Chapter 63: An unexpected Twist I.

Chapter 63: An unexpected Twist I.

Zeke was roused from his slumber by one of the maids in the morning. From the moment he opened his bleary eyes, he knew that this day would be a trying one. He regretted his decision to stay up so late immediately as he tried to shake the sleepiness from his mind.

He dragged himself to the training room and donned his resistance suit. The gears and springs of which finally provided the necessary stimulus to fully awaken him.

Upon stepping onto his obstacle course, he attempted to best his previous time, though he ultimately fell short. Still, by the end of the exercise, he was wide awake and alert, if not triumphant. As was typical, his heart pounded in his chest, a sensation he had yet to find a way to tame. He took a shower, allowing the water to wash over him as he waited for his pulse to slow. He knew from experience that until his heart calmed, his mood would be increasingly irascible.

Zeke put on a set of fresh clothing, one of the few ones that had survived yesterday's experimentation, and made his way to Sophia's mansion. Her home was located in the prestigious and affluent noble district of the city. Zeke didn't pay any attention to what he was wearing. He was not concerned about running into any members of the imperial family or nobility. Sophia had assured him that she lived alone after all.

Zeke wandered the noble district for a while. He didn't know his way around these parts very well, as he had not needed to come here very often in the past. The description Sophia had given him led to a section with the most affluent villas he had ever seen. The guards the patrolled the streets at regular intervals gave him suspicious looks. It was readily apparent that he wasn't from around here by his cheap clothing and darting eyes. Zeke had to agree with their assessment, he also didn't feel like he belonged here at all. As quickly as he could, he made his way to Sophia's mansion.

He approached a grand building. It was surrounded by lush gardens and tended to by a team of diligent workers. Zeke was surprised at how different from his imagination the place actually was. For one, the mansion was truly enormous. Even from the outside, he could see a flurry of activity as servants bustled about. They were constantly ensuring that the house was spotless and in perfect order. He couldn't help but think that when Sophia mentioned "living alone" she must have had a different understanding of the term.

For a second, Zeke considered that he might have come to the wrong place. A moment later, however, he spotted the plaque beside the gate that said "Willensbrecher". The familiar name ensured Zeke that he was indeed in the right place.

Zeke was just about to call out to one of the gate guards nearby when the man opened the gate and stepped aside. The boy was left wondering if he had missed some kind of secret password. The young mage could not help but feel a sense of unease, as he couldn't quite make sense of the guard's behavior. Was it normal for the guards to simply step aside for any stranger that approached?

As he stepped inside the gate, he couldn't shake off the feeling of something not being right. He was starting to worry about Sophia's safety. But then he heard her voice in his mind, clear as day, "Come in already." The guard, upon seeing that Zeke's confused face had cleared up, gave him a smile and a knowing wink.

As Zeke entered the grand mansion, he couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and wonder. He was struck by the stark contrast between the opulent surroundings and the humble home he had grown up in. The grandeur of the mansion was a clear reminder of the social divide between himself and Sophia. He couldn't shake the feeling of inadequacy, and he found himself feeling self-conscious in his simple linen clothes. For the first time in Zeke's life, he wished he had taken the time to groom himself better.

Sophia greeted him with a radiant smile as usual, but as she got closer, her smile faltered. She now looked at him with a concerned expression on her face.

"What is wrong?" she asked, her voice tinged with worry.

Zeke was confused by the sudden change in Sophia's demeanor. Had he already made some kind of mistake in etiquette? Tentatively he asked, "what are you talking about?"

Sophia's expression changed to one of disapproval, "You were so excited to be here when you arrived at the gate. Now, only minutes later, you seem uncomfortable. Did you think I wouldn't notice?"

Zeke had to remind himself that he was dealing with one of the most talented Mind Mages of the empire. He knew that hiding his emotions from her would be a futile task. He looked around the palace with a bitter smile and spoke. "It's nothing serious, I just felt a bit out of place when I realized the grandeur of your home."

