Those words confused everyone who knew her. It was one thing for her to show interest in me at the academy, but quite another for her to bring me along, knowing how precious these tickets were.
Victorio approached his sister as soon as he saw her, but when he saw me getting off and heard her call me, he frowned.
He raised an eyebrow, shooting her a questioning look.
Morgana simply smiled.
"I told you I was going to bring someone else. I'm not that good at defending myself, so I brought my darling to help me with that."
Victorio's disbelief was almost comical.
Seraphine, for her part, stared at me in confusion; she clearly hadn't expected me to actually show up with Morgana. In fact, she seemed to feel it as a betrayal.
Cassane and Valeria observed the situation seriously, though they didn't let the surprise show on their faces.
In fact, Valeria approached me with a smile.
"So you were interested in the legacy after all. You could have told me; I would have begged my mother to let me bring someone else."
"I'm not really interested. I don't believe much in this kind of thing," I replied. "But since Morgana invited me, I decided to come and see for myself. I guess a bit of curiosity arises when everyone keeps talking about it."
She nodded and seemed to want to say something more, but at that moment Morgana took my arm, pressing herself too close to me, and looked at her with that cunning, arrogant smile she always wore.
"Valeria, how is the duchess? I see you brought some luggage with you," she said jokingly, referring to Cassane, who was standing a little further away, occasionally glancing in our direction.
But this closeness completely broke one person.
Seraphine stepped forward and forcefully pulled Morgana away from me. Then she frowned and directed a look full of something inexplicable toward me.
However, just as she was about to say something, she seemed to remember that she had no right to ask. After all, since she believed I had no talent, it was perfectly normal for me to accept coming with Morgana if she invited me. On the other hand, she should have considered inviting me first—something she never did, even after I helped her family obtain the entry they were now using.
Someone else followed her, but he actually dared to ask.
"And what's this whole gathering about?" He directed his gaze at Morgana and Victorio. "If I'm not mistaken, both of you are from the Valois of Demor, right?" Then he shifted his eyes to me. "But you… I don't recall seeing you during my time there."
"Of course you wouldn't remember someone like me," I replied indifferently. "I'm just the talentless son of a count."
"Talentless? The son of a count from a medium-sized empire…?" Lucas Wyrne seemed to be processing my words.
It was a fact that, for example, Elric—who had been dreaming of coming—hadn't managed to get anyone to give up a spot for him, despite having at least some level of talent.
Lucas Wyrne burst out laughing.
"You brought someone with no mana or aura here? Do you want to get him killed or what is going on?"
Valeria was the one who stepped up to defend me.
"With his sword skill, he doesn't need any of that," she declared. Her confidence surprised not only the prince but also Victorio, who still couldn't understand how his own sister was calling me her bodyguard.
"Oh, if someone from a house famous for its sword techniques says so, it must be true," Lucas replied, though his tone remained skeptical. "Still, I've never heard of anyone defeating a beast above the third level without aura."
"He defeated Julius Sterling without using it," she added, as if to make it clear that just because he hadn't heard about it didn't mean it hadn't happened.
Lucas's eyes widened in surprise, and a serious look began to take over his face. Julius, who was standing just a few meters away, clenched his jaw when he was mentioned.
"That… is really something," Lucas murmured. He stared at me intently, trying to see beyond my appearance. Someone who always looked down on anyone of lower rank suddenly felt real interest in what, until a second ago, he had considered mere trash in his path.
But it didn't last long. He seemed to justify the defeat as mere luck, or perhaps convinced himself that Julius had underestimated me too much or hadn't been serious. Instead, he turned his gaze back to Seraphine and invited her to wait with him, since the door would probably open soon.
She, still uncertain but thinking that entering with someone who was likely the only person under twenty-five to have broken the second limit was her best option, finally nodded.
Julius looked at me. Since the exams, we hadn't spoken much, but there seemed to be a certain understanding or mutual respect between us.
He gave me a nod and followed his sister.
When we were left alone, with only the members of Valois who were going to enter and me, Morgana looked at me with uncertainty.
"Does it really not bother you?" she asked, referring to Seraphine's attitude.
I looked at her with complete indifference.
"If it helps her gain a bit of confidence in herself, let her do it. That's just how people are; many times they do things they wouldn't do otherwise, but in the moment, it seems like the best option to them."
Morgana sighed. She was about to say something else when a loud rumble shook the ground beneath our feet.
The immense door began to open. The pieces held by the leaders of each group started to glow, and in just a few seconds, the place that had been full of people became completely empty.
Only the imposing door remained, now open, along with the carriages and belongings they had left behind.
Some of those present had also stayed behind—only a few: those who believed they could trick something beyond their understanding just by being a few years older, or those who had simply come to accompany the younger ones.
For my part, I also stayed there, staring at the door, knowing full well that by traditional means it would not let me enter.
I let out a tired sigh. Lately I had been getting dragged into annoying things, although if Xuehua were here, she would probably prefer this to me letting myself be consumed by hedonistic behavior.
I took a step forward, clearly understanding that this was not the inheritance of simple mages or warriors from this planet. What stood before my eyes was the entrance to a cultivation legacy: someone who was above the True Immortal level had left everything they possessed—whether material or knowledge—inside.
"A True Immortal or higher in such a small world…" I murmured to myself, my eyes shining with interest. "I suppose someone from a superior world fell here long ago, or something else is going on."
It wasn't normal for such an insignificant corner of the universe to house the legacy of a being at that level.
After the Nascent Soul, the last step of the mortal realms, comes Spirit Transformation. Once that is overcome, one steps into the immortal levels: the Void of Reality, where one begins to comprehend the universal laws; and the Lightning Tribulation, a level that seeks to suppress you but, once overcome, turns you into a True Immortal.
However, that is not the peak. The Immortal King is next—someone of galactic importance, though still immature to rule. The Law Realms or Sovereign levels are what truly matter; the Venerables who reach this state cease to be energy and become living laws. Above them are the Immortal Emperors, lords of entire galaxies. The last two steps are almost legendary rumors: the Ancestors, who go beyond everything, and the ultimate level, the Absolute God.
A rumor for the strongest, though I knew very well that it existed.
I looked at the entrance and crossed the threshold with complete calm. I felt the space folding in around me, and the surroundings began to change.