Gathering

“Hey, are you buying them or not? Don’t stand in the way of my exchange.” Seeing that Oliver read and studied “Mathematical Principles of Magical Philosophy” and “Basics of Calculus” before his stand in fascination, the dealer drove him away angrily.

“Huh?” Oliver shivered hard, coming back from the feeling as wonderful as Mountain Paradise. He waved the books hard. “Yes, I’ll buy them! Which organization are the authors from?”

He couldn’t wait to meet the sorcerers who had created such a marvelous mathematical system and astonishing theories and express his excitement.

Although he only skimmed through the books due to his lack of knowledge, he still sensed the pure beauty of mathematics and the shock of gravity that was beyond its age.

“Mr. Douglas of the Congress of Magic wrote them. The co-authors of ‘Basics of Calculus’ also include ‘Ms. Silvery’ and Mr. Fernando of the Congress of Magic,” the dealer said with obvious respect when he mentioned them.

In delight, Oliver took out a low-quality Wave Stone and packed up the books and the other materials he selected. He mumbled to himself, “The Congress of Magic! They’re all from the Congress of Magic! I’m going to join the Congress of Magic!”

The books of such a level were an unparalleled shock for a beginner!

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After a few murmurs, he raised his head and stared at the dealer; his eyes glittering. The dealer stepped back in fear and said obscurely, “I… I never sold any unqualified goods.”

“Could you tell you where I can join the Congress of Magic?” Oliver asked in excitement.

Slightly relieved, the dealer said angrily, “If I knew it, I would’ve joined it myself!”

Then, he said seriously, “Over the past twenty years, the Church has been keeping the pressure on us. All the organizations can only develop in secret. How can you join them so easily?”

“I’m sure I can find the answer!” Oliver already made up his mind. Even though the Congress of Magic had few sorceresses, he would have to join them!

Therefore, he asked everyone in the fair and did not stop even though he was disappointed again and again. He paid a fortune for that.

However, his obvious action assured the sorcerers who watched over the fair that he was not a night watcher.

Finally, for the sake of “Soul Stone”, one of the sorcerers gave him a tip. “Mr. Fernando of the Congress of Magic is visiting the place. You can go and wait there.”

He pointed at a trail in the woods outside of the fair.

“Mr. Fernando?” Oliver was excited again and rushed to the trail to wait there.

The guards of the place spared someone to keep an eye on him, in case he leaked the intelligence.

After a dozen minutes, Oliver saw a stout man in a red robe, a lich, and a skinny man walking from the turn of the road.

“Although you are a horrible person, your ‘Theories of Body Structure and Circulation’ is worth a read,” Fernando, who barely praised anyone, said.

Coldly, Vicente said, “Although you are a pervert, you know what you are doing when it comes to calculus.”

He did not give in at all.

Fernando sniffed, holding his urge to roar with the desire for arcana communication. Within the Congress of Magic, Vicente’s theories had been categorized as arcana.

He had a fairly good understanding of body structure too. His communication with Vicente and Congus went rather well.

Standing not far away behind and listening to them discussing theories that he could not follow at all, Oliver immediately felt that he had just entered the gate of magic, and a whole world was out there waiting to be explored by him.

“One day, I will join them in the discussions of the world and human bodies!” Oliver clenched his fists and set his goal.

At this moment, Oliver was almost certain that the short, red-robed sorcerer was Mr. Fernando, so he waited anxiously. When the three of them approached him, he stepped over and bowed in the standard etiquette of sorcerers. “Esteemed Mr. Fernando, I am a student who admires Mr. Douglas and you for your vast knowledge. I’m wondering if I could join the Congress of Magic and receive your guidance.”

After that, he stood where he was uneasily, fearing that he would be declined and miss the opportunity.

After being stunned briefly, Fernando said seriously, “The Congress of Magic welcomes every sorcerer, but we have to make one thing clear first. Everybody who joins the Congress has to accept the atmosphere of open discussions and the stipulation that arcana is publicized to all the other sorcerers in the form of papers. Of course, the authors of such papers will be rewarded by the Congress of Magic and every reader.”

“Arcana?” Oliver asked in confusion.

Fernando explained the definition of arcana, before he asked again, “Can you accept it?”

