The glitz and glamour died away and our steps echoed through the empty hallways. This section of the mansion wasn’t visible from the outside. It was darker here, more mechanical. Symbols littered the walls, inert.

We passed by rooms, and I peeked through the doors curiously. There was the odd guest that had too much to drink, and the majority were empty.

A thin mist nipped at my shoes, and my footsteps echoed across the hall as we walked. It was a lot colder than I was expecting.

“William was so happy that you came today.” Letitia strode forward confidently. “I told him you would. I promised him I would send you an invitation personally and I won't break my promises.”

“Thank you, Letitia.” I smiled.

She’d sent the invitations?

My mum had panicked when the letters had appeared in the middle of the room in a burst of light. My dad almost had a heart attack, but that was after reading the contents.

I activated my mana sense, trying to see if I could spot any signs of Letitia being a magician.

I couldn’t sense any mana on her.

I wasn’t sure what position she held inside the mansion. Our footsteps attracted the odd staff member to us, only for them to stop and walk off. They were ignoring her, but not in a rude way. There was fear in their eyes.

We passed another room with a freezing chill blasting out of it. I took a look, curious, and spotted the glowing blue construct that William had been carrying around with him. William himself was in front of it, eyes closed and deep in concentration.

There was something on his shoulders. A faint trail of ice, mixed with mist that cascaded off his body in waves.

“We’d best not bother him.” Letitia patted my back and directed me to the hallway. “He’s taking this mighty seriously.”

“For me?” I tore my eyes away from him. “I’m not that much of a threat.”

Letitia put her hand to her mouth and giggled. “It’s not just you dear. Don’t worry, you’re not putting pressure on your friend. It’s that gathering outside. There are a lot of people, and a lot of expectations on him.” Her footsteps grew louder. Fiercer. “That's why I’m so happy it’s you that’s fighting against him.”

“I thought you’d be angry. Wouldn’t he gain more prestige from fighting a Marked one? Instead of a nobody like me.”

I’d looked out for an extra set of footsteps but heard none. Gerial had stayed back at the party.

“Prestige? Possibly. However, we are the Wilhelm household. Young master William is a genius, and that will never change.” She waved her hand dismissively. “His goal is to fight at his best. He finds it difficult to do that when he’s under pressure, that’s why fighting against someone that isn’t judging him is such a boon.”

Letitia turned towards me. “You aren’t judging him, are you?”

“I’m not that kind of person.”

There were bigger things on my mind.

Like the man we were about to meet. It was strange that Letitia was leading me down this corridor. I’d seen Master Wilhelm still fighting at the main hall when we’d left. He didn’t look like he was going to leave any time soon.

I would have thought it was a trap, but there was something that convinced me otherwise. My mana sense had spotted it the moment we entered the corridor.

From the end of the corridor a stream of mana pushed against me, so powerful that my spine shivered. Sweat pooled across my back as we approached it, and I got a glimpse of a marble door that had opened a single crack.

From that small opening a sledgehammer of magic power rushed towards me.

It was the same pressure I’d felt when Master Wilhelm had greeted me outside the mansion.

Letitia waded through the pressure with ease.

“We’re here.” She led me gently to a marble door. “Don’t be nervous dear, none of them will bite.”

I wasn’t so sure of that. The marble door opened as I approached it. My eyes caught a glimpse of two figures in chairs staring at me. Master Wilhelm, and Gerial’s dad, the headmaster of Koshima Academy.

Then the wave of pressure solidified, and I buckled to my knees.

“Hey now, hey now, hey now. This is no way to treat our guests.” A voice called out and a purple bubble enveloped me. “Let me help you, youngling.”

A hand rubbed my back, and I was lifted to my feet. The mana in the air shimmered around me, visible to the naked eye. I turned to look at my saviour.

It was an elderly man I’d never seen before. He smiled at me kindly and then turned towards the two magicians and clapped his hands together.

Master Wilhelm and the headmaster turned to me in surprise. The mana withdrew, and the pressure fell back with it.

Letitia coughed. “Young master Silver is here as you requested.”

“Oh, my.” Master Wilhelm stood up and walked towards me. “How terribly rude of me. I’d forgotten we were expecting you.”

I stared up at him. He was in the golden robes I’d first seen him in and his golden mask was tucked away at his side. His concern was genuine.

He’d been emitting that pressure unconsciously.

“That is perfectly okay. It was… an interesting experience.” I shook his hand. Then I turned to the elderly man at my side. “I thank you for helping me, master?”

“Master nothing. Call me Eli.” Eli saluted me. “This old man was just helping someone from a silly mistake.” He turned to Master Wilhelm. “Not even restraining your power. Why did I ever bother to teach you?”

I studied the man as he berated my host. He was also clad in golden robes, and a golden mask hung at his side. It was the same design as Master Wilhelms.

He was a Zodiac gold mask member.

Master Wilhelm coughed, and I saw his cheeks flush.

“Young Silver, welcome to my humble abode.” Master Willhelm spoke. “I hear that you’re fighting my son.”

I nodded, afraid to speak for fear of angering him. I’d just seen him get humiliated by his peer, and I didn’t want to be the target of misplaced anger.

“Oho, changing the conversation? I’ll allow it.” The elderly man chopped through Master Wilhelm’s divergence. “Introduce me officially first.”

