I. Unrest at Home
Arthur's return was a source of both immense joy and paralyzing fear. His mother Satella's delight stemmed from an unspeakable gratitude that he had survived. His father, Alex, frowned at first—a mask for his worry—before pulling his son into a crushing embrace.
"They've branded you a traitor, Arthur! How did you even get back?" Alex whispered urgently.
"I escaped," Arthur said simply. "And I am no traitor. This Kingdom is what's corrupt."
At dinner, Arthur learned the grim reality of life under the new peace treaty. Satella explained with a trembling voice: "The treaty only serves the nobles and merchants. For us, nothing has changed for the better. The border garrison withdrew, but now the Crown is seizing even more of our grain just to pay the war reparations."
Alex slammed his fist on the table. "And the worst part: the Orcs. Thanks to the treaty, they've officially settled on the northern border. They aren't raiders anymore; they're our 'neighbors.' No one from the Kingdom dares to interfere. They control the trade routes through our fields and extort us for 'passage taxes.' Those who resist, like I did, get beaten."
Arthur felt a chill settle in his veins. The Alliance may have lost on the battlefield, but they had won at the negotiating table. The suffering of his family solidified his hatred for both the Human Crown and the Elven Council that signed the deal.
II. The Pressure of Hidden Strength
When Arthur offered to help his father in the fields, Alex refused with terror in his eyes.
"No, Arthur! No one can know you're back. You were F-Class; they've likely forgotten your face by now. But if you resist them, they'll hunt you down. If the Crown catches a 'traitor,' the only end is the executioner's block."
Arthur retreated to his room. He was no longer that weak F-Class boy. He was a Sealed D-Class. Holding this power inside without venting it felt like it was consuming him. He practiced silently, gathering mana in his palm. His D-Class reservoir was fuller now, and his Frost Magic could create small, transparent cubes of ice that were surprisingly dense. These cubes possessed the kinetic force of a rifle bullet.
His problem was how to use this strength without being discovered. If he suddenly launched a B-Class level strike, everyone would realize who he was.
The plan must be simple, he thought. Instead of just casting spells, I must inspire fear. I'll show them who they're dealing with, but I'll do it without ever revealing my face.
III. The Secret Protection Plan
The next morning, Arthur explained his resolve to his father.
"I won't fight them openly, Father. But I will protect this town. At night, I'll watch the Orcs and soldiers who creep into our fields. No one will know it's me. They'll think the town is haunted by a protective spirit. A whisper, a shadow."
Alex, seeing the D-Class conviction in his son's eyes, could no longer argue. "What will you do, then?"
"The only thing Orcs fear is the unknown," Arthur said. "They rely on their brute strength and mana-nullifying armor. My Sealed Frost is dense enough to shatter that armor, but I will do it from a distance. I will never engage them face-to-face."
Arthur's plan was set: through secret, high-intensity Frost strikes, he would make the Orcs and corrupt soldiers fear the town itself. They would keep looking for the "F-Class" Arthur, while the town gained a new guardian—a Shadow Mage, a Ghost Shield.
This was Arthur's new life: by day, a weary peasant working his father's fields; by night, the D-Class Traitor, the Sealed Miracle, emerging from the darkness to protect what was his.
lV. Shadow of the Night
The first night after promising to help his family, Arthur took his rucksack and slipped out of the house. He was no longer the weary F-Class peasant working the fields. He was the Sealed D-Class Miracle, taking risks for those he loved.
Arthur climbed the highest hill overlooking Barren Town. From this vantage point, he could monitor both his family's fields and the trade routes stretching from the Orc settlements toward the town.
After hours of silence, Arthur's eyes caught movement at the edge of the forest. A group of four Orc marauders. Their armor was crude, but the mana-nullifying enchantments etched upon them were active. Their goal was clear: to infiltrate the town's supply granary.
Arthur calmed his racing heart. He wouldn't rush.
D-Class mana isn't enough to freeze an Orc solid, but it can deal heavy damage. The goal isn't to kill; it's to terrify.
He brought his hands together, pushing a mere sliver of mana out of the Seal—barely 5% of his D-Class reservoir. However, its density was equivalent to a B-Class spell on the surface.
V. The Frost Whisper
Arthur extended the mana like an invisible thread, focusing on the most distracted Orc at the rear of the group. The moment the Orc poked his head out from the brush, Arthur's condensed Frost strike slammed into the shoulder plate of the creature's armor.
CRACK!
The sound wasn't as loud as an explosion, but it was as sharp as a snapping blade. The Orc let out a guttural cry of agony and collapsed.
Arthur's Frost Magic had bypassed the mana-nullifying enchantment by sheer density, instantly crystallizing and shattering a single point of the metal. The extreme cold had paralyzed the Orc's shoulder muscles.
The other Orcs panicked, unable to comprehend what had happened. They scanned the perimeter, but there was no sign of a mage, no glowing circles, no incantations. For magic to shatter their armor so effortlessly was deemed impossible.
"What happened, Gorak?" the Orc leader barked.
"I-I don't know! It felt like my armor exploded! My shoulder is frozen!"
