Chapter 2

Chapter 2

During the time when the conflict between the Empire and the Demonic Tribe reached its highest point, Dale, in his previous existence as a hero, had the opportunity to witness firsthand the terrifying reputation that preceded the Black Duke.

It happened when the main army of the Empire fell into the traps laid by the demonic hosts, leaving the capital of the Duchy of Saxony completely unprotected. Despite the imminent danger, the Duke of Saxony maintained an unshakeable composure.

Without the company of any knight, he decided to stand alone before the colossal host of the orc warlord besieging the fortress and the surroundings of Saxony.

Dale, who was at the scene integrated into a special commando, retained the images of that day in his memory forever.

The moment the duke’s dark garments danced in the wind, he made a simple gesture with his hand, causing the immediate disappearance of the twilight sky.

The shadows devoured the light, and an army born from the darkness emerged from the depths. Death knights, riding mounts forged of eternal gloom, charged into the attack.

It was an untiring and ruthless force of the undead.

That event caused Dale a dread superior to any other experience lived in that world.

“Young master.”

A delicate feminine tone resonated near his ear, bringing him back to reality.

“It is time to wake up.”

Dale slowly opened his eyelids as the first gleams of morning pierced his gaze.

Had it all been a fantasy?

A dreamlike memory of the individual who, in this era, was his father.

“Thank you for waking me.”

Dale gently moved his head in acknowledgment.

Eve was a young maid tied to the Saxon family residence. Despite her youth, she surpassed Dale by almost a decade, who was reaching eight years of age on that date.

Eight years old.

The commotion resonating throughout the estate allowed him to deduce the reason for the celebration immediately.

That day commemorated his eighth anniversary.

Even the Black Duke, a man detached from aristocratic protocols and high society galas, had summoned his subordinates and nobles to organize a pompous festivity.

In the facilities of the Grand Hall of the ducal fortress, the employees moved swiftly, and a large number of aristocrats loyal to the house of Saxon gathered at the venue.

“My congratulations on your eight years of life.”

Elena, located on the left side of the seats intended for the rulers of the duchy, gave him a tender smile.

“It is a joy to see that you grow strong and without setbacks, Dale.”

“Mother.”

Dale, showing a maturity uncharacteristic of his young age, bowed silently.

“Where is my father?”

“Last-minute setbacks arose, and he is deliberating with Sir Helmut.”

Elena conveyed the information with a slight gesture of disappointment.

“Is he meeting with Sir Helmut, the leader of the military forces?”

Sir Helmut commanded the “Raven Knights,” the elite faction of the Saxon lineage, feared by their rivals under the name of the “Black Cavalry.”

If the leader of the warriors required immediate attention, it was most likely that a dungeon had been located within the territorial domains. The ruler’s obligation to watch over the protection of his lands prevailed, even over Dale’s anniversary.

“Since the celebration has been postponed, I intend for you to meet someone in your father’s absence.”

Elena stood up with distinction, showing fortitude in the face of unexpected events. Who could it be? Dale blinked with curiosity and walked behind her.

Elena, flanked by the maids, guided Dale through the corridors of the fortress, moving away from the festive bustle of the main hall to head toward the guest rooms located in the lower area.

“Lady Sepia.”

Elena gave a few soft knocks on the wooden entrance, bowing with deference. Dale observed that display of submission with surprise.

“I am sorry to interrupt your privacy, milady.”

Instantly, the entrance opened, and a calm and clear tone emerged.

“Noisy crowds are not to my liking.”

Dale held his breath for a moment, struck by her presence.

“Show your respects. I present to you Lady Sepia, the Elder of the Blue Tower.”

The occupant of the room was a lady whose features appeared to be of a similar or slightly younger age than Elena’s, possessing a cold and clean grace like crystal. The pointed shapes of her ears, visible between her sapphire-toned hair, revealed her true lineage.

She was an elf, a specimen of the race intimately linked to mana.

“I hold a great debt of gratitude to the Black Duke and his spouse.”

Sepia returned the greeting with a nod of her head. Elena downplayed the matter with a gesture.

“For us, it is a privilege that our descendant learns from your knowledge, Lady Sepia.”

To receive training from Lady Sepia? After hearing those words, Dale immediately deciphered his mother’s intentions.

“They have secured the services of an extremely unusual instructor.”

“I assume this is Dale.”

The tall member of the Blue Tower, Sepia, fixed a deep gaze on the little boy.

