Chapter 45: The Clown's Move

"Sky City? The Holm Kingdom?" Mercury blurted out in surprise. The Hangman and Reindeer were equally incredulous: "Rentaat? Near the capital?!" This was entirely beyond their expectations. Like Lucian in the past, they had never imagined that the Arcane Magic Parliament could exist so openly — situated within a legitimate kingdom that hadn't been declared heretical or evil by the Church, seemingly no worse than the era of the ancient Magic Empire's rule. In their original assumptions, the Parliament had to be deep within the Dark Mountains, or tucked away in some extraplanar dimension or demiplane, connected to the material world only through hidden magic circles. Apart from "Sage" Viscount Klein, who had long since gleaned the Parliament's headquarters location — partly from conversations with the great nobles like Baron Hain and Count Lafati, partly from vague rumors about the Grand Duchess, and who now had Lucian's confirmation — and was comparatively calm, the other magic apprentices expressed their shock to varying degrees and at varying speeds. After carefully studying whether their astonishment was genuine or affected, Lucian chuckled: "No need to doubt it. The Arcane Magic Parliament headquarters is in Allingre, tolerated by the nobility of the Holm Kingdom. Our strength completely overwhelms the Church's forces within that kingdom. If the Church hadn't spent enormous resources fortifying the Radiance Cathedral with dense defenses, buying enough time for the Cardinals in Lance to send reinforcements, and if the nobles weren't committed to maintaining a balance of power, the Parliament would have taken complete control of the Holm Kingdom long ago." "Really? Professor?" Mercury asked, still struggling to believe it. For a young woman like her — born and raised in the Vorlite Principality — the Church was incomparably powerful, its dominion crushing countless extraplanar realms. If not for the North-South Schism, mages like her would have had no path to survival whatsoever. The idea that the Arcane Magic Parliament had grown into a colossal force capable of rivaling the Church in certain respects was truly staggering. This was the question shared by nearly all the magic apprentices, and even "Sage" was no exception. The nobles might sense something unusual about the kingdoms across the Storm Strait, such as Holm — since they rarely read or heard accurate accounts of conditions there — but only the great nobles who held the privilege of sitting in the same VIP box as the Grand Duke truly understood the dire state of affairs on the other side. Lucian gave them a general account of the Parliament's history of development, the achievements of the great Archanists, and the Parliament's current situation. Finally, he said: "The Parliament is now the second most powerful force on the entire continent. In Allingre, you'll have the opportunity to study the fundamentals of Arcane theory and magic for free, to research magic openly, to exchange insights and materials without fear of Church pursuit, and to earn the status, identity, and wealth you deserve through your magic." There was no inciting tone, no exaggeration — just plain, straightforward words, yet they sent Mercury, the Hangman, and the others trembling with irrepressible excitement. Those who had never endured such experiences could barely imagine the feeling — plunging through darkness, oppression, danger, and pain, only to suddenly glimpse a brilliant light and a beautiful future. Even Mercury, who was usually skilled at maintaining her composure, spoke in a voice that was nearly choked with tears: "Professor — Professor, sir — how do we get there? The Church has surely blockaded the strait and the borders. Can you take us there?" The question jolted the other magic apprentices back to awareness. Right — the light hadn't truly arrived yet. The road ahead was still dark and treacherous. "I have my own affairs to attend to. I can't escort you." Lucian declined, then told them the two available routes. "If you have flying artifacts, you can consider taking the northern route through Shahalan. If not, go to Sturk and seek out the Ferrymen. After passing their observation and trials, you'll have a chance to reach Allingre. Oh, and if you arrive at Sturk without having become formal magicians yet, you'll need to demonstrate your potential and ability." Lucian deliberately did not reveal Grenouille's identity, since there might well be Church spies among these magic apprentices. He told them only how to find the Ferrymen. The Parliament's contacts in Sturk had learned their lesson from the severe losses suffered years ago. They maintained a rigorous process of observation, interrogation, identification, and testing for all magicians and magic apprentices. Even if a spy leaked the information and the Night Watch sent agents in disguise, infiltration would be extremely difficult. Mercury composed herself and said gratefully: "Thank you, Professor. If the opportunity arises, I hope we can meet you in Allingre." Like Sage, she had no further questions about Lucian's final remark. The other magic apprentices also raised no objections. Having grown up under Church-controlled nations, they understood perfectly well that nothing came without a price — if they wanted the Parliament's help, they had to prove they were worth it. "I hope you'll share this information with other magic circles. Don't hoard it selfishly — let everyone have a chance to choose," Lucian admonished. Then, with a sinister grin, he added: "Oh, and after tonight, you'd better change your identities and find new hiding places. I'm worried that other magic circles may still harbor spies, and the Church has no further need to maintain the illusion of circles whose members already know where the Parliament headquarters is…" "Yes, Professor!" Mercury and the others were momentarily stunned, then answered seriously. They harbored no doubts about Lucian's words. He had personally executed a traitor and caused the deaths of over twenty Night Watch members — a terrifying figure! Besides, they had every reason to be cautious. No one wanted to fall into darkness just as the light drew near. An eerie silence lingered for a moment before the Hangman spoke, his cold voice carrying a note of eager fervor: "Professor, I heard you mention Arcane theory and the fundamentals of magic. I also understand you're a highly knowledgeable mid-rank