CHAPTER 73: BEFORE MAGIC

Inside the royal carriage, the soft rumble of wheels blended with the rhythmic sound of horses galloping on the paved road. The world outside flashed past, full of life and movement. But inside, it was a bit quiet at first.

Then..

"Are you feeling comfortable?" Rowan asked, breaking the silence.

"Yes," Logan replied.

Then there was a pause again.

"Prince, while we are still on the journey, why don’t you tell me more about this body strengthening technique of yours? This way it would save us both some of our time."

"You are really intrigued but pretended not to care. Didn’t you? Rowan smiled. Then continued again. "Well, for starters, it’s been almost a thousand years since people last trained in that technique," Rowan began. His voice was calm, but there was something deeper behind it—like he was talking about a forgotten treasure. "From the records, I can tell you, there was no magic during that time. People relied solely on their physical capabilities. They trained their bodies with intense discipline to grow stronger."

Logan leaned in slightly, his eyes fixed on Rowan.

"But something changed," Rowan continued. "No one knows exactly what. Those who trained in this method needed something called spiritual energy once they reached the higher stages and wanted to advance even further. At the beginning, this energy was everywhere—in the air, the trees, the land. They even used special tree leaves to absorb it. These trees were known as herbs—miraculous plants rich with spiritual power."

The more Logan listened, the faster his heart pounded. This wasn’t just interesting—it felt familiar.

"But eventually," Rowan went on, "that energy started to disappear. Fewer herbs. Weaker air. And the places where spiritual energy and those herbs remained most abundant? Those later became the dungeons."

Logan’s eyes widened.

"And as that old way faded, magic and mana took its place. People began awakening with elemental affinities and forming a mana core, and the age of mages began. At first, magic advanced quickly, but over time, even that began to decline."

Logan, stunned, blurted out, "What do you mean by even magic started to decline?"

Rowan folded his arms and looked out the window for a moment before replying, the sunlight casting sharp lines across his thoughtful face.

"It’s hard to explain. But think of it like this—when magic was first discovered, there were mages who reached the legendary Tier 10. They were like gods. But now? The strongest alive are only Tier 6. And even then, there are just seventeen or eighteen of them in the entire world. Tier 7 and beyond? It’s not even a myth anymore. It’s like that knowledge... just vanished."

Outside, the trees flew by in green blurs, but inside the carriage, time seemed to freeze. Rowan’s words echoed in Logan’s mind.

"This body strengthening technique... why does it feel so familiar? How is this even possible? Were there cultivators in this world too? And if so, how did they disappear? What do the dungeons have to do with it?"

Logan’s mind buzzed with questions, but none had answers. Not a single one of them.

Noticing the troubled look in Logan’s eyes, Rowan spoke again. "Are you in deep thought because the method I mentioned rings a bell in your head?"

Logan froze.

Rowan chose his words carefully, and his instincts rarely missed the mark. This question felt like an arrow aimed straight at Logan’s secret.

Logan didn’t respond right away, unsure of how to answer. But Rowan didn’t press.

"It’s alright if you can’t trust me yet," Rowan said, his tone a bit more convincing now. "We’ve only known each other for two days. We didn’t even speak before today’s match. But I can assure you one thing —your secret will be safe with me."

He paused, then added, "I’m only asking because I’m genuinely interested. I know for sure—it’s not just magic you’re good at. Is it?"

Logan was quiet for a moment, thinking deeply. He still wasn’t sure if he could trust Rowan fully. Even Alice didn’t know the truth—if anyone deserved to know first, it was his mother. The person he loved most in this new life. Not someone he had just met. But the information Rowan shared was too important. It almost came as a shock. And if it was true, then hiding everything might put him at risk in future.

"Prince, you seem very different from how you normally act. Please don’t take this the wrong way, but... do you pretend most of the time? Or are you pretending now?" Logan wanted to know more about Rowan before deciding if he could trust him fully.

Rowan smiled slightly, almost like he expected the question.

"You also think I’m cold?" he replied with a counter-question.

"I wouldn’t say cold," Logan said. "More like calm and composed. Way more than someone of your age usually is."

"At least you didn’t say cold. Good," Rowan said with a chuckle. "It’s not that I want to be distant. I just don’t like hypocrisy. This world runs on power. If you have it, people are drawn to you. If you don’t, they won’t even blink if you die."

He looked at Logan, his expression unreadable.

"Love, emotion... they have no value when power is all that matters. So why should I act friendly to someone who’s only pretending to care about me?"

Then Rowan pointed at Logan gently. "But you—you’re different. You have power, but you don’t flaunt it. You’re pretending too, but not to gain anything. That’s why I’m being this way with you."

Logan nodded. "I’m honored, Prince. That you think so highly of me."

He gave a slight bow before continuing, "Can I ask you one more question?"

"Go ahead."

"Why did you force Lilith to surrender? You could have overpowered her easily. So why go through all that, even if it confused everyone?"

Rowan’s calm eyes narrowed slightly.

"I’ll answer that. But first," he said, "tell me—what do you think of Lilith Starwind? What kind of person do you think she is?"