Flooding was rare in the Verdant Region. It wasn't close to the sea or any large bodies of water, and aside from the occasional storm, the rain was usually light—barely enough to cause trouble, especially in Arlcliff City with its own sewage system.
But that also meant the region wasn't used to dealing with floods.
Right now, lightning snapped across the sky, each bolt followed by a deep rumble that felt both distant and close, shaking you down to your bones. The sky was dark, almost black, lit up again and again by flashes that turned the clouds into a restless sea of light. Rain poured down like a never-ending sheet, whipped by strong winds that drove every drop hard against the ground, houses, and everything else.
Arlcliff City was built on a huge hill, with the Upper City near the top and the Lower City spread along the slope. As the rain fell, anything the drains couldn't handle just rushed down the streets toward the Outer City. Most of it flowed straight into the river that ran through the Outer City and Lower City, making the water levels rise fast. The river, normally calm, turned into a roaring torrent, overflowing its banks and flooding the Outer City. Boats that had been tied up without worry were swept away in moments.
Some flipped over, others crashed together, turning the river into a real hazard. Docks and buildings close to the river took the first hit from the waves and debris, and some docks were just ripped away and carried off by the flood.
But it was the people who had it worst. In the Outer City, travelers and merchants who got stuck because they couldn't leave now had to face the storm head-on. Horses and other animals were rushed into stables or any building that could hold them, while wagons and supplies got left outside in the rain. Inside homes, the windows rattled so hard it felt like the glass might break at any second. People left weaker houses behind and moved to sturdier ones or community buildings for shelter.
Inside Arlcliff City itself, things were better, but only a little.
People had already retreated inside. There wasn't much risk to them now since most buildings in the Lower and Upper City were built to last, unlike those in the Outer City. Still, the storm kept raging with no sign of stopping, and supplies were only going to last so long. It had already been over two days, and if the rain didn't let up soon, running out of food and water would become a real problem.
The only place truly protected from all this was Takerth Academy. Inside Magnus's dorm room, he and Luden were still together—though at this point, Luden had gone quiet, thinking over Magnus's proposal.
The Batis Military...
The thought echoed in Luden's mind. A lot of people might think the noble families of the Batis Kingdom and the Batis Military would get along, but that couldn't be further from the truth. The two sides often clashed. Some of the tension came from the fact that the nobles could interfere with the military just by saying the word, while the military needed solid reasons to do the same to the nobles. If it weren't for the Knight-Commanders in the Royal Court, the military might have already been stripped clean and ended up under the full control of the Four Rings of Nobility.
One of the latest signs of their conflict was a new law the Knight-Commanders had passed down limiting how large a private army each noble family could have. Luden knew all about the issues between the two sides, and he was going over the details in his head.
My family and the military aren't enemies. We've never thrown our weight around to get in their way, and they've never had a reason to interfere with us. In the end, we operate on two completely different levels. Our main focus has always been mana catalyst mining and managing the magical markets. Power and prestige just come with the territory, since we're a mage family.
But being neutral didn't mean being safe. It was a position without benefits or drawbacks, which meant the only thing stopping it from turning into friendship or rivalry was a single reason. Sometimes it was just about wanting land, or maybe someone had too many powerful allies and became a threat just by existing. The reasons were endless, which was why neutrality was always fragile—it never lasted unless the other party was far enough away to ignore.
That was exactly where the Rilhawk Family stood with the Batis Military: neutral. So if there was a chance to shift that neutrality, even just a bit, in a positive direction—especially if it looked like they were doing the military a favor and didn't have to take on any legal responsibility—it was worth considering.
It was tempting.
Luden looked up at Magnus and started to speak.
"If you can-"
Just as Luden started to speak, the bathroom door swung open and Celia stepped out with a burst of steam trailing behind her. She had a towel wrapped around her chest and another in her hands as she slowly dried her hair.
