Chapter 360: Merely the Greatest
A few days later, a high-profile welcome banquet was being held in the main hall of the Magic Association's middle levels.
Magicians employed by the Association, noble representatives from El Country, and some First-Class Mages who had passed rigorous assessments gathered together, maintaining a seemingly harmonious atmosphere.
However, everyone had their own hidden agendas.
The focus of the banquet was undoubtedly the group of visitors who had come from afar—a joint delegation from several important magician organizations in the southern part of the continent.
They were few in number, about ten or so, but each possessed a strong mana aura, clearly marking them as top-tier magicians from the south.
Standing at their front, surrounded like a moon by stars, was the leader of this delegation, Hess.
He was the most famous magician in the southern continent in recent years, once known as the "Twin Sages" alongside Friedrich, the Chief Court Magician of the Southern Unified Empire.
However, after Friedrich retired and Hess made further progress in his magical research, he had vaguely become the most famous magician in the south.
He was even once called the greatest human magician since God-Slayer Kurtz.
Even when Emperor Leggate forcibly conscripted southern magicians into his own court magician corps, he hadn't raised a hand against him.
Of course, it wasn't out of fear. After all, Leggate hadn't even cared about Serie, let alone a mere "greatest" magician. It was simply unnecessary.
Because Hess had already offered all of his research results to Leggate, and the two had reached a secret cooperation. Naturally, Leggate would not continue to demand his overt submission.
However, these matters were little known to the public.
Hess appeared to have the human appearance of someone in his forties, but his actual age was far beyond that. He had clearly used some special means to make himself look younger.
But his methods were far inferior to Flamme's solidification magic.
Because Flamme had long ago mastered solidification magic and even created a magic for eternal youth based on it, allowing her appearance and body to remain forever at their most beautiful moment.
She would never be like Hess, who was merely delaying the aging process.
He had a serious face, his silver-gray hair combed meticulously, and his mage robes were of exquisite quality, inscribed with golden patterns.
Holding his staff, his gaze slowly swept across the banquet hall with a majesty that seemed to scrutinize everything. But beneath that majesty, if one looked closely, a trace of unease could be caught—one desperately hidden but difficult to completely conceal.
Just as Serie had previously judged, Hess's trip was by no means a simple academic exchange.
Rumors of immortality magic had spread like wildfire across the entire continent.
Although the southern magic world was relatively independent, no one could truly remain indifferent when faced with a temptation that touched upon the ultimate mysteries of life.
And Hess, this archmage revered as a legend in the south, naturally desired to get his hands on this magic as well.
But he didn't dare come to the Magic Association.
It wasn't just him. The other magicians of the southern continent didn't dare to either.
Despite how busy the Magic Association had been lately, a closer look would reveal that magicians from the southern continent were pitifully few.
The reason was simple.
Magicians from the entire southern continent didn't dare step into the Association—or rather, they didn't dare face Serie and that Kurtz.
After all, after those two killed Legate, the Emperor of the Southern Unified Empire, they had stayed in the empire for a while. And because of Legate's dying words that Kurtz was still alive, the southern continent was among the first to know of Kurtz's survival.
Naturally, this gave rise to covetous thoughts about why Kurtz could live until now and whether he possessed some kind of immortality magic.
What happened after that was quite simple.
All the magicians who dared to make a move died, as did those who hadn't even had the chance to act yet. The ruthlessness of this greatest human Great Sage far exceeded their imaginations.
Hess's only consolation was that he was still observing at the time and hadn't participated, thus escaping the disaster.
Now, upon learning that Kurtz was willing to hand over immortality magic, he could no longer suppress the desire in his heart. He united a large group of magicians to see if they could obtain this magic through legitimate means.
Although he was hailed as the greatest magician after Kurtz, the title itself was a source of embarrassment.
Because Kurtz was still alive.
A living legend, the founder of the human magic system, his existence was like an insurmountable mountain towering above all who followed.
As long as Kurtz was around, any title seemed pale and laughable.
Hess had enjoyed supreme status in the south for decades, but coming to the imperial capital, to the Magic Association, to Kurtz's domain, he felt as if he had reverted to being an apprentice who had just entered the path of magic.
This psychological gap, combined with his extreme discomfort, made his expression look incredibly grim.
At this moment, Flamme was the one responsible for receiving Hess.
She wore a set of white mage robes today, a polite smile on her face as she introduced several important members of the Association to Hess.
However, Hess's reaction was rather cold.
To Flamme's introductions, he mostly just gave a slight nod. His gaze rarely truly landed on Flamme, instead looking past her to inspect the magic tower.
To Flamme's questions about the current state of the southern magic world or the latest magical research, his answers were short and perfunctory, showing a clear sense of detachment and an unwillingness to discuss things with her. He appeared extremely arrogant.
The smile on Flamme's face remained unchanged, but her eyes clearly turned cold.
She certainly knew of Hess's reputation and understood that his magical attainments might indeed be profound, but now, he was clearly treating her as an inferior junior.
But who was she, Flamme?
The direct disciple of Kurtz, the second disciple of Serie, a core manager of the Magic Association, proficient in life magic, solidification magic, and other fields, with countless combat experiences.
In terms of strength, she was confident she wouldn't lose to this haughty southern sage.
Given his attitude, if not for the occasion and the Association's reputation, she really wanted to drag him to the training grounds for a "sparring session" to see who the real junior was!
On the other side, just as Flamme thought, Hess indeed viewed this young and beautiful red-haired magician as a junior.
Therefore, he naturally didn't want to waste too much time on her, even if she was the disciple of those two.
But at the same time, a trace of doubt arose in Hess's heart. And that was why Flamme looked so young?
