Chapter 1521 Achillea Comprehensive College <TOC> Chapter 1523 Succession
Translator: SumTLMan
Apart from Liana, the only other person Angel is acquainted with is Wallace.
Wallace is still clad in all white, seated beside a liquor table on one side of the hall, engaged in conversation with a female apprentice who has short black hair.
This female apprentice is strikingly attractive. She has wisteria-colored eyes and a sleek mane of black hair, her lips a deep shade of garnet. Her exotic allure is intensified by eyes that resemble those of a cat; when slightly squinted, her pupils elongate, adding a touch of deadly seriousness to her demeanor.
Angel finds her familiar; she’s one of the two apprentices hailed as the strongest in the Savage Grottoes.
She’s Wallace’s disciple and also the holder of the golden flier invitation card, Nanaki.
Speaking of Nanaki, it’s impossible not to mention another who is often dubbed as the strongest apprentice along with her, Bass Edward.
Bass is also present in the hall. He stands quietly behind a man with gray hair, his head lowered. His usually aggressive visage is remarkably subdued at this moment.
Seated on a sofa at the center of the hall, engaged in an equal conversation with Sanders, is a wizard whom Angel has never met before.
His age is indeterminate, but his countenance suggests that of a middle-aged man.
Dressed in a black wizard’s robe, he radiates an aura of cold aloofness.
The chilling atmosphere around him is so penetrating that even without direct contact, Angel feels an icy cold seep into his bones.
Apart from the aura that sends shivers down one’s spine, the most eye-catching aspect of this man is his heterochromatic eyes. His left eye matches his ash-grey hair, resembling the pupils of someone who is blind. His right eye, however, is golden — a radiant, pure gold that seems polished to a lustrous sheen, captivating and bright.
Whenever the man’s right eyelid flickers open, subtle flashes of golden light emanate.
Although Angel had never seen him before, the unique heterochromatic eyes and the backing of Bass standing behind him led Angel to surmise his identity.
If he was indeed the individual Master Midora had spoken of.
Then that would indeed be quite remarkable.
As Angel entered the grand hall, the atmosphere, which had previously been quite lax, noticeably shifted.
Moreover, the wizards, each engrossed in their own affairs, all stood up and made their way to the long table on one side of the hall to take their seats.
Sanders, as the master of the manor, took the seat of honor. The gray-haired man sat to his right, and Wallace was seated next to the gray-haired man.
When Angel took his seat, it was conveniently to the left of Sanders, opposite the gray-haired man.
As the gray-haired man made eye contact with Angel, his icy demeanor softened slightly, and he gave a subtle nod.
Beside Angel sat Liana, who was enveloped in a fragrant aura. As she took her seat, she whispered in Angel’s ear, “I didn’t expect you to advance so quickly. Congratulations.”
Angel smiled and nodded, but did not immediately respond.
Seated were all formal wizards, while all the apprentices were on the periphery of the grand hall.
As everyone settled in, Butler No. 1 gracefully floated in, surrounded by several hovering plates. Each plate held a tall wine glass filled with a crystal-clear liquid, emitting a rich aroma.
The scent subtly transformed into a mist, conjuring a dance of ethereal butterflies in the air.
The wine glasses——were placed in front of everyone one by one. Butler No. 1 paused and said, “Lady Gloria says, this is ‘Floating Butterfly,’ crafted by Felicia. There’s only one glass per person; refills are not available.”
Liana chuckled and was the first to pick up her glass and take a whiff, “The aroma of this wine, crafted by Butterfly Lady, is so exquisite that with a little refinement, it could serve as a fragrance. Oh, and please extend my thanks to Gloria.”
Butler No. 1 nodded and then excused himself.
After everyone had taken a sip of wine, the atmosphere, which had initially been somewhat tense, began to relax gradually, thanks to the liquor’s comforting aroma.
Sanders offered a brief introduction to the identities of those present. Angel was familiar with everyone else, so Sanders focused on introducing the silver-haired man sitting across from Angel.
“Horus has been journeying through multiple planes and has recently returned. His keen interest in alchemy earned him a place in Sky Mechanical City, arranged by Lord Rhine Mute. He currently oversees the operations here,” Sanders conveyed, succinctly capturing the essence of the man.
Though Angel had already deduced his identity, his heart still slightly quivered when Sanders pronounced the name ‘Horus’.
“Cold Winter Sovereign,” Horus!
This is a powerful wizard from the same era as Lord Rhine Mute. Before Sanders’ own rise to prominence, Horus was the strongest force in the Savage Grottoes, second only to Rhine Mute and the Ancestral Spirits.
His strength was evident from his excursions through various planes.
There is an external plane named after him, Horus’ Plane. Such an honor, bestowed upon the discoverer and pioneer of an unknown plane, is the epitome of acclaim.
Horus discovered this perilous plane and had progressed in its exploration far more than any other wizard.
Justifying the plane being named after him.
His power is unquestionably immense.
Angel still remembered a widely quoted assessment from ‘Dawn of the Lasting Night’ Dietrich, the editor-in-chief of the —City Firefly’s Night Whisper— magazine, regarding Horus.
