Chapter 21: The Grand Ceremony
“Well, the Flaming Dragon Magic Needle is a combination of fire magic and ice magic. Although its lethality might not have been great at the time, it could cause severe long-term consequences for those injured. Many people didn’t realize the seriousness of their injuries at first, but by the time the effects manifested, it was already too late to treat them. Eve, you have quite sharp insight. Though you couldn’t cure Briarnos’s wounds, you at least saved his life by using your white magic to suppress them. Otherwise, even without using his internal energy, his injuries would have flared up by now.”
Eve was both envious and impressed by Komer’s understanding of magical skills. He had healed most of Briarnos’s wounds with just one technique, the Holy Flame Purification, and could even determine that it was his white magic that had suppressed the injuries. Such abilities far exceeded those of an ordinary mage. Could it be that he had already reached the level of a grand mage? Eve couldn’t believe it. Grand mages were supposed to be at an advanced age, and even if Komer were a magical genius, it seemed unlikely he could possess such powerful magic. It wasn’t just a matter of knowledge—it required years of continuous cultivation.
“Resser, don’t say that. I’m just a priest who hasn’t even reached the level of a true priest. My healing magic skills aren’t even half as good as yours. Aren’t you mocking me?” Eve’s face turned slightly red as she felt embarrassed by Komer’s praise.
“Hehe, Eve, don’t compare yourself to me. My experiences are beyond what you can imagine. Life is strange—many hardships may seem like punishments, but in reality, they can bring unexpected benefits to those who suffer them. Perhaps that’s what they mean by ‘there’s always a trade-off.’” Komer shook his head, sighing thoughtfully before changing the subject. “Eve, if I had the chance, I’d really like to exchange ideas with you about healing magic. I’m not good at white magic, but I do have some experience with healing techniques in light and dark magic.”
“Dark magic? You know dark magic?” Eve’s beautiful eyes widened in surprise. She could hardly believe her ears. His Holy Flame Purification technique was clearly the purest form of light magic, yet he claimed to have some knowledge of dark magic as well. Could these two types of magic coexist? It was unbelievable!
“What? Eve, are you surprised? Is there anything wrong with me knowing dark magic?” Komer glanced at her deliberately and retorted.
“But your magic should be of the light faction—you could never use dark magic.” Eve stammered, her mind in chaos. Komer’s words completely overturned her understanding of the magical system. Could light magic and dark magic truly blend together? She had never heard of such a thing; even the legendary magic masters had never achieved it.
“Heh, do you really think my magic is of the light faction?” Komer asked again.
“If it’s not the light faction, how can you cast Holy Flame Purification? Even elemental magic can’t do that.” Eve had a thorough grasp of the traditional magical system. She knew that Holy Flame Purification was the most demanding and purest spell in light magic, requiring light magic power to cast—it couldn’t be done with any other type of magic. Since she practiced white magic, which was based on wood element magic, she admired Holy Flame Purification greatly but knew she could never cast it.
“Eve, this is just surface-level. Once you master one method, you can master many. Many seemingly opposing things often hide common principles deep within. This principle of opposition and unity is one of the core mysteries of magic. It’s just that we often fail to see beyond the surface to discover it. Well, let’s stop our discussion on magic for today. I’ll have more time to talk with Eve properly. I also know a little about white magic, and I hope it can be helpful to her.” He smiled at the bewildered Eve. The glow in his dark eyes had an indescribable magnetism that made people want to delve into his depths to understand him better. It wasn’t until Komer playfully blinked that Eve snapped out of her daze, her cheeks flushed red. This sight made Lome, who had been silent until then, feel an overwhelming urge to roar in frustration.
The annual Roundtable Conference of the Magicians’ Guild finally began with the launch of countless magical fireworks into the sky. Of course, ordinary people had little interest in this conference, which was only relevant to those engaged in magic cultivation. In fact, the Roundtable Conference had little to do with ordinary magicians either. Each year, it merely determined the certifications to be awarded to magicians across various regions and schools, as well as discussed certain special issues. This year, however, the most notable event was the upcoming magic competition, which attracted many magicians and ordinary people alike.
