Chapter 259 – Who is truly blind here?

Black sphere appeared in the empty spot in the dim room, then elongated to a human size. A second later it took up a human shape and colors appeared from within it, as if a painting that was gradually filled by a painter, making it more and more vivid and realistic with every moment. It all happened almost instantaneously and soon Noah was back in the training room inside Threadweaver mansion, returning to the real world from his mind realm.

As he opened his eyes and looked around he froze seeing the scene in confusion.

“Umm, what is going on here, dear?” He asked, after looking in turn at the two people in the room a few times, trying to figure out the situation logically but failing to do so.

Theressa turned her face to him showing him her weary smile. Her body, however, stood rigidly in place without moving. Her spider legs spread out of her back in a fan shape forming a magic circle with the threads that connected them. Small lights of magic shone at the tips of the legs, like magic nodes of the circle, filling it with magic. The magic circle she formed seemed to resonate with the inscriptions within the walls, floor and ceiling and made the room pulsate with magic. That pulsation seemed to be spreading from the place where Noah and Theressa stood and flowed into the another corner of the room where Archduke stood in a strange posture as if frozen in space.

“You teleported into that mind dimension of yours in front of the Archduke. Now he knows you have a heroic type system. And he deemed that I was trying to hide it from the Kingdom, which is a crime. So with his stupid sense of justice he was about to do something idiotic. I thought I had to stop him at least until you come back.” Explained Theressa.

“What did you do to him?” Asked Noah glancing at the Archduke frozen in place.

“It’s a time distortion magic circle. Something like a trap that forms a space with a distorted time around him, slowing him down to almost a standstill. From our point of view a dozen minutes passed. From his point of view though, barely a second passed and we were moving lightning fast.”

“A trap? Why do you have it here?” Asked Noah.

“It was meant to be a precaution. I installed it in the room in case something unpredictable happens in the middle of Priscilla's training, and I would need some time to think of a solution.” Theressa explained.

“I see. But how did he not see the trap? He checked the room with those glasses of his when he first came in?” Asked Noah.

“It was not obvious. The circle is huge spanning the entire room and usually it does not have a central part. Its core is missing, so even if he can see through the paths of the incomplete circle with those glasses he would not be overly wary of it as it needs another big magic circle to complete the huge one. I guess he just figured that it was used for something else and that it would not pose a threat to him. After all, making that big of a core circle right under his nose without him noticing would have been impossible.” Theressa explained.

“Impossible, unless you are an Arachna genius woman I guess.” Said Noah glancing at the big magic circle Theressa formed with her spider mandibles and spider silk threads that were woven in a pattern between them. “So with this trap you could have killed him if you wanted?”

“Not sure. It's a trap with a zone of effect; everything that gets close gets trapped in his frozen time. So don’t get close to him or you will be pulled into the distortion as well.”

Theresse smiled at him once more, but her smile was even more weary than before.

“Keeping this trap up seems to drain you immensely." Said Noah.

“Yeah, it was meant only to stall for time. This man is just too strong for this kind of trap. He is resisting it far stronger than I expected. Look even in that frozen time space he keeps moving.” Theressa said, pointing at the Archduke with her chin.

Noah gazed at the frozen figure carefully and noticed that its posture had changed tremendously. When it was just about to move a hand that held some kind of scepter and take a step forward when Noah just returned, now it was already pointing that scepter forward and taking a stance as if prepared to cast a magic spell.

At the same time Noah noticed that the pulsation of the magic in the room coming from Theressa has changed. It was now more periodic, as if something was disturbing its tact. As if it met resistance somewhere and was repelled. With every pulse now Noah saw Archduke's speed seem to have increased. Soon he would return to normal.

“I guess I would have to talk to him and make him understand that I am not here against my will but that you merely accommodated me on my request.” Said Noah putting a hand on Theresa's shoulder.

“I doubt this man would listen carefully.” Said Tessa.

“I am sure he is incredibly stubborn, all self righteous people are. What do you think would be the best way to make him listen?” Asked Noah.

