Aiswell followed the mage into the tower. The mage had intended to introduce him to the situation at High Prism Tower, but Aiswell shook his head and refused. "Don't waste time."
The mage could only lead Aiswell all the way to the top of the tower.
"The tower master is already waiting for you in his study."
"Thank you. You may leave."
After dismissing the mage, Aiswell shoved open the doors to Heron's study.
"Heron..."
"Calm down, my old friend." The room was nearly filled to the brim with countless bookshelves and books. Only the very center had been deliberately left open for a desk, allowing the study's owner a comfortable place to read. That owner was seated there now, holding a yellowed book. Compared to Aiswell, he looked more like an elderly gentleman, with a monocle and impeccably groomed hair and attire, entirely unlike a traditional mage. "No matter how urgent the matter, you should sit down and explain it slowly, shouldn't you, dear Seal Master?"
Aiswell understood his old friend's temperament well enough. Just as he was about to speak, he noticed someone else in the room.
It was a young man with features resembling those of both Terrans and Canaanites. He sat not far from Heron and, upon noticing Aiswell's gaze, gave him a composed nod.
Most importantly, Aiswell could not sense the slightest trace of magic power from him. He was an utterly ordinary person.
"Who is he?" Aiswell frowned. "Your new apprentice?"
"That is unimportant... Think whatever you like." Heron set the book aside. "Speak, Aiswell. You are clearly not this anxious because you came to have tea with me."
"It is still about Osmund Burnell... According to Lacy's prophecy, he is dead. And he did not die anywhere in this plane—he died silently in a lonely, secluded independent world! Do you know what that means?"
Heron shook his head and took a sip of the strong tea he had brewed.
"You know, Aiswell, it was precisely because I grew weary of this sort of thing that I left the Arcane Academy, built a Mage Tower in this barren, uninhabited land, and conducted magical research alone. I know you want my help, but my answer remains the same. I will listen to all your requests, but I will offer no substantive assistance, apart from encouragement."
Aiswell nearly cursed him as an old bastard. He glared at Heron, only suppressing his anger because others were present. "Heron, do you know how great an impact this will have? That student... Osmund Burnell stole the key to the Upper Labyrinth. With one careless move, he could easily cause a catastrophic incident that even Dark Dawn could never accomplish in a lifetime! It could be the end of mages!"
"And what does that have to do with me, the master of High Prism Tower?" Heron shrugged. "You were the ones researching the key. You were the ones who let that child join the Arcane Academy. You were the ones who ignored his plight. You were also the ones who watched him take the key. Why do you always want to throw your own responsibilities onto others?"
"This was an accident! No, it was not an accident!" Aiswell said calmly. "Osmund could not have stolen the key for no reason. Someone must have been directing him behind the scenes, telling him how to evade the Arcane Academy's dense array of warning spells, how to steal the key in full view of everyone, how to use the Eye of the Transcendent to activate a long-range Teleportation Array that had long been abandoned, how to shield himself from everyone's divinations and foresight spells. Even that Eye of the Transcendent most likely came from them.
"Everything is too much of a coincidence. The once-in-a-century Magic Society symposium was held not long ago. Siswell, Hailey, and Yeleven had barely left when such a major incident occurred at the Arcane Academy. I refuse to believe there is no mastermind behind it! And now Osmund, the primary defector, has already been killed. The key he stole may have fallen into the mastermind's hands! Whether for the Arcane Academy or for all mages, Heron, my old friend, you must do your part."
Aiswell delivered that long speech without even pausing for breath. He stared coldly at his former friend, waiting for his response.
No matter what he says, at least he and I have done our best. Aiswell told himself this in his heart.
"I refuse." Heron did not hesitate in the slightest.
Aiswell seemed to have aged many years in an instant. He looked at Heron, then at the books lining the shelves. Only some concerned the mysteries of magic; most were miscellaneous books on all manner of knowledge.
"Then I'll be leaving." He said.
"Wait, Aivy." Heron used Aiswell's old nickname from long ago. "Since you say there is a mastermind pulling the strings, why not tell us who you suspect this so-called mastermind to be?"
Aiswell did not know what he meant by that, but out of trust for his old friend, he still said, "The Truth Society. Only they crave the key as well and possess the ability to plan something like this."
"Exactly!" Heron burst into laughter, then pointed at the young man beside him. "Then you two should have much to discuss. Li Lin, introduce yourself."
The young man rose and bowed slightly to the old mage.
"I have long admired you, Lord Seal Master Aiswell. I grew up listening to tales of your legends, especially how you slew the lich at Port Belen and saved hundreds of thousands from peril. That story always set my blood racing. Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Li Lin, the Truth Society's liaison officer."
Aiswell stared blankly at the two of them. After a long while, he finally said, "That was not a lich. It was a Soul Lord."
"Very well, perhaps I remembered incorrectly." The young man, Li Lin, did not think it a particularly serious mistake. "In my view, whether it is a lich or a Soul Lord, they are the same sort of thing—remnants of the Decay Lineage."
"I hope you will not take my earlier remarks to heart. After all, they were merely an insignificant speculation of mine." Though Aiswell spoke to Li Lin, his gaze was fixed on Heron. This old bastard had probably figured everything out long ago, hadn't he?
"I would not dare."
Would not dare, not would not?
Aiswell's gaze turned icy. A mere mongrel of the Truth Society, something without even a trace of magic power—where did he get the nerve to speak to him like that?
He looked at Heron as if asking a question, waiting for an explanation.
"My apologies, old friend. I hope you will not be angry." Heron soothed his friend. "I did not wish to involve myself in this matter, but neither could I simply ignore you. So I could only seek out the Truth Society in private, since they are equally interested in the key."
"Precisely, Professor." Li Lin said. "You may leave the search for the key entirely to the Truth Society. In fact, we have already completely tracked Osmund Burnell's movements. The last place he traveled through space was the Black Dragon Territory. There must be clues there."
"I will never allow the key to fall into your hands." Aiswell said warily.
"It does not matter." Li Lin's eyes were calm, like a deep lake whose bottom could not be seen. "We have our own objective as well."