Oliver thought for a moment. Other than the magic models and some casting tricks, he did not have many arcana theories that deserved to be kept a secret, so he solemnly nodded his head. “Yes, Mr. Fernando.”

Not expecting that joining the Congress of Magic was so easy, Oliver was so happy that he felt unreal.

Fernando nodded his head. “However, until then, you have to receive our vetting. After all, we cannot allow any night watcher to sneak in.”

“That’s not a problem.” Oliver’s sense of unreality was gone, and he was back to the ground.

Listening to the conversation between Fernando and Oliver, Vicente felt that he was not needed here, so he turned around and left.

……

In the Snow Cathedral…

Looking at the files at hand, Aradeline looked at the level-seven red robe who was in charge of the Inquisition in obvious discontent. “Why haven’t you captured the nobles? They are guilty of conspiring with sorcerers!”

The red robe said respectfully but without fear, “Mr. Aradeline, they are only suspects. We do not have any proof. The Lord teaches us not to punish anyone easily.”

“Proof? We don’t have any proof?” Grimly, Aradeline threw a book to the red robe. “Have you never read ‘Maul of Sorcerers’?”

The red robe glanced at the cover and said calmly, “Having been promoted to be an inquisitor from a night watcher, Crazy Hound certainly has a lot of experience. His ideas and approaches are very suitable to the places where the sorcerers are blatantly active, but Mr. Aradeline, this is the north where we developed first at the beginning. We have the purest faith. The nobles are trustworthy. They cannot be compared to their counterparts in Holm.”

Aradeline stared at the red robe with fury in his eyes, almost accusing him of misprision and betraying the Lord. However, when he remembered other similar things that he saw in the North Province, he held back his fury and nodded his head. “Whatever it is, we need to ask more if they are suspects.”

After the red robe left, he narrowed his eyes with a heavy heart. Something was not right with the North Province. He had to investigate in secret.

……

Another twenty years passed, and it was the end of year 424 of the Saint Calendar.

Aradeline was as grim as before when he read the thick pile of documents before him. The problems of the North Province were graver than he thought. Many clerics conspired with nobles, accepted bribes, relished entertainments, and forgot that the sorcerers were not extinct yet and the war in the Dark Mountain Range was not won. Also, they seemed to have different opinions about the doctrines!

Everything was obviously led by someone in the upper level. All the leads pointed to the few level-nine red robes in this parish, who were all big shots who watched over the major churches like himself.

During the last twenty years, Aradeline eliminated obstacles and found clues bit by bit. Finally, he completed the preliminary investigation recently and decided to unveil the scheme.

According to the protocol, he had to report to Saint Felix, the grand cardinal of this parish, first.

He had never questioned the loyalty of Felix. As a matter of fact, no clerics had ever betrayed the Church so far. “Excommunication” and the existence of God prevented it from happening. So, he defined what happened here as addiction to entertainment and lack of devotion. A saint, who had got rid of the basic desires, would certainly not dwell in entertainments, nor would he be impious, or the Lord wouldn’t have granted him such great power.

Picking up the files, Aradeline reached the cathedral Felix was in through a transmission circle. He waited for ten minutes before Felix met him.

“The situation is very terrible.” Felix turned the materials and read carefully for a while before he reached the conclusion solemnly.

Aradeline agreed with him. “Yes, Saint Felix. We have to educate them soon.”

Looking at the closed door, Felix said to Aradeline, “You go and draft a plan first. Let’s discuss it.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Aradeline bowed and turned around.

After only a few steps, he suddenly sensed the arrival of a horrifying holy light, and his mind was slowed to the minimum.

Before he sank into eternal darkness, he struggled to turn his head, only to discover that Saint Felix just dropped his right hand with a smile of mockery on his lips.

On Dec. 21, 424, Aradeline, bishop of the Snow Cathedral of the North Province of the Schachran Empire, was ambushed by sorcerers who conspired with devils and was unfortunately killed. The Holy City was shocked.

……

In a place similar to a theater, the seats around the dais at the center had all been taken.

“Therefore, I don’t think that earth, fire, wind, and water are equal to elements. Rather, each of them should be regarded as a force…” Oliver waved his arm and spoke to the people below him confidently.