


    Behind him, people shouted in rm. Something exploded, but it wasn''t near Cael. He didn''t turn to see who cast the spell, or where it was aimed at.


    With the ball of light staying behind, there was nothing to show Cael the way, and he had to avoid falling by sheer intuition and luck.


    Theysted him for a dozen seconds, after which something mmed at him from behind, pushing Cael face-down into the dirt. In thest moment, he lifted his hands, protecting his nose, but he still felt rattled to thest bone from the impact.


    But this was all the pain he felt. Nothing pierced through his muscle and organs, nothing severed his spine¡­ No de protruded from his back. Only a heavy, alive weight that pushed him down.


    *He wants to take me prisoner!* Cael realized. *Must''ve recognized me when I cast that Light spell. I look enough like my father for that!*


    The next decision came to him together with that realization. Knowing that his remaining time now likely measured not even in seconds, Cael moved without wasting it on thoughts.


    He grabbed the Sending Amulet on his neck and pulled it off the leather cord with a single powerful tug. Then, he hid it in the only ce that came to his head at the moment.


    Cael put it into his mouth. The amulet tasted like dirt, but he ignored the taste and stuffed it behind his cheek as safely as he could.


    In the next moment, a hand pressed on the back of his neck. His head swam; in moments, his body, and then the world, grew dim and distant.


    Cael''sst thought was full of hopes that he won''t choke on his amulet. That would be the stupidest, the worst possible way to destroy his destiny¡­

 Chapter 22: A rough awakening

    <h4>Chapter 22: A rough awakening</h4>


    Cael woke up and considered this to be a blessing. The rest¡­ wasn''t.


    He didn''t open his eyes, pretending that he was still asleep while covertly examining his surroundings. Cael was lying on cold, wet grass that did little to soften the hardness of the ground beneath.


    His hands were bound in front of him, and theck of movement made them sore. The rest of the aches in his body seemed like it came from either a light beating or a rough transportation.


    His mouth tasted like metal and dirt because of the amulet still hidden behind Cael''s cheek. He chose a good ce to hide it, in hindsight; the glow of his own mana pool must''ve hid the amulet''s magic from the sight of his kidnapper.


    The slight warmth of the amulet against the rest of Cael''s mouth indicated that he got at least one message overnight, and now they waited for him to ept and hear them.


    Oh, and his dder was bursting.


    *Father would never let me outside of the tower after this¡­*


    There were voices out there, quiet and unfamiliar. Some of the speaking people emanated enough mana to be full-fledged mages. Two? Three? One mana pool Cael sensed was especially familiar.


    The wind brought the smells of smoke and cooking food. Cael''s stomach reacted to thetter with a sad pang of hunger.


    A pair of footsteps approached to stop near Cael.


    "I know you woke up, Oliveira." The familiar voice of his kidnapper reached Cael''s ears at the same time as a tip of his boot reached his ribs. It wasn''t a kick¡ªjust a nudge. Yet.


    Cael opened his eyes and turned his head towards the kidnapper. Then he had to remind himself about the Sending Amulet in his mouth to not gape.


    His kidnapper was a woman. A young woman with a low, husky voice, dressed in high riding boots, close-fitting leather pants and jacket. Cael''s eyes followed from her defined, muscr calves to her thick thighs. Above that, and the woman''s t stomach, Cael saw her chest mounting over him.


    It took Cael a longer while than he was proud of to actually meet the woman''s eyes. Stormy and gray, they were full with no small amount of contempt. The woman''s wide lips curved into a smirk.


    "Look all you want, Oliveira¡ªit won''t ever be yours to touch," she said, brushing a stray strand of soot-ck hair from her face. The rest of it was pulled back in a hairdo Cael couldn''t see from his position.


    *That woman¡­ Could she be?..*


    His suspicions were confirmed as soon as he sat up. Cael''s eyes shot to the woman''s right ear, where from an earring hung a Mage''s Mark with three shining purple amethysts.


    The woman, who could only be Enzo Nuvoloso''s only child, Ginevra Nuvoloso, took two steps back.


    "If you promise to be a good little hostage, Oliveira, I will unbound your hands and let you eat, drink and maybe even relieve yourself without help. Otherwise, I will let you suffer¡­ and wet your pants. Which do you choose?" Ginevra asked.


    Cael looked around. They were in a small military camp, it appeared, and it was early morning in a forest. Which exined the wet grass¡ªthe water came from the dew. There were only a dozen people¡­ Few, but more than enough to stop him if Cael tried anything.


    Ginevra alone was enough.


    "I promise to not try to kill you all with a spoon," Cael spoke around the amulet in his mouth.


    Ginevra''s brows rose. "The lordling has a fighting spirit¡­ You better keep it to yourself. Have you noticed your new essory?" She gestured at her neck.


    Cael mirrored the movement. His hand touched a finger-thick metal band. It was wide enough to not rub on his skin, but not wide enough to take off without unlocking it. Cael''s eyes widened.


    "Is it¡ª"


    "A shock cor? Yes. If you try to use any spells, you know what will happen."


    Cael pressed his lips together. It was likely an unwise idea to annoy his kidnapper, but¡­ The more she spoke, the more likely she was to give out something that would tip Cael about her ns. And those Cael could pass to his father through the Sending Amulet.


    It was his best chance to escape.


    "Actually, I don''t know. Those cors have many versions. Father has an entire book about them."


    "There are, exactly," the words were full of unspoken threats. "Lightning, heat, needles, acid¡­ There are many ways to hurt a person. But yours is the least harmful. Just pure pain that burrows straight under your skin."


    Cael paled a little. There was a heavy weight in Ginevra''s words¡­ Something that made him feel like she had seen each of those ways, and maybe used them herself. Something that made Cael himself imagine them being used on him in vivid detail.


    Ginevra nodded. "And next time, better talk only when you are asked, Oliveira. Hey, someone, bring our prisoner some food!"


    Cael''s portion came from the same cauldron as everyone else''s, and was paired with a cup of water. But before he went to eat them, Cael was permitted to go visit the nearest bush. One of Ginevra''s soldiers watched him there.


    It was more attention than Cael hoped for, but little enough of it that he could move his amulet from his mouth to his boot. Ginevra had taken away everything else from him that was magical or could be used as a weapon¡ªwhich, at the point of kidnapping, was only a small knife.


    And after Cael ate, came the part he was inwardly dreading. Interrogation.

 Chapter 23: Simple cruelty

    <h4>Chapter 23: Simple cruelty</h4>


    Ginevra escorted Cael aside from the camp and bound his hands again. He still was a head taller than her when they both stood, but Ginevra''s height came from the way she held herself. She had the *presence*.


    But instead of all she could do to him, Cael''s thoughts returned, over and over, to her hair. It was bound in a thick braid, which went around the top of her head like a crown. It didn''t look like a lot of hair, but Cael wondered how wavy those locks would look when set free.


    "Now tell me, Oliveira, which one of Gianni''s spawns you are? Did I hear wrong that the younger one reached the second rank? Or were the rumors true about the older one?"


    Cael returned to the present. This information he could give out freely. What he couldn''t speak about were his father''s war ns and theposition of his forces. He had to answer questions, to ask his own. He also had to goad Ginevra¡­ but not too much.


    "I am your prisoner, but that doesn''t mean we should forget about etiquette," Cael said, smirking with assurance he didn''t feel. "You hadn''t introduced yourself yet,dy."


    Ginevra''s response was a p. But it wasn''t something offended women gave to rebuked suitors. This pnded on Cael''s cheek like a sledgehammer, almost sending him stumbling to the ground.


    His ears ringed, his lip was cut on his teeth, and his cheek stung like doused first in ice, then in boiling oil. If he could get a concussion from a single p, Cael just got it.


    "I don''t know what you want to achieve by being cheeky, but it won''t work," Ginevra said, shaking her hand. "You answer my questions, not the other way around. Now. What''s your name?"


    She meant business, and Cael didn''t need System to tell him that. He gingerly touched his lip.


    "Cael. Cael Oliveira."


    Ginevra grinned. "So you learn. When have you got that?" She pointed at the Mage''s Mark on Cael''s chest.


    "A couple of weeks ago. What, didn''t your spies tell you?" Cael raised his brows, since smirking now hurt a little too much.


    Ginevra raised a hand, and this time it was clenched into a fist. Cael tensed, but she didn''t move.


    "I only need you conscious to write a message to your father. But I could just send him your finger instead."


    Cael''s inner sense twinged. There was a sliver of a half-truth here. No, Ginevra needed him for something¡­ Something so insignificant, she barely paid it any notice herself. Maybe it was something as simple as indulging her curiosity. It certainly wasn''t anything strategically important.


    He frowned. "Don''t you want to know about my father''s ns?"


    "Oh, I know them already, Cael." Ginevra scoffed. "They became obvious when he moved his forces. Actions speak louder and truer than any words any prisoner can share."


    Inwardly, Cael smiled. Ginevra answered his question, and didn''t hit him again. Yet. Still, this was a win.


    His tion died as quickly as it appeared. She didn''t lie; she believed her words, whether or not they were true. And she clearly had a way to counteract Gianni''s advance. Something that included Cael acting as a hostage¡­


    Ginevra and what army? Or, more likely, Ginevra and where army?


    "How did that happen? Tell me. Everybody in this county and the next knew that you were born manaless, Cael. An extremely rare urrence, from what I caught. What kind of fortune, which the Oliveira family wouldn''t have, did you spend on the cure?"


    Cael looked Ginevra straight into the eye with his most honest look. It didn''t work on his mother before, but maybe it would work now? "I don''t know. It was a genuine miracle! I just fell asleep suddenly and woke up with a full mana pool."


    Sadly, unlike his mother, Ginevra wasn''t willing to let Cael keep his secrets. Her fist mmed into Cael''s stomach, protected only by a thinyer of his undershirt.


    Cael had time to brace himself for that strike, but it didn''t help him much. He keeled over, pressing his bound hands to the hurt spot, but kept the contents of his stomach inside. And he still stood on his two feet.


    "Don''t give me this bullshit, Cael."


    *I don''t think you''d believe the truth if you heard it¡­* Cael thought. He frantically wracked his head for a more believable line. Fortune, fortune¡­ She mentioned a fortune. Fine.


    "Father sold several old magic items to a dark mage for a cure. Old, precious family heirlooms."


    Ginevra huffed and stepped back from him. "Much better. You must''ve shown him some real promise if he bothered when you have a brother who''s already second rank. If you got to the first rank in a month, maybe you''d get to the third one in a few more years. Of course, that''s only if you live this long. I doubt that."


    "Will you kill me?" Cael asked.


    "No. I won''t say the same about my father, though. You wanted my name, Cael? It''s Ginevra. Ginevra Nuvoloso."


    Cael gave her the brightest smile he could muster with a split lip, and said the words his mother once taught him. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, signora."

 Chapter 24: A counter-counterattack

    <h4>Chapter 24: A counter-counterattack</h4>


    This time, Ginevra didn''t strike Cael, but merely snorted. Then she reached into a small bag on her belt and produced a y figurine of a bird. It was about the size of a small apple. Ginevra put it on her open palm and raised it to her lips.


    The next part, Cael watched with rapt fascination, taking every part to his memory to the best of his ability.


    "*By the ancient pact of magic and nature, I call upon the essence of a crow. May this y husk be alive and take flight, to carry my words far and wide.*"


    Before Cael''s eyes, mana poured out of Ginevra''s lips in a wide, but tightly controlled stream. It poured into the y bird, filling with it with life and color. In seconds, instead of a y figurine, a real-looking crow stood on Ginevra''s hand.


    It turned its head, looking at Ginevra with a ck, beady eye; then threw the same look at Cael.


    Ginevra rubbed its head with a finger and brought the bird towards Cael.


    "From the look on your face, I gather you hadn''t seen a Mystical Messenger before, Cael."


    He shook his head. "It''s from the Transmogrifications subschool, not Summonings, right? Does it always make a crow, and out of y? Can you use wood instead, or a different bird?"


    Ginevra narrowed her eyes. "Keep talking, and I will hit you again. The Messenger will remember the words you tell him and will ry them to your father. I need you to tell him toe to Ra Albornoziana if he wants to see you alive and whole. Tell him¡­ his clever war tactics won''t work, because I will take Ra Albornoziana before he would dream to take Lacrimarosa. And after this, I will march straight to Sanremo di Mare. Is that where your brother is? If so, then I will have both his sons."


    Ra Albornoziana¡­ It was the fortress that blocked the most direct passage between Nuvoloso and Oliveirands. It wasn''t a border fortress, but it stood in a well-defensible position, while overseeing a dozen of roads and the passage to Oliveira''s orichalcum mines.


    Cael swallowed. A trap. This was a trap, even if he didn''t know exactly how it worked. But he could sense the lies that dripped from Ginevra''s words. The n of her wasn''t entirely untrue, but the biggest part of it was missing from this speech. Like roots of an old tree, which spanned far deeper than one could imagine looking at its branches.


    Even if this would earn him another bruise, Cael had to try to find out more.


    "Why would you tell Father this? I thought all you could do was to use treachery. Are you afraid to lose in an open fight?"


    Ginevra smiled, as if Cael paid her apliment. "This is what the war books teach us¡ªstrike the enemy not where they expect. *Be* not what they expect. Strengthes not from the power alone, but from the ruthlessness that lets you wield its full extent. You, Cael, are just a na?ve boy if you don''t understand it."


    Her voice grew low and dark when she spoke her next words. "Now. Go on, tell the message¡ªand know that if you mess it up, I will just cut off your ear and tell everything myself."


    Cael felt the truth in her words.


    *System, I have to ask¡ªwould you be able to heal a cut off ear? Or a finger? Or a limb?*


    *Yes, Cael, but it would require a sizeable amount of Blood Points. Your current injuries could be healed for 11 BP. You have 18 BP left. Do you want me to proceed?*


    *No, thanks. Not yet.*


    He nced once again at impatiently pursing lips Ginevra, then at her crow, then at Ginevra again. Cael gathered his breath.


    "Father, I¡­ I have failed you. Ginevra Nuvoloso has captured me." When Ginevra nodded in approval, Cael continued. "I''m now her hostage, but I''m fine. For now, at least. Come to Ra Albornoziana, before that changes. This is the ce she is going to conquer¡­ Before going to Sanremo di Mare."


    Ginevra pulled the Mystic Messenger away again. "Did you remember that?" she asked the bird.


    To Cael''s surprise, it nodded.


    "Then fly in¡­" Ginevra looked at the sun''s position, then pointed her hand to the side. "There. Look for a mage named Gianni Oliveira. Give him this message, remember his response, if there''s any, then return to me."


    "Gianni Oliveira," the Messenger repeated in Ginevra''s voice. When she nodded, the bird jumped and took flight.


    Ginevra and Cael both watched it until it disappeared amid the forest''s spring green foliage. Then they turned towards each other again.


    "I don''t know what you came up with, but you won''t win, Ginevra. Father will see through your trickery," Cael said. "He''ll anticipate anything else you can throw at him. Would put more sentries at nights, would always look behind his back. What else you could do? You won''t fool him twice!"


    "Won''t I? You have great respect for Gianni''s abilities. But he''s just a man." Ginevra smirked mockingly. "A man who hadn''t gone to war for years. A man who has his son captive by the enemy. Would his eyes be seeing, or be blind?"


    Cael felt the blood draining from his face.


    Ginevra''s smirk shifted into a snarl. "Yes. But even if he walks into this with his eyes open¡­ I would crush him, anyway. The question was never about whether I''m going to win. It was about how many soldiers I would lose."

 Chapter 25: Ginevras forces

    <h4>Chapter 25: Ginevra''s forces</h4>


    After the Mystic Messenger flew away, Ginevra didn''t pay much attention to Cael anymore. Instead, she gave orders to her men and worked with them to gather their things; it was time to move out.


    Ginevra and her squad traveled on horses. There, of course, was no spare steed for Cael. He half-expected to be forced to follow the squad on foot, but Ginevra had different ideas.


    "Get in front of me," she said, gesturing in front of her. There was enough space for Cael to sit.


    Ginevra''s mount¡ªa huge, ck stallion with white socks and a cross on his muzzle¡ªeyed Cael with suspicion, but his mistress'' hand on his neck forced it to stay calm.


    Looking around, Cael understood the logic behind this invitation. Other men''s horses were fine, but clearly had less strength and stamina in them¡ªGinevra''s steed could''ve been more expensive than Gianni''s enchanted armor. And Ginevra herself was smaller in stature than any of her men. Her mount won''t slow down the squad because of Cael''s added weight.


    Instead, all Cael could think about was that he was going to ride with this young woman, and she, despite her earlier words, would be touching him all over. Those were bad, bad thoughts. She was his enemy. His kidnapper. His pped cheek swelled to the size of a pumpkin, and if Cael let her know his thoughts, she''d grow an entire garden on his head.


    *I''m a mage now. I can seek a bride anywhere. Why do I have to look at this woman and imagine her standing over me?*


    And much more. Ginevra, it appeared, filled Cael with so many wicked desires he never even thought he could have. Desires that had no ce in this moment.


    "Well?" Ginevra urged impatiently.


    Cael gave himself a mental shake and tried to get into the saddle. With his hands still bound, and the stallion''s impressive height, it was easier to say than to do. But he managed, with Ginevra''s final jerk of his shirt''s cor.


    They moved out.


    At first, the squad didn''t move too fast, but as soon as they left the woods, Ginevra ordered them to speed up. It wasn''t a gallop, but it was swift, and soon Cael''s attention turned from the woman behind him to his changing surroundings.


    Those were Nuvolosonds, he was almost sure. When they crossed a small stream, he was absolutely positive of it. But thisndmark was thest one he recognized before they reached Ginevra''s main encampment.


    This. This was the "what army" and "where army". Dozens of tents lined on the in, dozens of dozens of soldiers moved between them. Two hundred, possibly? Cael tried to count by bonfires, but failed.


    At Ginevra''s approach, sentries tensed, then saluted. She and her squad dismounted, and soldiers went to take care of the horses. Officers came to report and get new orders, and while Cael was still attached to Ginevra by the hip, he paid close attention to what had been said, and by whom.


    There were only two people speaking to Ginevra directly¡ªher highest-ranked officers, Cael guessed. Both shone with strong mana of mages.


    The first one was a tall, imposing man with piercing blue eyes. He was well-groomed from his thick beard to his polished te armor, engraved with Arcani glyphs. The Mage''s Mark that hung from a steel chain on his chest held two pieces ofpiszuli.


    The second one was an elegant woman that fit in a military encampment like a fish fit in a desert. Instead of armor, she wore long, flowing robes, and hid her hands within their sleeves. Mystery shrouded her like a veil, and her dark eyes glinted with promises of secrets. She didn''t wear her Mark anywhere where Cael could see, but looking at her earrings¡ªa single piece of onyx in each¡ªhe wondered if this was his hint.


    "The squad that went to harass the northern part of the border returned this morning, as per yourmand, Captain," the man spoke first. "They reported fighting a border squad of Oliveira forces. There were a few wounded on our side, but the enemy had suffered much worse."


    Cael''s eyes widened. There were more skirmishes while he was out? Even if it was just one¡­ It was another loss for Oliveira. His father was right to move as soon as he got the first news about the attacks. Cael couldn''t imagine how much destruction Ginevra and her army would''ve wrought if left unchecked.


    The woman spoke too, sneaking nces at Cael all the while.


    "All together, your soldiers are ready to march on, Captain. But are you sure this is wise? It would be safer to meet Gianni''s forces near Lacrimarosa. If he takes the city, despite your newest trophy¡­ The Commander won''t be pleased."


    "Lieutenant Montefiore, I heard you. But this is decided." Ginevra turned towards the other officer. "Lieutenant DiNapoli, this is Cael Oliveira, who''s going to ensure that our n works. Take him, and put him somewhere safe. Feed and water him twice a day, and don''t beat him any more than necessary. Put a sentry near him, too."


    DiNapoli clicked his tongue, looking at Cael''s bruise. "I see you already did some of that, Captain. Then, as youmand." He saluted to Ginevra and turned to Cael. "Do I have to pull you by that cor?"


    He didn''t.


    When Cael was left alone in a supply wagon, with only a single sentry outside, he smiled. This was just the opportunity he needed.

 Chapter 26: The fools choice

    <h4>Chapter 26: The fool''s choice</h4>


    *Fool. An absolute, gods-forsaken, fool.*


    This thought beat in Gianni''s head for thest ten hours. He rarely regretted his decisions, but now he had a reason to regret one.


    The night''s attack could''ve been much more disastrous than it was. The intruders used a sleeping spell to put his sentries to sleep without raising an rm. If they were left to roam unchecked,e morning, Gianni could''ve woken up with half of his army lying in their tents with slit throats. Instead, there were only a dozen of dead, mostly the sentries, and a few wounded in the turmoil that followed.


    Gianni didn''t know what Cael forgot in the courtyard when the enemy was there, but it was a stroke of divine luck for his soldiers, and a demonic misfortune for Cael himself.


    *I should have never taken him with me. What have I thought? What I''m going to tell Emilia now? She will tear me apart with bare hands and would be right.*


    Gianni wanted to scream. Instead, he had to maintain the visibility of stoicposure¡ªa beacon of calm for his soldiers. He had to order his men to gather the camp and keep marching on, twice as vignt now.


    He had sent scouts to follow the traces of intruders, but they have returned within hours, empty-handed. Cael''s Sending Amulet functioned, but he didn''t ept Gianni''s messages. There was nothing Gianni could do for his son now, except for winning this war.


    His army moved out with sunrise and crossed the border with Nuvoloso and stopped in front of the first vige before noon.


    It was just a few houses huddled together, with fields surrounding it from all sides. No people were in sight. Did they hide in that forest on the horizon? Were those houses empty, or did they hide another ambush?


    From the height of his horse Gianni looked at the vige, then at his soldiers. They stood, waiting for amand.


    Gianni pressed his lips together. He had little time, and no ce to take risks. This was an inevitability of war. The vige would have to burn.


    He raised his hand and opened his mouth, but before the first words of a spell could leave his lips, a cawing shout attracted his attention.


    "Gianni Oliveira! Gianni Oliveira!"


    Gianni''s eyes shot up to see a crow circling around their establishment, shouting in a woman''s voice. A crow that reeked of magic.


    Near Gianni, baron Ignazio Vespertino raised his arcane bow, grinning. This man and his regiment of archers had only reached Gianni this morning, but he was d to see them. Vespertino was one of the very few allies who didn''t abandon Gianni with excuses in fear of Enzo.


    Gianni wasn''t sure if Ignazio knew what fear was at all.


    "Oh, a target practice?" he asked, smirking. "I heard crows are not much worse than pigeons in a soup."


    Gianni raised a hand to stop him. "Don''t. I think this is a messenger." He raised his head towards the bird and shouted. "I am Gianni Oliveira!"


    The bird cawed and glided towards Gianni,nding gracefully on its raised arm. It tilted his head and eyed him with a beady ck eye for a second.


    "Well? Why have you been searching for me?" Gianni asked.


    The crow spoke in the same female voice. It clearly was mimicking someone else''s speech. "Gianni Oliveira. Give him this message, remember his response. This message. Message."


    "What is it?"


    The crow''s voice changed, and Gianni froze. His heart froze, too, clenching in this voice''s grip. So unruffled and unconcerned on the surface, despite the tenseness Gianni could hear from within. Just like always. Cael was so much better at hiding his feelings than Vittorio. One day, he would be as good as a lord should be. It was a pity hecked in other talents of a lord.


    "Father, I¡­ I have failed you. Ginevra Nuvoloso has captured me. I''m now her hostage, but I''m fine. For now, at least. Come to Ra Albornoziana, before that changes. This is the ce she is going to conquer¡­ Before going to Sanremo di Mare."


    If Cael would survive that long¡­


    "Ginevra?" Ignazio whistled. "Was she the one who attacked you that night? I heard she was as ruthless as her father¡­ What a sorry way for a young woman to live! She should be dancing on balls, not fighting in wars."


    "She''s no woman," Gianni spat out. "She''s a monster, Enzo''s flesh and blood."


    He turned towards the messenger and looked the bird in the eye. There was only one choice for him¡­ Even if it would be the one that would damn him. His hand clenched, and he imagined it was strangling Ginevra''s neck.


    "I wille, Nuvoloso. I wille, and we will fight. Then you will regret this."


    He pushed the messenger bird off his hand, and it took into a flight. After another circle around Gianni''s army, it turned towards the horizon.


    Gianni watched its flight with narrowed eyes. Then he turned to his lieutenant, Federico di Mvolta.


    "Send your best, fastest scouts with Sending Amulets after this bird. Turn the rest of the army towards Ra Albornoziana, and send a messenger ahead with a warning."


    "Understood. But we won''t reach the fortress today unless we march into the night, Captain," Federico said. "Maybe we should leave the supply wagons here, so we could race Ginevra to it."


    A part of Gianni wanted to, but it was a foolish, emotion-driven part. It already put him in this predicament.


    "No. We will march with normal speed and double the lookouts."


    *Fool me once¡ªshame on you. Fool me twice¡ªshame on me.*

 Chapter 27: Quiet before the storm

    <h4>Chapter 27: Quiet before the storm</h4>


    Closer to the evening, Gianni''s forces stopped for a camp near a bridge over a river. There were a couple of hours of sunlight still left, but soon after the bridge, the road to Ra Albornoziana entered a forest. This was the worst ce to build a camp at, when your opponent already showed no qualms about using treacherous tactics.


    Putting a camp where his sentries won''t be able to see what hides behind the next bush would be just inviting Ginevra for another night attack. Gianni''s scouts could only trail her from a distance, but from them he knew Ginevra stopped on the other side of it, likely nning to attack Albornoziana the very next day.


    Risky, with Gianni''s army right behind Ginevra''s. But this was just the surface of Ginevra''s n, he was positive.


    It was during this evening Gianni felt it¡ªthe warmth of the most important Sending Amulet on his person at the moment.


    "Hold that thought," he said to Ignazio. "Write the list of magic arrows your arches have. Maybe you should share some of them with mine."


    Ignazio opened his mouth, clearly to protest, but Gianni already walked out of themand tent, marching straight to his personal one. There, he pulled the amulet from under his armor and rubbed on the softly glowing glyph.


    The message appeared in his mind¡ªnot a voice or a text, but a pure thought.


