Warlock Apprentice

As Shadow provided answers to Isabella’s questions, everyone who was listening slowly turned their focus back onto Angor again.

This was because Shadow’s description was downright unbelievable. Mystery soul, Mystery alchemist…

An apprentice who tried to create a Mystery item? He did fail, but this was still something inconceivable.

However, when people used their own means of lie-detection on Shadow, they were surprised to notice that Shadow spoke the truth.

The young apprentice named Angor really summoned Mystery energy??

Everyone was now giving Angor passionate looks as if they just discovered a hidden treasure. It no longer mattered whether Angor could become a wizard in the end. The boy already held as much value as a wizard… or even more.

In fact, Shadow wasn’t sure about most of the things he talked about because he never witnessed Angor’s secrets. Still, the man always had a sly tongue. Combining his own assumptions, he made up a series of events that sounded very convincing.

And these descriptions were all based on what he observed from Angor. They weren’t lies.

For example, Shadow said that Isabelle “possessed” Venees as a damaged soul. She seized Angor’s Mystery soul in order to survive.

Of course, this wasn’t what actually happened, but people still believed in his story.

Upon learning that Isabelle was possibly wounded, people felt a great burden lifted from their minds.

At the top level of a tattered stone tower inside Silent Hill, the ruler of the organization, “Silent Raven” Taurus, lifted his frown.

Inside the fireplace in front of him, Shadow’s image was still speaking.

It was already after midnight when Shadow finished speaking.

Isabella was obviously concerned. She trusted Shadow’s words that Isabelle had returned and that she was suffering from serious wounds.

Isabella felt her heart aching at the news.

“I’ll take your word for now. If I ever find out otherwise… I’ll kill you for using my mentor’s name, no matter where you are.”

With that, Isabella tossed Naga’s head back to Shadow and left Silent Hill quickly.

She only wanted to get back to her teacher right now. Common sense dictated that she should be thanking Angor for helping Isabelle. However, her character didn’t allow her to do so to a mere apprentice, so Isabella just left Angor here. The boy wasn’t dead anyway. She believed Isabelle wouldn’t blame her.

While everyone watched, Isabella turned into a blood-red bat and flew away.

After making sure Isabella had left, Shadow dragged his broken body to his teacher. “There goes that old hag. Good riddance… What a terrible night…”

He quickly addressed Bogula with a shameless grin. “Hey, prof, can I do something to save her?”

Naga’s head was still sealed in Isabella’s blood sphere. She seemed to be sleeping.

“You can.” Bogula took a glimpse. “However…”

“Yes?” Shadow was excited that there was still hope. He decided to give up Naga earlier out of recklessness. Now that he could think it over, he REALLY did not want to abandon Naga yet.

“You’re not up for it at your level. Get stronger. You’ll find a way to repair her once you become a wizard.”

Of course, Bogula could help Shadow save Naga, but since Naga was now Shadow’s personal property, Bogula would leave all matters related to Naga, including her maintenance, to Shadow.

Shadow sighed in relief. “Glad to hear it. I’ll train as fast as possible.”

“Let’s hope so.” Bogula lifted Angor up by the back of his collar. “Let’s get back.”

Shadow didn’t protest and slowly followed behind his teacher. They went back to their wizard tower.

After they left, all the spirit feelers from various wizards also disappeared. There was only a giant blood pool and a lone boulder left on the scene—Dual Sprite Talos.

“The kid’s not dead! I thought Bogula is the trouble, but man, there are so many troubles! And Isabelle! I’d say she is the one who helped the boy get away.”

“Fate, it must be. Maybe a prophet can tell us something… if we have one.”

“Alas…”

“Gods…”

“What’s happening now? I’ve almost finished my article! But it has no use if he’s not dead.”

“Oh chill. You heard Shadow’s news, right? Well, get to it!”

“But it’s not eye-catching enough! Isabelle’s injured, and we don’t really have a Mystery alchemist.”