——When the golden eye of Horus gazes down upon you, the drama known as ‘your life’ will draw its final curtain. No one can awaken you from the perpetual frost; you will eternally languish under the dominion of the icy winter.
Dietrich’s assessment is nothing short of truthful.
This is the “Cold Winter Sovereign” manifested through Horus’ own capabilities!
Even among wizards of the second level of true knowledge, Horus is unequivocally among the elite.
Facing Horus, Angel adopts a cautious and respectful demeanor. However, Horus, despite his aloof and chilly aura, harbors no animosity toward Angel. “I owe my opportunity for advanced study in Sky Mechanical City to you,” he says.
Angel, by becoming a member of the Research Institute, has effectively drawn the Savage Grottoes from the desert of alchemy into the core world of alchemical studies.
Horus himself is quite intrigued by alchemy; without Angel, gaining admission to Sky Mechanical City for further studies would not have been straightforward.
“I heard from Vice Dean Sherry that you’ll be teaching a course at Achillea Comprehensive College soon. I’m looking forward to it,” says Horus.
Angel is momentarily stunned by this revelation, recalling that the announcement of his teaching assignment is supposed to be made public only tomorrow, to avoid schedule conflicts with Water Ripple Witch. Yet Horus already knows.
“Ah, Angel will be teaching at Achillea?” Liana turns her gaze in surprise, “I must attend then.”
Horus replies indifferently, “Many people in the alchemy circle are vying for a spot in Angel’s class. It won’t be easy for you to secure one.”
Liana directs her gaze at Angel: “Is that so? If I can’t secure a spot, I’ll have to think about finding a backdoor entry.”
With the exchange between Horus and Liana, the atmosphere lightens, but Angel feels a bit pressured.
Originally, teaching was just a ploy… a way to earn some points. Now, however, it seems like everyone is coming to inspect his teaching as if it were an exhibition.
Sanders was somewhat surprised to hear that Angel had taken up teaching. Had Horus not just mentioned it, Sanders would have been completely in the dark about the matter.
“To earn some points, so I can exchange them for a magical material,” Angel paused, “Velite needs that material.”
Though Angel didn’t spell it out, Sanders immediately understood as soon as Velite was mentioned. “So, he isn’t looking for the Fragment of Constant anymore?”
Angel nodded, “Correct. He’s lowered his standards, but what he wants still can’t be bought in the market. It’s available in the Research Institute’s Magical Materials Library, but it requires points to exchange.”
Sanders nodded. Recently, he had been contacting some old friends to see if anyone had the Fragment of Constant to sell, but it was a rare item that those who had it were hoarding. If Velite had lowered his standards, that was certainly for the best.
Everyone at the table listened curiously to the veiled conversation between Angel and Sanders, sensing that there was more than met the eye.
“What are you guys talking about? It all sounds so obscure and mysterious,” Liana and Horus both hesitated to ask, but Wallace, an academic-faction wizard who had never gotten along with Sanders, blurted out the question.
“It’s a private matter,” Sanders replied coldly, glancing at Wallace. “By the way, I don’t recall inviting you here today, did I?”
Wallace choked for a moment but didn’t get angry. Instead, he squinted and chuckled, “I didn’t come for you; I came to congratulate Angel on his advancement. Or do you think I should congratulate Angel privately?”
Sanders was momentarily at a loss for words.
Horus, who had just returned to the Southern Region, didn’t grasp the subtext of their conversation. Liana discreetly explained to him through a whispered message, “Wallace has had his eye on Angel for quite some time now.”
Before, when Angel hadn’t yet become a formal wizard, Wallace had been scheming to make Angel his apprentice.
Now that Angel had been promoted, Wallace’s new aim was to lure him into teaching at White Seagull Chronicle Academy.
After listening, Horus had an epiphany and said, “Angel’s style does indeed lean more towards Wallace.”
Both are part of academic circles.
So, Wallace might actually be able to persuade Angel if he were to offer his congratulations privately.
Sanders cast a sideways glance at Horus and Liana, saying, “Your mental communication could be even more clumsy.”
Though they used mental communication, everyone present was a formal wizard. Unchanneled mental messages to them sounded as if people were shouting.
Because Horus and Liana’s mental interruptions broke the flow, Sanders refrained from further debate with Wallace, who also chose not to inquire further on the previous matter.
Sanders interjected, “Let’s discuss other matters later and get back to the main point.”
Horus was here for two main reasons. The first was to discuss the relationship between the Savage Grottoes and Sky Mechanical City; the second was about the change in the person overseeing Sky Mechanical City station.
Both of these matters are actually related to Angel.
As a member of the Research Institute, Angel naturally serves as the vital link between the Savage Grottoes and Sky Mechanical City. This is because alchemy apprentices from the Savage Grottoes will undoubtedly come to Sky Mechanical City for further studies in the future. Many logistical details will have to be addressed, and Angel, by virtue of being a member of the Research Institute, will need to grant some permissions to Horus.
Horus’s appointment as the overseer elevates the importance of Sky Mechanical City’s station by several notches. The reason for this is also tied to Angel’s membership in the Research Institute. However, Angel doesn’t need to do anything in this regard; he merely needs to be an observer and bear witness to the events.
Chapter 1521 Achillea Comprehensive College <TOC> Chapter 1523 Succession