The Road Yet to Begin (I) (CH - 31)

Maverick saw Edward standing beside his desk, with a few items placed on top of it. He couldn't focus on them, his mind too anxious.

Edward raised an eyebrow and smirked. "What, you think I brought you here to scold you or something?" he asked, joking.

Maverick sensed the lighthearted tone in his voice, and his anxiety slowly began to ease.

"Relax... honestly, little Rick, I meant every word I said." Edward spoke more openly now that they were alone. "You have no idea how many vultures are circling around my daughter, trying to win my favor. Now, I can simply brush them off since she's in a relationship with you."

"Is it that bad?" Maverick asked.

"Very... not just from America, but from Europe, and believe it or not, even from Russia and Asia. A bunch of leeches. The only reason I don't erase their families is because they at least know better than to act stupid.

If anything bad happened to my daughter during their little tricks, I'll remind them why I'm called the Lion of America."

Edward's words sent a chill down Maverick's spine. He understood his teacher was talking about the greedy families seeking to marry Isabella for favors, but somehow, part of what Edward said seemed aimed at him as well. Maverick quickly pushed the thought aside.

'Teacher is definitely not giving me a warning... yes... probably...' he thought inwardly with a gulp.

Edward gave his apprentice a momentary glare before smiling. "Now, the reason I brought you here is because of these..." he said, pointing at the items on the table.

Only then did Maverick take a good look at the items on the table. They were all clearly magical, with two of them familiar to him and one he wasn't quite sure about.

"Give me your storage ring..." Edward said, holding out his hand.

Without hesitation, Maverick handed over the ring on his finger—it had come from his teacher in the first place.

"These are the gifts I've prepared for you," Edward said. "Think of it as a graduation prize, since I'm pleased with your progress over the past half-year." He picked up the first item.

It was a ring, looking far more impressive than the one Maverick had been wearing before.

It was shaped like a crow with its wings spread, forming a full circle. A large black gem sat on top, right above the wings, almost like the crow's watchful eye. Two smaller black stones were set where its eyes would be, giving it a striking, mysterious look. Overall, it looked really cool.

"All of these were made by a friend of mine, one of the best crafters and a powerful alchemist," Edward said, handing the ring to Maverick, who took it carefully.

"Place a drop of blood on the gem, then wear it and send your mana into it," Edward instructed.

Maverick nodded, using magic to make a small cut on his thumb. A drop of blood formed, and he let it fall onto the gem. He then slipped the ring onto his left middle finger and began channeling his magic into it. Though the ring felt loose at first, he knew it would auto-adjust since it was a magical item.

One second.

Five seconds.

"Don't stop. Keep feeding it mana," Edward advised.

Maverick continued, nearly a minute passing before the ring responded. The large black gem and the two smaller ones glowed a deep crimson, and slowly, the ring resized to fit his finger perfectly.

He turned his hand, rotating it both ways to get a better look, then glanced at his teacher, waiting for the explanation—he knew it had to be more than just a stylish piece.

"Fifty cubic meters of storage—five times what your previous ring held," Edward began, smirking at his student. "And that's just the basic function."

Maverick glanced at the ring again, waiting for Edward to elaborate.

"Like the heir rings of most ancient wizarding families, this one is now bound to your blood. Aside from you, only a descendant of your choice will be able to use it, and it will respond solely to your mana. Even if someone else gets hold of it, they'll never access its contents. Not even someone at my level."

Maverick's eyes lit up with excitement, but he quickly calmed down and kept listening. Inside, though, he was thrilled.

"If another witch or wizard tries to wear it, they'll be in for some serious pain. Even a Marquis would find it unbearable. For a King, it would still hurt, but not much of a problem." Edward smirked.

"Do all ancient families have this kind of ring, teacher?" Maverick asked.

"Not all, but most. And in some of the most noble, oldest houses, the magic is even stronger. Wearing the heir ring of another family is considered a serious taboo in the magical world," Edward advised.

"One more thing," Edward said, stretching out his hand toward Maverick.

Legilimens!

Maverick's eyes widened. He never expected his teacher to cast that spell on him. But a moment later, he felt the ring respond, as though it were covering his mind. Nothing was visibly changing, yet he sensed a shield forming around his thoughts, slowly draining his stamina. He didn't even need to use his Magical Sense or Occlumency; the ring was successfully blocking Edward's probe.

Maverick understood what his teacher was doing and glanced at him, waiting for an explanation.