The leader tried to press forward toward the town, but he met a second shock. Arthur released another drop of mana, this time targeting the ground beneath the leader's feet. The condensed frost turned the dirt into a sheet of frictionless glass in less than a second.
The Orc leader lost his footing and slammed face-first into the mud.
"Curse it! This... this is a mage trap! But I don't sense any mana! It's a ghost!" the leader roared.
The Orcs relied on their brute strength and their "invincible" armor. The fact that an unknown force could break their gear and trip them so easily crossed their threshold of fear.
"Retreat!" the leader shouted, scrambling to his feet. "This village is cursed! We're done for tonight!"
VI. The Shadow Guardian
Arthur had succeeded using only 10% of his mana. His eyes gleamed in the darkness of the hill. The plan had worked perfectly.
The following day, whispers spread through Barren Town like wildfire. Stories of Orcs being driven away by a "haunted spirit" filled the taverns. No one could explain the shattered armor on the injured Orc or the strange patches of ice left in the fields.
Barren Town began to believe it had a Secret Protector. Meanwhile, Arthur sat at breakfast with his family, as silent and unremarkable as any other peasant.
Vll. The Night Visit
Two weeks had passed since Arthur began repelling the Orcs as the Shadow Guardian. In Barren Town, whispers of an invisible force protecting the fields had grown, easing the pressure on his family. Yet, Arthur remained hyper-aware, his senses tuned to the slightest disturbance.
In the dead of night, when the moon was at its weakest, a soft knock came at the door. It was too rhythmic and subtle to be a stranger's. Arthur vaulted out of bed, followed closely by Alex and Satella, who had been sleeping fitfully.
As Arthur reached for the handle, he projected his mana. His D-Class senses picked up a familiar current in the air: Flora Mana. It was refined, familiar, yet laced with a deep sorrow.
He opened the door to find a slender figure draped in a dark, elegant traveling cloak. Though the hood obscured her face, Arthur immediately recognized those piercing emerald eyes.
"Anna!" he hissed.
"Let us speak inside, Sealed Miracle," Anna replied, her voice low and strained.
She slipped into the house. Alex and Satella stood frozen, paralyzed by the shock of seeing a High Elven noble in their humble kitchen.
Vlll. Facing the Family
Alex asked hesitantly, "You... you are Commander Anna, aren't you? The news said you had vanished."
Anna bowed gracefully. "I am currently a noble on a diplomatic mission, Mr. Alex. I know Arthur is here. And do not worry—neither I nor Arthur are threats to this Kingdom anymore."
She took Satella's cold, weary hands in hers. "The war is over, but the innocent pay the price of our defeat. That is why Arthur came here, and why I have followed—to ensure his safety."
Anna spoke not as a commander, but as an elder sister who understood Arthur's burden. The suspicion in Satella's eyes slowly melted away. Arthur lit a lamp and gestured for Anna to sit. Once settled, she produced a bundle of parchments hidden beneath her cloak.
lX. News from the Capital
"I stayed in the Capital for two weeks after the treaty was signed," Anna began, her voice weary but resolute. "The terms are draconian, but at least Faerondil's grip on the Council has loosened for a moment."
She leaned closer to Arthur and whispered, "The real problem is Faerondil himself. Your Frost Barricade in the Dwarven tunnels drove him to the brink of madness. He truly believed you were just an F-Class peasant. Now, through his spies in the Royal Army, he is actively hunting you as an Elven spy. He doesn't know you've reached D-Class, but he knows about your armor-shattering Frost Magic."
Arthur frowned. "So if he finds out I'm here..."
"Then this town will be razed because of you. Faerondil will stop at nothing to capture you. I've stalled him in the Capital for now, but it won't last."
Anna unfurled the parchment. "My diplomatic mission is a cover to open a path for you. Arthur, you are D-Class now. But even that won't be enough for the storm that is coming. We need a mage of at least B-Class potency."
"Runah helped me forge the Seal, but progress is slow," Arthur admitted.
"That is why I am here," Anna said. "I have a new task for you. Your next step must be to hide within the Ancient Magic Academy in the Western Kingdom. The Western Mages' Institution remains neutral in the wars of Men and Elves. Their ancient, primordial mana teachings are the only way to permanently thin your Seal—or at least boost your output to a constant B-Class level."
She looked out toward the dark fields. "I heard a guardian has been watching this town. Good work, Arthur. But we cannot lose you here. You are the last hope for both the Elves and the common folk who hold no rank."
X. Final Words
Arthur turned to his parents. "I have to go. Anna is right. If I stay and can't control this power, I'll only bring a greater catastrophe upon this home."
Alex and Satella accepted the hard truth. Their son was no longer just a village boy; he was a pivotal piece on a board between kingdoms.
Anna handed him a map of the secret routes to the West. "I will return to the Capital to keep Faerondil distracted. Until you find the Academy, you are on your own. This is your final flight, Arthur."
Before dawn, Arthur said his goodbyes and left Barren Town once more—this time as a D-Class traitor bound for the Western Kingdom. His new destination: the ancient secrets of the Academy of Magic.