    *Father, I couldn''t answer your messagester, but if you didn''t hear it from Ginevra''s bird yet, know that I''m fine. All extremities intact. Please, be careful! Her advance on Albornoziana is a trap¡ªobviously. And I fear her forces would destroy us even with no traps involved. At least, Ginevra looks sure of it, and she seems very¡­petent.*


    The message stopped there, and Gianni used the pause to send back his own. He was d that Sending Amulets didn''t transfer his voice, or his anxiety.


    *Cael. Tell me¡­ where do they hold you?*


    Maybe he could give Ginevra a taste of her own medicine. He had men who could sneak around. Cael could be freed during the night¡­ But what if the scouts failed? Cael would be the one to pay for it.


    *In one of the supply wagons. Listen, I think Ginevra only used me as a bait for you. I don''t think she would hold a knife to my neck to force you to put down your weapons. She''s just¡­ I don''t know.* There was a long pause, though the message kept going on. *I think she feels like it would be pointless, and she doesn''t look like someone to do pointless things.*


    Gianni frowned. This information calmed him down, if only a little. But it brought him more questions.


    *What makes you so confident in this, son?*


    *I''m not confident, Father. But I urge you¡­ Forget about me. I will be fine. I know you don''t have reasons to believe me when I say this after being caught so foolishly, but it''s true.*


    Gianni huffed. This boy!.. Recklessly heroic again.


    *Just keep still and don''t provoke Ginevra''s ire. I will solve this.*


    *Father, you¡ª Ah! Have to hide the amulet. But please¡ª!*


    The message was cut off. Gianni grasped it in his fist until his knuckles turned white and grit his teeth.


    Ginevra better pray to die on the battlefield, because if he captured her, he would skin her alive. Not only for her father''s secrets, but for this.


    "Captain," someone called out from outside the tent. "Baron Silvio di Vinci had arrived! His forces wait outside the camp."


    Gianni''s eyes widened. He almost stopped hoping for the man toe, especially after hisst letter, which had more water than substance.


    This was great. In this fight, every advantage counted, and Silvio was a powerful ally despite being only a baron.


    When Gianni went outside to meet him, he saw that Silvio brought a group of heavy infantry with him. Which exined his tardiness. The man himself already dismounted and now stood, propping himself on his walking cane. His Mage''s Mark with two pearls was embedded into its top.


    The rest of the man was just as refined as this cane. Even in a military campaign Silvio wore dark clothes fine enough to fit for a party, and not a single gray hair left his immacte bun.


    At Gianni''s approach, Silvio bowed slightly¡ªlike an equal. Even though they weren''t, in fact, equals.


    "Greetings, signore Gianni Oliveira. Or should I call you Commander Oliveira? I hope I''m not toote to join your campaign. Would''ve been a pity to travel all that distance and miss all the bloodshed. Will you invite me and my soldiers in?"


    "You may address me as Captain while you follow mymands," Gianni said. "Come in. There''s some time left for your soldiers to settle in before sunset. And you are just in time to discuss the tactics for tomorrow; unless you are too tired."


    Silvio threw a fewmands to his soldiers and turned back to Gianni.


    "My body may be tired from all that riding, but my mind, I assure you, Captain Oliveira, is as energetic as ever." Silvio smiled. "And Enzo had been a threat to us all for far too long. It''s time to change that."


    Gianni nodded and turned towards themand tent. Silvio fell in step with him.


    "It is, signore di Vinci. We will need a good n, though, to deal with his pet hound. A good n, and I think I might have one¡­"

 Chapter 28: Daring

    <h4>Chapter 28: Daring</h4>


    The interruption that forced Cael to hide the amulet was a guard that came to feed him. But after he left, Cael''s amulet stayed cold, and Cael himself didn''t hurry to get it out. He had nothing else to say about Ginevra''s ns. Instead, he had to think about his own.


    He had to escape, and the night was the perfect time for it. First, he would have to get rid of his ropes. Then, remove the shock cor somehow.


    Cael tugged at the ursed piece of metal. It was just in iron, but it won''t break easily. The rope, though, was much easier to get rid of. He already noticed a nail that poked out of the wagon''s floorboards¡ªit would serve Cael perfectly.


    The next half an hour showed that he slightly overestimated both himself and the nail. The rope frayed each time Cael poked, prodded and pulled at it with the nail, but still held strong, while Cael earned himself several new scratches.


    The need to be quiet was another thing that slowed Cael down. Through a tiny hole in the wagon''s canvas walls, he could see his guards. One in front of the tent, and one behind it¡ªGinevra took no chances. Each time Cael thought he heard someone walking past the wagon, or a guard shift, he froze, startled.


    But after another half an hour, the rope finally gave up. Cael exhaled with relief and rubbed on his chafed wrists. This, though, was just the first step.


    He won''t be able to escape through the wagon''s wall without being noticed by guards. Even if he found something to cut them with. Cael needed a distraction. A big distraction¡­


    He heard voices. Footsteps¡ªdozens of them. Commands. All the sounds of an army that prepared to march on, except¡ªwere they? Cael didn''t see any horses being led towards his wagon, or any of the wagons nearby.


    Cael glued himself to a hole in the canvas, trying to see more of what was happening inside the camp. It could be his chance; it could be something his father needed to know, right now.


    In the night, the procession shone with dozens of magical lights. They marched on foot, with Ginevra being the first, but Cael noticed her lieutenants being there, too.


    The female one¡ªMontefiore, he recalled¡ªturned towards Ginevra and said something Cael was too far away to hear. Ginevra nodded.


    Montefiore pulled a crystal orb out of her robes and chanted a spell. Cael felt the mana pulsing in her and the orb¡ªa powerful artifact, no doubt¡ªand then pouring into a spell.


    And when the chant was finished, the spell exploded, turning from a solid sphere of mana into a weightless cloud of it. An enormous cloud that covered the entire encampment¡­ Changing nothing.


    Cael moved back from the hole and looked around. Yeah, nothing changed. He moved to peer outside again¡ªit was the same there, as well. But the spell was there, like an almost invisible shimmering cobweb.


    In the meantime, Montefiore hadn''t finished. This time, Ginevra put a hand on her shoulder, pouring her mana into the other woman as she chanted her second spell. When she finished, a second web of magic covered the soldiers that stood with Ginevra.


    This time, Cael saw the effect immediately. Their bodies glittered with sparks of mana, only to be blurry the next moment. Half-transparent. In the dark, the effect was astounding. It was like the army was just there¡­ And now it wasn''t.


    Only if he squinted could Cael see how Montefiore''s knees buckled, and Ginevra caught her by her shoulder. She led the woman¡ªthe illusionist¡ªaside and passed her to another, not-enchanted soldier.


    But now Cael understood what the first spell was about, too. And when Ginevra and her squad marched towards the forest, Cael pulled the Sending Amulet from his boot.


    *Father! Ginevra has an Illusion mage in her employ¡ªher name is Montefiore. I think she is second rank, but she used spells that should be at least third circle¡­*


    Cael quickly ryed the rest of what happened and waited with bated breath for Gianni''s answer. He didn''t have to wait long.


    *Thank you, son. Be safe; victory will be ours.*


    There was nothing more, yet still, Cael clutched the Sending Amulet to his chest. *Ours*, he said. *Our* victory, when it should''ve been his father''s.


    He really wished he could see Father''s face at the moment.


    But now Cael had even more reasons to escape, no matter what. Ginevra and her strongest fighters left the camp; Cael doubted there were many people left here at all.


    He looked around for anything that could serve as a weapon. Before Cael was thrown here, this wagon must''ve been used to store provisions¡ªit smelled of oats, corn and dried meat. But all that was moved to other wagons. Now all that was left were bare boards and a few lost grains.


    Except¡­ Cael squinted against the dark. One floorboard looked and felt rotten enough to break. If he could just pull it away, it would make a sharp point. But the noise would alert his guards.


    Cael licked his lip. The sting already lessened as long as he didn''t smile. If he killed his guards, he would get more Blood Points to heal wounds he''s likely to get in the next few hours.


    But without magic, he would have to drink it himself. That would be ineffective; and their blood was just that of normal humans. He doubted it would cost much.


    It would have to do, though. Because¡­


    Cael put his hands on the rotten floorboard and pulled with all his might.


    He would not rot here, too!

 Chapter 29: Escape

    <h4>Chapter 29: Escape</h4>


    The floorboard broke with a loud crack of dry wood, leaving a two-palms long piece in Cael''s hands. It had enough splinters to turn his fingers into pincushion, but it also had a jagged, pointy end at one side.


    Cael ignored the splinters and held tight on the piece of wood, like it was a dagger.


    "Hm? What was that?" a sentry spoke outside. Cael heard thetch unlocking, and the door slightly opened. The guard''sntern shone in the crack, making Cael squint. "Are you trying to break something?"


    Cael huddled with his back to the guard, hiding his unbound wrists and his new weapon. With the door unlocked, this was his best chance! If only he could take the guard unawares¡­


    "No," he said, throwing a nce at the guard over his shoulder. "Nothing at all. Nothing happening here."


    "Oh, really?" The door opened fully, and the soldier walked inside. His eyes fell on the floor. "Wait, what''s that? A rope?"


    *Curses!* Caelpletely forgot about it, but he already could see the first glint of anger and rm on the guard''s face.


    Before the man could react, Cael sprang to action. He jumped on the guard like a coiled snake, the deadly wooden fang aiming straight for the man''s throat, unprotected by his cuirass.


    "Fuck!" The guard wasn''t slow, either. A reflexive blow of hisntern-holding hand pushed Cael away, even as his other hand reached for the sword on his hip.


    Cael reached for it at the same moment, and their fingers met on the sword''s hilt. They wrestled for it, each trying to get to the weapon first.


    "What''s going on?" the other guard asked from the far side of the wagon. "Fabio, I''ming!"


    "You bastard," the guard growled, pushing Cael''s improvised wooden stake away from his neck. "Cunning son-of-a-bitch¡­"


    Cael grit his teeth, pushing all his muscles for this task. The soldier was muscr and strong, d in armor and taller than Cael, too.


    *But¡­*


    Cael suddenly let go of both the guard''s arms, leaving him off-bnce.


    *You¡­*


    He stepped past the guard and kicked his knee, forcing him to stumble just a moment more.


    *Are¡­*


    Cael''s hand went up, and then down with all his might. The piece of wood, dullpared to an actual dagger, tore into flesh, sinking all the way through the back of the soldier''s throat.


    *In my way!*


    The blood sshed on Cael''s face, stained his lips, filled his nose with a familiar metallic scent. With onest il of hands, the guard fell down.


    Thentern fell down with him, the oil spilling all over the floor. The me eagerly jumped off thentern''s wick, curious to explore the new grounds.


    This was just when the second guard had to appear. This one already had his weapon brandished. The soldier''s eyes fell on the dead body.


    "Bruno!" He lifted his eyes to Cael. "Fucking Oliveira, you''ll pay!"


    Cael stretched his lips in a wide, adrenaline-fueled smile. A snarl, in fact. A primal instinct to bare his teeth at the enemy to intimidate. He didn''t even feel the pain in his split lip.


    "Catch me first."


    With that, Cael kneeled near the dead soldier, pulled the sword out of his sheath, stood up and shed upwards at the wagon''s walls¡ªall in two swift movements.


    The sound of tearing canvas was drowned out by the battlecry of the charging soldier. Cael kicked themp at his feet, making him stumble. More oil was spilled around, further hastening the spread of fire.


    The smell of blood was being drowned by the smell of smoke. Cael had to get out, now.


    *I hope this will be a fine distraction.*


    He jumped into the fresh hole in the walls, leaving both the guard and the fire behind. From there, he ran. Ran as fast as he could without magic, straight towards the forest, where he knew he could hide.


    On the other side of which, Cael knew, his father was waiting.


    Cael heard shouts from behind, then the thumping of horses'' hooves on the packed dirt. He nced back to see a group of riders chasing him, about as far as fifty meters away.


    Cael turned to look forward. Only forward, where only a couple dozen meters away, the saving forest stood. The horses won''t be as quick to follow him in through the trees¡­ especially at night.


    Cael himself had troubles with seeing head. The night was cloudless and full of stars, but only a sliver of the moon. It yed tricks on his eyes.


    He stumbled on a shadowed pothole and fell down, almost losing his sword. His palms and knees scraped on the ground, but Cael pushed himself up and ran again through the sting of pain.


    Cael was only a few meters away from the forest, with the chase still a good twenty meters away, when his leg caught on a tree root. He fell again, and this time, heard something in his right leg crunching.


    When he stood up again, each step shot through him like a bolt of burning ice.


    *I''m so close¡­ I have to get there! To safety.*


    Step after step, Cael half-ran towards the first trees, and then past them. Behind, he saw his pursuers stopping their horses and continuing the chase on foot.


    Safety was still far away. But the forest was even darker than the surrounding ins. Soon, Cael had to orient himself almost by feeling alone.


    In that darkness, the torches andnterns of his pursuers were beacons that shouted to stay away. So Cael found a hole, likely formerly belonging to some animal, crawled in, and stayed. Away.


    Safe, for now.

 Chapter 30: Free at lost

    <h4>Chapter 30: Free at lost</h4>


    First thing Cael did when he could hear the voices and the footsteps of his pursuers moving away, was get the Sending Amulet out of his left boot. The second was taking off the boot of his other leg, too.


    This was harder. His ankle swelled, and he wasn''t sure this was a sprain, a dislocation, or even a break. It hurt terribly, in no small part because of how much Cael walked on it.


    *System, how much would it cost to heal my current injuries?*


    *It would cost 34 BP, Cael. You currently have 18 BP left.*


    Cael cringed. Where would he take blood from now? *What about my ankle? Can you heal only it?*


    *Yes, Cael. Healing the dislocation of your ankle would cost you 17 BP. Should I proceed?*


    *Please, do!*


    *Understood. You now have 1 BP left.*


    After a brief moment of pins-and-needles sensation, followed by a sickening feeling of his muscles and the joint moving on their own, Cael felt miraculously better. In his leg, at least. His hands and knees were still full of scrapes, and his face and stomach¡ªfull of bruises. And now that Cael''s blood began to cool down, the pain of them rose from a whisper to a chorus.


    Cael closed his eyes, taking several long, quiet minutes to just rest.


    The forest wasn''t truly silent¡ªnever. Leaves rustled on the wind, night insects chirped, night animals skulked through the underbrush. Smells of moss and old leaves filled Cael''s nose.


    But it was hard to forget that outside of this tiny haven of peace, two armies were ready to attack each other. With one of them already in march, and hidden under an illusion.


    Finally, Cael reached for the Sending Amulet and put together a message.


    *Father. I have escaped Ginevra''s encampment. You can fight her without second thoughts.* After a moment''s pause, Cael added. *Please, be well.*


    He didn''t respond. Was he sleeping, possibly, or too busy to answer? Cael didn''t know. But he knew he couldn''t rest yet. He pulled on the metal cor on his neck. He had to get rid of this thing.


    Cael got out of his hiding hole and blindly looked around. Maybe he could smash the cor with a rock¡­ A pair of rocks. Or just scratch the glyphs on it¡ªbut that was more dangerous. The shock cor might be a useless trinket, or it might explode in Cael''s face.


    Smashing the lock¡ªwhich, Cael could feel with his fingers, was free of glyphs¡ªseemed like the safer option. If only Cael could see any rocks nearby¡­


    "*Ligh¡ª* Augh!"


    Cael clutched his neck, gritting his teeth from the pulse of pain that shot through his body. It was worse than dislocating an ankle. This felt like his entire nerve was lit on fire at once.


    He fell to his knees, panting as the pain slowly receded. This was damn stupid¡ªto forget that he wore a shock cor and try to use a spell.


    But since Cael was already on his knees, he could use that position to search for some rocks to get rid of the ursed torture device.


    This position¡ªcrawling all over the forest floor, feeling out for rocks but mostly finding tree roots¡ªwas undignified as they got. It must''ve been an hourter when Cael found what he needed¡ªa fist sized rock to be a hammer and a big boulder that could serve as an anvil of sorts.


    He kneeled near the boulder and pulled on his cor, getting it as far from his neck as he could. Cael pressed the cor''s lock to the boulder and carefully measured the trajectory of the strike of his "hammer".


    When he was sure he won''t hit himself in the nose, or worse, forehead, Cael struck as hard as he could.


    The iron of the cor responded with a sad ding. When Cael felt the lock with his fingers, his fingers found a small dent where the strike hit.


    Cael clenched his fist harder on the rock and hit again. And again, and again, until his hand grew too tired. Then he took a break and continued until finally, the abused metal in the point of hits grew so thin, Cael could just pull it apart.


    The glyphs on the cor sputtered with a glow of mana for a moment, then went off. With a profound sense of relief, Cael threw the thing as far into the bushes as he could see.


    And he could see farther than his nose now. While he hammered at the thing, the sky lightened with the first hints of dawn.


    Cael took a full breath of air, smiling despite his aching face. Soon! Soon he would join his father and destroy Ginevra, together.


    Well, maybe not destroy. It would be much better to take her prisoner instead. Only fair. She would be a wealth of information about Enzo''s ns. A hostage, too.


    But then, a thought gave Cael pause. He looked around again, scanning the trees and the glimpses of the sky behind them.


    *Wait¡­ Where Father''s forces are? In fact¡­ where am I?*

 Chapter 31: Smoke and mirrors

    <h4>Chapter 31: Smoke and mirrors</h4>


    The first rays of the morning sun fell on the even lines of Oliveira soldiers standing in front of the forest that separated them from Nuvoloso''s forces. It shone on the polished armor, making the soldiers appear like angelic warriors, ready to step into the kingdom of the night. Banners failed proudly on the wind.


    Gianni stood in the center of his army, surrounded by his officers. Their horses were ready and waiting, but it wasn''t time to move out, not yet. The ns were drawn already, but some things still needed confirmation, and some people¡ªassurances.


    "The scouts report that the enemy encampment is quiet. There were no signs of Nuvoloso''s movements. Not to doubt you, Captain, but are you sure your information is correct?" Federico asked.


    Gianni lifted his hand to his chest. There, right above his heart, hidden by his armor, hid the Sending Amulet that paired with Cael''s. And now, it seemed, it would bring them victory in the uing battle. It and Cael.


    "I''m sure, Lieutenant." Gianni turned towards Silvio. "Signore di Vinci¡­"


    The gray-haired man smiled and approached Gianni. "I remember the n. And you should recall that a spell of that scale requires too much mana for me to do it on my own."


    Gianni nodded. "Of course."


    Without another word, Gianni put a hand on Silvio''s shoulder, preparing to give the man his mana.


    It was a great blessing for Gianni, and no small luck, that Silvio agreed to aid him in this campaign. Because while many noble families kept libraries of destructive spells, magic like that of di Vinci lineage was rarer. And even rarer were the masters of it.


    Illusions. Exactly the thing Ginevra used today.


    Silvio muttered a spell, too quietly for Gianni to catch the words¡ªon purpose, no doubt. Even now, he protected his family''s secrets, just like any mage would protect theirs to the best of their ability. Mana shifted and moved in Silvio''s pool, then flowed into the spell the mage weaved in the air.


    Gianni added his own wide stream of mana to Silvio''s, soon taking the brunt of theplicated magic, leaving Silvio only to guide.


    It wasplicated. And tiresome. In a minute, the spell wasplete¡ªand Gianni was half-depleted of mana. Just like Silvio. But while Silvio could restore his mana pool in an hour or two of meditation, Gianni needed more time.


    Or, in this case, one of Leonardo''s potions¡ªone Gianni produced from a bag on his belt. A tiny vial with a concoction that, by some arcane means, transformed into pure mana as his organism digested it. Gianni drank the entire vial in one gulp, wincing at the slimy taste. These potions were definitely made from swamp dragons.


    But the result was worth the effort. A web of Silvio''s spell fell on Gianni''s army¡ªand then moved forward. With it, illusory shapes moved through the air, taking forms¡ªthe forms of Gianni''s soldiers.


    Soon, the full copy of the army stood next to it, to the soldiers'' shock. Their figures were opaque, their armor nged with each step, but their feet didn''t trample grass, instead going straight through.


    Good illusions, but only illusions nheless.


    Silvio frowned in concentration, and the illusory army, led by an illusory Gianni, marched on the road through the forest. The gray-haired man exhaled, wiping sweat off his forehead.


    "Now, even if I never reach the third rank, I can at least boast of having used a third-rank spell. And what a spell!"


    "The most effective one, signore di Vinci. My gratitude is yours, again." Gianni lowered his head in a slight bow. "Now we shall see if this bait will catch the fish." He turned towards Federico.


    The man didn''t need an order. He nodded and turned to his own subordinates, sending scouts after the illusions.


    "I hate relying on these tricks." Ignazio grumbled from Gianni''s other side. "I hate fighting in forests, too. If we have to lie in ambush, we could do it on top of a cliff, at least. Much fewer spiders. And trees."


    Thankfully, Gianni didn''t have to evenment on the man''s idiotic ideas.


    "A cliff? Where have you got those ideas, signore Vespertino? Your barony doesn''t even have cliffs, and neither does this entire county," Federico said. "Forests are great ambushing ces. Even that she-devil Nuvoloso knows it."


    They waited for the illusions to move far enough forward, with Gianni''s allies and lieutenants bickering amongst themselves. Gianni himself didn''t pay attention to them.


    His eyes, and his thoughts, were on the forest. The knowledge that Cael was free out there, somewhere, warmed his wretched soul. But that he wasn''t here, with *him*¡­ Chilled his body to the bone.


    Why? What happened? Was he caught again?


    Gianni pulled the amulet from under his armor and sent a brief message. *Cael, the battle willmence soon. Stay away from the forest road.*


    This. Short, like it should be. And the quick response from Cael immediately lifted Gianni''s spirits.


    *Please, be careful! I will, too.*


    Gianni closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, it was time. He mounted on his horse and looked down on his quietened officers.


    "It''s time. Prepare to march! Today we will deal Enzo Nuvoloso a blow that he won''t soon forget."

 Chapter 32: Explosions and deceit

    <h4>Chapter 32: Explosions and deceit</h4>


    Ginevra despised lying in wait when she could charge straight ahead, sting enemies into smithereens left and right. That didn''t mean shecked patience for a good ambush. It all paid off at the moment of attack, when an unsuspecting opponent showed their weakness for her to bite.


    Her troops¡ªa hundred and a half of soldiers, with only a few dozen left to guard the camp and the suppliesid low. The quilt of Alessia''s illusion covered them, making the entire squad indistinguishable from the shrubbery as long as they didn''t move. It even dampened their mana pools a little, though mages like Ginevra had to force their mana as tightly down as they could.


    Everything to not let Gianni detect them beforehand. Even using another exhausting illusion to give their camp an appearance of being full.


    Now, after a couple hours of marching into the forest, and a few more hours of waiting and resting, Ginevra''s lookouts told her that the enemy wasing. Right on schedule¡ªthe sun barely rose above the horizon.


    Gianni was eager to get to Ra Albornoziana, and to his son. Ginevra didn''t care which motive took priority¡ªas long as her ploy worked.


    She turned to her soldiers, finding the hints of their figures. They wouldn''t move without hermand.


    The first sounds of the enemy march reached Ginevra''s ears. Her eyes went to the dirt road that went through the forest, and fell on the first glimpse of the enemy ahead.


    She snorted. Gianni marched like a victor. Banners, horses¡­ He only missed drummers or flutists. She imagined his troops needed this show of confidence to boost their morale, now that they knew who they were fighting against.


    With bated breath, Ginevra waited for them toe closer. To the stretch or the road perfectly suited as a target for her archers and mages-knights. For herself, too.


    It was close enough that Ginevra could make out Gianni''s stern face. He was exactly like on his portraits¡ªand so very simr to his eldest son. His mana pool appeared muted, but no masking could hide the Arcani glyphs on his armor, or on the bow of the man riding nearby.


    This was close enough. Ginevra took a deep breath.


    "FIRE!"


    The archers shot onmand. Her infantry sprang to action a momentter. The illusion, already weathered by time, shattered into nothing from the sudden movements. In a second, Ginevra''s troops and herself were hidden only by the forest itself.


    And that''s when her blood chilled. Because when the first arrows hit the first enemy soldier¡­ it passed straight through.


    "Oh, no," near Ginevra, Alessia Montefiore mirrored her thoughts in a shocked whisper. "Another illusion¡­ Since when did the old Oliveira have an illusionist of that power on his side?"


    "And if this is a trick, then where''s the real army?!" Luciano DiNapoli grabbed the handle of his enchanted sword with both hands.


    Ginevra squinted at the woods on the sides of the road, a good few hundred meters away. She was positive she didn''t imagine that metal glimpse in the sun. Her finger pointed at it.


    "There." Ginevra said heavily. She rose to full height, then jumped to a convenient tree stump for an extra half a meter, and turned to her confused soldiers. "Men, gather on one side of the road and line up behind the trees! Take aim in that direction! Mages, prepare fire attacks! Our ambush has failed, but we still have enough power to crush our enemies, burn their houses, and make those ashen fields ours!"


    The soldiers roared. The sergeants gavemands¡ªthe troops moved, changing their positions, preparing for an inevitable sh.


    Ginevra turned to her lieutenants.


    "Lieutenant Montefiore, keep back and make sure we won''t have another surprise like that. Lieutenant DiNapoli, stay near me." She turned towards several nearest knights, listing their names. "You all, too. You will move at mymand, or DiNapoli''s."


    The people gave their agreements. Soon, everything turned to waiting again; but this time, it wasn''t long. A few minutes¡­ Even in the heat of battle, it was usually a rather short time.


    Now, seconds? Seconds stretched into eternity.


    Ginevra''s troops barely finished their maneuvers when the first of Gianni''s soldiers stepped out in the view. They were on the opposite side of the road now.


    The narrow line of open air stretched like a dirt river between them. Whoever stepped on it first would be the first one to be shot. But whoever stayed under the cover of trees would be the first one to be burned.


    As soon as Ginevra could make out the blurs of enemies'' faces, she lifted her arm in a signal.


    "Mages, ready!"


    Ginevra began to chant her spell in the next breath. Not the strongest one in her arsenal, but strong enough to add a hefty dose of chaos into the mix.


    "*Source of all power, light which burns beyond crimson, let thy power gather in my hand!*"


    She finished at the same time as her other mages. Bolts of mes and balls of fire waited, quivered, ready to fly. Energy gathered in Ginevra''s hand, ready for a fiery release.


    "Men, fire!"


    The spells flew, surrounded by dozens of arrows. And Gianni''s men shot back at the same time.


