Legacy of the Dark Sage

Kyran looked at Mannick with mixed emotions. Today was the first time they met, and it was not peaceful. Mannick did attack him with the intent to kill just a few minutes ago.

After finding out who Kyran was, the man's attitude turned 180. Maybe True Void's presence was another deciding factor to why the latter accepted his identity without questions, as much as his 'warping' display.

Nevertheless, Kyran was hesitant to trust him. There were too many things that did not fit right now, and until he got his answers, he would have to keep his guard around Mannick.

"You have questions," Mannick broke the silence after True Void introduced him to Kyran. "But given the current situation, it is not the time to answer them."

"I know," Kyran replied.

There was still on the island, and the two deputy marshals were nearby. If Mannick did not show up, the two might do something drastic or report it, resulting in further headaches.

"Azaloth, Void Halfling wants the legendary beasts. Can you do something about it?"

Kyran looked at True Void with a frown. Before answering, 'Mannick' also looked at True Void with a scowl.

"Void Halfling? You dare call the new Master like that?"

"Bah! He is a Halfling because he is. Anyway, he wants them alive," True Void ignored Azaloth's piercing gaze and explained.

Mannick— for now, Kyran would tentatively continue to address him as such until he confirmed if he could trust him— looked at Kyran questioningly.

"Those beasts are not native of this plane. I can't let them wander."

"I'm going to tame them," Kyran said without elaborating. Still, he noted how Mannick said he 'can't let them wander' as if it was his duty.

"'Tame them'..." A bitter smile crossed Mannick's face as he nodded in understanding. "Right. You have the Regis blood flowing in you. Taming beasts is possible."

"Can you help?"

"Imman is on his way to regroup with Ingrid. If you want to take the Manticore, now is the time. I will restrain its movement, and you may do whatever you like afterwards. But we have to move fast.

"The Anima Novitiate has called the outsiders. They will arrive soon."

Kyran raised his brows.

Anima was another ancient word meaning Soul. The novitiate was a term used for a novice being taught by a master. It was not hard to guess who Mannick was speaking of.

The Crown Princess.

But if she was only a novitiate, then a 'master' was behind her. Or could it be that she was only a novitiate because she was not the original successor of the Soul Emperor?

​ Kyran immediately banished the thought from his mind. He would never consider that idea. No. He would never allow that.

In any case, if the Crown Princess was the one who had called for the outsiders, then Kyran had underestimated the authority she had.

The outsiders could be considered the empire's honored guests. The emperor should be the only one who could call for them.

Or...

The things Empress Iulia said flashed in Kyran's mind.

Could it be that one of his guesses was correct? That Emperor Euan genuinely wanted to save the Regis Clan because he wanted to change the empire? However, the Crown Princess knowing all this, had another idea and was plotting behind his back.

If this was true, the arrival of the outsiders to the Human plane could very well be the Crown Princess's handiwork.

"She's the real one working behind the scenes."

His words were not a question but a statement. Thus, Mannick was not required to answer. With only a short exchange, an understanding seemed to pass between them.

"New Void Master, after you have taken what you needed, leave the island at once. I will come find you."

"No," Kyran shook his head. The Shaiha was concealing his magic energy, even with the Sovereign of Ruin's mark acting up right now.

Mannick would not be able to find him.

"I will come to you," Kyran told him instead.

Mannick nodded, "I understand."

Then he looked at Kyran's arm and said, "But before that..."

He raised his right hand, and magic energy circled Kyran's left arm.

"Let me take care of that."

Kyran's eyes widened because as soon as the magic energy wrapped around his arm, the throbbing pain stopped, and the mark calmed down.

It even felt as if the mark was never there.

However, what surprised Kyran the most was the energy he sensed when Mannick made a move that strangely felt similar to the mist surrounding the Misty Forest!

Could it be that Mannick was the one who created the massive array that emitted the mist which protected the Chaos Palace?

It made Kyran recall what True Void called him.

The Most Fateful Shield.

Even after Caelan's death, Mannick— or rather, Azaloth still protected his master's palace.

It made Kyran feel a little sad yet grateful.

"Oh! That's right. That's right! He's the best one to seal the Sovereign of Ruin's mark! After all, in the Human plane, Azaloth is the *^$)%#@!!! OI! Whose filtering my words?"

Mannick looked at True Void with a wry smile, "I will be the one to tell him everything. You don't have to spoil it."

"Azaloth! You dare put a spell on me? I am only going to tell him that you are *^$)%#@!!! Gah! So annoying! What's so wrong about telling him you have become the *^$)%#@!!! AAAAAAAHHHH!"

Blacklines appeared on Kyran's head as he tilted his head to the side to avoid True Void's screaming.

He grabbed True Void's small 'head' and lifted him while saying, "Do your tantrum later, we need to move now."

"Oi! Where are you even holding? And what did you say? Tantrum? Me? TANTRUM? WHY WOULD I DO SOMETHING CHILDISH LIKE THAT?"

Kyran gave him a blank look and was about to scold him again when Mannick approached and knelt in front of him.

Mannick's action made True Void stop flailing his arms and regarded him in silence.

Kyran also looked at him and waited for him to speak.

"New Void Master," Mannick started. "I am glad to have met you before they did. Yet, I am also ashamed that I can only greet you in this form. The seal on your mark is also temporary. It may sound like I am making an excuse, but I can only do so much while in this form. I promise to do a better job the next time."

''In this form'...' Kyran repeated in his mind with a slight frown.

But then his eyes widened as something clicked in his head. It was only then that he noticed something about Mannick.

Kyran had not noticed it before because Mannick's aura was that of an Exalted.

But if Mannick was really Azaloth, and he was able to protect Caelan when he was alive, then his mage level should be higher.

Caelan died as a Sage. So Azaloth might be a Legendary or even at the same level as Caelan!

If this was the case, then Mannick was only an essence! It would explain a lot of things!

While there was a spell that could disguise a mage's magic level, it would not be enough to fool the eyes of the Anima Novitiate. She could see through one's soul, after all.

Kyran was different, though.

Cyneah even said she could not 'see' his light, which was why Kyran always had a memory soul stone with a Master level aura and attracted Strengthening magic energies. This was how he managed to fool others.

The same went with his puppets. All of them had memory soul stones installed in them.

But if Mannick was only an Essence, his actual magic level was lower than his real self. As for his magic energy, that was something Kyran had not figured out yet.

"You in this form is better than some furball I know," Kyran replied.

Mannick looked at Kyran quizzically, "Furball—?"

"WAAAAH!" True Void shouted again. With Kyran still holding his head, True Void hoisted himself and wrapped his legs around Kyran's forearm before gnawing at his hand. "What are you telling him?"

"Oi! Don't be rude to the new master!" Mannick growled at True Void.

Kyran ignored them and sighed inwardly.

He did not know Mannick well enough but knew he also had a strange quirk.

After all, every Magus and above he met possessed a quirk unique to them.

Nolan's quirk was his inability to remember others' faces. Anette had a bad sense of direction. Malek was his 'psychotic' side after seeing the future. Tritus's with his obsession. True Void's was his childish antics.

And many others.

Kyran only hoped that Mannick's quirk would not be too strange.

"Return to the others first. I'll leave it to you to come up with a story. True Void and I will make a quick work on the Manticore and the Chimera," Kyran said, stopping the two with their argument.

"I wish you luck, new Void Master."

With that, Mannick left, and the gold pillars that surrounded them vanished in the blink of an eye.