205. A Difficult Situation.
The yellow silk had been stained a deep brown by the blood. Both the sorcerers and witchers stared at the flag for a long time. Hen Gedymdeith did not use magic. He walked forward and gently lifted a corner of Kaedwen's flag.
"Sigh~"
Hen Gedymdeith let out a deep breath. Under the flag, Henselt's body was a mangled mess of flesh, his death ugly and undignified. He couldn't even find the eyes to cover with coins.
Thus.
Hen Gedymdeith knew that Ban Ard Academy was in grave danger this time. Even though they had the most powerful sorcerers and deep connections with the nobles of the Northern Continent.
It was meaningless.
As long as they didn't intend to break the rules, no matter how powerful the magic they controlled, it would be of no use. Relations with the nobles worked well when things were going smoothly. But when facing adversity, especially the revenge of a king for his father's murder, things were not so simple. So Ban Ard was in grave danger!
One didn't have to look far.
The rise and fall of the witchers could be easily understood.
When the highest authority in a land wishes to trouble a faction or a person, as long as they don't want to use brute force or flip the table directly, The only outcome is decline and downfall.
Even for Ban Ard, it's the same.
At least for Kaedwen's new king, when choosing court mages, he could just as easily select the sorceresses of Aretuza. In the worst-case scenario, If the new king locks his hatred for his father's death on Ban Ard.
Hen Gedymdeith couldn't even imagine how difficult the coming decades would be for the sorcerers of Ban Ard.
With a sigh in his heart, Hen Gedymdeith lowered his head in contemplation, trying to find a way out for the academy's future. But no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't come up with a feasible solution.
The king had died at Ban Ard.
The cause of death was clear.
A sudden Conjunction of the Spheres had summoned a monster that killed him.
Hundreds of people had witnessed the event firsthand. Countless sorcerers had sent pigeons to their families, and two witchers from the Cat School, who knew the truth, had even fled. There was no way to cover it up.
Moreover.
The cause of death wouldn't be an issue if it had occurred anywhere else, but it couldn't have happened at Ban Ard.
As one of the two places on the Northern Continent most knowledgeable about magic and space, Ban Ard couldn't prove…
Was this a natural disaster? Or was it man-made?
Was it intentional? Or accidental?
Though from the apprentice's descriptions, it seemed like Henselt was just unlucky, sitting right beneath the Conjunction. Ban Ard would gain no benefit from the king's death.
On the contrary…
Hen Gedymdeith's cold gaze swept over several witchers.
On the contrary, it was the Wolf School, most hated by Henselt, that stood to gain the most. They had lost their strongest enemy, and the death of this enemy had shackled another.
Highly suspicious.
But even someone of his standing knew such responsibility couldn't be pinned on the witchers.
Even the most arrogant of nobles, who knew little of the mystic arts, understood that witchers didn't use magic, only simple magical tricks called signs. Dig a little deeper, and people would even discover that witchers suffered from portal sickness.
Thus.
Blaming the Conjunction of the Spheres on the king's hatred for the Wolf School and claiming he was killed by witchers wouldn't work.
It was a tough situation!
Hen Gedymdeith sighed again.
But.
Keeping everyone tied up here wasn't a solution either. So, Hen Gedymdeith gently laid down the flag, stood up, and looked at Sol, speaking softly: "Grandmaster, what plans does your School have next?"
Sol didn't know what the sorcerer before him was plotting. After thinking for a moment, he replied: "If you don't need us, we'll be heading back to Kaer Morhen."
Although a horde of monsters was rampaging through Ban Ard city, Sol had no intention of clearing the monsters with Vesemir and the others without an invitation from the city's rulers.
After all, this was sorcerer territory. Doing such a thing without their consent would be a breach of etiquette. Hearing Sol's words, Hen Gedymdeith wasn't surprised. But he shook his head, stroked his beard, and suggested: "Grandmaster, may I request your assistance in eliminating these calamities that have descended upon the city?"
"As you can see, Ban Ard has a significant problem to handle."
"As for payment..."
"We can offer five orens for every drowner. What do you say?"
Sol exchanged glances with Vesemir.
