The man didn't seem to understand Ralth's laughter. In his mind, joining them and becoming a noble was something that many people could not find a way to do in the Relves Kingdom no matter how much money they spent or actions they took. It was an honor that commoners could only dream of.
However, the youth in front of him was not grateful for such a gift. Instead, he had dared to look at him with mockery, as if he had offered him dirt instead of gold.
This is simply unreasonable! A mere peasant dares mock me, the fat noble thought, his face growing red with rage .
Peasants will always be peasants, he told himself. Even if they become Magi by chance, their dull brains cannot understand profound things like honor and nobility. They only understand food and shelter and sex just like the animals they are.
Kevran took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He was not afraid of good opponents in negotiations, but he was afraid of bad teammates who undermined his efforts with thoughtless words.
The fat man's words had almost made this attempt to win over the other party meaningless, but he still wanted to try and save it. Too much was at stake if he couldn't.
If Ralth, the Magus apprentice, joined them, the alliance would not only gain a great boost, but also reduce a threat. One less enemy to worry about in the coming trials. One less person to kill him.
"I swear on my family name! Polis, if you say one more word, even one more word, I will kick you out of the alliance!" Kevran's voice was filled with suppressed anger, and these impolite words made Polis' fat face turn even redder, now with embarrassment.
He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something else, perhaps to defend himself or to argue, but looking at Kevran's cold eyes, he finally closed his mouth. He stepped back, chastised but still resentful.
"Ralth, you don't have to pay attention to anything Polis says. He is a new noble who has recently gained his status so he is somewhat proud of his noble status. But not all members of our organization are like that," Kevran turned to Ralth and instantly put on a decent smile on his face, smoothing over the tension with practiced ease.
"In our alliance, there is one knight, two quasi-apprentices who are connected to the Soul Sea, and five knight attendants. Although I don't know the situation of other airships, the strength of our alliance is definitely enough to pass this exam. There's no chance of failure"
Kevran leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping to a more intimate level. "Furthermore, there is a descendant of one of the Legendary Knights in our alliance."
Kevran leaned towards Ralth in a mysterious manner, as if about to share a great secret. The other nobles shifted uncomfortably,
some casting worried glances at each other.
"Qdrqq, one of the Legendary Knights who founded the Seven Kingdoms, whoall came from the Kingdom of God, and their descendants also have divine blood," Kevran said, his eyes bright with excitement.
Kevran's words aroused Ralth's interest.
The mention of the Legendary Knights caught his attention like a hook. He had indeed heard the legend of the Legendary Knights many times.
In ancient times, seven Legendary Knights came to the world from the kingdom of God and founded the current seven kingdoms in the wilderness full of monsters. They had cleared the land, fought back the darkness, and established order where there had been only chaos.
According to legend, some of these Legendary Knights were extremely strong, with powers beyond mortal understanding. Some could breathe fire like dragons, their breath melting stone and metal. Some could transform into wild beasts, taking the forms of bears, wolves, or eagles to fight their enemies. And some were invulnerable to swords and guns, their skin turning aside the sharpest blades as if they were made of the strongest steel.
But seeing what Kevran said, it seemed that these legendary knights must have some relationship with the Magi. Perhaps their powers were not divine gifts but magic, passed down through bloodlines.
"What does that mean? Could it be that these legendary knights are descendants of Magi?" Ralth guessed, leaning forward slightly, genuinely curious.
"Not really, but almost," Kevran rolled his eyes and kept it a secret, enjoying the moment of having Ralth's full attention.
"It seems this is a top secret. I need to join your alliance to know more about it," Ralth said, catching on to Kevran's game.
Ralth seemed to be thinking about something, his eyes moving from Kevran to the group of nobles behind him, and then from the nobles back to Kevran. He was weighing his options, considering the advantages and disadvantages.
"I have a question. If you can help me answer it, I will join you," Ralth sat up straight and his expression became serious, all humor gone.
"Speak," Kevran said, hopeful that they were close to an agreement.
"Why did that knight and those two would-be apprentices decide to form an alliance with you?" Ralth asked, cutting to the heart of the matter.
Kevran's alliance seemed very abnormal to Ralth. It didn't make logical sense based on what he knew of power dynamics.
Every member of an alliance should be useful, or most of them should be useful. In Kevran's alliance, apart from the knights and Magus apprentices, the others seemed like they would be a burden rather than assets. They weren't completely useless, but they would need protection rather than providing it.
Logically, such a deformed alliance should not exist. But the fact that it existed meant that there must be some internal support that Ralth was unaware of, some reason why those who were stronger would agree to protect the weak.
Ralth guessed that this support should be the magic items mentioned by the nobles earlier. Perhaps these nobles had access to magical items that made them valuable despite their lack of personal power.
"This is an easy question," Kevran seemed relieved, relaxing slightly. He had expected something harder. "Because most of us have..."
"Kevran!" A short, sharp shout interrupted him mid-sentence.
The voice came from a noblewoman wearing purple, a color so rich and deep that it seemed to absorb the light. Purple was the most precious color in the Relves Kingdom, reserved for those of the highest status. The dye was rare and expensive, made from sea creatures found only in distant waters. To be able to wear purple, her family must have produced at least a duke, if not a prince.
