The next day, Kai woke up early and got ready. He smoothed his robe and straightened up his posture.
It was his second morning in the capital, and he had already completed a few of the tasks he had come here for. He walked out of his room with the temporary library pass in his robe pocket and a thrilled mind.
He looked at the richly rune-carved, tall walls soaking in the sun that shone through the glass cubicles of windows.
Guards lined up in every corner, bowing to him as he went. Despite being the guest quarters area, it was well maintained and designed and he took in the sight as he went.
Nevertheless, Kai couldn't explore for longer.
He had things to do today and the first thing was to visit the tower. He walked out of the castle and headed straight there.
A carriage was already ready for him. He wasn't taking any guards with him. Killian had a discussion about that with him but he had relented, knowing that he could stave off any troubles.
After reaching the tower, he again saw the area bustling with carriages. He gave his carriage driver some coins to enjoy the capital till the afternoon and headed inside.
The air was thick with bustling activity and he saw more people than yesterday.
Mages of all ages milled about, colourful crimson cloaks swirling and chatters erupting in nervousness and excitement— these were the participants of the ascension exam that was about to be held today. At one glance, he could say most of them were prepared— unlike him.
But before taking the exam, he had some questions that needed answers.
He needed to read up more on his new ice affinity and see if he could find any spell structures around for it. There was also the matter of finding information in the diary of the legendary beast tamer— Hendricks Klandel.
The latter case had his priority as he had already tried to find information in the library back at Veralt, but was unsuccessful.
No matter how much he searched, there were no books on the beast tamer and he wasn't able to find his name on any of the parchments he read.
If he was lucky enough, he'd be able to find at least a few books in the library— alas, for that, he needed to find his way to the library.
He made his way towards the magical elevator with that thought in his mind, hoping to ask one of the Mages strolling in the hallways. But as he reached the elevator, he saw Klan.
The Mage who wore neatly polished robes fidgeted beside the elevator.
He must've felt Kai's gaze on him because he looked up in his direction almost immediately and ran towards him with quick steps.
"Klan, what are you doing here?" Kai questioned.
"Lord Arzan, I was merely waiting for you," the young man inhaled deeply and sighed. "I was, uh, instructed to show you around and make sure you know where the exam halls are. Magus Veridia wanted to make sure you're familiar with the structure of the ascension exam."
It seemed like he had gotten a harsh reprimand for his behaviour and was being overly polite in his speech.
"Things are always busy around the tower with the pre-exam jitters. I wouldn't want you to get lost in the tower. On my first day, I nearly died when I accidentally entered the alchemy lab in between an experiment of summoning a fire spirit."
Kai almost chuckled at that, but he was glad he didn't. "Don't worry, I wouldn't have gotten lost either way. I want to find my way to the library first."
He saw the expression on Klan's face shifting as his lips pursed.
"Isn't it better to take the exam first? There's still time to it, but you can familiarise yourself with the structure of it. I can show you the library right after."
Kai shook his head at that.
"It's alright. Just show me the library."
Klan nodded, hearing the urgency in his voice.
"The lift…" he mumbled to himself and started to walk towards the lift.
Kai simply followed him.
***
"Here."
They stepped out of the lift that stopped at the third floor and Klan gestured at the grand, arched doorway.
Both of them walked inside and the first time Kai noticed was that it was bigger than he had expected, having stairs from reaching different floors.
"The library," Klan announced, his voice coming out in a hushed tone. "If you wouldn't mind, Lord Arzan," he said, "I'll be here, catching up on some studies. When you're finished, I can show you the exam halls."
Kai nodded in understanding. "Go ahead, Klan. I should be able to find my way around."
As Klan scurried off in search of a quiet corner and his study materials, Kai took a deep breath and ventured deeper into the library.
The rhythmic tone of people turning up pages echoed faintly, the only sound disturbing the continued silence.
He scanned the seemingly endless rows of books, a thrill of anticipation coursing through him. This library was much bigger than the one at Veralt and it made him remember the library that was at the Sorcerer's Tower.
That one was way bigger, but the ambience was similar.
His gaze fell upon an elderly figure perched on a tall ladder, meticulously replacing a dusty tome on a high shelf. The man's wiry white hair flowed freely around his shoulders, and his face was wrinkled and proof of how many years he'd spent here. He was looking at the books in front of him and caressing his long, white goatee beard, in deep thought.
