Chapter 841: Self Reflection

Thanks to Qamara, the group was able to cut through the line and even get a decent seating area in the private lounge on the second floor.

The silver-eyed elf didn’t stay for long. She only spoke a word or two, wishing the aprticipants good fortune in the upcoming tournament before joining the people she had come here with.

As soon as the group sat down, Edward was the first to order Nectar Wine for everyone. Furthermore, he also ordered a large quantity of meat while glaring at Aiden and Arthur, telling them they needed to build muscles and whatnot.

While the boys chatted amongst themselves, debating the physical and spiritual intricacies of magic, Lisa’s eyes flashed with an intriguing light as she spoke to Eleiney.

She couldn’t help but reveal an excited smirk as she said, “So Adam had an affair?”

“Eh?” Edward’s ears perked up. “Who had an affair?”

To him, it was shocking that his childhood friend would have an affair with someone.

After all, when they were kids, Adam had once told him how he would never have a woman in his life, and that his heart only belonged to magic!

So that turned out to be a lie, Edward inwardly scoffed.

He shifted in his chair, turning to the brown-haired young woman. “What’s this I hear? Pray tell.”

Eleiney covered her mouth, grinning with excitement. She loved gossiping. Especially when it involved her mentor, the famous talk of the town: the Dark King.

“More than a year ago, there was a masquerade ball held at a former noble’s estate…” She then began recounting the events that surrounded the Duskfall Masquerade.

While Lisa was interested in the fact that Adam had asked Qamara to accompany him to the masquerade, Edward had a grim expression on his face when he learned that his friend had to battle so many cultists and even thwart their evil plans.

While he was practicing mindfulness within the safe confines of the Tower of Daybreak, Adam had been putting himself in life and death situations, always fighting with his life on the line and coming out victorious.

He frowned, thinking to himself, Is this why he’s soared so far? While I’m only at the peak of Mana Liquefaction Rank…

Come to think of it, I barely journeyed outside in the past decade. Practicing mindfullnes felt as easy as breathing air, so I always put my mind on it.

I should have gone on more adventures like Adam did.

But nothing could have prepared him for what Eleiney would say next.

The brown-haired young woman’s tone turned solemn, and she whispered, “It is said that he fought a dozen Mana Liquefaction Magi by himself.

“These people were trying to summon a vile creature in a large dungeon underneath the Duskfall Manor, but thanks to him, they failed.

“In the end, all of them died by his hands!”

Biden was astonished. “All of them?” He paused, trying to digest this newfound information. “At the time, Adam was only a Mana Liquefaction Magus, but he was still able to kill a dozen Magi of similar strength?”

This time, it was Arthur who replied. His eyes flickered with pride and he said with a smug smile, “This is nothing, heh. After this battle was seemingly over, everyone went their seprate ways.

“When Teacher reached his manor, he found that the leader of those cultists was already waiting for him!”

Edward’s expression turned somber. “This cultist… was he also a Mana Liquefaction Magus?”

Aiden chimed in from the side, his lips forming a smirk, “No… He was a Mana Vortex Magus!”

The three students from the Tower of Daybreak were stunned!

“He defeated a Mana Vortex Magus?!” Biden blurted out in shock, catching the attention of the people sitting nearby. “As a mere Mana Liquefaction Magus?!”

Realizing his sudden burst of emotions had disturbed the others, he awkwardly apologized to them and then turned towards Adam’s students.

“Is this really true?!”

“It is.” Eleiney nodded solemnly. “While others may think such feats are exaggerated, they most certainly aren’t. I have read the reports. Teacher really did kill that Mana Votex Magus all on his own.”

Edward was shocked. The only Mana Vortex Magus he had been fighting—if one could even call it that—was his grandfather.

Since it was a spar, he didn’t really know if he could truly beat him.

But here Adam was putting his neck on the line and battling Mana Vortex Magi from an evil cult!

Just what the hell have I been doing? Edward was at a loss, his eyes flashing with grim resignation.

It was easy to be discouraged when he knew that his talent was superior to Adam’s, yet despite it all, he still fell behind.

Have I been taking things too lightly?

He couldn’t help but clench his fists, thinking to himself, If things go on like this… Forget standing by his side, will I even be able to catch up to him?

“She’s right, you know.” A deep and gruff voice sounded from the side, jolting Edward out of his self-reflection.

The group turned towards the source of the voice and saw a middle-aged man with a receeding hairling. He had a menacing and bloodthirsty aura around him.

One look at him and Edward could tell that the man had fought in countless life and death situations.

“I was there the night the Lord Commander took down that cultist,” he said with a wide grin.

“Lord Commander?” Arthur’s eyebrows furrowed. “Are you perhaps…”

“Yes.” The man’s grin widened. “I am a warrior of the Black Legion!”

“Here! Here!”

“Hahaha!”

“Tell them!”

It would seem that the three other men sitting with him were also from the Black Legion.

The man who had spoken earlier cleared his throat and began with passion in his voice:

“That night, when we arrived at the Lord Commander’s manor, drawn by the massive explosion… we saw him amidst the rubble, gazing at the twin moons, sipping from his large wine gourd.

“His appearance was haggard, bloodied from head to toe… and yet he was the one left standing. As for his enemy?”

He chuckled darkly, “Hehe, he was nothing more than a lifeless corpse!”

One of the other Magi at that table continued, “It was that very battle, where he displayed unmatched courage and struck down a Magus an entire rank above him, that earned him the noble title of Count… and the mantle of the Lord Commander of the Black Legion!”

Things like these were common not only in Garden Cafe, but practically every inn, tavern, restaurant, and shop in Ravenfell.

All they talked about was the Dark King’s legendary exploits. The conversations about the Grand Magus Tournament were drowned by the tales of the youngest man to ever become a Mana Vortex Magus.

It took a long time for the excitement on the second floor of Garden Cafe to die down. Biden couldn’t help but mutter in amazement, “Adam is really… famous, huh?”

“Hehe,” Arthur chuckled smugly. “Of course, he is.”

Edward felt nothing but pride and hapiness for his childhood friend—his brother—when he saw the respect and admiration in these people’s eyes.

“That damn drunkard!” He couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

“By the way.” Eleiney shifted forward, leaning in her chair. “I wanted to tell you something about the tournament’s first trial.”

Edward, Lisa, and Biden were stunned!

They weren’t supposed to know the details about the trials until right before they began.

“How did you…” Lisa couldn’t help but feel surprised.

“My friends who worked with Professor Whitaker gave me some hints.” Eleiney blinked.

“What is it then?” Edward asked eagerly. “Tell us!”

Eleiney first looked around, making sure that no one was paying attention. Still, she cast Mind Whisper and sent a mental transmission to Adam’s friends.

‘The first trial… takes place in the depths of Marian Lake!’