Merva wore a complicated expression.
If Kene was honest with himself, he had expected far more wariness from her after hearing Siran’s account. Hell, if even half of it were true, suspicion of him being some sort of monster would have been the rational response.
He had prepared for that. He had answers ready to ease concerns, and contingencies in place should she decide that caution meant steel drawn in his direction.
Instead, she sighed.
“Is… is there any truth to what Siran mentioned?” she asked carefully. “Naturally, after he gave me his report while you were still recovering, the details were concerning. I even sent a scouting party to the cave to look for signs of dark magic or ritual work.”
She paused.
“Nothing turned up.”
Kene listened without interrupting.
“We also brought Mage Alton to inspect the area—”
That made him sit forward before he could stop himself.
“You got Mage Alton to move?”
“Yes, Master Ester. Since it sounded like a magical issue, we thought it best to consult the only expert in town.”
She looked off slightly as she continued.
“Honestly, considering how difficult it is to pull that man away from his research, I did not expect much. It was more a formality — a box to check. But Siran’s description… intrigued him.”
Merva’s gaze returned to Kene’s face, sharp and measuring.
“Enough that he insisted on examining you personally. While you were still unconscious.”
That, Kene had not anticipated.
he thought.
Mage Alton had always been an uncertainty in his plans — an intelligent variable in an otherwise manageable equation. Kene had postponed meeting him properly, but it seemed fate had accelerated that timeline.
“Did Mage Alton find anything wrong with me?” Kene asked evenly.
Merva shook her head.
“Other than physical strain, he declared you completely healthy. More than healthy, actually. He remarked that your muscles and tendons were denser than before. Mana was flowing more smoothly through your organs.” She hesitated slightly. “And… your core was unchanged.”
Kene nodded slowly.
That aligned perfectly with the bodily improvements granted by the Enforcer path.
“I’m glad Mage Alton is being proactive,” Kene said. “Though it is mildly concerning that it required me nearly dying to get him to lift a finger.”
Merva glanced toward the door instinctively.
“It would be wise not to speak of him in that tone publicly, Young Master.”
She wasn’t wrong.
Kene’s surname offered protection, being the son of a Fifth Circle Mage still carried weight. But his inability to become a mage himself weakened that standing. Meanwhile, Alton was a Third Circle Mage and the strongest in this remote region. Influence flowed where power gathered.
“I understand,” Kene replied calmly.
Merva visibly relaxed.
“So,” Kene continued thoughtfully, “there’s no evidence in my body, and no evidence at the site. Though I would still prefer to inspect the cave personally once I’ve recovered.”
He paused.
“Despite that, I don’t believe Siran was lying. He truly believed what he saw.”
Merva’s brows rose slightly.
“And why do you think that, Master Ester?”
“Because something happen,” Kene said. “The beasts going berserk. The void in my memory. Those are facts. There may be a connection.”
He folded his hands loosely.
“Siran was exhausted and near death. His perception could have been distorted. Stress does strange things to the mind. I won’t dismiss that possibility. But I also won’t ignore the anomalies.”
He met her gaze steadily.
“This requires further investigation.”
That was no lie. If corruption had somehow taken hold and then vanished, it meant the mission he returned in time for had already failed in a fundamental way. If that were true, he would have to hope his former companions succeeded without him.
“Do you think,” Merva began cautiously, “that this could be related to the warrior path you’re forging?”
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Kene narrowed his eyes slightly.
He smiled faintly.
“No. You’ve read the tomes yourself. None of the tribesmen displayed anything resembling what Siran described and many were further along the path than I currently am.”
Merva frowned slightly.
“But you are reverse engineering it. Perhaps something went wrong in the process… no, that shouldn’t be possible. Alton confirmed your magical organs were unchanged…”
She trailed off.
Kene thought.
He doubted the diagnostic methods of this era could compare to what he knew. Still, it was something to keep in mind.
“As I said,” Kene continued smoothly, “this will remain under observation. I’ll focus on administrative duties and rest for the coming days. No combat. We’ll monitor for abnormalities.”
Merva nodded.
Kene hesitated before asking his next question.
“Knight Merva, you’ve served in my father’s court for years. Has anything like Siran described ever occurred there? With my father… or any of my siblings?”
She shook her head immediately.
“No, Master Ester. Your family’s magic has always been strictly fire affinity.”
Kene thought.
He shifted topics deliberately.
“Speaking of the warrior path, I do have good news.”
Merva’s posture straightened almost imperceptibly.
“Oh?”
“I believe I’m nearing a threshold. My body no longer absorbs mana as readily as before. It feels… like pressing against a wall.”
A faint smile touched his lips.
“I suspect I’m close to the next stage.”
That got her full attention.
“That is excellent news, Young Master. Please keep me informed of your progress.”
“I will. According to the tomes, the next stage should allow one to contend with Second Circle Mages, even without spellcasting.”
Kene already knew exactly how that would unfold. Tier Two was where an Enforcer crossed from peak human into something undeniably superhuman. After that, the growth only accelerated.
