Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

"I have some research to do in France, so I'm a bit busy..."

"Okay, we understand. We won't bother you any longer, Lady Machiri."

The old hunter wasn't saying this intentionally, because everyone knew that the Paracelsus affair would backfire, so how could he not understand Machiri's difficulties and pain? In fact, Machiri's behavior was quite normal.

But since he had come, he must have expected it. Moreover, he was actually prepared, namely, by Robin Hood's "Faceless King".

Earlier, in the Scottish Highlands.

"I'm going to London. You can discuss who the new leader should be later."

The old hunter took out his ancestral defensive armor, the 'Faceless King,' and placed it on the table. By now, he understood that the item no longer had the same effect as before, but even so, it was still a treasure that the hunter organization was proud of.

"Are you going to rescue Paracelsus?"

When the young hunter asked the question, the old hunter did not lie, but firmly replied:

"Yes."

A gust of wind blew by, and the sound of the wind filled the small campsite nestled in the dense forest.

"Boss, are you getting old and stupid? That's an order from the Clock Tower, how could it possibly succeed?"

In terms of sheer size, it is the world's largest magic organization, and its status in the magic world is self-evident, not to mention in the secular world.

"I know."

The old hunter certainly knew, or rather, he was quite aware that going there was no different from sending himself to his death.

“But I have no children and no family to support me, so it doesn’t matter. Besides, there are people there I want to save.”

For countless years, countless Robin Hoods have become nameless heroes for the sake of people's wishes, not to save people from suffering, but because they could not ignore those suffering in pain.

For the old hunter, as a hunter and as one of the Robin Hoods, it was absolutely unbearable to stand by and watch his benefactor suffer. Even if he, an ordinary person, could not become the legendary 'Robin Hood,' it didn't matter; he simply wanted to do this.

Being 'Robin Hood' is painful. The old hunter who knows this honor passed down knows it, especially since he has a choice and understands what he represents and what he bears. The reason why countless people have chosen to take on this role is because people's wishes have transformed them into 'nameless' heroes, not to save people from suffering, but because they cannot ignore those who are suffering.

The old hunter felt from the bottom of his heart that it was a meaningful thing to do so so that more people besides himself could be happy.

Ordinary people who are born without any mysterious powers cannot do this.

"Boss, wait a minute, I want to go too."

"Yeah, what a load of bull, the British Magic Association. I've been annoyed with them for a long time."

"I want to see whether their magic is stronger or our bows and arrows are stronger."

"Wherever the boss goes, I'll go."

As the old hunter was about to step out the door, the many hunters who had been standing still followed him. When the old hunter made his decision, weren't they doing the same thing? After all, they were also 'Robin Hood'.

Then, whether by miracle or by inheritance, the 'Faceless King' that had been sitting on the table, now devoid of color, suddenly shattered into countless tiny fragments that danced across the world and landed on the hunters.

The hunters exchanged glances, momentarily confused about what had happened, but quickly forgot about it.

The original 'Robin Hood' could be considered a villain, after all, from another perspective, what he did was no different from robbery, which is not a profession that can bring him into the world. And once a person decides to completely hide his appearance, he will usually become skilled at it very quickly.

No longer will they be hated, no longer will they be coveted, and of course, no longer will they be trusted or loved.

When a person finds this way of life easy, it means they are far removed from normal human life.

Is it possible to obtain more?

Unfortunately, no.

Beings without form naturally no longer have eyes to appreciate things, and can obtain nothing.

Even so, it was still a choice, a choice made in the honor of being 'Robin Hood'.

The 'Faceless King,' which regains its power through its choice, is a magical item used as 'Inherited Defense.' Its effect is complete transparency, meaning it blends into the background. It is an item with the same effect as the Assassin's 'Presence Concealment' skill in the Heroic Spirit class.

Although the power was dispersed in many parts, it was probably not something an ordinary magician could discover.

Back to the present, watching the hunters' departing figures, the old hunter's words made Machiri's face grow even paler.

It was probably caused by humiliation, and he also understood that it was his own choice.

"Are they all so fearless...?"

The green-haired youth murmured, then turned around and looked towards the harbor.

The scent of the ocean was incredibly strong, and white waves rolled under the dazzling sunlight.

The sea remained as normal as ever, showing no sign of being affected by the events between the magicians, or rather, it seemed to mock their future fate.

