Creating a mysticism chain Link in the Citadel required passing exams in three sub-disciplines. William calculated carefully, and his expression gradually relaxed.
First, his magic came from Qarth spells, which he had trained rigorously in. Thanks to Marwyn's efforts, the Qarth spell system had been included in the mysticism exams over a decade ago. Passing this part would be effortless.
Second, since he aimed to serve Mother of Dragons, how could he not master knowledge related to dragons? He had long read extensively on dragons, systematically recording in his notes all aspects of dragon breeding, training, and control. Binding these notes together would produce a book that could be called The Dragon Tamer's Compendium. Presenting this book would likely make Mother of Dragons treat him as a distinguished guest, and passing the dragon knowledge portion of the exam would be a breeze.
Finally, after brushing up on runology for the Rune Disc project, although he still knew little of advanced runes, he could grasp the basics with some effort, making the chain ring exam perfectly manageable.
"Do you think I've wasted these six years?" William thought proudly, though his expression remained humble. "Alright, Archmaester, I will take the mysticism exam as soon as possible."
Marwyn looked at William calmly. "I'll wait for your exam application," he said, then stood and left.
At dawn, the fog over the Honeywine River began to turn white, floating like a light veil over the Island. Towering spires appeared faintly through the mist, their cloud-piercing silhouettes shifting with the fog, adding an air of mystery.
William stood at the entrance to the second level of the towering spire, accompanying Baelor and Garth as they waited for Mafalda and his cargo.
Although Baelor's plans were thorough, with many tasks assigned only to William and Garth personally, upon arriving at the tower, William overheard soldiers and servants whispering about "masters" and "exorcisms," which made him chuckle. "No wonder the Red Viper looked down on Baelor. His execution skills could use improvement."
The three chatted casually, deliberately avoiding the topic of Malora. Soon, Baelor's personal servant arrived with two others. Leading them was Mafalda, whom William had met once before. Short in stature with closely cropped hair, a flat face, almond-shaped eyes, and bronze skin, he resembled a Dothraki but was actually a Lhazareen.
His gaze swept over Baelor, and a broad smile spread across his face. William guessed he already knew Baelor well.
The person behind him exuded a strange aura, wrapped completely in red cloth, with head and feet fully covered, wearing a blue lacquered wooden mask that concealed the face. Around the neck hung a massive, ancient-looking but finely crafted metal necklace, with no other decorations. William's respect for him immediately grew.
So far, he identified four people connected to magic: himself and Margaery, who were sources of magic; the Red Viper, lightly touched by magical aura; Malora, with a heavier degree of magical influence; and now this Shadowbinder, whose connection to magic surpassed even Malora's—he seemed soaked in magical energy.
This was a real Shadowbinder, not some charlatan! William frowned and leaned close to Baelor and Garth, lowering his voice. "Only Shadowbinders wear lacquered masks to hide their faces."
Baelor shrugged casually. "As long as he can solve Malora's problem, that's enough."
William shook his head in disbelief. The notorious deeds of Shadowbinders were widely known; he couldn't believe Baelor had never heard of them.
When they met, the Shadowbinder merely nodded slightly, motionless like a wooden sculpture. Mafalda, meanwhile, wore a flattering smile, performed a strange initial ritual, then saluted Baelor and the others in Westerosi fashion. He then respectfully introduced the third party: "Ser Baelor, sirs, this is Lady Bodmar of Ashia. She has been traveling the world and only recently arrived in Oldtown. Regarding Miss Malora, Lady Bodmar is highly skilled in handling such matters."
Baelor nodded politely. "Greetings, Lady."
William couldn't resist asking in Valyrian: "Lady, I heard Shadowbinders usually cast spells at night. It's daytime now—will you wait until nightfall?"
Hearing the fluent Valyrian, Mafalda's eyes widened in surprise. The lacquered mask slowly turned toward William, and a hoarse, low voice spoke: "Light and shadow are one. Where there is light, there must be shadow; where there is shadow, it is enough."
The two lines were spoken in Valyrian. Seeing Baelor and Garth look confused, Mafalda quickly translated them and then said ingratiatingly, "This knight seems to be quite skilled."
Baelor smiled. "This is Ser William. He has studied in the Citadel."
"You won't harm Malora, will you?" Garth crossed his arms, addressing Mafalda but keeping his eyes on Bodmar, his expression stern.
"If it's only a ghost bowing, it won't harm her personally. If it's something else, we'll have to see," Mafalda replied.
Hearing Mafalda's translation, Garth no longer pressed the matter, and Baelor showed a satisfied expression. He whispered a few words to the servant standing quietly to the side. After the servant nodded and left, Baelor clapped his hands. "Very well, everyone. Let's not waste time—business comes first."
The five silently took the elevator toward Malora's room, encountering no servants along the way. Approaching the door, William suddenly sensed a surge of magical energy. He hesitated. "I didn't feel any magical fluctuations the last few times I came. Could Malora have made some arrangement?"
His hesitation caused him to fall to the back of the group. When he entered, he saw everyone's backs: Baelor and Garth slightly ahead, Mafalda and Bodmar a step behind them. William stood behind Bodmar, observing Malora in front of the bookshelf. She still wore the same hairstyle as before, but now donned a dark-golden robe, intricate lace, exquisite embroidery, and wide flowing sleeves, exuding even more elegance and nobility. She seemed unsurprised by their arrival, her expression calm and composed.
William could sense that although Malora was looking at Baelor, her attention was actually on Bodmar. Then he heard Bodmar in front emit a low chuckle, muttering to herself, "It's you, it's you—I've finally found you, hahaha…" Her voice carried an uncontrollable ecstasy, and William instantly became alert.
"A-ah, this is rather sudden, but Malora, there's no need to be afraid—we're here to help…" Baelor began, but Bodmar let out a scream and lunged toward Malora.
William grabbed Garth, who was about to rush forward to stop Bodmar. In that instant, Garth froze, looking at William in confusion. Baelor and Mafalda were equally bewildered. Though Bodmar wore a mask, it was easy to imagine her eyes fixed on Malora, her face brimming with ecstatic joy.
Meanwhile, a subtle arc appeared at the corner of Malora's mouth, like a ripple crossing her delicate features, vanishing almost immediately into the depths of her gaze.