Ashora and Ikshita stand near the children, trying to comfort them. The young girl who spoke earlier wipes her tears as Ikshita gently reassures her.

  Around them, the crowd remains on their knees, heads bowed low in fear.

  Suddenly.

  A loud scream echoes through the marketplace.A man’s voice cries out in pain.Ashora immediately turns toward the source of the sound. The crowd also shifts their gaze in the same direction.

  Through the parted crowd, a shocking sight appears.Leona is dragging a middle-aged man across the ground.

  The man’s body is covered in blood. His clothes are torn, and his face is swollen and bruised. Every time his body scrapes against the stone street, he lets out another painful scream.

  The entire crowd trembles in fear after witnessing the scene.Leona reaches Ashora and Ikshita while still dragging the man behind her. Without a word, she throws him forward.

  The man crashes heavily onto the ground.

  “He’s the one behind the slave trading,” Leona says coldly.

  Ashora frowns.

  “Sister, the girl said the mayor and the royal soldiers are behind this. But who is this man?”Leona looks down at the bleeding figure.He is the mayor of this town.”She kicks the mayor in the side.The man screams again.

  “Here,” she says, showing a small ledger to Ashora. “This book contains records of all his crimes.

  ”Ashora’s expression darkens.

  “But sister,” he says with anger in his voice, “the royal soldiers stationed here are also involved in this.”

  “Calm down, Ashora,” Leona replies.

  She kicks the mayor again, causing another cry of pain to escape him.“Don’t worry. All the soldiers in the mayor’s mansion are already half-dead.”

  Then she pulls out a glowing yellow communication gem.She speaks into it.“Send royal knights through teleportation.”

  A voice answers from the gem.

  “Yes, your highness.”

  Three minutes later

  A massive beam of light suddenly strikes the ground near Ashora.

  The crowd gasps and recoils in shock.

  From the pillar of light, a man slowly steps forward.

  leona looks at him calmly.

  “I was waiting for you, Alex.”

  The man bows deeply.

  “Royal Mage Alex greets His Highness and Her Highness.”

  As the light fades, dozens—no, hundreds—of soldiers appear behind him.

  They stand in perfect formation, wearing shining armor. On their chest plates is the symbol of three lions—the mark of the Lion Cavalry of the Baitali Kingdom.

  The Lion Cavalry serves only the royal family.

  Alex looks toward Leona.

  “Your Highness, why did you call us with such urgency?”

  Leona kicks the mayor again.The mayor’s body slides across the ground and stops at Alex’s feet.“This bastard and the soldiers here were involved in slave trading,” she says.“Take him. Search his memories so we can destroy this slave trading group completely.”

  She points toward the trembling children nearby.“And send these children to the infirmary. Inform Sir Osborne about them.”Alex places his fist against his palm and bows.

  “As you wish.”

  Alex is the Royal Mage of Baitali Kingdom and the only Sixth-Class Mage in the royal court. Only his master, a Seventh-Class Mage, isabove him.

  Just as Alex begins issuing orders to the Lion Cavalry—

  “Wait.”

  Ashora’s voice stops them.Everyone turns toward him.Ashora looks at the crowd that is still kneeling in fear.Then he looks at the Lion Cavalry.

  “I want you to investigate everyone in this crowd,” he says firmly.

  “If anyone here bought or sold humans as slaves, punish them according to the kingdom’s law.”

  His voice grows colder.

  “And if someone is not found guilty, take a signed document from them and impose a fine.”The leader of the Lion Cavalry, Maran, steps forward and bows.

  “As you wish, Your Highness.”

  Panic spreads through the crowd.“Please be merciful, Your Highness!”“Please forgive us!”Their desperate voices rise all around.

  “Silence!”

  Ashora’s voice explodes across the area, amplified by his Sei.

  The air itself seems to tremble.

  “You should have thought about your actions before breaking the law of the kingdom,” he says coldly.“And before abandoning your humanity.”

