šļø The Imperial Court ā Red Marble Hall
The ministers sat in shadow.
A series of events, each more unexplainable than the last, now lay before them:
An untrained child countered 4th-circle spells without chant or glyph.
He stabilized a demon incursion with solo spellcode.
He returned from the foglands unscathed, carrying an unknown system fragment.
And worst of allā
> "He made no demand afterward," murmured Lord Helvar. "No title. No reward. That kind of silence is dangerous."
---
šÆļø Option 1: Marry Him
Lady Venra, head of House Cyras, leaned forward.
> "If the boy cannot be controlled, then at least bind him to blood."
> "We have daughters. Cousins. Evenā" her lips twitched, "ācertain royals. Match him to one of our own, and Verentis becomes a shared name."
A scroll unrolled on the table.
Ten noble daughters. Ranked by blood, beauty, and magical aptitude.
> "Lira Caelis," one advisor noted, "already follows him. With training, she could become⦠acceptable."
> "Or bait," someone else whispered.
---
āļø Option 2: Kill Him
The General of the Eastern Front leaned on his glaive.
> "A boy who can override command spells is not a future. He's a threat."
> "No aura trail. No chant. He could assassinate a noble and no one would know who cast it."
His hand tapped the table.
> "All we need is one sanctioned 'border raid' to go wrong."
Others nodded grimly.
> "If he dies in the fog, no one will question it. He's unlicensed. No binding contracts. Technicallyāhe doesn't even exist in the mage registry."
---
š§Ŗ Option 3: Use Him
The Empire's Royal Alchemist leaned in next.
> "You've missed the most obvious solution."
He tapped the copy of Agent Bell's report.
> "Don't destroy him. Don't seduce him."
> "Extract him."
> "We isolate him. Offer him sanctuary. Knowledge. Let him believe he's in control."
> "And then we record everything he does. How he casts. How he overrides spell logic. What rules he breaks."
> "And when the time comesāif neededāwe replicate him."
---
š In the Background⦠Bell Listens
Agent Bell, present only by projection, said nothing.
She simply watched the discussion unfold, face still, eyes unreadable.
> You don't understand what he is, she thought. He's not interested in your power plays.
> He's studying the board.
> And one day, he'll flip it.
---
š§ Meanwhile: Achilles
In his quarters, Achilles stood by the window, reading a noble girl's formal proposal.
It smelled of lavender and strategy.
The System pulsed silently beside him:
> >>> Marriage Request: House Cyras
>>> Motive Likelihood: 87% Political
>>> Assassination Risk: Medium
Suggested Action:
āø Observe
āø Decline
āø Reprogram social layer?
He didn't choose any of them yet.
He simply whispered:
> "They think I'll play by the rules."
Then he tore the letter in halfāand dropped it into the fireplace.