The meeting with the king ended with them settling everything. Cygnus left with the three mages when the association's president stopped them. He gave Cygnus a smile as he extended his hand towards him.
"I appreciate our cooperation. I hope that we can continue with what we have started." He brought out the agreement they signed and burned it in front of Cygnus.
"I'm looking forward to our cooperation too," Cygnus nodded and finally left the palace. They rode the carriage with the master satisfied.
"You are very satisfied, master," Mr. C suddenly commented from outside where he was riding a horse as he rode side by side with the carriage.
"Of course, I reaped some benefits today and now, I can go through with my plan." Cygnus nodded followed by a crisp laugh.
Leif Ainglar who was with them was a bit confused because of the conversation but because it was not his character to pry, he did not speak. They did not talk about the matter any longer and silently stayed inside the carriage. Once they reached the manor, Ainglar went up to the general's study to report to him.
After his report, he was dismissed by the general. He went to look for the young master first to bid him goodbye before he left. Nina on the other hand did not want to return so instead of forcing her to go, Cygnus decided to place her with Astrophos. The both of them also left.
"Did your update and upgrade go well?" Cygnus asked the man who was now speaking normally. He had been gone for a few days but even so, he was still aware of what happened when he was temporarily on leave.
"Everything went well, master. I am now fully capable of assisting you once again." Mr. C bowed his head then he gave the master a smile after he raised his head.
"That's good to know, now we can proceed." Cygnus nodded as he stood up and summoned a gate that directly brought him inside the association.
He veiled himself with stealth magic and moved along the hallways without any problem. He explored inside the place as if he was looking for something but there was nothing in particular that he wanted to know. Before he could leave though, there was still one room that he hadn't visited and when he took a peek inside, he saw an unfamiliar face.
After staring at the man for a while, Cygnus suddenly had a flash of inspiration as a memory in his head was suddenly triggered because of the man. He frowned and looked at the man longer as he spoke with the association. He even heard the president calling the man his master.
Cygnus frowned because the man was becoming more and more familiar. He was even on the list of names that the dragon was verifying. The man who was sitting on the couch inside the president's office looked to be only in his forties. He had graying hair but his eyes looked young. In fact, the vibe around him felt young because he was full of vitality.
"I heard that the association will receive an award from the king and that Hero Arcaine would personally be rewarded by the king." The man's voice was deep and full of vigor. It was crisp and clear.
"Yes, master. Thanks to that young Ginehart we were able to secure that privilege," Acasia flaunted. He grinned and sat down on the seat opposite his master.
"Ah, yes I've heard of that young man and he is an interesting fellow," the man commented after he heard that man. Ever since he returned to the capital, he would constantly hear that name and his feats during the Magic Tower incident. "I am just wondering why he did not become the Magus Maximus when he defeated the former leader of the tower?"
Acasia was silent for a moment before he shook his head, "I am not sure too, master. He must have no ambitions at all. I can't blame him though he is still young so he must not understand how important power is in this world."
The man nodded even though he had his own opinions about it. "That must be because he grew up in a powerful family."
Acasia frowned after those words. He really hated those people who were born with so much money and power. Although he was also born in an aristocratic family, it still couldn't be compared to the name of the four dukes in the kingdom. Those people were known to be on the upper part of the pyramid which he was desperately aiming for.
With the Hero Association he was able to stand at the same platform where the four duchies were. But even so, he was still envious and the jealousy in his heart continued to grow each day that he encountered any of the dukes, especially Duke Ulysses Ginehart. As much as possible he had been avoiding topics regarding those people but the whole kingdom would continue to sing praises to the general.
"And he is a bit naïve. I can't believe that he will even agree to that stupid agreement we signed and now he lost the opportunity to build his name to the public," he laughed. The joy he was feeling returned at the thought that he had actually outsmarted the young man.
"That's good. I will be staying in the capital until the ceremony and after that I will travel again. I hope that you continue to take care of the Hero Association." The man gave Acasia a nod. He was only there for a small visit and took the chance to attend the ceremony too. He would also take this chance to greet the king.
Cygnus snickered when he read the other's thoughts. He could already guess that the man was not someone ordinary. He held power and authority. He would need to confirm it during the banquet though.
The master suddenly looked straight at the place where Cygnus was casually standing. He stood up and threw the glass that he picked from the table. The glass shattered as it hit the wall but nothing unusual happened even after he did that.
He frowned as he continued to look around but even after that he did not feel anything. He narrowed his eyes before he sat down once again. Cygnus was impressed because the man actually felt his presence inside the room because of just a snicker.
"What is it master? Did something happen?" Acasia was startled because of the sudden action from his master. He too looked around but he saw nothing so he returned his confused gaze to his master.
"I thought there was someone else in the room," his master calmly answered. Slowly the man returned to his original state.
"Master, that's impossible no one can easily enter this room because I've installed magic sensor devices all over the place so even if they use stealth magic, the alarm will sound." Acasia assured his master but to be sure he would let the guards search the whole place.
"Then I will be back again during the ceremony," his master said. He took one last sip of his drink before he left the office.
When he got out of the office, he couldn't help but look back again at the president's office for a few seconds before he turned around and walked towards the exit. He did not even notice that Cygnus was already in front of him. It must have been because his stealth was interrupted when he sneered, that was why he was able to feel his presence.
Cygnus also returned to the manor with great news which made his mood even better. It was as if fate was working with him because he met one of those people. He couldn't help himself from laughing out loud as he covered his face. He even bent down while laughing before he uncovered his face that looked like he was about to kill someone with a smile.
"Did something happen master?" Mr. C asked after he saw the change on the master's face. His eyes were narrowed into slits with his grin that reached from ear to ear and the air around him became turbulent.
The black and red mana that was dormant in his body started to swirl and fill the room because of the joy he was feeling. The furniture inside the room started to turn black and disintegrate into ash because of his mana. Mr. C watched on the side as this all happened without speaking. He just waited for the master to calm down and answer his question.
A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts and before the master got annoyed, he flashed to the door and slightly opened it. He saw that it was General Linius with a frown on his face. He looked back at the master state before he decided to face the general outside.
He slipped through the small crack and immediately closed the door after he got outside. "What can I do for you, general?" He asked, still polite.
"I felt something ominous and came here to check, what's happening?" Linius waited for the butler to answer because he was a bit concerned.
"Nothing happened general and this is not really the right time. Just know that any destruction the master might do will be limited to this room." Mr. C smiled to reassure the man that everything was okay.
