Remembering back, Angus did not smile. That alone was enough to silence the classroom. The uproar had only just begun to settle when the Great Wizard slowly turned his gaze toward Baston who was still kneeling with exaggerated reverence at the front of the hall.
The performance had been flawless, too flawless. Angus understood immediately what had happened. Baston had not awakened because of him. The boy had used him. He used his presence, his reputation, and his authority. And worst of all, it was done in front of witnesses.
"Did you see that?" one student whispered loudly, "Even someone like him can become a wizard!"
"It's not him. It's because of Great Wizard Angus!"
"Incredible… Just a little guidance and he breaks through!"
The classroom buzzed like a disturbed hive. Hope spread faster than logic. Even the noble students leaned forward with bright eyes. The implication was dangerous. If Angus could casually push a mediocre student into a wizard, then perhaps shortcuts existed. Power without years of study and talent without lineage. It was a miracle.
Back then, Angus finally raised a hand and silence soon fell. He stated that Baston's situation was circumstantial. In other words, it was just a coincidence. It was the politest word he could choose. Disappointment
rippled through the room. Some tried to mask it but others didn't bother.
One noble boy, the same one who had once forced Baston out of his seat, looked as though he had swallowed poison. Envy burned openly in his eyes. Meanwhile, the fat boy kept his forehead pressed to the floor. The humbler he acted, the safer the narrative became. If he stood proudly, suspicion would grow. If he trembled gratefully, the story became simple. A poor boy was lucky. Luck was harmless.
*****
Baston had calculated this event carefully. The academy was still investigating the cafeteria explosion. If he suddenly displayed magic without explanation, questions would follow. Where did he learn it? When and from
whom? Why now? Too many uncertainties. But if the awakening occurred under the
supervision of Great Wizard Angus? The answer became effortless.
It was a fortunate coincidence, a moment of inspiration, and a spark ignited by a master. No one would connect him to strange phenomenon. No one would connect him to hidden circles. And no one would think too deeply. People trusted authority. Angus had just unknowingly become his shield.
*****
Back at Alicia's room, Angus studied the kneeling boy. Baston was still praising him, still thanking him, and still speaking as if he
had received divine blessing.bIf not for the dozens of watching eyes, Angus might have flicked his forehead just to see whether the act would crack. He had underestimated the boy. That realization irritated him more than the manipulation itself.
Until now, he believed Baston was either a frightened child who was hiding something or a pawn entangled in matters beyond his comprehension. Yet, today suggested something else. The fat boy's action was deliberate, calculated, efficient, and disturbingly bold.
Alicia noticed the subtle tension and her lips curved faintly. She knew her uncle had not awakened Baston. She also knew Baston knew that which meant this entire spectacle was intentional. But why? Revenge for
being called forward earlier or something deeper? Her curiosity sharpened.
*****
When Angus dismissed the class, some students swarmed toward Baston. They hurled questions and congratulations while hiding thinly veiled jealousy. He escaped quickly, muttering about exhaustion and dizziness. He did not stop walking until he reached the underground dormitory. It took a long time until he reached his so-called home. The air there was damp and heavy. He was familiar in this place. It was safe here. He closed the door but soon froze.
Angus was already inside, leaning casually against the wall.
"So," Angus said.
There was no anger in his voice which made it worse, "You dare use me as a stepping stone?"
Baston's heart tightened but his face remained obediently confused, "I only acted naturally under your guidance…"
"Spare me."
The word was soft but sharp, "You were a wizard before today."
It was not a question. Baston hesitated, just enough to look realistic.
"If that were true," he replied carefully, "Why would I expose myself?"
Angus watched him. Silence stretched inside such small space. The fat boy was still playing around despite his pressure.
"Because…" Angus said slowly, "You are either reckless or confident."
Baston smiled faintly, "Or careful…"
That answer made Angus' eyes narrow. The boy was not denying. He was reframing. It was clever, very clever for just a simple poor
fat boy.
"I had no choice," Baston continued, "If my magic appeared without explanation, people would suspect me."
"The explosion?" Angus asked immediately.
There it was, pointing toward the real reason despite not talking I directly.
Baston lowered his gaze, "I am poor. When disasters happen, people like me are convenient suspects."
The statement was not entirely untrue. Angus did not dismiss the logic. In this kingdom, talent elevated status but poverty erased trust.
"So… You borrowed my name."
"Yes."
Baston was very blunt, almost amused Angus. No one dared to blabber such disrespect yet there was a single person in front of him who had done it.
"You assume I will tolerate that?"
"I assumed…" Baston replied softly, "That Great Wizard Angus values results over pride."
That was dangerous. His flattery disguised as logic. Angus almost laughed. Indeed, he almost do that. Rather than discussing about the matter instead, he changed direction.
"What do you know about Joker?"
The temperature in the room suddenly shifted. Baston had expected this. This so-called Alicia's uncle truly cared about his niece, making sure no danger entity around. Despite missing from the surrounding, Angus still insisted.
"My instinct tells me you know him," Angus said, "And I do not like unanswered instincts."
"Why pursue him?" Baston countered.
"Because he threatened my niece."
There was no hesitation in that answer. It was for Alicia. Everything always circled back to her. Angus did not care about rumors, cults, or theatrics. He cared about family. Baston understood immediately which meant he needed a different angle. If Angus aggressively hunted Joker, the risk
increased. Not because Joker was real but because the puppet could be traced or
worse, cornered. And if that happened, the old book might intervene unpredictably. That was a variable Baston could not measure.
