After Zeke's announcement, a murmur ran through the crowd of onlookers, but he paid them no mind. He looked to either of his sides, exchanging a glance with David and his other comrades. After getting into a comfortable stance, he summoned this twin [Blood Whips] and readied himself for battle.

The other mages who had come with him and Maximilian gave him a nod of respect, also preparing themselves for combat. But to Zeke's dismay, his words had the opposite effect on Maximilian. The old man took a step back, and his earth form began to dissolve, revealing him once more on the plaza. He had his arms crossed and brow furrowed, but there was a small smile on his face.

Maximilian couldn't help but chuckle at the situation. He turned back to Richard, who also seemed a lot more relaxed after Maximilian had exited his battle form.

"You see this? You see what I have to deal with?" Maximilian said, his voice tinged with both amusement and pride.

"Ha! My boy has a backbone made from the finest dwarven-forged adamantium. So much guts for a kid his age. I bet they'll name him 'Titan-Balls' when he finally earns his mage name." Maximilian shook his head, pretending to be helpless about the situation. The smile on his face, however, made it evident that he was pleased with Zeke's performance.

"This is quite the conundrum I find myself in. How could I sacrifice a lion to put down a dog? That would be an outright waste, wouldn't you agree, Richard?" Richard's face distorted again after his son was called a dog. However, Maximilian seemed willing to compromise, so he didn't want to be too harsh in his response. "What do you want to do then, old man?"

Maximilian's grin vanished as he turned serious. He considered for a moment. "If we can't sacrifice your boy's life, then I want his core destroyed, and he banished from the empire. He may not have a future as a mage, but at least he'll have a life."

Richard shook his head vehemently. "That's out of the question! He's my heir. What's the difference between killing him and crippling his core? Why don't you just ask for my head while you're at it?" Maximilian weighed his options, but after a moment he too shook his head.

"That's as far as I'm willing to compromise," he said, his face turning cold. "If you can't even give up that much, then there's no point in continuing this discussion."

Just as Maximilian was about to summon his [Earth Form] again, Zeke spoke up from several meters behind him. "Teacher, maybe I have an idea of how we can solve this." He approached the two men, his [Blood Whips] carving deep furrows into the pavement behind him as he dragged them along the ground.

Richard's eyes twitched as he saw more of his land being destroyed. Still, he held his tongue, curious to hear what Zeke had to say.

Zeke stopped a safe distance away from the two men. He didn't dare get too close, having just witnessed the danger an incensed Arch Mage could pose. He studied both men intently before making his proposal.

"If the two of you can't decide on Alexander's destiny, then perhaps we should leave it to fate. I propose a duel between Alexander and myself. A battle to the death, with only one of us emerging victorious." Richard sneered at Zeke, his tone filled with disdain.

"You're eager to die, pup? What chance do you have against a mage three years your senior, while still in your first year? Do you truly believe your teacher would consent to such nonsense?" Zeke met Richard's gaze with a steady expression, waiting for him to finish before responding.

"Of course, I am aware that I stand no chance against Alexander in a fight today. But I wouldn't set the duel for today. I would give us both time to grow and hone our skills." He paused, his mind turning over the idea. "Ten years."

Richard's voice was laced with skepticism as he asked, "Ten years? You believe that in a mere decade, you could stand a chance against my son in battle?"

Zeke shook his head, his expression resolute. "No, Patriarch. In ten years, I believe that your son would be lucky to last even a minute against me."

The disdain on Richard's face deepened, but before he could respond, Zeke interjected. "There is no need for further posturing, Patriarch. I am, after all, putting my own life on the line here. The question is, are you willing to bet your son's life as well?" Zeke's gaze was intense as he looked at Richard expectantly. Meanwhile, Maximilian was off to the side. The old man just stood by and listened, arms crossed and a small smile on his face.

The confidence displayed by both Zeke and Maximilian didn't sit right with Richard. He hesitated, but as he considered the offer, he realized there was nothing to lose. If his son won the duel, he would walk away from this entire disaster scot-free. On top of that, he would even have the chance to kill the pesky blood mage once and for all. Could his son and heir fall in battle against a mage so much younger and less experienced than himself? If that was so, then that merely signified that he had never been a worthy successor to the Feuerkranz name.

The longer Richard thought about the deal, the more he liked it. A predatory grin spread across his face as he turned back to Zeke and Maximilian.

"Pah! Why wouldn't I, Richard Feuerkranz, dare to accept? Our family is one forged in the fires of war. What is a life-and-death duel to a Feuerkranz? Of course, I accept!" Maximilian also nodded. He seemed to enjoy that the Patriarch had agreed to this honorable solution.

But after thinking for a moment, the old man nonetheless added a condition. "I still have to insist that your son not remain in the capital for those ten years until the duel."

Richard just waved his hand casually, dismissing any remaining tension as he replied. "That will not be a problem at all. My son was leaving for the front anyway after graduation. He was going to stay for 5 years, but we might as well extend that to ten years."

With a spring in his step, Richard walked away. The man seemed pleased with how the conflict had been resolved. He turned around and called over his shoulder, "If that is all, please excuse me now. I have some arrangements to make." And with those last words, he left.

Zeke and Maximilian exchanged a glance and also turned around to return to their party of mages. The boy still couldn't believe all that had happened tonight. As his tense nerves started to relax, he had to ask himself what had gotten into him today. He was not usually the type for heroic speeches and dramatic declarations. So why had he so readily gambled with his own life numerous times in the past hour?

