Chapter 144: Mistake
Then, Star Sage Joey began introducing everyone, one by one...
As Leon listened, his face gradually paled. He had expected that any research led by Star Sage Joey would be anything but simple.
But Leon truly hadn't imagined it would be this complicated...
Look at this—the meeting room has just five people, yet among them are three Title Archmages. The other two are both ninth-level Archmages, and one of them is even a master from Mercury Tower!
This is terrifying...
How many Title Archmages are there in the whole kingdom? And here they have three. If this got out, who knows how many people would be scared out of their wits.
Leon forced himself to contain his shock and greeted the four other powerhouses one by one. But since everyone was busy exchanging research insights, and Leon's own qualifications were rather shallow, their responses were far from enthusiastic. At best, they nodded and smiled out of respect for Star Sage Joey.
"Alright, Leon, since you're just joining today, I won't assign you too much work yet. I heard from Salomon that you have a knack for data calculation. How about this—Hogarth still has a few calculations left unfinished. Why don't you partner up with him for now?" After introducing everyone, Star Sage Joey placed the crystal in front of a ninth-level Archmage.
This ninth-level Archmage was the youngest among the five, looking not even fifty. At the moment, he was arguing with the master from Cloudspire Tower. Whether it was due to his intense focus or the heat of their debate, he appeared somewhat disheveled, his hair a mess and his eyes slightly bloodshot. Still, as Leon approached, he paused the argument and quickly stood up.
"Star Sage Joey."
"Hogarth, how are those spell model calculations coming along?"
"Give me ten more days and I'll have them done for sure."
"Good..." Star Sage Joey nodded approvingly, then pointed at Leon in the crystal ball. "By the way, Hogarth, Leon just joined today and hasn't officially started work yet. I'd like you to show him the ropes. What do you think?"
"Happy to be of service, Star Sage Joey."
"Alright, I'll leave it to you then." Joey offered a few more words of encouragement before handing over control of the crystal ball to Hogg.
After the meeting ended, Hogg gestured, and the crystal ball floated up, following the ninth-level Archmage out of the meeting room. Soon, they arrived at a completely separate laboratory.
Through the crystal ball, Leon glanced around. This place was clearly designed for spell model calculations—filled with various magical computing tools, complex magical geometric diagrams hung on the walls, and in the corner, a mountain of discarded drafts. Leon could tell that this ninth-level Archmage had poured a tremendous amount of effort into researching Vanrison's Formulas.
After returning to his lab, Hogarth first organized the latest completed data, compiling it in Nesserian Script. Then, he activated an alchemical array, inputting the compiled data so the array could perform the calculations—a common practice among mages in the Northend World.
Despite their extraordinary intelligence, mages usually leave repetitive and tedious tasks to alchemical arrays or magical tools.
About ten minutes later, the alchemical array finished all the calculations and displayed the results on a massive crystal surface. Hogarth picked up a quill and some draft paper, copying down each result before starting a new round of calculations...
Throughout the entire process, it was as if he'd forgotten Leon was on the other side of the crystal ball...
After nearly an hour, Hogarth finally felt thirsty, got up to pour himself a glass of water, and walked over to the crystal ball while drinking.
"Leon, right..." Hogarth nodded at the crystal ball, expressionless. "As you can see, this is the work you'll be involved in. It requires not just exceptional intelligence, but endless patience. If you think you can't handle it, say so now—I'll let Star Sage Joey know and you can withdraw from the research team without issue."
"It shouldn't be a problem..." Leon replied, though he wasn't entirely sure. Truthfully, if this job demanded a huge investment of time and energy, Leon doubted he could really keep up.
He couldn't help it—there were simply too many things waiting for him to tackle...
Besides having to digest tens of thousands of runes, Leon still needed to explore the Bone Plane, excavate the prince's tomb, and rebuild the Mercury Mercenary Company. Each task demanded a huge amount of time and effort, and since Leon hadn't mastered the art of splitting himself, how could he possibly spare more time for research?
Thankfully, it's just Vanrison's Formulas...
For Leon, this wasn't a big deal. Even if he had to do it alone, he'd be done in two or three days—barely a delay at all.
"Mm." But when Hogarth heard this, he immediately frowned. Only out of respect for Star Sage Joey did he grunt a stiff "Mm," but inwardly, his opinion of the young Archmage dropped another notch.
Magic itself is full of contradictions—tedious yet mysterious. Over the decades, Hogarth had seen countless young prodigies drawn to magic's allure, only for more than ninety percent to abandon it, unable to endure its monotony.
A mage must learn to withstand loneliness.
Take Leon, for example: just a glimpse of the tedious work made him hesitate—classic impatience. With that kind of temperament, he's almost destined to accomplish nothing.
"Now, help me organize these data sheets." So, Hogarth didn't bother with further conversation and handed over a thick stack of drafts. "By the way, I've left a few formulas and numbers on the last sheet. Calculate them and give me the results when you're done."
"Alright." Leon nodded, quietly recited the spell Salomon had given him, and the crystal ball immediately flashed with light. The stack of papers on the other side began flipping rapidly, and in moments, the entire pile had been scanned by the crystal ball. Leon then activated the nearby alchemical array, and as arcane circuits flickered, the papers were spat out one by one from the array...
This technique was unique to Cloudspire Tower, and only Archmages and above were qualified to use it. Leon was only able to access it thanks to Star Sage Joey.
"Hand it over when you're done." With that, Hogarth shut off the crystal ball's transmission and dove back into his ocean of data calculations.
To Hogarth, the young Archmage on the other side of the crystal ball was just a minor figure, no matter how many times Star Sage Joey called him a genius during introductions...
But as a ninth-level Archmage, Hogarth was just one step away from becoming a Title Archmage. In all these years, he'd seen countless prodigies, but how many ever truly rose to the top? In the world of magic, talent means nothing if you don't grow.
Even offering a few words of advice at the start was already an exception for Hogarth.
As for anything more...
Better to wait until the genius grows enough to speak as an equal...
For Hogarth, the spell model calculations in his hands were what truly mattered. He knew that participating in the research on Vanrison's Formulas was the best opportunity of his life—a chance to change his destiny. After all, he was working with Star Sage Joey. If he performed well enough, Star Sage Joey would surely take notice, and with the resources of Cloudspire Tower behind him, becoming a Title Archmage would be inevitable.
Moreover, ever since Star Sage Joey obtained those four key data points, the research on Vanrison's Formulas had made major progress. Maybe in a year, maybe two—the results from Cloudspire Tower would soon shock the entire Northend World. By then, Hogarth's name would be written into the annals of magical history, admired by generations to come.
For a moment, Hogg could almost see a flower-strewn path opening up for him amidst the sea of data and formulas...
Meanwhile, Leon picked up the thick stack of drafts.
"Looks like this Hogarth Archmage really does need an assistant..." Leon thought, glancing at the papers. They were all completed calculations; all he had to do was organize the results. Not difficult, just a bit tedious.
After a moment's thought, he pulled out the last sheet.
On it were four formulas and eight data points, all relating to Vanrison's Formulas—one of which was needed for a particular spell model.
But after just a glance, Leon couldn't help but frown.
Because Leon realized that if he followed these four formulas and eight data points, he'd never get the right answer in his lifetime.
"Is this Hogarth Archmage really that careless?" Leon was both amused and exasperated—two of the eight data points were wrong, and one formula needed replacing. Hard to believe a ninth-level Archmage could make such mistakes...
After considering for a moment, Leon decided to fix things himself. He corrected one of the data points, replaced a formula, and then began the calculations. Within minutes, the final answer was written on the paper.