Kael walked calmly forward, watching his steps and moving from stone to stone, trying not to step into the deep puddles from which hot steam rose. The humid air wrapped around the skin, while a heavy, pressing heat rose from the ward stones, sharply contrasting with the cold that had ruled the mountains not long ago.
Violet’s voice ca from beside him, “It’s so hot… Hard to believe it’s winter outside right now.”
Kael raised his head and looked at her.
She was carrying her insulated cloak in her hands, wearing only a thin blouse that had grown damp in the humid heat.
His face remained calm, as if he had not noticed anything at all.
At that very mont, Violet narrowed her eyes and shot him a sharp look.
“And where exactly are you staring?” she asked reproachfully.
Kael only smiled innocently in response.
“What are you talking about? You started speaking, so I turned to you.”
Violet rolled her eyes.
“Don’t lie to . I might not know what’s going on in your head… but your eyes say everything for you.”
Roselle and Lissandra, walking nearby, exchanged glances and then looked back at Kael, clearly not fully understanding what was being discussed.
But at that mont Gilsh’s straightforward voice rang out.
The mont his first words left his mouth, Girren stiffened awkwardly and turned sharply.
“You are just very beautiful, Violet,” Gilsh said without the slightest hesitation. “To be honest, I noticed too.”
At such bluntness, Violet instantly stiffened, her face flushing bright red.
Girren, standing beside her, looked as though he wanted the ground to swallow him out of embarrassnt.
Kael could not hold back. At first a quiet chuckle slipped through his clenched teeth, but the next mont he burst out laughing.
Gilsh raised his eyebrows in confusion.
“Did I say sothing wrong?”
“Gilsh…” Kael forced out through laughter. “You need to be more tactful with girls. You can’t just say things like that to their face. And so bluntly.”
Gilsh thought for a mont, clearly replaying Kael’s words in his mind, then threw an arm over Kael’s shoulder.
“You know, it’s a good thing we’re friends. We’ve only been traveling for three days, and you’ve already given about a dozen pieces of advice.”
Kael, understanding the hopelessness of the situation, only shook his head and said with a faint smile:
“Just rember my advice. Soon I plan to start charging money for it.”
Gilsh paused for a second, taking the statent completely seriously.
“Hm… Then you should hurry up and arrange that forge, Kael. So I can pay you for your advice.”
Lissandra, walking beside them, pressed her lips together slightly and lowered her gaze, thinking shyly: “It’s rude to think this… but I’m glad Gilsh is here. Next to him, I don’t look so awkward…”
anwhile Kael shifted his gaze forward.
The whole group was moving through a dense fog rising from the ground. Several hours earlier they had entered a wide valley dotted with hot springs. Everywhere there were puddles of murky water, steam constantly rising from them.
However, the sll in the air was far from pleasant—rotten and salty, it stung the nose.
Glancing at the old man’s back, he quickly calculated: “Cornelius said the path through the mountains would take about two weeks. We’ve already been on the road for three days…”
With that thought, Kael turned his head while walking, sweeping his gaze across the other youths of Lasthold.
The nervousness had not disappeared, but it had clearly dulled. Many had already stopped flinching at every sound, and so had even begun talking more calmly than before. It seed they were gradually getting used to the new reality.
But at that mont Kael’s thoughts were interrupted by a dull jolt from beneath the ground.
A faint tremor rippled through the puddles, the water shivering and splashing over the stones. Frightened gasps and cries sounded from all around.
The imperial mages stopped instantly, almost in unison drawing their weapons.
Elder Cornelius sharply raised his hand and shouted loudly, “Jalen! Senal verar!”
Kael did not hesitate and imdiately shouted the translation: “Stop and group up!”
Then, raising his voice even further, he added, “Close ranks!”
Almost instantly everyone instinctively moved toward Kael, pressing closer together and closing the empty space around them. The imperial mages, acting without a word, quickly spread out, surrounding the youths in a tight ring and taking defensive positions.
Tense voices erupted from all sides:
“What’s happening?!”
“What’s that trembling?!”
“Kael, why did we stop?!”
Kael rely narrowed his eyes, continuing to peer into the fog. Then he replied, trying to calm the crowd:
“Don’t worry. The imperial mages are far too strong for anything here to threaten us.”
But in his mind he continued coldly: “On the outskirts of the mountains, beasts avoided large groups like ours. But now we’ve gone deep enough into the mountains… The farther we go, the more often we’ll be attacked.”
At that mont Violet seed to step forward unconsciously, moving slightly ahead of Kael and shielding him while summoning mana.
Kael only smirked.
“You shouldn’t worry so much, Violet. We’re well protected.”
Violet flushed slightly, but her expression remained serious, and she did not step back.
In the next mont a dull rumble sounded, and one of the hot springs suddenly erupted in a geyser, scattering boiling water and thickening the fog even further.
But before the water could crash back down, Kael’s eyes flashed.
Dozens of shadows burst from the dense curtain of steam.
The imperial mages did not wait for a command and struck almost simultaneously.
The indistinct shadows lunged at them, and at that sa instant the air was torn apart by dull explosions as they collided. Shockwaves rolled through the gorge, scattering the nearby fog and revealing the scene.
