The black sun hangs high

Chapter 466 "Don't exhaust yourself"

"It sounds like this situation is not easy to resolve?"

Hugh sighed softly in his mind: "The Dawn Society has only been established for a short time. Personnel, funds and equipment can be replenished in a short period of time through operation, but magic and rituals will ultimately be subject to considerable limitations."

Then Hugh raised his head, looked across the table, and asked, "Felix, who is currently in charge of magic-related matters within the organization?"

"The execution and handling of specific matters are directly handled by the 'Sword of Dawn,' but the 'Sword of Dawn' does not have a dominant position in matters of magic, rituals, and related alchemical supplies."

Felix gave his answer almost immediately. His tone did not waver when he mentioned the current shortcomings of the Scions of Dawn. He held the cane that he used to maintain his spiritual connection with Hugh and gave a brief account of the Scions of Dawn's current predicament in the magical field in the most concise way possible.

As Hugh had anticipated, although there were indeed a considerable number of excellent spellcasters within the Scions of the Dawn, and the Scions of the Dawn maintained a close cooperative relationship with the Vaan Magic Academy, this did not mean that the Scions of the Dawn had self-control in the field of magic.

In fact, this so-called "dominance" has always been Mellinler's bottom line.

The registration and competence assessment of official sorcerers must be conducted by Merlinle and all official spellcasters must be subject to the supervision of the Legal Committee. All academic achievements made by these spellcasters must also go through the corresponding "process" in the review system established by Merlinle and.

Although the "authority" of Merlinle and the Legal Committee was severely damaged by the departure of the Highland Mage Council, the "loss of authority" was eventually contained in time as the situation in Vanne deteriorated and various forces were forced to cooperate.

Even today, Merlinler remains the "master of magic" in Vaan's theory.

Politicians who also act as spellcasters continue to use the many advantages that come with the title, while Mellinger and the Legal Commission continue to spread their influence to specific countries and organizations.

“Now, we are Merlinle’s primary target… especially after you ‘disappeared’.”

Felix explained with a wry smile, "Because of the 'miracle' that night and the changes brought about by this staff, Merlinler and others are trying to attribute everything that happened in Watchtower to the 'grace of the goddess.' They also hope to directly bestow upon me a title like 'saint,' and even offer to provide more assistance to the Dawn Society on this basis."

"That doesn't sound very plausible."

"Of course it's unreliable, and we would never agree to it."

A hint of helplessness flashed across Felix's face: "Meyer and I have discussed these matters before. Fortunately, everyone is clear-headed and no one agrees with Merlinle's proposal... If we do this, the Dawn Society's ideology and operating principles will collapse. We may gain more support in the short term, but the entire Dawn Society will definitely become a subordinate organization of the Legal Committee."

"Merlinler probably won't be happy with your assessment, will he?"

"Yes, since we rejected the Law Council's proposal, some magic-related supplies have become scarce. At the same time, Professor Vika of the Law Council wrote us a letter. He mentioned that in areas outside the North, the Law Council still decided to explain the victory of the Battle of Watchtower with terms like 'miracle' and 'saints.' The letter was very strongly worded."

"Professor Wekka?"

Hughes paused, and the image of the easygoing man from the Legal Committee almost immediately flashed into his mind. After a moment's thought, he asked, "In what capacity did Professor Wecca write the letter? In his personal capacity? Or in his capacity as the person in charge of external affairs?"

"Personal identity".

Hughes nodded slowly after receiving a response. Based on Felix's answer, he had a rough idea of ​​the current situation of the Legal Committee. Professor Vickers, as the main person in charge of external affairs, probably did not want to intimidate the Dawn Society, but rather to issue a warning and reminder.

"Judging from the current situation, the Legal Committee has not been able to resolve its internal differences... In fact, these differences and conflicts are becoming more intense. Based on Professor Vika's suggestion and the observations from the Vain Magic Academy, Merlinler is eager to use the current war situation to consolidate his position in Vain."

The instant Felix finished speaking, a dangerous and dark emotional surge flashed through the depths of Hugh's mind. Hugh knew that it was Theseus's expression of dissatisfaction with the so-called "Mehr successors" of the Legal Committee.

In the past, Theseus might have chosen to act impulsively at such a moment and use his power to give Merlinle a "small shock".

Felix carefully observed Hugh's expression. After finding that Hugh did not seem frustrated or disappointed by the predicament the Dawn Society was facing, he asked directly, "Hugh, are you asking these questions because you have already found a way to solve those problems?"

"You can say that."

Hughes looked up, met Felix's gaze for two seconds, and then said, "If I'm not mistaken, what's currently infiltrating the Scions of Dawn isn't a physical entity, but rather some strange creations summoned by the Black Sun Society through lost rituals... It's a slow and sinister shadow that, under the manipulation of the Black Sun Society's spellcasters, will relentlessly pursue its victims and erode their minds in every possible way."

"Once these shadows successfully breach the victim's mind, the spellcasters hidden behind the ritual can use various means to acquire the victim's knowledge and memories, thereby obtaining the secrets they want, and even using those shadows to seize control of the victim's body."

The cold narrative emanating from Hugh's mouth made Felix's throat dry. He swallowed, then sat up straight and asked seriously, "Do you have any suggestions for dealing with this? For example, methods to distinguish these enemies from infiltrators? Or, means to stop those magical rituals?"

"Have."

Hugh nodded, then reached out and gently placed his hand on the cane.

