I was returning to Vasa’s palace in high spirits. Now, my main task for the next few days would be to search for books on practical magic of the fifth circle’s elements of time, space, and darkness, as well as all elements of the sixth circle. I didn’t know whether the capital had a library with such literature, but I sincerely hoped so.

  “Alright, Aney, time to train!” I heard the Goddess’s of War shout only after passing through the gates.

  What a relentless woman. Vasa met me at the doorstep and led me to the backyard, where a training ground had been set up.

  “Dear Vasa, aren’t we going to smash everything here…”

  “Don’t worry about that, the barriers here are so strong even I can’t break them easily.”

  Damn, she must’ve spent a fortune on all this… Vasa raised the barrier around the training ground, and I, just out of curiosity, slammed my fist into it with full force. The arena echoed with a hum, but I saw no damage to the barrier.

  “Attack, kid, you’re not escaping from here anyway!”

  Well then. I activated five circles of magic. Grave silence… The technique of sequential steps… I attacked.

  Eventually, after three hours, Vasa took pity on me and ended the training.

  “You just need a bit more strength… Or stronger magic in your arsenal… You could fight on par with the Gods of War.”

  “Dear Vasa, I do have stronger spells, you yourself forbade me from using them during training.”

  “Don’t be silly, I only forbade your fire magic so I wouldn’t end up naked after every session. Or maybe that’s what you want to see, kid?”

  “Oh no, dear Vasa, I could never…”

  “What, think I’m too old?”

  “No, you misunderstood, dear Vasa…”

  “So, if you had the chance, you would use me…”

  “Absolutely not, I would never…”

  “So you’re saying I’m some kind of hag men don’t find attractive?!”

  “No! Not at all, dear Vasa!”

  Damn it, what does she want from me?

  “Relax,” she slapped me on the back, “I’m just joking. Or maybe not…”

  “By the way, dear Vasa, since we’re talking about magic, is there a library in the capital with books on fifth or sixth circle magic? Or a shop where such could be bought?”

  “Hmmmm. I won’t say for sure, but Vist might know. We can go see her tomorrow, because I’ll be waiting for my magic belt for a hundred years at this rate. She’s so greedy, she forgets her debts immediately.”

  I know another greedy mage quite well. I wonder, is it a professional trait?

  “Alright, dear Vasa, then I’ll wait for you tomorrow.”

  I went to the bathroom to wash off the dirt and dust the Goddess of War had rolled me in.

  “Looks like you’re having fun with her.”

  Irgen scrubbed my back with such force it seemed she was trying to hurt me.

  “Not exactly. But first, it’s good for me. And second, refusing the strongest Goddess of War in the Empire doesn’t sound like a good idea.”

  Instead of replying, Irgen used a deep cleansing spell on me, removing all soap and water from my skin, and continued scrubbing with a dry sponge. I wondered what would fall apart first—her tiny hands or that damned sponge.

  “Enough! I’m having fun with you too.”

  I turned around, tore the abrasive weapon from her hands, and hugged her. In protest—or maybe just out of spite—Irgen silently bit my bicep with all her strength. Seriously? Even the catfolk girl didn’t bite me, and I would’ve expected that from her. I turned Irgen around, her back to me, and tore open her thin, wet shirt.

  In the morning, Raman was waiting for me in the living room.

  “I’m going to register the team for the tournament. Do you want to come?”

  “Sorry, today I have errands to run with Lady Vasa.”

  “Oh, I see… Alright…”

  The rector turned toward the door. I don’t know, but I even felt sorry for him from behind.

  “Rector, let’s go together tomorrow. It’s not that urgent, is it?”

  “No, no, don’t worry.” He waved his hand weakly and left.

  Damn it, after the truth about the seventh circle came out—something the rector tried to keep hidden—it became awkward between us. I’ll need to have an honest talk with him, to clear the air.

  In fact, I’d noticed that ever since I started spending more time with the Gods of War , my team seemed to distance themselves from me. Except for Irgen, of course. From their perspective, it was natural—the stronger move forward, leaving the weaker behind. I wouldn’t say I shared that view, but I didn’t want to fight it either.

