Knock knock knock.
A sharp and firm knocking echoed through the room.
"Who is it?"
Kayneth asked impatiently.
"My apologies, is Lord Animusphere here? I am Kirschtaria Wodime."
The voice from outside was young yet refined, indicative of excellent upbringing.
"Wodime?"
Kayneth's expression softened slightly as he glanced toward Marisbury.
He was well aware of the Wodime family, a prestigious lineage among prestigious lineages. This generation had produced an exceptional young man who was currently studying under the Lord of the Astromancy Department. It was said that he was even more talented than the Lord's daughter, Olga Marie, and was hailed as the true successor of the Astromancy Department.
Marisbury nodded in understanding and spoke up, "Kirschtaria, we're in the middle of an emergency meeting. If it's not urgent, please don't interrupt."
"Apologies, Professor, Lords, but this is indeed a matter of utmost urgency."
"Come in and speak."
Marisbury knew his top pupil's character well. If Kirschtaria said it was urgent, it truly was.
"Yes."
The door opened, and in walked a handsome young man with long golden hair, exuding charm and grace. He bowed respectfully to all the Lords.
"I apologize again for the interruption."
"If it's urgent, speak."
"Yes. The place you instructed me to closely observe has once again experienced significant changes. First, the Swirl of the Root has closed."
"That was expected."
Neither Marisbury nor the other Lords were surprised. The Root could not remain open for long. Even a brief moment of contact was considered a rare and extravagant opportunity.
"And what else?"
"Has there been another sign of Magic activation?"
Suddenly, his words set off a wave of astonishment.
"What?"
"Another magic?"
"Can you determine which one?"
"We've done a preliminary analysis. In addition to the Third Magic, we've also detected the Second and Fifth Magic."
"The location?"
Marisbury urged.
"In the same place where the Swirl of the Root appeared—Western Japan. Moreover, there are signs of conflict and clashes between these three Magics. We speculate... that a conflict has arisen between Magicians."
"What did you say?"
Kayneth suddenly stood up, staring at Kirschtaria without blinking.
The Lord's overwhelming presence, combined with the authority of the highest-ranking magus in the Clock Tower, was so immense that Kirschtaria, still a young man, almost couldn't breathe. Yet, he persisted and stated his judgment.
"I-I said, it's highly likely that a conflict has broken out between magicians, Lord El-Melloi."
"Does that bring anything to mind, El-Melloi?"
Marisbury subtly moved closer to his student. Although Kirschtaria was promising, he was still far from matching Kayneth, who had achieved numerous brilliant accomplishments.
Kayneth didn't respond immediately. He rested his chin on his hand, muttering to himself.
"Magicians… Magic… Japan… Fuyuki… Second… Fifth… Second… Fifth…"
"El-Melloi, if you have any thoughts, feel free to share."
Lord Valualeta spoke up.
"I do have a few ideas. Please wait a moment. I think I may have a way to find out what's happening on-site."
Kayneth exhaled, took out his phone, and quickly tapped a few keys. After a brief pause, he dialed a number.
"This is El-Melloi."
"Let's skip the pleasantries. I have something important to ask you."
"I need Waver Velvet's phone number. You should have it, right, Reines?"
"No need to be surprised or concerned. The Lords and I have some questions for him."
"Got it. I'll contact you after the meeting."
Without giving anyone a chance to ask questions, Kayneth immediately dialed another number.
Once. No answer.
Twice. It rang, but no one picked up.
On the third try, someone finally answered.
However, the signal seemed poor. Even the Lords sitting next to Kayneth could hear the distinct crackling sound.
"Waver Velvet, this is El-Melloi."
"I'm currently in the Clock Tower's main conference room, holding an emergency meeting with the other Lords. I'm asking you, on behalf of the Lords, to answer truthfully."
After saying this all in one breath, Kayneth placed the phone on the table, switched it to speaker mode, and increased the volume so Waver's voice could be heard clearly.
"I will answer truthfully."
"Where are you now?"
"Japan, in Fuyuki City."
"Is there some sort of unusual situation happening nearby?"
"What kind of unusual situation are you referring to?"
"I don't know if you're playing dumb or truly clueless, so I'll get straight to the point. Someone has opened the Swirl of the Root, and there are signs of the Second, Third, and Fifth Magic being activated in the vicinity."
"Th-this…"
"As the head of the Modern Magecraft Department, you should understand the severity of the situation. The Lords and I are all waiting for your answer."
The crackling sound grew louder.
"S-sorry, please wait a moment…"
"Velvet!"
Kayneth grew anxious. Though he maintained a professional demeanor, in reality, he cared deeply for this unconventional student of his and didn't want him to embarrass himself in front of the Lords.
"Please, Lords, try not to be angry. I know the situation is critical, but as you all know, I'm not particularly adept at dealing with these sorts of issues. So, please allow me to bring in an expert to answer."
"An expert? Who?"
"It's me!"
A new voice came through. It was female, younger than Waver's, and far more familiar to the Lords.
"Lord Barthomeloi!!!"
"Aren't you supposed to be hunting Dead Apostles?"
More than one Lord gasped in surprise, especially those from the democratic faction. They were already beginning to wonder if this string of major events was some grand spectacle orchestrated by Barthomeloi. Was there some hidden conspiracy behind it?
"Standing beside me right now are the First, Sixth, Eighth, and Ninth of the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors. Would you like to speak with them?"
As the Queen, Lorelei Barthomeloi was far less polite than Waver.
"Ahem, no need. We're not that interested in the Dead Apostles." Trambellio replied coolly.
"It's good that the Lord of the Department of Policies is here. You must know what's going on, right?"
"The situation developed unexpectedly, so I've only had time to gather partial information."
"That's fine. Tell us what you know."
Kayneth stepped in to help Lorelei.
"The matter of the Swirl of the Root is unique. We haven't witnessed it firsthand, so we're still unclear on the details. As for the activation of the three Magics, it's because three Magicians are currently engaged in a war."
"A war between Magicians…"
Someone held their head in disbelief.
"Wait… three?"
Another quickly caught on.
"Yes, in addition to the Second Magician, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, and the Fourth Magician, Aoko Aozaki, there's a newly ascended Third Magician. It's because of his emergence that—" crackle crackle
"Hello, hello, Lord Barthomeloi!"
crackle crackle
"The magical interference… is getting stronger… seems like… this is the limit… If you want to know the situation on the ground… contact the space agency… use satellites to monitor… if you're lucky, you might…"
Lorelei's voice was completely drowned out by the static, and soon the call was cut off entirely, replaced by the sound of a communication error tone.