Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

Chapter 375: Long-term

Adamʼs eyelids couldnʼt help but twitch. ”Lord Elrod, please tell me.”

”Hmm, where do I begin.” Elrod stroked his chin. ”Firstly, this medallion can grant you access to the Brothrhoodʼs libraries that are situated throughout the Empire and even beyond.”

Adamʼs eyes shone with a brilliant light. ”You mean even the Europa and Indus Continents?”

”Of course,” Elrod stated matter-of-factly.

”The Brotherhood is one of the oldest, if not the oldest organizations in Tron. Over time, it has amassed a lot of arcane knowledge.”

”I see.” Adam nodded. ”That makes sense.”

He suddenly thought of something and asked, ”What about the Yen-Lu Continent?”

”We do have some presence in that continent, but it isnʼt as strong as compared to the rest of the world,” said Elrod.

He paused for a moment before continuing, ”To support its members, the Brotherhood has employed a large network of drop boxes, hidden caches, and safe houses worldwide.

”Here, you can find supplies and a place to stay. Your medallion gives you access to vast resources in places secretly owned and operated by our organization.”

Adamʼs eyes shone brightly when he heard the term ʼresourcesʼ.

He couldnʼt help but ask, ”Is the Brotherhood very rich?”

Elrod spoke with pride, ”That goes without saying. Over the years, our organization has been able to amass significant resources and an exponential amount of wealth. I dare say it rivals even some of Tronʼs wealthiest kingdoms and empires.”

”Whoa…” Just thinking about all the money this secret society must have gathered until now, Adam couldnʼt help but salivate.

The elf knew what a moneygrubber Adam was. So he added with a chuckle, ”If you complete the missions given to you by the Brotherhood, rest assured you will be handsomely rewarded.”

Adam nodded his head intensely. ”Yes, yes, I understand!”

Elrod wanted to take this time to familiarize the youth with the inner workings of the Brotherhood, so he continued to explain patiently.

”Our organization has an extensive network of Herbalists, Artisans, and Runesmiths. Showing them your medallion will give you great discounts.”

”Discounts?!” Adam gasped in shock. His grip around the medallion tightened instantly.

Suddenly, he thought of something and asked, ”My lord, these people, I mean the Herbalists, Artisans, and Runesmiths, are they also part of the Brotherhood?”

”Yes, of course.” Elrod nodded. ”Our reach goes deeper than anything you can imagine.”

”Hmm.” Adam began to stroke his chin, deep in thought. He mumbled under his breath, ”The old man was right, after all. The Twilight Brotherhood truly has vast resources at its disposal for me to utilize.”

”Indeed.” Elrod nodded yet again. ”But I must remind you, Adam. There is no free lunch in this world. If you want access to these resources, youʼll have to do your fair share of work for the organization.”

”That goes without saying,” the youth replied with a solemn look.

He then glanced at the elfʼs black cloak and asked, ”What about uniforms? Do we have those?”

Elrod chuckled, ”Iʼm afraid not. Such things are needless in an organization that prioritizes secrecy. Just the Twilight Medallion and secret greeting is more than enough to recognize fellow brothers.”

”Hmm, that makes sense.” Adam nodded.

He was so excited about his future prospects within this organization that he couldnʼt help but shoot a series of questions at the elf.

Thankfully, Elrod was very patient with him.

Adam spoke with a hint of unease, ”My lord… the oath that I just took before the stone altar, was it bound by mana? What I mean to say is…”

Seeing the discomfort in the youthʼs face, the elf couldnʼt help but chuckle, ”You donʼt have to worry. Those eight tenets that you swore to uphold are simple statements, yet very difficult to live by.”

Adam couldnʼt help but nod in agreement. ”Especially the one about acting with integrity, honesty, and honor in all endeavors. Truth be told, I donʼt have it in me to abide by that.”

”Hahaha!” Elrod burst into laughter. ”Youʼre awfully honest, arenʼt you?”

Adam replied shamelessly, ”Thatʼs because Iʼm very familiar with you. If it were someone else, I would have lied through my teeth.”

Elrod broke into another round of boisterous laughter. Perhaps it was the alcohol, or maybe it was the youth who was so amusing.

After calming down a little, he added, ”You neednʼt worry. Those tenets arenʼt rules that you have to strictly follow. Think of them as guidelines.”

Adam nodded with a serious face. ”I will do my best to live by those codes.”

Elrod deeply looked at the youth, wondering if he was serious about it or not. In the end, he couldnʼt help but chuckle, ”I have faith that you will do the right thing.”

Suddenly, he recalled something and took out a rolled parchment paper from his storage ring. He handed it to Adam and stated, ”This is very important. Memorize it and then burn it.”

”Whatʼs this?” Adam asked curiously as he unfurled the scroll. Inside, he saw a complex spell model with intricate geometrical patterns.

”This is our method of communication,” Elrod began. ”This spell will summon a creature from the Spirit World. With the help of this creature, you can send and receive messages.”

”Oho!” Adamʼs eyes lit up. ”Sending messages through the Spirit World? This indeed seems like the safest and the fastest option.”

”Last but not least, take this.” Elrod conjured a small booklet from his ring and handed it to the youth.

”This is a copy of the tome that you previously placed your hand on during the initiation ritual. It contains the eight tenets of the Twilight Brotherhood.

”Keep this copy with you at all times. It will serve as a reminder. When you feel lost, give it a read. It has helped me on many occasions.”

Adam grabbed the small leather book which fit into the palm of his hands. He flipped through the pages with a faint smile. ”Is there anything special about the tome used during my initiation?”

Elrod replied with a mysterious smile, ”Rumor has it the founder of the Brotherhood personally wrote the eight codes in that book.”

”What?!” Adam was shocked. ”The founder of the Brotherhood himself?!”

”Yes,” replied Elrod.

”Do we know who he is?” Adam blurted out, ”I mean, is he still alive?”

”Iʼm not sure.” Elrod shrugged. ”His origins are shrouded in mystery. Perhaps, only the Council of Dawn is privy to such information.”

It took a while for Adam to calm down his emotions. He couldnʼt help but think to himself, The legendary founder of the Twilight Brotherhood! Itʼs very likely that heʼs at the Mana Vortex Rank. Or perhaps, even higher!

Elrod patiently waited for the youth to digest this newfound information.

”Now letʼs talk about your upcoming long-term mission,” he said.

Adamʼs expression turned solemn. He looked at the elf and nodded. ”Please go ahead, my lord.”

”Itʼs an extended surveillance mission,” Elrod began. ”I was able to pull some strings and make it so that this mission also served another purpose, one that is fairly important to your growth.”

”Another purpose?” Adam asked with a raised eyebrow, his eyes flashing with anticipation. ”What is it?”

Elrodʼs lips curled up into a smirk, ”Do you not wish to pursue higher arcane studies?”

Adamʼs eyes lit up. ”Of course I do!”

”Very good!” Elrod nodded in acknowledgment. ”That is the unwavering spirit of learning that a Magus should embody.”

He paused for a moment before continuing, ”That being said, for your mission, you will have to journey to Ravenfell, home to one of the Four Pillars of the Empire.

”Saratoga Castle!”