Mana Heart Ceremony (Part 1)

It was the beginning of another year. The chilly, dry season has just passed, welcoming the arrival of spring. Animals, both small and large, came out of hibernation, relishing their time outdoors once again. The Silvermoon family was no different. Compared to the tranquility during winter, the estate was filled with noises and chatters. The elders started arranging meeting after meeting to ensure that this year would go according to plan, some older members of the house were busy preparing for their trip back to the Royal Academy of Magic, and the youngsters were all packing their bags for the training camp that'll begin tomorrow. 

As for Sethos, he was preparing for the Mana Heart Ceremony that would be held today. His short, black hair was combed neatly, and he was dressed in formal attire which comprised of a white shirt and a navy blue suit. Despite his young age, Sethos still exuded a hint of manliness. 

"All done! You look amazing, young master!" Myra smiled brightly as she admired Sethos from top to bottom.

Sethos looked at the mirror, and even he himself couldn't help but gasp at the young, handsome boy in front of him. 

'My facial features truly are astonishing. Even now, I can't believe the person I'm looking at is me.' Sethos thought to himself. 

However, the gleeful atmosphere didn't last long as Sethos' face immediately turned dark. He had done all the preparations in order for today to go without a hitch, but there was a one huge problem that was troubling him. Sethos had contemplated again and again for the past few weeks, but no matter how he racked his brains, he couldn't figure out a surefire solution. 

*sigh*

'All the ideas I have right now are incredibly risky. They all have a chance to go terribly wrong.' Sethos furrowed his brows as he ruminated.

'Looks like I'll have to take a massive risk this time.' 

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As someone who never tolerated tardiness, Sethos arrived at the venue three hours before the ceremony began. When he walked into the hall, he was marvelled by the smooth marble flooring, the intricate artwork displayed on the walls, and the colossal chandelier which hanged from the dome-like ceiling. Due to how awfully early Sethos was, the place was completely spotless. The bustling noises from earlier had completely diminished, leaving only a quiet and tranquil atmosphere.

Sethos quickly found himself a seat in the front row of the hall, and he immediately took out a book using the Spacial Dimension Technique. Similar to other martial arts Sethos used before, this technique could also be classified into different ranks, and with each rank, the space of the alternate dimension increases. A Rank I dimension could only hold a few objects, whilst a Rank V dimension could store something as large as a carriage. 

'Hm, 'A Beginner's Guide to Circles', seems like a good read.' Sethos thought as he flipped open the book. 

Circles - the worldwide classification system for mages. The higher the number of circles a mage possessed, the stronger they were, and the more benefits they received. Similar to martial arts, circles represented the 'cultivation' of mages. By honing their magic and acquiring specific materials, mages could form circles around their mana heart. Each level allowed mages to learn more complicated spells and formations, and granted them higher realms of knowledge about the world. Materials for ascension usually cost a fortune, and the demand exceeded the supply by thousandfold. Only wealthy families such as the Silvermoon House would have a large amount of these supplies, which was why independent mages would always rush to apply when job applications were released. 

'I'm really fortunate to be born with a golden spoon in this life. It'd be such a waste if I don't make use of this amazing opportunity.' Sethos once again reminded himself. 

'Right now, I'm still spending too much time loitering around and sleeping. I should reduce my sleep from eight to... Wait, someone's here.' 

The grand double doors once again opened up, and a young girl strutted confidently into the hall. Her silky black hair was tied into pigtails, and her shimmering golden eyes exuded a sense of dominance. In contrast, the timid servant behind her immediately cowered just by catching a glimpse of Sethos.

Seeing Sethos who arrived much earlier than her, she walked up to him and remarked, "Hmph, looks like there's someone else who actually cared to arrive early." 

"Lady Leona, I- I don't think we should provoke other people right now." The maid stammered. 

"Shush, who said you're allowed to tell me what to do." Leona retorted with an annoyed expression.

"I- I apologise, my lady."

As someone who've read multiple books about etiquette, Sethos took the initiative to greet Leona. He stood up gracefully, then bowed respectfully towards her.

"Pleasure to meet you on this splendid day, my lady. My name is Sethos Silvermoon." Sethos proceeded to introduce himself.

Hearing Sethos' eloquent speech, Leona was left speechless and stood in a daze. Clearly, his response wasn't something that she expected. 

"M- My lady, quickly curtsy and introduce yourself." The maid whispered into Leona's ear. 

"O- Oh, good day to you too! I am Leona, Leona Silvermoon." Leona responded in a fluster. 

After the awkward greeting, they both sat down and began a conversation with each other. They talked about their daily lives, the food they ate, what they did during the day, and even gossiped about their servants. 

"Did you know, my servant, Judy, gets scared super easily? Last time, a mosquito flew into the room and almost gave her a heart attack. She started running around the room like crazy." Leona said while laughing. 

"Goodness, that's hilarious!" Sethos chuckled. 

However, in his mind, Sethos wasn't laughing at all. Instead, he was probing her and analysing her personality to determine whether she'd be a threat to him in the future.

'Seems like she's just a kid who's just a tad bit overconfident, but I can't fully say for sure until I obtain more information.' Sethos noted to himself. 

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As time passed by, more and more seats were filled. The once peaceful atmosphere became lively again as chatters and prattles filled the room. Before the ceremony begun, Sethos scanned the room and noticed a few people that he should be mindful of.

The first person was a girl with brown hair and brown eyes who was reading a book in a corner of the hall. She looked ordinary at first glance, but on further inspection, you could see that there were faint magic traces that hid her true appearance.

The second person was a boy with fiery crimson hair. Unlike the previous girl, he was terribly loud and kept bragging about himself and his achievements. Despite all that, Sethos could see that he actually had firm muscles and a healthy body, proving that he did put in the effort and was not all talk. 

The third person was a bit peculiar, a girl with dark blue hair and dusky black eyes. On close inspection, she didn't have any special talents nor hidden abilities, but her gaze towards him was filled with hatred and loathing. Out of the three, Sethos had a gut feeling that she would be the most troublesome in the future.