Chapter 0197

Tempest grinned impudently at Cardis’ word, showing everyone she wasn’t scared of the legendary mage. “Now, now, Cardis, don’t you forget, I’m the Resonance Bond Holder of your new Successor. A little gossip between friends isn’t much.”

“There is a difference between gossip between two friends and spilling the teacher’s secret in public.” Cardis gritted out.  

“Hmph. It’s not like you could keep it a secret for long. The other side was already spilling the beans about you forcing him to open two chaotic rifts as payment for him accidentally trespassing into the Emblemic Mountian Range.”

Every had an “Ahhh,” moment when Tempest continued to spill Cardis’ secret.  

They had heard rumors that a chaotic rift was opened somewhere in the Emblemic Mountain Range. A few had already made discreet inquiries on the subject as the Emblemic Mountain Range is official under the jurisdiction of the Eternal Spirit Guild. Unofficial, the entire Emblemic Mountain Range is Cardis’ domain.  

Once a Child of the Spirits crossed the immortality threshold, their power expands several folds. They have to release the power inside of them or they would explode from the excess mana. 

Long before a Child of the Spirits becomes an immortal, they claimed a place in the Cardinal Realm as their own. Once they become immortal, they would retreat to space and release their power, changing the area to reflect them.  

Cardis set ablaze an entire mountain range and claimed it as his own. The mountain range was named the Emblemic Mountain Range. 

Miretta Morcean did the same thing. Instead of a guild handling the jurisdiction over the Avalin Forest, the domain she created when she became an immortal, she handed the jurisdiction to her daughter and created the matrilineal kingdom of Avantsdale.

Therefore, the Magus Alliance Council Members had to be completely sure a chaotic rift opened in the Emblemic Mountain Range before they made their move.

“Secrets are meant to be kept.” Cardis was still harping about Tempest spilling the beans. 

“Please. There is no reason to keep it a secret since the other side already blabbered about it.” Tempest rolled her eyes in disdain.

“There should be confidentiality between teacher and Successor,” Cardis yelled. He was truly infuriated at this time.

“Kataigida is your Successor. I’m her Resonance Bond Holder. You can’t do anything to me. Besides, we both know you don’t like me. You only tolerate me because of Kataigida. The second she went into seclusion, you tossed me into the Courtyard of the Sphere of Spiritual Influence.” Tempest was fearless as she aired out her grievances about the legendary mage to a rapt audience. Cardis truly loved his Successor, enough to let a little runt of a girl disrespect him in front of them and not immediately teach her a lesson. He had to save the dignity of his Successor.

“That was a guild’s tradition.”

“Pfft. You just want to get rid of me. Well, you got rid of me. I’m the responsibility of my teammates now.”

“And I am still and Elder of the Eternal Spirit Guild. Don’t think I can’t teach you a lesson.”

“Cover it all you want. Paper can’t contain fire. You used the treasure you got from the chaotic rift to upgrade your natural element. Instead of having three elements, it has four now. Four elements! It’s powerful enough to have intelligence. How long can you hide it in the Emblemic Mountain Range? Hah! You can’t. The news already spread and the other mages are already after him. Might as well announce he’s yours so they would think twice before coveting him.”  

“I don’t have to announce it now. You’ve done it for me!” Cardis yelled and Resonance Bond Holder or no, he headed straight for Tempest.  

Tempest may be an emotional dunce, but she can read the mood when it was so obvious it was smacking her in the face.  

She cast her movement spells and made a run for it.

Cardis chased after her, leaving the other mages in silent contemplation.

After a moment of silence, Llyana Arosis showed everyone why her children love her so much. “Fenix, mommy is sorry mommy couldn’t get that natural fire element for you.”

Instead of focusing on her long awaited vengeance against the Domain Management Guild, Llyana Arosis focused on the needs of her daughter first.

“It’s alright mother. I’ve barely learned how to combine my fire spells with my wind spell. Assimilating a natural fire element with my spirits right now would cause me to lose control of my fire abilities instead.”  

