Chapter 101: The Storm Approaching

It’s true that ambitious people always possess outstanding abilities. Only those who have confidence in their own skills develop numerous unfulfilled desires, and Jerry Belford is a prime example.
Born into an ordinary commoner family in the south, his father was a lumberjack and his mother worked in a workshop. Initially destined to follow in his father’s footsteps, he came into contact with magic by chance and enrolled in a magic academy in Glon at the age of fourteen.
As part of the empire’s northern border defense, Glon taught students practical magic focused on lethality.
At twenty-two, when the empire was at war with Salonia, Jerry Belford graduated from Glon’s magic academy as an outstanding student and went to the battlefield as a member of the national mage corps.
After the [One-Year War], Jerry Belford was promoted to Royal Mage for his military achievements. Two years later, he became an assistant to the Grand Mage Wiston Malajiji Hastings.
Coming from humble origins, Jerry Belford didn’t pursue vanity like the nobles; he was a realist. Power, money, and status—these were what he desired. As a result, his reputation wasn’t very good.
Yet Jerry Belford was indeed a talented individual. It was well known that the Grand Mage Wiston Malajiji Hastings was extremely powerful, but the internal affairs of the Royal Magic Association had always been managed by other mages. Eventually, the young Jerry Belford took over this role, holding it for nearly twenty years.
Jerry Belford was an ambitious man—something not only Wiston knew but also King Eiger. Yet he was also very cautious and was never caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Over the years, both the Grand Mage Wiston and King Eiger gradually relaxed their vigilance toward him. After all, it’s easier to control those with desires, isn’t it?
The Grand Mage Wiston was well aware that Jerry Belford was eyeing the position of Royal Chief Mage. Firstly, Jerry Belford had indeed made significant contributions to the Royal Magic Association. Secondly, a renowned grand mage like Wiston had long since become indifferent to status and power, as evidenced by the ten years he spent searching for outstanding apprentices.

It could be said that JerryBellfort’s ambitions were gradually expanded with the tacit approval and indulgence of the Archmage Vishton. Now, he had completely taken control of the Royal Mage Association and driven the two major magical forces of [Vander] and [Rioks] out of the Saxon Imperial City—a situation the Archmage Vishton never expected.

Vishton certainly couldn’t have imagined it; perhaps he simply couldn’t understand it, as the old mage was born into the upper nobility and was taken by the Holy Mage to study in the mage tower of Vander from a young age, with hardly any setbacks. JerryBellfort, on the other hand, hating his lowly birth, schemed to rise to power. How could Vishton, who had been away from Saxon for so long, understand the thoughts of his deputy?

On a rather gloomy morning, JerryBellfort sat in Vishton’s usual seat as usual, feeling happier than ever, for the clouds blocking his path had finally cleared, and years of patience had finally paid off. Although he felt a slight sense of guilt toward Archmage Vishton, it was clearly insignificant compared to the power he had gained.

“Knock, knock, knock!”

Glancing at the office door with his teacup in hand, JerryBellfort said calmly, “Come in!”

Who entered was JerryBellfort’s confidant, a mage also from Glon—Bell. In fact, it was JerryBellfort who promoted him from a local position.

“What is it, Bell?”

“President, it’s that guy from last time who wants to see you—the confidant of Prince Gran…”

“Hm?” JerryBellfort froze for a moment, frowning, and said, “Coming to see me at a time like this? What on earth is that fat pig thinking?—Send him in!”

“Yes, President!” Bell nodded and turned to leave, but after taking a step, he was called back by JerryBellfort.

“Wait!” Calling back his confidant, JerryBellfort held his teacup and said in a low voice, “I haven’t received an official appointment yet, so you must call me Vice President as before!—I don’t want any trouble caused by others!”

Staring at JerryBellfort in surprise, Bell smiled and nodded, “I understand!—Vice President!”

“Hm!” JerryBellfort nodded and, watching Bell leave, murmured, “Be careful. After waiting for over a decade, a day or two doesn’t matter…” With that, he put down his teacup and began to review documents meticulously.

A few minutes later, Bell brought in an old man.

