Chapter 741: Archmage’s Presence
She snapped her fingers to attract everyone's attention and spoke.
"That's because almost one-third of the Mystics follow the Fake Origin Class pathway and end up regressed in strength. Without the divine power, even a Rank-4 Holy Knight struggles to kill a Rank-3 Magical Beast. I'm not blaming the Gods for not helping us in the chaotic time. I know the Churches are barely holding on, too. I'm asking everyone: Why are we relying too much on the Fake Origin Path?"
"Normal Class gems aren't something that can be produced, kid. To get a class gem, one must enter the Mystic Tower and kill countless monsters to get a specific gem. There are many conditions to be met, too. We send trained knights every day, but we barely manage to get our hands on them. And as rank increases, the drop chance also lowers drastically." The speaker himself spoke.
"That's the only reason we ever accepted the Class Gems from the Lawful Gods — we had no other choice."
Others nodded in agreement.
"What if there is another way to increase one's strength?" Rhea said as she took out a book.
"Why not follow the Ancient Method?"
"Forbidden path?"
"Blasphemous!"
"Heretic!"
"This is against God's Will!"
Almost all the members of the Churches stood up and protested.
"That's for the people to decide." Rhea remained firm and continued.
"Whether the Council approves or not, the Rebirth Tower will welcome anyone with a high affinity in any element and give them a suitable technique free of cost. Even the Holy Knights can start over using the right technique."
"Are you truly defying the will of the United Council, Rhea Boneflare? Do you understand the weight of those words?" Salvatore growled, his voice low and charged. A crushing pressure radiated from him as his wisdom power surged.
A suffocating feeling appeared in Rhea's chest.
"Enough." A cold, heavy voice echoed across the chamber, silencing the oppressive force.
At the same time, Runeth released his wisdom power and pushed the suppressive force.
No, every Legendary Powerhouse in the hall saw what happened clearly.
Runeth's wisdom power didn't push the Salvatore's wisdom power.
Instead, it destroyed his wisdom power!
"That's… an Archmage's presence!" Asthar stood abruptly, his eyes wide with disbelief. Same goes for Nedia, Zegan, and all other Legendary Powerhouses.
Archmage was a Rank-7 powerhouse!
So far, there were none in the Edhen World.
Meanwhile, Rhea managed to take a breath and spoke in a loud tone.
"I am Rhea, Queen of Iron Kingdom, bearer of the First King Ledger Boneflare's legacy, and the first disciple of the Ancient Mage Oswald. I do not kneel — not to your power, nor your faith. I hereby vow that I'll stay true to my words. If using the Forbidden Pathway can save my people, I'll not hesitate to oppose even if they are the Gods you are worshipping."
A dead silence descended in the assembly meeting hall.
But nobody dared to speak anymore.
Rhea's gaze swept across the chamber before locking onto the representative from the Arc Kingdom.
"And here we have a man," she said coldly, "who dares propose using human lives as fodder for experimentation — turning people into monsters for the sake of power."
Murmurs erupted. A few council members flinched, while others looked away.
"That," Rhea continued, her voice sharp as a blade, "is not the act of a sovereign. That is the work of a demon in disguise."
Gasps rippled through the assembly. A few of the Arc Kingdom's allies stirred, ready to object — but her eyes silenced them.
"What alarms me more," she added with a bitter smile, "is that some of you are willing to approve such a thing. Have we truly fallen so far?"
She took a breath, steadying her anger. Then she turned toward the minor kingdoms and dukedoms.
"Empires like Blood Empire, Rogue Thorne, Sacred Empire, and Azure Federation may not need the Ancient Methods. They have enough strength, enough favor, and enough resources to protect their people. But what about you?"
Her words lingered in the air, heavy.
"Did you not hear Mr. Asthar's words? He spoke clearly. The Federation doesn't care if you survive. And the churches? They've already chosen which kingdoms are worth saving."
The room fell still.
Rhea stepped forward and raised her voice.
"Let me be equally clear: If I receive even a verified report that the Arc Kingdom is using that serum on innocent people, I will bring the matter before this Council. And if the Council fails to act—" she paused, locking eyes with the Speaker, "—then the Iron Kingdom will."
Her words shocked everyone.
"That sounds like a threat of war, Queen Rhea," a duke muttered.
Rhea didn't blink. "Call it what you will."
"That's all I have to say."
She then slowly bowed her head and ended her speech.
