Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

Liriel found it very strange when Adam said that. She thought to herself, Shall we begin? What does he mean by that? What a weird guy!

She looked around at the library with a slight frown on her beautiful face. It was simple, yet luxurious. Countless arcane books as well as books about general knowledge were nestled within the shelves. The room was spacious, warm, and inviting.

Enjoy new tales from empire

Yet, for some reason, Liriel found it strange. She couldn't quite put a finger on it. The feeling was very vague, very minuscule, but it was there.

"Do you like the setup?" Adam's words snapped her out of her thoughts.

The silver-haired elf pushed the strange feeling to the back of her mind and looked at Adam, nodding. "Indeed. It's very comfortable."

Adam smiled, his eyes shining with a hint of pride. "A lot of resources, time, and effort went into making this library. This is my favorite place in the manor. Well, of course, apart from my laboratory."

"So…" he continued. "Are the two of you from the Preservationists?"

Liriel shook her head. "Not every member of the Brotherhood belongs to a faction."

"I see." Adam nodded. Inwardly, he thought, So basically you guys are Free Agents.

"Anyways, would you guys like some wine?" He looked at the two and asked with a smile. "I just finished brewing a fresh batch."

"Perhaps another day," Liriel politely refused. Kael, on the other hand, nodded.

Adam glanced at the brown-haired, burly man and asked with a chuckle, "You don't talk much, do you?"

Once again, Kael nodded. Seeing this, Adam's lips couldn't help but slightly twitch. He waved his hand, conjuring two crystal goblets and a gourd made of a magical type of clay. He placed one goblet in front of him, and another in front of Kael.

As he uncorked the gourd of wine, a tantalizing fragrant wafted in the room. The two newcomers immediately fell into a dreamy daze. Kael had a look of anticipation gleaming in his eyes as he saw Adam pour him a drink.

Liriel, on the other hand, couldn't help but involuntarily gulp. Her face reddened from embarrassment and she muttered, "Actually, I wouldn't mind tasting some of that."

Adam silently chuckled hearing her response. He poured wine into the goblet before him and then passed it to the elf. Then, he conjured another goblet before pouring some wine into it for himself.

He clinked glasses with his guests and smiled, "Cheers! Here's to a good partnership."

Kael nodded and began drinking the fantastic wine. Liriel greatly enjoyed the warm hospitality and was about to say something when suddenly she turned her head, gazing at an inconspicuous slab of a certain bookshelf.

There's that strange feeling again, she thought with a frown.

Adam's smile deepened further.

"Forgive me, but I'm a very cautious fellow," he said. "Although I've been briefed by the Handler and also studied about you two fine Magi in the reports, I'd still like to confirm first-hand."

Liriel's frown deepened. She deeply gazed at the raven-haired youth, then at the red wine swirling in her goblet. Her eyes narrowed and she looked back at Adam, asking, "What are you planning to—"

Adam interrupted her, "In twilight, we find truth." At the same time, he performed the secret hand gesture that all members of the Brotherhood knew.

Oh, it's just this, Liriel thought to herself, calming down.

"In shadows, we seek wisdom," She and Kael replied simultaneously. Then, they showed Adam their medallion symbolizing their membership in the Brotherhood.

"Hmm, checks out." Adam verified both medallions and handed them back to the two. He smiled apologetically, "Forgive me for any offense."

Kael didn't reply, turning his attention back to the spectacular wine. Liriel, on the other hand, displayed a charming smile. "I'd expect no less from a member of our organization."

She quite approved of Adam's behavior. One had to be at least this much cautious especially if they were part of a secret order. Before Adam could proceed with the conversation, she asked what had been on her mind for the entirety of her long journey.

"So how did you defeat a Rank 3 - Mana Vortex Magus? That too a being as sturdy as a werewolf."

Over the last several years, the name of The Tyrant had been a constant topic of conversation amongst the members of the Brotherhood, especially in the Ulier Continent.

Even though more than seven years had passed since the incident had taken place, people still talked about it. After all, the feat of defeating a Rank 3 Magus while being one entire rank below was unprecedented.

Some refused to believe it. Others believed that the Stratford Incident had been greatly romanticized. However, everyone was curious about who this Magus known as The Tyrant was.

Adam was slightly surprised, not having expected this question. "I thought people would have forgotten all about that by now."

"Hard to do that," Kael suddenly spoke up. There was a trace of fighting spirit burning deep in his eyes.

"He speaks!" Adam exclaimed jokingly.

"So how did you do it?" Liriel pressed.

"I had wolfsbane with me at the time," answered Adam with a slight shrug. "So that made things a lot easier."

"Heh, even if wolfsbane is highly poisonous to werewolves, that doesn't mean they'll be done in by a being one entire rank weaker than them," Liriel chuckled softly.

She always found it a bit ridiculous about the legends surrounding Adam - becoming a Mana Liquesfaction Magus at the mere age of twenty, being highly skilled in the art of herbalism, and last but not least, defeating a powerful Rank 3 Magus.

Liriel could still come to terms with the first two, but the last one? She was very skeptical about it. She felt like there was more to the Stratford Incident.

"Tell me," she added with a smirk. "You had help, right? I've read the reports, you know. There was a group of Mana Liquefaction Magi who came as reinforcements. You worked together with them to bring down the werewolf, didn't ya?"

"Who knows?" Adam shrugged, his lips curling up into a mysterious smile.

Liriel, once again, suddenly turned her head and glanced at another corner of the room. Her eyes landed on the bookshelf that was touching the ceiling.

Her eyes narrowed and she wondered, What was that? I'm sure I—

"Enough about me." Adam's words drew the elf's attention back to him.

"I've been told that you major in the School of Alteration," he added. "You're also quite skilled in infiltration, forging documents, and intel gathering."

Liriel nodded as she took a sip of wine. Just as she had detailed reports about Adam, the latter too had intel about her and Kael. So she wasn't surprised. This was natural.

Plus, they were going to work together for the foreseeable future so it made sense for either party to get to know more about one another.

Adam's eyes flashed with a strange light and he continued, "But what I'm more interested in is...

"Your expertise in illusion magic."