"Joker is dangerous," Baston said carefully.
"Explain..."
"I cannot..."
Angus' aura sharpened slightly, "Why not?"
Because you are not strong enough to repel the curse, the thought surfaced. Instead saying that blatantly, he adjusted it.
"Because you have a family."
The sentence hung heavy. Angus' expression changed. It was just slightly but Baston saw it. Fear was not the right word. Concern was the most important one.
"You are implying he retaliates?"
"I am implying," Baston replied evenly, "That some enemies prefer indirect methods."
The silence loomed the atmosphere. Angus was powerful but power did not make loved ones invincible. Joker had demonstrated something disturbing that day. He had appeared and disappeared without trace. Even Angus could not fully explain it which meant uncertainty existed. This uncertainty
was dangerous.
Baston sensed hesitation. He needed reinforcement, another thing to push forward. Then, he remembered the line from the old book. He had dismissed it earlier. It sounded random but now, it was perfect to use.
"Mana potion infused with ice magic can cure the poison from mana turbulence…"
"What?" Angus frowned as Baston muttered it aloud.
"That was something Joker mentioned," Baston said.
It was half lie and half truth.
"I do not understand it," Angus stared, "That makes no sense."
"Joker's indeed out of sense…" Baston said quietly, "However, I believe he wouldn't speak about such matter carelessly. Despite his craziness, there was a truth behind his words."
Angus' mind moved quickly. Mana turbulence was rare. It was unstable and often fatal. There was no reliable cure. It was pointless to struggle over that symptom. Everyone knew that. One must take a long rest before their condition became better. That was the known treatment over the years. However, the statement was intriguing.
If Joker had said it and if Baston believed it worth mentioning. Then, either it was meaningless noise or it was insight hidden
beneath conventional ignorance. Angus disliked unresolved statements. He also knew Baston was not speaking randomly. The boy was redirecting him but toward
what? That was unclear which made it irresistible.
"I will verify this," Angus said finally.
He stepped toward the door but paused himself, "If I discover you are misleading me…"
He did not finish the sentence. He did not need to. Baston only bowed down as his reply reverberated around his simple damp room.
"I would not dare…"
Angus left but his suspicion did not. Before departing the academy grounds, Angus activated a communication sigil. A small transmission crystal glowed in his palm. He sent a concise message to an old friend. He was director of foundational arcane research. This man was more interested in
principles than prestige. If anyone would test a ridiculous theory properly, it would be him. Angus did not linger. He avoided ceremony and farewell banquets before he vanished as quietly as he had arrived.
*****
Miles away, within a stone complex built more for stability than beauty, an elderly man read the message twice. Then at the third time, he adjusted his spectacles.
"Mana potion… ice infusion… turbulence poison?"
He snorted softly, "Absurd!"
For decades, researchers had tested attribute infusion. Fire strengthened aggression and wind improved diffusion. As for ice, it stabilized but only temporarily. It had never showed result in turbulence cases. The instruments showed no measurable improvement which meant the hypothesis was abandoned. Yet, instruments measured surface patterns and not micro-oscillation between mana layers.
The old man's eyes sharpened. If Angus sent this, it meant the information was worthy. It was not whimsy. He turned toward the dim laboratory hall. Most researchers were idle inside. Funding had shifted toward
combat spell development. Foundational research was unfashionable. It was boring
yet he believed it was necessary.
"Attention," he called, creating groans and reluctant faces among people, "I have a new direction."
He changed his posture, clamoring confidently, "It comes from Great Wizard Angus."
There was a silence but in this calm atmosphere, interest was embroiled. Reputation indeed carried weight.
"Prepare controlled turbulence samples. Mild category first. We will attempt structural infusion but this time monitor sub-layer resonance."
A younger researcher blinked, "No one monitors that level."
"Then we will."
The old man's voice held quiet authority. If this proved nothing, it cost them a week. If it proved something, history remembered first
discoverers. It was not skeptics.
*****
Back in the underground dormitory, Baston exhaled slowly. The room felt smaller and darker. He walked toward the old book resting on his bed. Its cover remained still and silent. But he could feel it watched and judged. He had redirected Angus successfully for now.
As for the matter if he actually tested that formula seriously, he didn't quite care. Still, he wondered inside his head. What then?
What if it worked? What if it failed? Either result shifted the board. He opened the old book slightly. The last page was blank. It seemed to be waiting for any development.
He wondered was that line truly random or had the book anticipated this moment? Had it given him ammunition in advance? A resource disguised as nonsense? If so, then the old book was playing a deeper game than he thought. And he was only beginning to understand its scale.
*****
In a distant chamber lit by cold blue mana lamps, a masked figure observed a reflection pool. Ripples distorted the image of a fat boy
standing alone in a damp room.
"Borrowed reputation…" the figure murmured, "Clever…"
The water then shifted, freezing briefly at the edges before resuming normally.
"Let us see…" the figure whispered, "How long you can maintain balance…"
The image dissolved.
*****
That night, in the research center laboratory, the first controlled test began. A stabilized turbulence sample was introduced into a
mana vial. Ice attribute infusion followed and the instruments flickered. At first, nothing changed. Then, one needle trembled slightly. The old researcher leaned closer.
"Zoom resonance layer three…"
The assistant complied. The silence loomed the room. Then, the turbulence curve dipped. It did not happen dramatically. It was done measurably. The room froze and no one spoke. Because if that dip was real, then
the theory long dismissed as useless was incomplete. Someone at somewhere had
known it.