{Paladin: "Just a few simple explanations."
Sigilus: Kael's term for the magic system, named so because he's not from the modern world.
Necromancer Class: A mage class focused on controlling undead creatures.
Necromancy Aspects
Aspect of Osteomancy: Bone-focused necromancy, summoning skeletal knights and other bone-based undead.
Aspect of Ectomancy: Spirit-focused necromancy, summoning wraiths and other spectral undead.
Aspect of Marrowcraft: Not strictly necromancy; it's a creation art using bones and marrow.
Aspect of Noxomancy: Shadow manipulation, allowing control, fusion, and traversal through shadows.
Aspect of Nihilancy: Void manipulation, a dark form of space magic.
I hope that clears things up! If anyone has further questions, feel free to ask in the comments.}
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Verdanthold Manor, Zephiron's residence in Grimhold, sprawled across the landscape with a grandeur that defied measure—so immense that it was divided into five sub-castles, each majestic enough to be called a palace in its own right.
Among these divisions, Kael resided in Celestine Haven, the second largest, where towering walls rose in serene elegance. Zephiron held court in Veilwatch Bastion, the heart of the manor, a citadel shrouded in shadows and steeped in quiet authority.
Beyond Veilwatch lay The Epoch Grove, a sprawling, ancient garden where stone paths wound through groves of towering trees. Once the training grounds for promising pupils, it now stood as a silent witness to the prodigies who had grown beyond its teachings.
Arriving at the grove, Kael finally saw Zephiron and Regent Cyran waiting for him, along with a few dozen maids gathered nearby.
He approached Zephiron, who greeted him with a warm smile, while the maids bowed in respect.
"Did you sleep well, young master?" Zephiron asked. "If there are any inconveniences, let me know, and I'll see to them at once."
"Everything's fine," Kael replied, then sighed. "But enough about that. Tell me more about Miss Calory. She's going to be my first instructor here, right?"
"Ah, Calory! That young lass! She was, ah…" Zephiron began enthusiastically, only to falter as he frowned in confusion. "Wait a minute… who is Calory again?" He scratched his head, realizing he had no idea who this supposed instructor was.
The air grew thick with confusion as even Regent Cyran and the maids exchanged puzzled glances, none of them recalling anyone by the name "Calory."
Then a soft laugh broke the silence.
"Hmmf… hahahaha…"
Everyone turned to see Kael's personal maidservant, Lily, covering her mouth, her giggles slipping through despite her efforts. She quickly stopped, realizing the attention she'd drawn. Her cheeks flushed as she stammered, "Um… Master Zephiron, young master Kael might be referring to Miss Caelora. I think it's a… small misspelling on his part."
Lily's face paled the moment she finished speaking, her eyes widening as she realized her error. She had just corrected a noble—and her young master, no less. Panic set in, and she struggled to find words, stuttering, "Th-that… young master, I-I just… I just wanted to say…"
Kael chuckled, waving off her panic with ease. "Oh, my mistake. Miss Caelora it is then. Anyway, old man, when is she supposed to arrive?" He continued as if nothing had happened, moving past Lily's blunder without a second thought, leaving her red-faced but relieved.
"Selene Caelora—a young, gifted prodigy," Zephiron began, his voice steady. "They call her a once-in-a-millennium talent. Orphaned in the last Genesis War, she's the sole heir of a fallen noble house."
"I took her in back then, drawn by her extraordinary aptitude in the sword arts. But as her skills grew, I found her to be a natural with nearly every weapon, earning her the title 'Sovereign of Blades'. Recently, she even broke through to the Spirit Paragon Realm."
Zephiron's gaze softened. "Truly, an exceptional lass."
"Truly exceptional lass hah, What a compliment," Kael mused, thinking that receiving such praise from a great hero suggested genuine strength. But the thought didn't stir him in the slightest. He had seen plenty of 'exceptional' lasses and lads reduced to corpses in his residence.
Despite his indifference, Kael remained eager to meet his new mentor. To command such mastery over a range of weapons, even if not to an extreme degree, was an impressive feat—particularly for someone born among mortals.
As for why he said that, the reasoning was clear: despite Selene Caelora belonging to a noble household, the fall of her family could mean only one thing—it was a mortal noble house, one that did not fall under the protection of any deity.
Even though deities are few and far between, and often reclusive, they still maintain factions beneath them. These factions govern smaller nations, and those nations, in turn, are home to many noble households.
