Chapter 199: Allen Begins Studying New Spells
At the Church of Hermes, a top-level meeting was underway.
It was presided over by thirteen chairpersons, with numerous group representatives in attendance—some of them even deities.
"I heard Kamar-Taj has gone nuts. All the old-school sorcerers are roaming across the European continent, supposedly looking for the next Sorcerer Supreme."
"Wasn't the plan to select a candidate from among their many apprentices? Why would they come to Europe to find someone?"
"A spy embedded in Kamar-Taj reported that they had originally selected a naturally gifted young sorcerer to succeed as the Sorcerer Supreme. But apparently, something's off about the boy, so they sent him to Europe to train... and then he just disappeared."
"Hiss… A naturally gifted sorcerer? If he were aligned with our side, that would be ideal. What's the boy's name again?"
"Allen."
The moment that name was spoken, three elderly men sitting in the corner shuddered and nervously asked, "Is he an East Asian-looking young man who talks a bit... strangely?"
"That's right. He looks Eastern and is in his early twenties."
A wave of curious gazes turned toward the three elders, intrigued by how they seemed to know this person's appearance.
"Not long ago, the Cult of Eternal Night recruited a young man with the same name and matching appearance…"
The three elders proceeded to report Allen's physical traits in detail—every one of them matched the description.
The room fell into sudden silence.
Instead of being happy about having acquired a prodigy, everyone felt like they were stuck holding a ticking time bomb.
The heir that Kamar-Taj was frantically searching for had ended up right under their roof. There was no reasonable way to explain this.
Sure, Allen had joined voluntarily—but would Kamar-Taj believe the word of a dark organization?
Killing him would be a waste—and worse, could spark enmity.
The only viable solution was to keep him hidden and out of sight, so Kamar-Taj wouldn't trace him back to them.
Kamar-Taj's deterrent force was beyond question. They weren't afraid of the ordinary sorcerers, but of the being behind them—Agamotto.
Officially, Agamotto had transcended to a higher dimension and no longer walked the mortal world, but that didn't mean he couldn't still intervene.
"What if he gets bored being locked away and runs off?"
"Then give him emotional ties. That way, he'll be reluctant to leave."
"The offspring of a natural-born sorcerer... I'm really curious how much talent he might inherit."
…
Back at the castle.
Allen wasn't idle—he was diving into all sorts of magical studies.
It had to be said, the Church of Hermes boasted a far more extensive collection than Kamar-Taj—though it lacked structure and was more like a haphazard hoard of all kinds of magical knowledge.
Kamar-Taj, by contrast, was systematic and well-curated.
After being immersed in this ocean of knowledge, Allen began to lose interest after just three days.
"It's time to create my own magic."
With this thought, Allen confidently made his way to the cafeteria. Under the gazes of many, he casually pulled out a kitchen knife.
As he reached the doorway, he paused.
His eyes swept across the dining area, full of puzzled young women, then slowly curled into a mischievous grin.
Smack!
He slapped the kitchen knife onto the dining table and plopped down in front of a young female sorcerer, propping up his chin with both hands and staring at her without blinking.
The cafeteria was filled with nothing but young, attractive female sorcerers.
Allen was sure it was his first time seeing them—hell, even the kitchen staff had been swapped out for mature, alluring women.
"What do you want?"
The female sorcerer awkwardly froze mid-scoop.
The others, while pretending to eat, were all sneaking glances at Allen.
They drew the same conclusion: not bad-looking, well-built, and gave off a spirited vibe.
Allen blushed and said, "Oh, stop. I don't like people being so forward."
"I asked what you're trying to do?" The sorceress sighed, rubbing her forehead.
"I told you—I'm not trying anything," Allen answered righteously.
"…"
The women present were all convinced he was insane—he couldn't even hold a proper conversation.
Every one of them hailed from the thirteen chairperson families. They had all received the same instruction: seduce Allen, and make him fall helplessly in love.
Allen suddenly stood, dramatically brandishing his kitchen knife. "To think you're such a shameless woman! I'm ashamed I ever felt a moment of affection for you!"
Clang!
Jarna's spoon clattered onto the table as she stared wide-eyed at Allen's retreating figure.
A wave of grievance surged within her—tears began welling in her eyes.
The thirteen families of the Church of Hermes were long-established houses of nobility, known for their strict family discipline. Though assigned the mission of seducing Allen, they all inwardly resisted it.
But a command from the family patriarch could not be disobeyed—they had to make sacrifices for their clans.
Upon learning of Allen's natural talent, every family had its own agenda. If they could win him over and groom him, perhaps a future Sorcerer Supreme would emerge from their house.
That would vastly elevate their influence within the Church of Hermes.
"This guy must be crazy. Just imagining being with him makes my skin crawl."
"Right? I prefer sorcerers who are refined and cultured."
"I'm just going to do the bare minimum to complete the mission. Girls, if any of you want him, go ahead."
"…"
These young sorceresses, from different families, all spoke disdainfully while pretending to act generously—but their true thoughts were another story.
Each was scheming for her own family's benefit, subtly belittling the others in hopes of confusing the more naïve competitors and reducing the overall threat level.
The thirteen families were inherently rivals. Unity was never an option.
Allen returned to his room, kitchen knife in hand.
He raised his hand and drew a summoning array, then shouted:
"Come forth, guardian of the Gates of Hell, howler that devours the souls of the guilty—Hellhound!"
As the glowing array faded, a gray-and-white puppy appeared at its center.
"Woof…"
The soft, puppyish bark made Allen wonder if the summoning had failed. He muttered, "Why does it look like I summoned a husky…"
"Woof! Woof! Woof!"
Sensing Allen's disdain, the husky-like Hellhound began barking furiously in protest.
"Stupid mutt—bark one more time and I'll neuter you."
"Woof! Woof! Woof!"
Undeterred by the threat, the husky barked with rebellious eyes, as if cursing him in dog-speak.
"Damn it… I feel like you're insulting my intelligence."
Allen's expression darkened. Today, he was determined to have it out with this Hellhound.
"Awoo…"
The Hellhound let out a shrill yelp.
"Oh? A little female dog, huh?"
Allen grinned wickedly. "Now I'm even more excited."
Meanwhile, several female sorcerers were eavesdropping just outside the door.
"He's a lunatic. Sounds like he's abusing the dog."
"He's got violent tendencies. I'm not risking my life for this."
"Let's keep watching and decide later—better to push someone else forward to test the waters first."
"…"
Of course, Allen wasn't actually a psycho. He was simply studying the anatomy of magical beasts in order to develop new spells.
Allen was currently conceptualizing a completely new category of magic.