Immediately, the crowd parted to make way for one of the three queens of the Imperial Academy: the cold Cassane of the Windsteels.
The other two, the kind and innocent Lisbeth of the Vitalis and the powerful and sharp-witted Valeria of the Astafords, completed the triumvirate of power and beauty that governed the social hierarchy of the campus.
Of course, there were other women who stood out for their status, but in a world where strength was everything, the combination of beauty and talent was the only thing everyone admired.
Cassane walked past me without really taking any notice of my existence. Nor did I make the slightest effort to catch her attention; our "alliance" was a shadowy arrangement, not a fairy-tale romance.
I stayed for a while talking to Klaus and Sera, trying to reassure them before heading to my room in the Academy dormitories. I knew their minds were on the verge of collapsing with so many questions, but it wasn't the time for answers.
Once inside my room, Adela was already waiting for me, blending in perfectly with the luxurious furnishings.
"Master, the report you requested is ready," she said as she handed me some neatly written sheets of paper.
I'd expected it to take little time, but the fact that they'd managed to gather all the information in just the three days of the journey to the capital still surprised me. He'd truly managed to recruit some very capable people in this world.
I took the papers and began to read. When I finished, I was able to identify three crucial points in the report.
The first was already familiar to me: Julius Sterling. He had hounded Cassane relentlessly to force her to marry him, going so far as to eliminate other suitors and watch her at all hours like a predator stalking its prey.
The second, although also a suitor, struck me as far more interesting. Apparently, our "Ice Queen" has a prince hot on her heels; and not just any prince, but the famous Lucas Wyvern, of the Lucratis Empire. This neighbouring empire is particularly known for its thirst for expansion and for instigating constant conflicts to increase its power.
Why would someone of his stature want to marry the daughter of a marquis from an enemy kingdom? According to the report, Prince Lucas is looking for a way to break through the bottleneck that mages face when advancing from the 6th to the 7th circle; a barrier similar to that between the 3rd and 4th circles, but infinitely more complex. Cassane Windsteel, with her rare and unstable affinity for ice, seems to be the perfect "panacea" to stabilise that leap in power.
I said there were three points, but this last one has little to do with her and is more of a personal warning. Apparently, someone in the capital doesn't know what they've got themselves into.
My dear sister, Margery, is being harassed by a very "special" person.
I smiled to myself, knowing full well the fate that awaited this one.
No one touches what belongs to me and lives to tell the tale.
For a moment, I stopped thinking about my plans for this world and memories of my past life came flooding back.
But I quickly pushed them aside; there was no point in remembering them now. I had left that life behind; now I would live for myself.
Meanwhile, in a world thousands of light-years away, in a hall of heavenly opulence, stood a giant circular table surrounded by ten chairs. They were occupied by women whose perfection transcended the human, as if each had been sculpted by the laws of the universe itself.
"Sister Siyin, the cultivators of the Black Blood Sect continue to insist that we hand over what we obtained in that hidden world a month ago," remarked the first to speak, Yuning.
"Hmph!" interrupted another of the sisters, Luowei. "They couldn't be more arrogant. Ever since they've known the Master is away, they think they can give us orders and intimidate us as if it were nothing."
"Luowei, don't be rash," Siyin interjected in a calm yet authoritative voice. "We already know what those from that sect are like; if you give them a crumb, they'll want the whole arm. We certainly won't hand anything over so easily."
"They've been plundering other small cultivation worlds lately," added Yuning with concern. "I really don't know what they're up to."
Silence reigned in the room, heavy and laden with ancient power. Finally, the eldest sister, Siyin, seated in the centre, declared:
"Go back to your training; we shall discuss this no further. If they persist, we shall be ready for war."
Once the room had emptied, the youngest of the sisters, Xingyue, returned quietly.
"Sister… I want to go and find the Master."
Siyin looked at her with a seriousness that concealed a deep melancholy and replied:
"He is now living his life for himself, Xingyue. It is not for us to take that away from him."