Chapter 877: The Invisible

Standing before Rosetta Augustus were two of the empire’s finest minds: Windsor Mapel, the legendary archmage and president of the Royal Mage Association, and Daniel, the master of arcane engineering who now led the Imperial Industrial Guild.

They were the empire’s top scholars and technical experts, the royal family’s most trusted advisors in both the supernatural and industrial realms, and Rosetta’s closest confidants.

News of the Courage setting sail from Mobius Harbor was known to only a select few within the empire. That ship represented Typhon’s most advanced technological achievement, and naturally, details were tightly guarded. But those present in this room were clearly exempt from such secrecy. Upon hearing Rosetta’s words, Windsor was the first to smile. “That is indeed good news.”

Daniel, curious, asked, “Is the Courage still at Tasos Island?”

“Still there, but it will return today,” Rosetta replied calmly, fully aware of Daniel’s curiosity. “The message was sent back via magical communication—Mobius Harbor boasts the strongest transmission tower on the east coast, and aboard that ship… is a compact communication array personally improved by Ms. Windsor Mapel.”

Daniel paused briefly, then gave Windsor a nod of approval with his usual impassive expression. “A fine achievement.”

“Thank you for the compliment,” Windsor responded immediately. “It’s just some modifications to traditional spells, nothing groundbreaking.”

“But effective modifications nonetheless,” Rosetta said. “It turns out the Sleeper’s communication technology is extremely useful. The distance between Tasos Island and Mobius Harbor is no small stretch—old transmission towers simply can’t cover it. However, the improved array isn’t very stable yet. The Courage reached Tasos several days ago, but communication was disrupted by the ocean’s magical environment. Only today did the message come through successfully.”

“That’s the next problem we need to solve,” Windsor said promptly. “We only recently acquired the Sleeper’s technology, and our improvements to communication spells are just beginning. Often, we’ve simply applied their concepts crudely to our own systems. There’s still plenty of room for optimization. In the future, both efficiency and cost will improve significantly.”

Rosetta glanced at the legendary mage with a faint smile. “I’ve always believed in your abilities, madam.”

…

The corridor from the Obsidian Palace to the Royal Library was long—several hundred steps—and always quiet.

Only a few were privileged enough to walk here.

Daniel and Windsor Mapel moved down the corridor, passing only the occasional royal guard standing watch. Their footsteps were light, making the vast hallway feel even emptier and more silent.

Windsor was the first to break the silence. She turned slightly to look at her former mentor. “Master, I still remember the first time you brought me down this corridor. I had just broken through to the advanced rank, and you said that being allowed to enter the Royal Library through here was a great honor for any mage…”

Daniel’s expression remained unchanged as he replied calmly, “Not long after that, you earned the right to move freely here as a legendary mage.”

Windsor began to speak, “Master, I—”

“No, I’m not blaming you,” Daniel interrupted, pausing briefly. He glanced at his former apprentice with a calm gaze. “I’m just saying your talent is exceptional. That talent belongs to you, and we all have to accept that.”

Looking into her mentor’s steady eyes, Windsor felt an unexpected calm wash over her.

It had been many years since she’d seen him so composed.

What had he been like all those years? Resistant, frustrated, angry, even hysterical… Ever since his failed attempt years ago to break through his own talent ceiling using dangerous methods, the once gentle and wise old man seemed to have changed completely. He grew distant, eventually withdrawing from the Royal Mage Association to live in seclusion in a remote place. Years later, when he returned to the capital, his attitude toward her remained cold and distant. The years of estrangement showed no sign of thawing. Windsor had even begun to think the rift between them would never heal.

Once close, now strangers.

Yet the emperor’s plans forced this estranged pair back together—willing or not, as the two most outstanding talents in the country, they had to meet frequently, work together, and exchange ideas, debate, and assist each other through their shared expertise.

“I’m actually glad for this chance,” Windsor smiled with a hint of emotion. “His Majesty’s mission has put us back on track. I think you’ve already proven what you wanted to prove years ago—that talent isn’t just about supernatural power. Your gift in arcane engineering is legendary as well.”

To Windsor, Daniel’s newfound calm was inseparable from his success in this new field. The old man had proven himself once more, unlocking the knot in his heart. And with that knot undone, the kind mentor was slowly returning.

Daniel simply looked at Windsor quietly.

A powerful legendary mage, gifted and exalted, but that didn’t mean she had any special insight into human hearts.

And that was fine.

“No need to flatter me. You know I don’t like flattery,” Daniel shook his head lightly. “In fact, those gifted in magic often have talent in arcane engineering too—mathematics and magic share many commonalities. Your improvements to communication spells prove your skill. Figuring out the Sleeper’s technology in such a short time isn’t something just anyone could do.”

