☕ Evening in the Lord's Study
The candlelight was low, the window shut tight against the wind. Lord Caldus sat behind his desk, shoulders broad, face still as a statue.
Lady Irelya stood beside him, her fingertips gently brushing the edge of the royal letter.
Neither of them spoke for a moment.
Then:
> "They're watching him," Irelya said softly.
Caldus gave a small nod. "Yes."
> "But why now?"
He turned the letter around.
> "Attendance is encouraged by order of the Crown."
> Encouraged, in noble terms, meant required—especially for a family like theirs.
"We've stayed neutral too long," Caldus murmured. "Verentis hasn't made a political move in years. They think we've gone soft."
"They're testing Achilles," she said.
---
🧠 Meanwhile, Achilles' Room…
At that very moment, Achilles sat alone in the western library chamber, a half-dozen scrolls and codices spread before him.
He had politely accepted the invitation hours earlier.
But his thoughts were elsewhere.
> >>> Load Knowledge Module: Rank_Classification_System()
>>> Category: Combat Hierarchy
---
⚔️ The Ranking System
This world loved its order, especially in combat.
Swordsmen Rankings:
4th Rate – Basic. Civil guard level. Limited aura control.
3rd Rate – Capable of aura channeling. Often escorts and knights.
2nd Rate – Efficient aura circulation. Can enhance strength and durability to supernatural levels.
1st Rate – Rare. Battle commanders. Body and blade act as one.
Master – Peak of human swordsmanship.
Grandmaster – Legend. Can cut spells. Aura seen as a storm.
Mage Circles:
1st Circle – Beginners. Simple elemental cantrips.
2nd Circle – Control over base forces. Fireballs, barriers.
3rd Circle – Tactical mages. Combat-capable.
4th Circle – Scholars and royal court members.
5th Circle – Regional archmagi. Can manipulate weather or terrain.
6th Circle – War-changing casters.
7th Circle – Territory-level threats.
8th Circle – Global-scale phenomena. Very few in history.
Achilles leaned back.
> Their entire system is built like versioned software.
Linear. Predictable. Limited by tradition.
He flicked open his System and whispered:
> >>> Rank Override: Disabled
>>> Style: Freeform Hybrid - Magic Swordsman (Root Mode)
>>> Compilation Type: Recursive Customization Enabled
> I'm not bound by rate or circle, he thought.
I'll just write new ranks if I need them.
---
🗣 Back in the Study…
Lady Irelya folded the letter carefully.
> "We can't stop him from going," she said. "But we can't send him unguarded either."
Caldus nodded. "I'll speak with the Knight Captain. Discreetly. Assign him a shadow escort. If House Aldren tries anything, they'll find we're not as soft as they think."
> "And what if they're not the only ones watching?"
Caldus didn't answer for a moment.
But his gaze hardened.
> "Then we make it known that Achilles Verentis is not a piece on anyone's board."