“A Study on Creating and Circulating Three Mana Reservoirs in the Brain, Heart, and Lower Abdomen — Karuan Radeus, 19th Master of the Magic Tower.”
It was a method once attempted by one of the ancestors of the Radeus family.
Using the upper, middle, and lower dantian all at once…
Even in the Central Plains, similar attempts had existed before.
The Wudang Sect—renowned as masters of internal energy arts—had once pursued the same concept.
But in the end, their research had failed.
The reason was simple.
It was far too difficult for beginners to learn.
The technique itself had undoubtedly been innovative and powerful, yet it wasn’t overwhelmingly superior to Wudang’s supreme art, the Taiji Dual-Origin Divine Art.
More importantly, anyone capable of learning that newly developed cultivation method smoothly would already have to be considered a transcendent martial master.
Which meant that a master who had already reached the level of founding their own school would need to abandon all their existing internal energy and rebuild everything from scratch using the new method.
Naturally, the art had been discarded.
The thesis before Nerha now shared striking similarities with Wudang’s abandoned research.
This is it. This is the one.
He could tell at a glance.
The problem was that there wasn’t enough time left to properly study it.
Nerha slowly turned his head toward Chloea.
“What’s with that greasy look in your eyes?”
“Can I take this out with me?”
“I clearly told you beforehand that nothing may be removed from—”
“I swear I won’t take it outside the library grounds. Once my allotted time ends, I’ll return it to you personally. And I’ll keep everything inside completely confidential.”
“…”
Chloea’s expression twisted sharply.
“Such tricks won’t work—”
“If you’re not directly tied to the Radeus main family, then perhaps one day… I could become your patron.”
“...!”
Her eyes widened instantly.
In other words, Nerha was trying to recruit her.
Honestly, with Chloea’s abilities, it wouldn’t have been strange for her to already occupy an important position within the family.
But after observing her for the past ten days, Nerha had become certain that she was being treated poorly within the clan.
That reaction to the word ‘patron’ proves it.
Without missing the opportunity, Nerha continued.
“I’m a direct descendant of Radeus. I possess succession rights and the authority to challenge for the family head position.”
“So?”
“That means I’m someone who could potentially change your current situation.”
“…”
“I don’t know why someone like you is rotting away in a place like this. Maybe someone within the family has it out for you. Or perhaps you made a mistake and are being punished.”
“What nonsense are you spouting?! Punishment?!”
“Relax. I merely said it was a possibility. Though judging by your reaction, it’s probably the former.”
“...!”
Chloea’s expression stiffened after being struck directly where it hurt.
Nerha turned fully toward her.
“From what you’ve seen with your own eyes… do I really look like someone destined to be discarded by Radeus?”
“According to outside evaluations? Yes.”
“I asked about your own judgment.”
She bit her lip lightly, her expression complicated.
What in the world gives him such confidence…?
Just as Nerha had observed Chloea, Chloea too had carefully watched Nerha during their time together.
And the Nerha Radeus she had seen was nothing like the rumors.
He’s absolutely not someone who was abandoned for lacking talent.
His comprehension was fast. His adaptability was exceptional.
Most importantly, his sensitivity toward mana was something no one his age should possess.
Especially that technique he used to stimulate his brain with mana…
While Nerha studied introductory texts, Chloea had realized that he was secretly developing his upper dantian by manipulating mana.
It was an incredibly dangerous method—something even most great archmages wouldn’t dare attempt recklessly.
As someone who had earned the title of Archmage before even reaching her thirties, Chloea could stake her name on that certainty.
A patron…
Her expression darkened.
It had already been more than ten years since she entered the Radeus family.
Certainly, their support had allowed her talent to fully bloom.
But fundamentally, her position here was closer to that of a hostage.
“You’re making this offer because you know what I want, aren’t you?”
“Who knows? We’ve only known each other for ten days.”
At his response, anger flushed across her cheeks.
“You don’t even know my circumstances, and yet you dare say such things—!”
“Well, I can roughly guess. Something akin to being a hostage, perhaps.”
“...!”
Nerha shrugged.
“I intend to become the head of the Radeus family.”
“W-What?!”
“Why are you so shocked? If I possess succession rights, isn’t it natural that I aim for the family head position?”
While Chloea stood there speechless in disbelief—
“I’ll remove every sibling who stands in my way and become the master of this massive power called Radeus.”
Nerha laid his ambitions before her without hesitation.
“If that happens, then no matter what your wish is… I should be able to grant it.”
“…”
Slowly, Chloea closed her eyes.
Her current life wasn’t necessarily unbearable.
But whenever she thought of her tribe far to the north, she knew she couldn’t simply settle here forever.
And regardless of that, the Radeus family itself was like a bottomless swamp—once trapped inside, escape was nearly impossible.
Whether it was a rotten rope or a golden one, she needed some kind of breakthrough.
Finally, she made her decision.
“Anyone can speak grand words.”
“…”
“You told me to trust what I see with my own eyes. But I haven’t seen enough from you yet.”
Did I fail?
Just as disappointment flickered across Nerha’s face, Chloea continued.
“So I’ll give you a chance to show me yourself.”
“...!”
Swoooooosh!
An overwhelming wave of cold exploded around Nerha.
Ghk!
In an instant, frostbite spread through his hands and feet. Even the muscles in his face began stiffening from the freezing air.
Within that deadly chill, Chloea stared at the immobilized Nerha.
“This is compressed cold mana equivalent to approximately Level 5.”
