strokinit Chapter 184 Questioning and Challenges
Chapter 184 Questioning and Challenges
Chapter 184 Questioning and Challenges
Who is the messenger?
Kane's gaze turned serious. He knew very well that the Sussas people had never had a good impression of the Nords.
Aside from racial differences, the numerous wars fought between the two countries throughout their history have further deepened this animosity.
In this situation, someone secretly passed a message to him.
They even deliberately avoided other on-duty mages and Arundel—
Kane turned to Arundel beside him and asked, "Lord Arundel, are all the other spellcasters in the dungeon treated the same way?"
Arundel paused, thinking Kane was referring to the provision of books, and immediately replied, "Of course, a noble spellcaster should not be humiliated, and providing the necessary environment is only right."
Furthermore, we imposed spellcasting restrictions on them, and their daily food was laced with potions to ensure they could not use magic.
He suddenly remembered that Kane had been imprisoned with the mercenaries, and chuckled dryly, adding, "Excuse me, sir, although you are an arcanist, your attire doesn't quite resemble that of a spellcaster. Those people were probably—"
Kane simply smiled, neither confirming nor denying, but his doubts only deepened.
Even though the other party was under spellcasting restrictions, they were still able to secretly transmit their voice to me.
Either they are strong enough to ignore the restrictions, or they are very familiar with the restrictive methods of the mage academy.
He suppressed his thoughts.
Since the other party has taken the initiative to warn me, they will naturally contact me again if they need my help in the future.
As the two stepped out of the dungeon, a breath of fresh air greeted them.
Kane looked at the buildings inside the mage academy, all of which were in the style of Susa, except that there were many more streetlights than usual.
Although it was late at night, the academic atmosphere in the academy was still strong, with many mage apprentices dressed in gray robes sitting on benches by the roadside.
They were engrossed in reading books under the streetlights, and occasionally someone would quietly chant incantations.
Kane could see clearly that they were all basic spells like the Wizard's Hand and the Light spell.
Seeing that he was paying attention to the apprentices, Arundel explained, "These are all mage apprentices. Only by successfully connecting to the magic network and mastering a formal first-level spell can they advance to become formal mages of the academy."
Before this, they did not have a fixed practice area and could only practice in open spaces or pay money to obtain a practice space.
Every spellcaster has progressed step by step in this way.
Kane's eyes flickered slightly, but a hint of worry rose in his heart.
The path of spellcasting is inherently difficult, and aptitude almost determines everything.
If these apprentices knew that the "Sacred Mark Ritual" and "Possession Potion" could forcibly improve their aptitude, many would probably abandon the orthodox path of spellcasting.
His gaze shifted to the eight towering spires representing the eight major colleges within the academy, and he asked with a smile, "How are the arrangements for the academy meeting going?"
"My mentor has formally issued a proposal, and the meeting is scheduled to be held in three days. All six existing deans will attend, and the final decision will be made by vote on whether to intervene in the power struggle of the Susas Royal Court."
As for the deans of the Protection and Prophecy academies, who are temporarily unable to be contacted, their voting rights are temporarily suspended and will not be counted in the total votes.
The two walked and talked, and soon arrived in front of a red-roofed building.
Arundel pushed open the door and gestured, "Lord Kane, please stay here for three days. I apologize, the conditions may not be ideal."
Kane looked around. Although this place couldn't compare to the Finafine family mansion, it was far better than the two-story cottage he had stayed in in Nord. He immediately nodded and said, "I understand. You should get some rest too."
"I hope you are prepared, as you may be required to attend and testify at a college meeting."
"No problem." Kane nodded.
After Arundel left, Kane closed the door, his expression slightly grave.
During their conversation, Arundel didn't mention Asler at all, and his expression seemed somewhat unnatural.
Is Asler's demonic possession still unresolved?
He pondered for a moment and then put the matter aside for the time being.
An organization with a fourth-tier spellcaster behind it shouldn't be unable to handle such a problem.
While the demons of the abyss are powerful, they are limited by the ether concentration of the material plane, and most of what they can descend to is merely a projection.
"Continue to practice your magic and improve your skill level. What's meant to come will come eventually."
Next, I should focus on preparing my testimony for the academy meeting, and try to involve these spellcasters as much as possible.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and finally the day of the college meeting arrived.
Inside a tall, domed building in the very center of the college, the auditorium-like space was filled with people.
