Chapter 277
yiIThe great spells unleashed by Archmage Walter Hanfmann were so powerful that, had they been cast on ordinary ground, they would have collapsed the earth and destroyed the world itself.xB4Ochu
NcquyHowever, the stadium held firm; it did not break under his magic, just as its reputation demanded.uc9RT
EFMY5Even so, Fernan Pellenberg was not as calm as everyone believed.PXBVmu
mUUOfU‘This is insane.’Ksjlg
FjXGetting in had been easy. Even using some spells inside turned out to be possible.pUGl1Hh
r9WEK3pBut beyond that, moving freely was impossible.2a5
NrnAYvN‘Moving here is like dragging shackles.’45iJJQP
cCjqThe entire underground was a magical prison.VIB
OltiIf it were normal earth, he could move around easily, but the first Pope had covered not only the stadium but also its subsoil with restrictive spells.xOw
xVHAUuEvery step felt like carrying chains weighing tons, and casting magic was even worse.Yb2l
9loySsVIt felt as if he were trying to conjure in a land with not a single particle of mana, filled instead with malignant energy.hWooN0
oA9‘How meticulous he was…’mdF
KchxGjLIt was clear he had foreseen the possibility of a mage trying to dig downward and had prepared for it.iQCj6I
FUfWe4WWalter Hanfmann couldn’t break the ground.K1k
dTUFernan, on the other hand, had managed to enter, but couldn’t do anything.EWcJ
ytoKWmIf things continued like this, the battle would never end.nWMS
n8HTo decide the fight, he’d have to come out, but—CtcR7
nJvw‘Maybe I’ll wait a little longer.’9o1WlV8
Vn3zcHis opponent was spending energy casting massive spells.cNQT
Z5aATlwThere was no reason to go up just to receive them.aAnL
OaTKzqLFernan allowed a faint smile.zh93
kte3‘Surely everyone up there is in shock.’VtVoq
k9jBGZ1Although he only discovered he could enter the subsoil once inside the stadium, his action wasn’t improvised.KCAk
4LBBom8‘Since I planned to draw attention, I had to go all out.’FUgUt
EIaThe stories of the two princes who had hunted down Amdusias had been eclipsed by the feat of Fernan and Luina, who had taken down two demons.2LblU
A2co0QBut one more rumor was never a bad thing, especially if it implied he was the
mage who achieved a miracle no one else had ever accomplished.6yNMGox
y5AVC‘It’s time.’tQftBc8
Av0bJ3Fernan cut off his thoughts.2TJXeqC
fSrQwNo more explosions or vibrations could be heard from the surface.0X0Wake
dvNYWalter Hanfmann had ceased his magical bombardment.tCA
BuywThe silence was even more tense than the noise.nZxs2FP
VKuZLvOBoth knew that for the battle to continue, Fernan would have to come out.pERO
bYI24They were both waiting for that moment.RKMmL3Q
3X5XQFernan moved first, because he had no choice.ctD5F
hbiHe cast dozens of illusory copies of himself at once.SxecSK
t30RPBut instantly, lightning struck and destroyed them one by one.4WKQKw
usnHis opponent was fast; no wonder he was an Archmage.KRK0bjI
ZPvDHowever, the fragments of those illusions suddenly merged, forming a massive spear that shot toward the mage suspended in the air.9XBr
B066ie“What…?”T8IAGBe
w7T8acSWalter Hanfmann let out a surprised groan.EHl2Z
1Prn1QA deafening explosion echoed instantly, and Fernan took advantage of that moment to surface.VboVDXm
70oI43He had cast more decoys as a precaution and had also covered his body with an additional magical shield.xGF
LDB‘What a blinding light.’1b3Fsur
YAtXefqThe surface was enveloped in a dazzling glow, perhaps from the lightning.Nh8c
fnyvr5But it wasn’t just that.vnL
WRcWx‘This…’rmhe
vC8eASA wave of lightning descended from the sky.UdVExK
5UCXb3Ice clung to his feet.4OCBP6H
sWt14The stadium floor began to crack.p21Yl6
uh2From the bottomless abyss below the earth, a reddish glow emerged along with a suffocating heat.gmTFIyZ
AghVHell’s lava rose in overflowing eruptions.iLz