The woman's face was beautiful but cold, her lips pressed into a thin line of disapproval. Her gaze flicked from Kevran to Ralth as if comparing insects.
Ralth shook his head helplessly when he saw this, thinking that he actually had illusions about the nobles being different from what he had always heard. For a moment, he had thought Kevran might be someone he could work with, but now he saw the reality clearly.
"It seems that our cooperation cannot be achieved. You can leave," Ralth stood up to see them off without giving Kevran any chance to explain further. His mind was made up.
If this group of nobles could have had half or even a mere third of Kevran's respect for others, Ralth would have considered joining this organization. But the way they behaved, the arrogance they couldn't hide, made it clear that they would be dangerous allies.
Kevran is definitely not the only one who had formed an alliance among so many apprentices, Ralth thought. If the exam comes, the primary target of these alliances will be the individual apprentices who aren't protected. They'll be picked off first, like wounded animals in a forest full of predators.
But the attitude of this group of nobles really made Ralth dare not have them watch his back. He couldn't trust them to watch out for him when danger came. More likely, they would use him as a shield.
Besides, Charlotte had also become a quasi-apprentice. Wouldn't it be better to team up with Charlotte, a good person who he knew well, than with these nobles whose loyalties were to themselves first?
Seeing Ralth's firm attitude, Kevran didn't say anything more. He recognized the look of a mind made up. He shook hands with Ralth according to etiquette, his grip firm but not challenging, and then led his group out of the small room.
After they left, Ralth opened his hand that had shaken Kevran's. A piece of paper covered with Magus language suddenly appeared in Ralth's palm, slipped there during the handshake.
" I think Kevran is actually quite smart. If he survives this, he is bound to achieve greatness," Ralth smiled and put the note into his pocket without reading it immediately. The Magus language symbols glowed faintly before fading against the fabric.
Half an hour later, the maintenance of the airship was completed, and it began to sail at high speed. All the apprentices returned to their respective small rooms again, settling in for the continued journey.
Ralth sat on the bed, replaying the battle with Rayliegh in his mind. He needed to analyze his performance, to learn from the experience before the trials ahead.
He released eight magic missiles in total during the fight, consuming about half of his magic power. In other words, if he released all his magic power, he could release fifteen magic missiles in total. It wasn't an unlimited resource—he needed to be strategic about when and how to use his power.
Although the power of magic missiles is described as weak in books—just a beginner's spell, nothing impressive—no one would waste magic power like this except for newly-initiated Magus apprentices who hadn't yet learned more efficient spells.
But when it was actually used, Ralth was still surprised by its power, which was comparable to that of a pistol bullet. Each missile struck with enough force to puncture metal, to break bone. They weren't just lights or noise; they were weapons.
Fifteen magic missiles meant fifteen bullets. With such strength, Ralth was confident that he could definitely pass the exam as long as he was not ambushed or besieged by a group of people. One-on-one, he could handle most threats.
After reviewing the battle, Ralth took out the note from his pocket. The paper was thin but sturdy, covered in glowing symbols that seemed to shift slightly as he looked at them. The Magus language was complex, but Ralth had been studying it intensely.
The content was very simple. Kevran planned to hire Ralth not to kill him during the entrance examination for the price of one magic stone. Magic stones and other payments will be settled after admission, assuming both survive.
"The nobles who started out as businessmen have much better brains than those others," Ralth sighed and casually put the note back into his pocket.
In this transaction, Ralth didn't need to do anything to get a magic stone. He just had to avoid targeting Kevran during the exam—something he had no particular reason to do anyway.
And Kevran could get what he wanted: safety from at least one threat. A Magus apprentice is a predator in this exam. In his opinion, it was undoubtedly worth it to exchange future benefits for a little security now.
It's a win-win deal, Ralth thought, lying back on his bed to rest. The ceiling above him was bare metal, cold and impersonal. Soon, they would reach their destination, and then the real challenges would begin.
After the maintenance, the airship never slowed down again. The engines hummed constantly, pushing them through the clouds and winds. Through the small round window in his room, Ralth could see landscapes passing below—forests, mountains, rivers, all growing smaller as they flew higher.
For ten days, the airship flew to the designated location without stopping. The apprentices settled into routines: eating in the dining hall, studying in their rooms, practicing their skills where they could. The tension grew as they approached their destination, everyone aware that soon they would be tested, and not all would survive.
As the leader of those recruiting Magi apprentices, Ariel stood at the front of the airship, her robes flowing around her in the wind. In her hands she held a giant sword made of door panels—a strange weapon for a Magus, but there were many strange things about the Magi that the apprentices were still learning.
She looked at the black tower rising into the sky in the distance, a stark silhouette against the setting sun. The tower seemed to pierce the heavens itself, stretching up so high that its top was lost in the clouds. It was made of a material darker than night, absorbing light rather than reflecting it.
"Prepare to land!" Ariel issued the order, her voice carried throughout the airship by magic, reaching every room and corridor.
The apprentices- who had them- rushed to windows, eager for their first glimpse of their destination. They had arrived at the Great Tower Magus Academy, where some would find power and knowledge beyond their wildest dreams, and others would find an early grave.
Ralth sat in his chair with his eyes closed. He was ready for anything that came next.