A/N: Thank you for the reviews that pointed out about the mana drain part. When I wrote "quite a bit," I literally meant he used only a bit of his mana, forgetting that the phrase meant something else. The edit should be up now along with this chapter.
I added this part in Chapter 01: As a word of warning, my fanfiction requires knowledge of the source material, mostly the light novels, but watching the anime will suffice as well since I may not be able to go into detail about what was already shown in either of them.
IMPERIAL PALACE, ARWINTAR, BAHARUTH EMPIRE
'What a disaster.'
His name was Emperor Jircniv Rune Farlord El-Nix. His beautiful face and lovely, amethyst eyes were currently scrunched with worry.
Currently, he was in a room that befitted his extravagant self. A luxurious carpet covered the whole floor, with two wide, equally luxurious chairs on it. In the middle of the chairs stood a table, where he spent his time poring over the dozens of reports that had just come in with his inner council.
"Gramps, any updates on your investigations?"
An old man with a rather small stature, a long, white beard, and a head full of snow-white hair responded.
"My apologies, Your Imperial Majesty, but I am no closer to solving this mystery. All we know is that we felt a sudden pressure descend upon the land, killing anyone it pleased without leaving any clues as to how or why it came to be."
A few hours ago, everyone in the Empire's capital of Arwintar felt a "presence" pass over them. Then, after some time, thousands simply keeled over and died. Caught off guard, the capital had initiated a state of emergency. The Emperor himself called for a lockdown and sent out the knights, who scoured every inch of the city for answers. Even now, they were still busy gathering, identifying, and analyzing the dead.
"It was as if Death itself had judged and claimed the unworthy..."
"I am not so sure about Death judging the unworthy, but I am confident that these victims were randomly chosen. Aside from being citizens of the Empire, there is nothing connecting each and every one of these victims. Regardless, there is one thing I am slowly growing confident in... that this tragedy is clearly magical in nature."
"How sure are you about that, Gramps? Any theories as to who could be behind all this death?"
"Well, Your Imperial Majesty, there are a number of possibilities. This could be a resurgence of Zurrernorn here in the Empire. We have always been watching for any of their agents or even any undead activity in general, but it is possible they could have slipped past our security unnoticed. It is unlikely, but it is possible."
"That is true, but how could they have possibly pulled this off without our noticing even a single thing about it?"
"There are rumors that the leaders of this organization are capable of powerful magic that can rival even mine. It is possible they possess knowledge and capabilities we are unaware of."
Everyone except for the Emperor and the Imperial Court Wizard felt tense at those words. To rival the highest-tier magic caster in the Empire's history, "Tri-arts" Fluder Paradyne, was unbelievable.
"I see now. Anyone else?"
"True Dragon Lords, Your Imperial Majesty. I believe they are capable of acts such as this. After all, with my best disciple's secret project, we have confirmed that wild magic uses the lifeforce of every living creature, the soul."
"Then, in that case, why haven't we consulted her already? Is she even aware of what transpired?"
"I am already planning on visiting her, Your Imperial Majesty. The reason why I have not yet done it is because today is when she conducts her final test. I would rather not disturb her important work unless we truly need it. You know how vital her project is to the Empire's future."
"I do, but isn't this clearly more important than some human she's summoning?"
"That will depend on whoever she summons. But if that is your wish, I will not object. Shall I send for her? In any case, she should be done by now."
"Send for her. We need to resolve this crisis as soon as possible."
"As you wish."
Fluder moved to order one of his disciples, but a knock on the door interrupted him.
"Enter."
A servant entered and knelt with his head bowed.
"Your Imperial Majesty, Lady Felice Ritter has arrived and is requesting an audience with you. She claims to have an urgent matter to discuss with you."
Jircniv looked at Fluder for a moment before returning his attention to the servant.
"Send her in at once."
"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty."
With that, the servant left.
"Do you think she succeeded, Gramps?"
