Chapter 69: All Kinds of People and Events (II)

Going secretly? Secretly to Galleck, which is affected by the rebellion?
Seeing Allen’s casual tone as he spoke, Jiang Zhe felt utterly speechless.
Come on, it’s a rebellion involving tens of thousands of people!
After attending a self-study class on fire-based blue magic without Professor Hod, Jiang Zhe lay back on the sofa with his head propped up. Across from him, Lavia sat solemnly, flipping through various books in a small booklet. It might be hard to imagine, but despite Lavia having gathered all kinds of information, she still couldn’t fully understand the content of the booklet given to Jiang Zhe by Casper Rollins.
It was merely a [Flash] spell, yet it involved knowledge of space and dimensions. In fact, [Flash] could be considered a simplified version of [Space Translocation]: the requirements were much lower, and the amount of magic power consumed was significantly reduced. Conversely, the distance it could cover was naturally less than that of [Space Translocation]. However, the requirements for the caster’s understanding of spatial concepts remained unchanged.
Based on her research, Lavia found that although [Space Translocation] and [Flash] were similar in general, their theories differed. [Space Translocation] was far more complex, even involving travel between dimensions, and thus carried greater risks. [Flash], on the other hand, was theoretically a form of image magic—or, one could say, projection. Theoretically, it involved reducing the dimension of one’s own dimension to achieve “disappearance.”
As is well known, magicians refer to spaces different from their own as dimensions. But in reality, they make finer distinctions.
According to historical records, over a hundred years ago, magicians introduced the concept of dimensions, collectively calling spaces different from their own “subspaces.” However, as magic history evolved, some magicians realized their understanding of dimensions was actually incorrect.
After centuries of research, magicians defined three types of spaces: [Normal Matter Space], [Antimatter Space], and [Subspace], with these three types being independent of each other.
The so-called [Normal Matter Space] refers to the world we live in. The term “normal” here carries no other meaning beyond signifying the pride of life in this world; its purpose is merely to distinguish it from [Antimatter Space].

The [Subspace] is a barrier existing between [Normal Matter Space] and [Antimatter Space], serving to maintain and compensate for these two types of spaces. It is commonly referred to as a [space gap]. Powerful magicians can use travel through subspace to distort time, allowing them to reach a certain location instantly or even traverse through time—though the latter is merely a magician’s speculation and clearly unattainable with current techniques.
It is worth noting that subspace is devoid of life!
Since there is no life there, how do summoners manage to call forth magical beasts that do not belong to this world?
This brings us to the concept of [Dimensions]!
According to magicians’ research, the world they inhabit can actually be measured by another standard: [Dimensions]!
Initially, magicians defined the space they lived in as [three-dimensional space], using vector units to define length, width, and height—these forming the basis of space magic.
However, as magic evolved, magicians gradually realized this definition was incorrect. They do not actually exist in three-dimensional space; in addition to length, width, and height, there is another essential factor: energy decay, which is also a vector unit. In other words, the world we live in is a [four-dimensional space]!
Energy decay generally also includes changes in time.
The [Flash] spell takes advantage of this principle!
As we all know, ordinary people cannot see ghosts except for magicians. Why? Because humans and ghosts exist in different dimensional spaces, so they naturally cannot interact. But this dimensionality is not absolute; otherwise, demons from places like the [River of Fire] or the [Abysmal Depths] could not enter the human world.
This kind of dimension-hopping, similar to projection, generally only allows lower-dimensional spaces to project into higher-dimensional ones. Moreover, the lower the dimension of a being, the older it is.
The theory behind the [Flash] spell is not about traveling between realms but rather changing dimensions. By using a projection-like method and their mental power to influence dimensions, they can switch between high and low dimensions, thereby achieving instant movement. This method of movement is usually uninterrupted, but one may still suffer damage during transit, whereas [space displacement] does not suffer any harm from external sources. This will be discussed later.

