The man Katherine now faced was none other than Grandmage Yuliresio, one of the highest authorities in the magical world and the current vice director of the Beacon of Knowledge. His reputation alone could command the respect of any mage, but he also shared a close relationship with Katherine's mother. In fact, her own master had once been Yuliresio's student.
Katherine knew exactly why he had come—to persuade her to return to Scarlet Castle. But that wasn't going to happen.
"Are you here to compel me to go back to Scarlet Castle?" she asked, her voice steady but sharp.
The grandmage let out a tired sigh, the weight of the conversation already wearing on him. Without a word, he raised his hand, and with a subtle gesture, a chair shimmered into existence from thin air. It was an ornate, wooden seat with intricate carvings of arcane symbols along the legs and backrest. He lowered himself into the chair with a groan, his old bones creaking slightly.
From within the folds of his flowing silver-white robes, he slowly pulled out a smoking pipe—a curious, handcrafted piece made of bronze and dark wood, its stem adorned with faint magical runes that pulsed with a dim light. He rested it between his lips, his fingers moving with a practiced ease as he snapped them.
A tiny flame flickered to life at his fingertips, dancing momentarily before touching the end of the pipe.
The flame ignited the contents of the pipe, releasing a soft, bluish smoke that swirled lazily into the air. As Yuliresio took a long, deliberate inhale, the smoke seemed to glow faintly, curling into mesmerizing shapes—almost like arcane symbols or fleeting visions—before dissolving.
His eyes half-closed in contentment as he held the smoke in, savoring it, before finally exhaling a thick cloud that shimmered with an ethereal quality, like wisps of magic itself. The smoke filled the room with a faint, otherworldly glow, making the air feel thicker, almost enchanted.
Yuliresio leaned back into the chair, relaxing as if he had just released all the tension in his body. His gray beard shifted slightly as he exhaled again, the magical smoke lingering around him like a mist before dissipating into the room.
"Ah..." the old man groaned softly, sinking deeper into his chair. The wood creaked under his weight, though it seemed sturdy enough to hold him comfortably. With the pipe still hanging from his lips, he glanced at Katherine with a resigned expression. "Your mother's been relentless. She's quite worried about you—an assassin nearly made it into your room."
Katherine nodded. "That was my mistake. I've been too relaxed lately, so I didn't notice him getting that close."
The man looked surprised. "So you've found a way to cure the restlessness in your body?"
"Yeah, sort of," Katherine replied with a smirk. "But what I meant to say is that I can handle myself just fine if I stay more vigilant. I don't need to return to the family. And it's not like I haven't been attacked there either. The enemy was able to infiltrate even the castle."
The Grandmage took another thoughtful puff from his pipe, exhaling slowly as he spoke. "The issue isn't this week's assassins. Your mother isn't concerned about them. The real problem is the assassin that came after you... I heard it had an Eidolon spawn inside."
Katherine's expression grew serious as she nodded. The old man's face mirrored her concern. "I think you already understand what that means," he said gravely. "But just to put it plainly—burying an Eidolon spawn that was as strong as a 5th-circle warrior requires someone at least on my level. And from what we gathered during the dissection of that spawn, the mage who created it has only just begun.
If they improve, they could eventually create spawns as powerful as a 7th-circle warrior."
A 7th-circle warrior was a terrifying force, capable of wiping out medium-sized noble families and posing a real threat to even someone of Katherine's strength.
"Well, if he plans to, he'll need the resources," Katherine said, her tone steady. She was referring to the fact that creating an Eidolon spawn as powerful as a 7th-circle warrior would require parts from beings of comparable strength. "We'll know when he starts collecting them."
Yuliresio sighed, shaking his head. "That's not what your mother is worried about. She knows you can handle the spawns. But if the creator himself decides to come after you, there's a much slimmer chance of you surviving."
His worried expression mirrored the unease Katherine now felt. But then, his face softened into a reassuring smile. "But you don't have to worry about that. I'm here to protect you, and with the Director around, you're even safer. You have nothing to fear."
Katherine stared at Yuliresio, her surprise clear as she processed his words. He was actually suggesting she could stay. But to be certain, she asked cautiously, "So, that means I can stay here?"
The Grandmage, still smiling, took another long puff from his pipe and nodded slowly. "Yes, little Kath, you can stay here."
Katherine blinked, the surprise still lingering in her eyes. "What about my mother? She won't—"
Yuliresio chuckled softly, cutting her off. "Your mother can keep threatening me all she wants. I've dealt with her long enough to know how to handle her. Besides, she'll be relieved to hear you're safe, even if she's not happy about you staying here." He exhaled a stream of smoke, still wearing that relaxed, confident smile. "I'll tell her you're under my watch. That should calm her down—mostly."
Katherine couldn't help but smile a little herself. "Mostly?"
Katherine chuckled, though she put on a mock angry face as she asked, "If you were going to let me stay here anyway, why'd you make me worry about all those things?"
"I was testing your resolve," the Yuliresio replied with a sly grin. "The world's about to gain another mage, and I needed to see if she's a coward or brave enough to face the dangers ahead."
Katherine's smile brightened at that. He then asked, his tone more serious, "But how close do you think you are to crossing that final line... to achieving godhood?"