The black sun hangs high

Chapter 358 Pressure
In Vain, the concept of a Deep Sea Mage always oscillates between an unfathomable mystery and a tangible reality.

On the one hand, deep-sea level mages are indeed extremely rare and of very high status and position. They always stay in their mage towers to conduct research day and night, or change their appearance and name to travel or investigate in Vain.

On the other hand, some of them are extremely worldly. Yetvich, the deep-sea mage who joined the Black Sun Society, is a typical example. He became a direct spokesperson for a certain god's belief, or he established a large society and was active as its main leader for a long time.

In this context, ordinary people in Vainri often have the impression of Deep Sea mages based on the latter, but in fact, the majority of Deep Sea mages are those who are passionate about magic and academic research and are willing to dedicate themselves to it.

The large elevator ascended very quickly, but soon its speed slowed down. After a violent tremor, the elevator finally came to a stop, and Hugh saw a neat, semi-transparent door slowly appear on a magical curtain directly in front of him.

"We've arrived, Mr. Ernst."

Professor Wekka winked at Hugh: "I've heard you're actually quite good at etiquette... Why don't you show it off a bit this time? I think it will be very helpful."

After saying that, he stepped forward, took off the mage's insignia that symbolized his identity, and gently pressed it into the middle of the magic gate.

As Professor Wekka made this gesture, a short, melodious, and elegant tune emanated from inside the closed magic door. Then, the door slowly opened, revealing a very spacious room with extremely retro and elegant decorations before Hugh.

If the offices of Merlinle and the Legal Committee always unexpectedly embody efficiency and simplicity, then this room perfectly matches the stereotypes people generally have of powerful mages and scholars.

The enormous bookshelves, made of precious wood, each stretching from the floor to the ceiling, were clearly not just simple bookshelves. With just one glance, Hugh discovered a large number of extremely complex magical traces within them. These intricate and rigorous circuits were hidden within the seemingly ancient wooden planks and supports. Under the operation of these special spells, pale yellow mage hands hovered around them.

A vast amount of materials and classics were stored in these bookshelves, their quantity and scope far exceeding Hugh's imagination. On these bookshelves, Hugh even perceived a very versatile "extension ritual," indicating that the actual space inside these bookshelves was likely enormous.

Slender and agile magical puppets stood quietly to one side, clearly serving as both servants and guards. On these puppets, Hugh could easily find some of the items that servants would carry with them, as well as patterns that could unleash powerful magic, and crystal guns and swords installed and hidden in their torsos and limbs.

What's even more eye-catching is the central area of ​​this study.

That area was clearly deliberately designed to resemble a reception room or lounge, with elegant upholstered chairs arranged around a round table. Above the round table, a huge crystal ball sculpted into the shape of the Eye of Mel floated, with some faint, fragmented images visible within its interior.

At this moment, several figures were sitting around the bottom of the crystal ball; they were clearly the "big shots" that Hugh was going to meet.

"A deep-sea level mage, hmm..."

Hugh narrowed his eyes slightly. He restrained the dark abyss magic within his body and concealed it as much as possible under his regular magical power. Old Vika, walking beside Hugh, couldn't help but glance in his direction.

Just now, in the old mage's perception, this young man, who had always been sharp and confident, seemed to have undergone a huge change. It was as if a terrifying crystal gun had been put into a holster. The strange and slightly cold oppressive feeling that Hugh had disappeared was gone. Instead, he seemed like a well-educated young nobleman who frequented social occasions...

Gentle, humble and harmless.

This unusual and somewhat exaggerated change surprised even the well-informed old Vika. Of course, he couldn't sense the change in the magic power within Hugh's body; he simply believed that Hugh was indeed very excellent in this regard and had indeed listened to his advice.

Thinking of this, his evaluation of Hughes rose by two points.

Just as the two reached the middle of the enormous study, a slightly hoarse male voice came from ahead: "Bring me two things, one is a letter from Mage Merudka, and the other is the file on the Wotel spy sent by Princess Wotel... both must be originals."

At his request, Hughes saw several pale yellow mage hands immediately come to life. They flew off in different directions and disappeared among the bookshelves. Clearly, these mage hands were the "caretakers" of this magnificent study.

After giving the order, the mage turned around and cast a curious glance at Old Vika and Hugh: "Well, our guests have finally arrived. Mage Vika, you can go about your business now... Saint Steel is in a mess again, isn't he?"

As they spoke, the hands of the mages who had left earlier gathered around, and a letter and a document sealed in a magical file were delivered directly to Old Vika. This surprised Hughes slightly—these two seemingly very important documents were actually prepared for Professor Vika, which meant that these deep-sea mages had also learned of the new situation in St. Steel.

"No need to rush us away, darling."

A female mage dressed as a noblewoman spoke. Although her attire was far removed from the identity of a mage, the powerful, ever-flowing magic she exuded was undeniable—she was also a member of the Deep Sea level mage class.

The female mage's voice and appearance had been altered by specific magic, and without using his magical vision, Hugh found that he couldn't see through her disguise.

