Lord of Caldera - Chapter 351

Chapter 351: Chapter 351 The First Master Of The Reconstructed Mage Tower
After several minutes of unrestrained crying, the elves finally regained their composure and wiped their tears. The leader, Veles, spoke with reverence.

“Your Grace, these are without a doubt ancient spellbooks of the highest order. They were crafted by a mage of extraordinary caliber—a treasure unmatched in this era.”

“That is… fortunate news indeed. I’m glad to hear it.”

“Yes, truly fortunate,” Veles echoed, bowing deeply. His gratitude toward Sylas for granting him access to the spellbooks was sincere.

“It will take approximately three days to conduct a preliminary analysis. Would you allow us that time?”

“Of course. Take as much time as you need,” Sylas replied.

Barely had Sylas finished speaking before the elves immersed themselves in their work. Their fervor was almost palpable, and Sylas decided to leave them to it. If their determination was any indication, they would uncover the truth soon enough.

Exactly three days later, Veles appeared before Sylas, his eyes sunken and his face pale from sleepless nights.

“The analysis is complete, Your Grace. The spellbooks were authored by a mage named Jaran Melisis. He inscribed his name within the texts.”

“Jaran Melisis? I’ve never heard of him,” Sylas mused.

“Neither have we,” Veles admitted. “However, the texts mention a name we do recognize—one that Your Grace is likely familiar with as well.”

“Who?”

“Adelheid,” Veles said, his tone solemn.

The name struck Sylas and his retainers like a thunderbolt. Iszak instinctively stepped forward, his voice tinged with disbelief.

“Do you mean Adelheid of Sachsen, the last great archmage?”

“Precisely,” Veles confirmed. “A mage deserving of the title in every respect.”

Adelheid was renowned as the last great archmage, much as Sylas’s ancestor, Leonik, was remembered as the last dragonslayer. In an age when heroes were fading and mages were becoming scarce, Adelheid stood out as a universally acknowledged master.

Many who followed claimed the title of archmage, but unlike Adelheid, none earned the widespread recognition to match it.

“What connection did Adelheid have with the author of these spellbooks?” Sylas asked.

“According to the preface, they were contemporaries who shared the same mentor. Though not explicitly stated, the texts contain several subtle references to their relationship,” Veles explained.

“But why has this Jaran left no legacy of his own?”

“History is often unkind to second-place contenders,” Veles replied with a wry smile.

The others nodded in agreement. Such tales were common—figures overshadowed by their era’s greatest names often faded into obscurity within a century.

“It seems Jaran himself wasn’t overly concerned with fame,” Veles continued. “Their aspirations diverged greatly, you see.”

“How so?”

“Adelheid, like most mages, sought to reach the pinnacle of magic—to achieve immortality.”

“And failed,” Sylas interjected.

Veles nodded. Despite extending her lifespan to nearly three centuries, Adelheid ultimately succumbed to mortality, unable to attain her goal.

“Jaran, however, pursued a different dream. He sought to elevate the standard of civilization itself through magic. His vision was a society where even a child could learn simple spells to enrich daily life.”

“Is that even possible?”

“Ultimately, it wasn’t,” Veles admitted. “But his research wasn’t without merit.”

Excitement flickered in Veles’s eyes as he continued.

“These spellbooks simplify countless spells to an extraordinary degree. While they won’t instantly transform an ordinary person into a mage, with 20 to 30 years of dedicated teaching, even those with minimal talent could become mages.”

The room fell silent, the implications of Veles’s words sinking in. Sylas’s retainers exchanged astonished glances, fully grasping the magnitude of what they had uncovered.

Sylas, too, was stunned. “I never imagined they’d be this valuable.”

In his previous life, the spellbooks were discovered a year before his death. Found during a battle in the Gritz Forest, the thousand tomes briefly made headlines but caused little lasting impact.

“Back then, no one could use them,” Sylas thought.

Only the elves possessed the knowledge to decipher the spellbooks, but relations between humans and elves had deteriorated beyond repair due to Eldira’s death. Without collaboration, the spellbooks were reduced to ornamental relics, eventually claimed by Conrad, who likely used them as little more than decorations.

“But the circumstances have changed,” Sylas mused, a faint smile creeping across his face.

With the elves’ assistance, he now understood the spellbooks’ true worth. The only question that remained was how to utilize them. Turning to Veles, Sylas asked with an air of casual authority,

“May I ask you something, Veles?”

“Anything, Your Grace.”

“Have you ever considered rebuilding a mage’s tower on this land?”

Veles’s eyes widened, nearly tearing at the seams.

“A mage’s tower… here?”

“D-Did you just mention the Mage Tower?” a voice trembled.

“Yes, that’s correct,” Sylas replied with a sly smile, his gaze fixed on Veles.

Sylas continued confidently, “The emergence of a Mage Tower is inevitable when mages exist. In fact, at this point, it’s better to establish a systematic educational framework by building a Mage Tower first.”

The Mage Tower—an institution where countless mages gathered to research magic, train apprentices, and protect the rights of mages. It was often described as a gathering of seekers of truth, but more bluntly, it was a union serving the interests of mages.

In this era, where mages had all but vanished, such towers were dismantled long ago, leaving no trace behind.

“Unfortunately, records of the Mage Tower have long disappeared among humans,” Sylas added. “At best, all that remains is fragmented knowledge of their roles and ranks.”

“That’s only natural, given how much time has passed,” Veles said. “Even for us elves, it has been an eternity.”

“Which is why I need your help,” Sylas said, leaning forward to meet Veles’ gaze. “I have no magical knowledge. I don’t even know how to construct a tower that would benefit magic. At this rate, I’ll end up building a meaningless structure.”

To put it in perspective, it would be like an architect who only builds houses trying to design a research lab without consulting a scientist. It might look impressive at first glance but would likely be deemed impractical by experts and need to be rebuilt later.

“That’s why I need someone to assist in every aspect, from the tower’s construction and design to its educational system and mage training.”

“And you mean me?” Veles asked.

“Exactly. Would you be willing to become the first master of the reconstructed Mage Tower?”