CHAPTER 60- Magic City, Sian(4)

"You are so reckless," Xavier chuckled lightly, though his expression betrayed the pain, anger, and helplessness he was suppressing.

I didn't need to ask what he was feeling—I understood it all too well. There had been a time when I, too, had been helpless, yearning for just one person to extend their hand and promise me aid. 

But no such salvation ever came. 

In time, I realized the only person who could save me was *me*. The only one who could be my salvation was *me*. 

It wasn't a pleasant journey. The loneliness in my heart never faded, and unconsciously, I kept searching for deliverance. 

Did I ever find it? 

No. 

Would I ever? 

Most likely not. 

My reason for coming to Sian wasn't born of selflessness or kindness. A selfish monster inside me craved to see the gratitude on Xavier's face, to feed its hunger with the thought: 

At least I'm not like those bastards who ignored me in my misery. At least, despite everything, I'm still kind enough to risk everything for someone else.

How pathetic you are, Selentia Amaris Nyxveil! Are you truly any better? Or are you helping Xavier only to feel superior to those who abandoned you?

The answer was clear: I was no different. 

"Thank you."

I snapped out of my thoughts to find Xavier watching me, his eyes brimming with innocent gratitude and boundless kindness. I hated to admit it, but compared to him, I was the demon. 

Yet… I wanted him to look at me like that for a very, very long time. 

"You owe me one," I said with a light smile. He shook his head, laughing softly. 

We sat beneath the maple tree, gazing at the bright blue horizon over the sea in Nocteim's magical garden. I hadn't expected to find peace in such a moment. 

My heart fluttered, and I curled my toes as an inexplicable rush of adrenaline surged through me—realizing I was leaning against Xavier's shoulder. 

"So, how do you plan to implement that rough idea of yours?" He handed me another apple. I smacked my lips. Since this concerned him, hiding it felt wrong. 

"I'm planning to take your dead body to the Imperial Palace," I replied calmly. 

Xavier arched an eyebrow. "If you're thinking of using a fake corpse and declaring it mine, drop the idea." His expression screamed that he thought I'd lost my mind. 

I grinned. "You think I didn't calculate the risks of getting caught?"

"If you did, why—"

"You'll understand once I explain everything to Master." I cut him off and turned to leave. 

Within seconds, his footsteps followed. 

"Are you creating suspense now?" He narrowed his eyes. "I'm conserving my energy."

Xavier sighed, scratching his head as he matched my pace. How considerate.

"How did you even get permission to come here?" he asked. 

How had I gotten permission? A hastily crafted lie let me convince my father and gain permission.

"I told my father I was coming to Sian to find the Missing Prince. Since Sian is the only place within Imperial borders where neither the crown nor noble authority holds sway, the prince must be here." 

Xavier stopped dead. "You did what?" 

I tilted my head. "Don't worry. No one from House Nyxveil followed me."* 

His face paled, and he bit his lip. The air around him shifted—something ominous and dangerous. 

"Go to the Tower Master first. His cabin is on the 50th floor."He strode past me, but I caught his wrist. 

Something felt wrong. 

"Where are you going?"

He offered a tight smile, pulling free. "Don't worry. I just have to stop by somewhere." 

With a snap of his fingers, he vanished. 

I stared at the empty space, where only a faint purple magic circle remained. 

"He can already teleport?!" I whispered, kneeling to touch the fading sigil. How much stronger had he gotten in just two days? His abrupt departure left me uneasy. 

But there were more pressing matters to handle.

"I should see Master first. The plan I'm about to execute is nothing short of madness."

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"I must be some kind of genius," Xavier mumbled, looking around his surroundings.

Just with a flick of a finger, he had teleported from the 45th floor of Nocteim to the bustling downtown of Sian.

He looked around the downtown, standing before the lily fountain—one of the main attractions of Sian's downtown. Water spread across the large lily at the center of the fountain, its soft trickling sound somehow fading into the bustle of Sian.

Mana carriages flew overhead without any drivers, yet never crashed into each other.

Wizards used magic brooms to fly as they pleased, moving effortlessly through sky and ground alike.

Children gathered around an old wizard wearing a long hood as he performed puppet shows. The shops around downtown were doing brisk business too.

People didn't bother carrying bags in their hands—instead, bags simply floated beside them.

Bakeries didn't use wood to start fires, relying instead on fire magic. Every single shop was painted in different shades of color systematically.

In Sian, magic was part of everyday life. Xavier thought he couldn't be more stunned than he'd been by the wonders inside Nocteim Tower.

