Episode 533

“Yaaah!”

Jorge let out a cry of delight as he entered Hades’ experimental workshop in Agamemnon Castle.

Peynon, who was guiding him, broke into a nervous sweat, unsure how to handle the situation.

It was quite a sight to see an elderly wizard with a head full of white hair bouncing around like a teenage girl.

“Uh, Master Jorge, if you could just keep it down a little…”

“Eeeek! Magician Peynon! What is this place? How can such precious things be scattered everywhere?!”

Master Jorge of Nirvana was practically panting as he took in the various devices in Hades’ workshop.

Watching Jorge, his face flushed and breathing heavily, Peynon couldn’t help but question if this man was truly the renowned head of Nirvana.

Jorge, who had been causing such a commotion, nearly collapsed in front of the ultra-dense mana analyzer they were borrowing.

“Huff, huff. Yes, I came all this way for you, my precious.”

Jorge shivered with excitement as he ran his hand over the surface of the analyzer.

Behind him, Gelion looked on with a shiver of his own.

He whispered to Peynon, “Peynon, are we sure it’s wise to lend that to Nirvana?”

”…Our lord must have his reasons.”

As the two exchanged uneasy glances, a voice interrupted them.

“Who the hell is this weirdo?”

Hades, with dark circles under his eyes from another all-nighter of experiments, floated into the room.

Jorge, who had been caressing the analyzer, turned to Hades with a look of delight.

“Wow! You must be the mysterious genius developer, Master Hades, right? Ha, ha. I’m a fan. Let me see… I need your autograph… Ah, here! Please sign this!”

Jorge pulled out a staff from his robe and offered it to Hades.

Hades grimaced at the sight of Jorge’s staff, which was grimy with use.

“Has Zeke lost his mind? Now he’s letting in weirdos like this?”

Peynon panicked and quickly interjected, “Master Hades! This is Master Jorge, head of the Nirvana family.”

To Hades, all humans were insignificant, but he couldn’t openly call himself a dragon, so Peynon had to introduce Jorge as tactfully as possible.

Hades, who had somewhat adapted to the current era, showed a hint of curiosity upon hearing that Jorge was the head of one of the transcendent families, Nirvana.

“The head of Nirvana, huh. To think you could hide your mana from my eyes. A weirdo, but a skilled one.”

Hades was currently known to the outside world as an elf, and Peynon and Gelion were anxious that he might inadvertently reveal his true identity.

Jorge, seemingly oblivious to their concerns, bowed respectfully to Hades.

“Compared to an elf master who has lived for ages, my experience and skills are quite lacking.”

Contrary to his first impression, Jorge’s humble demeanor made Hades view him more favorably.

Hades raised a finger and drew a quick signature in the air.

Jorge’s staff was instantly engraved with Hades’ signature.

With a yawn, Hades gestured for them to leave.

“I’m going to sleep. Go play outside and keep it down.”

With that, Hades flopped onto a bed in the corner of the workshop.

Peynon and Gelion, not daring to disturb a sleeping dragon, led Jorge out of the workshop.

Jorge was beaming like a child, clutching the staff signed by Hades.

“Hehehe, the other old geezers in the family will be so jealous.”

Jorge felt the trip had been worth it.

The wizards of Nirvana were generally reluctant to move, but when it came to magic, they were quicker than anyone.

When the offer of extraordinary terms for attending the continental assembly was relayed through Zeros, the Nirvana council was in an uproar.

Normally indifferent to the continent’s affairs, they were now clamoring to attend as representatives.

Such was the Nirvana wizards’ fervor for the ultra-dense mana analyzer.

In the end, the council members who expressed interest agreed to draw lots to decide who would attend.

Jorge, the head of the family, was the one chosen.

The thought of using the ultra-dense mana analyzer for a year free of charge made Jorge smile uncontrollably.

“Hehehe! If the old geezers ask to borrow it, what should I make them do? Bark like a dog? Roll over and show their bellies?”

Peynon and Gelion shook their heads at Jorge’s strange laughter and guided him to Zeke’s office.

If Jorge had visited Mycenae as the head of Nirvana, he would have been received with the appropriate formalities, but since he was here just to see the analyzer, there was no need for such decorum.

Moreover, Jorge wanted to personally thank Zeke for lending the precious equipment, so he requested to be shown to the office.

It was an unconventional move for the head of one of the continent’s three transcendent families.

Peynon, looking tense, informed Zeke of Jorge’s identity before opening the office door.

As soon as they entered, Jorge bowed and rubbed his hands together as he approached Zeke.

“Oh, our benefactor… I mean, Sir Zeke, the savior knight!”

Jorge’s exaggerated tone left Peynon and Gelion flustered.

Zeke, who had been preparing to greet Jorge, and Zeros, standing beside him, were equally taken aback.

Unfazed by the reactions around him, Jorge continued with a broad smile.

“My goodness! You’re even more impressive than the rumors say! If I had a daughter, I’d marry her off to you immediately. But alas, I’m wed to magic, so no wife or children for me. Hahaha!”

Zeros closed his eyes at Jorge’s hearty laughter.