“Make something up then!”

“Oh, you’re right!”

“Come up with a title first.”

“I got it—’Extra! The Sultan has Returned to the South! Will She Reshuffle All Forces in the Wizarding World?!’”

“Oh, I got one too! ‘Hear Ya! A Mystery Alchemist is Processed into Someone’s Puppet?! It Turns Out to be’—”

“So which magazine are we going to contact?”

“Voice of Wizards or Wizardry Time?”

“They publish like every ten years or a century. We can’t wait that long!”

“How about Precision Sky? They’re monthly.”

“I guess you can… but it’s held by Floating Mech City. We’re going to anger Bogula for good.”

“Aw who cares? To hell with him.”

“So we’ll—”

“—do this then!”

With a smile on both sides, Talos slowly closed its eyes.

Meanwhile, on the top floor of a stone tower in Silent Hill, a flock of ravens suddenly cried loudly.

The ruler of Silent Hill, Taurus, sat beside the fireplace with a number of iron racks nearby. Every rack was full of ravens, each staring at each other with their bright beady eyes.

“Get in,” Taurus said in an old voice.

Following his words, the room’s window was knocked open by a sudden gale. Several spirit feelers landed behind Taurus.

“Mister Taurus, are we doing something regarding Shadow’s news?” It was a voice recreated by pure spirit power.

Taurus replied without looking back, “Humph! Do something? How about you give us a suggestion?”

The spirit feelers from different individuals fell into a heated discussion.

“Get her while she’s weak!” an extremist said.

“I agree. I certainly do not want to go through her dominance again.” It was another old voice this time.

“But killing Isabelle does us no good. We aren’t the one ruling Fairy World. She has nothing to do with us anyway.”

“But Dark Castle is too close to Silent Hill. Who knows whether Isabelle will come for us next, once she gains her true strength?”

Another loud raven cry suddenly silenced everyone. They all looked at Taurus.

“Let’s… put this matter aside for now.”

Despite his voice, Taurus’ form looked straight and energetic.

“But—”

“Who among you can prove Diablo’s claim? During their conversation, Diablo used 13 words that suggested uncertainty. If we disregard these elements, we can only know two things for sure. One, Isabelle is back, and two, she’s wounded. As for the extent of her wound, how she got wounded, her next move, her attitude toward Fairytown, and whether she’s going to leave again… They all remain as mysteries. How can you be sure that we should kill Isabelle?

“Besides, let’s suppose Isabelle is in a terrible condition. Will Isabella allow us to kill her teacher? Yes, Dark Castle has lost its former glory, but they still have their old tricks. Are we really going to declare war against Dark Castle? We’re allies by name. Doing so will not help us in the long run.

“However… we CAN ask someone else to scout for info. Ourepa, I heard that you’re a good friend of ‘Bird of Paradise’ Yorditemis, no?” Taurus asked a question.

“Yes,” a gentle female voice replied, “several decades ago, I was invited to try out perfumes in Manda Plane, together with Yorditemis.”

“Sweetmoon Federation presented an extraordinary perfume this time, and I managed to acquire a bottle of it. You can go look for Bird of Paradise and… talk about your old days.”

A bottle decorated by an exquisite box appeared beside Ourepa.

“I see. Oh yes, we do need to meet each other after all this time.” Ourepa chuckled.

“Dismissed.” Taurus waved a hand.

As everyone left the room, a new voice suddenly interrupted the silence.

“Mister Taurus, apart from Isabelle’s matter, about that Mystery alchemist…”

“Yeah,” a second voice spoke up, “he’s not there yet, but he has an unpredictable future. Maybe we should… you know, seize him?”

Taurus grinned and stood up from his chair.

As he moved, the fireplace changed and shifted until it showed the image of Angor before the boy was taken away.

“About him… I just learned something interesting from Talos. Leave him be for the moment. He’s not someone we Silent Hill can keep. Oh ho… Now I’m wondering what Bogula is going to do.”