Fire Mage

Later that evening, Zephyr sat alone in his private study. A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Enter."

It was a representative from House Morlin.

Zephyr didn't waste time.

"I want you to take in some of the Wood Elven slaves. Young ones, if possible."

The man stiffened but didn't speak.

"Train them. Educate them. Teach them court language and politics—turn them into shadows. Once they're ready, send them back to the forest."

"To spy on their kin?" the Morlin agent asked cautiously.

"No," Zephyr said, his smile cold. "To sow seeds of distrust between the elves and the Syreni. Divide them further."

A pause.

"And if they find out?"

"Then burn the evidence. And deny everything."

He handed over a sealed letter.

"Your reward is in the east—a small province I intend to 'gift' to your House once the transition begins."

"But didn't you also say you would free them once they worked enough?"

The corner of Zephyr's lips curled upward.

"That's to make the elves and Syrenis let their guard down. Just train them and send the elves along with other slaves." Although there were no slave runes or spells to control a person, Zephyr knew that it was easy to control young elves as long as they were given enough benefits.

'But there is a high chance some of these elves will betray and side with the elves. At that time, the elves will have no choice but to rely on the Empire if they want to live.' That was Zephyr's true motive.

The Morlin agent bowed. "As you command."

After he left, Zephyr returned to his chambers.

In the following days, the palace brimmed with quiet change. New maids arrived. Librarians catalogued long-sealed ancient books. Guards were retrained, redrilled, and reassigned.

And his personal attendants?

They supervised the newcomers closely.

Because Zephyr knew one truth:

'If I want to rebuild an empire, I must first sweep the halls clean.'

…

Zephyr used his spare time to train and grow stronger. But his primary focus remained on politics.

In the first six months, he solidified his influence within the council, purging anyone who opposed his decrees.

As the first year progressed, internal power struggles escalated.

There were multiple assassination attempts, but the Royal Guards and Court Mages thwarted them all.

Many high-ranking nobles resisted openly.

But Houses like Yven, Morlin, and Delcroix began to rise in prominence.

By year's end, the nobility had either aligned themselves with him or been replaced. Loyalist factions quietly began to take root.

To gain further favor, Zephyr introduced new laws, including Limited Freedom for slaves. Those who accepted it could earn wages. But it came at a cost—they had to find their own shelter, food, and clothing.

Instead of nobles controlling their earnings, slaves could now work on government projects or for landlords, paying off their freedom in installments.

However, discrimination persisted.

The Wood Elves and Syreni faced open hostility on the streets, forcing most of them to remain slaves under noble households.

Then came the border unrest.

Nobles in the outer provinces were outraged over Zephyr's decision to grant parts of the Eastern Grey Land to the Wood Elves and initiate peace.

They rebelled.

But the rebellion was short-lived.

The Four Legion Commanders followed Zephyr's orders without hesitation, crushing the revolt brutally.

Three noble heads rolled.

By the end of Year One, Zephyr had even stabilized his position within the Royal House. No more schemes from concubines. No whispers from their factions.

He had also become a Rank-3 Light Mage, thanks to a ritual conducted by the Court Mages, and progressed in strength.

…

Three more years passed.

The Empire's economy began to recover.

Trade with the desert and eastern tribes flourished, bringing in silk, minerals, and rare alchemic herbs.

The Work-for-Food Initiative proved a masterstroke. Roads connected major towns and cities, transportation improved, and commerce flourished. Dam construction regulated the water supply, boosting agriculture.

Many human slaves and border tribes were integrated into the military.

And the biggest shift?

The Rise of New Nobles.

Merit replaced blood.

Those who served in the military with distinction were granted land and titles.

…

Another three years rolled by.

Seven years had passed since Zephyr entered this illusion and became Lina Kar.

Much had changed.

First, his personal strength.

Through the Court Mages' arcane rituals, he reached Rank-4 Light Mage and awakened his Inner World.

He also trained under the Royal Guard Captain and became a Master Swordsman, awakening the Rank-4 skill Master Aura.

Without access to a class gem pathway, he relied solely on training.

Second, the complete abolition of slavery.

Thanks to his reform laws, 99% of the slaves were freed.

The remaining 1% were either Elves or Syreni with the highest military value, or humans guilty of heinous crimes.

