After saying this, a violent magical fluctuation erupted from Gerald.
Sebastian and Martin felt as though they were suddenly trapped dozens of meters underwater. The surrounding air became heavy, like dense water constantly crushing their bodies, making it difficult to gasp for breath. Both men wore expressions of pure horror; the strength displayed by the Thunderbird was far more terrifying than they had imagined, and they had absolutely no room to contend with it.
"You... are you... serious?" After recovering from the shock, Sebastian realized that the man before them was truly not joking. If he had been, he and Martin might have lost their lives on the spot in an instant.
"Nonsense!" Alan said, perfectly mimicking Thunderbird's speech patterns and tone while looking at the two with disdain. "I'm not an idiot. You two were openly conspiring on how to eliminate Rune Serpent. Whether I kill you directly or report you to headquarters, either option is more productive than sitting here babbling with you. Or do you think I've suddenly become soft-hearted?"
*You? Soft-hearted? Come on...*
Sebastian and Martin cursed silently at the same time, exchanging a solemn glance. It seemed the Gerald before them was entirely serious.
"Why?" Martin asked uncertainty. "You know the consequences of betraying Rune Serpent. Sebastian's desire to confront that leader already seemed unbelievable to me, let alone the fact that you've already..."
"Let alone the fact that I, this Thunderbird, have already drunk the Elixir of Life, and my life and death are already in his hands, right?" Gerald sneered, though his expression gradually shifted into something more melancholic. "If I said I had already seen through Rune Serpent and put life and death aside, would you believe me?"
Sebastian was surprised to hear this, but upon careful reflection, it didn't seem entirely unacceptable. He remembered how arrogant Gerald's heart had been back then; yet now he was reduced to being a puppet. He must have long reached his limit.
"You... you also feel unwilling?" Sebastian asked cautiously, knowing that the man in front of him was a firecracker. If he said the wrong thing and caused him to rage, it would be troublesome.
"More than just unwilling!" Gerald's face turned ferocious. "Look at yourself. The former Sebastian was a fearless guy, but now you're completely timid and hesitant, like a tiger with its teeth pulled out. Rune Serpent has taken too much from us—not just our ideals, but our dignity and courage as well. I've figured it out; rather than living a miserable existence in the shadows, I'd rather fight him. I've already found the courage I lost. I wonder if you have the same determination?"
*Dignity and courage?*
After being unceremoniously lectured by Gerald, Sebastian lowered his head somewhat dejectedly. Clearly, the words had hit a sore spot. Although he kept saying he wanted to get rid of the Silver Spears, his core motivation—besides not wanting to be manipulated—was simply that he didn't want to give up his comfortable life and status. To put it bluntly, even if he couldn't kill that leader, Sebastian's final choice might not be to fight to the death, but rather, as Martin said, to find a secret place to hide.
"It seems we underestimated you, teacher," Sebastian sighed, looking up at Gerald with clear respect.
"No, you can be unwilling all you want, but why do you have to drag me into this?" Martin looked at the two speechlessly. It was fine for them to be swept up in their own ideals, but he wasn't even a member of the Silver Spears.
"Hmph!" Gerald glared fiercely at Martin. "There are so many former Acolytes in the club. Are you so selfish that you can just watch them become tools in another man's hands? Watch them fall into the abyss? How could Gellert take in such a useless person, and why did I ever teach a student like you!"
Martin's face immediately darkened when Gerald mentioned Grindelwald. He was actually quite similar to Sebastian; both were young Acolytes who had been inspired by Grindelwald's charisma and joined the movement in its later stages. They once possessed grand ambitions and freely displayed their talents, and Gerald had been their former mentor.
But contrary to their wishes, before they could truly make their mark, Grindelwald was defeated and imprisoned himself. For these later Acolytes, it was a total collapse of faith. It was after that loss that Martin gradually became disillusioned, his ambitions fading as he grew accustomed to a comfortable life. That was why he had been so reluctant when Sebastian tried to recruit him.
However, Gerald bringing up Grindelwald and those former comrades immediately placed him in a difficult dilemma once more.
