Magus Seoris Rigurus was enjoying the relaxing sight of a sunrise from his balcony. Sitting on his decorated wooden chair and a single pillow for comfort, the red dots in his deer skull took in the sight. Around him, there were dozens of potted plants that had outgrown their confined home.
From the ceiling above, vines had grown downwards, almost giving him a curtain, but the sunrise was still clearly visible as if the plants knew what the magus wanted. Birds were perched upon the antlers of his skull.
While it might've seemed like he was alone, that was far from the case. As his only recorded student in history was sitting next to him, staring at the exact same sunrise.
After the experiments, the boy looked inhuman, so it took the magus a lot of effort to turn him back into a visage of his previous self. Years had gone by, yet nothing had really changed for the magus. The boy had grown into a fine seemingly human-like being. His body was covered in scars, many of which he gained during battle, yet the man insisted on not healing them.
Since he never got the name of his student, he mostly adressed him as pupil, but rarely did he have to since they were mostly alone.
"What do you see in the sunrise?", his voice was calm and soothing, nothing like when he would go out to fight in the attack party.
"Do you see the cycle of rebirth? Perhaps opportunities for the coming day?"
'If I had to give it a meaning, it would be life. Without it, we would have never existed.'
As always, the man never responded using his voice, as if he couldn't.
"There are many things that are necessary to create life. It's clear you see it as a dependency? Scared the sun might blow up?"
The man didn't react, but the magus knew him more than enough to notice the slight change in expression. "Hahaha! Don't you worry about that. Even if a mage has gone insane, and plans to blow it all up, we have some insurances to make sure it doesn't happen. Aurora is the most important planet in the universe, only a fool would attempt such an act."
The sun was starting to rise slowly but surely. Little by little, the rays bathed the land in light. "Do you hate depending on something else?"
The man nodded in response.
"Even if you have the certainty that it will always support your efforts?"
The man didn't know how to respond, choosing silence for an answer as he often chose.
"Come, let me show you something."
Getting out of his chair, the sun was just about to bathe them in light. Leaving the balcony, the magus ordered a carriage to be prepared. Throughout the years, the magus had taught the man a lot, yet never too much.
It was way more important for the man to figure out the logic behind magic than being given the answers on a silver plate. Hence, why the magus always gave abstract lessons, just to make the man question everything he knew.
He was never tested, nor did he need such a tool to motivate his desire for knowledge. On their way to their destination, they stayed in complete silence. There were plenty of moments of dead air, yet neither felt uncomfortable, no, they found it relaxing.
When they arrived, the magus exited first. The carriage was specifically made for his tall stature complemented with very wide doors to make sure his antlers would fit. Exiting the carriage, they were on a red carpet. Mages of all ranks stood around the carriage holding their breath when the owner exited.
The man followed his master, yet the mages only looked at him with a glare. As the magus made his way forward on the carpet they arrived at two large doors that were opened by the butlers at the side. Despite the fact that it was early morning, the magus had no worries about whether the establishment they were entering would be open or not.
'Gambling den?'
"More or less," the mage spoke as they were guided to a VVIP room. Without saying a word, the mages guided and served them as if it was the most natural thing to do. Once they arrived in their room, there were large lavish couches and golden accessories everywhere. There was a table covered in plates with recently cooked food.
On one side there was a big window with a viewing booth, on the other side a big bed with a few naked women on it. Seeing the person they were meant to serve, they felt a chill in their bones, but their lives were theirs to play with. They had seen plenty of powerful mages, but the magus in front of them scared them deeply.
Everything looked perfect. At the viewing booth two big beautifully decorated chairs stood. Having gems and precious materials engraved into the frame, the value of the chair itself would be enough to turn a slum into a luxurious city. Yet all it was used for was to sit on.
The magus ignored everything in the room, from the paintings to the food and naked women ready to serve. He moved to the chairs, with his disciple in tow. The man also couldn't care less about all the luxuries on display.
