Chapter 35

“Well then, how about joining Aaron’s training while you’re here?”

The question caught me mid-chew. I swallowed the piece of steak I had been working on and washed it down with a sip of water before answering.

“Training? You mean knight training?”

“Just basic swordplay and body conditioning. Nothing too strenuous. Aaron has been improving quickly, but he could use a sparring partner closer to his age. Besides, Lady Elara mentioned that you used to train with the sword before you learned magic. It would be a waste to let that skill rust.”

I glanced at Aaron. He was staring at his plate, his ears slightly red. He must have been the one who asked Sir Cedric for this.

This bastard. He used to pickpocket people for a living, and now he’s too shy to even ask me to spar with him directly?

“Sure. I don’t mind.”

“Excellent. We start at dawn.”

Dawn? I used to wake up at dawn every single day back at the Cheon Clan. Then I became a mage and started waking up at a reasonable hour like a normal person. Now this guy wants me to go back to waking up before the sun?

…Well, it’s only for a week. And Seolhwa’s words about me getting fat were starting to haunt me every time I looked in the mirror.

“Dawn it is, then.”

Luna, who had been quietly eating beside Aaron, finally spoke up. “Can I watch?”

“Of course, young lady,” Sir Cedric said with that gentle smile of his. “You are welcome to observe.”

Luna nodded happily and went back to her food.

Now then.

I cleared my throat and put down my cutlery. It was time.

The “Elara x Cedric Matchmaking Plan” — Phase One: Gather Intelligence.

“By the way, Sir Cedric. Master Elara talks about you a lot.”

“Does she?” Sir Cedric’s hand paused mid-cut, the knife hovering above his steak.

“All the time. She says you’re the most reliable person she knows in the whole kingdom.”

That was a lie. What she actually said was, ‘That stiff bastard Cedric would probably die a virgin at this rate.’ But a little white lie never hurt anyone. Besides, I was doing her a favor.

Luna cleared her throat. Loudly.

I ignored her.

“She also says you’re very handsome.”

Another lie. What she actually said was, ‘Cedric’s face is the only thing he has going for him, and he doesn’t even use it.’

Luna was gripping her fork so tightly I was afraid it would bend. Even from beside Aaron, her death stare felt like a physical thing across the table.

“Hwi.” Luna’s voice was sweet, but anyone who knew her could hear the warning underneath. “Didn’t Master Elara tell you not to do anything stupid?”

“I’m not doing anything stupid. I’m just making conversation.”

“You’re making Sir Cedric uncomfortable.”

Sir Cedric laughed. It was a deep, warm laugh. No wonder Master fell for him. If I were into men, even I would—

Nope. Not going there.

“It’s quite alright,” Sir Cedric said, still chuckling. “I’ve been asked this question by more people than I can count. Including the King himself.”

“The King!?”

“His Majesty thinks I am too married to my work. He has been trying to set me up with various noble daughters for years. I always refuse.”

“Why?” I asked before I could stop myself.

Sir Cedric was quiet for a moment. He set down his cutlery, picked up his wine cup, and took a slow sip of the Shaoxing Wine Master Elara had gifted him. The candlelight flickered across his face, and for a moment, he looked like a man carrying a weight he didn’t talk about.

“There is already someone I have in mind,” he said finally. “Though I doubt she sees me the same way.”

My eyes widened.

“Who!?”

Luna made a sound like a teakettle about to explode. Even Sir Cedric glanced at her.

“Big bro.” Luna’s eye was twitching so hard it looked painful. “Stop.”

“One more question, just one—”

“No.”

“But—”

“No.”

I sighed and raised my hands in surrender. Fine. Phase One was complete enough. I had confirmed that Sir Cedric had someone in mind, and given that Master Elara was the only woman he seemed to interact with regularly, it was almost certainly her.

The “Elara x Cedric Matchmaking Plan” was proceeding smoothly.

Hehe. Just you wait, Master. Your filial disciple will deliver.

“Speaking of His Majesty,” Sir Cedric said, mercifully changing the subject before Luna could murder me with that death stare of hers. “He has asked about you, Hwi.”

“Me?”

“He heard from Lady Elara that she took in a disciple from a faraway country with exceptional talent. He is quite curious. He asked me to arrange an audience if you ever visited London.”

My heart skipped a beat.

A king. A real king.

Back home, the Imperial Family was something I only ever heard about in stories. The Cheon Clan was influential in Murim, but we never had direct dealings with the Emperor. The closest I ever got was seeing imperial envoys from a distance during clan ceremonies.

And now I was going to meet one?

“When?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

“Whenever you are ready. I would suggest in a day or two, after you have settled in. There is no rush.”

“I… I would be honored.”

Damn it. Why did I sound so formal all of a sudden? I sounded like Father during clan meetings.

“Good. I will arrange it.” Sir Cedric smiled. “And Luna is welcome to join as well, of course.”

Luna’s eyes went wide. “Me too?”