Although Ban Ard's sorcerers were up to no good, and even now, no one knew what kind of schemes lay hidden beneath their robes, The Wolf School wouldn't refuse such a contract. The witchers' mission was to hunt monsters and protect humanity. Even if... these humans were not exactly friendly.
So.
"Alright."
Sol nodded slightly and left immediately with Vesemir and the other witchers.
----------------
Watching the witchers, who carried swords on their backs, leave, Hen Gedymdeith's gentle smile vanished as soon as he had arranged for the apprentices in the arena. Most of the sorcerers who had returned with him had taken the apprentices to clear the drowners inside the academy. Only two sorcerers remained by his side.
"Dean, why did you commission those witchers? With Ban Ard's power, we could handle this ourselves..."
A younger sorcerer felt indignant seeing Hen Gedymdeith give the task to those damned freaks.
"Are you going?"
Hen Gedymdeith glanced at him, interrupting.
"Huh?" The young sorcerer froze.
"I said, if I assign you to deal with those drowners, will you go?"
The young sorcerer was immediately at a loss for words. Truthfully, with his strength, he could certainly kill some drowners.
But...
Why should he help those lower-class people?
Thus.
The young sorcerer stammered, unable to say yes, even at the risk of offending the dean. Hen Gedymdeith understood his sorcerers well and didn't press the matter.
"The king died in his own home. Who has the time to play hide-and-seek with drowners outside?"
"Witchers were created to handle such things."
"We're merely spending a little money."
The dean of Ban Ard spoke coldly. The young sorcerer fell silent.
At this point.
Another sorcerer, worriedly looking at the corpse on the ground, glanced at Hen Gedymdeith:
"Dean, the king is dead."
"The royal family and nobles of Ard Carraigh won't let this go easily."
"What should we do…"
After a pause, he looked around to confirm the arena was empty except for the three of them, then whispered: "And the witchers, we were planning to destroy Kaer Morhen by the end of the year..."
"Now that the king is dead… If the rioting peasants and mercenaries don't follow Henselt's plans... If there were no arrangements..."
"Should we still proceed with the year-end plan?"
Hen Gedymdeith heard the words. He merely stared coldly at the black unicorn banner on the ground. Silent for a long time.
----------------
"Ah!"
"Help!"
"Quack! Quack!"
The world outside Ban Ard Academy seemed like the end of the world, filled with cries for help, screams, and roars. The thick stench of blood permeated the air. Blood smeared across the uneven ground.
Mutilated corpses piled up chaotically on the streets. And a large number of drowners chased after humans, biting them. What was once the prosperous upper city now resembled hell on earth.
In fact.
In a large city like Ban Ard, the defensive forces were generally strong enough not to be overwhelmed by mere drowners. After all, these were just low-level monsters. The guards' weapons usually contained some silver, making it easier to deal with these common creatures.
However.
The king had just been killed by monsters, and the news spread uncontrollably, like it had wings, flying out of the academy. The city officials were now more worried about their own futures, busy forming alliances to gain political capital.
They had no mind to care for the citizens suffering in the chaos.
Additionally, due to the Conjunction of the Spheres, drowners had fallen across every part of the city. The guards, running around like headless chickens, were highly ineffective.
As a result.
The entire city saw heavy casualties among its citizens.
It wasn't until the witchers from the School of the Wolf left the academy that the situation started to improve. Since leaving Ban Ard Academy and witnessing the horrifying scene before him.
Allen had been silent, swinging Elsa, his sword, at any drowner he saw. Hughes, Bond, and Fred were still just kids, after all. They remembered the injustice the witchers of the School of the Wolf had suffered in this city over the past half month.
In fact.
They had never once felt a hint of goodwill in Ban Ard.
Therefore.
Although they, too, followed Allen's lead, killing drowners in batches and rescuing civilians. They grumbled constantly, even if there was a bounty, reluctant to do so. And they didn't fully understand why Allen looked so grim.
As for Sol and Vesemir.
They had more or less guessed some of the truth. After exchanging a glance, they said nothing more. They followed behind the young witchers, filling in the gaps. Preventing them from getting too caught up in the hunt and giving the drowners an opening.
