Chapter Eleven: The Mage Guild
Traveling southwest from the landing at Kishnyov by carriage, it was not long before they crossed the southwestern corner of the Buzaak Plain and entered the Morava-OD River Corridor. Following this narrow corridor southward led them into the heart of the Bohemian Kingdom—the Labe Plain, with Prague, the jewel of Bohemia, located right in the center of it.
As Komer and Rebrí rode along the Morava-OD River Corridor, they soon noticed something unusual. Luxury carriages sped past them from time to time, and Komer could even sense the strong magical aura emanating from them. Some horseback-mounted mages appeared to be in high spirits, as if heading to a grand gathering.
The beautiful Prague lay in the middle reaches of the Labe River, with the Labe Plain serving as its foundation, making Prague the most dazzling jewel of the Bohemian Kingdom. By the time Komer’s group reached the outskirts of Prague, it was already evening. Magnificent castles of various styles lined the gently undulating riverbanks, and beautiful garden courtyards were everywhere. All of this was almost overwhelming for Komer. Although he had visited countless places during his three years in exile, he had never seen such opulent and luxurious buildings. He had thought Versailles was the incomparable diamond of the entire Azure Continent, but here, Prague, the jewel of the Bohemian Kingdom, boasted a splendor and luxury that rivaled Versailles. If one had to distinguish the difference between Versailles and this place, it could be said that Versailles was a dazzling gem embedded in the land of the Kingdom of Nicomedia, while Prague was a string of magnificent pearls within the territory of the Bohemian Kingdom.
“Look, Lord Baron, that’s the famous magic academy of the continent. With brief study there, one can embark on a path to understand the mysteries of magic and become a magic apprentice. Hundreds of magic apprentices graduate there each year and set off across the continent to begin their magical journeys,” Rebrí said, pointing. Everyone’s gaze was drawn to a large complex of buildings not far from the royal palace. To their surprise, it turned out to be the only magic academy in the continent. Just from the grandeur of its exterior, it was clear how much importance the Bohemian Kingdom placed on this academy.
Grayish-white spires interspersed with semicircular vaulted buildings formed a complex of structures blending various styles—Gothic, Baroque, and Rococo spired buildings alongside semicircular classical structures with strong elements of primitive worship, seemingly separate yet also intertwined, creating an atmosphere without any sense of disharmony. The Cathedral of Saint Vitus of the Light Church appeared quite ordinary among the many buildings, seemingly having little connection to them, yet the statue of the Angel of Light hanging above the clock tower reminded all passersby that this was still a parish of the Light Church.
“Mr. Rebrí, it seems the situation of the Light Church in Bohemia isn’t very optimistic. The Cathedral of Saint Vitus is the residence of the bishop of the Bohemian parish, and it doesn’t seem much better than the surrounding buildings. Is it due to the Kingdom of Bohemia or because the Light Church doesn’t place much emphasis on the south?” Comer asked thoughtfully, watching the scenery pass by outside the carriage.
“My Lord Baron, the Kingdom of Bohemia is not a member of the Northern Alliance. Although it’s close to the south, the Light Church still holds dominance here. You can tell from the layout of buildings around the Magic Academy—aside from the palace and the Mage Guild, there’s only the Cathedral of Saint Vitus. Isn’t that enough to show the Light Church’s status here? However, being dominant is different from being the only one. In Bohemia, the emphasis on magic far exceeds religious belief. The kingdom values a mage’s abilities more than their religious affiliation. Although the Dark Sect is still unpopular here, it isn’t banned, which is a fundamental difference from the laws explicitly prohibiting it in the Northern Alliance countries.” Rebrí, clearly very familiar with this place, spoke quite casually. Here, mages of any sect wouldn’t face discrimination, at least not during the Round Table meetings and magic competitions held by the Mage Guild.
