Chương 227

Alarm wails startled Orion, loud enough to echo throughout the Base and impossible to ignore. He quickly secured the decrypted Iron State orders inside his lab coat and left the lab, only to find the courtyard in chaos as witches rushed out of the triage and supply tents to get ready for any creature brave enough to attack them, while defensive arrays activated and hummed into place.

Magistra Theresa stood near the central teleportation circle, radiating a commanding aura as she directed the defensive formations, but despite going through the motions, Orion noticed she didn't seem all that worried. Her gaze was fixed southeast, on the heavy gray cloud cover descending over the Silvermount range. A minute later, a vessel of staggering proportions broke through the clouds. It was a massive airborne ship, made of polished wood and strengthened with metal plating.

Articulated sails extended from the masts, catching the ambient mana of the high altitudes to stabilize its descent, while the air around the ship rippled with the visible distortion of overlapping warding fields. Orion relaxed upon seeing it, knowing it belonged to the Arcane Collegium and that reinforcements had finally arrived. For a moment, he stood there, watching the massive vessel lower its altitude with remarkable grace, and trying to unravel its complex enchantments with [Hypotheticism].

It had been a week since the Sanctum asked the broader magical community for reinforcements, and the High Council had clearly approved a major deployment. Though I can't sense Antares' oppressive aura. He must have left the command to someone else. It was a major source of frustration for Orion that the true powerhouses of Cyril, like his father and the High Priestess, were staying away from the battlefield, since they could easily sweep any army passing through the Ironwood.

However, he was growing more certain that an agreement had been reached in the halls of the Council. They must be worried about that strange being that managed to mind-control Behenien still. I guess the Iron State must have its own reserve of monsters, and them taking the field prematurely would result in a clash that could cause even more destruction than the invasion.

Unfortunately, he doubted that whatever being was behind the Iron State would agree to a fair duel within wards powerful enough to contain the battle's results, so they were stuck in this strange limbo, where both sides sent out their forces without revealing their true strength. As the ship stabilized and hovered directly over the designated landing zones, boarding ramps lowered. Dozens of mages began to disembark in organized lines.

They all wore the blue robes of the Collegium, indicating they were on official business, and, surprisingly enough, among those coordinating the unloading of supply crates, Orion spotted a semi-familiar face. Jonatan Blissey stood near the base of the ramp, directing a team of junior mages. The Blue Mage looked more weathered than the last time Orion saw him and had even gained eleven levels, reaching seventy-two.

The brutal duel Jonatan fought against the dragonlord at the Adventurer's Guild had clearly left a lasting impression on him. Unlike the arrogant teenager who had been goaded into a losing battle he remembered, he had become a more measured young man. We never really spoke, but I remember seeing him again at the Collegium. He did inspire me to research metamagic, so I wouldn't consider him a total stranger.

Orion gave him a quick nod as he passed by, which Jonatan returned with a slight tilt of his head after a moment of confusion, before Orion bypassed the main crowd and headed straight for the command pavilion. The guards at the entrance recognized him and stepped aside, letting Orion push through the heavy canvas flaps and into the tent, where he was left blinking at the sight that greeted him.

Magistra Theresa stood on one side of the topographical table, firmly gripping the edges with her hands as if to keep herself from lunging. Opposite her were two men who didn't seem particularly intimidated by the old witch, likely because they outpowered her considerably. It seems like Antares took this seriously enough. That's good. I doubt a handful of students and researchers would have significantly changed the balance, if at all. The first was Archmage Yunius Valentia.

He was the tall mage who intervened to save Jonatan from the dragonlord's wrath. Since his presence alone was enough to scare off the proud dragon, Orion knew he was not someone to be underestimated, and his inspection confirmed this. Yunius Valentia - Archmage of Exploration of the Arcane Collegium Class: [Master of the Esoteric Arts] [A-rank] Level: 163 Mind: 1271 This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Attunement: 1412 Body: 211 Traits:?? [A-rank];?? [A-rank];??

[A-rank],?? [A-rank],?? [A-rank] The second man was Archmage Suketh, though Orion knew him simply as Set. The master of political manipulation wore a placid, entirely unbothered smile. Set had spent over a decade in exile at the Lunar Sanctum, befriending Orion during that time, before recently returning to the Collegium to help Antares gain power. However, it seemed he was called to leave his home again, probably because he had the most contacts within the Sanctum.

His status screen was one of the most impressive Orion had ever seen. It ranked slightly below Yue's and was definitely below the Adventurer's Guild Grandmaster, but among tier four mages, he was among the best. And yet, he's still seen as somewhat of a has-been. Since he's supposedly as old as Yue, I can tell he hasn't pushed himself as hard to level up, but then again, his strength lies elsewhere.

Suketh - He of the Merciful Silence Class: [Grand Weaver] [A-rank] Level: 171 Mind: 1971 Attunement: 1512 Body: 141 Traits:?? [A-rank];?? [A-rank];?? [A-rank],?? [A-rank],?? [A-rank],?? [A-rank]"The Sanctum is deeply appreciative of the Collegium's rapid response," Theresa was saying, clearly trying her best to keep things civil despite her obvious annoyance.

"However, the terms you are proposing for sustained logistical support are steep. The Silvermount range's raw mana-crystal output is allocated to our own defensive wards, and that will not change, especially at a time like this."

"War is an expensive endeavor, Magistra," Set replied smoothly.

"Deploying a Flagship and maintaining three battalions of combat mages drains tens of thousands of gold coins. The Speaker explicitly ordered us to prioritize supporting the Sanctum's actions, and we are fully committed to that mandate, which is why we are not asking for a profit. We are simply requesting exclusive salvage rights to all captured Iron State magitek and a modest percentage of the local crystal output to offset our operational fuel costs." Yunius nodded in agreement.