Sophia rolled her eyes, taking his hand and leading him to the second floor. As they entered a room that looked like a study, Zeke was surprised by what he found. There was a stark contrast between this room and the rest of the palace he had seen so far. The study was simple and unadorned, unlike the opulence on display in the rest of the mansion.

He could see the reluctance in her eyes, the weight of her family's history heavy upon her shoulders. He knew better than to press her, and instead just waited for her to talk on her own.

"There is a way," Sophia began, her face contorting with discomfort. "To use Mind Magic to create those 'Puppets' that Maximilian surely told you about. But it is not a spell that can be used in combat."

She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "It is a technique that is used on prisoners. The reason it cannot be used in combat is that the method needs a long time to take effect. The person you wish to 'break' must be under the influence of the procedure for a prolonged period of time. We are talking about days, weeks even, for some people."

Sophia's eyes met Zeke's, and he could see her inner conflict in their depths. "For the spell to take effect, it needs to be supplemented by the application of violence and medication," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Or so the handbook claims."

Zeke knew immediately what she was referring to. She was talking about torture and drugs. The thought of using such dark methods made his stomach turn. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of person would sink so low, and the answer to that question made him uneasy. There was a long moment of silence between them before Sophia spoke again. The forced cheer in her voice made it obvious that she was trying to lighten the mood.

"The story of how Maximilian came to despise Mind Mages is a well-known tale, among those in the know, anyway. The story was once so famous that even the common folk were familiar with it."

Zeke was taken aback by Sophia's words. How could he, a student of Maximilian's, have never heard of these events if they were so infamous? Sophia seemed to sense his confusion and added, "I imagine Maximilian would never speak of those days willingly. Nevertheless, I believe you have a right to know what occurred in the past, would you like me to tell you about it?"

Zeke nodded, his interest piqued. He wanted to learn more about his mentor's past, to understand the events that shaped the man he knew today.

Sophia took a moment to gather her thoughts before imparting to Zeke the history of his mentor. "When Maximilian advanced to the rank of Arch Mage, he was appointed as the commander of the western wall." She began, but upon noting Zeke's confusion, she explained further.

"The 'Commander of the western wall' is a crucial position that was first established after the Great Western Expansion." Sophia elaborated, but after noticing that Zeke was not familiar with this term either, she could only sigh. He was starting to get embarrassed by his lack of knowledge on the subject. He had seen several books about the wars of the empire and historical battles in his mind's library but never taken the time to read any. If he was given the chance between spell theory and history he would choose the former every day. He still made a note to himself to at least learn the most important events in the history of the empire.

"The Great Western Expansion was a military offensive in which the empire capitalized on a mistake made by an enemy nation, gaining a substantial amount of territory in the west. However, our enemies were not pleased with this and launched fierce counterattacks. In order to hold on to at least some of the newly conquered land, the empire had to take drastic measures."

"The troops were ordered to fight a slow retreat, giving the empire enough time to build fortifications. Many soldiers sacrificed their lives to make this possible. Ultimately, the empire had to relinquish about half of the newly claimed land, but was able to secure the rest with the help of the western wall."

"To this day, the western wall signifies the westernmost part of the empire and the position of its commander is one of honor and responsibility. The story claims that when your mentor first accepted the position, he was eager to prove his worth. Maximilian tried his best to come up with creative measures to secure the territory.

But the commander of the enemy was an equally talented mage called Mara Sonnenstrahl. She was a light mage from the famous Sonnenstrahl family. It is said that she was Maximilian's equal in both battle-might and command. For years, the two of them danced around each other, both of them gaining small victories and incurring small losses. With time, it became obvious that nobody would be able to easily get an advantage over the other." Sophia told the story with excitement, as if talking about her favorite hero's tale.

"It is said that over the years, Maximilian developed a profound amount of respect for his opponent, Mara. Some sources even claim that he had fallen in love with her. Sophia said this last part with a strange note in her voice. Zeke was certain that she was among the people who believed in this theory."

But before Zeke could tease her about this, Sophia's face changed to one of deep sorrow as she continued. "People thought that things would go on forever like this, but after almost a century of back and forth, there was finally a change in the situation. Mara was captured."