    Ginevra ducked behind a tree.


    The next few seconds were aplete pandemonium. Explosions and screams blended together into a deafening torrent of sound. Only the biggest sources of destruction stood out.


    Ginevra''s Fireball spell turning from a needle-thin ray into a bellowing explosion amid Oliveira ranks.


    An entire cloud of arcane arrows falling upon Ginevra''s soldiers.


    A scythe-like de of wind that cut down a few small trees and bisected several men at once.


    When the wave of magic and arrows was over, Ginevra dared to step out of her charred cover. The thick tree was smoldering in ces, but it stood strong.


    Ginevra looked at the enemy. They, now having much less cover¡ªjust like her side¡ªmoved into an attack, their banners iling.


    It was time to meet them face to face.

 Chapter 33: The clash

    <h4>Chapter 33: The sh</h4>


    Gianni took in the sight of his forces. He had to give Ginevra her due¡ªshe acted decisively and swiftly as soon as she realized she fell into his trap.


    Now the field was as even as it could be. And scattered with bodies.


    After the first devastating wave of mutual shots, both sides could forget about formations. Many soldiers were too disoriented by fires or deafened by explosions to hearmands.


    But Gianni had to push at Ginevra, or she would push at him first¡ªexactly like it happened just now. The question was only¡ªwas he able to?


    All of the sudden, Gianni felt the weight of his years. Only fifty-and-five¡ªa zenith of his lifetime for a mage of his rank. He didn''t look a year fast forty. But Ginevra was only eighteen¡ªa genius, to reach a third rank at her age¡ªand that youthful energy cracked through her like sparks of lightning. Energy and malice.


    Gianni shook off the feeling, gulped down another disgusting mana potion, and cracked his fingers.


    "*Hearken these words of mine, ye guardians of the arcane! Conjure magic''s veil around our lowly selves. Shield us from harm so that we may emerge unscathed and victorious!*"


    Mana poured out of him, splitting into dozens of streams that reached towards. This was why control was so important¡ªbecause with a spell form soplex, the loss of mana because of poor control would''ve been tremendous.


    Gianni''s control was impable. He could''ve been an Illusion mage himself, if he had ess to enough Illusion spells. Instead, he had this.


    Magic covered his soldiers, an entire hundred of them, in soft, slightly gloving cocoons. Shimmering and too short-lived to be used before the fight, they were solid enough to slow down an arrow, a sword, or a bolt of energy.


    This spell took most of his mana¡ªmost of what was left after he threw that Wind Scythe spell¡ªbut the potion already began to refill his mana pool. Too little and too slow, but he would hope it will be quick enough.


    The next spell Gianni used was a small cantrip to enhance his voice.


    "Footmen! Line up! Raise your shields! Charge! I am with you, and so is my protection!"


    "Charge!" Federico echoed at his side, raising his heavy mace.


    But Gianni and his lieutenants didn''t move themselves. The infantry huddled together and marched ahead, roaring in enthusiasm, but Gianni and his lieutenants stayed behind.


    He threw moremands.


    "Federico, make cover around us. Ignazio, get your archers here. Silvio, monitor their illusionist."


    The gray-haired man nodded wordlessly from his cover behind a thick, and mostly whole, as of now, tree. Ignazio raised his bow and put another arrow on the bowstring.


    "What about them? I''m good, but there''s already too much of *un*friendly fire to deal with the friendly one."


    "Snipe at mages. At Ginevra, if you can."


    Federico chanted a spell and mmed his mace into the ground, creating a deep fissure. A mass of packed earth rose from it in a line-straight wall as tall as a man and as long as five meters. A row of embrasures punctured it. Just enough to fit Gianni, Ignazio, and as many of his archers who weren''t wounded or scattered through the forest by the explosions.


    Federico sat down behind the wall and closed his eyes, meditating during the resulting pause.


    Gianni wondered if his side would''ve been better off if they had focused more on defense instead¡ªor worse off. But hindsight was useless. Instead, he looked into the embrasure and focused on his opponents and on the flow of the battle. At the same time, a part of his consciousness pulled on mana around, gathering it into his almost empty mana pool.


    Ginevra''s troops marched towards Gianni''s, just as eager to leave the treeline and the starting fires to fight in a more open space. Somewhere where soldiers could feel each other''s elbows.


    Archers and mages from both sides kept shooting, but far more sporadically. Ginevra didn''t hurry to appear out in the open, but threw two more explosion spells into his forces before they got too close to Nuvoloso''s for this kind of magic.


    Thanks to Gianni''s shields, though, his soldiers almost didn''t suffer from these attacks, and even pushed on Ginevra''s troops at first. Soon, though, thebat grew too chaotic to understand much of what was going on.


    And even if it was¡­ The screams, the ngs of weapons, the ps of clothing, the thuds of bodies, the squelching of bloody earth and thousands of other sounds, joining in one wild cacophony¡ªthey makemands hard to hear.


    Even when they were enhanced by magic, some soldiers would have a hard time hearing *anything* behind the drumming of blood in their ears.


    As it often was with the battles. Sometimes, a man had to wait, gather their strength and pray for the best.


    "Ha! And another one," Ignazio grinned, and got another arrow out of his quiver. "A knight, that is. Sure I saw a Mage''s Mark glinting."


    Gianni grunted in approval. He felt his mana pool a third part full. He''d prefer to make his next move with full mana, but¡ª


    He spotted the lithe figure of Ginevra cutting her way through the Oliveira soldiers.


    ¡ªhe didn''t have the time.

 Chapter 34: Thirst for blood

    <h4>Chapter 34: Thirst for blood</h4>


    Cael wasn''t sure for how long he was walking in circles. Never would he guess that after acquiring magical power, escaping from Ginevra, and avoiding the following chase, the thing to bring Cael to his knees would be geography.


    Cael''s leg slipped. The ground that looked even at first nce hid a slope under the even cover of grass. He iled his hands, trying to regain bnce, but the earth gave out under the sole of his boot.


    Cael tumbled down a meter,nding on all fours with his face right in some bush. A bush without thorns, at least.


    And now he literally was brought to his knees¡­


    He sighed, stood up, and shook the grass off his clothes. After all that time wandering around, he was ravenously hungry and just as lost as before. At least he found a stream some time earlier, from which Cael drank his fill and washed the blood off his face.


    *I should climb a tree again,* he thought. *And if that doesn''t work again, I will make a camp and catch something to eat, since clearly, I''m not going to Father with my current speed!*


    Cael sighed again. He lived his entire life in a city. Here, in a forest, every tree looked the same to him. If he climbed one, he could see the edge of the forest, but as soon as he climbed down, he wouldn''t know where it was.


    A remote sound of explosion shook the air, jerking Cael out of his thoughts. Flocks of birds flew into the air, crying in rm in dozens of voices.


    Cael''s eyes widened.


    Whatever promises to be careful he made to his father, now they were all forgotten. This was the decisive battle! This was where Cael had to be, helping Father.


    Gathering the blood of their enemies.


    He read the Windstride spell and broke into a run. The explosions quietened, but new noises took their ce¡ªscreams and shes of weapons. It wasn''t too far, and the closer Cael approached, the harder the battle was to miss.


    Soon he spotted the first soldiers darting between the trees, aiming their swords, arrows, and cantrips at each other. Then Cael stumbled on a corpse with an arrow at the back of his throat. His uniform was in Nuvoloso''s colors, and Cael took it as a good sign.


    He ran several meters forward when he saw another man in Nuvoloso''s uniform, aiming with a bow at soldiers moving between trees far away. At Cael''s approach, he turned, rmed.


    "*Arrow of magic, fly true!*" Cael eximed, pointing at the man with his left hand, and immediately ducked, dodging a normal wooden arrow aimed at his head.


    His Arcane Arrow spell struck the archer in the shoulder, protected only by a leather jacket, and shattered, leaving a bleeding wound behind.


    While the archer clutched at his wound, Cael raised his trophy sword and charged for the kill. Only a few steps separated them; the archer didn''t have time to prepare or grab his dagger.


    Cael''s sword shed at his throat, creating a fountain of red. The man fell down, dead.


    Cael stopped at his corpse and lowered his sword. He spotted more men moving around, but they didn''t seem to pay him much attention yet. This was his chance.


    "*Crimson river, follow your master!*"


    The fresh blood, free of its confines of veins, followed the spell''smand eagerly. Cael consumed everything he gathered with this Lesser Exsanguination and did it again.


    *You now have 25 BP, Cael. 125 BP until the next upgrade.*


    Cael did some mental calctions.


    *How much BP do I need to restore my mana?*


    *17 BP, Cael. Should I proceed?*


    *No. Heal my injuries, then put whatever is left in restoring my mana.*


    *Understood.*


    Prickling sensation filled his stomach, his face and his mana pool. In a second, it was gone, together with Cael''s injuries. His mana still wasn''t full, but he had enough for another couple of first-rank spells.


    This was just the beginning.


    He drained the dead man dry, using gained Blood Points to restore his mana for the next Lesser Exsanguination spell. It was barely effective, but Cael didn''t stop until he was interrupted.


    "Who are you?" another Nuvoloso soldier, brandishing a sword and a bleeding wound in his leg, limped from behind a tree. His eyes fell on the archer''s corpse, then filled with anger. "Die!"


    This time, Cael didn''t even need to kill him first. The first Lesser Exsanguination spell made the soldier falter; the second one felled him to his knees; the third one killed him for good.


    After he was done here, Cael kept skirting the edges of the battlefield, searching for both enemies and his father.


    The enemies were closer.


    Two soldiers, pressing down on a lone man in Oliveira''s red and golden colors¡ªCael truck the first one with an Arcane Arrow while he didn''t expect, then stabbed the second one with the sword.


    A first-rank mage reading a fire spell to throw between the trees¡ªCael was faster with his attacks than the mage''s reactions. And he made sure to gather all his blood to thest drop.


    *Cael, you now have two upgrades ready for purchase.*


    He blessed the time spent writing down System''s information in his journal, nning his future upgrades and talents.


    *Put both into mana. Tell me, how many upgrades after that I need to spend on stats to reach prerequisites for Greater Exsanguination?*


    His mana pool swelled with new magic at the same time as System spoke again.


    *Four, Cael.*


    He raised his eyes at the two soldiers that noticed him killing their superior and grinned. Exhration filled him. The thirst for blood, literal and figurative. Cael felt he was born for this.


    Gathering those BPs won''t take long.

 Chapter 35: The unnatural disaster

    <h4>Chapter 35: The unnatural disaster</h4>


    Gianni didn''t expect Ginevra to move as quickly. She danced through the battlefield with grace and precision, surrounded by her own strongest fighters¡ªbut not as a shield, but as another weapon she wielded.


    At hermand, they cut through his lines with des and mes, aiming¡ªhe had no doubt¡ªstraight for him.


    He wanted to marvel at this foolishness, be dazzled by the audacity, be many other things¡­ Anything, but Ginevra''s target.


    That she-monster was a walking catastrophe, a natural disaster born from Enzo''s vile seed. Only she could, instead of taking a run around the hottest part of the battle, make her way straight through it.


    But it worked. Not only she attacked Gianni''s soldiers, she united her own around herself. Gianni had to step up, or he knew his troops would soon scatter under that onught. His own knights, sent to fight with the footmen, couldn''t protect everyone¡ªthey couldn''t always protect themselves.


    "Archers! Shower Ginevra and her lot in arrows," Giannimanded. "Federico, with me!"


    He left the earthy cover, rushing towards his lines and chanting a new spell as he went. The old one, those arcane shields, had already mostly sputtered out under the damage, and Gianni didn''t have mana for a new spell of that scale, but he had enough to attack Ginevra directly.


    "Fight me, she-devil!" he shouted as he put his foot on the bloodied road, his voice enhanced with magic to carry over the battle. "Isn''t that what you want?!"


    "I will gut you and everyone on my way, Oliveira!" she roared back, using the same spell to be heard. "Your strength is nothing against mine!"


    Her soldiers echoed her battle-cry with their own. Gianni clenched his fists. From where he stood, he couldn''t see much beyond the closest line of his soldiers. Ginevra''s position was even more of a guess than before, but her battle-cry gave him a good guess.


    "*Oh, winds that dance through the leaves, let my steps be as swift as the blowing breeze,*" he chanted, giving his legs some extra spryness with the Windstride spell.


    Then Gianni turned to Federico and gave the man a good measure. He was a loyal vassal¡­ A loyal man. Dependable and responsible, always, even if he was of few words.


    "Federico, watch my back."


    He nodded, raising his mace. "It''s my honor, Captain."


    It went without saying that he will do his best, even against Ginevra.


    Gianni moved forward. His men gave way; as he passed them, he helped the wounded move to back lines and straighten the formation of those who still had fight left in them.


    He knew of Ginevra''s approach. First, he sensed the pulse of her strong mana pool head. Then a st of freezing air that sent three of his men flying to the ground, their hands and faces covered with ayer of ice.


    Ginevra stood right behind them, her hand still outstretched in a spell. Her knights must''vegged behind at some point, or died¡ªbut one mage still stood straight. He held a glyph-covered and glowing de in his hands, and his sharp eyes measured his opponents.


    From what Gianni knew from spies and Cael, this must''ve been baron Luciano DiNapoli. An arcane swordsman.


    Both Luciano and Ginevra breathed heavily and were covered in a thin sheet of perspiration. Gianni and Federico were better off, since they didn''t have to fight through their own soldiers to get to this ce.


    Gianni outstretched his hands and read a spell before his enemies could act. A simple Arcane Arrow, aimed at Ginevra.


    She dodged, but in Gianni''s mind, this was just the beginning. He had to press on her. At his side, Federico followed with his own cantrip just as Gianni prepared a stronger spell.


    "*Winds of a raging hurricane, bring forth a swift and deadly de of piercing wind!*"


    Luciano was the one to rush forward now, shing at the flying wind de with his sword and splitting the spell into two harmless gusts of wind. Ginevra used this opening to send out several arrows of ice at once, forcing both Gianni and Federico to move.


    Then Ginevra had to move herself. Her aim at thest two arrows waspletely skewered because of the arrows aimed at *her*¡ªsomewhere behind the lines, Ignazio was doing his part.


    Then she threw a sharpmand at Luciano and pointed behind Gianni. The man nodded and, with magic-enhanced speed, dashed away from the fight, shing at Oliveira soldiers on his way.


    It didn''t take a genius to guess where he was going.


    "Federico!" Gianni shouted, giving his lieutenant amand with just that word and a nod.


    He nodded back and read a spell, creating a fissure in the ground in front of Luciano. The swordsman faltered at its edge.


    Ginevra charged at Gianni, her hand ame with a spell. He stepped back, chanting a counter-attack¡ª


    She changed course at thest moment, pping that spell at Federico''s side.


    His lieutenant burst into mes in a moment, screaming. Gianni''s spell flew at Ginevra, only close enough to push her back from Federico.


    Another arrow from Ignazio or his archers forced Ginevra another step away. Gianni used that time to read another spell.


    By the time he finished, the mes on Federico already died off, but the man was lying on the ground, motionless. Only a weak pulse of mana within told Gianni that he was still alive.


    Gianni did all he could by putting a small arcane shield on him to protect him from any other enemy spells. Then he called out for a nearby soldier to carry Federico to the back lines.


    And Ginevra attacked again.

 Chapter 36: A bow before a sword

    <h4>Chapter 36: A bow before a sword</h4>


    Ignazio clenched his teeth at the sight of Federico''s fall. He was a good man, who didn''t deserve to die from treachery from that¡­ She-devil, was that how Gianni called her?


    The moniker fit the woman. There certainly was nothing womanly about her as she sted her spells and shed with her sword; so little of it that Ignazio didn''t feel a single pang of regret trying to shoot her dead.


    He peered through the embrasure, trying to line a shot through all the obstacles. Soldiers on both sides, trees¡­ wait, was that the arcane swordsman?


    Ignazio looked again and knew he wasn''t mistaken. Luciano cut the head off an Oliveira soldier and dashed past him¡ªtowards the earth wall and the archers behind it.


    *Bloody hell,* he cursed, reaching into his quiver. His fingers distinguished the arrows by the feel of their fletchings and grooves on the ends of their arrow shafts. Simple triangr fletchings for basic arrows, shield-shaped ones for enchanted. One groove for heart-seeking arrows, two for explosive, three for piercing. Too few of each, way too few.


    Ignazio pulled out a piercing arrow. The tip, long and narrow, pointed at Luciano. The limbs of the bow croaked as Ignazio pulled the bowstring. There were only neen meters of distance¡ªalmost a point-nk shot.


    He fired. The enchanted arrow flew with the speed far higher than Ignazio''s bow could give it¡ªand even without enchantments engraved in its limbs, it was an amazingposite bow that not every grown man could draw.


    In short, the arrow was fast, and aimed true¡ªstraight into Luciano''s heart. There was no way for him to dodge, even with his enchanted speed¡ªnot from that distance, surely.


    No, instead Luciano did something far worse¡ªhe met the arrow with his sword. Magic shed against magic with an angry screech of metal that rose even over the battlefield¡ªand the arrow flew aside, deflected, while Luciano merely staggered. Even with half of its piercing power gone, it went through an unlucky tree before leaving Ignazio''s sight.


    For a moment, he was speechless.


    Luciano regained his bnce and charged at Ignazio with doubled speed.


    Ignazio gathered his wits together and turned to the other archers. His own men from his ownnds¡ªmostly. The bulk of Gianni''s archers sat farther away, behind much less convenient cover. They simply weren''t as *good* as the men he trained.


    "Scatter!" Ignazio shouted. "Keep firing at Ginevra if you can!"


    Then he clenched his bow and whispered a spell.


    "*Oh, winds that dance through the leaves, let my steps be as swift as the blowing breeze.*"


    He still remembered the day he firstid eyes on it. Soon after, Ignazio passed a test for his second rank, a trueing-of-age in the eyes of his now-retired father and an event worthy of a feast. All the nearby lords were invited.


    Gianni came to congratte him, and not empty-handed. He brought a spell. A first circle spell unknown to the Vespertino family until that day. It was a fine gift, one that would serve Ignazio children one day. If he lives long enough.


    In the short time that Ignazio needed to finish the spell, Luciano crossed another ten meters until the earth wall. There was a time for another spell, and the time to move away¡ªback and to the side, to not lead the enemy to the wounded.


    "*Lightning that dances in the skies, let my enemies feel your electric wrath!*"


    Mana gathered in his hands and poured into his bow. The glyphs on it glowed. Ignazio drew a bowstring that cracked with energy, and an arrow of yellow lightning appeared between.


    Just in time. Luciano had vaulted over the earth wall, for a moment making himself a perfect target.


    Ignazio, five meters away from the wall right now, let the Lightning Bolt fly. Pushed both with the magic of the spell itself, the magic of Ignazio''s bow and the pure physical force of the bowstring, it shot as swiftly as an enchanted piercing arrow.


    And still Luciano ducked mid-air, making the arrow strike his pauldron instead of his torso.


    He gasped in pain, but the swordsman''s armor, no doubt enchanted, consumed most of the damage. Lucianonded on the ground with a less than graceful, but still swift tumble and sprung to his feet.


    Ignazio already ran farther back and to the side, chanting again.


    "*Lightning that dances in the skies, let my enemies feel¡ª*"


    A tall vertical de-like wave of energy flew in Ignazio''s direction, aimed straight at his bow. Ignazio turned to the side, protecting his vital organs and vital possessions.


    The wavended at his side, piercing his leather armor and cutting a long, straight gash that went all the way from his left shoulder to the side of his torso. Ignazio cried out, the unfinished spell falling apart in his hands.


    Now Luciano was right in front of him, his sword shining with magic within¡ªthe same magic that just flew at Ignazio''s face. There was no time to prepare another spell. No time to reach for an arrow.


    But there was one spell Ignazio knew so well that he didn''t need words for it. Only the mental effort to shape mana into the correct form. His wounded arm protested when he drew the bow, but the beating of Ignazio''s heart drowned out the pulse of the pain.


    When Luciano swung again, Ignazio parried the blow with a shot of an Arcane Arrow¡ªthen immediately shot another. Luciano deflected it with his sword and kicked Ignazio in the shin with an iron-ted boot.


    "Dirty bastard!" Ignazio jumped back and tried to catch his breath. His shin ached and his side burned with pain. "I thought you were a swordsman, not a donkey!"


    Luciano was panting, too. It couldn''t have been easy to dash around in all that shin-breaking armor.


    Ignazio took a moment to look around. They had moved quite far away from the battlefield, but there certainly was still a lot of fighting going on in the distance. But who was winning?


    Luciano raised his sword, and Ignazio knew the breather was over. He raised his bow.

 Chapter 37: Blade over blade

    <h4>Chapter 37: de over de</h4>


    "*Crimson river, your mastermands! Flow from the veins of the unworthy, give up their life!*"


    The soldier screamed, then gurgled. Blood poured out of his nose, his ears, his mouth, his wounds; gathered in droplets on his skin. The spell called on it, and weak capiries couldn''t hold it. In a few heartbeats, the man fell down, his sword falling powerlessly out of his hand.


    Cael clenched his fist over the shiny globe of blood, letting System consume it, and tumbled to the side, dodging the attacks of the soldier''srades. There were two, and while one shed with a sword, the second one shot small, but dangerous, lightning orbs.


    Just cantrips, zeroth circle spells, but even those would hurt.


    *Cael, you now have an upgrade avable. I proceed as per your previousmand. The purchase of the Hundred Cuts spell is in process.*


    A ball of lightning hit Cael''s shoulder, leaving a scorched mark on his already torn and bloodied shirt¡ªit was worse than a rag at this point¡ªand eliciting a hiss of pain from Cael himself.


    System was distracting sometimes. But it worked well overall.


    By that point, Cael drained a couple dozen people. He avoided confrontations with Oliveira soldiers by staying away from that side of the battle, and steering clear of anyone in Oliveira colors.


    He purchased the Greater Exsanguination spell, the Blood de spell, and now the one that followed it. Not to mention, enough upgrades to mana, body and mind to feel like a new person.


    A person of sharp focus and deadly precision.


    "*Crimson river, Imand thee to be the de of death!*"


    There was enough blood around that Cael didn''t need to spend his. He merely attached the spell to some that spilled onto the ground before. It was a bit of a tug, with the greedy ground already drinking most of it, but Cael managed.


    In his palm formed a crescent-shaped de. Small and seemingly harmless, until Cael threw it at the soldier with the sword. It whizzed like an arrow, cutting through his neck until Cael could see a white glimpse of a spine. Then, following Cael''smand, it changed directions and darted towards the second one.


    The soldier tried to dodge, but the de followed. It embedded itself in the man''s neck, spending thest of the spell''s mana.


    Cael gathered their blood with Greater Exsanguination and restored his mana. But they didn''t give enough Blood Points for another upgrade.


    He looked at the battlefield, frowning. Was that a sh of fire he saw over the soldier''s heads? Were Father and Ginevra out there? He would have to fight through the ranks of soldiers to get through them, but now Cael felt he could do that.


    A loud metallic ng made Cael turn his head. He spotted shes of steel and magic between the trees.


    "Stop running, coward!" a faintly familiar voice barked.


    "Eat shit and die!" another responded, followed by a cracking st.


    Cael dashed towards the fighters, reading another Blood de spell on the go.


    A dozen stepster, he had to jump to the side and hide behind a tree to avoid a wide, white, razor-sharp wave of energy. The man who sent it flying aimed at his opponent, but missed.


    When Cael moved away from his shelter, he had to dodge again, this time¡ªsplinters of wood from a small tree sted by a lightning bolt from the second man''s bow.


    Cael saw both of the opponents now. A man with a glyph-engraved bow, and another in enchanted armor wielding a glowing sword. Cael''s eyes widened. That was one of Ginevra''s lieutenants! DiNapoli, if he recalled right.


    Then the other man, although unfamiliar, must be one of Father''s allies. Cael heard him mentioning a mage who was good with a bow, but the name eluded him.


    Both were battered and bloodied. The archer had a long, red gash that spanned his entire side, and another gash on his hip; the swordsman''s armor was charred in some ces and spotted holes in others.


    The swordsman noticed Cael first and paused, frowning. The archer took that as an opportunity to skid away and prime an arrow on his bow. Then he hesitated, his narrowed eyes and aim moving between Cael and DiNapoli.


    "Another one of Nuvoloso''s?" he asked.


    "No." Cael shook his head. Then, instead of saying more, he let his actions speak for himself.


    He threw his hand forward, sending the Blood de out. It flew at DiNapoli, but the man met it with the edge of his sword, slicing the spell and the de into two harmless halves.


    But it was a distraction enough for the archer to shoot an arrow, aiming right into a hole between his cuirass and his pauldron. The arrow sank in the flesh almost to the fletching.


    DiNapoli cried out and faltered, but didn''t fall. His wounded¡ªleft¡ªhand let go of the sword. The magic in it went out, leaving only a glyph-covered de, but the man still charged forward at the archer.


    The archer moved back and put a tree between himself and the enemy. His fingers reached for his quiver.


    Cael read another spell.


    "*Crimson river, your mastermands! Flow from the veins of the unworthy, give up their life!*"


    Blood flowed freely out of DiNapoli''s wounds. Cael felt the man clutching for it, his own mana straining to fight against Cael''s spell, but there wasn''t much of it.


    The swordsman made another step and fell. And Cael knew from his spell that his heartbeat, that pressure that pumped his blood, stopped, too.


    Cael let the System consume it all. He moved his eyes away from the fallen swordsman towards the approaching archer.


    The man had a new arrow in his bow, and it was aimed at Cael.


    "Thanks for the help, man. Not that I needed it, of course. Now, who are you and why shouldn''t I shoot you?"

 Chapter 38: The She-Devil

    <h4>Chapter 38: The She-Devil</h4>


    Ginevra ducked under an Arcane Arrow, sneering. "Cantrips? Have you grown *this* feeble, old man?"


    Gianni didn''t sumb to her insults. His only visible show of emotion was a twitch of his brow and a bulging vein on his forehead. Thetter, though, was likely from the tension of the fight.


    They both long ago didn''t look their best.


    Ginevra threw a me Arrow at him. She didn''t need to read the incantation for that simple spell. But Gianni didn''t need an incantation to catch it with a small, buckler-sized magic shield he conjured in front of his raised palm.


    She threw a Frost Arrow right after, and this time Gianni had to dodge. The arrownded on the ground, freezing spilled blood into slippery red ice.