oL1M6Walter Hanfmann could not master all schools of magic.5YQCVA
UEhEHKIf he had, he would not merely be an Archmage, but the reincarnation of the first Pope.n3j
lvA‘An illusion.’EXocIHt
hhPIFernan awakened the dragon’s eyes and saw the truth.spzTEed
7400The light had been a decoy to rob him of his senses—first sight, then hearing and touch—until he was trapped in a massive mirage.qsty
HIWuoEven knowing the technique, it was so realistic that even an expert could fall for it.ci0AB
HqYUnfortunately for his rival, Fernan possessed dragon eyes, capable of piercing any illusion.8Bo0eQ3
TceygoAs soon as he activated them, all the false sensations vanished as if they had never existed.Qmol
mfoQpcSOr rather, he disintegrated them with sheer force.9cU6l
ZAvBaKtEven so, the intensity of the experience left him impressed.r7wWGIm
4fZ‘I’ll have to train Carlo Deneb like this.’rmi
dmykyHe remembered how Carlo had fallen to corruption trying to combine illusion magic he learned from Dantalion.HayCHC
JYeCA smile crossed Fernan’s lips.MRXdVmV
P0ZkaL0“Wh–what…?”5D7g4UI
ChPt1dOHis smile, to his opponent, was more terrifying than any demon’s.glWMv
w1i***U1jpnR
RvKCKThe fragments transforming from illusions into spears were a technique of magical conversion incredibly fast and precise.MOcYu
H1Aog‘Fernan Pellenberg is a genius!’G2U1dX1
ziGkTWalter Hanfmann, stunned by the sudden shift, reformed his spell.Ug8kEv
jLsZ8FHis lightning spear clashed with the massive stone spear summoned by Fernan.ZnQD
yDtKblCrack! Zzzt!E7HPfxl
gqsO0nWThousands of sparks lit the world with a sound like a chorus of a thousand birds.9UPGze
fRQeJWithin that white light, Walter clearly observed his opponent’s movements.RY0xX
NwreVc‘I don’t know how he managed to pierce the stadium floor, but…’NWp
42jXrx9If not for the Dragon God Tournament, he would have stopped him to investigate right then and there.qarQUJ
uAchHowever, the duel had to go on.qjR
0g9And after watching, he deduced a few things.b9PJFK
LPn‘The subsoil is also covered by the first Pope’s magic seals.’W69vf
Q15Otherwise, he wouldn’t have abandoned his advantage and returned to the surface.gKc6
RHmXYym‘And although he’s formidable, he doesn’t completely surpass me.’rxD
LUsfIf he did, he would have already claimed the title of Archmage.qgxNf
MyFEvPower is felt when magic clashes.d3Fegt
aaqslodHis rival was strong, but not absolute.w3a
FKDIt was humiliating to lose ground to a fourth-year academy student, but in a tournament like this, age didn’t matter.U14daba
ALpNIJIf the subsoil was Fernan’s territory, the surface was his.Xku
js9c8iA light so bright that it even blinded spectators—was that a coincidence?zjI
Duf6UOf course not.etT
0B0Bps5It was a deliberate strategy.pFpx3nN
yPkSulEAnd amid that brightness, Fernan emerged from the ground.mKKCEg
yRyYkYM“Let’s see if you can block this too, Fernan Pellenberg.”Lztk
xEbb8Archmages, as a rule, never master just one branch of magic.4sybu
XVwQ6P4No matter how exceptional they are, all eventually hit a wall, and Walter Hanfmann was no exception.2oDyt
G8Yz5XnWhen that moment comes, mages usually take one of three paths.cOxn0
K8Ere2Desperately cling to their specialty, explore a completely new field, or incorporate something closely related to their original branch.4Pi
r2nFWalter had chosen the third path.H2MrmVU
UPRzFLightning is light.AFg
PsDLight robs vision.zhye6
g4prMAnd that creates the perfect setting for illusion magic.GD9D2v
6F8hDozens of magic circles intertwined with light rushed toward Fernan.qNAHp
7z0But then.TsqUE
uhhdpAT“…?”UfnyPM
s9pFernan Pellenberg didn’t react to the heat of fire, the cold of ice, or the slice of wind.g95n
99kXXHe merely stood still, looking at him directly.XuYi
hz4IhApCrash!e2M6a
b75I4X1He shattered the magic.muT
