Heir of Synthesis: The World Mage

Priam turned his gaze back to the full moon in the sky and took a deep breath. That moon was not as spherical as Earth’s, having a very oval shape. On the other hand, it was closer to the planet and, at times, created a rather extravagant night scene.

He reflected for a few seconds.

Somehow, Flora understood that he did not like physical contact, even without him having told her that directly. So, she placed the brooch on his clothes with such a quick movement that Priam did not even have time to feel uncomfortable.

She was an observant and intelligent woman.

As for her beauty, in this world, she was normal. But by Earth’s standards, she would be considered a goddess of beauty. Even so... Priam could not even think about returning her feelings, because his illness prevented him from even touching her.

’Damn... I have to find a solution to my problem. Or I’ll be a virgin forever...’

After snorting heavily, Priam turned his feet and began walking toward the clan’s main building.

When he entered, the four of them were waiting silently inside.

Orlaith wore a very flashy violet dress that suited her.

As for Shione, Lumiere, and Flaris, they wore almost the same as always, with the girls only adding extra accessories to make them stand out more. That was because the three of them had always been important figures, receiving the best things to wear in their daily lives.

In Flaris’s case, she was the pride of the demon race Fem-Ignis, which had done everything to buy the best demon equipment for her. Her clothes had been custom-made so she could use her Yin flames with maximum efficiency.

In other words, Priam was the only one who walked around like a beggar. His clothes were always simple and almost worn-out. Because of that, he had now received a set of clothes worthy of the clan.

When he entered and everyone saw him, Priam immediately felt a piercing stare.

He turned, seeing Shione’s gaze directed at the brooch on his chest.

"That... is really..." she murmured, then stared fixedly into Priam’s eyes.

He became confused and stunned at the same time. Why had she reacted that way?

Shione did not say anything else, only maintaining an expression subtly more bitter than usual.

Lumiere and Orlaith noticed that change in Shione and nodded in satisfaction. That girl had really grown over these years.

If she had been the young woman Priam had met, she would already have started a scandal. Even without any reason, she would invent something random just to vent. But now, she did not dare be too rude or aggressive, especially with Priam nearby.

Before long, the Grand Elder arrived. At that moment, everyone moved to the clan’s underground, entering the narrow and dark corridors.

On the way, Lumiere asked thoughtfully:

"Can’t we use common teleportation? I heard it was impossible to know where people are sent if a fragment of Primordial Chaos is used."

The Grand Elder nodded.

"Indeed, it is completely impossible, because this type of fragment is connected to the laws of the world. No one has the power to interfere with the laws of the world... in theory..."

He took a deep breath.

"The world is far vaster than you imagine. Becoming a Sage is nowhere near the end of the journey. Perhaps it is only the middle, or the beginning for some people. You have already heard rumors about immortals, correct?"

Flaris spoke with a serious expression. "I’ve heard countless stories, but they are all meaningless fantasies. They say they can even distort reality and shape the world to their will."

"There is a bit of truth in every lie," Orlaith said dryly. "Immortals exist. That, I can guarantee."

The young ones fell silent, surprised by those words.

To them, a Sage was already something terrifying. Something far, far above that had not even crossed their minds.

Of course, Priam was the exception.

The Grand Elder looked at the large gate approaching, then completed:

"This is an unbreakable rule of the Aether-Wood Deer. We can never use common teleportation inscriptions to go to them. And they personally built this one here, using unique methods."

"From what I heard, in the distant past, there was a terrifying massacre that began because the humanoids discovered all the ’traitors’ of the Mortal Plane. Then, they used the fragments of Primordial Chaos that the traitors possessed, taking them directly into the heart of the enemy clans. Several races ceased to exist that day."

"This happened a very long time ago. But to avoid something similar, we never receive fragments of Primordial Chaos that lead to them. Besides that, they developed this other type of teleportation, which uses the pure power of the Bloodline of a race from the Divine Plane. The cost to buy this from them is immense, obviously. But according to them, this makes even an immortal have a 50% chance of not noticing this teleportation inscription. And even if they do notice it, the Bloodline detonates on its own, breaking the connection with the other universe if it is triggered the wrong way."

