Player 0.4 [You have died.] [Reset in progress.]

Has everyone lost their mind?

Remlend poured the tea into a green porcelain cup and handed it to Luca Frey. The scent of rich bergamot and honey filled the air. Not that the young master took the time to enjoy it. Instead, Luca simply drank it as if completing some task off a checklist.

Remlend’s eyes narrowed.

Or am I missing something?

Ever since Prince Chase Daylan had appeared at Frey Manor one fine morning and murdered Kaiden in cold blood, events within the household had spiraled into something incomprehensible.

Secret meetings. Sudden changes in staff. Increased wards—in particular against fire magic. Instructions passed down from Micah Frey hinted that something huge was going to take place. And at the center of every whisper was Luca Frey.

Even Kaiden’s death had supposedly been carried out on Luca’s instruction.

Unless the Frey family had another son named Luca hidden away in complete obscurity, the individual orchestrating these strange movements was the hollow-eyed young master sitting before him.

The Ghost of the Frey Manor.

Luca finished the tea and set the cup down without so much as a grimace. Then he rose from his bed and moved to the wash basin, his motions steady but completely void of any true vitality.

No matter how Remlend sliced and diced it, the Luca Frey he served was even more useless than he had ever been. Sure, the young man had always been a troublemaker and, frankly, a complete and utter idiot. However, now it was as if his soul had left his body, leaving only the husk. He was alive, but no one seemed to be home—though if asked a question, he would answer.

Thus, the possibility of a second Luca Frey no longer seemed entirely far-fetched.

Luca finished washing up, and Remlend helped get the young master dressed. Luca stood obediently through the process, golden eyes fixed on some distant point in the mirror.

There were other peculiarities.

Whenever Remlend entered a room where certain conversations were taking place, the voices halted—provided only if the people present remembered who he was, which was quite rare.

Not that it mattered much anymore.

His original employer, Duchess Meriwa Ozeryn, had suddenly cut off contact despite their long-standing arrangement. If the whispers Remlend had managed to catch were correct, Luca Frey had been the one to expose him. Moreover, it appeared to have caused a bit of trouble for the Ozeryns, with large monthly payments made to the crown without any strings attached.

And yet Remlend had not been fired. Nor killed, as Charles had been.

Rather, it was the opposite. He had been promoted to attending to Luca Frey’s every need.

Granted, there were few needs to attend to. Most of the work amounted to ensuring the young master did not wither away in bed. Still, Micah Frey paid handsomely for the task, along with one additional instruction: report any useful information that might benefit the Frey family and Adovoria as a whole. In other words: continue being a spy.

Normally, Remlend would have packed his belongings and left. The handsome pay was tempting, but his original reason for infiltrating Frey Manor had never been money. He had done it all for a cure to his Wallflower Curse.

And that was why he ultimately stayed. Micah Frey had dangled before him this very carrot: a cure. With concrete proof that it was real.

The caveat was that the cure would be concocted once Luca Frey returned to his normal self—only he could make it, apparently. This meant Remlend had every reason to ensure no harm befell the young master. Not from enemies, not from accidents, and not even from Luca’s own alarming lack of lifeforce.

Remlend gazed at the reflection in the mirror as he made the final adjustments to Luca’s black hair, arranging him like an ornate doll dressed for display.

“I’ve finished, young master Luca,” he said.

“Thank you,” Luca replied. The words were polite, but completely hollow.

Luca stood up and made his way toward the dining room to have breakfast with the rest of the family. As was his routine.

Remlend bowed and watched him leave.

However, at this point, several months had come and gone. And Luca Frey was no closer to being back to his normal self.

But it’s not as if I have any stronger leads.

Remlend sighed and went about his business of tidying up the room before heading out himself.

I can only hope Luca returns to himself sooner rather than later.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

“I did it again,” I gasped out, opening my eyes.

The moment I returned to myself, I felt it: my mana core had grown.

It was nothing impressive by this realm’s standards. But to me, the change was unmistakable and remarkable. My mana core had grown to more than triple its original size.

I had successfully extracted mana from two of the rings thus far.

As for another two attempts… I had butchered the process entirely, pulling out every last drop of mana the rings contained. It tremendously increased my mana core, but the consequences of that would, unfortunately, fall upon some future version of myself.

