Kingdom of fire and shadows: Useless magic and Salamanders.

Several days had passed since Xavier's awakening. From the fated day on, his family treated him differently; the village treated him differently; the girls looked at him with gazes full of lust; the boys looked at him with envy and a hint of hate; Xavier and Trina got together in secret: kisses and caresses; however, the girl never allowed him to go further. As Xavier became increasingly impatient and desperate, the girl seemed to him more beautiful and seductive than ever.

Then the sixteenth day of the eighth month finally came. As soon as the sun began to shine upon the world, a carriage arrived at the door of the De Vonder's household. Under the gaze of envy of all the village people, Xavier, dressed in his noble attire, climbed into the carriage. The bronze ring with the family crest on his neck, his well-groomed hair, and those bags under his eyes that made him look like a racoon; he was so nervous he couldn't sleep at all. His father, mother, and brothers looked at him proudly as he departed. It was a pity; none of them could accompany him; they did not have the clothes to appear in the citadel, much less the royal city, another of the blessings of being poor.

It took several hours to reach a citadel called Mennor, to the north of Humol. The stay was very short; they did not even enter the citadel. Xavier had to change to another carriage; however, it was not drawn by horses. Semi-transparent humanoid creatures, covered with a veil and about two meters tall, were chained to the carriage.

'What are these things?' asked Xavier with some fear.

'These are Tumulos,' replied the coachman. 'They are a variety of monsters; some say they are the ghosts of the priests of an ancient civilization, but nobody really knows. Better not approach them; if you touch them, they will drain your magic, and you will be sick for at least a week'.

The door of the carriage opened, and a bearded knight, about fifty years old and a bit too fat, came out.

'Are you perharps the honorable Mr. Xavier de Vonder?' asked the knight. By his clothes, he knew that Xavier was not a rich nobleman; however, a magician who came to the tower in the eighth month had awakened in the seventh month or earlier; therefore, the knight knew that one day he could become a powerful magician. He preferred to be careful and treat him with respect.

Xavier nodded with his head.

"I am Elcir, a knight of the citadel of Farpas. I have been assigned to accompany you to the guard tower and to be your guide," informed Elcir, inviting him to board the carriage.

Xavier went in without delay. When the door had closed, as he sat down, he felt a slight movement of the carriage. Then everything remained calm for a few minutes.

'Are we waiting for someone else?' asked Xavier.

'Excuse me?' replied Elcir with a doubtful face.

'We have been here for a few minutes, and the carriage is not moving,' explained Xavier. He knew that the royal city was far away, and he didn't want to be late on the most important day of his life.

'Oh, that! Have you never traveled with Tumulos before?" asked Elcir, Xavier denied with his head.

The knight simply opened the curtain of the wagon. Through the glass, something seemed to move. When Xavier understood what was going on, his eyes opened with astonishment as his jaw hung loose, opening his mouth. Trees, animals, maybe monsters, people, walls, and a myriad of objects passed before his eyes quickly.

'Tumulos are an excellent means of transport. Their ghost shape is transmitted to the whole carriage, and we travel at an impossible speed for any solid thing. The Tumulos, simply go through everything and keep on going. They are perfect for traveling long distances, for as long as they do not collide with a cloud of miasma," Elcir explained.

'What if they collide with miasma?' said Xavier.

'I don't want to know, but it is enough to say that no one has ever survived,' replied Elcir. 'By the way, if you stay looking out, you'll get dizzy and probably vomit. That's why the curtains were closed from the beginning. It happens to everyone unless they travel aboard this type of carriage very often'.

Xavier closed the curtain and remained silent. Many ideas passed through his head. At this speed, they would reach the Guard tower very quickly. The thought that his fate would soon be decided made him even more nervous. What element has destiny saved for him? What range of affinity would you have for that element? These questions arose in his mind, no matter how much he tried to suppress them. In the worst case, he would be a shadow mage. That was bad, but still, it was better than being a regular farmer. Even shadow magicians were considered nobility. Although he could only work on subjugation missions, walking between the miasma and putting his life at risk, it was worth it. He could earn a lot more money on one of those missions than in years of work in the field. Although the miasma would probably kill him quite young, in his mind, it was better to die young and rich than live to grow old and be miserable.

