With a little help from his magic, Cale flew over the dense forest toward the light he had seen a few moments ago. Meanwhile, one hand clutched his cloak to prevent the strong wind from exposing his head. With every meter he got closer to his former master, his heart beat faster. The last time he had seen Master Paseru was in his fourth life. At that time, he had used the man to become a swordmaster himself, until one night Cale had unexpectedly broken away from Miguel and Master Paseru. That had been the last time he had encountered the swordmaster alive, and he had never expected to meet him again.

  However, his worst fears were confirmed. He could sense the mana of his master and that of Zurakekama, seemingly pursuing Julius. Cale weighed up one last time whether it was worth revealing his identity for the advisor, but within seconds he made his decision. Julius was one of the central figures who took care of Sylve, even long after the third wave attack. Cale did not want to jeopardize the future because of a foolish action, especially since it could endanger his relationship with the Duke of Freigoud.

  As if the gods had heard his answer, Julius appeared above the treetops. Cale could immediately see that Julius had indeed been involved in a fight. His clothes were torn and covered in dirt, his gaze fixed on his opponent, and his movements revealed that he was preparing for the next attack. However, what made Cale so sure that Master Paseru was attacking him was solely the fact that Julius' sword had been cut in half.

  From out of nowhere, the gray-haired old man appeared several meters away from Julius and shot towards the poorly armed man, causing Cale's heart to race. Cale could clearly see the focused look in his eyes, telling him, that Master Paseru truly intended to kill him.

  "Julius!", Cale shouted with all his might, releasing a large amount of mana that accelerated his movement many times over.

  Cale now openly ignored the fact that he was using his magic to fly, because the advisor's life was more important to him at that moment. With a jolt, he slammed head-on into Julius and knocked him to the ground seconds before Master Paseru could reach him with his blade. The two men fell to the ground unhindered, while Cale summoned his Igrikum to generate a barrier around them that pushed the branches aside. With a loud bang, they crashed to the ground, but as soon as Julius tried to get up, Cale pushed him back down again.

  "Zod", the surprised voice could still be heard saying before Cale also ducked and felt the lightning shoot across his back. In the next moment, dozens of trees fell to the ground and burned, causing a cloud of dust and smoke. When Cale stood up, he deliberately positioned himself in front of Julius and stared at his old teacher, who did not move. The small man with long eyebrows and a pointed beard seemed to be weighing up what level of danger Cale posed, which is why he did not launch another attack.

  "Why do you always get yourself into these situations? You're not a child anymore, Julius. Be more careful!" Cale scolded, giving the advisor a stern look as he stood up behind him.

  "It's not like I'm doing this on purpose", Julius replied irritably, glancing at his broken sword before throwing it aside with all his might. It had been unable to withstand a direct attack from Zurakekama and was now beginning to crumble, making it safer not to rely on it anymore. "My weapon is useless against this man. Be careful, he's extremely powerful."

  "Do you even know who that is?"

  "Should I know him?"

  "This is Jonat Paseru, the owner of Zurakekama."

  "You are well-informed, young man", Master Paseru himself said in a raspy voice, sending shivers down Cale's spine.

  Cale knew Jonat Paseru well - too well. He had that rough, unyielding manner of someone who was constantly nagging, eyeing everything with suspicion, yet exuding a strange authority. Someone whose mere presence commanded both respect and quiet unease. Master Paseru would not start a fight without reason, unless he had been provoked. But from what Cale had seen of Julius, he would never do such a thing.

  Behind an invisible curtain, something seemed to be brewing that Cale knew nothing about. Something that could ruin his plans if it came to blows with Jonat Paseru. Cale couldn't get involved in a direct fight, otherwise he would instantly lose his cover.

  "My name is Zod Adenia, and my friend here is the king's second advisor, Julius Venlan. May I ask why you are attacking a swordmaster of the royal house?"

  "Anyone can claim to work for the king", Jonat Paseru retorted harshly. These words alone made it clear that Cale had little chance of proving their identity credibly. Once Master Paseru had made up his mind, he usually did not change it. "Your friend back there has trespassed on the duke's property."

  "And this can't be resolved with words? What gives you the right to attack him? You are Frignezer, if I am not misinformed. Therefore, you are not allowed to..."

  "You are misinformed. I was personally asked by the Duke of Mornet to keep an eye on his lands. We have been told that thieves often roam here."

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  "Thieves? You think we're thieves? Do we look like thieves to you?"

  "It doesn't matter who I think you are. Unauthorized entry gives me the right to protect this property with my life."

  "Where did you break in?", Cale asked Julius, who actually showed some fear on his face.

  "I didn't realize I was on someone else's property. I was just walking through the forest when the man attacked me for no reason...", Julius tried to explain, but at the same time, Cale grabbed his arm and pulled him toward him as Master Paseru rushed toward them. With a skillful movement, Cale dodged backward with his burden and watched tensely as Master Paseru pushed off from a tree stump and came toward them. Cale immediately drew his sword and parried the swordmaster's frontal attack, which pushed him to the ground with all his might.

  "Let's talk about this, Master Paseru. It could have negative consequences for you if you want to continue the fight", Cale said.

