Perched on the edge of a jagged cliff, a sprawling castle overlooked the endless expanse below. Its grandeur could easily deceive onlookers into believing it was a king’s palace.
But this was no royal abode—it belonged to the Magus Council.
Inside the castle, in a dimly lit chamber designed for meetings, thirteen Maguses sat around an elongated table.
Each of them held unparalleled authority within the council, their presence commanding both awe and fear.
"Sir Ejen, the matter is closed. The verdict has been passed, and we shall not reopen it," said a man with sharp features and an icy demeanor.
This was Asmond, the same Magus the players had encountered during their time in Kelta.
"But Shirl is innocent, and you know it!" retorted an older man with a fiery glare. "The Keldars threatened her—her family—Merl! Instead of aiding them, you’ve already replaced him!"
The older man, Ejen, was one of the highest-ranking Maguses. His voice trembled with emotion, fueled by his longstanding friendship with Merl, Shirl’s late father.
"Circumstances do not matter," Asmond replied, his voice steady and almost dismissive. "She brought shame upon the Magus name."
Ejen slammed his fist on the table, about to retort, when the woman seated at the head of the table raised her hand, silencing them both.
"Asmond," she began, her voice cool yet commanding, "I suggest you choose your words carefully. There is no such thing as the ’Magus name’ in Trion."
Her rebuke struck like a blade. Discrimination among races was a grave offense in Trion, and Asmond’s statement teetered dangerously close to crossing the line.
"I apologize, my lady," Asmond said, bowing his head slightly. "I misspoke. However, this does not change the fact that the council has already resolved this matter of Merl."
Ejen, however, was far from mollified. "So you call him Merl now? I remember the days you quaked in fear, addressing him as ’Sir Merl’ and pissing your pants in front of him!"
The woman at the head of the table sighed and interjected. "Ejen, enough. The past is in the past. We had no choice but to fill the vacant position. Now, let us move on to more pressing matters."
Reluctantly, Ejen settled back into his seat, though his expression remained stormy.
"Asmond, what is the next issue on the agenda?" she asked.
"Ah, yes. The next matter concerns a Trionian known as Arlon," Asmond replied, his voice taking on an intrigued tone.
---
Meanwhile, back in Kelta...
"Miss Nora," Evan began, his voice hesitant, "didn’t Mr. Zephyrion say we’d choose our jobs next week during training?"
Nora’s expression remained calm, though her tone held a subtle edge. "Lord Zephyrion did indeed say so," she replied, emphasizing the "Lord" part.
Even though it was normal to call someone Mr. on Earth, Zephyrion was the greatest being in Trion.
The players exchanged confused glances, their curiosity mounting.
"Then why did we already select them?" Evan pressed, noting Nora’s silent warning. The other players also nodded.
All of them actually wondered about this, but they hadn’t asked since they thought there was a change.
For a moment, Nora averted her gaze, a flicker of embarrassment crossing her face. "Well…" she began, her voice uncharacteristically hesitant. "Does it really matter?"
Everyone was shocked with the answer. Wasn’t she under Zephyrion’s orders? Hadn’t she just fixed the wrong address of Zephyrion’s name by Evan?
However, what she said now meant that she ignored an order. Her casual dismissal left them reeling.
After a brief, awkward silence, seeing the curious look on the players’ faces, Nora sighed and explained:
"Since I was always going around here and there with you, I doubt you realized this but I am one of the highest-ranked administrators in Trion..."
Her revelation caught the players off guard, but before they could process it fully, she continued, her tone sharper now.
"It means I also have a lot of things to do!" She said angrily. All of the players were shocked by the sudden announcement.
"And with that rank comes a mountain of responsibilities! Do you know how many tasks have piled up while I’ve been babysitting—" She paused, correcting herself, "—guiding you?"
The players took a collective step back, startled by her sudden shift in demeanor.
Enjoy exclusive content from freewebnovel.com
"Sigh… If I had followed the original plan and introduced you to the Craftsman’s Guild today, I’d have to repeat this whole process next week when you would select your jobs. By handling it now, I saved time. Don’t you agree it’s better this way?" She asked, but her face was like a demon’s.
Though her logic was sound, her fiery expression made dissent impossible.
"Y-Yes, Miss Nora," the players stammered in unison, nodding fervently.
Even Arlon joined. No matter what, she was also stronger than the current Arlon.
Sigh... I need to level up faster... Arlon thought in the meantime. But I am sure Zephyrion knows about this, so it should be okay.
No! I am sure he doesn’t just know... He probably planned it this way so Nora would let us select our jobs today...
Zephyrion was such a smart person. Arlon had learned it this time when he visited Kelta.
In the end, the players felt bad for Nora. She had made it clear how much her work had piled up, so they told her she could leave and focus on her tasks since her job with them was essentially over.
Grateful for their understanding, Nora left with a nod, her usual brisk demeanor softening for a moment.
This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.
With their guide gone, the players headed back to their usual café for a break. This time, every player was present, creating a rare moment of full attendance.
Arlon, who would normally have gone to the training center by now, decided to stay with the group.
He needed to read "A Magician’s Secret" today since the book would be finished that night.
Tomorrow, however, was a different story. Arlon planned to leave for his first Demon hunt in this timeline, and his mind was already preparing for the battle ahead.
As the group settled into their seats and ordered their usual drinks, the conversation naturally turned to Arlon.
"Mr. Arlon, please tell us how you leveled up so fast!" Evan asked, his eyes sparkling with curiosity and awe.
This wasn’t the first time Evan had asked the question, and as before, Arlon answered honestly, "I killed Keldars and leveled up."
It was a straightforward response, one he had repeated many times. He wasn’t hiding anything—this was indeed how he gained experience.
Of course, Arlon left out certain details, such as his title, which granted him extra CP and allowed him to take on higher-level Keldars more effectively. He also omitted the most critical secret of all: that he was a regressor, living this life with knowledge from a previous timeline.
Still, his method of leveling up wasn’t a mystery. "Unlike you, I already knew this wasn’t a game," he explained. "So I used real-life tactics. You’ll learn better ways to level up during your training, I’m sure."
Evan, unconvinced, pressed further. "Then, what about your class? I saw you use magic, but Lei said you used a warrior skill too!"
Arlon blinked. "Huh? Didn’t I tell you? I’m a magic swordsman."