The morning sun had barely begun to rise, casting long shadows across the polished floors of the mansion. Raven sat at a large dining table, alone for the time being, sipping tea in the corner of the spacious room. Althea had already departed for her morning business, and the mansion had quieted down since her departure. The maids moved about, cleaning and preparing for the day. Their soft chatter filled the air, though Raven was mostly lost in thought, his mind still focused on the recent developments with his training.
As he stared absentmindedly at his tea, his sharp ears picked up a conversation between two of the maids near the kitchen. Though the topic seemed trivial at first, the intensity in their voices piqued his interest. The words they spoke weren't loud, but their urgency caught Raven's attention instantly. He could sense something serious behind their conversation.
"Have you heard about the war at the border? It's getting worse every day," one of the maids said, her voice low but trembling with concern as she wiped down the kitchen counter.
The other maid nodded, glancing nervously around. "Yes, I heard. They say one of our mages—an SS rank—teleported right into the middle of the opposing forces. And you know what he did next?"
Raven leaned in slightly, his attention now fully fixed on the maids. SS rank? That was a level of power few ever reached. To be able to teleport, to have the mana capacity and control over such destructive forces—it was rare. The idea of a single mage having such power stirred something within him, both admiration and a growing sense of urgency.
"He summoned three meteors," the first maid whispered, her eyes wide with fear and awe. "Right above the enemy's camp. It was... it was like something out of a nightmare. I heard the reports—those meteors fell like bombs, tearing through their soldiers. They say he wiped out over a hundred thousand soldiers and mage combatants in a single attack."
Raven's breath caught in his throat. A hundred thousand soldiers—wiped out in an instant. He had seen death before, and he had seen power, but the scale of this was something else entirely. A mage of that caliber could change the entire course of a war by themselves. The thought was both terrifying and awe-inspiring.
The second maid, her face flushed with excitement, leaned in, her eyes sparkling. "You know, they say the mage was incredibly handsome too. Not just his power, but... his looks! The way he controlled the battlefield—everyone's calling him The Meteor Mage. His name is Arlen Drake. I heard he's tall, dark-haired, with piercing eyes—just, perfect in every way."
Raven's brow furrowed as he heard the description. Handsome, powerful, and commanding—this Meteor Mage seemed like someone out of a legend. But what really struck him was how casually the maids were talking about the destruction he had caused. To them, this mage wasn't just a force of nature; he was their ideal man.
"He's my crush, for sure," the first maid sighed dreamily. "I can't believe he's real. I mean, who else could do something like that and still look so good while doing it?"
"I know, right?" the second maid replied, grinning. "I heard he's been spotted several times near the capital. If I ever got a glimpse of him... I'd faint."
Raven felt a pang of irritation in his chest. The thought of one man having such power—power that could erase entire armies in the blink of an eye—was both impressive and unnerving. But what troubled him more was the way these women fawned over him. Their infatuation with Arlen Drake was another stark reminder of how little they understood the true nature of his power. It wasn't about his looks or charisma; it was about the destruction he could bring.
Then the maids' conversation took an even more serious turn.
"Did you hear about the retaliation, though? From the enemy side?" one of them asked, her voice growing quieter as if she was afraid someone might overhear. "The opposing forces responded with their own SS rank. The Walking Volcano, Vulkan."
Raven stiffened, his heart pounding in his chest. He'd heard the name Vulkan before—a name spoken in hushed tones across the orphanage and in whispers on the street. Vulkan was feared even among powerful mages, and his title alone sent chills down Raven's spine. A man who could command lava and fire as if they were extensions of his body.
"They say Vulkan caused rivers of lava to flow through the battlefield, destroying not only the soldiers but also entire villages near the border. I heard hundreds of innocents died," the maid continued, her voice laced with fear.
"Yeah, both of them, Arlen Drake and Vulkan, had to back down eventually," the other maid added, her voice shaking. "But the damage they caused... the entire battlefield was reduced to ash, and the nearby villages—completely obliterated."
The maids fell silent for a moment, the weight of their conversation heavy in the air. Raven's mind whirled with the enormity of what he had just heard. Two SS-ranked mages, fighting to the point of almost destroying an entire region... and for what? To win a battle in a never-ending war?
It was hard to fathom, but it solidified one thing in his mind—power like that came with a heavy cost. People didn't just admire or fear it. They suffered under it. The destruction of the battlefield, the lives lost, the innocent villages caught in the crossfire—it was overwhelming.
He stood up, quietly leaving the breakfast table, his thoughts consumed by the maids' conversation. He had to grow stronger. If the world was filled with people like Arlen Drake and Vulkan, mages who could decimate entire armies with a thought, then Raven had no choice but to push himself even harder.
As he walked down the hall, their voices faded behind him, but the memory of their words lingered in his mind. I have to become strong enough to stand against forces like that. If I can't... then what's the point of all this?
Raven made his way to his room, determination hardening his resolve. He had training to do, and there was no time to waste.
He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder scaring him as he couldn't feel anyone before the touch.