Kai sat on the edge of the bed of his room in the castle, his mind rising. Despite the situation with Princess Amara, he had been able to make out of the ball pretty quickly.
Although the princess hadn't tried to hold him back, he knew that she would be more than just a little interested in him from now on. In the next few weeks, she would probably get used to living without pain and would realise that whatever he had done to her had alleviated what she had assumed to be a chronic illness that was poised to take her life sooner than later.
He knew the princess would be back. The effects of the Mana Heart Rupture would come back once his temporary fix ends, and her desperation would drive her back to him. It was a calculated gamble, but one he was willing to take.
He didn't mind healing her, but doing so without getting something in return would make him a saint. And he wasn't as good of a person.
Due to the oath she'd made to him, she wouldn't even think of spreading information about his ability, but he would still need to prepare for other moves she might make.
He had deliberately hinted that her healing would be a long and complex process and then, the request to exchange letters had come up. He would be able to keep track of her health and at the same time, he would be able to get first-hand information on the political landscape of the kingdom.
The princess would be an easy target to know about the inside and with him having a way to heal her, she wouldn't say no. It might make her see him as just another crafting noble, but he didn't care.
After his talk with Malden, he had been seeking an opportunity like this. Originally, he had decided to use scrying spells for information and hid them in a way that any other Mage wouldn't be able to detect it. But that was a lot of work.
Now, with Amara and him having a connection, it would be easy. For a second, Kai even felt like it had come easy, almost as if the world itself was conspiring in his favour. He wouldn't complain about it though.
After all, the world had thrown enough enemies and challenges on him too.
Kai's lips curled up in satisfaction.
He pushed off the bed and straightened his cloak. His mind moved from Amara to thinking about an important event that was going to begin in a few hours.
Today was the scheduled duel.
Not wanting to waste any time, he donned his armour, a finely crafted set that was light yet sturdy, allowing for swift, unhindered movement. The metal plates were expertly forged, providing both protection and flexibility. Underneath his cloak, the armour hugged his frame. He shrugged down the crimson cloak that was on top of the armour with his hands, smoothing the crinkles.
It wasn't anything special, certainly not something that would be able to stand against any spells. Killian had asked him if it would be better to get better armour but he had rejected it. Armour might be good, but Reyk wasn't at a level where he would have to care too much.
The current him could easily take on someone like Actra even in his demonic form and Reyk was definitely weaker than him. From what he had gathered, the man had no experience of war or any major skirmishes.
He was good with Mage duels, but it wasn't anything special if he thought about how Archine Tower Mages barely got any combat training till later.
As he stepped out of the room, he felt a surge of anticipation.
Killian was waiting for him in the hallway, his expression neutral as usual.
"How did it go?" Kai asked, knowing he'd gone to meet his family the previous day. "With your family?" he clarified, noticing how Killian seemed to not reply instantly.
"It was great," Killian's reply came short.
Kai nodded, a wry smile tugging at his lips. The hesitation was clear in his voice but Kai knew it was not his place to question his things with his family. Killian was already a man with very few words, and questioning about his private life was none of his business to do.
If he wanted to talk about it, Kai would lend his ear, but he would wait for that moment.
His eyes moved towards Killian's hand, which enveloped a parchment.
"What's that?" Kai asked immediately.
"This one's for you, Lord Arzan. The guard gave it to me. I didn't open it." He handed it over to Kai, who took the letter, curiosity piqued.
He opened the letter, half-expecting a message from Reyk delaying the duel or maybe one from the prince asking him to change his decision.
Instead, the name at the bottom sent his heart racing, as if struck by thunder. It wasn't sent by anyone Kai knew personally, but it was a person who was a close part of Arzan's childhood.
The letter was sent by his second brother, Edrian Kellius.
Not a lot was written in the letter, but the brevity of it was unnerving. Essentially, his supposed brother had asked him to meet him since both of them were in the capital.
There was even a line where he said that he would be sad if Arzan didn't fulfil his request. The tone was respectful yet casual and if there was a hidden meaning behind the letter, he didn't find it.
"Killian," Kai called out. "Did the messenger say anything else? What did he look like? Was there anything else?"
Killian shook his head. "I don't know, Lord Arzan. The letter was given to the castle guards. I don't know what the messenger looked like. Why? Who's it from?"
"It's from my second brother, Edrian," Kai said, his voice edged with disbelief.
Killian raised an eyebrow. "That's surprising."
"Why?" Kai asked back.
"Lord Edrian never seemed close to you. After he lost the succession, he left the house on his own. Your father even tried to give him a territory similar to you before his death, but he rejected it, choosing to travel. I had no idea he was in the capital."
