Rebirth of the 8th-Circle Mage - Chapter 347: New Beginning (3)

The experiments continued.

As they progressed, more and more wizards started feeling sick at what they were doing. Everyone had been trying to hide under a veneer of fortitude, but they weren’t actually getting used to experimenting on humans.

Nevertheless, Lore stayed strong and kept on with the experiment.

‘The ninety-eighth trial, aimed at restoring the sanity of the blind believers, has failed.”

Just like the previous trials, Lore was left with an exploded head and blood spraying everywhere like a fountain. He nonchalantly burned the body as though it were part of his daily chores.

Lore’s emotions, once vivid, had dulled out almost completely. He was at the point where he couldn’t tell if the thing bursting in front of him was actually a human being or just a piece of meat that looked like a person.

As the scent of searing flesh dissipated, Lore gestured for the next subject to be brought in. But at that moment, a familiar voice shattered the grave silence.

“Lore.”

“Ah, Archmage.”

Henry had come to the Snow Spire after he had finished instructing everyone about the large-scale farming project that would soon begin. But before they proceeded with the farming, he wanted to check on everyone at the laboratory.

Upon entering, Henry briefly wrinkled up his nose at the metallic tang of blood that hung in the air, but he quickly made a straight face to hide his discomfort. The others had to endure this pungent smell for hours on end at Henry’s request, so he felt that any sign of discomfort on his part would be disrespectful to them.

Turning to Lore, Henry asked, “How are you holding up?”

Instead of answering, Lore merely shook his head wearily.

Henry looked around the table for their reports and briefly went through the pages. The experiment was progressing steadily, following the anticipated trajectory, but progress was slow because of that.

Even so, Henry wasn’t too discouraged because he knew that discovery and innovation always took time. He was aware that they had started from scratch and that they had to investigate every single option they had.

Of course, there were instances where ingenious calculations and analogies lead to immediate results, but to Henry’s mind, those weren’t great discoveries. In his view, nothing great could be obtained the easy way.

Henry heaved a sigh as he closed the report with an audible thump, his eyes glinting with a hint of sadness. He then snapped his fingers to declutter the desk and put down the report.

“I really appreciate your effort and dedication to the research. But how about we step out for a minute so you and everyone else can take a break?” Henry suggested. “I do have something I want to tell you as well.”

“Yes, of course.”

While the others diligently managed their mental well-being by giving themselves time to rest, Lore, driven by his unyielding sense of duty, had constantly been on his feet, working around the clock.

If it hadn’t been for Henry, he probably would’ve devoted every waking moment to the research, not giving himself a minute of respite.

Shortly after Henry suggested a break, all the wizards stepped out of the laboratory, taking in the fresh air as they stretched out. Even though they were in the corridor just outside the laboratory, the air felt completely different.

Everyone seemed significantly more relaxed compared to a few minutes ago. They looked like prisoners who had just broken free.

As he noticed their rejuvenated expressions, Henry couldn’t help but think, ‘It must be suffocating in there, doing those experiments over and over again…’

As Henry looked around, he saw Humania, who was still recovering from earlier. He could tell that she was still struggling and could guess how she was feeling. It was completely understandable. He tried to comfort her as much as possible before she went back into the laboratory.

After their brief break, everyone came together in the meeting room within the laboratory. Henry naturally took the seat at the head of the table. He thanked everyone for their work, trying to lighten the mood.

“I know how much every one of you is going through for the sake of this experiment.”

“No, not at all. This is about the survival of humanity. If we don’t take up this task, then who will?” argued one of the wizards.

“No, I’m aware that no one here is familiar with human experiments. You’re all doing this because you have a sense of duty, and I admire that. I also want to apologize for making you do such things.”

“There’s no need to apologize, Archmage.”

A literal god was praising them for their work, so the wizards naturally didn’t know how to react to his apologies. They were grateful enough that Henry was acknowledging their efforts.

“This is a bit off topic, but I’m considering forming teams.”

“Forming… teams?”

Those who were participating in the experiment were either school heads or vice school heads within the Snow Spire. They were the best wizards in the spire, and Henry had gathered them in order to solve a problem that would decide the fate of humanity.

Of course, the wizards who were up for duty had also agreed to take part. But having seen the progress of the experiment, Henry realized how impractical it was to involve all the wizards at once.

‘Being efficient is crucial, but the wizards aren’t consumables. I can’t have the wizards be traumatized by this experiment. I don’t want to sacrifice them to get the results I want.’

Henry cared deeply for the wizards, and he didn’t want to lose any one of them to this experiment. Novice warriors were the same, hoping that none of their comrades would die as they marched into their first battle.

However, Henry was slightly different; he didn’t want to lose a single blind believer in the process either. His desire was a bit more extreme, idealistic.

He was well aware of how difficult it would be to kill two birds with one stone, but he didn’t think it was impossible. That was why he had ordered the wizards to minimize the number of sacrifices as much as possible while chasing after this ideal.

“Will we have any other duties besides the research?” asked Lore. Just as Henry had anticipated, Lore quickly caught on before he had to explain.

Henry nodded and replied, “Yes. I actually held a meeting about that in Monsieur before coming here.”

“Oh. So what is it?”

