Chapter 1013: Great Mage (Non-Standard) II

Proofread by Thomas F

Marchioness Arenthel

"…tell them to cross Alvars River today. Tell them not to make camp until they reach the other side," I said to Kadira as I rode on my beautiful halo mare.

I am riding toward Baron Karliva's territory, where he is holding my men.

Since I left, I have been constantly moving. Silver had made things very difficult. Stopping, poaching, and even kidnapping; he is doing everything to stop me.

No, not just stop me, but harass me, lower the morale of my army. Defeat me before I even reach the region.

I hate it, but I couldn't help but be impressed by it.

He is using his influence over nobles with surgical precision, and although the delay he is causing is small, he is doing so across my army, which is spread across the regions with incredible efficiency.

He has already confirmed why I had considered him the most dangerous in the region.

Grimvale might have a bigger army, and Ashton Harbor has the massive undead backing, but I believe Silver is the most dangerous one. He has crushed every challenge that came at him, not just the martial ones, but political and economic ones as well.

Such people are extremely dangerous, and the way he is growing, he will only become even more dangerous.

"They are saying it will take them late into the night," she informed. "Ask them to do it, even if they take until midnight."

Silver is slowing me down, but not as much as he would expect. I am moving to free up my men and warn the nobles whose territory they will pass through.

It works when they see me coming to meet them with a Great Mage and a group of Lv. 30s in tow.

Some still delay me, but not as much as they have been asked to. Instead of nine hours, they delayed it for three hours. It's not without a cost.

Though I have my limitations, I couldn't be everywhere, and not everyone could be threatened or talked with.

"There is news from the Archmage Tower," Kadira said suddenly, pulling me from my thoughts.

"About what?" I asked, already bracing myself for bad news. I knew that tone. It was the one she used whenever she carried tidings no one wished to hear.

"Greltheaven has produced a Great Mage," she said.

The words rooted me to the spot. For several long moments, I couldn't speak.

"Who is it?" I asked.

There could only be four possibilities.

Zela Taras, his bodyguard. Valentina Elar, his closest confidante—and, if the rumors were true, his lover. Leila Silver, his sister, and Hazir Aldridge, the man Silver had entrusted with overseeing whatever was taking place in the mine at Panar.

Not a single one of them would be a good thing for us.

Taras and Aldridge are highly experienced. Baroness is good at offensive and area control spells, while Valentina Elara is good at offensive and defensive spells.

"Margaux Swan," she replied, sounding as though she couldn't believe it herself.

"Who?" I asked before I could stop myself. The name was familiar. I had seen it countless times in Silver's reports, yet I couldn't place her.

"The whore," Kadira said. "The former madam of the Velvet Garden. She's now in charge of the place where they train whores." I laughed because this must be a joke.

…

Count Viremont

"They are saying it's true, Grand Mage Asin herself had registered it," replied Kaus.

I laughed even harder.

"A whore becoming a Great Mage. The world had truly gone mad!" I laughed and laughed. It's preposterous; that a whore could become a Great Mage; that whore didn't know about spells until a few years ago.

"She is noted as a non-standard Mage," he added, but that didn't stop my laugh.

"She may be non-standard, but she's still a person, with an ability to cast spells to the level of Great Mage," stated Loxley, and for once, he was not taking it lightly, and he shouldn't.

It took me a while before I could calm myself.

It happened in Oksall without a doubt. There was complete silence from the other party. It's clear they didn't succeed, but at least they could reveal one of Silver's cards.

Non-standard mages are not as powerful as conventional mages of the same level, but some of them could be extremely powerful.

I know it very well. My great-great Grandfather had been one; he had become a non-standard Great Mage because of a unique combination of rare skills, inheritance skills, and his talent itself.

He was powerful enough that he had killed a real Great Mage.

"It will make things difficult for us, but I don't think Selvaron will have any problem dealing with her quickly." He added, and I nodded at that.

Though I won't let Selvaron waste his time on a whore, I have a better option to deal with her if the whore dares to enter the battlefield.

"Give me all the information we have on her," I ordered.

…

Kadner Matiaus: Silent Forest, Oksall Office

"Of course, I understand, Lord Silver," I said, feeling angry, not at him, but at my men and the useless bastards of the Benin office. 'Until then, the deal remained suspended, Lord Matiaus.' He cut the call with that, and I sighed.

I had cut a nifty little deal with Silver to charge one of our artifacts this year.

It is such a hassle with the state.

Those bastards want more emotion essence than to keep the artifacts charged. I have to fight for every charge tooth and nail with them.

Now, Silver is suspending it, along with a few other deals we had made.

Unless he gets his demand. He didn't just make them to me, but others as well.

Since the afternoon, I have been receiving constant calls. The council head of Oksall, many councilmen, including Lady Ashenwood, and that old headmistress of the academy.

I shudder when I remember that call.

"This was really a failure," said Kirsan, and I glared at the woman. "You think? Even my wife and daughter hadn't spared me."

That was not a pleasant call. Both of them had been students of the academy. I shuddered at the thought of returning home. Thankfully, I am not tonight.

"Message from Belnin Office: they have taken every member of White Crown into custody," she informed me, and I sighed with relief.

After what their leader did, there is no way we will let the gang live, and it's not because of Silver. The Academy is one of the sacred places, founded by a hero, the place that holds an important position in Oksall.

Every Merchant Lord, Council Member, and people of importance want their blood.

