Chapter 388: Secrets of the Academies

Chapter 388: Secrets of the Academies

As this question was raised, the luxurious living room fell into an eerie silence.

The conservative noble representatives present either furrowed their brows, quietly sipped their tea, or took deep puffs from their pipes, each lost in thought.

Not a single person spoke up.

After all, if even the legendary 'Carver' Harold, the strongest of them all, had fallen to the enemy, there was little they could do openly without the direct intervention of the Imperial Guardians.

As time passed, the nobles in attendance began to leave one by one. At this moment, Duke Dram, his face grim, gestured to Butler Owen, who stood by his side.

"Your Grace," Owen said respectfully, bowing slightly.

"Disclose the details of Ryan's victories against the Black Flame Cult, the Sea God Cult, and the Secret Serpent Cult through several secret channels."

"As you wish, Your Grace," Owen replied, his eyes lighting up as he bowed in agreement.

He instantly understood his master's intentions.

Since there was no apparent way to deal with the enemy openly, they would have to resort to covert methods.

The Swordbearers' missions and actions were confidential. Although the cults knew that one of their high priests or grand priests had been slain by a Swordbearer, they didn't know the specific identity of the killer.

If the cults were to learn the identity of the Swordbearer responsible, they would be like sharks sensing blood in the water or hornets stung by a stick, swarming towards Ryan.

Of course, this was none of their concern.

Meanwhile, on their way back...

Lady General Tayia and Ryan chatted intermittently:

"This time, the conservatives dared to target you because, although you are very powerful, your time in the capital has been too short, and your fame is mostly limited within the Swordmaster Headquarters."

"Considering the potential future situations, Lord Ryan, I suggest bringing your entire family from Minster to the capital. What do you think?"

"Thank you, I have no objections, but..." Ryan began.

"Is it about the manor?" Tayia smiled slightly. "Don't worry; the headquarters will make the necessary arrangements. You can rest assured."

"Then, thank you." Ryan smiled.

"By the way, Lord Ryan, I suggest you refrain from taking on missions and staying in the capital, Tamriel, until the situation calms down. How does that sound?"

"Okay," Ryan nodded.

Upon returning to the Bavaria Manor, Ryan found Halowen and Luther waiting in the hall, their faces solemn.

They must have heard something.

Luther approached Ryan, his expression slightly relieved. "Lord Ryan, is that news true?"

"Yes," Ryan nodded, but upon second thought, he didn't offer further explanation.

"Hiss~" Luther and Halowen exchanged glances, both seeing shock in each other's eyes.

"Lord Ryan, I just received a letter from my father. Yesterday, the Dram family sent a representative to Minster to discuss your situation with my father," Halowen explained.

"Oh? Are they pressuring us?" Ryan immediately guessed their intention.

"Yes, they want us, the Bavaria family, to distance ourselves from you and, if possible, do something about it," Halowen said, leaving the rest unspoken.

"I'm sorry to put you and the Duke in a difficult position," Ryan apologized.

"Lord Ryan, my father refused their suggestion, stating that you have made outstanding contributions to Minster. He may not be able to help much, but he will never kick someone when they're down."

"Please convey my gratitude to the Duke of Minster for his support," Ryan said, his expression turning solemn as he looked at Halowen.

"Lady Tayia, I'll be moving out later."

"Lord Ryan!" Halowen's face turned anxious, about to speak, but Ryan waved him off, interrupting.

"Lady Tayia, I know what you're thinking, but the Dram family is a formidable force. The Bavaria family doesn't need to get too involved. Besides, the Swordmaster Headquarters has already arranged a manor for me."

Although Ryan didn't know if the Dram family's support was influenced by the Reform Party or a result of discussions between General Edward and the Duke of Minster, he believed that as a provincial governor, the Duke of Minster would suffer significant losses if he openly clashed with the conservatives.

Additionally, sometimes, keeping their strength hidden could be more beneficial for Ryan.

That afternoon...

Ryan and Anna rode in a carriage, arriving at the new manor arranged for them by the Swordmaster Headquarters.

Although located in the second ring of the capital, it was still in the noble district, surrounded by marquises and counts, ensuring a relatively safe environment.

Furthermore, while this manor didn't officially belong to Ryan, he could use it for as long as he wished.

Lady General Tayia greeted Ryan at the entrance of the new manor, introducing it: "Lord Ryan, this manor originally belonged to a count."

"Take a look, does it meet your approval?"

In the morning, Ren gazed out from the study window of his new mansion, witnessing a commotion at the entrance. His sister Mint, mother Emma, and father Old Ryan emerged from a luxurious carriage, their eyes wide with curiosity at the sights of the capital, Tamriel. Ren was surprised to see them so soon, considering the airship's journey duration.

"Big brother! The capital is so vast! Is this our new home?" Mint exclaimed, rushing into Ren's embrace.

"Yes, this is our new home," Ren replied, ruffling Mint's hair affectionately.