Kai nodded thoughtfully, tucking the letter away. "Neither did I."
Killian shifted in his feet. "Either way, we should get going now, Lord Arzan."
Kai agreed with that and they both started to move towards the carriages that waited for them.
As they sat in the carriage, Kai's thoughts churned.
Even the rhythmic clatter of wheels on cobblestone did little to soothe his racing mind. He had been preparing to finish the duel and leave the capital to check on his territory before anything else popped up, but it seemed like fate had it for him.
His second brother, Edrian, had always been a mystery.
Arzan's diary held few entries about him, their relationship marked by a cold indifference. Even Lucian was talked more about than Edrian, even if that was more because of his hatred for him.
He didn't seem to hate Edrian at least, but there was no love between them. That made the meeting even stranger.
Their paths had diverged long ago, and he doubted Edrian had any interest in his territory or he wouldn't have rejected the offer to get one of his own. He also didn't agree with the thought that he might just want to meet him.
They weren't that close, brothers or not.
The letter also didn't specify a meeting place or time. How was he supposed to meet Edrian? The uncertainty gnawed at him, intertwining with the looming duel.
As they approached the arena, Kai took a deep breath, trying to focus. He had to put his thoughts about Edrian aside, at least for now. The duel awaited, and he needed a clear mind to face what was coming.
The arena loomed before them, a colossal structure of stone and steel that seemed to dwarf everything around it. It was the same arena he had seen when he first entered the kingdom grounds, but this time— even the air felt different.
A crowd had gathered, nobles, workers, commoners and people of different districts. A sense of bubbling excitement filled the place as their carriage parked right next to the other noble ones.
Kai muttered to himself, observing the crowd. "Seems like there's a good mix of nobles and commoners."
Killian nodded. "Commoners are allowed entry cheaply. It's great entertainment, and Reyk is famous. It's already big news across the city."
He nodded, his focus shifting to the task ahead. Reyk had probably invited most of the big nobles that were free and he might even see the prince there, if only because he would have liked to see Kai getting beaten.
Unfortunately for him, that wasn't going to happen.
As he walked out of the carriage, a guard moved towards him, guiding him to a room which was a waiting area.
"This way, Lord Arzan," the man said, his voice rough as sandpaper.
They walked through a side passage as the guard explained, "The duel will begin in half an hour. You're expected to leave the waiting room whenever you're ready."
Kai followed along without saying another word and kept nodding at the explanation of the guard. It seemed like they were quite nervous since a lot of nobles were there and he couldn't help but smile when the guard told him that healers were present for any injuries and he didn't have to worry about losing his life.
He was barely able to stop himself from retorting to that knowing that the guard was just doing his work.
They arrived in the waiting room, a spacious area with an open window offering a full view of the arena. Stairs led down to the arena ground, and Kai could see the crowd gathering.
He took a seat, the weight of the impending duel settling over him. Fighting before thousands was a daunting prospect. But still, it was nothing he couldn't handle. He had participated in duels in his previous life, showing his strength and where he stood as a Mage on different occasions. Even if the duels weren't in open groups like this, they were far more brutal.
"Are you nervous?" Killian asked, breaking the silence.
Kai shook his head. "I would never be nervous about something like this. But I do feel a bit sorry for Reyk. He's going to be pretty humiliated by the end of it."
Killian opened his mouth to respond, but a sudden burst of clapping interrupted him. Both men turned to see a figure standing in the doorway.
For a second, he was simply confused as to who he was, but Killian spoke before he could make a major mistake. "Lord Edrian."
A chill washed over Kai instantly, not expecting his brother to pop up in the arena when he had gotten the letter less than an hour ago.
Edrian Kellius stood there, a commanding presence and now that Kai took a closer look, he did look a bit like Arzan.
He was tall, with a lean, muscular build. His blond hair was neatly tied back, revealing sharp, aristocratic features. Emerald green eyes, sharp as daggers, scanned the room before landing on Kai. A slow, predatory smile curved his lips and he wore a green cloak which had elven patterns on it.
"Yes, that's how a Kellius should talk," Edrian said, a smile playing on his lips. "It seems your time off has helped in more ways than one, little brother."
Kai froze, his mind racing.
What was he supposed to say? The sight of Edrian here, now, added another layer to the already complex situation. Who knew the man would summon himself to the waiting room? But again, the letter was a warning.
I can handle this.
Kai held his ground. His lips curled up to a smile, not giving away his anxiety. He stood up slowly from where he was, tall and straight, looking directly into the pair of emerald eyes.
-
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