2026-04-24 17:41:56This was the Mayor of the city, a man that was known to be rigid and a self made power in the city that everyone was frightened at.
Yet, he was bowing before someone without an aura sense around him and was dressed like they had just finished shoveling trash.
"That still doesn't explain who you are?" Riley said, clearly exhausted.
The old man straightened with a small smile. "You are Riley. The boy used this path a few months ago!" He explained.
"Four months ago, on the eastern trail, a young noble was dying from rare shadow-viper venom. The channelers said there was nothing to be done."
'Really? This is certainly the best time for one of those random lessons, isn't it?' He thought, remembering a stupid noble kid crying in the woods.
"But a slum kid crouched beside him and pulled the venom out," the old man continued. "Then walked away before anyone could get his name."
"The boy's name is Edward," the old man said. "Prince Edward, you saved his life and I have been searching for you since to show my gratitude for what you did for us."
The whole place instantly went silent, shocks paled into the faces of the finely trained guards.
"Okay, cool." Riley responded casually and attempted to walk away but Sir Harmon quickly trotted forward.
"I'm ready to do anything. Anything at all just to show you how grateful I am!" He said, pleading in his eyes as he spoke.
Riley's feet stopped. His bones were still making that annoying cracking sound and the leftover venom was doing something unpleasant to his channels.
"There's one thing," Riley said finally and the Mayor straightened almost instantly. "Name it."
"Can you get me into the Arcane academy?" Riley's voice was flat like he was asking for directions. "I want in."
The guards exchanged glances. One of them almost choked on his breath. The Arcane Academy wasn't something you just walked into. Noble families spent fortunes and years just to get their kids considered for admission.
And this sickly looking slum rat in oversized shorts was asking for a spot like it was nothing.
The Mayor blinked twice. Then his face broke into the biggest smile Riley had seen all day.
"Is that all?" He almost burst out laughing. "You only want to get into the Arcane Academy?"
Riley's brows twitched. "What do you mean only?"
"No no. I don't mean it in that way," the Mayor quickly composed himself. "It's just... I was expecting you to ask for half the city treasury or something. Academy admission is a done deal."
He turned around sharply to one of his men. "You heard him, get the admission processed instantly, it should be a full scholarship and a VIP status."
"Yes sir!" They echoed.
The Mayor turned back to him, still grinning like he had just been handed the best news of his life.
"Not just that," he added. "In three days, Prince Edward will be welcomed officially into the academy. There will be a grand welcome party. I want you to attend as a VIP guest so he can thank you personally."
The guards' eyes widened even more. A slum kid. As a VIP. In front of nobles and champion channelers.
Riley looked at the Mayor for a moment. Then he shook his head.
"I am sorry but I will pass! I'm not one to be seen in public events, and besides I am trying to keep a low profile so whatever transpired between us dies between us!”
They could feel the breath snapping off their lungs just at the gravity of those words.
"I have a more important search to do," Riley said, adjusting his bag over his shoulder. "I got what I asked for already. That's enough."
"But this is the Crown Prince," the Mayor pressed. "Everyone in the city would kill for this chance..."
"Good for them." Riley cut him off. "Let your grandson rest. If I show up there and the nobles start asking stupid questions, I might end up doing something that won't look good on your report."
The guards looked like they were having a collective crisis. Nobody turned down royal invitations. Nobody.
But the Mayor? His smile only got wider.
'He's not greedy,' the old man thought, watching Riley's bored expression. 'Doesn't force himself into power circles. This is even better than I hoped.'
"If that is your wish, I won't force you," he said finally. "But I do want to make arrangements for when you arrive at the academy."
Riley's brows twitched slightly. "As long as it doesn't announce me, I'll consider it."
The Mayor bowed once anger, his reverence growing even further.
“Thank you very much!” He appreciated.
He reached into his robes and pulled out a small glowing cube, pressing it into Riley's hand.
"This is a magic letter. When you arrive at the academy, hand it over at the academic guest desk. They will know what to do."
Riley tossed it up once and caught it. "Fine. I'll see what happens."
He turned around and started walking away like he hadn't just shaken hands with the most powerful man in the city.
The guards were still staring, confused why their Mayor looked like he wanted to throw a celebration.
"Sir, should we escort him?" One asked carefully.
"Are you out of your mind?" The Mayor snapped, his aura flaring for a split second. "Someone like him doesn't need escorts. If he wants to be found, he'll be found."
His eyes lingered on Riley's fading figure.
After a moment, he tapped the magic cube again, sending another message.
"I want him linked with the best student available in the advanced division," he said quietly. "Someone beautiful and talented. Consider it an appreciation gift. And make sure Edward has a chance to cross paths with him naturally."
"Yes, Mayor."
The messenger vanished in a streak of light.
Three days later, Riley stood before the massive gates of the Arcane Academy.
The place was huge. Towering walls that made the slum look like a joke. Students in crisp uniforms walked around, throwing disgusted looks at his ragged clothes.
Riley didn't care. His body had finally stopped cracking with every step, and the system messages had gone quiet.
He made his way to the academic guest center, a smaller building off to the side. The man at the front desk took one look at Riley and sneered.
"Special admission for Riley," Riley said flatly.
But the man didn't look at the ledger, instead he eyed Riley with disgust.