The Mosonas Mausoleum Complex is one of Prague’s most important structures. Aside from the palace and the magic academy, it is probably the building that Bohemians are proudest of. It is said to have a history of 1,300 years, even several hundred years earlier than the Dark Ages. The ancestors of the Bohemians built this series of structures using giant stones and mortar to worship the gods. Today, it serves as a main venue for important events in the Kingdom of Bohemia.
Apart from the giant central mausoleum, more than a dozen other large mausoleums are arranged in parallel in the western suburbs of Prague. The entire complex covers an area of a thousand acres, sufficient to accommodate tens of thousands of people for gatherings and events. The central giant mausoleum was built by the ancestors of the Bohemians as an altar to worship the ancient creator gods, while the other mausoleums were dedicated to other ancient deities such as the god of rain, the god of wind, the god of thunder, the god of lightning, the god of wine, and the god of fire. However, with the rise of the Holy Light Religion and other faiths, these primitive forms of worship gradually gave way to religious rituals. Yet even today, a significant portion of the Bohemians still believe in the gods left behind by their ancestors. Especially in the past decade or so, there has been a resurgence of this revivalist trend.
As hundreds of magical fireworks burst in the sky, creating dazzling lights and intricate patterns, illusions also appeared above the mausoleum complex, presenting magical and beautiful scenes. Accompanied by melodious music played on magical golden instruments, the atmosphere in the complex signaled the official start of the Prague Magic Competition.
Komer couldn’t deny that Bohemia’s wealth was unmatched by any country in the northern continent. While the Kingdom of Nicosia struggled to raise funds for its army, the magic fireworks released in just a few minutes alone must have cost millions of gold shields, not to mention the enormous expense of creating mirages. From what Komer knew, each magic scroll used to create mirages sold for hundreds of thousands of gold shields. Such displays were usually only shown on major national holidays or celebrations, or on special occasions like births or funerals for high nobles and lords. A lavish spectacle like releasing over a dozen mirages in succession was something even Komer, who was used to the lives of the wealthy, had never seen before.
Thinking about the efforts he had made in Versailles to secure benefits for the Caucasus from the three city-states, he realized that here it was all just a few mirages. Komer could only sigh at the injustice of the world—costing as much as what many people earned in over a year, all just to make the people happy. Yet the people of Bohemia, regardless of their social status, were all in high spirits, fully immersed in this celebration that seemed like a national festival, without worrying about the enormous cost.
“Wow, His Majesty the King is truly generous! How much gold shield must it have cost to create all these mirages and magic fireworks? Our mercenary group will never be able to earn that much in our entire lives!” The dwarf warrior’s eyes were almost bulging out of their sockets. Although Bayezid wasn’t a hill dwarf skilled in mining and blacksmithing, nor a forest dwarf adept at craftsmanship, as a dwarf, he certainly understood the immense cost of creating such mirages and magic fireworks. Gazing greedily at the sky, Bayezid had forgotten everything else for the moment. Being able to keep this magnificent sight in his mind would allow him to show it off to his descendants when he grew old.
Even Javier, who carried heavy responsibilities, had forgotten his duties, completely captivated by this splendid and wonderful sight. Lome, Eve, and Grace were equally enchanted. As women who naturally loved beauty, they were mesmerized by this extraordinary spectacle. For a magic practitioner, being able to witness such a sight was a lifetime fortune. Indeed, a magic festival was a display of the highest level of magic.
Daling Terrace was designated as a restricted area as a judging zone. To prevent magic practitioners from unleashing overly powerful magic during various competitions, especially in offensive spells, and to avoid loss of control, the competition committee invited several magicians from the kingdom’s court mage corps, along with guest magicians hired by the mage guilds, to help maintain order and prevent magical accidents that could harm the audience. Meanwhile, the magic competition would also select winners from numerous competing magic practitioners, offering them necessary material and honorary rewards to encourage magic enthusiasts across the continent to engage more actively in magic cultivation.
Magicians from various parts of the continent took to the more than ten terraces simultaneously to compete, marking the beginning of this grand magic tournament.