Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

Chapter 1410: Benefit of the Doubt

The royal palace stood at the very center of the city, rising above the surrounding districts as both a seat of power and a symbol of authority.

High stone walls enclosed the palace grounds, while tall towers and fortified halls overlooked the city in every direction. From its elevated position, the palace commanded clear views of the major districts, markets, and harbor.

Within the palace, deep inside a private chamber sealed against scrying and intrusion, the king sat at a long table with a handful of his most trusted aids.

He appeared to be a late middle-aged man sporting a full head of crimson hair and ruby-red eyes. A simple golden crown rested upon his brows.

This was the ruler of the Ignisra Kingdom, Maximillian Fireborne. He was also Anna’s father.

Beside him sat a young man who bore a striking resemblance to him. This was the Prince of the Ignisra Kingdom, Marlow Fireborne. He was Anna’s elder brother.

Across from Marlow sat a middle-aged man who had silver hair and blue eyes. This was the Duke of Ignisra Kingdom, Tanner Bray. He was Ada’s father.

Finally, the last person in the room was an auburn-haired middle-aged man, who sported a neatly trimmed beard of matching color. This was Duke Tostig Quinn, father to Daryl Quinn and also Marlow’s father-in-law.

On the table before them lay maps, reports, and several other documents. The atmosphere in the room was slightly tense but still controlled. After all, their discussion centered around a single topic...

The sudden arrival of the wandering Magus Nilrem.

This ostentatious peacock in human form had arrived in Amberfall earlier that day. The moment he exited the port, the city watch escorted him away for — if one were to be generous — questioning.

But this was the strange part...

Nilrem had cooperated cheerfully. One would expect a Magus of his stature to show some displeasure at being detained immediately after arrival. Instead, he answered every question the guards posed, openly and without the slightest hint of irritation.

He even explained his purpose for coming with disarming enthusiasm.

Nilrem claimed to be a travel-writer and a chronicler of wonders, someone who wandered from one place to another, documenting remarkable places, people, and events.

Amberfall, according to him, was a mercantile powerhouse spoken of in countless rumors, and he had come to see it for himself. And, of course, record it properly.

He spoke at length about his eagerness to write about markets, guilds, arcane regulations, and local customs, asking almost as many questions as he answered. He requested permission to sketch landmarks, observe daily life, and speak with merchants and Magi alike.

Everything about his explanation was open, almost to the point of being excessively so. If he was hiding anything, he did so behind honesty rather than evasion.

If there was anything suspicious about him, it was the fact that he was a nameless nobody.

”For someone who claims to be a travel-writer, why is it that I haven’t even heard of him?” Duke Bray sneered as he read the reports in front of him.

”Well, he did say this was his first time visiting Europa.” Duke Quinn sighed.

”And you believe this fraud?!” Tanner Bray blurted out, the veins at the side of his head throbbing visibly.

”He even mentioned he’s just returning from a long trip from Yen-Lu! Who in their right mind would believe such a thing? Does he think we’re empty-headed baboons?”

He then turned to the King, who sat at the head of the table, listening in silence, fingers steepled.

”Your Majesty,” Duke Bray began solemnly. ”I suspect he’s been sent here by the Empire!”

Before anyone else could retort, he quickly added, ”Now, I know what you all are thinking. If he truly was the enemy, why would he make his presence known to us? I say, isn’t that exactly what the enemy would do to lower our guards?”

The room slipped into silence.

Duke Bray’s concern did not arise out of nowhere. The Haynam Empire and the Sovereign Union, of which Ignisra was a part, had always stood at odds. Their rivalry was old, rooted in conflicting ideologies, territorial disputes, and competition over power and influence.

In recent years, however, the balance had shifted. The Empire had grown increasingly aggressive, no longer relying solely on proxy conflict or political pressure. It had begun to wage wars openly, pushing its borders outward and testing the Union’s resolve.

Against that backdrop, Nilrem’s sudden appearance was troubling, to say the least.

A wandering Mana Vortex Magus arriving without warning, openly flamboyant, yet unusually cooperative... it raised questions.

To the king and his aides, it was not unreasonable to suspect that Nilrem might be an imperial agent, sent to sow discord in plain sight. Not through subterfuge, but through influence, rumors, and carefully placed truths.

Hearing Duke Bray’s argument, Marlow Fireborn nodded with a grim expression. ”I believe the Duke is right. In times like these, even a storyteller can be a weapon. Not to mention, he’s a Mana Vortex Magus.”

The king weighed the implications of Nilrem entering his domain without prior notice. He thought for a long time. At last, he turned to Duke Quinn and asked in an even tone:

”Tostig, you wish to give this man the benefit of the doubt?”

Duke Quinn helplessly sighed. ”Why treat him like an enemy without concrete evidence? What if he turns out to be an ally instead?”

Tanner Bray scoffed, but he didn’t say anything. Marlow Fireborn silently shook his head, not quite agreeing with his father-in-law.

”Very well,” Maximillian Fireborne spoke after almost a minute of deliberation.

He turned to Duke Quinn and instructed, ”I want you to visit the newcomer. Speak with him. Observe him. Feel him out.”

Tostig acknowledged the order with a respectful nod. No questions were asked, and no more objections were raised. Once the king had made his decision, the instructions had to be carried out.

Maximillian Fireborne may not be the most powerful Magus in the Sovereign Union, but he was undoubtedly one of the wisest. Otherwise, the Ignisra Kingdom would not have been so influential, given that the Union had several Mana Core Magi within it.

With that, the matter was settled, and preparations were quietly set in motion.

Little did anyone in that room know that Nilrem’s arrival would change the fate of the Ignisra Kingdom forever...