magician. Could you perhaps give us a general introduction to these subjects? We'll let you take your pick of any materials we have." "The general introductions are freely available at the Parliament. I won't take advantage of you — I'll just give you a brief overview," Lucian said in his usual flat, hoarse tone. He couldn't exactly say that none of the materials they had laid out were worth his interest. "Please, Professor, we welcome your instruction." After hearing Lucian's words, everyone — Sage included — rose to their feet and solemnly performed the salute of the ancient Magic Empire, right hand pressed to their forehead. Lucian then proceeded to explain the current Arcane theory and magical framework using a method that established "Arcane thinking" from the very foundations. The apprentices listened with their jaws dropped, utterly dumbfounded. This was vastly different from everything they had learned before, yet when they tried applying it to analyze magic, they found the results remarkably rewarding. It was nothing like when they had first encountered the journal Arcane — at that time, they had read it without understanding a word. Now, after Lucian's clear and incisive explanations, it felt as though a great new door had swung open before their eyes, revealing a realm of infinite depth and boundless expanse. By the time the secret meeting concluded, Sage and the others were still lost in this "new world," unable to pull themselves free. Even on points that contradicted their previous understanding, the Professor had presented compelling, evidence-based arguments that left them thoroughly convinced! Given their current ranks and the insular environment they'd grown up in — devoid of high-level mentors — their established worldview was hardly set in stone. They were like sponges, frantically absorbing every scrap of knowledge they could find. After departing the underground chamber, Sage, Mercury, and the others once again lined up in formation and performed the solemn forehead salute: "We hope for the opportunity to receive your instruction in the future, Professor." After the lesson and lecture they had just experienced, the Professor was no longer merely a figure of significance on the Purification List or a fearsome magician in their eyes. He had become, in a sense, the very embodiment of the Arcane Magic Parliament — and of the vast ocean of Arcane and magical knowledge it represented. Lucian let out a raspy cackle: "My students all 'despise' me quite thoroughly. If the chance arises — I hope you won't regret it." "Huh?" The bewildered Mercury and the others watched the Professor depart alongside Sage. ………… Somewhere in the secret passages beneath Altor's sewers. "What?! The Professor appeared in Altor?!" The Clown shot to his feet. In his absurd, painted face, those dark, fathomless eyes seemed to ignite with twin flames as they locked onto Juliana, who had brought the news. Juliana was both excited and trembling: "Yes — just an hour ago! He attended the gathering of that same magic circle and his identity has been confirmed! This is the report our spy embedded in that circle delivered immediately!" The Professor was a prominent name on the Purification List — the spy wouldn't dare delay. The Clown fell into a sudden, heavy silence. Then he burst into laughter — wild, desolate, maddening: "Lucian returns to Altor, and the Professor appears in Altor. If they don't have a close connection, I'll march myself to the stake and burn! Church leaders — are you watching now?!" "Captain, just wait for the good news. Once the Professor is captured and he implicates Lucian Evans — that's when you'll make your triumphant return to the Tribunal!" Juliana said cheerfully. The Clown shook his head. "No. I have to seize this opportunity. I want to capture the Professor with my own hands!" "Captain, aren't you worried it could be the Professor's scheme? He's so devious, so cunning! Think about it — the moment Lucian fell ill and went into seclusion, the Professor appeared. It's very likely a trap aimed at you! Let us handle it instead. At least one of the Tribunal's three overseers will be mobilized. They're high-ranking — they can handle any scheme, no matter what!" Juliana still carried a deep wariness of the Professor's ruthless cunning and hurriedly tried to dissuade the Clown. The three overseers of the Vorlite Tribunal were all sixth-rank Heavenly Knights. While their strength fell considerably short of the two seventh-rank Cardinals, they were more than sufficient to deal with the Professor. Under absolute power, even the most elaborate scheme was nothing but thin snow under the sun — one ray of light and it melted. The Clown shook his head firmly. "I'm worried that if higher-ups get involved, they'll delay things. That would give the Professor time to grow alert. I have to act quickly — only then can I personally avenge those twenty-some fallen comrades. Besides, Juliana, I won't be reckless. The lesson from Melzer Black Forest is something I'll never forget for as long as I live! I'll only move to capture the Professor when I'm absolutely certain. If I'm not, I'd rather wait for you." Most importantly, the Clown had no idea what the Professor's objective was. Killing him — the Clown — didn't seem to serve the Professor's purposes in any obvious way. "All right, Captain. Please be extremely careful!" Juliana, seeing that the Clown's resolve was firm, did not press further. The Clown laughed heartily: "The Professor probably doesn't realize that we already have Sage's files firmly in hand! That will be the main reason for his downfall!" Although there were too many magic apprentices to investigate individually — doing so would alert others — Sage and Owl were exceptions. They had been closely associated with the Professor and had acted together. The Clown and the other Night Watch members driven by thirst for revenge had spent several months using spies to compile their dossiers. However, they had held their fire and waited. In the end, Owl had died in the ruins before ever being put to use. If they couldn't even uncover this level of intelligence in Altor, what tools did the Clown and his people have to go up against the Professor? "Captain, hurry — try to find the Professor before we arrive. If you run into other Night Watch members on your own, it'll cause complications," Juliana reminded him. Their own captain was still on the Night Watch's arrest list!