Chapter 87: Battle of Wits (2)

Chapter 87: Battle of Wits (2)

Arin had been starving for three days. Consequently, Canis had not eaten anything for twenty days.

"Huff! Huff! I did it! I got it! The bread!"

Canis ran frantically through the alleyways. After losing his pursuers, he leaned against a wall to catch his breath.

His consciousness was fading; all he felt was hunger. He couldn't remember how long it had been since he last ate.

Then, he spotted a piece of bread.

Canis swallowed hard, his eyes wild with hunger.

He wanted it. He wanted to put it in his mouth.

"Yeah, I need to be strong for Arin. I can eat this. Arin can last a few more days."

This thought seemed remarkably rational.

Was there a more logical decision? Eat this and use the remaining strength to find more food.

Canis opened his mouth to eat the bread. His mouth watered, and his hands trembled.

"Ugh!"

But then Canis clenched his eyes shut and placed the bread in his pocket. It was all a lie. What strength could he gain from such a piece of bread?

"I must endure. It doesn't matter if my body breaks down, but if my mind does, it's over."

Canis looked around like a madman, ready to fill his stomach with stones if necessary.

He crawled towards some feces discarded in a corner and, without a second thought, shoved it into his mouth.

"Ugh! Ugh!"

Every part of his body rejected it, but Canis swallowed it.

Better than a stone.

Feces were better than a stone.

Returning to their hiding place, Canis felt sick but managed a smile when he saw Arin and presented her with the bread.

"Arin, look! I got this."

"Really? Wow, that's great."

"Haha, I've got the knack for it. I'll get more in the future. Eat up."

Arin looked at the bread with sad eyes. She wanted to help find food, but stepping outside as a girl in Radum was suicidal.

She never talked to anyone but Canis. Social phobia developed, but what did it matter? At least she wasn't someone's food.

"Let's eat together, Canis."

"I'm fine. I found stuff while roaming. I even ate a big centipede for nutrition. You can't eat that, so you should eat this."

"I can eat it too. Stop treating me like a child."

Canis gripped Arin's shoulder tenderly.

"Arin, I know you're brave. But you shouldn't. Do you understand? The only reason I can endure this hellish Radum is that I can feed you like a human. If you become like me, you might go mad. So, eat."

Arin usually pretended to be defeated and bit the bread. But this time was different.

She looked at Canis's mouth, noticing something stuck there with a stench.

"Canis, what did you eat?"

Canis panicked.

"Oh? Haha! It's cake. I licked some cream off it, maybe it's stuck. Sorry, I was so hungry...!"

Slap!

"Release their memories, or..."

The photon cannon burst into light, transforming into a chillingly cold sphere of white light.

"I'll have to harm you."

Thadd's forehead was drenched with cold sweat as he tried to counteract Viltor Arcane's magic, trying photonization magic on Alpheas's head. "Phew. Such powerful mind control. Even in today's age, it would be effective."

At first, Thadd underestimated it. Even with the title of Archmage, 40 years had passed. Magic had evolved over several generations, and dark magic had become obsolete.

But Abyss Nova was a complex spell beyond Thadd's analysis, even as a beneficiary of cutting-edge magic.

After 20 minutes, the light's energy finally penetrated the core of darkness. Then Thadd pushed the light with all his mental strength. The darkness lifted, and Alpheas's memories started unfolding along the stream of light.

40 years ago in Bashuka, Thormia Kingdom.

A magic craze unlike any before swept through the kingdom. King Adolph XII, unlike his military-obsessed predecessor, was full of intellect and kindness.

Upon his coronation, he separated the magic department, previously limited to military, and gathered numerous talents.

Students from provinces and other countries came to study in Bashuka, turning the capital's streets into daily hubs of intellectual conversation.

Young mages fresh from magic school gathered in pubs for debates, a common sight.

Vividly colored gypsy-style clothing was in vogue.

For women, short hair revealing the neck was a symbol of intellect, while men wore their hair down to the waist.

The pubs were scenes of intellectual clashes and factional fights, leading to arrests by the guards.

The most famous pub was "Homeland of the Ancient Gods," with a large hall and over 200 tables. People frequently ascended the central podium to express their magical views.

The place was a hub of magic debates and real-time gossip among nobles.

It was a romantic era.

Alpheas reminisced about his golden youth.

"Hey, girls! Look who's here! Alpheas is coming!"

A woman's excitement at the pub entrance drew the ladies' attention to the door.

"Hello, ladies! Always so lively here!"

Blond-haired Alpheas, his hair reaching his waist, entered the "Homeland of the Ancient Gods." With him was Klumph Ogent, sporting an out-of-fashion buzz cut.

Despite being invisible to the ladies, Klumph, a swordsman, was ignored as they flocked to Alpheas.

"We waited for you, Alpheas! What magic will you teach us today?"

"First, let's quench my throat. My tongue stiffens up without alcohol."

"Ha ha! So funny, Alpheas. You're truly entertaining."

Alpheas would have been ridiculed by his current students, but back then, he was a popular figure, charming in any conversation.

He was the scion of a first-class family, valedictorian of the magic school, with good looks and refinement. Perhaps no woman disliked him?

Men, however, viewed Alpheas with disdain. Even those not petty enough to be jealous harbored unkind thoughts towards him, reflecting the resentment he faced from men.

The light of the Myrhe family.

That was Alpheas's official title at the time, but those who knew him had another nickname for him.

Proud Alpheas.

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