Though it was a pipe dream to expect a deity to avenge a noble household or even an entire nation, the faction as a whole would undoubtedly take action. With that in mind, he concluded that the Caelora household must have been a mortal clan.
"KRRAAAH-EEEEE!"
While Kael's mind remained absorbed in drawing conclusions about something that held little concern for him, a sudden, piercing screech echoed nearby, interrupting his thoughts and snapping him back to the present.
In the distant azure sky, a faint speck appeared—just a dot against the vastness of the heavens, too far for an ordinary eye to see. But those gathered here were anything but ordinary.
Gradually, the dot grew larger, its shape sharpening into the unmistakable outline of a bird. Yet, this was no ordinary creature; its size was immense, far beyond that of any common bird, with dimensions far exceeding any ordinary creature of flight.
"What is that?" Kael finally spoke, breaking his silence. "And why is it coming this way?" He was still shaken from the sight, marveling at how any creature could venture so close to the Verdanthold manor, let alone screech without being eaten or chased off by the dragon residing here.
"What else would you expect from a Caelora, with 'Caelum' woven into her very name?" Zephiron chuckled, his gaze fixed on the approaching figure. "That, Kael, is my cherished pupil, Selene Caelora of the House of Winds."
"You're saying that bird is supposed to be my mentor?" Kael asked, startled, a flicker of disbelief crossing his face.
As Kael's question hung in the air, Zephiron, ever the ancient hero, responded in the way only a figure of his legend could—by letting out a deep, resonant laugh that echoed around them. His amusement was palpable, yet tempered with a knowing look.
"No, young master," he replied, his voice carrying both warmth and wisdom. "That bird is not your mentor. Observe closely, and you'll discern a figure within its form. That is, Selene Caelora—your soon-to-be mentor."
He paused, allowing the revelation to settle, his gaze steady and confident. "She is one of the finest teachers you could hope for, skilled in both the arts of combat and wisdom. You will come to learn much from her, and perhaps see the world through new eyes."
"If you don't provoke her, that is," Cyran interjected from the side, a smirk playing on his lips. "She's known for her short temper and has even lashed out at several apostles in the past."
'Well, she'd be dead before it came to that', something within Kael murmured, the voice grim and unnervingly calm.
'It won't come to that, Diablo,' Kael muttered to himself, his voice just a whisper, meant for no one's ears but his own.
And just then, without the suspense of the unknown, gusts of wind suddenly whipped through the air, heralding the arrival of a massive bird—an aerial beast of rare phoenix lineage.
Its crimson feathers, velvety in texture, exuded an aura of mystery and grace. Dark garnet eyes shimmered like polished stones, while its elegant tail feathers cascaded in long, layered plumes. The bird looked like a jewel-embedded beast lord, as regal as its bloodline.
Before Kael stood this magnificent creature of noble lineage—and even more striking was the one it bore: his first mentor, Selene Caelora.
Hopp!
With a small airstep, Selene hopped from her mount's back to the lawn. Gentle as air, it appeared as if she floated down.
Walking with graceful, short strides, she arrived in front of Zephiron. She glanced at Cyran for a second before bowing on one leg and reciting her position:
"Thirteenth pupil of the Lord, sixth head battlemaid of Solstice Luminara Castle, Arcelius House, have seen the master!"
She straightened up at Zephiron's acknowledgment and turned to Kael, studying him from head to toe.
"Kael. Kael Seraphim von Ceasarcrest, that is my name," Kael replied, noticing the need for an introduction.
"Hmm, interesting," Selene murmured. "So, Kael, you don't seem bothered by the fact that your first mentor—your first mentor, mind you—will be a woman, a maid no less."
She tilted her head slightly. "Tell me, then, what do you think of the position of women when it comes to power? Or, for that matter, what do you think of me?"
Her tone was cold yet teasing, a challenge and a question wrapped in one.
Kael, listening to his beautiful mentor's first question since their introduction, didn't dwell on it for a second before answering. There was no hesitation, no suspense.
"I don't care!"
{Paladin: If the esteemed readers here have doubts—like, "Who the heck is Diablo?" or "Why was Lily, Kael's maid, frightened at the start?"—then allow me to explain. While the first question is left for suspense, the second is quite simple.
A servant, a slave, or anyone in such a position is not permitted to correct their master, and in this case, that master is Kael. This is the reason behind Lily's reaction.
And, if you think this will be my last time intervening, well... only time will tell if you're right or.}