Glancing at the other party, Jerry Belford waved his hand to send his subordinates away, then said with a hint of mockery, “Hampa, one of the legendary 72 Demons. [Gory] isn’t your lounge—you can’t just show up whenever you want…”
The man dressed as an old man was indeed Hampa, the demon left by Argus in Sasan to assist Prince Gran. He smiled slightly, unfazed by Jerry Belford’s coldness, sat down at the chair by the table, and said cheerfully, “With someone like you here, how dare I show up unannounced… I came today to discuss something with you!”
Watching Hampa’s fake smile, Jerry Belford sneered and picked up his teacup, saying calmly, “I heard your master hasn’t been doing well lately—being chased around like a stray dog! Didn’t Argus die in Galk?”
“Hehe,” Hampa smiled mysteriously, “My master possesses great power. How could he die? He’s already returned to Sasan!”
“What?” Jerry Belford’s right hand holding the teacup trembled as he exclaimed in shock, “Impossible! The imperial city has protective barriers—how could he get in?”
“Hehe!” Facing Jerry Belford’s doubts, Hampa just smiled without explaining.
Watching his calm attitude, Jerry Belford frowned inwardly, took a sip of black tea, and said thoughtfully, “If Argus is back, does that mean he wants to take action?” He set down his teacup and lowered his voice, “You even recruited necromancers? Do you want to destroy the imperial city?!”
“Huh? Vice President, you already know?” Hampa said in surprise.
“Hmph!” With a cold snort, Jerry Belford pulled out a letter from his desk and said softly, “This is a magical letter delivered by Greta Kaines last night. The usually elusive necromancers have appeared in Vandor in groups—I don’t think those guys are there to have tea and chat! Did that bastard Argus collude with necromancers?”
“Hey, calling it collusion is too harsh. Necromancers are allies of my master, and of course, also allies of you, Vice President!” Hampa said cheerfully.
“Allies?” Jerry Belford sneered, then stared at Hampa thoughtfully before frowning and saying, “You want to destroy Vandor?”
“It’s Heliriox!” Hampa corrected Jerry Belford’s statement and said softly, “To control the imperial city of Sasan, we must destroy Riox! We need your help!”

“It’s insane!” Jerry Belford whispered, looking up at Hampa in disbelief. “Do you guys even understand? With a necromancer involved, this will become a huge problem! If I help you, I’ll be excluded from the Empire’s order of black magicians!” He slammed the table in anger.
“I understand,” Hampa said with a slight smile, laughing mockingly. “So, you don’t need to get involved in this…”
Staring intently at Hampa, Jerry Belford shook the letter in his hand and frowned. “Are you saying to pretend we didn’t see it?”
“Hehe, of course not!” Hampa reached out and took the letter from Jerry Belford’s hand. Black flames erupted from his hands, burning the plea letter to ashes. Then he clapped his hands and said eerily, “That’s enough! Perhaps the messenger lost it by accident—it has nothing to do with you, Vice President!”
“…” Jerry Belford licked his lips, took a deep breath, and spoke in a low voice, “This letter was sent by Greta Kaines…”
“Don’t worry,” Hampa said, seemingly seeing through Jerry Belford, laughing mockingly. “That old man definitely won’t live long enough to confront you!”
As if hearing something terrifying, Jerry Belford clutched his chest, gasping for breath, and whispered, “I hope you’ll still be that confident by then! Remember, I only work with the winner!”
“I understand! We won’t fail!”
“Huh,” Jerry Belford took a few deep breaths. It seemed he thought of something and said solemnly, “Tell that fat pig that His Majesty the King isn’t ignorant of everything. Now, His Majesty has hidden in a secret place—even I don’t know it. Only the commander of the Royal Knights, Clarence, knows where it is…”
“Don’t worry,” Hampa interrupted, laughing eerily. “You don’t need to worry about that king. We’ve already found a suitable candidate…”
“A suitable candidate?” Jerry Belford was stunned and didn’t respond right away.
“Yes, a great young man…”
As if realizing something, Jerry Belford widened his eyes and murmured, “No… it can’t be…”
“Being killed by his most beloved son—should be quite interesting, don’t you think? Hehehehe!”
Looking at Hampa’s grotesque laughter, Jerry Belford’s forehead broke out in cold sweat.
It’s… too insane!