    *Defending is all you can, isn''t it? I will shatter all your shields,* Ginevra through, her teeth clenching in determination.


    She was on her own here. Soldiers have moved away from the fighting mages, giving them a wide berth to avoid coteral damage. Luciano ensured archers stopped shooting at Ginevra over their heads. Gianni''s earth mage was out of the fight for days, if he would live at all.


    But if Gianni fell, his army would crumble. Even now, the fight on the battlefield only kept going because they, the generals, still held strong.


    So Ginevra pushed through the tiredness, grabbed hold of her mana¡ªand she still had plenty left¡ªand chanted another spell at the same time as Gianni.


    "*From the depths of winter''s domain, I summon the power of the freezing gale. Let it engulf my foes, turning their hearts to ice!*"


    She finished just in time. Not a momentter, Gianni''s spell caught hold of her, and she faltered, breathless¡ªliterally. Air escaped her lungs, and there was nothing around to rece it with. Ginevra gasped, reflexively trying to breathe, and failing. Sudden silence enveloped her, as if she was submerged underwater.


    The prepared spell in her hand shook, ready to break.


    She took a hold of herself. This was a surprise, but!..


    Ginevra rolled forward, feeling the tendrils of mana tearing from the sudden jerk. Air rushed around her, sweet and filling.


    She reached her hand out and let the Ice Nova spell explode with a st of freezing air. Gianni gasped, stumbling back. The shield he put on himself even before this, shimmered and wavered as it absorbed the damage.


    By Ginevra''s estimate, a good blow or two like those will do it.


    She pushed forward, chaining spells one after another, not giving them both a moment of a breather. Gianni had some other nasty spells at his disposal and was smart in using them¡ªGinevra was almost caught when he turned the already wet earth under her feet into thick mud¡ªbut he was just an old man.


    An old man used to hiding behind the backs of other people. His shields, his enhancing spells¡ªthey all were signs of that weakness, and Ginevra exploited it.


    She was going to win. She *had* to win. After Gianni destroyed her previous ns, *her father''s* previous ns¡­ There was just no other option.


    It clearly had been a while since Gianni hadst fought. He gave her ground, step by step. He took some, too. That moment in the mud cost Ginevra a hole in her shoulder¡ªnothing too serious. The healing potion she drank a little earlier had already stopped blood and numbed the pain.


    Another me Arrow hit his cuirass. The glyphs on it shone yet again, absorbing damage, but it wasn''t enough. Gianni gasped from the blow and lost his bnce, falling into the bloody dirt.


    Ginevra was on him in the next moment, her sword raised for the finishing blow, but Gianni rolled to the side.


    "She-devil, you belong in Hell!" he grunted, throwing a wordless Arcane Arrow at her.


    She staggered as it whizzed too close to her ear, and it was enough that Gianni pushed to his feet again, panting.


    Ginevra sensed he didn''t have that much mana left. Neither did she¡ªbut there was enough to throw low circle spells like Frost and me Arrows at each other for a while longer.


    The third circle spells they used in the beginning of the fight, now those took a lot of mana. First circle spells, inparison, cost almost nothing.


    So Ginevra cast a Frost Arrow again, aiming at Gianni''s legs. He jerked to the side, avoiding it, but in the next moment Ginevra cut with her sword, forcing Gianni to step back as he parried the strike with his own de.


    His foot slipped on the ice created by Ginevra''s arrow. Gianni faltered.


    Ginevra shed his ankle, sending blood flying. He fell with a grunt and a thud. This time, Ginevra was ready to finish him immediately.


    She pushed her sword downward at Gianni''s neck. The man''s eyes widened, reflecting the light of sun and the glint of Ginevra''s sword. There was fear in them, and a stubborn, desperate, useless refusal to ept this loss.


    Something moved in the corner of Ginevra''s eye. *An arrow?*


    She reacted without thinking, stepping aside and raising the sword in a parry. It met with the projectile¡ªa swift red crescent¡ªslicing it in two. The halves sttered over Ginevra, and she realized the crescent de was made from blood.


    Her eyes darted to the origins of the projectile, and Ginevra sucked in a sharp breath.


    "What?" she blinked, unsure if she was seeing things. "How?!"


    It was Cael Oliveira, her brazen weak hostage. Except, he didn''t look at all like the bruised man Ginevra let in her camp.


    There was primal ferocity on his healed face, and blood covering his dirty, torn clothes. But most of all, his mana. His mana pulsed like it had no business doing. He was only a first rank mage!


    At least, he was a day ago.


    "Ginevra!" Cael shouted, pointing a sword at her. "I''ll stop you here, and then stop your father, too!"


    Ginevra clenched her teeth and curled her lips in a snarl.


    "We will see!"

 Chapter 39 Blood for blood

    39 Blood for blood


    Slowly, as to not provoke the archer, Cael reached for the cor of his tunic and pulled out his Mage''s Mark. He rubbed on it to wash at least some of the grime.


    "I''m Cael Oliveira. It''s¡­ a long story. But it''s written on my Mark." He raised the engraved side towards the man.


    System dered about two more upgrades it purchased on Cael''s previousmand. He ignored her, since they were of the less important kind, anyway¡ªjust stat boosts.


    The archer squinted and made two steps forward. His eyesight must''ve been amazing to read the tiny letters from that distance.


    He lowered his bow and straightened.


    "Ohoo, what a meeting! It''s a pity this isn''t the time or ce for long stories, because I''ve never heard about magic like yours. I''m Ignazio Vespertino, an ally of your father. And I have to get back to him, but," Ignazio lifted a hand to the gash on his shoulder and cringed. "I need a moment first. And find more arrows."


    He reached for a bag on his belt and pulled out a sk. After taking a few big gulps, Ignazio offered it to Cael.


    "Want some? Family''s recipe. Restoration potion, mana potion and strong alcohol, all in one. Wakes up dead men in minutes."


    Cael shook his head. "Thank you, signore Vespertino, I''m fine. Just¡­ Where IS my father?"


    The man grinned. "Come on, we fought together. Even if only for a while. Forget formalities, just call me Ignazio. As for your question¡­" Ignazio looked around, then pointed toward the general fighting. "Still back there, I hope."


    Cael nodded, smiling back. The easy way with which Ignazio epted his oddities instantly warmed Cael to him, so the next words he said with a pang of regret. "I have to go, Ignazio."


    Ignazio raised a fist. "y ''em all. I''ll be right behind you."


    With onest nce at the archer, Cael turned and whispered a spell. This was a third circle enchantment straight from his father''s library¡ªHero''s Valor.


    "<Oh, great champions of old, hear my plea. Grant me the strength to stand courageously in battle, with vigor unparalleled, so that I shall triumph over evil!>"


    It was rather long andplex. There were too many unfamiliar threads of mana Cael had to weave together, and it took him two attempts to finish it. But he had mana to spare now, and thanks to upgrades, the mana control to be able to finish it at all.


    As soon as he did, magical might and speed filled his limbs. The effect was more powerful than that of a simple Windstride, and more broad.


    Now Cael would match Ginevra''s speed.


    He ran towards the main fight. There was no time to lose¡­ He already wasted enough. Except, it wasn''t a waste, but a necessity. Until he killed all those people, he would''ve been useless in a fight against Ginevra, anyway.


    He ran out onto the road and squinted, momentarily blinded by the bright spring sun. The fight began in the morning, but now the sun almost reached its zenith.


    And ahead, surrounded by now much more spread out than before lines of fighters, Cael saw them.


    His father and Ginevra. He saw her throwing him down with a strike, and his lips already chanted a spell. But he was still too far. Too far!


    "<Crimson river, Imand thee to be the de of death!>"


    When Ginevra moved to face him and her eyes widened in shock, Cael inwardly cried out with relief. His eyes, only for a moment, darted to his father.


    Gianni sat up, his eyes shocked and fearful. Cael could read the silent question in them, and could hear it in Father''s stern voice.


    ''Cael, why are you here when I told you to stay safe and away from the fight?''


    Cael gave his answer to Ginevra instead.


    "I''ll stop you here, and then stop your father, too!"


    "We will see!" she shouted back.


    And, without warning, threw out her arm to stab at Gianni with the sword.


    Cael gasped, dashing forward, but his father raised a hand and a foggy surface of a magic shield coalesced in front of him. Ginevra''s de struck it and harmlessly bounced back.


    Gianni, still holding the shield out, tried to stand up, only to falter and fall to his knee. The shield wobbled, too.


    But by then, Cael had finished reading his spell.


    "''Crimson river, your mastermands! Flow from the veins of the unworthy, give up their life!''"


    Ginevra grit her teeth as her lifeblood left her wounds. Even if the cuts were shallow and already crusted over, they were still open gates for Cael''s spells.


    But behind those gates stood one of the two most powerful mages Cael had ever seen. And she pulled back, her own mana tearing at the strands of Cael''s.


    With a roar of pain and fury, she threw a ming arrow at Cael. He staggered to the side, avoiding it, but the concentration on his spell was lost. What little blood he gathered fell to the ground.


    "<Crimson river that flows so freely, call forth a hailstorm of death. Let the lifeblood of my enemies¡­>"


    11:24


    "<¡­unite with my power! Let thy scorching ze consume all who stand against me!>"


    Ginevra still stood on her feet.


    Cael clenched his fist on the hilt of his sword.


    "What magic is this?! Son¡­" Gianni asked, blinking in disbelief. Then he cringed. "Later. Later. <Spirits of nature, awaken and grow¡ªno trespasser shall leave thy domain!>"


    As grasping vines grew from the ground below Ginevra''s feet, she countered them with her own spell.


    "<Inferno, born of dragon''s breath¡­>"


    Cael guessed this was a fire spell from the first words of it. And maybe Gianni could still fight, despite being unable to stand, but Cael couldn''t risk having Ginevra conscious for another moment.


    He had to use his strongest spell yet. And this exchange just gave him an opportunity to finish it.


    Cael threw down his sword to control the mana with both hands. It took most of his mana pool, but here, now, near all that blood¡ªhis mana was limitless.


    "<Crimson river that flows so freely, call forth a hailstorm of death. Let the lifeblood of my enemies¡­>"


    "<¡­unite with my power! Let thy scorching ze consume all who stand against me!>"


    With those words, a st of fire exploded from Ginevra''s hands, burning down the vines, pushing at Gianni''s shield and sting Cael with a wave of heat and the smell of cooking blood.


    He recited thest words of his spell. "<¡­join you!>"


    Droplets of blood rose from the ground, ttening into hundreds of tiny, razor-sharp disks. Ginevra''s eyes widened, but she didn''t look smug.


    She must''ve felt the mana within the spell.


    "<Eternal frost of the far North,e to my aid. Let¡ª>"


    Cael recognized the Frost Wall spell, but he didn''t let Ginevra finish. The disks of blood, controlled by his will, flew at her like a deadly hurricane.


    For every wound Ginevra dealt to his father, Cael would make her bleed hundredfold.


    I''m very sorry for this chapter''s dy. I had to wait until WN validates my premium, and this took longer than I expected.


    But don''t worry. Whenever I don''t post, I write! All chapters written during this period of silence shall go towards future privilege and mass release (spoiler!).


    Garessta

 Chapter 40 Fall from grace

    40 Fall from grace


    The tiny blood des flew at Ginevra like a cloud of deadly, flesh-tearing fog. Her incantation halted with a grunt of pain when the first des tore through the gaps in her armor, bit into her skin.


    Ginevra rose her arms to her face in a reflexive gesture of protection, one that saved her eyes. But the assault wasn''t over yet. There was still mana in Cael''s spell, and the des kept whirling around Ginevra.


    But to Cael''s shock¡ªand admiration¡ªeven that didn''t stop Ginevra from finishing her spell.


    "<¡­your power be my chilling shield and my indomitable fortress!>" she shouted and mmed her leg in Cael''s direction.


    A wall of jagged, pinkish from blood, icicles grew out of the ground right before his feet, threatening to pierce him with its edges. A defense and protection at once.


    Cael dashed back, feeling the reins he had on his spell slipping. In the end, even if he learned the Hundred Cuts with System''s help, and if his mana control had drastically improved in thest few hours, it was still imperfect.


    And this was a hard spell to control. It sucked way more mana out of Cael than it should have. Good thing Cael had so much of it lying around.


    He nced at his father. Gianni still sat in the dirt, watching Cael with wide eyes. Cael stretched his lips into a tense, awkward smile.


    What would he think of him after all this? Blood magic¡­ It must''ve looked like one of the forbidden arts to him, even if Cael couldn''t recall it being officially forbidden.


    It was possible that no one did that only because there was no precedent yet.


    Cael shook himself. This was no time to entertain those thoughts. He dashed around the wall, chanting the Greater Exsanguination spell as he went.


    As soon as he turned the corner, Ginevra met him with a Frost Arrow in his face. It was an almost point-nk shot¡ªGinevra stood only a couple of meters away.


    The time seemed to slow. The icicle-shaped Frost Arrow moved through the air like it was thick resin.


    ''Life doesn''t teach me anything,'' Cael thought ruefully.


    But now his reaction was better than thest time he caught projectiles with his body. His muscles were stronger. The spell that enhanced his movements was more powerful. And this Frost Arrow wasn''t faster than the dagger.


    Cael bent his knees and lowered his head, letting the gravity, ever so slowly, pull him to the ground.


    The time returned to its previous pace. The Frost Arrow whizzed over Cael''s head, and he jumped back up.


    Ginevra''s eyes widened. In that split of a second, Cael found his breath taken away at the sight of her. She was a vision straight from Hell.


    Dozens of bleeding gashes covered every centimeter of her skin. There was so much blood on her, both hers and that of others, that it was impossible to tell just how many wounds she had. Her clothing must''ve been red to the bone.


    She was like a demoness, a fierce, indomitable creature of bloodshed. And just like Cael found himself reveling in bloodshed, he found himself reveling in her.


    And then, in an action that brought him intense, visceral pleasure, he brought her to her knees with the finishing words of his spell.


    "<¡­give up their life!>"


    She screamed as the blood left her veins. Even now she tried to resist, but she stood no chance with how many wounds she had. Blood flew freely, gathering into a thick, pressurized globe in Cael''s palm. Precious blood of a third rank mage.


    Ginevra fell down, her breathing weak and her heartbeat faint. Cael closed her eyes.


    This was HER precious blood. Her life. And¡­


    Cael cut the spell off before it would kill her.


    ''Cael, you have gained 295 BP. A new upgrade is avable for purchase.''


    Around, the flow of battle shifted. Nuvoloso soldiers, seeing the fall of their leader, began to flee. Their ranks, still numerous, didn''t matter. No one expected Ginevra to fall, but there was no better boost for the morale of Oliveira''s soldiers.


    Cael paid them as much attention as his System.


    ''Ginevra would be more useful to me and Father alive,'' Cael told himself. ''She would know everything about Enzo''s ns and resources¡­ And worth mountains of gold as a hostage.''


    He sighed.


    Bullshit. It was all true, but the actual reason for this decision was as simple as that¡ªCael didn''t want to kill her.


    He thought he wanted to. Both of them didn''t hesitate to kill each other''srades. And she was about to kill his father!


    The approach of the man in question interrupted Cael''s introspection. Gianni used someone''s fallen spear as a walking cane to stand up next to Cael. "You have defeated her, son."


    Cael nodded. "Yes. We should take her prisoner¡­ Mend her wounds before she bleeds outpletely. She''s valuable."


    Gianni grunted in agreement. "That would be wise. Now, I should finish this fight. Then, we will talk." His lip twitched. "You didn''t do as I asked, again."


    Cael had an overwhelming urge to hit something. "I saved your life! Our army! And you tell me I''m at fault for not staying away from the battle?"


    "Yes."


    "Oh,e on! I knew, just knew I will bete for everything," a loud, cheerful voice interrupted the tense conversation.


    Cael swiveled on his heels to see Ignazio, followed by a group of Oliveira soldiers, jogging up to them. The archer beamed at Gianni.


    "You should''ve talked more about your eldest, Captain! I never thought he was such a monster in battle." Ignazio gave Cael''s shoulder a friendly pat. "The only right man to defeat the She-Devil, right? You must be proud as heck!"


    Cael felt his cheeks warming under Ignazio''s praise and the surrounding soldiers'' scrutiny. Some gazes were awe-struck. Others were frightened.


    They saw his spells. They saw that this was not amon human magic.


    Gianni''s expression turned painful. Cael threw him a look of rm, wondering if he was more


    wounded than it seemed. When their eyes met, Father''s expression softened a little.


    "Enough," he said. "My soldiers! Let''s deal the final blow to all who treacherously try to invade ournds!"

 Chapter 41 Act III: Make Love, not war | The aftermath, part 1

    <hr>


    41 Act III: Make Love, not war | The aftermath, part 1


    Alessia knew when to step away and merge with the shadows. She knew this time was now even before Ginevra''s body fell to the ground.


    So when it did, Alessia''s spell was alreadyplete. Dark purple smoke poured out of her palms¡ªunreal, but stillpletely opaque to the light. It spread in a line, following Alessia''s will, blocking the line of sight between Nuvoloso''s and Oliveira''s troops.


    "Soldiers! Do not panic! We shall retreat together! Take those who can''t walk¡ªleave no one behind!" she shouted, doing her best to save those who still could be saved.


    Too few for her liking. Too few...


    Only a half of Ginevra''s original troops, in Alessia''s estimate, still were in condition to walk; from those, about a half heard and listened to Alessia''s call.


    But this was something, and soldiers followed Alessia when she led them away from the fight and into the forest. She had a n in her head: they would return to camp, then make a turn and walk around the forest to return to the Nuvoloso border.


    The dark shroud of Alessia''s spell prevented archers from shooting their backs and gave pause to the soldiers sent by Gianni in a chase.


    Then Alessia felt a forceful tug on her spell. She gasped as someone tore part of the reins out of her hands and used them to punch a hole in the shroud, opening Alessia to the view from the other side.


    An interloper! Someone knowledgeable enough in Illusion school of spells to interfere with her shroud.


    She followed the thread of mana from her spell to its origin. There, Alessia saw a gray-haired man with a cane in his hands and a cruel smirk on his face, standing on a fallen tree trunk behind the line X1 his troops.


    Alessia hated him from this very moment. As if she didn''t have enough problems already!


    She raised her palms and brought them together with a p. Following her gesture, the walls of the purple smoke pressed together, filling the empty spot like water.


    Then, still keeping the tight hold on her spell, Alessia turned in her original direction and kept running.


    The other illusionist pulled on Alessia''s magic again. This time, she was ready to meet him and kept a tight control. But then he repeated the tug once again, and by then, Alessia was far enough away that her control over the spell began to slip on its own.


    But she was also far enough from the battleground that it didn''t matter.


    Alessia nced around. Rows of soldiers jogged or walked near, some on their own, some carrying theirrades¡ªall dirty, bloody, covered in sweat and with their spirits lower than the forest floor. A few made makeshift stretchers out of cloaks and spears. It was hard to count them with all the trees around, but at least fifty. At most-a hundred. Several knights, but no second-ranked mages.


    Alessia closed her eyes, pained.


    "Just keep going, she said for the nearby soldiers to hear. "Keep going. The camp will have horses, healers, and help. And then we will all go home. This war is over. Enzo Nuvoloso tried to bite of a piece of a pie, but his teeth hit a stone"


    Even that power-hungry man would be wise enough to not try to attack after such a loss. He was just too vulnerable at the moment.


    "What about Lieutenant DiNapolir a soldier near her asked. "Have you seen him, Lieutenant?"


    Alessia shook her head. "He''s a resourceful man. If he''s still alive, hell find a way to get to us."


    She felt another, much more powerful than the previous ones, tug at her spell. This time, Alessia didn''t resist, letting it unravel. They were far away now to be safe.


    But Alessia knew that this all wasn''t over yet. Not in the eyes of power-hungry men like Enzo.


    ***


    Silvio shrugged and sent Gianni a small smile. "As you can see, I was toote. This woman is a formidable illusionist."


    "Let them run." Ignazio made a dismissive hand motion. ''Really! Let them run with their tails between their legs. Now that''s a strike that will make Enzo apologize profusely for his attack!"


    Gianni gave him a level stare.


    "Do I smell spirits from your breath, Vespertino? It would exin why you put ''Enzo'' and ''apology in one sentence''


    Ignazio grinned. "No spirits, only my home-brewed medical concoction. And speaking of medics, more than one of us is bound to visit them:


    This much Gianni agreed with. The fight had barely ended.


    Gianni ordered to march to the edge of the forest and make camp here, away from the battlefield. The healers triaged the wounded, and both Gianni and Ignazio agreed their wounds weren''t in priority as much as taking care of other things.


    The fleeting enemies, his own soldiers. Now that there were no former ones left, Gianni concentrated his attention on thetter. Dousing the forest fires, gathering and counting the dead¡ªso they could beter buried near their own homes¡ªspreading resources, taking note of soldiers that performed well enough for a special reward, gathering corpses, making camp...


    The healer came to Gianni''s tent, sewed his wounds and told him to try keeping walking to the minimum. Gianni took a crutch and ignored the prescription. There would be time to rest and recover when their army returns to Sanremo di Mare.


    With his leg aching like mad, the long, tiring but necessary work grew even longer and more tiring. Normally, Federico would''ve been the one to arrange most of this, but now the manid in the hospital tent, somewhere between life and death.


    Gianni stopped near to hear his prospects. They weren''t good.


    At least, all that distracted Gianni from talldng with his son. He was almost d to have it. He really didn''t know what he would say. What would he ask?


    Even now, the rumors of demonic power spread through the troops like wildfire. Gianni did what he could to quieten them, but knew that it could only slow down their spread.


    There was no stopping the truth. Gianni only once heard about magic like the one Cael showed today, and this magic belonged to vampires¡ªbloodsucking devils.


    So what else could Cael''s power be than something straight from Hell?

 Chapter 42 The aftermath, part 2

    42 The aftermath, part 2


    After the fight, Cael found himself bereft. Father had much to do, and little to say to Cael at the moment. The words that had to be spoken, though, stretched the silence thin and tense.


    The hospital tent turned out to be an unexpected, but wee, ce of rest. The sights of wounded and dying was as distressing as the smell of herbs and wounds, but there was clean water for Cael to wash blood off himself a little, and some sense of purpose. There was Ginevra.


    He put a shock cor on her¡ªnot the same Cael took off himself, but a very simr thing from Gianni''s stash for war prisoners¡ªand watched as the healer cut off her clothes and washed her wounds with a small water-summoning spell. There were many.


    Besides the water spell, the healer didn''t use any incantations. There weren''t any healer mages in Oliveirands at all. They were rarer than unicorns, their secrets kept tightly guarded and the services offered only to the most influential people.


    Those field surgeons weren''t them. They weren''t full-fledged mages at all.


    "Milordo," the healer called for Cael, pointing at Ginevra. Her front was clean, and Cael fought to not stare at her boobs¡ªone unmarred withcerations he ced on the woman''s skin. "Would you kindly help me turn her on her stomach?"


    ''Of course''


    Cael didn''t know telekinesis spells strong enough for the haul, so he had to touch Ginevra. He kept it as brief as he could. The sensation of her skin awakened desires he shouldn''t have been feeling. Not towards the enemy.


    Then the healer washed off blood and grime from Ginevra''s back, and Cael sucked in a breath. The healers mouth cracked open, but no sound left him.


    There were plenty of wounds, though less than at the front. But they weren''t the cause of the shock.


    Ginevra''s entire back was covered in long, knotted scars. Scars, the kind of which a whip would leave. They crisscrossed Ginevra''s skin, some pale and almost faded, others redder and angrier. How fresh were they?


    "Who could''ve left them?"


    The healer finally caught his jaw, then shook his head. ''That''s_ Not something I expected to see on the back of Nuvoloso''s She-Devil. The freshest one of these marks seems to be only a few months old... Even less, if thedy used magic to heal it."


    Cael''s fists clenched at his sides. "Just ensure she''ll live. This isn''t the time to discuss Ginevra''s history!


    "Of course, Milordo! The healer hurried to the bandages and ointments. "But most of her bleeding had already stopped. She is remarkably tenacious"


    "Most is not all"


    Not to mention, there was no saying if Ginevra will catch a fever from any of her many wounds. The chances, in Cael''s opinion, were unpleasantly high.


    He didn''t spare her life only for her to die on himter, after all.


    ''Still, who could''ve whipped her? Ginevra is her father''s only daughter! A count''s daughter! There''s nowful punishment for a noble that includes whipping''


    The healer moved deftly. Soon, most of Ginevra''s torso and parts of her legs were covered in bandages. The man dered that Ginevra was not yet well enough to be removed from the hospital tent, but should be more stable tomorrow¡ªif a fever won''t set in. She was far from returning to consciousness, too.


    Cael nodded in understanding. "Can I help with anything else here?"


    The healer looked at him with doubt. ''If you are sure, Milordo... This doesn''t seem like the work quite of your caliber..." He withered under Cael''s stare. "Ah. Water. Water is always wee. If you know Summon Water..."


    There was water to pour, things to move, lights to light and hold over surgeons and men to hold down. Plenty of work that paused only when Cael''s father walked into the tent.


    Though, "hobbled" would''ve been the better word. Gianni held a crutch in his hand, and each step took a visible effort from him. It made Cael''s heart clench.


    He dropped the half-full bucket of water he was filling and ran up to Gianni. "Father... I don''t think you should be walking around"


    Gianni pursed his lips. "I wanted to look at our most valuable prisoner. Where is she?''


    Cael pointed at the hospital bed where sheid, with the most peaceful expression Cael had ever seen on her.


    Father frowned, approaching the bed. ''Will she live? Why is she unbound?"


    "The healer said she lost a lot of blood¡ªshe won''t be able to even stand up in the next few days. Though, her prospects seem fine overall."


    "It doesn''t matter. Ginevra might end her life before we could, or force our hand!"


    Cael flinched at the mental imagery this conjured. Ginevra shing her throat to avoid torture... It was so far from an honest, open battle, and so sickening.


    "Alright," he said, to cate both his father and himself. "Was... was that the only thing on your mind, Father?"


    "No." He threw a sharp look at Cael. "Come. We will talk in a more private ce."


    The "more private ce" was Gianni''s personal tent. There, Cael''s father sat down on a folding wooden chair, stretching out his leg with a breath of relief.


    And then pinned Cael to the spot with his next words.


    "Son... You were a hero today. Even though the war is no ce for heroes. They go against their orders, die and bring others with them."


