Astartes of the Bear School

Chapter 1859, 1831. The Secret Art of Deception

Is Rena La, the "Full Moon Queen" of the Caria royal family, currently imprisoned in the Academy of Realucalia?

This was a concept Lan En had never heard before!

And... what does "amber egg containing large runes" mean?
What exactly is 'Great Rune'?

When I spoke with Tops before, he mentioned that a spell had appeared in the academy that might be able to change a person's aptitude and give them a new life.

The source of this spell is the amber egg that Renara holds in her hands.

However, at the time, Lann only thought that Tops was saying that the technology was developed based on the amber egg in the arms of the Full Moon Queen.

Rea Lucaria was, after all, the one conquered and managed by Renara, so it's normal for the two sides to have contact and communication.

Lan En thought at the time that this was probably because the academy had come into contact with the amber egg and had gotten inspiration from it.

But now... does that mean the Full Moon Queen and the Amber Egg are actually under the Academy's control?

What kind of civil war is the Carian royal family waging against Realucaria? The Queen was captured from the very beginning!

Are the members of the Kalia royal family really this reckless? They dare to attack the Queen when she's in their hands?
Or perhaps... the current Kalia royal family no longer cares about the Queen's safety.

Regardless, this news shocked and enlightened Lan En.

Milie, the priest who appears to be just guarding a dilapidated church, is a giant tortoise.

However, because of its special position in the Lienia region, it knows most things in great depth, going straight to the core.

At least for today, Lan En has had many new ideas because of this.

As dusk approached, it would normally be around this time for Lan En to return to the town in front of the academy from the lake.

So Lann got up and said goodbye to Milie.

The humble and gentle giant tortoise talks a lot about history today, all of which are things it has personally experienced.

The church, which has been abandoned for a long time, is happy that people come to talk and chat with it.

The events that happened in Lienia are long and complex, and cannot be fully explained in half a day.

So Lann made an agreement with Milie that he would come over again to ask for advice the next day.

“Oh, right,” before leaving, under the moonlight and starlight that were beginning to appear on the horizon, Lann took out a book with a fiery red cover and placed it on the ground in front of Milie, “This is the prayer book I mentioned earlier.”

“If it’s convenient for you, Miliye, could you take a look at this for me? Although I’ve learned a few of the prayers I care about, I’m worried that without guidance, they might be off-target.”

As he spoke, Lan En shrugged and smiled, "It's only because of you that I dare not show the prayer book containing the power of fire to others. It could easily cause trouble."

The power of fire was the most guarded and rejected heresy during the Golden Age.

Anyone who easily reveals themselves will be seen as a sinner. This is partly why the Flame Watchers, who have resided in the snowy mountains and never descended before this period of time, reside here.

Although Lann's conversation with Milie lasted only half a day, it was enough to get a general understanding of Milie's tendencies and habits.

He was the officiant at the wedding of Radagan and Renara, and the priest who witnessed the union of magical and prayerful powers.

In this Golden Age, people reject the power of fire, condemning it as heresy and sin.

In the eyes of this giant tortoise, who has lived for who knows how many years, it is probably just an 'extreme trend that has emerged recently'.

Just as Lan En had predicted.

"Oh, this prayer book is indeed quite good. But in this day and age, it's best to keep it out of sight of others."

"Please let me study this book, perhaps tomorrow? We can discuss it together tomorrow."

The giant tortoise nodded its head, flipping through the prayer book of the Flame Martial Arts Cultivator with its chin: "Let us learn together and grow from one another... You must know that there are no heretics in this world, everything can be combined and integrated."

Lan En turned and walked out of the stone gate of the Church of the Bond: "That's quite... bold. We'll continue tomorrow, Milier."

The giant tortoise politely replied, "You're welcome anytime."

Under the emerging starlight, Lan En first went to the large rubble ruins where he had practiced his spellcasting and prayers during the day. Then he rowed the small boat that he had tied to the statue in the ruins back to the town in front of the academy and placed it on the fishing guy's boat, as if returning it to him.

He walked onto the dock, and everything seemed normal.

The azalea soldiers, who patrolled with torches, seemed to have gotten used to his routine. As they walked around the dock, they would nod to him in greeting.

Lan En smiled and nodded in response, as if his hands had not been stained with the blood of the Cuckoo Knight during the day.

In the town in front of the academy, anyone who takes a look around will find it impossible to miss the magnificent and clustered group of buildings behind the town, exuding a mysterious atmosphere.