Sitting down on the chair, the magus felt uncomfortable. "This chair is terrible," it was but a silent complaint, yet one of the girls instantly stood up. "I'll fetch a more fitting one right away," hurrying out of the room, the other girls were probably jealous she was able to leave.
Ignoring the raffle behind them, the magus and man started to look outside the window. Below their room was a big arena. Their seat was the one with the best view. Right above the arena, rings of seats were placed out, but each one was packed to the brink with people laughing and drinking.
"Have you read about the Gladiators I told you about?"
Stories about brave men who undertook dangerous trials to prove themselves. The stories were mostly fantasy, but contained plenty of interesting passages. The man nodded as he inspected the power levels of everyone in the stands without making his presence known.
"This is the perverse version of that. These people are here to gamble and enjoy the pleasures of any carnal desire."
'What do they bet on?'
"Plenty of activities. What's the next performance?", the magus asked loudly, propping one of the girls up from the bed. She came close and got on her knees. Bowing before the magus, she quickly spoke. "The next performance will be round based survival with exponential increase in rewards."
"I see, move back, your stench is distracting."
The girl felt her cheeks blush, due to her fear and lack of clothing, nothing was held back. Her sweat must've reached the magus, so she hurried back to the bed and used the sheets to wipe her body clean, not that the magus had any further interest in her.
"As you heard, this is where young men play with their lives to gain money."
'Not respect?'
"There is none to gain here," his voice held a hint of anger or disappointment, the girls couldn't read it, but their hearts skipped a beat after hearing that. To them, the magus was talking to himself, not that strange mages were foreign to them, but it made it hard for the girls to know how to respond.
From the arena, a young boy entered the arena. Looking at his physical form, he couldn't have been a day above 17 years. Yet he was a Rank 2 mage holding a sword and shield, admirable for one his age.
'Why isn't he using magic?'
While weaponry were common among mages, the man could tell from afar the mage wasn't going to use magic.
"He isn't allowed. I also believe they make sure to remove all mana from his core before he can enter."
The man frowned as he stared at the young boy. 'Probably rushed through the path, his body is a mess.'
"Correct, he chose shortcuts to improve his powers in the short term, but is destined to break down in a few years if someone doesn't do something. Age is the one thing mages have plenty off, yet so many mistake the path as a competition."
The man turned to stare at his master, a look the master understood, but fully ignored. He was not a saint, he would not save the boy and fix his body just because he could.
'Is money so important?'
"I wanted to show you something. You dislike depending on something, but everybody is alive due to the dependency on others. Parents care for a child, without them, the child would be dead."
The man disagreed as his personal experience showed that parents were not needed to care for you to live.
"Without the algae and plants that produce oxygen, most beings would not be able to breathe. Is their dependency a sign of weakness?"
The man had a lot to think about. On one hand, he understood the simple logic that breathing wasn't a weakness. On the other hand, he already removed the need to eat and drink, yet breathing was always something he required. Wasn't that then a weakness?
"In the human world, there are few things as important as lucre, numéraire."
'Important enough to risk your life for?'
"Yes. You don't feel any attachment to it since you live with me. Do you believe this young man is willingly risking his life for the fun of it? This is dependency at its most extreme. Without funds, he will starve and die. The dependencies you and I share are nothing to be worried about."
'He's a mage, he doesn't need food or water.'
"I surmised I taught you better. Is his body capable of that?"
The man needed a second look at the young contestant to understand what his teacher was saying. Because he rushed on the path, he didn't enjoy some benefits.
'He would still be able to live off of magic.'
"If he is willing to sacrifice his lifespan for it, certainly."
The young man was paired against monsters, at first the man thought there were going to be a few goblins or ogres. Yet the first beast that appeared was a mountain giant. The fear on the young man's face was palpable.
The odds were completely against him as the giant rushed towards the young man. Raising his fist, everyone knew what would transpire next. The magus looked on in silence as his student felt the need to rush in.
