Everyone stood frozen as the words slowly emerged: "Multi-Elemental Mage."
In a world where the very idea of wielding more than one type of magic was once considered impossible, everything changed with the rise of the Archmage of the Crown—a dual-elemental wizard who commanded both fire and water, the two most volatile and conflicting elements. He defied every law of nature, mastering what no one dared attempt, and ascended to become the most powerful mage in history.
Now, with this new revelation, the world held its breath.
History was about to be rewritten—again.
"System, what does it mean to be a multi-elemental mage? Why is everyone looking so serious?"
Ressa glanced around at the stunned, silent faces surrounding her. A nervous knot twisted in her chest as she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Ressa, this is unbelievable!" The system's voice trembled. "There has only ever been one dual-elemental mage in this world, and now—you're the first multi-elemental mage!"
Even the system couldn't fully process it. In her previous life, Ressa had awakened as the second dual-elemental mage and was later taken in by the Archmage of the Crown himself. But this time… something had changed. Perhaps a system error had caused the souls of two worlds to merge, granting her newfound power.
Whatever the reason, one thing was certain— Ressa was stronger than ever, and better prepared for the dangers that lay ahead.
"Ressa, congratulations on becoming a multi-elemental mage," Rector Magnus said with a warm smile. "It seems the study plan I originally prepared for you is no longer sufficient. I'll need to renegotiate with the other instructors and arrange a new path for your training."
He hadn't expected it—the young lady from the Evans family, rumored to be intellectually impaired due to childhood illness, turned out to be a genius. Now fully recovered, she had awakened as the world's first multi-elemental mage.
But something still nagged at him.
That night… when Ressa suddenly fell into the pool, alone, and no one discovered her until much later—it didn't feel like an accident. Rector Magnus narrowed his eyes slightly. He would need to speak with the Countess. If this was a conspiracy, then countermeasures must be made—and soon.
"Okay, thank you Rector Magnus, but when do I start school?"
"School starts in two weeks, you'll be able to enroll then."
"I'll see you in two weeks then, Rector Magnus."
Ressa couldn't help but feel a growing sense of excitement at the thought of her upcoming magic classes. It would be her first time attending one, and she needed to be prepared. Once she got back, she'd check what she needed to bring—and when the time came, she could ask Theodore and Evelina for help.
All the way there, Gabriel couldn't stop talking about it—how the whole academy was about to find out that he had a genius sister!
Back when Ressa was a child, the family had only told the public she was ill. But when Lord Kovak's children mocked Theodore about having a "stupid sister," both Theodore and Gabriel lashed out. The incident quickly escalated, and soon everyone believed Ressa was mentally impaired. The brothers had carried that guilt ever since.
If they hadn't acted so impulsively, Ressa wouldn't have been secretly branded a fool. Lord Kovak—one of their father's political enemies—offered a false apology and whisked his children away before the Emperor could punish him further. Only then was the matter considered closed.
"When your father and older brother return, we'll hold a banquet to celebrate Ressa's return," the Countess said, clearly in high spirits ever since the results were announced.
"A banquet?"
"Yes, now that you've recovered, it's time for you to appear before everyone. The banquet will also be a good opportunity to make some friends," the Countess said gently.
She had once worried—what if others could hear Ressa's inner voice? But it wasn't realistic to keep her hidden away forever. Now that Ressa had the protection of Sanctum Arcanum, and was even likely to draw the Emperor's attention, that was more than enough.
It was better to let her reenter society with grandeur—and, in the process, uncover whoever might be harboring ill intent.
"Yes, mother tell the head chef to prepare Croquembouche, I haven't had this in a long time!"
"System, what is Croquembouche?"
"Ressa, you're going to love this one! It's a tower of choux pastries stacked high, held together with caramel syrup. The outside is decorated with spun sugar and all sorts of beautiful toppings!"
"Mother, I think we can arrange that," Ressa said, clearly tempted after hearing the system's description.
"Alright, you two greedy little things ~"
After Ressa and the others left, a figure watched them from outside the rector's office. "Ressa Evans?"
"Yes, a multi-elemental mage. I didn't expect it. Aside from you, a dual-elemental mage, there's now someone even more powerful. I'm afraid, Archmage of the Crown, you may have to give up your position." Rector Magnus teased, his words directed at Cedric Alaric Ravenshade, the strongest mage in the Empire.
"Hehe, seems like it'll take a while then. If she's truly capable of that, I'll step aside voluntarily. After all, I wouldn't even want this position if you hadn't asked me to take it," Cedric said absently, leaning back against the couch.
"Your abilities speak for themselves. Even if you give up your position, the Emperor will likely offer you another one. Or perhaps you'll become a teacher at our academy? I could even offer you the rector position, if you'd like."
"Rector Magnus, I've already compromised by agreeing to teach Ressa. One is hard enough to handle, and now you want me to teach a whole bunch of kids? Put away your little schemes." If he couldn't stand Rector Magnus's foolishness any longer, he'd transform into a Mirror-Eyed Ape right then and there. (A creature capable of bouncing off psychic attacks or reflecting others' secrets.)
"Ugh, the older you get, the worse you are at fooling people. I remember when you were just a little kid, first starting school—you'd sweetly call out to your teacher. Even the canteen auntie was bribed by you and would sneak you desserts now and then. Oh, and I remember one time when you refused to go to the Ring of Star Arena and came running to my office, crying..."
"Enough! Are you a rector with so much free time? Don't you need to check on the students in class? What if the school is in danger? What about the safety of the students?" He said, turning to leave.
"My dear, I must remind you that today is a holiday. The school is not in session, and with you here, the safety of the school is more than guaranteed."
Cedric simply ignored the headmaster's words. "So, I only have to give her physical lessons one day a week?"
"Yes, other days have other teachers scheduled." No sooner had the words left his mouth than Cedric vanished into thin air.
"Still as cute as a kid, and now he disappears without even saying goodbye," Rector Magnus muttered to himself, yelling.
Inside the palace, the Emperor sat at his desk when he received a letter from Rector Magnus. He opened it and instantly stood up in shock. "Haha, Reginald, I didn't expect your daughter to be so powerful after her recovery." Reginald Percival Evans, Earl of Windermere, was also Ressa's father.
"Your Majesty, what's wrong?"
"See for yourself." The Earl of Windermere, upon receiving the letter, looked at it and his eyes widened in shock—his daughter was actually a multi-elemental mage!
"Your Majesty, this..." The Earl of Windermere was so overwhelmed with excitement that he didn't know what to say.
"I remember your daughter fell into the river in the middle of the night last time. Have you checked? Was it an accident, or was it intentional?" Thinking about what had happened in City Central before, and considering Ressa's talent, I wonder if someone had known about her abilities before, and that's why they targeted her.