Anna approached, and Mint immediately left Ren to greet her. Jennifer, their mother, was occupied with matters at the Aksen Auction House and the Chamber of Commerce, and Lagre, along with the Ice Claw Bear Mercenary Guild, had just arrived in Minster, staying with Jennifer.

The next morning, Ren donned the advanced magical artifact, the 'Cloak of Concealment,' and headed straight for Mentor Mogaro's office.

Upon seeing Ren, Mogaro's expression lit up with excitement. "Ren, I heard you... You defeated the Carver, Hadro?"

Ren nodded in response.

"Haha! I never imagined I'd have a disciple like you in my lifetime!" Mogaro laughed heartily.

Ren was puzzled by Mogaro's enthusiasm. Logically, as a member of the Bius Armory School, he should be concerned about retaliation for defeating a member of the Isodrae Academy, a more powerful wizard school. Why was he so exhilarated?

Ren had not come to discuss this, nor was he interested in such gossip. After some small talk, he got straight to the point: "Mentor, I heard that as a medium-sized school, there are some missing key inheritances?"

"You're referring to the inheritance issue. I was planning to discuss this with you once you reached the Tier 3 Crystalization Wizard level, but since you asked, I'll explain the situation." Mogaro's expression turned solemn.

"To some extent, there's truth to the rumors. Our Steel Heart Advanced Meditation only has three layers, allowing you to reach the peak of Tier 3 Crystalization."

"However, it's undeniable that this is the most suitable advanced meditation for metal-affinity wizards in the entire Empire."

Ren nodded in agreement. While enhancing control over metal elements might not seem impressive at first glance, when combined with his top-tier metal affinity, the result was terrifying. His Tier 1 wizardry already rivaled Tier 2 spells. It was hard to believe, but the issue was that if he could only reach the peak of Tier 3 Crystalization, what would he do when aspiring to become a Dawn Wizard?

"If I reach the peak of Tier 3 Crystalization and wish to advance to the Dawn Wizard level, what should I do?"

"There are two ways. One is to extrapolate the fourth layer based on the existing three layers of Steel Heart Advanced Meditation, but this requires the involvement of many high-level wizards, takes a long time, and success is not guaranteed."

Extrapolate? Ren pondered. The system did have an 'extrapolation' function, but it seemed to be based on certain foundations, and he wasn't sure if it could successfully extrapolate advanced meditation.

"Mentor, what's the second way?" Ren inquired.

"The second method is, of course, to find the fourth layer. That's the best solution," Mogaro smiled.

Ren was speechless.

"But Ren, don't worry. The school, especially our metal-affinity wizards, has been searching for clues regarding the fourth layer, and we've made some progress."

Ren's curiosity piqued. So, there were already leads.

"However, it involves exploring dangerous ruins. As you may know, ruin exploration often carries unforeseen risks, and our school's metal-affinity wizards primarily specialize in puppetry..."

After some thought, Ren spoke up: "Mentor, I'd be happy to join the exploration. Don't forget, I'm not only your disciple but also an Imperial Swordbearer. Combat is second nature to me."

"Haha, I almost forgot that you're also part of the Metal Affinity now." Mogaro's eyes lit up as he realized, "If you're interested, I'll definitely support you. Let's wait for more information to come out, and then I'll discuss it with you. You can decide if you want to participate or not." Mogaro said with a beaming smile.

"Okay, Master Mogaro," Ren nodded with a smile.

It would be fantastic if he could find the original Advanced Steel Heart Meditation, the fourth level of the Steel Heart Core.

For several days, Ren led a simple life, spending most of his time at the library of the Bius Armory School.

Previously, he had been busy with various tasks for the Swordbearer, often traveling, but during this period, he immersed himself in studying the foundational knowledge of witchcraft.

At the same time, he gradually integrated into the small group of Audrey and the others.

In the Metal Affinity Hall of the Bius Armory School Outpost.

Ren, along with Audrey and a few others, was crafting a new batch of Greatsword Battle Puppets.

Of course, Ren significantly slowed down his Metal Transformation Spell, but even so, he was still several times faster than Audrey and the rest.

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"Hey, have you heard? Something big happened in the Capital recently." The mature and enchanting Alicia spoke in a low voice to Ren, Joseph, and Audrey.

"Hmm? What's going on?" Joseph asked, puzzled.

"I heard that the legendary 'Carver' Harold, the strongest legend, was killed by someone!"

"What! The one from Isodrae Academy? The Tier 3 Crystalization Sorcerer Harold at his peak?" Joseph's eyes widened in disbelief.

He had heard of Harold's fame, and this person was a top-tier powerhouse comparable to the head of his own school.

In fact, Harold's reputation even surpassed that of his own school's leader.

"Yes, the one who killed him is also named Ren, apparently from the Imperial Swordbearer side." As she spoke, Alicia glanced at Ren with her beautiful eyes.

"But I heard that he might be a strong member of the Imperial Swordbearer."