Meanwhile, in Riox, Thors and the others were getting ready for breakfast.
Ulric was very satisfied with Riox’s breakfast. This optimistic and cheerful vampire seemed unaffected by the gloomy atmosphere in the academy, savoring the delicious meal leisurely.
In contrast to Ulric, the others appeared listless. The girls were worried about the necromancers mentioned by the old dean, Allen hadn’t slept well due to Ulric’s excitement all night, and Thors was still concerned about Sloth.
Looking at the cutlery on the table, Thors couldn’t help but recall his conversation with Sloth…
Since he could hear Sloth’s words more clearly, the previous white mist seemed to have dissipated somewhat, allowing Thors to roughly see his surroundings.
It was a vast square, with towering stone pillars that reached into the sky, carved with monstrous creatures with bared fangs. Some had human faces and beastly bodies, while others had beastly faces and human bodies.
At the center of these pillars, a giant black bear-like beast was chained to the ground by iron chains as thick as the pillars themselves. Dark, profound darkness emanated from its body—this was Sloth.
He hadn’t noticed before, but now Sloth was truly enormous. Even the ancient castle of Riox paled in comparison to his size. When he slammed his massive paw on the ground, the entire square trembled like in an earthquake. His low growl sounded like thunder in the sky.
Even more terrifying were his eyes—without any sense of dignity or oppression, they made one feel as if their very existence didn’t matter.
Staring at those pale red eyes, Thors suddenly had a strange thought: it seemed nothing in the world mattered anymore—friends, lovers, life, death… all irrelevant!
It was only when he broke free from the influence of those eyes that Thors felt fear.
Yes, fear!
If not for the holy light power in his left hand, he might have been influenced by those eyes and chosen eternal slumber—a kind of psychological suggestion.
“What did you just do?!” Thors demanded angrily after escaping the influence of those eyes.
But the beast… no, Sloth, gave him a casual glance and said lazily, “I didn’t do anything!”

“If it wasn’t you, then who was it just now…” As he spoke, Thors’s voice suddenly stopped, as if he had a strange feeling that the other party wasn’t lying.
Seemingly seeing through Thors’s thoughts, Sloth lazily moved his body. Amid the clinking of chains, he whispered, “It was you. You insisted on looking into my eyes, little brat!”
“Tch!” Thors pursed his lips in annoyance and asked, “What are apostles?”
“Apostles, huh?” Sloth blinked. After waiting several minutes, he said lazily, “Apostles are just apostles. What else could they be?”
“You!” Thors felt frustrated.
“Hmm,” perhaps realizing his explanation wasn’t clear enough, Sloth thought for a moment, raised his giant claw to point at Thors, and said in an extremely slow tone, “I’ll lend you great power, but in return, you must let me awaken!”
“Awaken?” Thors frowned, not understanding what the other meant. He wanted to wait for Sloth to explain, but once that guy stopped talking, Thors was left speechless.
“What exactly do you mean?”
“Still not clear? How troublesome!” Sloth looked at Thors helplessly and spoke again, “I was sealed here, in this world, different from yours…”
“How can I help you awaken?” Thors asked in a deep voice.
“Hmm,” Sloth closed his eyes and thought for a long time before shaking his head and saying, “I forgot!”
“…” Thors was at a loss for words, feeling impatient looking at this slow-witted guy.
Just as Thors was about to speak, Sloth slowly said, “I only remember two methods. One, I forgot. The other…” He glanced at Thors and said indifferently, “If I swallow you, I can awaken. But it will take a long time to regain my original power… How troublesome…”
“What a joke!” Thors stepped back and sneered, “Do you really think I’d let you swallow me?”
“Oh, right,” surprisingly, Sloth agreed with Thors’s view and said slowly, “I can see you still have many things you want to do. It doesn’t matter. I can wait until you’re nearly dead or no longer want to live, then let me swallow you…”
Who wouldn’t want to live? Thors felt frustrated.
However, he thought this guy named Sloth seemed to have a decent temper. After thinking for a moment, Thors said softly, “Aren’t you a demon? Why don’t you try to tempt me?”

“Am I a demon?” Sloth’s tone carried surprise and confusion.
“…” Thos felt speechless. Glancing at Sloth, he asked, “Don’t you want to say anything else? ——You’re sealed, right? Don’t you want to get out soon?”
“Getting out is so troublesome,” Sloth said weakly, resting on his two giant claws. “Actually, it’s not bad here. No one bothers me…”
“…”
What on earth was this guy thinking? Hearing his words, Thos felt both amused and exasperated. Curiously, he asked, “Do you really want to get out or not?”
“Hm?” Surprisingly, Sloth thought seriously about the question.
“Getting out… is troublesome. Staying here… is troublesome. Thinking… is also troublesome…”
“Hey!” Thos grew impatient.
Sloth changed his sleeping position and lazily said, “Maybe I should get out. It’s troublesome here too! ——Should I swallow you?”
“Stop joking!”
“I can wait for you to finish everything, until you no longer want to live or are about to die of old age… Human lives are so short. I’ll finish my sleep in no time…”
“…” Staring at him in silence, Thos said gloomily, “Then why are you awake now?”
“I can’t sleep now,” Sloth yawned weakly. “If I oversleep, I won’t be able to get out. I’d have to wait even longer. So troublesome… Hm? Do I really want to get out? Want to get out? Don’t want to get out? Want to get out? Don’t want to get out? Hm, thinking is troublesome… Hm, talking is also troublesome…”
“…” Looking at Sloth talking to himself, Thos couldn’t say a word. This guy named Sloth completely overturned his concept of demons.
He didn’t know that Sloth wasn’t a demon…
“I don’t have time to chat with you. I’m leaving!”
“Oh!” Sloth merely responded once before falling silent, which seemed very strange to Thos.
“Don’t you want to say anything else?”
“What?” Sloth asked in confusion.
Suppressing his frustration, Thos snapped, “How do I get out?”
“If you want to go out, you go out. If you want to come in, you come in. Spiritual connection…”
Thos could no longer stand his intermittent speech and snapped, “Can’t you talk properly?”