    Cael took a breath and opened his mouth, ready to argue again, but Gianni kept speaking, his sharp eyes never leaving Cael''s.


    "You were also a devil today. The magic you used... Blood magic, wasn''t it? I heard only mentions of it, rumors... What demon have you sold your soul for it? Tell me, Cael. Whatever this is, I need to know, so I can deal with it." He cringed. "Do my best to help you with this, at least. There are rumors already."


    Cael closed his mouth, swallowed, and opened it again.


    "I didn''t sell my soul. But..."

 Chapter 43 To be a demon and a son

    Chapter 43 To be a demon and a son


    Cael fell silent again and lowered his eyes. When he looked at his father, he knew the man was entirely honest in his wish to help him. But for what reason? For family honor? Or just because Cael was his son?


    Today, Father had called Cael a hero, but the word had a sour taste.


    A devil¡­ Was that really who Cael was in everyone''s eyes now? He didn''t think about that before. There was no way to take them back, though, and Cael wouldn''t do that if he could.


    The life of his father and the lives of Oliveira''s soldiers were worth the blemish on his reputation. In fact¡­


    Cael smirked bitterly. Maybe if he embraced being "the devil", something good might yete out of this.


    He lifted his gaze to Father''s. Cael''s face grew hard and resolute. The lie didn''t feel like one when it left his tongue¡ªbecause it was the truth, in a way. In a very metaphorical way.


    "That day, Father, I met a dying demon. He didn''t ask for my soul¡ª


    he gave me his power for free, with only one hope. He wanted me to be stronger than he was. And I will. No matter what others say or think¡ªI will be the strongest mage in the entire world! Even you won''t stop me."


    Cael clenched his fists and waited in tense silence for Father''s response. The man''s expression was dark and unreadable.


    Until his breath left Gianni in a loud exhale. He reached out his hand.


    "Come here, son."


    When Cael came up to Father''s chair and leaned closer, Gianni put that hand on his shoulder. Cael''s knees weakened for a moment under the weight of emotion that it awoke within him.


    "Vittorio would still make a far better heir than you, Cael. But you will make a far better mage than him."


    Gianni''s hand fell and Cael took a step back. In his father''s eyes, he read everything the man didn''t say aloud. For the first time, the meaning of Father''s actions grew clear to him.


    Gianni cared for Cael¡ªenough to fear for his life whenever it was in danger. Lately, it was too often. But it exined why even after being saved, Father couldn''t find a word of gratitude for his son.


    A bitter realization, because Cael would''ve preferred just that.


    "Why Vittorio again?" he asked through clenched teeth. "I''m stronger than him now! I''d pass the second rank exam right, or even the third."


    "This isn''t about strength, Cael." Gianni gave Cael a level look. "A lord must possess a different kind of it. He must know how to manage hisnds, negotiate with other lords, and work with documents. Not how to run around and stick your head into every wasp nest you see. People who don''t understand this are the reason so many of the people in this country go hungry."


    Cael blinked. "I¡­ never thought about that."


    "Exactly! You read the same books as Vittorio, listened to the same lessons. I know your passions don''t lie in prices of trade goods and taxes. But the tradition is the tradition. I can''t just make Vittorio my heir if I have a healthy older son. Unless he refuses the title himself."


    "If I grow strong enough, the king might just give me another, bigger title, anyway. Especially if the kingdom wins a war and gains newnds."


    "He might, and it will be your choice, Cael, whether to ept. Yournd to rule, if you will."


    Cael nodded. This was something to mull over, but for now¡­ "What about our war with Nuvoloso? Enzo never even officially dered it. You think he would stop his advance now?"


    Father easily, maybe even eagerly, epted the change of topic. "He would be aplete fool not to, and he''s no fool. Enzo has his own enemies, eager to stick a dagger in his back. We made him vulnerable. I can only hope, though, that he would give up permanently¡­"


    Cael shook his head. "If he''s anything like his daughter, then I don''t think he will. We will have to prepare for whatever he will do next."


    "His daughter¡­" Father sent Cael a sharp nce. "Did she truly not harm you when you were her prisoner? You told me as much, but it''s hard to believe."


    Cael made a half-shrug, unsure what he felt about this idea. Not much of a vengeful drive, definitely. To destroy your enemies in an honest fight was one thing, and to kick them while they were weak was another.


    "It was nothing. Ginevra didn''t harm me for the sake of it¡­ Actually, I don''t think she''s that cruel at all. Ruthless, definitely." Cael rubbed the cheek she had pped earlier. "Not as cruel as whoever left the marks on her back."


    "The marks?"


    Cael exined the whip scars, hoping that Father would know where they might havee from.


    Gianni frowned in thought.


    "Ginevra was raised as a nobledy until she showed an exceptional talent in magic and fighting. Then she was raised as a noble mage," Father mused aloud. "No one whips either as awful punishment. Whoever did it, did so in secret. And I can think of only one person in the Nuvoloso family powerful enough to both overpower Ginevra and keep the entire matter secret."


    Cael nched as the realization struck him. "But it can''t be! What sort of father does this to his own daughter?!"


    Father''s face hardened. "Not a kind that will have any respect amongst other lords. But it changes nothing for Ginevra herself. Remember that, Cael¡­ No matter what child she was, her current self won''t change. You are young yet, and prone to follow your lower head. Don''t."


    Cael felt his cheeks heating. "I''m not. And anyway¡­ I defeated her¡ª


    she''s MY prisoner now. I can decide what to do with her."


    Father''s eyes narrowed. "As long as you don''t decide to let her go so she could attack us yet again."


    "Don''t worry, Father. Whatever you think of me, I''m not that foolish."

 Chapter 44 Under a magnifying glass, part 1

    Chapter 44 Under a magnifying ss, part 1


    Vittorio sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Every minute of this conversation felt like a year, and by now he could''ve been his own grandfather.


    "No one will confiscate your stocks. The Oliveira family honestly bought the supplies for this military campaign. So I repeat onest time¡ªyou. Won''t. Raise. Prices."


    The head of the merchant''s guild of Sanremo di Mare (and neighboring cities) chewed his cheek, eying Vittorio with evident doubt. "But this isn''t your right to dictate our prices, signore Oliveira! With all due respect, you are not the lord of thisnd yet¡­"


    Vittorio wanted to growl now. This was how half of his audiences went. ''Oh, with all due respect, boy, won''t you call your dad here?'' he mocked inwardly.


    For thest few days since Father''s leave, Vittorio had to be a lord in his stead. Dealing with missives and paperwork was the easier part¡ªVittorio had a head for ledgers and a Mage''s Hand for writing AND improving his mana control at once.


    The audiences were much harder. Mother helped when she could, but she was in a simr position with Vittorio. Men would just say something like, ''Lady, why won''t you let men speak amongst themselves?''


    The three of them stood in the Oliveira''s audience hall, which was built right on the first lever of their tower. It was a grand ce, built to awe and intimidate visitors. From the tall arched windows, midday sun threw golden stripes at the long red carpet that led straight to the lord''s seat. Not a throne, but arge, towering chair on a raised dais.


    Usually Gianni sat here; but today, Vittorio took his ce.


    Next to him, on a slightly smaller chair, sat Vittorio''s mother. Emilia, as always, was dressed impably. There was not a strand out of ce from her borate hairdo.


    She caught Vittorio''s nce and slightly shook her head. A wordless call to calm down.


    Vittorio took a deep breath and did her best to follow her advice. It helped¡ªa new strategy of conversation came to Vittorio''s head. He turned towards the merchant again and smiled.


    The merchant smiled back with a glimpse of unease in his eyes.


    "You won''t gain profit from raising prices, signore. My father is on his way from the border. His forces were victorious just this morning, and the public announcement of this will happen very soon. There will be no panic and no deficit to justify your actions."


    "I understand, signore Oliveira." The merchant bowed his head. Vittorio watched with satisfaction how the greedy thoughts moved in his eyes.


    He''de to the same conclusion.


    "Then this audience is over," Vittorio said.


    The merchant took the hint and left. Vittorio looked around the empty hall, then addressed a guard who stood at the main entrance.


    "Is there anyone left?"


    The guard peeked outside and shook his head. "No, signore Vittorio."


    With a loud huff, Vittorio stretched. "Finally! Mother, do you know how Father manages doing it every week?"


    Emilia smiled slightly. "Patiencees with age and practice. When you grow older, you will be an even greater lord than he is."


    Vittorio grinned, but his joy quickly dimmed. "What I''m going to lord over, if Cael''s the heir? Tsk."


    "You are still a powerful mage. You will have no trouble conquering and of your own under our king''s banners."


    Vittorio shook his head. "But it won''t be the same. It will be someone else''snd¡­ Not like this ce. FAMILY''s ce."


    Mother pursed her lips and said nothing. Which meant that she didn''t have a good answer, either.


    Vittorio clicked his tongue again and rose from his seat. "I''m going to¡ª"


    The sound of the opening door interrupted him. Inside walked a guard, shaken and pale.


    "Signore Oliveira! There''s a visitor asking to see your father," the guard said, missing the fact that he was speaking over his lord. "He introduced himself as Antonio Cattaneo, the Royal Inspector of Finances."


    Emilia''s eyes widened. "What an unfortunate coincidence, for him toe when Gianni is away. We will have to amodate him during the wait."


    Vittorio frowned. A Royal Inspector of Finances¡­ Thest one came to their tower four years ago. He didn''t recall his name, but it wasn''t Antonio. He did recall other details of the visit.


    It happened in winter, and just like now, without a word of warning. The Royal Inspector had a pegasus mount, to Vittorio''s amazement. He didn''t let neither Vittorio nor Cael pet her, but they sneaked to the stables with a bunch of apples and did it, anyway.


    The inspector himself was much more boring. He talked with Father about taxes and ledgers, checked that Gianni wasn''t hiding any taxable funds from the kind, and left. The entire visit took two days.


    "If this is a routine visit, then he likely just wants to see our ounting books, Mother," Vittorio said. "I can show them as well as Father could. Jericho!" he addressed the guard. "Let him in."


    And if Vittorio dealt with the inspector before Father''s arrival, then he would prove, once again, that he was a better heir than Cael. So much better that Father and all other lords would forget the normal order of inheritance.


    The doors of the audience hall opened, and in walked a man, tall and dry as a stick. Even his clothes were dark blue, too simple and unadorned for an official of his status. The only spot of color was a Mage''s Mark he wore on his chest like a medal, and even that held no gemstones¡ªonly four silver studs set in copper.


    He walked towards the dais in long, brisk steps and drew to a halt two meters away from the chairs. There, he lowered his head in the slightest measure of a bow.


    Anything less would''ve been offensive, even for someone of his rank. Vittorio was sitting here in his father''s stead, after all. Like a lord.


    "Young signore Oliveira, signora Oliveira," he greeted. "Where may I find Gianni Oliveira?"


    "Father had left me to solve the matters of thend in his stead. I''m sure whatever is your mission here, signore Cattaneo, I can help you just as well."

 Chapter 45 The archers eyes

    Chapter 45 The archer''s eyes


    After this conversation, Cael felt more lost than ever. There was so much to think about: his goals and ambition, his family, the nces soldiers kept throwing at him, Ginevra¡­


    None of these thoughts seemed to go anywhere. They were just terribly distracting.


    Cael got himself dinner¡ªthe time flew quickly and without his notice¡ªin the field kitchen and retired to a secluded corner of the camp. A tree stump was a good enough seat. He didn''t want to talk to any more people, and people didn''t want to talk to him.


    All for the better. Instead, he addressed the System.


    ''Blood Mage System, evaluate my current power level.''


    ''Understood, Cael. Your approximate level of power is weak third rank, based on your known spells, stats, and the analysis of your past battles. Your current stats,pared with mages of the third rank, are: mana¡ªbelow average; body¡ªbelow average; mind¡ªslightly below average; soul¡ªaverage. You also have one upgrade avable for purchase.''


    Cael sighed. ''You are merciless again, System. I defeated Ginevra, but I''m still ''below average''?''


    ''The approximation of your stats is based purely on the characteristics themselves, Cael. It doesn''t take in the ount your ability to use known spells, circumstances of the fight, or your other characteristics.''


    ''I see. Well, about that upgrade. The queue of upgrades I''ve given you is done now, right?''


    ''Yes, Cael.''


    He wished his journal was here. He had a neat n written inside¡ªa n that didn''t seem as good now, after Cael had experienced power and weaknesses of blood magic in a mass fight.


    The Oliveira family had plenty of spells in their library, but none higher than the third circle. Besides that, most of their spells, especially the most powerful ones, weren''t attacking spells. Since its creation, the Oliveira family specialized in spells that empowered and shielded others and themselves.


    Cael had blood magic, of course, but it was much less effective when he wasn''t surrounded by a bloody battlefield. Later on, he would either need to supplement his repertoire with other attacking spells, or find another way to broaden his fighting capabilities.


    Or just use his own blood. Cael snorted. ''Now that would have no negative consequences whatsoever.''


    ''Maybe I should invest into crafting talents,'' Cael mused. ''This might help not just me, but the entire Oliveira viscountcy. Whether or not I even want to be its lord¡­ This is still thend where I grew up.''


    "Oi! What are you doing all the way here, little Oliveira?"


    Cael perked up, startled, and saw Ignazio giving him a friendly smile. The archer wore only pants for clothing, but his torso was covered in bandages. The bow still hung on a strap behind his back.


    At this moment, Ignazio looked worn, and his face was gaunt. Right now, Cael would''ve given him a full thirty years. The exhaustion was clearly taking his toll on him, but the man refused to give in. Stubborn energy and love for life shone in his eyes and made his steps look unhurried instead of careful.


    This was a man whose ss was always half-full, and with wine instead of water.


    Cael began to stand up in greeting as Ignazio approached his seating spot, but Ignazio stopped him with a wave of his hand.


    "No, don''t rise! I''m nody and this is no dining room." He sat on the ground a meter away. "Well?"


    "Hello! Just call me by name, Ignazio. And I should be the one asking the question." Cael gestured at Ignazio''s wounds.


    The archer huffed. "No, no, don''t give me this lecture, too. Everyone else did. Those are just scratches! I better leave the bed to someone who suffers more. Anyway, after your spectacr fight this morning, I''d expect you to be drowned in apuse. Not to hang here like a ghost."


    Cael raised his eyebrows. "Really? I''m pretty sure I''m a demon, not a ghost."


    "Oh, that." Ignazio cringed. "I''ve already given a few smart-mouths know what my fists think about that horseshit. After you saved them, they should be singing praises to you even if you had just crawled from Hell with a few damned souls pinned on your horns."


    "Really?" Cael''s eyes narrowed. Ignazio was honest to the bone now, which was surprising by itself, but¡­ "Do you believe the rumors yourself, Ignazio?"


    The archer shrugged. "I only believe things I see with my eyes¡ªbut those, I never doubt. Your father''s leadership, Nuvoloso''s strength, your magic¡­ Was it demonic? I don''t know. Does it matter? I don''t think so."


    Cael chuckled, smiling. This was nice to hear. "Then you are a very rare kind of person. What, don''t you have any desire to guess things you don''t know?"


    "Of course I do! I just never believe them. Guesses are just that. I can guess that you eat babies for dinner, but would that be true?" Ignazio raised his brows and threw a sharp nce at Cael''s discarded dinner bowl. "Unless a baby can fit in here."


    Cael''s smile widened.


    "Maybe it was a stew from a baby," he teased. "Where''s the nearest vige? You should check if it has any babies missing."


    Ignazio chuckled. "Man, I''d wish to go to a vige. A proper bed, a plump widow to warm it¡­ Just what you need after a fight like today''s. Hey, since we are going straight to Sanremo di Mare now¡ªwant to party together when we get there? Someone has to show me your city''s best brothel."


    "Sure," Cael lifted a fist, and Ignazio bumped it, sealing the promise. "I already did that this year, when my little brother turned eighteen. I couldn''t just leave Vittorio a virgin, could I?"


    "The best brother ever!" Ignazio burst intoughter, and Cael joined him.


    "Really, I just wanted to tease Vit," Cael admitted a dozen secondster. "I had to one-up him SOMEHOW¡­ But then I show him to all the girls, and they start to coo at how cute and innocent he is. Bullshit!"


    Ignazioughed louder, and after a moment of pouting, Cael rejoined him. Life was good.

 Chapter 46 Strength and weakness, part 1

    46 Strength and weakness, part 1


    Ginevra woke up surrounded by smells of blood and death. The battlefield was there, and whispers called her to Hell. She fought against the cotton fog in her head, tried to move her limbs and tear free, but for naught. The voices took her into theirnd¡­


    Thend of nightmares.


    There she was a girl again. Weak, helpless, unworthy of her idol, of her father. The time when she epted her punishments with fear and gratitude, for they would make her better. Stronger. Give her his love.


    These thoughts weren''t the worst part of the dream. Because sometimes, Ginevra was tempted to return to them. Tempted to be this girl again, when things were simple and her purpose was higher than carrying someone''s orders.


    When the nightmare finally let Ginevra go, she felt well enough to understand her circumstances. She was in a military tent¡ªbut it wasn''t her own. Her limbs were bound to a folding cot, and a piece of cool metal touched her neck. Her body ached and felt leaden, but most importantly¡­


    She was still alive.


    Ginevra chuckled. Tried to, at least¡ªbut the only thing that came out was a raspy cough. She was so thirsty. Her eyes spotted a jug and a metal cup near the bed, but she couldn''t even lift her limbs to reach it.


    Was it her first torture? It was a good one.


    The p that covered the tent''s entrance lifted. A soldier''s head peeked in, gave Ginevra a suspicious re, then disappeared.


    Several minutester, the p lifted again, letting two people enter¡ªa nondescript man in his forties, wearing a healer''s wrap, and Cael Oliveira.


    He looked nothing like thest two times Ginevra saw him. Dressed not in night clothes and not in ayer of blood, but in a simple travel suit. Washed and clean-shaved, with only his short ck hair still sticking in every direction.


    Ginevra liked the way it looked at him¡ªa worthless, feminine opinion.


    There also was a new hardness in Cael''s green eyes. Not the stubbornness when he first defied her, nor the crazed battle madness of theirst fight. Just a glint of steel.


    There was no anger, no resentment¡ªonly a thin veil of something sorrowful. This, Ginevra didn''t understand most of all.


    The healer, with no othermand but Cael''s wordless nod necessary, came to Ginevra''s bed and leaned over her. Knowing that she needed to be healthy to escape, she waited patiently for him to change her bandages and examine her wounds and clenched her teeth at his rough movements.


    "She''s healing fine, signore Oliveira," the healer concluded. "There''s no fever, either. Very lucky, considering the sheer amount ofcerations on her body. She won''t get up for at least two more days. I doubt she''ll stomach solid food, either."


    Cael nodded. "If that''s all, you may go."


    The healer didn''t hesitate to leave. When he did, Cael approached Ginevra''s bed.


    She forcefully rxed her body, muscle by muscle, until there was nothing that showed her fear of him.


    Even if she WAS afraid. Only fools knew no fear. Ginevra saw what Cael could do yesterday. This was not a man''s power, and she could only imagine what Cael could do to her with it, now that she had no power to resist.


    And even without it, there were many ways to torment a prisoner. Especially a woman¡ªnot that men were safe from this. Ginevra knew of many who suffered this fate and avoided it herself only because she was never helpless near those who could wish it on her.


    Until today.


    "How the tables have turned, huh?" Cael said. "But now I don''t want to even p you."


    Ginevra narrowed her eyes.


    "Why?" she rasped out.


    He shrugged. "I don''t know. But, right¡­ You must be thirsty, I''m sure." Cael leaned for the jug and poured the cup near it with water. With the cup in hand, Cael kneeled next to Ginevra and put the water near her lips.


    She lifted her head, drinking greedily. The cup was done in an instant. "More."


    Cael wordlessly obliged.


    Only after the third cup, Ginevra reined herself in. She was just showing Cael her weaknesses. Though, she supposed, water was anyone''s weakness, anyway.


    "This is weird," Cael admitted, still not raising to his full height. "Father says we should just torture you for information, then use you to prevent next Enzo''s attack. But I disagree. Those marks on your back¡­ If Enzo did this to you, why won''t he leave you to die?"


    Ginevra flinched, and whatever blood was still left in her body moved away from her face.


    ''Of course he would see them. Someone took off your clothes and dressed your wounds!'' she chastised herself. ''From there, it was a simple guess.''


    "If Enzo did this to you," Cael continued, "why were you still fighting for him?"


    Ginevra snarled, jerking in her bounds. Weakly, because her body couldn''t muster much strength yet.


    "And why would you care for my answer at all?" she hissed. "Why would you understand it if I answer?"


    Cael pressed his lips together. "It just feels like a shame for someone as powerful as you to be under anyone''s heel, Ginevra. When we fought yesterday¡­ You were a force of nature. A hurricane or a wildfire. It''s simply WRONG for those to be trapped this way."


    Ginevra smirked. "You say so, and it''s you who trapped me now. A hypocrite."


    "Yeah, and as soon as I take off your ropes and your cor, you will st half of the camp into smithereens and run away." Cael snorted. "Look, I might feel merciful to you, but I don''t feel stupid. Your beauty only melts half my brain, not all of it."


    Ginevra wished her brain matter was more obedient. Her heart stuttered.


    So she was beautiful. She knew it. Why did this sound so different now? Why did it feel so much more important?


    Cael used a cantrip to refill the water jug and stood up. "I wille again soon. We have a lot of time to talk now."


    You thought you were reading ML, but it was FL ALL ALONG!!!


    (lol joking. But I''ve decided to write these chapters from Gin''s perspective so you would see her as more than a piece of meat :P i know you, my horny readers. dw, there will be some smut in the visible future. i''d say when, but I didn''t write that far by the moment when I write this note)

 Chapter 47 Under a magnifying glass, part 2

    47 Under a magnifying ss, part 2


    She didn''t show it, but Vittorio knew that Mother was disappointed when the inspector dered he would dine in his room instead of at themon table. But Vittorio was d. When Antonio expressed a desire to dive into the ledgers straight away, he thought it meant that he would leave as soon as possible.


    Next morning, sitting at his father''s desk with a head propped on his hand, Vittorio found how deeply mistaken he was.


    "Young signore, can you kindly exin me this?" Antonio put a massive ounting book in front of Vittorio. He perked up, examining the neat lines. The dates came to thest year, and Antonio''s finger pointed at the column names. "This. What logic stands behind your father''s decision to sort columns this way?"


    Vittorio read them, then raised his eyes to Antonio''s face.


    ''Like a dried fish,'' he thought, doing a terrible job of hiding his sourness.


    "This way? You mean by type? Animal food, then garden food, then field food, then drinks. Isn''t that the most obvious way?"


    "Most obvious?" Antonio huffed in derision. "They should be sorted alphabetically. This is impossible to read¡ªwhich is a clear sign that your family is hiding something here."


    Vittorio glowered. "Oliveira had always been honest in our dealings with both our liege and our vassals. You can read through every ledger for the four years that have passed since thest visitor from a Royal Inspector, but you won''t find any hidden money."


    Antonio met his glower with a snobbish re of his own.


    "Every embezzler says so, young signore. I''m going to read through every ledger myself and see."


    ''I wonder what kinds of people be Royal Inspectors,'' Vittorio thought, clenching his fists. ''Arrogant, rich bastard. He''s only fifth rank because his father fed him spells by spoonfuls. Otherwise, he''d find his ownnd to rule instead of going to that of others andining about columns being in a wrong order! Who says that it''s a wrong order, anyway? You, signore Dried Fish?''


    "Then, I can''t stop you, signore Cattaneo," Vittorio said aloud.


    But this brought another, gloomier thought to his mind. ''He won''t read through all the ledgers in two days! Not even in three. By then, Father wille¡­ With an army. Gods, an army!'' Vittorio shut his eyes for a long second. ''The king doesn''t care about our war with Nuvoloso because we are too far and too small. What if Antonio snitches to him about it? He might even lie and me it on us! What I''m going to do?''


    He really hoped Antonio wouldn''t be that stubborn. After all¡­ Old ledgers weren''t THAT interesting. Not four years worth of them, to be sure!


    There was even less interest in watching Antonio read said ledgers. Especially since everyment Antonio mustered was yet anotherint about "wrong" bookkeeping.


    "Blue ink is too whimsical for an ounting book. It''s a well-established standard to only use ck ink for ount keeping. I''m sure Oliveira viscountcy is not so far from the capital to still not know it."


    "Was this written with the use of magic? The handwriting is almost illegible. You must be d that I have so much experience with deciphering chicken scratches. I believe that magic shouldn''t stand next to numbers at all."


    "Gods, is that DUST? Hire a proper maiden if your magic servants aren''t good enough for the job!"


    "It''s not dust," Vittorio shot to his feet and demonstratively rubbed the book''s cover. The grayish sheen didn''t go away, nor did it appear on his finger. "The leather looks this way because of the tanning method. And excuse me, signore Cattaneo¡­ I have other matters to attend to. Truly. I''m sure you won''t get lost, and if you have questions, just send me a call. Most definitely, a mage of your rank knows that simple spell."


    Vittorio hurried away without waiting for any further remarks on Antonio''s part. Gods have refused all his prayers: first for patience, then for Antonio to have a sudden and violent bout of diarrhea.


    From the study, he went towards the top of the tower. Instead of the elevator¡ªthe one magical invention that separated amoner with a castle merely three storeys tall from a wizard with a tower twenty, or a hundred, floors high¡ªthough, he took the stairs. The long rise made his heart beat and cleared his head.


    The fresh air on top of the tower helped, too. Vittorio stood near the edge, leaned on the parapet, and tried to spot his father''s camp. When this didn''t work, he reached for the Sending Amulet under his clothes.


    ''Good day, Father. Do you know when you will return to Sanremo di Mare? Will Vespertino and di Vincie with you? Is Federico well? What about Cael?'' He paused a little, and added, ''I''m doing just fine here, don''t you worry. Take your time, too. Really.''


    The answer came after several minutes, which Vittorio spent simply standing and enjoying the breeze and theck of dried fish nearby.


    ''There are many wounded who better not be moved at long distances yet, and no viges to leave them there. So my return will be dyed by several days. My allies wille with me to rest in the city before returning to theirnds. Federico is still drawing breaths. Cael¡­'' Here, Vittorio imagined, Father frowned. The magic of Sending Amulets removed all emotion from the voice. ''He''s alive and well despite histest reckless endeavor. You shouldn''t worry about your brother, Vittorio. And you definitely shouldn''t follow his examples. I sleep more soundly at nights, knowing that I have at least one son with reason in his head.''


