Legacy of the Dark Sage

Aillos entered his office and looked at the figure on the single sofa perpendicular to the multi-seater ones.

Taking a deep breath, he entered and closed the door behind him, saying, "You have caused such a commotion on the first day. What do you have to say about that?"

"...It's not as if you did not expect it."

Aillos barely stopped his brow from twitching from Kyran's cheeky response. He furrowed his brows and said, "Even so, you should have avoided getting found out on the first day. Do you realize how annoying it is to make up excuses and avoid the queries of all the tribe patriarchs?"

Kyran shrugged and leaned back on the chair, "That's why I don't like politics."

"Yet you went ahead and caused such a scene."

"It's not me. It's that Venom Dragon talent you caused it."

"Because you let him have a glimpse of another magic."

"If I didn't do that, I'd be in trouble with his Poison. I hate making excuses, but at the state I'm in right now, I can't afford to have his magic energy enter my system," Kyran replied and sighed in frustration.

Frankly, he had the option to absorb Dilitrio's poison at the start of the match. But doing that would expose his Void magic. Moreover, his Draconic core was still unstable. If he absorbed Dilitiro's poison, which also carried the nature of Draconic magic, his Draconic core might get excited once the Void core separated the Poison magic energy and the Draconic magic.

When that happened, Kyran did not know if Shaiha could maintain control over his central core. Given her weakened state, she might not be able to handle the pressure, and his central core might go haywire.

Currently, those who heard Dilitrio's remark only speculated about Kyran possessing two innate magic. Even if they suspected it to be another Ancient magic, without valid proof, it would only remain as such—a speculation. That should be enough until Aillos confirmed everything on the last day.

"Are your magic cores still acting up?" Aillos asked with furrowed brows as he sat on the solo single sofa opposite Kyran's. He knew Kyran's two magic cores suffered damage when he went to the Blade Dancer Clan plane. Cyneah already healed it, but the fact that it took Kyran a few days before he regained consciousness after her treatment showed he had endured for a long time.

He also went to work with the new Array as soon as he returned, so enduring the damage on his magic cores was expected to take a toll on his body.

"It's stable as long as I don't overexert the amount of magic I can use."

"Having you participate in all the matches with such a restriction can be exhausting."

"Please don't implement another condition that can be seen as favorable to my end."

"I won't."

"...Thanks."

"But tomorrow's matches will be more exhausting. The talents you'll be facing will try to fish out information on your second innate magic."

Kyran sighed, "I guessed as much. But I already have a plan."

"You don't need to tell me."

"I don't plan on telling you either."

"Cheeky brat."

Kyran chuckled.

"And? You did not come here to talk about your slip, right?"

"I need your consent to enter the Regis Terram."

Aillos did not reply immediately and instead leaned forward to look at Kyran intently.

"You don't need my consent to enter the terram."

Kyran smiled wryly while scratching his head slightly. "I meant to enter that terram."

Aillos narrowed his eyes before leaning his back on the chair. The Regis Terram he referred to was the one in the Dragon plane. However, Kyran was talking about the one in the Human plane.

After a short pause, Aillos finally replied. He said, "Time flows differently in that space."

"I know, that's why I need to enter it."

"You want to consolidate the magic concepts you learned during the matches in that space without wasting precious time."

"Yes."

"You don't need my consent," Aillos replied with raised brows. "If that is the only thing you intend to do."

The entry requirements of the Human plane's Regis Terram were strict because the magic laws there followed the ones in the Higher Realm. Only someone connected to beings in the Higher Realm could endure the terram's environment. In the Regis Clan's case, it was their connection with Ames and the current Dragon Emperor.

For this reason, Kyran did not need Ames or Aillos's consent to enter.

Aillos knew this, which was why he guessed that Kyran had another reason. To be more specific, Kyran asked for his consent to have another person or group of people enter the terram.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Kyran could have asked for Ames's consent, but knowing her temperament, she would not agree to his request. She barely agreed with the idea of Cyneah being Kyran's life partner. If he suddenly requested another group of humans, and one of them had a complicated relationship with him, she would definitely reject him.

Kyran sighed, "I know there is no point hiding it from you. I need a few people who don't belong to the clan to enter the terram because I need their help while I consolidate what I've learned during the matches. Explore more stories at empire

"I know they can't enter the terram like my people, even if I considered them as allies because I figured my people are, technically, still part of the clan, with me being their 'master.' But the people I'm inviting are not. And the relationship the clan has with them can be summed up as business partners only."

