Jonas and his parents stood inside the Grand Armory along with a thousand others who were invited to the citizenship ceremony of newly ascended Mages. All of them faced the inaugural speaker, who stood on stage adorned with Empire symbols and banners.
"As per Imperial edict, on this 12th day of the third month of the year 1188 of the Triad, the Imperial ministry effectively commences the 333rd annual hierarchical proclamation of newly ascended Mages, thus granting these fine individuals and their immediate relatives the privilege of higher citizenship!"
Jonas was distracted, eyes up in awe. The citadel rises beneath a vast dome. The ceiling depicts a scene of men wielding magic, while an army of winged horses gracefully drifts above the clouds.
"Thus, as per Imperial decree of His Imperial Majesty, all newly ascended Mages must now undergo Academy training and become members of the Emperor's Legions against the filthy heretics, non-believers, and non-humans currently occupying the Holy Land!"
The speaker put down the scroll he had read through, and did the holy Triad salute. It's like the sign of the Triad, but it ended with a formed fist flexed beside the chest. The massive crowd, Jonas and his parents included, imitated the speaker, and they all shouted the Empire's words in unison.
"Deus vult, ad imperator! Deus vult, ad imperator! Deus vult, ad imperator!"
The speaker looked pleased. He put his fist down and stepped back. "As you were," the speaker said before he relaxed his body and turned around to step down the platform.
From above, a set of colorful confetti and petals was released, and it slowly rained down on the crowd. The band and the choir behind where the speaker stood sang a cheerful, upbeat song to signal that the ceremony had concluded successfully.
The stiff gathering of ascended Mages and others made a collective sigh of relief, and the tension was released. The scene was filled with hope and pride; strangers congratulated one another, and some embraced their loved ones.
Especially Jonas, who quickly jumped to wrap his arms around his parents. There was a newfound joy with them, and it showed in the new fashion they wore, which reflected their new status in the capital. It was a celebration of starting anew, a time to let go of the past.
But Jonas couldn't let go of the past that easily. This morning, he wanted to know more about his mother's relationship with Lord Hans. His father was against it, fearing it would bring out bad memories when asked.
"Mom," Jonas said, "There is something…"
"Status check," a voice interrupted Jonas, and the floating texts cascaded before him.
—
[ Mage: Jonas Geisler ]
[ Specialization: None ]
[ Race: Human ]
[ Affinity: Atomic ]
[ Level: 4 ]
[ Intelligence: 1 ]
[ Strength: 1 ]
[ Constitution: 1 ]
[ Dexterity: 1 ]
—
The person behind Jonas hummed as he read the status screen. Jonas was relieved it didn't show all of it. But this sudden interruptor looked official, like a bureaucrat from the Imperial administration.
"Lord Stein," Jonas's father calmly greeted the person reading his son's attributes, "It's an honor."
Who is he? Jonas whispered.
Our new employer. His father replied. Jonas remembered that his parents, although free, would still be employed as workers.
"Greetings, Cid and Ezra," Lord Stein said. His appearance was extravagant, with a refined tunic and scarf, a fur overcoat, and leather boots.
Cid and Ezra? Jonas was surprised that a noble would know his parents' names and casually address them. It has been a long time since he heard those names. During their servitude with the Geisler household, their names were not acknowledged at all.
"How can we help you today, Lord Zachariah?" Ezra, Jonas' mother, asked, and she bowed gracefully.
"Nothing! I am just here to see your son. I heard he survived the ordeal in Vechta? Impressive, indeed. Tell me, son, how did you survive such a catastrophic spell that the inhumans of the east caused?"
Lord Zachariah Stein raised a brow with his eye near Jonas. He obnoxiously observed the young Mage from head to toe, and he let out a sly smirk before he pulled away and stood tall against Jonas.
"I don't remember," Jonas stuttered.
"Hmm, I see," Zachariah rubbed his chin, "Well, I don't blame you, nor the Imperial government, the heretics had access to the Holy Land's vault of spells after all! Now, the question is: what kind of affinity does the Mage who inflicted such destruction on Vechta even have? Questions upon questions piling over other questions, hmm, yes."
Jonas only nodded.
"What kind of Mage does the heretics have in their ranks to annihilate the famous Blood Mage of the Empire? Who is this fine spellcaster that can wield these divine gifts for the weary Empire to worry about? Hmm, indeed, such developments in such a short amount of time, don't you agree it is quite unusual for the enemy to strike at a random town on an ascension ceremony of all dates and places, hmm?"
Lord Zachariah gave Jonas a side-eye and waited for the young Mage's reaction.
"Yes," Jonas was unsure what to say, "Yes, my Lord."
"Indeed, lad!" The Lord said as he snapped his fingers and gave Jonas a pat on the head.
Then, awkward silence. The Lord lingered his gaze on Jonas, seeing through him, which made the young Mage uneasy.
"Lord Stein, allow me to express my family's gratitude for letting us stay at your residence," Jonas's father broke the ice.
"Indeed! Sure! Yes, like I said, you can even have it, own it, run it, talk to my castellan for the deed, it's all yours! I have many estates in the capital. I have a castle for Triad's sake! Anything for the…"
Lord Zachariah Stein paused, smirked, and eyed Jonas down. His eyes left the young Mage vulnerable, and the pot of secrets that Jonas hid spilled over its lid.
"For the family of Vechta's only survivor," Zachariah said, his tone turned serious for a quick moment.
Cid and Ezra bowed low and showed their sincere thanks. But Jonas hesitated, his eyes locked with the Lord's judging eyes, before he followed his parents' lead.
"Very well, I must go," Lord Zachariah Stein implored for them to rise, "Jonas, is it? See you at the Academy. Cid, Ezra, see you at my winery. Jonas, we shall talk more soon. Jonas. Jonas. Jonas!"
"Yes, my Lord." Jonas nodded every time he heard his name. The Lord faded backwards and kept saying the young Mage's name as he disappeared into the distance and blended with the rest of the crowd.
"What a weird, lovely man, Lord Stein is," Ezra said, waving goodbye.
Her husband nodded, "Indeed."