“Alright, listen carefully to what I’m about to say. From this moment onward, everyone here is going to be in one of the three teams that are going to be formed. One team will continue the research on how to save the blind believers while another team will focus on solving the issue of food shortage. As for the third team…”

Henry had prepared ahead of time, so his words flowed smoothly, capturing everyone’s attention with a mix of anticipation and excitement.

“The last team will draft laws for the new nation.”

“…!”

“…!”

His final explanation silenced the room at once, baffling everyone. Yet, no one dared to voice their thoughts, as Henry still hadn’t mentioned the most important thing.

Stan, unable to contain his curiosity, eventually blurted out the burning question on everyone’s mind.

“You mentioned a new country… May I ask who will lead it?”

“You really want to know?”

It was only natural for Stan and everyone else to feel curious. The establishment of a new nation meant a fresh start, a chance to move on from the chaos of the past. This new era heralded the beginning of a fresh chapter in the continent’s history.

For the wizards, knowing who would lead this new nation and pave a great, honorable future for everyone was of utmost importance.

The room fell dead silent as everyone waited for Henry to answer. He eventually smirked and said nonchalantly, “It’s me.”

At this, a couple of wizards leapt from their seats with jubilant cheers, breaking the serene atmosphere with their fervor.

Amidst the excitement, Lore, seated nearest to Henry, asked again in disbelief, “Are you serious?”

“Yes. I gave it some thought and eventually realized I couldn’t entrust this responsibility to anyone else. And so, with the new nation, I decided to abolish state religion and ensure religious freedom. Establishing a state religion will only lead to a vicious cycle of power dynamics anyway.”

“Haha, I had no idea you had such ambitions.”

“Does it seem like I’m being ambitious?”

“On a surface level, abolishing state religion seems like a wise policy, but some can view it as an act to strengthen central power.”

“You’re absolutely right. And like you said, I don’t want any of the central power to be shared, at least while I’m in charge. I’ve learned a thing or two from my master’s death.”

“May I ask what you learned?”

“It’s simple, really. Power changes individuals. Even Arthus, once a gentle soul, succumbed to its allure and became a monster. But I believe there’s one entity immune to power.”

“And what might that be?”

“A god who no longer has any greed when it comes to the human world.”

“You’re… absolutely right.”

Knowing that Henry was referring to himself, Lore didn’t know what else to say. He knew that Henry was absolutely right. It was just the way the world worked. Just as humans didn’t pursue what small animals or insects went after, gods couldn’t be bothered with the trivial hierarchy of humans, and they certainly weren’t interested in the wealth and power of humans.

Having ascended to divinity, Henry naturally had no reason to pursue what everyone else did. All he wanted was to achieve the things he hadn’t been able to thus far.

After processing what Henry had told him, Lore didn’t bother to ask further questions. Instead, he bowed and said what was really on his mind.

“Congratulations on your coronation as the new king of humanity, Archmage. And thank you for guiding us foolish humans with your wisdom.”

Lore managed to convey his gratitude and respect while saying everything he wanted to. In return, Henry acknowledged his appreciation with a warm smile.

The atmosphere was still lingering with excitement, as though everyone had momentarily forgotten about the grim reality of what had been going on in the laboratory earlier. However, the meeting had to go on, and Henry felt bad that he had to ruin the pleasant atmosphere.

“I’m sorry to break it to you, but we must continue with the meeting. Anyway, given what I told you earlier, you all have to split up and join one of the three teams.”

“The team members… Are you going to decide who goes where?”

“No. We still have about a day to figure it out. I’ll let everyone decide on their own, since I’m not fully familiar with all of you.”

In contrast to what he was saying, Henry actually knew about everyone in detail, as they had been under his leadership for a long time. However, he believed it would be wiser to let everyone make their own choices rather than acting like a know-it-all.

Henry briefly outlined the responsibilities of the law-making and farming teams. He was glad to see that no one frowned when they heard what the farming team would have to do. If anything, they actually seemed surprisingly excited, most likely happy that they wouldn’t have to continue with the gruesome experiments.

As Henry rose from his seat, Lore looked up and asked, “Do you have somewhere you need to be?”

“No, but I’d like to see the state of the lab. I’ll probably oversee the experimental team myself.”

“I’ll escort you then. I think I’ll remain with the experimental team as well.”

“Are you going to be alright?”

“It’s better than making the younger wizards take the burden.”

Henry’s eyes glistened with admiration as he looked at Lore; he was in awe with his dedication and selflessness.

Lore entrusted Stan with the task of making up the teams before accompanying Henry to the lab. Surprisingly enough, there wasn’t a single drop of blood in the laboratory, but the blood cubes piled up in the corner still managed to cast an eerie atmosphere.

Henry saw the cubes and asked, “How many subjects do we have left?”

“There are only two blind believers left.”

“Bring one of them in.”

Lore nodded and used magic to teleport a blind believer in the laboratory. This test subject was an emaciated woman, seemingly in her twenties. Just like the others, her eyes were lifeless.

– Aaahh…

As she was suspended in the air, the poor woman drooled on herself while letting out anguished moans.

Henry looked at her with a rueful expression. He couldn’t help thinking that she could’ve lived happily with her lover, building a family together and dying peacefully of old age, if it hadn’t been for Arthus.

But there was nothing Henry could do about the past. The solution lay right in front of them, and he knew what they had to do.

“Let’s begin the experiment immediately. Get me the data from the last trial.”

His eyes shone with a burning passion.