“Thank you for the praise,” Windsor smiled, then furrowed her brow seriously. “But I’ve encountered many difficulties… The Sleeper’s runic system is derived from divine magic, yet there’s an energy conflict between communication spells and divine magic. I’m trying to power both sets of runes with pure arcane magic, but this makes the whole system unstable, prone to backflow and meltdown. I’m sure the Cecilians solved this problem somehow, which is why they could boldly apply Sleeper runes to their ‘magic network terminals.’ Lately, I’ve been studying samples of those terminals, searching for the key conversion structure…”

She spoke earnestly and in detail about the challenges she faced with this new knowledge, just as she had years ago when discussing problems with her mentor during her apprenticeship. But soon she noticed Daniel wasn’t responding. The old man simply stood silently, his gaze unusually calm as he looked her way. She couldn’t help but feel puzzled. “Master?”

“I’m listening, but I don’t have any good advice,” Daniel slowly shook his head, still looking at Windsor. After a brief pause, he sighed softly, “You truly are gifted…”

“I’m glad you’re willing to listen to me ramble on about these problems—I know they’re dull and not really your concern,” Windsor smiled and took a half step back. “I have to go now—I have an appointment with Prince Hadrian in about half an hour.”

Daniel nodded simply. “Go ahead.”

Windsor Mapel left, and the long, empty corridor was left with Daniel alone.

He watched the direction she had gone, letting out a barely audible sigh.

“Windsor… your talent is truly extraordinary…”

Two seconds later, the old mage shook his head and continued forward with steady steps.

He felt no jealousy, nor had he ever resented any of his apprentices.

But at this moment, Windsor’s abilities stirred a faint sense of “danger” within him.

Still, he chose to do nothing.

Not because of her legendary status—he knew Windsor was completely unguarded toward him. With his hidden advantages, he could easily sabotage the Royal Mage Association’s research projects without direct confrontation, or at least severely delay their progress.

But there were many gifted people in this world, and in mighty Typhon, there was more than one “Windsor Mapel.” There had been many before, and there would be many more in the future.

The Master had said He did not mind Typhon’s development. He even welcomed other mortal nations to prosper—because He would ensure Cecile remained the strongest among them all.

With that premise, the Master did not advocate obstructing most of Typhon’s technological progress—because every advancement, whether from Typhon or Cecile, was a shared treasure of mortals.

He had once failed to understand the Master’s grand vision, merely following orders mechanically. But after personally participating in the construction of arcane industry and witnessing the changes in both Typhon and Cecile, he now vaguely understood this idea of a “mortal community.”

He exhaled deeply and smiled faintly.

Windsor Mapel’s talent was hers alone. As her mentor… he should be glad.

…

Matilda Augustus sat on a small sofa by the window. Slanting sunlight streamed through, illuminating the crystal ornaments and the “Cecile Cube” on the table.

She flipped through the pages of a book, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, when footsteps approached nearby. She lifted her gaze from the book toward the door.

Young Prince Hadrian entered the room.

“Hadrian,” Matilda nodded. “Aren’t you supposed to meet with Ms. Windsor Mapel soon?”

“In half an hour, sister,” Hadrian replied casually. “What are you reading?”

“A gift that arrived this morning by international mail,” Matilda held up a hefty-looking book, then pointed to a nearby table where a neatly arranged set of large volumes lay in an exquisite wooden case—a massive collection. “The Foundations of All Things. This incredible tome is finally complete. The Emperor of Cecile sent me a signed set as promised. I’m reading the sociology volume—it’s quite enlightening.”

“The Cecilians’ ‘Encyclopedia of Everything’?” Hadrian muttered as he sat opposite her, reaching toward the bookcase. “Speaking of Cecile… don’t you think we’ve been getting more and more things from them lately? Their magazines, newspapers, even their toys… When I was in the city, I saw merchant children playing with rune cubes, shouting excitedly about their ‘Cecile Cubes.’ Owning one seems to be a great source of pride among kids.”

“That shows their parents have the means, and the kids have the smarts to figure out how the cubes work,” Matilda glanced at Hadrian. “Be careful with that volume—I haven’t even opened the agronomy one yet.”

Hadrian immediately put the “Agronomy” volume back into the case. “Then I won’t bother reading it.”

Matilda’s attention, however, had already shifted to her younger brother. She looked into Hadrian’s eyes and casually remarked, “Speaking of gifts… it’s been over a month since you accepted the present Cecil gave you, but you still haven’t said a word about it.”

“Ah—my goodness,” Hadrian’s cousin suddenly twisted into a strange expression, shooting Matilda a troubled glance. “Sometimes I really wonder if you’re just messing with me on purpose… Can’t you ever give me something normal, something real?”

“I think books are about as normal a gift as you can get, especially ones rich with knowledge and inspiration,” Matilda said seriously. “Hadrian, you’ve always been lax when it comes to studying—that’s why you have someone like the legendary mage Miss Windsor Mapple teaching you personally, and yet you still—”

“Hold on, hold on. I already advanced to the higher ranks last month, so your lectures on that front are kind of pointless now,” Hadrian interrupted, raising his hand and shaking his head. “And I admit, books are a great gift—but don’t you think twelve volumes on math and mechanics, plus one hundred and eighty-seven problem sets, is a bit much?”

Matilda stared quietly at her brother. After two seconds, she nodded solemnly. “That’s just Cecil’s specialty.”

“…This is really bad,” Hadrian said helplessly, spreading his hands. “Which is why I keep saying, there are just way too many ‘Cecils’ around here nowadays…”

(End of chapter)