After a day and a half of travel, broken by a brief night's stay at a roadside motel, I finally arrived at the capital. My semensem car hummed smoothly as it rolled down the cobbled roads, its well built mechanisms adjusting to the uneven terrain with fewer bumps than most other car brands.
From the moment the highway led into the City of Chanster, the energy of the big city was palpable. The rhythmic click of horse hooves echoed against the stone walkways, confined to designated tracks, while the roar of high-speed vehicles filled the air. The scent of burning fuel mixed with the crisp winter air, carrying the unmistakable hum of civilization.
Chanster stretched out before me, its majestic buildings of stone and wood standing tall, adorned with intricate carvings that spoke of centuries of history. Towers, domes, and archways loomed overhead, casting long shadows over the bustling streets.
Ahead, the city's checkpoint was clogged with traffic. A long line of carriages and automobiles stretched forward, a bottleneck of nobility and commoners alike.
Leaning an arm against the car window, I muttered aloud, "Why is the road packed? Some kind of festival?"
From the passenger seat behind me, Fabii shifted uncomfortably. "General Henisin, it's the winter holidays."
"Bloody—who celebrates a winter holiday without snow?" I scoffed.
As if the world itself took offense, a sudden cold touch landed on my outstretched hand. I glanced up just in time to see the first snowflakes begin to fall.
"I take it back," I said flatly.
Beside me, Sethon erupted into laughter. "Only thirty and already forgetting things."
I ignored him.
When our turn at the checkpoint finally arrived, I reached for my identification papers, preparing to hand them to the officer.
But before I could, a sharp voice cut through the cold air.
"Is this how you treat nobility now? Stuck in line with common-born?"
The mana signature was familiar. I had sensed it earlier, lingering in the peripheral of my mana sense before the assassin attack.
Beside me, Jasmine tensed, gripping the edge of her seat. "That voice…" she murmured.
I opened the car door and stepped out, waiting as the man strode forward, his outrage rolling off him like waves of heat.
"I have been stuck in this line for thirty damned minutes, officer—and you let this—" His rant died mid-sentence as his gaze landed on me. Like a steam engine abruptly cut off, his expression shifted from anger to startled recognition.
I held his gaze, then greeted him evenly. "How do you do, Tefania?"
His black hair and red pupils gave his lineage away. A noble, through and through, of similar blood to Jasmine yet of vastly different temperament.
'he is the kind that needs a stick shoved down their back side, so people are warned beforehand.'
Tefania stiffened, his earlier confidence draining. "I am… terrible. My apologies for the profound misunderstanding, my prince."
"But why?" I asked, tilting my head. Then, without giving him time to recover, I turned back to the officer. "Hold on, Tefania. Officer, here are my papers."
The guard, already shifting uncomfortably at recognizing my identity, gave a stiff salute before bowing his head. "Of course, sir."
He barked orders at the other guards to clear the path. The gates creaked open.
I glanced back at Tefania, his posture now awkward, his presence smaller than before. Once so arrogant, now suddenly subdued.
Good.
I stepped back into my vehicle. A familiar sense of satisfaction settled in my chest.
Not magic research. Not exploration.
But dismantling enemies—that was becoming a close favorite of mine.
"Follow behind me." I called out to Tefania.
After navigating the city's winding streets, past bustling walkways filled with corporate workers and civilians, I took a series of turns to escape the densely populated areas. The commercial districts, like the one I had entered through, were common throughout Chanster, teeming with trade and activity.
Instead, I drove toward the factory zones—the city's most despised and least populated districts. Here, thick fog clung to the streets, mingling with the soot-covered ground, where layers of mud turned each step into a struggle. The air was heavy with the scent of metal and oil, a stark contrast to the lively streets I had left behind.
I hadn't missed how the car trailing mine kept, attempting to get away from following me. The driver had tried different turns, but with two pills and a spell, he had finally learned a thing or two.
'How prudent.' I smiled inwardly.
"Sethon remained in the car with the kids. I had a matter to discuss with the nobleman."
As I stepped out, my shoe immediately sank a few inches into the thick mud. I didn't pay it any mind. Tefania, on the other hand, looked as if he were moments away from losing his composure entirely.
I shut the door with a slam, though the car lacked glass to cover its windows. As I walked toward him, I became more aware of the factory zone's oppressive cacophony—metal grinding, flames roaring, men shouting orders over the din.
'It'll be needed.'
A sharp pain crawled through my chest. I ignored it.
—TobiasTefania (POV)—
Never had I, Tobias Tefania, second son of the family head, felt so utterly inconsequential. I was a genius in the Charm Magic Series, a major power in the underworld of Chamster
Yet none of those beliefs I had built up could prepare me for the emperor's brother as he approached. His eyes held a wicked malice, his long black hair casting shadows over his face, lending him an almost spectral presence. But none of that was the true terror of the man—those without mana sense would never understand.
All men possess mana, a force that allows them to manifest phenomena. As it grows, they ascend through the ranks, nearing the Paramount, their mana layering around them like a second skin. Archmages, with their terrifying reserves, bear multiple dense layers of mana clinging to them.
But this man? His was no skin.
It was an ocean.
A monsoon.
A storm of mana, vast and unrelenting. His presence swallowed the air itself, pressing against me long before his voice reached my ears.
And when it did, it was the voice of a demon.
"Peculiar. You have actual mana sense. Hmmm. Useful. Very much so."
That was the day I signed a deal with the devil.