The look of despair on the young man's face was clear, his screaming was only audible for a mere moment before a massive fist turned his body into mush. The crowds laughed loudly and applauded at what happened.
Seeing such brutality, the man felt his anger rise. His emotions grew as his aura leaked out. The girls in the room started to choke as they couldn't withstand it.
A gloved hand pressed on his shoulder. The pressure vanished from the room as if his single hand was capable of handling it all. "Remember that feeling, for these people have long forgotten it."
The man didn't speak, nor convey his thoughts as he simply took in the scene before him.
"We are done here," standing up, the magus walked out of the room. His disciple stayed for a mere moment before getting out of his chair. Staring at the naked girls, he felt his guts twist. A look of disdain was clearly visible, but the girls didn't know to who it was directed.
Going back home, they separated, each having their own studies and work.
The next sunrise was right around the corner, and both familiar beings sat on their wooden chairs. Staring off into the distance, they waited for the sun to rise.
"I heard what you did. Be glad that people saw me enter first. Else they would've put all the blame unto you."
'I was responsible, there is no need for you to bear the hatred.'
"I am your teacher, if you use your powers for evil, I am responsible."
'It was not evil.'
"You demolished the entire establishment and killed all viewing participants."
'I saved the hostages.'
"Hahaha! Saved them? Do you believe you gave them a new lease on life? All the funds from that gambling den split over a few weak individuals who know no better. Do you think you gave them freedom? Or did you put a bounty on their heads?"
The man didn't know what to think. To him, he pulled the weak from their abusers and even removed their abusers. His fantasy was quickly shot down by his master, making it clear that just removing the establishment didn't mean he saved them.
'I was trying to use my power for good.'
"What makes you think those people wanted to have your so-called freedom. Did you hear them beg? Did you hear their pleas for safety and rescue?"
'No.'
"Using your power for good means you have to first ask what good is. You killed all those people, some might just be there for an investigation. Others might be there to relax for a moment. For all you know they had orphanages or institutions that helped the weak."
'Was I.. in the wrong?'
"Who knows?"
The man couldn't help but look up at his master's reply. It was clear that he was being retributed for his actions. The ambiguous reply turned that on its head.
"As your master, it's my responsibility to teach you. As I told you, I can't teach you directly, for that would only weaken your mental capacity. Why do you think that I, a Grand Magus, respected and feared by all, am not using my powers to help the greater good?"
'Because people would take advantage of you?'
"No. Not exactly. Being kind to others will eventually lead to people wanting to make use of you. What I am trying to say is, what is the greater good? Do you believe the war campaigns against the dragons is somehow for the betterment of everyone? Do you believe the propaganda that the Dragons are threatening the world?"
The man needed a second to think about what his master was saying. Like always, the answers were never in plain sight. He was always given a door, but not told what the key was or how it looked. Then the master provided hundreds of keys. It was up to the man to figure out what his teacher was trying to say.
'The betterment of everyone is often just the betterment of humankind, at the cost of other beings? Not just dragons, but anything that lives?'
"You're starting to get there. Do you believe that if I was not aiding humanity, I would be left alone?"
'You would be hunted down.'
"Exactly, that's why I'm also delaying the attack campaigns against the dragons. The moment they're extinct, centuries will pass in a blink of an eye and humans will eventually see me as a threat. For I am not human, nor do I look like one."
'I'll protect you master.'
"Hohoh, perhaps in the future. Right now, you're the one who needs protection."
As they were talking, they missed the sunrise. Once the light was about to hit them, the master moved back inside, leaving a contemplating man behind.
'My mistake wasn't killing all those people. I removed evil from that place, but the moment those slaves left that place, they arrived in another place infested with the same kind of people. I see now.'
Standing up, the man stared directly into the rising sun.
'As long as evil exists out there, not a single place is safe. I need to remove it all, no matter the cost.'