Chương 96: Grandsire

Ben had three Silver rank spell models in his possession. He was happy to let everyone think what they want. He was currently behind Pudding in line for the table with the black cloth meant for Darkness-type spell models.

It wasn't that Ben couldn't just take from the little collection of spell models his mother had in her spatial ring or the plentiful number from his Badlands collection. The thing is, the former only had ordinary ranked spell models while the latter held spell models of higher level Spellcasters with even higher ranks spell models than mere Silver ranks spell models.

The lowest spell models he had from them were on the Third-level, three whole levels ahead of his current self!

Before Ben was someone he found himself helping over more than half a year, Pudding. Even though she already received a Silver rank spell model from their mentor she wasn't like Ben who'd go to other table of spell models he 'doesn't' even have the Elemental Spheres for.

She knew she wasn't like Ben and every thought of going to try her luck in another table was squashed when three other students decided to go towards other table like Ben did, ultimately making them not to surpass the number of Elemental Spheres they held.

When those that tried their 'luck' went ahead the disappointment was huge. What came out of the box after placing their hands on the Seeker was a blank parchment. Everyone other person that wanted to test their luck backed out from having regrets.

Pudding places her hand on the Seeker with her eyes closed diving into her Darkness Sphere with rapt attention, when she drew out some energy and let it flow around her body the Seeker under her hands dragged all that darkness energy before shining with black light. After the light faded from within the brown box beside the Seeker she let her hand go in before taking out a silver parchment with black rims.

Opening her eyes Pudding screamed ecstatically. All those around looked over at where the screaming came from only to see a young girl with a silver parchment in hand. Pudding turned around to Ben and jumped on him with no reservation. What could she do without this one person that has done so much for her? She believes, nothing. Without his guidance would she have gotten what she just got? The answer, No.

...

"Urgh! This is the where the hard part begins." Sonia said with cheeky smile.

"Tell me about it!" Ricky's voice could be heard in the dining area that was rarely used bringing in some snacks.

Both Ben and Pudding arrived with their respective spell models finding the two other students under mentor Belti's care around.

"Oh don't be depressed Ben, once you've created your spell models into your awareness your lives would be much more fun. So hang in there, haha."

"Whatever man, do you guys have anything doing?" Ben asks.

"No, why?" Sonia asks back.

"It is kind of getting overly boring around here, I feel even Flamion could get all rigid if he doesn't move around or stay one more month without any activities." Ben exclaimed as he slumps on one of the couches Ricky intended sitting on.

"Why? Got some girl you're missing back home, huh Ben?" Sonia smiled at Ben.

"Ah, Sonia, do you think I can now buy something of any use at the Exchange Point?" Ben changed the subject.

"Oh we have that a lot, especially those in the combat class like swords, bows, daggers and many other stuff like enchanted items we have enchanted boots, magic wrist band that tells the time of the day, enchanted sword, enchanted daggers, enchanted cape of invisibility, and... and well, some settle mainly for exotic items like Beauty potions, Love potions, sometimes even jewellery." Ricky explained in great detail with an even wider smile on his face as he looked at Ben.

Ben's lips twitch when he heard of the enchanted wrist band that tells the time. 'Isn't that a fucking wrist watch?!?!' a lot are happening around him because of magic. "What are you smiling at me for? You better not have some weird fetish dude, or else I'll flay you whole." Ben looked at Ricky a bit differently.

"No, no, no. He's into Enchantment that's why he elaborated so much on enchanted items." Sonia said from the side.

"Really?! Then can you make me one magic wand? Or... or ooh, make me a magic dress or uhm, can you make magic wings instead?" Pudding's eyes were glistening as she brought one idea after another.

"Pft! Pudding, don't over labour Ricky, he is still at it." Sonia says holding a laugh.

