Chapter 832: The Meeting with Wood
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Benjamin immediately returned to the Academy of Magic.
He did not immediately begin preparations for the matter in the Kingdom of Helius, but went to the Rune Research Department and found the person in charge, Mage Abby, in the corridor, to inquire about the latest situation.
"Recently, the research project we have been undergoing is the spiritual energy strengthening technique, based on the entirely new runes you have brought to us before." Mage Abby pushed her glasses up and opened the data board in her hands, saying, "I wouldn't consider our progress to be fast, but there should be results after half a month."
Benjamin nodded at first, ascertaining the results of their work, before asking, "You… In the process of researching the runes, have you felt anything abnormal about the elemental flow around you?"
Mage Abby frowned, "What… Director, why do you ask?"
"Because, according to new information, I've come to understand that large scale usage of runes poses a certain amount of risk, and might even cause elemental disasters. I seek your opinion upon this issue."
Hearing that, Mage Abby lowered her head in deep thought for a moment, before saying, "So far… We do not see any signs of elemental disasters. However, every time we try to lay out the runic technique, elements within ten meters of us will be in slight disorder. We thought that this is a normal phenomenon, so we paid it no special attention."
So there really was such a possibility, huh…
Benjamin immediately nodded, and said, "Then, from now on, devote some energy to study this phenomenon, and do your best to minimize the disorder of the elements as much as you can, at all times."
"We understand."
Mage Abby nodded, and opened to a new page on the data board, recording the issue at the top of the page as a new project.
Thus, having dealt with the problem of the runes for the moment, Benjamin felt quite relieved. If they began to take steps to prevent the disasters from the very beginning, he believed that, in the end, the runes would not end up becoming catastrophic as the Mages Inheritance Union had warned him.
He returned to the Director's room and ordered the Black Operation of the Academy to carefully investigate the movements of the Church in the Kingdom of Helius. It was not an easy task to sneak into St. Peter's Cathedral. Even if Grant had truly left for the reason stated, they must still be prepared for anything.
Also… The advantage they could obtain out of all this.
"The two of you, do you know what psychic spell has been cast on the King after the worshippers from across the sea attacked Havenwright?" He found the two siblings, and asked.
The siblings looked at each other. The young girl replied, "This… We can only confirm it by seeing him with our own eyes."
Benjamin continued to ask, "If you really get the chance to confirm it in person, after confirmation, how confident are you that you can use it to control the King?"
The King had been struck by psychic spells and was unable to carry out normal activities. This was the main reason why the Church had placed him under house arrest. Now that the worshippers from across the sea had been destroyed, and all their texts had fallen into Benjamin's hands, the only people throughout the world who could exercise psychic powers were those in their academy now.
They could even take this opportunity to control the King of the Kingdom of Helius.
This was the reason why Benjamin had still promised Elizabeth to take on the mission, even though he had felt how great the risk was. For him to control the symbol of royal power in the Kingdom of Helius would definitely be a crushing blow to the Church.
Even the nobles would not be expecting this…
"We should be able to." The young lad answered. "There are only a few types of psychic spells that enable long term effect on the human mind, and they have all been recorded in the books. We've learnt all of them."
Hearing that, Benjamin nodded.
It seemed that the items obtained from the worshippers from across the sea had become rather useful.
"So…. Go back and pack your things. You will set off with me tomorrow."
Hearing that, the two siblings were slightly startled, but they roughly knew what the situation was about. Without any questions, they turned and left to prepare. Benjamin used the bit of time left to work overtime and settle all matters of the academy.
On the second day, he started off on the journey with the two siblings.
"When you reach the small town by Perseus Lake, pass this letter to the owner of the tavern there. My father will meet you there and discuss the specifics of the plan." Outside the academy, Elizabeth was thrilled that Benjamin was willing to participate, and passed the token he needed for the meeting to him.
Benjamin nodded.
