"His core?"
"I remember…" Malleus frowned, "The core is where your mana pool is created. The destruction of it is the same as the destruction of what makes a magician a magician."
The two younger students were stunned upon disbelief as she nodded, "It would make them revert into an ordinary human with no magic. Looks like the family planted a specialized self destruction device on their members."
"So horrible!" Sebek declared in horror.
"That's inhumane." Silver agreed, "Why would they do something so terrible?!"
She sighed and answered, "My biological parents came from a family who used to do dirty work for rulers. Thus they have plenty of hidden secrets enough to ruin said employer. Since my parents did not fall victim under these circumstances. The main family probably did so to those who are weaker and not part of the main family."
"And this is the people whom your family tried to escape from." Malleus concluded.
"Seems so." She sighed, "Looking at his strength and the device, the gap is too far apart in terms of knowledge and strength. I suspect he's only a lackey here to gain more opportunity to grow stronger."
"To become stronger?" Sebek looked to her in confusion yet was quite alert upon hearing those words.
"Cultivators grow stronger from not just taking specific pills or absorbing mana, but also from outside experience. Say, they stole the bell of solace and has used its power to make themselves grow stronger by absorbing its mana. Although it is a terrible thing to do, it does make them stronger and it would count this as an opportunity they came upon, even if the opportunity was gained from theft or underhanded tactics and crime."
"Thankfully, he did not succeed." Malleus shook his head.
"That and he probably had no idea the value of the bell until he got here." Peony frowned, "Everyone here is simply after Rollo after all. Speaking of him, I need to hurry back. The blot-"
As soon as she said this, they could feel a massive wave of demonic energy concentrated outside the school! Suddenly, a fairy appeared before them as it spoke up to her, "Milady! The bad mana is starting to gather outside!"
She translated, "The blot are concentrating outside. It probably felt the Bell of Solace growing in power."
Concerned, the fae frowned, "What do you plan to do, human?"
"I can only hold up the barrier for a little longer." She replied, "However, it's going to fall apart soon-"
As soon as she said this, the barrier broke apart to their surprise as Peony grumbled a finish, "soon…"
She sighed as a swarm of blot just shot through the skies towards the bell tower. However, Peony quickly throws a chess piece as a new barrier was formed. She sent her little bird of gold fire at it as it dove for the blot and incinerated it to nothing. Peony scowled, "I'm going to need someone to protect the kids."
"Kids?"
"I'll explain later." She frowned and morphed a large bird of gold flame, "Help the magic unit fight back against the demonic energy."
The bird nodded and took off into the skies.
"Heh! That small bird against all those blot?" Sebek scoffed, "You may as well send a goat at it-"
Before Sebek could finish his word, Peony and Little Jun had already made their way back to the top of the bell tower as clouds formed with each step her mount took in the skies. She looked down and frowned, "I suggest you two return to to the water ways."
"What about you?" Silver hesitated.
"I need to go and rebuild a new barrier." She stated as Little Jun went up the tower with ease. Upon reaching the top, she got off and saw Rollo struggling with the bell. She looked around and could see lights suddenly flash across the city! She breathed a sigh of relief before turning to them, "Hang in there! It's almost done!"
Despite saying this, she knew Rollo didn't have enough magic to hold on. Anymore and he may even overblot or fall asleep such as with the flowers! She hesitated. She had already used her master's strongest spells only for it to shatter after less than twenty minutes. It will also only be a certain amount of time before the little bird uses up all its strength too!
Was there anything else her master would have done at this rate? She recalled the last thing he told her before he disappeared.
"Not everyone stepping into leadership are void of any regrets. Even the greatest leaders have made their mistakes and have their grudges. However, it's your choice whether they will continue to hang onto you or how you plan to hold onto them."
She looked to her master in confusion, "Old man, what are you trying to say this time?"
"I'm saying you should give up your bad habits and start coming into class. Otherwise, you will end up regretting something once you start to take up the mantle." The old man scolded her.
