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“With so many sacrificed, what are those bugs trying to do?”

A flicker of magic power leaked out due to his fluctuating emotions, causing everything in the room to vibrate. The magic potion bottles on the shelf behind him rattled incessantly. Fortunately, Hogg quickly brought his irritation under control. After regaining his composure, he said in a low voice,

“Notify Napa and the other search teams. If they discover anyone from the Blood Moon Cult, there is no need to report. Once their identity is confirmed, execute them on the spot.”

Marz hesitated for a moment and whispered, “Teacher, is that really appropriate? Bypassing a trial to handle them directly will cause quite a negative impact... The people in the Legal Department are already grumbling about your methods...”

“If they have a problem, tell them to come talk to me! The question is, do they dare?!”

Hogg’s impatient expression and dismissive wave of his hand already declared his stance. For those bugs in the gutter like the Blood Moon Cult, the best course of action was to send them straight to hell. Laws were made for people, not for them.

Fifty years ago, a massacre orchestrated by the Blood Moon Cult in the kingdom had led to the complete destruction of a city with a population of a million. Although Hogg had stopped their subsequent plans, those who died could never be brought back.

Even today, that hellish sight remained vivid in his memory.

This was why Hogg took such a hardline stance against them.

“Have him clear out all Blood Moon Cult strongholds in the Outer District within five days. Notify the City Guard Captain to provide full cooperation. The anniversary is about to begin, and I don't want any bugs jumping out to cause trouble during this time.”

Hogg quickly signed an execution order and handed it to Marz. This was one of the promises the King had made to him: during his tenure as the general overseer, he possessed temporary authority that surpassed even the King’s.

Seeing his teacher’s firm attitude, Marz could only nod and say, “Understood. As you wish. Aside from that, there is one more piece of intelligence reported by Angela Balzac.”

“Her? Are you sure there’s no mistake? What intelligence could she possibly have? I remember Angela wasn't assigned to this mission, was she?”

Hogg’s brow furrowed again involuntarily. After all, Angela’s reputation was none too good... and yet she was his disciple. He had spent a fair amount of time cleaning up her messes over the years.

“It’s like this: last night, the duty officer at Intelligence received a communication from Angela. She claimed to have discovered an Heroic Spirit rank mage in a tea shop on 21st Street in the Outer District...”

At this point, Marz’s voice trailed off. No matter how you looked at it, this piece of intelligence didn't seem like something a normal person would come up with... but then again, Angela wasn't exactly normal.

Sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking, he saw Hogg leaning back in his chair, pinching the corners of his eyes while his complexion darkened. If there was anything that could give him such a headache over the years... it was probably her.

“Where is she now? In the palace?”

“Yes, she returned last night. Right now... she’s most likely sleeping.”

“I’m going out for a bit. You stay here and organize these documents.”

“Understood. Take care, Teacher.”

Hogg left his desk, walked around Marz, opened the door, and stepped out, intending to have a talk with his troublemaking apprentice.

This was his personal magic tower, a massive cylindrical building constructed in the palace backyard. Its hundreds of rooms were magic laboratories; aside from him and his disciples, no one else was permitted to enter without authorization.

Although there were rooms on the top floor that served as residences for him and his disciples, Angela didn't like it here. According to her, it was too lonely, and living in the palace was more comfortable.

After leaving the magic tower, the area immediately became more crowded. They were almost all palace guards and servants, and upon seeing Hogg, they would immediately stop their work to bow and salute.

As one of the five strongest individuals on the continent, Hogg naturally enjoyed such treatment.

Especially after he had single-handedly repelled a tide of demons during an Abyss Demon invasion eighty years ago, essentially saving the entire kingdom, the people’s respect and reverence for him had reached its peak.

During that time, statues of him were even erected in many places, though they were eventually dismantled at his insistence.

Currently, Hogg remained here as the Guardian of the kingdom and the dean of the Royal Martial Arts Academy.

“An Heroic Spirit...”

In truth, he had vaguely sensed an extremely vast and pure burst of magic power early this morning. The location happened to be over in the Outer District. While it could have been local magic turbulence caused by the weather leading to a sensory error, it was better to be cautious at such a critical time.

No one understood better than he did the magnitude of the disaster an Heroic Spirit rank expert could bring. So, even if the intelligence came from Angela, he had to go and confirm it.

...

Inside a massive circular training ground.

Setis held her staff, focusing intently on the dummy serving as a target not far away. After slightly adjusting her breathing, her gaze sharpened, and she began a magic chant.

“Triple Fireball!”

As the words fell, three fist-sized fireballs formed at the tip of her staff. A second later, they shot toward the dummy like cannonballs.

Boom!

The dummy instantly exploded into several burning fragments. The shockwave from the explosion even knocked over the surrounding dummies.

The power of this strike far exceeded an ordinary fireball spell. Setis nodded in satisfaction. Although it was only a Rank 1 spell, there were no more than five people in the entire capital who could achieve multi-cast rapid firing at her stage.

Her casting speed and spell power were now steadily increasing, and she would soon advance. By then, she would become a mid-level magic warrior at less than twenty years of age. The name Setis would be etched onto the wall of honor at the Royal Martial Arts Academy, and she would even leave her mark in the history of the Ogu Continent.

After all, the last person to reach such heights was the honorary dean of the magic division, Jesuska Napa—a Rank 3 at nineteen, who had entered the ranks of Legendary Archmage before forty, and was a Legend in both magic and martial arts. There were even rumors that he might challenge the Heroic Spirit rank by the age of one hundred.

Clap, clap, clap.

Applause from the side woke Setis from her pleasant daydream. Turning her head, she saw a young man who bore some resemblance to her walking slowly toward her.

He wore the same uniform as Setis, had the same golden short hair, and a happy smile on his handsome face.

“Practicing so early... you really are something.”

“Why are you here, Brother?”

The young man—Setis’s eldest brother, Reinhardt von Sebas—looked at the messy training ground and remarked with a sigh,

“You’re always working too hard. You’re already excellent enough; you can afford to relax a little.”

Facing this sister who was both overly talented and overly hardworking, Reinhardt couldn't help but wish she could live a more relaxed life... As the only little princess of the house of the Founding Duke, one of the only two dukes in the kingdom who had been granted the name 'von', she could live a happy life even if she chose to be nothing more than a socialite.

And Setis was also set to inherit that name after her coming-of-age ceremony.

“Is there something you need?”

She placed her staff on a nearby weapon rack and picked up a towel to lightly wipe the sweat from her forehead, completely ignoring what her brother had said.

Reinhardt gave a wry smile.

“It’s about the anniversary. Both the magic division and the martial arts division hope you can appear as a special guest for the exhibition match.”

“I’ve said it before: I don’t want to participate in the exhibition match.”

“But the palace—”

His words were cut short as a crumpled towel was thrown, hitting Reinhardt square in the head. At the same time, Setis’s slightly displeased voice rang in his ears.

“If you say another word, it won't be a towel next time.”

“...I understand.”

By the time he looked at Setis again, she had already turned to leave. Reinhardt watched his sister’s departing back and let out another helpless sigh.

Because she was too excellent in every aspect, perhaps as a trade-off... her personality was not very likable. It wouldn't even be an exaggeration to call it a “vile personality.”

For this reason, his mother and he, as her brother, had suffered no small number of headaches. Although they had hired teachers to correct her behavior, it yielded little result, and there had even been several incidents where teachers were driven away in a fit of rage.