Originating from the Shadeveil Mountains, the Trent River meanders along, flowing past a small town named Sailport before merging into the boundless sea.
In the very heart of the town stands a seven-story, white, tower-like structure.
On the second floor, within the Heritage Hall, a dozen or so magi, clad in gray and green magus robes, sit attentively, hanging on every word.
"I, Rueel Stani, the Chief Steward of the Magus Tower in Sailport ,Trent Province, hereby declare that Lawrence Walton, as the most distinguished Novice Magus of this tower, is to be bestowed a Level 4 mana core. He is also to be recognized as the successor for the position of Chief Steward of the Sailport Magus Tower."
An elderly figure, draped in a blue magus robe, solemnly made the announcement, lifting a black scroll above his head.
Directly in front of him, a young man dressed in a green robe, his cuffs embroidered with six white rings, displayed a smug grin on his face.
This man was none other than Lawrence Walton.
However, behind closed doors, many referred to him as Stani the Junior.
For it was common knowledge within Sailport that Lawrence Walton was the illegitimate son of Chief Steward Stani and a lady of high standing in the town.
"This... This isn't fair!"
A timid voice echoed through the hall.
All eyes turned to find the source.
Surprisingly, it was a young girl of about ten years old.
Her cheeks bore an unhealthy gray pallor, and her frame was frail.
Despite the fierce glares aimed at her, she bravely lifted her head, her fists clenched.
Her name was Evelyn Stewart.
"What's unfair, Miss Stewart?" Lawrence coldly remarked.
"The title of the most outstanding Novice Magus should go to the strongest in battle. In Sailport, that person is undoubtedly my brother, Bairon Stewart!" Evelyn proclaimed loudly. "He is out there fighting for the Magus Tower, for Sailport. You cannot take his absence as a forfeit!"
SLAP!
Suddenly, a sharp slap resounded.
Evelyn was thrown to the ground, a vivid red handprint stark against her cheek.
The perpetrator was none other than a guard dressed in ornate armor.
"Apologize to the revered Chief Steward Stani and Lord Walton!" The towering guard, standing at about 2 meters, looked down at Evelyn and sneered, "What right does a wild child, who hasn't even awakened her Mana Bloodline and suffers from a terminal illness, have to raise her voice in the Heritage Hall?"
"Well done, Snooty. Your sense of justice and loyalty to the Magus Tower will be rewarded," Lawrence grinned at the guard who acted on his behalf. "As the future Chief Steward of the Sailport Magus Tower, I will have four personal guards. You'll be one of them."
Being a guard for the Chief Steward of the Magus Tower, the true master of the tower, would mean standing above thousands while only bowing to one.
A smirk of satisfaction spread across Snooty's face; he knew he had chosen the right side.
"Proceed, Snooty," Lawrence shot him a look.
It was clear what he meant: Snooty was to kill Evelyn.
A chill ran down Snooty's spine.
After a moment's hesitation, he unsheathed his sword and declared gravely, "Evelyn Stewart, for your disrespect to Chief Steward Stani and for disrupting the sacred succession ceremony in the Magus Tower, by law, you are sentenced to death!"
Instantly, Snooty aimed his sword at Evelyn.
A knight, brandishing a sharp blade, was about to strike at a mere ten-year-old girl!
The hall went silent, everyone holding their breath.
But then, as if sensing something, the crowd instinctively turned their heads.
Snooty, equally perplexed, did the same.
Standing at the entrance was a young man in a tattered gray magus robe.
He had short black hair and striking features.
However, what truly captivated everyone was the depth of his dark, enigmatic eyes.
"How dare you touch my sister?"
The man's voice, laced with an almost magical quality, brought a bone-chilling cold to the midsummer afternoon inside the Magus Tower.
"Bairon Stewart," someone murmured in a raspy whisper.
No sooner had the words left their lips, Bairon raised his hand to reveal an iron ring. He then began to chant softly,
"Ice Burst!"
A level three ice-binding spell.
Within moments, Snooty, along with his ornate armor, was encased in ice, transformed into a frozen statue.
In the next instant, Bairon appeared before the ice sculpture, sending a powerful punch its way.
The ice statue shattered instantly into fragments.
Snooty was reduced to nothing more than shards.
"Evelyn, I'm sorry. I'm late," Bairon said, lifting the young girl and gently touching the handprint on her cheek.
His fingers trembled, and a hint of murderous intent flashed in his eyes.
"It's alright, brother, as long as you're back," Evelyn cried with relief, more delighted by Bairon's safe return than upset about the slap she received.
"Bairon! This is the Heritage Hall, the most sacred place in the Magus Tower! Who gave you the right to kill here?" Lawrence fumed, not so much for the life of a guard, but because this particular guard had just pledged loyalty to him.
For Bairon to kill Snooty was a direct affront to him.
Moreover, he saw an opportunity to use the rules against his most significant rival.