A normal carriage would take almost a week to get from Humol to Telasa, the royal city; however, the tumulos arrived in a couple of hours. Two knocks from the coachman at the door of the carriage were an indication to its passengers that they had arrived.

As he got off the wagon, Xavier saw a pair of knights. They stood in front of the south gate of the city wall; their armor was much more spectacular and imposing than that of Elcir, Renor, or any other knight he had seen before.

'This is the royal city. Identify yourself!' ordered the knight on the right.

'Elcir, a fellow knight of the citadel of Farpas, serving as a guide for his honor, the talent Xavier de Vonder,' explained Elcir, showing some documents.

'Welcome to the royal city of Telasa,' said the guard knight after checking the information and allowing them to pass.

'Good luck with your elemental affinity, sir,' said one of the knights as he opened the door.

Telasa was northwest of Humol, a few kilometers from the sea. It was a large walled city, and in the center was the royal palace, where the royalty of the dynasty, the great nobility, and the magicians of the court gathered. Hundreds of guards and knights enforced order and peace; the city streets were made out of stone; carriages were constantly passing by; stores, shops, restaurants... it was the cradle of the civilization of the Poem Dynasty.

Elcir entered the city with Xavier behind him and walked through the stone streets. A few meters from them, people lived their busy lives without paying attention to them. The people moved in all directions, noise, voices, all sorts of people walked through the streets and alleys; simple wagons passed frequently, some drawn by horses, others dragged by "carriers," men who performed the function of a horse pulling the wagons or carriages. Xavier was impressed by what he saw: several buildings with more than one floor; all the buildings were made of stone, with doors painted in vivid colors and adorned with the crests of noble families. The streets and alleys were made of stone, cleaner, and more organized than Humol would ever be; there wasn't even that much horse crap around.

'There are a lot of people around today; usually there is not so much movement on this side. Only the North and West gates have a lot of movement; it is where most of the shops, markets, access to the port, and other important businesses are' commented Elcir.

'The north and west gates have more shops, more people, and more movement? No way.' Xavier had never seen so many people moving around in his life. Everyone was in a rush.

Xavier and Elcir continued walking until they arrived at their destination. The Guard Tower, as its name indicated, was a tower. In Xavier's eyes, it looked like a huge, imposing building that should be more than five floors high. He had never seen a building so high in his life.

Again, two knights were guarding the entrance to the tower. Xavier saw more people coming in their direction, nobles in striking clothes and jewelry; he had never seen such a deployment of glamour and wealth: tall and slim boys, beautiful girls with rossy colored cheeks and long, clean, silky hair. Meanwhile, he was dressed in a simple suit that any ordinary citizen he had seen on the streets was wearing. A little shame invaded his mind when he realized the high class that surrounded him and to which he did not belong. Even Elcir felt something similar; although he was using his basic armor, which identified him as a knight, he felt like a fly among lions. It was not his first time in Telasa, but he could not remove that feeling of being inadequate from his mind.

The tower guards looked at Xavier and Elcir with disbelief, but after confirming the documents, they allowed them to pass.

When they entered the tower, they caught everyone's attention. A knight in simple armor and a brown-skinned, thin boy in very simple clothes did not fit in with the current glamour and riches that had gathered in the Guard Tower. However, that only meant that the boy was a talent, a future magician. Some nobles from lower families had attended the event, and when they saw Xavier in his simple suit, they analyzed him in detail. He was undoubtedly a poor devil of the lower strata of society; they saw in him the possibility of assimilating a powerful magician for their families. Some had already thrown themselves as hyenas on an easy prey.

'Good morning, young man. I imagine you are coming to identify your element and measure your magical affinity,' asked a fat, white, bald man, about fifty years old.