  In any case, I wouldn’t abandon my duties as team captain until the end of the tournament.

  These thoughts were literally interrupted by Vasa, who grabbed me by the clothes and pulled me outside.

  “Let’s go, enough standing around in the middle of the room.”

  We approached a steel platform with three chairs, floating a few dozen centimeters above the ground. Vasa sat in one of the chairs and offered me the seat next to her. As soon as I stepped on, the platform moved toward the gates. Within a minute, we were immersed in the thick flow of city traffic.

  “Dear Vasa, I have a question for you.”

  “Spit it out, don’t drag it.”

  “What does a bloodlust strike feel like?”

  She looked at me, then suddenly drew her saber and, with one precise motion, slashed my throat. I didn’t even have time to react—just grabbed at my neck, trying to stop the bleeding.

  There was no blood. I looked at my hands. Not a single drop, completely dry… But I clearly saw and felt her blade slice my trachea and carotid like a scalpel. That couldn’t be! I looked at Vasa.

  “How was it for you?”

  “I saw and felt you cutting my throat, dear Vasa.”

  “Just cut? Strange. Usually people see me chopping their heads off, and the head,” Vasa twirled her finger in front of her, “flies through the air, spinning, and falls to the ground. Oh, and they even manage to see blood spurting from their neck as their body collapses like a sack. Or so they say.”

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  “Damn, that’s really something, dear Vasa!”

  “Well, when you hit me with your bloodlust, I saw something even worse…”

  I got curious.

  “Would you tell me, dear Vasa?”

  “You were dissecting me.”

  “I’m sorry?”

  “Felt like I was lying on a big flat rock and couldn’t even move. Everything around was red—the sky, the sun… bloody. And you were so calm, emotionless, slowly slicing bits off me while I was still alive, feeding my flesh to the monsters around us. They tore into it and devoured it. And I’m the Goddess of War—I feel every piece of my body, no matter where it is. So let me tell you, being inside a monster’s stomach is… ugh, it’s downright awful. I’m lying there on that stone, begging you to kill me quickly, and you act like you don’t hear me. Just keep cutting and feeding me to the monsters. Disgusting.”

  “Truly disgusting, dear Vasa,” I confirmed.

  “After that dream, I even thought you might be some kind of monster lord…”

  “Oh no, I only kill them.”

  “Yeah, that’s obvious too. Listen, Aney, my advice to you—don’t let your friends or loved ones get caught in your bloodlust. I’m one thing; I’ve seen a lot in my life… But others? I don’t think they’ll stay by your side. Got it?”

  “Yes, dear Vasa. Thank you for your advice.”

  She was right. If the Goddess of War could be caught in such a realistic illusion, then what about ordinary mortals… So that’s why that madman Rom was screaming like that when I hit him with bloodlust as hard as I could… Even his hole-riddled brain couldn’t take it.

  “We’ve arrived.”

  Vasa stopped our vehicle near an estate that looked like a giant frozen soap bubble. Huge—about thirty meters in diameter—it floated in the air above stone steps. Holy hedgehogs! There really is someone with taste even stranger than Vasa’s. Suddenly, a small bubble detached from the big one and flew toward us. Vist stepped out of it in a long, narrow, sky-blue dress that made her slender figure look even thinner.

  “Oh, Vasa, I know why you’ve come—sorry, I kind of forgot.”

  She handed over a thin, translucent female belt belonging to the Goddess of War.

  “An eighth-class magical item, just like I promised.”

  Wow, and they were trying to sell it to me at a steep price…

  “So I…”

  “Wait,” Vasa interrupted. “I’m not just here for the belt. Aney needs some of your magical literature.”

  Vist looked at me with interest.

  “What are you looking for?”

  “Lady Vasa, I need books on the elements of time, space, and darkness of the fifth circle, as well as all nine elements of the sixth circle.”