“And who do you think you are?” He shut a glance deep into Riley's soul.
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CHAPTER HUNDRED AND FIFTY-TWO Miles continued driving through the avenue surrounded by armed men with their faces covered with silver masks that matched their outfits. Jessica and Riley looked around the environment, while Miles concentrated on the road, driving slowly as some of the guards pulled away the retractable barricade, giving him enough space to get to the metal gate that stood about twenty feet tall. About four guards were standing in front of the metal gate that had strange spikes in front of it, accompanied by a structure that showed that it had a functional engine within it. Miles had to stop the car a few meters away from the gate as soon as he saw another guard approaching with his gun strongly clutched in his right hand. He tapped on the window, and Miles had to bring down the glass, which he had rolled up after meeting with the first guard. “Get down.” The guard said with an icy tone, while the trio stared at him, wondering why he said what he said, and in that t
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CHAPTER HUNDRED AND FIFTY-ONE “Okay, son. Please, take care of yourself. If there is any danger there, don’t hesitate to come home. I can’t lose you.” Mrs. Ederson said with a shaky voice, and the tears that she had managed to hold still eventually trickled down her face. “You said you were not going to cry, Mum.” Riley wiped his mother’s tears with his left hand while he held onto his bag with his right hand. He cleared his throat after a few seconds before he continued. “I really have to go now, Mum. Today is our first day, and we can’t be late.” Riley said calmly, and his mother drew him closer to herself and embraced him tightly. “I am going to miss you very much, Riley. Make sure you stay close to Jessica. I will call her as soon as I get a phone with the money I have in the bank. Stay safe, son.” “I have heard you, Mum. I have to go now.” Riley pulled out from his mother’s embrace almost immediately, and then he looked at her for a few seconds before he sighed heavily. “I
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CHAPTER HUNDRED AND FIFTYRiley went into the room where his brother was, and he sat down on the bed beside him, dropping his bag on the ground. He turned to look at Sammy, and taking in a deep breath, he let it out slowly without taking his eyes off him or even blinking. “Hey, bro.” He said with a smile on his face, and then he sighed heavily before he continued. “Finally, I now have a true identity just like we had hoped for. I just got accepted into one of the biggest Guilds. Actually, I think it’s one of the best, the Silver Guild. Cool, right?” Riley nodded, and then he grabbed his brother's hands and patted them gently. “I know you may not be able to hear me, but I still came to give you the good news. A lot has happened, Sammy, and I really need you to wake up so that I can give you the full details of my encounters. I promise you that I will do everything I can to make sure that I succeed just like you have always wanted me to.” Riley said with his eyes bulging and almost
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CHAPTER HUNDRED AND FORTY-NINE “And what is wrong with that? You are acting like we are doing something wrong.” Miles said with a smirk on his face. “I didn’t say that. I just think that it’s too early to let anyone know about it. We just started what? Yesterday?” “It still doesn’t matter, Jess. As long as we care about each other, that’s all that matters.” Miles argued, his hands still holding onto Jessica’s waist. Jessica sighed heavily, and then she grabbed Miles by his hands and withdrew them from her waist at once, avoiding his gaze that melted her heart. “I still insist, Miles. Everything is happening so fast, and I don't want it to seem like we rushed things, okay? I think what matters is that we are in this together, and not the opinion of some other person.” “So I was thinking, guys…” Riley said with a smile on his face as he walked into them, looking toward the direction of the couch where Jessica was sitting until he saw her standing in front of Miles and was forced t
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CHAPTER HUNDRED AND FORTY-EIGHT “Guys? Is there anything I should know?” He asked, looking at the two of them one after the other. Miles slowly withdrew his hand from Jessica and looked at Riley with an expression that was meant to prove that he was oblivious to what he was talking about. “What are you talking about?” He asked without taking his eyes off Riley, who had a smirk on his face. Jessica shared the same look of ignorance on her face, looking at Riley with her eyes wide open. “Don't act like you don't know what I am talking about, guys. I see the look in your eyes; it looks like you both are in love.” “What?” “Yes, Jessica. It’s clearly written in your eyes, especially Miles. He looks like he just won a jackpot!” “I don’t know what you are talking about,” Jessica said with a frown, and Miles added almost immediately with the same expression. “You must really be mistaken, Riley. I don’t know what you are talking about.” “Lies, Miles. You are not a wonderful liar; none
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CHAPTER HUNDRED AND FORTY-SEVEN “Mum?“ He said calmly, and when he saw the tears trickling down his mother’s cheeks, he gasped at once and grabbed her hands. “You are crying, Mum. Please, don’t do this.” Riley pleaded while he was forced to get into a sad mood just like his mother. “You are making me sad, Mum. Please, don’t cry.” Riley let go of his mother’s right hand, and then he extended his right hand to her face and wiped some of the tears that refused to dry up. “Don’t cry, Mum. Everything is gonna be alright. I promise.” Riley said calmly, and when he was sure that she had gotten a grip on herself while she sniffled, he nodded in satisfaction. “There. You look very beautiful now that we have gotten rid of all of those tears.” Riley said with a smile on his face, and then he adjusted himself on the seat and cleared his throat. “I will be very fine, Mum. I promise, and I will be coming whenever I can to see you. You have to trust me.” “It’s not you that I don’t trust. It’s
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