126 Chapter 126: Aftermath

A few days had passed since the Stuart Corporation Building incident. Cecilia, according to Alicia, was recuperating in the hospital. As the hospital was located in Southampton City, I obviously didn't bother making the trip to visit her.

We weren't even that close in the first place.

Alicia told me that Cecilia had yet to regain consciousness. I wasn't unfeeling to the point where I would say I couldn't care less, but there was a sense of detachment. As if what had occurred to Cecilia and her family had nothing to do with me. I felt sorry for her, but that was the extent of my pity. It was like watching the news and lamenting over the deaths of victims who fell to a shooting incident or a terrible accident, but nothing more than that.

The Stuart Corporation Building had completely collapsed, and the police had formed a cordon around it while conducting investigations. Rescue teams had tried to dig through the rubble in search of survivors, but they didn't find any. Fortunately, it was a Saturday, so most of the employees were not present during the incident. Unfortunately, there was a tremendous number of casualties among the guests who had attended the party. While some had escaped ahead of my group, or after we left, the majority of them had perished along with the collapsed building.

The cause of the destruction was clear enough. The Stuart Corporation Building was unable to withstand the overwhelming powers of Lionel Stuart and Yuan Dao Yue Guang, and fell apart at the climax of their battle. Both combatants, surprisingly enough, had disappeared afterward. The police was unable to locate their bodies at all, but there were rumored sightings of at least Stuart shortly after the incident. Apparently, Stuart had survived with little more than a few scratches and bruises.

Despite expending enough power to demolish a two hundred-story skyscraper…

Adrian was fine. I kept in touch with him, and was relieved to see that he was doing fine. His father had taken over the Stuart Corporation after Lionel Stuart's disappearance. Sacha Stuart was now the temporary head of the Stuart Clan as well as the acting president of the Stuart Corporation. I wasn't surprised. I had always suspected that he had orchestrated the entire incident well in advance. He was the one who gathered evidence of Stuart's affair with Yuan Dao's wife and instructed Adrian to send it to the security chief. He must have known Yuan Dao would go ballistic upon the revelation…no, he counted on it happening.

And now, after everything unfolding according to his schemes, he now sat at the top of the Stuart Corporation as its new president. Yes, he was acting president for now, but there was no doubt the position would become permanent if his brother never returned.

I honestly couldn't care less. The politics and power struggles of the Stuart Clan were none of my business. Rather, it was actually more advantageous for me that Stuart had disappeared and was replaced by a new leader. Sacha wouldn't force me to marry Cecilia, at least. That bastard Stuart got what he deserved. Obviously I refrained from telling Cecilia that, because she probably wouldn't take too kindly to me cursing her father.

And since I was friends with Adrian, I could probably use this connection to get favors in future, but for now I held off that thought and focused on the present.

Right now, the most important thing for me was to get stronger, and I focused on training daily. After witnessing the god-like powers of Stuart and Yuan Dao, I was determined to one day reach their level.

Speaking of which…

"Teacher Fielding."

"Hmm?"

The combat magic teacher turned to look at me curiously when I approached him after class. We had just finished a grueling session and the majority of my classmates were lying on the ground, heaving from exhaustion.

"What's up, Richard?"

"I have a question…it's not regarding what we learned during class today, but more of a combat magic technique I witnessed elsewhere."

"That's fine. If I know anything about it, I'll do my best to answer." Teacher Ruff Fielding nodded and gestured for me to ask away. I nodded.

"Does a technique that allows you to literally punch away spells exist? A technique that nullifies your enemies' spells, and allows you to repel them with just physical attacks?"

I briefly described what I saw in the Stuart Corporation Building, focusing particularly on Yuan Dao Yue Guang's techniques and attacks.

"None of our spells affected him. He just punched them away with a single strike. Even those spells that touched him didn't affect him at all."

"Hmm…" Teacher Fielding nodded thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. "That sounds a lot like Ba Qi."

"Ba Qi?" I repeated, puzzled. I had never heard of the term before.