The sound of waves rose again and again.

Sometimes near, sometimes far; sometimes near, sometimes far.

For some reason, Machiri suddenly remembered his answer to Favia that day—

"It shouldn't be like this."

To this day, he still does not understand what Favia meant that day. Only occasionally, while conducting magic research, he cannot help but look at the various products made and used by the mortal world, and wonder why Favia said that the poor people he wanted to help were the ones who would shoulder the burden of this world.

But at this moment, as Machiri recalled her thoughts, she suddenly had some reflections—

Everyone makes mistakes. As long as one's conscience is not yet dulled, the awareness of making a mistake will surely bring them pain.

"Yes... no matter how evil the act, it will inevitably be stopped by the good... Oh well, so be it... I've accomplished nothing anyway... a worthless life... death is a relief..."

Thus, Machiri, turning her head toward the hunter, embarked on a path she could not have persevered on.

These must have been the golden years he would cherish for the rest of his life.

Subsequently, under Machiri's guidance, the hunters who possessed the 'Faceless King' successfully met Bawan Shi. The two sides hit it off immediately and quickly decided on a date to rescue Paracelsus.

As they exchanged information, Machiri realized that she was the only one who seemed to have done nothing. The hunters had the 'Faceless King' who could conceal his presence, while Bawan Shi had a magician as an inside agent to capture and guard Paracelsus, seemingly unable to bear seeing the magician die like this... one could only say that he still had a conscience.

In conclusion, with mutual assistance, the rescue of Paracelsus went smoothly. After all, Paracelsus was just a magician of some renown and not a designated 'Grand Order', so even in the Spirit Graveyard, the defenses were not too tight.

Bavan Shi and Machiri, who had arrived safely at the place where Paracelsus was imprisoned, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when they opened the door and saw Paracelsus.

Right then—

The flow of magic suddenly changed.

The path that originated from fantasy itself was suddenly severed.

"I originally thought there were only a few traitors, but it turns out there are also demons?"

The sudden sound was like a death knell.

"But ultimately it is also one of our duties; whether it is punishment or killing, it must be done with an elegant and pleasant attitude."

The emotionless voice echoed all around. Bawan Shi did not fully understand the meaning of the words, but when the voice rang out, it was as if a scene she had never seen before appeared before her eyes, accompanied by a deafening sound.

"The source of this magic... could it be—"

Machirilla raised her voice and shouted, as if trying to carry her voice to the other side of the tomb.

"Barcelona!"

His shouts pierced through the air more powerfully and forcefully than the clamorous surge of magic.

Next—

The middle-aged man, whose power was in a certain sense, stood naturally before Paracelsus.

"...How rude! How dare you presume to save a sinner from the punishment of the clock tower."

A hint of displeasure appeared on his face, but the middle-aged man still walked forward gracefully step by step. The power released by the fairy was shattered with a light tap of his wrist.

Although the Department of Law and Politics was separated from the Department of Law and Politics as an administrative agency several years ago and is no longer regarded as a discipline, its current official name is the First Principles Implementation Bureau. In other words, it is a department that strictly adheres to the clock tower's first principle of 'mystery should be hidden'.

Moreover, simply abolishing the monarchy did not damage the prestige of the Bartholomews. After the previous monarch passed away, the current monarch, this middle-aged man, immediately appeared. After all, every generation of the Bartholomews was a perfectionist, and the head of the family would only appear in public after becoming a formal magician. Before that, they could only stay in the Bartholomews' mansion for closed education.

Therefore, once they join the Mage's Association, they can immediately become the leader of a certain department. For their clan, only the resounding title "Bartholomew" can be considered their true name.

Under Barthezmello's leadership, the independent Legal and Political Department uses the magic and power of the Clock Tower to intervene in real society or adjust the internal balance of the Clock Tower. It is an extremely vulgar but indispensable group.

It is divided into three domains: 'the existence that protects the world of magic,' 'the existence that oversees magicians,' and 'the existence that contributes to human society.' From this perspective, by taking advantage of being suppressed by El-Melloi, they successfully transformed and established their own positioning—

"The magician who commands magicians".

"I feel ashamed for El-Melloi. Such a creature of fantasy was hiding inside the clock tower, yet he failed to discover it."

In fact, even if the other party belonged to the category of fantasy, it wouldn't be enough to make Bartheson panic, as he was well aware of the fairy's strength.

