Reina moved aside for Roman to pass. He knew Reina was here to apologize, and even if she wasnāt, he had already cheered her up.
Roman didnāt stay to find out why Reina came in as he went towards the room passing even more maids on the way.
Two maids were in front of his door, and they pushed the door open as he approached his room.
Roman walked into his room and slumped on the bed, he was a little tired after his session with Faylen, which got him thinking.
Even if he loses the tournament which the Queen wants, before Roman would make an impact in the kingdom, itāll be well over 20 years after his children are mature enough to fight, and given the fact that the demon lord still hadnāt launched a full-scale attack, all three kingdoms should be able to hold on till then.
If so, why was the Queen rushing to have Roman? He could only draw one conclusion: political power.
With Roman, the Queen of Avalon could promise the other two kingdoms, Bullmar and Aldegard, that they would increase the number of their S-rank if Roman impregnated them and, in return, get something from them.
Roman was confident in his abilities, but he still hadnāt faced Ava or Aurelia in a competitive match; even Reina could win him in a match if he wasnāt careful.
He also knew there was no way to avoid fighting Aurelia and Ava; he was going to be pitted against both of them. The Queen would do that, knowing one of them was going to knock Roman out, no matter how strong he had gotten these past few weeks.
Roman sighed as he closed his eyes, letting the silence of the room surround him. His body was tired, but his mind wouldnāt rest.
This was going to be his first hurdle he had to clear on his mission to defeat the demon lord, the process of working towards the goal was definitely going to be enjoyable for Roman since he didnāt have anything to worry about except training.
Roman finally let his body sink into the bed, the thoughts fading as sleep pulled him under. His breathing slowed, the world around him slipping away into darkness.
.
.
.
Roman stretched his body as his eyes fluttered open, but when his eyes opened, he wasnāt in his room.
The bed was gone. The ceiling above him had vanished.
Instead, he found himself standing barefoot in a forest, his legs touching the grass, and it felt so real, so real, Roman couldnāt tell if he was dreaming or not. Then he heard a voice.
"Iāve got it, yes..." The voice spoke in excitement, and Roman turned towards the voice, and once again, he was beyond shocked to find someone who looked just like him.
Romanās eyes stayed locked on the figure in front of him. It was like looking into a mirror, but not quite.
The man had the same face, the same build, even the same eyes, but his hair was longer, flowing down his back, and it was raven black.
His movements were sharp, full of energy, like someone chasing a thought they didnāt want to lose, and Roman remembered, this was the second time he was having a dream like this.
His thoughts went back to the first dream, where it felt like he was the one fighting, but not quite, because it wasnāt; it was this male in front of him, but Roman had no idea who the person was.
Roman stayed still, watching as the man knelt to the ground. The air around him hummed, mana swirling like a storm.
Symbols Roman had never seen before appeared in the air, glowing faintly, twisting and weaving until they formed a large circle on the grass, he could perfectly control different runes.
The man pressed his hand down and smiled proudly.
"Yes... Iāve got it." His voice was excited, almost trembling. "This will let me find them, the ones with mana inside, people who can use magic. With this spell, Iāll awaken their Mana core and reveal their magic type"
Romanās eyes widened as one thought came to his head, the Awakening ceremony.
āDid he just create the Awakening ceremony? Heās the founder of magic.ā Romanās jaws dropped as he placed all the pieces together.
The man laughed softly, his eyes gleaming as the circle pulsed brighter. "From now on, no magical talent will be hidden. Magic belongs to everyone, not just a chosen few who manage to break through"
Roman had never seen such raw joy on someoneās face before.
Then, a sound of footsteps echoed through the forest. A woman appeared from between the trees, her long dress brushing against the grass as she hurried closer. She looked worried, her eyes sharp and serious.
The man, the founder of magic, stood up quickly, his excitement still glowing on his face.
"Did you see? Did you feel it? I did it...I finally made it work! This spell will reveal who holds mana and bring it out. Imagine it, no more waiting, no more guessing. We can awaken them all!"
But the woman didnāt share his joy. She shook her head, her expression grim as she spoke.
"Thereās no time for that, the village... Itās under attack. Demons are here."
The joy on his face faded almost instantly as he stood up from the ground.
"Rah sent one of his summons?" He asked.
"Yes, he also said they could sense a different Mana, thatās why he called for us, we have to go back in case a stronger demon arrives, they wonāt be able to stop it" She replied.
The founder of magic placed his hands on the ground, and a magic circle appeared. The girl moved closer to him, and both of them vanished instantly.
āI thought demons werenāt around when the founder of magic was alive. Is this really the founder and if it isnāt then who was he? And how come I can see his memories? I didnāt live this life?ā
Roman muttered to himself, and immediately he felt a pull and vanished the next moment, appearing right where both of them teleported to.