Awakened Mage

Waves rippled in the hearts of these four men, from the head steward to the messenger.

The mage's eyes flickered with astonishment that belied his delight.

The physician's eyes had a prevalent sliver of disbelief swirling within.

The messenger wanted to curse yet had to smile, resulting in a hideous expression twisted from the conflicted feelings.

As for the head steward, his muddled eyes were glistening with moisture, feelings transitioning into the warm liquid.

A voice choked with emotions buzzed from this old man's throat in broken syllables, "Young lord!"

He subconsciously went from the 'second young master' form of addressing Kevin to the 'young lord', clearly indicating the young man's status as the sole successor to the title of baron after the late head.

It was the mage who shot to his feet first and foremost to ask, a pointed finger shaking, "You… You've awakened as a mage?!"

These words were like another clap of shock to the face of the other two. Before Kevin could answer, the physician muttered impossible thrice and spoke up heavily, "It was a curse to the soul, how could he possibly awaken as a mage from that? Is this some kind of a joke?!"

His long beard shook with saliva as he also shot to his feet, the flush on his face that had yet to abate resurfaced.

"You're just a doctor who dabbles somewhat in herbs and a bit of shallow magic you consider sophisticated," scoffed the mage, his eyes blazing with disdain. "How can you grasp the unpredictability of magic? Till today, no one can claim to completely understand the principles of magic, let alone a mere you and me."

The first step of awakening as a mage was the ability to interact with mana. They awaken the first innate active spell as a mage—a spell called <Concentration>!

The traces of this spell on Kevin's body had been sensed by the old mage; Elias.

Although he didn't understand the twists and turns that produced a mage out of a young child on the verge of death, his zealous faith in magic allowed him to skip the details and focus on the outcome.

"Cough! Cough! Gentlemen—we have the agenda of selecting a new baron at hand. Don't forget, winter is but a few short months, and if we don't appoint a suitable candidate as per the instructions of my lord the count, this stretch of land would become a weak link in the northern defenses of the Kingdom."

The position of the Badger Barony under House Rögger was quite awkward. With the Empire in unrest, the vassals began to scrape and scramble for benefits, wars erupting between neighboring Kingdoms of the secular world.

The Badger Barony was a fiefdom on the borders of two opposing kingdoms in the northern borders—cold weather foresting people of even colder hearts akin to stone.

Although it was a position of danger, it was also a position of opportunity—Kevin saw through it all.

The count most likely desired a puppet baron who would reap contributions to the Dukedom in the name of the count.

As a tool for political warfare in his past life, Kevin saw through it all in no time—this used to be his job and profession.

The old steward who was standing next to Kevin fumed, his expression dark, "Nonsense! Our young lord is healthy and breathing—what agenda are you talking about?! Far from dead, our young lord has awakened as a mage! Are you deaf, blind, or both?!"

"It is as you said, the second young master is now on his path of becoming a certified mage—the matters of the secular world shouldn't involve his grace."

"You… !"

"That's a bit off— he would become a novice at best, and that's only if his concentration aptitude is enough to crystallize a third eye. He is yet to become an amateur, then an official apprentice in a Magic Academy situated in the secular world. After a successful apprenticeship and graduation as a practitioner, he would be tested by his ability to summon a grimoire; the manifestation of the third eye in the physical world and the lifeline of a mage. Only then would he have the qualifications to withdraw from the struggles of the secular world.

"However—even after graduation, leaving the secular world isn't a must. If he seeks the truth of magic and is willing to leave the struggles of the secular kingdoms and move to the higher plane, kingdoms of magic, he is always welcome to go. Under the same conditions, if he wishes to keep to the mortal soil of the secular world, no one would stop him."

The mage wasn't excited about Kevin's awakening as a mage, but rather the cause and effect of the process within. This was akin to rebirth through flames, experiencing life through death, this experience was sure to net him great benefits were he to meditate on it.

As for Kevin's future as a mage? He wasn't that optimistic about it as nurturing a mage required a ton of resources, something a baron family couldn't possibly afford.

Kevin watched them go back and forth with a faint smile of ridicule in his eyes, a bit of his focus shifting to the lump of energy that began to take the shape of an ephemeral eye in his mind.

This eye seemed to be the product of a mysterious fusion that would progress as long as he started to meditate with the concentration spell.

He wasn't an ordinary awakened—his mage status was bestowed upon him through unorthodox means. With the soul of the previous Kevin as a catalyst, it was undergoing fusion with the dark orb left behind by that mysterious existence and blending into his soul from a parallel world.

Although he needed to tread an arduous path as a price to pay for this power and potential, he was willing—driven by the helplessness and regret he felt from being a tool, a chess piece, a puppet on strings his entire life.

Of course, the dark orb had shown him what his friend did after she 'arose' from the dead—all to show him how his life was mapped out for him, including his past relationships, be it friends or enemies.

He made it one of his side goals to return to his previous world to settle things once and for all—to seek answers from them and from her. Until then, his first priority was to accomplish his end of the deal with that mysterious existence, an endeavor requiring strength that transcended the secular world!

"Are you all about done yet?" Kevin interrupted the chaotic argument that had gone south, deviating from the base agenda.

The mage and the count's messenger who were shouting at one another, together with the head steward who was jumping in to jab sarcastically at the messenger from time to time, all came to a sudden stop as they breathed heavily while eyeing one another like wolves.

Although Kevin had assumed that the count was after the merits and contributions in the war, this was but a conservative estimate on his part as the second son's knowledge pertaining to the overall situation in the family was very limited.

He knew little to nothing about the general affairs, businesses, connections, agriculture, or even the allies or enemies of the family.

He needed to discuss at length with the head steward to understand these things extensively before making a judgment. If he couldn't understand why the count coveted his territory so much, it would be difficult to make contingency arrangements for both the near and distant future.

"Do you have something to say, second young master?" beating down the irritation in his heart, the messenger aimed his red eyes at Kevin's body, breathing heavily as he asked.

"There was a clear attempt of assassination on my life, the son of a baron. Not just that, two of my siblings are lying dead—their bodies yet to grow cold, I beseech you to deliver this subject's pleas to the count and investigate the matter first, then we can discuss the matters of the succeeding baron…"

Kevin spoke lightly, but the implications in his words gave the messenger a rude awakening.