Chapter 319: Witness and Oath

Seeing Celia eyeing Altina with a distinctly unfriendly expression, Ansu quickly moved to explain.

“Oh, right. I should introduce you. This is—”

Before he could finish, Altina stepped forward and offered an elegant, deep bow. “My name is Altina Tidebreeze Ilutaviel. I hail from the Elven Court and am a royal descendant of Elune. I have come to the human world in search of hope to save my home.”

She smiled at Celia, her manner friendly and her etiquette impeccable, leaving no room for criticism.

“May I ask, are you the master mage who co-authored 《The Solution to Magic Pollution》 with Ansu under the pen name ‘Ash’?”

Altina looked toward Ansu, thinking that this hostile Ms. Ash must have some sort of misunderstanding. She continued, “Ms. Ash, I mean no harm, nor am I a dangerous person. Ansu and I have a special connection from before and are on very good terms, so you can rest easy...”

At those words, Celia’s brow furrowed even deeper.

She subconsciously shot a glance at Ansu. “A special connection? On very good terms? Why wasn’t I aware of this?”

Ansu looked at Altina with a face full of helplessness. He thought to himself, ‘She’s just making it sound worse...’

In truth, the Witch didn't care one bit whether Altina was dangerous. Even the most dangerous mages from the City of a Thousand Stars had been chased away by her like cornered rats. The Witch was simply jealous.

Ansu hurriedly interjected, “That... I met Altina before. Remember the crimson marrowstone explosion? I ran into her while investigating the case. I even mentioned her to you back then!”

“Oh...?” Celia leaned close to Ansu’s ear, asking with a faint, knowing smile, “Tell me... why is this elf looking at you like that? Ansu, be honest. Have you gone and incurred another romantic debt out there?”

Ansu shook his head. “I’ve only met her twice before today. How could that be possible?”

“Is that so...?” Celia gave him a sharp pinch on the side before letting out a cold snort.

“You think I don’t know about your special fondness for demihuman girls? I didn’t expect you to get tangled up with an elf this time! Heh... they say elves are all noble, elegant, and exceptionally beautiful. You certainly have good taste...”

“I didn’t pick anything... our meeting really was a coincidence...”

Altina watched the two of them exchange looks and whisper to each other, her face filled with confusion.

She looked instinctively at Vera beside her.

Vera couldn't help but chuckle. “It’s fine. They’re always like this. Let me take you for a stroll around the place~”

“Mhm, alright.” Altina nodded with a smile.

Vera led her away from the increasingly cold ‘center of the battlefield,’ showing her around the laboratory. Eventually, they approached to observe the new magic armor Professor Duncan had developed.

“This is so cool!” Vera blinked in wonder.

Altina agreed it was impressive, but considering such finely crafted armor was fully enchanted, the production cost had to be astronomical. Curious, she asked, “Is this intended for the high-ranking members of the organization?”

Vera shook her head. “No, my brother plans to give a set to every single combat mage.”

“To everyone!?” Altina’s eyes widened in shock. Since following Vera, she had lost count of how many times she had been stunned.

“Arming an entire army with such expensive equipment? How much would that even cost?”

“It really does cost a lot...” Vera recalled the way Ansu looked when reviewing the lab’s ledgers and couldn't help but laugh. “My brother actually feels the sting quite a bit. He looks pained every time he checks the books, but he still clenches his teeth and pays up.”

“Ansu is so wealthy...” Altina whispered to herself.

Vera turned her gaze back to Altina. Seeing her wearing her hood no matter where they went, she suddenly grew curious as well.

“Why do you always keep your hood up? Aren't you hot? It’s safe here; no one persecutes non-human races. Look at Professor Duncan or Sister Freya—they’re both demihumans...”

To be honest, Vera still had no idea what Altina actually looked like.

“I’d rather not...” Altina shook her head gently in refusal. “I’m used to this attire.”

On the other side, Ansu and Celia were still whispering incessantly.

Celia glanced at Altina in the distance and frowned. “This elf clearly wants something from us, yet she won't even take off her hat. She’s being far too mysterious. She’s definitely hiding things from us, and she might even be a problem herself!”