“Talking is so troublesome…” Sloth yawned, completely unfazed by Thos’s distress. “Go ahead! You can use my power, but it will be influenced by mine…”
“Influenced by your power?”
“Mm!”
Thos stared at him with a strange look and asked in surprise, “Why tell me everything so honestly?”
“Deceiving is also troublesome…”
“…” Thos opened his mouth but had no reply. Shaking his head, he said irritably, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll deceive you? I’m not bothered at all!”
“No,” Sloth shook his huge head and pointed at Thos with his massive claw. “The mark, the apostle—after you die, I will awaken!”
As if recalling something, Thos instinctively covered his right chest. He remembered clearly that a black tattoo appeared there after the outbreak of dark power…
“Tch!”
This guy…
“Thos? Thos?”
“Mm?” Coming back from his thoughts, Thos looked at Dia in confusion.
Seeing fine beads of sweat on Thos’s forehead, Dia took out a handkerchief to wipe it away and asked worriedly, “I called you repeatedly but you didn’t respond. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, just remembered some trivial things! — Thank you!”
Smiling and shaking her head, Dia bit her lip and said softly, “I didn’t want to hear that from you…”
As if understanding something, Thos smiled slightly and apologized, “I’m used to it. I’m sorry…”
Winking playfully, Dia said shyly, “I don’t want to hear that either!”
“Huh? Uh… I’ll be more careful next time!” With a sheepish smile, Thos looked around and saw only himself, Dia, and Ulric at the dining table. Curious, he asked, “Where are the others?”
“They went back to their rooms to pack. The dean wants us to leave the academy early, saying bad things might happen…” Dia’s face filled with worry as she spoke.
“Are it those necromancers?”
“Maybe,” she nodded, sighing quietly. “I think they might be planning something bad against the academy…”
Thos patted Dia’s hand and comforted her softly, “It’ll be fine!”
As if understanding, Dia’s face turned slightly shy. She held Thos’s hand and nodded gently.
“There aren’t many students left in the academy, are there?”

Dia nodded and said softly, “Mm, the people who stayed in Vando have already been arranged by the dean to leave first. Necromancers are very powerful, and the dean doesn’t want to harm innocent people. Those still in the academy, aside from the professors, are some students who live far from home. The rest are just us…”
When Dia mentioned the professors, Thos couldn’t help but think of Professor Hode. After returning to the academy the previous day, their lie about Opereios being exposed, and the few children were scolded harshly by Professor Hode. Facing the furious professor, none of the children dared say a word, not even Thos.
Because from Professor Hode’s eyes, they could tell he wasn’t angry because of being deceived, but because the children had recklessly gone to Galic—especially Thos and Lavia. They were reprimanded for half an hour straight, until Eibell, unable to bear it, pulled them away.
“Professor Hode…” Thinking of this, Thos sighed gloomily. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ulric still eating his breakfast leisurely. Annoyed, he said, “How much longer are you going to eat?”
Glancing at Thos, Ulric swallowed the food in his mouth, then, with a gentlemanly manner, wiped his mouth with a silk handkerchief before clasping his hands and praising, “It’s such a fortune to be with you! A beautiful city, delicious breakfast—Rioks is truly wonderful. Oh gods, I humbly thank you for your kindness and pray that you will graciously bestow your blessings upon me, allowing me to travel across this land and taste the finest foods in my lifetime! I will serve as your servant and thank you…”
“…” Staring blankly at a vampire praying devoutly to the gods, Thos snapped, “Don’t worry. Even without the gods’ help, you can still live and travel across this continent!”
“No, no, no,” Ulric said seriously, waving a finger. “Actually, I’ve been pondering one thing—why, back then, as a weak person, I was able to find that small cabin in that blizzard. Now I understand—it was the will of the gods… It was the gods who made me follow you!”
“I regret not throwing you out back then,” Thos said irritably.
Raising a finger, Ulric said seriously, “That too was the will of the gods!”
“You!”
Watching Thos’s frustrated expression, Dia giggled.
Perhaps this was their last moment of leisure…

Before long, Professor Hode called the children and Ulric to the old dean’s office. When they arrived, the children saw that all the professors remaining at the academy were already in the room. Excluding those who had gone home to rest, there were thirty-nine faculty professors in Riox, including the old dean.

