Published at 15th of December 2023 10:01 am

Chapter 360

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"I have one more point to address before moving on. About Zenon… No, about Dave."

A man raised his hand to address the gathering.

This man was none other than Thomas Nilsen, the One Master of the Mjolnir sub-school, a wizard hailing from the same era as Merlin and Theodore.

In line with the traditions of the Mjolnir sub-school, he possessed untamed blue hair and a rugged beard. His attire was far from conventional, consisting of weathered garments and a cape that seemed carelessly draped. His countenance, physique, and limbs bore mysterious, ancient tattoos.

In stark contrast to the contemporary wizards who championed industrialization and held positions of societal prominence, he exuded an unmistakable eccentricity. It was evident to all that he was an outlier, and one could surmise that his extraordinary skills afforded him the privilege of eccentricity within the confines of the Magic Tower.

Murmurs and hushed conversations began to circulate throughout the room.

The participants, who had maintained a consistent silence, were stirred by Thomas's words.

His utterance had voiced the very matter they had all been eager to address.

The events in Lake Village had been nothing short of shocking, but what had truly rocked their ranks was none other than Zenon, who was also known as Dave.

A warlock by trade, serving as a solver and a personal staff for a professor within the Magic Tower.

It marked an unprecedented instance in the Magic Tower's history, where a mixed-blood individual devoid of any prominent lineage had made his presence felt.

Objectively speaking, this was a minor issue when contrasted against the treachery of the Life School Faction or the nefarious deeds of the Black Hand. However, the truth of the matter was that human beings tended to be more swayed by subjectivity than objectivity.

For this reason, the current ruling echelons of the Magic Tower found it challenging to turn a blind eye to Dave's existence.

A tarnished and sinister warlock within the sanctified confines of the Magic Tower, with none other than Archiver Merlin as his patron.

There were more than just a few matters they wished to probe into.

‘But to ask him outright…'

‘Is difficult…'

‘Because of him…'

The wizards, who had thus far held their tongues out of deference to Merlin, seemed to have been thinking ahead.

"But since Mr. Thomas has said it, Archiver must explain."

Those harboring reservations about Zenon, also known as Dave, collectively turned their gaze toward Merlin and Thomas.

For the sake of the sacred Magic Tower's future.

Eventually, Merlin, sensing the collective scrutiny, rose from his seat in the corner and began to speak slowly.

"Are we diggin' up a yarn that's already wrapped up?"

Audacious. This was the general sentiment upon hearing Merlin's words, as though glimpsing a facet of his past self.

"The story is over?"

"Yeah, Thomas… haven't I already spelled it out? He's a young one I scooped up after takin' care of a warlock mob, a real talent."

Merlin had provided the same justification to the leadership of the Magic Tower as he had in Lake Village.

In light of Oliver's true identity being exposed, it had been a measure to bring him into the fold.

The challenge lay in the difficulty other wizards had in accepting this explanation.

Even among wizards, it was emotionally taxing to comprehend and embrace the notion that a warlock was a disciple of Archiver, a position of exceptional prestige.

Setting rationality aside, wizards, like all humans, had their emotional struggles.

"He is indeed talented."

Amidst the discomfiting silence, a towering figure spoke up.

It was none other than Philip Roar.

The head of the illustrious Roar family, principal of the Royal Wizard Academy, head of the Royal Magical Research Department, and the Honorary Grand Master of the Pure Magic School.

"Talent?"

"Yes. From what I've seen, the kid is a genius. He interfered with a large-scale boundary that incorporated spatial magic and used it in reverse, and skillfully used blood magic. For reference, it was far beyond the level of the existing Blood Magic sub-school."

The crowd reacted to his words. Blood magic, a nascent magical discipline stemming from the Life School Faction, remained shrouded in mystery. Yet, its potential and significance were widely acknowledged.

Someone inquired, breaking the silence, "How did he…?"

"Well… if what I heard is correct, that Zenon kid fought with Bathory on Mountain Pace, correct?"another chimed in.

The audience began murmuring again, momentarily shifting their focus from the pressing matter at hand.

Bathory, the shadowy figure who had infiltrated the Life School faction's research institute, had been a shocking revelation in its own right.

Philip turned his attention to Merlin. "Archiver… According to my speculation, did that guy learn blood magic there? Didn't Archiver say that he imitates almost everything he sees?"

All eyes turned to Merlin, awaiting his response.

"Well, it's not difficult to answer, but I don't know what the point of this conversation is… Thomas, what's the reason you brought up Zenon?"

"Are you planning to keep the warlock in the Tower… He is a warlock, right?"

Wizards who held a disdain for black magic silently rallied behind Thomas. While more immediate concerns demanded their attention, certain issues were challenging to ignore.

"I think the same. If a warlock is inside the Tower, couldn't he steal valuable knowledge?"

"Yes, I heard that Dave guy is ravaging the Tower's library and reading all the books."

"That's 'cause I put him onto it. It's called takin' charge of your own learnin'. Speaking of which, young'uns these days don't visit libraries much. Back in our day, we'd still hit the books even when they told us not to, right, Thomas?"

Merlin gestured toward Thomas and asked.

"Well, that's true. These days, kids go out to the streets right after class to eat, drink, and play cards. They say it's youth… Anyway, continue talking about Zenon. Or rather, Dave. Don't change the subject."

Merlin expressed a hint of regret as his attempt to shift the conversation's focus met resistance. Philip interjected once more.

"May I add something?"