"That was a mental probe, at the level of a typical Marquis with decent mana control and Legilimency skills," Edward explained. "Your ring will automatically guard your mind from any wizard below Marquis level. A powerful Marquis or a King could break through, but by then, you'd be fully alert. And with your own mental shields, you won't need to worry."

Maverick looked down at his ring, then back at Edward. "Thank you, teacher," he said, gratitude showing on his face.

Edward waved his hand dismissively, though he wore another smirk. "There's more..."

Maverick was genuinely surprised now. His new ring was turning out to be quite overpowered.

Edward nodded, noting his student's surprise.

He continued. "It's also a reverse Portkey," he said, catching the expected confusion on Maverick's face.

Maverick knew of Portkeys, but this was new to him.

"Never heard of it, have you?" Edward said, reading his face. Maverick nodded.

His teacher chuckled. "Of course not. But it's exactly what it sounds like—only with one condition: only Kings with control over space can use it."

Maverick frowned. "By 'space,' you mean like when you tear the air?"

Edward nodded. "Yes. Technically, the power of space and spirit awakens at the Marquis rank, but you only gain real skill with it after reaching King rank."

He glanced at his student, raised an eyebrow as if remembering something, then brushed it off. He was used to Maverick's genius.

"Marquises can barely use space manipulation or mental attacks. It's just a tickle compared to the full potential, so you won't see them bother with it. None have mastered it well enough for combat before reaching King level."

Edward paused, then added, "Well, unless someone were to prove otherwise, like you did with mana control and perception."

Maverick was beyond excited. He'd never read about any of this in his books—two new talents waiting when he advanced to Great Magus.

He gave his teacher a sheepish smile but held back his thoughts.

"Anyway," Edward continued. "The reverse Portkey is a last-resort lifeline. You send your magic into the ring like this..." Edward demonstrated the specific rhythm Maverick needed to follow.

"Once done, it'll connect to my ring, and I'll know your location immediately. Only use this when absolutely necessary. It'll drain your stamina for several days while it recharges, and you won't be at your best until it's fully recovered."

Maverick nodded, understanding. "I hope I never need to use it," he said.

"Yes. I hope so too," Edward agreed.

"Now, onto the next item," he said as he turned back to the table.

It was a broomstick, sleek and entirely black from handle to bristles. At the top, a carved crow's head with gem-like eyes gave it a fierce, watchful look. Near the bristles, a sturdy foot grip was attached, offering a secure hold for any daring rider.

Maverick observed the sleek, powerful-looking broomstick. It was unlike any Quidditch broomstick he had ever seen.

"Yes, as you can see, this is a flying broomstick," Edward began, picking it up and handing it to Maverick. "This one is special. It accelerates from zero to 1,300 kilometers per hour in just ten seconds, breaking the sound barrier. It can reach top speeds of up to 2,000 kilometers per hour, with superb balance and precision, and it can hover up to 10 kilometers high."

Maverick's eyes widened as he heard the specs. This was far, far beyond the capabilities of a standard Quidditch broomstick.

"How?" he asked, puzzled, looking up at his teacher.

Edward smirked. "You guessed it. This would be cheating on a Quidditch pitch." He chuckled. "These broomsticks aren't released to the public. Only witches or wizards with top-notch mana control and perception can handle it. Marquis-level mages, and even then only those with excellent control, are licensed to own one."

Maverick gripped the handle, his hands trembling with excitement.

"Licensed?" he asked.

"Yes," Edward replied. "They're never for sale. First, you'd need a license, then you'd go to the craftsman to request one."

"But... I don't have one," Maverick said hesitantly.

Edward chuckled. "Well, I happen to be one of the few who can grant a license. Your mana control is more than enough to handle this. I'll teach you the basics in the training room later."

Maverick nodded. His teacher was a cheat himself, he thought with a smile.

"Store it in your ring, and let me show you the third item," Edward said, turning back to the table.

A black bracelet. No, it looked more like a wand holster.

"Like the ring, drop a bit of blood and channel your mana into it. It has the same security functions, minus the mental shield," Edward explained, handing it to Maverick.

Maverick wore it on his right arm, letting a drop of blood fall onto it before channeling his magic. The bracelet immediately adjusted to fit his arm perfectly, with no discomfort at all.

"This one is very special. Now, inject mana in this rhythm," Edward instructed, showing Maverick the pattern.