The Shackled Citizens had become full citizens.

The Wood Elves and Syreni were returned to their homelands at first after clearing their debts. But when the Wood Elves discovered embedded spies, they executed them without hesitation. The Syreni followed suit.

When Zephyr heard, he couldn't help but chuckle.

He quietly proceeded with his next plan—co-existence.

He ordered the construction of a town on the Eastern Grey border, a neutral zone for Wood Elves, Syreni, and debt-slave humans.

It was the first settlement where all three races co-existed!

Though the Emperor remained alive, Zephyr now ruled as the unofficial leader of the Radiant Empire.

Military control was decentralized to trusted noble houses and allied tribes.

Zephyr refocused on his growth as the economy stabilized and began modeling new policies after what he'd seen in the Sacred Empire.

…

Twenty years passed.

The Radiant Empire became fully stable.

Poverty was eradicated.

Border disputes ceased—thanks to the neutral zone town.

Though the Syreni remained wary, the Wood Elves had slowly resumed trade and interaction with humans.

Zephyr had reached the peak of Rank-5 Light Mage and advanced his swordsmanship to Grandmaster level.

A Rank-5 sword skill...

He held a longsword in his right hand. A purplish aura shimmered along its blade, humming with destructive force.

"That's the end of today's training, Your Highness," came a voice from behind.

Zephyr turned to see a smiling young man.

"Thank you for training me despite your busy schedule, Rhys," Zephyr nodded.

He was about to return to his room when something caught his eye.

A small crack formed in the air, like a fracture in glass. It began to grow.

"Get back, Your Highness!" Rhys shouted, unsheathing his sword.

"Royal Guards! Assemble!"

Over a dozen guards raced from the palace building and formed a protective circle around the training hall.

"Jack! Escort Her Highness back to the palace and inform the Court Mages—"

But the spatial crack expanded rapidly before Rhys could finish, forming a swirling portal.

Its eerie red hue sent shivers down every spine.

Then, a figure stepped out.

She appeared to be in her mid-twenties, with curly dark hair, bluish eyes, a round face, and was around 160 cm tall.

The moment she appeared, everyone froze.

Not in fear—but in reverence.

"Your Highness?" Rhys asked, stunned.

"Nira?" Zephyr whispered.

He recognized her from Lina's memories.

Yes, it was none other than Nira Kar, the future Goddess of Life!

Nira scanned the crowd, her gaze locking onto Lina.

"Oh? My younger sister has grown stronger," she murmured—and vanished.

Before Zephyr could blink, her voice came from behind.

"Strange… This body belongs to my sister… but who are you?"

Her whisper was soft, yet Zephyr felt her words echo inside his Inner World, like divine judgment.

Then—

CRACK!

The world shattered like glass.

…

Gasp!

Zephyr jerked upright, lying on a cold concrete floor, staring at a rocky ceiling.

He had returned.

Back to the place where the trial had first begun.

"W-What the hell? She found out my true self, even though it was just an illusion? Wait… Is it an illusion?" A spark of doubt appeared in his mind.

At that moment, a monotonous voice came from the white orb.

[Congratulations on passing the Second Forbidden Trial of Light Pathway: Trial of the Throne.]

[You've exceeded the expectations of the Legacy Holder!]

[Will you proceed to the final Forbidden Trial of Light Pathway?]

Zephyr froze and slowly sat up.

He felt that his body had become weak, and he felt hungry.

'I can't fight in my current state.' He hurriedly took a slice of bread from the storage and stuffed it into his mouth.

He also took a water pouch and started gulping it in one go.

As he continued to eat, the monotonous voice asked the question repeatedly.

When it asked the fifth time, Zephyr finally opened his mouth.

"Yes."

The next second, the white orb suddenly moved towards him at an incredible speed and entered his head.

Before he could think, the orb flew into the Inner World and exploded, sending light essence into every corner of his soul.

At the same time, Zephyr felt his whole body was bathed in light and felt a burning sensation everywhere.

His whole body soon became a part of light and started disintegrating like ashes.

Zephyr could feel that this strange light was erasing his whole consciousness, and he got panicked.

Before long, darkness clouded his mind.

At the same time, his body also disappeared from the underground hall, leaving only the Keeper's Watch and a strange scroll behind.