In the darkness, Kane was sitting on the floor along with his neatly folded clothes. He grabbed them one by one on the floor first before inserting them inside the backpack. After everything was in place, he grabbed it and reached for the door.

“Where are you going?”

The magic lantern lit up, radiating a dim light. Kane turned around; Calypso was watching all along.

“Somewhere far from here. I can’t tell you exactly where and when I’ll return.” This time, Kane had nothing to hide.

“For what purpose?”

“Training.”

“Could you not train here?”

“No. I need a special environment,” answered Kane as if he already knew the details. Giving vague answers would lead to more questions.

“With whom?”

“Enough! Why are you being nosy lately?” he snapped.

Kane expected the prince to shout back; he didn’t. Instead, Calypso arched his back, staring up. “You’re correct. I’ve stepped beyond my boundary,” he apologized.

A prideful prince like him admitting his mistake? Kane couldn’t believe what he just heard. His behavior was also weird. He wasn’t a busybody type like Lucrais. Could it be…?

“Don’t tell me that you’re jealous,” guessed Kane.

“No way! Why should I be jealous of a bumpkin like you?”

“Suit yourself, then.” Kane turned around. “See you around.”

“Wait!”

“What is it?” half-shouted Kane with an annoyed tone.

“May I… come with you?”

“That’s…” Kane was speechless, didn’t know how he should answer that.

“Nevermind! Forget what I’ve just said!” Calypso bolted past through him and stormed out from the room. The loud footsteps filled the night as they gradually disappeared.

“What’s up with him?” Kane simply shrugged before leaving his dorm room with the backpack.

At the front of the main gate, he looked around to find Maur. Then, a familiar voice called him from behind.

“Over here, boy!” One of the pointy spikes of the gate glowed blue then the small light flew toward Kane like a firefly.

“You didn’t bring your human body?” asked Kane.

“I prefer my original form. I can fly freely without being concerned about my mana, unlike when I was a human. There is another reason, but I shall tell you later,” said Maur.

“So, how do we get there?” he asked again.

“With a certain vehicle, of course! The coach should arrive shortly.”

Indeed, a couple of moments later, the sound of hooves trotting and turning wheels echoed from a distance, getting closer and closer. The moment it arrived, Kane instantly recognized the coach.

“Isn’t this Reynar’s?”

“Oh, you have ridden it?” Maur continued talking as the door opened. “I borrowed from him since mine is too far away.”

After the faceless mannequin familiar opened the door for them, they entered it before setting off. They traveled on the ground until they left the city, then flew away.

“You still owe me an explanation.” Kane initiated the conversation.

“We are heading to Mount Riehl in the northeast of Colvanza.”

“Riehl… wasn’t it owned by some reclusive mage sect? What business do we have there?”

“Correct. A small but reputable sect named Eight Shrouded Stars is holding an event for mage apprentices in the next few days. You’re going to participate in it.”

“Hmm, interesting. What kind of event is it?”

Maur paused for a while. “I have no idea.”

“You’re kidding.”

“The details are kept secret. All I can infer is that they promise abundant benefits for the participants and it’s a competition, essentially. Do not be too concerned since The Circle is watching, meaning there is almost no chance for them to scam people unless they wish to be obliterated from the face of Dunai!”

“Competition, huh? Classic,” said Kane. He doubted it would be a typical tournament since it promised benefits for everyone.

“You bet! It is a standard method to encourage growth as experience is much more than any training. You might even gain insight from merely observing them.”

“Right.” Kane nodded. “Are Niflenia students also participating?”

“According to Rey, some of the Class-S students have already been on their way there.”

“I see.” Kane rested his head on the window, watching the sunrise.

“Are you concerned about your identity, boy?” asked Maur.

“Not really. I don’t want the Class-S to discover me, though, because that might cause suspicions.” Kane couldn’t care less about people’s opinions regarding him. Besides, the more they underestimate him, the better chance for him to win.

The biggest reason was he wanted to avoid meeting Sharon; that would be one helluva awkward meeting. Speaking of her, would she even participate in the event? Or she was presumably still reporting to her family. He hoped for the latter. In the case of the former, Kane had to avoid her at all cost.

“Rest assured, I have prepared a solution for such trivial conundrum,” said Maur.

For the rest of the journey, Kane practiced creating barriers and other spells to fill his free time. The trip was long and uneventful. It took three days and two nights of flying to arrive there — much longer if they were to travel on land.

---

A week later.

Beneath the cloudy sky, the coach landed before parking at some forest’s edge near an open tundra. Kane stepped on the yellowed grass as a chilly wind blew onto his face, rustling his hair and simple linen cloak that hid everything but his face. In the distance, a collection of wooden houses around marshes and hilly terrain. The slope steadily became steeper as the height became higher. A particular walled fort was built on top of the mountain range with a long, narrow staircase.

“There it is, Mount Riehl. The sect lies beyond the hamlet and at the highest mountain peak,” said Maur on his shoulder.

“This somehow reminds me of Palace of Saints albeit less steep and dangerous,” Kane remarked as he approached the settlement.

“Is that your club’s base?”

“Club… How could you say that?”

“You so-called saints do nothing but assemble once in a while for no important reason. That is no different than a club. Am I wrong?”

“No,” answered Kane reluctantly.

The group was created to share insights between their members whether from discussions or friendly duels and other ceremonial activities. They happened to become famous as time passed by because of the fact that only truly strongest warriors may join. Despite their immense power, they still had little to no influence in world politics nor clear organizational hierarchy; unlike The Circle.

