orcs, wizards did."

With a passionate expression, Ramon extended his hands and clenched his fists softly in the air.

"It was magic."

Thales furrowed his brows a little.

The second prince asked in great doubt, "Do you mean to say that the superpowers, the Northland Military Sword Style, the knights—all of them are fake? That they actually did not stand a chance against the orcs? And that the only things that brought about victory in the frontlines of battlefields are wizards and the magic they use?

"Their magic... is an even stronger power than the Power of Eradication?" While pondering over this, Thales asked the second part of his question slowly.

"Ha, comparing magic with the Power of Eradication. You are just like those ignorant people one thousand years ago." It appeared that Ramon was not really used to being cut off. He snorted in disdain. "Open that narrow mind of yours, Your Highness!

"Magic is not a power. It is not on the same level as the Power of Eradication." Ramon shook his head. His eyes were filled with longing and respect.

"It is something higher, deeper and mightier."

"Not a power?" Thales put on a puzzled expression. "Then what on earth is magic? A curse? An energy? Knowledge? A factor? An element? A mentality? An extraordinary psionic ability? A destructive force?"

Ramon looked at Thales in silence. His gaze was filled with a combination of contradicting and strange emotions such as respect, idolization, arrogance, modesty, and enchantment.

Thales had never seen such a gaze from anyone in this world before.

’No...’ Thales suddenly came to a realization. Perhaps, he had seen it before.

In that dim chess room.

That figure in a blue shirt.

"Magic..." Ramon raised his hands and slowly extended them, like a devotee who was praying to the gods. He was so excited that he was shivering.

"Magic is a meaning, an attitude, a belief, and a principle of life." The strange doctor gazed at the sky, as though it held the place that he belonged to, along with his dreams.

"Wizards are the practitioners of this principle.

"They believe that everything in this world is meaningful. Everything can be analyzed and should be recognized. In the process of this perception, humans can become more perfect, mightier, improve themselves and become closer to the truth.

"From the regular patterns of the sun’s movements and the mystery of the origins of life; to human attitudes and principles, and the progress as well as development of history, everything is in the domain of magic... Magic is the sum of all acquisition of knowledge, discoveries and truths. The advancement of magic will bring us a more glorious future."

Thales furrowed his brows deeply, trying his best to understand Ramon’s words, which sounded rather insane.

"For this, they once entered the tent of the Ancient Chauvinistic Tribe and designed the first political system in history—the Ancient Chauvinistic Country.

"They once stood beside Takmukh, the deceased King of the North and warned him about our relationship with the orcs.

"They once stood behind the Iron Blood King, and with their knowledge as well as experience, they designed and supervised the completion of ’Mankind’s Final Defensive Line’.

"They once relentlessly improvised their weapons and skills amid sacrifices and defeat. They summed up the experiences and skills of every knight by themselves, perfecting the first set of standardized ’Northland Military Sword Style’ in history.

"They once noticed the potential within the human body too. They researched day and night for those powers to be born and developed, naming them ’superpowers’.

"They once spared no effort to charge forward in battlefields filled with blood and fire. They tried their best to develop lethal skills while they improved their healing techniques as well.

"They once studied iron and steel intensively; forging stirrups and saddles, as well as establishing the first cavalier unit. This allowed the knights to possess speed and an offensive force comparable to the orcs’ for the first time in history.

"Of course, they also developed their own powers. They unearthed the truth behind materials, interrogated the truth behind consciousness, stirred up natural energy for their own usage and converted the world’s resources so that they could be of service to humans. The power in my hands is only a small and insignificant part of it.

"They once launched an attack together with the knights on the layers of ice in Glacier Quiquer. After countless assaults, with no regard for the sacrifices made, they utterly eradicated the myth that it was impossible to defeat the orc’s large heavy infantry formation. It made the Holiness Exorcism Campaign the most magnificent and glorious scene in human history.

"They once even questioned the existence of the gods and challenged the emperor’s authority.

"At one time, the Three Great Magic Towers were the wisest and most advanced existence in the world. They were detached and independent from the world. Even the supreme emperor and the head priest of Bright God Church, who were extremely influential, had to show their respect to the three towers.

"There was a time where the existence of wizards made many people believe that in this world, power and status were not the only things worth chasing after. There was also truth."

Ramon inhaled deeply and slowly put down his hands. The corners of his eyes were already glistening with tears at this point.

He clenched his fists, trembling as he said in a choked voice, "These are wizards. This is magic. The most important, magnificent and precious chapter in the rise of human history. Yet, they have been forgotten by everyone."

Ramon lowered his head and said desolately, "And now, no one remembers magic and knows about wizards anymore.

"There are only people like me, who are unfortunate and fortunate at the same time. While struggling with our feeble existences... we burn the embers of what remains of magic through books and scrolls written about them."

Thales stared absentmindedly at Ramon.

He did not even realize that the tree branch in his hand was burning.

He could not believe everything that he just heard.

He could only widen his eyes and drop his jaw.

’Magic? Wizards?’

This was different from any version of magic he had heard of in his past life. It did not consist of sizzling fireballs, muttering curses to control elements, using one’s self as a trove of unlimited mental power, conducting ceremonies to communicate with another existence, and the learning of psionic abilities or powers that were formidable for the sake of being formidable.

Magic was a meaning.

A belief.

A principle.

Thales was completely taken aback. At this moment, Asda’s words kept playing in his mind.

"Wizards pursued the truths of the world. They used all kinds of ingenious methods and wisdom to take advantage of the natural resources and energies in the world, to create an even more beautiful world."

’Is that so?’