Gabriel Vidian was resting in his room, sitting in his armchair, reading intently about the title that was settling over the Boilers. Luxurious since forever, he always held great power for himself, and the chances of getting support to pass the Vidian were always slim.
Most of the time, he had to stoop to asking for favors, his pride being wounded. He had not been angry, or even disgusted when his family had the privilege of living a dignified life, but his late father's dream had not yet been fulfilled, and seeing Silena Vidian have the support of an extraordinary mind there in the Boilers, that dream became further away.
The door behind him was knocked twice, and a young boy wearing a cloak on his back entered. The iron breastplate with an axe on the right side glistened, the symbol of house Germaco. He was no older than his twenties, a face well known to the Great House.
- Sir. - Salles stopped behind the armchair, waiting.
- Go ahead.
- I have come at the request of Councilor Fabricio that the Captain of the Corn, Gomes Germaco, is present and requests an urgent personal meeting with you.
- Gomes? - Gabriel didn't take it very seriously. Last time, he called a meeting to say that the corn, which was already yellowish, had gained more color, and was not very natural. Since the burning of the farm, a very strong blow to the whole family, Gabriel didn't care about the farms. - Put him down and tell him to take a bath. He must be covered from head to toe in mud.
- Yes, sir, he is. - Salles' chuckle was imitated by Gabriel. - But he said that if you denied it, you would be missing one of the biggest chances of your life.
This caught his attention. He turned his face to face the boy.
- Did he say that? And for what reason?
- He spoke openly that if he refused the offer from the smartest man in the Boilers, he would never have the chance to meet him again. - The boy's discomfort was unsettling. - I don't know who could be smarter than you, but he said those words.
- Salles," Gabriel got up again, "you are a good boy, but you are naive if you think that I am the smartest man on this island. - The greenish leather gibbon was taken from the cot beside the bed. He smoothed the collar and slipped a thin jacket over it, with gold trim on the sides. It was the clothing worn in formal meetings, and rarely used these days. - Is he in the meeting room?
- Yes, sir. - He followed Gabriel behind his back. - Sir, who is the Corn Captain talking about?
- I have my guesses, but I want to be sure.
Gomes waited sitting in a chair that barely supported him. Gabriel remembered him being fat, but it hadn't been long since he had seen him, he had gotten even bigger. The clothes underneath screamed to hold the lard, and his porridge formed a second chin.
How Adelaide got into bed with this man was a mystery to Gabriel, but to think of the possibility of that naked man... Gods, it was horrifying.
- Mr. Gabriel. - Gomes tried to get up, but couldn't. Gabriel put his hand on his shoulder, telling him to stay. - Thank you. It's difficult to greet him standing up.
- No need to be so formal. - He sat down on the other side of the short round table. Salles snapped at his back. - From the amount of sweat on his face, he came running here. And from what you told the boy, I would miss a chance to the point of regretting it, what is it?
- Of course you would, anyone on this island would. - Gomes took a letter from inside his battered gibbon, dragging it across the table. - I don't have to say anything if you can read it.
Curious, Gabriel took the letter. There was nothing marked on either side, and the opening fold had been sealed with a small fillet of glue. He pulled it out effortlessly and read the contents.
Dear Mr. Gabriel Germaco
By means of this letter, I hereby submit a method for your farm, devastated by 'natural' causes, to be restored and returned to its great superiority, so that you may continue with the great work of keeping the Ilhotas Boiler supplied.
Many know his pride. A man who denies help from elsewhere, wanting to solve his own problems by himself, and I admire that. But for once in life, we need to diminish this feeling so that we can accept certain choices.
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The choice I give you, however lenient, is to recreate your defensive magic and assist in rebuilding the farms using a passive magic that I have developed myself. The cost of my achievement? Zero.
For many years I have been in a gift with Gomes Germaco, one of the men from the farms, whose respect I have for me is high to the point of not measuring any strength to wish him well. Ironically, I had to remain hidden because of roots, but I never stopped helping those who helped me.
The rune will be on the back of this card, hidden by a passive spell called 'Three Plane Camouflage'. Break it and use it to restore your plantation. But, I must warn you, be very careful.
Thank you, Professor.
The letter was quite simple. It had been a long time since someone had surprised the leader of the Germaco house. Besides the handwriting being perfect, without a single mistake and written in formal language, rare nowadays, it had very limited parts.
Did the professor lack the confidence to deliver something more detailed, or did he hide part of his intent because he knew something might happen? And the part "devastated by 'natural' causes be restored", the word marked already explained enough.
When the fires spread for almost three kilometers of the camp, many believed that it was a mistake by the farmers. Gomes was one of the few who had lived on the farms all his life, training with his father and inheriting much of it, being careful and respectful of the orders followed.
One mistake was fatal, but that fat man in front of him would never make such a mistake. The Professor knew, even without having been to the plantations, that the causes were not natural. And Gabriel put that damned doubt out of his mind immediately.
- Salles - said Gabriel. - Call the Magician of Illusions, now.
- Yes, sir.
The boy left. The other back of the letter had a single rune in the middle, a vertical line with its bottom edge bent gently to the side. "It is 'Iluss'. Archaic Symbol of the School of Illusions."