Most of them were the professors who taught the children like Thos, and they were familiar with each other, having a good relationship.

In addition to the faculty professors, Father Andrew from Salonia and his two assistant monks, along with six Inquisitors, were also there, making the already spacious room feel a bit crowded.

“The room is a bit tight—please don’t mind,” said the old dean, looking at everyone present while still holding his pipe. “I can now tell you with certainty that Riox is about to face a disaster… I believe the professors already know this. The necromancers who disappeared long ago are now gathering in Vandor. If I’m not mistaken, their target is our Heliriox!”

“Dean,” asked Professor Raymond Born, the alchemy instructor, puzzled, “Necromancers have been out of sight for over a hundred years. Why would they target us? Have we had any conflicts with them?”

“Good question,” said the old dean, tapping his pipe and pointing at Father Andrew. “Argus is the dangerous individual this Father Andrew has been pursuing in recent years. This man is extremely cunning. When he learned we were heading to Galic, he ambushed us along the way. Fortunately, we two old men aren’t weak enough to be bullied by a younger person. But everyone, there’s no doubt that Argus possesses great power…”

“Even the dean and this priest together can’t subdue him?” asked Professor Manhert, the grade director, in astonishment.

“That’s right!” The old dean sighed self-mockingly and shook his head. “Now, let’s talk about Argus’s accomplices. During his escape from the empire, Argus found a few helpers: the legendary demon god, the arrowman of doom, Lelajin; the dark knight commander, Simonli, also a demon god; the strongest vampire in legend, Jean Connel; and a young necromancer named Pule…”

“A demon god?” Professor Hode looked at Eber in shock, who whispered an explanation.

“Jean?” Ravia covered her mouth in disbelief, murmuring to herself.

“Gangro… Jean Connel?” Ulric frowned, lowering his head in thought.

“A necromancer?” Alonso Kales, the instructor for enchantment classes, took off his thick-framed glasses and wiped them, his expression serious.
“That’s the situation!” The old dean added some tobacco to his pipe, took two deep puffs, and continued, “By the time we understand what’s going on, Argus might already have allied with the necromancer. So those necromancers who have come to Vando likely intend to harm our Riox. I hope everyone stays cautious—the power of necromancers is far beyond what’s recorded in the texts!”
“But Dean, why would the necromancers attack our Riox?” Professor Hod asked in surprise.
“Hmm…” The old dean paused, frowned, and said in a low voice, “It’s just my guess: Argus might also have contacted certain forces in the Saxon Imperial City, aiming to carry out terrible acts during this period of succession…” He glanced at the professors and reassured them, “There’s no need to worry too much. I’ve already sought help from Gory’s royal magicians. Vando isn’t far from Saxon, and the royal magicians will come to assist us. In short, your responsibility is to escort the students safely out of the academy. Although I’ve contacted the families of the students here, time is too tight. So it depends on you professors—everything must prioritize the safety of the students!”
“What about Riox?” Professor Manhet asked in shock. “If the royal magicians can’t arrive and we manage to escort the students away, then… who will defend Riox?”
“If necessary…” The old dean glanced at the professors, took a few more puffs from his pipe, and said softly with a sigh, “If necessary, abandon Riox!”
“Abandon it?” murmuring to himself, Professor Manhet said in disbelief, “Dean, Riox has been around for hundreds of years—it can’t be destroyed by us…”
“Hmm,” the old dean nodded, smoking his pipe and saying softly, “I’m well aware of that!” He tapped his pipe on the table and added, “I estimate those necromancers will attack Riox this evening or early tomorrow morning. Everyone, go back and get ready. Professor Manhet, you’re in charge of assigning professors to escort the students out. Hod, Eber, Jesse, Faith—those professors whose names were called, stay behind. We need to discuss a strategy. Everyone else, go back and prepare!” He then waved at Father Andrew and urged, “Andrew, share your thoughts…”

“Well, everyone…”
Watching the old dean and Father Andrew discuss the map of the academy around the desk, the children left under Professor Manhert’s guidance.
Along the way, Dia anxiously held onto Thos’s hand, and Thos gently patted her back.
“Nothing will happen…”
“Mm!”