The crowd of youths gasped.
The faces of their enemies were finally revealed.
Creatures burst out of the fog, their long blue serpent tails writhing across the wet stones beneath humanoid torsos. Their heads resembled those of fish—with bulging eyes, gills along the sides, and rows of sharp, needle-like teeth.
They clamped their fangs onto the swords thrust at them.
“Oh no…” soone breathed in horror.
For a brief mont it seed as though the monsters were breaking through the line of mages.
But in the next second everything changed.
Dull bursts sounded from the bodies of the imperial mages, as if sothing inside them had suddenly been released, and faint red scales spread across their skin.
Kael’s eyes narrowed instantly as his concentration reached its peak.
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At that sa mont the mages’ swords seed to grow sharper—their movents beca faster, their strikes heavier, and in the next second the blades passed through the creatures’ fangs and heads without resistance.
Chunks of their heads flew off at once, and blood sprayed in every direction.
But before the blood could touch the ground, the mages suddenly swung their arms. The blood, as if obeying their will, surged back, thickening in the air and forming dozens of dense, razor-sharp spikes.
Without losing a mont, those bloody spikes shot forward—straight into the new wave of creatures erging from the fog.
The whistle of cutting air was replaced by wet tearing and sickening crunches of flesh.
The second wave of enemies did not even have ti to attack. They were simply torn to pieces.
“Incredible… What kind of magic is that…” Girren muttered, unable to take his eyes off the battlefield.
Violet trembled slightly, clenching her fingers.
“Each of those beasts was nearly Silver Rank… And they all died so quickly…”
The other youths looked just as shocked. So stood frozen with their mouths slightly open, others glanced around nervously, as if trying to make sure the danger had truly passed.
And most importantly—Cornelius, Severus, and Yukina had not even moved a finger.
The attack had been repelled by the lower-ranked mages alone.
But Kael was concerned about sothing entirely different.
He watched carefully as the red scales gradually vanished from the bodies of the imperial mages, as if dissolving back into their skin, coldly analyzing what he was seeing.
“They didn’t rge with their spirits… Is this the power of their special bloodline?”
His gaze swept quickly across the other mages. So of them had not changed in appearance at all and fought differently—their techniques were different, and they did not use blood, relying instead on other thods.
“Only so of them possess that special bloodline,” Kael noted ntally. “And judging by everything… that group rules the Empire.”
Fragnts of ancient texts surfaced in Kael’s mind.
“To grant mortals a special bloodline… one must willingly share a part of their power and flesh. And that being must have been above the level of a Mortal Monarch.”
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Judging by the Empire’s na… it must have been a true dragon. And an incredibly powerful one.”
For a mont his gaze grew heavier.
“But true dragons… do not exist in the Human Dinsion.”
At that mont Cornelius, as if nothing had happened, calmly continued moving and spoke while walking:
“Lare sema thalen. Arak khadar.”
Kael flinched slightly, erging from his thoughts, and almost imdiately translated: “We continue moving. The danger is gone.”
Although many were still wary, the column began moving forward again.
Excited voices imdiately rippled through the crowd:
“Incredible… They dealt with those beasts so quickly…”
“Did you see that?! They didn’t even have to try!”
Others looked at the mutilated bodies with far more practical interest:
“They’re not even going to skin them?”
“There must be plenty of valuable materials in them…”
Kael, however, no longer paid attention to the others’ conversation. His gaze fixed on Cornelius’s back.
“A good opportunity…” he thought calmly. “I can show interest and learn more about the Empire at the sa ti.”
Violet was about to ask him sothing when she noticed Kael quicken his pace slightly and move ahead.
Approaching the elder, he inclined his head slightly and spoke in the language of the Empire with a noticeable accent:
“Elder Cornelius… I apologize. May I ask a question?”
The old man turned his head in surprise and looked at him carefully.
“What troubles you, child?”
Kael tensed for a mont, choosing his words, and then finally said:
“There was no rging with a spirit… Yet red scales appeared on your bodies. Why?”
At the question, Cornelius raised his eyebrows in surprise. Even Severus, walking beside him, turned his head slightly, glancing at Kael with interest.
The old man smiled a mont later.
“You have quite a sharp eye, lad.”
Placing a hand on Kael’s back, he gently guided him forward so they could walk side by side as they spoke.
“It is a gift from the God of Blood and War,” Cornelius said with obvious pride. “He granted us strength and helped turn the tide of the ancient war.”
With those words he suddenly gathered mana in his right hand.
A red mist began to gather above his palm, and translucent crimson scales began to form across his skin, as if erging from within.
Cornelius extended his hand toward Kael.
“You can touch it.”
Kael’s eyes glead with scholarly curiosity. Without hesitation, he extended his hand and carefully touched the scales.
The scales were hard, cold, and dense—like polished tal.
“Now that’s sothing…” ran through his mind. “Just like in the ancient books. Mana activates the power in their blood… and temporarily alters the body…”
After a mont’s thought, he added silently: “The three ancient empires possessed no such bloodline. That ans it must have appeared here after the ancient catastrophe?”
