In the Calon city, the heartland of magic, only one special institution remained in what was now rely a shadow of its forr self.
The Council of Elders.
This body was considered the pinnacle of the magical world. It had transcendent authority, free from all rules and regulations. All mbers were at least Class 8 mages, and etings were infrequent unless a significant issue arose.
However, today, an unusual gathering of seven out of the twelve council mbers was taking place. The reason was none other than the summoning of the council by its elder and Class 9 mage, Sael Ri, for the first ti in three years.
Usually, attendance at these etings was abysmally low, with only those who wished to attend showing up.
Even when they did gather, it was mostly filled with noisy chatter. Today, however, the council was silent.
"... I see a few are missing."
An elderly voice echoed, causing the council mbers to gulp nervously.
Typically, as mages grew in power, they also grew younger in appearance.
A Class 6 mage no longer aged visibly. A Class 7 mage regained so youth, while a Class 8 mage could maintain the appearance of soone in their twenties or thirties.
Ultimately, a Class 9 mage undergoes a phenonon called reverse aging or body change, transforming their body into the most ideal form for using magic, which often ant appearing much younger.
However, Sael Ri was different. He was one of the few who, despite reaching the Class 9, retained the appearance of an old man.
With a long white beard reaching his chest and a pointed hat, he looked like a traditional mage from a storybook. This appearance underscored his rigid adherence to old customs.
"Yes. Hedaron had to urgently return to his estate due to so issues, and Palat has been in seclusion for about half a year, seeking enlightennt."
"If it's personal matters, it can't be helped. What about the others?"
"They declined to attend without giving a reason."
"I see."
Sael Ri nodded, causing a few council mbers to sweat nervously. Missing a council eting summoned by Sael Ri without a valid reason carried significant penalties.
'... Those guys are in trouble now.'
Regardless, there was no imdiate way to bring in those who were absent, so the eting proceeded without them.
"The Green Tower has started making a move."
Sael Ri's statent made several council mbers murmur and shake their heads.
"Why would those guys, who have been dormant for over ten years, suddenly start moving now...?"
The Green Tower and the Council of Elders shared similar traits. Both were small groups composed of high-ranking mages, with a Class 9 mage at the top. However, the Green Tower was more akin to outlaws in the magical world, whereas the Council of Elders were its rulers, making the two fundantally opposed.
The Green Tower was one of the few entities that could threaten the Council of Elders' position at the top of the magical world, so it was natural for the council mbers to feel uneasy.
"A witch has revealed herself and was killed by a re mage. It's understandable. The master of the Green Tower is sensitive to the existence of witches."
"That's true..."
"Foolish witches. If they're going to hide, they should hide properly instead of showing up and getting killed..."
"Hey. What happened to the witch you had imprisoned?"
"She died. She couldn't withstand the experints."
"Tsk. That's what happens when you handle good material carelessly. If it were , I would have made use of it for at least ten years..."
"Silence. No more idle chatter."
Sael Ri struck the floor with his staff, instantly silencing the room as if a spell had been cast.
"The Green Tower acting unilaterally isn't new. However, the real issue is that the Manwol Tower has also started to move."
"What? The Manwol Tower?"
"Yes."
In this world, there were only two entities known as great towers; the Sakwol Tower, the most famous magical tower, and the Manwol Tower, which remained hidden in the shadows.
The Manwol Tower was also a force that threatened the Mage Council. For decades, efforts were made to locate and capture them, but they left no traces and the search proved difficult.
In reality, while the Manwol Tower eradicated dark mages, they committed nurous cris in the process, leading the magical community to label them as criminals and pursue them.
However, this pursuit was more of a formality than a serious effort, as tracking the Manwol Tower was virtually impossible.
"So both the Green Tower and the Manwol Tower... Is this incident really that significant?"
It was just that one witch appeared and was killed. To the common folk, a witch might be sothing special, but to the Green Tower and the Manwol Tower, a witch shouldn't be that unfamiliar.
"She wasn't an ordinary witch. That witch... was a disciple of the Last Witch."
"What...!"
"Could it be that the successor of the Last Witch still exists?"
"Indeed."
The council gulped hard.
The magic of the Last Witch was the ultimate, strongest magic, capable of turning illusions into reality. It was the most perfect magic, coveted by all mages, alchemists, and magical engineers.
"And what happened to that magic?"
The council urgently inquired, but Sael Ri shook his head.
"It was lost. The witch was killed by a student of Stella Academy in a separate dinsion, leaving no corpse behind."
"Oh no..."
"To think we couldn't extract that precious magic..."
However, at that mont, all the council mbers had the sa thought.
The magic of the Last Witch was fantastic, to the point of being legendary.
But why...
'How could soone with such powerful magic be killed by a re student of Stella?'
That question lingered in their minds.
"Baek Yu-Seol."
Sael Ri quietly recited the na.
"Both the Green Tower and the Manwol Tower have their eyes on that child."
And by ntioning that na here, it indicated that he, too, had a keen interest in Baek Yu-Seok.
"We've already heard of Baek Yu-Seol."
"Shall we bring him to the council?"
"No. There's no need. If he wishes to co, he will co. If not, no matter what you do, you won't be able to bring him."
"What? Moving a re student isn't that difficult."
"You don't understand."
Sael Ri clicked his tongue.
"That boy... is special, soone who has escaped fate. It's in your best interest to not interfere and to keep your distance. Why can't you understand that?"
At his words, the council mbers fell silent. Sael Ri occasionally said such cryptic things, but they always had profound aning, so even if they didn't understand, they had to accept it.
"However, it's concerning that the Green Tower has set its sights on him."
"What should we do?"
"Convene a magical council to check the Green Tower. Make sure they can't move freely and restrict their activities."
