Surviving The Fourth Calamity

Hill could only ask List to invite Mage Hogan to the study for a meeting.

Although he had guessed that Mage Santos secretly had descendants, he never thought he would hide his wife and child in Reyes.

He turned to glance at the curious Alice and waved her couch to the floor-to-ceiling window at the far end of the study, "Alice, you can listen in, but do not interrupt, okay?"

"Yes, Hill's Dad!" Alice smiled happily, thinking Hill would send her back downstairs!

Being humane does have its benefits.

Alice was certain that when she became more mature and composed, she could sit near Hill's Dad and partake in such serious matters.

List soon brought in Mage Hogan.

"It's been a long time, Mage Hogan, it's really a surprise," Hill said lightly.

"Respected Mage Fran..."

Hill immediately stopped him, "Please call me Polanio! That was a maternal surname used to conceal my identity, no longer suitable for use now."

"Well then... Mage Polanio, please allow me to offer my sincerest apologies. I only thought that the century-long vigilance of my family had completely failed, and by not wanting to get your attention from the Lord of Reyes again, I spoke with such disrespect.

After so much has happened, I truly understand that I really picked up my life again.

I am truly grateful for your generosity."

Hill glanced at the respectful mage: "Do you have anything to prove you are a descendant of Mage Santos?"

"Only by bloodline," Hogan said with a bitter smile, "and only after reaching level 17 can one qualify to inherit this Magic Tower, otherwise, who would dare?

When lacking sufficient ability, exposing our bloodline only leads to a dead end.

Our family is just enduring, seeing if the Northern Archbishop can return to his Divine Kingdom before this Magic Tower is fully exposed.

Or if another powerful mage could emerge from our family.

Unfortunately, only I have reached level 12 in our family, which seems to have some possibility.

But whether this Magic Tower can last until I reach level 17 before being exposed, I dare not be sure."

Hill nodded, "When I arrived, the Tower Spirit of this tower had perished, and the Magic Array was almost gone, it is I who rebuilt it."

Hogan lowered his head, "After coming in, I realized what this Magic Tower really is, our family has records.

It might not even be as valuable as one of your floors."

Hill smiled, "Are the few mages downstairs from your family?"

Hogan shook his head with a bitter smile, "Only one apprentice is, the rest are that redhead pregnant woman and her family.

They couldn't possibly go with those who are hostile towards me, but they also dare not show that they are part of my family."

He quietly looked up at Hill, "If it wasn't for those few Undead Tribe members who spoke a bit about you, I wouldn't dare tell the truth."

This was something Hill had already guessed; only the Undead Tribe would provide them with information.

He would have the Undead Tribe step in, actually to reveal a bit of his identity, so as not to frighten those elderly and weak, but he didn't expect this turn of events.

He lifted his chin, signaling Mage Hogan to continue.

Hogan replied honestly, "Mage Santos was my grandfather; he left when my father was just ten years old.

The Northern Archbishop had also been here for twelve years, consolidating his power and about to formally assume his position.

My grandfather was prepared when he left.

Even if the merchant caravan had no problems, he could still be ambushed.

He had only one way to resolve threats from the Church, which was to completely dedicate himself to the God of Travel.

But he was unwilling to sell himself to any existence, even if it was the deity he believed in, he would not hand over his soul, rather taking risks."

"Why must he go?" Hill asked, puzzled, "Isn't staying in the Magic Tower alright? I think even though Mage Santos' array is a bit rough, it could still resist existences up to level 20, whether mage or priest.

I remember the Archbishop wasn't of that high a level.

And no priest over level 20 would bother him to please a peer, right?

There's such a gap in status."

"My grandmother said, it was for the family of my great-grandmother. No matter how greedy they were, when my grandfather was abandoned by his family, it was the merchant family that trained him into a mage, also paying a great price to present him to his later mentor.

Mages from Ferunryel don't just formally accept students randomly, everyone starts as an apprentice and may just break through overtime.

Just like the Hogan Family, although said to be followers of the Lord of Reyes, without my grandfather, it would have been impossible for us to have mages generation after generation.

Those systematically basic teachings are the most important thing, something ordinary mages simply cannot arrange."

So, although Grandpa had reciprocated a lot to that family, it still wasn't enough, and the weakness that was caught could bring about the extinction of that family.

If Grandpa had watched that family be completely destroyed, he would never have been able to become a Transcendent being of level 20 or above in his lifetime, and he wasn't willing to let that happen.

