Chapter 411: Archangel

"Sir Wang Yu, the weapon you propose is indeed within our power to construct. The difficulty lies in precise targeting. Moreover, no kingdom upon the continent would consent to such a weapon floating above its skies."

Within the Void Chatroom, Wang Yu was in conference with Icarus and the scholars of the Council of the Arcane. Members of the fledgling academy within the Church of Nightfall had also joined. Suspended in a three-dimensional projection above them was the concept of the weapon he sought to create.

Its form bore a strange resemblance to the satellites of Earth: a machine of overwhelming presence, shaped like an inverted cannon. Its function was precisely what its form suggested.

This was an orbital cannon. Wang Yu had conceived of it long ago but lacked the means to pursue it. Now, with his network widening and his own position as leader of the rising Church of Nightfall secured, the weapon had been proposed in their plans against the royal family.

He had named it "Archangel." It was a colossal cannon suspended in the atmosphere to rain devastation upon the earth. The "bomb" he had promised Charles was this very weapon.

"There's no need to worry," Wang Yu answered calmly. "Have you forgotten who I am? Concealment is well within the domain of the Lady of the Night. As for precision, the Prayer Network provides all the targeting we require."

"In that case, it won't be a significant challenge to construct it," one of the Church of Nightfall scholars began. "With these schematics, we'll be able to come up with a practical prototype quickly."

Before him, in a notebook conjured by the Lady's own power, were a dense forest of figures and calculations—his verification of Wang Yu's proposal.

"By launching solid projectiles backed by hypermagical engineering and accelerating them through dual-layered teleportation arrays, we can drive these 'shells' to terrifying velocities. Even just a solid mass, without any alchemical payload whatsoever, would be sufficient to unleash catastrophic force."

As he gestured, two glowing gates appeared within a translucent conduit. A small sphere, standing in for the shell, was placed inside. As it passed through one portal and emerged from the other in a repeating cycle, its speed mounted with each loop until it became a blur.

It was a refinement of the strategy that Avia and Sieg had once taken advantage of to crash through the royal palace, now rendered into mechanical form. Alchemy and hypermagical technique combined to make it attainable by far simpler means.

"Yes." Icarus nodded, satisfied. "A solid projectile variant can be fashioned in this way. Other destructive forms can be adapted with only minor modification."

The Archangel was no mere fancy. Both of great theoretical interest and practical value, it was well within reach of Skyborne City's engineers.

The scholar bowed. "Archbishop, once we have completed further trials and refinement, we shall deliver the finished design into your hands."

Skyborne City formally committed to perfecting the Archangel. The Church's academy and the Council of the Arcane would collaborate, as they had already done during the final verification of the theory of hypermagic.

The Midnight Library and the Void Chatroom, so convenient and indispensable to scholars, had sealed their alliance.

"My thanks," Wang Yu said simply. "The Midnight Library shall be open to you, save for a few private and secret texts. You may consult whatever you require freely."

Knowledge was reward enough. For these scholars, such access was treasure beyond any material currency.

For Wang Yu, what mattered most was the method of constructing the Archangel. As for materials and assembly, he could entrust that to the Chariot's upgraded power that coursed through his own body.

"By the way, Sir Wang Yu," Icarus interjected before the meeting came to a close. "We have studied and tested Sieg's theory of the origin of mana to the best of our abilities. We came to a sobering conclusion: given our present capacity, it is impossible to create mana from a practical standpoint."

Sieg had planned out his sacrifice long ago. Besides the recording he left Aurelian, he had also entrusted to the Council of the Arcane the full record of his experiments in the ashen deadlands, data on the birth of mana itself, and the insights that struck him in that moment of success. These had been delivered by Noelle.

"Mana can only be born where no mana exists. In our realm, the sole place utterly devoid of it is the dissociation layer. The true origin of mana in this plane must lie there. Everywhere else—even in other planes—traces of mana persist."

Icarus calmly and methodically laid out Sieg's final legacy for Wang Yu: the theory of the origin of magic.

"The dissociation layer is essentially the zone in which a most unusual reaction takes place, one that converts ordinary matter into mana. Anything that attempts to pass through the layer is disintegrated and transmuted, its substance transformed into the mana that replenishes this world.

"From what we now know, only the bodies of true abyssal beings are immune to the dissociation layer's effects. Everything born upon our soil is vulnerable; nothing that grows in the material plane can survive being dissolved by the layer. In short, we are still a long way from a breakthrough that would let us create mana at will."

Wang Yu listened closely. The scholars' simplified explanation had made it clear just what the dissociation layer actually was.

"I get it now. Mana is transmuted matter. And spellcasting does the opposite: it consumes mana to affect matter.

"If this world is really a planet like Earth, then the dissociation layer must be the reason magic can exist at all. It's what generates the mana that filters down into the world..."

𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

The sudden clarity left Wang Yu feeling shaken. He was no magician, yet Sieg's penetrating insights had gotten straight to the heart of the matter. Sieg had revolutionized the understanding of mana in this world.

"The power of the wingless dragon, huh..."

Mulling over the moniker Sieg had once used, Wang Yu couldn't help but smile wryly. A dragon born with mangled mana circuits had nevertheless established a new frontier of magical theory.

"Let's pay our respects to Sieg."

Icarus rose, taking the lead. The assembled scholars stood in solemn silence to salute the fallen pioneer.

Wang Yu clenched his fists. Had the professor lived, how much more might have been done? This was a less-than-perfect ending.

"Next time, I'll try to make it perfect."

At the same time, back in the mountain palace of Aleisterre, the Minister of War knelt on one knee before the monarch, Donatien Charlemagne, with fresh intelligence.

"Your Majesty, the cultists of the Church of Dragonkind who met with us in the city and handled our intelligence exchange have all died. The circumstances are strange: their bodies are intact, with no external wounds, but our necromancers could not find their souls."

"Noted. As for the matter of the Endless Sea, what intelligence have we gathered?"

Donatien Charlemagne did not linger upon the cultists' deaths. His focus was on the broader threat.

"At present, we know that many continental powers have dispatched fleets to investigate the Tidewall's collapse and the island that appeared thereafter. But no force has dared cross the wall of lightning that was established in its aftermath.

"We are communicating with the Church of the Lord of Sea and Storm. They may hold more information concerning the Endless Sea."

Gerard, the Minister of War, crisply laid out what had been collected.

"Good. Our priority now is the infiltration of the Nightblades and preparation for their neutralization. The time has come to erase this instability."

Donatien Charlemagne inclined his head with grim satisfaction. Chill edged his voice.

"Your Majesty, preparations are complete. Lord Edward has departed for Winterhold with the Grand Duke of the North and will not impede our operation. As for the Ryder heir, our legendary forces are ready. He will not escape.

"Once we finish him off, we shall use the Mesmeric Mask curio to assume his identity. With that guise, we will purge the remaining Nightblade leaders. The crown will reclaim total control. Given time, even the four border dukes will be powerless to challenge the Charlemagne line's legitimacy."

Gerard's voice held the steadiness of a man who had rehearsed the plan to exhaustion. Everything had been prepared save the royal command.

"You have served me well," the king said, his tone growing cold as steel. "You shall have a place at my right hand while I remain on this throne. Begin the operation within the month. Now, send Selene in."

"Understood!"

Gerard rose, his joy tightly reined in as he took his leave. Years of service to the crown had been leading up to this very day.