With a faint smile, Komer shook his head indifferently and said, “It’s not a good thing for religion to become too secularized. Faith should originally be a source of solace deep in people’s hearts, but the Light Church now seems overly focused on pursuing worldly interests. They have forgotten their once zealous pursuit of nobility and the ideal of making any sacrifice for the people’s benefit. Focusing on trivial matters instead of the essence is not a good sign—it will only gradually weaken their dominant position. When their status becomes indistinguishable from that of other sects in the eyes of the people, I think that will be the time when the Light Church declines, giving other sects the chance to rise. Isn’t that exactly what those sects in the south have done?”
“Hehe, Lord Baron, there is some truth in what you say. But it’s like walking a tightrope in this regard. If the church truly ignored material interests and solely pursued so-called noble ideals, it might struggle to survive. After all, many noble things are essentially built on vulgar realities,” Rebri pointed out sharply. “To have the courage to abandon everything—probably no one can do that yet. Neither you nor I can escape the mundane. As for the Light Church, hehe, it’s likely even worse than us.”
Seeing the hexagons above the doorways of these three connected buildings, along with the pointed hats symbolizing ancient magicians, everyone knew this must be the famous Mage Guild of the Kingdom of Bohemia. The exact founding date of the Mage Guild is unknown, but one thing is clear: it emerged during the Heroic Era, in an age plagued by monsters. Countless magicians spontaneously organized themselves, fighting desperately against the monsters with their passion and magical knowledge to defend the rights of humanity.
As the shadow of the rampant monsters gradually faded from this continent, mages became the most respected profession across the land. Throughout the war against those monsters, 573 mages sacrificed their lives, and their sacrifice earned them the unanimous support of the people. When the Mage Guild began to take shape as a voluntary organization, the people of Prague welcomed it there spontaneously. The Kingdom of Bohemia also showed great enthusiasm for having the Mage Guild’s headquarters in Prague. From then on, the Mage Guild was firmly established in Prague, and the numerous mages who came and went became a beautiful sight in the Kingdom of Bohemia. Two hundred years later, Prague, now truly known as the City of Magic, built its first and only magic academy on the continent, further solidifying its status as the City of Magic.
Komer and Lome entered the hall of the Mage Guild. The hall was dim, with nothing particularly notable at first glance. To the left was a green corridor made of vines. With just a quick glance, Komer recognized it as the vicious Vile Vine, also known as the Flower of Hell. This purely dark-type plant grew in shaded valleys that never saw sunlight and required cold energy to survive. It bloomed once every ten years, and once it bloomed, it remained in bloom for a year. It was said to be the most beautiful flower in the world, with its black petals being extremely striking. Its flowers possessed strong magical properties that could disrupt any mage’s magical perception. It was both a valuable material for magic and an extremely precious anti-magic substance.
It was already an incredible achievement for the Mage Guild to cultivate this plant in its hall. Even Komer couldn’t figure out how to keep it alive—only natural cold energy could sustain it, not magic.
The crystal chandelier in the center, however, caught Lome’s attention more. It was a world-famous masterpiece of magical art. The mechanical chandelier swung monotonously. At the top of the crystal surface was a small window, with the God of Death and the God of Time on the right, and a miser holding a purse on the left. Every hour, the God of Death opened the two small windows, revealing a funny image of an ancient mage wearing a pointy hat. After gazing at the world below, the windows closed automatically, and the God of Time would play the popular song “Time Flies, Youth Never Returns” on his harp.
Below the crystal chandelier was a ring of milky white frustums. Several staff members with serious but polite expressions were greeting tourists and magicians from various parts of the continent. They were there to answer general questions for the visitors and magicians. Of course, if it was a true magician who needed advice or to handle some matters, they would be directed to go right into an aisle lit by magical lanterns, where the actual headquarters of the Magicians’ Guild lay.
Komer and Lome stood in a corner, observing the people coming and going. The hall was enormous, with many guests moving about, but it was clear that the vast majority were tourists from different parts of the continent; only a few were actually there to handle affairs at the Magicians’ Guild. The walls were simply decorated, with wooden strips that appeared quite old-fashioned, adding a sense of history but also a touch of simplicity. However, Komer felt that this was the true nature of the Magicians’ Guild. An overemphasis on grand appearances only indicated that the organization had degenerated. The few portraits hanging on the walls, however, caught Komer’s interest.