Hundreds of formal mages gathered together, mostly at the second level, and the air was filled with a rich aetheric atmosphere.
At the front of the auditorium, on eight high-backed chairs, sat six monks dressed in robes of various colors, who were the deans representing different factions within the academy.
Bella, Arundel's mentor, sat in the presiding seat, while Arundel stood respectfully behind her. Behind each of the other deans stood several of their personal disciples.
A soft thud was heard.
"quiet!"
A gray-bearded mage in a deep red robe stood up, his voice booming through the hall under the influence of magic, instantly silencing the entire room.
"The college meeting is now officially open. Next, each college will speak in turn."
As soon as she finished speaking, Bella slowly stood up, and all eyes were focused on the Dean of the Illusion Department.
She said in a deep voice, "Next, my student will recount the whole story. Please listen carefully and make a prudent judgment."
At the end of the meeting, I hope that all the deans will vote—this concerns the future of the Susas Mage Academy, and even the entire Susas Elven Royal Court.
Everyone's expression tightened, and the atmosphere immediately became serious.
Arundel coughed lightly, walked to the center of the rotunda, and began to speak: "This story begins with my encounter with an arcanist—"
He slowly recounted his experiences along the way, and the expressions of the monks present grew increasingly solemn.
As soon as Arundel finished speaking, the room erupted in chatter and discussion.
"How is that possible? Assassinating King Susas? That's utterly disgraceful!"
"Isn't the Finafenne family already wanted by the authorities? Prince Grayson is the first in line to the throne; he has absolutely no motive!"
"Whether the Duke or His Highness is in power, they will rely on our academy. We have no need to get involved in politics."
Amid the commotion, the gray-bearded mage in the crimson robe once again commanded in a deep voice, "Silence! Next, please let the deans speak."
A gaunt man dressed in a black robe with a sinister air suddenly tapped on the armrest, his gaze falling on Arundel and Bella.
"Bella, we still can't get in touch with the deans of the two academies of protection and prophecy. We can't wait for them to return before making such an important decision."
This person is none other than the Dean of the Necromancer Academy, Kugu.
Bella calmly replied, "Lord Dry Bones, they have been missing for a long time."
Moreover, the assassination of my student and the possession of Asler of the Academy of Changes by bewitching magic and demonic possession—isn't that enough to show that someone is already targeting the Academy?
The gaunt mage's eyes were cold: "These are just some probing moves. There's no evidence that the two deans have completely disappeared. Perhaps they just went to explore some ruins but got trapped."
The exchange between the two sparked another round of discussion in the meeting room, with the six deans scrutinizing each other, each harboring their own thoughts.
The skeleton suddenly sneered: "Moreover, all the information that Arundel mentioned came from that arcanist named Kane, and he is the only witness."
Isn't this too much of a coincidence? An arcanist wielding a scimitar managed to fight his way out of a massive demon horde—
Don't you suspect that this is a trap set for our magic academy, designed to lure us into this vortex?
Arundel asked urgently, "Dean of the Bone Corpses, he is—"
Bella raised her hand to stop him, and smiled, "Since you don't believe it and think it's a trap, why not invite him to come and confront us in person?"
The skeleton gave a sinister laugh, and the atmosphere on the field became tense for a moment, but it quickly calmed down.
Not long after, with a "bang," the auditorium doors were pushed open.
Kane walked in slowly, facing hundreds of eyes from the audience.
These gazes contained scrutiny, indifference, and undisguised hostility.
"A Nord?!"
A low gasp rippled through the crowd.
Although the mage academy is relatively open-minded and accepts mage apprentices from various countries for a fee, the nearly thousand-year-old feud between Sussas and Nord is by no means easy to resolve.
Arundel's heart jumped.
He initially thought that Kane was using illusion magic to disguise himself as a Nord drow elf, but later he discovered that the other party was actually a Nord, but had used special means to disguise his drow identity.
As a member of the Illusion Academy, he didn't find the disguise strange, but he was more worried that Kane's identity would escalate the conflict.
Kane stepped into the auditorium, his gaze calmly sweeping across the room as he silently made his plans.
This was the first time he had seen so many spellcasters, but he wasn't surprised.
The war city where he previously lived was a military fortress, where spellcasters were not the main force, and were even subject to magical control.
Susas was founded by spellcasters, and its magic flourished to the point that foreign apprentices came to study there.