Xavier was extremely nervous and could not articulate a word, so he merely assented with his head. The man in front of him was a nobleman, probably someone important, while he was alone and away from his home. It was not the same as when he met Efrir, the lord of Humol. He knew who Efrir was and had seen him a few times, but this nobleman was a total stranger.

'Excellent; don't be nervous,' assured the nobleman. 'My name is Lugo, Lugo van Osi. Just call me Lugo. If you have any doubts, you can ask me; you are among friends here' Lugo reaffirmed with a big smile.

'Thank you,' said Xavier. Instead of feeling more relaxed, he was even more nervous. Living in misery had taught him to doubt the kindness of the nobles. Many people had their eyes on him; he felt like a sheep among wolves.

'Wow, Lugo, you certainly don't waste your time,' said a very tall, blonde woman. Her long and silky hair reached to her hips, and her blue eyes looked like two gems. She was over forty years old, but despite her age, she still retained great appeal. Her clothes were extravagant and accentuated her figure; the fitting dress highlighted her curves and her abundant bossom.

Lugo's face made a small gesture of being annoyed, which immediately turned into a smile. 'Oh, leader Van Felpo. I see nothing wrong with showing hospitality to a promising young man,' Lugo argued.

'Of course, hospitality is very important,' repeated the woman, and then she looked at Xavier from head to toe. 'And what's your name, young man?'

Xavier swallowed dry and then answered.

'Xavier de Vonder. I come from the border village of Humol, Madam Leader. He bowed with a rigid, almost ridiculous reverence; his nerves betrayed him.

'Please call me Samantha. As Lugo said, Here you are among friends,' Samantha stressed with a smile.

Like sharks to the flesh, other nobles began to approach Xavier; however, an announcement interrupted their plans. A tall man, thin and pale, of milk-white skin, was standing on a small stage. The color of his skin contrasted with that of his hair, which was an intense black color. Behind him, curtains covered the rest of the stage. Having caught the attention of those present, he began his speech.

'Ladies and gentlemen; magicians, nobles, citizens, talents. My name is Heigdal van Degar. Today, we are gathered here to celebrate this wonderful act. Today, future magicians will know to what element their magical energy is inclined and what their degree of affinity is. Today's events will forever mark the future of these promising young and talented men and women. A joyous day; we have so many promising talents today,' Heigdal announced as his eyes looked around the hall and evaluated the young people.

All eyes were on him. Heigdal made a move with his hand, the wind obeyed him, and the curtains behind him opened. In the center of the stage was a glass ball, out of which came five glass pipes. At the base, they contained a small layer of sand of different colors and a different symbol engraved on each pipe.

'For those who are not familiar with this process, I will explain it by means of a demonstration,' Heigdal announced, approaching the device behind him. 'This glass ball, which is connected to the pipes, is a channeler of magical energy. The sand you see has a specific affinity for each type of element. The symbols engraved on the pipes are the runes that identify each element.' He got closer to the pipelines.

'From right to left: white sand belongs to the water element; red, fire element. This crystal-like sand has an affinity with the wind element. Yellow, element of earth, and finally, this black sand has affinity with the element of shadows. When interacting with a magician with stable magic energy, the sand will begin to move and ascend in the glass pipeline; the degree of ascension will mark the affinity for that magical element. Now I will proceed to show how it works.' Heigdal put his right hand on the glass sphere.

The glass sphere began to shine slightly. However, nothing else happened. The sand in the glass pipes didn't show any reaction.

'It is currently configured for the water element. I have no affinity for that element.' Then, with his left hand, he turned the water pipe lever to a closed position, and then he changed the air pipe lever to an open position. The crystal sand began to float and rotate in the pipe until it reached the mark of twenty-eight percent in the pipeline graduation.

The nobles in the room began to applaud the demonstration. A magician with an affinity of that level was considered a high-class magician.