“Wow,” Ravia said, pointing at the thick magic book in her hands and shrugging at Jiang Zhe. “Flash teleportation is a magic spell that can only be learned in sixth grade, huh? Ugh, Casper Rollins was right—we still need some time to master this spell!”
“Is it that difficult?” Jiang Zhe asked curiously, changing his sitting position. “I saw Casper use it very easily…”
“Of course,” Ravia replied irritably, glancing at Jiang Zhe and then at the booklet in her hands. “As long as you understand the concepts of space and dimensions—Casper Rollins is an outstanding student in sixth grade. The professors expect him to break the record for the youngest graduate from Rexox Academy…”
“What age is that?”
“I think you should learn more about Rexox’s history instead of sleeping all day—eighteen years old, sir!”
“Oh,” Jiang Zhe said with a lazy smile, shrugging. “So what about Casper now?”
Ravia giggled, glancing at Jiang Zhe, and whispered, “Nineteen!”
“Wow…”
“Ugh,” Ravia put down the materials, stretched, rubbed her tired eyes, and asked in surprise, “By the way, Thos, did the professor mention where he’s been these past couple of days?”
“I think it was Sassen?” Jiang Zhe stood up, poured a glass of water for himself and Ravia, and shrugged. “I asked Assistant Professor Abel, and that’s what she said…”
“I think Sister Abel would be happier if you called her professor!”
“Huh, really?”
“Of course… Thank you!” Ravia took the teacup from Jiang Zhe, took a sip, and asked curiously, “Did Sister Abel say why the professor went to Sassen?”
“I don’t know,” Jiang Zhe shrugged. He walked to the window with his teacup, glanced at the scenery outside, then turned back and said, “I think it was to the Royal Magicians’ Association…”
“The Royal Magicians’ Association? What is the professor going there to do?”
“Who knows…”
Meanwhile, Professor Hod, mentioned by Jiang Zhe and Ravia, was sitting in a carriage, heading into the capital of Sassen.
The capital of Sassen was a city with a long history. Named after its first emperor, it was originally built as a fortress. Walls, gates, watchtowers—any defensive structures you could find elsewhere could be seen here, and on the contrary, there were also some defensive features unique to the capital of Sassen.

For example, the Magic Tower is a defensive structure similar to Sgeldel in Astrocity. Although this magic technology is not older than that of Sgeldel, it is more convenient and powerful. After all, as the capital, countless royal magi from past generations have settled here to conduct research—a advantage Sgeldel cannot match.

As the empire’s capital, the Sasanian Imperial City is divided into three parts: the outer city, the inner city, and the royal palace. The outer city is inhabited by ordinary residents and merchants, with all shops gathered here. The inner city is home to the middle and lower-ranking nobles, as well as the Imperial Royal Magi Association. Finally, the royal palace is the residence of the royal family and the highest-ranking nobles.

Between each area lies a wall made of blue rock, which serves both as a defensive measure and a boundary. Those without proper status who attempt to cross this boundary will face severe punishment. It is believed to be the place in the entire empire with the strictest class hierarchy—without exception! Here, status is everything. For instance, commoners must bow when encountering nobles; otherwise, they will be deemed disrespectful and punished, ranging from fines to death. The same applies to middle and lower-ranking nobles when meeting higher-ranking nobles, though they are far luckier than commoners, as they at least don’t fear death.

It can be said that commoners living in Sasania are the most pitiful existence in the empire. Sometimes, to survive, they must sacrifice certain things, such as their dignity.

“Clatter, clatter, clatter!” With the sound of horse hooves, Professor Hod’s carriage gradually approached the city gates. To avoid unnecessary trouble, he did not summon a transformed beast for transportation but chose two black horses instead. Clearly, these living creatures could not function like transformed beasts—they needed rest. As a result, Professor Hod’s carriage arrived in Sasania on the third day after departure.

“Carriage ahead, stop!” A guard at the city gates stepped forward to halt the carriage, as Professor Hod’s carriage had no insignia indicating his status. The old coachman driving the carriage obediently stopped it and, looking at the approaching guard, asked in confusion, “I’m not sure… what’s going on?”

“It’s just a routine inspection,” said the leading guard, glancing at the old coachman and pointing at the carriage. “According to the rules, carriages without insignias are not allowed to enter Sasania!”

