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Chapter 254: Matters of Magic
🕑 Added 2025-04-07 11:11:54 +0000 UTC"My lords, do you believe it is better to let those with magical abilities wander freely, or is it more beneficial to place them under the authority of the Church of the Seven Gods?" Lynd asked calmly, his gaze sweeping over the assembled Septons.
The Septons hesitated, exchanging glances. The Most Devout of the Great Sept of Stars, who had the closest relationship with Lynd, spoke on behalf of the others. "If that's the case, then why are you allowing witches, soothsayers, and pyromancers to openly recruit apprentices?"
Lynd answered seriously, "By doing this, we can gather those who have the potential and desire to learn magic, ensuring they receive instruction in the magic we have approved, preventing them from straying down the wrong path."
Although Lynd appeared confident about establishing the Silent Court, as if everything was under his control, the truth was that the idea had come to him on a whim.
He had not anticipated that so many members of the Qohor Mage’s Association would arrive with the escorting convoy. A rough count revealed at least seventy of them—excluding their followers, apprentices, and servants who possessed some magical knowledge. Altogether, they numbered over a thousand.
Every single one of them was a devout believer in the God of Magic, eager to study magic under Lynd.
Their arrival did help to address the lack of magical expertise in the Black Cave. At present, the only one conducting magic research there was Malora. Although Marwyn had joined, he had yet to fully adapt to the Black Cave’s rules and environment.
However, the sheer number of newcomers posed a significant problem—the Black Cave simply could not accommodate them all.
Letting them leave felt like a waste, but more importantly, they might not actually leave. If they lingered too long in Summerhall or Miracle Harbor, they could become a serious liability.
That was why, upon learning that some members of the Sphinx Academy had arrived at Miracle Harbor, Lynd was struck with an idea. He decided to imitate the Sphinx Academy and build a Silent Court next to the Redemption Sept, where he could house and train these magic practitioners in a controlled environment.
After hearing Lynd’s reasoning, the Septons found no fault with his plan—or rather, they had no desire to object.
In fact, they regarded the Silent Court as a beneficial institution and even took the idea further, suggesting that Lynd establish a similar organization within the church, dedicated to capturing those who used dark magic and sending them to the Silent Court for containment.
Seeing the church take the initiative to seek out magical talent for him, Lynd naturally welcomed the suggestion, even offering to provide personnel for these tribunals.
The Septons quickly agreed to his proposal. After witnessing the power and discipline of the Holy Sisters of Redemption and the Silent Men, they believed that such forces were exactly what the Faith of the Seven needed. Since the Inquisition would require armed enforcers, they determined that only the Holy Sisters of Redemption and the Silent Men were fit for the role. They urged Lynd to expand their training, pledging manpower, resources, and funding.
Lynd was more than happy to comply. After all, the Holy Sisters of Redemption and the Silent Men would ultimately remain loyal to him.
With the church’s concerns settled, Lynd turned his attention to the mages.
"Prophet Lynd." The representatives of the three major mage factions bowed as they entered his study.
Unlike the clergy, the mages viewed Lynd as a prophet, guiding them toward the proper path of magic.
"I understand your request," Lynd said, "but I do not agree to it. Let me make this clear: only those who pass the trials of the Redemption Sept may join the Black Cave. That is the absolute minimum requirement." His demeanor was far sterner now than it had been with the church. He looked directly at the three most prominent and powerful mages among the newly arrived factions and spoke with weight behind his words. "And I must remind you—those who do not wish to stay are free to leave. But once they join the Black Cave, there is no turning back. The only way out is death."
From the outside, it might appear that Lynd had established only two magic-related institutions—the Church of the God of Magic and the Silent Court. In truth, however, he had also maintained the Qohor Mage’s Association, integrating it into his structure through a system of checks and balances to manage this sudden influx of magical practitioners.
"Prophet Lynd, we fully support the trial of loyalty, but if it is conducted by the Faith of the Seven, we are concerned that differences in belief might lead to errors. Could the trial instead be held within the Church of the God of Magic?" Marlos, the High Priest of the Church of the God of Magic, asked respectfully.
