Chapter 573: Now You Know
But after waiting a full four days, there was still no response from Lord Heron...
How could this be?
Councilor Weiss was immediately anxious—this was a critical lead concerning Norlick's Scepter, the one belonging to Emperor Norlick. Behind that spatial rift, the scepter could very well be hidden. If they obtained it, the benefits to the Black Tower would be obvious. And right now, there were only two high-ranking Title Archmages in camp: himself and Councilor Suville. To be safe, they should send two more councilors.
He waited and waited, but Lord Heron's reply still didn't come. By the evening of the fourth day, Councilor Weiss finally lost patience and prepared to send another message. But before he could even send it, someone suddenly barged into the Black Tower camp.
The moment he saw this person, Councilor Weiss was stunned—he could hardly believe it. It was actually Archmage Felton from the Sanctuary!
Why would Archmage Felton come here...?
A flood of doubts surged in Councilor Weiss's mind. Archmage Felton had spent the past three centuries in the Sanctuary, only leaving once. Supposedly, not even Lord Heron had the authority to command him—Felton only answered to orders from the Sanctuary itself...
Which meant that Archmage Felton had been sent not by Lord Heron, but by the Black Tower Sanctuary itself...
All along, the Sanctuary had seemed to exist apart from everything else, rarely interfering in Black Tower affairs. The last time was three hundred years ago, when the Caucasus battle-mages broke away from the Black Tower, and that was the only occasion Archmage Felton had ever been sent out...
Could it be because of Norlick's Scepter?
That doesn't seem quite right either...
Would the Sanctuary really go to such lengths—sending an Eighth Rank Title Archmage like Archmage Felton—just for a scepter that might not even exist?
It felt like there was something even more important at play...
As a Black Tower Councilor, Weiss could enter the Sanctuary every so often, so he'd met Archmage Felton a few times—he recognized him instantly.
Only now did Weiss finally understand why Lord Heron hadn't replied for four days—the Sanctuary had intervened in the matter...
"Oh, it's Archmage Felton..." Leon smiled, nodded, and touched his nose. He glanced at the mage named Felton from afar, but didn't say anything more.
In fact, Leon was already starting to realize a few things...
After working closely with the Black Tower several times, Leon had gotten a general sense of the Sevenfold Council—at the very least, he could now recite all seven names by heart. But he was certain: there was definitely no one named Felton among them.
And judging by Weiss's reverent expression when introducing Felton, it was easy for Leon to guess: that Eighth Rank Title Archmage probably came from somewhere like the Merlin Ancestral Estate. Just before heading to the Blazeforge Plane, Leon had learned some secrets about the Merlin Ancestral Estate, and Lord Orren himself had said that nearly every top power in Auckland had a place like that.
That was why Leon could be so certain...
It meant Archmage Felton might not be here for the scepter at all—he probably knew secrets that ordinary people couldn't even dream of...
Now things were getting serious...
It was very likely connected to the ancient deity Constantine...
Still, even if Felton knew, it didn't matter much. For Leon now, an Eighth Rank Title Archmage wasn't that troublesome. His Frost Dragon Reina had power equal to an Eighth Rank Title Archmage, and with the Sky Rank Golem wielding the Doombringer Staff—not to mention Leon's own strength—even if two such archmages showed up, Leon wouldn't be fazed.
But while Leon and Weiss were talking, not far away on the Watson Family's side, a pair of venomous eyes were locked on Leon.
That person was Mark Watson...
At that moment, Mark Watson's fists were clenched and his eyes were nearly blazing with fury. The humiliation he'd suffered over a month ago was still vivid—Matthew Merlin had not only let an orc nearly destroy him, but had him dragged across the camp, nearly two kilometers, with all those Merlin Mage Legion soldiers watching, mocking him. He'd almost gone mad, and in the end, the damned orc had thrown him out of the camp entirely.
Raised in the Watson Ancestral Grounds, Mark Watson had never suffered such humiliation. It was worse than death. He was supposed to be the youngest Title Archmage in the Watson Family, admired wherever he went.
He swore he would kill Matthew Merlin and the orc...
Without a second thought, he went straight to his teacher, Reid Watson, who had always doted on him. Reid immediately promised to make Matthew Merlin pay...
For the moment, Mark Watson finally felt a bit of comfort.
But...
Ten days... fifteen days... twenty days went by, and still that damned Matthew Merlin hadn't paid any price. Mark Watson went to Reid again, but this time the answer was: for now, Matthew Merlin couldn't be touched...
Hearing that, Mark Watson exploded. Without a word, he turned and stormed out of Reid Watson's tent, and lost all affection for his teacher.
Was this really his teacher anymore?
He couldn't even help with something so small, and even made excuses.
Damn it, it's just Matthew Merlin—a Sixth Rank Archmage, not even as strong as me. With Reid Watson's terrifying power as a Seventh Rank Title Archmage, he could have snatched Matthew Merlin out of the Merlin camp without anyone noticing...
After that, Mark Watson never went to Reid Watson again. He'd given up on getting revenge through his teacher, and started looking for his own chance to strike back at Matthew Merlin.
Then, just a few days ago, he suddenly got word that his grandfather had come to the Horn of Plenty.
For Mark Watson, this news was like a dream come true.
His grandfather was on a whole other level compared to Reid Watson...
His grandfather was also a member of the Ancestral Parliament...
But his grandfather's influence in the ancestral grounds was far greater than Reid Watson's. In the Parliament, his voice was second only to that ancient elder who had lived nearly a thousand years. In terms of power, he'd reached the peak of Seventh Rank Title Archmage a century ago, almost at Eighth Rank, and decades back, he'd even fought an Eighth Rank Title Archmage to a draw.
It was clear just how terrifying his grandfather's strength really was...
When Mark Watson learned his grandfather had come to the Horn of Plenty, he was thrilled. He'd been plotting revenge against Matthew Merlin, but had never felt worried...
His grandfather, who loved him most, was now at the Horn of Plenty. That meant Matthew Merlin could be crushed with a flick of the wrist.
Yet even in his excitement, Mark Watson felt a bit puzzled. His grandfather almost never left the ancestral grounds—ever since Mark could remember, he'd never once left. This time, something seemed odd.
But that doubt was quickly swept away by joy...