'Now we shall carry out the identification and measurement of the present talents. When you hear your name, please come up to my position.' Heigdal was prepared to call the first talent.

'Aelio de Raeven.'

A young white man with black hair, brown eyes, and noble clothes, adorned with more golden garments than was necessary, approached the stage. He climbed the stairs and put his hand on the glass ball. After a few seconds without a response on the white sand, they switched to the red sand lever. Immediately, the red sand began to move, rotate in circles, and ascend. Seconds later, it stabilized. They continued testing the other elements without a response.

'Aelio de Raeven, fire magician, six-percent affinity,' Heigdal announced as everyone applauded. He was a low-level magician, but with a decent affinity and an element with high destructive power.

The boy came down from the stage with a feeling of pride, his chest sticking out. He approached a man who was probably his father; they hugged each other for a few seconds, after which they separated and continued to watch the show, smiling.

'Astrid van Castin.'

A girl of white skin and red curly hair, in a dress with exaggerated brooms and too many ornaments to count, went up to the stage. She walked slowly, with gentle but exaggerated movements, her head up, and a forced smile, as if she were modeling. After climbing to the stage, she put her hand on the glass ball without waiting for instructions. The white sand column began to rise rapidly. After testing the rest of the elements with no results, the test was concluded.

'Astrid van Castin, water magician with an affinity of fifteen percent,' announced Heigdal. 'Excellent affinity, miss,' said Heigdal.

Immediately, the spectators burst into applause. A middle-level magician was an excellent addition to any family.

'Your daughter will be a surprising mage, leader Velen,' flattered Lugo.

'It is logical; she is a Van Castin, after all,' boasted Velen, proud.

Once the applause round came to a stop, Heigdal called the next young man.

"Volar van Dennis."

A tall, blonde boy went up to the stage. His clothes were also ostentatious and fully adorned with gold and silver. He walked with firm and secure movements. However, upon completion of his test, his face was in total despair. The whole room was silent as the boy came down from the stage with his face defeated and staring at the floor.

'Volar van Dennis, shadow magician, three-percent affinity.'

Volar returned with his family and silently left the room. Everybody knew that shadow magicians had no future. The scene made Xavier even more nervous.

'Clinton van Ferra,' Heigdal called, breaking the solemn aura that prevailed in the room.

A blonde boy with bright eyes and a thin, slim nose, taller than Xavier, went up to the stage. His face was indifferent; he climbed the stairs slowly, placing his hand on the glass ball according to the instructions, without showing much excitement.

'Clinton van Ferra, fire magician, with an affinity of ten percent.'

A new round of applause shook the room. Clinton came back with his father. His face remained as indifferent and stiff as ever. Although he was somewhat disappointed, he remained on the border between low-level and middle-level magicians. At least he had an affinity seven points above his father. His father, on the other hand, was out of his mind, dreaming of all the prestige that Clinton would bring to the family.

'Xavier de Vonder,' called Heigdal.

Xavier approached the stage with a nervous step. He climbed the stairs as if he were climbing a mountain. He didn't want to be a shadow mage. It would be a tragedy, though it was better than being a peasant. Xavier stood frozen, staring at the glass ball, as a thousand ideas and scenarios passed through his mind at a time.

"Young Xavier, please put your hand in the sphere," Heigdal said, bringing Xavier out of his trance.

'Oh, yes, of course,' said Xavier, lifting up his trembling hand.

When Xavier's hands touched the glass ball, it began to shine, creating a weird sensation. It felt as if something was flowing from his hands into the glass. A few seconds passed. The white sand showed no response. Heigdal turned to the red sand, and Xavier's face lit up as it began to move. However, the sand did not rise; it moved slightly, but it did not move forward.

'Interesting,' said Heigdal.

They switched to crystal sand... No answer. Only the yellow sand with the earth affinity and the black sand of shadows remained.

'Oh heavens, please let me be an earth magician, please,' Xavier begged from the bottom of his heart.

