The very next day, news of the attack at the Royal Academy spread through the capital like wildfire, burning through every tavern, market, and noble estate.
Rumors spiraled out of control. A dangerous mage had infiltrated the academy—the bastion of the kingdom's future—and attacked the Duke of the Aurelian Duchy directly.
Questions hung heavy in the air, whispered behind hands and shouted in the streets. Who would dare? Who had the audacity to strike at Dorian Aurelian, the man who had single-handedly revolutionized the kingdom's economy?
To the common folk, the answer was obvious. It wasn't news that certain factions of the nobility despised Dorian for the immense growth and power he had brought to the kingdom. But envy was only the surface of the hatred.
It wasn't new for Dorian to crack down on corrupt nobles, stripping them of their titles and lands without a shred of mercy or hesitation.