  “Whoa, quite the appetite you’ve got, young man.”

  “Lady Vist, it’s only for two days—I’m not trying to keep them forever…”

  Vist began to gently stroke her earlobe while intently watching me.

  “I’m a magess of water, light, and wind elements, so most of the books you need aren’t in my library. But,” she added quickly, “for Vasochka’s sake, I know how to help you.”

  “Thank you, Lady Vist.”

  “Come with me.”

  She turned back toward the bubble and waved for me to follow. I passed through the thin membrane and sat next to the magess.

  “We’re heading to the library of the Capital Academy of Magic. You’ll choose the books you need, and I’ll check them out under my name. But sorry, you’ll only be able to work with them at my place—I won’t let you take them out. Are these terms acceptable?”

  “Yes, Lady Vist. Thank you for your generosity.”

  “Good.”

  We fell silent. Damn—the library of the Empire’s main Academy of Magic! I hadn’t even dreamed of setting foot there!

  “You’re a strange creature!” Vist grabbed my shoulder with both hands. “A mage, and with a warrior’s body! Fascinating, just fascinating!”

  “Lady Vist, even if you’re intrigued, grabbing a Battle Ancestor like that is not only rude—it’s dangerous…”

  “Oh come on… haven’t you seen what mages usually look like? Can’t you understand where I’m coming from?”

  Look who’s talking—she’s built like a board. You’d think they’d have invented some kind of body-correcting magic by now… Lazy bastards.

  “I understand, Lady Vist. And I think mages on this continent really should pay more attention to their physical fitness.”

  “That’s beside the point,” Vist waved dismissively. “We are who we are. Mages change what’s on the outside, not the inside.”

  I shook my head.

  “As you wish. Everyone should live as they see fit.”

  We rode the rest of the way in silence, though she didn’t remove her hand from my shoulder. Vist steered her bubble right up to the library doors and exited, still holding my arm. In the wide corridor, passersby bowed to her respectfully. She clearly commanded high regard here.

  “Alright, go pick whatever you want, take your time.”

  She finally let me go when we entered the hall with books from the fourth to sixth circles of magic. Damn, there was a lot to choose from. Hundreds upon hundreds of volumes! Even with my speed and focus, it took me more than two hours to select twelve books I deemed the best in their category.

  “Lady Vist, I’ve chosen these.”

  She stood near the librarian’s desk, surrounded by a dozen young mages.

  “How dare you address the esteemed Lady Vist so informally?! Is etiquette meaningless to you?!”

  One of the young mages clearly wanted to show off for Vist—or put a poorly dressed provincial in his place… I set the stack of books on the table.

  “Mage, you’d better protect your skull while it’s still on your shoulders.”

  “You!” He drew his staff and pointed it at me. “I, Magran, will teach you how to behave in society, you damn yokel!”

  Here we go again… What did Vasa say? Feeding me to monsters piece by piece? I carefully blasted the fool with bloodlust, avoiding the people around us. His eyes rolled back and he collapsed onto the floor. A yellow, foul-smelling puddle spread beneath him.

  “Oh, so this is how society behaves—wetting yourself? Strange rules you’ve got here. I think I’ll stick to my provincial ways. At least they don’t include pissing yourself.”

  The other mages hesitated and began to draw their staves.

  “Enough! Everyone calm down!” Vist ordered.

  I imagine they heard her with relief, as they quickly stowed their staves. Almost too quickly.

  “Allow me to introduce,” Vist said, “this young man is Aney. A promising young mage and the captain of the Kingdom of Lhote’s team. You may yet face them in the tournament.”

  “He’s… the captain?”

  “That’s unlikely. They’ll get wiped out before it’s even our turn.”

  “A kingdom team? Why invite such weaklings?”

  It seemed like kingdom teams weren’t taken seriously here. I turned to the guy who said that.

  “Weaklings, you say?” I couldn’t ignore it as a captain. “Then how about a wager?”

  “What are the terms?”

  “I’ll take down your entire team by myself during the match, using only magic.”