"Looks like the hot water might be acting up from the storm. The temperature dropped a lot while I was-" Celia stopped mid-sentence as she opened her eyes and spotted Magnus on the couch, along with Luden, who had just looked up at her.
"Hello there," Luden greeted, giving her a friendly smile.
Celia's eyes went wide, her face turning bright red. She spun on her heel and darted back into the bathroom, dropping the towel she'd been using for her hair and slamming the door behind her. No sooner had the door shut than Magnus heard her yell his name.
"Magnus!"
Magnus blinked, looking genuinely confused.
"What?"
"What? Why didn't you tell me there was... someone else here?"
"Well, you were already in the bathroom when he showed up. I figured you'd be in there for a while. And besides, it's not the first time you've walked around my room in a towel." None of that helped; Celia's voice came through the door again, more flustered than ever.
"That- That's different!" He could hear her scrambling around, probably hunting for clothes now that she didn't even want to risk crossing the room with Luden here.
"Looks like I caused a bit of a scene," Luden said, getting up from the couch.
Magnus just shrugged and turned back to him.
"It's fine. She'll get over it."
"I wouldn't be so sure, but anyway—I agree to your proposal," Luden said it so casually that it took Magnus a second to process it. He blinked, waiting for Luden to add something, which he did.
"But that's just me agreeing. I can't force the others from my faction to do anything, especially regarding matters outside our group. I'll let them know what you've told me and exactly what's involved in this. I'll also tell them about your offer regarding the Batis Military. Whether anyone else joins or helps out will be up to them and their families." Luden made it all clear, and even though Magnus frowned, it was out of understanding rather than annoyance as he nodded.
"Yeah, I get it. I never expected you to force anyone," Magnus answered.
"I know, but I had to say it anyway. Still, as the heir to the Rilhawk Family, I can guarantee my own participation. Just give me a heads-up beforehand so I can get ready—I'd rather not walk in unprepared. Luckily, with classes temporarily suspended, you couldn't have picked a better time to make the offer." Luden was heading for the door as he finished, but it was that last part that made Magnus pause.
"Wait—what do you mean classes are suspended? Is that why the campus was so empty today?"
Luden glanced back at him, looking puzzled for a moment before he remembered.
"Oh, right, you've been isolated lately. Yes, the academy announced all classes are suspended. That went out a few days ago. You should've gotten a notice from your master, even if you two were busy with private lessons."
It all made sense suddenly, and Magnus's eyes narrowed as he groaned, "Gosh dammit, Eveline..."
Luden just laughed.
"Well, your master has always been known for being a bit... eccentric. I really shouldn't be surprised."
Magnus just mumbled, "Eccentric is definitely 'a' word for her."
Luden didn't comment on that, continuing for the door as he added, "Well, whatever's going on, Lazitha rescheduled our private lessons for today too, so I'd say it's something serious—though I doubt it involves us. I'd focus on what you need to do, and remember—"
He paused, already halfway through the door, and looked back at Magnus.
"Neither Magnus nor Cain can be found at the scene." With that, he stepped out, closing the door behind him.
Silence settled over Magnus's dorm as soon as Luden left. Magnus sat, lost in thought. Everything felt just a bit off—classes suspended, Luden's private lessons pushed back, though he also agreed with Luden; it probably had nothing to do with them. If Takerth Academy knew anything about Nightshade or what they were planning, the whole syndicate would've vanished already. Whatever made the Academy go so quiet had to be something else entirely.
I guess I could just ask Eveline if I really want to know. And I need to talk to her about the fact she didn't even bother to tell me classes were canceled!
But for now, he needed to get ready, just like Luden suggested.
[Master, are you sure it was wise to bring others in on this? It could be dangerous, and if-]
Magnus already knew where Basker was headed and cut him off.
I know. But I don't have a choice right now. If we're going to destroy Nightshade, it has to be thorough, and I can't do everything myself. Don't worry though—I'll handle all of the more dangerous threats on my own. No one else will get hurt. Worst case, I can teleport them out once I've memorized them, then deal with any enemies myself.
