Dragon Raja 4; Chapter 82: Dragon Song in Ultramarine Hall (7)

Dragon Raja 4

“A sufficiently strong alchemy matrix can create a self-sustaining spatial barrier to block him. This school has such a matrix beneath it, and every Flamel throughout history has been its caretaker. The matrix not only restricts our use of Yanling here but also neutralizes efforts to alter space. Simply put, we’re protected by an invisible wall,” Charlotte explained. “But that matrix is over a hundred years old. I’m not sure how well it’s functioning.”

The Vice Principal shrugged. “It’s holding up, but it’s like a spear and a shield. If the spear is sharp enough, the shield will break.”

“That would explain why the sovereign didn’t use his ability when infiltrating the vault—he was restricted by the matrix,” Saint George noted.

“The world will know no peace after this. The next moment we step out of this campus, the sovereign could appear right in front of us,” Cadmus said.

“No need to be paranoid. Spatial creation requires a beacon. Otherwise, it’s like groping through a dark fog. The reason he could do this was that he planted beacons on Anjou and Frost beforehand. Those beacons act as faint lights in the fog, visible only to him,” the Vice Principal explained. “Also, the cost of using this ability is steep. None of us may be worth it. Frost wasn’t, either, but he had the dragon skeleton.”

His carefree attitude remained unchanged—neither sorrow for Frost’s death nor fear in his demeanor, as he casually held his beer.

“What is the Gattuso family’s stance?” Beowulf turned to Pompeii’s seat. The man had just lost his beloved cousin—whether “beloved” was true or not—but had remained silent throughout.

Pompeii was gone. In his place, a young man sat within the projection light beam. Sunlight streamed behind him, obscuring his features in a halo of light. All that was visible was his golden hair and sea-blue suit.

“Who are you? What gives you the right to sit in the Gattuso family’s seat?” Beowulf demanded.

“Half an hour ago, I received a white card. I’ve just used it to relieve Pompeii of his duties,” the young man said.

“You’re saying you now represent the Gattuso family?” Beowulf looked him over.

“This is Caesar Gattuso, son of Pompeii,” EVA interjected. “I’ve just received documents from the Gattuso family confirming that all of Pompeii’s authority in this meeting has been transferred to him.”

The elders exchanged shocked glances. They had heard of Caesar, the arrogant noble who always opposed his family, giving Frost endless headaches. Yet the figure projected before them, though his face was hidden, radiated a subtle authority that made them wary of underestimating him.

Moments later, the room erupted in a synchronized round of applause, welcoming this young man into the highest decision-making circle of the hidden world.

“Are you familiar with today’s agenda? What’s your take, Caesar Gattuso?” Beowulf asked coldly.

“Someone who can completely suppress the Principal and use alchemy to create space is undoubtedly a dragon king. The ones we’ve faced before were children compared to him. Perhaps that’s because none of them were in their complete forms. Fenrir didn’t fully grow into his dragon body, and Jörmungandr wasn’t in the form of the ‘World Serpent’ as described in mythology. Even combined, those dragon kings wouldn’t be a match for this one. Not even Herzog compares.”

“Herzog? He was nothing but a usurper of a Dragon King’s throne!” Saint George interrupted.

“Herzog’s strength wasn’t in power, but in his understanding of human rules. Our past experience may not be applicable against this new enemy. Whether it was the King of Bronze and Fire or the King of Earth and Mountain, they were lone dragons challenging the human world. But we can’t rule out the possibility that some dragon kings have already awakened, quietly biding their time, learning human rules, and gathering strength. They may use smartphones, drive cars, and attend meetings just like we do, waiting for the right moment to reveal themselves as dragons descending from the skies,” Caesar said slowly. “What I want to remind everyone is that the method he used to kill the Principal was clever—trapping him in a confined space to prevent Time Zero from activating.”

“Sounds like Lu Mingfei. Everything you’ve mentioned fits him,” Saint George said.

“It’s too early to jump to conclusions. The Execution Bureau has already launched an investigation into Lu Mingfei,” Professor Schneider added. Though not a member of the council, he was present as a listener.

“And his accomplice! Your agent in Cuba, Finger von Frings!” Beowulf added.

“I cannot investigate this person,” EVA said. “From my perspective, he simply doesn’t exist.”

“Even I’ve heard of Finger, the eternal non-graduate,” Saint George said in confusion.

“I’m an AI. If I can’t find any information on a person across the entire internet, then to me, they don’t exist. Just like how Chu Zihang is a ghost, existing only in Lu Mingfei’s mind, Finger is a ghost to me—he exists in your minds, but I can’t see him.”

“He’s erased himself from the entire internet, leaving no trace,” Cadmus commented. “That makes him a master—of the highest level!”