That time, she'd complain that she doesn't want such a job and just wanna do something else, especially since it was already in her favor that she is not even remotely related to the royal family. However, one way or another, her parents would rope her into doing the work even without the mantle being passed onto her. Even if she could do whatever she wanted, traditional things are such a pain...
She paused as her eyes widen upon revelation. Wait... Tradition? Her? She smirked. Since when was she to listen to tradition? She's the headmage now, isn't she? She is the only one capable of seeing the flow of spiritual energy in this world! Was it not her who used this to her advantage all this time?!
With a glint of mischief in her glowing eyes, she used her abilities and examined the bell once more. The bell's magic was only capable of repel meaning it held strong power of light mana. However, she was unable to absorb enough mana due to the lack of mana in this world. Perhaps, if she uses another mana that is of similar level of strength as this light mana, it might spare Rollo!
"Catch!" She threw a bottle of medicine to the vice-president, "As soon as he stops, have him eat the medicine to replenish his mana!"
Without waiting for a response, she hesitantly taps into her nirvana flame and summoned it in her hands. The two were shocked to find that it was the same flames as the bird that saved them just now!
The bird spread out its wings as its size grew massive and shielded the tower. The blot trembled in fear with its cry as they hesitated in striking the tower again!
The vice-president watched in awe as a flock of birds were summoned by its call. Having heard its cry, Peony was hit with a wave of annoyance as she silently sighed in her heart apologetically. Lately, she had bothered him so many times that he's summoned all the birds this time.
She touched the bell again, but coated her mana with the bird's. This time, the bell took it in greedily as she took a deep breath and whispered, "Don't rush. It's not going anywhere."
She could feel the pull from the artifact weaken as it took in the mana. Suddenly, the bell shone brightly in a golden aura as the blot halted and began to concentrate again. As though rushed, it sprang for another attack! However, this time, the bell rang on its own with his sound reverberating throughout the city and lines of light appeared in the streets and alleys! Rollo tumbled back and collapsed wearily as the vice-president handed him the pill. Rollo, suspicious, examined the pill. Was it similar to the pill that the former headmage took?
After much hesitation, he finally took the pill. Upon taking it, he heard the vice-president cry out in disbelief, "The city!"
Concerned, Rollo hopped back to his feet and hurried to the edge of the tower. He was shocked upon finding light appear from the streets. However, upon looking at it carefully, he was flabberghasted as he muttered, "It's... a magic circle! The entire city is a magic circle!"
Each directions of the pillar of light was where the gargoyles stood as Peony retracted her hand and looked out to the city as well. As the bell tolls, the wave of mana overflowed into the streets and over the walls. She began, "A long time ago, the bell ringer realized the magic potential of the bell was not limitless and devised a plan to support it. With the support of the bell, the blot would not be able to reach over the walls and into the city harming the people. From his observations, he learnt the bell lives of the emotions of those around it. As long as the people continue to look forward to the next day or even the people are happy, the bell would live off the aura and reproduce mana. When the bell is towed, the mana is released. However, that wasn't enough. If the terrain of the city is overly crowded, it would make the flow of mana difficult to concentrate. Once every year, the blot pushed out of the city would gather and threaten to invade the city. The topsy turvy festival was used as a way to aid the bell in protecting the city each year. However, this year, the festival was conducted late and some have tried to use the water to enter the city. However, as the flowers were under the city this year, it kept the blot at bay by consuming it. With the city hall being mostly absent, the people struggled as well. Did none of you found it strange how there are no poor folks in the street compared to other city?"
Rollo frowned, "Was it not because they were cared for by the city?"
"Why do you think the city hall cared for them?" Peony pointed out, "The people are as diverse as the flowers. There's no guarantee they would succeed if they accept help for one year or two. Some may not even care and simply slept away the day contently. Some may be unsatisfied with the path to their wealth and resort to the shorter and more dangerous path."
"Isn't it good for them to at least hold onto the hope?" The vice-president spoke up in confusion, "Surely, as long as they work hard, there will be a day that everything will be better."
Rollo wanted to scoff at the idea, but he raised his handkerchief and frowned, "But not all people are like that. There are so many different flowers in this world and people are bound to be obsessed with something dark and hideous."