During the 20 months that Grey spent researching his engravement language the conflict in the Dralia mountain range could no longer be called a small skirmish, the peoples of the three kingdoms knew that their countries would go into war soon.
The number of people involved in the conflict were now bigger, a small war happening before war could be declared.
The countries had already deployed their forces in the Dralia mountain range.
The countries had had also started to deploy their special affinities, whether death or life special affinities had a place in war.
The life special affinity was mostly used for saving the lives of important people like mages and officers, death affinity through the use of necromancy magic could create undead that do not fear death.
Rawyth had yet to declare war against Arin, but it was obvious that they would be, this was because the Small magic crystal lode that they were mining got finished and they could not find another one, and they could only try and take the one in the hands of Arin.
The Very Large magic crystal lode in the hands of the Arin Kingdom was only 10% - 15% used up regardless of the large usage by many mages of Arin, which shows the difference between Small and Very Large lode.
The Young King finally understood why such a thing as magic crystals was fought over, the benefits of magic crystal were just too large to ignore.
During the 20 months period the number of tier 0 mages getting to tier 1 has increased by large margins, this also increased the number of low tier combatants.
It was not only the tier 0 mages who benefited, some tier 1 mages who were close to reaching tier 2 also managed to reach tier 2, this also increased the number of officers that can be used.
The countries of Arin and Rawyth had benefited the most through the use of magic crystals, Ruhen never managed to find their own magic crystal lode thus did not benefit.
Arin had also tried to find another magic crystal lode, but they could not find one.
Grey went to sleep after breaking through into tier 1, he had been concentrating on breaking through for a long time, thus he was tired.
The time he woke up he was feeling even more great, his mind was buzzing with ideas to finish his engravement language.
However he did not get caught up in the passion, he had made himself a promise not to behave like Christina who lacks self control.
Grey had a shower to refresh his body like his mind.
Grey looked at himself at the mirror when he finished fixing himself, a 1.6m tall young man with a lean build, grey hair and blue eyes with an average face looked at him.
Grey was observing for any faults in his appearance, but it looked like everything was as expected.
Grey then went out to have dinner in the dining hall, there he met up with Scarlet and Miranda.
"Grey you have finally reached tier 1?"
That was a rhetorical question that did not need to be answered, Miranda could feel the energy waves given off by Grey were similar to her own and most of the tier 1 young mages of the Academy.
Thus Grey just glanced at her and did not make any comments.
"Grey have you finished your magic ring design research?"
Scarlet was the one who asked the important question the two of them were more interested in.
Both Miranda and Scarlet had already guessed why Grey was late in reaching tier 1, is was not a secret in the Academy that Grey had a lot of talent when it came to Magic Ring Design.
"No. I needed the intelligence of a tier 1 to finish my research."
There was a quiet in the table as the two girls tried to understand what they heard.
"Grey, then why did you waste two months… oh…"
Miranda was about to ask him the question when she saw an annoyed look on his face, and then had a look of realisation.
"Grey I heard that you have great like to magic ring design, did you by any chance get caught up in the passion and not realise about the need of a tier 1 intelligence to finish your research."
"Yes I did."
Grey answered without any form of shame that he could see Miranda wanted to see, this situation might annoy him, but he was not ashamed to say he liked the design of magic rings.
Realising Grey would not show a shameful face, you could see the disappointment in her face, in the time Miranda, Scarlet and Grey had spent together, it was the first time that Grey made an obvious mistake and she wanted to see some shame in his face.
"Grey did you get the report about Rawyth declaring war soon?"
Scarlet felt that it was better to get to Important conversations, the young mages of this side of the Academy got reports sent to them with information about the outside world instead of using the gossiping dining hall staff like Mr Ruov to get information to the children, thus they were aware about war staring officially in the next few months.
"Yes, I believe their magic crystal lode is finished, this war will have a larger number of tier 1 mages, considering the number of tier 1 who have been recently produced."
Miranda went back to the serious person that Grey did not dislike, she gave her thoughts on the incoming war.
"That is the likely reason, tier 1 mages will be the cannon fodder of this war. I wonder how many of our classmates will survive."
Grey glanced at Scarlet, he still had a slight suspicion on this girls wishing power.
"Grey when will you finish your research?"
Miranda was the one who asked with a serious face.
"I guess around 4 months from now I will be testing my results."
"Good."
Grey looked at her with a curious look.
"Miranda did you get a magic ring engraved?"
Grey already guessed the coming answer.
"No. I want you to do so for me, I don't want to be a cannon fodder when we get deployed which will happen. I am sure you can guess there will be high number of tier 1 mages dying in this war, I want to better protect myself."
Miranda understood Grey's temparement a lot, why would Grey get caught up in the passion of research if that research was not something ground breaking.
Miranda might want him to feel ashamed for it, but she knew Grey was highly talented and what he is researching could save her life, it was not only her, even Scarlet thought so.
Before Grey could answer there was a commotion in the dining hall, one of the students that stayed on this side of the Academy came in running with a paper on his hand.
"Rawyth declared war!"