Book 3: Chapter 262: The Named One’s Instruction

Atop the high tower, the air was thin, and the wind howled across the empty ground, leaving only traces of dust.

Sylutia stood at the very top of the tower, where she could look down upon the sparse sea of clouds below, and through that misty layer of clouds, she could see the vast and sprawling mountains and rivers of the world.

Although she had participated in the Silver Bell Festival several times and visited these three towers, this was the first time she had reached the highest level.

After she walked through that gate, it dissolved into illusory specks of light and vanished, leaving her alone at the top of the tower.

After taking a few steps across the rough stone floor, Sylutia looked around and could only see the other two towers in the distance. Beyond that, there was nothing else.

Just as she was wondering whether His Majesty had forgotten about inviting her, a spiral staircase appeared before her.

She stepped onto it and climbed upward along the stairs. New steps continuously appeared ahead of her, while the steps behind gradually faded away. And so she kept ascending, and after about ten-odd minutes, she finally arrived at a small island high in the sky.

This was an island that could not be seen from below, perhaps existing within a fold in another layer of space-time.

Upon entering the island, the only conspicuous structure was the hall at its center, with only a few stone carvings serving as decoration elsewhere.

Sylutia walked up to the hall, slowly pushed open the heavy doors, and stepped inside. The interior was still empty, except for a massive stone relief mural at the center of the hall.

The mural was composed of impeccably precise lines, circles, and curves, accompanied by formulas. It meticulously depicted the forging theory of the Gold Steam Aspect, along with equations and principles for transforming other substances. The entire pattern came together like a complex Tree of Life, except what was born here was not flesh-and-blood beings, but machinery with an aesthetic of engineering beauty.

Standing beneath this mural, Sylutia gazed at it for a long time. The painting seemed to possess a strange magic; the longer she looked, the deeper her understanding of the Gold Steam Path grew. It was like a perfect framework encompassing all truths of the world, connecting and linking various theoretical systems together to form a perfect edifice of truth.

However, when she reached the end, Sylutia discovered that this perfect edifice of truth still bore a 'flaw.' This part of the 'flaw' also caused the scene depicted in the mural to be unable to cycle endlessly, ultimately getting stuck at one particular link.

The Gold Steam Path was still not complete enough.

While the black-haired girl was immersed in comprehending the vision of truth depicted in the mural, three massive stone thrones gradually materialized within the hall. Then they looked at the girl's silhouette, waiting for her to come back to her senses.

Seeming to sense something, the moment Sylutia realized the flaw in the mural, she snapped awake and no longer remained immersed in it.

Turning around, Sylutia saw the figures seated upon the three stone thrones. The one sitting on the 'Stars' stone throne had short black hair and handsome features, looking to be only in his early thirties. He wore a monocle, and a pocket watch hung from his collar at his chest.

The figure sitting on the 'Moon' stone throne was an elderly man with silver-gray hair. Within the silver staff he held in his hand floated a silver hourglass that continuously flipped and cycled.

Finally, the figure sitting on the 'Sun' stone throne appeared to be in his forties, with chestnut-brown hair and a beard. He wore a shirt and a trench coat, and a bronze-gold orb floated at his side, adorned with intricate patterns resembling solar flames, radiating waves of heat.

"Your Majesties..." Sylutia bowed in greeting, but for a moment did not know how to address them specifically.

"Come here, no need for such formality." The elderly man spoke, beckoning to the girl.

"Yes." Sylutia raised her head and walked over slowly, arriving at the center of the hall.

"Since you've come here, you've probably already guessed our identities, but let me still briefly introduce ourselves." The old man's voice was genial, lacking the severity and pressure Sylutia had anticipated, which made her feel a bit more at ease.

"The one sitting behind me is the Named One who led the Mithril Clock to prosperity, 'Abellid'." The figure on the 'Stars' throne nodded slightly, and within his deep blue pupils, it seemed as though clock dial markings were rapidly turning.

"The one on the right, that uncle-looking fellow, is the Named One who created the fire seed and truly brought steam machinery into low-tier combat, 'Valen Hunter'." The man on the 'Sun' throne smiled at Sylutia. He had a short beard and looked like a skilled craftsman from the neighborhood, without any particular aura of majesty or sharpness.

"As for me, I am the old man who in the early years reformed the Scholar faction and set it upon the path of mages. You may call me 'Sothras'." This elderly man wore a plain mage's robe, and were it not for the overly ornate staff in his hand, he would look just like a retired old grandfather next door.

Sylutia nodded in greeting to each of them in turn, then raised her head, preparing to introduce herself.

"No need for an introduction, Hedra." Abellid suddenly interrupted the girl's words.

"The reason I invited you here this time is because there are some matters I need to tell you." He raised his arm from the armrest of his throne, and a round, precise, and ornate astronomical clock dial appeared before Sylutia.

