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"Zio'bel Ard..." As the last syllable fell.
"Crack!!" A dazzling blue lightning bolt, thicker than a barrel, burst forth from his fingertips like a thunderous spear hurled by a god.
The speed of the lightning surpassed the limits of normal human vision, instantly striking the trunk of the ancient tree with pinpoint accuracy.
There was no violent explosion, only a heart-pounding roar, as if the very atmosphere had been torn apart.
The thick trunk was instantly vaporized by the lightning, leaving a huge hollow.
The lightning's power did not diminish, continuing to pierce through several similarly thick trees behind it, finally striking the ground and leaving a deep crater with scorched edges.
Only then did the pierced trees groan under the strain, slowly tilting, falling, and kicking up a cloud of dust.
Karl stared at the scene dumbfounded, mentally exclaiming 'holy crap'.
A spell that Triss couldn't even chant was cast so effortlessly by Henri, and its power far exceeded imagination.
Henri slowly withdrew his hand, as if he had only done a trivial thing.
He looked at Karl, seemingly guessing what he was thinking, and nodded with a smile.
"You're right, I only chanted the spell just now to give a demonstration." He admitted Karl's unspoken guess.
Before he finished speaking, Henri casually raised his hand again, this time pointing to the clear sky
This time, he didn't utter a single syllable.
"Boom!!!" Another equally thick, and even more fierce, blue pillar of lightning tore through the sky, shooting straight into the clouds.
Deafening thunder rolled in, echoing across the plains for a long time.
Karl stood still, gazing at the slowly dissipating trail of lightning in the sky, then looked at the calm Henri beside him.
For the first time, he clearly realized the chasm-like gap between court sorcerers like Triss, who serve as royal advisors, and Henri, who truly stands near the apex of the pyramid.
Henri saw Karl quickly compose himself, and a flicker of subtle relief passed through his eyes.
He patted Karl's shoulder, his tone filled with encouragement and expectation: "With your talent for spellcasting, if you study diligently, perhaps in two hundred years you could reach my current level."
This was not an exaggeration; Karl's learning speed was indeed astonishing, and two hundred years in a sorcerer's long life was already considered miraculous.
Karl remained silent upon hearing this, but his heart stirred.
"Two hundred years? That's too long..." He mused to himself; Henri seemed to underestimate his potential.
Moreover, according to the trajectory of fate he knew, this world probably couldn't wait two hundred years for the destructive White Frost... Henri didn't mind Karl's silence and instead brought up another practical matter.
"So, regarding Keira Metz, who had a conflict with you, what do you think should be done?"
"Her actions... attempting to use psychokinesis to steal the memories of another spellcaster, especially yours, have seriously violated the laws of the Brotherhood!"
"As your mentor, I absolutely cannot tolerate such behavior!"
Hearing Henri ask for his opinion on Keira Metz's punishment, Karl pondered for a moment.
Keira Metz was hateful and certainly deserved a beating, but he hadn't considered killing her.
Moreover, he had to consider Triss's feelings, and perhaps there might be a use for Keira Metz, the sorceress, in the future, so he decided to leave some leeway.
"Teacher, just give her a sufficiently profound lesson..."
"Make her completely change that arrogant, rude, and unscrupulous personality, as long as... she doesn't die." Karl spoke, his tone calm yet resolute.
Henri nodded slightly after listening, a hint of understanding flashing in his wise eyes.
"I understand. Don't worry, the Brotherhood's ruling on her will be issued soon."
He responded briefly, already having a plan in mind... That evening, deep within the academy, in a secluded secret chamber.
Henri stood before an ancient-looking stand, its edges carved with mysterious runes, and a crystal placed at its top.
This was precisely the magical artifact sorcerers used for long-distance communication, the "Far-Seer."
However, Far-Seers consumed a lot of magic and were very expensive; most sorcerers either didn't purchase them or couldn't use them for too long.
He slowly infused it with magic, and the scene before him rippled like water, gradually revealing three clear gray figures.
The first was a middle-aged sorceress with impeccably styled black hair tied up.
Her face was stern and dignified, dressed in a dark blue robe, her eyes sharp and full of wisdom.
The second was an elven sorceress, possessing the striking beauty characteristic of elves, with pointed ears, golden hair like a waterfall, and emerald eyes like a deep pool.
Her demeanor was elegant with a hint of aloofness, dressed in a green gown adorned with natural elements.
The third was a middle-aged male sorcerer with a somewhat shifty face and deep-set eyes, his bald head reflective, dressed in simple dark clothing.
At this point in the timeline, there were only four members of the Upper Council in total.
The current Vilgefortz was still only a promising member of the Lower Council, not yet promoted to this highest decision-making body.
Henri concisely stated that Keira Metz had violated the laws of the Brotherhood by attempting to use psychokinesis to steal the memories of a Ban Ard student.
Subsequently, Henri proposed a punishment: "Immediately strip Keira Metz of her status as Royal Advisor to Temeria..."
"Then, expel her from Vizima, and permanently forbid her from serving any kingdom's nobility thereafter."
The three council members had no objections to this proposal.
No one would contradict Henri Gedyneith, one of the founders, for an obscure sorceress who had indeed violated the law.
The middle-aged sorceress turned to the other two members and softly asked, "Francesca, Artaud, what do you think?"
Francesca nodded slightly, and Artaud replied with a smile, "I have no objections either, Tissaia."
Tissaia, on behalf of everyone, announced concisely and with authority: "Then... Henri's proposal is approved, to be executed immediately."
The images of Artaud and Francesca nodded slightly, then dissipated like smoke from the Far-Seer, leaving only Tissaia's figure still clear.
"Henri, Margarita mentioned to me a few days ago... that you finally took on an apprentice, is his name Karl? How is his talent?"
Tissaia's voice came through the Far-Seer, with less of the formality of a meeting and more of the concern of an old friend.
Margarita was one of Tissaia's capable assistants within the academy and was now the current rector of Aretuza.
Henri and Tissaia had known each other since the golden age when magic was still glorious, having weathered countless storms together, so Henri naturally would not conceal anything from such an inquiry.
Upon hearing Tissaia ask about Karl, Henri's face, for once, showed an undisguised smile of pride.
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