the monarch

Being a genius had its benefits, you didn't need to have money or power. Only the promise of favor could get most people to agree with his requests. Kayden felt surprised, he barely remembered it, but it came at just the right moment. He was almost done with the books he was interested in in the library, there weren't many books on the subject. There were few mages capable of studying magical animals and even fewer those with the curiosity and scientific spirit to do so.

"That's good, Heimer," Kayden was gleeful, but then he got a little jolt of reality. He was just a 5-year-old boy, how was he going to find the man on his own? "But how can I go there?"

Heimer was already prepared for that question as well.

"Ask the old man to take you. He'll deny it at first, but just tell him it's extremely important for your growth as a mage," it seemed that Heimer had done similar things before. "And if he still denies it, just cry. He's weak at heart."

Kayden hadn't thought about it, he was always doing everything himself, but his dad was someone he could rely on. You just had to be smart not to reveal too much about yourself to him.

"Just don't let the old man go with you there, he ends up scaring most people because of his magic level," Kayden always had a doubt and decided to take it away now. Closing the book and getting up to put it away, he asked: "Heimer, what is the rank after apprentice and what is the rank of old man?" Kayden was always focused on his goals and it never crossed his mind. He had an idea that the next rank was a mage, but that was where his knowledge ended.

"The next rank is the mage, and as for the old man's rank, I don't know. But I've never seen anyone stronger than him until today, and I've talked to many powerful mages," Heimer said sincerely. This was also his question. The old man never said anything about his magic level or his life before the orphanage.

After exchanging a few more words with his friend, Kayden headed upstairs to look for the old man. The man was making lunch for the various children at the orphanage. Kayden enjoyed the old man's cooking, probably over time he got a great deal of cooking experience.

While frying some eggs in several floating pans, the man was also stirring something in a giant pan. Unlike his cold and tough air, he wore an apron with some flowers. He claimed it was a gift from a friend, but no one believed that.

"Hi Dad, how are you?" Kayden greeted cheerfully.

"Hi Kayden, I'm busy right now, kid." Even with the gruff tone, Kayden knew it was just a front. Also, the man seemed carefree when cooking. It could hardly be called busy, he didn't even make an effort to carry out the various activities at the same time.

"I need your help with something, it's really important to me, have a chance to help me with my rank," Kayden expressed his wishes in a determined way.

"What do you need?" Before even knowing what it was, the old man had already decided to help the boy. He knew that the child was a genius trapped by his low-rank body, and he still felt bad from the shock of the test years ago.

Seeing that his father was willing to help, Kayden quickly explained that he wanted to meet the author of the book "Heart of Beasts and Heart of Mana". The old man laughed and explained again to Kayden that this topic was a joke, but the boy refused to listen and insisted that he needed to meet David.

After some insistence, the old man agreed to take him the next day. It was a Sunday so it was perfect. He needed some time to find someone to look after the children at the orphanage. Finishing arranging the dishes, the old man called the children to lunch and said:

"Prepare yourself with notes and things you'll want to take. We're going by train. The trip should only take a few hours, but you never know what could happen. Always prepare for the unexpected." After confirming the old man, Kayden thanked him and went back to the library. He would reread David's book to have something to talk about with the author.

The next day, Kayden woke up early and checked his backpack with some extra clothes and a notebook to take notes. He performed his mana training and went down to have coffee with his father.

After a few greetings, the old man asked Kayden to accompany him to the train and gave the boy some directions. It might not look like it, but the old man was nervous about it being Kayden's first long-distance trip.

"Don't talk to strangers and don't go to uncrowded places. Avoid being alone with anyone else anywhere without me. I'll drop you off at his place, just like you asked, and I won't interfere or let him see me," the old man kept giving information over and over, like a doting mother.

Before getting on the train, the old man gave Kayden a bracelet and said it was for protection. He didn't give more details or anything like that. This item was the first magic item Kayden had ever seen, and he couldn't see any difference from a normal bracelet. But he decided to trust the old man. The man would hardly lie to him without reason.

Kayden was already used to riding the train, but this time it was different. After leaving the part of town, the train entered a kind of transparent funnel and began to accelerate.

crazy air. For a moment, Kayden felt pressed into the seat, but he quickly stabilized. Seeing the boy's curiosity, the old man explained:

"This funnel is so that nothing gets in the way of the train. Right now we are moving at over 500 kilometers per hour. That kind of speed is only allowed in places outside of human circulation." The environment outside was changing rapidly. In a few moments, they were in a forest of gigantic trees and then below a river.

Kayden felt delighted. He saw deserts, rivers that looked like seas, and giant trees. At times, I was even able to see some giant animals around, but they were rare. Usually, they avoided this iron giant.

After exactly 3 hours, Kayden arrived at a city that was inside a gigantic jungle. The city was surrounded by trees in every way. And oddly enough, there were no walls. The houses were mostly small. It seemed to be something more cultural than a necessity.

After getting off the train, Kayden came across a standard train station. It seemed that they were the same everywhere, from the center of a city to the countryside. The old man brought Kayden to a quieter spot in the station and went over what he had said earlier. Then he ordered a taxi for the two of them. This generated a little doubt in the boy.

"Why don't we go flying, Dad?" Kayden still remembered the excitement of his first day of school. Feeling the wind hitting your face and the ground passing your feet was an amazing feeling.

"Flying gets a lot of attention in cities. That's not something I want." Minutes later, the taxi arrived. The two went inside and the old man gave the address that Heimer had found.