  His eyes burn with anger.Then he turns away.

  “Sis. Ikshita.”

  “Let’s go.”

  “I don’t want to stay here anymore.”

  Ashora begins walking away.

  Before leaving, he briefly looks at the Lion Cavalry again.

  His gaze meets Maran’s.

  Without another word, he leaves the marketplace with leona and ikshita.

  On the way back to the royal capital, Ashora rides in silence.His mind is restless.

  The strange emotion inside his heart refuses to fade. No matter how much he tries to ignore it, the images of the children and the slave traders keep returning to his thoughts.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  He knows the world is not as good as he once believed.Aarath has taught him that many times.But seeing children treated like that… it shocks him deeply.A question keeps repeating in his mind.

  Why would a human do this to another human?

  His heart is filled with questions and tangled emotions he cannot fully understand.

  There is no one who can answer them for him.

  Beside him, Ikshita is lost in her own thoughts.Big sister Leona is already powerful, she thinks.And Ashora is becoming stronger every day.She remembers the battle in the Abyss.Ashora could probably have cleared that portal by himself.A quiet frustration rises in her chest.

  All I did was clean up the remaining monsters.

  Her thoughts grow heavier.

  I need to become stronger.

  Otherwise, I will never be able to catch up to Ashora.

  Leona rides quietly behind them.Seeing the serious expressions on their faces, she feels strangely pleased.Both of them are finally experiencing the real world.

  No longer trapped inside the comfortable walls of the royal palace.

  Life itself is beginning to teach them.Lost in their own thoughts, the three of them do not speak during the journey.By the time they reach the royal palace, night has already fallen.

  As soon as they arrive, Ashora and Ikshita set aside their worries and head straight toward Aarath’s chamber.

  They stop at the door.Ashora enters first.

  “Grandmaster Aarath,” he says respectfully. “I have completed the mission.”

  Ikshita steps forward as well.

  “I also completed the test, Grandmaster.”

  Aarath looks at both of them.

  A small smile appears on his face.

  “Good work,” he says. “You did not disappoint me.”

  He closes the book in his hand.

  “Now go and rest. Tomorrow will be your final test.”“After that… your education will be complete.”

  Both Ashora and Ikshita bow respectfully before leaving the room.

  Once they are gone, Aarath looks toward a recording stone placed on the table.Inside the stone are the memories recorded from the Abyss portal.

  He watches for a moment.

  “They are still a little clumsy,” he murmurs.“But that will change.”He leans back slightly.

  “Experience is what shapes life.”

  With that thought, Aarath returns to reading his book.

  Ashora, however, still cannot calm his mind.Instead of going to his own room, he walks toward his mother’s chambers.

  “Mother,” he calls.

  Tisya is inside, giving instructions to the palace maids.When she sees Ashora, her face brightens.

  “Oh, Ashora.”

  She walks forward and embraces him warmly.“How was your trip?” she asks gently.

  For a brief moment, resting in his mother’s arms, Ashora forgets his worries.

  “I passed the test,” he says.

  Then he tells her everything.The Abyss battle.The slave traders.The children.And the strange feeling inside his heart.

  “My heart feels heavy,” he says quietly. “I don’t understand why humans would do something like that to other humans.”

  Tisya listens patiently.

  She already understands what her son is experiencing.

  Gently, she pats his head.

  “My son,” she says softly, “the world has always been like this… and it will always remain like this.”

  “There will always be people who drag others down to profit for themselves.”

  She looks into his eyes.

  “You have always been a kind child since you were young. You cannot bear to see others in pain.”

  “But the world is not built only on kindness.”

  “Sometimes, your kindness may even come back to hurt you.”

  Ashora listens quietly.

  Tisya smiles faintly.

  “Isn’t it your duty as the prince of this kingdom to stop such wrongdoing?”“To punish those who commit crimes?”

  She taps his forehead lightly.

  “So instead of worrying like this, think about how you will stop people like them if you ever face them again.”Ashora slowly feels the weight in his chest begin to lighten.