“Of course. You are Lady Elara’s disciple as well, are you not?”

Luna nodded so hard I thought her head would fall off. She looked like she was about to vibrate out of her seat.

Cute.

…

After dinner, Aaron offered to show me the training ground — we were, after all, going to be sparring there at dawn. Luna tagged along at first, clinging to her brother’s arm and chattering about everything and nothing. But halfway through the tour, her steps started to slow. It was late, she was only nine, and the half-day carriage ride had clearly caught up with her.

Mr. Hans materialized out of nowhere like a well-dressed ghost and offered to escort her to her room. She protested for all of three seconds before a yawn cracked her in half. She hugged Aaron, waved at me, and let the butler lead her away.

Traitor. Leaving me alone with her brother just when I was getting used to having a buffer.

…Actually, that worked out fine. There was something I wanted to ask Aaron anyway.

Aaron and I walked through the courtyard behind the main building. The night air was cool, and the garden was lit by lanterns placed along the stone path.

“You’ve gotten buff, Aaron.”

“Shut up, Huwi. Sir Cedric makes me run ten laps around the estate every morning before breakfast.”

“Ten laps? This estate is huge!”

“Tell me about it.” Aaron rubbed his shoulder. “He says I have the build for it. Just no talent for magic, so I have to make up for it with hard work.”

“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard,” I said, then immediately cringed. “Ugh. I sound like my father.”

Aaron laughed. It was the first time I had heard him laugh like that — carefree, without that constant edge of wariness he’d had back in the slums. Back then, he never laughed. He was always too busy surviving.

It suited him.

“By the way, Huwi. There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”

“What?”

Aaron’s expression darkened. He glanced around, making sure no one was within earshot, before leaning in.

“Lately, there’s been this guy hanging around the estate. I’ve seen him three times now. Always wearing a hood, always watching the gate.”

I frowned. “Did you tell Sir Cedric?”

“I did. He said he would handle it. He even increased the night patrols. But…” Aaron hesitated. “The guy gave me the creeps. Like that Dark Mage you told me about.”

My blood ran cold.

“Describe him.”

“Tall. Pale. Wore a black cloak. I couldn’t see his face. But the way he moved… it was wrong. Like he was gliding instead of walking.”

I stayed quiet for a moment, processing.

It couldn’t be Edmund. Master Elara had chased him for over two years, and the last trace led to China. There was no reason for him to be in London, of all places.

But the Dark Mage I fought in the forest was also here. And he was weak, according to Master. If a weak Dark Mage could operate right under the Tower’s nose, then…

“Be careful, Aaron. If you see him again, don’t approach. Just tell Sir Cedric immediately.”

Aaron nodded. “I know. I just thought you should know, since… you know. You’re the one who fights those guys.”

I patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry. If anything happens, I’m here. And Master Elara is only a day’s ride away.”

…

That night, I couldn’t sleep.

Maybe it was the excitement of being in a new place. Maybe it was the too-rich dinner. Or maybe it was what Aaron had told me about the hooded figure.

I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, and thought about everything that had happened since I left the Cheon Clan.

A year ago, I was just a talentless kid who had lost his birthright. Now I was a mage, the direct disciple of one of the seven Archmages, with a spirit companion, a junior disciple, and a debt so large I would probably never be able to repay Master Elara.

And then there was… the other thing.

The thing I had been avoiding.

I sat up, crossed my legs, and closed my eyes.

Ever since that day in the cave, when I grabbed that knight’s wrist and felt my inner energy flowing smoothly for the first time in my life, I had been avoiding it. I told myself I was too busy recoating my blood vessels. Too busy studying. Too busy learning Melded Magic.

But the truth was, I was scared.

For as long as I could remember, my inner energy had always been delayed. It was the one constant in my life, the flaw that defined me. It was why I lost to Seolhwa. It was why I lost my position as heir. It was why I met Master Elara in the first place.

And then, one day, it just… worked.

I took a deep breath and circulated my inner energy through my meridians, just like I had done every morning for years.

It flowed.

Smoothly. Without delay. Without that familiar lag that had always been there, like walking through mud.

Not only that.

The amount of inner energy in my dantian… had grown.

It used to be around five years’ worth. The same as Seolhwa’s, back when we dueled. Now it felt like… ten? Fifteen? I couldn’t tell. But it was definitely more. A lot more.

‘What the hell is happening to me?’

I had asked Master Elara about it once, right after I recovered. She had frowned, checked my meridians, and said she didn’t understand it either. Mages didn’t study inner energy, after all. She had suggested I ask my father the next time I sent a letter home.

I never sent that letter.

I didn’t know why. Maybe I was afraid of the answer. Maybe I was afraid that whatever was happening to me was dangerous.

Or maybe, deep down, I was afraid that if I told anyone, it would disappear.

“Haaah…”

I opened my eyes and lay back down.

Whatever it was, it wasn’t going anywhere. I would figure it out eventually.