บท 131: 131 - Punishment
Compared to the mistaken identity of Tike, Ogest and Raphael appeared pale, clearly having recognized the situation.
For Lynn, Iyeta who had absorbed the souls of over a thousand people, the mighty Iyeta was invincible. However, facing the combined forces of two grand wizards, she was powerless.
Utilizing the magic formation within the tower, Raphael swiftly confined the vengeful spirit Iyeta to a corner of the tower.
Ogest produced a deep blue crystal at the perfect moment, which served as the anchor to assist Raphael in sealing their opponent. The deep blue crystal soon turned blood-red, with the restless vengeful spirit visible within.
With the threat within the tower resolved, Raphael quickened his pace toward the deeper underground, his expression growing darker. His suspicions had been confirmed: Herlram had indeed secretly altered his alchemical formation.
However, the furious Raphael soon discovered that Herlram, the one he was searching for, had died in this very tower.
"How is this possible?" Philip couldn't believe his eyes as he gazed at the lifeless body on the floor. If it weren't for the familiar face, he wouldn't have recognized the person as Herlram.
Kevin and Theodore also wore incredulous expressions. A grand wizard had silently perished within the Screaming Tower, and had they not followed Raphael, they might still be in the dark.
Hadn't Master Herlram already gone to the Wizard City of Greenville?
A conjecture suddenly crossed their minds, but they were all reluctant to believe it.
"His life was drained, likely the cause of his death. It may have been the vengeful spirit's doing, and before he died, he experienced a powerful magical backlash," Raphael carefully examined Herlram's lifeless body and couldn't help but furrow his brows. He turned to Tike and inquired, "You seem to know the identity of that vengeful spirit..."
"That would be Iyeta," Theodore interjected before Tike could respond. He understood that if the Council were to investigate, they would likely uncover the truth. He took the initiative to share what he knew.
Iyeta was Master Herlram's daughter, a child with exceptional magical talent and a psychic.
However, her outstanding potential prompted Herlram to expose her to various forms of magic from an early age, including psychic magic. He hoped to groom her into the youngest formal wizard in the entire wizarding realm, aiming to break records and believing she had the potential to surpass legendary wizards.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. Iyeta died in an accident related to psychic magic before becoming a formal wizard.
"Master Herlram always felt guilty about his daughter's death, believing that it was his own fault for introducing her to magic at such a young age before her mind was fully developed," Theodore continued. He shook his head and chose not to delve further into the matter. One of Herlram's goals in establishing the school in Iyeta Harbor was to find a way to bring the dead back to life. However, after the Psychic Studies professor, Kora, departed to the Sekas Empire to handle this matter, the Screaming Tower was abandoned. Herlram had given up on this impractical idea. Or so they thought.
Philip and Kevin also wore sombre expressions. They hadn't expected Herlram to resort to such cruel methods as the soul-devouring magic formation.
Raphael couldn't help but sigh. A grand wizard had died at the hands of his own daughter and the vengeful spirit he had created. It was a bitter irony.
"Things may not be as simple as they seem," Ogest pointed at the damaged floor tiles and the traces of the magic formation on the elevated platform.
A vengeful spirit wouldn't need fire magic...
"Could there be others involved? Perhaps Herlram wasn't the mastermind behind this," Kevin anxiously suggested.
Raphael chuckled. The Screaming Tower was located within the Iyeta Academy, and with the alterations to the psychic magic formation that covered the entire harbor city, it was a massive project. He couldn't believe that Herlram had nothing to do with it.
However, the signs of the battle left in the tower puzzled Raphael. If another grand wizard had planned this alongside Herlram, why didn't they take the results and leave after Herlram's death? Why leave this vengeful spirit in the Screaming Tower?
The vengeful spirit that had been created from the collected life force of the soul-devouring magic formation was incredibly powerful. It would be a futile endeavor to leave her here.
Raphael suddenly thought of another possibility: someone had entered the Screaming Tower after the soul-devouring magic formation had been activated, killed Herlram, and attempted to stop the formation's spread.
Could another grand wizard be hiding within Iyeta Harbor who didn't want to reveal themselves?
Raphael was perplexed, completely unaware that his second target was right beside him.
After all, in Raphael's impression, Herlram was a fifth-tier grand wizard, and formal wizards before him likely wouldn't stand a chance against him.
Meanwhile, Lynn was also examining the bottom of the tower. The white phosphorus flames, without fuel due to Herlram's vacuum field, had long gone out. He couldn't find any clues from the charred marks, and it didn't seem like the situation would implicate him.
Realizing this, Lynn felt relieved. Killing the grand wizard Herlram and halting the spread of the soul-devouring magic formation, although potentially a significant achievement, would also bring about considerable trouble.
***
In the following days, the development of the situation took an unexpected turn for Lynn. While Raphael and Ogest did report Herlram's death, they didn't reveal the possible connection of the incident in the southern district to the grand wizard.
After all, Herlram had managed Iyeta Harbor for many years, and held high prestige, and disclosing that he had established a psychic magic formation covering the entire city to steal their souls would have catastrophic consequences. It would only intensify the fear among the common people of wizard rule.
So the responsibility for the incident was shifted to those rogue mages who had fled the city. However, the covert punishments were certainly not lacking, and all titles and honors Herlram had received were revoked, and his assets confiscated.
Philip, Theodore, Kevin, and others appeared worried. They understood that the Iyeta Academy was likely on the path to its demise.
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