Chapter 6 – Interlude: The Magic Guild’s Council of Sages
An emergency meeting was underway in the grand conference hall of the Magic Guild Headquarters. In attendance were the A-rank and B-rank mages who held the title of “Sage.” The C-rank mage Demeter was also present, acting as an observer.
The council had been in session for several days, yet no conclusion had been reached. They could only sigh as they reviewed the compiled reports.
There were 3 items on the agenda:
- How to respond to the emergence of Sanctuary Church Elysium Temple worshipers.
- Sharing information regarding the existence of a spell capable of summoning a priest of the Sanctuary Church as a specter.
- The future handling of Elysium, the Capital of Ancient Magical Civilization.
A single misstep would determine the very future of the Magic Guild. It was for this very reason that they could not come to a simple decision.
“…How could this have happened?” One of the mages groaned.
“Why now, of all times, would a specter from the Sanctuary Church appear? Who devised such a summoning spell? And how did they acquire the catalyst for it!?”
The Sanctuary Church Elysium Temple was a magical organization that had once dragged the world into a bloody, protracted war. Even as a specter, if one of its priests were to return, there was no telling what might happen. In the worst-case scenario, forms of ‘Ancient Magic’ unknown to the Guild could fall into enemy hands.
And worse, the summoning had been performed within Elysium itself. For the Magic Guild, which had been founded for the very purpose of managing that site, it was an unforgivable failure.
“You were present at the time, were you not, Demeter?”
“Yes, sir!” His name called, Demeter stood up.
“It is just as I reported. The trainee, Gael Wolfgang, was deceived into performing the ‘Ancient Magic’ to summon a specter. As a result, he was possessed by a priest of the Sanctuary Church Elysium Temple. His mind sustained significant damage, and his memories are now in disarray. He claims… to remember nothing of the incantation or the sigil.”
“Are you certain his memories are gone?!”
“We confirmed it with magic. There is no mistake.”
“…Unbelievable.” The mage who had questioned Demeter buried his face in his hands.
“And just when the trainee orientation is scheduled to begin…”
“Shouldn’t we postpone it?”
“For safety’s sake, yes. But for how long…?”
The mages fell into a heavy silence. Silence reigned in the conference hall for a long moment, until—
“I propose that we seal off Elysium, the Capital of Ancient Magical Civilization.”
At last, an elderly mage raised his hand. His name was Zamel. He was one of the Magic Guild’s top-ranking A-rank mages, an elder who championed the cause of ‘Mage Supremacy.’
“Access to Elysium is granted to any Guild member who follows proper procedure. This was to ensure the dissemination of knowledge and techniques, and to prevent the monopolization of our ancient heritage. However, if worshipers of the Sanctuary Church have truly emerged, that changes things. Furthermore, Elysium is the very place where the members of the Sanctuary Church slaughtered one another. If a specter was summoned there, the summoner’s mind would undoubtedly be usurped. We must act before such a thing can happen!”
“But one cannot summon a priest without both the ‘Ancient Magic’ and the catalyst, correct?”
“But it can be summoned if one has the knowledge and the catalyst, can it not!?”
The other mages fell silent at the thunder in old Zamel’s voice.
“Imagine a specter of the Sanctuary Church obtaining a physical body and wielding ‘Ancient Magic’ known only to them! The potential for disaster is unknowable! To prevent that, Elysium must be sealed!”
“And in doing so, allow the Guild’s high-ranking mages to monopolize our ancient heritage?”
A mocking voice suddenly cut through the tension. It came from a young man seated opposite the elderly Zamel.
“The very purpose of the Magic Guild is to prevent the monopolization of ‘Ancient Magic.’ That is why a noble title is granted to those who discover a new ‘Ancient Artifact’—because to receive that title, one must surrender the artifact to the Royal Family and the Guild for registration. If you close that path, the acquisition of ancient knowledge will cease. Would that not simply create an advantage for… experienced, elderly mages such as yourselves?”
“How arrogant! And from someone who has only just achieved the B-rank!” Old Zamel slammed his hand on the table and roared. “If you believe I will hold my tongue simply because you are royalty, you are sorely mistaken, Second Prince Cain!”
“I am here in my capacity as a B-rank mage. I have no intention of leveraging my royal position,” Prince Cain replied with a shrug. “Besides, I am an involved party. The specter was summoned during the ‘Guardian Knight Selection Trial’ for my own sister, Iris. Is that not correct, Demeter?”
“Y-Yes, Your Highness.”
“Then I, too, bear some responsibility for this situation. Demeter, I ask you again: we have identified the mastermind of this incident, have we not?”
At Prince Cain’s words, Demeter nodded. “According to the testimony from the House of Wolfgang, it was a rogue mage named Dorothea Samuels.”
“Then capturing this person should be our first priority, should it not?”
Prince Cain scanned the room. No one objected. Nodding, satisfied that he now commanded the floor, Cain continued.
“We have distributed sketches of Dorothea to all villages surrounding the capital, yet there have been no reports of her discovery. This suggests she is likely still lurking somewhere near the city.”
“I see…”
“Which brings me to my proposal.” The second prince unfurled a map. “Why don’t we gather volunteers from within the Magic Guild, post a bounty, and hunt for Dorothea Samuels? Think of it as an adventurer’s quest. To the one who captures her, we will grant a reward equivalent to the discovery of an ‘Ancient Artifact’—a noble title.”
A stir went through the conference hall.
“Equivalent to finding an ‘Ancient Artifact’!?”
“The royal family is willing to go that far?!”
“Please, explain your reasoning!”
“It simply means she is that dangerous. I have already secured His Majesty the King’s permission.” Prince Cain said, looking around at the mages. “—So, what says the Magic Guild?”
For a moment, no one spoke. This incident was the Magic Guild’s failure. By all rights, the Guild should be responsible for cleaning up its own mess. But if the royal family was willing to share that burden, it was an ideal outcome. The mages, coming to this realization, slowly began to voice their assent.
“May I ask a question?” Demeter suddenly raised his hand.
“Forgive my impertinence, but I get the sense that Your Highness—that is, Prince Cain—has a… personal interest in this matter.”
“Oh, I am quite interested,” Prince Cain admitted easily. “What the remnants of a fallen organization are plotting… it’s fascinating, don’t you think? I would hate to be left out. Opportunities to participate in such an… event… are rare.”
Prince Cain returned a placid smile. “I also propose that we seal Elysium until Dorothea Samuels is captured—at least until we can confirm she is no longer near the capital.”
“…So the trainee orientation is postponed.”
“Safety must come first. We shall find other work for the trainees, my sister included.”
At the prince’s silver-tongued diplomacy, the mages let out sighs of admiration. Old Zamel, his own proposal completely neutralized, could do nothing but glare.
“…Let us put it to a vote.” The elderly mage declared, and the others nodded.
And so, the Sages of the Magic Guild unanimously agreed to Prince Cain’s proposal.
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