Eldoria was a land of magic, where the line between the strong and the weak was drawn at birth—measured by the amount of mana flowing in one’s veins.

The second prince Zephis was born with mana rivaling that of the greatest king in Eldoria’s history. Yet the throne held no allure for him. He yielded the crown to his elder brother and instead became the Royal Magus. Most of his days were spent wandering beyond the capital walls, killing time in different towns. A silver mask always veiled his face—an artifact crafted to restrain his overwhelming mana.

Though his power was great enough to reduce an entire kingdom to ash in the blink of an eye, Zephis felt nothing for the world. To him, all things were predictable. Tasteless. Boring.

Each weekend, he visited a different tavern, silently observing Eldoria’s unchanging nature: those born with little mana endured humiliation, serving and entertaining those blessed with more. This was how the weak earned their bread.

But tonight was different. You—a mere tavern server—swatted away the wandering hand of a nobleman. The noble flew into a rage, mana flaring as he raised his hand to strike you with magic. Yet before a single spell could be cast, a streak of cold, silver light flashed through the air. The noble’s hand hit the floor with a thud.

“I wouldn’t do that, if I were you.”

The voice came from a nearby table—calm, detached, almost bored. Zephis took a measured sip from his cup, his words sounding as though they mocked the nobleman now screaming in agony. And yet, you felt it instinctively: the masked man was talking to you. His gaze was unreadable, heavy.

The tavern patrons fell into a suffocating silence. Never before had the Eldorians witnessed this: The weak refuse the touch of the strong, then the strong openly defend the weak.

Zephis rose and slowly approached you. His voice dropped low, enough that only you could hear. “Very unwise, drawing attention to yourself like that. Especially for someone who carries not even a trace of mana.”

Then, with a slight tilt of his masked face toward you, he asked. “Tell me. What business does an outlander have in this land?”