Those without engraved badges, in other words, people who do not possess badges—such as commoners, merchants, and lower nobles.
“Oh, no, I think…” Glancing at the seemingly young guard, the old stableman shrugged and said jokingly, “Kid, if I were you, I wouldn’t try to stop this carriage…”
“Hm?” The young guard looked at the carriage doubtfully, seemed to understand something, and appeared hesitant.
At that moment, the side door of the carriage opened, and Professor Hod stepped down. He glanced at the guards scattered at the city gates, frowned, then said to the guard, “Since when do we need so many guards at the city gates? Is there a state of emergency? What’s going on?”
Seeing Professor Hod’s magical robes, the young guard’s expression changed slightly. He bowed respectfully and said, “I’m very sorry, esteemed mage sir—we’re just following orders to be stationed here. Um, nothing really happened…”
“Oh, I see,” Professor Hod glanced around, nodded skeptically, then smiled and said, “I’m going to the Magic Association. May I go now?” With that, he took out a badge reserved only for royal mages from his pocket.
“Of course, of course!” The guard nodded respectfully and quickly stepped aside to clear the path.
“Let’s go!” Professor Hod climbed back into the carriage.
Sitting inside, he observed the city through the carriage window. He noticed that there were significantly more guards patrolling the city than before, which gave him a bad feeling—as if something was about to happen. After all, a state of emergency in the royal city wasn’t a good sign.
“Creak!” About ten minutes later, the carriage stopped in front of a tall building. Here, Professor Hod got out and looked up at the tower before him.
It was a top-shaped tower, steep and tall—probably the tallest building in the Saxon royal city. Yet it also seemed quite ordinary. Aside from the moss-covered bricks that hinted at its history, it was hard to imagine that this could be the headquarters of the Imperial Royal Mage Association—[Gory]!
But in reality, it was this tower that controlled almost all of the city’s non-human defensive mechanisms—whether magic arrays or shields. Anything related to energy was managed by the internal systems of this tower.

Speaking of which, it seems that magicians are accustomed to living in tall buildings. However, Sgder’s astrologers do so to be closer to the stars, while the royal magicians do so for quietness—tall buildings with multiple layers of restrictions can effectively minimize noise.

Just like Vandel, this tower named [Gory] also has restrictions that prevent spatial magic. After all, as the headquarters of the Imperial Royal Magic Association and a gathering place for the country’s top magical talents, it possesses magic techniques on par with Vandel’s. Of course, this does not include spatial magic techniques. In fact, the royal magicians have studied theories of gravity and force on more than one occasion, but so far they have not been able to make their tower float in the air like Vandel’s.

The access paths around [Gory]’s tower wind upward around it, with each floor having its own entrance. For ordinary people, just seeing those staircases without handrails would cause dizziness, as it is an extremely tall building.

After giving a few instructions to Old Malf, Professor Hod adjusted his wizard’s hat, picked up his wand, and strode up the stairs. This was the rule of the Magic Association: only magicians could enter [Gory], and they needed proper identification as well as formal magical attire. If the Sassen nobles valued status, then the magicians here valued appearance, as they were the best among all magicians in the country.

“Click!” At the base of the tower, a small window appeared in the rock wall. Through this window, an old magician wearing reading glasses glanced at Professor Hod a few times before shrugging and saying, “Good morning, Mr. Hod!”

“Hello, Malf. If I’m not mistaken, it should be noon now…”

“Oh, is that so? I suppose you understand how difficult it is for an old man to get up early,” said Old Malf with a chuckle, looking at Professor Hod. “I imagine you’re already aware of the situation with those three children. I’m sorry, Hod—it was a tragic accident…”

“Hmm,” Professor Hod tapped his hat lightly with his wand, performing a ritualistic gesture among magicians before saying softly, “I’ve come here to take back the magic stones of those three children. I think their families will need them more than they do here…”

“I understand, Hord,” Old Malf nodded, speaking with a hint of regret. “You can go see Bernie Kosk; he’s in charge of these matters now.”
“Bernie Kosk?” Professor Hord frowned in surprise. “Who is Bernie Kosk? Isn’t it Rabbi… Rabbi Vikas who’s in charge?”
“He used to be—but not anymore,” Old Malf said, waving his finger before slowly standing up. He stepped closer to the small window and whispered, “Jerry Belford has brought in people from various places to replace the original ones. You know, he’s always had prejudices against you Rioxians…”
“Hmm, as usual…” Professor Hord nodded before frowning and asking, “What about those children?”
Old Malf sat back down in his chair, picked up a thick form from the side, flipped through a few pages, and shook his head. “Apart from a few with more experience, all the young people who graduated from your Riox have been sent elsewhere. This is the list from recent times, but I’m sorry I can’t give it to you—actually, it’s not just your Rioxians; many outstanding young people have been sidelined… Jerry Belford wants to take advantage of Viston’s absence to reorganize the Magicians’ Association. Fortunately, I’m too old to even walk, and it’s just a gatekeeper position. Otherwise… I certainly don’t want to be sent somewhere else at my age…”
“Heh, Old Malf, you’ve been here for 35 years. Even Jerry Belford would have to think twice—what about the others? Did they all choose to help Jerry Belford?”
“Hehe,” Old Malf chuckled, then glanced around before whispering, “You know, although that kid Viston is the chief archmage, the actual tasks are always handled by Jerry Belford. When Viston is around, Jerry Belford is cautious. You know, he’s very ambitious, unlike Viston. I heard Jerry Belford somehow got some help from somewhere and even gained support from several nobles. You know, Viston never treated those nobles well; all he wants are the gold coins in their pockets…”
“Hehe!”