    Vittorio blinked, not knowing if he should smile and puff his chest with pride or be envious of whatever adventure Cael found himself in.


    Last month and some were just packed with adventure for him. For Cael! Yeah, that definitely made Vittorio envious. And only more determined to get rid of Antonio.


    This was as close to an adventure, a grand mission, that Vittorio would see while his father had a word to say about it. And his father had plenty of words when he wanted to.


    ''Don''t worry, Father.'' Vittorio ensured him. ''I''m the best son, we both know it.''

 Chapter 48 Strength and weakness, part 2

    48 Strength and weakness, part 2


    The next time Cael came was an hourter. This time, he appeared with food. A mere sight of the bowl of broth in his hands made Ginevra''s stomach grumble and her face cringe in distaste.


    Food for the ill was even worse than food for prisoners. At least they could hope for some bread.


    "Don''t you have someone else to run errands, Cael?" Ginevra asked venomously. "Are you going to feed me, too?"


    He eyed her with narrowed eyes. "Will you behave if I unbind you?"


    "Yes," Ginevra lied without batting an eye.


    Cael nodded and went to sit on the ground near Ginevra''s bed. "Then feeding you it is. As for other people to do the job¡­ I suppose I just have nothing better to do. Father decided to camp here for a short while, to let people rest. Since no one wants to y dice with me, I might as well spend time with one of the few girls in the camp." He smirked at her.


    It wasn''t one of the leering looks Ginevra sometimes caught from her soldiers. Too friendly for that. She bristled all the more because of it.


    "I hope you don''t expect me to jump you because you threw me a couple of smiles."


    "No, I will just dream about it at night." Cael carefully scooped up a spoonful of broth and moved it towards Ginevra''s lips. "Eat up!"


    Ginevra clenched her teeth in indignation. ''I have to get stronger,'' she reminded herself.


    Lifting her head to catch the spoon with her lips was an effort, and not merely a physical one on the side of her exhausted body.


    When Ginevra swallowed the lukewarm liquid that severelycked salt, she caught Cael''s gaze on her lips. She reflexively pressed them together, and that gaze shot to her eyes instead. It was darker now than a second before, and that darkness filled her body with an unfamiliar heat.


    "I think I should unbind you, after all. Truly¡­ It would be exceedingly idiotic from you to attack me. I bet you could barely sit even unbound. I likely would have to feed you, anyway."


    "Just do it," Ginevra seethed.


    With a soft, almost defeated sigh, Cael put the broth away for a moment and went to unbind the ropes that circled her wrist. This took him several curses and a cantrip, but in the end, the ropes slid free.


    Ginevra immediately sat up. As soon as her head hit the highest point, the tent around swam, and her body grew heavier than lead. Ginevra fell back with a pained grunt, feeling her jostled injuries aching worse than ever.


    "I told you." She didn''t look at Cael''s face, but she just imagined the smugness. His voice certainly didn''tck it. "Really, Father was being paranoid when he ordered to have you bound. You won''t defeat a chicken as you are now. By the time you will be able to stand up, we will already be somewhere with better prison cells than this tent."


    "Your father is only wise. Since you escaped somehow¡­ If you had this power all along, why did you even let yourself be captured? To spy on my forces?" Ginevra turned towards Cael and asked the question that had been bothering her for a while now. "How did you manage that? You were in a shock cor, and I''ve personally searched you for any magic items!"


    Cael perked up. "Personally?" He swallowed. "Um. Well, you forgot to kiss me. Then you would''ve found an amulet in my mouth."


    Ginevra''s face contorted in pain. Whether it was from her wounds or his words, she couldn''t tell. But her pride was hurting badly, that was for sure.


    It was fine to be defeated. She was not the strongest person in the world. She merely survived in it, bing slightly more powerful with each passing day.


    It was much worse to make a mistake. And she made plenty. Ginevra couldn''t even me Cael for this. This was her mistake. His power, though, was another thing entirely. There was certainly more to Cael''s story than what she had heard.


    If anyone could''ve bought this sort of power, Enzo would''ve done it long ago, even if he''d have to sell his soul. Though maybe he failed because he never had a soul to trade.


    Meanwhile, Cael moved back to the breakfast. "Let me help you up," he said, reaching for Ginevra''s pillow.


    With some effort from both sides, Ginevra ended up half-sitting with the pillow serving as her support. Cael still had to hold the bowl in front of her as she ate, but at least Ginevra could manage her spoonfuls.


    Even if each took a minute.


    She cursed herself and her weakness ten times over, and that she was so weak in front of Cael was a hundred times more vexing. His strength threw her feebleness into a sharp contrast.


    "So, Ginevra," Cael asked suddenly. "Do you know anything important about Enzo''s ns? Would he attack Oliveira again? Does he hide a secret regiment of two hundred soldiers and a dozen mages in his sleeve?"


    Ginevra almost choked on her broth. But the question was a wee diversion. It was better to feel a tortured prisoner than a sick person being cared for.


    Because this was exactly how it looked like.


    "I won''t tell you just because you told me a few nice words, either, Cael."


    He nodded seriously. "What stops you? Honor? Fear? Some perverse loyalty?"


    Ginevra ate several more spoonfuls in thoughtful silence. With each answer, she felt like a warrior losing another piece of armor. More open, more vulnerable¡­


    More light. More free.


    "Because I might lose to you, or to anyone else, but I would never again crawl on my knees with a white g in hand. If you want answers, Cael, you will have to break my back for them."


    Cael frowned. His jaws pressed together.


    He said nothing more after this. Merely fed Ginevra, poured her water, tied her up again and left after telling her to call to guard if she needed anything¡ªlike an urinal.


    All for the best. He was an enemy. Any kindness on his part was a ploy.


    To wish for him to smirk at her again was a foolishness worth a dozenshes.


    I''m such a moron. I didn''t press a button to activate new privilege tiersst month, so now they won''t activate until NEXT month. That is, June! JU-NE!


    Soooome. I really wanted to surprise you with a big fat privilege. Now I have to wait another month. :< Thank you for patience.


    Garessta

 Chapter 49 Under a magnifying glass, part 3

    Chapter 49 Under a magnifying ss, part 3


    Vittorio''s mood worsened with each page Antonio turned. Because each was taking him an incredibly long time. Time that Vittorio didn''t have.


    He could distract himself by watching over his father''s military expenses and reading and re-reading his notes and documents, but those things were all finite. And Father prepared well for his leave¡ª


    there wasn''t that much to do except to apany Antonio and listen to his quips.


    This was when dangerous thoughts appeared in Vittorio''s head. Thoughts like, ''I bet a bucket of cold water over his head would wash that smug expression off his face,'' or, ''I can make his stay here insufferable. The prick deserves it, because he''s so fucking insufferable to me and Father''s work!''


    Vittorio had to remind himself who this man was¡ªa mage of high rank and a nobleman in a prominent position. Even if he had nond titles¡ªnot everyone was a firstborn¡ªhe still has education and certainly plenty of property to his name.


    Angering this person would do him more harm than good. But he wanted to do it, anyway.


    That night, he couldn''t put himself to bed and sleep. The same thoughts whirled in his head, mixing with others. ''If Fatheres, and Antonio is here, he would be angry that I didn''t tell about his arrival as soon as he came,'' and, ''I''m the best son. The best heir! I can''t just lose this fight. Or¡­ A confrontation. Whatever. I just can''t lose¡ªthe end.''


    Vittorio paced in his room until the sky grew bright with stars, until giving up. He needed to rx somehow. A stiff drink or a more pleasant alternative¡ªa soft embrace.


    It was good to finally be an adult enough for both. But especially for thetter.


    He dressed in a hurry and left the tower without alerting a soul. His purse rattled with coins, but a Mage''s Mark he wore warded off any pickpockets.


    "Tall Towers" was a weird name for a brothel, in Vittorio''s opinion. He KNEW it was an innuendo, but just couldn''t put it together with the rest of the establishment. Not that he truly cared. It was a good ce, clean and well-kept, without illness and with rules that protected its workers. The prices weren''t for anyone, yes¡ªbut Vittorio wasn''t just anyone.


    He came there at least every week, ever since his eighteenth birthday. For the smells of alcohol, incense and musk; for the bright smiles of beautiful women who worked there; for their unhidden adoration of him.


    It didn''t matter to Vittorio if it was real or fake. For a night, he could pretend to be a king.


    ***


    Two hourster, Vittorio was lying on a bed, his head resting on two soft pillows of Nici''s thighs. The woman''s fingers stroked Vittorio''s hair, making his blissplete.


    Both of them werepletely naked except for a sheen of sweat from their previous activities.


    But despite all this, the thoughts couldn''t leave him alone. Now they wished to be words, and Vittorio couldn''t stop them if he wanted to.


    "I just don''t get it, Nici," he said. "It''s like he hated me at first sight. Or hated my entire family before we even met. But we didn''t! He just came there, insisting that he''s doing his duty as an official¡­ Ugh. Damn taxes, taxes are the worst, and everything rted to them is the worst, too."


    Nici gave Vittorio an encouraging hum.


    "He insists we might be hiding something. Can''t he just leave and spare me another minute of his presence? Really, it''s like he was born with a second butthole instead of a mouth. Ugh."


    "Maybe it''s not you he''s after, Milordo," Nici spoke. She had such a sexy, hoarse voice¡ªVittorio felt himself stirring to life once again. But the meaning of her words was much more stirring.


    "What else? What else could he want, Nici?" Vittorio waved his hand. "Maybe someone sent him. Maybe it''s a targeted attack¡­ No, that''s stupid. Only the king can send a Royal Inspector, and the king can just order us stuff, anyway."


    Nici shrugged. The movement made her lush breasts jiggle most delightfully over Vittorio''s head. For a moment he was so enraptured with the peaks of her nipples that Nici''s words almost missed his brain.


    "When a constable picks on you for no reason, he either wants a bribe or a promotion."


    Vittorio blinked. Some blood actually returned to his brain. A bribe¡­ No, Antonio didn''t look like a money-hungry person. Besides, the Oliveira family wasn''t that rich, even with their orichalcum mines.


    But a promotion¡­ Yeah, Vittorio imagined that a tax inspector that finds no fault in taxes is a bad tax inspector. Honest people would be an inspector''s biggest offenders. That meant¡­ Vittorio just had to point him at someone less honest!


    He jumped up, grinning.


    "Nici, thank you!" Vittorio grabbed the young woman''s cheeks and nted a short, but vigorous, kiss on her lips. "I will pay you double for today. No, triple!"


    "Thank you so much, Milordo." The woman smiled and shot him a lustful look from under her eyshes. Her handnded on his shoulder to slide towards his groin. "What about one more go before you leave, Milordo? Or two, if you are up to it?.."


    Vittorio caught her ploy. The girls in the "Tall Towers" were paid by an hour, counted by their madam. Nici would keep him here all night if he let her.


    And right now¡­ "Wait, Nici. Tell me¡­ My brother went to you before, too, right?"


    The woman frowned. "We can''t talk about our other clients, Milordo¡­ You must understand."


    This wasn''t a no, as far as Vittorio was concerned. "Well, next time Cael gets there, you will tell him just how many times I could go during a single night. I let you¡ªno, Imand you!¡ªto share this with him."


    Nici giggled in her fist. "So¡­ Two, for now?"


    Vittorio grabbed her, pressed her flush to his body, and went to change this count to something much more impressive.

 Chapter 50 The deadline

    Chapter 50 The deadline


    "''Cael¡­ Oh, Cael¡­ I''m yours.''"


    Soft curves under his hands. Heat between bodies. Moans of passion.


    Someone arguing nearby.


    Awareness surged into Cael''s mind. He opened his bleary eyes, realizing that the tantalizing vision he had just seen was merely a dream. Not an umon kind of dream, too.


    More troubling was that the voice in it belonged to Ginevra.


    Ginevra. He didn''t talk much to her since the time he fed her that cursed broth.


    Her admission had disturbed him. It was honest to a fault, which made matters harder for Cael. It would''ve been so easy if Ginevra just¡­ changed sides! So easy.


    But he couldn''t treat her badly, either. Especially when he wanted to just kiss those pink lips of hers and soothe her every hurt. Even going to the hospital tent and looking at the wounded didn''t help. It was too easy to argue that Ginevra was only following her father''smands.


    In a war, people got hurt and died. Whose fault was that? Enzo''s.


    And by now, Cael hated him with a newfound passion.


    He woke himself up with a quick shower of summoned water, then went to the field kitchen just in time to grab breakfast. The soldiers he passed gave him a wide berth, except for one man.


    "Oi, Cael! Come sit with us!"


    It was Ignazio. The archer sat on a bench improvised from a tree stump together with two other men. Knights, from their Marks, and likely Ignazio''s vassals¡ªCael couldn''t remember them with his father, and his memory wasn''t so bad yet.


    The knights were much more wary of Cael, but as soon as Cael sat near with his food, Ignazio took the lead in conversation, telling some oundish story about a hunt for a werewolf who turned out to be an unknown to science wolf-like beast with three heads and as huge as a house.


    This was even better than breakfast at home. The three-headed wolf was much more interested than the usual breakfast conversations in the Oliveira tower. Caelughed with everyone at Ignazio''s outrageous lies.


    He was still smiling to himself when he brought a healer to visit Ginevra with food and a change of bandages. Still cheerful when Father called him over a couple of hourster.


    But as soon as Cael stepped into Father''smand tent, whatever was left of Cael''s mirth dissipated.


    "Signore di Vinci. Father," Cael greeted the gathered people and walked towards an empty seat around arge folding table covered with arge map. "You wanted to see me?"


    Cael was puzzled about what Silvio di Vinci was doing here. Cael didn''t interact with the illusion mage before beyond greetings in passing. If this was a meeting with vassals, then why wasn''t Ignazio here?


    "Yes, Cael. Our scouts have confirmed that Baroness Montefiore has finished leading the remaining Nuvoloso forces to their ownnd. They have stopped near to the border, but not close enough to possess threat¡ªand this isn''t an illusion, as signore di Vinci had confirmed." Father tapped his fingers on his knee in doubt. His wounded leg was stretched out, still clearly not fit for walking. "But that''s not why I called you."


    "This is about signora Nuvoloso." Silvio gave Cael a tight-lipped smile. "Our conversation here led to a mention of her person, and I thought to offer my help with her interrogation. Illusionary magic has some splendid spells for inflicting pain without harming the body."


    Gianni confirmed his words with a nod. "You told me yourself yesterday, Cael¡ªthe same words I told you earlier. Ginevra wouldn''t help us unless she''s pressed into it." He added more quietly, "The wretched woman likely doesn''t know it could even be otherwise."


    Cael narrowed his eyes. His gaze pierced Silvio. In this moment, he wished he could not just sense lies, but read thoughts.


    He hadn''t been particrly well-disposed towards Silvio before, but he was definitely detesting him now.


    "Father! She''s MY prisoner. It should be my job to deal with her. You told me yourself, we have time now. And whatever Enzo''s ns on us are, they are thwarted now."


    Gianni angrily jutted out his chin. "You are still my son, Cael. Show more respect." He threw a sharp nce at Silvio, who pretended to miss the discontent between the father and the son.


    Cael took a deep breath. Right. Family must keep a united front before all others. Still¡­


    "Regardless. Thank you for the offer, signore di Vinci, but I must refuse. It wouldn''t be good to pile this grim duty on you, too."


    "Very well. Then I must return to my own men for now. Have a good day, signores." Silvio gave Cael and Ginevra two nods as a farewell, and left the tent.


    Cael and Gianni turned towards each other in unison. Their res met in the air.


    "I should have removed her from your care," Father spoke first. "Look at yourself! Now you are defending her, too."


    Cael pped his hands on the table. "Don''t you see, Father? It''s the only way! The only way she might ever be our ally, instead of an enemy! Ginevra is proud and smart. If she sees that there''s true freedom at a stake for her, why would she fight for Enzo instead of against him?"


    "Then why was she fighting for Enzo until now? Cael¡­ You have a month. A month from this very day, and before you even ask, as soon as we return to Sanremo di Mare, Ginevra will be deposited in the safest cell I have. If you make no progress with her by then, I will take matters into my hands."


    "A month?" Cael frowned. Would that be enough?


    "Yes. This will be enough time to decide what''s the better n of action¡ªransom her to Enzo and risk her another attack, or kill her and deal with Enzo''s anger. Probably thetter. Enzo is already our enemy¡­" Gianni rubbed the bridge of his nose. "It will have to be done quietly."


    Cael clenched his fists. A month. Well, he knew he won''t budge his Father now. It would have to be enough to change either Ginevra''s mind or Father''s. Or, if peaceful ways won''t work¡­ he will have toe up with a more drastic solution.

 Chapter 51 A warm welcome

    Chapter 51 A warm wee


    Two days have passed, and Ginevra''s attitude didn''t change one bit. But now Cael could be frustrated about it in a different location.


    A day before, his father had finally led the army home. An hour before, they had entered the gates of Sanremo di Mare, to be greeted like heroes¡ªwith flowers and colorful banners hanging on the route between the main gate of the city and the Oliveira tower.


    Inside, a feast waited for the war heroes. Mother''s touch was clearly felt in its organizing¡ªfrom the ornate tablecloth to borate ways cheeses and meats were arranged on the tes.


    It was HOME.


    Then, of course, there was his family. Vittorio grinned to Father like HE defeated Ginevra in directbat, not Cael. Mother was a picture of propriety, but she came to kiss her husband on the cheek. Cael got a kiss on his forehead¡ªlike he was a little boy again.


    In front of all the gathered people! Ignazio, Silvio, Father''s knights, especially heroic soldiers, their wives, daughters and cousins.


    The feast began at noon, prim and proper. But fancy dishes were soon eaten by hungry men, and washed down by fancy wine and less fancy ale. Then the dancing began. Simple country dances¡ªnot the kind Mother liked, or Father approved, Cael knew, but the kind that soldiers knew.


    Vittorio didn''t dance, either. Instead, as soon as there was no one else to distract Father with conversations, heunched one of his own.


    "Father! Did you like the meeting at the gates? I and Mother organized it together."


    "It was the most warm wee," Gianni said, throwing his wife a warm look. "You both did well."


    "This isn''t all, though." Vittorio''s eyes sparked with emotion. "Father, while you were off, the Royal Inspector of Finances, Antonio Cattaneo, came with a routine surprise inspection."


    Father leaned back in his seat, his eyes widening. Cael took a sip of his wine, feeling like this would be terribly fun to watch.


    ''Father should scold someone besides me for a change.''


    Vittorio kept boasting, seemingly missing Gianni''s reaction.


    "Father, I didn''t tell you about him, because I thought it wasn''t worth your notice. He already left. To inspect Enzo Nuvoloso, of all people! It was all my idea. He was so intent on finding faults to bring his superiors¡ªI only had to drop him a hint. It was brilliant, right? Right?"


    Gianni closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Emilia, my wife, how¡­"


    "I wasn''t going to hover over Vittorio''s shoulder and manage his every decision, my dear husband. You told me yourself our boys have to learn. Besides," Emilia lowered her eyes to her cup. "He merely wanted to impress you."


    A dusting of pink on Vittorio''s cheeks confirmed Emilia''s words. The youth himself, though, studiously looked away.


    Cael grinned. He had several reasons to, but in the next moment, in a fit of what must have been the relief of being home, chose the one more benign to Vittorio.


    "That''s great! Now Enzo surely will have other things to do but attack us again. And by the time he could entertain those thoughts again¡­ We will crush him!"


    "Yes!" Vittorio eximed.


    Gianni pressed his lips together. "This was a decision that could yield unpredictable results in the future. The risks¡­ Ah," he waved his hand and took a generous gulp of his drink. "Not today."


    Vittorio frowned. Cael caught his eyes and gave him a shrug and a nce that said, ''Yes, he just never changes, doesn''t he?''


    ***


    The feast continuedte into the night. Guests fell asleep where they were or found themselves guest rooms to upy on their own or with someone else. Mother and Father excused themselves. Vittorio drank too much wine and snored on a sofa¡ªthe lightweight.


    Cael wandered the tower''s halls, more than a bit drunk. But not so drunk that he couldn''t move his legs in a straight line.


    As long as he held onto a wall, at least.


    He didn''t know where his legs were carrying him, but he knew where his thoughts went.


    ''System, System, System! Tell me, why can''t Ginevra just¡­ understand! Hey, I have an upgrade left, don''t I? Can I purchase Ginevra?''


    ''No, Cael. At this moment, you can''t purchase anything. For the sake of your welfare, I don''t allow purchases while you are in an intoxicated state.''


    Cael pursed his lips. ''You are no fun. Hey, are you a girl, System?''


    ''I''m a magical construct, and my creator hadn''t assigned me any gender.''


    ''What? So you can''t give tips on what girls like? Wait, you have the tips from my past-future-self. Did he leave tips on any girls? Did he have a wife? One of us did. How did he get her?''


    ''I''m sorry, Cael, but my creator had left no information about these topics in my memory.''


    Cael sighed with disappointment. ''Maybe a talent? Ah¡­ There''s no talent, either? Right?''


    ''At the moment, you don''t meet requirements for any of the talents or spells that allow mind control, Cael.''


    ''Mind control? Fuck mind control! I just want Gin to¡ª''


    Cael paused in his inward ranting. His legs have brought him to the tower''s dungeon¡ªunderground. The depth allowed for additional enhancements of the prison cells, designed to contain all but the strongest mages. As long as they wore their shock cors.


    "<Light,e forth!>" Cael muttered, summoning a light spell. There were magicalnterns around, but not enough to fully banish the darkness.


    He ventured forth. The dungeon warden let him through without a question¡ªas it should have been.


    Ginevra''s cell was far from the entrance and any neighbors, and as abominably tiny as when Cael watched Father''s men deposit her there. But, at least it was clean, dry, warm and had a pallet she could lie on. Or sit on¡ªsince she wasn''t tied up anymore.


    She was sitting now. A good sign¡ªa sign of her returning strength. When Cael opened the tiny window in the cell''s door, Ginevra raised her head to squint at him.


    "What? I''ve been fed and watered today already. If you havee to stare at me in silence again, you are wasting your time."


    Yes. Yes, he was. Cael needed something else.


    He needed keys to this cell.

 Chapter 52 Kisses past midnight

    Chapter 52 Kisses past midnight


    Now, that was harder to get. But not impossible.


    "I have to go into the cell," Cael said, forcing his clumsy tongue into obedience and not breathing in the guardsman''s direction.


    To Cael''s surprise, instead of wondering about his sensibleness, the man gave Cael an understanding wink. "Sure, Milordo. Show that bitch her ce. Here''s the key."


    What this was all about, Cael couldn''t tell. His brain, therefore, deemed it unimportant¨Cunlike Ginevra. Right now, she was the most important person of all.


    When Cael entered her cell, she tried to stand up. With the wall as her support, she managed to stand upright for a second before her knees gave out.


    Cael caught her in his hands without thinking. Then, HIS knees gave out, too¡ªcursed be the wine. They both fell on Ginevra''s pallet with a thud and twin oofs of pain. Ginevra''s body sprawled all over Cael''s.


    On second thought, blessed be the wine.


    Her body was as contradictory as her mind. All those soft, feminine curves, the press of her breasts to Cael''s chest¡ªand underneath them, steel muscles and so much strength.


    But right now?.. Right now, she couldn''t even manage a proper kick to his groin. It was more like a brush, a brush that turned the stirring of his blood into a full-fledged maelstrom. His pants strained to contain his erection.


    "Let me go! What the hell are you doing? Is this your new tactic?" Ginevra growled, trying to get free.


    In her movements, she rubbed all over Cael. The sensation forced a small groan out of him. Cael didn''t want, and didn''t intend, to let her go. But as his fingers explored the expanse of her body, the feel of her bandages under his fingertips reminded Cael about the state of Ginevra''s health. With great reluctance, he removed his arms from her body and let her move away. He sat up, too.


    "Tactics?" Cael tilted his head, willing his addled brain to make sense of Ginevra''s question. This time, his head worked smoothly. So smoothly, that besides the meaning, it gave Cael a genius idea. "Yes! It is. If Enzo gained your loyalty with a whip, surl¡­ surely I can bribe you instead."


    Ginevra sniffed and frowned. Her eyes flicked to the tent in Cael''s pants, then to his mouth. Her cheeks flushed the most delicious shade of apple red. Cael could bite them.


    "You are fucking drunk. Which exins why you think that would work."


    "Yeah," Cael nodded, grinning. "And I''m here. It''s brili¡­ blri¡­ very smart. I will do nice things to you until you see that not evre¡­ everything has to be a fight."


    "Or," Ginevra''s eyes narrowed, "I could stab your eyes out with my fingers, take those keys and escape."


    Caelughed. But his mirth disappeared as quickly as it descended on him.


    "Oh, no. Gin, I didn''t bring you anything. I will do it next time, I swear."


    "Next time?" Ginevra gave him a venomous smirk. "Next time, it will be my turn tough when I remind you about this visit."


    "Yes! Laughter. You shouldugh more. Do you ever?" Cael looked at her face. It was stunning, but¡­ "You would look devastating if you smiled."


    In response, Ginevra snarled at him.


    Cael couldn''t contain himself any longer. He reached out, grabbing her cheeks with both hands. Before Ginevra could react, he pressed his lips to hers.


    Her sweet lips. Soft and perfectly shaped for pleasure, but put into stern lines. Cael pressed his mouth down on them again and again, determined to fight that harshness no matter how many kisses it takes.


    Gradually, Ginevra''s hands, which were trying to push Cael away, grabbed his shoulders instead. Her body rxed. His own hands moved to her sides, bringing her closer to him, letting her feel what she was doing to him. And then¡ªthe greatest miracle¡ªher mouth parted ever so slightly and out flew a weak sigh.


    It made Cael pause for a moment and take a hold on his emotions and his lust. This had to be wrong. Wasn''t it? Ginevra¡ªthe enemy, the prisoner, the strongest, softest girl he ever touched¡­


    Ginevra blinked and moved away a little. Her eyes, after a moment of effort, refocused on Cael. Ginevra''s breathing was heavy; her cheeks were pink. "Was that a nice thing?"


    "Was it?" he asked her back. His gaze wouldn''t move from her lips. When she licked them¡­ Cael couldn''t contain himself. He kissed her again, on her neck this time. "Is this nice?"


