"???"
"What does that mean?"
Alaric looked confusedly at the young student who was running down the hallway, not understanding what was happening.
Was he the devil or something worse? Why was everyone acting like they had seen a monster?
At first, when they saw him and began greeting him, Alaric was genuinely pleased. He felt warmth, as if he were returning home after a long journey.
But that idyll quickly collapsed.
"Tell me, what did that boy mean by what he just said?"
"And why is he in such a hurry to inform Mordo?"
Alaric was levitating slightly above the ground, his face dark and serious, and his gaze fell upon a group of younger mages who hesitated and looked at each other nervously.
In Kamar-Taj, the hierarchy was clearly visible and expressed through the colors of clothing.
The newest students wore white robes.
The more advanced ones progressed to red, then black, while only masters such as Hamill, Wong, Daniel, and Mordo could wear dark red or gold-embroidered garments.
As for the Ancient One, she, as always, wore whatever she wanted, no rules applied to her.
Alaric, though dressed in white, stood out. His cloak was crescent white with light golden patterns that shimmered softly in the light. That combination gave him authority and elegance, he looked like someone who was not to be contradicted.
And judging by the way the students looked at him, it seemed that his reputation had significantly grown since he had left Kamar-Taj.
"Alaric… well… that…"
The young mages hesitated, shifting their weight uneasily from foot to foot, lowering their heads, not daring to look him in the eyes.
"Come on, speak freely," said Alaric with a gentle smile, which, however, did not give them much confidence.
"It's just… they say that Master Alaric is the reincarnation of the devil," one of them stammered. "That you love to bully your peers… especially Master Mordo, Master Wong, and Master Daniel… and that you even made them cry…"
Another student quickly added: "Also… they say that you have a terrible temper and that you like to do things your own way whenever you disagree with someone…"
A third one whispered quietly, staring at the ground: "And that's why… the Sorcerer Supreme expelled you from Kamar-Taj…"
Alaric stared at them for a few seconds, completely speechless.
"…Excuse me?"
The young mages whispered to Alaric the rumors they had heard.
Alaric was left speechless and confused.
When had he ever bullied his colleagues?!
When had he lectured Mordo? Weren't they the ones who had asked him for help?
And those stories about beating them until they cried?!
It was pure slander!
And as for supposedly being expelled from Kamar-Taj by the Ancient One, who even made that up?!
He had been on the verge of a new discovery, in the midst of researching his own magical power, and then, rumors!
Reincarnation of a demon? If he really were a demon, the Ancient One would have destroyed him long ago!
So, while he was gone, these idle mages had clearly decided to invent stories behind his back.
Seeing Alaric remain silent, several of the young mages cautiously raised their heads. His face was dark, his gaze sharp as a blade. His expression clearly showed how furious he was.
They just wanted to run away!
As long as he didn't beat them up!
"Uh, Master Alaric… if there's nothing else, we'd like to… leave now…"
"You don't actually believe that nonsense, do you?" Alaric asked through clenched teeth, looking at them sharply.
"No, no, no, of course not!"
"Of course we believe you! You're an inspiration to all of us! We'll be going now, ha-ha… goodbye, Master Alaric!"
A few young mages almost stumbled as they hurried to get as far away as possible.
Yeah right, of course we believe you…
But everyone had seen when Wong and Daniel returned from the New York temple with red eyes!
The Ancient One had summoned them afterward and many had witnessed it!
In the following days, neither of them laughed. They walked gloomy and silent!
And after Alaric had clashed with Mordo, Mordo had shouted so loudly that it echoed through the entire complex. Everyone knew that!
After that, Mordo had acted like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, even smiled!
As for the older mages like Hamill and Emir, every time Alaric was mentioned, they just sighed and shook their heads: "What a shame... The Ancient One drove him away..."
"Mordo! Wong! Daniel!! You guys just wait till I find you!!"
Without a doubt, all of this was their doing!
Alaric flew furiously toward the place where they usually trained.
...
On the other side, Mordo was completely absorbed in training. He was perfecting ancient martial arts techniques, combining them with magic, inspired precisely by Alaric's teachings.
He had discovered that by using magical energy to strengthen the body, he could amplify the power of his blows.
Since the day he had talked with Alaric, he had begun experimenting with that approach and had now finally succeeded, he could compress energy into his fists and increase the strength of every strike.
Although he could not cover his entire body like Alaric, who possessed nearly infinite energy, his progress was immense.
He was genuinely proud.
He had even shared his experience with others in Kamar-Taj – Wong, Daniel, and the other mages, who soon mastered the technique as well.
"Ugh!"
Mordo exhaled and smiled broadly.
"Finally… in the days when Alaric isn't here, even the air feels fresher."
He took a deep breath and felt relieved.
Without Alaric's chaos, the psychological pressure on him seemed to have vanished.
But then.
"Master Mordo! Master Alaric has returned!!"
A young mage, his student, ran in, panting, and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"What!?!"
Mordo froze, his face losing all color.
His heart began to race wildly.
If Alaric heard those rumors… he was done for!
Even though he hadn't started them, who would believe him now?!
"Tell him I'm not in Kamar-Taj!!" Mordo shouted in panic, grabbed the ring hanging from his belt, opened a portal, and stepped inside.
But just as the portal began to glow, a familiar voice came from behind him:
"Want to leave? Too late!"