"It's hard to say, Your Imperial Majesty. However, you know how cautious she is. She wouldn't be doing it now if she wasn't certain of its success. Additionally, Rollan is watching over her. I would want her to succeed given how much she's already done before this, but this is magic that no human could naturally accomplish."
"I know what you mean."
"Indeed. This is the magic of true dragon lords, Your Imperial Majesty. Even I failed to pass what she considered to be the basic tests for her summons using the soul crystal, let alone the tests she later conducted."
"Yes, I remember."
How could he not? It was followed by a very stressful week spent making sure this information was not spread. Could you imagine the consequences that Felice would face? Jircniv was certain that the higher-ups of the Theocracy and the dragon lords of the Argland Council would not sit still. There was also the soul crystal. That alone would be enough for the dragon lords to go to war with them.
'We were lucky to find it collecting dust in someone's collection. I still remember how we found it.'
Jircniv recalled how Felice had urgently sought out Fluder about it, saying she could feel magic unlike anything she'd encountered before. When they followed her intuition, it led them to a merchant's home, where they demanded to see his goods. When it never appeared, they demanded to see his storage, where the soul crystal was. What was suspicious was that the merchant wasn't even aware he had it in the first place, and he was willing to sell it for a good price as long as he didn't suffer any penalties for bringing an unknown magical material inside the capital. Naturally, Fluder was more than willing to agree, not wishing to waste any more time so he could study it.
Of course, he was disappointed he couldn't do anything with it, but the same couldn't be said for Felice. Jircniv was naturally skeptical about all of this. Everything was too convenient, especially how Felice felt its presence when she did.
'Why then? Why not before or after? What made that time so special that she felt so strongly about it?'
The only thing that came to Jircniv's mind was that Felice recently surpassed Rollan. He was the best among Fluder's disciples when it came to summons before she came along. That was why, when Felice was chosen to lead her project, Jircniv made certain that there was someone to supervise her, and Rollan fit the bill. He was not only loyal and talented; he was also proud—proud enough to slow her down for a few years while the Emperor smoked out the conspirators, but Jircniv never found any or failed to do so. So, the only thing left to do was to make sure of one thing.
"Are we really sure she's not the descendant of one of the true dragon lords, like that queen?"
This question would pop up every so often, and the answer was always:
"Yes, we made sure of it, Your Imperial Majesty. She does not have the blood of the true dragon lords."
Jircniv always remembered that they'd checked several times and it always came out negative, but he somehow questioned it every time. His instincts disagreed with it, but he was not an expert when it came to these things. That was what Fluder and his disciples were here for. He was about to ask another question when they heard another knock on the door. A voice called out beyond the door.
"Your Imperial Majesty, Felice is now here to see you."
Jircniv promptly set aside his thoughts at the back of his mind for now as he responded.
"Send her in."
The door opened and the familiar young woman entered. She approached Jircniv before kneeling from a distance.
"Felice, I was told you had an urgent matter to discuss. I give you permission to speak."
"You have my thanks, Your Imperial Majesty. The urgent matter I wish to discuss is regarding the results of my test. I also wish to consult with you regarding the requests that require my summons."
"I see. You may first give your report regarding the results of your test."
"As you wish, Your Imperial Majesty."
Jircniv paid close attention to the report Felice gave him. However, the more he learned, the more he grew worried. By the time Felice finished speaking, Jircniv was filled with anxiety as he pondered the implications of her report.
In summary, Felice basically told him that there was now an individual who was potentially more powerful than the Empire's greatest magic caster in history, an individual she had no control over and who could simply turn on the Empire if it wanted to. What was more, this Lumen refused to reveal his face, insisting on wearing his mask. Lumen's race and appearance remained a mystery. There were a number of reasons one would wear a mask and refuse to take it off, and Jircniv prayed it was not one of the worse cases.
