If anyone in the world could deceive Kadela, it would be himself. His suspicion, his dread of successors, and his longing to completely become Kadela would all be his own barriers.
"Rowena, the crucial moment is about to arrive."
Ethan said, "From now on, everything you say will become true."
For Kadela, this was a day filled with frustration.
Too many things happened this night.
First, Round Table Knight Palansi defied his will, forcing him to crush Palansi’s soul and find someone to fill the vacancy.
However, the actions at Bi’an Mansion unexpectedly failed, and more disastrously, at the puppet gathering, he learned of a shocking speculation from Great Mage Silver Fox—that shadowy figure hiding in the dark, Rowena, intends to use Ethan to seize the treasure of the mage tower.
The treasure that should belong to him!
In his heart, Kadela offered high respect to Silver Fox’s wisdom and fearlessness, even feeling a rare pity for a mortal’s plight.
But now, there are more important matters awaiting him.
This was the darkest hour before dawn. After centuries, Kadela returned to the mage tower.
With his own soul, not several puppet’s souls.
The mage tower was unusually quiet, the mages had gone to dreamland, this was the last silence before the storm.
Kadela ascended the spiral staircase unhindered, arriving without any obstruction at the observatory, where he had gained everything before.
The lights inside were still on. Since his departure, many scholars had come and gone, making drastic changes to the layout, but the back hall still remained the same, surrounded by gray-white energy, making one feel as if they were amidst the stars. Through the slightly ajar door and dim light, Kadela knew someone was waiting for him there.
In June, on a certain year, at 4:04 in the early morning.
Following the faint light, Kadela saw a woman seated at the center of the circular array in the back hall, her back facing him. She stayed motionless, seemingly immersed in meditation.
This was a perfect chance, yet Kadela dared not act rashly.
Because...Rowena seemed so calm. He couldn’t fathom the source of her confidence.
Throughout his journey, he had been probing information about Rowena.
Born in a small village on the border of the Empire, her parents were killed by bandits when she was young, raised by villagers, and recruited into the Astrology Guild because of some "twisted interests" of the Imperial Reserve, proficient in divination, yet created "destruction" type cutting spells.
A magician with extraordinary talent.
If Kadela were to give a comment, he would evaluate Rowena as such.
No matter what motive she had for defecting from the Astrology Guild or what ambition she possessed, she was just a mortal. She couldn’t even compare to the current scholar; at the same age as Rowena, the scholar’s record was far more illustrious.
If not for everything that happened tonight, Kadela wouldn’t have even remembered this name.
"The farce should end now. Hand over the treasure."
Kadela said tentatively.
Rowena, who was meditating with her eyes closed, opened her eyes. Her lips slightly tilted upward, gray-white energy surged between her eyes.
Clearly, she wasn’t intimidated by Kadela’s name or the magic power he purposefully released.
Rowena knew he was an imposter.
This made Kadela incredibly anxious, even though it wasn’t much of a secret among the Divine Attendants, but to the magicians, he was the embodiment of the God of Trickery. Every echo he created could delight his followers, making them willingly offer everything.
"If you want it, you should take it yourself. Did you forget the rules left by the God of Trickery?"
Rowena slowly turned around, scrutinizing Kadela’s faintly visible soul with a teasing gaze.
In the next moment, everything around changed.
Kadela heard the noise from books, countless collections of books and manuscripts from generations of scholars quickly flipped through, the ground beneath him extended, wooden bookshelves formed a closed ring-shaped space, and beneath his feet was a path laid with magical symbols.
This path was leading him into the closed space, a road to the arena.
In the center of that arena, wearing a magical robe and a pointy magic hat, Rowena showed him the composure and elegance of a pure-blood mage, slightly bowing with her ebony wand in hand. Check latest chapters at NovєlFіre.net
But Kadela didn’t like the arena.
He indulged in controlling puppets with strings, the greatest invention among all spells of the God of Trickery, he manipulated them at will, letting them act according to his will, even facing death with unwavering commitment. At that moment, Kadela felt he was the supreme divine spirit.
He also disliked evenly matched battles.
If he had to fight, he would always make sure he held an overwhelming advantage.
Yet, at this moment, the path beneath him led to the unknown, but he had no choice but to step into the arena, because it stored the treasure left by the God of Trickery...no, the treasure he had left behind for himself, and this time he had come just to reclaim what was rightfully his.