Bairon scoffed, "Lord Walton, when Snooty reached out to my sister, did you remember the sanctity of this place?"
Lawrence was left speechless and turned to Chief Steward Rueel Stani for support.
Rueel chimed in, "If I'm not mistaken, Bairon, you were supposed to be guarding the relics in the Shadeveil Mountains. Who permitted your return?"
"Exactly, deserting your post is also a capital offense!" Rueel nodded in agreement.
Evelyn immediately grew anxious.
"Who said I deserted?" Bairon retorted, flinging his hand.
A cascade of rings made of gold, silver, and bronze clattered onto the pristine floor of the hall.
Upon close inspection, various patterns could be observed on these rings.
On the Röntgen Continent, they are known as — Magus Rings.
In the Röntgen Continent, every qualified magus possesses two external essentials: the magus robe and the magus ring.
The magus robe bestows an air of superiority and honor, while the magus ring offers an innate power.
Stored within the magus ring is the Mindergy that a magus painstakingly accumulates through meditation.
This Mindergy allows a magus to unleash spells without drawing from their own reserves during critical moments.
The magus ring is, without doubt, a magus's secondary lifeline.
Yet now, Bairon had carelessly tossed over a dozen of these rings onto the floor.
And each of them was stained with blood.
"The twelve Dark Magi who attempted to infiltrate the Shadeveil Mountains relics are all accounted for; their magus rings are here," Bairon said with a chilling smirk. "My esteemed Lords, do you think there's still a need for me to stand guard there?"
To single-handedly triumph over twelve magus?
The hall was immediately steeped in stunned silence.
Rueel's face darkened with malevolence.
What others didn't know was that he had hired these Dark Magi, paying them handsomely to infiltrate the relics and accomplish a task for him.
If they could conveniently eliminate Bairon along the way, all the better.
But now, all his plans had come crashing down.
"Lawrence..." Bairon gently settled Evelyn on a long bench, then turned around, his voice grave, "You're responsible for the mark on Evelyn's face. Come forth and meet your fate."
Rueel interjected, "Lawrence has already secured his right to inherit the Magus Tower. Anyone who dares harm him stands against not only the Sailport Magus Tower but also the Provincial Magus Guild!"
All eyes turned to Bairon.
He was a step too late.
The inheritance ceremony had concluded.
With the black scroll, the emblem of the magus guild, as a witness, Lawrence had been granted the right to inherit the Sailport Magus Tower.
Bairon might have taken on twelve Dark Magi alone, but the power of the Sailport Magus Tower was far beyond those twelve.
"So, you're that eager for him to be the heir?" Bairon sneered. "Very well, Chief Steward Stani, I challenge Lawrence to a duel!"
The hall erupted in whispers.
To maintain unity and harmony among its members, the magus guild established a dueling system to resolve internal conflicts.
In simple terms, any guild member can challenge any other member to a duel.
The outcome?
Disputes settled, with fate resting in one's own hands.
"Fine, I accept. Seven days from now, in the Magus Tower's dueling arena, I'll ensure you won't have a body left to bury!" Lawrence retorted with disdain.
Bairon lifted Evelyn in his arms and turned to leave the Heritage Hall.
Rueel asked, "Lawrence, are you confident in this?"
"Don't worry, Father. I've already broken through the seventh ring, making my way to the eighth. In seven days, I might even wear the blue robe of an Intermediate Magus. Crushing Bairon then will be as simple as crushing a bug," Lawrence said with a cold smirk.
The Magus Guild classifies magus levels into seven tiers and nine rings. The seven tiers are:
Gray-robed magus apprentices.
Green-robed Novice Magus.
Blue-robed Intermediate Magus.
Purple-robed Advanced Magus.
Red-robed Master Magus.
Gold-robed Epic Magus...
And the rumored white-robed Legendary Magus.
Each tier is further divided into nine levels, with each advancement signified by a white ring added to the sleeve cuff of the magus robe, hence referred to as "nine rings".
Only upon breaking through the ninth ring does one qualify to advance to the next tier.
While Bairon was guarding relics outside and clashing with the Dark Magi, Lawrence, being Rueel's illegitimate child, was always meditating and practicing within the city's Magus Tower.
With a continuous influx of rare materials, Lawrence's pace of progression was nothing short of astonishing.
"Already at the seventh ring? Well done, my child!" Rueel exclaimed joyfully.
For a novice magus to break through the seventh ring before turning twenty was considered prodigious, even in the entire Trent Province.
"You haven't wasted the mana cores I provided you. Once you defeat Bairon in the arena and establish your dominance, the Sailport Magus Tower will be the inheritance for both of us," Rueel said with a contented smile.
Lawrence glanced, his expression one of disdain.
A mere coastal town with a population of less than seventy thousand was nothing more than a stepping stone on his journey to becoming a Legendary Magus.