  Maybe humans are simply like this.

  But even so, one question still remains deep inside his heart.

  Why are humans like this?

  Tisya gently pushes him toward the door.“Now go,” she says with a smile. “Wash up and tell your father about your adventure.”Ashora nods and rushes away down the corridor.

  Watching him leave, Tisya chuckles softly.“Ashora is always like this,” she murmurs.Then she wonders quietly to herself—I wonder who he takes after.

  Ikshita walks quickly through the palace corridors until she reaches her mother’s chambers.

  Ikshita steps inside and bows slightly.“Mother… I want to become a mage like you.”

  Her voice is serious.

  Helen looks up at her daughter with concern. The worried expression on Ikshita’s face immediately catches her attention.

  “What happened, my darling?” Helen asks gently. “Why are you so worried… and why do you suddenly want to learn magic?”

  Ikshita hesitates for a moment before speaking.

  “During the test… Ashora was much stronger than me.”Her voice carries a quiet sadness.

  “Not in swordsmanship,” she quickly adds. “But his overall power is far greater than mine.”

  She lowers her head slightly.

  “The only reason I’m better with the sword is because of the blessing I received.”

  Helen walks closer and places a hand on her daughter’s shoulder.

  “Oh, my daughter,” she says softly. “There is no need to worry so much.”

  But Ikshita shakes her head.

  “No, mother. I want to become stronger.”Her eyes are filled with determination.“I don’t know if I will awaken one day… but if I learn magic, I can become stronger for sure.”

  She looks directly at Helen.

  “Uncle is a Seventh-Class Mage. Please ask him to teach me.”Helen studies her daughter for a moment.She can see that Ikshita has already made up her mind.

  Finally, she sighs softly and smiles.

  “Alright, alright,” she says. “I will speak to your uncle.”

  Ikshita’s face brightens immediately.She hugs her mother tightly.“Thank you, mother. You’re the best.”

  The next morning, Ashora arrives at Aarath’s chamber.

  “Grandmaster,” he says respectfully. “I am ready for the second test.”

  Aarath looks at him quietly.Then he claps his hands twice.

  Clap. Clap.

  Moments later, six servants enter the room, each carrying large bags.

  They place the bags in front of Ashora and Ikshita.

  Each bag is filled with rice.

  “Here are six bags of rice,” Aarath says calmly.

  “Three for each of you.”“Each bag weighs fifteen kilograms.”

  Ashora and Ikshita exchange a confused glance.

  “Your test,” Aarath continues, “is to count every grain of rice in your three bags.”“You are not allowed to use Sei to enhance your focus or eyesight.”“You have three days.”

  Ashora and Ikshita’s expressions immediately become uneasy.

  Counting the grains of forty-five kilograms of rice… without using Sei.

  “And if your count is wrong,” Aarath adds calmly, “you will start again.”His next words make their faces even worse.“And each time you fail… the number of bags will double.”

  Ashora bows slightly.

  “As you command, Grandmaster.”

  Ikshita does the same.

  Aarath then points toward a glowing formation drawn on the floor.

  “Sit inside this formation,” he says.“It will block your Sei Core from releasing any Sei.”“You have three days.”

  “I expect the result.”How you achieve it… is your problem.”

  Ashora stares at the rice bags.A doubt grows in his mind.

  How will counting grains of rice help me at all?

  What is the point of this test?

  But he pushes the question aside.A test is a test.

  He picks up one of the heavy bags and walks toward the formation.

  As he sits inside the circle, he immediately feels something strange.

  His Sei Core feels sealed.

  It is as if a tight knot has been tied around his navel, completely blocking the flow of energy.

  Ashora slowly exhales.

  He opens the bag and pours the rice onto the ground.

  Thousands upon thousands of tiny grains spread before him.

  He picks up the first grain.

  “One.”

  He places it back into the bag.

  Then he picks up another.

  “Two.”

  And begins counting.