Erasing Magic Crests was not a decision Fang Zheng had made on a whim, but one reached after careful consideration.
Magic Crests themselves were shackles upon Magi.
That was obvious enough just by looking at Fiore and Heine. Neither of them had wanted to inherit a Magic Crest, yet neither had any choice but to do so. That was only natural. In ancient times, there had not been many choices, but modern society was different. People had more and more options now, and they no longer fixated on the past. Fiore, for example, preferred exploring different worlds, while if not for his sister's condition, Heine would have packed up and left long ago.
There were quite a few Magi like them. It was not just the Magi of the new generation; even many heirs of great old families held similar thoughts.
At its core, it was like a century-old family business. I don't want to inherit the family's old shop. I'd rather study painting or play music. Except the world of Magi was far darker and crueler than that.
Following the usual formula—or rather, the formula from Fang Zheng's homeland—he should have started by surrounding the cities from the countryside. Yet in this world, Fang Zheng had chosen to confront the Clock Tower first instead of gathering other Magus families dissatisfied with the situation. Naturally, that was because of the unique environment of Magi.
Back in Fang Zheng's homeland, the gap between individuals was not so obvious. A farmer with a pitchfork could keep a landlord from leaving his house. But in the world of Magecraft, Magic Crests were tremendously powerful, especially inherited Crests from ancient families.
Thus, the difference between old Magus families and newly established ones was like the difference between a whale who had spent heavily and