But what he truly needed was Tier Four. That was when attempting more of the dangerous dungeons and spire expeditions became viable, able to obtain some seriously strong relics, and with them, real leverage against the future he remembered.
He noticed the flicker in Merva’s eyes, that quiet hunger for strength.
Good. Her focus had shifted.
“Now, Knight Merva,” Kene said lightly, “if that is all, I would like to eat and rest.”
She seemed to shake herself free from her thoughts, bowed deeply, and exited the room.
The moment the door closed, Kene dropped the composure.
He tore into the food like a starving man.
Which, in truth, he was.
***
It had been a long time since Ester had stepped into the mansion’s basement — if he ever had at all. For Kene, this was his first visit.
He looked around the dimly lit chamber with a small smile.
In the near future this place would be transformed into his laboratory, the center of his research and creations. Just thinking about it filled him with anticipation. Once he regained his core and could cast spells properly again, his progress would accelerate dramatically.
But for now, the basement served a simpler purpose.
In one corner sat several piles of beast cores collected from the recent extermination mission. Kene had ordered the guards to gather every single one and store them here.
At present, the method for purifying beast cores did not appear to be widely known.
Which meant he intended to exploit that advantage as much as possible.
There were three distinct piles. The largest consisted of Tier 1 beast cores. Next to it sat a smaller stack from the few Tier 2 beasts that had been slain. Finally, placed apart from the others, rested a single large core — the one taken from a Tier 3 beast.
Kene had been told it was on the weaker end of its tier, but that hardly mattered.
It was still more than sufficient for his purposes.
His plan was simple.
He would purify all of the cores first. After that, some would be sold for profit while the rest would be kept for cultivation or equipment crafting. Naturally, the Tier 3 core would be reserved for forging an item.
Exactly what kind of item, he had not yet decided.
A few ideas had been forming in his mind.
His battles with the berserker bear and the roc had exposed several weaknesses he needed to address. He lacked the raw attack power necessary to deal meaningful damage to heavily armored opponents. Worse, he had no reliable way to threaten airborne enemies.
“Well,” he muttered to himself, “I’ll think about a solution while I work.”
He sat down on the floor and picked up the first core, closing his eyes as he focused.
Slowly, the hazy red corruption inside the core began to fade. In its place appeared a smooth teal glow.
When the process finished, he placed it onto a new pile reserved for purified cores.
“One down,” he murmured. “Far too many left to go.”
Several hours passed.
By the time he finished, a new collection of cores sat before him — each shining with shades of green and blue depending on their purity and tier. Among them rested the Tier 3 core, now glowing with a deep ocean-blue light.
Satisfied, Kene stood.
“Guards!” he called.
The door opened almost immediately. Four guards entered, some pushing wheelbarrows to transport the cores to the estate coffers, where Mikkel and the head of finance would sort and distribute them.
The men tried their best to maintain disciplined expressions.
They failed.
Their eyes kept drifting to the small mountain of wealth laid out on the stone floor.
Kene found their reaction mildly amusing.
Absent-mindedly, he wondered how they would react once he started bringing back relics and artifacts from dungeons.
If purified beast cores impressed them this much, the future would be quite entertaining.
***
Kene sat in his room, a pile of Tier 2 beast cores beside him.
One by one, he absorbed them directly into his body.
Mana surged through his channels in greater quantities than ever before. He cycled it carefully and methodically, guiding the energy through the familiar pathways while deliberately avoiding the newer set of channels he had developed.
More mana meant more power, but it also meant more risk.
He could not afford to damage something he still did not fully understand.
Kene had been telling the truth when he spoke with Merva earlier. His cultivation had begun to slow recently, a sign that he was nearing the final stretch before breaking through the first gate. There was still some distance left to go, but the resistance was clear.
He was approaching the threshold.
With the additional mana from the raid’s beast cores, however, that final barrier felt closer than ever. If everything went smoothly, he would likely break through soon after the upcoming raid.
His thoughts drifted briefly toward the Tier 3 core waiting in the basement.
He had already decided what kind of artifact he wanted to craft from it.
It would not be a permanent piece of equipment. Instead, it would be a powerful single-use item — something capable of tipping the balance if he ever found himself facing a Tier 3 beast, or an especially dangerous Tier 2.
A temporary solution.
But a necessary one.
Once his cultivation advanced further, problems like that would solve themselves. Until then, it would serve as insurance for the raid.
A knock sounded at the door.
Kene’s focus snapped back to the present.
Perfect timing.
He had just finished absorbing the last of the cores anyway.
“Come in,” he called.
The door creaked open slowly.
Kene rose to his feet as the man stepped inside.
Ayre.
“You summoned me, Master Ester,” Ayre said. His voice was dry, almost bored.
Kene knew better than to mistake it for disrespect. That was simply how the man spoke.
“Yes,” Kene replied calmly. “I did.”
He studied Ayre for a moment before continuing.
“How would you feel about becoming my apprentice?”
That finally drew a reaction.
Ayre’s eyebrows lifted slightly.
Chapter 16 - The Prodigy