He hadn’t expected Jorge to display the dignity of the Draker or Ishtar families, but he hadn’t anticipated such a lackluster impression either. Jorge seemed more like a street magician than the head of a prestigious family.

Peynon and Gelion’s expressions mirrored that sentiment.

However, Zeke saw beyond Jorge’s carefree exterior to his true essence.

‘A vast, unwavering wave of soul energy, constantly expanding and circulating.’

Zeke could clearly sense that Jorge was a grand mage who had reached the ninth circle.

Zeke bowed his head to Jorge.

“Greetings to Master Jorge, head of Nirvana.”

It was a flawless, respectful greeting.

He then invited Jorge, “Please, come this way. We’ve prepared some fine tea for your visit to Mycenae.”

“Oh! Tea sounds wonderful. Hahaha!”

Zeke led the jovial Jorge to the reception room.

Peynon and Gelion returned to the workshop, and Zeros discreetly slipped away.

In the end, it was just Zeke and Jorge in the reception room, sipping tea.

Jorge lifted his cup, savoring the aroma of the tea Zeke had brewed.

“Hmm, this is excellent. Is it from the Ishtar family?”

Zeke looked surprised at Jorge’s question.

“Yes, it is. Have you tasted Ishtar’s tea before?”

Jorge shook his head as he slowly sipped the tea.

“I haven’t tasted it before. I just sensed something… a scent or aura that reminded me of the Ishtar family.”

Zeke had a hunch about what Jorge was implying.

‘As one’s soul ascends, they begin to perceive karma.’

While Zeke could manipulate karma through the system, it was typically beyond human capability.

However, as one’s level increased and their soul’s stature rose, they could touch upon the essence of karma.

The sage of stories, Naboo, also manipulated karma in his own way to adjust causality.

Jorge, having reached the ninth circle, was gradually transcending human limitations.

Instinctively, he seemed to be accessing the essence of karma and extracting information from it.

‘It’s similar to the wisdom of dragons. Not perfect yet, but…’

On the surface, Jorge appeared to be a whimsical, eccentric wizard, but in truth, he was a mage of remarkable stature.

Zeke addressed Jorge.

“I heard from Zeros that you foresaw the future and decided to produce a thousand golems in preparation. Is that correct?”

For a grand mage who had surpassed human limits, there was no need for preamble.

Zeke went straight to the point.

Jorge set down his teacup and nodded.

“That’s right. I told the old geezers in the family we should do that.”

Jorge’s demeanor was completely unbothered.

Zeke, observing Jorge, asked again.

“May I ask what future you saw?”

Jorge blinked at Zeke, then shook his head slightly, pressing his lips together before nodding and slowly beginning to speak.

“Hmm, the future, you say? It’s hard to pinpoint exactly. If I had to describe it, I’d say I saw a future where a thousand golems were created.”

Zeke took a moment to gather his thoughts before responding to Jorge’s words.

“So, you saw a future with a thousand golems and decided to produce them based on that vision? That’s an intriguing notion. Cause and effect, all tied together.”

Jorge clapped his hands in delight at Zeke’s insight.

“Hahaha! Sir Zeke, you’re far sharper than the old fools in my family. Have you ever considered switching careers to become a wizard?”

Zeke shook his head firmly at Jorge’s suggestion.

“Not at all.”

Jorge’s face fell slightly at Zeke’s unwavering response.

“Aww, learning magic would be so beneficial.”

It was a rare sight to see the elderly archmage pouting like a child.

Zeke composed himself and addressed Jorge again.

“It’s a dilemma of causality. Seeing a future with a thousand golems and then deciding to create them now blurs the lines between cause and effect.”

Jorge nodded enthusiastically, clearly impressed.

“Exactly, Sir Zeke. The thousand golems themselves aren’t the crux of the matter. As you said, cause and effect have merged into a cycle, like a snake chasing its own tail.”

Jorge, animated by the conversation, continued to gesture excitedly.

“Consider this hypothesis: what if, after seeing that future, I chose not to create the thousand golems? Would that future cease to exist? Or would the golems somehow come into being through other means?”

Having traversed time himself, Zeke had a grasp of the complex temporal dilemmas at play.

After pondering Jorge’s words, Zeke spoke up.

“If the former is true, it suggests countless possible futures. If the latter, it implies a deterministic universe where the future is ultimately fixed.”

Jorge suddenly froze, his previous exuberance replaced by genuine astonishment as he stared wide-eyed at Zeke.

“Countless futures? Hypothesis? Deterministic… converging into one… reverting to the original?”

Seeing Jorge’s reaction, Zeke wondered if he had misspoken.

Jorge, muttering like a man possessed, pulled out paper and pen, scribbling furiously. He moved from paper to table, then to the floor and walls, jotting down equations everywhere.

“Hoo! Hoo!”

Jorge made strange noises as he continued his frantic writing.

Unfazed by Jorge’s sudden outburst, Zeke calmly sipped his tea, watching the spectacle unfold.

Hours later, Jorge’s pen finally came to a halt.

“It’s done. It’s done.”

He leapt to his feet.

“I’ve proven it! I’ve finally proven that damned 9th-circle magic!”