“I understand that he already possesses the beginnings of a faint mana circle within him.”

That was a vestige from previous years. However, being only four or five years old did not represent the ideal period to exploit a gift of that nature.

For that reason, Dale chose to wait calmly.

He was waiting for the precise moment when his talents would be classified as a prodigious genius and not as a terrifying anomaly.

Evidently, that did not imply that he had remained inactive.

During that time, Dale’s practices were not something that required hiding from others’ eyes.

“Indeed, I perceive the presence of magical energy in your being.”

Sepia confirmed the information with an affirmative gesture.

“Dale, your desire was to learn the magical arts, is that correct?”

Elena avoided at all costs having her son follow the path of necromancy. However, she refused to waste the child’s remarkable aptitudes for magic.

“The knowledge of the Blue Tower, I understand.”

Dale showed no desperation. As long as the Black Duke remained his father, he would have plenty of moments to delve into the arts of dark magic.

Above any factor, Dale understood the scope of his capabilities.

The vast majority of magic practitioners spend their existence trying to control a single element of nature. However, his situation was different.

The guidance of an elf of the category of an Elder of the Blue Tower constituted an unrepeatable opportunity.

“The greater the amount of knowledge, the greater the possibilities.”

Regardless of the limit of what an eminence of the Blue Tower could pass on to him.

The initial session began sooner than expected.

Elena withdrew from the place, arguing that she would return as soon as the Black Duke was back, leaving Dale in the exclusive company of Sepia.

“Keep calm, Dale.”

Sepia dedicated an affectionate gesture to the minor, who remained static in the guest room.

A prominent figure of the Blue Tower and a representative of the elven race, specimens scarce in the domains of men. Her sapphire-toned hair, from which a subtle coldness seemed to emanate, was dazzling. The appearance of her pointed ears spoke for itself.

“Please guide me on this path, instructor.”

The relevance of his father made it possible to have a mentor of such a level.

In his previous incarnation, Dale possessed multifaceted abilities, mastering everything from the art of the sword and spells to infiltration tactics and the use of toxic substances.

In his role as a combat tool under the title of hero, absolute adaptability to any warfare scenario was demanded of him.

Because of this, spells linked to the element of water, the core of the Blue Tower, were not foreign to him.

Despite this, the skills acquired in the past constituted an altered variant, oriented exclusively to the elimination of targets and rough combat. It was a crude learning process that required transformations in the organism and runic inscriptions on the skin.

The knowledge that Dale sought to assimilate at this stage differed enormously from extermination methods.

Specialization in water was oriented primarily toward protection and the alteration of the environment, supported by the Blue Tower on two essential pillars.

Containment and peaceful enchantments.

“Will this answer to my mother’s intentions?”

With the desire to keep her descendant away from violent paths, Elena would have opted to summon a member of the Blue Tower. It is likely that she projected a long-lasting future for Dale within that institution.

However, Dale did not intend to allow his destiny to be mapped out so predictably.

“My current conditions are different.”

Despite retaining the intellectual baggage of his previous stage, Dale’s physical structure corresponded to that of an eight-year-old child.

Of course, carrying the genes of the Black Duke, his predisposition toward magical forces far exceeded the common average.

However, that was his current limit. It could not withstand comparison with the virtues of an SSS-rank combatant, molded by decades of battles and optimized through imperial physical alterations.

Based on his mental maturity, Dale found himself obligated to select his path cautiously, discarding the idea of replicating his previous steps.

His goal consisted of reaching a mystical rung unprecedented for the rest of the world.

“Even dedicating my utmost effort, the handling of steel and the control of two magical variants represent my frontier.”

Assuming that one of the aspects corresponded to the dark arts, the remaining vacancy would be occupied by the water element.

After meditating on these variables, Dale dismissed further complications with a shake of his head.

After all, he was still a minor of eight years. Despite having the backing of an Elder of the Blue Tower, immediate progress would be limited. Surely, the initial lessons would focus on channeling the energy flow and on the most basic notions of water.

Added to this, Dale had not yet fully consolidated his initial mana ring. There were no reasons to proceed in a hurry.

“Let’s go out to get some fresh air for a moment.”

At that moment, Sepia, who had not taken her eyes off Dale, broke the silence. Her clear pupils conveyed the feeling of scrutinizing his mind.

“All right, instructor.”

There was no valid objection to refuse.