Elizabeth suggested that they slip in through the main gates with the help of the Wood family, but apparently, Benjamin still felt that there was a safer way, and took the two siblings with him as he set off on his own path.
Going by the abyss, he could even help the young lad capture a spirit along the way.
"The edge of the rift… There seems to be a horrible aura there, and it's even staring at us." Only, after they had entered the abyss, the two siblings, whose spiritual energies were extremely sensitive, suddenly felt a chill run up their spines as they looked in the direction of the netherworld.
Naturally, Benjamin also felt it; the bone dragon was still keeping an eye out for him there.
Faced with a legendary revenant whose lifespan was as long as eternity, he dared to guarantee that even if he stepped into the abyss the slightest bit, the greyish white dragon's breath would immediately surge towards him, and burn him up so thoroughly that there would be nothing left of him.
The netherworld was out of bounds for the time being.
"Ignore it. We go our way."
Thus, in only a soundproof ice sphere, Benjamin brought the two of them around the deep abyss, and soon entered the territory of the Kingdom of Helius. In the meantime, he had even helped the young lad capture a spirit. The young lad chose to keep the spirit within the body of a sparrow. As they hurried on, he tamed yet another Spirit Sparrow.
"I thought you might create a Spirit Tiger, or a Spirit Wolf." Benjamin was somewhat resentful about it. He was mainly curious about whether the capabilities of servants tamed from different animals would differ.
"...I want one like my sister's."
Hearing that, Benjamin shrugged and said nothing more.
There were many others in the academy who were learning psychic powers. Since there were so many of them, it was impossible that everyone would choose a bird, so there were still more opportunities in the future for experimentation.
Thus, they successfully entered the Kingdom of Helius. Benjamin did not pause much along the way. News from the Black Operation of the Academy was that Grant seemed to be absent, indeed. They had to hurry, and must not delay so much that they would only be able to strike when Grant had already returned from the Mountains of Magic Beasts.
Finally, after two days on the road, they reached the village of Perseus Lake.
"There are… So few people here."
After putting on his disguise, Benjamin once again stepped into this place, after so many years. He could not help but sigh. He remembered the last time he had been here: Havenwright had an outbreak of the 'plague', and huge numbers of citizen had come here to flee from the disease, causing the entire village to look like a railway station during the Spring Festival.
Also, under the Perseus Lake, buried and hidden, was the Soul's Fire's… Or rather, the old madam's stash, now empty.
"When you're done with official business, you could come here and slowly reminiscence about the past." The System popped up and spat out those words without mercy.
Benjamin shook his head helplessly.
He first observed the situation to ascertain that there was nothing wrong, before walking into the tavern Elizabeth had told him about. In such early hours of the morning, the tavern was without many guests, and looked rather empty. He walked to the front desk and handed the letter directly to the owner.
"Arrange for us to meet with him."
The owner was a quiet but brawny man. After giving the letter a few glances through, he opened the back door of the tavern and led them to a secret room at the end of a corridor.
In the room was a man waiting, who looked about forty years of age. He wore a simple garment, and had a mask on his face. Seeing Benjamin walk in, he took his mask off, revealing a face that Benjamin could not recognize, but the System did.
"That's him. Duke Collin Wood, the master of the Wood family. The System spoke, "During the time when you and Elizabeth were still engaged, their family often came to your house as guests, but after that… Naturally, you never really had the chance to see him again."
Benjamin nodded, and walked over to him.
"Duke Collin, I'm Benjamin Lithur, the director of the Academy of Magic. These two are my servants. I'm very honored to be able to meet you here."
Collin gave a rather friendly smile, and shook Benjamin's hands. He had a good natured face, and seemed to be very amicable.
"Director Benjamin! Who would have guessed that we would meet again under such circumstances?" He laughed out loud, saying, "Why, only a few months after you were born, I had held you in my arms!"
"..."
Benjamin was speechless for a moment.