- How did he contact you, Gomes? - he asked without taking his eyes off the letter. - Another letter?
- My niece, Silena Vidian, came directly to my house to deliver the letter from the Professor.
- Silena? - That was the woman who received all the credit for meeting the renowned scholastic and who was striving for a high position in the Vidian family. - Say, Gomes, do you think that the farms were burned by someone?
The fat man's laughing tone vanished immediately, revealing a serious and very narrow gaze. He didn't answer immediately, but nodded.
- Defensive magic has a much higher resistance than active magic, precisely because of the work and effort that goes into developing it. It only takes a light match to burn a piece of paper, but with magic, it must be well worked.
- I would need to study the matrix of magic and see its flaws.
- Exactly, sir.
In the past decade, Gomes's score on the Common Arcanism exam far surpassed many of the Scholastics in his household. Even though he was raised in the countryside, his father, a Knight married to a Hydro Magus, taught the boy everything they could.
Because of this, Gabriel was sure that Gomes would never be able to burn any part of his field. It was a reminder of those who had raised him, loved him. And he himself had created the runes, assisting in their development, wanting nothing to go wrong.
This was a man whose heart never ran away from duties and responsibilities.
- Mister Gabriel.
The old man introduced himself. He was wearing a wide gray, noble court suit, a plaid hat, and glasses with shallow lenses. His square jaw held a well-hidden scar amidst the wrinkles, leaving his face half crooked to the right.
- Master Huggens, please.
The man approached Gabriel and took the letter in his hands. The contents had disappeared after being read by Gabriel, so Huggens stared only at the symbol.
- It is a low level cloaking passive, sir. I must say that there are hundreds of ways to break it. Do you need me to study it first?
- No, I want you to undo it immediately. - Gabriel crossed his hand over the table, staring at him. - I want you to undo the rune and tell me what you think.
- Sure, sure.
The Wizard prepared himself by sitting down in his chair and placing one of his hands on top of the paper. His palm glowed in a gray color, forcing the color of the paper to turn dark. When he stepped back, the symbol was gone and lines began to outline around it.
Gabriel stood up and stood beside him.
- It is a little different from what I am used to, sir," commented Huggens, uneasily. - It's a very elaborate mixture, not based on any Magic School, with different branches and structures. If you put it on an Arcane Board, the visualization will be better.
- Use.
The Mage's Arcane Frame was a dark sphere the size of a fist. When he inserted his mana inside, the yellowish screen expanded and fixed in the air. Huggens took the card and placed it in the middle of the Frame, letting it slowly dissipate and reproduce in the air.
The first plan was quite simple to understand. It was to protect layers from high level shock and friction, using a small conjuncture of Repulsion symbols. The second plan, Gabriel saw Huggens more attentive.
- What?
- That plan, sir, was made for an elastic layer to be realized. The first one would be very well implemented because it is compatible, but this one has a softer stance, as if it serves absolutely no purpose. And the symbols of unity and comparison are placed in a way that I cannot understand.
- Can't understand? - Gabriel did not expect this statement. - You have studied Arcanism all your life, how can you not understand this?
- It's not that I can't understand, it's why I was put here. - Huggens pointed to the two joining symbols, each on one side of the plane. - If they were just for uniting mana and creating a second layer, I would understand, but it is being used to unite something else.
- Move on to the Third Plane.
And there, Huggens swallowed dryly.
- Sir, who sent you this letter?
Even Gomes and Salles were curious.
- Why do you want to know?
Huggens stared at him.
- Because I have never seen any project that does that.
- Explain.
With each passing second, Gabriel was more curious.
- What the project is trying to recreate is a conversion of mana through already created templates. How can I try to explain this in the most layman's way possible? - Huggens touched his deformed chin. - If it is raining, like today, the drops will crash against the magic and diminish its effects. The elastic barrier would work to hold this shock, but the two bonding symbols are designed so that this shock will not dissipate completely, and be beneficial to whatever is being protected.
- And the Third Plan?
- Let's say that if I have a candle lit, and blow it out, the mana that held the fire will split into air and smoke. This is a common effect in Arcane Evolution, to study how mana materializes. - Huggens pointed to the Primary Circle in the center. - This is a symbol of Lumos, and those around it, are all from Archaic Magic Schools. Whoever delivered this project, sir, is imposing that any kind of aggressive mana, coming from outside, is going to be held back by the elastic barrier while strengthening the Lumos in the center. And this little rune down here is a passive from the School of Light, called 'Accelerated Growth'.
Gomes opened his mouth, amused. Salles didn't understand it very well either, but seeing that the Illusion Mage was shocked just by reading it, it was something even he couldn't easily produce.
- It's an 'Elementary Mana Converter', sir," Huggens said in anguish. - It's a passive magic of Grade Five or Six, maybe even Seven. The last person who did something like that was Reinaldo Bigger.
- Square Head. - Gabriel recognized the man's funny title. - And would it work on the farms?
- Only by testing it to find out.
Gomes straightened his lard, wanting to get up with difficulty.
- So, let's go. Mr. Gabriel, we have a golden chance. If we can...
Gabriel stopped him with his hand raised.
- Calm down. Salles, call an emergency meeting of all the Magi and tell them there is a project I want their opinion on.
- Yes, sir.