I Pioneered Scientific Magic - Chapter 474 (Patreon)

Chapter 474: Monroe: This Must Be the Great Lord Calling Us!

On the broad streets of the city, a lavishly decorated alchemical car sped by, eliciting bursts of exclamations.

Ryan was seated in the driver's seat, somewhat unaccustomed to the controls. Although he had only practiced for three days, for a formal wizard, getting used to driving was more than enough!

Beside him, Cynthia was gazing through the car window at the city streetscape.

Night had already fallen, but before darkness engulfed the city, lamp posts suddenly lit up, their bright, almost dazzling fluorescence shining like stars in the sky.

"What a fine city!" Cynthia couldn't help but express her admiration.

"Of course, this is the magic city belonging to wizards!" Ryan also spoke with pride.

As a wizard who had fled from the Empire to the Kingdom just a few months ago, Ryan's impression of the city's transformation was particularly profound, and he felt increasingly aware of the depth and greatness of magic!

Initially, he joined the Wizards' Mutual Aid Society merely for self-preservation, to collectively resist the Church's witch hunts, without much hope for his journey to the Kingdom.

After all, the Empire and the Church's influence spread across the continent, challenging such a behemoth seemed like a fool's dream!

However, upon actually arriving in the City of Fire Oil, Ryan realized how ridiculous his previous thoughts were.

The wizards of the Kingdom had not only created numerous incredibly powerful alchemical creations and repeatedly defeated the Church's crusades, but they also possessed terrifying magic capable of erasing tens of thousands of troops and creating vast swathes of dead zones!

Most importantly, within the Kingdom's territory, wizards no longer had to hide in the shadows like rodents, constantly worried about witch hunters' pursuit and facing the fearful and strange gazes of the common folk.

In the City of Fire Oil, they could freely cast magic and were nearly worshipped and revered by all civilians, an experience Ryan had never had before.

What surprised Ryan even more was discovering his exceptional talent in magical studies!

His mediocrity in the Empire must have been due to a poor magical environment, which didn't allow him to demonstrate his true capabilities.

Ryan talked at length, imagining how the Council would reshape the continent after completely conquering the Empire, perhaps he could become the next star of magic!

Cynthia, however, paid no mind to Ryan's delusions and softly reminded him, "We've arrived!"

Ryan, nearly crashing into a high wall, quickly refocused and hurriedly parked the alchemical car at the entrance of the grand wizard's mansion.

Their time alone on the journey ended quietly. Ryan regretted driving so fast but didn't delay the matter at hand, leading Cynthia directly into the grand wizard's mansion.

Farel was an advocate of minimalism, evident from the mansion's decor and layout. If not mentioned, no one would guess it belonged to a grand wizard.

Passing through a long corridor into the front hall, they soon saw their visit's target—Grand Wizard Farel.

"Thank you for waiting, Master Farel!" Ryan bowed respectfully.

"No trouble, I've been somewhat free lately..." Farel gestured for them to sit, his arm aching from a wound due to a recent fight with the beast Muto.

"Your paper has been forwarded to Chairman Aurora, who has the deepest understanding of astronomy. She will judge the quality of these three papers," Farel said with a smile. "If all goes well, earning a Morning Star Medal should not be difficult."

Ryan, struggling to contain his excitement, humbly responded, "You're too kind. I merely made some minor additions to the celestial model based on Lord Lynn's law of universal gravitation."

"It's more than just a minor addition. A Morning Star Medal is well-deserved!" Farel said approvingly.

Ryan's papers boldly linked the ocean's tidal changes with the moon's gravitational effects, arguing that celestial movements involve mutual influence rather than the moon being solely captured by the gravity of their continent.

The correlation between ocean tides and lunar phases, and even the moon's gravity possibly affecting the Eternal Star's rotation, was innovative, bold, and aligned perfectly with Lord Lynn's law of universal gravitation. The explanation of tidal phenomena in the papers impressed him.

Just this discovery alone merited a Morning Star Medal!

"However, the medal's issuance might need some more time, as the Chairmen are currently preoccupied with very important matters and might not have time to review your papers," Farel said with slight regret.

In the absence of an academic conference, a research achievement must be recognized by a Chairman for the Council to award the corresponding medal.

"We'll wait a bit longer, then." Ryan didn't dare disturb the distinguished Chairmen. As long as he could secure a Morning Star Medal, waiting a few more days was acceptable.

Farel nodded, then turned his gaze to the unassuming girl beside Ryan.

"Are you Cynthia?" Farel

 asked in a neutral tone, not offering any special treatment despite her notable appearance. "Tell me, what's the matter that you specifically asked Ryan to see me?"

"I've created an interesting alchemical artifact recently, so I wanted you to evaluate it."

Cynthia's voice was pleasant, but her words made Farel frown.

He didn't believe the witch before him could present anything worth his 'evaluation.' Moreover, she hadn't shown any respect for him as a grand wizard since entering.

Even Ryan found it hard to watch, frequently signaling Cynthia, who ignored him completely.

"Then let's see it!" Farel said coldly, conceding for the sake of Ryan, the magical prodigy, although alchemy was not his strongest suit.

