Cassian and Kalso hit it off fast, chatting through the night watch, now swapping stories about where they came from. "I'm from a territory near the Magic Empire," Kalso said. "My family were hunters—nobody in our line was big on magic, so my parents moved here to get me better training in what we're good at." He grinned, proud. "And that's how I ended up the first circle warrior in our family."
"Your parents gotta be stoked about that," Cassian said, smiling.
Kalso nodded. "Yeah, they're thrilled. Hard not to be when I bought them a house inside the city walls. They spent their whole lives in small villages, whether back in the Empire or after moving here. What about you? Where you from?"
"Me?" Cassian said, a bit nostalgic. It felt like ages since he was scraping by in Veldora's slums, getting his system, serving Lady Katherine, then bolting to Magisteria City. So much had gone down, and it wasn't even a year yet, though it'd be close in a few months.
He shared a pared-down version of his story, skipping the sensitive bits and keeping his true identity under wraps. Kalso looked impressed, especially since Cassian's time at Valtross Academy was only known to a few, but his takedown of three cult circle warriors had spread like wildfire. "Didn't expect to be on night guard with the legendary first-circle warrior who dropped three higher-circle guys solo," Kalso said, grinning with excitement. "Makes me wanna spar, see how a circle warrior my age stacks up. Trust me, I haven't met many our age, and even fewer better than me."
"So, you're pretty good at fighting, huh?" Cassian asked, a bit amused. He didn't think there was a circle warrior his age who could outdo him, but exceptions were out there.
"Not to brag, but yeah, even noble kids at the academy couldn't beat me," Kalso said, shrugging. "Though who knows, maybe they picked up some fancy techniques back at their estates." That piqued Cassian's curiosity about life at the academies Kalso was talking about. Nobody he knew had trained at one. Theon, Althea, and Robert were just regular folks, getting good at fighting through law enforcement gigs, learning from higher-ups. Lumine had her sister to teach her, plus her own time in the law enforcement unit. Wanni came from a noble family that drilled her in magic. None of them had any experience with the famous academies Magisteria City was known for. Read ahead and get updates by visiting M^VLEMPYR.
"So, what's it like at those academies? Which one did you go to?" Cassian asked, his eyes scanning the surroundings for any hint of an ambush.
"It's alright most of the time. I went to Margrave Academy of Warriors and Mages, so I got a taste of both sides, dueling with mages and warriors," Kalso said. "There's some bias, sure, but mine wasn't too bad. Most of our teachers were born civilians, even the headmaster was one before turning mage, so it was decent for me. Can't speak for others—some academies are way worse. Valtross Academy, the one that got wrecked recently, was the worst. Low-rank nobles and civilians there were basically slaves to the highborns. Good riddance it's gone. Seeing it turned to dust by mages and circle warriors was wild."
Cassian hadn't seen the destruction himself but checked out the aftermath. Like Kalso said, where grand buildings once stood was now just flat, empty ground, like nothing had ever been there. It was a big deal, and if word got out that Cassian had a hand in it, he'd probably be a lot more famous than he wanted.
"Oh, yeah, in a couple months, the Magisteria City Tournament of Young Stars is supposed to happen. Might not with the war going on, but it's a big deal. Young warriors and mages from all over show up to compete for crazy prizes—magical constructs, rare elixirs, weapons, you name it," Kalso said, grinning with excitement, then glanced at Cassian. "You joining if it happens?"
Cassian had heard about it from Robert and the others but never planned on jumping in. "If I'm not tied up with something else, I might give it a shot," he said. Facing off with strong people his age didn't sound bad, and even this chat with Kalso was already teaching him more about the city.
Shera approached from behind, her lioness-like eyes scanning the surroundings. "Everything good here, boys? Any trouble on the way?" she asked, her voice sharp but calm.
Cassian and Kalso both shook their heads. "Nothing suspicious, ma'am," Cassian said, with Kalso nodding in agreement.
Shera gave a curt nod, then added, "Word just came in about the battle that went down when the reinforcements arrived. Small-scale fights like that are popping off more these days. Both sides are prepping bigger battlefields for something major. Let's hope it doesn't hit the Earldom before we get there."
Shera rode ahead to check on the other units, the caravan stretching nearly half a kilometer, a long chain of carriages with no one on foot.
Kalso, looking puzzled, turned to Cassian. "Can I ask you something? Don't think I'm an idiot for it, alright?" Cassian nodded, wondering why Kalso thought a question would sound stupid. Kalso went on, "Do you know why the cult's attacking us? They've got that huge forest as their territory—could build their own empire there. Why go after surrounding lands? What're they after, besides just stirring up chaos? And if chaos is the goal, what's it for?"
That was a hell of a question, and Cassian could only figure the higher-ups on both sides might have a clue about the cult's real motives. From his run-ins with those cultists, one thing was clear: they were twisted. Even without the cult, they'd be dark—killing for enjoyment, cannibalizing for thrills. For them, this war might just be a sick game.
He glanced at Kalso, who was waiting for an answer, and said, "I don't know what they're really after, but these cultists? They're fucked up. They slaughter and eat people for fun. This whole war's probably just a playground for them."