Cycle of Destiny

Chapter 63 The Return of the Holy Magician

Cavill?

The name, like a pebble thrown into still water, stirred up huge ripples in Harry's heart.

That lecherous fellow who, with his handsome looks, red hair, and amazing social skills, thrived in the social circles of the capital's wealthy women and gambling tables?

That low-level mage who, somehow, fought bravely in the disaster in the southeast, earned a medal, and was eventually recommended by the Holy Mage to take a high position?

The magic deacon who received Odel's request to take care of him and who gave him a wand and a mage's robe?

Odel actually wanted to kill Cavill back then?

After the initial shock, an even more glaring contradiction immediately surfaced. Harry almost blurted out:

"But later...didn't Lord Odel invite Cavill to become the academy's magic deacon?"

"Yes, that's right." The goddess nodded firmly, showing no surprise, as if she had expected Harry to ask this. She paused slightly, then added a more ironic detail: "Moreover, according to Odell's later account in prison, before this incident, Cavill had already cheated him out of a considerable sum of gold coins."

Scamming? Harry thought to himself, that certainly seemed like something the Cavill he knew would do.

It sounds perfectly reasonable for a low-level magician who mingles among noblewomen and makes a living through lending and fraud to swindle a down-on-his-luck nobleman who is already overwhelmed with problems and whose judgment has declined.

But this makes the logic even more confusing!

A person you once wanted to kill at all costs, a person who deceived you and indirectly sent you to prison, after you were released from prison and gained extraordinary abilities, instead of taking revenge, you recommended him to be the core manager of your newly established magic academy.

This makes absolutely no sense, and it's even a little chilling.

Harry frowned, his blue eyes filled with confusion, but the goddess seemed unwilling to explain the contradiction for the time being, instead pushing the timeline forward.

"After Odell was imprisoned, a huge disagreement arose between the royal family and the church regarding his trial. The royal family insisted that Odell was a nobleman, and that he had killed noblemen. Matters between nobles should be decided by the council of nobles, and the church had no right to interfere. But the church insisted that the murderer, Odell, was a devout believer in the goddess, and that his crimes must be subject to a sacred trial by the church's judiciary."

She paused, then added, "At that time, relations between the royal family and the church were becoming increasingly tense in many areas, and the dispute remained deadlocked without resolution. Odell was thus imprisoned without being convicted by the Presbyterian Council or tried by the Tribunal."

Harry nodded silently upon hearing this. He understood the political maneuvering involved.

It was no secret in the capital that the Odells, especially through Laura, had donated so much money to the church.

For the church, if it cannot even exercise the right to judge a believer who is considered to have made "great contributions" to the church, it will undoubtedly be a heavy blow to its prestige and the faith of its believers.

"However, this personal tragedy unexpectedly cleared away the biggest obstacle for the tormented lovers." The goddess's words stirred a subtle change, seemingly carrying a sigh of lament for the cruel twist of fate. "Audell signed the papers agreeing to dissolve their marriage in prison. There was finally no longer a nominal barrier between Laura and Edric."

"Not long after," the goddess's tone turned serious again, "the 'Crimson Invasion' broke out in the capital, demons descended, and countless lives were lost. After that period of chaos and salvation, His Majesty Archanos XV ascended the throne and converted to the goddess. It was under these new circumstances that the question of Odel's allegiance was finally settled—the Church successfully transferred him from the prison where nobles were held to the cell in the Tribunal."

"And then..." Harry asked tentatively, "the church forgave him?"

"That's right, it was a pardon." The goddess gave a definite answer and brought up a crucial name: "At that time, a very influential person personally pleaded with the church on his behalf."

"Who is it?" Harry's heart jumped.

"Alexander Langton".

Alexander Langton!

Harry couldn't hold back this time, a short gasp escaping his throat. He felt a chill run down his spine. Every name he'd heard today seemed to be connected to an invisible net!

That legendary figure who came from humble origins, placed tenth in the tournament (just as he lost to Harry's father), ultimately helped the church defeat the demons, and was crowned a duke!

That name, which appears in only a few lines in the "Who's Who in the World," is more awe-inspiring than any lengthy treatise!

He actually had such an encounter with his teacher, Odell?

At the lowest and most desperate moment of Odell's life, it was this newly crowned legendary duke, who was at the height of his power, who reached out to help him.

Harry's mind raced: Yes, the "Red Invasion" had just ended, and Alexander was emerging with immense merit and unparalleled prestige. Even the Church would have to seriously consider his request.

Moreover, there were probably voices within the church who wanted to spare Odell, and Alexander's intervention provided a convenient and convincing reason to do so.