Looking at Martin's conflicted expression, Gerald pouted in dissatisfaction. "Think about it yourself. Regardless, I can no longer tolerate Rune Serpent continuing to enslave me and those old friends. Under the influence of his Elixir of Life, they all changed. I was the same, until recently when I suddenly realized that rather than living in pain, it's better to seek liberation quickly. I cannot accept that the Elixir of Life gave me a young body but deprived me of the will of my youth. Now that I have found my will, let my body return to dust."
Alan delivered the righteous speech smoothly, perfectly capturing the Thunderbird's tone. Many of the phrases were indeed the original Thunderbird's sentiments, though the true owner had only come to that sudden realization after being utterly defeated by him.
"Okay, what are you going to do?"
Martin was still hesitating, but Sebastian had clearly made up his mind. Having been in the club for so long and witnessing the decay of his former comrades, he too felt a lingering fear. He was an alchemist with a rational mind, so he wasn't completely blinded by the promise of immortality. But he was also human, and he couldn't guarantee that his resolve wouldn't crack eventually. Coupled with the constant pressure from Rune Serpent, he had made his choice.
"Find him. Kill him. It's that simple," Gerald said succinctly, his tone carrying a chilling coldness.
"It's that simple? What do you need me to do?" Sebastian looked at Gerald somewhat speechlessly. His teacher was still just as reckless. As a researcher, he probably would never fully understand this kind of behavioral logic.
"I'll take care of the action, and I have another helper. I need you to provide the design drawings and manufacturing process for the masks, all the alchemy blueprints you made for the headquarters—including the headquarters' ward arrays—and the Traversal Charm spell."
Gerald said it straightforwardly. Although Alan had basically deciphered the charms on the masks, it didn't mean he could completely replicate them. For instance, he still hadn't figured out the specific materials used to construct the masks. It had to be said that Sebastian's technique was superb.
Alan was planning to disguise himself as a Silver Spear to infiltrate the club, so obtaining the complete drawings and processes would not only enrich his knowledge but also make it easier for him to modify the masks safely. Furthermore, since Sebastian had participated in building the headquarters' wards, these blueprints would allow Alan to bypass the defensive arrays entirely.
"Why do you want so many alchemy drawings? You're not an alchemist. And who is this other collaborator you mentioned? Are they trustworthy?" Sebastian asked cautiously.
"Don't worry, they are absolutely trustworthy." Gerald smiled slightly, then pondered for a moment, deciding to pave the way for his true identity. "Do you still remember that British boy, Alan?"
"The young alchemist you killed?" Sebastian looked at him in surprise.
"I didn't kill him. Or rather, I couldn't kill him. Instead, we've started cooperating. His strength is no less than mine. You can consider seeking his help if you encounter trouble," Gerald said with a slight smile.
"That young man? Are you serious?" Sebastian looked at him in disbelief, wondering if he was hearing correctly.
"I'm not joking with you. We... could say we became friends after a fight. In short, he doesn't know your specific situation, but I can confirm that he is trustworthy. For the past two days, I've been discussing with him how to deal with Rune Serpent," Gerald solemnly assured him.
Sebastian didn't know what to say. How had that young wizard suddenly become Gerald's collaborator? But out of basic trust in his mentor, and intimidated by his raw power, Sebastian didn't have many options. With a mixture of doubt and belief, he reached into his robes, pulled out a stack of documents, and handed them over.
*If I had known this, it would have been so much better if I had gotten involved in Alan's company's business that day. I thought that meeting would be a permanent farewell. What a huge loss,* Sebastian muttered to himself, feeling a little bitter.
"How often does Rune Serpent contact you? Is it through mask communication or other means?" Gerald ignored Sebastian's internal laments. After putting away the documents, he focused on the core business.
Hearing Gerald ask about this, Sebastian knew his teacher was truly determined to act, so he readily replied, "You know what kind of person Rune Serpent is; he's unwilling to trust anyone, even the standard masks in the club. He must have been guarding against me tampering with them. He usually contacts me through the Golden Knight—sometimes using the Golden Knight's mask, sometimes via letters. I can't use this information to pinpoint his location."