Llyana Arosis stiffen for a moment Fenix’s words but ultimately, she is a mother who put the wellbeing of her child over minor things such as a public lie so she acted along with her daughter in the play she wrote. “You’ve finally managed to control your wind abilities? Darling, that is great. Just because you can control your wind spell doesn’t mean you should neglect your fire spells. Wind spells strengthen fire spells after all. You must be careful.”

“I will, mother,” Fenix said as she hugged her mother.  

As one play was winding down to the end, another has started.

Graden stood before his great great grandmother with his head down and his shoulders bent, like a child who knew he was wrong as was waiting for the scolding to come.

Miretta Morcean sighed in helplessly and exasperation. How did her great granddaughter raise such a meek boy?

“Stop acting like the husband who was bullied by his wife. It doesn’t become you, Graden.”

“But Ancestor, I’ve inconvenience you to come all this way for nothing,” Graden said in a sad pitiable voice anyone who heard would want to comfort him. 

His meek demeanor and subservient attitude only made Miretta Morcean feel worse.

“Boy, was this how you were raised? Weak? You’ve wasted all the care and affection I’ve lavished you with. Buck up and grow a spine. The members of our Morcean family are fighters, not weakling anyone can trample over!”

“But Ancestor, I’m not a Morcean. Only females can call themselves Morcean. I’m a Murkeiel.” Graden reminded Miretta Morcean gently.

“If I say you are a Morcean then you are a Morcean. Who would dare say otherwise?”

“Empress Angelica Morcean. She said since I’m male, I won’t be entered into the Morcean genealogy and I will be banished from the kingdom once I become an adult, like all the other males of the royal family.”

Miretta Morcean remained silent. It was a touchy issue between them. Miretta Morcean love this descendant of hers. He was adorable when he was born, sensible growing up and he’d retain a sweet kindness while growing up in the viper pit everyone calls the palace.  

Miretta Morcean wanted to help him. She truly did.  

She regretted the words she said in hatred all those years ago. At the time, it was all she had to push her forward. Time had tempered her mind and ease the hatred she felt towards her husband. Time had also shown her the folly of her youth.  

It didn’t hit her how stupid she was back then until she realizes she had to let go of this beautiful little boy because her daughter, granddaughter and great granddaughter had distorted her words.

She had never mention exiling her grandsons from the kingdom, but her granddaughter wanted the power that comes with the throne and what better way to eliminate the competition was thereby denying their right to due to gender. She did nothing then and set the precedent, the tradition, of exiling the princes of her kingdom once they become an adult and now she can’t change it.

“I’m sorry.”  

“I know. Old willow told me all about it.” Graden’s understanding made the pain in Miretta Morcean’s heart all the more painful.  

“Before you become an adult, I’ll make sure to equip you properly.”

“You came for the natural fire element because of me?” Graden asked, astonished.  

He, more than anyone in Avantsdale, knew about his Ancestor’s painful past. He sympathizes with her pain and never blamed her for what she did. Graden had never realized how much his presence went to helping Miretta Morcean heal from her ordeal.  

Miretta Morcean snorted. “Who else, if not for you? It's not like I can use it.”

“Grandmother-”

“Forget about that selfish woman.” Miretta Morcean interrupted Graden in disgust.

“Okay.”

“Tell me what have you been up to after you entered the Eternal Spirit Guild.”

“Ancestor, it was the best decision I’ve made in my life,” Graden said excited like a little boy hopped on sugar. “I’ve made some good friends and went on a grand adventure. I’ve even got some good treasure. Fenix, over there is a good friend and the mouthy girl Cardis was chasing is also another good friend. There’s also Bei Ting Mao, Li Ming, and Starm.” Graden pointed out his teammates one by one to his Ancestor, who listen to him with surprising impatience. She wanted to know about his well being, not who he befriended.  

Before Miretta Morcean could say anything a loud bang announced Tempest’s return.