Chapter 008: The Magicians’ Battle

When those two men stepped out of the Imperial City Guard, a few observant nobles couldn’t help but gasp, “Grand Magicians!”
It should be noted that only magicians who reached level eight could bear the title of Grand Magician. Such grand magicians must wear the badge issued by the Magicians’ Guild, and from then on, they were under the jurisdiction of the guild.
Of course, being under the guild’s jurisdiction came with many benefits—for example, they could freely access various magical texts and use various magical materials…
So, although magicians generally disliked being restricted, many were willing to go through the guild’s assessments for the sake of the title and its perks, even if they were reluctant!
After becoming grand magicians, as a price for these benefits, they still had to occasionally do some work for the guild.
When these two grand magicians approached the Crown Prince, they glanced at him casually and said indifferently, “Since His Highness the Crown Prince has given orders, we will naturally act as agreed… Please rest assured, Your Highness. Besides, we’ve long wanted to seek advice from Master Abraham, the head of the court magicians. It’s just that Master Abraham has always kept a low profile and we never had the chance! Who would have thought we’d meet him here today!”
Abraham, with a murderous expression, showed a rare look of disbelief upon seeing them, but soon he said calmly, “So it’s Master Barbari and Master Brisbane. I’ve long heard of your fame!”
Hearing this, the two grand magicians simply smiled lightly and replied, “Oh, no… Our humble reputations are nothing compared to Master Abraham’s!”
Though they only smiled faintly, it seemed they unintentionally defused Abraham’s deadly aura. As soon as the two grand magicians appeared, a silent struggle with Abraham began!
The nobles behind the Crown Prince weren’t fools. Seeing this, they understood that if these three magicians fought, it would harm everyone else as well.

Immediately, those nobles stepped back, and the imperial guards seemed to understand as well, so in less than a moment, a large open space was created. All that remained were the two princes, both wearing smiles, along with Prime Minister Kimberly and Duke Green. However, in front of them, people from Prince Fischer’s faction were already there, ready to protect them. As for Du Fan, he stood there by himself. Although his abilities were inferior to those of the others present, he still had some confidence in protecting himself. But upon seeing those two prominent magi clearly belonging to the Mage Guild, Du Fan’s mind stirred… Could it be that the Mage Guild, which has always maintained an independent stance, had also become involved in this struggle for imperial power? Had the Crown Prince already gained the support of the Mage Guild!? Looking at the Crown Prince’s calm expression, Du Fan couldn’t help but worry a bit for Prince Fischer. After all, under these circumstances, Prince Fischer was clearly at a disadvantage. Now that Abraham, the leader of the court mages, had appeared, and the Crown Prince had sent people from the Mage Guild, the slight advantage he had managed to secure was instantly gone. After the appearance of these two great magi, the Crown Prince’s expression grew even more triumphant, as the balance of victory tilted further in his favor. “Is that so?” Prince Fischer, standing behind Abraham, suddenly smiled. He was somewhat surprised by the appearance of the Mage Guild members, but not overly alarmed. He simply studied the two magi carefully before continuing, “I can’t believe it! I can’t believe it! Doesn’t the Mage Guild usually refrain from getting involved in any political disputes? Why are they involved in the internal conflicts of our Gavin Empire today? Could it be… that President Edward intends to abandon the Mage Guild’s millennia-long independent status??” The two great magi exchanged glances. After a moment, Master Barbari on the left suddenly sighed and said softly, “Prince Fischer, you must understand why President Edward supports the Crown Prince. Why ask further under these circumstances? It will only bring embarrassment to both of us!” Master Barbari had white hair and a rosy complexion, and dressed in white, he exuded an air of a reclusive sage. His speech was full of vigor, displaying great grace.

But Prince Fischer seemed to ignore this. He looked at Master Barbari, suddenly sneered, and said, “I naturally understand! My elder brother is arrogant and useless. If he ascends to power through the Magicians’ Guild, he will surely have to offer many benefits. I suppose these benefits will tempt your Magicians’ Guild into taking action, right? If my elder brother succeeds in his rebellion, the status of the Magicians’ Guild in the Gavin Empire will likely rise steadily, won’t it? But… hasn’t President Edward ever considered what would happen if he failed? Even if he happens to succeed, aren’t you afraid of any negative consequences?”

Just as Master Barbari was about to speak, Master Brisbane beside him snorted and said sternly, “Prince Fischer… both you and I know that the reason you mention is nothing but an excuse! As for the real reason, I think many here understand it, but they just don’t want to admit it! But it doesn’t matter. Anyway, since our Magicians’ Guild has already fallen out with you, Prince Fischer, what does it matter if we speak it out? I’m sure many know that our Magicians’ Guild has always had a poor relationship with those clergymen of the Holy Church—almost like water and fire… Originally, if the Holy Church hadn’t gotten involved in this royal strife, we certainly wouldn’t have either. But… Prince Fischer, unfortunately, you are the Son of God… Even for that title, those clergymen of the Holy Church will surely do everything in their power to help you. Moreover… they also plan to have you inherit the papal throne and eventually unify politics and religion! So… we will absolutely not let such a thing happen! If it does happen, then there will be no place left for our Magicians’ Guild on the Roland Continent in the future! Therefore, it was inevitable that we would help the Crown Prince today! Prince Fischer, surely you understand this better than we do?”

Master Brisbane had a sallow face, with occasional glints in his eyes. Though old, he gave off a sinister aura, suggesting he was no ordinary person.

Hearing this, Prince Fischer merely sighed and said, “Master Brisbane, you’re not wrong… Although I’ve privately met President Edward a few times and asked him not to get involved in this matter… it seems he has already made up his mind… It seems nothing I say today will work!”

Master Barbari on one side took a breath and said calmly, “If that’s the case, then why waste more words? Let’s fight!”
Prince Fischer sighed again and said, “In that case, I’ll have to rely on you, Master Abraham!”
Abraham nodded, stepped forward a few more steps, and stared at Barbari and Brisbane, saying coldly, “The time for talk is over; it’s time to act… Very well, both of you—will you fight together or take turns?”
The expressions of the two great magicians changed at the same time. Given their status, fighting together or taking turns would be a great loss of dignity!
Yet they also knew well that the court magicians were extremely cunning and must not be underestimated. Moreover, before coming today, President Edward had hinted that they must fight together against this Master Abraham to eliminate this serious threat!
After all, for the Magicians’ Guild, these court magicians, who were independent of the guild, were always thorns in their side!
So, although both great magicians looked displeased, they exchanged a glance and simultaneously drew magic wands from their sleeves. Master Barbari gave Abraham an apologetic smile and said, “Master Abraham, if it were just a regular spar, I would naturally fight alone. But today is a life-or-death battle, not a spar… So, I’m sorry!”
With that, the two great magicians waved their magic wands at the same time, and an astonishingly powerful pressure spread everywhere!
Abraham snorted and said, “If you’re going to fight together, then let’s do it! Stop wasting words! But… we can’t use our powers in this hall! How about we go outside? I’ll head out first and wait for you two in the training ground outside!”
With that, Abraham gently tapped his hands together, causing the rings on his fingers to collide with a crisp “ding” sound!
The people around felt their ears hurt and their heads spin, but in that instant, Abraham’s figure vanished like a ghost outside the hall.