Chapter 274: Kicking Up A Storm (1)
Even when Kyran had warned the members of the order working below not to disturb him, that did not stop them from trying to know what he was up to. Some specialists took out their spying tools, while the blacksmiths would find excuses to go up the second floor and stop by Kyran's workstation trying to eavesdrop or spy using some tools they made.
Unfortunately, no matter what they did, they could not get anything information inside because they could not breach the array they did not know surrounded the room.
The array was installed by Kyran. It was not something that had been there from the start because it was not advisable to place an array inside a bigger array.
If another array were installed inside an existing array, both arrays would disrupt the flow of magic energy that sustained them, resulting in both arrays either exploding or one of them consuming the other.
As for Kyran, it was easy for him to let both arrays coexist by changing the formulas of the bigger array.
It was similar to how Noir created the defensive arrays on all establishments of the Conclave. Since he also created the magic array around the Starhorn City, it was easy for him to let all the city's arrays coexist. As for the magic detectors, he created an array to camouflage the magic signatures of mages under the Conclave's protection.
Chairman Noir's ability to do this proved how advanced and powerful his Array attainment was. Of course, this did not mean his arrays were omnipotent.
Although it would be hard for other Array Specialists to decipher Noir's Arrays in a short time, given enough time and resources, they could still do it. Not to mention, a Magus-level mage could forcefully destroy his Arrays. But, of course, if Noir were already a Magus and could create Saint-tier Arrays, that would be different.
This was another reason Nolan felt Noir teaching Kyran Arrays was not good enough.
Either way, Kyran's Array knowledge had already improved by leaps and bounds. To say that he was more powerful than Noir or even Cade in Array Creation was still uncertain but probably closer.
While Kyran busied himself with his project, the members of the order were still in an uproar from his sudden appearance.
The commotion the blacksmiths and specialists were doing had already traveled to the other members stationed at the establishment's front office. The members here mostly handled miscellaneous and service tasks for the order. Because of this, they did not necessarily have to be proficient in crafting or array.
When they found out that Disciple Tyr had actually come in person and was currently locked in his workstation, the one in charge, a thin middle-aged man with sandy blonde hair and dark eyes, immediately sent out a message to President Sigma. After all, the commotion it had done to the members of the order had already affected the members' productivity. Especially the female members from the front office were trying to find excuses to enter the Blacksmith and Array Specialist Department.
In the Conclave, Sigma was busy adding array formula in one of the critical areas of the grand array.
He was seated in front of a three-meter radius array glowing in light-gold with a floating blood-red stone in its center. If Kyran were here, he would be able to recognize the stone as the so-called Shaiha Rare Stone. To Kyran, however, he knew it was a piece of Zephyr's horn.
Sigma was at the crucial part of the array formula when he sensed his communication device lit up inside his storage ring. Frowning slightly, he decisively ignored it and continued with what he was doing.
After a few seconds, the communication device lit up again, making Sigma's frown deepen. Once again, he chose to ignore it and resume his work.
A minute later, one of the high-ranking members of the order suddenly arrived. He was a middle-aged man with short dark brown hair and black eyes, wearing the Blacksmith Order's black coat uniform. The symbol of the order stitched on the man's coat was a silver hammer with a bronze hilt, meaning he was an Artisan.
"P-Presiden Sigma!" The man exclaimed, sounding more excited than panic-stricken as he panted.
This time, Sigma's frown worsened. Finally, he opened his eyes and scowled at the middle-aged man standing three meters away to his left side.
"What?" He bellowed in anger.
Seemingly unaware of Sigma's rising temper, the middle-aged man replied excitedly, "I-I received a message from the main branch! T-They said, D-Disciple Tyr has shown up and is currently there!"
"I don't care!" Sigma roared even before the middle-aged man finished what he was saying. "Can't you see that what I am doing is crucial to the Conclave's Array—."
He suddenly stopped short as the middle-aged man's words finally sank in. His eyes grew wide as he looked at the middle-aged man and demanded, "What did you just say?"
The middle-aged man's excitement had turned up a notch as he repeated, "Disciple Tyr is in the branch right now—!"
Sigma stood up and almost disrupted the magic energy flow in the array formula he was doing. However, he managed to control it before it could do any irreversible damage to the whole array.
"Why did they not tell me as soon as possible?" He bellowed at the middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man could only sigh in his heart as he muttered, "They were trying to call but can't get hold of you. That's why they called us instead."
Sigma turned and glared at the middle-aged man, "What did you say?"
