Chapter 54: The Nobility of the Magician
"Do you still need to put on such a voice when talking to me, kid?" said Nyx.
"Ah, isn't it to maintain the mystery of being a magician?" Gerard let out a light laugh, his voice becoming as clear as that of a youth.
"Magic is the cornerstone of all things, the highest mystery, but do you magicians who borrow magic now still deserve to be called mysterious?"
"The incomprehensible must, of course, be called mysterious," said Gerard.
"Manipulating elements, mastering souls, altering matter, being able to realize what is imagined through magic—isn't that mysterious enough? Isn't it enough to be worth a lifetime's pursuit?"
"Then what about the thing inside that guy's body, that mystery, that authority stolen from the Lord of Dominion?" said Nyx. "Can you magicians achieve that?"
"As expected of you, respected high scholar, even while confined in this cell, you can see the essence of that thing," Gerard's voice carried some flattery.
"If I had hands now, I'd want to applaud you."
"Such a dangerous thing, you dare to touch it, aren't you afraid of the Lord of Dominion's return?"
"Since it can be thrown into the space of annihilation once, there can be a second time, not afraid at all." Gerard laughed.
"Timid scholars, you explore the future but fear the past."
"Then if I throw you back ten thousand years, would you be willing to return to that time?"
"I'm not going to argue with you scholars who only play with words," said Gerard. "Look at my work, how does it feel?"
"With the authority of dominion, integrating three foundational powers, he has become an existence with three facets."
"Not impressive," said Nyx. "It's just a fragile balance; just need to find the core that bears the authority of dominion, and it can be easily destroyed."
"After all, it's just a stupid tool made."
"However, among tools, his quality is also the best," said Gerard.
"And stupidity is also a premium trait for tools."
"He also has ambition, and this ambition is what the authority of dominion likes the most; this ambition will make him continuously draw power from the authority of dominion, eventually becoming the new Lord of Dominion."
"But now he can't even dominate you; can this be considered possessing the power of dominion?" Nyx sneered.
The cave fell into a brief silence.
"Ha, but as a tool to observe the annihilation plane, it's enough." Gerard suddenly laughed and said.
"Observing the annihilation plane?!" Nyx's face changed. "You dare to touch such a taboo?"
"Do you want annihilation to descend again?"
"No, no, no, old man, your accusation is too serious," said Gerard. "I just want to know the power that exists in the annihilation plane."
"I advise you to stop as soon as possible; things defined as taboos are not something humans can peek into," Nyx's voice was serious.
"Ha, but I am a magician; the more things are defined as taboos, the more I desire to peek into them." Gerard's voice wandered at the top of the cave, as if showing how joyful he was now.
"For magicians, the length of life no longer matters; we want to explore the ultimate in magic to explain this world."
"You will bring the world back to darkness," Nyx's voice was heavy.
"So what? Even ten thousand years ago, ten thousand years before that, and in the era that cannot be dated, the era when gods walked the earth, didn't humans still survive?"
"Old man, only by analyzing the past and fully grasping the mystery can human civilization truly not fear the mystery and usher in true freedom."
"Only then will we usher in a true future!"
"Before that, all sacrifices are worth it!"
"You timid and cowardly scholars, how would you know the nobility of magicians!"
Nyx closed his eyes.
"Oh, but some of your things are still acceptable, although they are things we have abandoned." Gerard's voice suddenly softened.
"Little girl, I remember your name is Melia."
"You see, following your timid grandfather, you can only read some boring texts, then be locked in this cell, enduring hunger."
"But if you follow me, I will teach you the secrets of magic."
"Look, such an existence is driven by me."
"As long as you nod, you will gain freedom and the noble future of becoming a magician."
Melia bit her lip and said, "You evil guy, Melia will never do such bad things!"
"..." No response.
"Hahaha, old man, how about my astrology?" Gerard's voice sounded again.
"But my magic can only calculate up to now, but I don't need the answer of calculation."
"Just thinking about it, I can know, following you, old man, she has long been taught to be a fool."
"What a pity for such high-quality magic power."
"But such a fool is also not suitable for learning magic."
"Although I know you, old man, don't agree with my philosophy, just killing you like this is too wasteful; you are an excellent person."
"So, old man, wait, someone will come to save you later."
"Remember, after being rescued, announce to the world that this is the arrival of the Lord of Dominion, who will dominate this world!"
"Of course, whether you say it or not doesn't matter; someone will proclaim it for me."
The voice completely disappeared.
Nyx opened his eyes.
"Well said, Melia." He forced a smile, and the hands protecting Melia also loosened.
"Relax, maybe just like he said, someone will come to save us later," he said.
"Okay, Grandpa," Melia said obediently.
...
Corleon's face looked a bit weak.
He had performed the Blessing with maximum effort, almost exhausting his mental strength; only after resting for a while did he recover.
However, the effect was also obvious; now that the Morning Star had set, the warriors in the darkness all shimmered with a faint golden light.
The warriors had already assembled in formation, ready for battle, their spears placed on the ground, standing tall.
The occasional flicker of golden light made them very conspicuous in this dark night.
Even the torches lit for illumination appeared dim under the golden light on them.
"Truly, amazing," said Knight Wolf, his voice complex; this was his third sigh.
The golden light on his body was among the faintest, just a hint.
Even with the Blessing, it only fully manifested on those with firm Faith.
"Now that it's dark, will it really come out?" said Corleon, not responding to the other's words.
After the other accepted the Blessing, the faint glow on his body dimmed to its current state, and he quietly asked Corleon, "Is the cross enshrined in the church already successful? Or is it itself some kind of mysterious item?"
Corleon roughly understood why the higher the status of the nobility, the less Faith they had in the church that had already shown extraordinary influence.
Although he was not clear on the specifics, he could guess that part of the reason for establishing the church was to nurture or bear mysterious items.
Moreover, the existence of mysterious items was no longer a secret at the knight level.
The group with the faintest golden light on their bodies were the knights and prospective knights; they didn't even count as shallow believers.
"Don't worry, priest," said Knight Wolf.
"Only this one night is his chance to escape."
"When the Morning Star rises the next day, if he hasn't appeared, this cave will be completely dug up, exposing everything inside to the light of the Morning Star."
"No matter if he is undead or a demon, under the Morning Star, he will be completely purified."