After inspecting the Magic Furnace, the panda-kin Xiu Ming, Imperial Magic School headmaster Louis Shendu, and Klein, the Chief Legend of the Tower of Purity, followed Landen to a conference room above the Magic Furnace Room. The room's layout inside the mountain was identical to the headmaster's office at Gallop Academy. It was Landen's office inside Hot Spring Mountain.
Once they entered the office, all of Landen's subordinates, including Gleia, filed out, leaving Landen space to speak privately with the three Legends and Demigods.
When the door closed, the three Legends all felt a curious response from the Magic Web. They knew Landen had used his divine office to temporarily disconnect the Magic Web in the room from the outside, ensuring their conversation remained confidential.
During the tour of the underwater Magic Furnace Room, Louis Shendu had secretly scanned the Magic Web. He was taken aback by what he found: within five hundred meters of the furnace, at least twenty Mermaids were swimming around.
Thousands of years of Demigod experience told Louis that all twenty Mermaids were High-Rank, or had at least once attained High-Rank magic.
Twenty High-Ranks would be enough to shift the balance of power in the Dragon Kingdom's council. In a Magic School, they would be more than enough to establish a Water School of their own.
But how had Landen gotten hold of so many living Mermaids, and how had he won them over? As Louis pondered this, he glanced at the composed Xiu Ming.
The fat panda was no less capable than Klein or Louis. He should have discovered everything they had, yet it was plain from his expression that he had known all along—and that he was one of Landen's supporters.
"Landen, with so many High-Rank Mermaids, which Majesty do they worship?" Louis Shendu