Chapter 1264
Even though Leon looked completely unguarded, with less than ten meters between him and Lafayette, and his back turned, Lafayette could only glare helplessly.
Seeing Leon act like this, Lafayette's eyes were practically blazing with fury.
Less than ten meters away, his back exposed, no defenses at all—one Dark Arrow would finish him, and no one here could stop me. But I can't act. Does this bastard really think I don't dare make a move?
Damn bastard, just wait. Wait until the Conclave begins. You'll regret it. This time I won't let you die so easily—I'll curse your soul, drag it into endless torment in hell, and let you suffer eternal wailing.
I'm going to make you suffer, Archmage Leon Merlin, you damned bastard. Just wait. Not only will I take back the Blazeforge Realm's interests, I'll seize everything else too.
"Damn bastard, let me see what a country bumpkin like you can possibly gain here. Trash will always be trash, no matter how well you hide it. This is the Worldshaper Conclave. A mere Title Archmage among Worldshapers—what a joke. How did you even sneak in?"
Unable to find a chance to strike, Lafayette started using the Astral Conclave's purpose to attack Leon verbally.
Unfortunately, Leon ignored him completely and walked straight toward Rafael.
Rafael's face darkened. Lafayette attacking Leon was one thing, but now others were involved too. The only one here who wasn't a Sky Rank Worldshaper was his senior Gullard, but everyone knew Gullard was truly devoted to alchemy—he'd spent all his energy on it, which was why he was still just a Ninth-Rank Title Archmage.
But Gullard's skill in alchemy was in no way inferior to the other Worldshapers present—in fact, he was stronger than most of them.
Gritting his teeth, Lafayette lashed out at Leon again, regretting not having finished him off last time. Meanwhile, Wattby of the Hardwick Family stood silently in the distance, saying nothing.
Though the Hardwick Family is a reclusive alchemist clan, they're still part of the Andalusia Kingdom. When Lafayette belittled Leon, he unintentionally dragged Wattby into it as well.
A cold smile tugged at the corner of Wattby's mouth.
That idiot Archmage Leon Merlin really knows how to make enemies. He'd barely arrived in the Odin Kingdom and already provoked a powerful foe—the Jackson Family isn't weak here. That guy's doomed.
But Lafayette is even dumber, actually trying to challenge Leon in alchemy. Utterly hopeless. Archmage Leon Merlin's mastery of alchemy has long since reached unfathomable heights.
Damn, how is that guy barely thirty and already so knowledgeable? His alchemical skill—especially in potions—might already be at the very peak of Worldshaper level.
Lafayette, that fool, not only doesn't realize this, he keeps shouting and insulting Archmage Leon Merlin. Seriously, can't he see the two guys from Skyhold Fortress are looking at him like he's an idiot?
Would Astral Academy really invite Archmage Leon Merlin from the Andalusia Kingdom if they didn't know about his alchemical mastery?
Go on, let those two idiots fight—best if they both take each other out. Only then will alchemy get the respect it deserves. Idiots like them, always thinking about other things, and yet they're Worldshapers? Damn it, let them all die...
Everyone present reacted differently, but most just watched coldly from the sidelines. After all, the Worldshapers invited by Astral Academy weren't only from Odin Kingdom—there were also Worldshapers from Andalusia Kingdom, Stoneland Kingdom, and even some wandering Worldshapers from across Northend World.
Still, the majority here were Worldshapers from Odin Kingdom. As the strongest kingdom in Northend World, Odin's overall power far surpassed the other two.
So when Lafayette attacked by targeting regions, most people didn't react—there were so many here, with all kinds of conflicts and grudges. Who cared if two people had a beef? When everyone first arrived, Astral Academy even sent people to mediate or warn these guys not to cause trouble inside.
But for those who already had issues, trading verbal jabs after meeting was just business as usual...
Lafayette was so furious he was grinding his teeth, regretting not having risked offending Astral Academy to finish off Leon earlier...
Leon sought out Rafael and Gullard—after all, the only people he really knew and got along with here were Rafael and Gullard.