“Ansu, do you really plan to help her and the elven race?”

“She is a princess of the elven royalty. This is a perfect opportunity for us to ally with the entire elven race,” Ansu said slowly. “One more ally is never a bad thing.”

After all, the heritage of the elven race was far beyond what the underdeveloped demihuman tribes could offer.

Elune, the mysterious continent situated on the sea, was currently being ravaged by the mana plague. The situation was indeed tragic, but if he could lend a helping hand, the entire elven race would owe him a massive debt of gratitude.

Ansu weighed the situation in his mind.

The root of this disaster was the continuous decline of the elven patron deity, the God of Nature.

The Demon Calamity War at the end of the Second Era had been world-shattering, and the God of Nature, Aiseweida, had been severely wounded in that catastrophe. This long process of decline had lasted a thousand years. By this point in time, it was highly likely that the Goddess of Holy Light had delivered a backstab, causing the already weakening God of Nature to finally fall completely.

Even as the God of Nature was declining, Elune had already been plagued by the mana plague. Now that the deity was completely finished, it was impossible to imagine how miserable Elune would become in the future...

Ansu looked at Altina’s back. Altina, who had left her homeland, probably didn't know this news yet. He wondered what she would look like when she learned the truth.

However, Ansu didn't plan on telling her just yet—at least not for a few days.

He watched Altina look around with sparkling eyes, chatting and smiling with Vera. He thought to himself: these few days might already be the happiest she has had in centuries...

...

After the group finished touring Professor Duncan’s lab, they moved to the neighboring area.

This room was several times wider than Duncan’s, and there were many more researchers inside.

The walls were lined with tall bookshelves, storing a massive amount of ancient texts. A giant blackboard was covered in dense magic structures. A group of elders dressed in dark magic robes were buried in their work, their expressions focused.

Altina noticed that most of these people were elderly and wore glasses, fully immersed in their magical research. Even as Ansu’s group approached, no one stood up to greet them. The atmosphere felt more like a lecture hall thick with academic rigor.

“We’re here.” Ansu turned to Altina. “This is our core laboratory, the most vital part of the entire magic research department.”

His tone turned solemn as he formally introduced it: “Welcome to the Magic Safety Standardization Committee.”

This place carried Ansu’s grand ambition. He intended to use it to rewrite the current magic world, to save magic in this era of crisis and turmoil, and to become the spiritual leader in the hearts of all mages. He wanted his organization to become the core of the magical world.

A thousand years ago, during the Second Era, that position might have belonged to the City of a Thousand

Witness and Oath

Seeing Celia eyeing Altina with a distinctly unfriendly expression, Ansu quickly moved to explain.

“Oh, right. I should introduce you. This is—”

Before he could finish, Altina stepped forward and offered an elegant, deep bow. “My name is Altina Tidebreeze Ilutaviel. I hail from the Elven Court and am a royal descendant of Elune. I have come to the human world in search of hope to save my home.”

She smiled at Celia, her manner friendly and her etiquette impeccable, leaving no room for criticism.

“May I ask, are you the master mage who co-authored 《The Solution to Magic Pollution》 with Ansu under the pen name ‘Ash’?”

Altina looked toward Ansu, thinking that this hostile Ms. Ash must have some sort of misunderstanding. She continued, “Ms. Ash, I mean no harm, nor am I a dangerous person. Ansu and I have a special connection from before and are on very good terms, so you can rest easy...”

At those words, Celia’s brow furrowed even deeper.

She subconsciously shot a glance at Ansu. “A special connection? On very good terms? Why wasn’t I aware of this?”

Ansu looked at Altina with a face full of helplessness. He thought to himself, ‘She’s just making it sound worse...’

In truth, the Witch didn't care one bit whether Altina was dangerous. Even the most dangerous mages from the City of a Thousand Stars had been chased away by her like cornered rats. The Witch was simply jealous.

Ansu hurriedly interjected, “That... I met Altina before. Remember the crimson marrowstone explosion? I ran into her while investigating the case. I even mentioned her to you back then!”