As the two of them made their way toward the crowd that had gathered, Zeke's heart skipped a beat as he spotted a familiar face in the crowd. Amidst the sea of faces, Zeke spotted the telltale blonde hair and blue eyes of Sophia. The girl stepped forward, her eyes filled with worry.

"Zeke," she exclaimed, "what happened to you after you left my place?" Zeke realized that Sophia must have no idea of what had occurred after he had left her home. He didn't want to let her know about the kidnapping and was quick to reassure her.

"We just had a little misunderstanding with the Feuerkranz family. Nothing to worry about." Sophia nodded, but the doubt in her eyes was clear. Maximilian, meanwhile, was staring at Sophia with a strange glint in his eyes. Zeke had never seen this look before, and it made him uneasy. Without a word, Maximilian walked past Sophia, waiting for Zeke to finish his conversation. Zeke turned to Sophia, confusion etched on his face. "Did something happen between you two?" he asked.

Sophia just shook her head, her expression betraying a hint of pain. Zeke could tell that she had a secret admiration for Maximilian, from the way she had acted when she had told his story earlier. Sophia spoke softly, "I think he suspects that I had something to do with whatever happened to you tonight. You were at my place for the entire day, after all."

Zeke considered her words. The fact that the Feuerkranz family had known he would be at her house and had struck just at the right time seemed suspicious. But he couldn't bring himself to suspect Sophia. If she had truly wanted to hurt him, all she had to do was reveal the secret of his dragon heart. That would have been a far heavier blow. He reached out and took her hand, squeezing it reassuringly.

"Well, he is wrong, then. I know what kind of person you are, Sophia, and I trust you." Sophia's face lit up with a smile at his declaration, but Zeke felt like he could see something else in her eyes as well. Nevertheless, she squeezed his hand back gently. Meanwhile, Maximilian was growing impatient in the distance, tapping the ground with his foot. Zeke quickly said his goodbyes to Sophia, making his way over to his mentor.

The moment he fell in step with Maximilian, the old man began speaking. "I don't trust that girl, and neither should you, my boy," Maximilian said, his tone a mix of concern and resentment. Zeke knew his mentor was only looking out for him, but he wanted to trust Sophia.

"Because she's a Geistreich?" Zeke asked, genuinely curious if that was the main motivation behind Maximilian's decision to distrust her. Maximilian paused, considering his words carefully.

"Well, I can't deny that the fact that she belongs to that family doesn't exactly inspire trust in my book," he said. "But that's not the only reason. Didn't you tell me that she approached you for the first time on the same day I came to make you my offer? You can't tell me that's not suspicious."

Zeke paused in his stride for a moment, he hadn't made that connection before. But now that Maximilian had pointed it out, he realized it was indeed strange. He didn't know what to think anymore. He trusted Sophia, but he also trusted Maximilian's instincts. He would have to tread carefully in this situation.

Zeke struggled to reconcile his newfound realizations with the person he thought he knew. How could a princess of the empire, someone of such standing, approach him, an outcast and pariah in society? Logically, It didn't make any sense. And yet, it had happened. Did this mean that there was a hidden motivation behind their first meeting? Behind their friendship? Behind everything?

Another thought plagued him, a seed of doubt planted by Sophia's own words. She had spoken of how Mind Magic was most effective when the target was in a weakened mental state. How easy would it have been for her to influence him, back when he was alone and desperate for a friend? He couldn't shake off the feeling that his mind must have been like an open door to her. But could Sophia have done that?

Zeke wanted to believe that she was better than that, that the person he had come to know was not capable of such manipulation. But he couldn't be sure anymore. What if all he had seen of her was just a facade?

Zeke turned to his mentor and said, "Well, let's hope you're wrong about her because she knows about the heart." Maximilian stopped dead in his tracks after hearing that. He turned around and looked at Sophia, considering. Zeke was almost certain Maximilian was thinking about killing her here and now. Quickly, he grabbed his mentor's shoulder and turned the old man to face him.

"Maximilian," Zeke said with a serious look on his face, "it is my life that lies in the balance. Tonight, I was willing to sacrifice it for honor and the glory of our family name. But what kind of man would I be if I was so afraid for my life that I would betray my friends? And for what? Just for the slight chance that they would betray me later? Don't do this!" The old man thought about Zeke's words deeply. After a tense moment, a look of shame appeared on his face as he started walking again.

There was a somewhat awkward silence between them for a while. Maximilian cleared his throat to ease the tension before he spoke once more. "You are quite right, my boy. I seem to have become a little overprotective, now that I finally have somebody to call family again. Also, it seems my feelings towards the Geistreich have colored my judgment more than I had realized."

Zeke breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the acceptance dawn on Maximilian's face. He was aware that his mentor had a deep-seated mistrust of the Geistreich. Sophia herself had explained to him the horrible role her family had played in his mentor's past. Justified or not, Zeke refused to let his mentor's past experiences taint his judgment. He had made the decision to trust Sophia, and if that turned out to be a mistake later on, he would simply have to face the consequences.

He refused to live a life where he was constantly questioning the intentions of those closest to him. With this thought in mind, Zeke fell into step beside Maximilian once again, as they made their way home. The old man seemed deep in thought, and Zeke knew that he was still coming to terms with his feelings. But the boy was content in the knowledge that he had made the right decision, and that was all that mattered.