Chapter 309 - 144: Spectacular in Their Own Right
"To ensure the reconstruction of Caster proceeds in an orderly manner, Klande has dispatched a relief team to Caster. They will coordinate with Bishop Naike of the Storm Church and strive to complete the work as quickly as possible."
"According to reports, Ales Kilibali was the former Director of the Caster City-State Secret Investigation Department. He faked his death to escape, only to be resurrected using a special item... During this time, a total of 120,000 people died, including three hundred nobles, three thousand Dawn Believers, and the rest being residents of the city-state."
"Wei’en Loft’s identity has been confirmed: he is the Ghost Soul School’s Intelligence Officer in the Caster City State, an Investigator for the Secret Investigation Department, and the owner of a special item. He is a Mutated Mage of astonishing power and cruel disposition..."
"Mutated Mage?" Dean Josue’s cold voice interjected.
Siegal hurriedly corrected himself, "My apologies, Honorary Mage. In this incident, he single-handedly killed tens of thousands of Vazquez Warriors, as well as thousands of Holy Professionals from the Dawn Church. Other casualties were innumerable."
"There is also the Caster City State’s announcement, which will add Calamity Legend Ales and the Muta—the Honorary Mage of the Noble School, Wei’en, to their permanent unwelcome list and destroy both of their files..."
At this point, Siegal paused, took out another briefing, and continued to read:
"Additionally, according to the latest news, the Dawn Church held an emergency Archbishop-level meeting regarding the heinous incident in the Caster City State. The meeting concluded with a decision to issue a continent-wide Judgment Order for the two main perpetrators—Calamity Legend Ales Kilibali and Honorary Mage Wei’en Loft!"
"Furthermore, the current Pope of the Dawn Church, Pope Saint Jobin XV, has publicly declared that he will absolutely not spare anyone who harms the Dawn Believers."
"At the same time, three Judgment Knights stationed at the Dawn Church headquarters have already departed for Caster to hunt down the two masterminds of this incident."
"Finally, a piece of gossip. Pope Saint Jobin XV was supposedly in the Judgement Hall, ranting that the Storm Church were clowns, the masterminds behind the entire incident, and nothing but thieves who only know how to play dirty..."
"In response to this, Lady Morine of the Storm Church... swore..."
CREAK.
As the sound echoed, the chair swiveled around, and Dean Josue chuckled. "Are you certain it was *that* Lady Morine who swore?"
"Cer-certain... Ah, no, it’s a rumor. The kind that’s hard to verify..."
Siegal’s heart jolted as he took in the dean’s appearance. ’A Skull Great Mage?’
Dean Josue was leaning back in a slightly oversized chair. He wore a black robe, embroidered on the chest with the Ghost Soul School’s symbol: a black flame with a red eye.
But under the robe, his crystalline, white-boned frame occupied only a quarter of the seat cushion. He appeared to be less than five feet tall.
"Mmm," Dean Josue said, nodding his skull as his teeth clacked. "What is it you wanted to ask?"
"Ask, oh, right," Siegal took out a pen and paper, preparing to take notes, then put on a confident expression. "Excuse me, Dean Josue, what is your opinion on what that Wizard did?"
"Opinion?"
Dean Josue flicked his bony fingernails and said coolly, "Wei’en Mage is a Ghost Core Wizard and was granted the title of Honorary Mage by the School yesterday. He enjoys the rights of a Great Mage."
"And as far as I know, he was merely forced to retaliate. It was the incompetence of the city-state’s leadership that led to this incident... Mmm, Wei’en Mage is also one of the victims!"
’A vic—a victim?’
Siegal gritted his teeth and wrote down the dean’s words. ’So many people died from that Wizard’s spells, yet he was supposedly forced to do it? He’s a victim?’
"Second question. Dean Josue, regarding the Dawn Church’s Judgment Order, will the Ghost Soul School have a response?"
"Response?" Dean Josue snorted. "No matter who it is, anyone who dares to issue a bounty on and harm an Honorary Mage of Ghost Soul will pay the price!"
"Third..."
In just ten minutes, Siegal was drenched in sweat as he put away his pen and paper.
’It could be summarized in a single sentence: The Ghost Soul School fears no one, they will protect Honorary Mage Wei’en, and they reserve the right to pursue anyone who harms him.’
"Um, there’s still some time left. May I ask if I could tour your research institute?"
The red light in Dean Josue’s eye sockets flickered. He rose and floated in mid-air, then drifted outside. "Let’s go. As it happens, I was on my way to check on the research progress."
Siegal wiped his sweat and gave himself a silent pep talk. ’If I can see their research projects, that wouldn’t be bad at all...’
However, once he entered the internal research area, he discovered that it was completely different from the serious, quiet, and meticulous atmosphere he had imagined. Instead, it was a chaotic cacophony of voices.
Shrill and booming arguments could be heard without end—
"I think he just added Blast Runes and a plague effect to the foundational runes of the Corpse Explosion Skill..."
"Heh, don’t tell me you’re suggesting we add several more types of potent plagues to the spell?"
"It’s the optimal solution!"
"Get lost! Didn’t you see that after a dozen or so explosions, the power of the Corpse Explosion Skill doubled?! Later on, the area of effect gets larger, the power gets stronger, and the plague triggers faster. How are you going to solve that?!"
"Dammit, this Corpse Explosion Skill... I can’t analyze it. I’m so useless!"
"...That Blink Spell is elemental, so how can it create a duplicate? And how the hell can it also cast a Charm Spell?!"
"His Excellency, Wei’en Mage, is truly a once-in-a-century—no, a once-in-ten-thousand-years genius! His mastery of runology is something I’ll never catch up to in my entire life... SOB... I want to become undead. A single lifetime is too short..."
"Don’t you all think the most important thing to study is that mechanical weapon in his hand? I bet it definitely has Blast Runes on it!"