Kael struggled to reconcile this image — the petite girl before him — with his mental archetype of queens as stately, iron-willed monarchs. Yet Ethan's verification left no room for doubt.
Observing Grace's defiant pout, he felt a headache brewing. The future sovereign of the Eastern Continent? This preening adolescent hardly matched his expectations for a hegemonic ruler.
"You two chat. I'll resume my experiments." With a dismissive wave, Ethan retreated to his alchemical workshop, leaving the pair alone.
Grace scrutinized Kael unabashedly. "You truly began magic studies mere years ago?" Her tone dripped skepticism, clearly unconvinced of his meteoric rise.
Kael dismissed her impertinence. Understanding now dawned — her prodigious Level Five prowess stemmed from a lavish upbringing. As Guyi's crown princess, she'd been steeped in primordial essence and elite tutelage since infancy, her natural talent amplified by imperial privilege.
"Mind your manners, junior sister. Address me properly." He feigned sternness.
"Hmph! Everyone claims you're formidable, but I'm unimpressed." Grace wrinkled her nose imperiously. "Let's bargain: duel me. If you lose, you'll call me senior sister!"
Kael chuckled at her combative glint. "I've no interest in bullying children."
"I'll be monarch of the entire Nanga Continent!" she declared with unvarnished conviction, shoulders squared like a nascent conqueror.
The vaulting ambition startled Kael. Behind adolescent petulance burned the steel of someone accustomed to bending realities — perhaps Ethan's greatest teaching challenge yet.
Kael turned to leave, unwilling to indulge the princess' whims.
"Don't you dare!" Grace's shrill command carried arcane resonance. Behind him, mana surged violently — his junior sister had launched an attack.
Tempest's Fury — a fifth-tier wind spell — coalesced as Grace's staff tapped the air. Cyclonic forces materialized, the cabin shuddering under gathering stormfronts.
Tsk. Kael pivoted, unimpressed by her telegraphed assault. His lips moved in rapid counter-chant, staff tip blazing to life with a Silver Star Divine Sigil — the hallmark of spell mastery.
"Spell Silence."
Grace's incantation lodged in her throat like choked notes. The half-formed tempest dissipated harmlessly, leaving her wide-eyed. "You… you cast Divine Sigils?!" Her jewel-like eyes flashed with envy. The Silver Star sigil symbolized not just proficiency, but artistry in spellcraft — a benchmark she'd yet to achieve.
Kael shrugged. Though his Spell Silence lacked the fluidity of Flaming Demon's Grasp, overwhelming a fledgling fifth-tier mage required minimal effort.
"Senior Brother!" Grace's hostility evaporated, replaced by starry-eyed admiration. "Teach me that sigil! Please?" Her mercurial shift from rival to supplicant left Kael speechless.
Ethan's muffled chuckle echoed from the workshop. His newest disciple's passion for magic rivaled even Kael's — though her royal temperament promised… interesting tutelage ahead.
"Consider it done." Kael relented. Though Grace's fiery temperament grated, she remained a fellow disciple — and harmless beneath her bravado. Besides, Spell Silence was a sixth-tier incantation; she couldn't wield it yet.
"Long live Senior Brother!" Grace bounced like an excited sparrow, her earlier hostility replaced by starry-eyed reverence. To her, Kael's casual mastery eclipsed even Ethan's stern tutelage.
Kael transcribed the spell formula. Grace studied the parchment with newfound respect, addressing him as "Senior Brother" without irony.
Easier than expected. Kael suppressed a smirk. Mentoring Ethan's proteges seemed part of the package.
"Thank you, Senior Brother! I'll practice immediately!" Grace departed, her competitive edge softened by genuine humility — a credit to Guyi's royal upbringing.
Returning to his quarters, Kael retrieved the Concealment Draught Ethan had provided. Unstopping the vial released a floral aroma reminiscent of Earthly shower gel.
"One application, and my Ice Marrow-enhanced physique becomes undetectable." Anticipation warmed him as he bathed, slathering the viscous liquid over every inch. The draught tingled where it touched — arcane chemistry masking his metamorphosis.
Soon, no shadowy alchemist would covet his flesh. The thought eased tensions he hadn't fully acknowledged.
In the following days, Kael divided his time between Yanhua Academy and Ethan's cabin. During lulls, he mentored Grace on magical theory — an unexpected camaraderie blossoming between the nominal junior siblings.
His mornings brought sparring sessions with Amelia, now overseen by Evelyn. Though Amelia hadn't ingested primordial essence like Kael's Ice Marrow, her consumption of the Aqua Petaland Umbra Petal during their expedition, coupled with life-or-death battles, had edged her toward breaching seventh-tier thresholds.
Each clash accelerated her progress. Kael sensed the impending breakthrough — a seventh-tier mage emerging before the Grand Tournament. The prospect fueled his own urgency.
"Can't lag behind," he muttered, returning to his dorm drenched in sweat after another grueling session. Months to reach mid-sixth-tier felt glacial against Amelia's meteoric rise.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Three resonant knocks interrupted his brooding. A familiarly boisterous voice beyond the door jolted him upright.