However, the earth was not his element either. With such a low affinity for fire, he would remain a talent; he did not have enough affinity to be declared a fire magician. The black sand, on the other hand, rose at once.

'Xavier de Vonder, dual magician,' said Heigdal, to which everyone reacted with surprise. The magicians of dual elements were rare.

'Affinity to fire lower or close to one percent, and affinity for shadows to twenty percent.' Announced Heigdal.

"Oh!" Many of those present let disappointment escape their mouths. Although he was on the border of being a high-class magician, his element, shadows, could not be more useless.

As he came down from the stage, Xavier returned to his original position. He looked towards Lugo and Samanta, who avoided his gaze. The message was clear. They weren't interested in a shadow magician, and on top of that, a peasant. The change of attitude was expected. Xavier's shoulders sank when he realized that his future was no longer so bright. But at least his family was noble now and could avoid paying half the taxes every year. Besides, he had the option to work on subjugation missions... It was better to die of myasma disease at the age of forty than to live miserably, eating oatmeal with watery milk for the rest of his life.

The reaction of many of the nobles caught Clinton's attention. Especially his father's face satisfaction when he saw Xavier come down the stage in defeat. He understood the meaning. A mere peasant should not have magic blood; it was an insult to the nobility. Although Clinton shared the ideal, seeing his father satisfied annoyed him. Although he expected that after his magic affinity test, Sven would be happy like a pig in mud, seeing it happen pissed him off. His father was thinking of using him as an asset, but Clinton van Ferra was not born to be a tool; he was born to rule and reign over the inferior, and his father was inferior; he did not deserve to be so cheerful on account of Clinton's talent. Now that he had confirmed his superiority, he had no need to continue playing the good-child game. With the intention of harassing his father and securing his goals, he approached Xavier. This poor bastard was his best choice.

'Interesting; it's weird to see a dual magician.' Clinton's voice brought Xavier out of the universe of misery into which his thoughts plunged him.

As he looked in the direction of the voice, the blonde boy who did the test before him looked back.

'Seriously? I didn't know,' said Xavier thoughtfully. 'Although it doesn't matter; they're just traces of fire, I'm basically a shadow wizard.'

'Well, maybe you can do something with those traces of fire; anyway, you are still a rare magician,' said Clinton with an optimistic attitude, extending his hand to Xavier.

'Thank you,' said Xavier, shaking Clinton's hand.

Although the contact with the young peasant was unpleasant to him, his father's angry face was worth it, so he just endured the nausea. In addition, he had to secure the entrance of a shadow magician to the Liev tower, someone he could manipulate and blame in case something went wrong. All the peasant magicians from the Dinasty were sent to the Liev Tower by Deffoult.

'Elisio de Frier' called Heigdal, causing the two young men to concentrate on the stage again.

While the others in the room were paying attention to the test, Clinton looked at his father, who looked at Xavier with a slight gesture of disgust that disappeared when he looked back at the stage or other nobles. A smile appeared on Clinton's face and disappeared almost instantly, leaving an inexpressive face worthy of a marble statue.

Meanwhile, on the stage, a brown-skinned boy approached the glass ball. After putting his hand on the glass, the reaction was immediate. The white sand began to rise to stabilize at seven percent. They continued testing elements.

'Oh, interesting!' said Heigdal.

The black sand of the shadows began to move slightly, much to the surprise of Heigdal and Elisio.

'Elisio De Frier, dual magician,' announced Heigdal. The audience reacted with surprise.

'Another dual magician?' asked Velen.

'Wait a moment, could the testing device be defective?' asked Lugo.

Meanwhile, Xavier's shoulders sank again. The only positive thing about his test was the fact that he was a dual magician, and now another one had appeared.

'Is there a volunteer to test the device?' asked Heigdal.

'I will do it,' offered Cliford, climbing up to the stage.

Cliford gave positive for the crystal sand of wind with a six percent. The test worked properly.

'Elisio de Frier, dual magician, magic of water, seven percent affinity, and magic of shadows, one percent affinity,' Heigdal announced.