He had already overheard the debate inside from outside the door: the hawks who wanted to intervene, the doves who remained unchanged, and even the uncertain neutrals—each branch had different opinions.
However, his humble yet assertive attitude gradually quieted down the noisy venue.
Bella looked at Kane and asked, "Mr. Kane, is the information my student Arundel received from you accurate?"
Kane smiled slightly: "Whether it is true or not, you all have your own ways to verify it. If you have any doubts, you can use the Truth Word spell to detect lies, or let me swear an oath on the Styx River."
His tone was calm, yet he was full of confidence.
The gazes of the crowd toward him became even more scrutinizing.
Bella said gently, "In that case, I'll take the liberty of giving it a try."
Kane did not refuse.
A red-robed mage stepped forward and cast a spell on him.
After undergoing the procedure, Kane remained calm and recounted the whole story once again.
The deans all fell into deep thought, their expressions solemn.
Bella nodded slightly, and the red-robed, gray-bearded mage immediately announced, "Next, we will proceed to the voting stage to decide whether to intervene in the affairs of the Susas Royal Court—"
"etc."
The skeleton suddenly stood up, his sinister gaze sweeping across the entire room: "Truth spells can only prove that he firmly believes he is telling the truth."
But what if his memories were falsified, or what if a spell to circumvent truth spells was cast beforehand?
Bella replied, "Lord Dry Bones, please speak plainly."
The skeleton sneered: "Memories can be faked, words can be deceiving, but without sufficient strength, he simply cannot escape from the deadly traps."
Nord, regardless of your intentions, do you dare to accept the test of your strength?
All eyes in the arena instantly focused on Kane.
Kane took a half step back, placed one hand on his chest, and calmly replied, "I can. But if it is a third-tier lord personally making the move, then I can only refuse."
The skeleton's face darkened, a hint of annoyance flashing across it.
Bella stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "Lord Drybones, since Mr. Kane has put it that way, there's no need for you to take action personally. How about I handle it for you?"
The skeleton nodded: "Very well. My student, Logan Susas, come out."
A figure stepped out from the crowd.
Kane recognized her at a glance; she was the female mage who had imprisoned him in the dungeon.
His gaze paused slightly, landing on the other person's ear.
He was a pure elf, and with the surname "Susas," it became clear to me immediately.
Many monks in the room looked solemn and murmured in hushed tones upon hearing this name.
Logan looked at Kane, his tone provocative: "Nord, since you are an arcanist, prepare your staff."
"No need, I'm better at using a curved sword."
Bella's voice rang out at the opportune moment: "If neither of you has any objections, how about we settle this with a duel tomorrow at the arena?"
Kane neither agreed nor disagreed, but simply nodded slightly.
"In that case, the meeting is adjourned for today."
As soon as he finished speaking, the mages left one after another, and without exception, they all glanced at Kane a few more times as they passed by.
Arundel strode closer, his face full of apology: "I'm so sorry, Lord Kane, I've made you—"
Kane shook his head: "If everything goes smoothly, I'll start to doubt whether the mage academy is truly determined to get involved in this matter."
He then changed the subject, "How strong is Logan Susas?"
Arundel gave a wry smile: "She's not easy to deal with. A spellcaster's strength depends on the spells they master and their level of control."
Logan is a member of the royal family, a disciple of Dean Bone, and one of the strongest second-tier mages in the Necromancer Academy.
She possesses modified special magic, and if combined with the remains of a powerful being, even if Asler and I join forces, we might not be her match.
Just then, footsteps approached, and the woman looked at the two with a gentle smile.
Arundel quickly introduced, "This is my mentor, Dean Bella of the Illusion Department."
Kane bowed respectfully.
Although he is confident, he will not provoke the strong without reason.
Being able to serve as a branch dean at the Susas Mage Academy already makes one one of the best among third-tier mages.
Bella smiled and said, "Mr. Kane, the Bone Corpse has sent Logan Susas to test you. This contest will be anything but easy."
If you need help, I can grant you access to some of the academy's spellbooks as a reward for rescuing Arundel and Asler.
Kane pondered for a moment, then looked up at Bella and slowly said, "Dean Bella, what if my request were to challenge you?"
Arundel's face instantly showed shock.
Bella simply looked at him with a meaningful smile.
Before Arundel could offer any advice, Bella smiled and said, "Okay."