There was more; the soul crystal they used was rendered useless. It could no longer be utilized to create more permanent summons. Worse, they still could not replicate its properties, which meant that was it. This was a major blow to the future of the Empire. Felice's project no longer had value outside of what had already been summoned.
'You know what they say—misfortune comes in threes.'
He looked at Fluder and found him calmly stroking his beard, but he knew his look was deceiving. Fluder had a glint in his eyes as his mouth curled into a smile. Jircniv knew that, should Fluder learn that the individual possessed more magical abilities than him, human or not, he would lose his greatest advisor and asset. His fanatical devotion to the magical arts was both a blessing and a curse, and now it was starting to become more of a curse than a blessing.
He looked around and found that everyone else seemed even more tense as the facts dawned on them. Some were wide-eyed, some were frowning, and the rest had wrinkles between their eyebrows. Their thoughts were an open book, leaning more toward the negatives than the positives. However, there was still hope. He could still turn this to his advantage if he played his cards right. Determined, Jircniv addressed Felice once more.
"Was that all of it, Felice?"
"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty."
"Good. These will be your new directives. First and foremost, you must maintain constant surveillance over this Lumen you summoned. Keep him under watch at all costs. Second, do whatever it takes to bring him over to our side. Gold, land, titles, the opposite sex—I don't care; just learn everything you can about what he wants and needs as fast as possible. Third, do not antagonize him. If he truly is stronger than Fluder, we shouldn't risk him harming the Empire and its citizens. Appease him to the greatest extent possible while remaining reasonable. Last but not least, you must find out as much as you can about what he is capable of. Learn all the spells and skills he can use and possess. Most of all, find out any and all weaknesses you can without going against the third directive. If, in the worst-case scenario, he becomes hostile toward the Empire, we will need every weapon we can muster against him. Send me daily reports about all of these. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty. I will not fail you."
Everyone relaxed as they saw their Emperor in control of the situation. Before Jircniv could continue, he noticed someone fidgeting.
"One more thing, take Leinas with you. She will serve as your bodyguard for the time being. We cannot afford to lose you now."
"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty."
"Thank you, Your Imperial Majesty."
He resisted the urge to sigh. He knew how determinedly self-serving Leinas could be when it came to curing her curse. Now there was an unknown magic caster who revealed itself to her as potentially more knowledgeable and skilled than Fluder. He needed to let her go as soon as possible, as the risks she posed to his security would be quite high until he had more information about Lumen.
"Good. Now, tell me about these requests you had about your summons."
Felice briefly explained the requests to Jircniv, who nodded in response.
"You may use the Principalities of Observation and Peace to ease the citizens' worries. Let them know that we are doing everything we can to resolve the situation."
"As you command, Your Imperial Majesty."
She visibly tensed as she continued.
"Your Imperial Majesty, may I ask what exactly happened in the capital that caused so much death?"
The Emperor gazed for a few seconds before addressing his secretary.
"Loune, give her a summary of the situation."
"As you wish, Your Imperial Majesty."
A man responded before speaking to Felice. Once he was done, Felice spoke to the Emperor once more.
"If I may be so bold, Your Imperial Majesty."
"Proceed."
"Why don't we request Lor-ahem Lumen's assistance regarding the situation? He may be able to provide valuable insight into this mystery. That is all, Your Imperial Majesty."
Jircniv mulled it over.
"The idea has merit. I will allow you to proceed with this plan, but only when the time is right. Ease him into it. Your directives take precedence. Understood?"
"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty."
"Good. Both of you may go now."
Jircniv stared at the two women as they left. Hoping that everything would turn out fine in the end, he dismissed everyone.
MINISTRY OF MAGIC, ARWINTAR, BAHARUTH EMPIRE
Rollan strolled down the hall. He hummed a pleasant tune he recently heard in a tavern. He was on his way to a certain library when he noticed two familiar faces. They were speaking to each other in hushed tones so that only they could hear each other, but they underestimated his hearing, so when he heard a particular name, Rollan stopped. He looked at them with shock.