Passing through some buildings, Kane spotted some people in typical school uniforms walking toward the same location as him. The residents — mostly humans and sometimes dwarves — tried to sell their hamlet’s specialties: mushrooms and fishes. They were ignored.

Most students couldn’t be bothered to climb the staircase, so they chose to cast levitating magic, a flying broom, and flying mounts, and other easy methods. Kane, on the other hand, ascended solely using his feet, causing some passersby to mock him. Not being lazy was frowned upon, apparently.

At the end of the stairs, a massive walled gate greeted him. A pair of huge runic letters were painted on each side of the door. Based on his current understanding of runic letters, the left side meant ‘sky’ while the right side meant ‘earth’. The sizable crowd stood around and was separated by the school they represented. They were chatting with their classmates while waiting for the gates to be opened. Although, some were loners much like Kane.

The S-class students were at the far edge. There were only three of them: Leonard, the guy who was good with swords; Hymar, the blue rubean; and lastly… Lamille, the gloomy girl who clutched her doll all the time. Kane heaved a relieved sigh; Sharon didn’t tag along with them.

“Attention!”

A loud masculine shout came from the top of the gate. There stood a bald man with eight dots forming a circle on his forehead, accompanied by four hooded people wearing orange robes. If it wasn’t for the magic staff, Kane would mistake him as a monk… or perhaps he was.

“Welcome to Mount Riehl, apprentices! You may call me Alwan, the head of Eigh Shrouded Stars. The mountain might be a little chilly, but we will make sure to provide y’all with adequate accommodations.” He then snapped his fingers; the four people conjured lutes and began playing soothing music.

“Without further ado— Ah, I almost forgot. Please pay the competition fee before entering our sect.”

More people jumped from the walls. Carrying a leather sack, they visited each group and requested 500 gold upfront. Kane already knew this beforehand and paid it with Maur’s money. A couple of minutes later, all the fees had been gathered and everyone was able to pay. The members were gathered in one place and reported to their leader.

“Once again, without further ado, I permit y’all to enter our sect! Be mindful and respect us otherwise we won’t hesitate to eliminate y’all from the competition!” warned Alwan.

The gate opened by magic. Kane followed the group as they entered the inner section of the sect. When he passed by the two guards clad in fur armor, one of them yelled, “You there, the one in a black cloak.”

“Me?” asked Kane, pointing to himself. He was the only person who hid his face and wore such clothing after all.

“That’s right. Show your face before going further,” he instructed.

Some people turned around to see the scene. Kane already knew this was going to happen, so he removed his hood and showed his appearance — or rather, fake appearance. His horns now were gone. His usual red spiky hair had turned into black hair drooped like a waterfall, covering his forehead with messy bangs. His face too had morphed into an even more plain-looking one.

“Which academy are you from?” the guard inquired again.

The other guard cast a spell that would determine his age, regardless of any body-altering spells or potions. It was a low ranked spell, so Kane’s true age wouldn’t be exposed.

“I’m independent,” lied Kane.

“Are you alone?”

“Yes. I had a tutor, but he died last year.”

There was a brief discussion between the guards. One of them said, “Fine, you may go ahead.”

Kane walked past him as the crowd returned to mind their business. Fortunately, they didn’t mind the shape-shifting potion that Maur gave to him. Still, a question lingered in his mind.

“Why didn’t you show yourself? They must’ve known you, right?” he asked Maur who was hiding inside his cloak.

“Not quite. Almost everyone merely recognizes my human form.”

Kane then cast his gaze into his surroundings. The buildings were large and wide with uneven stones as their foundation. Their frame consisted of woods and thick stitched leathers, creating a weird form of art. Treading the cobblestone path, many people were watching the students from afar. However, nobody seemed to have the power of The Circle. Not even close.

“Where are your colleagues?”

“They aren’t here.”

“I thought The Circle was watching the event.”

“Indeed. I was telling the truth.”

“So, why—” Then, Kane was hit by the realization. “Oh, I get it. You’re responsible for the task.”

“You finally figured that out, boy! I expect more from you. This should be the job for our mooks, but I’ve decided to handle the matter by myself since I was going to accompany you anyway.”

“Why are you hiding yourself?”

“I want to see their true nature, their integrity. People tend to commit crimes when there’s nobody around, no? It also applies here. This is the main reason why I stay in my ant form,” explained Maur. “Any more questions, boy?”

“That’s all for now,” said Kane.

Meanwhile, people in front of Kane were whispering and taking glances at him.

“Why is he talking to himself?”

“Maybe he’s an eccentric type.”

“That explains it. What a weirdo.”

Kane ignored them and continued to look around. He smelled very faint but sharp and familiar smells: blood mixed with herbal medicines. It came from one of the buildings quite far from him. A group of sect members rested on the floor as other uninjured members were treating their wounds. What happened to them?

Kane wanted to ask Maur, but he had already gone. Before he could search him, Alwan’s other speech had begun. After ascending a second staircase, they arrived at yet another gate that was located quite further from the sect.

“Here we are, the purpose we held a competition lies behind these doors.” He turned around to his sect members. “Open it.”

They pulled the doors and revealed a pulsating red hole in the center of an open field. Heat haze blew onto Kane's face and raised the surrounding temperature.

“A dimensional tear?” uttered Kane.