Hours before Rose's unexpected entry inside Riley's room in the imperial Palace.
Rose opened her eyes, the golden light that had enveloped her began to settle, dissolving into faint glimrs before fading entirely.
Rising gracefully from her ditative position, she took a mont to focus on the energy coursing through her body.
She could feel it-the presence of a newly-ford mana circle deep within her heart.
One... two... three... four... five... six... seven... eight.
She counted each circle, the foundations of her power now solidifying with each beat of her heart.
Rose knew that once every mana circle was fully stabilized, she would reach the threshold of what the world considered an Archmage-at least in terms of mana capacity.
But that was only part of the equation.
By skill and mastery alone, she had already surpassed what most would call an Archmage. Her control over magic, her versatility in casting, and her sheer understanding of magical theory placed her far beyond even seasoned mages.
Rose clenched her fists and then opened her hands, marveling at the steady flow of mana surging through her veins.
She could feel her mana pathways refining and strengthening with each passing second, the energy circulating with an almost musical rhythm.
Her golden eyes glimred faintly in response, the light reflecting the raw power she held within.
Her arsenal of spells was staggering.
Thirteen high-ranking magical spells, each capable of devastating effects.
Around a hundred mid-grade spells, versatile and adaptable to a myriad of combat scenarios. Over a thousand low-grade spells, precise and efficient for every situation she could think of. This was only the surface of her capabilities.
Her proficiency in celestial magic-a rare and enigmatic branch of the arcane-set her apart even further.
It wasn't just her raw power but her unique knowledge and expertise that elevated her above others.
Her current level of magical prowess wasn't rely impressive; it was unprecedented.
Rose let out a breath, the cool air carrying a faint trace of mana as her presence seed to subtly ripple through the room.
She was confident now-no one in the academy could rival her when it ca to magic.
Even among mages across the world, she knew she stood at a height few could dream of reaching.
"Have I surpassed that annoying senior now?"
The thought lingered in Rose's mind as her golden eyes glimred faintly, her expression darkening for just a mont.
She couldn't help but picture the smug face of a certain pink-haired senior who, for so reason, always seed to find an excuse to hang around Riley.
Whether it was intentional or not, the way Alice gravitated toward him had a way of getting under Rose's skin.
Letting out a small sigh of irritation, Rose extended her hand, focusing her mana.
The air around her humd as golden energy began to condense into a solid, swirling orb of pure magical power.
In terms of raw magical ability, Rose was confident she had already surpassed her senior. Her mastery over spells and her growing arsenal of techniques placed her at the peak of magical combat.
But when it ca to actual battle experience, she hesitated.
Senior Alice wasn't just strong-she was a genius in her own right.
Her combat instincts, years of training, and sheer mana capacity made her a force to be reckoned with.
Even with her newfound strength, Rose had her doubts about whether she could openly surpass Alice in a direct confrontation.
Their specialties were entirely different, and Alice's own abilities, while frustratingly impressive, were not to be underestimated.
Rose clenched her fist, dispersing the orb of mana as her thoughts drifted to a hypothetical scenario.
If they fought now, could she hold her own?
Could she take on Alice directly, especially if she summoned those strange red creatures of hers?
If that obnoxious looking cat familiar intervened, could she possibly land a win now?
The question hung in her mind for only a mont before she shook her head, a small laugh escaping her lips.
"No need for such pointless thoughts..."
There was no reason to fight Alice-not because of strength, not because of magic, and certainly not because of Riley.
It wasn't like she was going to challenge her senior just because she'd grown stronger.
And it definitely wasn't because she was annoyed by the way Riley seed so infatuated with
Alice.
...Right?
"Those geezers will be annoying..."
Rose muttered under her breath, her irritation evident as she crossed her arms.
She could already picture the scene in her mind-hordes of mages from the magic towers, each representing different associations, crowding around her with their incessant questions. They'd bombard her with inquiries about her techniques, her mana control, her potential future projects.
And, of course, they'd inevitably try to recruit her into their respective towers once she
graduated.