“But he must have a passport. How else does he travel internationally?” Saint George asked.

“He might hold another passport, maybe under a name like Yefu Yamagami or Zhang Facai, but I can’t match him to Finger von Frings.”

“He doesn’t matter; he’s just an accomplice!” Beowulf said. “EVA, if you deploy all available computational power, how long would it take to locate Lu Mingfei?”

“He’s currently just a student who’s made a mistake, not a wanted criminal. I can’t dedicate full computational power to track him,” EVA replied.

“But he’s the prime suspect! He’s undergone the strictest training and knows almost everything about us! He’s more dangerous than any external enemy, and yet you still haven’t issued a warrant for him?” Beowulf yelled. “Is someone protecting him? Anyone who shields him is his accomplice!”

“That’s going too far!” The Vice Principal slammed the table. “As a member of the Flamel family, I am loyal to the organization! You better provide some evidence!”

“Flamel Mentor,” Cadmus said diplomatically, “Beowulf wasn’t accusing you.”

“Good, good! I was a bit hasty. Carry on!” The Vice Principal raised his beer again.

“But wasn’t Finger transferred under your authority? He’s your… personal disciple?” Saint George asked.

“Now you’re blaming the teacher for the student’s mistakes?” The Vice Principal snapped. “Why don’t you hang Guderian up for questioning?”

“Professor Guderian is currently under investigation. He’ll likely lose his tenured professorship,” Beowulf said coldly. “Let’s get back to the topic of the warrant!”

“Allow me to explain the college’s warrant system to the elders,” EVA said. “Warrants are classified into S, A, and B levels. The higher the level, the more computational power I dedicate. A high-level warrant typically applies to high-risk targets, authorizing the use of corresponding force. If I issue an S-level warrant, it effectively authorizes the capture team to kill Lu Mingfei and anyone with him. If the warrant leaks, bounty hunters might get involved, even though they won’t be able to claim the reward directly from the college. They may still target his remains.”

“So, who has the authority to issue an S-level warrant?” Beowulf asked.

“That’s up to those present. Someone must propose the motion, and it requires 50% of the council’s support.”

“Excellent! Then, I, on behalf of the Beowulf family, propose that we vote on issuing an S-level warrant for Lu Mingfei!” Beowulf declared.

“There’s no need to go to such extremes against a young man. Punishment should correct mistakes and save lives,” the Vice Principal exclaimed in shock. “We can’t forget the Secret Party’s old tradition of mercy!”

“We have no such tradition. Our tradition is that it’s better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free,” Cadmus retorted.

A projection appeared in front of the council members, forming a virtual crystal pedestal with a swirling vortex in the center and a black hole in the middle. A black, white, and light blue crystal ball was placed in front of each member. This method of voting, using colored balls, originated from ancient Rome: a white ball signified agreement, a black ball opposition, and the light blue ball abstention.

The Vice Principal couldn’t stop it. As soon as Beowulf proposed the motion, the voting procedure began. The Secret Party’s highest decision-making system granted him this authority.

The virtual alarm bell rang solemnly throughout the chamber, reminding everyone that this was a serious ritual. They held immense power in their hands. If they cast the correct vote and saved the world, they would be revered. But if they wrongfully condemned an innocent, they would bear that person’s blood guilt forever.

Beowulf raised the white ball, showing it to everyone, and then dropped it into the black hole.

Unlike the secretive voting system of ancient Rome, the Secret Party’s voting process was open. With so few voters, it was easy to deduce who supported and opposed the motion afterward.

The elders immediately aligned with Beowulf, while the Vice Principal, holding two black balls, cast both in opposition. With Anjou lying in the medical pod, his voting rights had been entrusted to the Vice Principal. Additionally, another council member, who had never attended the meetings, had also entrusted his vote to Anjou, which the Vice Principal now controlled. The loyal Duchess of Laurent voted against the motion as well. Charlotte hesitated for a long time, repeatedly receiving signals from her butler to abstain, but under the Duchess’s gaze, she ultimately pouted and cast a black ball in opposition.

The Göttingen family, to which Charlotte belonged, was known as the “Flower of the High Court.” For generations, its heads had been immersed in alchemy, maintaining distance from other families. But Charlotte had lost her mother at a young age, and the Duchess had cared for her during her childhood, becoming a figure somewhere between a sister and a mother. Though she sometimes quarreled with the Duchess, in critical moments, she would instinctively defer to her.

Series Navigation

<< Dragon Raja 4; Chapter 81: Dragon Song in Ultramarine Hall (6)Dragon Raja 4; Chapter 83: Dragon Song in Ultramarine Hall (8) >>