So he was willing to take a risk this one time, and if he returned safely, he would have completely settled those favors and would not need to go out again.

Moreover, the compensation for that caravan was really high, even paid half upfront.

Both my father and I could become mages at the Lord's Mansion without owing any debts, all thanks to the assets Grandpa left behind.

Hill nodded, thinking of Adrian, he could understand now.

In every world, it seems to be the same in this regard.

The mages from Ferun are different; most of them owe the Goddess of Magic, learning spells is not as difficult as in other worlds, the challenge lies in the path to becoming Legendary.

But their mages not yet at level 20 could use 9th-ring spells, something mages from other worlds could not achieve.

"Moreover, Grandpa thought he could escape. He had bought a very powerful Magic Conductor from the Gold Coin Commerce Guild, unless he was attacked by more than six mages of the same level, it was impossible for him not to escape."

"Did something go wrong with that Magic Conductor?"

"But later, my grandma saw the same one at Reyes Manor, dozens of them.

Although Grandma was not high-level, she was also a mage, a 11th-level Hogan Female Mage.

The Hogan Family has always been followers of the Lord of Reyes, so when the only daughter chose to have a child on her own to continue the family name, nobody cared.

So when she asked about that Magic Conductor, the people from the Manor told her.

The exact same Magic Conductors, the Gold Coin Commerce Guild has countless of them, each with a lifespan, if used too frequently, they might blow up after no more than a few dozen uses.

From that moment on, Grandma knew Grandpa wasn't coming back.

The resources he had weren't enough."

Hill sighed, obviously Santos didn't know, otherwise, he wouldn't have spent a huge sum on that piece of junk.

"Did the Gold Coin Commerce Guild deliberately scam him?" Hill asked, frowning, he thought at least Valkin could control his own Church.

A Commerce Guild of merchants and traders, can't even achieve basic honesty!

"Yes," Hogan said, head bowed, "that was their gift to the newly appointed Northern Archbishop."

"Couldn't others see it?" Hill didn't believe that the noble mages of Reyes were all blind.

"So, after that incident, the person in charge of the Gold Coin Commerce Guild in Reyes was removed, and those same items were sent in multiples to the Manor.

Nobles and mages of sufficient level all received an apology.

Only Grandpa, who died, became the sacrificial lamb."

Hill scoffed, "No wonder the stuff that the Gold Coin Commerce Guild sells isn't valued highly. Even though they apologized, those at the top would no longer wish to buy their products.

"I just said, how could there be such a boring auction!"

It made him walk in full of hope, and hardly spent any money.

Hogan suddenly laughed, "Your items, once they entered the auction, were truly in high demand. Fresh stock brought by the Gold Coin Commerce Guild from far away, hardly a few people from Reyes would buy."

Hill blinked, so it wasn't that his items were of such good quality, but that the nobles of Reyes would rather trust him, a stranger?

No, these people believe that it's impossible for the Gold Coin Commerce Guild and the heir of Santos to collude; if his items could pass the inspection of the Gold Coin Commerce Guild, they must be genuine quality goods!

Hill smiled helplessly, "Alright then, Mage Hogan, please verify your bloodline."

Watching the Crystal Ball rise before him, Hogan stood up in shock, "You! You've kept the Bloodline Magic Circle? Didn't remove it from the Magic Tower's Array?"

"If there's no issue with your identity, the Magic Tower can be left to you," Hill said expressionlessly, "I will eventually leave Felunryel, I intended to leave this Magic Tower for the descendants of Mage Santos.

However, I will take my own possessions with me, including the Tower Spirit and these French windows, I will turn this place back into a normal Magic Tower."

Hogan lowered his head, thought for a while, looked at Hill, then gritted his teeth and placed his right hand on the Crystal Ball, murmuring a spell softly.

A thin layer of blood seeped from his hand, quickly covering the Crystal Ball, and then directly merged into it.

Hill quickly felt a guest with access rights appear in his Magic Tower.

Although there were many places he still couldn't enter, only the first floor hall and the downstairs library were completely open to him, but Hogan indeed had some authority over the Magic Tower.

Hill smiled, he had finally understood how to set up the Bloodline Magic Circle, he had verified some minor issues from the fluctuations just now.

Hill looked at the delighted Mage Hogan, and spoke directly, "The downstairs library, you can bring your family members to see. Once this aftershock is over, I will leave."

He didn't promise to completely relinquish control of the Magic Tower; leaving it to them also had different methods, this would depend on the Hogan family's performance in these few days.