Chapter 121: The Fierce Fire Supervisor

“What? Serpent men?”

The prince’s face suddenly darkened. “Where did this information come from? Is it reliable?”

“The intelligence was relayed by Mage Joe Vanwick. The detailed report was also delivered to His Excellency Charles, Chief Court Mage,” the guard said, kneeling on one knee and lowering his head.

The prince pondered briefly, then said calmly, “I understand. You may leave.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The guard saluted and withdrew. The prince glanced at the intelligence on the table, his eyes flickering.

...

At Nather Royal Palace, in the Court Mage Quarters.

“Have you completed the investigation?”

An elderly man with half-white hair and a sharp mind asked.

“Chief Mage, two teams of court mages were dispatched with magical beasts to infiltrate the sewers, but no serpent men were found,” a middle-aged mage reported respectfully.

“Oh? So it was just a false alarm?”

“No, the situation might be more troublesome than we imagined. Upon inspection, many hatched eggshells and dead eggs were found in some hidden corners, as well as shed skins of unknown creatures!” The middle-aged mage sighed lightly, his expression grave. “From the traces left behind, it is certain that a large number of reptilian humanoid creatures once lived underground. The test results are not yet finalized, but it is almost certain they are serpent men.”

The mage paused, then spoke with concern, “Moreover... I suspect...”

“There is a traitor among the court mages?” the elder said calmly.

The middle-aged mage was momentarily stunned but then nodded solemnly.

“From the investigation, the serpent men fled hastily, unable to clear all traces. The intelligence came from Giles Academy, so I immediately dispatched personnel to investigate. Unexpectedly...”

...

As winter approached, the sky over Seventon remained gray and overcast, with occasional flakes of snow drifting down.

“Kid, is it true there’s a bunch of fallen serpent men beneath Seventon?”

Before the man even arrived, Hussein’s booming voice echoed from afar.

Bang!

A loud crash resounded as the Arcane Society’s gates were roughly forced open. The society’s president twitched nervously but restrained his anger because of the visitors.

“Do you know the consequences of falsifying military intelligence? We are on high alert now. Recklessly withdrawing troops from the front lines disrupts the defense and allows the enemy to invade. Ten lives wouldn’t be enough to repay for such a crime!”

Hussein glared fiercely at Bourne, pressing him for answers.

Bourne leaned back with a disdainful look. The air was heavy with a pungent stench, like sulfur and hydrogen sulfide.

“Lord Hussein, a reminder: this is merely my personal speculation; otherwise, the president wouldn’t have reported to you privately. But your accusations are a bit over the top—ten lives?”

Despite his words, Bourne showed no fear.

At first, Bourne had some worries, but as time passed, his suspicions proved correct.

The court mages were no novices. Although Seventon’s sewers were complicated, they had ways to verify intelligence.

Bourne calmly sipped his tea; the president’s brewing skills were quite good.

He set down the cup and said coolly, “You should consult the court mages to see how the investigation is progressing. Besides serving the royal family, they are also responsible for surveilling all of Seventon, preventing and clearing out alien creatures. Last time, the evil corruption was understandable as a demonic invasion, but now, even minor serpent men can infiltrate—that’s hard to accept…”

Uh...

Hussein was momentarily speechless, suddenly realizing this kid was quite sharp-tongued.

If he could, Hussein would have visited the court mages himself long ago. But as a military man and legion commander, he couldn’t casually interact with the court mage faction, which belonged to the royal family’s influence.

The president, watching his grandfather being outwitted by Bourne, covered his mouth to stifle a laugh.

Hussein glared at his granddaughter, then turned to Bourne, sleeves rolled up, ready to teach this impudent boy a lesson.

Sensing danger, Bourne, having been overly confident, kept his [Teleportation] spell ready to flee at any moment.

“Well said. The Earl of Iorum has a fine grandson indeed.”

A strong voice came from the corridor outside.

“Saved,” Bourne breathed a silent sigh of relief. But what kind of grand entrance was this? Hearing without seeing—was this the new trend in showing off?

Seeing someone approach, Hussein lowered his hands, temporarily halting his assault on the kid, but shot Bourne a murderous glare full of unspoken threats. Then he sat down heavily on a nearby stool. Everyone’s attention turned to the voices in the hallway, unaware of the slight smirk at the corner of Hussein’s mouth.

Leading the group was a middle-aged spellcaster wearing the robe of the Chief Court Mage, followed by several court mages.

Bourne noticed the golden stripe on the collar of the middle-aged mage’s robe, which was darker in color. The others wore red or blue stripes.

The arrival of the court mages caused a great stir, especially among the common trainees, whose faces were full of envy.

Bourne and Lissper stood and saluted. Though unsure who the visitors were, their rank was undoubtedly high, and basic respect was due.

As the Arcane Society president was about to speak, Hussein interrupted, “I thought it was someone else with such a grand entourage. Turns out, it’s Leonard Nasif, the Earl...”

“Nasif?”

Bourne’s expression shifted. This was one of the original seven great noble families of Nather. Though the seven noble houses had since withdrawn behind the scenes, their influence remained significant.

The middle-aged mage smiled faintly, unfazed by Hussein’s remarks.

“Lord Hussein, long time no see. Unexpected to meet you here at the academy,” Leonard said, nodding respectfully. Then he turned to Bourne, “You must be the Earl of Iorum’s grandson. Truly gifted. The Earl has an excellent successor.”

“Your speculation has been confirmed—there is indeed a serpent men tribe, and in great numbers. This is a grave failure on the part of the court mages. Your discovery has saved many innocent lives. On behalf of the court mages, I thank you.”

Though Leonard praised Bourne lavishly, Bourne was not pleased, especially because Leonard’s gaze made him uncomfortable, as if he had been seen through. Yet Bourne felt no surge of magical energy.

“In recognition of your contributions to Seventon, His Excellency Charles will personally bestow upon you the title of Flame Overseer!”

“What?”

The crowd gasped. The court mages behind Leonard showed disbelief, clearly hearing this news for the first time.

The Flame Overseer—the highest scholarly title!

This title signifies not only vast knowledge but also outstanding contributions.

It carries not just honor but also considerable power and privileges within Nather.

The previous holder of this title was Boen Conchennio, head of Giles Academy!

...

(PS: There will definitely be more later, or else I’ll starve during the livestream!)

(The End of This Chapter)