Black Fortress was the easternmost outpost of the Lycia Alliance, perched on the edge of the Beast Mountains. Calling it a "city" was a stretch—it was more of a fortress. Inside its walls, 2,000 Lycian soldiers were stationed, along with 3,000 adventurers and mercenaries from across the Alliance and beyond. The number of local residents and merchants combined didn't even reach 5,000.
Upon arriving, Kai parted ways with Hussein and the mercenary group. What he didn't expect, though, was that someone would seek him out before he could even leave the fortress.
"Master Kai, is that you?" A mid-tier apprentice mage in a yellow robe appeared before Kai, flanked by two low-tier apprentices. All three bore the distinct military insignia of the Lycia Alliance—meaning that regardless of which noble they served, they were officially mages in the Lycian military.
They had come specifically to recruit Kai. Ever since he entered Black Fortress, his status as a senior apprentice had caught the eye of influential figures. Senior apprentices were rare everywhere: in Menzoberranzan's Dark Magic Academy, they were the top powerhouses; in the Lycia Alliance and its neighboring nations, they were just as valuable. With the Kingdom of Sifa already at war with the Orc Empire—and Lycia likely to be dragged in soon—someone of Kai's caliber was in high demand.
Strangely, though, the three apprentices weren't recruiting Kai for their noble patrons or the military. They represented a small caster organization called the "Thorn Circle."
"The Thorn Circle is a subsidiary of the Green Field Circle—we hold considerable status and influence across the Lycia Alliance," the leading mid-tier apprentice said earnestly. "If Master Kai ever needs rare resources for your experiments, our organization can provide them. And if you wish to explore higher-tier magical mysteries or learn from formal mages, we can recommend you to our parent organization, the Green Field Circle."
The apprentice's words sounded generous, as if he had Kai's best interests at heart. But when Kai asked about the obligations he'd have to fulfill, the apprentice's smile turned awkward—and he listed far more duties than benefits. There was the mandatory conscription during wartime, for starters. Additionally, Kai would have to complete one forced mission for the Thorn Circle every six months. The most outrageous term, however, was that once he joined, he couldn't leave the organization or join another mage group for 30 years.
It was a near-slavery contract. Kai rejected the offer without hesitation, no matter how sweet the apprentice's promises sounded.
"Master Kai, won't you reconsider joining the Thorn Circle?" the mid-tier apprentice pressed, urgency creeping into his voice as Kai turned to leave. "You must know—we hold real power in the Lycia Alliance..."
Kai froze mid-step. He turned back, his face cold as he stared at the robed apprentice. "Are you threatening me?"
The mental pressure of a senior apprentice, combined with the icy menace of a dark mage, drained the color from the arrogant mid-tier apprentice's face. Noticing that Lycian soldiers nearby were starting to glance over, Kflicked his black sleeves, and walked away.
The surface mage community was truly nothing like what Kai had known in Menzoberranzan's Underdark. Since when did mid-tier apprentices dare to threaten senior ones?
As for the Thorn Circle, it was a joke in Kai's eyes. From the apprentice's words, it sounded like a small group with no formal mages—just a subsidiary of the Green Field Circle, catering to apprentice mages in the Lycia Alliance.
Kai had come north to find his family, and the only mage organizations that interested him were the Green Source Holy Tower and other large factions with formal mages. The Green Field Circle might have piqued his curiosity, but the Thorn Circle? Not a chance. And given the Thorn Circle's harsh recruitment terms and the stupidity and arrogance of its apprentices, Kai had even lost interest in the Green Field Circle itself.
To be fair, these mage organizations weren't charities. While their original purpose might have been to let mages support each other and pursue the path of truth, over time, they had become deeply utilitarian. Why would an organization provide you with resources and knowledge without getting something in return?
The mid-tier apprentice's arrogance wasn't entirely unfounded. If Kai had been a low-tier or entry-tier apprentice, the Thorn Circle might not have even bothered with him.
Left standing alone, the yellow-robed mage's face flushed red with embarrassment, then turned pale. He wasn't foolish enough to confront Kai—senior apprentices were esteemed guests in any organization. He just hadn't expected Kai to reject the offer so firmly, with no regard for the Thorn Circle's "dignity."
"What do we do now?" one of the low-tier apprentices asked.
"What else? Report this to the organization!" the mid-tier apprentice snapped, still fuming over Kai's dismissal. "Hmph—offend the Thorn Circle, and even a senior apprentice won't get far in the Lycia Alliance."