Cynthia smirked and produced a palm-sized cube.

"This is…" Farel's expression changed to intense surprise, hastily examining it.

The cube, a diamond-shaped crystal surrounded by complex and intricate runes, its strong magical fluctuations startled him.

Although Farel was not an alchemy master, he could tell that each side of the cube was inscribed with a powerful and unique spell. Combining them would unleash even greater power…

"Where did you get this?" Farel asked excitedly.

"This must be the work of a legendary alchemist!"

Incorporating six powerful spells into a palm-sized alchemical object without conflict was unheard of. Perhaps only Chairman Victorio could achieve such a feat.

Could there be another legendary alchemist within the Empire?

"Of course, it's my creation." Cynthia replied casually.

Farel's face darkened with displeasure. Ryan quickly interjected, "Cynthia, now's not the time for jokes. Tell Master Farel where you really got it. This could relate to a legendary alchemist's whereabouts."

"Since you don't seem to believe, perhaps it's time to witness its power!" Cynthia suddenly touched the cube in Farel's palm.

A powerful and terrifying aura emanated from the crystalline body, with runes on one side lighting up. The mansion they were in instantly turned into a void.

Farel realized something was wrong when the cube activated, but countless magical threads emerged from another side, binding the unprepared him tightly.

"Who exactly are you?" Farel's expression turned extremely grim. The girl before him was surely not just a formal wizard.

What shocked him more was his suppressed domain. Those magic threads, like writhing maggots, penetrated his body, devouring his flesh, magic power, and even his soul.

"Have you gone mad, Cynthia?" Ryan was horrified. The sudden shift in the situation surpassed his comprehension, making him wonder if he was still dreaming...

After fully restraining Farel, Cynthia finally turned her attention to Ryan.

Her violet eyes, filled with cold indifference, doused his desires like a bucket of cold water.

"You actually joined the Church, infiltrating the City of Fire Oil to approach and seduce me for Council intelligence..." Ryan, regaining his senses, felt a chill run down his spine, quickly piecing everything together.

In this void where even Grand Wizard Farel's powers were partially suppressed, Ryan, merely a formal wizard, struggled to even move a finger, let alone resist.

"Seduce?" Cynthia's brow furrowed slightly before her icy tone cut through, "You think you're worthy?"

Ryan's pupils contracted, but before he could respond, the air around him seemed to turn into blades. In the next moment, his confusion, reluctance, and dreams were shredded by the rampaging elements, eventually consumed by the ignited stars...

Cynthia's expression returned to normal, as if she had just casually crushed an ant.

Ryan's speculation was mere idle fantasy. She came to the City of Fire Oil to investigate the cause of a previous incarnation's death but didn't expect Ryan to so eagerly attach himself to her.

A tool delivered to her doorstep, Cynthia naturally wouldn't refuse to use it.

Compared to the innocent Ryan, who could withstand Council scrutiny, he was more suitable to be displayed openly.

As for his so-called magical genius, it was a result of her using enlightenment magic to forcefully imbue him with some astronomical knowledge and inspiration. Otherwise, how could he suddenly produce papers capable of alarming the Council?

In the moments it took to deal with Ryan, Farel, bound by magical threads, had been drained into a desiccated corpse.

Given the grand wizard's strong soul, Farel retained some consciousness, only intensifying his torment. He could only watch helplessly as Cynthia approached, his heart filled with fear, anger, and despair.

【Soul Retrieval】

Cynthia stepped forward, placing one hand on Farel's head and the other on the cube. As the spell activated, fragments of memories emerged in her mind.

As a grand wizard and a core member of the Council, Farel knew much.

For instance, wizards had recently discovered many new elements and were using electromagnetic waves for communication.

Also, the Chairmen were busy with a very important matter

, mobilizing almost all of the Council's resources...

Unfortunately, Farel's alchemy skills were not outstanding among grand wizards, so he was assigned other tasks and didn't participate.

After a thorough search, Cynthia quickly found what she sought: Judge Joshua's imprisonment location!

In the Council's headquarters, typically guarded by a grand wizard, Farel had secretly served as a guardian for a time.

With sufficient information, Cynthia completely extracted Farel's soul.

The process was smooth, without interruption.

After all, using alchemy to cast spells didn't involve divine magic, thus evading the city-wide detection barrier.

And intense magical fluctuations were normal in a grand wizard's mansion, whether for magical experiments or creating various devices.

After silently dealing with the mansion's servants and guards, Cynthia left Farel's mansion alone.

Simultaneously, the Church's faithful infiltrators in the City of Fire Oil received divine revelations at the same moment.

Monroe was indescribably thrilled.

"The Lord, the Great Lord is calling us!" Monroe was moved to tears. Despite two misjudgments leading to significant losses for the Church in the Kingdom, he still received divine guidance!

This was redemption in despair!

The Great Lord had not forsaken him!

At that moment, Monroe's feelings of regret and guilt transformed into a strong sense of mission. He must act to repay this trust, no matter the cost!

As Monroe was caught up in fervor, Ivina beside him showed a hint of worry, faintly recalling the evening news of the dark god calamity erupting in the northern border.

How coincidental...

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