Heir of Synthesis: The World Mage

The Elder of Law spoke slowly, casting a sideways glance at the Super Geniuses.

”What childish foolishness. Listen carefully: there is no army, sect, or empire in this world that’s completely free of rotten fruit. Yet great powers don’t collapse because of them. Do you know why? Because rules are the foundation of everything, and they are absolute. Acting on impulse, driven by wounded pride or anger, is savagery that violates the order we’ve sworn to protect. That, if left unchecked, is what truly brings about the downfall of a great power.”

”The factions exist to teach one simple lesson: discipline, blind obedience, and submission to the hierarchy. Therefore, the outcome has already been decided. The verdict will not change.”

He spoke solemnly, but when he looked at Priam, he frowned.

The young man remained completely relaxed, carrying himself with such calm composure that it subtly unsettled him.

”What a painfully narrow-minded view...” Priam broke the silence.

His voice was calm, yet it echoed across the desert with razor-sharp clarity.

”Elder of Law, do you really understand why the sect organizes team battles instead of individual duels?”

The Elder didn’t answer, and Priam continued, staring him straight in the eyes.

”It’s much simpler than your empty rhetoric. Rules exist to create order, but they should never be unchangeable, because life is full of exceptions. As for factions... they don’t exist to produce obedient soldiers. They exist to forge a single heart. To build trust.”

Priam paused briefly, letting the weight of his words settle over the battlefield.

”What does it matter if a single Mage is unbelievably strong? Can one person fight an entire army alone forever? The sect puts us together for one reason only: mutual protection. Unity. To teach us that we all have individual weaknesses, but together we possess an invincible strength.”

Taking his eyes off the Elder, Priam pointed at Walhart and the others, his face overflowing with contempt.

”As for this ’cleverness’ of yours... It’s honestly pathetic. You call a cheap backstage trick intelligence? With that mediocre mindset, if you ever crossed paths with the Sorcerers, you’d be dead before you even had time to come up with a plan. They’d feast on your ’intelligence’ with amused smiles on their faces.”

Priam took a step forward as his imposing aura began to rise once again.

”Do you know why the sect makes us fight as teams? So that, at the height of a life-and-death battle, you know someone is watching your back. So that, when facing the impossible, you don’t retreat because doing so would cost the life of someone who trusts you. Can a pack of cowardly hyenas, living off carrion and other people’s hard work, even comprehend a concept that noble?”

Walhart’s face darkened, and the veins on his forehead bulged with rage.

”Tch! What, are you going to cry now? You lost, idiot! What’s the point of your moral lecture now that the gong has already sounded? In the end, the world belongs to the strong.”

Priam let out a quiet laugh, genuinely amused.

”Of course those words don’t mean anything to a hyena that survives on scraps. They weren’t meant for you, Walhart. But I know there are people here who understand exactly what I’m saying.”

Priam shifted his gaze, sweeping it across the disciples of his own faction as he raised his voice.

”To the spies and infiltrators still hiding within my faction here in this desert... if you understand the weight of what I just said, then have at least a shred of dignity. Be honest with yourselves.”

”I saved your lives once,” Priam declared, pausing for a moment. ”And even now, I’m giving you one last chance to confess. But understand this: those who choose the path of betrayal die young. Do you really think the big shots who promised you everything will trust you afterward? To them, someone who betrays once will betray twice. They’ll throw you away and eliminate you the first chance they get.”

The silence that followed was suffocating.

The soldiers exchanged uneasy glances as suspicion hung heavily in the air.

Then, in the middle of the ranks, a young man lowered his head, let out a shaky sigh, and stepped forward.

”I’m sorry... I destroyed everyone’s trust,” the young man confessed, his voice trembling. ”I’m leaving the faction today, and I won’t join any other one. I’d rather become nothing more than an ordinary worker in the sect... That’s the only punishment I deserve for being a coward.”

The moment the first person broke through the wall of fear, the domino effect began immediately.

One after another, ten more disciples stepped forward, their faces burning red with shame and regret.

All of them belonged to average races, people who lived on the fringes of true power outside the sect.

Their greatest dream had always been to enter the sect and join the faction of one of the famous Super Geniuses so they could finally make something of themselves.

But reality was merciless.

Without Priam’s help, they wouldn’t even be alive.

Their mistake had been born from awe and weakness.

Shortly after entering the sect, Elders of Law had secretly approached them, offering resources and promises of a bright future.

For those young disciples, receiving attention from such powerful figures had been an overwhelming temptation.

During a moment of hesitation, they agreed to cooperate, leaking internal information about the faction.

At that moment, Lumiere noticed the subtle look Priam gave him.

Understanding the silent command, he nodded almost imperceptibly.

The two understood each other well and already knew they thought in similar ways.

The first disciple who had confessed was already walking away when he felt a firm hand grab his shoulder.

It was Lumiere.

”If you want to kill me for breaking my oath, go ahead. I won’t resist,” the young man said with a bitter, resigned smile.

”I was treated too well here, and you all taught me things I never dreamed I’d learn. Knowing what I did has been tormenting my heart every day. I just want this pain to end.”

Lumiere remained silent, but the young man continued, tears streaming down his face.

”At least if I die facing the consequences of my mistake... maybe I can still be considered a real man.”

The crowd watched in complete silence.

Shione and Flaris wore icy, unforgiving expressions.

Both had stern personalities and would never forgive betrayal of that magnitude.

That was exactly why Priam had signaled Lumiere.

Priam had done well with the initial speech.

That was because he’d repeated something he remembered reading in a book back on Earth.

