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Chapter 228: Rinella’s Destiny is Her Own (21)

Just as in the world of martial artists, where the \'expert\' level existed, a similar grade of rank existed among mages.

It was specifically related to the number of rings surrounding the heart.

The ring of mana surrounding the heart was called a \'circle,\' and mages could only use a technique to cast a spell per ring.

If a mage only had one ring around their heart, they could perform only a simple technique.

However, with an increase in the number of rings, the technique a mage could employ grew exponentially and became more intricate, resembling a geometric progression.

Among them, the equivalent to an \'Expert\' in the swordsman grade of rank was the ‘Senior Mage.\'

This term referred to a mage with five rings around the heart. Considering that Senior Elsie had reached this level, she was indeed an exceptionally rare powerhouse.

However, even among those known as \'Senior Mages,\' there were exceptional individuals.

When the number of rings around the heart reached five, it was the typical point where most mages came to a halt because the path to ascend beyond was deemed excessively challenging.

Creating six rings required a lifetime of effort, and even then, it was not enough.

Only a small number of individuals endowed with talent, perseverance, and determination were qualified to reach that level occasionally.

Thus, only those individuals were entitled to be called \'Archmage.\'

In the Rinella family, there were two excellent mages who had reached such a level.

It was the head of the family, Count Rinella, and Reynold Rinella, his younger brother.

Even Senior Elsie, who had only reached the fifth circle, could already unleash formidable firepower in a large-scale battle. Then, how about the power of an \'Archmage\' who had reached the sixth circle?

Just imagining it was enough to send shivers down one\'s spine.

On the other hand, a sense of rivalry quietly crept in, prompting me to raise my head.

Now, having just become an Expert, I was still a novice who had not even evolved my characteristics. Naturally, I was far inferior to Sir Reynold.

But I was curious about how well I could hold my own against an Archmage.

No matter how skilled a combat mage might be, mages were considered inferior in a one-on-one battle to swordsmen. This was because casting spells required time.

Swordsmen would never allow such time.

Closing the gap and placing someone within the trajectory of the sword was one of the lifelong efforts of swordsmen. This was not an exception, even when we were facing mages.

Rather, the challenging presence like a mage had to be decisively eliminated when the opportunity arose.

If it were a group battle with a vanguard, I might have no chance to win, but in a one-on-one showdown with a mage, my odds weren\'t entirely hopeless.

With such determination in mind, I prepared myself with weapons and headed to the training ground.

Sir Reynold gave me a puzzled look.

"...What are you up to?"

I returned his puzzled gaze. Due to Sir Reynold\'s height being considerably taller, I naturally ended up looking up a bit, even though my height was over 180cm.

"Didn’t you say you want to test my skills?"

Only then did Sir Reynold seem to grasp my intentions.

A faint, wry smile appeared on his lips. He was originally someone who rarely expressed emotions.

Although in terms of personality he resembled Aaron Hyung, at the same time, their actions differed slightly.

While Aaron Hyung consistently conveyed his emotions through actions, giving a sturdy and reliable demeanor, Sir Reynold, on the contrary, exhibited a difference in approach.

He was like a transparent lake.

The outwardly visible emotions were rare enough that you had to dip your hand first to realize that the water itself had color.

Therefore, Sir Reynold inevitably gave a cold impression to anyone.

He spoke with the same emotionless voice.

"You\'re an unexpectedly violent friend, huh? I never thought you\'d take it as an invitation for a duel."

"...Well, then, how do you plan to assess my skills?"

Instead of answering, Sir Reynold took the lead.

I tilted my head and had no choice but to follow him.

Percus Manor had numerous rooms.

Among them, in a somewhat quiet atmosphere, Sir Reynold opened the door to a place that served as a \'conference room.’

It was mainly where my father discussed all sorts of occasions of the Percus family.

Inside the room, a person whom I had never seen before was sitting there.

It was a young man wearing glasses.

He wore loose-fitting clothes that seemed inconvenient for movement. He had a very tired complexion, giving off an impression of fragility.

The clothes he wore were the official uniform of the Empire.

It was almost like a relic from a bygone era. Even the Imperial administrator rarely wore it, except when carrying out very few duties.

Unfortunately, this man seemed to be taking on one of those rare duties.

As an envoy of the Imperial Family, he played the role of delivering messages to the vassals.

Intervening in the territories of vassals was a rare occasion, even for the Imperial Family. The exceptional cases were only when the five major noble families received the Emperor’s approval to determine their family heads.

The fact that an Imperial administrator had come here meant only one thing.

Something had gone wrong in the Percus territory.

The administrator hastily stood up and bowed deeply as soon as he saw me.

"Oh, nice to meet you! You must be Sir Ian, right?"

"Uh, yes. That\'s correct, but..."

Adjusting his sliding glasses, he introduced himself.

"My name is \'Arthur.\' I\'m the administrator who was dispatched to the Percus territory. Oh, right, this is top-secret, so please keep it confidential..."

"Well, if you stay in the manor, everyone will find out anyway."

"Isn\'t the administrative work all about appearances?"

Saying so, he wore a broad grin.

With a displeased expression, Sir Reynold leaned against the wall and folded his arms. Judging by his refusal to sit, it seemed like he didn\'t particularly like this place.

Well, he was a member of a high-ranking noble family, after all.

Many of the Imperial administrators were commoners. This seems to be the case for Arthur because he did not introduce his family name separately. I, too, was just a lower-ranking noble of the Empire.

Meeting him, who held a significant position in the Rinella family, made me feel a bit inferior.

Of course, Arthur seemed accustomed to such cold receptions.

"Actually, there\'s a special request I\'d like to make to Sir Ian."

Arthur\'s overly humble attitude, combined with Reynold\'s abrupt decision to bring me here, confused me.

Unable to find a clear answer, I was left dumbfounded.

I couldn\'t even guess why Sir Reynold and the Imperial official were together in this place.

So, I had no choice but to ask in a confused voice.

"A request?"

"The Dark Order."

Sir Reynold\'s answer to my short and confused question was rather straightforward.

His piercing blue eyes were focused on me.

"A few years ago, the Rinella family began investigating peculiar occurrences within the territory."

"...You mean the missing people’s cases?"

The words escaped my mouth unintentionally.

Sir Reynold\'s eyebrows twitched once. Meanwhile, Arthur only let out a faint sigh and nodded.

However, the only plausible reason for their dispatch to the Percus territory at this specific time was the cases of missing people that I had previously requested Senior Neris to investigate.

It seemed to have occurred over an extended period, covering a wide area.

"At first, we thought it was just a simple case of missing people with unknown identities."

Saying so, Arthur picked up one of the piles of documents that were on the desk. His eyes, visible through his glasses, began scanning the written characters.

"But the conditions of the missing targets were too specific. Moreover, it happened repeatedly over a long period. Even the territories where the incidents occurred frequently were slowly shifting."

"And now, that place is the Percus territory."

Arthur nodded in agreement once.

Finally, it felt like the puzzle was starting to come together— The reason why the mage corps of the Rinella Family were dispatched to the Percus territory at this time and why the Percus family had no choice but to allow their presence.

It all made sense if an Imperial Administrator was behind it.

Arthur stated straightforwardly.

"Honestly, the Empire suspects that the Dark Order might be behind this."

"Is there a good reason for that?"

"No, not yet."

My gaze became reluctant in an instant.

This naturally meant that the task\'s difficulty level would rise, and we would have to start from scratch.

A deep sigh escaped my lips.

Firstly, whenever the Dark Order was involved, things would never go /genesisforsaken