Chapter eighteenth: "The Lost Nobles' Children"

Ivan became excited; he would discover his magic soon, but Nevalis' next words shattered him:

"You don't have magic."

Everyone went silent, shocked, especially Ivan, as Nevalis' words destroyed all the hopes and ambitions he had built up.

The old man Elias said, "Then why was he placed with the mages if he has no magic?"

Nevalis paused for a moment before answering, "Who said he has no magic?"

Ivan shouted, "Tell me straight, don't play with my nerves! Do I have magic or not?"

Nevalis replied, "Hey, calm down a bit, your veins are about to pop out of your forehead! You don't have natural magic, but you have something else, something I call 'Comprehensive Enhancement.' It's a type of physical enhancement but in a more complete form; unlike the magic that enhances people, objects, or the mage themselves, there's pure enhancement magic that only affects the mage."

"It's a more powerful type of enhancement: movement enhancement, body enhancement, vision enhancement, brain enhancement... Simply, comprehensive

enhancement."

"I've read about people who reached the peak with only enhancement magic, but you'll need to train more than anyone else here. You'll need perseverance, and also, you'll always have to be on the front lines of any battle, unlike any mage."

"It's magic that requires determination and persistence, a lot of it. It also requires battles, you'll need to fight with your body to feel your magic develop. Your progress will depend on you alone; whether you fall or rise depends on your determination."

"Luckily for you, I'm quite skilled in enhancement magic. I'll teach you everything I know in the coming months."

Everyone gasped at this information, but Nevalis ignored them, as usual, and stood up from his chair.

Nevalis said, "And with that, we've finished the first step."

He looked at the old man Elias and said, "Now, let's move straight to the second step."

Then he addressed the old man Elias, "Do you know anyone else here who is qualified and trustworthy?"

The old man Elias nodded and said, "I know a few, and I also know a mage from another family who settled here, but he's in the western part. It will take a few days to contact him."

Nevalis nodded and said, "Another mage will be a great help."

Ivan and Ryan also spoke up, as they knew a few trustworthy children.

Nevalis said, "Good. Now, seven months remain until the family recruitment. In these seven months, we will expand, join anyone qualified and trustworthy, and distribute you among the families or the army."

"I'll teach you the basics and the theory you need to know in these months. You will also learn the kingdom's system and their behavior, after all, we

don't want you to be discovered as soon as you mingle with them."

"We'll start a week from now so everyone has time to gather. Bring anyone trustworthy, and I'll be there to test their aura and magic."

"Old man Elias, contact your mage friend, and if you know any soldiers or warriors, bring them as well. They will be useful for practical training."

"We'll also build a gathering place. The center will be here at the old man Elias' house, but since it's small and we can't expand it, it will attract attention. We'll build a gathering center under the house."

Nevalis sighed and said, "This will be tiring and exhausting. Digging... it would be great to have an earth mage."

The old man Elias laughed and said, "The friend I'll call is an earth mage, so it shouldn't be a big issue."

Nevalis said, "Great. Then, you and he will be the main builders, and that will also be a good training for you both. Have the children cut the trees for use, it will be perfect support for building the underground shelter."

Then he added, "Now, we meet in a week. I'll go to the inn and see how many people we have and their abilities after a week."

...

On his way to the inn, Nevalis thought deeply:

"Is the emperor of this kingdom just a fool or what? One part of the slums alone contains knights and mages capable of building a relatively strong family if trained properly!"

Nevalis sighed and muttered under his breath:

"Now I understand why this kingdom is just a second-rate power, or even a lower-ranked one. Simply, because the entire system is made up of a handful of idiots, starting with the emperor down to the smallest noble families."

Then he looked up at the sky, feeling the burden piling on him:

"Ah... damn, I have so much work to do. If Edward were here, it would be much easier."

.....

Once Nevalis entered his room at the inn, he went straight to bed as he was extremely exhausted. He slept through the entire night and didn't wake up until the next morning.

Unlike the people at old man Elias' house, most of them—if not all—couldn't sleep from overthinking.

On the second day, Nevalis woke up, went downstairs to the inn's restaurant, ate a lot of food, and then left the inn.

His destination was the city of Miras, after all, he needed to buy a lot of things, like clothes, books, and news.

After giving the gatekeeper a few gold coins, Nevalis entered the city. It was completely different from the outside and from the commoners' districts:

A bustling city full of life. Its streets were clean and wide, lined with elegant buildings and shops displaying various goods. The markets were crowded with people, and the lively sounds filled the air. In the center of the city, there was a large square with a beautiful fountain and shady trees offering a feeling of comfort.

It was like two completely different worlds, no one would believe that these two worlds were only separated by one wall.

Nevalis sighed, then moved forward. His first destination and one of his favorite places: the library.

He needed to buy a lot of essential books and also buy clothes.

He had to prepare these children to be accepted among the nobles, and that meant he needed more than just training in combat or magic. The first thing he needed was appropriate clothing, as appearance played a crucial role in elevating their social standing. They would need elegant jackets, neat trousers, good shoes, and proper haircuts while maintaining personal hygiene. After that, there was the matter of education, they needed to learn to read and write, master the art of polite speech, and understand the basics of history and geography so they wouldn't appear ignorant when talking to nobles. He also couldn't ignore teaching them manners and formal etiquette, for it was unacceptable for them to behave rudely or like commoners.

Nevalis looked at the long list of needs, then ran his hand over his face and sarcastically said, "Great... I'm no longer training fighters, I'm preparing a masquerade ball for the lost noble children! Do I also need etiquette lessons for the table?"

Nevalis raised an eyebrow and thought, "Thinking about it... most of the people in the slums are actually the descendants of fallen nobles and sultans over the years. In the 150 years since the end of the First Emperor's era and the formation of the noble class, many noble families have collapsed, and their heirs have scattered to the bottom of the social ladder. This isn't just a slum... it's a graveyard of noble bloodlines! For hell's sake, am I leading a social revolution or founding a museum for extinct nobles?"