Principality of Bosque, Stravburg.
A doorway suddenly appeared in the corner of the city wall, invisible to ordinary eyes.
This was Trafalanlo's Magnificent Mansion, an exquisitely intricate 7th-circle spell. The door opened into a luxurious mansion nestled within an extradimensional space, enduring for the spell's full duration.
So long as they had received authorization from the legendary wizard himself, organizers of the Arcane Hermitage across various regions were granted a Ring of the Sage, allowing them to cast this spell at regular intervals to host the Hermitage's gatherings.
"Is this the place...?"
Soon, a man wearing a robe with a medallion pinned to his chest appeared. As the magical aura of the medallion faintly shimmered, he stepped straight through the door that had seemed nonexistent, vanishing from sight.
Shortly after, more people trickled in, men and women alike. Most wore sumptuous robes and glowed with auras of magical power, clearly marking them as spellcasters.
Inside, atop a plush red carpet, a construct resembling a human woman but moving with distinctly mechanical stiffness was questioning visitors and taking notes:
"Please choose a name to serve as your code name within the Arcane Hermitage."
A tall noblewoman pondered for a moment before saying, "Hmm... call me Tulip."
"Arcane Hermitage, Lady Tulip."
"Seeker."
"Arcane Hermitage, Lord Seeker."
"Grayhair."
"Blue Eyes."
"Elvensong."
...
In just a short while, more than thirty people had gathered. Most were human nobles, though there were also sharp-eared elves and half-elves, and even individuals bearing elemental bloodlines.
"There are actually this many spellcasters in Anzeta?"
"Truly unbelievable."
"As expected of a legendary wizard. This Magnificent Mansion is nothing short of a work of art..."
"Incredible."
"Where is the organizer of this Arcane Hermitage gathering?"
"No idea, I only just..."
...
"This should be the place."
A Dimension Door opened along the city wall. Cassius and Langpu, disguised as an iron golem, stepped through one after the other.
The moment Cassius entered, his handsome features—framed by dark hair and golden eyes—along with his radiant, otherworldly charisma drew many admiring gazes, particularly from the women.
The noblewoman who had taken the code name Tulip couldn't help whispering to her companion:
"What a charming man. Perhaps only someone like him is worthy of me, unlike those useless gluttons."
"What's more... that is a far nobler bloodline."
"It is a pleasure to meet you."
She stepped forward of her own accord, curtsying gracefully. Cassius offered a polite smile in return.
"Good day, fair lady."
A wizard behind them grumbled under his breath:
"Sorcerers again—creatures who bewitch the Weave with nothing more than raw charisma. Savages among spellcasters."
"Indeed. They will never comprehend true magic, nor will they ever understand how the Weave functions."
"All they do is twist and play with it like children."
Others grew curious about Langpu standing behind Cassius.
"What is that attendant behind him?"
"It looks like... an iron golem."
"An iron golem?"
"I heard the imperial palace of the southern Fadlan Empire has such things. Forged from heavy metals and bound with rare tinctures and alchemical mixtures, they're practically indestructible."
"A golem of that size must have cost a fortune to craft."
"Tsk, what an enviable fellow."
Listening to the murmurs around them, Tulip looked rather displeased and said pointedly, "I am certain someone of your stature would not care about such envious chatter."
Cassius merely chuckled. "Growing accustomed to the envy of others is a required lesson for anyone blessed with talent."
"Wouldn't you agree, Miss Tulip?"
He could easily tell that this noblewoman was also a sorcerer, though an exceedingly weak one. His status interface showed her at merely Level 2, meaning she likely knew nothing beyond simple cantrips.
"Naturally."
The noblewoman beamed, clearly flattered by the compliment.
Given that Anzeta was a remote, impoverished northern territory with a sparse population, Cassius scanned the room and found not a single high-tier class holder. Most were simply young nobles who dabbled in magic.
The strongest among them was a man codenamed Black Hawk, whose wizard class level registered on the panel as only Level 8—roughly on par with Langpu's current strength.
"You haven't registered your code name yet, have you? Allow me to escort you over."
"Very well. Thank you."
The noblewoman led Cassius to the front of the hall.
The human-looking construct repeated its routine question: "Please choose a name to serve as your code name within the Arcane Hermitage."
Cassius paused in thought.
"Let's go with 'Embers.'"
"Lord Embers, welcome to the Arcane Hermitage," the construct replied in a cold, monotone voice.
It was said to be a plaything Trafalanlo had crafted in his youth, dubbed the "Steel Beauty" due to its lifelike feminine appearance paired with stiff, mechanical movements.
Though there was still room for refinement, the legendary archmage had grown accustomed to using it and finalized the design as it was.
Even as a casual creation, it housed mechanisms capable of casting 4th-circle spells, making it a rare marvel in its own right.
At the center of the spacious, lavishly decorated hall stood a massive round table, around which the attendees took their seats.
Above them arched an exquisite dome adorned with murals depicting countless great arcane wonders, drawing murmurs of awe from the gathering.
"Now that everyone has arrived..."
"Let the gathering commence."
"I am the organizer of this Arcane Hermitage gathering. You may address me as 'Stars.'"
A clear, melodious voice rang out.
Everyone turned toward the sound. There stood a young woman who appeared to be in her twenties.
Her form-fitting gown accentuated the elegant curves of her figure, its fabric embroidered with shimmering fine scales that seemed to envelop her in a drift of stardust.
Long, silvery-white hair cascaded over her shoulders. Beneath long, gently curled eyelashes sat a pair of luminous, clear blue-gray eyes—gazing upon them with warm goodwill, yet subtly tinged with innate arrogance.
While the crowd marveled at her beauty, Cassius fell into deep thought.
*To think it's her...*
*Olivia the "Silver Stars," a young silver dragon wizard. I never expected her to be one of the organizers of the Arcane Hermitage.*
She was a figure of great renown. Her clan, the Melvold silver dragons, would become a vital force in Anzeta's resistance against the demonic cataclysm in the years to come.
It was rumored that an ancient silver dragon elder watched over the clan, though he remained asleep year-round, indifferent to worldly matters.
[Silver Stars - Olivia (Human Form)]
[Class Level: Level 11 Wizard]
*An eleventh-level wizard...*
While that tier might not seem towering, it was already the rank of a master on the scale of an entire kingdom, capable of casting 6th-circle spells. For the vast majority of players, that was as high as they would ever reach.
And in a magical wasteland as remote as Anzeta, an eleventh-level wizard could rightfully be hailed as an "archmage."
Chapter 82