บท 35: Chapter 35: The Elixir of Immortality
"Did you like the song?"
Elena's voice suddenly sounded behind Li Xiang, pulling him out of his trance.
"Was that charm magic?"
Li Xiang reflected on his unusual state. No matter how good a song was, it shouldn't have had such a profound effect on him.
"You're right. Blending charm magic into a song—it's one of the foundational theories of sensory magic," Elena responded, clearly satisfied. Li Xiang's quick reaction confirmed her faith in him as a key member of the team.
"She's no ordinary idol, is she?"
"Far from it. I'd advise you not to get involved with her," Elena said, her face serious, a hint of caution in her eyes. "Mei Liddell Archelot—super idol, adored by millions, pursued by countless fans. She's recognized worldwide as the top idol in the Mage's Association."
"A fanbase in the millions? Isn't that a bit exaggerated? Are there even that many magi?"
"Why do you focus on such strange details?"
Elena's tense expression broke into a smile. "Of course, that's impossible. That's just something the girl claims about herself."
"Is she the daughter of Lord Archelot from the Plant Department?"
"No, no. She's more like... an ancient monster."
"...What?"
Li Xiang glanced at her, puzzled. "Wait, are you jealous of her?"
"Jealous? What kind of nonsense is that?!"
Elena flared up like an irritated cat. "That woman's been alive for centuries! Who knows how old she actually is now? A real young lady like me would never be jealous of someone like her!"
"Centuries?!"
Li Xiang's face filled with shock.
Immortality?
He looked again at Liddell, her face full of youthful energy, and lowered his voice. "Is she a Dead Apostle? Or some kind of vampire?"
"You even know about Dead Apostles and vampires?" Elena asked, surprised, studying him closely.
"I read about them in a book," Li Xiang said.
Elena rolled her eyes. "A book, huh? What book? Tell me."
"Uh, I forgot. I came across it while browsing in the library." Li Xiang rubbed his nose awkwardly. "If you're interested, you could go check the library yourself."
"Ugh, you fool. There are thousands of books in that library! How would I find it?" Elena huffed. "Anyway, she's neither a Dead Apostle nor a vampire."
"She's not? Then what else could make someone immortal?"
"There are other ways, of course. Take Grand Mage Aozaki Touko, for instance. Her dolls grant a form of immortality. But as for Liddell, based on our intel, it's likely she uses some kind of potion."
"A potion? An elixir of immortality?"
Li Xiang's thoughts immediately turned to the legendary figures who sought such things.
"Do you know about Henry Jekyll?" Elena asked suddenly.
Li Xiang's eyes widened.
Of course he knew. Henry Jekyll—the historical figure behind The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. A genius who managed to create a potion that split his good and evil sides, resulting in the birth of a second personality, Hyde.
In the Fate/Prototype: Fragments of Sky Silver series, he was a Berserker-class Servant. But in FGO, he appeared as an Assassin, and upon unleashing his Noble Phantasm, he would transform into the crazed Berserker, Hyde.
"The Law and Politics Department has records stating that Liddell helped Henry Jekyll create his elixir centuries ago. And the seemingly innocent idol magic she uses today is actually a form of forbidden black magic, derived from the Plant Department."
Li Xiang was at a loss for words. The fact that she was practicing black magic and still walking freely within the Clock Tower spoke volumes about her strength.
It was similar to those who had managed to avoid being sealed—people the Mage's Association could do nothing about. They were often individuals at the absolute pinnacle of the magical world.
"Why are you so late today?" Li Xiang asked, shifting the topic.
"Something came up." Elena paused briefly, thinking. "I suppose it's fine to tell you. We discovered some ruins in the Flannan Isles, off the coast of Scotland."
Li Xiang's breath hitched.
Ruins often meant remnants from the Age of Gods. In other words, there could be relics—possibly even Holy Relics—waiting to be uncovered.
"Is the Law and Politics Department handling the ruins?"
"Usually, it would be the Department of Mystics, but this ruin is different. The local government stumbled upon it. We had to pay a hefty price to secure the rights to explore it."
"Could I... go with you?"
"You? With your current strength, you'd be walking into a deathtrap." Elena clicked her tongue, but then something caught her attention. Her mouth dropped open. "Wait, you're already at the Eldest Rank?! Twenty days from being a normal person to Second Rank? You only have seven magic circuits! By your potential, it should've taken at least half a year to reach the Youngest Rank."
"I have no idea either. I just trained a little," Li Xiang said, scratching his head. There was no way he could tell her about his system.
Elena narrowed her eyes, clearly displeased with his response. After a moment of thought, she said, "I'll ask the captain. It depends on her decision."
"Thank you!"
Li Xiang sighed in relief. Whether or not he got to go, at least there was hope. If he was lucky enough to find something in the ruins, his strength could skyrocket.
Surely, his EX-level luck wasn't just for show, right?
It couldn't be...
He decided to put his faith in Irigar.
[Just don't die, Master.]
"Esteemed teachers, dear students, welcome to the annual Freshman Society Performances! First, a round of applause for Miss Liddell for her spectacular opening! She'll be performing again tomorrow, so don't miss it!"
The lights shifted, illuminating a young man in a red suit, the host for the evening. His voice boomed through the venue, filled with excitement.
Li Xiang was reminded of those loud, energetic announcers from esports competitions in his past life.
After the applause faded, the host raised his microphone again, shouting, "Now, let's give a warm welcome to the Lords of our prestigious departments!"
The lights moved toward the VIP seats at the front of the stage.
"Lord Tramberio of the General Fundamentals Department!"
"Lord Barouelleta of the Creation Department!"
"Lord Soronia of the Individual Fundamentals Department!"
"Lord Gaius Ling of the Animal Department!"
"..."
Li Xiang counted. Only seven Lords were present.
Lords stood at the pinnacle of the Clock Tower, and each had their own personality. Most didn't bother with events like this. The Lords who did attend were usually the ones who valued their reputation or took an interest in the students.
This was the first time Li Xiang had seen any Lords aside from Waver.
After all, Waver was one of the few who actually taught classes.
The other Lords were elusive, rarely showing their faces. Seeing them was a matter of luck.
"It's a shame the Lord of the Law and Politics Department didn't come. I've never seen our boss in person," Li Xiang muttered.
Elena glanced at him, thinking, 'You have seen them.'
"You'll meet them sooner or later, since you're in the Law and Politics Department," she said, keeping her thoughts to herself.
Li Xiang nodded, choosing not to say more.
Onstage, the host began introducing the next performance—a play about the Battle of Camlann.
Li Xiang raised an eyebrow. Lately, he'd been seeing a lot about King Arthur. Maybe it was because he was in the land of Artoria's legend?
After the host left the stage, the sound of booming drums filled the air. The sapphire sky above the stage transformed into a sea of flames.
Sails appeared on the horizon, rising over the river.
Altria, holding the Holy Spear Rhongomyniad, stood on one of the ships. Her expression was weary as she stared at Mordred on the shore.
The battle was about to begin.
The lifelike portrayal of the scene earned a thunderous round of applause.
Next came a Fire Dance.
Flames shot into the air, dancing and twisting under magical control, creating a breathtaking spectacle against the night sky.
By the time the Eastern Culture Research Magic Society took the stage for their performance, it was the sixteenth act of the evening. Their choice was quite unexpected—shadow puppetry.
Using magic, a massive white screen was projected, accompanied by ancient melodies, telling the tale of The Fenian Cycle, a story of Fionn mac Cumhaill.
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