Dale walked through the exterior spaces of the ducal residence along with Sepia. A winter gust entered his respiratory tract.

“The ambient temperature is quite low.”

As they passed through the marble structures surrounding the garden area, Sepia spoke again.

“This atmosphere evokes memories of my homeland.”

Her expression denoted a certain melancholy for the past. Although it had not been confirmed, everything pointed to her belonging to the snow elf variant.

“Is there a true desire in you to understand magic?”

Sepia’s question took Dale by surprise, forcing him to blink in astonishment at the elf’s sharpness.

“When you expressed your interest in these arts, I perceived a distrust unbecoming of a child of your years.”

“The desire to learn stems from my own determination,” replied Dale, aware of having been deciphered. Although he evaluated formulating an evasion, he chose to be direct and complemented his words.

“However, the magical variant I aspire to control has different nuances…”

“Dark arts, I imagine,” Sepia added with complete naturalness.

“The self-imposed restriction of the Black Duke not to instruct his descendant in his knowledge is a matter of public domain in these lands.”

The affectionate bond between the Black Duke and Elena constituted one of the favorite tales among the inhabitants of the territory.

“Do you not consider the necromancy practiced in the Black Tower to be contemptible, instructor?”

“What induces you to formulate that idea?” Sepia inquired.

Members of the elven race are characterized by safeguarding the laws of nature, which is why Dale deduced that she would reject the arts of the Black Duke. However, the elf’s approach took a different turn.

“Manipulation to raise the fallen breaks natural cycles…”

Before the child could finish the sentence, Sepia let out a light laugh full of grace.

“Do you firmly maintain that the reanimation of bodies defies the principles of the world?”

“Is it not that way?” Dale responded, showing some doubt.

“Under that logic, how do you catalog the mystical interventions of the clerics who rescue the dying from the clutches of death? Does that represent the determination of nature?”

At that precise moment, Dale understood the background of Sepia’s arguments.

“It is evident that my peers do not agree with these assessments,” Sepia commented, letting a hint of sadness show. “That position led me to experience complex events.”

“What exactly do you mean…?”

Sepia chose not to delve into the topic. Dale connected the dots regarding the reasons that had led an elf, who ordinarily belonged to hermetic communities, to reside in the domains of men.

“An outcast.”

The mindset displayed differed completely from the deeply rooted dogmatism of most of her kind.

“Her abilities as a mentor could exceed my initial forecasts,” Dale concluded after realizing his interlocutor’s frankness.

“I have reached the point where I do not need to hide my capabilities,” he determined to himself.

The moment Dale adopted that stance, Sepia turned toward him while snowflakes danced in the surroundings.

“Shall we begin the recognition of mana?”

“Your father mentioned that you harbor scattered vestiges of a mana ring in the chest area,” Sepia pointed out.

“That is correct,” Dale asserted.

From there, Sepia proceeded to explain the theoretical foundations of the discipline.

The environment is saturated with mana. However, unless dealing with immemorial creatures like dragons, it is impossible to assimilate that energy in its raw state without a prior filtering process. For this reason, human beings, elves, and the rest of the species need to channel the flow in their organisms to transform it into usable magical energy.

The circular structure in the cardiac zone operates as a conversion core, transforming environmental energy into magical fuel.

The number of rings an individual possesses determines their scale of power.

“Your initial goal will consist of grouping those scattered vestiges until consolidating a perfect ring, giving rise to your first circle.”

“Understood.”

“Of course, it is a process that requires time and constancy.”

Dale nodded without making a sound.

“Let’s begin with the practices to make the energy flow rotate in the heart zone.”

In that spot, Sepia proceeded to transmit to him the essential guidelines to direct the energy.

“It is indispensable that you execute this dynamic constantly, with no room for carelessness.”

After assimilating Sepia’s guidelines, Dale took a deep breath and proceeded to execute the steps.

He began to capture the energy from the environment, tracing a channel for it to orbit in the vicinity of his heart, focusing on giving it a perfectly spherical structure.

“This process will demand weeks of practice, so in this interval, we can talk about the spells of your interest,” Sepia commented with an affable tone while Dale maintained his concentration.

It was at that moment that Dale interrupted his state and fixed his eyes on her.

“Instructor.”

“Did a doubt arise?” Sepia inquired, showing a smile ready to resolve his concerns.

“The process has concluded.”

…

Upon perceiving the completely structured and firm ring of energy around his heart, Dale considered the task finished.