But now...

He wasn’t sure what to do next.

He wasn’t some incredible heroic genius who always knew the right answer.

So he trusted Lumiere to help him.

And sure enough...

Lumiere gave the young man a firm, encouraging pat on the shoulder before turning toward the other ten disciples, who stood there with their heads lowered, waiting for judgment.

”What do you think you’re doing?” Lumiere asked, raising his voice so the entire faction could hear him. ”If you leave now, we’re going to lose good comrades-in-arms.”

Everyone looked up in shock.

”Making mistakes is part of everyone’s journey. What really matters is having the dignity to admit your mistakes and the strength to correct your path. It may not seem like it today, but my sister and I were once Priam’s sworn enemies. After we understood our mistakes and faced them head-on, the past stayed in the past.”

A murmur of pure shock spread through the faction.

The impact on the eleven repentant disciples was overwhelming.

Were they being forgiven?

Their eyes filled with tears, no longer from shame, but from deep gratitude.

Even Daraen, watching from afar, felt a strange warmth rise in her chest.

”Hey, if you all keep acting like crying children, I’m really going to kick every single one of you out,” Priam interrupted, finally finding a chance to speak. His voice had lost its earlier coldness, taking on a firm yet reassuring tone of authority.

”If you’ve learned your lesson, stop crying and get back to your positions. As for those who chose to stay silent and refused to confess... understand that your only chance has just slipped away.”

Inigo and Daraen watched the outcome in complete silence.

Sallya let out a long, heavy sigh.

The three of them reached the same conclusion.

Priam was a terrifying leader.

With just a few words, he had woven unshakable loyalty into the hearts of those Mages.

As for the spies who had chosen to remain hidden...

They had just signed their own death warrants.

The soldiers of the faction themselves would keep watch over them with everything they had, rooting out anyone who showed even the slightest sign of disloyalty from that day forward.

The Elders also nodded.

Priam possessed wisdom that didn’t match his age.

But they couldn’t understand why someone so intelligent had done something so impulsive.

Priam let out a quiet snort before turning toward the Elder of Law.

That man immediately realized the situation was slipping out of his control.

Now, not only had Priam earned the trust of three Super Geniuses, but a large portion of the disciples from both his own faction and the other three were now on his side.

He had to end this quickly.

So he made a sharp gesture with his hand.

”Your words are beautiful, but rules are rules. As for the rest of you, you don’t have permission to leave the sect whenever you please. Have you forgotten what was said during the welcoming ceremony? This isn’t a place where you can come in, take what belongs to us, and leave whenever you feel like it.”

He spoke coldly, and all the disciples clenched their fists in anger.

”Hand me your badge. I’ll personally escort you out,” the Elder said flatly as he looked at Priam. He wasn’t going to waste another second on this.

Suddenly, a voice echoed across the sky.

”Allow me to handle this matter.”

As if she had appeared out of thin air, an imposing woman materialized in the sky before them.

No one had seen how she’d arrived.

”Greetings, Branch Leader Elder!” the Elders said, bowing immediately.

Following them, everyone else quickly bowed as well.

The new disciples were stunned.

The Branch Leader Elder herself had been watching their little competition?

The Elder of Law bowed as well, but then immediately spoke in a serious tone.

”I have the deepest respect for the Branch Leader Elder, but the rules of the sect were established by our ancestors and cannot be changed. Not even you can break them without proper justification. Even if all these young disciples leave the sect, the rules will remain the same, and they will be enforced.”

Everyone swallowed nervously as they realized how serious the situation had become.

The Branch Leader Elder was merely the commander appointed by the main sect.

She had a certain degree of authority over management, but she truly couldn’t go against the sect’s fundamental rules.

Mishnar’s gaze settled on Priam, revealing a faint trace of admiration.

After a few seconds, she spoke calmly.

”According to the sect’s rules, he deserves severe punishment. But... you’ve forgotten two important details.”

”What?”

She let out a snort.

”Are you pretending to be an idiot? You’re a Sage and have complete control over the underground inscription in this place. With a single thought, no Mage here would have been able to move a single muscle. In other words, you clearly allowed Priam to do what he did. Therefore, this situation isn’t entirely fair, because part of the responsibility lies with you.”

”Another important point. While the sect does allow faction changes and internal conflicts, we’ve always upheld honor and dignity above all else. Deliberate betrayal isn’t a clever strategy—it’s a red flag.”

”Taking those two points into account, I can formally intervene in this punishment on the grounds that exceptional circumstances occurred here. However... as I said before, Priam still cannot escape severe punishment.”

Her words landed like a stone in the Elder of Law’s heart.

He clenched his fists but couldn’t find a single argument to refute her.

If he tried to make a bigger issue out of it, there was a real chance he’d also be severely punished for failing to prevent what had happened.

Mishnar turned her attention back to Priam.

”I’ll give you two choices. One is expulsion. The other is exile.”

”Exile?” Priam asked in surprise, since he’d never heard of that second option.

She nodded.

”Correct. You may be sent to a highly dangerous location sealed off by the outer sect. Once you’re abandoned there, you’ll have to find your own way back.”

”Has anyone ever chosen exile?” Priam asked curiously.

”Yes. Since the founding of the sect, a total of two thousand and thirty-three people have chosen exile.”

”Then... how many of them came back?” he asked, pretending to be uncertain.

”Not a single one has ever returned alive.”

Priam let out a snort.

It was even more terrifying than he’d imagined...

Which meant the rewards were probably even better.

”Thank you very much, Branch Leader Elder. This disciple chooses exile.”