The Magic Apprentice was startled. Could this really be some special kind of "Fairy magic"?
In truth, even the Apprentice could instantly tell it wasn't true magic. How could the Old Mage possibly be fooled?
But at this point, whether it was "magic" or not was irrelevant. When power reached such a level, if they called it magic, then magic it was!
The Old Mage understood the Apprentice's little scheme perfectly: he simply wanted to use the mage's "authority" to publicly debunk this phenomenon online.
But if the Old Mage actually did that, the next instance of this "Fairy magic" might well occur in Great Britain itself.
Of course, that was an exaggeration, but the point remained: the White Eagle Eight election was an internal matter for the White Eagle Free Federation. What business did Great Britain have meddling?
Suddenly, the Old Mage recalled an incident from his youth. A man had come to him seeking an Advanced Mage Certificate, and the exam required him to cast a high-level spell.
The candidate chose the "Crushing Curse." The Old Mage personally witnessed the man produce a fist-sized chunk of Black Gold, renowned for its extreme hardness. Muttering some incomprehensible incantations, the candidate then crushed the Black Gold into powder with his bare hands.
The shockwave from the candidate's crushing of the Black Gold had sent the Old Mage flying back several meters.
In the end, seeing the candidate's eager expression, the Old Mage reluctantly issued him an Advanced Mage Certificate.
Didn't he chant a spell? Didn't he instantly obliterate the target? Isn't that the Crushing Curse?
Returning to the present, the Old Mage silently rewatched the video. He was now certain that the Fairy's magic was far more potent than the Crushing Curse. The former, if uncontrolled, might only shatter his skull, but the latter, if unchecked, could potentially detonate an entire city in Great Britain.
After carefully organizing his thoughts, the Old Mage said, "I need to study this thoroughly. Go back to class now. And remember, spend less time watching these videos and more time reading your magic books. They're far more useful, wouldn't you agree?"
The Old Mage deliberately avoided confirming that it was magic. He knew that a direct admission at this point would shatter the Magic Apprentice's nascent understanding of magic, likely ending his magical journey then and there. Hence his deliberately ambiguous response.
-
Meanwhile, at White Eagle, as the election for the new White Eagle Eight officially began, Elysia's approval ratings soared. Evolvers flocked to the White Tower, eager to join the official ranks and serve the soon-to-be-appointed "Fairy."
It's important to note that this wasn't a slip of the tongue. They were serving the "Fairy," not the "White Eagle." The White Eagle was essentially a federation of eight autonomous regions, each ruled by a dictator. These eight leaders then united to form the White Eagle Free Federation.
Baldy Burke stood at the White Tower's entrance, radiating an almost mystical aura as he used his newly crafted Crystal Ball—a product of relentless overtime—to assess the abilities of each Evolver applicant. Though visibly fatigued, a rare smile graced his lips.
This scene was undeniable proof that his initial decision had been correct. In just a few more days, once Elysia officially became one of the White Eagle Eight and the influx of new recruits stabilized, his workload would undoubtedly decrease dramatically.
If he could promote a few promising newcomers to take his place, retiring early to enjoy a peaceful life wouldn't be out of the question!
A blissful future beckoned, and how could he not be overjoyed?
Just then, a grizzled old man with stubble appeared before Baldy Burke, causing him to pause in surprise. Evolvers of such advanced age were exceedingly rare, but what was even more astonishing was that the old man, in the very next moment, called out his name.
"I have urgent business with Burke," Old John said. "Could you notify him?"
As the Martyr's second-in-command, Old John naturally knew of Burke. However, the Burke he remembered was the handsome man with a full head of hair, not this bald figure.
Baldy Burke hesitated. "I am Burke. Who are you?"
Old John stared, equally bewildered. "Huh? Are you serious?"
Old John squinted at Baldy Burke, scrutinizing his earnest expression. Convinced he wasn't lying, he continued, "I seem to remember you had quite the handsome hairstyle, kid. What made you shave it all off?"
Baldy Burke: "..."
We were just having a conversation. Why the personal attack?
Having confirmed Burke's identity, Old John set down a heavy trunk in front of him and opened it. Inside lay a collection of bizarre artifacts: several books with strange symbols on their covers, jars filled with green liquid containing unidentifiable objects, and oddly shaped bones from unknown creatures and body parts.
Baldy Burke stared in bewilderment. "What are these...?"
"Stuff we scavenged from that Eldritch Concord stronghold," Old John replied. "I only managed to carry out a fraction of it—there's still a ton left. So, should we burn it all or what?"
Baldy Burke: "!?!"
Wait a minute. That was a lot to process. He needed a moment to digest everything.
-
Meanwhile, in the Dragon Nation, Sparkle remained unaware that Old John and his group had raided the Eldritch Concord. However, the interruption of her public speech had left her in a foul mood.
And when Sparkle's mood turned sour, revenge was inevitable.
When it came to infiltration and intelligence gathering, no one surpassed Sparkle. So, immediately after her speech concluded, Sparkle—still the same person—sprang into action.
First, she told Jiang Li that she had some urgent matters to attend to and would need to postpone the film project for a few days. Then, she returned home and began changing.
Removing her shoes and socks, she spread her dainty toes. A red silk thread snaked between them, winding up her smooth calves. She was unmistakably changing into her signature "Sparkle" outfit.
After all, she was planning to stir up trouble. Naturally, she needed to shed her previous dignified demeanor. She deliberately styled her hair into twin tails, and the red-and-white mask settled securely on the side of her forehead. In an instant, that overwhelming aura of "Elation" resurfaced.