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"Correct." Teacher Fielding nodded. "Ba Qi is a mysterious type of magic that any mage can use, regardless of their elemental affinity. I guess it's the most neutral and basic form of magic, but at the same time also the most advanced and powerful magic. Simply put, Ba Qi is a type of magic that allows the user to sense and predict mana and magical energy, as well as use mana as physical reinforcement. Those who master Ba Qi to its ultimate form become capable of dominating and overwhelming others with willpower alone." His expression turned grave. "What you just described is the use of the physical reinforcement spell I taught you to its utmost extreme. That's the most advanced form of physical reinforcement, also known as Armament Ba Qi."

The fuck?!

"What the hell is Armament Ba Qi?!"

"Armament Ba Qi allows the user to coalesce his mana over his body to form some sort of spirit armor, to protect themselves from attacks and spells, as well as to amplify the potency of their own attacks. That's probably what you saw." He nodded. "The first one is Divination Ba Qi, which bestows the user a sort of sixth sense, and allow them to sense everything in the world around them. You already know the basic form of Divination Ba Qi. It's basically your magic senses, or sixth sense."

I nodded, having relied on my sixth sense to detect enemy presences and all that. So Divination Ba Qi was a more advanced form of that. With it, even blind and deaf mages could accurately perceive their surroundings.

"Divination Ba Qi and Armament Ba Qi are the two most common techniques that everyone usually learns and masters. You students are actually already learning them in the academy. My physical reinforcement spells are the basic foundation of what will eventually lead to the more advanced Armament Ba Qi. And Teacher Travis's Divination classes teach you students the basics of magic senses and detection, which is the basic foundation of what will eventually lead to Divination Ba Qi. Of course, the people who use Ba Qi will find that there is one type they are more proficient at than the other, and they will focus on mastering that type of Ba Qi."

"I see." I nodded in understanding. "And you said something about dominating others as well?"

"That's correct." Teacher Fielding looked pleased that I had been paying attention. "The last and rarest type of Ba Qi, only available to the most talented and strongest of mages. It is known as the Tyrant Ba Qi, and it allows the user to overpower others using his willpower alone."

I suddenly recalled Yuan Dao using his immense murderous intent to almost knock me unconscious and subjugate me. So that was what it was. Yuan Dao was one of those elite masters who had mastered Tyrant Ba Qi!

Amazing…

"These mages who master Tyrant Ba Qi are known as Conquerors, and are essentially kings in their own rights."

"Then why did Yuan Dao Yue Guang serve Lionel Stuart as his security chief instead of heading his own…uh, kingdom?"

"Sorry?" Teacher Fielding looked at me blankly. Then he suddenly understood what I was talking about. "Oh, the recent news about the Stuart Clan and their rogue security chief? So that was the person you're referring to?"

"Yeah." I nodded.

"Hmm…I wouldn't know. But if I have to guess, I would say Lionel Stuart probably subjugated him in combat. Even Conquerors are not invincible, and if two meet…" Teacher Fielding grinned darkly. "Let's just say, there can only be one king."

A chill ran down my spine and I found myself trembling a little at the terrifying prospect. The path to becoming one of the strongest mages like my dad was going to be a difficult one. I wondered why Dad never taught me about this Ba Qi.

Hell, he never taught me anything about magic. But thinking back now, all of his martial arts training had served to lay a solid foundation for me to learn my sixth sense and physical reinforcement techniques. Without his training, I would never have grasped them so quickly and turned them into my own. It amazed me how farsighted my dad must be to have foreseen all this, and taken the steps to ensure I had a solid foundation instead of jumping straight into such advanced techniques.

Perhaps he would teach me once I reached a certain level. Of course, I had to attain that level of strength first before I could ask him…

"You know, with all this talk of Ba Qi, maybe we should all quit being mages and start becoming pirates or marines."

"Why? You intend to find one piece?" Teacher Fielding scoffed. "It doesn't exist."

"I'm sure it does!"