An absurd level of control—focusing every bit of freezing energy solely onto Nerha without affecting the surroundings at all.
“If you can break through this frozen restraint and reach the door within the four-minute time limit… then I’ll acknowledge that you possess the qualifications to make such an offer to me.”
Cold mana at Level 5 was enough to freeze a person to death in less than a minute.
The exit lay roughly one hundred meters away.
An ordinary person wouldn’t even manage three steps before collapsing frozen.
“And if you fail, I’ll consider your words nothing more than mockery. I’ll report your attempt to remove that thesis from the library to the family.”
Needless to say, even a direct descendant wouldn’t be forgiven lightly for such an offense.
It was a perfect dead end.
Chloea stared at him coldly.
“What will you do?”
“Well…”
Nerha already knew his answer.
A narrow, dark rectangular chamber.
A tiny room lit by only a few flickering candles.
In the seat of honor sat a man, while another middle-aged man of similar age knelt before him with his forehead pressed to the floor.
Who would believe that this cramped and shadowy chamber belonged to the head of the Radeus family—
The godfather of the magical world and one of the four powers dominating the world itself?
“Hm.”
A luxurious envelope adorned with golden embroidery and extravagant patterns.
A letter delicately perfumed with the scent of flowers.
Anyone could tell it had been prepared with meticulous care.
That letter now rested in the hands of Kaizel August Radeus, head of the Radeus family.
“So this truly reflects the will of the Kephren family?”
Kephren.
The family that stood opposite Radeus.
The sacred land of the sword. The pinnacle of swordsmanship.
And Radeus’s sworn enemy for the past eight hundred years.
“Yes. One of the Knights of the Round Table, Godmel himself, delivered it. The contents are most likely genuine.”
The middle-aged man kneeling before Kaizel answered in an extremely lowered posture.
“How amusing. They want to drag us into this merely to boast about their son?”
The letter from Kephren was overflowing with ornate compliments and praise toward the magical prestige of House Radeus.
But once stripped of its superficial elegance, only mockery and provocation remained.
There was no way Kaizel would fail to notice that.
“A Round Table Knight at the age of eighteen… Certainly not something we can ignore.”
Every line practically dripped with pride in their son.
The Knights of the Round Table were Kephren’s highest governing council, chosen purely by skill regardless of bloodline.
Which meant that earning a seat among them placed one within the top twenty ranks of the Kephren family—the swordsmanship clan every warrior in the world dreamed of joining.
After a moment of thought, Kaizel asked the kneeling man:
“Can he be assassinated?”
After a brief silence, the man replied immediately.
“If we commit ten percent of the main family’s forces, it may be possible.”
“So it’s impossible.”
“It does not seem to be the right time to wage open war against Kephren. Especially since they’ve recently grown much closer to the Imperial Family.”
“Tch.”
Kaizel clicked his tongue irritably.
“Still… becoming a Round Table Knight means reaching the equivalent of our Level 7. Achieving that at merely eighteen years old… I can understand why they’re eager to brag.”
Fwoosh!
Without hesitation, Kaizel burned the letter to ashes.
“Fine. Since we can’t assassinate him, we may as well send congratulations. Regardless of what those bastards pulled during Bastel and Arva’s coming-of-age ceremonies.”
“…”
“We should send someone around the same age. Anton, anyone you’d recommend?”
The middle-aged man called Anton bowed again apologetically.
“If we’re considering age alone, Young Master Nerha is the same age as the target…”
“…”
“However, considering the other party’s accomplishments, there is a high chance he would only bring disgrace upon himself at Kephren.”
Despite openly belittling his son before the boy’s own father, Kaizel showed little anger.
Because that was simply the family’s evaluation of Nerha.
“A safer choice would be Young Master Vamel, Lady Retian, or perhaps Lady Setian.”
In truth, comparing those three to Nerha was almost insulting to them considering the gap in reputation within the family.
“What about Neiha?”
“Sending Lady Neiha would involve too much risk.”
To Radeus, Neiha’s talent was a treasure beyond measure.
Among the eight direct descendants, some even believed she possessed the greatest talent of them all.
At Anton’s response, Kaizel fell silent briefly.
“…Nerha recently emerged from secluded training, correct?”
“Yes. Young Master Vamel had manipulated the situation, and the Inspection Bureau had been considering intervention timing. Yet astonishingly, Young Master Nerha broke through a Level 5 sealing spell through his own power and emerged.”
Level 5.
Whether Nerha had truly reached that level remained unconfirmed.
But if it were true, it would shake the heavens and earth.
“Any signs that Rozelia or others intervened?”
“None discovered so far.”
Kaizel stroked his chin before suddenly chuckling.
“This could be interesting.”
“You mean…?”
Anton raised his head slightly, surprised.
“The festival those Kephren fools are preparing won’t happen for another eight months. In about half a year, we’ll know for certain whether Nerha is jade… or merely a stone.”
“That…”
Anton’s face filled with doubt.
Truthfully, although they lacked evidence, none of the elders—including Anton himself—actually believed Nerha had escaped through his own power.
“We’ll observe for now. He’ll be entering Libra soon, correct? Then we’ll find out soon enough whether this is genuine or merely a trick.”
“…Yes.”
“If it’s proven that Nerha deceived us, we’ll administer appropriate punishment and hand the matter over to Vamel. Until then, tell the others not to interfere with him.”
When the family head used the word appropriate, it was never truly appropriate for the one receiving it.
“Understood, Family Head.”
Internally clicking his tongue, Anton silently prayed for Nerha’s future.
