"What the-" I exclaimed as the fire engulfed my right arm and gushed out at Farbauti. Who would have thought that I, the Lord of Water, Wind, and Ice, would conjure fire?
My mind didn't immediately comprehend what had happened. My Senior Brother tried to block the attack with his axe, yet it was destroyed almost instantly. The flame continued and engulfed him as well. Grunting, he used some sort of spell to push it away.
His left arm had severe burn marks and was probably crippled. He panted heavily as he gripped the burnt arm. With slow steps, he strode forward and gripped my wrist with his remaining arm.
Farbauti took a deep breath and asked, one word at a time, "What was that?"
"I-" I what? I have no way to explain what just happened. "I don't know."
"You don't know?" he shouted, but then calmed himself with another deep breath and repeated, "You don't know?"
I looked at my right arm. The flame didn't even hurt me, and it was as if nothing had happened. I shook my head and replied, "I really don't. It shouldn't be possible."
He frowned and eyed his crippled arm, "This is no normal fire. This may be a mere clone, but I remain an Eternal Emperor… Lord Richard must inspect you!"
An Eternal Emperor was someone who was practically immortal and was two levels below the Lord of Chaos. The fact that Richard trusts him to guard such special and valuable items like the Pangu Axe shards is proof enough that he is extremely powerful. But the fact remains that I crippled one of his clones' arms. This was very unusual, and Richard must indeed see this.
However… Deep in my heart, I had a feeling that Richard already knew about the flame, and that he wanted me to come here…
Farbauti teleported me to the entrance of the Mansion of Night. He didn't stop as he guided me to Richard's office. Somehow, however, he switched between his clone and real self, as his armor was different, and his left arm was uninjured. To further confirm this, Mimir was dangling from his hip.
We climbed the stairs to the office and stormed the room. Farbauti dragged me in front of Richard, who was sitting on his throne behind a table, reading a scroll, and said just one word, "Fire."
"Fire indeed," Richard murmured, but didn't take his eyes off the scroll.
"He conjured fire," Farbauti offered what he felt was an explanation when Richard didn't have much of a reaction.
"How could he conjure fire?" Richard asked, finally looking at us.
"You are the Lord of Chaos, not me."
Richard sighed and eyed me before looking back at Farbauti, "Do you think we should hold a meeting?"
"We haven't done a meeting of the Lords in over two centuries, and there's a reason for that," Mimir chimed in.
"If they wish to fight each other, then I am very much inclined to let them."
"Oh, are you?" Mimir replied sarcastically, then his tone shifted to being serious, "Richard, what is even the point?"
Richard talked, but did not answer Mimir, "Call a meeting, Mimir."
"You do it yourself."
I was getting a headache just from listening to this conversation, and I would like it to end before it got even more annoying, so I interjected, "I will call for it, just tell me how."
"I'm afraid you can't do that, little brother. Other than our esteemed Lord of Chaos, I happen to be the only person who can do such a thing. And I refuse to do it unless he is drunk," Mimir explained, then he looked at Richard and asked, "Are you drunk?"
Richard nodded and replied, "I am."
"No, you're not!"
"I am! Orion, am I not drunk?"
I definitely have a headache now. I grimaced and replied, "Clearly."
My eyes were pleading with Mimir to stop with the banter, and thankfully, he did as he sighed and addressed Farbauti, "Brother, would you mind taking me to the Hall?"
Without saying a word, Farbauti turned around and left. Once the door to the room was closed, I looked at Richard, who went back to reading the scroll, and asked, "Do you often enjoy being childish?"
"I have been alive for trillions of years, Orion, and shall live for trillions more," he replied and closed the scroll, "Boredom is inevitable, and this sort of banter with Mimir is one of the harmless ways to help pass the time for both of us."
I lowered my head and eyed my right arm, specifically where the flame erupted from. "What's going on with me?"
He beckoned me to come closer, and I did. He grabbed my arm and closed his eyes, before opening them a moment later. "Just as I thought," he said.
"And what did you think?"
"You shall know soon enough. Come, it is time for your first Meeting of the Lords."
"Lord of Yggdrasil?"
Richard nodded and explained, "You are the Lord of Ice, Water, and Wind, and I am the Lord of Night. Some elements, or even aspects, are considered esteemed, so Yggdrasil bestows upon certain individuals the title of Lord."
Just as he finished, two black rectangular portals resembling doors appeared behind me. I assume that one was for me, and the other was for Richard. He stood up and came beside me. He smiled and said, "After you."
I nodded my head and stepped into the portal. What greeted me was a large cylindrical hall with a huge round table in the center. Thrones spanned around the table, with one of them being obviously larger than the others.
Suddenly, Mimir's voice drifted through the room, "Welcome, my Lords."
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Updated on 19/3/2026