Chapter 183

Chapter 183
Chapter 183
## Chapter 183: Delirium (1)

The entity with the greatest weight on the magical sovereignty of the people. A figure of noble lineage who is still perceived as a living myth. He was the first individual to structure the star-ranking system to quantify magical power, bordering on the divine, and stands at the very root of this aristocratic hegemony founded on the study of the arcane arts.

The Great Mage Adelbert, he who travels the world under the protection of the Ursa Major constellation, is nothing more than a literary invention concocted by the disturbed mind of a 6-star sorcerer. Princess Rozelyn’s claims carried a burden devastating enough to demolish the foundations of magical high society, as it was known until now.

—That implausible being never inhabited this plane to begin with, and no matter how much one tracks the chronicles, his trail will be nonexistent.
—However, all of a sudden… a multitude of mages suddenly accepted the reality of this legendary hero, paying him tribute and following in his footsteps.
—Do you really believe that this supposed glory based on magic possesses a genuinely ancient trajectory?

The premise that «Magic is noble»… although it was already floating in the air some time ago, had never gained such absolute relevance.
—The art of magic does not differ in essence from the acquisition of any other technical skill.

The feats attributed to the Great Mage Adelbert, who imbued magic with a sacred mysticism close to divine omnipotence, were nothing more than chimeras spread globally by a mage of a playful nature.

Derek moved hurriedly through the corridor, maintaining a countenance of extreme gravity. As he processed the dialogue held with Princess Rozelyn, he managed to decipher the reason why she had not disclosed this disturbing truth to the world, opting for silence. No one would give her credence.

They were in an era where magical practice constituted the pillar of noble legitimacy. Therefore, the fact that Princess Rozelyn questioned the intrinsic purity of magic meant, in practice, turning against the whole world. The use of magic as the banner of the aristocracy had continued for a considerable time. It was not a matter of a few decades, but probably entire centuries. Countless noble lineages had consecrated their lives to magical perfection for generations, driven by the belief in the inherent distinction of said power.

Was magic, reserved exclusively for those of blue blood, not the primary instrument to manifest lordly power? Nevertheless, all of that seemed to be a psychological construction designed by a third party.

—«Adelbert was not the only case. Since ancient times, diverse sorcerers with capabilities that escape our logic had been infiltrating the empire with their influence. The invention of the Adelbert myth—the perfect archetype to which every cradle-born mage aspired—represented barely a fragment of a much more ambitious strategy.»

Throughout the vast imperial chronology, someone was in charge of constantly feeding the idea of magical majesty. Sometimes, by fabricating memories about people who were never born; at other times, by concocting tales of events that never happened… managing to turn Gremfort Castle into a sanctuary for devotees of the arcane art.

It was not a plan executable in a couple of decades. It represented meticulous work developed over an immense span of time, and the authorship of such a feat remained anonymous. The crack in reality that Princess Rozelyn had detected was only one piece of a gigantic and invisible gear. Was it possible to believe such a thing? Even though Derek chose to give a vote of confidence to Princess Rozelyn’s testimonies, even with their fantastical nuance, the depth of her statements exceeded any previous suspicion.

During her explanation, the princess maintained a gesture of indifference, as if she did not care about being branded a liar. He himself was aware of how outlandish her words sounded.

Magic lacks intrinsic nobility and is not the private property of the aristocracy. If the heirs of the great houses show superior talent, it is because renowned families possess a favorable biological heritage, are educated in privileged contexts, and maintain total control over texts and training systems. That is why, on occasion, individuals from the common folk reach magical excellence. That is how it happened with Drest. That is how it happened with Kalimford. And that is how it is happening now with Derek.

He felt the need to structure his thoughts. The official dinner had been delayed due to the protocols of Emperor Gertrel, whose preparation took more time than expected. Derek considered that a short walk through the academy gardens might be useful to appease his mental agitation.

However, someone interrupted his advance.
—Baron Ravenclaw. A situation of extreme urgency has arisen.
—…?
Derek, who was preparing to leave the main pavilion under the custody of his guards, stopped and tilted his head, confused. The man who called him with such urgency was a consultant, a court sorcerer dressed in a crimson robe. A feather emblem embroidered on his bonnet revealed his position as one of Kohlera’s subordinates.

—My name is Aren, magic advisor to the crown assigned to Gremfort Castle.
—What is happening?

—It is imperative that you move to the Velos Pavilion immediately. All commitments scheduled for the rest of the day and tomorrow are suspended; a state of alarm has been decreed.

While Derek processed the impact of those words…
— Searching! Searching! Searching!
— Zap!

On the grounds of the newly established Ravenclaw Academy, a space of colossal dimensions but still uninhabited, a massive runic circle emerged at its boundaries. This containment spell began to materialize until it completely surrounded the sector.
— What is that? An earthquake?
— Careful! Hold on so you don’t lose your balance!
— Searching! Searching! Searching!

Derek, with a hardened expression, watched toward the firmament as the dome of energy closed and became tangible. It was an absolute spatial isolation spell, designed to prevent any transit to the outside or inside. A 5-star transmutation magic: Large-scale spatial severance. The people in the world with the capacity to execute a technique of such magnitude instantly and without prior rituals could be counted on one hand.