    Ginevra shivered. "This won''t work."


    "I don''t care," Cael said into her neck, watching with rapture as it grew covered in goosebumps. "I want to lick your every wound, kiss your every scar. Those I left, and those left by others¡­ I want you to flor¡­ forget them all, because you have me now. Let me make you feel good, real good."


    Ginevra fell silent. Cael moved back to look at her frowning face. Then he kissed the wrinkle between Ginevra''s brows.


    She let out a sigh again and moved closer. This time, it was her lips that descended on his, and it was twice as glorious.


    Her movements were awkward. Unsure. With a shock, Cael realized that if Ginevra ever kissed before, it was far from a proper kiss.


    Maybe he was even her first. Now, though, she was swiftly gaining more and more confidence.


    "Oh, Gin¡­" he muttered between kisses.


    "Just know that this won''t give you my good graces," Ginevra whispered back. Her hands tangled in Cael''s hair, making it even messier than usual. The sensation of her fingers on his scalp sent small thrills down Cael''s spine.


    "I don''t care," Cael repeated, and kept kissing. His palms went to the globes of Ginevra''s breasts, cupped them through the thin prison shirt Ginevra wore. Her nipples, puckered with pleasure, strained the fabric.


    Ginevra let out a stifled moan when Cael caressed them¡ªfirst softly, then with more pressure. Her reactions spurred him on. He broke the kiss to focus solely on kneading her breasts and toying with her nipples. It was a sight to behold.


    "Yes¡­" Ginevra whispered. "Yes, Cael¡­"

 Chapter 53 A small death

    Chapter 53 A small death


    The tiny stone sack of a prison cell. The Light spell that threw sharp shadows on everything in sight, and the magicalntern that doubled as a source of warmth. The knowledge that just behind a corner, the warden was waiting for Cael''s return¡­


    Cael forgot all that, because Ginevra was here, in his arms. Her dark hair spilled freely over her shoulders, not bound anymore by those constraining hairdos. And the young woman herself looked more free than ever in her passion as she gasped from Cael''s ministrations.


    Ginevra was straggling Cael''s legs while he himself sat on his knees. Her hands were clutching Cael''s shoulders like he was her lifeline in a storm. Her hair was tickling Cael''s neck, and her eyes were hooded with lust.


    He did it to her.


    The time for words was over¡ªespecially since his tongue still stumbled over words. Instead, Cael returned to kissing. There wasn''t much skin on Ginevra''s body that wasn''t covered by clothing or bandages, but he tasted what he found.


    Earlobe¡­ Jaw¡­ Neck¡­ Ginevra responded with the most delectable hitches of breath and twitches of her body. When he hit the best spots, she would bite her lips or a cheek to not moan.


    "Come on, Ginevra. I know you like this¡ªno point in hiding it," Cael said. He reached for the hem of her shirt and hitched it up to her neck.


    He paused for a moment, enjoying the view in front of him. Two golden globes topped with strawberry-like nipples. The sight filled Cael''s mouth with saliva. He pressed his mouth to the underside of one of the breasts, enjoying the silky smoothness and the impossible softness of it. Then he licked a line towards her nipple and sucked on it.


    "Ca¡ª Ah!" Ginevra jerked, then hissed, "What if, ah, someone hears?"


    Cael paused. Yeah, that was a rational thought. He had troubles with those at the moment, but he could give Ginevra her due.


    "Right. Um¡­ Then be quiet. But the door should block most of the sound. I think."


    And this was all the thinking Cael could do right now. His cock was throbbing. He relieved some of that pressure by pressing it against Ginevra''s groin. Even through theyers of their clothing, he could feel her heat. They gasped in pleasure in unison.


    Cael could only imagine how it would feel without clothing.


    "Do it again," Ginevra breathed out.


    Suddenly, taking off clothes was too much effort. Cael had to do something NOW.


    He repeated the movement with more force, and Ginevra arched into him, her chest rubbing all over his. Cael became acutely aware of the points of her nipples making their way up and down his torso.


    "Yes, yes! More!" Ginevra whispered¨Cnot a plea, but an order. As if doing anything less would be an attack on her pride.


    "You like this¡­" Cael pressed his face into Ginevra''s neck. The rest of his words were muffled by her skin. "Then remember who gives you this pleasure, Gin. It''s all my work."


    He moved his hips again and again. There was a distant thought in Cael''s mind about trying to be gentle, but the way Ginevra met his movements wiped it out.


    Then, suddenly, Ginevra froze in his arms. Her limbs tensed. Her grip grew strong enough to bruise, and her mouth opened in a silent scream. Ginevra''s eyes opened wide and stared somewhere beyond this ne of reality.


    And then they closed, and the woman, who just now got what could''ve been the first orgasm in her life, sagged in Cael''s arms, lifeless.


    The acute panic sobered Cael in an instant. It eased in the next second, as soon as Cael felt the mana pulsing in Ginevra''s body¡ªnot as strong as it should''ve been, but lively enough.


    Regrets hit Cael like a wave. Not about the acts that just happened between him and Ginevra¡ªthis was just too good to regret, even if Cael was left frustrated and with an aching sensation in his trousers.


    But he shouldn''t have overexerted Ginevra so. And he shouldn''t havee to her so¡­ obviously! The guardsman''sment came to Cael''s mind.


    He cringed. Yeah, the man must''ve thought he wanted to discreetly do something unforgivable to Ginevra¡­ Possibly something like what had happened. If Father found out, he might just change the deadline or take charge of Ginevra personally.


    This meant that the guard had to be silenced.


    Caelid Ginevra down on the pallet and straightened out her clothes. Then he did the same with his and waited for his boner to calm down, at least temporarily.


    Then he walked out of the cell in a decisive stride. The guardsman met him at his post.


    "So, tell me, soldier," Cael said nonchntly after passing back the keys, "if Fatheres and asks you about this visit, what would you tell him?"


    "Visit? Ain''t seen no visitors, Milordo." The guardsman grinned at him. "Lord Oliveira doesn''t like the prisoners tussled without a reason. Even if they deserve it, bastards!"


    Cael frowned. This attitude helped him to stay discreet, but¡­ He narrowed his eyes and leaned forward, gathering ice in his voice¡ª


    enough to rival Ginevra''s spells.


    "Listen. You will keep this visit to yourself. And you will also keep your hands to yourself, too. If you touch Ginevra Nuvoloso, or any other prisoner¡­" Cael recalled the sensation of standing on a battlefield, surrounded by enemies and their blood¡­ and smiled like he was still there. "I will just cut them off. I can now. Do you understand? Tell. Me. You. Will. Do. As. I. Ask."


    The guard paled and staggered back.


    "Ye-yes, Milordo. Of course. I will do that."


    The words were true enough. Cael just hoped that the guardsman''s opinion wouldn''t change the next day. And just to sweeten the deal¡­


    "Great," he stopped channeling his scariest self and rxed a little. After some shuffling in his pockets, he found a silver coin. "Here for your understanding."


    He left after that, aiming straight for his chambers. Cael needed rest. Sleep. And some space to work out his sexual frustration by hand, since Ginevra was so out of it today.


    ''I hope she will get well soon. Really soon.''

 Chapter 54 Thou shall be mine

    Chapter 54 Thou shall be mine


    Cael''s first desire the next morning was to go to the dungeons and see if Ginevra was feeling well. But he steeled himself. He didn''t want toe to her empty-handed this time.


    A short walk through the city in a morning rewarded him with the items he needed and several suspicious, fearful nces from passersby. Whispers spread from person to person like disease¡ª


    same whispers as in Father''s army. But back then, they were peppered with plenty of respect, now it was waning.


    Cael didn''t like this. But the uing meeting with Ginevra made him forget about those looks.


    There was another guard on duty in that hour¡ªa much less opinionated and curious one. He followed Cael''s orders without questioning.


    Ginevra was sitting on her pallet again when Cael walked inside her cell. Maybe next time he should bring her a chair. Not that there was much space for one¡­


    "Oh, it''s you," Ginevra said instead of greeting. His lips¡ªCael recalled their taste vividly¡ªcurved into a sadistic smirk. "How much do you remember of what happened yesterday? Remember how you tried to fuck me, but couldn''t even get it up, before you fell asleep with your face on the ground? I had to kick you to wake you up."


    Cael snorted. "I''m d you feel good enough for snarling, Gin. Actually, I came to bring you this."


    He kneeled next to her and arranged items from his hands on the floor. A piece of soap, a small basin, a woodenb decorated with flower carvings, and a cloth parcel with several sweet buns.


    "Don''t tell me you still are going with that ridiculous idea of yours. Are you trying to bribe me withforts?" Ginevra folded her hands on her chest, inadvertently raising her breasts up. Cael swallowed and looked away from them.


    Yesterday''s memories were a little hazy from the wine fog, but this only enhanced his desire to make new, clearer ones. He never lusted after a woman like this. He never met a woman like Ginevra.


    "It''s a great n," Cael argued. "And you said it yourself, yesterday¡ª


    you won''t change your mind. This means you can just ept those things and enjoy them while bravely resisting my maniption."


    Ginevra frowned. "You are tricking me somehow."


    "No. Look. First, eat this," he pressed a bun in Ginevra''s hands. "Not a part of prison cuisine, is it?"


    She eyed the bun with suspicion, but finally took a bite. After several moments of thoughtful chewing, she wolfed the rest down in two bites and took a second bun.


    Cael felt a sweet ache inside of him. A feeling like from looking at a litter of puppies¡­ Adoration? And a twinge of lust from the way Ginevra licked her lips from crumbs.


    "Also, I wanted to wash your hair."


    Ginevra paused mid-chewing, then finished thest bun and gave Cael a narrow-eyed look. "You think I can''t do it myself?"


    "No, I just wanted to do it," Cael reached out and pulled on one of Ginevra''s dark locks. Dust, grime and blood covered it all over¡ªa sad sight, and a very tangled up one. "But it would be easier with help, anyway."


    Ginevra huffed. "Fine." She sat straighter and lifted her head, as if she was preparing to bear a painful torture.


    "Let''s move to the side first," Cael said, pointing her to the other side of the cell. It had a hole for waste in the corner, but he didn''t want to wet Ginevra''s bed by ident.


    After they settled down, Cael first used a Summon Water spell to wet Ginevra''s hair and wash down the worst of the grime. It took a lot of spells. Her thick tresses swallowed water like a sponge. This was the calmest part.


    Then Cael soaped the hair and used his hands to spread the foam to the roots. Ginevra endured the process stoically, never twitching when he identally pulled on a lock¡ªuntil Cael began to massage her scalp.


    Her body tensed even more, but several secondster, her shoulders sagged. Her muscles rxed. Cael smiled. He enjoyed this too¡ªthe way she reacted to him, the closeness and warmth of her body, the scent of female sweat under the herbal smell of ointments on her wounds. He enjoyed the obedience with which Ginevra leaned her head back or forward when he pushed it. A wordless understanding where there was so little of it.


    Maybe he was even enjoying it too much. A certain part of him, definitely. After yesterday, Cael nned on waiting some time before making any more advances on Ginevra. Now he double-questioned this decision.


    ''No! Don''t hurry too much, you dolt!'' he admonished himself. ''She''s like a wild animal. I have to tame her first.''


    Yes. And then she will be his. Body and soul¡­ His, not anyone else''s


    ¡ªto fight together, not against each other; to protect her. Cael wanted that.


    Cael washed the soap off Ginevra''s hair, then soaped it again¡ªuntil the foam grew white and fluffy and all the crusted blood went down the drain. It didn''t help with the tangles, though.


    But he had ab and applied it studiously to each and every little knot. It took a long while. By the time Cael finished, his legs had long ago fallen asleep. And other parts of his body were all too awake.


    He put theb away and, with a groan, stood up to his feet. Ginevra looked at him from below. Her clothing was wet from stray droplets and clinging to her body, showing contours of her waist and chest all too well. Her face was just near Cael''s groin, too.


    He clenched his fists until his nails bit into his skin. Pain helped him to remember his ns.


    ''Wait for it, wait for it¡­''


    Ginevra''s eyes fell on the bulge in Cael''s pants. She licked her lips.


    Cael swallowed.


    "So, Cael. You really want to do nice stuff to me, is that right?" she asked, looking him in the eye. "Then do that thing from yesterday again."

 Chapter 55 Ravenous lusts

    55 Ravenous lusts


    ''Gods, she is going to kill herself, then me. Or the other way around.''


    The next words Cael said cost him such a colossal effort of will that he felt like he had just strained some muscle in his soul.


    "No, Ginevra. You aren''t healthy enough yet. I won''t survive you falling unconscious on me right before the real fun begins again!"


    "WHAT?" Ginevra pushed herself to her feet. It took her visible effort, and she still held onto a wall for bnce, but she didn''t fall down this time. "This was only one time. I''m stronger than that."


    Cael really wanted to test this statement, but he could be stubborn, too. He leaned to pick up the basin, then hesitated and, instead, used a spell to fill it with clean water and just pushed it to a corner. The wet floor squelched with each his step.


    Then he turned to Ginevra.


    "No, no. I''m leaving. Another time, with pleasure, but now¡ª"


    His words were cut off by a kiss. Ginevra was holding onto his neck with a vice grip, and her lips were attacking his.


    With a low groan that came from the depths of his throat, Cael brought his arms around the woman''s frame and brought her closer, supporting her weight. What resistance? He forgot all about it and just enjoyed that passionate kiss.


    What began as a movement of lips soon became a war of tongues. Ginevra moaned into his mouth, and Cael swallowed every sound. She ground her hips on his, and he felt like a fuse that was going farther and farther towards an explosion.


    The thought of spilling into his pants sobered Cael just enough to pull himself away. For a moment, both he and Ginevra just stared at each other, their chests heaving.


    Then Ginevra moved in again, and Cael had to force her away. She wasn''t that big¡ªhe could just lift her and put her down on the pallet, which was exactly what he did despite her resistance.


    "Damn it!" she cursed. "I''m not some damsel in distress, Cael!"


    Cael moved as far away from her as the cell would allow. The more distance, the safer he felt. For Ginevra''s sake, but for the sake of his pants, and pride, too.


    "I know! You don''t have to prove it. Be careful, Gin, you will disturb your wounds." He let out a long breath and ran a palm through his hair. "Really, no need to be so ravenous."


    Ginevra glowered at him. "I''m not."


    The next words Cael said from the other side of the cell''s door. "You SO are!"


    ***


    In the wake of Cael''s new rtionship¡ªif one could call it that¡ªwith Ginevra, hepletely forgot about his promise to Ignazio. The archer was d to remind him that evening.


    "Cael! What¡ªdon''t tell me you were going to hole yourself up in your room? You promised to show me your best brothel, remember? And why not take Vittorio with us, too? The more the merrier!"


    The mention of a brothel sparked thoughts of sex, sex brought forth yesterday''s night with Ginevra, and that brought blood to Cael''s groin.


    "Right. That''s a great idea."


    He needed to release some frustration to visit Ginevra again and not identally kill her with .


    "Tall Towers" met the trio of visitors with warmth directly proportional to the thickness of their purse and the handsomeness of their faces. Neither Cael, Vittorio or Ignaziocked in either department.


    For a while they just had their fun and wine in the lounge on the first floor of the establishment, leering at the serving girls wearing so little they could as well be naked, and taking their pick of the working women who flocked near.


    "I think I will take Nici again," Vittorio said at some point. He and the woman in question were giving each other heated looks for a while now. "She''s just so¡­ curvaceous. You can really sink into her, don''t you think? Oh, did I tell you, Cael, how many rounds I got with her the other night?"


    "No. Let me guess, was it more than one?"


    "Six!"


    Cael grinned. "Liar."


    "Liar, liar, hair on fire!" Ignazio echoed. "Come on, lie better, man. Say ''five'', at least."


    Vittorio, who really WAS a liar at the moment, fought not to pout¡ªbut soon found his contentment in Nici''s arms and her voluptuous breasts.


    Cael''s eyes, though, were on someone else. Not his usual choice, but this woman, with her ck curls of hair and gray eyes, reminded him much of Ginevra.


    She was nothing like her. There were no muscles under her soft curves, no steel in her eyes. But Cael chose her, anyway.


    When they were alone, Cael didn''t wait long to lead the whore to the bed. He ravished her with the hunger that mirrored that of Ginevra this morning. The hunger he couldn''t unleash on her¡­ yet.


    He was rough with the working girl when he kneaded her breasts or nipped on her neck, but Cael could tell she liked it, and it wasn''t merely a pretense. When¡ªnot too much timeter¡ªCael sank into her, she was wet and ready, and eagerly met his powerful thrusts.


    His first climax only blunted the edge of Cael''s hunger. He wasn''t afraid to blow his load inside her¡ªall girls in "Tall Towers" took potions that rendered them temporarily infertile¡ªbut the second time he spilled on the woman''s stomach, enjoying the feeling of iming her this way.


    He would do it with Ginevra one day, if she let him. But she would. Cael could already tell how passionate, sensual she was under her spiked armor. It was merely a matter of time.


    After the second time, Cael was almost sated. Enough to leave now, if he wanted, or to just sleep off the pleasant exhaustion of sex¡ªbut when the whore came to him on her knees and showed what she could do with his mouth, he rose to the asion again. The third time, though, was thest¡ªbut it earned the girl the generous tip for the hard work on another tip.


    It was a nice evening. Cael didn''t know how many such nice evenings he would get in the future.

 Chapter 56 In sickness and health

    56 In sickness and health


    The next week passed in a sh between Cael''s visits to the dungeons, his resumed bouts of regr training, and all the other things that happened in Sanremo di Mare.


    Silvio didn''t stay in the Oliveira tower for long before leaving for his ownnds. Cael didn''t miss him. Ignazio guested a couple more days, but in the end, didn''t stay for long, too.


    "I''m sad to leave too, but my men wouldn''t return without me. But hey, you shoulde to my tower for the Midsummer Festival! It''s gonna be a st, I tell you," he said to Cael before leaving.


    All for the better. Cael was looking forward to going somewhere where people didn''t yet hear about his blood magic. If before citizens of Sanremo di Mare treated Cael with disdain because he was manaless, now they whispered he was a demon in disguise.


    But now Cael was more se about this. What did those people know, anyway? Nothing.


    About that time, Enzo sent Cael''s father a letter with threats of addressing the royal court for support and demands to apologize for the "uwful massacre of his border forces" and "kidnapping of his only daughter".


    Gianni tore those letters into pieces and burned them to ashes in front of his sons.


    "The moon will sooner fall down on earth than I agree to that preposterous notion," he seethed. "Enzo has no hold on us¡ªotherwise, he wouldn''t have sent suchudable threats. The royal court? Humph! Anyone could tell that Enzo was the aggressor and the fault would be his."


    Cael mentioned this event to Ginevra, which elicited a bitter chuckle as her only reaction. He visited the woman regrly¡ªboth with gifts, with conversation, and with kisses.


    Father didn''t miss the gifts, at the very least. But he kept the promise he had given to Cael, only reminding him about the approaching deadline from time to time. And, of course, doubting the entire strategy Cael chose.


    But it was working. It was.


    With each day, Ginevra grew stronger in body, but less prickly in soul. Not by much¡ªbut by the end of the week most of her bandages could be taken off, and she actually said Cael "thank you" when she brought her some books to read.


    Actual progress! Albeit a slow one. There were only three more weeks left¡­ Sometimes, it was frustrating. But he didn''t doubt himself¡ªuntil one moment.


    By that moment, Federico had been deemed stable by healers. There was no saying, though, how long he would need to heal¡ªand if he would ever fully heal at all. Cael wasn''t a friend to the man, but they were acquainted¡ªit was polite, at least, to pay him a visit, when healers finally dered him well enough for one.


    And he fought with Father against Ginevra. Protected him at the price of his own health. This warranted gratitude.


    When Cael came to the hospital room where Federico was recovering, he was immediately hit by the smell of the ce. The smell of the man.


    It was a smell of sickness¡ªnot too unlike the smell of a regr unwashed body, but worse somehow.


    The sight wasn''t pleasant, either. Federico was covered by a thin white sheet. What showed above¡ª


    head and neck¡ªwaspletely covered by bandages, leaving only openings for mouth and nose. A middle-aged nurse sat in a chair near the wall, reading a book, but stood up at Cael''s entry.


    "The patient isn''t well enough for long conversations, signore," she whispered, not lifting her eyes from her feet. "He''s sleeping, but if you wish to wake him, try to not startle him."


    Cael nodded and turned to Federico. It was impossible to tell if he was awake until the man spoke first.


    "Who is it?" His voice was low and hoarse. "I thought I got all the visitors already."


    "It''s Cael Oliveira. I just wanted to thank you for helping my father¡­ With words. I''m afraid I have little else of value to give."


    "Right." Federico''s head turned slightly towards Cael, even though the man couldn''t see. "I heard you have improved by leaps and bounds. I wish you hade to the fight earlier¡­ But at least now Ginevra will suffer as I am."


    Cael swallowed, suddenly nervous. He approached Federico''s bed, and already knowing this would end badly, asked, "Will you heal?"


    Federico''s reply was bitter. Bitter enough that Cael could taste it on his tongue.


    "Eventually. From part of this. Never going to be pretty again¡­ But what does it matter? Healers say I might never see my reflection now. I went blind!"


    Cael flinched. His palms clenched into fists at his sides.


    For the first time, he was met with the worst consequences of Ginevra''s actions. He could forgive her for fighting on the wrong side and murdering his people¡ªshe didn''t seem to mind his own killings. But this¡­


    ''This is more cruel than death!''


    Just a few hourster, Cael repeated the same thing to Ginevra in person. He didn''t hide his anger¡ª


    but anger hid his doubts. Maybe trying to redeem Ginevra was a fool''s errand, like his father said.


    She didn''t as much as twitch at Cael''s re¡ªjust red right back.


    "I didn''t mutte him for fun. I tried to kill the man! Anyone weaker would''ve died. Really, THIS is what you want to me me for?" She snorted. "Shows just how fickle you really are. I was asking myself when you would lose patience with that idiotic idea of yours."


    The words were sobering. They made Cael take a step back. Then, to his surprise, Ginevra let out a huff of breath.


    "Look, if I knew that wouldn''t kill him, I''d used a stronger spell. I''ve seen enough cripples already. Attacking to maim is easier, but just as effective as attacking to kill¡ªbut if you do this, it just shows how weak you arepared to your enemy. Not strong enough to defeat them the way you want, first of all."


    Cael eyes widened. An idea sparked to life in his head.


    "Yes. You are right, Gin. And if I want to do something about this¡­ questioning you won''t help, anyway."

 Chapter 57 Time to hunt

    57 Time to hunt


    Cael frantically turned the pages of his journal. It came to him that he should have protected it from curious eyes with something more reliable than a mere lock on his door. But for now, his focus was not on that.


    He traced lines he drew before, recalling the power contained in the blood. It started with curses, but from curses came blessings, too, and from them¡­


    ''Vitality Transfer. Allows the caster to transfer their vitality to another person, using blood as a conduit.'' Did I write that right, System? Can this spell heal people? Can it heal Federico?''


    ''Yes, Cael. But healing permanent injuries would require more vitality than you could share without dying, unless you spend Blood Points to heal yourself in the process.''


    ''That''s fine. Damn, but the amount of upgrades I have to get to reach this spell¡­''


    There were plenty. The spell itself was of the fourth circle, but it was locked behind several less notable ones. Still, Cael started with the beginning.


    ''System, I want to purchase Curse of Ill Health.''


    ''Understood, user. Upgrade in progress. You now have 138 BP left.''


    But this wasn''t enough. As System added the knowledge of the spell into his head, Cael tapped his fingers on the journal, thinking. On one hand, he had to recruit Ginevra before Father''s deadline. On the other hand, he always needed more strength, and spending a few days adding more won''t change much. In fact, they might even help.


    Cael heard that love grows stronger with distance. This might work with attraction, too¡­ Yes, it was decided.


    ''Alright. It''s time to go for a hunt.''


    ***


    Father liked the idea about as much as Cael expected.


    "A hunt? On your own? Since when do you like this sport? Don''t tell me you just want to step into more¡­ dangers. Alright. Then, since you had never been on a hunt, I will help you gather your supplies."


    This was much more than Cael expected. Together with Gianni, they gathered travel supplies, rations, salt, spare clothing and a map of the surroundings. Cael didn''t bother to take a bow with him, or any other hunting weapon besides a skinning knife. He took a rapier, though¡ªjust in case.


    "And don''t kill the young ones, or breeding females¡ªyou have to save animals for the hunters in the following years. Also, if you won''t gut your catch¡ªassuming you catch anyone¡ªthen at least drain it from blood where you find it. It will keep better this way," Father advised. "You CAN freeze meat with magic, but only after you clean it. Even then¡­ It wouldn''t taste as good as the fresh thing. Cooked on a campfire, with a smell of smoke¡ªthat''s the thing."


    "So that''s why you packed salt? Father¡­ How do you know so much about hunting? I don''t recall you ever hunting."


    "But I did¡­ in my youth. Mostly with Gennaro. Remember him? He is really obsessed with it, even now. From his letters, he hunts even in winters."


    "Uncle Gennaro!" Yes, Cael remembered.


    Gianni''s younger brother, Gennaro, wasn''t blessed with neither big talent in magic, nor with inheritance. All he had was a courtesy title of a bar¡ªa title with no property to it. When Cael was just a boy, Gennaro¡ªa first rank mage at the time¡ªjoined the king''s army in some war. His campaign was a sess¡ªand as a reward, Gennaro was granted a manor near the border, where he lived even now. Sadly, this was far from Oliveira ancestralnds.


    "Yes, him." Father nodded. "If not for this entire mess with Enzo, I''d consider paying him a visit this fall. It''s the prime hunting time. Not that there''s no prey in spring."


    "This isn''t about meat, anyway." Cael gave his father a slightly tense smile. Yes, he was likely only agreeing to this because Cael didn''t say where he actually intended to go for a hunt¡­ "Thank you."


    With the time spent on preparations, Cael left in the morning after deciding to hunt. Not without bidding goodbye to Ginevra.


    "Go. What, do you expect me to miss you?" was her answer.


    Typical Ginevra.


    After this, Cael mounted his horse and ventured towards his hunting grounds of choice¡ªthe Groaning Marsh.


