City of Desire [Kingdom Building]

Chapter 560: Archmage’s Address

Hun!

I watched people entering the room when a guide brought a man in his early fifties.

He is a short man with thick brown hair and blue eyes. He is wearing a slightly loose suit and has faint nervousness in his eyes.

The man is uncomfortable and looks out of his element.

Seeing him, a smile appeared on my face.

He is one of the people I had planned to meet and have already fixed a meeting.

The guide stopped at the empty seat beside mine. A second later, the man he brought sat beside me.

"Lord Orion," I greeted the man. "Lord Silver," he replied with a smile.

However, there is also a surprise in his nervous eyes.

"I didn't think you would come. Given what is happening in your territory," he said, but the next moment, he seemed to realize it was too direct.

"My apologies for being blunt, Lord Silver," he quickly apologized a moment later.

'The information about him seemed to be good,' I thought. The information said he is an anti-social, anxious person and dislikes being in with a group of people.

This personality is considered strange, given that masters of legacy can only thrive in the company of others.

It is that connection with people that makes them give birth to it.

It is his nature, but the man is intelligent and was able to do what very few masters could achieve.

"No need to apologize, Lord Orion," I replied.

"As for your question. Well, the synod is important; besides, I have left my territory in capable hands. They will deal with any problem they come across," I added.

"It's good to hear," he said a little awkwardly.

The man is Janeth Orion, Master of Orion Library. It is the only library-type inheritance on the continent.

The man was able to advance the legacy to Grade IV from Grade III. It is rare enough to advance and even rarer after it is inherited.

Once the original master dies, most active legacies remain at the same level, but once in a blue moon, the inherited master can advance them.

It happens less than 1% time. So, it's pretty amazing when it happens.

I have a business with him. It is personal and professional.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

I need the books for my personal collection and for the city, and his library is one of the biggest vendors of them.

More and more people came as time passed, including Prefects Prisca. Her eyes found me, and her lips curved into a smile. I smiled back.

Earlier, she had the edge. I don't want her to have that.

Soon, there was a minute before the ceremony started. The archmage himself will address it.

Seconds passed, and I could see people stop talking one by one. By the last second, everyone stopped talking and looking at the stage.

Soon, it was ten, and Archmage stepped on the stage.

Yes, he didn't appear but stepped on it. There is no magic or fanfare. Even the herald didn't call to announce him; the man didn't need an announcement.

The Archmage is a man in his early sixties. He isn't tall but isn't short, either. He has short brown hair and pale blue eyes.

He looked non-descript until one looked into his eyes.

He is wearing a flashy mage robe; it is colorful and will change with every movement the man makes.

One moment, it shows torrential rain, sometimes storms of lightning, and other times, a calm sea and snowy mountains.

That robe is a relic—one of the most famous in the world.

"Archmage,"

Every one of us got up and bowed to the man. He nodded and waved us gently to sit down.

He didn't talk immediately. He looked at each of us.

I felt his eyes on me, making me feel something I had never felt before.

A vastness.

It was over a minute later, and he stopped looking and opened his mouth.

"Masters from near and afar. You have traveled great distances for the synod, bringing with you the wisdom and ways of your legacies."

"Today, we are not bound by borders. We are one assembly, united by the singular truth that binds us all."

"For millenniums, we have been guides. Lit paths through the darkest of the times and rebuilt civilizations that had been broken, bearing that cost that destroyed many of our kin,"

He said and stopped for a moment. As if personally remembering those moments.

"The path of a master is difficult, and in the future, it is going to be even more difficult, but we all have to endeavor or be buried on the earth like so many of our predecessors did before," he said sombrely.

The speech was different from what I had expected. I thought it would have been cheerful and motivating.

His words had made many shudder. They realized what he was insinuating, and it scared them.

Not all have the power he spoke of. I am one of the luckiest ones. Most are puppets to their sovereigns. They do not get dignity, even in their death.

They squeeze them to their last drop.

I pushed those dark thoughts away and focused on the insinuation. This speech had been one of the darkest in the century.

Only several times in the past century have the archmage given such speeches. Every time he implies, its coming.

It has been over two thousand years since the last incursion.

For the past few centuries. People have been saying it will come in a few years, but till now, it hasn't. Though without, it will come.

The cycle has existed for tens of thousands of years. It has never stopped and could not be stopped.

The cycle has killed gods and buried titans.

Nothing could stop them; the only thing people could do was fight it and survive.

"Let the light of legacies illuminate all," he finished after a moment of silence, taking a step forward before simply disappearing.

The Archmage will not mingle. He likes to meet people individually.

Hun!

I was looking at the empty stage when I noticed the envelope in my lap.

I didn't see it when it appeared on my lap. One moment, there was nothing; the next, there was a letter.

"You got the invitation," said Ophelia, evidently jealous. The others looked, too, with the same emotions, some with added shock and surprise.

It is very difficult to get a meeting with the Archmage. Only he decides who he wants to meet.

He is going to meet me. I was informed of that a few weeks ago, but I thought it would be after three days. It is rare for an archmage to meet people of my level in the first three days.

It is exceptionally unusual to meet the Archmage on the first day.

Only a host of powerful legacies of Grade V or Grade VI, representative of those above them and the sovereigns, do. I don't think I had ever heard of them meeting a master of Grade III in the past century before the 3rd day.

I opened the letter and took out the card. It had no words, only time.

He will meet me at two.

"Congratulations, Lord Silver. You are the first one in two and a half centuries to get this honor," congratulated Orion.

"Thank you, Lord Orion," I replied to the man.

A few seconds later, I got up and mingled with other masters of the legacy. Even here, it is a rare opportunity to interact only with Masters and their representatives.

There are no sovereigns or nobles or protectors that rarely leave the master's side.

Here they are on our own, and they are relishing it.

"Lord Silver," I heard a familiar voice and turned to the teen who appeared beside me.

With her is a middle-aged man. I recognized him. I had seen him once in the storm tower but never was able to talk with him.

"Miss Lindgren," I replied. She is Alina Lindgren, Vanis's Granddaughter.

"I heard something happened to you on the way to the city, my lord?" she asked. The young girl was worried, and her worry wasn't fake.

I like this young girl.

Carla said the girl was quite smart and had high potential. It is unfortunate that her chances of inheriting the legacy are growing smaller.

"It was a small skirmish, Miss Lindegren. Nothing for you to be worried about." I replied with a smile before turning to a middle-aged man beside her.

"Lord Silver, I have wanted to meet you for a long time," said the man.

"Me as well, Lord Gale," I replied, smiling while shaking his hand.

He is Raul Gale—the Master of Gale's Bar, a Grade II legacy in Namdar.

"When you visit Namdar, my lord, please come to my humble establishment," he invited. "Of course. I just hope I will get a reservation this time," I replied smoothly, with a teasing smile.

A faint surprise appeared on the man's face before he controlled himself.

I tried to get a reservation when I went to Namdar last time. I knew I wouldn't get it, but I tried my luck, and as I had expected, I didn't get in.

I was a nobody at that time.

"This time, you will have the biggest booth," he replied, recovering smoothly. "I will hold you to that, my lord," I replied.

I talked to them for a minute more before walking away.

I mingled and talked to many people, but I was only able to talk to the master of one Grade V legacy and not a single Grade VI.

They didn't stay after the Archmage left.

I mingled around for an hour before people started to leave. I left, too, but not the tower. I will stay here until I meet with the archmage.

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