Given the situation, the origin of the barrier was evident. The advisor accompanying him did not show the slightest alteration at the change in the environment. With absolute coldness, as if everything were under control, he detailed the facts.

—Chief Advisor Kohlera is deploying a blockade perimeter at this instant to close off all exits.
—…Under what motive?
—To ensure that the suspect does not manage to flee.

A cold calculation. The moment Aren uttered that, Derek had a foreboding feeling. What he heard next was an event so out of the ordinary that it eclipsed even the previous revelations of Princess Rozelyn.

—His Majesty, Emperor Gertrel, has been murdered.

The announcement represented a cataclysm for the nation.

Upon arriving at the Velos Pavilion, the monarch’s temporary dwelling, the sentinels and service staff showed faces stripped of color. Although the rumor had not yet leaked to the assembly hall, it was evident that everyone in the Velos Pavilion was already aware. The magnitude of the tragedy made many doubt their own ears. Sovereign Gertrel had died. The old monarch, whose authority extended for almost a century, met his end in that place.

Moving with a firm step through the corridors beside the butler and the head of attendants, Derek witnessed the general stupor. Under Aren’s guidance, he made his way toward the high-ranking guest room. During the journey, he exchanged words with other advisors from Kohlera’s team and requested details from the royal steward and the housekeeper. None of them seemed to be in their right minds. If what Aren said were confirmed, those who were in charge of security that night would not be free of guilt. Responsibility is a treacherous weight: it can fall upon one and suffocate them without warning.

With an escort of hundreds of soldiers guarding a single enclosure, how could the regicide have been perpetrated? Maintaining his composure, Derek entered the imperial chambers.

The surveillance was more rigorous than imaginable. Two sentinels of Gertrel’s personal guard guarded every large window, and four more watched the accesses. It was reported that there were men stationed on the outer walls and the roof to neutralize any attempt at infiltration, in addition to two security cordons surrounding the building. An impregnable fortress, where not even an insect should have passed.

— It is ironic.

Upon entering, Derek contemplated a gala banquet that had been served for the emperor. And there was Emperor Gertrel, reclining on the table as if he had fallen into a deep sleep. His face denoted an unusual peace. Although the monarch usually showed a severe character, at that moment he looked like an amiable old man who had surrendered to sleep. Nevertheless, his neck was stained with blood. An open wound on the left side of his chest revealed the absence of his heart.

Derek ran his hand over his face. Here, at the site of Ravenclaw Academy, at the gates of the inauguration. The emperor had perished. An oppression similar to the one he felt when facing the titanic beast in the labyrinth incursion ran down his spine.

Natural catastrophes are inevitable; challenges arise from nothing. Although Derek did not succumb to terror, neither was he impassive.
—You have arrived, Lord Derek.

At that instant, Kohlera sat up from the side of the body, breathing with difficulty. The chief magic advisor to the crown, the most influential sorcerer in Gremfort. The shrewd veteran was soaked in cold sweat as he tried to stabilize his breath. Even for a transmutation expert of his caliber, erecting a barrier of that scale to cover the entire academy was a devastating effort. Especially because of the urgency to close the escape routes before the culprit disappeared; his speed was astonishing.

—This old body did not expect to be subjected to such tension. The last time I deployed a force field of this size was… I suppose during the War of the Dawn.
—Could you inform me about what happened?
—The outcome is what you have before your eyes. Although the details could fill entire libraries.

Kohlera slumped into a plush armchair in a corner of the room, overcome by exhaustion. His calm in the face of the emperor’s remains was proof of his experience and mettle. However, not even he could hide the impact of the event. Wiping his sweat, Kohlera addressed Derek with a voice that betrayed a slight tremor:

—In the interval between your arrival at the Velos Pavilion and the completion of the dinner preparations, someone breached the protection of this enclosure and ended His Majesty’s life.
—……

He limited himself to relating the visible facts. Nevertheless, assimilating that remained an arduous task, no matter how much one heard it. After almost a century of total hegemony, the end of the regent was devastating. But Kohlera’s next revelation tangled the plot even further.

—There are more than five hundred soldiers guarding only this small pavilion.
—…
—And yet, at the precise instant that Emperor Gertrel was attacked… nobody retains a memory of their location or their actions.

The initial inquiry had already been carried out. After the crime, Kohlera immediately summoned the guards to find the culprit. However, none managed to remember what they were doing at the estimated moment of the murder. They only remembered a feeling of bewilderment, as if time had skipped a chapter, or as if they had been plunged into a deep sleep for an instant. It was not a simple lapse; their memories had been erased.

What did that mean?
—Are you suggesting that someone has the power to alter memories themselves?
—…

Kohlera’s silence was his confirmation. The tactic was disconcerting in its simplicity. The assassin infiltrates, kills, eliminates the trail in the memory of the witnesses, and leaves. A procedure that seems basic but, upon being applied to hundreds of people simultaneously, resulted in a feat impossible for any ordinary criminal. That surpassed every known limit.

—…

Derek wiped the sweat from his forehead again, sharpening his perception. Losing control would not provide solutions. An enemy capable of profaning memory, of distorting perception… something that escapes human consciousness. How is one supposed to capture someone like that?

Facing this mission that seemed to demand the impossible, Derek’s countenance became gloomier. There are moments when one must reach for the unreachable. There are times when existence throws these types of crossroads at you. Derek was already accustomed to it.