"After Alexander Langton intervened, Odell was quickly released by the church. When he came out of prison, according to the guards at the time, he looked completely different. He had lost a lot of weight, and what was even more frightening was that... his hair and beard had all turned white."

This detail sent a chill down Harry's spine. It wasn't just physical torture, but also the mark of a mental breakdown.

"After leaving prison, he disappeared. No one knows where he went." The goddess's voice was low, as if recounting the return of a ghost. "He didn't reappear until a month later. And this time, he brought news that stunned everyone, making them think he had gone mad—"

She paused, then repeated herself, word by word: "He said he had entered the Dark Cave and killed the demon dwelling there. And with that, he entered the palace and demanded that His Majesty Archanos XV return to him the Orion province, which originally belonged to his family, was later sold off, and finally nationalized."

Harry could imagine the mixture of pity, disdain, and shock on the faces of the people in the court at that time.

Dark caves? Those are forbidden places that even the Church and the powerful elves avoid like the plague!

A down-on-his-luck nobleman, just released from prison and unable to defeat even an eighth-level samurai who had inherited the title through duels, claims to have killed the demon inside.

This is utter nonsense, the ramblings of a madman!

“I believe,” the goddess said, “that His Majesty the Fifteenth Emperor at the time must have thought it was a terrible joke, and even suspected that Odell had gone completely mad during his long imprisonment. To demand such a large territory out of thin air was nothing short of delusional.”

"But?" Harry held his breath, knowing that this sentence would definitely be followed by a "but," and that the real storm was about to begin.

"But what happened next made His Majesty's smile vanish." A complex light flashed in the goddess's eyes, a testament to how all worldly rules were crushed in the face of absolute power. "The royal family mobilized all available forces—court magicians, top fighters from the Royal Guard… all joined the battle, yet no one could touch Odel in the slightest. In the end, even His Holiness the Pope was alarmed and intervened personally."

The moment she uttered that name, the air in the room seemed to freeze. The Pope, the highest representative of Goddess on earth, the pinnacle of power in the eyes of believers.

"The two fought fiercely for a day and a night." The goddess's narration was simple yet powerful. "In the end... neither side could gain the upper hand."

Harry felt a wave of dizziness. A draw with the Pope? What did that mean? It wasn't just "impressive"; it meant stepping into the legendary realm, a superhuman level of power!

"When even His Holiness the Pope can't win," the goddess concluded, "His Majesty the Fifteenth has no reason to resist either. The province of Orion has changed hands, returning to the hands of its former master. Although this master has become someone everyone finds strange and frightening."

The shocking story had temporarily come to a close, and Harry suddenly remembered another storyline—Laura and Edric. With Odell returning in such a terrible way, what would become of the lovers who had just seen a glimmer of hope?

"What about Laura and Edric?" Harry asked, his voice soft, as if afraid to touch upon the sorrow that had just been depicted in his memory.

"They were preparing for their wedding," the goddess's voice lowered, "and when they heard the news of Odell's return in that manner, they were terrified. They came to me almost in despair, begging for the goddess's protection. But..." She shook her head gently, her grey-blue eyes reflecting the lamplight and the helplessness of that year, "Even His Holiness the Pope couldn't defeat him, so what could I do? I couldn't give them any real promise of protection."

"And then..." Harry's voice was a little dry; he already had a premonition of the ending.

"Odell did not retaliate against them," the goddess replied quickly, but this simple denial was followed by a more somber statement: "However, they are still dead."

"Ah?" Harry's heart tightened, feeling suffocated by this inevitable tragedy.

The goddess's voice carried a deep sorrow: "Lola told me that Odell is a very strange man. She firmly believes that Odell will never let them go. In her view, the reason Odell agreed to dissolve the marriage in prison was because he thought he was doomed. Now that he has returned with world-destroying power, his primary goal must be to take her back. She understands Odell's obsession with her... Perhaps, if she takes the initiative to return to Odell's side, reconcile with him, and apologize, she and Edric will have a chance to survive."

She paused for a long time, as if she could see her best friend's desperate yet resolute face again, before slowly revealing her final choice:

"But they had endured too much waiting and torment, and were weary of their forced separation. Perhaps they also feared the terrible punishment that Odell's incomprehensible, godlike power might bring. Before Odell could inflict any humiliation or revenge upon them... Laura and Edric chose to light a fire in their castle and together meet their end."

Harry remained silent for a long time, only able to exhale slowly and heavily.

Extreme love and extreme fear ultimately led to extreme destruction. Each character in this story seems to be propelled by fate towards the pinnacle of their own tragedy.

His master, Odel, transformed from a victim and perpetrator of a tragedy into a "Holy Mage" shrouded in immense mystery and terrifying power.

All these intertwined past events, like undercurrents, eventually converged on the room he was in now, and the cold necklace around his neck.