    It was a vast swamp in half a day of swift riding away from Sanremo di Mare, and a source of all that swamp dragon blood Leonardo the alchemist used for his potions. The entire marsh was infested with them. Thankfully, they rarely left it, mostly sating themselves on prey from the swamp itself: small animals and fish.


    Sometimes, though, some would leave it, attracted by the farnds nearby, and steal a sheep or a chicken. On extremely rare asions¡ªa child.


    So now Cael, like many mages who wished to earn some coin and/or glory before, went to thin out the dragon poption a little.


    Swamp dragons weren''t the strongest magic creatures, but their blood was potent. Just a couple days of hunting might give Cael many upgrades.


    He reached the swamp by noon. There was an inn built right at the edge, likely exactly for the hunters like him. Cael dly stopped there for lunch. He also left the horse there.


    The rest of the way he walked on foot. Soon the dirt road turned into a thin path and then disappeared entirely. The Groaning Marsh appeared before Cael.


    The ce looked much more innocent than it was. Murky water was in many ces covered with duckweed, leaves, and grass. Sparse trees grew over that expanse¡ªtoo few to block the bright sunlight. Birds weren''t afraid to chirp and, like the marsh''s name suggested, strange groaning sounds could be heard in the distance.


    Cael was d he wore his least favorite and most well-oiled boots. Even with the stick for testing the ground¡ªwhich he broke from the nearest tree¡ªit was impossible to not step into water out here.


    ''At least I won''t get lost,'' Cael thought, looking at the sun. He remembered that he came from the sunrise''s direction, therefore, he would just have to follow the sunset to return. ''Now I only have to not drown. And maybe catch something to bait the dragons with¡­''


    A short side-quest because I suddenly felt that the plot doesn''t have enough action.

 Chapter 58 Swampy

    Chapter 58 Swampy


    An hourter, Cael found out that the only bait he needed was himself.


    The swamp had plenty of dangers even without the dragons: mires, snakes¡­ Cael was so focused on looking under his feet that he didn''t notice the danger until it was toote.


    His only clues were the sensation of someone''s mana, and a ssh of water¡ªbothing from just behind him. Less than a step away.


    At that moment, Cael didn''t think¡ªhis body reacted on its own. Forgetting about snakes, mires, and dirt, Cael rolled forward through a patch of grass and¡ªhopefully¡ªsolidnd.


    When he jumped to his feet, he turned behind to look at his assaulter¡ªa swamp dragon.


    It was an unassuming beast, especially as far as dragons went. The size of arge dog, it had mossy-brown scales with uneven texture, and was covered in weird stumps and growths from tips of its ws to the ends of its wings. If the dragon lied down and stopped moving, it would''ve been easy to mistake it for a fallen tree trunk.


    Right now, the dragon was moving. Its small eyes were empty like the eyes of lizards often were, but its movements were full of ferocity.


    It crouched and jumped, spreading its wings wide as it aimed with its teeth at Cael''s throat.


    Cael''s hand shot up. He never chanted a spell faster in his life. "<Arrow of magic, fly true!>"


    The arcane arrow cut the dragon''s lunge short, piercing it right between the open jaws. Compared to the force of the lunge, though, the force of the shot wasn''t that big, and the dragon''s body kept moving by inertia, threatening to fall right on Cael.


    He stopped it with his walking stick and pushed it to the side.


    As his madly beating heart slowly calmed down from this fright, Cael studied the corpse of his adversary. It was¡­


    ''Yeah, I heard they are fairly small and weak, since even first ranked mages in hunting parties can take them down, but this can be barely called a dragon.'' Cael pursed his lips. ''Doesn''t seem like it would have much blood, either. Hm, what else does it have of use? Right, they are venomous, too. I should cut off the venom nd to sell it.''


    He quickly drained the dragon from blood with a spell, and his reward was System''s message that he had only a couple dozen points until his next upgrade. Those really became more and more expensive as the time went on¡­


    Cutting out the venom nd was much more tiresome. In the end, Cael found the damned thing¡ªbut it was so mangled by his ministration that he just threw it out.


    ''Now I stink like a swamp multiplied by a swamp dragon¡­'' he thought ruefully.


    The evening was going to set on the marsh in a few hours. Cael pushed the dragon''s remains into the water and marched on, searching both for prey and for a suitable camping spot.


    The swamp dragons were almost impossible to notice when in water, and even out of it they hid themselves astoundingly well; but Cael searched them not with his sight, but with his mana sense. They were, after all, still magical creatures¡ªeven if their magic was so dilutedpared to their greater counterparts that they lost even sentience. The mana in their blood glowed next to the stagnant mana of the swamp around.


    Looking for the dragons, though, wasn''t hard. They never were afraid to attack Cael if he got near.


    By evening, he killed two more (not bothering to cut out their poison nds this time), and settled camp on a rtively dry meadow, using a magical fire to cook his food. Cael didn''t sleep well this night¡ªbetween faraway groans (what were those sounds, really?), other swamp noises, threat of more swamp dragons attacking, and the cool, wet ground, Cael had all the reasons to not be able to close his eyes for a moment.


    But he did, and in the end, no one attacked his small camp.


    The next day, Cael''s search continued. He had a n¡ªwith how things were going, he would hunt for that day and the next morning travel home. By then, he might have enough Blood Points to purchase all necessary upgrades.


    He already spent yesterday''s BPs to purchase the Curse of Endless Pursuit. This spell allowed him to track creatures he had blood of, and as soon as he returned, Cael intended to take some of Ginevra''s blood for it. Just in case.


    For now, though, it was just another step in adder towards Vitality Transfer.


    And the swamp dragon Cael had met was the fuel that would let him make his step.


    moment. The shot that should''ve pierced its neck hit the shoulder This time, Cael was the one who noticed the dragon first, and he used the opportunity to shoot an Arcane Arrow at the beast. It was too aware of its surroundings, though, and twitched at thest moment. The shot that should''ve pierced its neck hit the shoulder instead.


    The dragon turned towards Cael with loud sshes of its paws, its mouth wide open. Then a strange, pained, groan-like cry flew out of it¡ªand was soon echoed by several others, some closer than the others.


    Cael swore. So this was the mystery of the Groaning Marsh¡­ And he would soon have morepany.


    He finished the first dragon off with Greater Exsanguination, not giving it a chance to cross the distance between them and bite. But barely a few minutes passed after, when Cael felt swiftly approaching mana of three more dragons.


    They were superb swimmers¡ªmuch better than walkers.


    Cael threw the walking stick aside and pulled out his rapier. His other hand was already aiming, and a new spell flew from his lips.


    "<Crimson river, Imand thee to be the de of death!>"


    From dragon blood, a crescent-shaped green de appeared in Cael''s hand. Caelunched it at one of the approaching dragons, not even waiting for it to rise above water.


    The de hit its mark, but didn''t kill it. The dragon trashed in pain, but while it did so, its brethren approached.


    Caelmanded the blood de to fly for the second attempt at the first dragon''s life. After that, he only had time for one more spell.

 Chapter 59 The groans of the Groaning Marsh

    59 The groans of the Groaning Marsh


    The blood de hit the already wounded dragon, leaving another long sh on its thick hide before dissipating. Too bad it wasn''t powerful enough to sewer the dragon''s neck like Cael tried. After a moment of shock, the dragon rose to its feet and crawled forward with its jaws bared in a snarl.


    But Cael didn''t have the concentration to finish him, or do anything else but to try to keep all his adversaries within his field of view. All his focus was on the spell he was making¡ªit wasn''t the easiest one, and Cael didn''t have a lot of practice with it before.


    A second circle spell, Breath of Winter, formed in Cael''s lungs, filling them with icy pinpricks. To think


    ¡ªonly a couple weeks ago, Cael would have trouble gathering enough mana to cast it at all, while now this spell made only a slight dent in his mana pool. He really was a third rank mage now, even if his arsenal of third rank spells was low.


    And THOSE really would''ve depleted his mana pool.


    While he read the spell, the dragons swam closer and rose above the water''s surface. They circled Cael like wolves, more of groaning callsing out of their throats as theymunicated with each other.


    They were searching for an opening for an attack. Waiting¡­ until their patience was over.


    But thankfully, so was Cael''s spell.


    "<Winter''s wrath, lend me your fierce frost. Let the icy gale consume all who oppose me and bury them under evesting snow!>"


    As soon as he finished thest words, he took a deep breath. When he let it out a momentter, it came as a cone of blizzard that came straight from the chillest winter. Wind carried both cold and snow, and with enough force to send men sprawling.


    It sent the dragons flying a meter away, and there they became caught by theyer of fresh ice that the surrounding them marsh turned into. They were still alive under the crust¡ªdivided by three, the spell wasn''t lethal enough¡ªbut from their weak movements Cael knew swamp dragons became as sluggish from the cold as normal lizards.


    The spell ended sooner than Cael''s breath, but itsted long enough for him to catch all three. Next part was straightforward.


    First, he ended the already wounded dragon with Greater Exsanguination, then used part of the blood gathered in his free hand to create a Blood de. Since his target was in sight an immobile, the first attack of the de shed open the creature''s hide, and the second cut off its neck. Then Cael poured more mana into the de and set it flying at thest of the dragons.


    The first attack hit¡ªbut then, with a roar of pain, the dragon broke free of its icy prison and jumped at Cael in a mad, desperate attack.


    Its wings, too small to let the creature fly, beat with loud ps, extending the dragon''s jump enough to cover four meters that separated him from Cael.


    For a moment, the world froze in time. Cael stood still, the globe of unconsumed blood in one hand, the rapier in the other. The dragon hovered in the air right in front of him, about to fall down and bite off Cael''s face. Too close to read a spell.


    Cael could''ve stepped aside, but he already walked through too many puddles.


    He just raised his rapier towards the dragon''s throat instead.


    Steel, solid and true, sank into the thick scaly hide like a hot knife into butter. The dragon gurgled, its limbs iling in throes of death, and was about to fall down on Cael.


    He turned his body and his de. Using the inertia of the dragon''s movement, Cael threw its body over himself and into the water. It sshed loudly, sending droplets of slimy water all over Cael, anyway.


    With a grimace, Cael pulled the rapier out of the sinking body and wiped his mouth with a cleaner of his sleeves. ''So much for an attempt to not get any more wet.''


    He heard more groans in the distance, and they were closer now than they were before. And while that was a great opportunity to hunt all the dragons around¡­ The sheer amount of them was too rming.


    ''It feels like dozens. I don''t want to find out if I can beat a dozen or two of dragons at once¡­''


    With that thought in mind, Cael quickly gathered the blood of the fallen dragons and picked up his walking stick. It was time to get out of there!


    Except, getting ANYWHERE in a swamp was a problem. He was aiming for his previous camping spot, but soon realized that there was no way for him to find it again now.


    And the groans were still there, still approaching. Cael didn''t know if swamp dragons could track his smell in this stinky ce somehow, but if they could, it wasn''t good.


    It was then that he heard another call.


    "Hunter! Over there, hunter!"


    The voice was low and so hoarse that Cael barely could make out words, especially since it came from a distance away. He turned his head and saw a silhouette of something vaguely dome-shaped standing amid a group of sickly trees about forty meters away.


    Cael couldn''t make out any mana from that distance, but he only needed to walk a few meters forward to sense IT.


    His eyes widened, and he almost stepped into the water from shock. The entire dome-like thing he assumed was a hut, just glowed with mana! Strong, fierce mana¡­ that was too much like that of swamp dragons.


    "Don''t fret, hunter!" the creature called out again. It moved now, and Cael could make out a long neck and a raised head. "I wish you no harm!"


    Cael calmed down a little at the truth of the creature''s words. He approached it with less caution.


    And when he was close enough to take a good look at the being, Cael stopped short in its tracks. Because that thing¡­


    It was a real, nothing like the swamp mockeries of the kind, dragon.

 Chapter 60 Princess

    60 Princess


    It was the size of two horses stacked on top of each other, and its proportions were much closer to those of dragons as they were depicted in art: slender limbs, long tail, a crest-like ridge that ran along its spine. Its wings, though, were different¡ªinstead of the five "fingers" forming a wing, only two did¡ª


    the rest created a long-wed palm at the second joint. They didn''t look like they could carry the creature into the sky.


    And there was intelligence shining in its t, lizard eyes.


    In every other ount, this creature was a swamp dragon through and through. The increase in sight only made it uglier. The texture of its scales, which reminded Cael of a mud-covered tree, weird growths all over, and the inescapable stink of a swamp.


    Cael shook his head, staring at the creature in disbelief. "I don''t get it. If these overgrown lizards," he gestured somewhere into the swamp, "are swamp dragons, then what are you? And if you are a swamp dragon, then what are they?"


    The creature sneezed; at least, it sounded this way. A momentter, Cael realized it was expressing its amusement this way. "Hunter, are all others who came there as ignorant as you? Those drones you hunt are my brothers. While not alike in stature, we are of the same kind."


    Cael tensed and took a step back. "Brothers? You sound terribly se about their murder¡­"


    "There''s no good blood between me and them, and there''s no bad blood, either. They merely obey the will of their queen. Like those insects¡­ worker bees, they are called, I think. They won''t dare toe near me, so you can lower your guard, hunter."


    Cael felt the strength of belief in the dragon''s words, but still stayed cautious of both the dragon and the surrounding marsh. He didn''te closer to the dragon, either. The things they were saying¡­ they were too strange, even if the creature believed his every word.


    "Worker bees? But¡­ Dragons are nothing like bees! You are¡ª"


    "We all carry the blood of the First Dragon, but that doesn''t stop us from changing. Evolving." The dragon tilted its head up to stare Cael down. "Like you, hunter. I sense the power within you¡­ It''s so much like that of Queen. Maybe your arrival was a work of Fate¡ªbecause I think you may actually free this marsh from her oppression."


    Now, this was the most shocking revtion Cael heard yet. Chill spread within him.


    "You can''t mean that Queen can use blood magic too?"


    "She can''t use any magic; but her size and strength grew immensely since the day she got the cursed power."


    The dragon lowered her head to the ground and let out a long, sorrowful breath.


    "It was a year ago¡ªI was still a hatchling back then. Yes, we dragons age much faster than humans. The power fell to the ground like aet that glowed in colors that have no names in human tongue, for you can''t see them. It also glowed with mana that was, inly put, not out of this world. It scared me. But Queen was enraptured. She took theet and kept it on her person until her body absorbed its power."


    The description was hauntingly familiar. Cael saw nothing like this himself¡ªbut this sounded exactly like things ryed to him by his predecessor by System.


    ''It was a Starspawn Shard!''


    ording to System''s words, "shards" of Starspawn power would sometimes fall from their transportation devices. It wasn''t malicious by its nature, but the very presence of it indicated that the first invaders have alreadye down to Cael''s world.


    And were probably much closer than he thought¡ªwhile still hiding out of reach. Their ability to mask themselves was unprecedented. ''Damn!''


    By System''s ount, Cael''s predecessor first met with Starspawn personally about three years after meeting his previous version¡ªand it was nowhere near Oliveirands. But then again, Cael''s present history was as different as his predecessor''s differed from his own predecessor''s. He knew that much


    ¡ªminor alterations in history lead to significant changes in it down the way.


    In the meantime, the dragon continued its story.


    "By my kind''s way, I could only live in my mother''s nest until adulthood, after which I had to challenge her for the nest or to leave. Thetter was what I originally nned to do, but after watching Queen''s rule, I knew I had to kill her for the good of both humans and dragons. She keptying more and more eggs, without care for where her children would feed, or on whom. She tried to kill me while I was an adolescent, but I escaped. And now, here I am. An exiled princess, asking for your help, hunter. Join my side and fight Queen together with me."


    Cael frowned, thinking it over. A huge and powerful dragon meant a lot of potent blood and a ton of Blood Points. Or it could spell his death. The Princess, at least, was honest in her words.


    Her. Hah. He''d never guess this was a girl dragon if she didn''t tell him. For Cael, all swamp dragons were equally ugly in their own unique ways.


    "I will reward you for help, too, hunter. You seek the blood of my brethren, am I right? When I be a queen, the males would obey my everymand. I could supply you with blood for a lifetime, and nobody would have to be harmed without need."


    "What a bargain you make," Cael muttered.


    It really was a great deal. Dragon blood could steadily supply him with BP, or with money¡­ And he wouldn''t have to lift a finger. Or to put a toe in this muck.


    Besides¡­


    ''A giant swamp dragon head? Now that would make a fine trophy. Father would get a stroke from the sight. Though, for that the Princess'' head would fit just as well¡­''


    Cael measured the dragon in front of him. Could he take her on? Could he take a bigger version of her on?


    I picked up Elden Ring now. It gives me inspiration... the results of which you may notice.

 Chapter 61 Queen

    61 Queen


    Yeah, he totally could!


    Cael smirked. After many hours of trudging through the swamp and dealing with individually weak, but highly annoying because of the need to be constantly on alert of them, swamp dragons, this was actually promising to be fun.


    And if Queen, drunk on Starspawn power, could be a threat to Oliveirands and subjects, this was only a better reason to end her.


    "Alright, Princess. Where is Queen?"


    The dragon drew closer to Cael. Despite her size, she was graceful and didn''t sink into the soft ground.


    "Sit on my back, hunter. I will bring you there."


    ***


    That was quite a ride. Princess ran through the marshes even swifter than the smaller dragons. Her feet carried her over the water and grass alike, no doubt thanks to the innate magic of dragons. Her presence scared all lesser dragons away.


    In no time at all, a small hill appeared from the fog, and Princess stopped.


    Cael, who was holding onto her neck for dear life, exhaled in relief. Despite the dragon''s smooth gait, his backside was weeping with pain from the countless nubs and growths on Princess'' scales.


    "This is it¡ªthe Nest," Princess pointed at the hill with a wing. "Queen never leaves it. There will be male dragons inside, too, but they won''t dare to interfere."


    Cael looked at the "hill" again and found what he missed before¡ªa rtively small, dark opening of an entrance. Barely big enough to fit Princess, not to mention a bigger dragon. And what Cael thought was a natural grassy mound, on a deeper inspection, was more akin to a beaver''s dam. With more moss and grass on top.


    "Can she ever leave the Nest? She won''t fit through this door."


    Princess let out a vaguely surprised grunt. "I didn''t think of this. But this just shows what her mad hunger for power had reduced Queen to. She can''t leave without damaging the Nest''s walls! She will have to fight right on top of her precious eggs. I will have toy many eggs of my own after we kill her to negate the damage."


    Cael frowned. "Not too many, Princess. These dragons, when there''s too many of them, attack the viges closest to the swamp. That''s a big part of why they are hunted, you know."


    Princess began to walk again, slower this time, towards the Nest.


    "Of course, hunter. Hunger drives all of us. Queen''s hunger for power made her so big that the males couldn''t find enough food for her in the swamp. They hunt and their fish, and it''s still too little for her! But this will change when I be Queen."


    "It better!" Cael warned. "There are hundreds of legends about dragonkind, Princess, and almost all of them depict you as egoistic, cruel, and treacherous creatures."


    Princess let out a barking noise. A scoff? Augh? "Human legends! Made by humans for humans to picture you as the kings of the world and distract you from your real spot in the food chain. You are so used to huddling together into your tribes for protection that you need to tell yourself fairytales or you will spare your prey out of ''mercy'' and starve."


    "And what would YOU know about human legends? You are only a year old!"


    "More than you know about dragons, definitely." Princess turned her head to give Cael a condescending look. "Our memories live on in our offspring. I remember the doings of my great ancestors, and even the time when the First Dragon himself walked the earth. Those glorious days, when the world was young and the blood of gods was strong in their children¡­"


    "Regardless, all that you say still doesn''t make dragons better than humans. Or any good at all! Just to think¡ªyou have all that great knowledge and hoard it to yourself, sharing it only with your children, like¡­"


    Cael trailed off. This reminded him painfully of something very close to heart. But before he could finish this thought, Princess stopped in front of the entrance to the Nest.


    "Here we are. Get off me, hunter. I can''t fight with you on my back."


    Cael jumped off the dragon, taking in his surroundings. This part of the swamp, excluding the Nest, looked as much as any other to him. There was no missing the dozens of lesser dragons scuttling away from Princess.


    Even if Cael didn''t notice their lean bodies cutting through the water in their haste to stay away, there was no missing their mana. They didn''t go too far, though, creating a two dozen meters wide circle around Cael and Princess.


    Thebined mana of it all was nothingpared to the powerful mana Cael sensed from inside the Nest. It stank like the swamp, but from inside that mass, an eerie glimpse of something unearthly shone through.


    Cael peered inside the Nest with his eyes, but it was too dark to actually see a thing. He read a Light spell and cautiously stepped forward, through the looming arch of wood and dirt. Princess followed right after.


    Cael''s spell wasn''t big enough to light the entire building. The farther walls and the ceiling stayed cloaked in shadows. So did the massive silhouette in the center of the room. Cael could make out only the shape of a raised head on an elongated neck, a hint of a tail, and the size.


    Queen was twice as big as Princess. That, if measured in horses stacked on top of each other, made her four horses tall.


    Cael swallowed. This was going to be dangerous.


    Queen shifted and leaned her head towards her visitors. Her voice boomed through the building, and more of the lesser dragons scuttled to the edges of the Nest.


    "Well, well, well. Isn''t that my cowardly daughter? Have you decided to make peace and brought this snack as a gift? Or have you united with a human just to kill me? Ungrateful!" She turned towards Cael. "And you! A mage with some power¡­ What did she promise as a reward? What lies did she tell about me?"


    *boss music begins ying*


    Garessta

 Chapter 62 A royal dispute

    Chapter 62 A royal dispute


    Behind Cael, Princess growled.


    "Lies? I need no lies for you, ''Mother''. Look at yourself! You don''t fit in the door anymore! What''s even the point of your power if you only eat, and eat, and eat? You will eat all the fish in the swamp and move onto humans, and this is just another reason we must kill you!"


    "The point of my power, ''Daughter''?" Queen growled back. "It''s protecting the Nest from such as you!"


    She stood up, bing even taller, and walked closer to the light. Now Cael saw her ugly snout and her lizard eyes, sharp with predatory intelligence. They peered down at Cael, who was already mentally calcting what spells he would use first. But she didn''t attack.


    "Human¡­ Are you a smart one? Then you should listen to me. Whatever reward the wench has promised, I can give more. My children, the treasures of humans that have perished in this swamp


    ¡ªyou will be rich! And if you think yourself a hero, human, then think again. My daughter is far from righteous, and so is her cause! She just wants my power for herself!"


    Cael frowned. Everything in those words rang with the assurance Queen felt. He walked several steps to the side so he could turn and keep both Princess and Queen in his sight.


    "Really?" he asked.


    "Don''t listen to her!" Princess interjected. "She''s delusional. Her power is corrupt! Whatever her treasures are, they will be yours when we defeat her. All I want is to protect the Nest from her greed. When she dies, I would control the poption of lesser dragons so they would never need to leave the swamp and provoke humans again!"


    Queen turned to the Princess with a furious snarl.


    "Yet it''s you who goes and provokes them! Or do you think I wouldn''t know whose fault half of those hunters are? You steal their cattle and kill whoever stands in the way, yet pretend that you are so righteous you GLOW!"


    "It''s only your fault, Mother! If you didn''t eat so much, I wouldn''t be driven to do this. I had to survive and not starve if I ever to defeat you and put a stop to all this!"


    "You should''ve left my swamp alone if you care so much, you wench! You are just envious of me. Just afraid that you are too weak to build and protect your own nest! And what if I eat? This is my right! The food is there, and with my strength, I dere it mine. Do you want to argue that with your own strength? As if! Coward, you can only hide and make others fight on your behalf!"


    Cael rubbed the bridge of his nose. The roars made his ears hurt, and the unshakable faith of both dragons in their words brought pain to his head as well.


    This was the first time he had this problem. Until now, his Sense Lies talent had never let him down! But this was its limit, Cael knew. It didn''t sense the universal truth of the world¡ªif such existed. It merely sensed whether the person THOUGHT they were lying.


    ''Are all dragons so¡­ bitchy?'' He scowled. With each minute of this confrontation, his opinion of both dragons descended another notch. And he wasn''t very sympathetic to them to begin with.


    He really only wanted to kill someone big for trophies and blood. If this was helping people, all the better. But now he had to pick a side that would help his people more.


    Or at least the side HE liked more.


    Neither was a simple choice.


    On the other hand, this was what made it easier. If both options were equal in everything but size and power, Cael only had to judge based on that.


    "Be quiet, both of you!" Cael shouted. "Queen, may I ask you something? Without being overheard." He threw a pointed look at Princess.


    "Don''t you dare, hunter!" the younger dragon hissed. "If you betray me, I will destroy you!"


    Queen gave her a look of superiority and turned to Cael. "Surely, human, let''s speak without this wretch''s interference. She may stay and watch as the coward she is, not daring to strike, as she knows I''m stronger than her any day."


    Princess growled, but true to Queen''s words, stayed still while Cael walked up to Queen. He stood next to her front paw, and her head towered above him, too far up to look at without craning his neck until it broke.


    "Can you hear me from up here?" he asked in his quietest voice, pretty sure what the answer was.


    "What?" Queen looked at him from above. "I can''t hear you. Do you expect me to bow before you?"


    "Yes! Be louder, so at least I can hear, too!" Princess growled from the sidelines, drowning out Cael''s response, spoken in a whisper.


    "Shut up, wretch! This is between me and the human!" Queen roared back. She twisted her neck to bring her head near Cael. It was almost as big as him. The next moment, she bared her teeth, each the size of a dagger, and recoiled from Cael.


    "What''s that?!"


    Toote. The spell he whispered under his breath all that time was too close topletion.


    "<I call upon the power of skies and the winds of a raging hurricane. Crescent de of cutting winds, let your fury rend my enemies asunder!>"


    Cael threw out his hands, letting the spell he painstakingly conjurede to life. Half of his mana went into it, but it was worth the effort. The third circle version of Wind de, Wind Scythe, was just the right size to cut Queen''s head in half.


    It flew towards it, and the spell''s crescent-shaped de hit Queen straight in the eye.


    The scythe cut through the soft tissue of the eye, the scales and the muscle like through butter, halting only when it met the bone. The resulting impact pushed Queen''s head back and sent green blood sttering around. She screeched in pain and stumbled back.


    But then the scythe dissipated, and Queen still stood. A huge, wide gash went diagonally through her eye and bisected her mouth. Blood was pouring out of it in rivulets, but the wound, as grievous as it was, hadn''t been enough. Queen was still alive.


    Furious.


    And way too close.


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