The Tamer Monarch
Chapter 55: Politics

Chapter 55: Politics

It was the day of the weekly holiday, and after the recent violent storm, things had finally begun to settle. Though many would call it the calm before another storm, one fiercer and more devastating than the last.

Athar, however, was in the best mental state he had been in over the past three days. He had made significant progress during this time.

He had fully mastered the Earth grade cultivation technique—Mana Assimilation Technique which had dramatically accelerated his cultivation speed and he could not be happier.

More importantly, he had successfully established and maintained a stable connection with natural mana. While the range of his mana sense extended only about two feet for now, there was no doubt—Athar was now a full fledged user of mana sense. His next goal was to steadily improve that range as much as possible.

In addition to that, once his connection grew stronger and the range broader, he would have to start working on the control aspect of mana sense. Only then would he be able to unlock the storage ring waiting for him, something that could only be accessed through mana sense.

"You are telling me that you have already achieved initial mastery in mana sense?" Angelica asked, a trace of disbelief in her voice.

The master and disciple sat cross-legged across from each other in the familiar training hall.

"Yes, Master," Athar replied, a quiet sense of happiness and pride in his tone.

Though Angelica’s expression remained composed, her mind was in turmoil. When she had first introduced the concept of mana sense to Athar and instructed him to begin practicing, she had never imagined he would grasp it in just a week, especially while still at F Rank.

She had expected it to take him at least a few months. Even in her most optimistic projections, she had not believed he could achieve mastery before advancing to E Rank.

But Athar had shattered every expectation, every logical boundary she had known. Not even a full month had passed since his awakening, and he had already learned to use mana sense.

Angelica could not begin to comprehend what kind of monstrous talent Athar possessed to accomplish such a feat.

It looked like that even she had not been able to grasp the talent depths of her disciple.

She pushed those thoughts out of her mind and returned her focus to the present.

"Very well," she said, rising to her feet. A strip of cloth materialized in her hand, which she dropped in front of Athar.

"Tie it over your eyes," she instructed.

Athar, understanding her intent, picked it up and tied it around his eyes, plunging himself into darkness. A wooden sword appeared in Angelica’s hand.

"Are you ready, Athar?" she asked.

Athar took a deep breath, centring himself into full focus and concentration. "Yes, Master."

Angelica said nothing further. She simply raised the wooden sword and brought it down in a smooth arc. The motion was slow, not meant to harm, but to test whether Athar had truly mastered the mana sense.

The moment the sword entered the two feet radius around him, Athar’s hand shot up and caught the descending weapon just before it could touch his forehead.

Angelica had never doubted his honesty, but witnessing it firsthand was something else entirely.

"Incredible," she whispered, the only word that escaped her lips as she returned to her seat, eyes still fixed on her disciple with a quiet awe.

Athar removed the blind fold with a small smile tugging his leaves.

"And you have mastered the cultivation technique as well?" She asked.

"Yes, Master," he replied and Angelica nodded in acknowledgement.

"Athar," Angelica said, her tone more serious now. "What you have achieved is truly incredible. To learn mana sense even before stepping into E Rank is almost unbelievable."

She paused briefly, then continued, "Now, your focus should be on two things, extending the range of your mana sense and strengthening its clarity."

"There are a few methods that can help with this," she added. "One is to keep it active as much and as far as possible. The more you use it, the more attuned you will become."

Angelica then began instructing Athar on several methods to improve and expand his mana sense.

"And Athar," she added in the last, "You will not showcase anywhere that you have mastered mana sense. It will paint aa target on your back."

"Yes, Master," he replied without any hesitation. Although Angelica had not been clear, he understood that what he had achieved was something considered impossible. And he himself was no fan of unnecessary attention. Mana sense was an art for his own benefit not to show off to everyone.

It was time to move on to the next topic.

"Originally, I had planned to talk about battle techniques today," Angelica said. "But considering everything that has happened over the past few days, I have decided to change course."

Until now, neither of them had spoken about the events of the last three days.

"You know, Athar," Angelica continued, "once you begin your path toward the pinnacle, once you start gaining true power—accumulating strength alone would not be enough."

"If it were only about power," she said with a faint bitterness, "then the journey would be far simpler. There would not be so much needless bloodshed. People would not sabotage those more talented than themselves just to avoid being left behind."

"The path of cultivation is filled with challenges, and while gaining power is already no easy task, it is far from being the only obstacle."

"There are many things you will have to understand and deal with," she added. "And one of the most important among them... is politics. The politics of power."

Athar did not understand where his master was going but he continued listening resolutely.

"Tell me, Athar," Angelica asked, her tone calm yet probing. "Who do you think funds this academy?"

"The resources you receive, the salaries of the teachers, the infrastructure, the materials. Who do you think pays for all of it?" she continued.

"The dormitory fees we collect from students are peanuts compared to the actual expenses the academy bears."

"The Royal Winged Empire," Athar muttered, though a hint of uncertainty crept into his voice.

Angelica nodded. "Hmm. You could say that. A large portion of the taxes collected by the empire is redirected into academic education. The academy is, after all, a state institution."

She paused, then added, "But let me ask you something else. If the empire is willing to spend so much on the education of its youth, then why does not it provide them with beast eggs? I am not saying they need to offer gold grade eggs, but even an iron grade egg would be better than letting someone’s mana veins be sealed."

"Don’t you think?" She pressed.

"There are families who sell everything they own just to afford a decent egg for their child, parents who work themselves to the bone just to secure a bronze grade egg instead of an iron grade. And yet, there are still many who cannot gather enough crystals to buy even the weakest egg."

"And despite that, the same empire that spends lavishly on training these very students refuses to provide them with eggs."

She let that sink in, then added with a trace of cold irony, "But if a student fails to obtain an egg and their mana veins must be sealed to survive, then yes, the empire will gladly do that for free. We have mana sealing centres in every city."

"Why, Athar?" Angelica asked, eyes fixed on him.

Athar did not know what to say. Everything she had said made perfect sense. Logical, undeniable sense. And yet... he could not think of a single reason why the empire would choose not to provide something so essential.

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