When she was younger, Elene used to be your average princess in a middle-sized kingdom. A normal person, only interested in art, the latest dress trends, and books. She couldn't feel mana nor use most magic tools available to the richest. How did she come to be the strongest person alive?

In this world, one either feels mana or never does. This is why her whole existence was questioned throughout the world, was she a homunculus? A demi-god perhaps? Blessed by some higher entity? Truth is, even Elene herself had no answer to that question.

She had awakened the very night of her father's murder. The girl was only sixteen years old back then and her awakening was one of the most peculiar occurrences ever. Mages always use staffs, spellbooks, or for some, magic circle engraved gloves. But Elene didn't need any of that, strangely enough, it seemed like her brain could materialise  magic as imagined.

No cast time needed, no cumbersome items to carry on missions, just a girl and her mind. Her power, although, came at a great price, using mana too much could cause her fragile heart to fail. Elene always had to calculate how much she could use, or else she would suffer atrocious pain and maybe even death.

But that was not the only cost.

To be able to work anywhere, the archmage had to do Soul Vows. A sacred oath in which the caster swears to do or not to do something, and if they were to fail their oath, only death would follow. Naïve Elene who was but a young girl looking for a new home did the mistake of giving her soul to that ridiculous Valramian prince.

In her defence, he became her only friend, the only one kind enough to talk to her and invite her. A true manipulator, he was the puppeteer, and she was the doll at the end of the strings. And that was how one could use and kill the strongest people alive, through sheer luck and manipulation. After all, nobody ever expects a betrayal from their friends, or else they wouldn't be called one.

After a very short night of sleep, the now brown-haired–woman left the shabby inn she was staying at. Elene only had one goal in mind, and her nightmare did a good job of reminding her. But first, she had to do the impossible, breaking the shackles binding her to the one she hates the most: Ludwig Von Drachen. And for that, she had to join hands with her former enemy, Duke Lucretius Ceglar.

While it displeased the mage a lot, if what that trash emperor had said was true, if that Ceglar had actual dragon blood flowing in his veins, then maybe, maybe he could free her. It was said that dragons could suppress any spells, curses, or blessings after all.

However, Lucretius Ceglar’s whereabouts were unknown at this period of time There were rumors  that the soon-to-be Duke was attending a foreign country's academy or that he was attending a monster subjugation quest in the north of Valramy. Then again, maybe his origins were yet another lie Ludwig told Elene to mess with her in her final moments. Nevertheless, if one doesn't try, one won't achieve anything. Elene had to pursue her former enemy, even if it ended with disappointment or blood.

Her next goal was set in stone, she was going to travel to Halvahir, a small country that housed the greatest academy of all time, the only academy that surpassed Valramy's. If Lucretius was somewhere, it was either here or in the land she was killed in. Elene would rather try traveling  to Halvahir and end up with nothing than go  on an unnecessary trip to that cursed land. 

From where she was staying, it would take at least five months by foot to travel to Halvahir. However, it could take only one if she managed to use teleportation gates. 'And that's why magic is the best' she thought. Teleportation magic was banned on the whole continent for a book-worth of reasons, but through an agreement, countries decided to set up teleportation gates with neutral mages. Why was the golden-eyed female not using this spell herself? Well, Elene also had vowed not to use this magic, because she had seen it. She had seen what teleportation magic could do to innocent people. One miscalculation, one wrong thought… and you will teleport into someone. While on a mission, Elene killed a young mother this way, in front of children. The screams, the blood, and guts everywhere… It was of course an accident, but one that would lead to  terrible trauma. Even now, teleportation still scared the archmage to the point that simply using a gate could make her throw up, faint, or even… harm herself.

The choice was tough, but Elene still decided to take the long way. At least it would allow her to create a plan, to forge an identity as well. Nobody could enter the greatest academy of all time without having one. It should be an easy task, but she had to find someone who could counterfeit with great precision. Where do you look for someone like that? After all, one cannot just ask everyone in the street, it had to be a secret. Fortunately, a couple of towns away there was one of Elene's old… partner. Elene had travelled to lots of kingdoms and empires in the past, she often had to change her identity, and her go-to counterfeiter was near the border in Mehnstir, her birth country's rivals. 

It was time to go, bidding her adieux silently to the town which hosted her diligently, Elene headed west. A long trip that could last five whole months, and she intended to shorten that span, but one thing at a time. First, ID, second, transport, and lastly, join that school. The witch could already taste revenge on her lips. It had a sweet and sour taste and she intended to savour it.