‘They really are not wasting any time are they.’ I thought as I looked at the many constructions going on around me. The nobles wasted no time in building their residences and trying to make them as extravagant as possible. Most of the available lots which were closer to the centre of the city itself were already bought up with the most expensive ones closer to the tree.

‘Just a windfall that came my way. And the asshole exempted taxing me for the sale of those lots because he knows he’s rushing me. So really, just a large windfall.’ I smiled to myself.

I walked through the growing forest in the ‘inner garden’ and looked at the trees the empress and Flamel planted. All of them let out some sort of mana that ‘stained’, or you could say, ‘coloured’, the pure mana released by the world tree. It’s this ‘coloured’ mana that sets the atmosphere in enchanted forests that usually attracts all sorts of creatures and this is gearing up to be one.

‘Though part of that ‘colouring’ is going to be fey and invite some of the buggers.’ I frowned.

It wasn’t that I hated the fae, it’s just that they are innately magical creatures that like playing tricks on people when they have the chance, and it’s usually magical tricks that you would need a specialist to undo. Also, they are known for, rightfully, barring people from their homes, however, their homes in this case would be this forest if, no, when they do come here and I would like to be able to access this place without trouble.

‘I just hope the empress can control them like she said.’

I came to a stop in front of the world tree and just observed it.

‘Truly, a beautiful tree.’ I suddenly sensed a familiar presence appearing through a portal spell of my design and sighed.

‘Why does she always come here, she even brought company this time.’ I turned to face the three people that just arrived in front of me. It was the empress and her two children. She looked at me and smiled brightly as I bowed to greet them.

“Your majesties, welcome.” She waved at me.

“Solis dear, no need to be so formal. I just came here to help these two get in touch with their roots. I’m sure you know my daughter. Pardon the veil, she has yet to fully master her allure after all these years.” She said while looking slightly in her direction.

“Mother!”

“Whereas you are only meeting my son for the first time. This is Arthur, my lovely son.” He gave a dimpled smile, radiating a comforting and invigorating warmth as opposed to his father’s searing heat. He had the same gold hair and eyes of his father but that same unique geometric pattern was present in his eyes. Facially, he was a combination of both parents.

“I've heard so much about you. Thanks to your clever invention we can get in touch with what it means to be fae, well, more so than we already did.” His smile widened.

‘Ah, took after his mother personality wise then. And tune down that fucking allure, it won’t work on me.’

“Thank you for the compliment.” I bowed slightly.

“Come children, we have much work to do. Go on about your business Solis.” She turned and left with her children following her.

‘Is this bitch really going to plant more fucking fey trees.’ I turned around to leave when-

“I hope to see more of what you can do, Solis. You’ve impressed me so far.” The prince added with his eyes boring into me before he followed along with his mother.

‘I take it back, this asshole is like his father.’ The princess didn’t even acknowledge me.

‘Was she embarrassed, whatever.’ I turned and created a portal.

‘The less I come in contact with this family, the better I think.’

A few months later

I had just arrived home, at the Whitefyre estate, after finishing the finals. The city, and now capital, of Heartree had just been completed and the city name had already been chosen by me.

‘Treehome. A little on the nose but, well, elvish instincts and all that.’ I had a lot of things to do from here on out.

The city will be open sometime in the next few weeks and we, well I, had to streamline the administrative process and hire some people to do some grunt work for me. The emperor also saw it fit to hold a banquet marking the opening of this new territory that I had to attend. That is when my new title will be publicly announced for the first time while also being my first introduction to high society as I never cared to go to any of their mixers before.

I went over to my meadow in the forest surrounding my estate and sat on the grass. I just immersed myself in the surrounding mana and let my energies mix with it. I had been holding back on advancing for quite some time because this next advancement was going to be a monumental milestone and I had to be free to experience it in its entirety.

I formed the accumulated mana into a circle surrounding my heart. I felt it snap into place and the excess mana bled out into my system. I took a few minutes to acclimate myself to the growth in mana.

‘Sixth circle, complete. Now to complete saturation.’

For the first time in a long time, I relaxed the tight hold I had on my aura and chi, just letting them be. I had been holding on for so long that just that act alone felt euphoric. I felt the cycle ramp up and both saturations shut up to a hundred simultaneously. I jolted as I felt what seemed like an electric shock going through my system.

Then pain, intense pain. I hunched over myself as if trying to hold on to something. then I flung my arms wide and shouted.

“Arghhhh!” My domains, along with my aura and chi exploded from me, forming a crater where I sat. I felt my energies affecting the surroundings drastically as I slowly began to lose consciousness. I heard a voice that sounded like my father.

“Get back inside! All of you! I’ll take him myself. Avenelle! Take the guards and comb the forest, make sure *muffle*....” Black.

I woke up on a soft surface. I opened my eyes to see that it was my room.

“Young master, you’re awake?” A maid that was standing by my door asked. I noticed immediately she was shaking heavily and sweating, just generally looking like she was suffering in my present.

‘Shit, my aura and chi are not being suppressed’ I quickly got control and muted my presence to make it more comfortable for her. I could see the effects immediately as she sighed in relief.

“I shall go get the grand duke.” She left.

While she was away, I took the opportunity to take stock of my person. I immediately felt the difference.

‘Instinct, it's all become instinct. No, one level deeper than that, what is greater than instinct?’ I couldn’t answer the question verbally, but I knew the answer.

I lifted my hand and a large fire bird formed above my palm, but with more detail and clarity than ever before. I let it fly around the room freely without even concentrating on it. It was as if once I found the right balance for it-

‘Balance!’ That was it, that was the other end of this equation. It was as if finding the balance of anything stored that balance in my subconscious and allowed me to summon that thing whenever. I looked back at the firebird as it exploded to thousands of miniature water dragons flying about the room, all possessing their own individuality.

“I see you’re having fun.” My face snapped in the direction of the door. Father was standing there with a blank look on his face along with Avenelle who looked very angry. I let the water fade out of existence as they both entered the room.

“I take it that the pressure that was felt all around the estate was you reaching a milestone of some kind?” He asked.

“Yes, father.” He looked at me in silence for a few seconds.

“And you were not going to tell me had you not caused a commotion, were you?”

‘Ohh, look who’s catching on.’

“No, father.” My answer was once again met with silence, but it seemed that somebody couldn't keep his cool.

“What level are you!? What level have you reached that you would destroy property with just the release of your aura?!”

“Avenelle!”

“Father! We must know, as the future hea-”

“And who made you the future head?” His mouth snapped shut.

‘Well that shut him up didn’t it.’ Father turned to look at me again.

“Besides, your brother will not be under the rule of this house anymore. He will have his own territory to run, after all.”

“Heh, the great waste? Surely nothing will come of that and it was only meant to humble-”

“You naive boy, it is a great waste no more as your brother did something to make that place livable. Where do you think the new property we built is?”

‘Ohh, he put two and two together. Not bad.’

“Impossible, even the emperor couldn’t-”

“Don’t judge others by your standards, Avenelle, the emperor could have wiped the waste if he wanted to. Actually, there are a handful of people in this empire that can do so. They just didn't care.” Avenelle stood there, stunned.

“I’m sure the upcoming banquet is for your benefit, correct Solis?”

“Yes.”

“Good, don’t embarrass this family when presenting yourself. That is all. Come, Avenelle.” He turned and left together with Avenelle.

‘Huh, I think I underestimated him. I thought he would get angry or greedy, but he knows his place in the relationship between us. I might be starting to like this guy.’