“Oh...?” Celia leaned close to Ansu’s ear, asking with a faint, knowing smile, “Tell me... why is this elf looking at you like that? Ansu, be honest. Have you gone and incurred another romantic debt out there?”

Ansu shook his head. “I’ve only met her twice before today. How could that be possible?”

“Is that so...?” Celia gave him a sharp pinch on the side before letting out a cold snort.

“You think I don’t know about your special fondness for demihuman girls? I didn’t expect you to get tangled up with an elf this time! Heh... they say elves are all noble, elegant, and exceptionally beautiful. You certainly have good taste...”

“I didn’t pick anything... our meeting really was a coincidence...”

Altina watched the two of them exchange looks and whisper to each other, her face filled with confusion.

She looked instinctively at Vera beside her.

Vera couldn't help but chuckle. “It’s fine. They’re always like this. Let me take you for a stroll around the place~”

“Mhm, alright.” Altina nodded with a smile.

Vera led her away from the increasingly cold ‘center of the battlefield,’ showing her around the laboratory. Eventually, they approached to observe the new magic armor Professor Duncan had developed.

“This is so cool!” Vera blinked in wonder.

Altina agreed it was impressive, but considering such finely crafted armor was fully enchanted, the production cost had to be astronomical. Curious, she asked, “Is this intended for the high-ranking members of the organization?”

Vera shook her head. “No, my brother plans to give a set to every single combat mage.”

“To everyone!?” Altina’s eyes widened in shock. Since following Vera, she had lost count of how many times she had been stunned.

“Arming an entire army with such expensive equipment? How much would that even cost?”

“It really does cost a lot...” Vera recalled the way Ansu looked when reviewing the lab’s ledgers and couldn't help but laugh. “My brother actually feels the sting quite a bit. He looks pained every time he checks the books, but he still clenches his teeth and pays up.”

“Ansu is so wealthy...” Altina whispered to herself.

Vera turned her gaze back to Altina. Seeing her wearing her hood no matter where they went, she suddenly grew curious as well.

“Why do you always keep your hood up? Aren't you hot? It’s safe here; no one persecutes non-human races. Look at Professor Duncan or Sister Freya—they’re both demihumans...”

To be honest, Vera still had no idea what Altina actually looked like.

“I’d rather not...” Altina shook her head gently in refusal. “I’m used to this attire.”

On the other side, Ansu and Celia were still whispering incessantly.

Celia glanced at Altina in the distance and frowned. “This elf clearly wants something from us, yet she won't even take off her hat. She’s being far too mysterious. She’s definitely hiding things from us, and she might even be a problem herself!”

“Ansu, do you really plan to help her and the elven race?”

“She is a princess of the elven royalty. This is a perfect opportunity for us to ally with the entire elven race,” Ansu said slowly. “One more ally is never a bad thing.”

After all, the heritage of the elven race was far beyond what the underdeveloped demihuman tribes could offer.

Elune, the mysterious continent situated on the sea, was currently being ravaged by the mana plague. The situation was indeed tragic, but if he could lend a helping hand, the entire elven race would owe him a massive debt of gratitude.

Ansu weighed the situation in his mind.

The root of this disaster was the continuous decline of the elven patron deity, the God of Nature.

The Demon Calamity War at the end of the Second Era had been world-shattering, and the God of Nature, Aiseweida, had been severely wounded in that catastrophe. This long process of decline had lasted a thousand years. By this point in time, it was highly likely that the Goddess of Holy Light had delivered a backstab, causing the already weakening God of Nature to finally fall completely.

Even as the God of Nature was declining, Elune had already been plagued by the mana plague. Now that the deity was completely finished, it was impossible to imagine how miserable Elune would become in the future...

Ansu looked at Altina’s back. Altina, who had left her homeland, probably didn't know this news yet. He wondered what she would look like when she learned the truth.

However, Ansu didn't plan on telling her just yet—at least not for a few days.

He watched Altina look around with sparkling eyes, chatting and smiling with Vera. He thought to himself: these few days might already be the happiest she has had in centuries...

...