It wasn't as if she cared much for their rankings or titles.
Her achievents spoke for themselves, and she didn't need a group of old n and won in robes to validate her abilities.
Still, as a mage, there was an unspoken obligation to at least entertain their questions and
offers.
After all, the magic towers were the institutions responsible for officiating a mage's rank. While those rankings didn't matter much to her personally, they held significant weight for her family-especially her father.
Her father's influence lood large in her life, and though she didn't always respect or agree with the decisions he made on her behalf, she felt a faint sense of duty to at least honor his
ideals.
It wasn't like she was ready to sever those ties completely... not yet, at least.
With a sigh, Rose pushed the thought aside and turned toward her wardrobe.
It was the weekend, which ant the academy uniform was an optional wear.
A small smile crept onto her lips at the thought.
While she understood the importance of the uniform, it was far from flattering or exciting.
Weekends, at the very least, offered her a chance to escape its monotony and wear sothing
that felt a little more her.
Normally, she would have called for her personal maid to assist her in choosing an outfit and
dressing up.
That was their job, after all.
But today, she felt different.
She didn't want soone else's input or interference.
Today, she wanted to decide for herself.
Her gaze lingered on the rows of neatly hung dresses, coats, and accessories.
The colors all blurred into muted shades in her vision-a constant reminder of how her mana
perception dulled the vibrancy of the world.
Yet, despite that, she felt an odd sense of excitent as she pondered what to wear.
The reason was simple.
Riley.
The thought of him seeing her in a new light-a light she couldn't fully perceive herself-
sent a flutter through her chest.
Butterflies danced in her stomach as her cheeks ward ever so slightly.
What would he think?
Would he notice her effort?
She shook her head quickly, brushing away the nervous thoughts.
Although many things in the academy had unfolded unexpectedly, for the most part,
everything proceeded as it usually did in Rose's life.
Her days followed a predictable rhythm. She would attend her classes, albeit begrudgingly, as most of the lessons rely reiterated things she already knew.
The hours felt redundant, and her reluctance to engage with the lectures was apparent to
anyone paying attention.
Her evenings, however, were her favorite.
She often perched atop the now fully renovated clock tower of the academy, gazing out at the
bustling comrcial district below.
The city seed alive during twilight, its streets illuminated by the soft glow of magical lanterns and the lively chatter of vendors and custors.
It was a small, private escape for her a mont of peace to observe the world she was so
often disconnected from.
Between these monts of serenity, she would train, pushing the limits of her magic, refining her already impressive arsenal of spells.
It was a routine she found both comforting and necessary.
On other days, she'd amuse herself by finding new ways to get under the skin of that socially
awkward black rat, much to her own delight.
Her flustered and annoyed apathetic reactions were a source of endless entertainnt.
Yes, everything had gone by perfectly-just like usual.
Well... almost. There was sothing off, sothing missing in her day that she couldn't quite ignore. And
that sothing—or rather, soone-was Riley.
She had heard about his suspension. It wasn't hard to piece together, considering the incident
that had caused it.
Riley, in his usual reckless yet annoyingly impressive manner, had inadvertently hard an
academic staff mber.
The event had stirred up quite the commotion, but she knew better than anyone that his punishnt wouldn't amount to much.
After all, Riley wasn't just another student.
His strength, power, and influence in the academy made him invaluable.
Like her, he would likely receive little more than a slap on the wrist-a token punishnt to
placate the staff while ensuring he remained a critical asset to the academy.
She had even been there when Snow negotiated his punishnt with the academic staff and
the principal.
Rose had listened as Snow, in her cold yet persuasive manner, laid out terms that would limit Riley to the dorms for a brief period.
It was a reasonable compromise, one that allowed the academy to save face without truly
hindering Riley.
But then, Riley disappeared just like that....
It wasn't part of the deal she knew.
He was supposed to be confined to the dorms, yet he had been gone for almost a week now.
Sothing was strange and sothing was up....
That was a fact that laid bare before her, normally she would just ignore sothing like this,
but not if it involved Riley...
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