Neither Duke Jacob nor Roman had any idea that far away, beyond the borders of the Presia Dukedom, the carriage of King Augustus Nova was already on its way back from the Holy Empire of Arcania. No royal decree had been sent yet; not a single noble knew of his arrival. His return, however, was destined to shake the entire Clover Kingdom—and change everything that lay ahead for Roman Crowell.
For now, Roman remained unaware of the storm that was quietly forming.
He stood beside Mage Tower Master Velkan inside the grand training hall of the Presia Mage Tower, carefully observing the gathered mages. One by one, he assessed their magic flow, control, and mana stability. He had only one goal: to select the most capable mages for the covert operation planned against the Ephor Dukedom.
As he watched the group, his eyes fell upon a young boy practicing in silence. His spells flickered with unstable light, but there was something special—an innate rhythm that caught Roman's attention.
"You there," Roman said, stepping closer. "What is your name?"
The boy quickly bowed. "Jeremiah Nara, young master."
"Spatial magic, huh?" Roman observed the faint distortion around the boy's hands and smiled slightly. "You've got the talent, but you're forcing your mana. Don't tear space, shape it. Mana isn't your slave—it's your partner. Try controlling it gently, like folding paper rather than breaking it."
The boy nodded nervously. Roman raised his own hand, channeling mana into a delicate thread of blue light.
"See this? Follow the flow. When you open a rift, don't think of forcing an opening—think of drawing a line and letting it connect itself. Space will answer if you listen."
Jeremiah tried again, focusing exactly as Roman instructed. A faint ripple appeared before him—weak, but stable. His eyes widened in disbelief.
"Good," Roman said, giving an approving nod. "Your talent will bloom soon. Just polish your mana control and stabilize your core flow. Once you master that, spatial magic will no longer consume you you'll control it."
After that, Roman moved through the candidates one by one, giving precise guidance.
To a fire mage, he explained how to compress heat in rhythmic pulses for greater efficiency.
To a water mage, he demonstrated mana recycling through dual flow control.
And to the lightning mage, he taught a unique chantless casting method that doubled speed with minimal mana drain.
When he was done, he clapped once. "All of you practice what I've shown. Master Velkan will brief you later about your missions."
Velkan bowed deeply. "Understood, young master."
Roman turned and left the tower. Behind him, the elders and apprentices stood speechless. One of the senior mages, skeptical of Roman's techniques, scoffed and picked up the parchment where Roman had scribbled down a few modified magic formulas.
"Hmph, over-simplified nonsense," the old mage muttered as he began casting.
But then
A brilliant surge of energy erupted from his hands, more refined and powerful than anything he had ever produced before. The room went silent. Every elder looked at the parchment again, disbelief painted across their faces.
"This... This shouldn't be possible," one whispered. "His formula enhances even the basic-level spells... by nearly thirty percent!"
From that moment, every mage who had witnessed it swore to perfect Roman's teachings, practicing them relentlessly.
Meanwhile, Roman left the tower and walked to the familiar Solara River—the place where so many turning points had begun. The gentle sound of running water calmed his mind. Sitting on the grass, he stared at his reflection and spoke softly to himself.
"Life is fragile... one wrong move, and everything shatters. I've made countless mistakes, but never regretted them. Maybe that's why no one ever truly trusted me... except her."
He fell silent for a moment, a faint smile flickering as he recalled his only warmth in his past life.
Before he could drift too far into his thoughts, the sound of boots striking the ground broke the peace.
"Young master!" A knight came running, panting heavily. "The Duke requests your presence immediately. It's urgent!"
Roman blinked. "You didn't bring horses?"
The knight bowed, embarrassed. "Apologies, young master! The Duke ordered me to fetch you as quickly as possible, so I came running."
Roman sighed lightly, shaking his head. "No problem. Then we'll use my method."
He extended his hand, tracing a glowing circle midair. A vast magical gate appeared, swirling with blue and gold runes. The knight froze in terror.
"Come on," Roman said casually. "This gate leads directly to Father's office. It's safe."
"T-T-Through there?" the knight stammered.
"Unless you want to run back," Roman smirked. "Your choice."
Swallowing his fear, the knight stepped through. The world spun once—and in an instant, they were standing inside Duke Jacob's office.
"See? Told you it's safe," Roman chuckled as the knight stood trembling, too shocked to speak.
Jacob, Selena, Allen, and Head Knight Captain Zion all stared wide-eyed at the sudden appearance of the portal.
Roman broke the silence first. "You wanted to see me, Father?"
Jacob cleared his throat, his voice heavy. "Roman… all plans for the Ephor covert operation are to be stopped immediately."
Roman frowned. "Wait—what happened?"
Selena handed him a sealed scroll. "This just arrived from the royal palace. It's a summons for an emergency meeting of all nobles. You're mentioned by name."
Roman broke the seal and read quickly. "A royal summons… directly from King Augustus Nova?"
Jacob nodded grimly. "Yes. The King is back from the Holy Empire. No one knew until this arrived. He's called all nobles to the royal palace in two days. He specifically mentioned Presia's role in the dungeon breakout—and you."
Roman leaned back slightly, thinking aloud. "So… the King is interested in me, huh?"
"Interested?" Jacob barked. "He's a cunning fox, Roman! He doesn't call people out of interest—he calls them to use them. He favors your uncle, Duke Noah Rockson, above everyone. If you make one wrong move, he'll crush us without a second thought."
Selena added, "Roman, maybe we should stop the covert operation. The King's attention could ruin everything."
Roman's lips curled into a confident grin. "No. I won't stop. This is an opportunity I can't waste. If the King wants to see me, I'll make sure he remembers the name Roman Crowell. Let him think he's watching a pawn—I'll show him it's a king standing before him."
Jacob's eyes narrowed. "You're playing a dangerous game."
"Every move I make is dangerous," Roman replied. "But this time, the board is mine."
Before the Duke could respond, Zion stepped forward and saluted. "My lord, I support the young master's decision. I'll personally join Captain Allen on the covert mission. We'll ensure the plan's success."
Jacob's expression hardened, but he didn't argue further. "Very well. I've said my warning. The responsibility will be entirely yours, Roman."
Roman bowed slightly. "I accept full responsibility, Father."
As he left the room, the tension lingered behind him.
Outside, the sun was dipping below the horizon, painting the sky red—a perfect color for the storm that was about to come.
Far away, at the borders of the Clover Kingdom, the royal carriage of King Augustus Nova entered the kingdom's territory. The sound of hooves echoed across the valley, signaling that the game Roman had unknowingly set in motion… was about to truly begin.