Night settled quietly over the outer Sinclair estate.
The distant mountains surrounding the domain had already disappeared into darkness, leaving only the glow of scattered lanterns illuminating the stone courtyards and narrow corridors of the residence. Servants moved through the halls quietly, finishing their evening duties while whispers of the day's events still lingered among them.
But inside one particular room, the world outside seemed irrelevant.
Eternia Sinclair sat cross-legged on the wooden floor, her silver hair falling loosely across her shoulders while a faint glow of mana surrounded her body.
The room was silent.
Completely still.
Only the soft hum of circulating mana filled the air.
After the violent backlash of ancient magic earlier that day, Eternia had spent several hours carefully stabilizing her internal mana flow. Her magic circuits were still slightly strained from forcing them to maintain the spell longer than intended, but thanks to the healing vial and her controlled breathing techniques, the worst of the damage had already passed.
Mana moved through her circuits like a flowing river.
Smooth.
Balanced.
Controlled.
Eternia slowly opened her eyes.
"…Better."
Her voice was quiet.
The stabilization process had worked.
If she had ignored the backlash, the strain could have caused permanent damage to her circuits. That was the danger of ancient magic—power beyond normal limits always demanded careful control.
But now her body had mostly recovered.
Which meant she could return to training.
Her gaze drifted toward the desk beside her bed.
Resting there was the book she had discovered inside the storage ring during the labyrinth trial.
The mysterious grimoire.
Even hours later, Eternia still felt a faint sense of disbelief every time she looked at it.
Complete Magic
Not simplified beginner versions taught in academies.
Not fragmented notes stolen from ancient ruins.
Actual spell formulas written with complete precision.
She stood slowly and walked to the desk.
Her fingers traced the worn edges of the book before she opened it again.
The pages rustled softly.
Runic diagrams filled the paper, each one representing complex mana structures far beyond the simple spells most young mages learned.
Eternia studied them carefully.
"…The structure is elegant."
She recognized the difference immediately.
Modern magic systems focused heavily on simplified casting patterns designed to be easier for average mages to learn.
But these spells were different.
They were precise.
Efficient.
Built with a deeper understanding of mana mechanics.
The more she examined them, the more excited she felt.
"If I master even one of these…"
Her eyes sharpened.
"…my strength will increase dramatically."
But she also understood the limitation.
First-tier spells required far more mana than she currently possessed.
Her circuits were excellent, but her overall mana capacity was still that of a child.
She would need to accumulate more energy before she could cast such spells reliably.
Eternia closed the book slowly.
"…Then I'll train until I can."
Her hands folded calmly as she resumed circulating mana through her body.
But another thought crossed her mind.
Ancient magic.
The spell she had used in the labyrinth had given her incredible power—but the backlash had nearly incapacitated her afterward.
In serious battles, such a drawback could easily become fatal.
"I need a way to reduce the backlash."
Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
Artifacts.
Magical items designed to stabilize mana flow or absorb excess magical strain could drastically reduce the negative effects of ancient magic.
But such artifacts were extremely rare.
Even wealthy mages struggled to obtain them.
Eternia sighed quietly.
"…Another problem."
Before she could think further—
A loud commotion suddenly echoed from outside her room.
Voices.
Footsteps.
Whispers.
Dozens of them.
Eternia frowned slightly.
"That's unusual."
The outer estate was normally quiet at this hour.
Curiosity quickly replaced her irritation.
She stood up and walked toward the door.
When she opened it—
She immediately saw the crowd.
Nearly a dozen maids and servants had gathered in the hallway.
Several wooden crates were stacked near the wall.
Everyone turned the moment they noticed her.
A young maid stepped forward nervously.
"My lady!"
She bowed quickly.
"I was just about to inform you."
Eternia raised an eyebrow.
"Inform me about what?"
The maid gestured toward the crates.
"These were delivered for you."
"…For me?"
Eternia stepped closer.
Her gaze shifted toward the stacked boxes.
A small envelope rested on top of one of them.
She picked it up.
The wax seal had already been broken.
The letter inside contained only a few short lines.
To Eternia Sinclair.
Consider these items a small gift.
Meet me tomorrow evening at the Palace of Eternal Solace.
—A Friend
Eternia stared at the letter silently.
Her expression did not change.
But inside her mind, alarms immediately rang.
"Nothing in this world is free."
It was a lesson Shatter had learned painfully in his previous life.
Every gift carried a purpose.
Every favor created a debt.
Eternia folded the letter carefully.
Then she looked at the servants gathered around her.
"You may leave."
The maids hesitated.
"But—"
"I'll handle it."
Her calm voice left no room for argument.
One by one, the servants bowed and departed.
Soon the hallway was empty again.
Eternia turned back toward the crates.
"…Let's see what this 'gift' contains."
She opened the first box.
Inside were neatly folded garments.
High-quality combat clothes designed for mage battles.
Lightweight.
Flexible.
Reinforced with mana-conductive thread.
Eternia examined the fabric carefully.
"…Expensive."
Far beyond anything an illegitimate child should normally receive.
She opened another crate.
Inside were several glass vials.
Her eyes widened slightly.
Mana elixirs.
Not simple recovery potions.
These were far more valuable.
Each one contained concentrated magical energy capable of accelerating a mage's development dramatically.
Eternia lifted one carefully.
"…This will save months of training."
More importantly—
Mana elixirs could help her form her first mana ring much sooner than expected.
Mana rings were critical milestones in a mage's development.
Once formed, they stabilized mana circulation and increased casting efficiency.
Obtaining such items through normal means would have taken years for someone in her position.
Yet someone had delivered them to her door.
Eternia placed the vial back in the crate.
"…Too generous."
Which only made the situation more suspicious.
She glanced again at the letter.
The meeting location was clearly written.
The Palace of Eternal Solace.
A quiet estate building often used by high-ranking members of the Sinclair family for private discussions.
Eternia folded the letter slowly.
The Palace of Eternal Solace stood on the far side of the Sinclair domain, surrounded by tall trees and elegant gardens illuminated by glowing mana lamps.
Eternia approached the entrance calmly.
Her silver hair shimmered under the soft lights as she stepped through the courtyard gates.
The building itself was strangely quiet.
Too quiet.
No guards.
No servants.
Just silence.
"…Suspicious."
She continued walking until she reached the central hall.
And there—
Someone was waiting.
A tall man stood near the center of the chamber.
His presence alone felt heavy.
Powerful.
His hair was dark gray, his expression sharp and battle-hardened.
A long coat bearing the Sinclair crest hung over his shoulders.
But what truly caught Eternia's attention was the weapon at his side.
A sword.
Not a staff.
Not a wand.
A sword.
Eternia stopped several meters away.
Recognition flickered in her mind.
Godfrey Ender Sinclair.
The War Mage of the Sinclair family.
Third in command of the entire defense force of the Sinclair domain.
A legendary battlefield mage known for combining swordsmanship with destructive magic.
One of the strongest individuals within the family.
Eternia frowned slightly.
"…Why is he here?"
Her confusion deepened when she noticed something else.
Godfrey's hand rested calmly on the hilt of his sword.
Eternia opened her mouth.
"Were you the one who—"
But before she could finish—
Godfrey moved.
There was no warning.
No signal.
One moment he was standing calmly.
The next—
He vanished.
A flash of steel cut through the air.
The distance between them disappeared instantly.
And the sword was already descending toward her.