Lan En's expression remained unchanged as he glanced at the Reyarukalia Academy, as if he hadn't interacted with Milie at all. Watching the torchbearing cuckoo soldiers walk away, Lan En could hear the unusual pounding of their hearts.

Their emotions were fluctuating. The Cuckoo Knights had been monitoring their movements, which was not difficult for Lan En to notice.

Two days later would be the deadline he had given to the fire-wielding martial arts practitioners.

Lan En now has an 80% feeling that something bad will happen.

However, because he had not yet fully figured out the connection between these fire-wielding martial arts practitioners and the Kalia region, he couldn't quite understand what might happen.

Walking along the stone-paved road in front of the academy, Lan En returned to his temporary home in Tops.

Craig, a traveling merchant from the Alpine Plateau, was leisurely carrying a bag of dried Roja fruit to feed his donkey, as usual, and the Qilin, who had returned earlier than Lan En.

In the warehouse of the small courtyard, a bluish-green glow of pyroxene could be seen from time to time.

That was Tops using the skills of a pyroxene craftsman to make some small gadgets.

Lann knocked on the doorframe, signaling to Tops, who was working inside, that he had something to say.

The topic of conversation is that of the reborn secret technique that Tops sees as 'the hope for improving one's qualifications'.

"You knew absolutely nothing about this?"

Lan En stood with his arms crossed and his shoulders leaning against the door.

As for Tops... at this moment, he was still wearing the blue robe with red trim from Realucalia, his eyes wide open, pointing backwards towards the academy.

The head that, despite being bald and bearded, still appeared introverted, kept turning back and forth between Lan En and the direction of the academy.

"Queen Rena La! Imprisoned in the academy?!" Tops stared in disbelief, almost biting his tongue as he spoke. "Now!?"

“You have absolutely no idea about this.”

Lan En repeated his words, but this time it was a statement of fact.

"Heh, that's true. The academy is unlikely to bring this up openly."

"But... how is this possible?" Tops was still incredulous. "Where did you hear that? It can't be true! That's the Full Moon Queen! Who in the academy could trap her? Even if... even if they really could trap her, how could a civil war have broken out?"

“A wise old man,” Lann said little, but patted Tops on the shoulder and warned, “I’m telling you this not because the Full Moon Queen is in a bad situation, but to remind you: don’t count too much on that secret technique that can bring people back to life.”

"If this technology was indeed developed by the academy itself, and was only inspired by that mysterious amber egg, they should at least have a thorough understanding of this spell."

"But what if this spell was originally rooted in that amber egg..."

Lan En clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"Then I reckon the mages at the academy don't understand this technique at all; they're just trying to utilize the power within the amber egg. And the rumors you've heard about this technique are probably..."

In the end, Lan En didn't make his point clear, but instead brought up another matter in a seemingly nonsensical way.

"Speaking of which, you've been so focused on that secret technique for so long, yet Realucaria hasn't chosen anyone to show up? None of those students who became more talented, wiser, and stronger after their rebirth have shown their faces?"

It wasn't said explicitly, but as a reminder, Tops, who was able to study in Real Lucaria, fully understood the meaning behind it.

Anger flashed in his eyes at first, followed by frustration and despair.

"Fake? The reborn secret technique is fake? It's a technology that hasn't been fully mastered yet, used to trick people into experimenting? How is this any different from those Origin School mages who used other mages as experimental subjects in their quest for magic, and who are wanted within the academy?!"

Tops said angrily, but after a moment of silence, he sighed and lowered his head again.

"Heh, I should have realized it sooner." He chuckled wryly. "Yes, Lan En. Your logic is simple, but also very clear. I just couldn't see the problem myself before. I was so stupid... really..."

"Where in this world would there be a chance for someone like me, a piece of trash, to change my aptitude and become a genius? Heh."

Lan En shook his head.

He essentially crushed Tops's hopes with his own hands.

In this golden age where most people lived a slow, lazy, and indifferent life, Topus was able to actively find ways to place orders, and as a student of Realucaria, he learned the craft of the sapphire craftsman, and even tried to follow the path of the Cuckoo Knight.

This planning and execution ability, as well as the resilience in the face of difficult circumstances, are basically sustained by the idea of ​​a 'secret technique of rebirth'.

Now, all hope is gone, and he can only give a bitter laugh and mock himself.

Of course, different people react differently to this situation; some might break down, while others might become angry. Tops' relatively mild reaction is more a reflection of his introverted and insecure personality.

(End of this chapter)