Leaving the two younger people in the lab staring at him in awe, Cassian made his way back to Lady Katherine's room, still feeling a bit shocked himself.
"My lady, why were they so surprised?" he asked, the confusion evident in his voice.
Katherine, already guessing what he meant, smiled knowingly. "Like I said yesterday, Cassian, you're a genius. You're wasting your talent being a burden when you could become one of the most intelligent and strongest mages."
Cassian sighed, knowing his lady wouldn't let go of her ambition to turn him into a mage. "I think we've already talked about this, my lady..."
Katherine, looking a bit annoyed at his dismissal, didn't let it bother her for long. She smiled again and explained, "They were shocked because it's nearly impossible to become a Circle Warrior at your age."
Cassian still wasn't convinced. "But I'm pretty sure there are others. Like the prince of the Ironclad Kingdom, and I think one of my seniors, Eve Dallas, also became a Circle Warrior when she was young. Even Detective Cassandra probably did around the same age, and maybe Sir Julius too..." He glanced at Katherine and added, "There are so many of them."
Katherine stopped and looked at him with an amused smile. Cassian raised an eyebrow, unsure of what she was thinking. She met his gaze and said, "You're right—those people became Circle Warriors at a young age, just like you. But guess what?" She paused, then started walking again, continuing, "They were all called geniuses and looked at with the same amazed eyes that you're getting now."
It was hard for Cassian to believe he was comparable to the likes of Julius and Cassandra at their age. He still thought they were far more impressive when they were his age, and the reason he felt that way was because everyone around him seemed like a genius.
Whether it was heirs to noble families like Katherine or Julius, or powerful figures in law enforcement like Cassandra, Alix, Sergeant Hally, or Astraval Kilian—everyone around him was strong.
It would've been different if he'd been gradually exposed to the weakest and worked his way up to the strongest. But instead, he'd been thrown into a world full of exceptional people, and it had shaped his view of things. To him, it felt normal to be that strong at their age, or even to be comparable to them.
Even those who weren't as physically strong were still impressive in their own ways. Lumine was a skilled fighter, and Robert was just as capable. Lucy was an amazing woman, especially in her role as a maid and sex partner.
And it can't be help as he was also such a low-key person, with only a handful of people even knowing his name, he would have attracted a lot more attention. Even if he were just the lowest-ranking noble from some small, weak kingdom, people would still take notice of him.
Some the blame for this also go to Katherine, as she, along with some other high-ranking leaders, had done a lot to keep the news of him becoming a Circle Warrior from spreading.
Katherine had made sure that no one in the general public knew how quickly he'd risen in strength. If the word had gotten out, it would have stirred up all kinds of reactions, from admiration to jealousy, or even fear. But instead, they'd managed to keep his progress under wraps, letting him remain largely unnoticed by those outside their circle.
It wasn't exactly the best situation for Cassian. On one hand, being low-key meant less attention and fewer expectations. On the other, it also meant his talents went mostly unrecognized, known only to the few people close to him.
On other, being known, though, came with its own set of risks—like attracting unwanted attention. Attention that could lead to being assassinated or tortured, something Cassian had already experienced twice. It was probably one of the reasons Katherine had kept his breakthrough as secret as possible. Aside from a handful of close people, the only others who knew were his team members and a couple of other trusted individuals.
It seemed like a lot of people, especially since Katherine had tried to keep it tightly under wraps. But, of course, things couldn't be hidden forever. Once a genius, always a genius. Genius would amaze people more than once in their life, and Cassian was expected to do so again. Katherine just hoped she'd be strong enough to protect him—or that he would be strong enough to protect himself.
Despite everything, Cassian still looked as confused as ever, but he decided not to ask any more questions for now. They'd reached Katherine's room, and he shifted the conversation to what he'd actually come to ask her about.
"So, you're saying it's taking you time to fill up your circle with mana?" Katherine asked, a hint of surprise in her voice. Cassian nodded, and she fell into thought, making a thoughtful sound. "Mmmm..." she murmured. "That shouldn't be the case during the first rotations. But let me see how much you've filled it so far."
Cassian followed Katherine into the room, and they both took a seat at the two chairs facing each other. The room was quiet, with the soft glow of ambient light casting shadows along the walls. Katherine motioned for him to put his hands on the table, palm-up. He hesitated for a moment, then complied, still a bit uncertain about what she was going to do.
Katherine placed her hands over his, her grip firm but gentle. She closed her eyes and began muttering softly under her breath, the words almost like a chant. Her fingers tightened slightly around his hands as she focused, her brow furrowed in concentration.
Suddenly, a red light erupted between Katherine's hands, glowing so intensely that her own hands appeared almost transparent, revealing the shadows of her bones and veins beneath the light. Katherine's eyes snapped open in surprise. Cassian, still confused, leaned forward slightly and asked, "My lady, is everything all right?"