Bear School Astartes

Gedemitis’s heart disease had tormented him for too long.

In his youth, he had once indulged recklessly in debauchery and pleasure, but it was only when his heart had problems that he became the amiable old man he is now.

And that was already a matter from centuries ago.

Although magic was powerful, it did not have a cure for his heart disease, so he had to be careful about it himself normally.

And in situations where he was asleep or unconscious, an attendant or apprentice had to prepare expensive spirit medicine or amulets for him.

These measures allowed him to survive to his current age despite his heart disease, and he seemed in good condition.

However, he consumed energy too quickly, as maintaining his heart-diseased body was akin to casting spells around the clock while awake.

This meant that although he was incredibly powerful, highly qualified, and famously renowned, he had very little time each day to handle matters.

He could focus and work for only a few hours before his mind began to wander and he needed rest.

Over time, although people still respected his power and experience,

a person who couldn’t manage things for extended periods naturally wouldn’t have much influence within the organization.

This was also what troubled Henry Gedemitis. As the headmaster of Ban Aide Academy, he could be said to be the most powerful human mage in the world.

However, the average level of the apprentices in the academy was lower than that of Airetusa.

Even Margaret commented based on the levels of the two schools: women have more innate talent in controlling magic than men do.

This was why Gedemitis sat there just now, smiling and making Margaret uncomfortable.

In fact, the root cause of this phenomenon was simply that Gedemitis lacked the energy to manage more matters within the academy, leading the male wizard apprentices of Ban Aide Academy to be even wilder than the female sorcerer apprentices of Airetusa Academy.

After all, just knowing a bit of magic could generally guarantee a life free from worries about food and drink in this world.

In such a pressure-free survival environment, without rigorous education and school system, few apprentices could resist the allure of laziness and enjoyment to persist in their studies.

”So, the direction for the surgery has been decided?”

Sitting again in the headmaster’s office, a few of them resumed their seats. Lann spoke first.

”A heart transplant?”

”Yes, a heart transplant.”

Gedemitis sat in his chair, with his hands crossed on his abdomen, appearing relaxed and at ease.

As if the person whose heart was about to be removed wasn’t him.

He even gestured on himself: his hand in a claw shape grabbing towards his left chest, pulling out and then pressing back.

After completing the action, he chuckled to himself.

”Proceeding with such a major surgery directly?” Now Lann seemed to have concerns. ”With heart disease, if the problem isn’t severe, just replacing some tissues on the heart should suffice, replacing the entire heart...”

”His condition is beyond remedy.”

Tishaya, sitting next to Lann, spoke calmly.

”The heart disease has taken root in his body for centuries, and it’s only through magic that nothing has happened, but that heart probably has already turned into a mass of diseased tissue.”

Lann nodded silently, while his brain began cooperating with Mentos to simulate the surgical process.

Since Tishaya had judged there was no value in saving Gedemitis’s original heart anymore, Lann chose to trust the judgment of this powerful female warlock.

After all, the entire Crystal Cultivation project had been put together by Tishaya before he joined.

”I’m quite curious, how did you create a heart that belongs to me?”

Gedemitis leaned forward with interest, looking at Lann and Tishaya.

”Please forgive me; before Tishaya invited me here, I only glanced through some papers about your project, but the details are still a mystery to me.”

”How did you solve the issue of immune system attacks on foreign objects leading to inflammation and complications?”

Lann looked at Gedemitis, raising an elegant eyebrow involuntarily.

This is what he referred to as ’a mystery to me’?

In this world of highly unbalanced technological development, understanding concepts like ’immune system’ and ’causes of inflammation’ meant being quite a skilled medical professional.

It seemed that this eldest human mage, while appearing indifferent on the surface, had seriously studied the technology that could potentially save his heart disease.

”We use autologous cells for proliferation.”

Hence, Lann didn’t have to painstakingly tailor his words to fit ordinary understanding but could freely explain with professional terms.

”Using your own cells, allowing them to proliferate into a new heart; your immune system won’t attack itself, so immune complications will be minimal.”

”The idea makes sense, though there are many technical issues in between.”

Gedemitis nodded in agreement but not with complete admiration.

”Alright, I understand what you mean.” Tishaya looked at her predecessor, interrupting his attempt to continue speaking.

