| Outcome |

POV: ARTHUR LEYWIN

"Arthur Leywin, son of Reynolds and Alice Leywin. The Council has decreed that, due to your recent actions of excessive violence and the inconclusive circumstances involved, your mana core will be restrained, your title as a mage will be stripped, and you will be incarcerated until further judgment."

Just as the beat up Lance girl announced the Council's decreed the crowd started judging me immediately.

The so ever-foolish faces of the all-accepting crowd. Those that blindly worshipped the Council as well as all forms of higher authority. They took the words written on the communication artifact as G.o.d's truth and looked at me with eyes of condemnation. Their whispers could even be heard from where I was standing as their eyes narrowed into a disdainful glare,believing that I was somehow responsible for everything that had happened inside the academy.

But what surprised me most were, the students and faculty that were involved in the incident—those that had the strength to still speak—all cried out in protest. Because my family was the closest, I could hear them the most clearly.

"Incarcer... Your Honour, there must be some sort of mistake," my mother voiced out from behind the fence.

"Yes, I'm sure that there is an explanation for all of this. My son would never... there must be an explanation for all of this," my father amended, knowing perfectly well what I was capable of.

There were other outcries of protest: some from students I recognized as well as from those who were simply stating the truth; all of which were ignored by the female lance.

"This makes no sense! How dare you punish the one who actually did some good. If it wasn't for Arthur and that masked man, you lances wouldn't have had anyone left to save!" I turned my head towards the source of the voice. To my surprise, it was Kathlyn Glayder. She was marching in my direction with unbridled fury in her eyes; an expression I had neither seen nor expected from her.

"Your father and mother were the ones, along with King and Queen Greysunders, that had voted in favor of this judgment," the female lance promptly interrupted. While her words were respectful, her expression and tone could only be depicted as indifferent and rude.

Before Kathlyn could get any closer, her brother held her back. I couldn't hear what he had told her but the princess finally relented, her face still red and body shaking.

I knew that no matter how much I try to reason with the female lance, she wouldn't listen. Letting me go wasn't her decision to make.

"Can I speak to my family one last time before you take me?" I asked, my voice coming out more sullen than I had wished.

After receiving a terse nod from the female lance, I walk back to where my parents were leaning against the fence. For a few seconds, we just stared at each other, not knowing how to begin.

"Also we will need you to tell us all about the masked man!"the only uninjured Lance said to me,obviously that man was Ráel but why was he there and to top it all he was hiding his identity.

It was like he knew this would happened and took action beforehand,why did he start a fight with the lances it doesn't make sense and he disappeared in the end.

No one here will figured it out that it was him the only people that have seen him in that attire are the adventurers,Jasmine and me.

After having a talk with my parents and reassuring them that everything will be okay,the lances took me and Sylvie towards the so called Council.

As the distance between me and the academy increased, I had the notion that I was leaving my life as an ordinary student behind.

We travelled wordlessly through the sky as all attempts to start a conversation had been shot down. As gentle as they were in how they treated me, to them, I was still a prisoner waiting to be judged.

Through the Journey I learned the name of the female Lance and I had a talk with the only person that seemed sociable enough to hold a conversation with me,the old Lance in a sense he was even more mysterious than the other two cold lances.

Varay held up her hand as if she was searching for something in the air. With a soft click, the sky split apart to reveal a metal staircase.

Olfred let out a smirk upon seeing my gaping mouth.

"Welcome to the Council's floating castle."

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"Is there no faster way to go up than climbing this absurd amount of stairs?" I sighed. My body might be stronger than most humans even without my mana core due to the a.s.similation process I had gone through, but I was still growing impatient at the wasted time.

"Magic cannot be used at all of the entrances," Varay answered immediately, a hint of impatience in her already cold voice.

Lost in my thoughts, I hadn't realized that Varay had stopped.

"Oof," I let out a surprised grunt as I b.u.mped into her. The female lance was just a tad taller than me but I was a step below her so my face had only hit her back. However, my arms were cuffed in front of me and they had hit someplace a bit more... intimate.

I hadn't thought much of it, but to my surprise, Varay reacted in a way I would not have expected. She let out a rather effeminate little squeal as she jumped forward. Whipping around to face me, I could see her face flash in embarra.s.sment and surprise before immediately contorting into a fearsome glare that could drench someone in cold sweat.