“Throwing people off balance with something that makes them confused is usually the best action in such a situation. Once you disrupt their tempo or logic, you can take initiative and direct the dialogue.” Said Thessa thoughtfully.

“Hmm. I think I do have a few tricks to do just that. You can let him go. I’ll try to reason with him.”

“Alright, but be careful he is about to cast. With his skill he needs but a second to gather mana.” Theressa said.

“Okay give me a few seconds to do something about that magic scepter of his.” He closed his eyes for a few seconds as if to concentrate and when he opened them again he nodded to Theressa, showing that he was ready. Theressa noticed some strange light shining behind his pupils and was greatly surprised.

How? She thought. I thought it would take him years even with that genius system he has.

Noah raised his hand and pointed his finger at the Archduke and as soon as Theressa dropped her magic, the time distortion ceased almost instantaneously.

With a loud roar mana gathered at the tip of the scepter that Archduke held. The mana pull was like a hurricane or even a tornado. Noah almost could feel himself being pulled with the mana wind that the point of the scepter was producing as it was sucking into itself the surrounding mana. In a split second it glowed with the tremendous power of magic filling it as if it was a red hot steel. At that moment Noah snapped his fingers.

Just as Archduke’s eyes cleared after short confusion from time distortion after effect he heard a snap of fingers and suddenly the wooden wand inscribed with runes wriggled in his hand. He gazed at it in surprise and saw it turn into snake, that lifted it’s head where his scepter’s tip was and was about to snap at his face.

He cast it away with wide eyes, and as soon as the thrown wand hit the ground it made a wooden clatter, dropping on the floor and laying still in its original scepter shape as if the snake he saw was just a hallucination.

Illusion? He thought. But this vivid? No. Spirit magic. He concluded in a second and threw an incredulous gaze at the young man before him. At his age? He thought. What a talent! Not even Lord Belmont, the royal investigator and our country's best spirit manipulator could do this at eighteen. So this is Sage. An ultimate magic system that has not been born for the last 500 years. System that almost rivaled the Hero.

No, not rival. At the early stages it was far more powerful than a hero system. Be it that Hero girl right now here before him, she would be no different than a useless child, posing no threat to him. But this young man was a different story. The set of abilities that sages could have was said to be immeasurable and impossible to predict. Only an unparalleled raw power of the Hero system at the latest stages can overcome a Sage at the later stages.

However, right now, even as a child in front of Archduke he still could pose a danger with his unpredictability.

“Have you calmed down a bit, Your Excelency.” Said Noah calmly watching Archduke’s actions. “May we now have a civilized conversation?” He added as the terrifying old man peered at him.

“I thank you for the help just now.” Noah continued his words seeing as the man kept his silence as if deep in thoughts. Well it was good as long as he was not aggressive. “It seems your method was truly effective. I already feel better. My deepest gratitude.” Said Noah.

“It is a duty of elders to help out youngsters in their inexperience.” The Archduke said. “No gratitude needed.”

“Did not think you’d manage to pull a trick like that.” Archduke added turning his gaze toward Theressa. “I underestimated your craftiness yet again, Duchess. I thought that this incomplete magic circle was impossible to activate quick enough to trap me in it. You even made  holes in the floor to make it seem as if it were the places to fix the artifacts that would complete the circle. But it was just a trick to make me believe the circle could not be used as a trap.”

“Ah, no. The holes are real fixing points. I even have those boards with a core magic circle inscribed on them that should be fixed there laying somewhere in the mansion.” Said Theressa, throwing him a daring smirk.

“Well it was a one time trick.” Said Archduke fixing his gaze at Noah once again.

“More importantly, is what this woman said true? The Sage system, you are the possessor of it?”

“The name of my system does not imply it directly. But I believe it is indeed so.” Said Noah.

“What is it named?” Asked Archduke.

“The name of the system is private information, Your Excellency. Even if you are above me in status, I am not obliged to disclose it.” Said Noah.

“I am not some random official, if it is to be reported to the Royal fa…”

“With all due respect, Your Excelency.” Interrupted him Noah. “I have no intentions to report it or join the heroes in their adventure.”