ywQsRuD“H–how…?”HKjB
DWH7Walter Hanfmann was horrified.EannnMn
qbTysxThat made no sense. None at all.BVr4
SISHHe knew his illusion magic wasn’t absolute; all magic is relative.z74lst
Bl4aNo matter how much of an Archmage he was, there would always be others stronger.cchcKP
5WqIvBut even those mages couldn’t have broken in seconds an illusion he had perfected over decades.bWNar
ByCImpossible.3hnQOz
vdUq“Wh–who the hell are you?”mrFHjU
OrTSeg“I’m Fernan Pellenberg.”bAfn
0glMN“Damn it! I didn’t mean that!”PL7
By6j6TWalter’s hands and feet trembled.i61
44J0xE4The forced cancellation of the spell caused the mana to violently recoil through his body, and he coughed up dark blood.QxFwCmR
wZfuZ6s“How… how the hell…?”XuqINWt
xPm“That doesn’t matter.”eqa
d9W“You say that now?!”i2o
vrkej3Did he expect him to believe he’d broken his most refined magic just like that?LUpd
jIW“His Excellency Fernan Pellenberg has no limits. For him, money solves all problems.”YDsDaR
R6crky“My illusion magic can’t be broken with money!”vbC2WXh
4jJ5E“But you can have enough mana to resist it if you possess an enormous reserve.”4l7TJF
Sb8nReD“If everything were fixed by gulping down elixirs, demons wouldn’t even exist! What did you do, eat a dragon’s heart?!”TR2Rp
zGTf3dpFernan let out a soft chuckle and shook his head.mZj5
3I7iG“That doesn’t exist. The last dragon was seen more than a thousand years ago.”03qo63d
Ge8as4y“…Yeah, sure.”aLkg
IdGjWalter knew that too.LBAvP
uQvh5CRHe just didn’t want to accept the reality—he had lost.uu3sK3i
h48J6oHis strongest card, the spell into which he had poured his entire soul, had been destroyed in an instant.WBN
wzVVtdAThe backlash had left internal injuries.js31n
LBGContinuing to fight was pointless.KyXN1
Wo2oZ“…The Pellenberg family is truly extraordinary.”NBWrq
WDxDef“We always have been.”VzA9al
xX0Wsn“…I surrender.”nQ3T
XVQWalter Hanfmann raised both hands.697D
6VKKThe battle was over.fIwns
ONsnA new Archmage had been born.f6boK
0pIKK***rNTysjd
jAmq0er“Winner! Fernan Pellenberg!”jaexP
DB5AWaaaaaah!v6Ad
myb3FFUThe roar of the crowd shook the stadium following the referee’s declaration.mvL6v
T1uy51“What the hell just happened?”SeKYH
hX5Hh0T“No idea.”YAdYqin
5dUHK9T“All we saw was that he sank into the ground, everything lit up, and that’s it. Nothing was visible.”Meml0I
x7MthkWThose ignorant of magic complained that it had been the most boring Dragon God Tournament in history.99k
X42a2But those with some understanding knew they had just witnessed something monumental.TJKEA
Ibc“Contact Fernan! Fernan Pellenberg is a monster!”bCK0Af
5TD“He did what no one had achieved in a thousand years and destroyed Walter Hanfmann’s illusions instantly!”VN7
oCO3Xz“The Pellenbergs… what a terrifying family!”SF9CP0
vdBi4“And that guy was attending the Academy like it was nothing?”7yusn2G
d9cuWt“What? Tenth place in his entrance exams and first year? If that’s tenth place, what kind of gods study at that Academy?”stFI
TferelThe Dragon God Cult, nobles, and powerful merchants began to move swiftly.T9vS
MKOBut the protagonist of it all stood before the Pope himself.c8I
Npuh“……”9ZIF0N
CqNoBn“……”K8yrWj
3czsCQA heavy silence filled the room.4eEI
WzwFernan didn’t speak first; he knew perfectly well why he had been summoned.su10cuB
hkISEs“I’ll be direct.”khwK
UL0qhgs“Yes, Your Holiness.”IsVZ3
xy7sB“Where did you find it?”uuVqJ
n8Kp“What do you mean?”10jpjV
AeajV“Don’t play dumb.”EIT
FN1UThe Pope set the teacup on the table.yTvO8
sLCdl“No matter how much of a genius you are, the seals of the first Pope engraved on the stadium’s arena are special. They’ve remained intact for a thousand years. No one has been able to decipher them.”QTEA
QDhiaxAnd you did.oBdgev
RY23QD“I don’t believe it was a coincidence. Nor do I think it was just a matter of skill.”rgKcH