The deep-sea-level female mage seemed to have noticed Hugh's cautious observation, so she let out a pleasant chuckle and then placed her hand on the shoulder of the middle-aged man from before: "We have plenty of quiet little studies here, and all the secret rituals are complete. Let our law committee officials work in them. After all, our young friend is also an envoy and representative, and we can't afford any accidents to happen here."

Hearing this, old Vika visibly breathed a sigh of relief. Faced with these influential figures who were already allowed to intervene in the affairs of the Legal Committee, he had no choice but to obey orders. So he winked at Hugh, then, carrying the two important documents, followed a magical puppet to the other side.

"Relax, don't be too tense. Putting aside their magic, they're just a bunch of old guys like us at best."

General Bernhardt's voice, which was hardly comforting, drifted out from Hugh's mental world: "Child, you may not know, but when I was about your age, the Augustinian royal family took me to the royal courtyard for a chat. We boasted for hours before I realized that the bald man sitting across from me was from our country..." He couldn't finish his fragmented words before the rest of the Ernst family's will surged forward, pulling the rambling General Bernhardt into the deepest part of Hugh's mental world.

However, the family's actions were not due to their inability to tolerate Bernhardt's nonsense, but rather because they sensed an extremely obvious feeling of being spied on by the mages before them.

"It's impolite to be distracted at a time like this, young sir."

"Maybe he's too nervous? Or perhaps he's seeking some kind of help?"

Just then, the other two deep-sea level mages spoke up.

They were two elves, both with the distinctive markings of highland mountain elves on their faces.

However, the appearances of these two elven mages were truly unbearable to look at—for the elven race, which has always been known for its striking appearance, the appearances of these two were rather extreme.

One was fat and the other was thin. The fat one looked like a giant ball, with the elven markings on his face completely distorted. The thin one looked like a lamppost, with sunken cheeks and dark circles under his eyes, as if he was about to die on the spot.

What surprised Hugh even more was that the two seemed to be twins.

Although the difference in their weight is quite exaggerated, their voices and facial features are somewhat similar. More importantly, the magical frequencies emanating from them are very compatible, indicating that their spirits and minds are extremely close.

At this point, all four deep-sea level mages mentioned by Professor Vika were here. In front of these legendary figures of astonishing status, Hugh naturally showed his most polite side.

Faced with the two elven mages, one fat and one thin, Hugh decisively adopted the standard etiquette of the mountain elves of the highlands. As for the mysterious noblewoman mage, he offered the greetings common within the Plains Kingdom. He noticed that the mage was wearing an exquisite earring, which clearly belonged to the Desail family of the Kingdom of Delan, the same family to which the two noble girls who had previously joined the Black Sun Society belonged.

As for the middle-aged mage who was dressed in a simple robe and whose appearance was not particularly memorable, Hugh selectively gave him the usual etiquette, as he really couldn't tell the man's nationality or ethnicity.

The thoughtful etiquette brought matching benefits. The four deep-sea level mages did not make things difficult for the young man in front of them. Soon, Hugh sat down on an empty soft chair and formally began his conversation with these legendary figures.

The noblewoman, or rather, "Lady Delalie," gently waved her gloved hand, and the enormous Eye of Mel, which had been hovering above the crowd, immediately descended. It flickered slightly twice, and then an extremely clear image appeared inside.

Hugh immediately saw the meeting room and the progress of the meeting. A familiar figure was speaking. Through the cover of the speech manuscript in Verine's hand, Hugh learned that the topic she was talking about should be "The Direction and Goals of the Dawn Society" co-authored by Mayer and others.

In the original meeting, this was a very important topic for the Akatsuki, as it concerned the true location where the Akatsuki would "take root" and which forces and organizations would support it in its subsequent actions.

It was clear that some magical instruments had been set up in the venue beforehand. Lady Delauri glanced at Hugh with interest, then zoomed in on the image, making Verine's face and voice clearer.

Soon, the well-organized speech, with its unique "Dawn Society style," attracted the attention of several important figures present.

After listening for a while, the mage "Edmund," who had the most ordinary appearance and the simplest clothes, suddenly looked in Hugh's direction. He silently sized up Hugh, and then a hoarse voice came from his mouth.

"Mr. Hugh Ernst... As the one who should have been the successor to the Ernst family, could you answer a few questions for me?"

Hughes had basically confirmed that this Edmund was the "conservative" old Vickers had mentioned, so he was also being extra cautious: "Please ask your questions, Master Edmund, and I will answer them as best I can."

"okay."

Edmund nodded, thought for two seconds, and then said, "Before we get to other topics, I'd like to ask a question that might seem a bit 'narrow'... What role do you play within the Akatsuki? Or, what is your significance to the Akatsuki?"

This first question is already a bit tricky.

Upon hearing this question, the other three monks also looked over.

On the surface, Hugh didn't seem to have changed much, but deep down he loathed these kinds of questions—they easily reminded him of the job interviews he had experienced in the past, especially the infamous "stress interviews."

After a brief moment of thought, Hugh replied, "If that's the question, then my answer is... within the Scions of Dawn, I'm just a member who happens to possess some magic and power, and whose background is rather complicated."

"Right now, I can be a window for the Dawn Society to communicate with the outside world, but I am not the only one. I can be replaced by others at some point in the future, and that is one of our current goals."

(End of this chapter)