Maverick followed along, and the bracelet began to morph, like tiny nanobots, covering his entire body. Startled, he took a step back.

In seconds, he was fully clad in black, like a costume. If he had to describe it, it looked like the Black Panther suit from Marvel, but with the addition of a black cape, similar to Batman's.

He twisted around, inspecting his new look, then walked over to the mirror on the left wall to see himself fully.

His head was completely covered, with his eyes glowing faintly crimson. Thankfully, there were no panther or bat ears, he thought with relief. His entire body was clad in matte black, with an intricate feather-like pattern woven beautifully over the surface. The cape, reaching down to his knees, added a menacing edge to his look.

"Like it?"

Maverick, lost in admiration of his new look, snapped back at Edward's question.

He turned to his teacher. "Incredible... I don't have the words," Maverick said.

Edward smirked. "Well, like the other two, it has some special functions as well," he began. "First, it can make you invisible and also suppress your magic from leaking, giving you even better camouflage.

"It has two looks. Let me show you the patterns to inject magic to activate each form."

Edward demonstrated to his student.

"You already know how to activate the first form—I call it stealth mode. To activate the second form, inject magic like this," Edward demonstrated.

Maverick repeated the pattern, and his suit began to shift.

In just three seconds, his look had changed.

Now he wore a classic wizarding robe over a black shirt and black pants. Though traditional, the same delicate feather pattern adorned the shirt, pants, and robe, giving them a refined look.

Maverick inspected his new appearance in the mirror.

"Teacher, I've been meaning to ask... what's with the crow theme? The ring, the broom, and even this," he said, gesturing to the suit. "They all have crow-like designs."

Edward scratched his head, giving a sheepish smile. "Well... I thought you'd like it, so I did it to surprise you. I've been waiting for you to ask," he chuckled. "You do have a thing for crows..."

Maverick's brow twitched as he coughed. "I... I don't..."

"Yes, you do. You put crows or ravens in nearly all your custom spells. Even in your illusions, you scatter those birds everywhere..."

Cough, cough.

"Never mind, teacher. I really do like all three items. I don't know how to express my gratitude to you..." Maverick's tone grew serious as he met his teacher's gaze.

"If there ever comes a day you need my help, teacher, I swear by my magic, I will be there for you and your family."

Edward's expression softened. He regarded Maverick seriously, not laughing it off this time.

After a moment, he walked behind his desk, took a seat, and looked at his apprentice.

Maverick fell silent, sensing the gravity in his teacher's gaze and feeling that something important was about to be said.

Edward met his eyes, resting his chin on his hands, elbows on the table. "I only ask one thing in return. Take care of my daughter, to the best of your ability."

Maverick's eyes widened slightly in surprise.

"I don't care if, in the future, you find more wives," Edward continued. "But she comes first. She's your priority. And you'll need her consent before marrying anyone else."

"Don't make her sad. That's all I ask of you."

Maverick's face turned solemn. "I promise. I, Maverick Caesar, hereby swear by my magic to take care of Isabella Garling, to love her, to keep her happy to the best of my ability." He raised his wand, sealing the oath with magic, even surprising Edward.

"You didn't need to make it a magical oath. You're my apprentice, and you know I trust you, little Rick," Edward said with a faint, helpless smile.

"I know, teacher. And... I don't have any plans for polygamy. Not now, at least," Maverick explained.

Edward waved his hand. "I don't mind. It's common among powerful wizards, with very few exceptions. But just make sure Isabella is your priority, and that you have her consent."

Maverick didn't know what to say. He truly hadn't considered marrying multiple women. He hadn't even thought about marriage at all until recently. He pushed the thoughts aside, figuring that only time would tell.

"I swear, teacher."

"Good..." Edward said, standing up. "Let's head to the training room. No, outside. I'll give you some basics on riding your broom," he added, walking to the door. Maverick quickly followed.

They spent nearly an hour training, and Maverick quickly got the hang of controlling the broom. It heavily involved the two key talents: Magical-Energy Manipulation, which shielded his eyes and body against air resistance, and Magical Sense, for maneuvering. Thanks to his strong mastery in both, he learned flying with surprising speed.

After the lesson, Edward told Maverick to head back and get some sleep. Tomorrow, he and the Garling family would be traveling to the UK—to his home.

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Author's Note:

Just a quick update — up to Chapter 65 is already available on P AT r30n!

PAT r30n [.] com / RyanFic