Ks1OFernan was exceptional, yes. But this was different.Vbki
wAPu“I believe you have the answers in your hands.”HWNRKg8
OBXNPZi“Are you suggesting I found the dungeon left by the first Pope?”CsX
TsvVWYT“A place where the stadium’s blueprints or information about that magic circle could be found, perhaps. Isn’t that right?”QnMQrWe
6VqK“As expected, Your Holiness cannot be deceived. You’re right.”3Kx7
NTOgARIt was true.tbL
nlI7He hadn’t found blueprints or seals but rather the dragon’s heart.nhMZx
5Vuxf2“I suspected as much.”j1tEq
IhVtKZThe Pope stroked his beard with a faint smile.V8opu
Wdfuwf0“Where is it?”LlB
ZRRrzQa“I can’t say.”JV1fW5l
L6S“It belongs to the Cult.”dpFSG
jPRmB“It’s been more than a thousand years. Do you think you can claim ownership of something that old?”96Dpg
R875SK“The first Pope left it in the name of the Dragon God Cult. There’s no reason it wouldn’t be ours.”yCjwt
r4NZtzThe Pope’s tone didn’t change, nor his expression; even so, the pressure was palpable.MPJ
LjQPZz5“It’s in the Pellenberg family’s ancestral sanctuary. That’s why I can’t reveal its location.”clOtxSW
6y1sNEven if the Pope wanted to claim it, he couldn’t demand it if it lay within the territory of an elector family.lPSTb
KE6Fernan noticed the slight tightening of his expression and offered a carrot.kwK4u
RJOd“Instead, I’ll give you the books and research materials found there.”4Xr
bKPBR“Are you serious?”kg3lS
BEH2HW“But I have one condition.”yS6UMdV
AU7q7mH“Name it.”bxTdDQH
Ge4CeZThe Pope, curious, relaxed a bit.VwWcNE
u9sHe knew he had to be careful with the Pellenbergs—especially when they offered something without asking for anything in return.eTj9sX7
ZSfgwEL“Allow us to keep one item.”hioV
WDAKv“One?”rWvJpYk
hQEi5“Yes.”3qerw
I7SX“If you take the most important artifact, we’re the ones who lose, don’t you think?”W7H
QKi“I promise it won’t be any spellbook or research document.”Me8hk
q1dS5KO“Hmm.”2QflE
Djt9tIf it wasn’t that, there was no reason to refuse.1ZQ
jNXXzIn fact, the deal already heavily favored the Pellenbergs.ihNqqtL
zaQVbDA“Then, if we later discover that it is, you’ll return it to the Cult and we’ll trade. What do you say?”kWx
zHKKBVY“I don’t mind. But how can you trust me?”d3wzfC
jXBp0Years of dealings weren’t enough to trust the Pellenbergs.AO5M
PR1qrJThey were demons of money; they’d do anything for profit.7jP41
mjX8“Don’t trust me, Your Holiness. Trust the contract.”okRTj
Upv3MqY“Very well. But still, it makes no sense that we can’t inspect the dungeon, being property of the Cult.”3UE
NHz“I’ll record everything with a recording device, in full detail.”BOMjv
M9YodY“No matter how much you say that…”5cRf0hw
rWJGBci“Your Holiness, the dungeon is at the very heart of the Pellenberg estate.”uyF6S
SjP2“……”ovOwz
QMnIBzAt Fernan’s emphasis, the Pope could only remain silent, stroking his beard.paRtbQ
RQMyW8dNo matter how much authority the Cult had, it couldn’t barge into an elector house’s sanctuary or claim ownership of it.5hf
igpAWD‘He’s probably lying,’ he thought.r0WtU
DL2C2IsBut even so, he couldn’t demand the truth to his face.HBl
IC2aThe Pellenberg family was the Cult of the Dragon God’s biggest client and benefactor.3g86gjs
XozAbHKBreaking ties with them would be disastrous.aE5
fR3mf05“I trust you.”bC4niV
2QDOrBx“The honor is mine, Your Holiness.”0anfluh
z6wWIThey shook hands.Ek5k
aCCDS‘With this, I’ll be able to sell them the White Dragon statue at an astronomical price.’GtSldx
rOyyA statue bigger, more beautiful, and more detailed than any the Cult had.YaS2Qql
izsCould they tolerate such a relic remaining in the hands of the Pellenbergs?KFpx
8GcNever.WLv
br8XBFernan allowed a faint smile to form.MdMb
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