After the group finished touring Professor Duncan’s lab, they moved to the neighboring area.

This room was several times wider than Duncan’s, and there were many more researchers inside.

The walls were lined with tall bookshelves, storing a massive amount of ancient texts. A giant blackboard was covered in dense magic structures. A group of elders dressed in dark magic robes were buried in their work, their expressions focused.

Altina noticed that most of these people were elderly and wore glasses, fully immersed in their magical research. Even as Ansu’s group approached, no one stood up to greet them. The atmosphere felt more like a lecture hall thick with academic rigor.

“We’re here.” Ansu turned to Altina. “This is our core laboratory, the most vital part of the entire magic research department.”

His tone turned solemn as he formally introduced it: “Welcome to the Magic Safety Standardization Committee.”

This place carried Ansu’s grand ambition. He intended to use it to rewrite the current magic world, to save magic in this era of crisis and turmoil, and to become the spiritual leader in the hearts of all mages. He wanted his organization to become the core of the magical world.

A thousand years ago, during the Second Era, that position might have belonged to the City of a Thousand Stars. But now, that leadership had to be held firmly in their hands.

Ansu looked around. The researchers present were all elders of the ‘Restorationist faction’ of the cult—the group with the most solid magical theory and the most studious spirit.

Now that Ansu had provided them with better research conditions, their task was to spend their days buried in calculations, repeatedly refining the stability of safe magic, and developing or improving new safe magic one by one.

This work was tedious and heavy, far more grueling than outsiders could imagine.

Ansu then showed Altina the core magic formula.

He looked up and pointed out the most central one among the many magic projections—the one he and Celia had named the 【Ring of Pure Protection】.

“A magic formula...?” Altina asked Ansu impatiently. “With this... is it really possible to... solve the problem of magic pollution?”

“Of course!” Ansu explained with pride. “This is the source of all hope: the Ring of Pure Protection. It acts like a firewall that isolates external clamor and can be perfectly nested into almost any spell.”

“It is efficient, concise, and has extremely low mana consumption. Even the lowest-tier mage can easily learn and master it.”

“The safe magic we’ve developed completely cuts off the hidden danger of the caster being eroded by mana corruption. Even the low-tier mages from the Mutual Aid Association, once they master it, have absolutely no need to fear mana backlash.”

Ansu smiled faintly. The area downstairs at the Mutual Aid Association was noisy all day now, but that was only because everyone was too busy—busy competing for commission orders.

After mastering safe magic, they no longer had to live in fear and caution. Everyone’s practical combat strength had jumped significantly. Almost all of them had become the ‘heavy lifters’ in various northern adventure teams, and their value and commissions had skyrocketed...

The good days seemed to have returned. Everything felt as if it had reverted to the golden age of magic in the Second Era.

Altina’s emotions surged. Having studied nature magic since childhood, she could naturally perceive the purity and clarity of this formula.

She immediately raised her hand to channel her own magic. A faint, fresh aura surrounded her as she closed her eyes, quietly feeling this power...

A moment later, she suddenly clenched her fist, her fingertips turning white from the tension.

Vera started, thinking something was wrong, but Ansu shook his head gently, signaling for everyone to give her a moment to compose herself.

The group stood by quietly, watching her with concerned gazes.

But as they waited, Altina’s shoulders suddenly began to tremble. Silent tears began to fall, dripping onto the floor.

She slowly crouched down, burying her head, her voice thick with uncontrollable sobbing. “I’m sorry, everyone... I apologize for losing my composure. I just couldn't help it...”

She slowly raised her head. Beneath her hood, her emerald eyes were soaked with tears, looking like translucent jewels. she stared intently at Ansu and Celia.

Then, she drew her sword and knelt on one knee.

Altina’s right hand pressed solemnly against her heart as she performed a knight’s oath of fealty common in human kingdoms.

“I implore you two masters to act!” Altina’s expression was incredibly firm. “Save my suffering elven homeland. In return, I am willing to give everything and follow you both to the death!”

Ansu and Celia exchanged a look, both stunned.

No one had expected her to make such a move.

...