He remembered her making a name for herself in the magic world over a decade ago. Now that so much time had passed, how could she still look like a young girl? Could it be that she had already mastered immortality magic?
Flamme naturally noticed Hess's suspicious gaze.
Hess seemed to dismiss her, yet his sharp eyes seemed to linger on her a few more times.
Could it be that this guy is suspecting something? Suspecting that she had accessed or even mastered some effects of immortality magic to maintain such a youthful appearance?
Thinking of this, Flamme's internal sneer deepened. Ignorance and arrogance often go hand in hand.
Just as the atmosphere grew slightly awkward due to Hess's coldness, a cool, pleasant voice cut in.
"This should be our first time meeting. Southern Sage Hess." Serie walked over.
She had changed out of her usual simple clothes into a white formal gown. Her long blonde hair wasn't loose as usual but was tied into an elegant and sharp bun, secured with several hairpins, revealing her smooth forehead and slender neck.
There was a hint of a smile on her face, but it looked more like a sneer, and her tone was full of disdain even as she addressed Hess by his title of Southern Sage.
After all, back in the Southern Unified Empire, Serie had heard of his name, though she unfortunately never met him.
But it was lucky she hadn't. Otherwise, he would have been buried with those other reckless magicians long ago. How could he have lived until today and even gathered a large group of magicians to run to her Magic Association?
This outfit was naturally prepared by Kurtz, and even the hairstyle was woven by him, saying it would make her look more mature.
From the way Kurtz glanced at her from time to time after she finished dressing, Serie was extremely satisfied with this look.
On the other side, Hess's attention was finally fully captured.
Facing Serie, his attitude became significantly more solemn, and he reined in some of his previous arrogance.
After all, Serie was not only the actual manager of the Magic Association but also an elf who had lived for untold ages. Her own strength and prestige were enough to command caution.
"Lady Serie, I have long heard of your great name," Hess bowed slightly in greeting. "It is my honor to see the grace of the legendary Elf Saint in person. Under your management, the Magic Association has truly become the number one magic organization on the continent."
He spoke beautifully, making it hard even for Serie to mock him openly.
"You have a good mouth, you overpraise me," Serie offered a perfunctory reply before shifting the topic. "I heard you led a delegation here to discuss the latest magical research with the Association? I have arranged for Flamme to handle everything. You can coordinate directly with her when the time comes."
She cut straight to the point, attempting to pull the conversation back on track.
However, Hess clearly didn't want to stop there. After all, he hadn't come here to see Serie, nor for some friendly exchange between magicians.
He smiled and said, "Lady Serie is quite right. However, before exploring those matters, I would like to ask another question. The core runes of life magic previously announced by the Magic Association are claimed to involve the essence of life and can even construct immortality magic. But as far as I know, none of the magicians who currently have the runes can conduct research. I wonder if there are certain research conditions for such profound runes? Could you share a thing or two with us? It would allow us southern magicians to learn together."
Finally, Hess summoned the courage to speak his true thoughts.
His words were high-sounding, but his intent couldn't be more obvious, and he had clearly put in some effort to investigate beforehand.
The smile on Serie's face faded slightly. She detested this kind of roundabout, greedy behavior the most.
"Those runes are already everything for constructing immortality magic," she said, her tone unchanged but carrying a clear chill. "Besides, magical research, especially research involving life magic, requires the accumulation of time. Being impatient is useless."
These words meant: Stop asking. The answer is no, and your impatient attitude is very unprofessional.
The smile on Hess's face stiffened, and then he gave a dry laugh. "Lady Serie is right, I was being forward. It's just, research concerning the ultimate dream of all humanity inevitably makes one yearn for it with some urgency. I hope you can forgive me."
He paused, his gaze seemingly accidentally sweeping over Flamme's young and beautiful face again, adding pointedly, "However, seeing how young and beautiful Miss Flamme is, I presume, your Association must have some unique insights in the field of life magic after all?"
This was a clear insinuation that Flamme might have already privately enjoyed the benefits of immortality magic.
Serie's eyes instantly turned cold. Just as she began calculating where to bury this damn fellow, Flamme stepped forward half a pace and spoke. "Your Excellency Hess."
She didn't use the title of Master but used the relatively equal title of Excellency, clearly placing herself on the same level as Hess. Hess naturally noticed this and was about to flare up, but after seeing Serie's unfriendly gaze nearby, he obediently swallowed his words.
His previous words had already annoyed Serie. If he spoke more, this Elf Saint would give him a violent thrashing in front of all these people.
If that happened, he would truly lose face.
On the other side, Flamme's reply continued. "Although I have some small achievements in life magic, unfortunately, I have not deciphered the mysteries of my Master's immortality magic. As for why I am so young? Perhaps it's a youthful mindset, combined with the use of some ordinary magic to nourish the body in daily life. If the Master is interested in this, the Association's library has many similar health-preserving recipes that we can gift to you."
This answer was very clever. Hess was left speechless, his face looking somewhat unsightly.
The expressions of the southern magicians behind him also turned sour, but they didn't dare interject. Consequently, the atmosphere in the banquet hall suddenly became tense, with many gazes turning toward them.
The urge in Serie's heart to pin Hess to the ground and beat him up grew even stronger. Her fingers twitched slightly at her side. She almost wanted to strike first.
Serie was confident she could take this guy down within two moves. If she couldn't, she'd write her name backward!
But logic told her she couldn't.
This was the Association's home ground, and the other party was the leader of an official visiting delegation. Acting directly in front of everyone would be too beneath her status. The elf miss still cared about her reputation.
[End of Chapter]