“All systems are gifted to us to be the protectors of humanity and those who are weaker. The more powerful the system the more duty on the shoulders of the possessor. You are given a sacred duty by God, you can’t decide that…”

“The system is given to me. Not the royal family, not the saintess or you. God entrusted it into MY hands. Into my judgment. I decide what to do with it. No one else. Neither are you a representative of said God to preach about his desires. Had God truly shared your opinion he would bestow it to you or your son sitting in the next room. All else is but a mere desire of a greedy to usurp and subjugate what does not belong to them..”

“I may not be a representative of God but there are those who are the closest to him who know…” Started to say the Archduke but Noah interrupted him once more.

“Closest to God? Said who? Have you heard God appoint them? Just that they have the most power does not make them worthy of his love. Being able to silence anyone who protest does not make you right. As for their holy doings and the way they uphold their duty. I’ve seen it’s true worth with my own eyes. Gathering orphans and poor people across the four Kingdoms who were given salvation to make their lives better and then robbing them of God's gift. Is that the duty of the protectors, that you speak of?”

“What are you talking about?” Said Archduke, creasing his eyebrows.

“It seems you don’t know, but you see there is a reason why the Central Cathedral has the most healers, that lets them have a monopoly in healing and blessings. And I will give you a spoiler, the answer is not because they were chosen by God.”

“Who told you such nonsense?" Said Archduke looking at Theressa.

“I had the pleasure to learn it with my own body, when Saintesses agents tried to rip out my system from my mind and appropriate it for themselves just like they did to countless healers for centuries.” Answered Noah.

The Archduke’s eyes widened.

“There must be a mistake. Gathering and protecting the heroes is the Saintesses main duty.”

“Gather, yes. Protecting? What is the main cause of the hero's death? Was it the monster's claws, the demon’s cursed magic? Or was it being stabbed in the back from the so-called protectors once they defeat the Demon lord and cease to be useful. Do you want me to give you another spoiler, Your Excellency?" Said Noah.

“I see that you’ve been fed countless lies and bullshit in the months you’ve been held here. The words of monsters can not be trusted. No matter how human these women may look to you, they are still human eating monsters. I don’t know what she told you, but this is nothing but nonsense made up to confuse you. You don’t have to fear anything, child. I swear to protect you until you become powerful enough not to fear anything. Come here I…”

“Hahaha. You really take me for a naive child, Your excellency. You forget that I’ve been a noble my entire life. I’ve seen what their words are worth and how easily they make promises just to take their word back when it suits them. As for the so-called lies fed to me, am I truly the one blind to the truth here? You forget who I am. I am the Sage. I see a lot more than you think. In fact, I see far better than you it seems. After all it took me but a glance at the poor girl, to notice what has been done to her, when you and the Royal Investigator have been in her presence for how long now, without noticing anything? Or do you want to tell me that with your big talk of justice, you allowed it to be done to the poor Lady Violette?”

“What do you mean?” Said Archduke, his face going grim.

“I am talking about the mind magic that turns her addicted to your son, making her his sex slave.”

“This…This is impossible. My son would never…”

“Do you think I would say something like that without being hundred percent sure. The thing done to her, I can see it clearly with my eyes.” Said Noah.

The Archduke gazed at him silently as measuring him. At that moment Theressa walked up to Noah watching Archduke’s every move with utmost attention.

“I don’t think all nobles are rotten, Your Excellency.” Said Noah turning away from the Archduke and walking toward the door. “In fact you remind me of my father. “ He continued to say as he walked with his back to the Archduke.

“He was a man of justice and principles. I consider him as my life’s example. He showed me the meaning of honor and taught me that respect and trust are something to be earned. Proven through the deeds not the words. And you, your excellency, are still yet to show me whether you are truly worthy of it. Until then, I feel safer in the presence of the monsters. After all they did earned it through their deeds.” He said opening the door and walking out of the room, leaving Theressa and Archduke gazing at each other.