”You want to personally ensure that the heart isn’t an imaginary hope, but want to see it appear in front of you personally... you might as well just say it directly.”

Gedemitis responded to Tishaya’s bluntness with an amiable smile, without any rebuttal.

”You know, speaking in a roundabout way is an art, Tishaya. Blunt good words may hurt, but twisted bad words can make people rejoice.”

The most powerful Female Warlock present made no comment on this view, only stood up gracefully and dignifiedly, gesturing to follow along.

-----------------

When they arrived at the Crystal Cultivation Laboratory, the magical glow lit up the rune cloth cross-laid under the flawless large crystal.

This light, refracted through the crystal disk, became dreamlike and bewildering, spreading throughout the room.

And a constantly wriggling, enlarging, vaguely forming lump of flesh was suspended in the glass column on the crystal disk.

Gedemitis widened his eyes, watching the cells that had just been stripped from his body grow into a ping-pong ball-sized lump of flesh in just a few hours.

”This is without using the special nutrient solution and having a large amount of Magic Power supply.”

As the main surgeon for the subsequent operation, Lann stood by the test bench introducing the situation.

”It is expected to be cultivated by tonight. Your heart disease seems to have some congenital factors, but it doesn’t matter, errors in the gene expression process have also been corrected. It will grow entirely like a normal heart.”

After speaking, Lann bent his knuckles and lightly knocked on the glass column twice.

’Ding ding’ two sounds, but while Gedemitis was watching, his breath paused for a moment.

The new heart inside that glass column, those two knocks felt as if they were on his own heart.

Even though he had previously shown a carefree, nonchalant appearance, after truly realizing through his own knowledge and experience that his heart disease could indeed be cured, he inevitably felt a bit nervous.

After all, this disease had tormented him for centuries.

”Next, am I supposed to fast and abstain from water?”

However, after a slight adjustment, Gedemitis returned to his original state, smiling as he spoke.

”I wouldn’t want to wet myself on the operating table.”

He was an Old Wizard over five hundred years old, being able to control emotions was an instinct of spell casting.

”You are quite right.”

Lann showed appreciation for Gedemitis’ surgical knowledge.

As they walked out of the Crystal Cultivation Laboratory, Gedemitis didn’t even glance back at the instrument inside still operating as he left.

Tishaya and Margaret, out of courtesy, continued to lead the way in front, while Lann and Gedemitis discussed some pre-surgery precautions behind.

But suddenly, silently, Tishaya seemed to have some feeling and turned back to look, then resumed her normal pace forward.

”Yes, the recovery after surgery will also be quick because...”

And while talking to Gedemitis, Lann suddenly stopped mid-sentence, frowning slightly.

Because the scene before them was undeniably abnormal.

Though the two people ahead maintained their pace, and their own pace was unchanged.

The distance between them inexplicably lengthened, and the entire corridor seemed to have become extraordinarily long.

”A little illusion, please don’t panic, I mean no harm, I just wanted to talk to you alone.”

Gedemitis said softly beside Lann.

And when Lann’s eyes, for some reason becoming even more profound and cat-like, glanced over at him, the Old Mage was first surprised and then smiled.

”Ah, seems I was worrying too much, you don’t need my reassurance.”

”You stretched the space? You call this an illusion? Just to have a private conversation?”

Lann looked around this obviously abnormal corridor with interest, marveling aloud.

”Silent, even without a ripple... Remarkable magical proficiency.”

”Without this trick or two, I wouldn’t have survived with heart disease till now.”

Gedemitis said with a relaxed tone.

Seeing Lann was neither panicked nor shaken, but even a bit curious, the Old Mage went straight to the point.

”I think I know why Tishaya advised me to come for treatment now, Lann. I believe you should know too.”

The old man’s witty and insightful gaze met Lann’s.

The young man nodded in agreement.

”Yes, I know.”

The old man continued, ”She wants to help you, and also wants me to owe you a favor.”

”Yes.”

”Your forthrightness, I like this attitude.” Gedemitis nodded. ”Because that way, I can be forthright too.”

”Tishaya and I are among the few Mages left from a long-lost era. We cannot claim to be the ’previous generation,’ for even young ones like Alzur are ancient figures to the Mages of today.”

”So, our views are a bit different from those of the current Mages.”

”In our time, Mages hadn’t devoted all their energy to indulgence and power struggles. In other words, we are more traditional.”