Although the fairy has its own strengths, it is far inferior to him, and the mediocre one in front of him does not make him feel uneasy at all.

If anything angered Barthezmello, it was simply that he hadn't anticipated the presence of Bavan Shi in addition to Machiri's group.

“Never mind, it’s nothing, after all, you’re all going to meet your end together.” Barthemello’s lips twisted slightly with pleasure. “—You should thank yourself for not running away from me, you vampire.”

"Please let her and them go; it's all my fault..."

Machiri called out, his expression filled with tension.

Although he may have foreseen a similar development before things came to this point, he did not anticipate Barthez's appearance.

"Shut up, you're not even a proper person. If you want to bark, at least have some basic manners."

The highest position in the clock tower is the "color position," followed by the "classic position." In reality, it represents an astonishing achievement, a realm that typically requires generations of accumulation and corresponding resources to reach.

After he finished speaking, Barthezmello moved, the whip in his hand surging with unparalleled magic.

That was like lightning in the dark.

The defensive magic carefully set up by those present was shattered more easily than tearing paper; the air boiled from the bottom of the spirit tomb upwards, wrapping around everyone at an extremely high speed.

"Oh? You're willing to give up one hand to resist?"

After a moment's delay, Bartheson realized that a gem surrounding him had begun to react and was gradually absorbing his magic.

He then glanced behind him, where Paracelsus was covering his face with his bloodied right hand and shouting:

"Philosopher's Stone!"

"Ha ha ha ha."

Barthez laughed, and for some reason, it felt like the purest laughter.

In a split second, he acquiesced to the magician's outburst.

Despite being on the verge of death, he was still a so-called genius, possessing some corresponding explosive power.

“Not bad, not bad at all, a very good design idea! You’re an excellent magician!” He brandished his whip again. “But how can an unfinished product absorb all my magic power!”

As Bartholomew spoke, the magic power within him surged with the swing of his whip, unleashing a destructive force that swept across the battlefield like a massacre—

Without the protection of Paracelsus's Philosopher's Stone, Bavan Shi and the others would likely be severely injured by now, but even a mere residual wave is like a violent impact hitting the body.

The Philosopher's Stone can analyze the nature of the magic released by an adversary, erode it, and transform it into its own.

It stores magic at high density, but that's a side effect. The real power lies in its complete and perfected use of photon crystals, which are rumored to not even exist on Earth, as a spiritual calculator.

It also represents an ultra-large-scale parallel computational capability, in other words, a mysterious and instantaneous execution at the level of large-scale ritual magic.

Unfortunately, Paracelsus could not achieve complete perfection, even after becoming a Heroic Spirit.

One possibility is that of Shion, the bird of the underworld "Osiris Sand" who inherited the position of Tatari. The Philosopher's Stones she mass-produced were used as batteries to cure Dead Apostles, and she planned to preserve all of humanity as specimens.

The Philosopher's Stone of Paracelsus, who became a Heroic Spirit, can be used to grant pseudo-immortality, neutralize the seal of the Great Temple of Ra, and turn corpses into living corpses.

"I am the only one who has broken the rules. It would be too ugly to punish others as well, as a monarch."

"...Ugly?"

Barthez raised his chin, letting out a low laugh, but his face remained expressionless as he narrowed his eyes.

"It's ugly, it's ugly, you say it's ugly? Just for that reason?"

He let out a sneer.

"Never mind, you're all going to die anyway, it's just a matter of time. I need you to cause trouble for El-Melloi and his gang, otherwise I wouldn't need to keep an eye on you. You rude thing."

What followed, those two short seconds, felt like hours of torture to Paracelsus. His face was completely soaked in blood, his expression filled with extreme pain and sorrow, yet he smiled as if he had finally found his purpose.

"It only lasts for two seconds? That's too short... I'm sorry."

"That's enough. You can be proud of yourself for being able to hold Barthezmero off for two seconds."

Then, Barthezmello, having broken through the Philosopher's Stone, stood before Paracelsus and smiled again before turning to look at Bavan Shi.

"However, they are members of the Clock Tower and should be dealt with according to the rules, while you are not included in this category."

Barthezmello brandished his whip, his lips twisting slightly with a smile that seemed even more pleased than before, while a sinister, cold flame burned in his piercing emerald eyes.