320
[Wales]
"Everyone may have doubts about Nierdi's strength, but I believe both mages, Oren and Shanel, should understand what just happened," Master Dong remarked, glancing at Oren and Shanel.
Oren and Shanel remained silent for a moment. Finally, Oren spoke up: "I admit that Nierdi's strength surpasses mine, and we are clearly no match for her. However, Dong, you must clarify her identity. No one will accept an unknown person as the supreme mage."
Master Dong paused, then nodded decisively. "You're right. There's no need to conceal the truth." He proceeded to recount Nierdi and Kalulu's experiences in front of the assembled mages.
"You're saying she taught herself magic over the past few years and reached her current level?" Shanel interjected before Master Dong could finish.
Master Dong nodded gravely. "It was hard to believe at first, but it's true. Nierdi possesses magical abilities unseen in a millennium. On the day we discovered her, she demonstrated an astonishing instant portal."
"What? An instant portal?!" The mages reacted with astonishment upon hearing this news.
Teleportation magic, pioneered by the first Supreme Mage Agamotto, had undergone millennia of refinement but had never achieved instantaneous travel.
The prospect of an instant portal was the dream of many mages in the Supreme Sanctuary. The room buzzed with excitement as everyone processed this revelation.
Without a word, Nierdi gestured with both hands, opening a portal to the Himalayas. Snowflakes drifted through from the other side.
Seeing this magical feat firsthand, the mages were filled with awe and excitement. The earlier doubts about Nierdi's capabilities faded away.
"Incredible! To shorten portal casting time to such an extent..."
"I sense a new era of magic dawning..."
Master Dong and Kalulu exchanged satisfied looks. Kalulu spoke up: "You can do it too. During our seclusion in Kathmandu, Nierdi and I designed a magical artifact: the Sling Ring. It greatly enhances the efficiency of spatial magic."
With that, Kalulu and Master Dong opened a wooden box containing several Rings of Spires.
"Try it on, and you'll see." Kalulu distributed the rings to Oren, Shanel, and the other mages.
Excitedly, the mages donned the rings and tested their newfound abilities. True to Kalulu's claim, the portals they summoned opened almost instantaneously.
"I can create instant portals too!" The mages cheered, opening one portal after another in rapid succession.
Even the elderly mage acting as referee abandoned his duties to request a ring from Kalulu, eagerly joining in the portal-opening frenzy.
After a while, Master Dong turned to Oren and Shanel again. "Do you have any objections to Nierdi succeeding as Supreme Mage?"
Oren and Shanel glanced at the rings on their fingers, hesitated briefly, then sighed. "No."
They knew they couldn't match Nierdi's strength, and the creation of the Rings of Spires had silenced any doubts about her qualifications.
"Supreme Mage." Oren bowed first to Nierdi, followed by Shanel and Master Dong, signifying their respect.
The other mages followed suit, bowing before Nierdi in unison and declaring, "Supreme Mage."
Despite lacking traditional credentials, Nierdi had earned the unanimous approval of the three sanctuaries through her exceptional abilities and the groundbreaking invention of the Sling Rings. She now firmly held the title of Supreme Mage.
Just half a month later, the mages of the Supreme Sanctuary had fully embraced their new leader.
---
In Kathmandu, within a secluded cabin...
Nierdi was engrossed in her studies when a portal suddenly materialized with a loud crash, spilling numerous books onto the floor.
Kalulu followed through the portal, clapping his hands together. "I've brought the remaining magic books from the London Sanctuary."
"Perfect timing. Help me send these back; I've finished studying them." Nierdi gestured towards the pile of books beside her.
Kalulu hesitated briefly, then suggested, "Rather than sending them back, why don't we establish a new sanctuary here in Nepal? It could be the fourth sanctuary, or even the primary sanctuary, surpassing the others in status as a true center of magical practice."
Nierdi smiled warmly. "I fully support that idea, but you'll need to convince the other mages."
"Don't worry, I'm confident I can persuade them." Kalulu reassured her. Changing the subject, he added, "There's something else."
"Olen informed me that a mage has discovered news about a giant dragon in Wales. It's highly likely this dragon was responsible for killing the previous Supreme Mage in the Himalayas." His expression turned grave.
"Wales..." Nierdi murmured thoughtfully.
---
Meanwhile, in a tavern in Asgard...
Forseti and Skurge sat together, chatting over drinks.
"Forseti, I've been itching to challenge Haldo!" Skurge blurted out after finishing his wine.
Forseti looked puzzled. "What's gotten into Haldo?"
"He's actually involved with Sif, you know. He's over a thousand years older than her!" Skurge exclaimed.
Forseti remained silent, processing this information.
After a moment, Forseti changed the subject. "Skurge, have you ever considered becoming a Paladin?"
"A Paladin?"
"I've founded a knightly order and we're recruiting new members. If you're interested in mastering holy light spells, you could join us and become our fifth Paladin," Forseti offered.
Skurge, who had always admired holy light magic, needed little convincing. He agreed to join the Silver Hand, becoming its second retribution Paladin.
"But... Forseti, isn't the Silver Hand part of a military organization? What about His Majesty Odin?" Skurge asked cautiously.
"Don't worry about that; I'll handle it. The Silver Hand operates discreetly with very few members, so there's no cause for concern," Forseti reassured him.
After finishing their meal, the two friends left the tavern. To their surprise, they heard a neigh from above.
"Hiss..."
Looking up, they saw a snowy white horse descending from the sky. A Valkyrie in silver-white armor gracefully dismounted from the horse's back.
"A Valkyrie?"