Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe-Chapter 1009: Wounded Pride

Inside the spacious chamber, three people had gathered.

Headmaster Marcus Blackwood was naturally one of them. He sat at the head of the table, leisurely smoking from his long, wooden pipe.

Across from him sat two elderly women, both powerful Mana Vortex Magi. Both of them had graduated from Saratoga, yet their paths had diverged.

One had remained within the grand institution, guiding its young students with unwavering loyalty and compassion. While the other had pledged herself to the city of Ravenfell, ensuring to guard its prosperity.

That last person... Adam had not expected to see her here.

He first turned to the old man, then pressed his hand against his chest and respectfully bowed. "Greetings, Headmaster."

Blackwood simply nodded, silently studying Adam for a good few moments. Exhaling a dense plume of smoke to the side, he remarked, "Must’ve killed a lot inside, eh?"

Adam had an awkward expression on his face. He scratched the back of his head, answering with slight embarrassment, "Yes, my lord, I suppose so..."

Blackwood hummed in response, seemingly having lost interest in how many beings Adam had killed within the secret plane. The aura around the youth was deep and murderous, but nothing he hadn’t seen before.

The raven-haired youth turned to the elderly woman next and respectfully greeted, "Greetings, Professor."

Professor Mathilda Whitaker nodded with a faint smile. "Sit, dear," she said, gesturing to the leather chair beside her. "We have a lot to talk about."

Adam nodded. He then turned to the final person inside the room.

"Greetings... Lord Marshall."

Sabrina Benton gazed at him with a solemn expression, offering a light nod in response.

What the hell is she doing here? Adam wondered as he took his seat.

Perhaps, the Headmaster has disclosed the existence of the Cult and their possible plans on Ravenfell. Yes, that makes sense considering she’s the Lord Marshall of the city.

Just before Adam was about to take his seat, however, he abruptly turned his gaze towards the fireplace. Seeing the two high-back chairs empty, he squinted.

Is that old geezer here as well?

He wondered as he activated his Sphere of Resonance at full capacity—not that it was going to help him.

If a Mana Core Magus wanted to hide from him, there was nothing he could do about it. Especially, considering that the Emperor Emeritus, Gerald Acadia, practiced a strange sealing magic that... sealed his presence.

"Looking for something, Magus Constantine?" The Headmaster asked with an amused smirk.

"Uh, no, sir." Adam turned around and took his seat. He then added with a forced smile. "It’s nothing... I think."

Blackwood scoffed, then turned to the Lord Marshall of Ravenfell. He then spoke in a voice that lacked any emotion whatsoever:

"So, tell me, Sabrina. How did that blood beast come to be corrupted? I hope you can give me a reasonable explanation. And you better not be lying."

He paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing. "I’d hate for one of my own students to be in league with the vile Cult."

Adam’s eyes trembled. "...What?"

Sabrina Benton’s expression darkened, but she did not refute the accusations. After all, all the evidence pointed towards her at the moment.

"Headmaster, what is going on?!" Adam couldn’t sit still anymore. "What do you mean..."

He turned to the Lord Marshall and murmured incredulously, "What the hell is happening?"

"Mathilda," said the elderly Headmaster.

Professor Whitaker nodded solemnly. She then turned to Adam and said in a grim voice, "Like you said, the progenitor of the blood beasts had been secretly corrupted."

She paused for a moment, thinking of the right words to say. "After the Second Trial had concluded, the Headmaster dissolved the boundaries of the secret plane, allowing Mana Vortex Magi like me to enter.

"We investigated all three layers inside and eventually examined the corpse of the Mother of Flesh. That’s when we discovered something startling... her internal anatomy had been drastically altered. Several of her organs had been replaced with those belonging to powerful magical beasts."

Adam had already studied that while he was inside the secret plane. In fact, this had been the very reason why the abomination had grown so powerful and was able to reproduce at such an astonishing rate, giving birth to countless blood beasts in the process.

If not for the restrictions imposed by the secret plane in its inception, he speculated that the Mother of Flesh would have long since evolved to a Mana Vortex-level beast!

He had already deduced that the Mother of Flesh had been secretly altered beforehand. And he knew for certain that the Cult of Bones was behind it. After all, this was the surest and most subtle way of taking out the young Magi while they were inside the secret plane.

After all, apart from Mana Liquefaction Magi, no one else was allowed to even set foot inside. It would be more precise to say that they couldn’t enter.

But what was Sabrina Benton’s role in all of this?

Was she truly in league with the Cult of Bones?

Adam vaguely felt that this was not the truth.

But then again... this was the Cult he was dealing with.

The truth and lies were often distorted. The cultists—or rather, the cult leader—subtly warped the minds of the enemies, making them accept a lie as the truth even when the truth stared them right in the eyes.

But why would the Headmaster think that she was involved with the cult?

Adam thought to himself, a seed of realization emerging inside his mind.

Unless...

He asked Professor Whitaker while his gaze lingered on the Lord Marshall. "Professor... who was responsible for selecting the beast used in the second trial?"

The elderly woman smiled bitterly. Before she could reply, however, the Lord Marshall of Ravenfell turned toward him, her face cold as ice.

"It was me," she said with narrowed eyes, her voice cold and filled with ridicule. "What? Are you going to accuse me of being a cult spy as well?"

Adam remained silent, deeply observing Benton’s facial expression, body language, emotions, and peripheral thoughts through his Sphere of Resonance.

The raven-haired youth’s pupils constricted, and his mind worked in overdrive.

Eyes narrowed. Not in fear, but in challenge, he thought.

There is no dilation of the pupils, no sudden spike in adrenaline suggesting guilt. Rather, a glare... meant to deflect, not deceive.

Jaw clenched. Anger or... restraint, perhaps? Yes, she’s containing herself. The kind of tension that doesn’t come from the anxiety of exposure.

Her lips... pressed tightly after speaking. No smirk, no fidgeting. Yes, not the habits of a liar. This is restraint. Her pride is wounded.

Arms crossed. Classic defensive posture. But her shoulders... they’re squared, not hunched. She’s defending her honor, not concealing the truth.

Her breathing is subtly shallow... not from panic, no. It’s the pain of disbelief. She feels... betrayed.

Emotionally reactive, yes. But not erratic. Her sarcasm is more like armor than a weapon.

Conclusion...

No signs of deceit!

Adam took a deep breath, his pupils returning to normal. He deactivated the Sphere of Resonance. He looked at the Lord Marshall and offered a faint smile.

His following response caused everyone to be taken aback...