With a polite cough, Kai cleared his throat.
The librarian, startled, turned his head with a slight frown. Surprise crossed his face when he saw Kai.
"Hello there, I was wondering if you could help me find some books," Kai's request came out in a genuine, pleading tone.
"Ah, sure thing. Let me get down there first," the old man slowly climbed down the ladder.
He was shorter than Kai and looked up at him. He leaned forward, his eyes examining him.
"What type of books are you searching for?" his raucous voice came low. He tipped his chin down and looked up from the small, round glasses that were on the tip of his nose and scanned Kai's robe, showing surprise at how his robe wasn't following the colour code of the tower. "Do you need books before the exam?"
"No—"
"Maybe you're interested in reviewing some research, young man," he continued without letting Kai speak. "Savant Jasper's research on the "flat land theory" that was written a while back is grabbing more than a handful of attention. It's about him giving his reasons for the world being in a square shape."
Kai's frown deepened and he almost laughed out loud. Flat world theory was one of the most controversial researches with countless Mages trying to prove how the shape of the world.
But most sane ones already knew that it was a sphere based on the patterns of the stars and how the moons behaved. Despite that, a lot of Mages have held onto the motion of it being flat.
He hadn't expected Jasper to be one of them.
"No, I'm not here for that." He shook his head.
"Then, tell me. What are you searching for?" the librarian asked, tilting his head.
Kai cleared his throat, gathering his thoughts once and for all.
"Well, I'm looking for some specific materials. If possible, I'd like to find books related to the legendary beast tamer— Hendricks Klandel, if you have anything on him. Additionally, I'd also need some books related to basic first to second circle ice spells." Kai paused and took a second to think about what else he needed to ask. "Also, I would like books related to Magi that belonged to the Archine Tower? A biography or just their research."
The librarian's brow furrowed further. He scrutinised Kai for a moment, his gaze sharp despite his age. He scratched his goatee beard. "Hendricks Klandel, you say?"
"Yes, we have a lot of stuff on him. Pretty interesting research. However, your other requests…" he trailed off, his eyes lingering on the titles Kai had mentioned. "Basic ice spells and information on Mages of the Archine Tower? These seem like an unusual combination."
Kai met his gaze without flinching. "I simply am trying to study their journey to see if I could emulate them. I'm new in the tower."
The librarian studied him for a long moment, his weathered face unreadable. Then, a hint of a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Very well, let me see what I can find for you. The information on the Magi can be found in a lot of journals written by them. But perhaps I can point you in the right direction if you tell me which one you are looking for?"
Kai paused. He didn't really know his mother's name since there was no mention of it in Arzan's diary. The problem was that he couldn't even ask Killian or any guards since it would easily give away his identity.
"Which ones do you have a journal of?"
"We have a rich history of Mages, but if you are only talking about those who reached the magus rank, then…" he paused. "There's Merlin Mydran— first tower master, Magus Veridia, Alatar Winterbloom, Valkyrie Kellius—
"That one."
"Valkyrie Kellius?"
"Yes, I need information on her journals."
"Ah, is it the frost queen you're searching for?"
"Frost queen?" Kai asked, his mind focused on the title given to her.
"Yes, Magus Valkyrie was known as the frost queen. I don't remember when exactly the title was given to her, but everyone who knows her calls her that— see, even me. It was because she had a mastery over ice and I haven't seen anyone close to her in casting efficiency," he said, moving over to one of the rows in the back. Kai followed after him. "I believe there was a book around here on her."
The librarian looked through a few books, putting them back once he realised that it wasn't the one. As he worked to find the books Kai was looking for, he kept talking.
"You wanted books on ice spells too, right? I assume that's the reason you are looking for things on the frost queen?"
Kai was about to reply, but then he shook his head.
"Partly," he admitted, his voice barely above a hoarse whisper. "But mostly, I'm interested because she's my mother."
The librarian's face froze in shock and the book he was holding in his hand dropped. His eyes widened as he looked over at Kai once again, surprise battling with a dawning realisation.
"What?"
***
Kai flipped through the pages, his eyes scanning the faded ink.
It was one of the journals that was written by Hendricks Klandel, titled simply "Taming the Wild".
