Cassian had hoped for some time to relax and indulge himself. However, after a quick encounter with Lucy, his plans were cut short when he arrived at Katherine's lab and was met with news that not only stunned the world but also shattered his expectations for leisure.
"Who could possibly kill him? He had achieved Vajra—the indestructible state!" exclaimed a boy around Cassian's age, his voice trembling with shock as he clutched a parchment tightly in his hands.
The room was crowded, filled with people whose faces mirrored the boy's disbelief. Cassian, however, only recognized Katherine. Ignoring the rest, he walked toward her just as she addressed the boy's question.
"He was indestructible from the outside," she explained with calm certainty. "I'm almost certain he was killed by poison."
Her deduction was accurate, but few could fathom how such a thing could happen. The victim was none other than the Iron-Clad King—a ruler of one of the most formidable kingdoms, renowned for his unparalleled strength. His body was so resilient it made even the finest armor seem as fragile as brittle glass. Assassinations of leaders were not unheard of, but successful attempts usually occurred during wartime, not in times of peace. The news of his death, under such mysterious circumstances, left the entire room reeling.
But someone had actually managed to kill that man. Cassian, starting to piece things together but still shocked, asked, "Wait... are you talking about the king of the Ironclad Kingdom? My lady."
Katherine, already aware of his presence, barely reacted and gave him a simple nod. The others in the room glanced his way, maybe gave him a quick nod, but didn't pay him much attention as they carried on with their conversations, other then rose haired lady who smilled at him brightly.
The same women, whose beauty Cassian found nearly on par with Katherine's, chimed in, her voice laced with disbelief. "Seriously, though. Who could've pulled that off? It's been, like, centuries since a big-time leader was taken out outside of war or a mutiny."
The boy with golden hair and flawless porcelain skin—practically a living doll—still looked completely stunned. His wide, gem-like blue eyes were full of disbelief as he muttered, "Maybe... I don't know... it was some kind of mutiny? But it got crushed right after they took out the king?"
"Possibly by one of his children. They're nearly as strong as the king himself," Katherine said with a steady voice. "The youngest even made a name for himself by graduating from the Academy of Valtross at just seventeen." She glanced at the two youngest in the room and added, "Not much older than you two."
The boy's shock deepened, but Cassian was more puzzled than impressed. He didn't fully get why graduating at that age was so significant, though he did know one thing: the Academy of Valtross was one of the most prestigious universities in Magisteria.
It wasn't officially the top-ranked school, but it was considered the best for training mages and circle warriors of royals and nobles. They send there heirs here from across kingdoms sent their heirs there, and Cassian knew how tough it was to get in. What he couldn't wrap his head around was why graduating a little younger than usual was being treated like such a big deal.
"What's so special about graduating from there?" Cassian muttered under his breath, looking genuinely confused. He wasn't asking anyone in particular—it was more of a thought spoken aloud—but somehow, everyone in the room seemed to hear him.
The woman with the radiant rose-gold hair, who Cassian guessed was Aurilia Yuliresio, stepped forward. He had heard about her from both Katherine and Julius, and he assumed she must be Julius's wife.
"It's our first time meeting, isn't it, Mr. Cassian?" she said with a warm smile, extending her hand toward him.
Cassian hesitated briefly before lightly shaking her hand, bowing politely as he replied, "Yes, my lady." Keeping his head slightly lowered, he added, "I never imagined Sir Julius to be married, let alone to someone as beautiful as you."
Aurilia chuckled softly, nodding as she agreed with Cassian. "I can see why everyone thinks that way. But what can I say? I'm weak when it comes to his blunt confidence and that handsome face of his..."
Cassian's mind wandered for a moment. 'If a handsome face and overconfidence are all it takes to impress someone like her, then maybe I have a shot too.' He wasn't bad-looking, and while he wouldn't call himself overconfident, he was definitely sure of himself in a few areas.
Snapping out of his thoughts, he gently let go of her hand as Aurilia continued with a smile, "Cassian, the reason graduating at such a young age is impressive is because to do so, you must become at least a Second Circle Warrior. For you, it might not seem like much since you've already become a First Circle Warrior, but trust me, it's incredibly difficult unless the person is an absolute genius... like yourself."
Her words left one of the boys looking shocked, while Katherine seemed quietly amused. Another girl, whose presence Cassian hadn't even noticed before, suddenly spoke up, her tone laced with surprise. "Wait—Lady Aurilia, is that true? He's already a Circle Warrior at his age?"
Cassian turned his gaze toward the girl. She appeared to be around his age, with shoulder-length green hair and oversized glasses perched on her small, delicate face. She had a cute, nerdy look about her, but her presence was so faint that Cassian had only just noticed her. It was surprising, given his sharp instincts that usually allowed him to pick up on even the smallest details, like the objects scattered on each table in the room—but somehow, she had slipped right past his awareness.
Aurilia, still smiling warmly at Cassian, nodded in response to the girl's question. "Yes, Sofia. This boy, not even fifteen years old, has already become a Circle Warrior."
Cassian felt a bit puzzled by everyone's reactions. He hadn't thought becoming a Circle Warrior was such a big deal. Sure, he knew he'd achieved it early thanks to the system, but he didn't think the difference between his age and the average starting point for Circle Warriors would cause this much of a stir.