“Sigh, that guy Veston has no idea where he’s gone. But don’t worry—even if Jerry Belford has some support from the nobles, as soon as Veston returns, things will go back to normal—Gory, Vander’s children, Riox’s children too—let those proud young people gain some experience!”
“Right,” Professor Hode nodded in agreement, then asked curiously, “By the way, Old Malf, when I entered the city, I saw many guards on alert. What happened?”
“Don’t you know?” Old Malf glanced at Professor Hode and said with a smile, “It’s the same old thing—the nobles withheld Galk’s salary for half a year. Now they’re about to send someone to deliver it. As for that stubborn old knight of Galk, the nobles can’t do much to him; at most they can take their revenge by withholding his salary—Oh, by the way, it seems the king’s knight’s son has returned from Ron. Hehe, after spending half a year fighting those green-skinned beasts at Ron Fortress, he’s finally back—bringing glory, it seems… They say he killed hundreds of orcs…”
“Prince Theo? Hundreds?”
“Heh, who knows how many. Anyway, even if it’s just a few, the nobles will exaggerate it to hundreds—Maybe those few were even dealt with by his retainers… Be glad, Hode—the empire will soon have a brave prince who will lead us!”
“Heh,” Professor Hode shook his head with a bitter smile, then touched the brim of his wizard’s hat and said apologetically, “I think I need to take those three children’s magic stones back first…”
“I’m very sorry, Hode. Those three children are excellent wizards. They possess the noble virtues a wizard should have and will be respected. Let’s be proud of them!”
“Thank you!”
Lowering his head slightly in silent mourning, Professor Hode nodded at Old Malf, then turned and walked up the tower stairs. Somehow, he had a badfeeling.
Prince Theo’s coming of age meant…
“It means I’ll die! I’ll be killed, understand? Hampa?” Meanwhile, in a palace within the Sassen royal city, Prince Gran shouted angrily at an old man with squinting eyes, “Good heavens, Hampa! I can’t believe that bastard Argus assigned this task to you, and you still messed it up!”

“Calm down, Your Highness the Prince…” Hampa smiled as he offered a glass of red wine to Prince Gran, saying, “There’s no need to worry. We’ve already won over some nobles. In other words, you now have the support of some of them. But that’s not enough—you must gain the support of the royal magicians!”
“I know!” Prince Gran drank the wine in his glass in one gulp angrily, then said panting, “But you bastard shouldn’t openly go after Jerry Belford. God knows how many spies my brother has placed to watch every move I make! Sending troops with pay to Galic? Is that a crappy excuse to justify a full-scale martial law in Sassen? He’s warning me, do you understand?! As long as I show the slightest sign of rebellion, he’ll kill me under the charge of treason! Ugh, I really regret listening to that bastard Argus’s nonsense!”
“Hehe, please don’t misunderstand my master’s good intentions, Your Highness Prince Gran. As you know, that brave and skilled prince will soon return from Fort Ron. Then, having gained the upper hand against the orcs, he will win the support of most nobles. When the time is right, even if you try to stay quiet, your brother probably won’t leave you alive as a threat, right?”
“Hmph! That bastard is always good at planning. You’re right!” Hearing Hampa’s words, Prince Gran calmed down momentarily. After downing another glass of wine, he said viciously, “He does need someone to take the blame, but his son doesn’t—And even if he does, it won’t be me! On the day after the coronation, the pitiful clown, a disgrace to the royal family—Prince Gran dies from excessive drinking at the hands of a maid. Heh, I think that’s enough to make the whole country mourn for three seconds… Tsk!”
Glancing at Prince Gran’s angry expression, Hampa narrowed his eyes and said flatteringly, “As long as you trust me, Your Highness, the one who will die definitely won’t be you…”
Taking a deep breath, Prince Gran drank several glasses of wine in a row, then said panting, “But my brother already suspects me. Your actions are too obvious…”
“No, no, no—this is perfect…” Waving his hand, Hampa whispered, “Everyone knows that the brave prince will return from Fort Ron. If you don’t take any action now, won’t that instead arouse suspicion? Right?”

