Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

Council Keep, Downtown Quarters.

On the top floor of this towering structure, the Lord Marshall of Ravenfell, Sabrina Benton, sat in her office, reading through the contents of several official parchments.

Several minutes later, she nodded and handed the parchment to the young woman standing beside her. ”Approved. Send twenty additional Mana Liquefaction Magi to the Bosky Neighborhood.”

”Twenty, my lady?” The assistant was startled. ”But…” She lowered her head, reading the contents of the paachment before continuing, ”They have only requested five.”

Sabrina remained silent for a few moments, resting her chin in her hand. Her eyes narrowed and she murmured, almost as if she was talking to herself, ”I can’t quite put a finger on it, but the Corvid Quarter… there’s something going on there.”

The assistant’s heart skipped a beat. ”Something is... going on there?” she asked in a trembling voice.

With the Grand Magus Tournament only weeks away, Ravenfell had grown increasingly tense.

The one to bear the most weight was none other than the city’s armed forces, which was run by Sabrina Benton.

Even the slightest anomalies that were brought to their attention were thoroughly investigated and then immediately dealt with.

So, now, when the assistant heard the Lord Marshall say something fishy was going on in the Corvid Quarter, she naturally assumed the worst.

Sabrina turned her head, looking at the sprawling cityscape through the window. ”It’s better to be safe than sorry,” she said at last. ”Send twenty.”

”Yes, my lady!” The assistant jotted down something in her notebook before handing Sabrina Benton the next official parchment.

But before the elderly woman could reach it, the doors to her office burst open. A Mana Liquefaction Magus clad in full armor dashed in, his expression a blend of excitement and panic.

Benton’s eyes sharpened, and she spoke coldly, ”You better have a good reason.”

”Forgive me, my lady!” The Magus immediately dropped to one knee.

The person sitting before him may look unassuming and elderly, but she was, in fact, the most ruthless out of all the Councilors in Ravenfell.

There was a reason why Headmaster Marcus Blackwood had appointed her as the Lord Marshall of Ravenfell!

”But this is urgent!” he added. ”Truly urgent.”

”Speak,” Benton flatly stated.

The Magus took a deep breath before looking at the elderly woman. His lips parted, and he spoke in a trembling voice, ”The Dark King has returned!”

Sabrina Benton rose to her feet. There would be time to finish the paperwork later. The Dark King’s homecoming celebration took precedence above all.

After all, this celebration was Ravenfell’s official proclamation to the world that their proud Magus, the Dark King, had returned!

It was also a grand gesture to show Adam just how grateful Ravenfell was to him for his brave and admirable actions in the Blackshore Incident.

Sabrina Benton moved around the desk and asked, ”Jeeling Outpust?”

”Yes, my lady, he is currently staying there!” said the armored Magus.

Sabrina hummed in acknowledgment as she left the room, leaving behind her parting words for her assistant, ”Bina, begin the homecoming preperations. You have exactly twenty-four hours.”

With that said, she vanished down the hallway.

***

Northern Quarter.

It encompassed the northern portion of Ravenfell, separated from the other quarters by the Dell River.

It was a diverse region in both wealth and poverty, which housed a number of important landmarks, none more iconic than the Ravenfell Arena.

Though typically used for noble duels and seasonal festivals, the arena served as the training ground for the city’s armed forces.

Now it was being transformed for something far greater—the Grand Magus Tournament!

The Ravenfell Arena itself was a marvel of engineering and arcane design. From the outside, it stood about sixty meters, but from the inside…

It was three times that height!

At the moment, renovations were still underway. At the center of the grassy field, Professor Mathilda Whitaker was surrounded by over a dozen students from Saratoga, instructing them on various things.

”Professor, what about the commentator?” asked a young woman dressed in a gray cloak proudly emblazoned with the insignia of Saratoga.

”He doesn’t wish to sit by the bleachers. His requirement is quite… unusual.”

The elderly lady waved her hand dismissively. ”That has already been handled. His platform needs to be inscribed with the spell model of Flight. It’s a minor issue.”

She paused for a moment, turning toward a tall young man.

”What about the food and drinks station? Each of the six segments”—she pointed to the four cardinal directions and the upper and lower bleachers—”needs at least a dozen setups. Are they ready?”

”Professor, it will be done within the week,” said the young man.

”Good. Prioritize those, especially the drinks,” Professor Whitaker muttered solemnly. ”I don’t dare imagine what will happen if we run out of ale.”

This elicited a round of laughter from the students.

”Also, double the security around the food and drink stations,” the elderly Magus added. ”We cannot have drunk fools ruining the event.”

A lot of planning and effort had gone into the event that would eventually take place in this very arena.

After all, according to estimations, a hundred thousand people were expected to attend!

While Professor Whitaker was discussing the other important matters relating to the event, she suddenly heard the sound of hurried footsteps approaching from a distance.

She turned towards one of the many entrances and saw an armored Magus running with the utmost urgency.

”He’s here! He’s here!” He shouted while waving his hands, his tone laced with excitement.

Professor Whitaker frowned. When the Magus arrived before her, she said gently, ”Calm down, son. What’s going on?”

The Magus panted for air. A few minutes later, he looked at the elderly professor and managed a grin. ”The Dark King! He has arrived at the Jeeling Outpost!”

Everyone was stunned by those words. Then, they burst into cheers.

Professor Whitker had an extremely serious expression on her face. Adam’s homecoming celebration wasn’t just personal, it was political, symbolic, and was directly tied to the Grand Magus Tournament itself.

She turned to one of the students and gravely said, ”Bob, you know what to do. Return to Saratoga. Begin the preparations.”

With that said, she rushed out of the Ravenfell arena.

***

Constantine Estate, Uptown Quarter.

Raidon, the Captain of the Black Legion, stormed inside the grand manor, looking for someone.

After asking directions from the many maids and servants in the manor, he finally arrived at a study on the second floor.

”Lady Anna!” He burst in without knocking, not bothering with the etiquette.

The crimson-haired princess reclined in a leather chair by the fireplace, a book in her hands. She looked up, her gaze calm yet curious.

Raidon gulped. Then, his lips curled into a wide grin.

”The Lord Commander has arrived!”