Nicolas Flamel, the greatest alchemist of the century and the first to successfully create the Philosopher's Stone, once wrote this line in his late-life manuscripts.
He said, 'I have lived for eighty years, and in that time, which is so long to mortal men, he was the most gifted youth I have ever seen.'
'I never believed in those born with knowledge, for I understood that all gifts in this world come with a price.'
'But that one time, I was forced to believe.'
—The Last Will of Nicolas
...
[You never hesitate to display your abilities—whether in the realm of mystery or in the mundane world.]
[Because you understand clearly that the amount of power you possess determines the amount of resources you can acquire.]
It was true for this simulation.
And it was true for the last one.
Even in reality, Lu Kang followed this same principle of action.
Playing the pig to eat the tiger might allow him to achieve a victory of the weak over the strong, but it wouldn't be enough to turn him into a tiger. On the other hand, acting like a tiger would bring a steady supply of a tiger's share of food, giving him the resources to grow faster.
As long as he could handle the consequences, there was nothing he wouldn't show.
[The final result was just as you expected.]
[You guessed everything correctly.]
[The mundane world has its national wars, and the mystic side naturally has its own—at this moment, the majority of magi belonging to France have already gathered in this ancient city called Paris.]
[Nicolas Flamel takes you and your teacher, Prelati, to meet them.]
[You meet 'Isabelle de Rais' from Brittany in western France, a descendant of the de Rais family that manages one of the ley lines of the Loire River. She is a young woman in her early twenties. You have never heard of her, but from her name, you can surmise that she is likely a relative, or perhaps a direct family member, of the Gilles de Rais who will one day follow the Saint.]
[You also meet 'Auton de Lautrec' from the great northern city of Toulouse, a descendant of the de Lautrec family—he is a magus of the mystic realm, but also a feudal lord of France.]
[In addition, there are the Fécamp family from Rouen in central France, the Morteau family from the banks of the Saône River, and others.]
[Just as you expected, the magi of the Middle Ages are themselves members of the noble class—they are the lords of France, the masters of fiefdoms, and the managers of ley lines. They may not fight for the mundane world, but they will ultimately rise up for their own interests.]
[At only eight years old, you do not stand out among them.]
[But Nicolas Flamel praises you effusively, saying that you will surely become the leading figure of the French mystic side in the future, a Grand-class magus on the level of a Mystic Monarch—you suddenly have the strange feeling of being at a martial arts conference, being highly praised by the current leader of the martial world.]
[However, in the current French mystic side, Nicolas Flamel is indeed a well-deserved leader.]
[You are also very confident in your own future.]
[Grand is merely your floor, not your ceiling.]
"A future Lord-level great magus?"
At this moment, deeper inside the ancient shop tucked away in the streets of Paris, in a space that felt like a hidden world, as vast as a towering library piled with paper, figures sat scattered about. They watched as the old gentleman entered from the front hall, speaking eloquently, followed by the 'young girl' and the very small boy.
Needless to say, everyone present knew the 'young girl', Prelati. Her profound mystic knowledge and abilities were secondary; her wicked personality was enough to be seared into the minds of countless people, unforgettable for a lifetime.
As for the boy named 'Victoire' in Nicolas Flamel's introduction, he was said to be Prelati's student. Yet, to receive such unreserved praise from this man, who could even be called the world's number one great alchemist, made everyone look at him again and again.
Dressed in a magnificent noble gown, with her long hair unbound, the young woman named Isabelle de Rais, whose slender figure and beautiful face were marred by an unusually pale complexion, muttered this to herself.
It wasn't a matter of being convinced or not.
Pure nobles might care about momentary dignity and fame, but magi only cared about tangible benefits.
They certainly wouldn't argue with a child who looked no older than ten.
Beside Isabelle, Auton de Lautrec seemed uninterested. He simply said, "Let the future handle future matters."
"Monsieur Flamel, you should be aware of the current situation. The internal turmoil in the country is growing. As far as I know, the Kingdom of England has already begun to mobilize its armies again. At the same time, those English magi have arrived with the army."
"The mundane belongs to the mundane, and even if we are bound by the principle of secrecy established by the Magus Association, the mystic side of France will absolutely not allow the English to interfere!"
"I hope you have already formulated a counter-strategy, sir, and are not here playing children's games with a child."
Lord Auton de Lautrec appeared to be in his thirties. His figure was not tall but very straight, and his upturned mustache gave him a severe look.
His words, however, struck a chord with everyone present.
"Yes, of course, I have a strategy," Nicolas Flamel said, walking to the front of the gathered seats. He led the newcomers, Prelati and Lu Kang, to sit among the many chairs surrounded by books, and said seriously, "My strategy is to wait and see."
As soon as these words were spoken, the French magi gathered here all frowned.
The severe Lord Lautrec couldn't help but speak again, "You mean, sit and wait for death?"
"It is to observe!" Nicolas Flamel said sternly. "You all know that England is not only stronger than France in mundane power, but their strength on the mystic side is also far greater than ours. That island is surrounded by the sea on all sides, making it much easier for them to preserve Mystery than it is for us."
"We should observe the changes. The ancient Caesar taught us that before you draw your blade, you should understand your enemy..."
"Must we wait for the enemy to be at our doorstep before we resist? That is an act of cowardice!" Auton de Lautrec's brows shot up. This was because his fief was located in the northwest of France, close to the front lines.
However, most of the people present agreed with him.
The representative of the Fécamp family from Angers, a portly middle-aged woman in her forties, was even more aggressive. "What is there to wait for? Monsieur Flamel, why not just use your Philosopher's Stone to threaten them into retreating, just like last time!"
"Do you want to attract the Enforcers from the Magus Association's Sealing Designation division again, or perhaps even the Executors from the Church?"
Naturally, the Fécamp representative's words were met with opposition.
Although the Magus Association was essentially an academic research organization for magi, aimed at exchanging knowledge and preserving Mystery, and did not prohibit infighting among magi,
if things got too out of hand, violating the principle of secrecy and making mystery no longer mysterious, the Magus Association would still display its immense power as the unifier of European magi.
Even Nicolas Flamel would find it absolutely impossible to resist!
In the last war, Nicolas Flamel had been on the verge of receiving a Sealing Designation for using his Philosopher's Stone. If not for his immense power, he would probably be a fugitive by now.
The crowd murmured amongst themselves, finding it difficult to make a final decision.
[You and Prelati remain silent throughout, not saying a word, just observing.]
[You notice Prelati's growing amusement, her smile almost impossible to suppress. You know she loves to see others become flustered—but you have no such interest.]
[You are only thinking about one thing.]
[Think.]
[Then articulate.]
[You stand up and speak.]
"Since the English can invade us,"
"Why can't we invade them back?"
"Let's take the fight directly to the English mainland!"
...
The mundane world has its wars.
And Mystery has its own battlefield.
The Hundred Years' War between England and France—behind that conflict, there was also a slaughter belonging to magecraft.
And if it is said that the mundane Hundred Years' War was turned around by a single person, Saint Jeanne d'Arc,
then Victoire, on the mystic side, proclaimed his name, 'The Victor', to all.
He was the first to propose a counter-attack.
With magecraft as his blade, he was invincible.
And he was regarded as the very first progenitor by countless Spellcasters who used magecraft as a tool for killing.
—Record: A Mystic History of the Hundred Years' War (Collected in the Seventh Pavilion of the History Section, Great Library of the Clock Tower)
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