"So you can't make any enchanted gear yet?" Ben said adding salt to the already open wound. Sonia couldn't hold the laughter anymore

"Humph! You all just wait, I'll show you that I will make the most wonderful item the history of magic has ever witness." Ricky dramatically stood up and proclaimed with his chin raised high to the sky and his chest out.

"Yeah, yeah. Go make history in my backyard." Pudding chimed in and immediately ran behind Ben.

"You little brat, get over here!" Ricky chased.

***

"Albert, this is getting out of hands. We can no longer sit back after being pushed so back into the wall. I can not accept this!" a rather angry voice came from one side of the long table.

"We can only wait for the decision made by the Grandsire, you should know that this will impact us greatly if we move out now." the person that was spoken to calmly said towards the angry voice.

"Their harassment has increased over the past few months, if this continues we won't be able to even leave the school grounds. I don't know but I have to agree with Darkin, Albert." a melodious voice joined in on their conversation.

Apart from these three there were five other elders in the meeting hall sitting around a large mahogany brown table of the tallest Tower in The Phantom. They all wore black robes with different colours of embroidery with only one of them wearing a milky white robe, she was the last person to speak.

Seated round the rectangular table were five men and three women, only the white robed female Elder looking rather young to be seated amidst the old, however, this doesn't mean she is to be underestimated. Some who knew her and her ways would say her brutality is a lot worse than done men seated there.

An empty seat was at the other end of the table, this was where the highest in authority would sit, the Grandsire. The discussion of the day is one that has been going on for three weeks straight without coming to a conclusion.

"Darkin, Valery, Elders," the one addressed as Albert stood up and spoke in a low, calm voice, "to be honest with you all, it pains me most to see my own students die more than anything else. But, I am also glad that these younger ones have been given an extra day, extra week, extra month or even a year to live a little longer. What you ask though..." there was a momentary pause as his voice became ever more solemn, "...is to leave these young ones out in the open, those who can't protect themselves neither can they fight the enemies before them. Do you think having a little skill with the sword or bow or spray can stop their... our enemies? You all know better that it cannot." Albert gazed at every Elder present like an eagle stalking it's prey before stopping at the woman with white robe since she had her hands raised. "Yes, Elder Valery."

"If that is a problem I believe I have an idea that might help." seeing that she was given the chance to continue she did. "What if we let all those who are yet to form their Elemental Spheres, those at the Entrance-level and every Unspoken to leave the school, allowing the Mages and Arch Mages to stay back and participate in the upcoming battle. With this, I believe they will have the chance to return in the distant future. I don't believe our Guardian Spirit is so weak to not being able to destroy those feeble shrimps." that perfect image of a loving goddess with the purest of hearts, whose smile can tame the fiercest of men got crushed at the end of her sentence. However, what she said did make a lot of sense, but then a problem arose.

"I, for one love the idea, but you seem to forget something here, how are we going to make over six hundred students suddenly disappear without alerting their enemy?" a calculative Elder spoke up after he did what he does best.

To this question one of the aged women gave an answer. "We are not called The Phantom for show, are we?" her hair was wholly white including her eyes, she was blind but many thinks otherwise.

One of the reasons they have the name The Phantom was mainly because despite being one of many Third Class Magic Institute in the eastern part of the continent, they are amongst the top ten Institute that also specializes in disappearing acts.

"But no one among the six hundred students can perform such magic yet." asides the 'blind' Elder, Darkin is also an expert in the disappearing act that is part of the shadow element of Darkness-type magic and he knew just how hard it is to master.

"How about we give each faculty a mission?" a man with messy gray hair with a lazed face asked, if Ben was here he'd know who this man was. This was the first powerful person he met when he entered The Phantom, Shanks... no, Arch Magus Shanks from the Administrative Tower.

"Then should there be perhaps a target?" a very handsome man a bit on the younger side with fallen gelled black hair said flipping a dagger in the air before catching it again. If those around him didn't know any better, they would never know that this dagger has one of the most deadliest poisons known to man.