'Why do they know that name? Did something happen while I was gone?'
He decided that interviewing the two of them would give him the answers, so he approached them.
"Excuse me, you two."
Both of them halted in their tracks as they glanced at him. Their eyes widened when they recognized him.
"Lord Rollan! Is there something wrong? What can we do for you?"
Rollan studied them for a few seconds before speaking.
"Gentlemen, I couldn't help but overhear you say the name 'Lumen.' I wish to know where you heard that name."
The two of them looked at each other before one of them answered him.
"We met him back in the spell training facility where we were. Bryon introduced him to us as Lady Felice's guest, saying she invited him here in the Empire."
Rollan made sure to hide his surprise.
'Lumen was at a training facility? And they said Bryon introduced him? Did he bring him out of the library? He wasn't supposed to leave the place yet.'
The news irritated him. He was going to have a talk with Bryon later.
'At least he didn't reveal the fact that Lumen was summoned here. No one can know yet.'
"Lord Rollan, are you okay?"
Rollan returned his attention to the present.
"Yes, I am fine. Excuse me, gentlemen, but I have places I need to be. Thank you for your time."
"It was no trouble, Lord Rollan."
He didn't hear the rest of what they said as he rushed straight to the library. When the guards noticed him, they instantly moved the sides to let him pass. Rollan stopped in front of his colleague, a fellow disciple of Fluder.
"Rollan! What brings you here?"
His bright attitude irritated him.
"Dix, did he leave? Did you allow our guest to leave without permission? You know we were supposed to keep him here for the time being."
"Woah, woah, slow down, Rollan. No, our guest did not leave. Well, he tried to, but we blocked his exit."
"You blocked him? Did he attack you?"
"No, he simply returned back inside, and the servant did not report anything out of the ordinary."
Rollan studied his face for several seconds before marching into the library. Inside, he noticed where the servant was and made a beeline for him. As he grew closer, he spotted Lumen sitting on a chair in the lotus position.
'He's still here? And what is he doing? Did those two lie to me?'
He questioned the servant.
"You, explain what is going on."
The servant bowed.
"The Lord Lumen said he is meditating. He does not wish to be disturbed or he said there will be consequences."
Rollan removed his gaze from the servant to study Lumen, who remained motionless. He sensed something was wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He was tempted to use magic, but he held himself back.
'No, not yet. I need more confirmation.'
He approached the still figure of the summon.
"Lord Lumen, may I kindly have your attention?"
The summon ignored Rollan's request and remained silent.
"Lord Lumen, I require your attention. It's important."
Still no response. Rollan started to simmer.
"Lord Lumen!"
Still nothing. Rollan marched straight to him and held out his hand to grasp his shoulder. He failed, or rather, his hand failed to make contact with Lumen's shoulder as it merely passed through him.
Rollan nearly stumbled forward before he straightened himself. His eyes widened, and his jaw slacked for a brief second. Frowning, he approached his hand again, only to pass through him. It was as if Lumen was no longer solid, no longer real.
'Is this an ill-'
His thought was interrupted when Lumen moved, his hand still inserted in his shoulder. The summon faced Rollan. His features were still hidden beneath his mask, but he could feel the intensity of his gaze.
"I said I did not wish to be disturbed. Goodbye."
When Rollan heard the goodbye, he instinctively pulled out his hand and readied himself to cast defensive spells, but nothing happened. Nothing, except that Lumen had disappeared. His body, or whatever that was, was no longer present.
It took Rollan a few seconds to register what just happened before he whipped his head towards the servant.
"Go to the guards outside! Tell them the summon left and that they must find him at all costs! Tell them to order whoever they can to help. This is of the utmost priority!"
The servant did not remain for another second. Rollan stood still, his gaze returning to the chair where Lumen once was.
'Almost there. Just a few more steps.'
His lips curled into a half-smile.