Chapter 723 Jade

"We do not care about any tricks or gimmicks. The importance is that she reached Tier 5, not that she is using an outdated type of magic," countered a rather well groomed old individual. He had a distinctive scar cutting his beard in half and his appearance screamed 'rich aristocrat'.

He was one of the oldest in the group and had watched the development of magic from the start and had noted that this archaic casting method had been abandoned for a reason. It had its niche uses, but overall, it wasn't that great and certainly wasn't what they were looking for.

"Really?" Jade sighed. When she watched this new type of magic, she always found it fascinating. It wasn't perfect, but it also wasn't imperfect. It shined in some situations, and in others, it was lacking. Just like any tool or weapon. Nothing fit every scenario.

Well, dynamic casting did. But so few could actually master dynamic casting that it wasn't worth mentioning. Ironically, mentioning anything less in this room was considered an unworthy mention. A simple waste of time. Jade felt the entire meeting was just that.

She couldn't accept how these people thought, and until recently, they had excluded her from these meetings. How she missed those days.

"Perhaps... It might work as training wheels for them?" Someone threw out the idea. Everyone quickly agreeing which infuriated Jade. To think of such a fascinating form of magic as training wheels—ridiculous!

"Of course that's all you'll see!" She jumped up, turning to leave. If this was how they the meeting was going to go, she didn't want to stay and waste more of her time.

She expected some resistance, and there was some. But they were all silenced by Zaphreal. A relaxed middle aged man with golden eyes and violently red hair.

"Let her go! I refuse to let you resort to violence." His voice thundered through the room and in his eyes everyone saw the sparks wishing for a fight.

No one wanted to give him a reason. No one wanted that humiliation. Why he was doting on Jade, they didn't understand. Surely he couldn't have fallen for her?

In the end, it didn't matter. No one would dare stop her now that Zaphreal had voiced his support of her. Watching her leave, a few scoffed and others sighed. She was the new generation and a clash between new and old was coming.

Eldrian had been the greatest surprise, and he would be the winds flaming the storm. Silencing him was the easiest, but not everyone agreed. Be it because of old superstition, curiosity, or prophecy; they couldn't agree on what to do with him and some had acted before they could come to a consensus. Creating a divide that would not be easy to repair. Which was even more difficult since half the group didn't want to repair it, but rather, rip it even wider.

In the end, their inner fighting had only led to humiliation and complications.

Public opinion was no longer easily maintainable. While they had expected backlash once they stepped into the light, it was becoming more and more clear that they could not control things much longer.

...

"Hey Qiren, working hard?"

"Jade, what are you doing here?" Qiren looked up with a start, quickly stopping everything to place all her focus on the young girl who had just walked into her office.

She did not know who exactly Jade was, but she knew Jade was someone really important. And the most beautiful person she had ever met.

"Ughh..." Jade sighed, looking at the dazed woman before her and cursing her inability to completely suppress her aura. It often was such a bother... Taking a minute to get over it, Jade went straight to the point. "Do you have any reports on Eldrian?"

Jade had to repeat the question to get it through to the dazed Qiren. "Last we heard, he escaped towards the north. There was a massive news story about a strange wild fire; he was the cause."

"Right, right... I heard about that. Is there still nothing since?"

"Unfortunately not. He hasn't shown himself in public and not even his closest friends or family know where he is. In fact, his family probably still believes he's dead."

"That's terrible!" Jade followed the symbolic show of sympathy, gasping and placing her hand over her mouth as her eyes widened in sympathetic shock. It was enough to move the heart of the coldest bastard, and it was all a show. Jade didn't care. She was interested in Eldrian and wanted to piss off the old basters. Two birds, one stone.

"It is..." Despite her better judgement, Qiren confided in Jade. "I wish we could just end all this... fighting. I know he killed some people, but we aren't blameless either. Everything was handled so poorly."

"You just want someone to help lift your load, don't you?" Jade teased.

"If he comes back, it surely will make my life easier..." Qiren sighed. It would never happen. Not peacefully at least.

Why would Eldrian ever trust them again, and could the rest forgive what he had done? Once blood has been shed, it truly is hard to repair the broken relationships.

"Qiren, can you show me where the fire was?"

"Sure, but do you think it will help?"

"Nope! But I'm curious. Come on! Please show me." Jade threw puppy dogs at Qiren, making her heart melt and her mind with it.

"G-give me a second." Fiddling with her hologram projector, Qiren summoned the map and started zooming in on Eldrian's last known location.

"Is this what the old fogies currently have you working on?"

"Jade! That's confidential!" Rushing to grab the documents from the young girl's hands, Jade deftly evaded.

"Oh, so you've confirmed that there indeed is a link between the dark thingies? I never quite understood why everyone is so obsessed with this. Does it matter?"

"Yes, it does!" Qiren replied as she ripped the documents from Jade's hands. "If you must know, this is proof that magic exists on Earth. Scientific proof! And while the density is poor compared to that in the simulation, if we can improve our detectors, we might find denser patches."

"On Earth?"

"Maybe... But the true target would be astroids, or a method to artificially boost the density—I shouldn't be telling you this."

Jade burst into laughter. "Astroids? Whose crazy idea was that? No, I can guess. Probably Julius. Does he really think astroids are something you can pluck like flowers?"

"Jade, please stop. I've pulled up the map, so take a look."

Qiren showed the young girl the fields and woods ravaged by fire, clearly unnaturally so. A strange path leading to nowhere.

"Can you zoom out a bit?"

"Sure," Zooming out, a large mountain range quickly came into view. "Has anyone searched the mountains?"

"Six times, but they found nothing."

"Did they even know what to look for?"

"What do you mean?"

"Did they take the detector you developed with them?"

"No, we've only recently made a stable prototype that can detect something besides light mana. It's still... Jade! You can't!"

"But I want to find him!" Jade booster her aura a bit and threw the most pitiful puppy dog eyes at Qiren that she could muster. The sight made Qiren wish to give the world to Jade, but it wasn't hers to give.

"Let's go ask for permission!"

"Yippie!" Clapping her hands joyfully, Jade followed Qiren. Her smile disappearing when she saw who they were asking for permission. 'No, I don't want another lecture!'

Diving down the nearest hallways, Jade made sure to escape before anyone noticed. Of course, everyone noticed her. But no one could keep up with her.

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