But that was their problem, I tried to reason.

“It’s like trying to split a hair,” I grumbled, reaching for another Cat Nap Potion.

I uncorked the cool glass vial and downed the contents in one go, barely noticing the medicinal sweetness that clung to my tongue.

That was the extent of my complaining, however.

Across from me, Augustus sat on the pale marble floor, his posture still somehow elegant despite having remained awake the entire night alongside me. The fire in the brazier had burned lower, its once-roaring flames reduced to a steady orange glow.

The great mage was in the middle of drinking a Cat Nap Potion of his own.

“You’re getting there,” Augustus said, packing away the emptied glass vial.

Behind him, the sky beyond the open arches of the gazebo had begun to lighten. The star-filled black night had softened into blue, and the overgrown garden slowly emerged in the pale dawn—snake-like vines and wild hedges taking shape.

I let out a slow exhale.

“Thank you for helping me,” I said earnestly.

I had expected Augustus to explain the technique and leave me to struggle through the rest myself. Instead, he had stayed beside me the whole night. He corrected my mistakes and guided me through each attempt with far more patience than I had expected from the most famous and powerful of the Red Royal Mages. Only the monks within the Desolate Desert could compare in terms of patience.

Augustus was a rather dedicated mentor.

“Save your thanks,” Augustus replied, tucking the empty vial away. “I’ll wring every bit of value from you later.”

He turned his head, gazing toward the brightening gradient of the sky, which was now filled with warm oranges and pinks.

“We’d better head back now,” he added, standing up. “You have class today. We can't have you missing out on the expensive education that Rosel Academy offers.”

I smiled and rose up. “I’m on a scholarship.”

“All the more reason you should make the most of it,” Augustus said and produced a blue portal.

{{ Mama, we’re going home? }}

Void was surprisingly well-behaved all night, only interrupting me on a handful of occasions.

“Yes, we’re heading back,” I replied to Void and stepped on through the portal.

I did indeed have an early-morning class that day, and, more importantly, had my mandatory elemental meeting to attend. I was hoping that perhaps I’d learn something new there, be it formally or from the other newly contracted mages.

I smiled and headed over to the trolley station.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

“Congratulations on your elemental contract!”

Matron Elswyth Gale handed Aegus the official registration document, her wrinkled fingers steady and painted with golden polish, despite her age.

“Thank you, Matron Elswyth,” Aegus replied, offering his most polished smile as he accepted the document.

His gaze lowered immediately.

Contractee: Aegus Matrinovo

Original Species: Cerberus.

​Grade: A

His lips twitched, pleased. There it was. Proof of his incredible elemental contract.

He glanced back up.

Aegus was keenly aware of how influential Elswyth Gale actually was. She may have sat behind the administration desk with her spectacles, but she had worked within Rosel Academy longer than even the current headmaster. She knew everyone. She remembered everything. And despite her seemingly unimportant role, her opinion carried more sway than most students realized.

It was in his interest to remain in her good books, and he made sure to be on his best behavior around her at all times. She was the reason he was able to get away with as much as he did.

“The mandatory elemental meeting is always held on the last day of each week,” Elswyth explained, adjusting her glasses. “You could certainly wait until next week for your first session, but I would highly recommend attending the one that started a minute ago. Even if you arrive a tad late.”

Aegus nodded. “I’ll attend it.”

He had only just returned to campus and had come straight to the administration office to register his elemental. His mind and body were both still heavy from the long journey back from Glimver Dungeon, and there was a smoky, burnt scent emitting from his hair. However, exhaustion was no reason to delay the mandatory training.

Especially not when Elswyth Gale herself recommended he attend.

“Very well.” Elswyth lifted one hand. “I’ll inform the instructor.”

A small flicker of light appeared above her palm—her elemental, Page. It chimed softly, like crystal tapping against glass, before darting toward the door.

“Thank you again,” Aegus replied politely.

He gave her one final respectful nod before leaving the administration office and following the direction Page had flown.

However, he didn’t bother rushing. He had an excuse for being late. And besides, being late would only bolster his dramatic entrance.

By now, the others would have already introduced their Grade C and Grade B elementals. He couldn’t help but smirk at the amazement everyone would show when they learned about his own contract.

Grade A and a cerberus. No, the last cerberus.

