novelraw Chapter 266
Chapter 266
Chapter 266
Max was startled by the voice and turned around. Annette was striding across the common lab.
“Landon is searching for you. You must come see him in his room right now.”
Annette shouted loudly as if not accepting her voice being drowned out by the sound of metals being hammered, piecing Max’s ears. Her tears welled up from the loud voice that seemed to break her eardrums.Nêww chapters will be fully updated at novelhall.com
“W-what’s the matter?”
Annette only shrugged her shoulders. Max heaved a sigh and left the lab. Crossing the hall and walking straight to the huge steel cage used to climb floors, she wondered why she was being summoned again. After asking a passerby holding firewood to operate the pulley, she opened the cage and went inside. After a while, the steel mechanism rattled and slowly began to climb floors. She fixed her messy hair and straightened her clothes whilst the gears spun.
She was soon about to ask Landon to write her a recommendation letter that would leave a good impression on the Urd senior wizards, so she wanted to look a little more presentable. Although he praised Max’s skills and abilities, Landon may favor those from the Umli tribe as they were his own people. She tried to flatten her wavy hair with her palms as much as she could. Finally, the gears of the pulley stopped. Max carefully opened the gate of the cage and headed to the arched door. She knocked and asked for permission to come in.
“...please excuse my entrance.”
Max slowly pulled the doorknob. Inside the room was Landon and a lean-built man sitting opposite each other. She was expecting Landon to be alone in his room and her eyes widened in shock. The man, who was sitting with his back turned to her, looked at her with his cold, blue-gray eyes. Max recognized him and froze. It was Calto Serbel, a wizard from the Serbel Clan. She had heard that he was one of the most influential elder wizards in Nornui. Max took a step back, thinking that she went there mistakenly.
“I... heard that you were looking for me. If I am interrupting your conversation...”
“First, sit down.”
Landon pointed a thick finger to an empty chair. Max glanced at Calto Serbel’s face and went to take a seat. Upon seeing Max’s tense expression, he smiled as if to try lightening the mood.
“I didn’t summon you here to reprimand you, there’s no reason to be so nervous. I called you here today to make an offer.”
“An offer...?”
“I’ll be explaining the offer.” Calto Serbel, who was quiet so far, opened his mouth.
“... Come to think of it, you were there, so that puts something into perspective.”
His eyebrows pulled together and he looked at her with a new light in his eyes. It was quite a famous story among the ranked wizards of how she entered the World Tower. Calto’s smooth nose bridge wrinkled with his thoughtful expression then continued to speak again.
“There are lots of questionable things about that war. The monster sub-races were armed with sophisticated weapons and armor, they also had a surprisingly systematic system of command. Do you realize what that means? It means that someone is behind that, transforming thousands of demons into soldiers for a long period of time. Perhaps, beyond Pamela Plateau, those monsters have already achieved a high level of civilization. The church was concerned about that possibility, so they persistently tracked down the remnants of the scattered monster army. However, pursuing them was difficult due to the barren and rugged terrain of that area. Hundreds of monsters disappeared without leaving a trace like ghosts and the Osyrian army had no knowledge about that area. It was like searching for a needle amidst a desert. Only recently that they were able to find a clue.”
Max was speechless from the foreboding story that was narrated so suddenly. Hearing that there might be an unknown place which no one has ever been to, being occupied by a great civilization of monsters... she was horrified by just imagining it. Max swallowed dryly and carefully opened her mouth to ask.
“Is that why a dispatch team is being sent... to investigate on that clue?”
“Yes. The great church of Osyria has been secretly asking for us to cooperate. After much deliberation, we decided to work with them, investigating the Pamela Plateau.”
Max frowned as she recalled the Holy Knights who had come to visit the World Tower over a month before. Although the church now tacitly acknowledged their existence, the great church was once one of the institutions that terribly persecuted wizards. Thus, the tower was built to protect the wizards from such heretical hunters. With the fall of the Roem empire, the Peace Treaty of the Seven Kingdoms was signed. A tacit truce was also signed by the great church and the World Tower, but the traditional people of the old church maintained an exclusive stance about magic. It was obvious that the church would get backlash from asking help from the World Tower, yet here they were.
“What on earth is the clue... that was found on Pamela Plateau?”
For the first time since their conversation began, a hint of conflict arose on his face. Landon, who had been quietly sitting and listening to the conversation, opened his mouth on behalf of Calto, who was wondering whether he should reveal it or not.
“A small village in ruins has been found in the eastern area of Pamela Plateau. There were records of ancient language.”
For a moment, Max blinked in confusion, not understanding what that could mean, and then realization hit her and she felt a chill run down her back.
“Does that mean that in Pa-Pamela Plateau... traces of human existence have been found?”
“Yes.” Landon confirmed in a subdued, sullen voice. “It is plausible that the ones who were living there were likely warlocks who were exiled to the north after going against the great church.”
Note – LF: DUN DUN DUN DUNNNN I’m getting chills y’all
Nymeria: DAAAAAAMN this is interesting!!