The three‑day "magical exchange" was finished ahead of schedule, and Hai Iberien did not send Hope and Elusa away early; instead, she invited them to take a thorough tour of the Mildian Magic Academy.
Guided by the familiar face Rabbitaru, Hope and Elusa strolled through the grand campus of the Mildian Magic Academy.
Unlike the tense atmosphere before, every student and instructor they encountered now looked at them with awe, curiosity, and even a hint of shyness.
No one dared to call them "barbarians" or "wild mages" any longer; strength is the best language—it shatters arrogance and earns respect.
"This is our main teaching building, the 'Tower of Wisdom.'"
Rabbitaru pointed to a spire nearly a hundred meters tall and explained, "Inside are the most comprehensive collections of magical theory books on the continent, ranging from analyses of ancient lost magics to modern spells—everything you could imagine."
Elusa's eyes lit up; she wasn't interested in the theory books per se, but the many analyses of spells were valuable—magical intelligence can decide the outcome of a battle, so it's always good to know a bit.
"May we go inside and have a look?"
"Of course. The dean specifically instructed that you two may visit any part of the academy," Rabbitaru said, gesturing an invitation.
Elusa looked at Hope, who actually didn't want to go; after all, it was only theory and analysis, not direct magic, and he had no need for anything the system couldn't catalog.
But Elusa was unusually interested, and Hope didn't want to dampen her spirits.
The three entered the Tower of Wisdom, greeted by a wave of scent from old scrolls and ancient parchment; massive circular bookshelves rose layer upon layer, seemingly endless.
Students and instructors moved quietly among the stacks, some buried in study, others conversing in specially sound‑proof rooms. When they saw Hope and Elusa arrive, many cast surprised glances before quickly returning to their own affairs.
"Wow, this place is far bigger than the Magnorlia Library," Hope whispered in awe. Though not a bookworm, he was still stunned by the sheer scale of the collection.
Elusa headed straight for an area labeled 'Practical Magic and Tactical Simulations,' pulled out a thick, nameless volume, and began leafing through it with evident interest.
Rabbitaru watched Elusa's concentration and couldn't help but remark, "Miss Elusa never forgets to better herself."
Hope shrugged; Elusa wasn't the reading type—aside from romance novels, she could only manage about ten minutes with any other book, and that was a success.
Hope casually surveyed the shelves and spotted a row of books on 'Optimizing Energy Flow in Magic Circuits.'
Such topics are rarely pursued by any guild; only the magic academy has the time and manpower to delve deeply.
That's one of the academy's advantages.
After spending some time in the library, the trio toured the magical training grounds, the magical artifact research workshop, and the observatory.
Finally, they arrived at the Hall of Honors of the Mildian Magic Academy.
Here are the portraits of past deans and outstanding alumni for students to admire and learn from. Sure enough, Hope spotted a picture of Gleston, whose feet were still his original ones at the time... He also saw Rabbitaru's portrait and teased, "I didn't realize you were the top student of your class."
Rabbitaru gave a wry smile; he had been quite proud when he first graduated, but a harsh lesson from society—delivered by the very person standing before them—tempered him. "Why is there an empty spot here?" Elusa asked, pointing to a conspicuous gap among the alumni portraits.
Rabbitaru glanced at it, a hint of confusion in his eyes, then recalled, "That spot used to hold a senior's portrait from thirty years ago, but the academy revoked his honors and removed the portrait, leaving the space empty."
"Revoked honors?"
Hope's curiosity was piqued. "Who was he?"
"His name was Brian, a magical prodigy."
Rabbitaru answered without hesitation, "It's said that when Brian graduated, he created a powerful spell called'Self‑Discipline Collapse.'"
Hope and Elusa exchanged a glance.
The'Self‑Discipline Collapse' that Gerald unleashed at the Tower of Paradise was actually the creation of a Mildian Academy graduate from thirty years ago.
Could the mysterious mentor who taught Gerald that magic be Brian himself?
Hope stopped Rabbitaru, who was about to move on, and said, "Old Rabbit, could you tell us more about Brian? What did he do to have his honors revoked?"
Rabbitaru was a bit uncomfortable with Hope's nickname but answered honestly, "After graduating, Brian was invited by the Fioré Kingdom to become the director of the Fioré Institute of Magic Research."
"Eight years ago, Brian abused his position to conduct experiments on children and covertly colluded with remnants of the Black Magic Cult to traffic them. When the scandal broke, he vanished without a trace."
The revelation of child trafficking by the Black Magic Cult eight years ago sent shockwaves through Hope and Elusa; everything was clicking into place.
Ten years ago, the Council rallied legitimate guilds to eradicate the Black Magic Cult, yet some members slipped through the net and have been secretly constructing the final Tower of Paradise ever since.
With their power diminished and under the Council's scrutiny, the surviving cult dared not openly enslave people, resorting instead to human trafficking for slaves.
Since Brian dealt with the remnants, he must have known about the final Tower of Paradise... The convergence of these factors made Hope certain that the mysterious mentor of Gerald was indeed Brian.
Perhaps Gerald's sudden change of heart was orchestrated by Brian behind the scenes, using Gerald's reputation among the slaves to keep the construction going.
Elusa arrived at the same conclusion as Hope.
Gerald had once been a comrade-in-arms; if Brian was the true culprit behind his downfall, she would avenge the kind‑hearted Gerald of the past.
"Rabbitaru, do you know Brian's whereabouts?" Though he had just said Brian was missing, Elusa asked again, hopeful.
Rabbitaru shook his head.
"I can answer that question."
At that moment another voice sounded; Hope turned to see Hai Iberien arriving. "Senior, do you know Brian's whereabouts?"
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