Advent of the Archmage

Bringing Piasce back to his residence, Celine walked up as soon as he opened the door. Along the way, Link had already used Telepathy to explain everything, so she’d put away her big fire gun and changed into an indoors dress. She even placed some fruits and drinks for guests on the round table in the living room.

“Welcome, Mr. Piasce,” she said, inviting him in with a smile.

Piasce knew Celine’s identity and knew she wasn’t as simple as she looked. The strong sense of danger earlier was probably because of him.

Smiling tightly, Piasce followed Link into the living room.

Link’s home was a vast house. Red Dragon Magicians had designed this duke residency just for him. The living room was open and bright with a vintage circular table in the center.

Link sat down and gestured. “Sit.”

After Piasce sat down, Nana casually sat beside him. She looked relaxed, but her hand rested lightly on her sword’s hilt. Celine sat to Link’s sad, gazing at the blue-skinned creature curiously.

Link didn’t waste time. He reached out, and a glass of steaming mango juice slid soundlessly towards Piasce. “Let’s talk about your background.”

Piasce accepted the drink and took a sip. Then, he composed himself and started thinking back.

Half a minute later, he said, “I come from the Omir Realm. It actually isn’t that far from Firuman. There are only some barren realms in between. Because of certain reasons, my race saw me as a traitor and wanted to execute me. At the last moment, one of my students infiltrated the prison and freed me. I got into my secretly created Void Ferry and escaped from Omir. Right before I escaped, I saw my student get captured with my own eyes. I can still hear his cries of despair…Oh…”

Sighing, Piasce gulped down the juice like it was alcohol. He emptied the cup and Link gave him another one.

Piasce continued. “Fleeing from Omir, I was like a homeless stray dog. I hid and ran through the boundless Void. My people never gave up and still pursued me. I was forced to wander about. Time doesn’t flow in the boundless Void, so I don’t know how long has passed until I accidentally came to Firuman one year ago.”

Here, he looked at Link and chuckled bitterly. “I just wanted to stay a bit to recharge my Void Ferry before continuing, but I was attracted by this world. It’s too similar to Omir. The first time I saw this place, I thought I’d returned home. The mountains, trees, grass, and water are all so strangely familiar, so I stayed. I’d planned to stay a few years before leaving.”

He drank some more mango juice. This time, he tasted it carefully. After another sip, he smiled at Link. “There’s a drink similar to this from my home. It’s called O’ Flower Wine. I used to hate wine like this. I would only sip it at formal social events, but now… Hehe, I find it delicious.”

After another sip, he said to Link, “Lord, my story isn’t that interesting. I just hid and ran like a mouse. Ask whatever questions you have. I’ll do my best to reply.”

Piasce’s story was simple. He was just an escaped criminal running from his pursuers. But things weren’t that simple.

Link knocked on the table. “How many realms did you experience?”

“Not that many, only three. They were all barren realms. One was marginally habitable, so I stayed there for about half a year before leaving.”

“You said that your people keep pursuing you, so you’re forced to wander,” Link continued. “But you’ve been running for quite some time and distance. Isn’t the cost too high to keep chasing you in the Sea of Void?”

The cost of chasing someone would never be more than the rewards after killing him. If the people of Omir kept chasing, it meant that Piasce’s identity was complex. In the Omir Realm, he must be in the upper tier.

Hearing this question, Piasce fell silent. His hands clutched the crystal glass anxiously. After a long while, he said, “Omir has very advanced inter-realm transportation technology. When I left, it was only a bit behind my Void Ferry. These years, I’ve been improving my Void Ferry, but Omir is developing quickly too. Their accomplishments shouldn’t be any less than mine… Of course, the cost of traveling is still great, and they must pay a lot. They’re chasing so relentlessly is because…because… Lord, I think I must explain Omir’s situation to answer this question.”

“Go on.” Link was listening attentively.

Piasce’s eyes filled with reminiscence. “My home used to be peaceful. Everyone lived happily; the land was fertile, and everything was plentiful. The world was filled with clean Mana, like Firuman. But unlike Firuman, we didn’t develop large-scale destruction spells. We mostly cared about the cultivation of the soul. Those with attainments in Soul magic are known as Soul Roamers.”

“Soul Roamers? That sounds interesting.”

Piasce nodded. “Amongst the Soul Roamers, there are also those with extremely great achievements who are respected and revered. They can become Soul Tutors. When I was in Omir, there were three Soul Tutors. I was one of them.”

“Oh.” It dawned on Link. “In other words, you were one of Omir’s three leaders.”

“Not leader…or you can just say that. If I did anything, many people would follow me.” Piasce nodded.

On the side, Celine couldn’t contain her curiosity. “I want to know what exactly you did that made people think you’re a traitor and keep chasing you.”

“I…” Piasce had a pained expression. He clenched his fists, relaxed, and then tightened again. Clearly, Celine’s words had hit his sore spot.

“If you find it hard to say, you can write it down,” Link said. “I know this question is too probing, but we must understand everything because you have people after you. You said before that they’re very dangerous. If you’re exposed, you won’t be the only one affected. Firuman won’t be well off either.”

Piasce sighed. “You’re right, Lord. I indeed may bring catastrophe to Firuman. My race is no longer peaceful like before. They’ve become puppets of darkness, and this is all my fault!”

By now, Piasce had finished his second drink. As if he was drinking his troubles away, he seemed to have thought things through now. “During soul cultivation, the most important thing is meditation. As a Soul Tutor, I meditated instead of sleeping at night. In meditation, our souls become free. Our Eye of the Soul opens too, allowing us to travel freely within the Sea of Void. Oh, we’re free, but it’s still very dangerous. The Sea of Void is boundless. If you go too far, your soul may become lost. The law prohibits probing too deeply into the Sea of Void, while that is what I did. During my travel, I found a very powerful existence called Nozama…”

“Nozama?” Link froze. Celine was also surprised. She hadn’t expected to hear her father’s name from this realm traveler.

Piasce smiled bitterly. “Yes, Nozama, Lord of the Deep. I didn’t know his identity back then. The things seen by the Eye of the Soul are very limited. In my meditation, I saw that Nozama was an elegant gentleman. His voice was mellow and full. His words were logical and organized. Many of his opinions matched mine. Thus, we became friends.”

Here, the magic veins on his blue face scrunched together. He clenched his jaw, and the crystal glass trembled in his hands.

“I…” He opened his mouth to speak again, but his voice caught. He coughed lightly and composed himself before continuing. “I didn’t think that my actions would bring catastrophe to my race. He lied to me, and I personally brought him into my world, starting the disaster… When I escaped, more than half of Omir was under Nozama’s control.”

Hearing this, Link and Celine exchanged glances. “My fa…” Celine murmured. “That demon is that good at disguises?”

Link thought back to the first time he saw Nozama in the game. It had been at the plains outside the Demon Fort. The alliance had been forced into the final battle with the Dark Army when Nozama appeared.

No one had expected him to look like that. He had black hair, a black robe, and a handsome face that even looked a bit warm. His voice was gentle and mellow. If he hadn’t been standing with the Dark Army and commanding the demons, no one would have thought that he was such a terrifying figure.

Later, Link realized that it was Nozama’s disguise. He didn’t reveal his true image until they’d started fighting.

All in all, if Nozama tried to fool someone, it was extremely easy. There was nothing strange about Piasce being tricked by him.

Here, Link looked to Piasce. “What are your future plans?”