Elisio was an authentic dual magician with a useful element. Upon leaving the stage, Lugo, Samanta, and others approached the young magician with the intention of ensuring more interactions after the event was over.

'Maurius van Felding.'

Maurius separated from Cliford and went up to the stage. Although he was slightly nervous, his parents had explained the process to him many times, and he had also seen it. Without hesitation, he put his hand on the glass. The white sand began to move; however, it did not progress much, stopping at one percent.

'This is a strange day,' said Heigdal, thinking of another dual magician while he was adjusting the levers.

'Impossible!' he shouted when he saw the red sand move too.

'What's going on?' asked Cliford.

'There is magic of water and fire at the same time in this boy,' replied Heigdal.

The people in the room began to laugh.

'The test is broken,' assured Sven, along with some nobles and magicians, going up to the stage.

Listening to this, Xavier regained hope. Perhaps the reading was wrong all along and he had more affinity for fire, or it was even possible that he had affinity for another element entirely.

'But it is right,' said Sven. 'The test works properly.'

All the magicians in the room tested their magic ability and affinity; the test worked perfectly for everyone.

'This is impossible.' Sven and the others had trouble accepting what they saw. A magician cannot have energy from two opposing elements. Water and fire cannot be combined. Just as fire dominates the earth or the earth opposes air, it was impossible.

'And yet...' said Heigdal, making Maurius do the test again. Like the previous time, the sand with an affinity for water and fire, reacted to him. Another dual magician with opposite elements, although his affinity was very weak.

'Shouldn't we try the others?' asked Maurius, disappointed. Although being a dual magician seemed to be something extraordinary, there were already two in the room at this time, and his affinity was mediocre at best.

'Yes, we will test them all,' replied Heigdal, though he knew that the boy might have shadows as a third element. However, when he opened the wind lever...

'No way!'

After the initial expressions of surprise, everyone remained silent. The crystal sand column had risen up to eight percent. This was an extraordinary event: the only magician in history with triple elemental affinity was the father of modern magic, the legendary Liev.

Cliford, Sven, Samanta, Heigdal, Velen, and everyone else in the room were stupefied watching the wind sand column float. Heigdal was overwhelmed by excitement as he changed the lever once again. The yellow sand column of the earth element also began to move by one percent. He changed the lever again, and the shadow element also moved to two percent.

'Unbelievable, simply incredible,' cried Heigdal. Penta elemental magician.

Surprise, disbelief, doubt, confusion, they had all sorts of emotions. This broke all standards and theories about a magician's ability and elemental compatibility.

"Hum!" Heigdal said.

'It could be a unique case. In other words, the five elements could be balancing the incompatibilities,' Heigdal was lost in thought as he sought an explanation for the phenomenon in front of his eyes.

'Excuse me, my test?,' bluntly demanded a black-haired girl. Her father's angry face reminded Heigdal of how unprofessional he had been; he let his curiosity distract him from the work at hand.

'Sorry! Dorsia de Palet!' called Heigdal after recovering his composure.

Everyone came down from the stage to leave room for the girl. Dorsia climbed the stairs and stood in front of the glass ball.

'I'm sorry for the delay, Miss. Please proceed,' apologized Heigdal.

A few minutes later, the test was over, and all the talents had been evaluated.

"Dorsia de Palet, Earth magician, affinity ten percent," Heigdal announced, finalizing the assessments.

'Congratulations to all the magicians who have participated in this event today. It has been an unforgettable occasion. Good-quality mages, two dual magicians, and a magician for afinity for all five elements... Something never seen in the history of the world since the age of magic started. Congratulations to all of you,' concluded Heigdal.

'Ladies and gentlemen!' Sven raised his voice, getting everyone's attention. 'The Van Ferra House will hold a feast in honor of the magicians who have just received their evaluation. We will take care of the presentation in society of this group of talented young men and women. You are all invited to our humble abode.' Sven announced it with false modesty.