Even if someone else had somehow secured a Grade A elemental, it would not compare to his.

His gaze lowered toward his mechanical arm.

The polished metal and runes gleamed in the sunlight as he walked through the outdoor courtyard. However, there was something more to it if one paid close attention.

Fire.

Small wisps of red and orange flame threaded between the metal joints, flickering beneath the engraved plates like molten veins.

It was a bit ironic, given how Aegus had lost his flesh right arm to a fire elemental. Or perhaps one could say it was poetic justice. He had lost an arm to fire, and now fire had returned to him as a great power.

The cerberus that had guarded the lowest floor of Glimver Dungeon had breathed molten flame while alive, but that did not guarantee its elemental would retain the same affinity after death. Elemental emergence was not that straightforward. Fortunately, in Aegus’s case, it had been.

And fire was one of the most destructive and respected affinities.

“Azar,” Aegus murmured, his voice softening slightly as the flames within his arm pulsed in response. “I’ll introduce you to everyone soon.”

Azar replied in a deep, approving voice.

Aegus’s smirk widened at the thought of his lunatic roommate’s reaction.

Ah, but that will have to wait until I get back to my dorm.

Never had Aegus wished to see Luca Frey more than he did now—now that he had the power to stand up to that crazy mage on equal footing.

He wasn’t stupid. He had no intention of making Luca his enemy. However, walking on eggshells around his own roommate was not something the heir to House Matrinovo should have been forced to do.

Aegus merely wanted the scales rebalanced. Just a little.

His mechanical fingers flexed again, the faint firelight slipping between the joints.

I can’t wait. I want to see Luca soon.

He was practically trembling with anticipation as the scene of their meeting played out in his head.

And, to his surprise, he received his wish far sooner than expected.

“Aegus Matrinovo?” the young instructor asked as Aegus entered the room. The man wore circular, clear-rimmed glasses and had a mild, unhurried expression. “Matron Elswyth said you’d be joining us a little late.”

However, Aegus barely nodded in greeting and didn't even hear the man’s name. His eyes had already locked onto one of the dozen students seated in a circle.

There he was. None other than Luca Frey.

“Everyone else has already given their introductions,” the instructor continued, oblivious to the tension surrounding Aegus. “So you’ll get to know them naturally over time. For now, go ahead and introduce yourself.”

Aegus stepped forward. He straightened his posture and smiled toward the other students as he began speaking.

“My name is Aegus Matrinovo,” he announced. “I am contracted to a Grade A elemental.”

He made his best attempt to sound modest, as if it were no big deal. The reveal would be far more effective that way.

“A cerberus.”

Then he took the empty chair that appeared for him within the circle and sat down, pleased with the murmurs that immediately followed.

“Oooh…”

“A Grade A?”

“A cerberus?”

As he expected, there was a murmur of amazement.

However, there was also something unexpected.

“Another cerberus elemental?” someone whispered. “What are the odds?”

“I thought they were supposed to be super rare.”

Someone chuckled. “I guess not that rare.”

Aegus’s smile froze.

Another?

The students in the room had a rather muted reaction. Like it really was no big deal.

Aegus had intended to appear modest. He had not expected them to treat him as if modesty were actually appropriate.

“Ah,” the instructor said, clapping his hands together with sudden understanding. “That must be why Matron Elswyth was so insistent you join today’s session. How fortunate. You’ll have someone here to learn from who has also contracted with a cerberus elemental.”

Aegus blinked.

He had gathered this was the case, given the whispers. But he couldn’t accept it. It was ridiculous. Impossible.

His father had burned through a fortune. Aegus had endured the journey to Glimver Dungeon, the suffocating pressure of its lowest floor, and the pain of contracting with Azar. He had sustained multiple burns, destroyed three shirts, and nearly lost consciousness twice in order to secure what everyone believed to be the last remaining cerberus.

But there was someone else in this room who managed this feat?

His gaze swept the circle. He cataloged which family each student came from and what sort of connections and fortunes each was backed by.

Just who…?

But then he realized everyone else was already looking at the answer. Every gaze in the room had drifted to one individual.

He followed them. And his eyes nearly bulged from their sockets as his gaze landed on the one and only, Luca Frey.

Aegus’s mouth opened before he could stop himself.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me.”

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