The figure in the purple veil flew up to the Arch mages and their seating arrangements changed to a circular one, and she landed precisely in their middle.
Since the test had been shifted forward for six hours, the Arch mages would be deliberating among themselves, the concerns of the mortals below had no bearing on them.
The only thing they truly paid attention to was themselves, their experiences and accomplishments could not be shared with anyone else but those with Immortal Souls, this was what happens when you have the potential to live forever, you tend to disregard those who did not.
Arch mages were far more notorious than other immortals when it came to this issue because unlike the gods who could depend on their Divine Kingdom, faith, and the worship of the mortals, the Arch mage only required the commitment and the steady pursuit of the truth about reality in order to grow.
Except for outliers who treasured their families and special disciples, most Arch mages were isolated and only came together during certain special occasions like this one.
"That was certainly quite an entrance. I never knew we still made Arch mages like you again. The sheer madness of being this young again. You are here and with your Tower alongside you no less. Now that is either quite trusting or truly foolish, my bet is on the latter." Shemira Myrcelo, an Archmage of the Black Tower spoke aloud to the new figure that had entered their midst.
Before the arrival of Andar's mother, she was the only female Archmage here, and she was the first to address the new arrival.
Escaping the gaze of the mortals beneath, the veiled figure touched her head as if she was parting her hair, and the long veil that covered her body transformed into waist-length purple hair, and her true body was revealed to the Archmages.
Andar's mother had been a beautiful woman and her ascension to the rank of One-Star Arch magus had multiplied her charm to the extent that it almost looked artificial due to the extreme perfection of her figure and features. Wearing a purple robe with large black gems on her waist and back, she cut quite a dashing figure.
The only non-human trait she had were her large eyes that were entirely purple and bleeding black smoke, and on her forehead was the tattoo of a weird twisted tower that seemed to be built out of flesh instead of stone.
The true body of an Arch mage could be said to be their Tower, as it was the container for their Immortal Souls.
She opened her mouth to speak, and her voice was calm and collected, this was the voice of a woman who had experienced power and status for a long time, and although she was a One Star Arch mage and was most likely the weakest one here, her voice was strong.
"You would have to forgive my improprieties, my fellow Holder of The Flame," she smiled at the Arch mages present, "My son would be making history and for such an occasion, I fear nothing short of my presence would have to do, he has been without the company of his mother for so long, this is the least that I could do for him. In my rush and excitement to see my son, I might have been a bit rash."
"Rash is an understatement, you have delayed this event for the entire Magus World with your little stunt, it would seem that you forget that we still have enemies inside the Material universe, and your safety could easily be in peril when you flaunt your Tower to the entire universe," Shemira replied, her eyes fixed suspiciously on the figure in their midst.
"I will explain the reason for the move I made, and if it's not satisfactory to you all, I am willing to pay the price for it."
"There is no need to feel that way. I can understand your position, revealing yourself to the entire Magus World in such a bold manner. That is commendable, I can see the reason you became the president of the Federation, " Khasos the steward of the Black Tower called out, he waved his hand and a new throne appeared beside him, "Sit with us and partake of our communion, I can now understand where your son, my disciple, acquired a portion of his extreme talent."
"Thank you, Steward," Andar's mother smiled widely, "It would be remiss not to introduce myself and my name after my rebirth. My name is Aeynid Erik, The Purple Rose."
Aeynid turned to Shemira and smiled, "For the matter of safety, I am the president of the Black Federation, there is nowhere safer for me than in your midst, as a sign of my trust for the Arch mages of all the Towers, I can be here for my son using my real body, a gesture that he would come to appreciate in time."
She then concentrated on the rest of the Arch mages and made her voice bolder, as she pointed to the sky at the approaching planet and its moons, "As the President of the Black Federation, I am impartial in my conduct and wish for no other benefits to be given to me beyond what is needed for someone of my station. Yet the achievement of myself and my son has triggered the elevation of my Home world."
Dropping her hand and clasping both of them together on her stomach she addressed the Arch mages, "We are all aware of this elevation in status, but it was supposed to commence three months from now, but I pushed it forward to serve as a source of encouragement to my dear son. To see his actions causing such vast changes in the lives of billions would inspire him, at least this is what I hope for. The Arch mages of the Black Tower will forgive my impertinence, I only wanted to give my boy every accolade he deserved on this day."
The Steward of the Black Tower Khasos glanced at his fellow Archmages of the Black Tower, Hashim Prizahl, Shemira Myrcelo, and Lucius Gyfon, they all communicated internally within themselves, and the Steward nodded after making his decision, one of his heads turned to Aeynid and replied, the other head was usually asleep.
"We are all aware of the movement of Ikaron V, now Ikaron II, and this elevation by all indication should be considered overdue and falls within your purview as the president of the Federation and we all know that with the accomplishment you and your son have made, it would be an easy thing to take your home world to the top, yet you chose to settle for second place. In light of your discretion, certain considerations can be made. Andar is the Seed of the Black Tower, and on this day he deserves the accolades and the inspiration he needs on his path forward."
There was no mention of the damages or the disruption that her abrupt flare of power had caused, as a new Arch mage and the president of the Black Federation, it was expected that she should display her might in some manner and to do so before the gaze of the entire Magus Worlds was a display of her confidence and strength.
Such an action would be frowned upon and even punished if she were to repeat it, but ultimately nothing essential was truly lost as every Arch mage here was just a shell and their true selves were pursuing their main goals, leaving a small portion of their consciousness on this matter.
No matter how amazing Andar's performance was, if he did not become an Arch mage, they would never focus their full attention on him because in a thousand years or a million years to come, without becoming an Immortal Soul, all his accomplishments would be nothing when he perished, it would at most be reduced to be mentioned in a book, placed inside the Ancient Library, forgotten for eternity.
Aeynid Erik, newly ascended Archmage walked to her allotted throne and she sat gracefully, soon a burst of Aether began to pass between the Arch mages as they began communicating faster than any mortal could comprehend.
Shemira stroked her chin as she contemplated the name of Andar's mother, "Erik… Erik, why is that name triggering my concern."
Above them, the planet drew nearer.