Yet Sian itself felt alive and lively, breathing like a living being. Citizens here were at least 6th-tier mages. T

hough 9th-tier mages were rare throughout the world, Xavier had already come across at least five such mages.

"It's crazy! Just how did the Tower Master manage to keep Sian out of the Imperial Family's clutches and create such a powerful magic hub?" Xavier mumbled in surprise.

As he became consumed by the beauty and mystery of the Magic City, a soft, melodic flute tune reached his ears. Xavier felt goosebumps rise as he heard the unknown yet familiar melody in the air.

He looked around hurriedly but found no one who could be playing such an enchanting tune. Judging by how no one else seemed to notice it, Xavier thought he might have finally gone mad.

He gulped and licked his lips, unable to shake the sudden urge to follow the flute's sound.

*I read about this in one of the palace's forbidden books—high-class masters who use sound as their weapon.*

*Warriors manipulate vibrations in the air, creating destructive or defensive effects. Each instrument has its own destructive power. However, there are only a countable few warriors who ever master sonomancy, mostly because it requires long and tedious training to precisely control sound vibrations and form different attack-defense mechanisms.*

*Also, a warrior's emotions heavily impact sonomancy's destructive power. A high-tier master could destroy an entire nation if they lost control.*

*The forbidden book mentioned that during the Cataclysm of Dawn and Dusk, the demons gained the upper hand because they had the greatest War Chanter—known as the War Chanter of Steel Symphony—on their side.*

*Due to how destructive a War Chanter's power can be, it's said they're sabotaged from the very beginning.

Rarely has a formidable War Chanter like those of the past appeared in the world for centuries. Even if there are a few War Chanters in the world currently, nobody knows much about them.*

Xavier looked up with a tense, stoic expression. The flute's melody felt like it was calling to someone, full of longing and pain yet with an undertone of silent rage.

The main reason Xavier had come downtown was to check for any tails following Selentia, but now his purpose changed.

Pulling up his hood, he closed his eyes. Thanks to his dragon blood, his senses were extremely sharp, and within seconds he located the melody's source.

His purple eyes darkened with determination as he mumbled, "I hope you can be an ally, Unknown War Chanter."

With that, he flicked his finger and—in an instant—Xavier was back at Nocteim. But now he stood atop the tower. And he wasn't wrong.

There was indeed someone sitting on Nocteim's peak, playing a dizi.

Her hair melted from inky midnight at the roots to shimmering sky-blue at the tips, like the horizon just before dawn.

Draped in a gown of celestial blues and whispering silks, the fabric cascaded over her curves—a delicate embrace of flowing chiffon and intricate embroidery. Each pearl and gold-threaded detail testified to elegance.

The sheer layers fluttered in the soft wind surrounding her, while delicate chains adorning her waist gleamed under the candlelight's glow.

Against her pale blush skin, the gown's cool hues created a breathtaking contrast—like moonlight against untouched snow.

She had a sharp, sculpted face with a beautiful jawline, full plump lips, a small pointed nose, and soft arched brownish eyebrows that added softness to her expression.

Her eyes were closed, and she didn't seem to have noticed Xavier's presence.

Xavier felt a strange familiarity with that face, though he couldn't understand why.

Did he know her?

Was she someone familiar?

He couldn't quite grasp it.

The woman stopped playing and pulled the flute from her lips. The air around her changed—though her expression remained neutral, to Xavier...

She looked lonely and sad.

She opened her eyes slowly, gazing at the bustling magic city below. Her light amber eyes shone like reflected sunlight.

Xavier knew instinctively:

This woman was neither human nor demon. He couldn't sense any particular energy from her, yet she was strong—far stronger than him.

"To think someone would respond to my Veil of Dawn," her soft voice broke the tense silence left by the flute's song.

Xavier didn't waver, adopting his usual calm, confident demeanor. "Did the Wymhold finally welcome a real genius of this generation?"

She still hadn't turned to face him. Xavier knew he couldn't afford to fight her in his current state.

Detecting no ill intent, he decided to converse. "You aren't wrong," he declared proudly. She chuckled lightly.

"What a cute kid!" she said softly.

Being called "cute kid" irritated Xavier. He clenched his jaw slightly. "I'm not some cute kid."

Finally, she tilted her head to face him directly. She hummed, looking Xavier up and down intently. Her intense gaze made him uncomfortable enough to cover his chest defensively.

"Unknown War Chanter, I know my beauty is ethereal, but don't look at me with those eyes," Xavier warned.

