Inside the meeting room of the Iyeta Academy, after the discussion on how to compensate the families of the deceased had concluded, Ogest suddenly extended an invitation to Lynn.
"Professor Lynn, would you be interested in joining my school?"
Everyone present was momentarily stunned. Phillip hesitated, and after Herlram's death, Lynn was the only hope for the Iyeta Academy. However, he was well aware that Lynn had taken on the role of a professor out of friendship with Kora and the desire to spread knowledge. The Iyeta Academy's decline was inevitable, and there was no reason for him to ask Lynn to stay.
Furthermore, the person extending the invitation was none other than the "Star of Magic," Ogest. No one in their right mind would refuse such a proposal.
Not only Phillip, but also Tike and the others had similar thoughts. However, Lynn's response took them by surprise.
"Thank you for the invitation, Master Ogest, but I'm sorry. Although Iyeta is facing many difficulties right now, I believe it will eventually overcome them."
"Is that so? What a pity," Ogest shook his head, wearing an expression of regret. However, he didn't say much more and left after the meeting.
"Do you know who you just rejected, Professor Lynn?" Theodore said with a sense of amazement.
"Isn't he Master Ogest?" Lynn asked in surprise. Had he mistaken the person?
Theodore hesitated for a moment and didn't know how to respond.
That was Ogest, the Star of Magic, the most magically gifted person in the land of wizards, and the most likely to become a legend. Lynn's words made it seem as if he were just an ordinary wizard.
"You've only been with the Iyeta Academy for two months, there's no need for you to stand with it to the end. You should have a broader world..." Kevin also tried to persuade him.
Lynn was at a loss. These people seemed to have misunderstood something.
He had refused precisely because Ogest's status was so high. It was clear when he saw how they treated Rol. If he joined their school, he would have little say, and there might even be conflicts. In contrast, the Iyeta Academy was more suitable for him now. At least here, there was no one to suppress him, and the city's geographical location was excellent, with access to the Sekas Empire.
But Lynn didn't correct their misunderstanding. After all, it wasn't a bad thing.
The looks of Phillip and the others became much warmer when they looked at Lynn.
In times of trouble, Lynn, an outsider, had refused the bright path and chosen to stay as part of the academy. This moved the professors.
"In a few days, it will be the annual academic conference of the land of wizards. This is crucial for the survival of the Iyeta Academy. I would like to ask you to represent our academy at the conference," Phillip pleaded. Then he glanced at Theodore and Kevin and continued, "If we can successfully navigate this difficult situation, we will nominate you as the leader of our school."
Phillip was well aware of his limited abilities. Keeping the glory of the school was already challenging, let alone maintaining the current situation. The Iyeta Academy was not just a school; in fact, all the wizards in the port city belonged to this school. There were more than ten wizards with Third Tier alone, and it was beyond his capability to lead them. It might even lead to a complete collapse.
Furthermore, Herlram's use of the Soul-Devouring Formation within the city left a terrible impression on the Council. They might already be discussing whether to ban the Iyeta Academy. These were problems he couldn't solve.
The foundation for the existence of the magic school was twofold: power and academic research. Lynn, like himself, was only an official wizard, but he had the advantage of age, and becoming a grand wizard was just a matter of time. Lynn was also a member of the Society of Mystical Arts, possessing various esoteric knowledge. Based on these two points, Phillip made this bold decision.
Kevin and Theodore didn't oppose it either; it seemed they had discussed it beforehand.
"Thank you for your trust. I believe there will be good news at the academic conference," Lynn said with a smile.
"But, the academic conference is only four days away, and we might be too late. It usually takes about seven days to travel from Iyeta Harbor to the Wizard City of Greenville by land," Kevin hesitated. They had been busy for the past few days dealing with the mess left by Herlram and were even considering whether to attend the conference.
"Traveling by land is not enough, but we can fly there through the sky, right?" Lynn reminded them.
Theodore and the others suddenly realized.
That's right, they had almost forgotten about the skyship.
The next morning, a massive airship descended over the Iyeta Academy.
After two months of flight training, Lydia had already become skilled, and she smoothly landed the airship in front of the Arcane Mathematics building. It was spacious inside, with room for up to fifteen people, thanks to some magical modifications Lynn made with the help of Nos, including wind-resistant and shock-absorbing alchemical arrays.
However, for the sake of comfort, Lynn decided to take only ten people with him.
Besides himself, Lydia, and Phillip, Lynn also brought along Jenny, Pierce, and Elok, three outstanding apprentices from the School of Mathematics.
As for why only six people were chosen, it was because they needed to bring Tike, Rol, Raphael, and Ogest...
Lynn had noticed that these four had been loitering in Iyeta Harbor, seemingly in no hurry. He thought they either didn't intend to attend the conference or had another means of fast travel.
But it turned out they intended to hitch a ride on his airship.
Even though they were all high-level wizards with the power to fly.
Lynn sighed inwardly but didn't mind this minor issue. Moreover, having two powerful wizards with them could provide extra security in case they encounter flying magical creatures.