Priam and the others sighed.

That was truly good, because the Aether-Wood Deer would remain safe. At the same time, if the clan never left traces inside their home, it would be almost impossible to prove they were traitors.

The group entered the underground hall and walked to the center.

At that moment, Orlaith turned to the Grand Elder.

She took out a golden emblem and the ring from her finger, handing everything to him.

Shione and Lumiere were stunned. Those two items gave the leader maximum control over the entire clan. Their mother could never hand over both at the same time, or her leadership could be taken.

Orlaith turned to the young ones, seeing their expressions.

"This is another rule. When I go to their universe, I have to hand everything over. If even the slightest thing goes wrong, he must proclaim himself clan leader and act accordingly."

The four young ones nodded. Those Primordial Chaos Beasts were almost obsessed with security.

Orlaith nodded. At that moment, that entire secret inscription appeared, covering the hall in scarlet tones.

A circular spatial portal opened in the center.

"Let’s go."

She took a step and entered, with the four young ones following right behind her.

...

In seconds, everyone found themselves in the middle of a forest with colossal trees.

It was night there too, but the place was very well lit. Looking around, they realized they were surrounded by glowing nature, illuminated by the reflected light of the three immense moons in the sky.

"This is the capital of the planet Aether Horn," Orlaith said lightly, surprising everyone for a moment.

"The Primordial Chaos Beasts live differently from humanoids or demons. Normally, they don’t build large cities, preferring buildings and homes in the middle of nature. They live in harmony with wildlife, preserving their origins as much as possible. That is why this entire forest is the capital of the planet, controlled by the Aether-Wood Deer race."

She took a few steps forward, and the four followed very closely.

Everything was very silent.

The weather was cold and humid, but when they took a deep breath, an extremely strong natural energy invaded their bodies. This was truly a high-level forest.

Minutes later, they arrived at a vast area of sparse woodland, formed by emerald-green bamboo. In the center, there stood a huge palace that emanated an imposing atmosphere.

The main constructions were built in the middle of nature. But even that building did not seem out of place in the environment. It was as if it were one with the nature around it.

The large door was open, and a soft light could be seen coming from inside.

The young ones swallowed hard. Orlaith led them, and they entered the Main Palace with calm steps.

Its interior was a grand hall, with chairs and tables well distributed. In the center, there was an open and empty area, with a circular runic marking on the floor.

According to what Orlaith had said on the way, there was less than an hour left before the party began. However, not even a fifth of the seats were occupied. It was obvious that this was not because the guests lacked time, but rather because of a deliberate attempt not to arrive early, as a way to show off their prestige.

Not even the people of the Elder Aether-Wood Deer race were there. Everyone who had arrived early was precisely from the weaker members of the alliance. To them, it did not make much difference who arrived first.

Priam saw four humanoid races for the first time, as well as two demon races.

When they entered, everyone turned to them for a few seconds, but... no one wanted to greet them, even knowing exactly that they were from the Ylisse clan.

The reason for that was stamped on their faces.

All of them felt immense contempt as they looked at them.

Priam did not need many explanations. After all, he had already heard that the Ylisse clan was known as the slaves of the Aether-Wood Deer race.

The others fulfilled other important functions and considered themselves merely "servants" or allies. Therefore, the slaves occupied the lowest position, and everyone from the Vanculari race was absolutely despised.

Orlaith maintained a dignified expression, trying not to show her inner anger. Shione and Lumiere, on the other hand, lowered their gazes slightly, because they had already gone through something similar in the past.

Flaris did not show any change in her emotions. She did not care in the slightest how others saw her. Priam did not care much either, but internally, he hoped that...

’Oops! Keep a low profile, keep a low profile!’

He murmured to himself, remembering Orlaith’s earlier warning.

But... he could not help hoping they would try to cause him problems.