Heir of Synthesis: The World Mage

The woman approached like a controlled gale. Even without activating her Bloodline, the pressure in the air around her turned into turbulent waves that made everyone’s clothes flutter.

When Priam felt it, he became excited at first. He was certain that it was a high-level Wind Magic Art, executed with the precision of someone who didn’t waste a single movement. The main clan really had what he wanted!

”Li-Litan!” Shione exclaimed between sobs, looking like a child who had finally found shelter after a disaster. ”I... I lost. I challenged that bastard... to a duel... but I lost...”

”A duel...”

The woman cast a stern glance at Priam before crouching down to examine Shione.

The diagnosis was quick: a violent reversal of elemental energy. The ”ice” had tried to burst out all at once, nearly turning the girl’s body into an internal meat grinder. However, this young lady was truly strong and managed to stabilize everything, avoiding the worst outcome.

”I apologize for the delayed introduction. My name is Litan, and I am responsible for the private lessons of Young Master Lumiere and Young Lady Shione.”

After adjusting Shione into a position that didn’t make her look like a crumpled sack of potatoes, Litan politely nodded toward Priam.

”I heard part of the story from the maid, but I was in such a hurry that I ran here without hearing the ending. So... what the hell happened here?”

Priam felt relieved. This clan didn’t seem to be made up entirely of idiots. This woman behaved like an adult.

”I’m Priam Ylisse, from a side branch in Green Bodhi City,” Priam introduced himself while keeping his back straight.

”Green Bodhi... Lord Boey’s branch?”

”Yes, he’s my father. As for this situation, well... Shione decided to test the gods’ patience through me. I tried to be the voice of reason, but...” Priam paused briefly, looking at Shione with an ’I warned you’ expression. ”She decided to insult my father.”

”When did I ever do that?!” Shione protested, her voice coming out in a high-pitched squeak.

Priam explained with irritating calmness. ”She said my father never taught me what honor means.”

Shione’s face went from pale to a vibrant scarlet.

”And she also questioned whether I possessed... well, the necessary ’male anatomy’ for a man to have descendants. That wounded my pride beyond repair, forcing me to act,” Priam added with a tone of fake sorrow.

”Y-You’re a coward who strikes women without warning!” Shione roared, fueled by pure, unadulterated hatred.

”A woman? Really?” Priam looked around as if searching the area. ”I merely tapped something that looked completely flat to me. Actually, considering how obsessed you were with my private parts earlier... I’m starting to wonder if you were just projecting your own anatomical shortcomings. Tell me, does the main clan practice castration, or is your lack of... dimension some kind of secret ’extreme aerodynamics’ technique?”

Shione trembled so violently she looked ready to shatter. Her face flushed from angry red to an almost mystical shade of purple.

In truth, Priam had struck her solar plexus, and she was remarkably flat for a fifteen-year-old girl. She opened her mouth to spit out a venomous retort, but Litan’s icy stare made her choke the words back down.

”So that’s why the two of you dueled?” Litan asked, turning toward Priam with a raised eyebrow.

”She didn’t just insult me; she insulted the Lord of my branch. Lady Litan, is there some rule in the clan’s etiquette manual that says I have to accept being humiliated?” Priam returned the question with unshakable logic.

Litan felt a trace of sympathy for Priam. She had dealt with those siblings’ whims for years, and for the first time, someone was giving them a proper answer—and with a calmness that bordered on the supernatural.

”You had a good reason, but... it seems you went a little too far,” Litan warned, though her tone sounded more observational than reproachful.

Priam snorted. ”Wouldn’t it be an insult to the clan’s Bloodline if I showed mercy during a real duel? I treated her like a warrior. The fact that she has the durability of a snowman at noon isn’t my fault.”

After speaking, he looked the woman straight in the eyes before adding flatly.

”Lady Litan, if my skills were clumsy, I would accept your advice. But I’m not interested in acting ’gentle’ toward someone trying to humiliate me.”

”I apologize for my presumptuous comment,” Litan said, bowing her head in a gesture of genuine respect.

Shione, feeling betrayed by her own instructor, shouted, ”Litan! That bastard... he used a Magic Art! A side-branch descendant shouldn’t have access to something like that!”

”Young Lady,” Litan let out a long, exhausted sigh. ”Lord Priam used nothing of the sort.”

”Lies! How did he beat me while being weaker? And those sandbags? He moved as if they weighed nothing!”

”I can’t sense any elemental energy coming from him other than Ether and the physical power radiating from his muscles. Most likely, because of the density of power in his muscles, he went through Demonic Physical Training,” Litan said as she looked at the sandbags piled up behind him.

Priam stayed silent, but inwardly thought: ’How shocked would they be if they knew he’d been using Demonic Physical Training for less than a year?’

In fact, Litan got that part right. But reaching this level in just a few months should have been impossible. The reason he won so easily was because of Shione’s foolishness, and also because his Primordial Anima and the system’s training advantages had given him absurd combat potential.

To Priam, everything seemed to happen in slow motion, and he could use 100% of his strength with precision.

”Young Lady, losing is part of life. Lord Priam is someone who paid for the right to defeat you with pain. Acting like a spoiled child now is only making your defeat even more embarrassing,” Litan added gently.

”A lie... it has to be a lie,” Shione muttered, feeling her world of certainties collapse even more than her core had.

”For now... let’s go back. Without the ice power inside your body, your Yang rune clothes will lose cohesion soon. Do you really want to add ’public nudity’ to today’s list of disasters?” Litan said, giving her a warning look.

Shione’s eyes widened. She felt the fabric of her clothes starting to loosen and, in a burst of panic, grabbed onto Litan.

”Lord Priam, I’m glad Lord Boey has a son like you. He’s from my generation, so I’ve known him for a long time. I’m sure he’d be proud. I hope our paths cross again under more... civilized circumstances,” Litan said softly, bowing.

Litan walked away carrying Shione, who was trying to hide her face against the knight’s shoulder. Lumiere followed right behind them.

Priam took a deep breath, focusing on that girl and thinking about the system.

[Name: Shione Ylisse]

[Race: Vanculari / Quints]

[Magic Title: Mystic Mage Acolyte, Seventh Level]

[Karmic Title: Suicidal Mage]

[Bloodline: 70]

[Anima: 75]

[Wheel of Fate: 75]

[Loyalty: Terrible]

He read everything with interest, then focused on the boy.

[Name: Lumiere Ylisse]

[Race: Vanculari / Quints]

[Magic Title: Arcanist Mage Acolyte, Seventh Level]

[Karmic Title: Holy Warlock]

[Bloodline: 70]

[Anima: 65]

[Wheel of Fate: 85]

[Loyalty: Low]

Priam studied it all thoughtfully. The two of them had slightly higher Bloodline and Anima than Flaris, but she had a slightly higher Wheel of Fate than both of them. There were small differences between them, but it was safe to say that all three possessed immense potential if they were given the chance to grow.

As for Loyalty, it was no less than expected. The girl hated him deeply, while her brother hated him a little less.

Flora only arrived now, still badly out of breath.

”I-I’m sorry!” the maid stammered, bowing repeatedly.

”What exactly are you apologizing for?” Priam asked, turning slightly toward her.

He let out a faint snort. Even though the situation had escalated quickly, and he had ended up being hated by both of the clan leader’s children... There was something deeply satisfying about seeing the main clan’s ”Fairy” being carried away after receiving a lesson in reality from a ”country bumpkin.”