Alexander was the empire with the greatest number of mages compared to any other empire, particularly Swordsman Mages.
Thanks to its abundance of talented and exceptional mages, this empire had become far more advanced than any other territory.
The empire governed three kingdoms—east, west, and south.
The capital city of Alexander was located right in the center—the City of Bern. It was always bustling with activity, filled with beautiful places and buildings.
The capital served as the center of trade, the site of the academy, and the location of the Magic Tower. All elite nobles resided there.
This evening, the atmosphere at City Hall was far more crowded than usual. Today was the coronation day for upper-ranked Mages and Swordsman Mages from Callister Academy. About five people were standing on the altar, awaiting their investiture.
Callister Academy was one of the most prestigious academies in the Empire. Most high-ranking Mages and Swordsman Mages were its graduates. Only those with true talent could make it through.
This time, the coronation was personally conducted by Riana Abelard, an upper-ranked Swordsman Mage and a graduate from the academy's 10th generation. She had beautiful silver hair, sharp orange eyes that always seemed cold, and an aura radiating authority—that was Riana.
Riana stepped onto the altar, then presented badges and swords to the five one by one. Once the ceremony was over, the crowd erupted into applause and loud cheers.
"Now our country has more mages than any other, right?"
"You're right. I feel relieved. Hahaha!"
The two men laughed happily together.
Everyone in the hall seemed overjoyed—except for Zeha, who had worn a somber expression since the beginning. Zeha was a former student of Callister Academy, yet he couldn't master even the slightest bit of magic. He had no idea how he had even passed the entrance exam. At the time, he thought studying at the academy would make him a great mage, but after five years, he still couldn't cast a single spell. In the end, he was expelled.
"The mages in our country are truly talented!"
"Talented, huh?"
Zeha didn't deny that statement. He admitted that everyone, except himself, possessed extraordinary talent, enough to become an upper-ranked Swordsman Mage. Meanwhile, he was nothing more than a second-rate mage who just happened to have an unusually large mana capacity.
Magic.
A remarkable power bestowed upon humans. But not everyone could possess it. The strength of one's magic was usually determined by their mana capacity, the greater the mana, the stronger the magic they could produce. Most people blessed with a large mana pool were nobles.
Zeha's case, however, was different. He wasn't a noble, but merely the son of a fisherman. He had no idea why he possessed such an abundance of mana when neither of his parents had any.
But that joy had been short-lived. Eventually, Zeha had to face the fact that his magic would never develop.
The academy claimed Zeha suffered from Mana Blockage Syndrome, though in truth, it was merely an assumption to save face, as they themselves had no idea what was truly wrong with him.
"Son, do you have any money?"
An old woman suddenly grabbed Zeha's left hand to stop him. Startled, Zeha turned around.
"Whoa, Grandma. What is it?"
"I'm hungry."
"…Huh?"
Zeha didn't know what was going on, but he figured the least he could do was buy the woman something to eat. They ended up in a nearby bakery, where Zeha bought her plenty of bread. The grandma devoured them hungrily.
"Eat slowly, grandma," Zeha said. But she ignored him and kept eating until every last crumb was gone.
"I spent 20 silver on this bread. Guess I'll be skipping dinner tonight," Zeha muttered with a wry smile, knowing he didn't have much money left.
"Thank you, dear. You're very kind."
The grandma's warm smile somehow made Zeha's chest feel lighter.
"Yeah…that's no matter."
"Since you bought me bread, I'll give you a gift."
"…You're giving me a gift?"
Zeha's eyes narrowed in disbelief. He was certain she was just a beggar who couldn't afford anything.
"The look on your face is starting to annoy me," the grandma said.
Zeha chuckled awkwardly.
"You can't develop your magic at all, can you?"
The moment those words left her mouth, Zeha's smile faded. His eyes widened in shock.
"How… how do you know that?!"
"If you want to find out, come to this place. I'll be waiting for you," she said, handing him a small rectangular slip of paper.
Zeha stared at the paper for a while before taking it. He read the address written on it, his brows furrowed.
"Isn't this in the southern region?"
"That's right. Come there, and I'll give you something valuable."
Zeha read it again, this time more carefully. "But, grandma, I have work—"
When he turned his head, he was shocked to see she had vanished without a trace. He couldn't even sense her presence. He glanced left and right, searching for her, but she was nowhere to be found.
"What the hell was that grandma…?"
A shiver ran down his spine.
_____________ _____ __
Later, on his way to the inn, Zeha couldn't shake the feeling that he had just met someone extraordinary. He was certain the old woman was no ordinary beggar.
"Hey, loser!"
Zeha froze. He hated to admit it, but that was the name his fellow academy students had given him. Because of his inability to use magic, he was often bullied by delinquents—one of them being Ryu Giriand, the one calling out to him now.
"Hey, loser! You deaf? I'm talking to you, damn it!"
Ryu was standing in a narrow alley with two of his friends.
Zeha gave him a sidelong glance and replied coolly, "What is it? I'm busy."
Ryu's temper flared at Zeha's cold, seemingly arrogant attitude. "You little bastard!"
Ryu extended his right hand. "Get over here, you piece of trash!"
Suddenly, Zeha felt his body being lifted off the ground. His hand shot to his neck as though something invisible was choking him. Within seconds, his body moved on its own, dragged toward Ryu.
Ryu grabbed Zeha by the throat and slammed him against the wall.
"Ukh!"
Zeha struggled to break free, but Ryu's telekinesis left him powerless. Without magic of his own, all Zeha could do was rely on his physical strength, a hopeless effort.
"Beg for mercy if you want to live," Ryu said with a sinister grin.
Zeha's left hand trembled violently as he fought to move it. It took time, but eventually, he managed to lift it, only to raise his middle finger at Ryu.
Ryu's expression darkened instantly, his aura turning oppressive and deadly.
"You little…! I'll kill you…!"