Upon hearing this, Audrey's eyes widened, and her face paled as her hands, which were casting the Metal Transformation Spell, began to tremble.

"Clang!"

The puppet parts in her hands fell to the ground.

"Oh no!"

"Audrey, be more careful. You almost hit me." Alicia was startled.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Audrey hurriedly tried to hide her panic.

Seeing Audrey's pale face, the mature and enchanting Alicia didn't dwell on the matter.

Alicia, do you know what you're doing?

You're asking Ren, the top-tier powerhouse who killed 'Carver' Harold, to help you craft puppet parts!

Goodness! When you find out the truth one day, you'll probably want to die from embarrassment.

"It's no trouble, Senior Alicia," Ren smiled and nodded in agreement.

"That's great, Junior Ren. I'll treat you to lunch." Alicia said, and as she spoke, her ample chest brushed against Ren's arm, a seemingly unintentional yet flirtatious gesture.

Ren wasn't playing some sort of game, but he was temporarily unable to leave the capital. Additionally, he still had a need for contribution points for the school.

First, the third layer of the Advanced Steel Heart Meditation required two thousand contribution points for exchange.

Also, if he wanted to inquire about and exchange Tier 3 Spells, the gnome girl at the exchange counter had made it clear that he needed to accumulate ten thousand historical contribution points.

So, in a situation where he couldn't take on external tasks, Ren decided to earn contribution points by crafting puppet parts while familiarizing himself with various puppet-making techniques. He considered this a decent choice.

Moreover, in his free time, he could also study the basics of wizardry and learn about the various wizard schools within the Empire.

Over the past few days, Ren had learned about two important matters.

One was related to metal-type puppets. When controlling advanced battle puppets, in addition to performing the Activation Ritual to activate them, another crucial element was required: the control core.

When Ren first saw the basic control core, he was reminded of the circuit boards from his past life, similar to the cartridges used in 90s gaming consoles.

However, the production of this technology was extremely challenging, demanding the highest precision. The Bius Armory School represented the Empire's pinnacle in this field, yet they could only produce basic control cores.

According to ancient records, intermediate and advanced control cores were still in the experimental stages.

This also explained why the metal arm remnant Ren obtained from Iron Man could be exchanged for 3,700 contribution points.

According to Master Mogaro, the Falcons Federation was ahead of the Empire in terms of manufacturing precision. It was possible that they had discovered and absorbed the related technology from an important site of the Ancient Gnome Empire.

The other matter was a secret about the wizard schools.

Apparently, the Empire's wizard schools had an important responsibility: guarding the Mystic Realms.

But to Ren, this so-called Mystic Realm seemed more like a passage or a seal.

For example, the Bius Armory School, together with another medium-sized wizard school, the Sandale Academy, was responsible for guarding the 'Inferno Canyon' Mystic Realm.

"Have you heard? The rotation period for Inferno Canyon is approaching, and Trevor will be returning soon," Joseph suddenly remembered something and said.

"This time, our Metal Department probably won't be able to send anyone. You can't go, neither can Audrey or I, and it's even less possible for you, Ren, since you've just arrived."

"Sigh, I wonder how Master Mogaro will arrange things this time," Joseph sighed.

"Oh? Can you tell me more about it?" Ren showed some interest.

"Deep within Inferno Canyon, there's an ancient underground rift that has existed since ancient times. Occasionally, special things emerge from this rift and break through to the surface."

"The most common is a type of element called Malevolent Flame, which is extremely ferocious."

"If one's strength hasn't reached the peak of Tier 1 Wizard and they're not proficient in combat techniques, it's impossible to resist," Joseph explained.

"That's right. So, the minimum strength requirement to take turns guarding Inferno Canyon is the peak of Tier 1 Wizard." Alicia also nodded, her expression turning solemn.

"Basically, our Metal Department has to send someone every time."

"What if no one is available?" Ren asked.

"There are two possibilities. One is that Master Mogaro goes himself, and the other is that if another department has the capacity to help, our Metal Department will deduct a large sum from our research funds and let them take over."

"I see." Ren nodded.

But this method was actually worse, as the reduction in funds would hinder the cultivation of metal-type wizard apprentices, making it more difficult for wizards to emerge.

It was a vicious cycle.

"Speaking of combat, Ren, you've been here for a while now. Let's go to the training room and let your sister see your level of puppet control."

Alicia's beautiful eyes lit up as she looked at Ren.

"Yes, Ren, let's go. You can't just be proficient in puppet making. For wizards, combat is a very important aspect," Joseph agreed.

"I'd rather not." Ren hesitated.

However, Alicia and Joseph thought that Ren was afraid of losing, which was only natural for a young person.

But Audrey knew the truth. Seeing Ren's hesitation, she said, "If you don't want to, Ren, then forget it."

"Let's go! Don't be afraid of losing. You've helped your sister several times, and I'll guide you in puppet control! Hehe~" Alicia patted her ample chest and giggled.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end