The Genius Mage Was Reincarnated Into A Swordsman Family

Faris Zagerfield sat in the opulent drawing room of the annex mansion, the rich fabrics and ornate furnishings doing little to ease the growing sense of disdain festering within him. His eyes flicked briefly to the girl seated beside him, Mary-Claire Zagerfield, and he had to suppress the urge to sneer. Her presence was an unwelcome reminder of everything wrong in his life at the moment. How could someone so wretched, so insignificant, share the same bloodline as him?

Mary-Claire was the epitome of failure in the Zagerfield clan, a girl whose very existence seemed to offend everyone around her. Even the servants, who normally treated their masters with a certain level of deference, looked down on her. Born without the ability to sense mana, she had no potential to become a mage—a fatal flaw in a family that prided itself on producing powerful magicians. Her father, Damien Zagerfield, despised her more than anyone else, her beauty being the only reason she still drew breath. It was a cruel irony that the same striking appearance that kept her alive was also the reason she was so universally hated. Beauty, it seemed, was not enough to mask her inadequacies.

Faris could hardly stand to be in the same room as her, especially in the absence of the one person who truly captivated him: Helene La Mer, the heiress of the Ice Palace. Helene’s absence left a void that the luxurious surroundings could not fill. She was everything that Mary-Claire was not—graceful, powerful, and impossibly beautiful. Her presence had a way of elevating the atmosphere, making every moment feel more significant, more alive. Without her, the room felt stifling, and Faris’s irritation only grew.

He tried to distract himself by glancing at the elaborate tapestries that lined the walls, their intricate designs depicting legendary battles and scenes of grandeur. Yet, even these failed to hold his attention. His mind kept drifting back to Helene, and the thought of her wandering the grounds alone was almost unbearable.

’Where could she be?’ he wondered, his mind racing with possibilities. ’She should be here with us, not out there by herself.’

Unable to shake his growing irritation, Faris turned his attention back to Mary-Claire, who sat quietly beside him, her hands folded neatly in her lap. The sight of her only deepened his contempt. She was a constant reminder of failure, a black mark on the Zagerfield name. Unlike Helene, who was everything a noblewoman should be, Mary-Claire was a liability—an embarrassment to the family. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Just as the tension in the room threatened to reach its breaking point, Briana, another member of their small group, cleared her throat awkwardly. Her voice was soft but firm as she spoke, cutting through the silence that had settled over them.

"It’s getting quite late," Briana said, glancing out the window at the darkening sky. "We should probably try to look for Helene. I think she might have gotten lost."

Faris’s eyes lit up at the suggestion, his previous irritation momentarily forgotten. The thought of seeing Helene again was like a balm to his frayed nerves. "Ah, you’re right! Let’s look for Helene," he agreed eagerly, his voice betraying his excitement.

Briana nodded, relieved to have found a way to diffuse the tension, and the three of them—Faris, Briana, and Mary-Claire—rose from their seats. They were soon joined by a maid, and together they set off to search for Helene, the cold night air a welcome relief after the stifling atmosphere of the drawing room.

***

Meanwhile, Klaus stood at the edge of the lake, the dark flames swirling around him like a living entity, their malevolent energy palpable. The fire he had unleashed was unlike anything he had ever experienced—a raw, untamed force that seemed to resonate with something deep within him. The black tornado of fire roared with an intensity that made the very air around him tremble, its destructive power both terrifying and exhilarating.

WOOSH!

The dark flames surged upwards, forming a massive tornado that reached towards the heavens, its blackened core pulsating with an eerie light. The energy within it was so overwhelming that it felt as if the very fabric of reality was straining to contain it.

Then, with a deafening roar, the tornado exploded, sending shockwaves rippling through the annex mansion. The explosion was so powerful that it shook the very foundations of the estate, causing windows to shatter and walls to tremble.

BOOM!

The force of the blast sent a wave of dust and debris into the air, obscuring Klaus from view.

The dark flames dissipated, leaving behind a scene of utter devastation. Klaus stood at the center of the chaos, his chest rising and falling with the aftereffects of the flames he had just unleashed. He felt the cool night air on his skin and realized he was completely naked, his clothes reduced to ash in the wake of his newfound ability.

As he surveyed the damage, Klaus’s eyes caught sight of something—or rather, someone—in the distance. A girl, equally naked, stood a few meters away, her long, white hair shimmering in the moonlight. Her red eyes were wide with a mix of surprise and something else Klaus couldn’t quite place.

He stared at her, and she stared back. The silence between them was heavy, filled with the awkwardness of their unexpected encounter. Klaus could feel his face growing warm, not from any remnants of the flames, but from the sheer embarrassment of the situation.

"Uh…" Klaus started, but the words caught in his throat. What could he possibly say? He had just accidentally stripped himself naked with a burst of uncontrollable power, and now here he was, standing in front of a beautiful, naked girl. The whole scene felt surreal.

Helene’s face flushed as she finally registered their mutual state of undress. She quickly looked away, her arms instinctively wrapping around her body in an attempt to cover herself. Klaus followed suit, turning slightly to the side, trying to shield himself as best he could with his hands.

"This is… uh… awkward," Klaus mumbled, his voice low and strained.

Helene didn’t respond immediately, her mind racing as she tried to process what had just happened. She had felt the heat of his flames—something she thought was impossible. But that was a thought for another time. Right now, all she could think about was how to extricate herself from this mortifying situation. Discover stories with empire

"I… I didn’t mean to… interrupt," she finally managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper.

Klaus shook his head, still avoiding direct eye contact. "No, it’s… it’s not your fault. I didn’t think anyone would be out here."

There was another long pause, the awkwardness between them almost palpable. Neither knew what to do or say next, each acutely aware of the other’s presence, and more importantly, their nakedness.

"I should go," Helene said suddenly, her voice trembling slightly as she began to back away, still careful to keep herself covered.

"Yeah… probably a good idea," Klaus agreed, equally eager to escape the situation. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, the adrenaline from the flames replaced by a different kind of tension.

Helene took another step back, then another, before turning and quickly retreating into the shadows of the trees surrounding the lake. Klaus watched her go, relief washing over him as she disappeared from view.

Once she was gone, Klaus let out a long breath, finally allowing himself to relax. He looked down at his hands, the remnants of the dark flames still tingling in his palms. Whatever he had just done, it was powerful—more powerful than anything he’d ever experienced. But right now, all he could think about was finding something to wear.