Maloxin, who had once wielded absolute power, had voluntarily relinquished his authority, keeping only the position of High Priest of the God of Magic. This was not out of generosity but rather because he knew he had no other choice. Even if he withdrew and returned to Qohor, he could never regain his former status.
So, when Lynd last met with him and made it clear that reforms were coming for the mage factions within Summerhall, Maloxin took the initiative to surrender his power, making room for others while focusing solely on missionary work within the Church of the God of Magic.
His decision was not driven by a love of preaching or religious zeal. Rather, he recognized that among all the forces under Lynd’s rule, the Church enjoyed the greatest tolerance, the most investment, and the broadest authority. Lynd clearly favored those aligned with his church.
More importantly, mages who joined might not necessarily belong to the Mage’s Association, nor would they all enter the Silent Court. But they were all, at the very least, nominal followers of the God of Magic—whether true believers or not. As High Priest, Maloxin wielded the greatest influence over this faction.
"This proposal is feasible in principle," Lynd nodded, appearing to agree. Then he shifted the topic. "However, the Church of the God of Magic is not yet fully established. You haven’t even finished compiling the Grimoire of Magic, and the ranks of monks and priests remain incomplete. How do you intend to conduct the trial?"
At Lynd’s words, Marlos couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on. He had spent all his time compiling the Grimoire of Magic, neglecting everything else. If not for his subordinates urging him, he wouldn’t have left the still-under-construction Temple of the God of Magic to meet with Lynd.
In fact, when Marlos first became High Priest, he had already presented a scripture for spreading the faith. However, Lynd rejected it outright after reviewing its contents. The text was little more than a slightly modified version of the Scripture of Scourge.
"If you like the Scripture of Scourge so much, why not just turn the Temple of the God of Magic into a branch of the Church of the Scourge?"
Lynd’s words had struck deep, forcing Marlos to take the matter seriously. He gathered all available scholars and scribes to revise the Grimoire of Magic, determined to complete it before the temple’s construction was finished.
So now, when Lynd brought it up again, Marlos could no longer sit still. He immediately rose to his feet, declaring that he needed to return and complete the Grimoire, and hurriedly left Lynd’s study.
The two remaining men exchanged looks, cursing Marlos’s cunning in their hearts.
Blom, the newly appointed head of the Mage’s Association, spoke hesitantly. "Prophet Lynd, if they cannot join the Black Cave, then they have no purpose for now. For most, that’s not a problem, but if the necromancers, dark sorcerers, and blood mages remain idle for too long, I fear trouble will arise."
Blom had replaced Marlos as head of the Mage’s Association. He had the appearance of an old farmer, yet he was the leader of the Aeromancers of Qohor’s Hall of the Sky. This time, he had brought every Aeromancer from Qohor to Summerhall, and even those from Norvos and Pentos had followed under his influence.
Among the mage factions under Lynd’s rule, the Aeromancers were undoubtedly the backbone. Unlike other mages whose spells were often unpredictable, the Aeromancers could wield their air magic at will. More significantly, Lynd had noticed a trace of Storm Dragon Runes in their magic, suggesting a possible connection between the two. This was why, when Marlos stepped down, Lynd appointed Blom—who had the best rapport with the various factions—as the new head of the Mage’s Association.
"This is an easy problem to solve," Lynd said after a moment of thought. "The Silent Court is currently constructing a library and organizing its collection. They can assist in expanding the archives."
He continued, "Additionally, the way apprentices are taught in the Silent Court cannot follow the outdated master-apprentice model. There needs to be a standardized foundation of magical knowledge for instruction. Only those who complete this foundational education and pass the assessments will be eligible to be selected by academy mentors for advanced studies in specialized magical disciplines. So, those who are idle can assist in compiling these foundational texts.
"You should understand—this will be the first formally structured and systematic Grimoire of Basic Magic in the world. All those involved in its compilation will have their names recorded on the front pages of the text."
At these words, not only did Blom’s breathing quicken, but even the usually composed Rector of the Silent Court, Ragz, showed a rare flash of excitement.