"What is it?"

"First of all, I think we should keep that guy Zenon in the Tower."

A wizard raised an objection, saying, "Look here, Mr. Philip. Isn't it too rash to talk about someone else's affairs? He's a warlock."

"To be precise, he was a warlock. Didn't everyone hear he's Archiver's disciple?"

Philip invoked Archiver's name and swiftly dispelled the objection. To doubt Zenon was to cast doubt upon Merlin, who vouched for his identity—an exceedingly difficult prospect for any wizard.

Another wizard weighed in, "Even so, the Tower is not an organization for one person, but a collective for the survival and benefits of multiple factions. To put it simply—"

"—I'm giving this advice for the sake of the Tower. Aren't I technically part of the Tower too? Does it seem like I'm talking lightly?"

No one could dispute it. Technically, Philip held an outsider's honorary position, but in reality, he and his family played a pivotal role both within and outside the Tower. That's precisely why he was present.

"For example, how do you think the outside world will view us if we kick out Dave now? We've already informed the city about the incident."

"……"

"If we kick out Dave, it would mean we're discrediting him. It would look like we've received one-sided assistance from an outsider. And from a warlock at that… Wouldn't that be embarrassing?"

A hush fell over the assembly. As Philip had pointed out, it would indeed be a disgrace, one that could cast a shadow over the institute's future.

"The Lake Village incident is not something that can be hidden. We will also need to be cautious of our surroundings for a while. Do you want to create unnecessary friction during this time?"

"…So, what should we do?"

"What do you mean what should we do? Let's just accept Zenon as a member of the Tower. If we accept him as if it's nothing, who would dare to say anything? We've already told the city that he is a special experiment."

A straightforward yet effective solution.

Acceptance represented one of the most effective means of upholding dignity while bolstering one's influence.

"Considering future events, it would be better to keep Zenon. I heard that he has a wide range of connections, from an unofficial alliance with the city to the Crime Firm and even the Minister of the Internal affairs… Wouldn't he be quite useful?"

In terms of logic and potential benefits, Oliver held a strong position. Then, another wizard introduced a third rationale.

"Will the Tower's students and other wizards be able to accept this? A guy who learned black magic becoming a member of the institute…"

"Then let's test it."

Philip stated decisively.

"A test?"

"Yes. After all, hasn't our Tower always been about meritocracy?"

Tilda, the One master of the Skadi School of Elemental magic, who had remained neutral throughout, posed a question.

"How shall we administer the test?"

"I think the most certain way is to have them duel with the discontented mages. We have a good example in Kevin. It's also manly… Of course, the losing side will be utterly humiliated."

A collective shudder ran through the assembly. They were all familiar with the case of Kevin, either directly or indirectly.

That single defeat had resulted in several hot-blooded wizards of the time being expelled from the tower.

Someone raised a point, saying, "A wizard is a scholar. It's not all about having strong power."

It was an unusual argument, but Philip chose not to dispute it. Instead, it seemed he had been anticipating this moment.

"That's a valid point. A wizard is a scholar. So let's ask our friend Zenon to write a paper. If the paper is good enough, we will formally admit him into the Tower. What do you all think?"

Philip, with his military precision, systematically eliminated options. No one could contest the final decision.

***

"Thanks for the help, Philip."

After the meeting, Merlin and Philip had a discreet conversation.

In terms of physical stature, appearance, attire, and aura, Philip should have been the more imposing figure, but the reality was quite the opposite.

The slight bow in Philip's posture was evidence of this fact.

"You don't have to thank me. I just think it's beneficial to have Zenon on our side, based on logical judgment."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, I've seen his actions and researched his activities as a solver. He has an impressive track record. Even the tower's wizards should be cautious… Besides, if Archiver recruited him, there must be a reason. You should actually be thanking Thomas."

"You noticed?"

"Of course. Haven't I interacted with you all for quite some time? It was a good strategy. When a hostile person raises a question first and you remove that doubt, it's hard for anyone to bring it up later."

Observing Philip swiftly unravel the straightforward yet effective tactic, Merlin couldn't help but offer a faint smile.

"Ha, mate, your family's emblem oughta be a fox, not a lion."

"In times like these, it's necessary to have not only the courage of a lion but also the cunning of a fox… May I ask you something?"

"Ah, the main point now?"

"Ha! It's not that serious, don't misunderstand. I just found something odd when talking to Theodore… Since you and he were friends, you might know."

"What are you curious about?"

"Theodore said something strange while trying to convince me and Tilda. He talked about the world ‘opening and closing'… Do you know what he meant?"

Philip posed the question with feigned indifference, though his underlying concern was evident.

It pertained to words uttered by Theodore. Even if Theodore had become senile or morally compromised, Philip couldn't easily dismiss the words of someone he had held in high regard as a wizard.

After a brief pause, Merlin began to explain.

"You got any curiosity 'bout them end-of-the-world theories?"

"You mean the stuff that the Parter Church and warlocks are crazy about?"

"Yes."

"Well, I'm more interested in worldly matters… Has the apocalypse begun? That's rather scary."

Philip exaggerated his response.

In contrast, Merlin nodded with a composed demeanor.

"It ain't all that scary."

"Excuse me?"

"Nah, it ain't all that scary. What's really spine-tingling is reckonin' that the apocalypse might not be such a terrible thing."

"…You mean the apocalypse could be a good thing?"

"From our point of view, nah. But from the world's perspective, maybe… That's what I reckon's truly frightening."

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