“Well… that’s true!” Prince Gran glanced at Hampa in surprise, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and frowned. “What are you thinking, Hampa? Jerry Belford isn’t someone who obeys easily…”
“It doesn’t matter whether he obeys or not. What matters is that he has ambition and desires—enough to allow us to control him! Power, status, glory—these things, even the great King of Sassen can’t give him, but you can!”
“Hmph. My brother has always trusted that old wretch Wiston…” With a cold laugh, Prince Gran settled his fat body comfortably on the sofa, then pointed at Hampa and said, “Tell Jerry Belford that I can give him everything he wants, as long as he helps me!”
“I’ve already said that, Your Highness…”
Glancing at Hampa in surprise, Prince Gran showed a slight smile, shook his head, and chuckled. “Haha, it seems Argus really should have kept you in Sassen… But as for Wiston… you know, with that old bastard’s reputation, if he were to return…”
Hampa grinned and narrowed his eyes, whispering, “It depends on whether he can return or not…”
“What!” Prince Gran stared at Hampa in disbelief, then said emotionally, “Are you trying to tell me you plan to kill a great mage? Good heavens, that’s insane! That old guy Wiston could destroy a city with just one hand!”
“No, no, no,” Hampa shook his head, smiling. “How would I dare kill the empire’s chief mage? For this respected mage who likes to travel around, all we need to do is cut him off from Sassen… Wiston has two communication magic stones—one at the Royal Mage Association and the other in the king’s hands. As for the one at the Royal Mage Association, Jerry Belford will handle it for us. And as for the one in the king’s hands… hehe, all we need is to trick a guard the king trusts. You know, it’s very simple for me!”
“Huh…” Prince Gran let out a long sigh, rolled his eyes, touched his chin with his fat hand, and nodded. “Not bad, Hampa! Well done!” He paused briefly, then added worriedly, “What about Riox? And Vandel? My damned brother has quite a few supporters!”

“Rest assured, Your Highness. My master will divert those guys’ attention to Galic. By then… as for supporters, we also have a powerful ally… If everything goes well, then Rexos will no longer exist!”
“No, no, no,” interrupted Hampa. Prince Gran said excitedly, “I need Rexos to remain. But you need to help me get rid of some people…”
“Like the Archmagician Greta Kaines?”
“Hmph, exactly! That old man is on good terms with Veston. With him in Sassen, I think it will be hard for us to succeed…”
“Don’t worry, Prince Gran. I believe before long, that respected Archmagician will become restless. He’ll go to Galic to investigate, and then unfortunately encounter an accident along the way—oh, what a tragedy! Hehehe…”
“Kill an Archmagician? Are you sure?”
“I? To be honest, I’m not sure, but my master is!”
“Argus? Hehehe, then I’ll wait for him to bring me the good news…”
“Of course!”
“Well…” Prince Gran licked his lips and whispered, “When exactly? I don’t want to end up beheaded by those guys by the time Argus succeeds…”
“Soon, Your Highness. Just wait a little longer… Once that time comes, everything will be over!”
“No, you’re wrong, Hampa. It’s a new beginning!”
“Oh? Hehehehe…”
And so, the second half of the 403rd year of the new continent calendar passed in a rush amid various schemes and calculations—struggles or competitions among the adults for power?
But this was all too distant for Jiang Zhe. His stage was at Rexos Academy, more precisely, in its various assessments.
Especially the annual final exams—unfortunately, he failed two subjects: Dark Magic Defense and Potion Making. Most of the other subjects like Enchantment, Alchemy, and Astronomy were passed with passing grades, with only one subject earning full marks. Of course, everyone knew what that was.
After some extra efforts, Jiang Zhe finally managed to gather enough credits to advance to the next grade. After all, it was only his second year, and the rules weren’t that strict yet.
It’s worth mentioning that, to everyone’s surprise, today’s annual exams were held nearly a month earlier. It seemed there were other matters keeping the academy’s professors busy. But for Rexos students, this was good news, right?

Perhaps they can reunite with their families earlier, perhaps they can have more time to earn money for next year’s tuition, or maybe they’ll have enough time to travel? As for Jiang Zhe and Allen, on a windless morning in early November, they boarded a rented carriage. As for their destination… “Let’s go!” Sitting next to Jiang Zhe in the coachman’s seat, Allen waved his whip and shouted excitedly, “I’m going to beat that bastard badly! Go!”