  “Haha, alright, that suits our team just fine, right, guys?”

  There were chuckles and approving shouts from the sides.

  “The wager?” he asked.

  I pulled out a ninth-class crystal core.

  “A ninth-class monster core, or an equivalent amount in gold. Let’s say, the minimum price for this core is half a million gold coins. Can you handle that, oh great capital mages?”

  They paled—such a wager would be hard to handle even as a team.

  “Oh no, you’re from the capital, right? My apologies—let’s double it!”

  I pulled out another ninth-class core.

  “Now this is proper. A hundred thousand from each member of your team sounds fair. Agreed? It’ll be easy money for you—just me, and ten of you on the arena. A guaranteed win, I’d say. Lady Vist here can witness the wager and hold the stakes, to keep it all fair.”

  I pushed the cores into the mage’s hands. She burst out laughing.

  “Haha! Boys, you’re underestimating him. Aney here recently held back a dungeon breach alone for several hours!”

  What an airhead. She was going to ruin it for me! Or… was she trying to save the capital’s academy team?

  “I… we… we don’t agree to that kind of wager…”

  I took the cores back from Vist.

  “Well then, too bad. Without a wager, I won’t need to worry whether you survive the arena or not.” I released my aura to intimidate. “I’ll wipe the arena floor with you so thoroughly that they’ll still be scrubbing your guts off it a week later!”

  “Aha-ha-ha! Aney, don’t scare them, that’s not in the spirit of the competition!”

  “Lady Vist, I’m not scaring them. I’m warning them. They just lost their last chance to leave the arena alive.”

  I took the cores and books and headed for the door. Tried to save them, did she? So? Did it work?

  Vist caught up to me and took my arm again.

  “Aney, you’re not seriously planning to kill them, are you? They’re just kids.”

  “Kids? Lady Vist, they’re my age!”

  “I don’t mean it like that…”

  “Alright, Lady Vist, I won’t go out of my way to kill them, but everything depends on them. Holding back isn’t exactly in the spirit of the competition, either, is it?”

  Vist bit her lip. She finally realized how much I disliked her plan to ‘save’ the capital academy’s team.

  “I’ll still ask you to go easier on them. The Empire needs its mages. And yes, I know your team burned a rival team alive in L’hote. Don’t do that here, got it?”

  Vist said once we were seated in her bubble.

  Trying to pressure me now?

  “Lady Vist, until your words just now, I believed that at least the capital’s central arena hosted fair competitions. If that’s not the case, I’d rather withdraw my team and go back to clearing dungeons. That would be more useful anyway.”

  Vist was silent for a while.

  “Do you really think withdrawing your team would make things better?”

  “Depends on how I do it. If I do it quietly—no, it wouldn’t. But if word got out that an invited Imperial judge tried to disqualify my team without cause during the preliminaries? And then the captain, likely under pressure, pulls out the next day after registration? What kind of rumors would that spark? How many teams would even apply next year? And who would society see as the real winners? Maybe the ones you feared and removed by dirty tricks? Most importantly, how many talented mages from the kingdoms would the Empire be able to win over after such a disgrace? The people, Lady Vist, thrive on gossip. They love it. Would you like to feed them?”

  She was thinking. Seriously thinking.

  “I don’t understand you. You’re not a fighter for absolute justice, and your methods aren’t exactly righteous—so why do you care, Aney?”

  “Haha, Lady Vist, don’t pretend to be dense. It doesn’t suit someone with your life experience. You understand just fine—you just hoped that for your little favor with the books, I’d become obedient and pliable. But I’m not for sale, Lady Vist. It’s about time you understood that. I hope we’re clear?”

  Vist was irritated. Her face kept shifting between pale and red. But she couldn’t do anything—at least not now. Not because she was too weak—on the contrary, she was a powerful mage. Very powerful. But right now, I was too close. I could’ve killed her with a flick of aura if she so much as thought about casting a high-level spell. The eternal weakness of mages.

  The gates of her estate closed behind our bubble.