Collecting herself, she turned back around and placed her hand at the end of the stairwell before muttering softly, "We are here."

I let out a deep sigh knowing full well what is about to happen throughout my life as a King I have learned a lot so the games of the royals I know them to damn well.

Just as we entered the hall the two lances bowed their head as they greeted the old Kings and Queens of this continent.

The two lances that had escorted me here took a few steps back from me as I looked up at the Council.

Alduin Eralith spoke up with in a gentle tone, his expression coming off as almost guilty for bringing me here. "Arthur Leywin. Before we begin, I would like to thank you, not as a leader but as a father for saving my daughter

"And need I remind you that we are here as leaders of this d.a.m.ned continent, not fathers?" Dawsid interjected, pounding his fists on the table. "This boy mutilated one of his fellow schoolmates before killing him. Shall I read the description one of the scouts so kindly sent to us?"

Priscilla shook her head, trying to quell the situation.

"Dawsid, I hardly think it's necessary—"

"Both legs, crushed into mush past the mid-thigh. Left arm, dismember and cauterized past the elbow. Right arm, frozen and crushed. Genitals..." As the former dwarf king continued to read off of the scroll, even he seemed to have a hard time saying what was coming up next. "Genitals, along with the pelvic bone, crushed and not to mention the other masked man burned all the suspects to crispy,our source even went and said that the man would not differentiate between Alias and enemies,wich clearly the boy in front of us knows him why would he be there and spare Lucas Wykes, just so he could kill him. —"

"I think that's enough, Dawsid," Alduin warned as the king pointed his fingers at me clearly accusing me,he would have continued if Alduin did not stop him.

After much discussion between them it was decided that I will be imprisoned here at the castle until further judgments.

It was obvious that the former dwarf king and queen were all for crippling me, while the Glayder's remained neutral since much is still unknown. I was going to have to rely on Alduin and Merial if Sylvie and I were going to get home unscathed.

As the stone knight carried me through a different door and down a flight of stairs, I tried to talk to Olfred with little results.

Taking a look around, it seemed like your typical castle dungeon where prisoners of war and traitors were held. I was in just one of the many cells, but much of the area was covered by shadows that the light of the few burning torches couldn't reach.

"This will be your cell, Arthur. Your bond will be placed elsewhere." The summoned knight carrying me suddenly crumbled into dust upon reaching my dungeon chamber. I landed rather unimpressively on my knees and elbows as Olfred shut the metal cage.

And there I met directory Goodsky after further discussion my suspicions became true.

War is about to befall this continent.

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POV: Ráel

After sorting my thoughts I decided to go deep inside the beast glades and since then a night has passed.

I was able to Sense the mana and life force of the lances going south also there was a spike in mana today that should be the "invisible" floating castle, thanks to my demonic eyes I could probably find out it's location without a problem.

Anyways the mana beasts here are much stronger and intelligent than the ones I have faced before,I thought as I jumped back and send a wind slash towards the neck of a lion like mana beast.

I found a Pride of adult lions and a few cubs the adults are S-class and the little ones are already A-class since birth,all living creatures in this world are born with mana cores expect humans truly interesting if you think about it.

Humans can even survive if their mana core broken and can't be used like the mana cores from the beasts.

Anyways I am getting of track here,my purpose should be reaching white stage as soon as possible and to undergo another evolution.

From this point on I have about two years at the speed at wich I am improving my mana core I should reach white in 4-6 months and from my guess the requirements to break through should be full mastery of the elements and swordsmanship.

What I am mostly worried is the understanding of Aether if that is a requirement I will have a difficult time reaching my goals in six months.

I have been trying since I was in the academy to understand it better at most I would have 1% of understanding and that is me guessing.

Mehh what the hell it is what it is I will face it in the future for now time to absorb some life force from those beasts and be on my way.

I took out the map that the director gave me and made some markings on it and a way from the easiest dungeon to the most difficult one that they know.

Starting from low S-rank to high SS-Rank dungeons, I will be paying a visit to each and everyone on of them.

Lets get this done quickly and successfully.