The next instant, a deep shadow of magic began to surge around Hugh's body. In Felix's gaze, these shadows rapidly shifted between concrete and abstract states, their distorted outlines and lines making them appear unpredictable.

Strangely, however, Felix, who had personally interrogated many members of the Black Sun Society and had encountered those dangerous magical attacks many times, did not sense any danger in these ominous magical lights.

Immediately afterwards, he saw the magic from Hughes flow slowly like water toward the battered metal staff. The moment the light and shadow touched the staff, the gloomy color faded away at an extremely fast speed, replaced by ultimate clarity and purity.

Under Theseus's deliberate guidance, Hugh easily identified the most important and stable magical nodes in the magical medium before him. Then, a large amount of pure magic was poured into it, and the flowing, clear light instantly enveloped the entire staff.

Such a wondrous scene naturally captivated Felix, but for Hugh, it also signified the beginning of a bold attempt. Even with Theseus's help, constructing a complete magical model on such an object was no easy task, especially since the staff had previously served as a vessel for Mel's remaining will and power.

In order to achieve his goal, Hugh had to use all the skills he had learned and mastered in the past. Like a sculptor striving for perfection, he constantly carved through these intricate magical lines, trying to straighten out the messy traces left over from the past.

After an unknown amount of time, the final part of the magic model was completed. After Hugh finished engraving the entire ritual, a long string of symmetrical and exquisite magic patterns appeared on the mottled surface of the metal staff. Against their backdrop, the scars left by the fierce battle gained a special kind of beauty.

"..."

After completing yet another check, Hughes breathed a sigh of relief, slowly raised his head, and returned the metal cane that shimmered with an eerie light to Felix.

Felix took the cane, gently touched the shimmering patterns on its surface, and asked, "Was it alright?"

"Well, although it's a bit strenuous, overall it's fine."

Felix nodded, then asked, "So, how should I use it? Will it help me identify those who have been corrupted?"

"This is only one aspect."

Hugh leaned back in his chair and said in a deep voice, "This cane is very special. From the very beginning, it has given me the ability to sense and identify members of the Black Sun Society... or rather, it can clearly identify any individual who has ever had a close relationship with the Black Sun Ritual."

"Now, on this basis, I have tried to give it a new set of rituals. Under the effect of this ritual, those creations that originated from the 'Black Sun' or those that have received its power will also be included in the scope of perception. Note that it can not only be used for your personal perception, but also be matched with general magical rituals such as 'Spiritual Interrogation' that target the spirit and will."

Upon hearing this, Felix couldn't help but feel curious. He subconsciously gripped his cane and, based on his previous rudimentary experience, tried his best to touch the flowing "cold water".

In the next instant, Felix's senses became entangled with the "flow of water." A large amount of chaotic information rushed into Felix's mind with an extremely fierce force. Complex shadows spread in his mind like clumps of silt, and among these "silts," one figure was the clearest.

The figure raised its head, and a face that Felix knew all too well immediately appeared.

That was none other than Hugh Ernst.

At that very moment, the strange illusion created by the cane ceased. Felix released the cane, raised his hand, and pressed hard against his wildly throbbing temples, while casting a horrified and confused gaze at Hughes sitting opposite him.

As the architect of that ritual, Hugh could certainly guess what Felix had just "seen." He waved his hand helplessly and said, "This is actually the last thing I was going to tell you, and also the most important thing."

"Would you be interested in hearing about me, and about the origins of the Dark Abyss and Vaan?"

After saying that, Hugh gave Felix no further chance to refuse.

As the magic began to surge once more, the condensed history of the Lost Age, the goddess Mel, the Dark Abyss Court, and that other distant world, which had been reorganized and arranged by Hugh, was clearly presented to Felix.

The rise of civilization, the extinction of races, the alternation of day and night, the departure of gods...

In a very short time, these magnificent past events, which were enough to easily overturn the entire understanding of Vaan, transformed into heavy scrolls with bizarre patterns, and one after another "slammed" onto Felix's resilient head.

This nearly caused him to faint.

In receiving these messages, Felix tried more than once to interrupt Hugh's narration and question their authenticity. However, as the content became more complete, Felix finally gave up the pointless struggle. He slumped in his chair, silently listened to the long story that spanned countless years, and fell into a long silence.

Finally, the shock of the massive message subsided somewhat. Felix gritted his teeth, forcibly controlling his chaotic thoughts, and looked at Hugh with some difficulty: "Hugh, I can believe everything you've said, but I don't quite understand why you chose to tell me? There are clearly other people who are more suitable to know these secrets, such as Professor Meyer, or Miss Veraine?"

Hearing his question, Hugh smiled, a mesmerizing iridescent light flashing briefly in his dark eyes.

"It seems that you are the most suitable one right now."

Felix did not lose his judgment because of his current state. He narrowed his eyes and carefully recalled the topic of "prophecy" that the two had discussed when they first met. Then he immediately realized: "It seems that there is some basis or clear 'omenology' that led you to make this judgment?"

Hughes was surprised by Felix's quick reaction, to which he gave a clear answer.

"Yes, I do have some basis for judgment."

Felix seemed much more relaxed after receiving a response. He shrugged and tentatively asked, "In that case, could you give some... um, valuable advice for the future of Akatsuki and for me?"

"I don't have much advice to give to the Dawn Society... When you get back, you can tell Professor Meyer to trust his own judgments and just keep moving forward on the current path. If he really feels lost, he might as well look for the notebook I gave him a long time ago."

"As for you... Felix."

Hughes raised an eyebrow: "Try to get others to share your burden, don't exhaust yourself."

(End of this chapter)