In this way.
The witchers from the School of the Wolf fought their way from the upper city to the lower city. Countless drowner corpses lay dismembered, strewn along the bloody path behind them.
Until...
While passing a secluded alley, they were suddenly stopped.
"What's going on in this city?"
"Why are there suddenly earthquakes and so many monsters?"
"And what are you doing here instead of fleeing?"
A cold voice came from the shadows of a building, causing Sol and Vesemir, who were at the back of the group, to stop. The four young witchers, however, continued rushing toward the monsters ravaging the streets, as if they hadn't heard anything.
The next moment.
A slender figure, draped in a black robe with a hood, suddenly appeared in front of Vesemir.
It was Lady Vera.
As planned.
Once the witchers from the School of the Wolf left Ban Ard Academy, apart from Allen and Vesemir, the other witchers were to be sent back to Kaer Morhen by her.
So.
To prevent any unexpected events, she had hidden in Ban Ard all day, watching the shocking and worrying changes in the city from the shadows of the buildings.
"It's the Conjunction of the Spheres."
Vesemir, guarding the young witchers, quickly responded upon seeing the sorceress.
"The Conjunction of the Spheres summoned these drowners..."
"The Conjunction of the Spheres?"
Upon catching the keyword, Vera instinctively glanced at Allen, who was nearby, slashing at the drowners. Allen kept his head down, swinging his silver sword, casting silver arcs through the air. He said nothing, clearly in a foul mood.
Vera then turned her head toward Sol.
"Henselt is dead!" Sol said.
"Huh?" Vera blinked in surprise.
"Uh… it's a bit complicated..." Sol hesitated, organizing her thoughts. "During the Apprentice Tournament, two Conjunctions of the Spheres suddenly occurred in Ban Ard Academy's arena..."
"In short..."
"Henselt was crushed to death by a large monster that appeared during the Conjunction of the Spheres."
"The male mages are now hiring us to clear the drowners rampaging through the city..."
What?
Vera's mind was a bit muddled.
She understood every word Sol had said, but how come, when put together, it didn't make sense?
The Conjunction of the Spheres summoned a large monster that crushed the king of Kaedwen in Ban Ard Academy?
Something like that actually happened?
The sorceress glanced over Sol and Vesemir.
Judging by their expressions, this absurd story seemed to be true?
Something was off!
The Conjunction of the Spheres, which only happens once in a century, occurred during the very same time as the apprentice tournament between the Schools of the Wolf and Cat. It also happened right in Ban Ard and coincidentally killed Henselt...
The odds of each event happening by chance were close to zero.
All three together…
Could something like this really happen?
However…
Vera looked at Allen.
Still, wasn't this a good thing?
Why was Allen in such a bad mood?
When in doubt, ask.
The sorceress's voice echoed directly in Sol's mind.
"What's wrong with Allen?"
"Henselt's death isn't a good thing for your school?"
Hearing this, Sol glanced around at the hellish scene and sighed in his mind.
"Filius Miraculi—the Child of Miracles—born in the land of cold and hardship."
"Death and rebirth, the non-human will bring blood and fire."
The sorceress paused.
The Child of Miracles…
Blood and fire…
Following Sol's gaze instinctively, she looked around.
Crimson blood flowed freely across the ground.
Although the witchers of the School of the Wolf had eradicated the monsters in the upper city, it didn't mean the chaos had been quelled. From the direction they came from. Thick smoke coiled upward, reaching the heavens. Clearly, After the natural disaster, man-made disasters had taken over.
The sorceress glanced at Allen in surprise and questioned Sol in his mind.
"Are you saying... Allen caused all of this?"
"I don't know, but..." Sol shook his head. "It can't all just be coincidence, can it?"
"Who else but the Child of Miracles could achieve something like this?"
The sorceress fell silent.
"Please comfort him for me, Vera!"
"This wasn't his fault!"
....…
📢20 advanced chapters on p@treaon📢
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206. A-Level Evaluation Again.
207. Alder Knights.
208. Unboxing and New Skills.
209. Another Prophecy!
210. Mary is a Good Girl.