"Dream on, kid. You don't even have a straw hat."

"If I'm part of the crew, I'll be the chef."

"You don't even smoke, and your culinary skills are basic."

"How do you know about my culinary skills?!"

Teacher Fielding sighed and shook his head. "Never mind. Any other questions?"

"How do I learn Ba Qi?" I asked. Teacher Fielding raised an eyebrow.

"That's something for you to learn in university, not high school. For now, master the physical reinforcement techniques I'm teaching you, as well as the six sense stuff Teacher Travis is teaching first. Learn to walk before you run. Otherwise you'll just screw it up."

"Understood." That made sense. No wonder Dad didn't teach me magic. He taught me martial arts to pave a firm foundation upon which I could develop my own magic techniques on my own. Whoa, I didn't think he planned so far ahead. "Thank you, sir."

"No problem." Teacher Fielding waved a hand before he proceeded toward the staff room. As he did so, he nodded a greeting to a hurry Alicia, who paused to bow, before she continued hurrying toward me.

"Richard!"

"What's up?" I asked her. She broke into a smile as she approached me.

"Cecilia has finally woken up, and her injuries are now fully healed."

"That's great news!" I said, relieved.

"I broke the news to her. She didn't take it too well…her father's and Yuan Dao's disappearance. But she's relieved that they are not confirmed dead, at least." Alicia sighed. "I'm still a bit worried, you know?"

"Yeah. I know what you mean." Adjusting my glasses, I looked at her. "Any news on the others? The other people who attended the party, and the executives? The staff?"

Alicia turned grim. "No survivors have been found, and the death toll continues to rise. More bodies have been uncovered and their identities confirmed. Other than the rumored sighting of Lionel Stuart before he disappeared, and Mr. Yuan Dao, there has been no other survivors. At least none that have been found."

"I see." I shrank back with a sigh. "The funeral for…Shawn Franklin. It's today, isn't it?"

Franklin's corpse was among the first to be found amidst the wreckage. His clan, in particular, had paid a great sum of money to the rescue teams to prioritize the recovery of their heir, and all they received was his body in a body bag. Needless to say, they were furious. But they couldn't blame anybody. The only thing they could do now was hold a funeral for their beloved son. Thanks to testimony from the few survivors, they knew that Yuan Dao Yue Guang was responsible, and they had placed a massive bounty on his head.

Good luck trying to assassinate Yuan Dao. That guy was among the strongest mages I had ever met in my life. He was certainly much more powerful than the so-called professionals sent to abduct me on my way home from school.

"That's correct." Alicia nodded. She looked at me. "Do you plan to attend?"

I shook my head. "I don't know his family, and his family doesn't know me. That day…when we fought, that was the first time I had ever met him. We weren't even that close. I respect him, especially after what he did in the face of Yuan Dao's Tyrant Ba Qi, but…"

"Tyrant Ba Qi?" Alicia was bewildered, but I didn't elaborate on that. Instead, I continued.

"…if I go, it'll only make things more awkward. They might even resent me for it."

"That's not true! I'm sure they'll be grateful!"

"They won't even know who I am, and will probably forget that I even showed up after the funeral ends."

"That's…" Alicia hesitated, especially when she realized I had a point. She sighed and fell silent.

The two of us then headed toward the Black Rose room for club activities, but my mind was so distracted that I couldn't remember what transpired. I faintly recalled Harvey asking me if I was all right, and me nodding, and that was about it.

Evening arrived, and both Alicia and I returned home together. The rest of Black Rose probably thought they were being considerate, allowing us time alone together, but neither of us was in a romantic mood. We sank into deep silence as we strolled toward the direction of Alicia's house.

"Brother Richard! Sister Alicia!"

"Eh? Adrian? What are you doing here?"

To our utmost surprise, Adrian Stuart showed up, waving at us excitedly. A limousine had pulled up behind him, its door hanging open. Evidently that was where the kid had emerged from, and he was waving us over.

"Over here!"