  A moment later, Master Paseru pushed himself away from Cale and stopped several meters away from him. Cale immediately understood why he did this. Since Julius no longer had a weapon, he posed no immediate threat, so Paseru now focused his attention entirely on Cale.

  But then Master Paseru paused.

  He remained motionless, his eyes slightly narrowed, his head tilted ever so slightly to one side - as if he had noticed something strange, something that didn't belong here. Only then did he begin to slowly and carefully examine Cale.

  "As I said, I'm not interested."

  "This ignorance is driving me crazy", Cale said quietly, so that only Julius could hear him.

  Julius stood close behind him, well aware of how dangerous it would be for him if he were separated from Cale. A fact that Cale was also painfully aware of.

  "Do you think you can kill him?", Julius asked.

  "Is that a serious question?"

  "Of course."

  "I will absolutely not kill the swordmaster who wields Zurakekama. Even if I could", Cale replied irritably.

  Cale was in an extremely unpleasant situation. On the one hand, he couldn't put Julius' life at risk, but on the other hand, Jonat Paseru was very important for the future. So Cale had to find another way - one that allowed him to keep both options open.

  "Are you seriously going to discuss whether or not to kill him? He attacked us! That's more than enough reason!"

  "It isn't", Cale replied honestly, pointing the blade of his weapon downward and handing it to Julius without taking his eyes off his opponent. "Take it, and gods forbid you lose it. I'll never forgive you for that, Julius."

  "What are you up to?", Julius asked confused, but took the sword without much hesitation. The old man, on the other hand, watched the event with attentive eyes and began to laugh moments later when Cale made Karekama appear behind his back.

  "I knew it... Karekama really is here", Jonat Paseru exclaimed loudly, causing Julius to glance at Cale in surprise, as if wondering whether Cale had expected this statement.

  "I really can't stand Zurakekama", Cale muttered quietly before answering Jonat. "How can you know that Karekama is in my possession when I am completely suppressing his mana?"

  "It is Zurakekama who is reacting to Karekama. I wouldn't have noticed if Zurakekama hadn't been acting so strangely", Master Paseru explained with a broad grin on his face and moved into an attack position. "I must admit, I didn't expect a child to wield Karekama. I was actually hoping Nakken had taken it with him to his grave."

  "Unfortunately, he didn't. It ended up in the Magistrat", Cale explained, clearly seeing Julius pause in surprise.

  "The Magistrat?", Master Paseru repeated, astonished.

  "That's right. I received it personally from the Eldest."

  "He must have gone senile if he entrusted Karekama to a child."

  "Please don't talk about things you know nothing about."

  "You're telling me that? I hope you realize that..."

  "Sir Paseru, I will politely ask you one last time to put down your weapon", Cale interrupted the unnecessary discussion about swords. "Another attack would be considered an attack on the royal house and punished accordingly. If you continue, you will bear full responsibility for the consequences."

  But contrary to all hopes, Jonat Paseru swung his weapon from side to side to loosen his tense muscles. Cale received no verbal response.

  "I guess not", Cale noted with regret.

  "Zod...", Julius said nervously.

  "Stay back, you'll only get in my way", Cale directed coldly, as his nervousness got the better of him.

  Cale wasn't afraid that he would lose the fight. His bigger problem at the moment was how much of his strength he would have to reveal. How far superior was Jonat Paseru to him in swordsmanship, and how quickly would he be able to recognize Cale's movements?

  Was there no other way to resolve the conflict peacefully?

  Cale watched attentively as his old master performed a few movements, seemingly stretching exercises. Jonat Paseru seemed to view Cale as a challenge, otherwise he would have attacked Cale long ago. It was highly likely that Jonat Paseru had become extremely cautious because of Karekama, which was both a blessing and a curse. Cale also stretched out his weapon in front of him and let the mana flow through it when an idea suddenly came to him.

  "The last time I spoke with Jarsep, he said that you came to Sylve to look for a worthy successor", Cale announced in a clear voice, but Master Paseru was not deterred. "You don't seem to have been successful. If I may offer my advice, I would recommend that you do not place your hopes in Mornet."

  "You are becoming more and more interesting, young man. It's just a shame that I'm not interested in your opinion", Jonat Paseru retorted, letting mana flow through his entire body, which exerted a feeling of oppression. Cale swallowed nervously and began to prepare himself properly, while outwardly playing it cool.

  "As you wish. I sincerely hope you won't regret your decision. Don't assume you will win this fight, swordmaster Jonat Paseru."

  With this statement, Cale put all thoughts and doubts aside and pushed himself off the ground with all his strength. At the same time, he surrounded himself completely with wind magic and shot toward his opponent at a speed that Julius could no longer follow with the naked eye.

  The only thing he realized in the next moment was how the confident old man's face turned pale as he dodged backward. But the blade grazed his chest and cut through his clothes. Jonat Paseru had no time to react, because Cale kicked him in the chest and sent Master Paseru flying dozens of meters through the forest. Helpless, Master Paseru tore down dozens of trees with him before crashing into a thick trunk and coming to a stop.

  With that, Cale had accomplished the most important thing first: Master Paseru was out of Julius's reach.