It is also one of Silver's two conditions. The second is the name of the real culprit, because White Gyrge was not, despite being the attacker.

There is bad blood between the gang and Silver, but that alone isn't a reason for a man like White Gyrge to attack. Someone has paid him for it.

A proof of that is already emerging.

Most of the fault lay with those bastards at Belnin; it was their responsibility. Our fault couldn't be disregarded as well; they had attacked without us knowing.

There will be consequences.

Even I might not have a job by the end of the week, but until then, I will do my best to find out everything about it and deal with those who are responsible for it.

…

Ella Swan

"…I am going to argue against Ralion's theorem. It's fast, but not as efficient as Braxan's," said Calin as we walked out of our spell theory class.

I shook my head.

"Efficiency matters, but in battle, speed is more important," I replied. "Speed is supreme; if one couldn't cast fast enough, what use would mana efficiency be?" I added.

In the next lecture, Professor Dana is going to make us argue, and I want to win.

If I impress her enough, she might admit me to her advanced class next year. There are very limited places in that class, and competition is intense.

"What is doing this, Nimyr?" he asked the half-elf. I looked at her, only to see her looking at me, with shock in her eyes.

"Margaux Swan, Grand Administress of Velvet Garden, is your mother, right?" she asked, and I was surprised.

I didn't tell anyone about my mother. I am not ashamed of her. I told people about her when I first came to the academy, but soon found they either derided me or wanted to use my mother's connection to Velvet Garden.

It is why Calin is the only friend I have from the first semester. Since then, whenever anyone asks me about my parents, I would say my mother is the headmistress of an academy in the empire.

Though it seemed like it wasn't enough.

"Yes," I confirmed, hoping Nimyr wouldn't be weird about it. I really liked her and wanted her to remain my friend.

I miss Magda; I wish she had been here with me.

"The Archmage Tower just registered her as Great Mage," she said, and I let out a laugh. It was loud enough that everyone around us turned toward me.

I looked apologetically before turning to my friend.

"Someone is playing a joke on you, Nimar," I replied, seeing her serious expression.

My mother is only a Mage; she had just started to learn Grade III spells. So, forget Great Mage; my mother is not even a High Mage. Though I believe my mother would become a High Mage one day.

"It was my father who informed me, and also, I just checked with the directory myself."

"Her Excellency Asin herself noted your mother as Non-Standard Great Mage," she replied seriously.

"No, it's not possible," I refuse to believe it.

What is a Grand Mage? A mage of great scholarship and power.

A height that very few could ever reach. It is my dream to become one, but I know it would be a monumental challenge, even for someone studying at one of the world's best academies.

So, this is a joke. I am extremely proud of my mother and what she has accomplished, but she is not a Great Mage.

"I think that's enough of your jokes, Nimur," warned Calin. Even he had had enough of her joke.

"If you both do not believe me, you can contact the directory," said Nimyr, and I wanted to snap at her. This joke had gone too far, but I stopped seeing expressions on her face.

I bit down my words, took my wand in my hand, and cast a message spell.

An inquiry costs money. Money I could scarcely spare—but I wanted to prove to her that the joke had gone too far.

"Archmage Tower Directory. How may we assist you?" a flat, emotionless voice asked.

"I wish to inquire about the current power status of Margaux Swan of the Velvet Garden," I said.

"Do you accept the inquiry fee, Student Ella Swan?"

"Yes," I replied through gritted teeth, shooting Namyr a murderous glare.

"Margaux Swan, High Administratrix of the Velvet Garden, is registered as a Great Mage. Status attested by Grand Primus Asin." A monotonous voice replied.

I remained frozen, unable to utter a single word.

…

Alina Lindgren

The elevator screen disappeared, and I stepped out with Mariha, behind Tara.

The woman, who hadn't stopped smiling since she received the news, which I still couldn't believe, but Archmage Tower themselves have attested to it, and they never lie.

Immediately as we stepped out, eyes turned toward her. People froze as they looked at her.

She attracted eyes. Men and women; I could see the desire and lust appearing in their eyes as they looked at her.

I couldn't help but feel some envy of her.

I have seen beautiful women; Velvet Garden is filled with them, but no one attracts people's gaze as she does. In less than a year of her coming here, she had become the most desirable woman in the city.

Men and women line up to glimpse her.

She stopped and looked at the grand restaurant, the biggest in Legacy.

A glass of golden wine appeared in her hand, and she tapped it with her ring finger. It created a beautiful sound that drew everyone's eyes in the huge restaurant.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please," she said, her voice ringing through not just the restaurant and the floor, but through the whole Legacy.

Mariha and I shared a look.

She is not a master, but she could do things here that we could not, with ease, even despite our strong connection with the Legacy.

"Today is a day of celebration for the Velvet Garden. Its Grand Administratrix and the Headmistress of Mena Horn College have ascended to the rank of Great Mage."

I could see shock appearing in the eyes of many; some looked confused, and some did not. They seemed to have gotten the news, but it was clear in their eyes that they were having a hard time believing it.

"So, raise your glasses in honor," she said, and with her words, a golden drink like her hand appeared in front of everyone.

"To Great Mage Swan," she said as she raised her glass, and everyone in the Twilight Hall raised their glasses with her, no matter how they felt.

She is a Great Mage, deserving of respect.

Most importantly, if they didn't show respect, they might get banned from the legacies and the stores, which they could not bear. They have become too important to lose access to.

"To Great Mage Swan," they echoed before taking a sip of the golden wine.

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