Kaelus, flanked by his comrades and Riona, stood at the center of the massive, circular Judicial Hall. The sheer scale of the room and the assembled officials—the judge from the House of Nexus and the speaker from the House of Aquilon—created an oppressive atmosphere. High above, the Mage Emperor, Ian Emrys Skyrune, watched silently, a tired look clouding his features.
The trial began not with testimony, but with a measurement. A Mana Classification Crystal was presented. Kaelus was instructed to place his hand upon it, and the crystal instantly glowed with a vibrant green. The verdict was simple: Kaelus Wyndhelm was a Peak 4-Star Wind Mage, just as he had been in his initial test.
The Speaker from the House of Aquilon, a sharp-faced man named Morthos, cleared his throat. "The test confirms the adventurer's rank, but not his capacity. Guild Master Aethon, you are the highest authority of Dragon's Fury. Can you definitively explain how this Peak 4-Star mage participated in the defeat of four S-rank and four S+ rank monsters?"
Aethon, visibly nervous, began to answer, but Morthos cut him off, his tone laced with skepticism. "Let us proceed to the field commander. Zane Bladeheart, your report on the initial phase was... impossible. Explain the three S+ Armored Scorpions' demise."
Zane answered flawlessly, his loyalty firm. "We were heavily injured. Kaelus, utilizing a skill unlike anything I've ever witnessed—the Ryujin no Kaze—neutralized all three S+ targets instantly. The cores are in the possession of the court."
"A single spell, from a 4-star mage, capable of an S+ defeat? Unheard of!" Morthos exclaimed.
Sylva Moonshadow stepped in, defending Kaelus with sharp, fierce logic. "The initial damage created the opening. Based on the core fluctuation and the initial mission report, the scorpions were originally S-rank monsters. The abnormal occurrence in the Eastern Territory made the rank up possible. However, they are newly promoted S+ rank monsters, which are known to be weaker than normal S-rank monsters due to their unstabilized monster cores. The raid was possible due to the sacrifice of other members of the Obsidian Phalanx, who managed to inflict damage, leaving an opening for Kaelus and his 6-star Mid-Rank artifact to inflict potent damage. Kaelus's elemental purity allowed for that concentrated power. If you check the mana signature reading we submitted, his core is abnormally potent for his rank."
Morthos moved to the Ironclad Aegis leader. "Riona Steelsworn, your testimony regarding the Wyvern fight. Did you observe any deviation from his stated Wind element?"
Riona, ever unbiased, stated plainly, "Kaelus utilized the Wind element exclusively, first with the Gale Rifle, then his temporary Tempest Wings for aerial combat. His final technique was a compressed Wind blast. He is undeniably a Wind elementalist. However, his power and speed exceeded S-rank capacity."
Morthos pressed the point on Kaelus. "Your appearance has fundamentally changed, Mr. Wyndhelm. Your power fluctuates wildly. What is the explanation for this physical transformation?"
Kaelus maintained a vague composure. "Even I do not fully know, your honor. Perhaps it is due to extreme mana exhaustion and the use of power exceeding my natural limits."
Around the circular hall, the nobles began murmuring loudly. Some agreed: "Mana exhaustion makes you pale, it's common!" Others opposed: "There's something in that! It makes him dangerous! He is a massive threat or a massive asset to the continent!"
The surrounding noise grew chaotic. Suddenly, the Judge from the House of Nexus slammed his hammer down, the sound echoing sharply.
The Judge, his voice stern, pointed to the large, glowing Scriptures of Elemental Law floating near the center of the court.
"The law is clear on the nature of advancement. Humans and Demi-humans can master multiple elements by consuming the cores of S-rank monsters and up. This strengthens their core and adds to their mana pool, enabling elemental diversification." He paused, his gaze fixed on Kaelus.
"The Scriptures also state that all monsters possess only a single element due to their core, and it lies only within the four basic elements. Though their raw mana pool is greater than humans, their sentience is not. They are incapable of upgrading their element to higher forms. Only monsters possess one element!"
The Judge's implication was clear and shocking: "The court speculates that Kaelus Wyndhelm is a monster—or something close to it—because he is seemingly incapable of manifesting another element, despite his abnormal power!"
The nobles began murmuring again, the word "Monster" spreading like wildfire.
Suddenly, a loud, unprofessional burst of laughter echoed from the throne. Mage Emperor Ian Emrys Skyrune was laughing so hard his shoulders shook, and the sound instantly silenced the entire room. Even the Judge was stunned.
Morthos, the Speaker, cleared his throat loudly, giving the Mage Emperor a sharp look to remind him of decorum.
The Mage Emperor ignored him, leaning forward. "Kaelus Wyndhelm, how old are you?"
Morthos quickly intervened: "You may allow to speak, Kaelus Wyndhelm."
"Twenty-eight, your honor," Kaelus replied, stating the age of his human physical form. (His true dragon age was fifteen, a youngling, but that was a secret he would not expose here).
The Mage Emperor burst into laughter again. "You all dumb fools! HAHAHAH!"
Morthos cleared his throat again, furrowing his brows and silently urging the Mage Emperor to act professional.
Ian Skyrune sighed, composing himself slightly. "All of you present here, how old were you when you reached your Peak 4-Star? Thirty? Thirty-two? Me, as a reference, I reached Peak 4-Star at the age of twenty-five! That was a special case for me because I myself had the resources and environment to grow faster!"
The Emperor's voice then boomed with finality. "What would you expect from a twenty-eight-year-old Peak 4-Star? HAHAHAH! This entire trial is meaningless!"
He then switched to a serious, commanding tone. "This man, Kaelus Wyndhelm, is a great talent of the Human and Demi-human race! The fact that he defeated an S+ rank monster, the Two-Headed Crystal Wyvern, is explained by the properties of the monster itself—the nullification crystal embedded in its body." He held up the massive Wyvern core.
The nobles began murmuring again, this time agreeing with the Mage Emperor, realizing their folly.
"Furthermore, this man possesses a 6-Star Mid-Rank sword artifact—the Viridian Sword—and based on the reports, the support of two S-rank teams, Obsidian Phalanx and Ironclad Aegis, made the raid possible."
The Mage Emperor looked directly at Kaelus, his eyes twinkling. "Kaelus Wyndhelm, I have a request for you—would you like to be a member of my Magic Court?"
Morthos quickly stepped in: "You may allow to speak, Kaelus Wyndhelm."
"With all due respect, Mage Emperor," Kaelus said, his silver hair shimmering under the courtroom lights. "I am a member of the Dragon's Fury Guild. I am also an adventurer, and the battlefield is where I belong."
The Judge shouted, enraged: "Impudence! You must follow wha—"
"Shut up!" the Mage Emperor snapped, silencing the Judge completely. He smiled warmly at Kaelus. "I respect your decision, Kaelus. See me after this."
With that, Ian Emrys Skyrune stood up and left the Judicial Hall without another word. The Speaker, Morthos, then immediately commanded the Magic Guards to escort Kaelus onto the Mage Emperor's nearby palace.