Half a month later.
During this time, there had been many assassins sent to target Ning Busan, and he had Baphomet deliver all of their corpses straight to the palace.
Although this exposed the fact that there was a demon by Ning Busan's side, the King was so plagued by the constant disturbance that he simply ordered the nobles to stop sending assassins after him.
As a result, Ning Busan's troubles decreased significantly.
Meanwhile, the Mage Association had also begun recruiting commoners to learn magic.
When Ning Busan stepped through the gates of the Mage Association, the students surged toward him like a tide, their eyes filled with deep respect and admiration.
Most of them came from ordinary commoner families and knew that it was solely because of Ning Busan that they now had the opportunity to enter this once-unreachable place.
Ning Busan smiled and nodded to them. “You all arrived so early?”
Previously, the Mage Association had relied entirely on one-on-one teaching. Ever since commoners were allowed to learn magic, the association had specifically set up large lecture halls that could accommodate over a hundred people.
The teachers took turns giving lectures, holding about two or three classes a week to teach basic magical knowledge.
Ning Busan was one of these teachers.
He would patiently answer the students' questions, unlike those aristocratic mages who held their heads high with extreme arrogance.
Consequently, his classes were always packed to the brim, and all the commoner mages adored him.
After one of his lectures ended, a young student blocked Ning Busan's path.
He was tightly clutching a worn-out book on basic magic, which he had likely saved up for a long time to buy.
The student gingerly held the book out to Ning Busan, his eyes sparkling as he stammered, “T-Teacher Ning... could you... could you give me an autograph?”
Ning Busan smiled. “Of course.”
He suddenly recalled his college days.
No matter how passionate the professors were on stage, the students below would still find ways to slack off.
Only when final exams approached would they burn the midnight oil, cramming an entire semester's worth of coursework in just seven days.
Thinking about it now, it truly felt like a lifetime ago.
Ning Busan handed the signed book back to the young student. “There you go.”
The student was overjoyed. “Thank you, Teacher Ning! I will definitely study hard!”
Ning Busan's voice was gentle. “I look forward to seeing your growth.”
The surrounding students whispered among themselves, “Teacher Ning is really so gentle!”
Holding his books, Ning Busan walked calmly toward the top of the tower, though the tips of his ears were slightly red.
Well...
The students were just a bit too enthusiastic, and he found it slightly overwhelming.
Saige sat on a wooden chair in the library and waved at Ning Busan. “I've been waiting for you for a long time. Come over here.”
“Teacher Saige, did you need something from me?”
“The Holy Spirit Altar is going to be reopened. Have you heard?”
Ning Busan nodded. “I did hear a bit about it. What exactly is His Majesty trying to do?”
Saige said, “His Majesty wants to hold the Holy Spirit Festival to pray to the God of Light, begging him to send angels to guide and enlighten all living beings.”
Ning Busan shook his head. “Our King really just acts on a whim, doesn't he?”
He had thought the King would try to find a way to deal with him instead.
Wait...
Ning Busan's gaze instantly turned alert. “This Holy Spirit Festival shouldn't have anything to do with me, right?”
Saige said, “It has a lot to do with you.”
Ning Busan asked, “How does it involve me?”
“Word came from the palace that you have been appointed as the priest of the Holy Spirit Festival,” Saige explained. “The priest is the host of the festival and will pray to the deity on behalf of the believers.”
Ning Busan was full of questions. “Why me?”
Saige said, “Generally speaking, the role of the priest is always held by a mage.”
Ning Busan asked in confusion, “If that's the case, shouldn't it be you who takes on the role of priest, Teacher? After all, you are a Grand Archmage and the most powerful mage in the empire.”
Saige said helplessly, “Silly child, have you forgotten? I believe in the Elemental Dragon.”
The Elemental Dragon was the deity of the Dragon Clan. It controlled natural elements and could freely manipulate fire, frost, lightning, earth, and storms.
Both Saige and Novalia were believers of the Elemental Dragon.
If one believed in a certain deity, they could not pray to other gods. Doing so would invoke the displeasure of both deities simultaneously.
Yet, Ning Busan still couldn't understand. “Even if you can't be the priest, Teacher, there are so many seniors in the Mage Association. It still shouldn't be my turn, right?”
“Because you are far too prestigious,” Saige said with a smile. “You defeated Isabella, who is an Archmage, making you the undisputed leader of the younger generation.”
“Furthermore, because of you, commoners are now able to learn magic, which has completely revolutionized the current landscape of the magic world. Thus, you have not only earned the respect of those commoners but also the recognition of the mages.”
“In short, you are who everyone wants. This High Priest position is definitely yours!”
Ning Busan had a miserable expression. “Is His Majesty insane? He clearly knows there's a demon by my side, yet he's still letting me be the High Priest? Isn't he afraid of angering the God of Light and bringing down divine punishment?”
“Uh... Actually... this High Priest wasn't chosen by the King,” Saige said. “Our Mage Association still holds a lot of authority. We unanimously decided to let you be the High Priest.”
This sudden backstab caught him completely off guard. Ning Busan's eyes widened. “Teacher, what are you saying?”
Saige said, “You are an all-element mage, and your affinity with the light element is extremely high. We believe that if you serve as the High Priest, there is a very high probability that you will be able to summon an angel.”
Ning Busan was on the verge of tears. “Teacher, I really can't be this High Priest!”
“Why?” Saige pondered for a moment and asked tentatively, “You've always refused to tell me what's going on with that demon by your side. Could it be that you already believe in Satan?”
“I don't believe in Satan,” Ning Busan said, his face contorted in agony. “But I don't believe in the God of Light either!”
Please! Even Lucifer could recognize him; the God of Light surely would too!
A random inverted pentagram magic array he threw together was enough to summon Lucifer. If he actually stood at the Holy Spirit Festival, heaven only knew what would happen!
“As long as you don't believe in Satan, then anything else is not a problem.” Saige shifted his gaze away slightly, feeling a bit guilty. “Anyway, the palace's appointment has already been issued. Even if you don't want to go, you have to.”
He had guessed that Ning Busan wouldn't agree, which was why he hadn't told him in advance.
Ning Busan let out a bitter laugh. “I guess I have no choice.”
Saige sighed softly.
Elion had told him about the loosening seal of the Shackle of the Sacred Remains.
Emperor Leo was already dead; what was sealed inside was a monster. Once it broke free from the seal, the empire would face an immense catastrophe.
They needed Heaven's help.
And according to the results of his divination, Ning Busan was the one most likely to summon the Celestial Clan.
Rate on N.U.
