The Greatest Archmage To Have Ever Lived [OP MC, LitRPG]

Not long after returning that, it was time to visit the Corrupted he had captured during the Academy incident. Professor Carth and the others had been detained for several days now, and if Sael was going to find any leads about Corruption's presence in other regions of the world, these captives were his best starting point. They might have information—conscious or otherwise—about networks, contacts, coordinated movements.

And to reach Professor Carth's residence, they took the Duke's personal cart. A cart was larger on the inside than it had any right to be.

Sael noticed this immediately upon stepping through the door, because of course there was a door, hinged and everything, like they were entering a small house rather than a vehicle. The exterior had suggested cramped quarters at best, perhaps enough room for four people if they were friendly and didn't mind their knees touching. The interior revealed something closer to a mobile sitting room, complete with cushioned benches along both walls, a small table bolted to the floor between them, and enough headroom that Sael could stand upright without hunching.

Spatial expansion magic.

He approved.

Not of the extravagance necessarily—though he supposed a Duke was entitled to some creature comforts—but of the application itself. Spatial magic was finicky at the best of times, requiring precise mathematical calculations and a deep understanding of how reality's fabric responded to being folded in on itself. Getting it wrong usually meant either the spell failed entirely or you created a localized gravity anomaly that tried to compress everything within a five-foot radius into a singularity.

Sael settled onto one of the benches, thinking he should probably teach Orion a thing or two soon. Spatial magic seemed to be a good start, given the boy's aptitude for theory.

Richter took the opposite seat as the cart lurched into motion.

Sael reached out to steady himself against the wall, then relaxed when he realized the enchantments extended to motion dampening as well. The lurch smoothed out almost immediately, leaving only the faintest sense of movement, like being on a boat in very calm water.

Very nice work indeed.

He turned his attention to the window as they left for professor Carth's home, and found Orlys was... busy.

That was the first word that came to mind. Busy in a way that felt different from normal city activity, more purposeful and slightly frantic. People filled the streets in greater numbers than seemed practical. Scaffolding had sprouted along several buildings like wooden fungi, workers perched at various heights hammering things or painting things or doing whatever it was workers did when preparing for important events.

Banners hung from every third building. Most were the Duke's colors, but others displayed the royal gold and crimson standard.