The adults approached Sven and began to exchange adulation. Meanwhile, some of the young mages were getting closer to each other. Clinton stood by Xavier, and Maurius approached them.

"Clinton van Ferra, it is a pleasure to meet you at last; your family has become famous among the nobles," said Maurius.

The Van Ferra were a wealthy family due to their multiple businesses and relations among the nobles. Although it was no secret that Sven did not have the talent of his father, and the family began its decline, they still remained high-class nobles. But what drew Maurius' attention was Clinton's closeness to a peasant like Xavier. The Van Felding were humble at heart, at least as much as a family of nobles could be; they did not adapt to the stuck-up behavior of the rest of the members of their social hierarchy.

'I should say the same,' answered Clinton, streching his hand.

'You're Xavier, right?' asked Maurius.

Xavier affirmed with his head. The way the nobles acted was too "refined" for him. While he was concerned about his clothes and his future, the others seemed to have more transcendental topics on their minds. He didn't fit in here, and that made him feel very nervous.

Meanwhile, Clinton looked at his father from time to time while he held worldly talks with the other nobles and magicians and tried to hide his disgust for Xavier.

'I assume that you both will come to the party in our lands,' said Clinton.

'Of course,' replied Maurius.

Clinton kept staring at Xavier.

'I can't,' said Xavier.

'For what reason?' asked Clinton.

Xavier's face turned red. Pure shame wandered through his being. After being unable to find an excuse, he said what was on his mind.

'I am a poor peasant; I have nothing to wear; I don't know how to behave in front of high-class people,' he replied, stressing the obvious.

'You fool, you are a magician, and a dual magician to boot,' replied Clinton, pretending to believe his own words with such mastery that he would put the most skilled actor or scammer to shame.

'I am a shadow magician with a residue of fire. We all know how difficult my future as a magician is. Even a peasant like me knows how useless the shadow magicians are,' explained Xavier with a forced smile, as if mocking himself.

'Well, sorry to disappoint you, but you will come to our party,' assured Clinton, laying his arm on Xavier's shoulders when he tried to refuse.

'I will not accept a no for an answer. The party will be in a week, and I will have clothes ready for you. I will also take care of your transport. You don't worry about anything and have a good time.'

While the three young men were getting to know each other, Clinton's father, Sven, forced a smile as he spoke to other nobles. Seeing Clinton treat a dirty peasant so kindly filled him with fury. His son behavior was completely abnormal. He had never seen him so friendly with anyone before. But for the sake of the situation, he chose to be tolerant.

For his part, Maurius was surprised. Nobles like his grandfather seemed deplorable to him. Seeing Clinton be so friendly with a person of lower status led him to think that he was not as hypocritical and classist as the other nobles and magicians. So he decided to approach them first, and the current events made him believe that his first impression was correct.

When Astrid saw the meeting, she felt curious. Although Xavier was, obviously, a disgusting pest with a worthless magic element, Clinton and Maurius were real talents. Maurius weird magic affinity called her attention. He was a five-element magician, a unique case. Clinton, on the other hand, had a ten percent affinity that was the frontier for middle-class magicians. Being on the edge of the ranking did not diminish its value. She couldn't resist her curiosity, so she approached them.

'Gentlemen,' Greeted Astrid, 'I will allow you to enjoy my presence and my company. Congratulations.'

'Well, such modesty,' said Clinton.

'Lucky us, I guess,' said Maurius.

'What can I say? I am just that much of a sweetheart' said Astrid as Maurius and Clinton looked at each other in disbelief. This girl didn't understand sarcasm.

During all this time, Xavier kept silent. A poor devil like him was not in a position to seek enemies among the nobles of the upper class; he had to respect her, however annoying she was. Fortunately, Astrid had ignored him like a fly on the wall.

'Good afternoon, everybody. Maurius, my boy, it is time for you to come with me; the family has great plans for you,' Merlo van Dekar, Mauricus grandfather, announced, entering through the guard tower door.