The two apprentices nodded, but inwardly they disagreed. The Lycia Alliance had more than just the Thorn Circle for apprentice mages. Even if Kai had offended them, he could easily join another group. Besides, the Thorn Circle had grown increasingly overbearing in recent years. Backed by powerful nobles in the military, it had been forcing recruits and monopolizing resources. Other small apprentice organizations had to endure it, thanks to the Green Field Circle's protection. As for the other large mage organizations on par with the Green Field Circle? They were just as bad—they just had better PR.
After brushing off the Thorn Circle's clown, Kai headed west. Now that he was in the Lycia Alliance, he no longer had to hide his identity. He had plenty of gold coins: some from the goateed old man for the Hurricane Boar's hide, and the rest from the portly lord of Pete City. He hired a carriage and a driver, then set off along the Alliance's main roads.
The Lycia Alliance was far more developed than the Underdark. The terrain was mostly flat and densely populated, and the roads were vastly better. The nobles here understood that good roads boosted their territories' growth—many had built wide stone roads connecting their lands. The carriage moved far faster on these roads than Kai could on foot. And according to the driver, who had traveled the continent for years, he could take Kai all the way to Ferre Territory, the westernmost region of the Lycia Alliance—for the right price.
Since entering the Lycia Alliance, Kai's mood had been a mix of unease and restlessness—aside from the brief annoyance caused by the Thorn Circle apprentice. He thought of his family, of the blurry memory of his mother from childhood, and of the surname "Grant."
He could have easily asked about the Grant family in Black Fortress, but he hadn't. A vague, unnameable feeling had held him back. Instead, he followed the faint pull of the Bloodline Tracking Magic, searching for his roots.
Kai still wasn't sure how to face his family. Would it be a joyful reunion? Or would he resent them for losing him—and never searching for him all these years? These conflicting emotions made it impossible for him to focus on studying magic.
So he shifted his focus back to alchemy. His travels through the Underdark and the Beast Mountains had left him with a large stockpile of mid- and low-tier magical materials—most of which he had never seen in the Underdark. Even using them to craft basic magical items posed a challenge, with a high risk of failure. But every crafting attempt deepened his understanding of alchemy—a lesson Modesto had emphasized in his notes.
Why else would a master alchemist like Modesto waste time making trivial items he didn't need? Was it just for his apprentices? No—Modesto's mastery had come from countless experiments and failures.
The driver, a middle-aged man, was awestruck by Kai's status as a mage and his occasional alchemy experiments by the carriage. He had traveled far and wide, but he'd only ever glimpsed mages from a distance, never daring to approach. Being this close to an alchemist—and even watching him work—was a story he'd tell for the rest of his life.
The experiments slowed their progress, but Kai didn't mind—he'd pay the driver well. His real concern was the turmoil in his own heart.
Over three months, they passed through several noble territories. Kai even sold three low-tier magical items he'd crafted along the way. Then, "trouble" found him again—not the hostile kind, but another recruitment offer.
This time, the group was called the Holy Harmony Society. They had already been keeping an eye on Kai, and with war looming, free senior apprentices like him were growing scarcer in the Lycia Alliance. Unlike the arrogant Thorn Circle, the Holy Harmony Society respected Kai's wishes—even though they also had a parent organization.
The recruiter had prepared what he thought was a generous offer. But when he learned that Kai was also an alchemist, he immediately discarded his original plan and presented a far better package—one that matched the benefits given to quasi-mages.
Apprentices of different ranks received vastly different treatment in mage organizations. Low-tier apprentices often struggled to join any group, while senior ones had their pick. But with the Bloodline Tracking Magic growing stronger and his heart in turmoil, Kai had no interest in joining any apprentice organization. He rejected the Holy Harmony Society, too.
Refusing them was no big deal, as far as Kai was concerned. But as word of his alchemy skills spread, more apprentice groups—and even their parent organizations with formal mages—began to take notice. Just as these recruiters kept appearing, the Bloodline Tracking Magic suddenly went silent.
It wasn't broken—it meant Kai had arrived.
He was in a noble territory in central Lycia, larger than most count-level fiefs. From the driver's stories and what he'd seen since entering, Kai learned the lord here was the "Count of the Purple Rose," a powerful noble with real authority in the Lycia Alliance.
The Count of the Purple Rose was famous across Lycia. Though he ruled a central territory, he had made his name two decades earlier in the Sand Basin War against the Kingdom of Sifa, and again seven years ago in the Siege of Iron Dragon Fort against the Orc Empire—the first time in 30 years the Lycia Alliance had launched a counterattack into Orc Empire territory. Rumors even claimed he was in line for a marquess title. In the Lycia Alliance, aside from the nominal leader, the Grand Duke, marquess was the highest noble rank.
Kai had heard all this since entering the Purple Rose's territory. Whether it was commoners or traveling merchants, everyone spoke highly of the Count.
