Arcane Heir: History's Strongest Mage

The following two weeks went by too quickly. After the initial discourse upon their arrival, things had been smooth sailing since then—almost too harmonious.

Mary could be seen humming to herself as she walked the halls, wearing a perpetual smile that lit up her features. It was to the point where even Melody was beginning to become suspicious about her mother's intentions.

Of course Michael had been the reason for her good mood. Ever since his declaration, both the lord and lady had treated him even more warmly than they usually did—something that Melody had not missed.

Every single day she had probed and pestered him, trying to uncover the reason for her parents good mood. However, the subject was far too embarrassing for him to reveal, at least right now.

Instead, he had used the tactic of diversion to redirect her attention. Thankfully, him hinting that his unique soul trait had finally been revealed was enough to make her completely forget about her parents mood—at least for now.

With the assurance that he would reveal all the information when they returned to the academy, things seemed to become peaceful.

It wasn't that Michael didn't trust the Winterborne family, just that he was wary. All it would take would be one loose-lipped servant to reveal his secret, and possibly turn him into a target for the noble families.

He wasn't about to take that chance, not when his life was literally on the line.

Soon enough, they found themselves in the courtyard of the Winterborne manor once more, being seen off by the same four people who received them.

Vaughn, Mary, Brian and Shirley.

The sound of ugly crying echoed off the outside of the walls, but instead of making everyone emotional—they looked at the source weirdly.

"I-I'll miss you Shirley~" Rudy wailed, hugging her tightly. Snot and tears ran down his face, painting a pitiful sight.

Michael shook his head, feeling a headache coming on. "He's only gonna miss her cooking…" he muttered.

Beside him, Melody cracked her knuckles menacingly, "I'm gonna kick his ass…"

Before he could reply, the girl had already made her move, sending a swift punch to the guys ribs, resulting in a yelp of pain. He was then dragged towards the carriage, but not before the guy could yell out.

"I'll be back at the end of the year!"

The sound disappeared once Melody slammed the carriage door shut, resulting in a few chuckles. Mary and Brian looked at Michael with broad smiles, like parents that were looking proudly at their own child.

It was an odd turn of events, considering how he had felt about the latter before the semester had finished, but he did not mind it.

"Safe travels, I look forward to your results at the end of the year." Brian said simply.

"Yes, my lord." Michael said with a bow, feeling some warmth. For the first time he felt like he understood the man and his wife. They were good people.

But his attention quickly moved to Shirley at the side who was wearing a proud expression, though there were hints of sadness. They had already said their goodbyes earlier, away from prying eyes and ears.

He flashed her a confident smile, "I'll see you after the academy year ends."

With that, he turned on his heel and walked down the long stairs, not turning back. He entered the carriage, seeing Rudy pouting on the opposite side while Melody glared at him with barely restrained annoyance.

Stifling a laugh, he took up a seat beside the girl. The carriage soon began to move, kicking up speed before it soared into the air—its destination the academy.

After the three hour trip, the trio filed into the academy, seeing the familiar halls and even some familiar faces. Since classes only started the next day, they had the remainder of today free.

"I'm gonna go to the great hall for lunch~" Rudy stated, not waiting for permission.

However, Michael placed a heavy hand upon his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. "Not yet, I have some things I want to discuss…"

"Hmm? It can't wait until lunch is over?"

Melody gave him a menacing glare, "I've been waiting for this for almost two weeks… you can wait an hour for food."

Rudy frowned in response, "I'm a growing boy, my body needs food. Even Shirley said—"

"Damn it Rudy, I'm about to kick your ass…" she said through gritted teeth.

"Alright, alright…" he said with a groan, rolling his eyes.

With that, the trio made their way up to the violet dorms, a place they'd stayed at for the past four months. Despite his reluctance, Rudy quickly moved past it, his attention now focused on Michael.

He seemed to have realized that whatever he was about to say would be important.

They soon found themselves in the lounge, waiting for Michael to speak his mind.

Melody was the picture of impatience, her gaze boring into him intently.

Michael cleared his throat, "Do you all remember that nightmare I had about the demon?" he asked.

The two looked a little confused, but they eventually nodded.

"Well, it turns out that it was not a dream… It was something that happened in the past" he said, watching as his friend's expressions turned incredulous.

Knowing that such a claim was outlandish, Michael continued without feeling offended. "I had another dream while at the manor—which is why I am certain that its related to my unique soul."

Instead of expecting them to believe him automatically, Michael raised his hand and began to flow mana towards the tip of his finger. He then began to draw the mysterious runes that he'd discovered, causing the two to watch on silently.

"These are the runes I saw in my dream… I watched the woman I inhabited constructed a healing spell, bringing someone back from the brink of death." He explained.

The mysterious runes hovered in the air like gems, causing Melody to shoot to her feet in utter disbelief. Without a word she moved close and examined them in wonder, reaching out as if she wanted to touch it.

"What are these runes? I've never seen anything like it…" she muttered.