Chapter 1437: Confidence in magic

Hearing his confident words, Lucy and the rest of the Mystic Masters couldn’t help but hesitate for a second.

They knew Michael was no idiot. Making such a public declaration would eventually turn against him if it was proven that everything he was saying was purely nothing but boasts.

So, could it be possible that he did know how a 9-star spell worked?

It seemed preposterous. There was no way that a young kid such as him could fully comprehend the mysteries of a 9-star spell. Even they, who had decades of experience under their belt, would not say that they were fully confident in being tested in their knowledge.

They all looked at each other and spoke in their hushed telepathic conversations.

"Does the kid really know?"

"Of course not, he’s bluffing."

"Is he the kind of person who would be willing to bet his entire reputation that he’d built up through painstaking effort in a bluff? I do not think so."

"Hmm... he has a good relationship with Seberus. Perhaps he was given mentorship in that regard."

They paused for a few seconds, considering this possibility before shaking their heads.

"Even if Seberus personally taught the kid, learning a 9-star spell is still too complex. It is not something that could be depressed merely in words or letters. It must be understood on a deeper level. If the soul does not understand, not even a memorized speech about a 9-star level spell will not be accurate."

They all agreed with this. There was no way that Michael could cheat or feign knowledge about the highest peak of the Mystic Arts.

"Then how will he show us evidence of his knowledge?"

"It is possible for Seberus to inhibit the boy’s body for a temporary time."

They all looked at the old witch who suggested such a possibility. "It is possible," she argued. "We know that the leader of Reborn has recently found himself acquainted with Lazarus. With his help, transferring a soul into a living body will be doable."

Hearing this possibility, they nodded in understanding. "But we can check for such things, can’t we?"

"Yes. We can. If they dare pull off this stunt, then they’re a lot more idiotic than I gave them credit for. It would kill two birds with one stone for us.

This young Reborn company would halt its progress and we would find sufficient reason to force Seberus into retirement. And by then, there will be no one to oppose us."

The old hermits and cronies, these Mystic Masters, were now confident they’d be able to spot any shenanigans. In fact, they wished it would happen.

"But what if he does genuinely know a 9-star spell?" someone asked amongst them.

This silenced the entire group. Now, they were starting to doubt their own conclusions.

"Masters, please. There is no need to worry. The kid does not know a 9-star spell," Lucy chimed in.

"And how can you be so sure?"

"Because if he did, then wouldn’t he already have the qualifications to become a Mystic Master? If that were the case, then he should have already submitted his application to the Guild long ago.

Even you four cannot stop that. The only explanation for this is that he’s bluffing. He doesn’t know squat about a 9-star spell."

Hearing his compelling argument, the other Mystic Masters began to grow more confident in their decision.

All four hooded Mystic Masters stood up from their seats and faced Michael.

"Alright, we accept your challenge. But under a few conditions."

"We shall pick the 9-star spell that you need to explain."

Hearing this unfair condition, even the other spectators couldn’t help but call them out.

"That’s a bit unfair, isn’t it? How can they be the one to choose the 9-star spell that he needs to explain?"

"True. What if it’s something that he has no knowledge about? It doesn’t disprove his claim a single bit!"

Of course, the Mystic Masters had their own answer for this.

"Since we will be the one to pick, then even a shallow explanation from the young man will suffice. Just tell us what the 9-star spell does, and we will accept it."

This became a much more fair test. One could even think that the advantage was stacked in Michael’s favor.

"If you fail to properly explain," continued one of the old witches. "Then you must offer us an apology. You will publicly proclaim that the Mystic Arts are beyond even your comprehension.

And after that, you will not speak about this matter any further. The Eye of Truth will not be used again."

Once they disproved Michael’s claim, then they could prevent him from using the Eye of Truth to interrogate the fake Ersatz assassin.

"Very well. I accept," Michael replied with a smile. "But just like you, I have a few conditions of my own. How can I be sure that you are all truthful that I did indeed say the correct thing?"

It was a very offensive thought to the Mystic Masters. They stood up, fuming and angry.

"We will vow ourselves to the Mystic Arts itself."

"If we dare violate our own oaths to preserve the truth about magic, then our own Arcane magic will work against us."

Hearing the proclamation, Michael smiled. "Alright. What 9-star spell do you wish to know about?"

Hearing such arrogant words, the Mystic Masters couldn’t help but scoff. They deliberated for a few seconds. And of course, since they were wary of Michael being inhabited by Seberus to answer the question, they made sure to pick a 9-star spell that Seberus or Lazarus had no idea about.

"We have chosen the 9-star spell, Weaver’s Paradox."

Not a lot of people knew about this particular magic spell. In fact, even the most scholarly student of the Guild of Arcana would not have even heard about it.

After all, it was an obscure 9-star spell that had last been used almost a century ago!

It was not something that Michael could easily know or recall.