Skyhold Fortress, being an alchemy-focused power, had sent three people this time. Besides Rafael and Gullard, there was also a third Sky Rank Worldshaper.
Purely in terms of numbers, Skyhold Fortress had the most Worldshapers; other factions weren't primarily alchemy-focused, so most only sent one, maybe two.
Gullard was so obsessed with alchemy that he didn't react to Lafayette's attacks at all—instead, as soon as he saw Leon, he started dragging him into alchemy discussions.
Rafael finally managed to rescue Leon from Gullard's grip.
Archmage, everyone here—over twenty people—are Worldshapers from all the major factions. For the Conclave, only Worldshapers themselves can attend; no one else is allowed to tag along.
Let me introduce you to the people here. Lafayette, that idiot, you don't need to worry about him. During the Conclave, he won't dare cause any trouble—Astral Academy takes this event very seriously and won't let anyone mess it up.
As for Wattby from the Hardwick Family, who's also from Andalusia Kingdom like you, you can ignore him—he's just an obsessive, crazy alchemist. See those two guys with alchemical mechanical left arms?
As Rafael spoke, he glanced in a direction, giving Leon a subtle hint.
Leon nodded. He'd noticed those two mages with obvious alchemical mechanical left arms as soon as he arrived. It wasn't just a layer of skin—they'd had their arms completely replaced with alchemical prosthetics.
Across Northend World, only those who follow one philosophy do this: flesh interferes with certain alchemical experiments, and mana can also affect results. So they replace a hand with an alchemical mechanical arm to guarantee perfect precision and eliminate any interference.
An alchemical mechanical arm can do things no human hand ever could, and without using mana, their accuracy in special alchemical experiments is unmatched.
And if you see someone here with a left arm replaced by an alchemical mechanical arm, and they're attending the Astral Conclave, there's only one family it could be—the Mosch Family.
They're not a pure alchemist faction. In fact, they're a mage faction focused on spellcraft, but after an incident long ago, a branch emerged dedicated solely to alchemy.
Leon had known this for a long time. In the future, the Mosch Family's mechanical alchemists would be famous—when it came to highly precise, complex alchemical items that couldn't use mana, only their work was considered the best.
Cutting off an arm and replacing it with a mechanical one was unique to this era. Two thousand years later, the Mosch Family's alchemists would discover a way to fuse flesh and alchemical prosthetics, perfectly combining the strengths of both. That would be the turning point when their alchemist branch finally overtook the mage branch and became the family's dominant force.
Those two are Reed Mosch and Kate Mosch, two of the Mosch Family's three alchemist Worldshapers. They're experts at crafting intricate alchemical golems and magical instruments—almost all the precise measurement devices used by Odin Kingdom's Alchemist Guild come from their family.
They're formidable, and with their mechanical arms, their fighting style is unlike ordinary mages—it's like a fusion of alchemical golem and mage, making them terrifyingly powerful. Their family is truly strong.
Even now, the Mosch Family is still mainly a mage clan, and the alchemist branch is just a minority. But many predict it won't be long before they become an alchemist family, since all their top industries rely on their alchemists.
Those two—Reed Mosch and Kate Mosch—are two of the three alchemist Worldshapers in the Mosch Family. Maybe they're the ones who'll help the alchemist branch become the main lineage...
Rafael shared his prediction with certainty. Leon said nothing, just nodded.
Two thousand two hundred years isn't really that long...
For mage factions, it's all about the mages—so long as the very best are pure mages, the Mosch Family's alchemist branch will never truly take over.
Historically, in the next two thousand years, the Mosch Family wouldn't produce a genius with both great alchemical and magical talent. After all, mages are the foundation—a Sky Rank Level Five powerhouse won't take orders from a Sky Rank Level One Worldshaper unless the latter becomes a Saint, but that's impossible...
After introducing the Mosch Family, Rafael pointed out another elder—a white-haired man in a pale green robe embroidered with all sorts of plants and minerals, the raw ingredients for alchemical potions.