It was clear to them—once the Grimoire of Basic Magic was completed and spread across the world, the prestige they would gain would be immeasurable. Their names would be passed down through history, like the legendary sages of old.
The bald-headed Raguz, the Rector of the Silent Court, bore mysterious rune tattoos on his scalp. He suppressed the surge of excitement in his heart, forcing himself to calm down. Then, with a slightly troubled expression, he spoke in halting Westerosi Common Tongue, a language he was not yet entirely fluent in.
"Prophet, I understand that establishing a library and compiling foundational magical knowledge is important. However, the transmission of magic has always been a closely guarded secret. Convincing them to openly document their techniques and compile them into books for public study... that may prove difficult."
Raguz was a renowned Master Alchemist in Qohor, holding considerable influence. Some of the city's finest metal formulas had been either discovered or refined by him.
Yet, more than metallurgy, his true expertise lay in crafting magical potions with unique effects. The meditation potions used daily by members of the Mage’s Association all came from his hands.
Because of this, he had the largest following. More than half of the mages who had joined Lynd's forces were either his disciples or his assistants.
Six months ago, he had stumbled upon an Elixir of the Seven and discovered that it contained an exceptionally potent magical essence. Compared to this elixir, even his finest meditation potion was nothing but garbage.
However, he had also scorned its craftsmanship. Such a powerful magical potion was merely used for physical healing and energy restoration. If he had been the one to refine it, he could have maximized the effects of the magical energy within.
Upon learning that the Elixir of the Seven had originated from Summerhall and after hearing countless rumors about Lynd, he had begun to consider traveling there himself.
But he was also acutely aware of the risks. Someone like him—who held vast metallurgical secrets of Qohor—could not simply leave without severe consequences. The same Qohoric elites who once showered him with respect could turn on him in an instant, driving a knife into his heart the moment he attempted to flee.
So he kept silent. He never spoke of leaving, not even to those closest to him.
It wasn’t until Lynd descended upon Qohor like a natural disaster, crushing the city's arrogance and forcing its rulers to deal with House Soyed as he commanded, that Raguz saw his chance. Quietly, he urged Maloxin and others to follow Lynd’s lead. In the end, he successfully escaped Qohor—bringing not only himself but also all of his people and research materials, completely intact.
Because he had been preparing for so long, he was the best-equipped among all the mage factions that had come to Summerhall. As a result, Lynd immediately appointed him as the Rector of the Silent Court, promising that once its construction was complete, he would be granted access to the Black Cave to study whatever he wished.
This made Raguz especially dedicated to the court’s development. Whenever he encountered a problem, he sought out Lynd without hesitation. As a result, he had become the mage who interacted with Lynd the most.
Lynd, through their repeated interactions, had come to understand Raguz's personality well. He knew the man was pragmatic—he reported problems exactly as they were, without exaggeration or omission. If Raguz claimed something was difficult, it meant that it truly was a pressing issue.
After a moment of thought, Lynd retrieved a Dragoncrystal Dragon Rune Necklace and handed it to Raguz.
"Would this be enough to entice them?" he asked.
The instant Raguz took the necklace into his hands, he nodded without hesitation.
"The library should be completed very soon."
As Qohor’s foremost Master Alchemist, Raguz had undoubtedly been involved when House Soyed crafted the armor for the Banished Knight. He had studied the dragon runes and patterns inscribed upon its surface.
However, his research had long been at an impasse—until House Soyed extracted the Frozen Dragon Rune from the Stone Giant Armor. That discovery had granted him a sliver of understanding, though it was just enough to allow him to replicate the runes rather than fully grasp their mysteries.
Now, this Dragoncrystal Dragon Rune Necklace clearly contained a different type of dragon rune. The opportunity to study its secrets at will was an irresistible temptation for anyone obsessed with magical power.
More than that, he could feel the energy within the necklace—it radiated a calming effect, something that any magic researcher would covet beyond measure.
It was no wonder he had instantly agreed to Lynd’s proposal.
