Chapter 20: The Dignity of the Celestial Generation! (A Grand 4000-Word Chapter!)

A volcanic eruption is a natural disaster that only mages can hope to prevent.

Especially this time, as the scale of Mount Vesuvius’s eruption seemed extraordinary. After all, the sight of a hundred-zhang-long pillar of fire shooting from the crater was not normal in any era.

If the lava from the eruption were to spread for hundreds of miles, villages and farmlands would be destroyed.

Not only would this result in immense economic losses for the capital, but the lives of countless people and creatures near the volcano would also be in jeopardy.

The capital took this matter very seriously and immediately summoned all available mages within the city.

The empire’s military dispatched wave after wave of mages, sending them continuously toward Mount Vesuvius.

Duke Levi and Erika were no exception.

After nearly an entire day of travel, the long overnight journey left everyone exhausted.

By the early hours of the morning, the group finally arrived at their destination, where they paused to rest.

Due to the organized evacuation by the knight order, all the residents of Sanchel Town had gathered outside the settlement.

Even livestock such as chickens, ducks, cows, sheep, as well as pets like cats and dogs, were herded out.

Outside the town, the scene was one of utter chaos, a complete pandemonium.

The villagers watched in bewilderment as large numbers of soldiers and mages entered their town, completely unaware of what was happening.

At this moment, the atmosphere surrounding the camp was unbearably tense.

Duke Levi was among the last batches of mages to arrive. As he stepped down from his carriage, many mages from other noble families greeted him warmly and approached him.

“It has been too long, Duke Levi.”

A white-haired noble leaned on his cane as he walked toward Duke Levi, followed closely by several other noble mages.

“It has indeed been a long time, Lord Baker,” Duke Levi replied politely.

“Since the last royal summons, I believe we have not had the chance to meet again,” Baker reminisced as he spoke to the Duke.

The Duke nodded and responded with a cordial smile.

“This must be your daughter? She has grown into a fine young lady.”

“You flatter us.”

Baker then noticed the emblem pinned to Erika’s chest, signifying her rank as a Second-Tier Mage.

Adjusting his glasses, he continued, “As expected, your daughter has already reached the Second Tier.”

“It seems the academy’s reports were indeed true.”

Erika understood that these were mere pleasantries exchanged between adults.

Yet, hearing esteemed mages praise her still filled her with joy.

No one dislikes compliments, and Erika, who had grown up surrounded by them, was no exception.

Duke Levi, watching his daughter with a smile, was filled with pride.

“Haha, your daughter’s magical talent is truly something we old men can only envy.”

The adults continued exchanging lighthearted banter, gradually settling into a more composed atmosphere.

Within the mage community, nearly everyone was acquainted with one another.

Duke Levi was among the rare Third-Tier Mages, and the other Third-Tier Mages present were all nobles as well.

In the Kalenxia Empire, high-ranking mages were almost exclusively controlled by noble families.

For commoners, even producing a single Second-Tier Mage was a rarity.

At that moment, a silver-white figure appeared before the assembled mages.

Duke Levi glanced at her and immediately recognized her as the second daughter of the Delin family.

She was currently serving as the captain of the Royal Knights.

“Gwen Delin, reporting.”

The mages grew tense as they saw Gwen approach with a grim expression.

Did this mean the volcanic situation was worse than expected?

“Honored mages, since the abnormal activity of the volcano began yesterday, it has remained relatively stable up until now.”

Gwen gripped the silver sword in her hands, sweat dripping from her forehead.

The mages let out a collective sigh of relief. The white-haired mage patted his chest, and even the grip on his cane relaxed.

This meant their presence here was primarily for precautionary measures rather than an all-out battle against a natural disaster.

Meanwhile, Erika stood silently beside Duke Levi, observing everything.

“Father, who is that…?”

Duke Levi whispered in Erika’s ear, “She is the current captain of the Royal Knights.”

Erika nodded. This was her first time seeing the captain of the knight order, and she was surprised to learn that it was a woman.

She did not recognize Gwen, nor did she know that Gwen was Victor’s fiancée, but Gwen recognized her.

Throughout the kingdom, Erika’s reputation as a magical prodigy was well-known, and Gwen had naturally heard of her.

Not to mention, after the previous incident involving Victor, Gwen had thoroughly memorized Erika’s name and face.

As she looked at the golden-haired girl before her, Gwen found herself thinking:

‘So this is Duke Levi’s daughter? She truly is beautiful. No wonder Victor acted impulsively and confessed to her.’

Gwen had only seen Erika’s image in newspapers before, but meeting her in person, even she was taken aback by her charm.

Just one glance, and Erika had the kind of presence that could make someone fall in love.

“Captain Gwen, what exactly happened at the volcano?”

Gwen briefly explained the knight order’s investigation of the volcano.

…

“What? You heard a deafening roar halfway up the mountain?”

“After investigating the summit, the volcano’s temperature suddenly spiked, and a hundred-meter-high pillar of fire erupted?”

The gathered Third-Tier Mages were stunned, exchanging bewildered glances.

“What is going on?”

“I have no idea. Do you?”

“I’ve never heard of anything like this before.”

They stood dumbfounded, unable to form a response.

Duke Levi fell into deep thought as he listened to Gwen’s report. Like the other mages, he had no answer.

Then, as if remembering something, Gwen continued:

“We requested an accompanying mage for this mission. He went ahead to the summit to investigate something, but then disappeared. To this day, there is still no sign of him.”

“What?!”

Everyone was shocked. This was too suspicious.

Erika was also taken aback. As if realizing something, she asked for the first time:

“Who was that mage?”

Gwen looked at her quizzically and replied:

“I believe you all know him. His name is Victor Clavenna.”

At the mention of that name, the entire assembly of mages erupted into chaos.

Several mages who bore grudges against Victor seized the opportunity to accuse him.

“It must be Victor’s doing!”

“Exactly! He has committed countless misdeeds before—this must be his work too!”

Victor’s “infamous” reputation was well known. The moment a chance arose to slander him, they did not hold back.

Duke Levi, though equally perplexed, calmed the crowd: “Everyone, please, remain composed. Our top priority is to prevent the volcanic eruption and minimize potential losses!”

Hearing the Duke’s words, the mages ceased their bickering.

As Levi had said, finding the culprit was secondary. Overcoming the immediate crisis was paramount.

Then, an earth-shaking roar echoed from the volcano’s summit…

And this time, everyone heard it clearly.