Kael slowly raised his head, pretending not to fully understand the nature of what he had seen.
“Is this your Canon of Magic?”
He asked the question calmly, with a slight hesitation, as if searching for the right words.
Cornelius shook his head.
“No. The descendants of the Emperor carry the blood of the Blood Dragon.”
Severus cast Kael a brief, attentive glance and added:
“It makes our bodies stronger and tougher, boy—and heightens our sensitivity to blood.”
Kael nodded slightly, as if absorbing the explanation, though in his mind the thoughts were already rapidly forming a chain.
“A god granted them the bloodline of the Blood Dragon?” he noted thoughtfully. “But gods are heavily restricted in how they can directly influence mortal worlds… That’s why they usually grant knowledge, Canons of Magic, and the like.”
He fell silent for a mont, continuing to walk beside the old man.
“Such a bloodline could not have been granted directly by a god. Which ans… it must have been brought into the Human Dinsion by soone else. Soone carrying out a god’s direct command within the mortal worlds?”
The thought ford clearly and coldly.
“I always believed the gods’ desire to influence mortals and demand their worship was rely vanity. But it seems the relationship between gods and mortal worlds is far more complex than I assud.”
A flash of irritation crossed his gaze for a mont.
“Damn God of Knowledge and Madness…” the thought flashed through his mind. “How much more have you hidden from ?”
Outwardly, however, Kael only frowned thoughtfully and, as if clarifying Severus’s words, said:
“Sensitivity to blood? For what?”
Severus let out a quiet snort, and for a mont a predatory note slipped into the sound—though it was not directed at Kael.
Cornelius answered calmly:
“The ancient war is not yet over. Our enemies are especially fond of using blood-related magic. That is why the God granted us such a bloodline—so that we can better oppose them.”
Kael nodded, keeping a mixture of confusion and interest on his face.
Seeing this, Cornelius rely smirked, interpreting Kael’s reaction in his own way.
“Don’t trouble yourself with it. When we arrive in the Empire, you will be taught history, and you will understand everything yourself.”
Then, leaning slightly closer, he added with a faint note of temptation:
“If you distinguish yourself in service to the Empire, one day you may beco part of the Imperial Branch… and gain the sa power.”
Outwardly Kael feigned disbelief mixed with cautious admiration.
But in his mind he imdiately seized on sothing else: “They still possess a way to transfer a bloodline without conception?”
Yet understanding that he had already learned enough, and that further questions might begin to raise unnecessary suspicion, Kael gave a slight bow and said respectfully:
“Your power amazes . I am very glad to learn the secrets of the Empire. Thank you, honored elders.”
Cornelius only gave a brief nod.
“That is the reward for your obedience. Continue like this.”
With those words he turned away, no longer paying Kael any attention, and Kael slowed his steps and returned to his companions.
Girren imdiately looked at him warily and asked:
“What were you talking about, Kael?”
Violet frowned and added: “I heard you talking about blood… and so kind of power.”
But Kael only shook his head slightly and replied calmly, “We’ll talk about it later. Now is not the ti.”
Inwardly, however, he noted coldly: “That old man only seems kind… but in reality he’s watching everything. Since they themselves shared a ‘secret’ with , it would be wiser to pretend that I’m keeping it—even from my allies.”
Girren and Violet almost simultaneously caught Kael’s tone and, without another word, dropped the subject, understanding that he had no intention of continuing the conversation.
But the tension was imdiately cut through by Gilsh’s loud voice:
“So did you talk about the forge or not?”
Kael gave a crooked smile.
“I did. They said I need to wait in line and contact them again in a month.”
Gilsh nodded with satisfaction, as if he had heard exactly what he wanted.
“That’s sothing at least. Then we’ll wait.”
Roselle and Lissandra exchanged glances. Roselle only shook her head, while Lissandra could not hold back a faint smile—Gilsh’s behavior clearly amused her.
anwhile Kael, walking ahead, sank into thought again.
“The ancient war isn’t over? The Empire is fighting soone? The Blood Dragon bloodline… how exactly did it co to them? Too many unknowns…”
A familiar cold glint flashed in his eyes.
“First—the Soul-Veiling Amulet. Then—building influence within the Empire. It’s better not to ddle in more complex matters too soon… I’m still too weak.”
He cast a brief glance at his companions.
“And it would be wise to ensure their safety as well…”
At that very mont, sowhere in the middle of the column, Aiden was staring at Kael’s back with open hatred.
Clenching his jaw, he muttered quietly:
“That damn brat… sucking up to the outsiders more and more. Not wasting a mont.”
Arnevir, walking beside him, only cast him a lazy glance.
“Let it go, Aiden. Just ignore him.”
Then, shrugging slightly, he added with cold confidence:
“As soon as we reach the Empire, a new life will begin. If you cling to the old, you won’t be able to build anything new.”
Aiden only snorted, but his gaze did not soften.
“That bastard ruined my family’s reputation…” the thought flashed through his mind. “Because of him, my grandfather was taken prisoner…”
His fingers involuntarily clenched into a fist, and he added with hatred: “I won’t let this stand…”
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