"Our scholars need to understand the weapons being used against us if we want any hope of pushing the enemy back, and I'm sure you have more than what has been reported so far."

"Not that we fault you for it," Set interjected with a chuckle before Theresa could voice her indignation.

"War is a messy business, and you have had much to do in the past days. I'm sure the report will reach the Councilors' desks sooner or later."

"The technology in question is a serious threat," Theresa retorted, tightening her jaw.

"We have barely begun to understand the alchemical methods they use; it would be recklessly foolish to start spreading this incomplete knowledge!" Having seen enough to realize this wasn't going anywhere, Orion stepped forward, letting his boots hit the rugs loudly to announce his presence.

"You won't need to strip the battlefield for parts, Archmages," Orion said, catching the attention of the three commanders.

"We already have intact samples of their technology, and I've even managed to break their encryption." Set turned, his calm smile growing into sincere warmth as he recognized the young man.

"Little Orion. I had hoped we would cross paths on this deployment. You have been busy, I see." Theresa frowned, clearly annoyed by the interruption, but she knew better than to dismiss Orion when an Archmage was greeting him like an old friend.

"Have you finalized your analysis of the latest findings?"

"I have," Orion said, feeling like he could be a bit bolder as he walked up to the table. He reached into his coat and placed the thick roll of vellum and his translated notes directly over the map of the Silvermount range.

"But we have a much larger problem than infantry armor." At this point, even the most lenient commander would have sent him away, probably with a disciplinary notice for his brazenness, but the situation was such that no one here could really affect him, given his connections, and he had already proven himself useful enough that they were willing to hear him out. Given the look Yunius was giving him, the man finally put two and two together and realized who his father was.

This made him hesitate to show his annoyance at having such an important meeting hijacked by a teenager. Thus, when he pointed to the papers, Yunius leaned forward without complaint, examining the ciphered text and the handwritten translations underneath.

"I see, a clever bit of code. How long did this take to crack?"

"About half an hour," Orion replied casually, ignoring the startled look the man sent him.

"The orders are a targeting manifest, and though it's only a piece of the puzzle, it gives us enough to know what the Iron State's next target will be." Orion pointed to the three coordinates listed on the translated document. He then referenced the topographical map, tapping the locations where the coordinates matched.

"They are dropping the canisters directly into the densest pools of raw mana," he explained for the benefit of the Archmages.

"The alchemical Silence reacts violently with the Field, or the Weave as you call it, causing massive damage. We witnessed one firsthand in Sector West-Four, and what's worse, the reaction effectively neutralizes the ambient magic in the surrounding area." Set hummed.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised at their barbarity, but what is the purpose? I can't believe this is just to deny us a resource."

"It's not." Orion nodded.

"The Iron State depends on heavy, mobile fortresses that run on Silence, and if those machines try to pass through a dense mana pool, the natural pressure of the Field would probably overload their internal systems. By destroying these specific points, they are creating a low-mana highway through the forest." Set's smile faded, replaced by a grim look as he traced the line of detonated coordinates across the map.

"They are building a road directly to the Sanctum's western border, and they are using the environment to fuel their advance."

"Exactly," Orion replied with a nod.

"Should we be worried about a collapse in the Weave?" Yunis asked, though the question was reserved for the older Archmage. Set hummed thoughtfully but eventually shook his head.

"Reality isn't so fragile, but this would definitely put us and any remaining resistance within the forest at a disadvantage."

"This mana pool is deep in the Ironwood." Orion jumped in, pointing at the last of the spots indicated by the orders.

"It sits directly in the path of their advancing line, and to move their heavy armor forward, they must neutralize this artery. I would bet very good money that they will be sending either an elite unit or a strong detachment from the main force to see it destroyed."

"I see, you want to set up an ambush," Set murmured, tapping his chin thoughtfully.

"If we manage to intercept their forces there, we can capture or destroy the units responsible for clearing the path, and essentially blind their heavy armor, forcing it to spend much more time through the forest, while removing valuable units from the board."

"This could work," Theresa murmured, her eyes darting across the map as she calculated the distances.

"The Vanguard at Oakhaven is currently pinned down by long-range artillery. If we launch a strike team from the Observatory, we can bypass the main siege line and hit the pool from the flank."

"I will personally lead a detachment of our elite combat mages," Yunius offered.

"I want to be on that strike team," Orion quickly said. Theresa looked up, scowling deeply.

"Absolutely not, Voidwalker. Your contributions here in the laboratory are invaluable, but you are not allowed to enter the forest lest you forget your mother's orders."

"I am the only person on this mountain who fully understands their technology," Orion argued, keeping his tone respectful but firm.

"I know how the reactive plating on their armor works. I developed the Barrage doctrine to counter it. More importantly, I know how to safely defuse the canisters if they've already embedded them in the mana pool. If you send a squad of combat mages in there and they strike the canister with a high-tier spell, the entire pool will detonate and kill everyone within the blast radius." Yunius glanced at Orion with respect.

"He makes a valid point, Magistra. We need a specialist on the ground to handle the extraction in case they are there before us."

"He is a student," Theresa insisted, her voice rising slightly.

"And even if he wasn't, the Veil Priestess gave me explicit orders to keep him in the mountains!" Orion opened his mouth to argue, but a sudden chime sounded through the command tent, and the primary communication crystal resting on the edge of the map table flared with silver light, pressing down on the occupants with the undeniable presence of a Tier Five witch.