’I’ve got more bad news.’ Solus said. ’The fucker wore a cloaking device that kept me from noticing earlier that he has a blood core. Kwart is a thrall.’
Unbeknownst to her, Solus was dead wrong. Deirus had predicted how things would have gone and what kind of demonstration the King would have opted for down to the smallest detail.
He had not only forced all the Archmages of his group to practice first magic like madmen and to pass unto each other the tips they had collected their whole lives, but he had also hired a Vampire from his contacts in the Courts to give them just enough juice for the task at hand.
Vampires didn’t take thralls easily since it drained from them the power that they bestowed upon their servants, but the price that Deirus paid would allow the undead to keep enjoying his luxurious life while also staying out of the war.
’Fuck me sideways.’ Lith replied as whispers filled the room.
No one wondered why Manohar had given up defending his honor. They were too busy making bets and discussing the most likely win rates.
"I give Verhen 3-1 and Kwart 6-5." Marquis Xenth said.
"Bullshit! I give Verhen 1-2 and Kwart 5-1." Orion said.
"I bet 10,000 gold coins on Verhen." Manohar said to Xenth, obtaining a receipt. "If I win, I’ll prepare a baby-sized lab for Junior in their crib."
"Let me go. I’m going to kill this fucker!" Marth roared while Vastor needed all of his Abomination strength to keep the Headmaster from putting his threats into practice.
"10,000 on Verhen for me as well." Ryssa said, making her husband freeze in a stupor.
"He is my student! How can you do that?"
"I like human clothes and you keep saying that I need to get my own money instead of spending yours." The Dryad pouted.
"I wanted you to get an honest job in the academy, not to become a gambler!"
Meron inhaled sharply, not knowing whether to be more enraged by the bets or by the fact that they all knew what was at stake and yet no one but Marth seemed to care.
"Dick move, dear." Jirni glared at Orion who was swarmed by those who had inside knowledge of Kwart’s skills and by Deirus’s allies who wanted to ruin the Ernas by sucking their finances dry.
"Not at all. We’ve both seen the little monster fight. This way, I can make up for the money that your crazy experiments are draining and suck Deirus’s cohorts dry at the same time." He shrugged.
"Do you think that Lith can win?" Phloria asked while shaking Tista as if she was a tree whose ripe fruits would fall.
Phloria looked lovely in her golden evening dress that emphasized her olive skin and the blue shades of her long hair.
"I think that I will puke if you don’t stop immediately." Tista replied. "As for your question, I don’t know. Lith has gone through a lot, but chore magic can still cut his skin. On top of that, no one becomes an Archmage for nothing."
’Defeating isn’t enough, I need to destroy you. I’m not going to waste time with pointless banter or playing around. I’m going to win so quickly that everyone will think that you are an incompetent mage who betrayed his own race to get the help of the beasts.
’You and I know that it’s not true, but with all the rumors that Deirus’s has been spreading around, people will believe it. After all, people don’t give a damn about the truth, the only thing they care about is having fun.
’And there’s nothing funnier than seeing a so-called hero fall from grace. Reading the records of what happened to Lady Nerea made my stomach churn, but it also inspired me.
’I’ll make sure you end up like your master so that once the Balkor copycat kills your whole family, the rest of the young mages will learn the consequences of not being on the good side of the Association.
’In this world, truth and talent are pointless in the face of power and influence.’ Kwart thought while gritting his teeth and remembering Lith’s past feats that had made the army stronger and weakened the Association.
"Begin!" Meron’s voice allowed both mages to unleash their respective first volley of first magic spells.
Much to everyone’s surprise, Lith included, the result of the clash was a draw.
Lith had a quicker cast thanks to his deep violet core that allowed him to weave spells with his body, but Kwart with his bright violet was capable of keeping a greater number of spells at the ready.
Kwart snarled, activating air fusion to move beyond the limits of a human. The Vampire blood coursing through his veins gave him an unnatural affinity to air and darkness magic and Kwart had trained specifically for that event.
The combined effect of his bright violet core, the Vampire’s blood, and his relentless practice allowed him to cast a second barrage of over 45 first magic spells while the first volleys were still clashing against each other.
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