Within this astronomical clock with its silver-blue casing, besides the largest main dial scale, there were also three smaller dials. The first small dial was divided into four colors: red, blue, gray, and emerald. At the moment, the pointer was moving from the edge of the blue gradient toward the gray section. The second small dial was divided into twelve different stars, each with a different pattern representing a different constellation. The third small dial displayed various moon phases, flickering with varying degrees of light and shadow.

"You should be able to see that the dial symbolizing the four wind seasons has gradually moved to the gray scale. When it fully enters that section, that will mark the arrival of the Sinking Fog season." Abellid spoke.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Sylutia nodded, curious as to why he was specifically mentioning this.

"Originally, we would not have summoned you until you reached the Fifth Tier, after all, a Fourth Tier mage is still too early to come into contact with certain matters."

"But the situation is different now. Considering that many changes will occur once the Sinking Fog season arrives, we also find it necessary to make some plans regarding your career choices. I hope you can understand." Abellid's voice was cool and clear.

"I hope that when you reach the Fifth Tier, you will choose to advance along the Luminous Moon Path. This is not only because you are naturally attuned to that Aspect, but also because by choosing the Luminous Moon Aspect, you will be able to enter the Origin Hourglass to study their many ancient secret arts."

"This decision may be somewhat unreasonable, but you have no other choice. As compensation, I will personally guide you in the essence of the Mithril Clock faction. That is, if you are able to grasp it."

Upon hearing this, Sylutia already understood what he meant. It seemed that within the Mage Alliance, the path of her future advancement had already been arranged by the three Majesties, and she was not allowed to choose freely.

Although an ordinary person might find this somewhat oppressive, for her, it was nothing particularly special. As long as she wanted to, switching between Aspect levels at will was not a difficult task. It was just inconvenient to display.

"I understand." The girl nodded, without protest or refusal.

Seeing her agree, Abellid nodded slightly, seemingly letting out a subtle sigh of relief. However, the change in his expression was so minute that apart from the other two Named Ones who knew him well, it would be difficult for anyone else to notice.

"If that's the case, starting tomorrow, you will come here for lessons. Amelie will also be joining. I will teach both of you at the same time." Upon hearing that the familiar blue-haired girl would also be coming, Sylutia's mood improved considerably, and she nodded to indicate her understanding.

After giving his instructions, this Named One vanished from his stone throne. Then the other Named One, Valen Hunter, asked Sylutia a few mechanical questions that were not too difficult. Seeing that the girl's thinking was clear and her considerations comprehensive, the other party seemed quite satisfied.

"The 'Solar Furnace' faction I have passed down is the one with the lowest talent requirements among the three major factions. If you're interested, you can also study it on the side in the future, no need for any hesitation." This Named One thought for a moment, then removed the golden ring from his little finger and handed it to Sylutia.

"Take this with you. It will grant you access to the Taireze College. They will receive you and allow you to study the faction's texts and secret arts."

"Thank you." Although she didn't know why this Majesty was also so generous, Sylutia still accepted the ring with gratitude.

Finally, only Sylutia and that silver-gray haired old man remained in the hall.

The other party asked Sylutia to come closer, and then spoke to her in a kind and gentle tone.

"Is it a bit nerve-wracking, coming here for the first time?"

"Yes, it is." Sylutia answered honestly.

"Heh heh, you'll get used to it." The old man comforted the girl for a few moments, then slowly explained to her why the decision had been made today.

"With your talent, studying Luminous Moon will allow you to flourish. That's one reason, but what truly matters is the position you will occupy in the future." The other party spoke slowly.

"The Alliance is not something that can be propped up by one or two people. If you want to smoothly take charge of this massive system in the future, it is necessary to have more allies and followers. That is the only way to ensure the stability of power, and to allow all the forces within the Alliance to operate smoothly under your will." He began to lay out the entire personnel structure and power framework of the Mage Alliance for Sylutia.

Upon hearing this, Sylutia initially thought she should just carefully study the insights and experience the other party was imparting. But as she listened on, she began to feel something was off.

Why did he keep bringing up the entire Alliance? And that phrase, "if you take charge in the future"... You're only at the Fourth Tier right now. Even if you were promoted all the way to the Seventh Tier, that would only just barely meet the minimum qualification for a regional stationed mage. It's still far off from the upper echelons of the Alliance.

Never mind all those highly experienced masters ahead of you. And besides the master-level figures, there were even more exalted 'Sages' above them. How could it ever be her turn to take charge of the entire Alliance?

Could this just be the teaching style of a Named One? Starting from the most difficult scenario and the highest position, breaking everything down and explaining from the top down, like building a house from the roof?

Indeed, that sentence just now must have been a metaphor or a hypothetical for teaching purposes. Sylutia thought to herself, and her mood relaxed a little.