Alicia and I exchanged a glance, but decided to indulge Adrian.

I wondered why he was here. Adrian lived in Southampton City, like his cousin Cecilia, and it was quite far from here. Probably an hour or two by limousine, judging from what I remembered the last time Cecilia gave me and Alicia a ride home.

"I volunteered to come," Adrian explained, answering my question from earlier when Alicia and I reached him. He was beaming brightly, as excitable as ever, despite the losses that his clan had sustained. Then again, he was too young to understand the politics, and Lionel Stuart wasn't his father, so he wouldn't grieve as much as Cecilia. Furthermore, it wasn't as if Stuart was dead. The guy had chosen to go into hiding for some unknown reason.

Maybe he was trying to avoid getting chased by a vengeful Yuan Dao?

"Volunteer for what?" Alicia asked gently, bending a little to make eye contact with the enthusiastic teenager.

"This!"

He reached toward the cushioned seats of the limousine and produced two long parcels, both wrapped in brown paper. He grimaced as he fumbled with them.

"Whoa…they are really heavy!"

"Are you all right?" I reached out to help him carry them. "Where should I bring them?"

"Oh, no. They are for you, Brother!"

"…huh?"

I cast a glance at Alicia, but she looked just as lost as I was. I turned back to Adrian, expecting an explanation.

"Oh, well…do you remember that night when you were fighting that Shawn Franklin guy?" Adrian asked. I nodded. He continued excitedly. "Uncle Lionel had an idea when you requested for the Franklin guy to get a sword. He thought you needed one of your own, so he asked Sister Cecilia to contact the legendary swordsmiths, Gan Jiang and Mo Ye."

"Gan Jiang and Mo Ye?" I repeated incredulously. They were a famous swordsmith couple, who were known for forging the highest quality weapons and Divine Devices in the Global Federation. Each of their products were worth millions of credits. "How…?"

"He he! Don't underestimate the connections of one of the ten great families!" Adrian puffed his chest out proudly.

I rolled my eyes. It wasn't as if Adrian was the one with the connections, and he wasn't the one who called them. "Thank your cousin for me."

"Will do!" Adrian nodded. "Gan Jiang and Mo Ye agreed to Uncle Lionel's request immediately, but it took them a few days to forge the swords, and they only just arrived today. Sister is still recovering from the incident, so I volunteered to pass them over to you instead!"

"I'm surprised she doesn't mind giving these to me," I remarked in surprise. "I won't blame her if she puts these aside, what with all the stuff she is going through right now."

"Sister is not that petty or irresponsible!" Adrian declared, miffed.

"That's not what I meant…I meant that she has a lot on her mind right now, and is probably busy dealing with all the fallout from the destruction of the Stuart Corporation Building and her father's disappearance. It would be perfectly understandable if she pushes the unimportant matters to one side."

"Oh…okay." Adrian looked a little relieved. Then he jolted up, as if suddenly remembering something. "She asks you to accept them as an apology for all the trouble her father had caused."

Cecilia must have remembered her father trying to pressure me into an unwanted marriage.

"Tell her not to worry about it," I told Adrian. "I don't really care. I'm actually sorry for her loss, and hope that she finds her father as soon as possible."

"I'll tell her that!"

"Thanks."

Honestly, I would have accepted the swords regardless, whether they were given to me out of guilt or not. Who the hell would pass over free weapons?! Even though I didn't really need them, given the nature of my summoning magic, free stuff was still free stuff. I would be an idiot to say no to receiving something so valuable.

Of course I didn't tell Adrian that. Slinging the parcels over my shoulder, I thanked him one final time.

"We'll meet again!" Adrian called out before diving back into the limousine. I watched as the long, black vehicle drove off.

"Gan Jiang and Mo Ye. Amazing…"

Beside me, Alicia was staring at the two parcels in wonder.

"Yeah…much as I appreciate the gift…I wonder if they are wasted on me."

"Absolutely not!" Alicia snapped at me. "You had better use them properly!"

If only I could. If only I could…