“Of course, master.” Master Wilhelm’s blush deepened. “Young Silver, this is Master Eli, gold mask of Zodiac, and our lead spatial magician.”

Eli threw me another jovial salute and I smiled at him. He didn’t give off the impression of royalty that Master Wilhelm did. I turned back and saw Master Wilhelm staring at me expectantly.

“So, you are participating in the demonstration. That’s great.” Master Wilhelm’s enthusiastic response surprised me. “It’s about time he found a friend. One that was willing to go up against him despite his reputation.”

The headmaster and Eli nodded.

“I thought Gerial would be a good fit. He’s shy around adults but has shown great progress when talking to people his own age.” The headmaster remarked. “However, it appears I picked the wrong venue. Most of the people here are more interested in what he can do for them, than in being his friends.”

“Then I hope he can be friends with my son once they reach an appropriate age.” Eli remarked. “My son’s first night is coming up, you know?”

“You’ve only mentioned that every day for the past seven months.” The headmaster remarked dryly.

Eli turned to me and winked. “Don’t let these two old fogeys kill your pride. Not even letting me brag about my precious child. They’re still hoping that you lose against William, you know?”

I didn’t mind his words. I never expected Master Willhelm to want William to lose his debut match. It was William’s birthday after all.

My tension loosened as the old men talked to each other. It was clear that master Willhelm wasn’t angry at me, although his presence here raised a few questions of my own.

“Have you decided if you’re comfortable with fighting my son?” Master Willhelm addressed me directly again. “Participation is not worth it if you do not give it your all. I have heard some chatter that you weren’t quite up to the task.”

I nodded. “William and I discussed it. I am here to show off my skills to the audience, and I believe this demonstration will help me with that.”

“Quite so.” The headmaster nodded. “I will be watching very closely. It is not often that Gerial makes a friend. Let alone one around his own age.”

Eli tapped his foot on the ground, and I looked at him. “Tell me youngling, are you entering this fight to win?”

“Of course.” My shoulders rose. “It would be an insult not to give this demonstration my all. However, I estimate my chances of winning are one in ten.”

“Very generous odds you’ve given yourself.” Master Wilhelm raised his hand towards the ceiling, and I felt a pulse of mana rush into the air. “My William is no pushover.”

“I don’t believe I am either, sir.” I stood firm against the magic.

There was no need to show weakness in front of the man that could decide my future.

Master Wilhelm smiled, and then lowered his hand. “Interesting. That pulse was not meant to test you. One of the fights got out of hand again. I had to punch a knight in the gullet.”

My curiosity burned. Did that mean that I really had seen some kind of doppelgänger in the main hall?

Was it a cloning spell?

How would that work?

“I like those eyes, questing for answers.” The headmaster chuckled. “However, Master Wilhelm is correct. Your odds are more dire than you realise. William has been training to defeat Gerial, and my son is no pushover. If you show me a stronger child that’s his age, then I will show you a liar.”

“Always going on about how great your son is.” Eli rolled his eyes. “I hope he’s ready because once my son grows up, I’m going to make sure he knocks those words right out of your mouth.”

I held back a smile as the headmaster and Eli began to bicker. They were both doting fathers. Master Wilhelm sighed as the two fought and made his way towards me.

“Do not misunderstand my intentions, young Silver.” Master Wilhelm towered over me. “I am not meeting with you to intimidate you. I wish to make certain that you will take this occasion seriously, it is a big event for my child, and for you.”

His expression told me he was serious, and I nodded.

“I’m not planning to lose, even if I'm fighting your son.” I spoke. “If I win, is that okay with you?”

Master Wilhelm smiled. “I wouldn’t hold a grudge against a child if that’s what you’re asking. No, the talents of this world have to be nurtured. We’re all in this together, after all.”

We were? I didn’t understand his phrasing.

I was about to ask when a pulse of energy shot through the room, and the three men’s heads snapped up.

“Is that the Fue congregation?” The headmaster frowned. “As ostentatious as always. Eli, if you would.”

“I was onto it a minute before you were. You’re getting old.” Eli gestured into the air with his hand.

A purple staff appeared, and purple mana washed out of it, clinging to his body. I recognised the phenomenon. He was casting a teleportation spell.

Master Wilhelm shot a look behind me and a shadow crossed over me.

“Come now.” Letitia stepped up to me. “I believe the adults have business to attend to.”

I bit my lip reluctantly. These people knew so much and had so much power. Then I relented and allowed Letitia to take me out of the room.

Master Wilhelm wasn’t angry at me, and that was a big bonus.

We walked down the corridor in silence, and Letitia stopped in front of an empty room.

“Nobody will bother you here, if you would like to prepare yourself for the battle.” Letitia led me inside and I marvelled at the size of it.

I could fit my apartment from Earth in here.

“This is more than enough. Thank you.” I stepped further in.

The area was perfect for meditation, and I wondered what it was normally used for. It didn’t have any mana like the cultivation room, and there were scratch marks across the floor and walls.

“The demonstration is in half an hour.” Letitia pointed upwards and I saw a clock fixed to the wall. “Please feel free to ask one of the passing staff should you need anything.”

I thanked her, and she curtsied and left me alone.

I’d need the time for meditation and preparing my weapons. I gestured and stone poured out of my inventory, filling the room, and then separating into cubes.

I had half an hour to prepare. William would be doing his best, and so should I. Master Wilhelm had given me permission to give it my all.

It was time I figured out how I would crush William.