A heavy silence lingered in the hall long after Rhea stepped back.
Salvatore adjusted the folds of his robe, his voice calm but tight.
"…The Council has heard Queen Rhea's words."
He looked around, his gaze lingering on each representative.
"As Speaker of the United Council, I assure you all that the Council will do its utmost to address the concerns of every kingdom and sovereign state. Regarding the Arc Kingdom's proposal on the Nightmare Serum…" He briefly looked at the Arc Kingdom's representative, who now wore a forced expression of composure.
"…this Council will review the matter in full. A decision will be made only after it receives the majority approval of all council members."
Most nodded, some sighed, but no one argued.
Then Salvatore cleared his throat and continued, "As for the matter of the Forbidden Pathway, I must clarify the Council's standing. The Churches banned this method for a reason — because there is a fifty percent chance of death during each rank up. That risk is unacceptable."
The weight of his words seemed to resonate with many.
But Rhea stepped forward again.
"Your concerns are valid. But outdated."
She raised her hand, revealing a crimson-gold scroll sealed by an arcane rune.
"The Rebirth Tower has been using new advanced techniques. We've developed stabilizers and ritual enhancers. The current success rate stands at ninety percent."
Murmurs echoed across the room.
"Even in failure, the subject does not die. At worst, they suffer internal injuries — recoverable through normal healing methods."
Salvatore's fingers stiffened on the podium.
"What you're claiming is… impossible."
"You can doubt it. But I came prepared." Rhea smiled calmly. "To prove our success, I propose something bold."
She let her voice rise above the murmurs of disbelief.
"The Rebirth Tower will create a new Mystic Order. One founded entirely on the Ancient Forbidden pathway Method."
Chaos.
"No!"
"Have you lost your mind?!"
"Heretic!"
"Such a force would draw divine wrath!"
"Unacceptable!"
Rage burst from the Church representatives. The Sacred Empire's cardinal slammed his fist on the desk. A few dukes stood up in shock.
But Rhea continued, unshaken.
"This Mystic Order will not operate in any other empire or kingdom. It will be formed only within the Sacred Empire's territory — under a sealed agreement with their ruler."
Gasps turned into silence.
"And I'm not asking for full approval. I'm asking each empire, kingdom, church, and major organization to send at least one Mystic with high or above light affinity to become a part of this Order."
Her following words struck like thunder.
"If we succeed, you'll no longer have to rely solely on the Class-gem Pathway. We will finally have another path. A real and an ancient one."
Her proposal didn't just threaten the Churches — it offered a glimpse of complete freedom for small kingdoms.
The four great empires — Blood Empire, Azure Federation, Arc Kingdom, Sacred Empire, and almost all churches — stood in firm opposition. They could already see it: the slow erosion of their dominance.
But the minor kingdoms, the dukedoms, and many powerful independent organizations wore different expressions.
Hope. Caution. Calculation.
Salvatore sensed it.
He saw how the balance of the Council might shift — how the hearts of the lesser powers had begun to sway.
And so, he struck the gavel with unnecessary haste.
"This meeting is adjourned."
He didn't glance at Rhea as he stepped down and vanished from the central podium.
But the ripples had already begun.
"Let's go," Runeth said as he stood up. Edith nodded her head and started walking towards the exit.
Runeth, Rhea, and Edith exited the Council Hall amid a tide of silent tension and murmuring speculation. The air outside was crisp, yet heavy with the weight of what had transpired inside. The cobbled steps echoed with the firm click of their boots as they descended, one after another, not a word spoken.
As they climbed into the carriage waiting at the base of the Council's marble stairway, Runeth finally broke the silence.
"You've stirred the beehive," he said, his tone neutral.
Rhea leaned back against the soft velvet of the seat, her gaze focused on the sky through the window.
"They needed to be stirred," she replied, voice calm.
"When entering the hall, I was hesitant. But when you overpowered others through pure wisdom power, I knew what you said at the airport was true and decided to go all out."
Runeth gave a half-smile, then turned toward her, his expression darkening. "From now on, you'll be targeted. The major powers won't sit idly. Expect assassination attempts — subtle or direct."
"I know," Rhea answered quietly.
In truth, Rhea was scared of the assassination. After all, she was a Rank-5 Mystic while her opponents were all Legendary Powerhouses.
'If Runeth weren't there, I would've been killed by the Speaker on the spot.'
Edith adjusted her gloves and added, "We'll protect you."