"Nothing, President Sigma," the man denied at once, shaking his head. His smiling expression proved he was offended nor afraid of Sigma's outburst.
In the order, everyone knew Sigma's headstrong character. But they also knew that once he acknowledged someone as part of the order, even when he scowled at that person, he was not really angry. His face was just born that way.
"Take over and make sure to let the stone properly assimilate into the formula," Sigma ordered the middle-aged man.
"Yes, sir!" The middle-aged man responded and switched places with him.
"Did anyone tell Chairman Noir?" Sigma asked.
"We can't tell him. He is still inside the Head Master's office."
Sigma only nodded and left at once.
The reason for his surprise was not because he was excited to know Kyran had returned but because of the Lord of the Tower's order to inform her at once if they received any news of his return.
Apparently, a mysterious man arrived a few days ago who brazenly went directly to the main tower. Even when the man did not present any token, he entered the tower and went up to the Lord of Tower's quarters.
Everyone in the Tower of Conclave was thrown into panic, thinking it was the same man who attacked the tower a few weeks ago.
However, Malek appeared and assured everyone that the Lord of the Tower's guest was not the same person. Afterwhich, he called every council member and reinforced the Lord of the Tower's request to inform her of any news about Kyran.
Her previous request was directed only to the mercenaries, but it had been directed to every council member starting that day.
Apart from this, the mysterious man apparently told the Lord of the Tower that it was likely that Kyran would appear as Tyr and advised Noir and Sigma to watch out for it.
This immediately made the council members, apart from Malek, wonder who the mysterious man was.
In almost a quarter of an hour, Sigma finally arrived in front of Malek's office. He knocked once before saying, "Head Master, I have received news that Disciple Tyr has returned and is currently in the Blacksmith Order's main branch—."
Even before Sigma finished his words, the door had already burst open, revealing Stella, standing with her face flushed.
Inside, Malek and the other council members, Noir, Hugh, and Malia, could not help but look at her with a hopeless expression. By now, they had grown accustomed to the Lord of the Tower's uncharacteristic outbursts when it involved news about Kyran.
"Is it true?" Stella demanded while looking at Sigma.
"Y-Yes, Lord of the Tower," Sigma replied while blinking twice.
Malek cleared his throat from the inside as he said with an unreadable expression, "We can have Chairman Noir return to the order first and—."
"No need. I'll go," Stella said at once.
Black lines appeared on their heads except for Malek, whose brow twitched instead.
"Milord," Malek started. And though he did not want to remind her of what he was about to say, he continued, "Remember that you cannot leave the Tower."
Stella took a sharp breath as she turned and glared at Malek, "I know that!"
Malek lowered his head, "Please pardon me."
Stella pursed her lips. She knew Malek only said that because she was being unreasonable. But she wanted to see Kyran now, and though she knew it was impossible to leave, she still wanted to say it.
Malia looked at Stella thoughtfully, then she turned to Noir and said, "Chairman Noir. Is it possible to communicate while sending a projection into the Blacksmith Order?"
The projection that Malia was asking was not a simple holographic image but a somewhat real-life projection of someone.
Hearing this, Stella looked at Noir expectantly as well.
Understanding what Malia was trying to do, Noir contemplated and replied, "It is possible, but at most, I can maintain it for a minute."
Stella beamed at once.
The rest of the council did not miss her smile, and though they still felt it was inappropriate for her to show a biased attitude toward Kyran, they could only sigh in their hearts.
"A minute is fine. What do you need?" Stella asked Noir at once.
Hearing Stella's question instantly made Malek's brow twitched. He felt an incoming headache as he calculated the possible cost of creating such an advanced array in a short amount of time.
Suddenly, a deep male voice cleared his throat from inside the room.
Only then did Sigma notice a man wearing a gray cloak leaning by the window. The man's face was hidden under the cloak.
"No need to waste your time, I'll go and bring the kid here," the man said.
Stella's expression turned solemn, "Are you sure? Right now you are…"
The man chuckled, "This small thing is a piece of cake even in this form. Besides I also need the kid here as soon as possible."
He stood straight as black mists seeped out from under his cloak, "I'll be back in a minute."
Stella lowered her head at him.
This instantly made Sigma's heart pound. Who was this man that even the Lord of the Tower was being respectful?
"Thank you," Stella said.
Malek and the rest remained silent the whole time. They disapproved of Stella's attitude toward the mysterious man, but they could only stay quiet given the man's unfathomable level.
In a blink of an eye, the mysterious cloaked man disappeared in a cloud of black mist.