Compared to Rol, who was born in the land of wizards and knew nothing of the outside world, Lynn had a more optimistic outlook.
If the power accumulated in the land of wizards was enough to defeat the Holy See, then there was no reason for the Council to refuse a broader domain.
There was only one possibility: the power possessed by the Holy See was beyond what these wizards could match!
The Goddess Aila.
Lynn couldn't help but recall the terrifying shadow he had seen before leaving the Harbor town.
If wizardry's power stemmed from magic, using knowledge to unleash spells and harness world-changing forces, what about divine magic? How could it surpass wizards and their magic?
This was the most perplexing question for Lynn in this new world. Those divine practitioners seemed to rely solely on unwavering faith to wield divine magic.
Amid Lynn's contemplation, the private conversation had to come to an abrupt end after Rorl and Ogest left.
When it was just Phillip and Lynn, Phillip hesitated for a while before asking, "Professor Lynn, is the Holy See's power really that formidable? Even the Society of Mystical Arts had to yield to their authority?"
"The Society of Mystical Arts is merely an academic organization for the study of magic," Lynn replied, shaking his head. "Don't forget that this world is vast, and the influence of the land of wizards and the church is not the only power. I can't be sure how many scholars from distant lands might not be willing to interfere in this matter..."
Lynn patched things up once again, so that in case the wizards overthrew the Holy See and took control of the empire, they wouldn't struggle to find anyone.
***
Late at night, in the ancient mansion of Greenville City.
Hundreds of wizards dressed in robes gathered in the grand hall, attentively listening to the speech of a middle-aged male wizard. His voice was hoarse and resonated with a unique charm. "As we all know, this world is moving from order to chaos. Our endless exploitation of the elements has offended the great elemental spirits, and the judgment of all living beings is imminent..."
"When the four stars are high in the sky, parallel to the Silver Moon, the elemental spirits will pass their judgment. The earth will sink, and the entire world will be engulfed in a terrifying elemental flood until the Silver Moon is finally drawn to this land, bringing about complete destruction!"
"The Council continues to deceive us, keeping us captive, depriving us of our freedom, and leading all wizards to indulge in the plunder of elemental powers, hastening the arrival of apocalypse..."
"Now, with only five years left until the final judgment of the elemental spirits, we must all abandon the idea of enslaving the elements and let them return to order. Otherwise, we will face nothing but eternal darkness and death."
As the middle-aged wizard delivered his impassioned speech, the atmosphere in the grand hall gradually heated up. Every wizard's face was filled with zeal, but there were a few who appeared hesitant.
After hesitating for a long time, a young female wizard finally spoke up. "But, a few days ago, Professor Lynn explained during the symposium that this phenomenon of consecutive pentagonal stars is a normal astronomical occurrence, related to the cycles of planetary motion. We only need to calculate the least common multiple of a few planetary cycles to predict the next occurrence, which happens roughly every seventy years."
"Furthermore, the speed of the celestial bodies and the gravitational balance formed a new equilibrium, and in the vacuum, there was no air resistance, so the moon falling is impossible..."
Before she could finish her words, she was interrupted.
"Absurd!"
The male wizard's face contorted in anger as he glared at the young female wizard who had questioned him, sternly rebuking her. "The theory of planetary motion is a complete lie!"
"The so-called wizard from beyond the Misty Sea is nothing but a cunning deceiver, trying to delude us with this foolish magic trick..."
"This world is undoubtedly flat; otherwise, seawater would flow backward, and nothing would be built on uneven terrain."
The male wizard continued with emphatic gestures. "Think about it, how would we survive in a world that's curved? The land would be impossible to cultivate, and buildings could never be constructed on uneven ground."
Under the continuous persuasion of the male wizard, the wizards who had previously harbored doubts quickly reaffirmed their beliefs.
"What a bunch of brainless fanatics," Aidan muttered, hiding in the corner of the hall using shadow magic, observing the wizards who were fervently echoing the speaker's words, as if they were under some kind of spell.
This so-called apocalypse theory was nothing but baseless speculation. Aidan couldn't help but mock their blind faith in apocalypse and the elusive elemental spirits.
Comparing this to Professor Lynn's rigorous experiments during the symposium, proving the celestial chart scene beyond a doubt, Aidan couldn't help but sigh.
This was the academic spirit that wizards should embody!
"Don't you find this situation a bit strange, Aidan?" Beside him, another law enforcement officer wore a grave expression, feeling that the wizards attending the gathering were displaying some unusual emotions. Even when he was listening to the speaker's lecture, he couldn't help but feel a sense of inexplicable zeal.
Perhaps this was the effect of some kind of magic.
With his companion's reminder, Aidan quickly noticed the anomaly and gazed at the red-robed male wizard on the platform, recalling the information about the Cult of Apocalypse.
This strange sect had emerged about fifteen years ago, originally going by a different name and was, at best, a relatively obscure academic research organization.
Many of their theories were highly compatible with the legendary wizard Altok's elemental theory, such as the world steadily moving from order to chaos and the idea that the elements might possess consciousness.
But in the last three years, there has been a noticeable change. Not only did they adopt the name of a sect, but their rhetoric also became extremely radical, openly propagating the concept of elemental spirits.
Now they had even begun openly opposing the Council.
Aidan had a sense that things might have gone beyond their control.
"You stay here and keep an eye on things. I'll go inform Lord Ogest," Aidan whispered, realizing that these wizards might actually stir up trouble.