Aillos observed Kyran in silence for a moment before finally replying.

"Alright. However, you need a couple of people to join you."

Kyran raised his brows in confusion, "Why? It's not like those guys can do anything to me."

"That is not why you need people to join you," Aillos replied with a deadpan expression. "As I said, time in that terram flows differently. I understand you want to use that particular plane's feature to consolidate what you have learned. However, if you don't have anyone else to remind you of the current flow of time, you will miss tomorrow's matches.

That plane's feature also included an interference that will stop any form of contact from the outside, after all."

"Ah, right. I almost forgot about that," Kyran muttered, recalling how he put his people in danger because he got caught up in using the terram's exceptional environment to create a lot of things, not knowing that the time flow there was different and that no one could contact him from the outside.

"But why is the time flow in that terram different when the time flow in the Human plane and the planes in the Higher Realm are the same?" Kyran suddenly asked, recalling this particular doubt he had but had not yet had the opportunity to understand.

"Because the Regis Terram in the Human plane is stuck between two realms. Thus, the time is affected. The closer you are to the edge of the terram, the closer it follows the Lower Realm's time flow," Aillos explained patiently. "As you know, that terram is connected to the terram here. However, no one can cross the boundary of the two realms just like that.

This is why, even if one finds the other end of the terram, one cannot cross it and will only appear in an ethereal form."

"...That makes sense," Kyran muttered, remembering how Ames initially appeared before him in such a state.

Recalling how godly and ethereal Ames appeared back then, Kyran felt a little disillusioned now that he knew her better. Not that he would admit that in front of her. Otherwise, he would suffer something worse than death.

Aillos chuckled as if reading what was on Kyran's mind and said, "Yes. Try not to voice your thoughts in front of Ames. She might forget you are her precious grandson."

"..."

"I'll allow Sisi to join you. Since you will invite others, I guess you also intend to spar with them. If you end up injuring them, having her with you helps."

"...I guess so."

Aillos looked at Kyran in confusion. He had thought the latter would have answered along the lines: "You don't need to say that because I'm taking her along, anyway." Kyran might not even care about that and would instead comment on Aillos's remark about him injuring the people he invited.

But instead, Kyran seemed hesitant to take Cyneah with him.

"That's a very dull response coming from you."

"..."

Instead of commenting on that, Kyran chose a safe response by saying, "That's all I came here for. I will take my leave."

"...."

Aillos did not reply and only gave a short nod of acknowledgment.

After Kyran left, Aillos rested his head on the sofa's backrest and sighed.

'Now... how am I going to pacify the other tribes' concern.'

*

Kyran passed through the gate from the Dragon plane's Regis Terram along with Cyneah and Jared, who were his chaperones. He had already briefed them about his intentions, and they agreed to join him.

Initially, Cade was supposed to join Kyran and Cyneah because he could easily contact the Conclave and set up a meeting. However, they received news from the Regis members staying outside the new Array in Coelus's corpse that the first group was almost done with their time.

Since Kyran could not postpone consolidating what he learned, Cade suggested staying behind and having Jared go with them instead.

Jared looked toward Cyneah and smiled upon seeing the latter's excited expression.

"You look very excited," he remarked. "Are you that happy to be able to return to the Human plane?"

Cyneah reddened slightly and nodded, "Yes. I am also excited to meet sister Stella again."

To be honest, Kyran did not have to consolidate what he had learned in the Regis Terram. He could have returned to the Human plane, met with the Conclave, and requested that Stella create a unique space where she controlled the time flow so he could train.

But after Stella admitted her feelings to Kyran, he hesitated to ask her for more favors. He had not repaid his debts yet, and even if she never asked anything in return, that made him feel more reluctant to ask her for help again.

Anyhow, they would enter the Human plane for a few hours until the Conclave members arrived at the estate, and all of them could enter the Regis Terram together. They would not stay long, but Cyneah was quite happy to return to the Human plane after several years. Moreover, she was excited to meet Stella again because she considered the latter her first female friend.

On the other hand, Kyran was a little stressed out about their friendship. He was not against it; he just felt troubled by Stella's feelings and his current relationship with Cyneah.