That's what Magnus told himself, anyway, though he couldn't ignore a nagging worry in the back of his mind. He knew how easily things could spiral out of control. It was always the same: wondering who he should involve, who he could actually protect, and who could look after themselves. The doubts always circled in his mind, but this time, the spiral broke when he heard the bathroom door behind him creak open.
He turned around and saw Celia peeking out, clutching her maid's clothes to her chest and holding her towel tight. She scanned the room, then locked eyes with Magnus, her gaze narrowing into a glare.
"Are you mad at me?" Magnus asked.
Celia scoffed.
"What do you think?"
"I think you're being a little dramatic."
"He saw me naked!"
"He saw you in a towel. And by the way, are you planning to stay in the bathroom forever, or are you actually going to get dressed?" Magnus's words made Celia finally step out, making her way toward the walk-in closet.
Before going in, she shot him one last glare, raising her hand.
"This isn't over."
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Magnus said as he waved her off.
•
The grounds of Takerth Academy were strangely empty. With classes suspended, there weren't nearly as many students walking around, and with the weather so gloomy, there was no reason to be outside. Most people were either in their dorms or someplace warm and dry, like the library. Anywhere was better than being under the dark gray sky.
Still, two figures could be seen making their way along one of the academy's many paths—Lazitha and Mulvin, the masters of Luden and Seraline, respectively.
"It's been a while since we've had a summons like this," Lazitha remarked, glancing at Mulvin as they walked.
"I wonder what they want us to do."
"If I had to guess, it's probably about the weather. It's been going on for days, and now it's really causing problems," Mulvin replied, looking up at the sky—the barrier shielding them from the worst of the storm, and beyond that, the storm itself.
"The storm?" Lazitha echoed, also glancing up at the swirling clouds.
After a moment, she just shrugged.
"I doubt it. It's bad, but not bad enough to threaten the city. If the City Council was actually worried and requested our help with the storm, someone would have taken care of it by now." Changing the weather wasn't all that difficult for a Master-level mage; even an Adept could pull it off with enough preparation and the right conditions. The real issue was the scale. Shifting the weather over a small town or village was one thing, but over a whole city? It would drain even a Master-level mage pretty quickly, no matter how much mana they could absorb. There were easier ways to get water where it was needed—like redirecting a river, magic, or having a knight sense out and dig a well.
"Well, whatever it is, I guess we'll find out soon enough," Mulvin said as they arrived at the Central Building of Takerth Academy. Stepping through the doors, the grand, lavish halls opened up before them. Inside, staff members and professors were gathering—well over a hundred of them, all answering the summons. Some had been in seclusion, honing their skills. Others came straight from assignments, even teleporting the last stretch since it seemed urgent.
Looking around, Lazitha frowned at the sheer number of people here. It was rare to see everyone gathered in one place like this.
So many Master-level mages and knights in one spot was something almost no one ever got to witness. That was part of the reason Takerth Academy stood unchallenged in the region, and why its name was so respected. A single Master-level mage or knight could take over a whole kingdom if left unchecked. That was just the kind of power the supernatural held over everyone else. So what could hundreds of them do together? In a world without other academies, mages or knights, they could probably take over the world without much trouble at all.
That was why the academy system was created in the first place—to keep things balanced, and to let mages and knights live alongside the nations of the world without the power balance spiraling out of control.
"This... is more than just a regular summons. What's happening?" Mulvin muttered, glancing around.
Most of the staff and professors were murmuring too, wondering why they'd all been called in at once.
"There's only one reason I can think of for gathering everyone like this…" Lazitha said, crossing her arms and sighing.
"Oh? Mind sharing?" Mulvin asked, looking over at her.
Lazitha glanced at him and answered, "Rogue mages—and judging by this gathering, not just a few, either."