"Haaah"
A quiet sigh echoed throughout the now empty office.
The sun went down quite a while ago revealing a full moon at the top of the sky.
The moonlight lit up the room, revealing a young girl with pale blond hair sitting at a desk.
"That was tiring. That girl was unexpectedly feisty, haha." She said with a low chuckle.
"Adrian."
After calling out the name, a man suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
"Yes, my lady?"
"Have those two been escorted to their rooms?"
"Yes, my lady. They've gone to their rooms and aren't causing any trouble for now." With a respectful tone, the butler informed her about their new guest's situation.
"Good." With a sigh of relief the lady fell into her chair.
"I suppose fighting that Tier 3 Umbra member was a bit much for me."
"You shouldn't be discouraged, my lady. That was no regular Tier 3." The butler comforted her.
"Yes, I'm aware, Adrian. That black energy. That wasn't normal mana. It seemed to push him towards peak Tier 3." She thought back to the fight.
"Oh well, I'll be prepared for it next time. You've interrogated them right?"
A frown appeared on the butler for the first time. "I did but… shortly after I started questioning them, they inexplicably died."
"They died?" After confirming the information, Vera fell into thought for a moment.
"We'll just have to be more careful next time. Umbra seems to be ramping up their activities after years of being quiet."
She suddenly started to think about the young man. Her new knight.
"Adrian, have you looked into the matter of the so-called 'ruin'?"
"I have. I personally went to the sight of the forest and nothing appeared out of the ordinary. No ruins nor bodies could be found." With a steady face, the attendant explained seamlessly.
"Nothing, huh? Maybe it truly is related to the Riftlands? Make sure to keep an eye on it.
"Thank you for your work, Adrian. You may leave." After dismissing the butler, she straightened up and started writing again.
"May I ask something, my lady." The butler asked, still being there.
"Hmm, you may." With a curious tone she allowed it.
"Why did you instruct me to release the girl at the moment the ritual was done?"
She thought back towards the moment her Knight's sister, Kayla, burst into the room.
"Haha, well I don't want my new knight to hate me completely. It won't be good if he thinks I'm completely evil."
"Especially if it's according to what Henry said…" she trailed off.
Mana cyclones..... The process one goes through during awakening. It not only heals the awakened but also grants them a strength boost.
But outside of that, it also tells a few things.
"Adrian, do you remember what Henry said about Kaelith's mana cyclone?" She asked the butler.
After thinking for a while the man shook his head.
"He described it as wild and untamed. And most of all….gigantic." with an excited voice she reminded the attendant.
"You can't be talking about that rumor, could you?" The butler said in disbelief.
Vera didn't say anything and just smiled.
"A lot of history's most memorable people have all had unusually big mana cyclones according to the records."
"If it is truly like Henry said…
".... We may be dealing with a genius. One on par with the ducal children."
"On par with… the ducal children? But this generation has been rumored to be more powerful than ever. Surely you can't say his potential is that big?" The news completely disrupted the old man's calm appearance.
"Maybe? We'll never really know until we see it. But if history has told us a lesson, it's that legends are never expected." The powerful declaration seemed to enlighten the room even more.
"Does that answer your question?"
"Yes my lady."
"Good. Anything else?"
After thinking for a while the man spoke.
"The Duke will be returning soon. He asked that you start preparing for the academy in two months."
"Father is returning, huh. He's been gone for a while now. I wanted to finish what I was planning but I suppose it will have to wait until later." She remained quiet for a moment before smiling at her butler.
"And the awakened academy…" She remained quiet for a moment.
Institutions made explicitly for teaching new awakened how to use their power. The staff, equipment, the technology, everything about that place is meant to make the students stronger.
'At least that's how it used to be….'
A grin appeared on her face as she thought about the academy.
"Adrian, prepare another admission to the academy."
'....Because now…."
"Surely you don't mean…"
'....It's a lion's den full of political schemes, competition and recruitment.'
"My attendant, Kaelith Vayne, will be coming with me to Sunrise Academy."
'And most of all, a place where the strongest talents in the world gather. A perfect place to become stronger.'
So don't disappoint me Kaelith…
Because Legends begin quietly after all.