Humanity's Hero Of Despair

Our footsteps echo against the marble floor as we follow the Emperor.

The huge pillars. The fancy architecture. The sunlight pouring through the windows. All of it feels so strange to return to, even though it hasn't been more than a couple of weeks. My friends probably feel the same way as I see them look around at the Imperial Palace as we make our way toward the private office.

I just remembered something. The Imperial Palace looks completely new and rebuilt, like the mercenaries never did any damage to it. That puts a smile on my face. I'm glad the palace is back in good condition and that Grand Duke Lancaster didn't die in vain.

We make it to the large winding staircase. Eventually, we reach the top. The Emperor takes out his wand and waves it in an intricate pattern. The door of the private office unlocks, and we all head inside.

The private office looks exactly the same as when I last visited this place.

The large window allows for the beautiful sunlight to shine through without blinding everyone. The chandeliers sway slightly in the breeze that drifts into the room. The bookshelves look neat, and they seem to be well taken care of by the Emperor.

I sit down in one of the chairs across from the Emperor's desk. My friends sit in the other chairs around the desk that the Emperor has prepared for all of us. Estes, though, opts to stand up and lean against the bookshelf, while Leena stands by the window.

The Emperor sits down in his chair and pulls out the Elemental Sphere of Earth.

He places it carefully on the table in the middle of all of us.

The sphere pulsates with energy as we feel its presence take up the entire room. It glows with a strange brown and gold light. It feels immensely powerful, ready to break free, yet at the same time, it feels extremely grounded, like a strong foundation.

I guess that makes sense because it is the Elemental Sphere of Earth.

"The sphere has enough mana to power an entire city just based on how much mana it contains. Whoever has touched the sphere last and is around it the most, also known as me, is seen as the owner of the sphere, though this is not set in stone. Whoever has the sphere on them and casts a spell can use the mana required for the spell directly from the sphere."

"This means any earth mage can instantly increase the power of their earth magic ten, if not twenty times, almost instantly. This number may even go up to thirty or fifty. The downside, though, is that for every step beyond what you can handle, the sphere will consume, control, and then kill you until there is nothing left."

Well, that is a happy thought, I think to myself as we all look quite scared at the information.

"On the positive side, we can use the sphere carefully as a power source to help increase the defenses of the Imperial Palace at least fivefold, which will protect us in case of any future attacks at all."

We all nod in agreement. Quillen also makes a point.

"Since Grand Duke Pedgas knows you have the sphere now, he will probably hesitate to attack you, knowing that you have such a high increase in power as well. He is smart enough to know that all of us are against him, and with Grand Duke Zogard firmly on your side, even with support from Ryndoria, they wouldn't act rashly."

The Emperor nods while clasping his hands together.

"I hope so. Let's plan for everything, though."

The Emperor stands up from his seat.

"Everyone, I want you all to take care of the Elemental Sphere of Earth in the future. You can rotate between yourselves and keep an eye on it. Normally, I would take it, but I am probably the obvious target to have it stolen from since I am the Emperor and an earth mage. I am not as greedy for power as my enemies make me out to be."

The Emperor walks over to Estes and gently hands the sphere over to him, which startles him.

"You won't truly understand the importance and power of the sphere until you experience it yourself. How does the sphere feel in your hands, Estes? As a fellow earth mage?"

Estes stares in awe as he holds the sphere in his hands.

"It feels... incredible. Like I can do anything with my magic for however long I need to."

The Emperor chuckles.

"That is exactly the right response. It makes you feel incredibly powerful. Except, you must beware that power does have drawbacks. The more you take from it, the more of a burden it will have on you, similar to Nico's Wand of Origin."

The Emperor gently takes the Elemental Sphere of Earth from Estes and places it into a safe bag. Once that is done, he closes the window fully to prevent too much cold air from coming inside. Then, he walks over to the door.

"Where are you going?"

Ivy asks out of curiosity. The Emperor turns around to look at us as he opens the door. He smiles slightly. He speaks up so all of us can hear him clearly.

"I think you mean to ask, where are we going? The answer is, to the Imperial Training Grounds."

Quillen stands up from his chair as he hears this response. He responds to the statement with curiosity and a hint of excitement.

"We are going to the Imperial Training Grounds?"

"Bingo!"

All of us quickly get out of our chairs. If we are going to the Imperial Training Grounds and he has the sphere with him, it can only mean he wants to show us what the sphere is capable of. I look at my Wand of Origin. This is a powerful magic artifact that I have witnessed firsthand.

Who knows what one of the elemental spheres can do in comparison?

I place my wands back in my pockets, and we all hurry outside of the private office.

This should be very interesting.