Cliford immediately moved in between Merlo and his son.

'I think I told you clearly enough that we do not belong to your family. You have no control over me or my son,' Cliford rebuked.

'You're wrong; I plan to make good use of a talented penta elemental magician. The agreements that will be signed with other noble families will enrich and strengthen the position of our family for generations,' Merlo refuted without showing the slightest fear to Cliford. If he was alone, he was easy prey. Ultria had stayed at the Feldings household, dealing with business matters. As the head of the family, she had responsibilities that she could not delegate.

A stream of wind began to form around Cliford as the atmosphere distorted around Merlo's hands, whose temperature began to rise. Maurius placed himself next to his father.

'I have no intention of accompanying you anywhere, leader Merlo. I do not belong to your family; I am a Van Felding and a wind magician, like my father, and I will always be," Maurius assured, raising his head and puffing his chest.

'This joke has gone too far. You belong to the Van Dekars, and you will do as you are commanded,' Merlo screamed in a dominant tone.

'I would rather die,' replied the boy, steeling his resolve and looking at Merlo in defiance.

'I will teach you both some respect,' said Merlo, lifting up his right hand as a flame began to form. However, before he could launch the attack, the flame around his hand died out.

'Who dares?' Merlo couldn't end his threat. The air around his body had disappeared. He couldn't breathe.

'I dare,' replied Heigdal. 'Your ego has become bigger than your brain, Merlo. You must be very brave or very stupid to raise such a ruckus at the Guard Tower on such an important day, in front of a member of the royal magic court who doubles your affinity and who is a specialist in combat magic.'

The air returned around Merlo, who could now breathe normally. When he tried to say something, Heigdal raised his hand and put a finger on his lips.

"Shh! I will let this offense pass for today; however, I must warn you that I have taken some interest in the development of this boy. I recommend that you take that into account in the future.′ Heigdal turned around without waiting for a response and resumed the conversation with the other nobles, ignoring Merlo. His lack of caution towards Merlo made the situation clear; he was not an opponent against whom Heigdal should be concerned.

The defeated and humiliated Merlo turned around and walked toward the exit of the tower. From time to time, he threw angry and hateful gazes at the father and son, who watched him go away. He never imagined that someone on Heigdal's scale would intervene. Most nobles would seek a way to take advantage of a magician as interesting as Maurius, so it would be in everyone's interest if he took control over the boy. However, Heigdal valued his dignity more than anything else, and Merlo's performance at an event that he auspiciated was intolerable.

'Well, that was interesting,' said Clinton.

Meanwhile, Xavier was frightened and more pale than a corpse. It was known that a fight between magicians was a very dangerous situation, especially for ordinary people. Although he was supposed to be a magician, he knew nothing of magic; his element was useless, and no one in the room cared about him, nor did he have any relatives to protect him.

'Well, well, we should start with the paperwork,' said Elcir, hurrying to Xavier side. Elcir also wanted to get out of there. He wasn't a nobleman; he was just a knight from a citadel. He didn't want to be caught up in the noble fights, much less a fight among magicians.

Elcir knew what they had to do; that was why his superiors sent him with Xavier. Although it was a disappointment that the boy was a shadow magician, he still had to fulfill the task entrusted to him. Xavier said goodbye to Clinton and Maurius; Astrid pretended that he did not exist and departed before he could say anything. Xavier and Elcir came out of the tower. A few meters away was a registration office, where some documents were handed over to him. Xavier could read, not very fluently, but good enough to not need Elcir help. The poor didn't have much time or materials to learn, but his mother made sure that her children, at least, could read, write, and count. In addition to documents, he was handed over a badge with two runes, the largest of which was the rune of the shadow element, shaped like a wheel; the small one was the element of fire, a triangle with the tip upward. In the center of the emblem, there was a space for his family crest. Although he hadn't received any training yet, he was already officially a magician. Xavier de Vonder, dual magician of Humol.