The order was simple, but executing it was not. The mages of the Green Tower were generally gentle, but with the tower lord and his ntor being Class 9 mages, there were significant challenges.
"Don't worry too much. That Stella's principal also seems intent on checking the Green Tower."
"Is that so..."
The principal of Stella Academy, Eltman Eltwin, was the youngest of the Class 9 mages, but also one of the most powerful. Knowing he would assist eased the council's worries.
With that, the eting concluded.
As Sael Ri began to rise from his seat, one of the council mbers hurriedly asked, "Elder, what do you intend to do about the Manwol Tower?"
"... The Manwol Tower."
He lifted his head to gaze at the night sky. The three moons were all hidden behind the clouds, making the sky dark.
"The moon is full."
"Pardon?"
The council mber questioned the seemingly nonsensical remark, but Sael Ri did not answer and instead walked away.
'... Are the Twelve New Moons moving?'
It was understandable that the Manwol Tower and the Green Tower were active, but why would the Twelve New Moons suddenly start moving now?
He realized he needed to et with New Moon Space.
To confirm if the world was indeed moving according to fate, he needed to directly speak with New Moon Silver and New Moon Space.
Like a mirage, Sael Ri vanished, leaving the council mber shocked and letting out a hollow laugh.
"Once again, it seems sothing is happening without our knowledge..."
A Class 8 mage?
The Mage Council, a group outside the realm of power?
What use was any of this?
The world was driven by a very select few great individuals.
They could read fate and had even learned how to walk outside of it.
But what about them?
Unaware of being bound by fate, they live intoxicated by power and influence, thinking they stood at the highest point. Even those who were higher than them pursued their purposes.
"But... There's nothing we can do about it."
The Class 9 was a realm unattainable by effort or talent alone.
It was, quite literally, a divine revelation.
So reached Class 9 because the night sky was beautiful and full.
So attained it by gaining enlightennt in a dream after restless nights.
And so achieved it by hearing the voice of a god during ditation.
A once-in-a-millennium genius?
That ant nothing.
How many geniuses have despaired at the wall of the Class 9 until now?
Class 9 was... a divine realm that transcended humanity.
The world they lived in was entirely different from the one they inhabited.
The council mbers understood this and weakly turned back.
Decades had passed since they ford the Mage Council, hoping to glimpse the edge of Class 9, yet they still had not grasped even a grain of the divine realm.
———-
Standing on the edge of a windy cliff, closing one's eyes and feeling the swaying sensation could be intoxicating.
Even though he was not moving at all.
'The world revolves around the sun.'
These were the words spoken by a mage and philosopher from a long ti ago.
That single phrase, which shook the foundation of everything, turned the magical world upside down, causing all magic to be redefined. Centuries had passed since then.
"Can you feel it? The flow of the world."
Rudrick Hallow.
The lord of the Manwol Tower and a great Class 9 mage. He stood on the edge of the cliff, enjoying the sensation of the world revolving around the sun—an experience incomprehensible to ordinary people.
"I have no interest in such things."
"How dull."
Rudrick's conversation partner was a man with gray hair and gray eyes. He was dressed in a strange outfit.
The aura he exuded was anything but ordinary; his na was New Moon Space. He was one of the strongest among the Twelve Divine Moons.
"So, what's the reason you ca to find ?" Rudrick asked.
"I'm here to talk to that old man sleeping over there."
New Moon Space pointed sowhere with his eyes, which made Rudrick smile.
The old man lay on a platform in the space outside the cliff. He was drunk and sound asleep. He was also one of the Twelve New Moons, New Moon Silver.
"It's rare for two of the Twelve New Moons to et... Is it okay?"
The Twelve New Moons were destined not to et each other. Rudrick knew this.
The original mages had left a prophecy that when they all gathered, sothing incredibly terrifying would happen.
"It doesn't matter."
"Well, I suppose so. All the other Twelve New Moons are bound by their self-imposed restrictions and can't move freely."
"Enough chit-chat, wake him up."
Hearing that, Rudrick grinned.
"That's a bit troubleso. The old man has a lot on his mind and is under a lot of stress. Do we really need to wake him up when he's finally sleeping peacefully?"
"It's not for you to interfere."
New Moon Space took a step forward, but Rudrick blocked his path.
"You can't go any further, New Moon Space."
"Are you planning to stop ?"
"Yes."
Rudrick glanced at New Moon Silver with concern.
It had been months since Rudrick's ability to foresee the future had stopped working properly, and he had co to New Moon Silver to find out why.
However, it turned out that New Moon Silver himself was unable to foresee the future correctly.
The fact that New Moon Space had co to see him in this state was not a good sign. New Moon Space was highly sensitive to predetermined fate and loathed deviations from it.
Even if the world were to crumble in the end, New Moon Space's choices would remain unchanged. He firmly believed that fate flew according to the will of the constellation.
"Let's not do this now."
Rudrick held an opposing view to New Moon Space. He saw a supernova-like existence shining brightly, capable of changing fate, and he couldn't let that be hindered.
"I can't let you."
Rudrick ignited 'void' on his fingertip.
It was a power with the sa nature as New Moon Space's dinsional force. Seeing this, New Moon Space frowned.
"Are you planning to use space against ?"
"Just because you're made of space doesn't an you handle it best."
"An interesting theory. I've never liked the arrogance of you mages."
New Moon Space took a step closer to him.
It was perhaps the shortest but mightiest step in the world.
... Boom!!
Dinsions collided, space crumbled, and gravity reversed, drawing everything into the cracks between dinsions.
"Hehe..."
anwhile, New Moon Silver was enjoying a rare deep sleep, dreaming of playing poker with a boy and winning overwhelming... A most Delightful Dream.
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