Now, he stood at the gates of a city called Grant. The name felt familiar, and the city was large—home to nearly 300,000 people. Combined with the vast territory and other cities under the Purple Rose's rule, it was clear just how powerful the famous count was.
The bustle and prosperity of the city made Kai feel disoriented. He stepped out of the carriage, pulled back his hood, and tried to take in his surroundings—only to freeze when a guard captain on the city wall gasped, then hurried down to kneel before him.
"Your Lordship!" the captain called, his voice loud enough to turn heads.
As he dropped to one knee in a knight's salute, Kai stood stunned—and the crowd around them erupted in murmurs. Nobles were still mysterious and revered figures to commoners. The Count of the Purple Rose was famous, but few had actually seen him. If this man was truly the count...
One by one, the nearby commoners dropped to their knees—both knees, this time. As the word "count" spread, more and more people knelt. Radiating outward from the city gate, a sea of kneeling citizens formed in front of Kai.
Farther away, people didn't know what was happening, but when they saw so many commoners and even soldiers kneeling, the panic spread. A minor commotion began in Grant City's eastern district.
Not everyone was fooled, though—especially those who had actually met the Count of the Purple Rose. A middle-aged man in steel chainmail hurried down from the city wall. At the sight of Kai's face, he froze, his expression a mix of confusion, anxiety, and quiet excitement.
Calling him "middle-aged" was a stretch—he was old. But battle qi had preserved his strength, making him look younger than he was. He was the garrison commander of the eastern district, a veteran who had fought alongside Count Grant for decades.
He didn't waste time. First, he kicked the kneeling captain aside, growling something under his breath, then approached Kai. He would have recognized the count anywhere—he had personally seen him off three months earlier, when the count left Grant City with his retinue. Even if the count had rushed back, he couldn't have made the round trip to Skorway, the Alliance's capital, in such a short time.
And Kai was not the count.
Still, the commander didn't lose his respect. He stopped in front of Kai and asked politely, "May I have your name, sir?"
Somehow, Kai felt a faint sense of familiarity when he looked at the commander—though he couldn't place him. After a moment's hesitation, he answered, "I'm Kai."
It was his real name, just like the surname Grant—a memory he could never erase, even after being abducted to the Underdark as a child.
At the sound of his name, the commander's body jolted. Kai saw disbelief and joy flash in his eyes.
"Restore order in the eastern district immediately!" the commander barked at the captain he'd kicked earlier, then turned back to Kai. "I need to take you to the castle, sir."
Kai nodded. "Lead the way."
The commotion in the eastern district became a hot topic among Grant City's residents for days. It also left Kai's driver and the recruiters from various mage organizations staring in shock.
"So that senior apprentice has connections to Count Grant?" murmured a senior apprentice from the Fire Emblem Order, watching Kai and the commander walk away. Even a senior apprentice like him had to tread carefully around someone as powerful as Count Grant.
"Elder Domwal is on his way," his companion, a mid-tier apprentice, said. "With the elder personally recruiting, our chances of getting him to join should be high."
"If that senior apprentice is really only in his twenties—and such a skilled alchemist—it's no wonder the organization is so eager to have him."
Kai sat in the carriage, with the garrison commander riding beside him, leading the way north. Grant City had four gates, but only three were usually open—the northern gate was always closed. It led to the "city within a city": a massive castle built with immense labor and resources. This was where the Count of the Purple Rose and his noble family lived, along with their servants and an elite private army loyal only to House Grant. Though it was just a fortress within the city, nearly 4,000 people lived there.
As they approached the stone castle, Kai stared at its towering walls and the huge stone lion statue atop it. Suddenly, he spoke up: "Hmm... I think I remember that lion."
The statue depicted a rare magical beast—with white feathers on its flanks and a single horn on its forehead. It didn't look like any ordinary beast.
"That's the guardian beast of Grant Territory, sir," the commander replied respectfully. He didn't use Kai's name or any formal title—just "sir."
Kai fell silent for a moment. Then he said, "You don't need to be so deferential. I can tell you've served House Grant for a long time. I don't remember who you are exactly, but... I recall something you once said."
He paused, then mimicked a voice from his childhood: "Straighten your legs, steady your breath, keep your eyes forward. Try to channel your strength into your left hand..."
Before he could finish, the commander let out a choked sound. For a burly man—who was also a high-tier squire—he was crying.
"Yes, Young Master!" he said, jumping down from his horse and dropping to one knee beside the carriage, his voice breaking. "I'm Old John. I taught you the basic breathing technique, remember?"
Tears streamed down Old John's face, making the wrinkles on his cheeks stand out. He really was old. Out of respect for his years of service to House Grant, the Count of the Purple Rose had given him the quiet post of garrison commander to spend his twilight years in peace.