She blinked, then burst into laughter, holding her stomach. Surprisingly, Xavier found her laughter comforting.

"Don't worry, I'm not into kids like you," she winked playfully, earning a smug look from Xavier.

"I'm not a kid!" he retorted.

The mysterious woman grinned playfully and—in a blink—she stood before Xavier.

Though smaller than him but taller than Selentia, and appearing like a young maiden of 25, she radiated an aura of far greater experience and power.

"A 20-year-old half-dragon... sure knows how to talk."

Xavier froze, his eyes widening in shock. "Wait, how do you know that?"

The woman smirked teasingly. "Who knows?"

As Xavier started to speak, she stepped back. "You... come with me," she pointed at him excitedly. "I'll teach you how to master the power inside you."

Xavier was stunned. This strange, powerful, mysterious woman—her bright, excited eyes showed no ill intent, only the same glint he'd seen in Edwin's eyes when he looked at Selentia.

Narrowing his eyes, Xavier asked, "Hey, are you some old talented mage who's bored with her peaceful life and looking for a disciple?"

She gasped dramatically, covering her mouth. "How did you know?"

Xavier couldn't believe her reason. He slumped slightly, shaking his head while facepalming.

-I should have known. Why are all these powerful geniuses so odd?-

Xavier shook his head. "Thank you, but I already have a teacher. You should recruit someone else."

As he turned to leave, her words stopped him: "I don't think your current teacher can help you master the demonic power inside you, kid."

Xavier's eyes turned cold. He clenched his fist. "So you're a demon?"

He couldn't sense any demonic energy from her—just like with Sylvester. After much thought, Xavier had concluded he couldn't detect demonic energy from beings at Sylvester's level—the most powerful demon lords.

"Such hostility," she said calmly. "You really hate demons, despite being half-dragon and half-demon yourself."

Xavier remained cold.

*I've made a mistake. I shouldn't have followed that sound. If she's allied with Sylvester, I'm in trouble. Selentia's here—if I fight, she could get caught in it. I won't let them harm a single hair on her head.*

"So?" Xavier replied coldly. "Is there some universal rule that says I must love my own species?"

His response surprised her.

"And if you think you can force me, Unknown War Chanter," Xavier gathered demonic energy in his hand, taking a fighting stance, "you're mistaken."

*The demons can't risk harming my body. And she won't fight me here with Edwin around—the Tower Master who killed three demon commanders in their own realm.*

The woman laughed, shaking her head. "Sorry for teasing you, kid. I'm not a demon."

Xavier remained skeptical. "As if I'd believe you."

Crossing her arms, she said, "I can prove it, though I doubt you'll withstand the proof."

"Do it," Xavier demanded coldly.

Her smile faded. "I'm not joking. You won't be able to bear it."

"That's my choice."

Amused by his determination, she raised her hand. Golden light erupted around her. Xavier's eyes widened at the energy. She pointed skyward, shooting a golden beam that exploded like a firework, showering divine light across all of Sian.

"Such strong divine power!" Xavier marveled at the golden rain. "Wait—you're unharmed by divine power?" the woman exclaimed in shock.

Mesmerized, Xavier murmured, "I'm immune to divine power."

She stared in disbelief.

*A boy with such potent demonic energy, unaffected by divine power? How? Unless...* She thought.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING IN SIAN?" A roar shook Nocteim Tower.

Both turned toward the voice.

"Tower Master," Xavier gasped. Edwin stood furious, his red eyes bloodshot with hatred.

The woman recovered first, grinning. "Still Tower Master, Edwin? How... predictable."

"Did you want to die so badly that you'd appear before me, XueHua?" Edwin roared.

Xavier's eyes widened. *XueHua? The Tower Master's missing wife?*

Indeed—this was the woman Edwin had loved, who had betrayed him, leaving only emptiness. The woman he hated more than anything.

Yet... he couldn't bring himself to attack her.

"You won't kill me, Edwin," she said confidently, fueling his anger. "Why pretend?"

"Don't flatter yourself, XueHua," Edwin scoffed. "It's not that I won't kill you. You're not even worth killing."

Xuehua's eyes turned cold. She glanced at Xavier. "Our conversation's been interrupted by this mad mage. I'll find you again." Placing the flute to her lips, she added, "Think about my proposal!"

A soft melody played—and she vanished as golden light scattered around her like a funnel.

Edwin stood frozen, muttering in a broken tone, "You were a War Chanter all along..."