He had been going through it for the last half an hour and he had to say that he was impressed.
Detailed illustrations of fantastical creatures— gryphons with razor-sharp talons, lumbering ogres with skin like granite, and serpentine snakes with eyes burning like embers – filled the margins.
Each entry moved into the specific care and behaviour of different beasts. Hendricks had carefully documented their dietary needs, breeding habits, and even their unique magical signatures.
It seemed like Hendricks was particularly interested in how certain beasts could manipulate the environment around them with their raw, instinctive mana. He also went on to write about how the spells of the first Mages of humanity, particularly those focused on elemental control, originated from observing these creatures and how they channelled their mana.
It was more vivid than he had hoped for and even if it was less personal than the journal he had read, it still had written information that he knew was true even centuries later.
If he could, he wanted to read through more of his works, but the problem was just that there were just too many.
Kai glanced around his table, his gaze sweeping across the seemingly endless rows of books.
The librarian had gotten him all the research related to Hendricks which amounted to over fifty volumes. Kai had been in doubt over his title of the legendary beast tamer since he had no idea if it was just self boast, but it seemed to hold some truth to it now.
He seemed to be a fourth circle Mage who had travelled all around the world, taming and researching beasts.
Though, he hadn't been able to find anything related to the prophecy in the books he had read till now. All of them were about a beast and didn't even hint at some sort of a prophecy.
It made him wonder if he should go through all the volumes or simply start to search for books related to prophecies all around the world.
With a sigh, Kai turned his attention to the next stack of books— the ones detailing his mother's life and picked one up.
He had already gone through a few of them and knew the basics about her life now.
The Frost Queen. The strongest mage the kingdom had ever seen. The youngest magus the tower had ever produced— these were terms and titles he read about while looking for information on her.
His initial shock at her being a magus had been replaced by a burning curiosity.
Unlike Hendricks' detailed records, his mother's legacy seemed to be woven through scattered accounts and rumoured tales.
There were no personal journals, no research papers, just breathless accounts of her exploits— hunting legendary beasts, her searches for legendary artefacts, wielding ice magic with awe-inspiring power, and the different spells she had conjured.
She seemed to be an adventurous spirit in her youth, a woman who thrived on exploration and the thrill of discovery. But as she approached the twilight of her life, a different yearning seemed to emerge.
He had found the records of her marriage in a parchment he had found— her union with his father, Duke Kellius, as his third wife. It was described as a loving affair, a chance for her to find solace and stability after a lifetime of relentless pursuit.
Kai pushed aside any moral qualms about the age difference or the number of wives. The writing itself seemed to treat it as normal and he doubted it was anything strange in the noble society of this era.
However, he also found records of something that had happened before the marriage, an event that had pushed her to settle with the Duke.
Valkyrie had gone on an expedition and had confronted a behemoth, a Grade 8 monster that held equal power to the dragons. It had been a long and arduous battle and even if he didn't find the records of what exactly had happened in it, he did know the end of it.
His mother had won, but victory came at a terrible cost.
To defeat the beast, his mother had unleashed a spell of immense power, a seventh-circle spell that fractured her Mana Heart.
Weakened and heartbroken, she sought refuge with the Duke, marrying him and settling into her life.
Unfortunately, she had passed away just after giving birth to Arzan, her fractured mana organ having weakened her entire body and in the end, she had succumbed to it.
But she had left behind an inheritance.
There was no mention of Arzan by name, but it was clear this inheritance was a significant one reserved for him and most of the Mages and nobles knew of it.
He had probably been given preferential treatment due to it with the kingdom elite probably expecting him to retain her mother's legacy and rise as a powerful Mage, but with Arzan's failure to become a mage, the whispers likely faded, the talk about the inheritance being buried.
Kai suddenly understood everything, and matching the events with the journals of Arzan helped him.
Arzan's obsession with magic, and the lingering resentment, all made sense now. He had been raised as a Duke's son, heir to a powerful legacy he could never claim.
He was probably cast out once he was found to be mortal.
It is quite sad, Kai thought as he skimmed past a few notes.
Lost in thought, he barely registered the approaching footsteps before they were beside him.
He looked up to see Klan standing before him. "Lord Arzan, the exam is about to begin."
-
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By the way, plural of Maguses is magi.
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