As Nevalis, the old man Elias, and the three others descended to the lower floor, all eyes turned to them.
But Nevalis ignored the stares and walked straight to a chair, sitting calmly as he waited for Elias.
Soon enough, the old man joined him, pulling up a chair and sitting directly across from Nevalis. He looked at him and said:
"So, what exactly is in that mind of yours that makes you so confident? We have nothing. We need money, soldiers, weapons, and experience. And these children possess none of those. So how do you plan to solve all that?"
Nevalis smiled at him and replied:
"As for money—don't worry. I have plenty. Soldiers? We already have many—just look at how widespread the slums are across the kingdom.
Weapons? No need to worry about that either. I've got a lot. Maybe not comprehensive, but enough for now.
Experience, however—that's the part that will take time and effort. But I already have some ideas."
Elias stared at him. Half the problems were already solved, but there were still gaps. Noticing his expression, Nevalis continued:
"As for training, I'll handle the theoretical and some of the practical
part myself. After all, my head is full of the knowledge we need. Whether it's magic or knighthood—I can build it from the ground up, as long as the person is capable.
And as for training the mages—you'll be part of that, of course... if you join us."
Nevalis hadn't forgotten about Elias's role in the magic circle.
Everyone was shocked—first by Nevalis's words, and second by the revelation that their grandfather was a mage.
Nevalis then shifted his gaze beyond Elias, toward the group of children behind him, and said:
"So... is anyone going to join?"
Silence. No one answered. But their eyes turned to Elias, as if to say, "He's the one who'll decide."
Ivan spoke up, turning to Elias:
"Grandfather... I think we should join."
Everyone was stunned by Ivan's words.
Elias looked at Ivan. He already knew why the boy agreed, but he wanted to hear his reasoning—wanted everyone to hear it.
"And why," he asked, "should we join something that might become our new suffering?"
Ivan answered:
"Because... at least we'll be trying. I don't want to spend my life hiding in corners, helpless to protect my siblings. I want power, Grandpa—
Power to avenge my sister. Power to break the chains of this hell we live in.
Power to protect those I care about. Power to dethrone those bastards.
I understand that we might suffer if we fail, but what's new? We're already suffering.
I'd rather suffer while trying to break free from this nightmare than keep hiding in the shadows."
Elias nodded slowly. Ivan had said what he himself had wanted to say, but had been too afraid.
Afraid of seeing the children destroyed. Afraid of failing to protect them again.
After all, he had already failed once to protect his family.
Elias looked at the other kids. Determination had begun to shine in their eyes. Ivan's words lit a fire in their hearts.
In that moment, Elias realized—he couldn't hold them back just because of his own fears.
He turned to Nevalis and said:
"We'll join you—but only after I hear your full plan. I trust you haven't just thought this far."
Nevalis smiled, stood up, and said:
"From this moment on, only those who are joining should stay."
He expected some to leave—but no one did.
Some had hesitated before, but once Elias agreed, that doubt vanished. It showed just how much trust they had in the old man.
Once it was clear no one would leave, Nevalis said:
"Good."
Then he sat back down, turned to Elias, and said:
"Listen closely, old man. You'll be the one managing everything in my absence."
He continued:
"First, let me explain how the kingdom is divided—since most of you probably don't know. The kingdom is made up of four layers:
1. The Nobility (Ruling Class) – The royal family, grand dukes, counts, and barons.
2. The Middle Class – Wealthy merchants, officers, and professional soldiers.
3. The Commoners – Farmers and laborers.
4. The Outcasts – The slums."
He went on:
"Let's talk about the nobility and the military, because those are the two that can offer us training and experience.
Especially the Baron families. There are 24 baron houses in the kingdom. Each one has knights and mages.
At the end of each year, they hold recruitment for soldiers and mages.
That's what we'll target—after our basic training here.
You'll each choose a house and try to be recruited. The wars between noble families will give you the experience you need.
Then there's the army—which is easier to join. Volunteers are always accepted.
Most importantly, the kingdom is required to participate in the Beast Subjugation event every twenty years.
It's mandatory for noble families and the military. And it happens in three years.
That's the main focus of our plan—our opportunity for massive growth, whether through the army or the noble houses.
As for the four grand duke families—don't even think of joining them. Their screening process is impossible to bypass. We'll be exposed immediately."
Nevalis let out a long breath and paused for a few seconds before continuing:
"Third—there are adventurer and mercenary branches.
That's a safer option, and you'll gain experience too.
Mercenaries are sometimes hired for noble wars, so it's also profitable."
He paused, realizing he had said a lot. It was time to let them absorb the information.
…
Nevalis let the silence settle. Even Elias said nothing—he knew the children needed time to process the weight of what they were hearing.
Some faces darkened with realization, others still seemed confused. But one thought echoed in everyone's mind:
Did that kid really think of all this?
Nevalis wasn't even older than most of them. He looked about fourteen.
After a few minutes, Nevalis continued:
"Now that we've built the outer structure, it's time to talk about the pillars—our mages."
He pointed to the room they had just come from.
"There's a magical detection circle in there. It will tell us if any of you
have the potential to be a mage—and what your magic is."
Excitement lit up everyone's faces. Magic was something they all dreamed of using.
But then Nevalis shattered their hopes:
"Don't get your hopes up too much. Mages are rare.
"It would be amazing if even one or two of you qualify."
That was a harsh truth—there were over twenty people in the room. And even one or two would be considered lucky.
Ignoring their shock, Nevalis continued:
"Now let me explain the magic types. There are main elements such as:
.Fire
.Water
.Wind
.Earth
.Darkness
.Light
.Sound
And then there are sub-elemental magics—derived from the main ones.
Not every mage can use them—they require creativity and a magical mind.
They're often weaker, but have specialized uses. For example:
.Ice and mist magic come from water
.Flight magic comes from wind
There's also unique magic, used by very few people. Like:
.Healing Magic
.Blood Magic
.Sand Magic
There are others, but no need to burden you with them now.
"Mages are also ranked from First Rank to Ninth Rank."
Nevalis continued:
"Now, let's talk about the knights. This is the path for those who will wield the sword with pride.
The progression is:
.Soldier → Warrior → Knight
Once you become a knight, you can use aura.
And there are further classifications:
.Advanced Knight – Skilled swordsmen with advanced combat techniques.
.Phantom Knight – A rare type of swordsman known for incredible speed and stealthy, precise strikes.
Then comes the stage everyone dreams of—Swordmaster.
They are the elite of the elite. In this era, no one on the continent has reached this level.
It's considered a legend—but it exists.
There are no sub-ranks within Swordmaster. It all depends on aura and battle prowess."
The children's faces lit up again. There was another path—one just as glorious as magic.
Nevalis added:
"There are also those who can wield both sword and aura—like me. But such individuals are extremely rare."
Everyone in the room was stunned.
But as usual, Nevalis didn't care about their shock. He simply smiled confidently and said:
"So... shall we begin?"