The Last Archmage Reborn as the Forgotten Heir

Chapter 07

The bedroom door closed softly.

Click.

For the first time since returning to the Garrison household, Kaelan was truly alone. The room was silent. A thin mattress sat in the corner, a rickety study desk was piled with college textbooks, while an old wardrobe was nearly missing one of its doors. There were no decorations. No family photos. Even the small window above the bed allowed in only a meager sliver of light.

Kaelan stood in the middle of the room, his gaze sweeping over every corner. So this is the room of the Garrison family heir.

The corners of his lips lifted slightly. The place deserved to be called a storage shed rather than a bedroom.

He opened the wardrobe, finding a few dull clothes hanging neatly. At the bottom was a box filled with trophies, medals, and academic certificates National Mathematics Champion, Physics Olympiad Winner, and Outstanding Student Award all buried under dust. Undisplayed. Hidden away.

Kaelan closed the box again. He had no interest in those trophies; what caught his attention instead was the condition of this body.

He sat cross-legged on the floor, breathing in slowly. It’s time to work.

He closed his eyes, and his consciousness sank into his inner realm. Amidst the darkness, the cracked Mana Core reappeared, its glow still dim but no longer on the verge of fading out. Kaelan raised both hands. Tiny runes orbited his body, then slowly vanished into the air. The mana in this world was exceedingly thin, nearly impossible for an ordinary human to sense, but to an Archmage, no matter how small, it could always be found.

One fragment. Then the next. Mana slowly flowed into the Mana Core, causing the cracks across its surface to emit a faint purple radiance.

Time passed. Sweat beaded on his forehead, his breathing grew heavier, and the Mana Core spun faster.

Crack...

A sharp pain stabbed through his chest. Kaelan immediately halted the flow of mana, opened his eyes, and coughed softly as a drop of blood fell to the floor. ...Still pushing it too hard.

He wiped the blood from the corner of his lips. The Mana Core was indeed filled a little very little, but the ache in his ribs felt much lighter. He moved his left shoulder. The pain was still there, but it no longer stabbed every time he drew a breath.

Thirty percent. That was enough. He didn't need full strength right now; all he needed was a body capable of standing and moving.

Kaelan closed his eyes again for a few more minutes, this time simply letting the Mana Core spin gently so that its fractures stabilized. His body began to grow warm, internal injuries slowly knitting together, not perfectly, but enough to bring a hint of color back to his pale face.

On the other side of the mansion, a servant stood before the door of the study. "Lord Head."

An old voice sounded from within. "Enter."

The servant bowed respectfully. "Young Master Kaelan has returned."

Behind the large desk, a white-haired man continued reading documents in his hands. Logan Garrison, the head of the Garrison family who controlled everything with a single decision, did not raise his head. "I know."

"There was a slight commotion in the dining room just now."

Logan turned a page of a document. "A commotion?"

"Madam Evelyn slapped the Young Master."

Logan's hand stopped.

"But... the Young Master did not apologize," the servant continued. "He talked back to Madam Evelyn."

Only then did Logan look up, his gaze sharp. "Talked back?"

"Yes, Sir." The servant recounted everything, about Ryan accusing Kaelan of hanging out with thugs, about Kaelan questioning when he had ever left the house, up to Evelyn being unable to answer.

The room fell silent for a moment before Logan leaned back in his chair. "Interesting."

The servant looked slightly surprised. "Does the Master wish to summon the Young Master?"

Logan shook his head. "No."

"Why, Sir?"

"Because I don't believe it yet." Logan’s gaze fell back onto the documents. "A sheep doesn't turn into a wolf in a single night. Observe him. Do not disturb him."

"Understood, Lord Head." The door closed once more, leaving Logan staring out the window, haunted by the image of Kaelan’s gaze that morning, which had felt so entirely foreign.

On another floor of the mansion, Ryan slammed his bedroom door shut violently.

Brak! "Damn it!"

He paced back and forth with a face that was still pale. A few seconds later, Victor entered, closing the door slowly. "Enough."

Ryan rushed straight up to his stepfather. "Dad! He’s alive! I saw it with my own eyes."

"Impossible!" Ryan gnashed his teeth. "I saw them beat him until..."

"Quiet." Victor’s voice cut in sharply. "Never speak those words again. The walls of this house have ears."

Ryan took a deep breath. "Then what now? He’s changed. His look... it was different. Even Mom couldn't say a thing."

Victor sat calmly on the sofa. "A change in attitude doesn't mean anything yet."

"Didn't you see? He fought back against me. He fought back against Mom."

Victor merely smiled faintly. "Maybe he's just pretending to be strong."

"And if he isn't pretending?"

The room suddenly fell silent. Victor placed his teacup on the table. "Then we'll make sure he doesn't get the chance to become strong."

Ryan sat across from his father. "We don't have much time. Dad needs to talk to Mom about the shares. Tell Mom to hand over a portion of her shares to me. If I hold more shares, my position in the Garrison family will be secure."

Victor shook his head slowly. "That won't solve anything."

"Why?"

"Evelyn only holds ten percent of the shares. That ten percent isn't even enough to alter family decisions."

"Then who holds the rest?"

Victor stared at Ryan for a long time before answering. "The Lord Head. Logan Garrison holds fifty-one percent."

Ryan cursed under his breath. "That means all final decisions remain in that old man's hands."

"True," Victor continued in a low voice. "And there's another fifteen percent."

Ryan raised his head. "Whose is that?"

Victor smiled thinly. "Kaelan's."

Ryan's face instantly turned pale. "No way. That's Adrian Garrison's inheritance. As long as Logan hasn't officially handed it over..."

"...Those shares remain Kaelan's legal right," Victor cut in.

Ryan stood up so fast his chair scraped back. "If Kaelan receives that fifteen percent, he becomes the rightful heir of the Garrison family."

Ryan's heart pounded faster. "No. I won't let that happen."

Victor stood up as well. "That's why you must stop being reckless. We cannot touch those shares without Logan's permission."

"Then what should we do?"

Victor's gaze turned dark. "Make Logan keep believing that Kaelan is a weak boy."

"And if Logan starts changing his mind?"

Victor answered without hesitation. "If that happens... Kaelan must be eliminated before it's too late."

The room grew quiet once more. Ryan nodded slowly, and this time, there was not a shred of hesitation in his eyes.

Meanwhile, in his bedroom, Kaelan slowly opened his eyes. The Mana Core was still cracked, but its light was slightly brighter than before. He clenched his fist, feeling energy begin to flow back into his body. It wasn't strong yet, but it was enough.

He stood up from the floor and walked over to the small window of his room, gazing out at a portion of the Garrison family gardens with a calm expression.

They are starting to move.

He could sense something being prepared in this house, and he welcomed it with a thin smile.

Good. In that case... this game has only just begun.