Stone Mage: Revenge of the Villain System

The funeral was also held for 9 days, and on the eighth day, Duke Taevas finally sent out a letter that took about half a day to reach the Academy by carrier dove to Professor Vyrill Krustal.

And the Professor along with his brother, Inspector Jasny Krustal, arrived just in time at the day of the burial.

"They're here."

Ronin watched the carriage with bright eyes, holding the thick copy of the research that looked more like scribbles than actual words.

As far as he could understand, Maellan and Vyrill had basically done several tests of strengthening the Flames of dying animals. It took them a while to get the perfect voltage of electricity to bring them back to life.....

But they did manage to succeed.

However, they were yet to test it on humans.

It took them about 6 years just to get the animals not just resurrected, but functioning well with no deformities. Then, they spent the other 4 years observing their longevity.

How long they would stay alive after being resurrected.

The first samples of course did not last long. But they learned that if you gave the resurrected animal frequent lightning treatment on small amounts...

You increase their longevity.

And so, just bringing them to life was not enough. There needs to be a constant influx of lightning in their system in case the Flame within them dies out again.

"Really interesting, but not what I need any time soon. I would not be dying yet and need to be resurrected by lightning." He said, rolling up the papers into a thick scroll and tucking it on his arms as he went outside.

What he needed was to find that man with a Spinel Heartstone. Getting into the Academy was just the first step toward that.

The servants had greeted them as always, but it had a less grand air than before. Due to being recluse and barely gaining any money through whatever Duke Taevas was now doing as a source of income, the number of servants had also significantly decreased over the years.

Ronin suspected that whatever Duke Taevas' source of income was..... it must have been something illegal or something he was not proud of due to how secretive he and Mavretri was about it.

Most duchys actually gain income by making farmers grow crops for them, and having them pay taxes for it. But House Zaferi was barely a duchy from the start, and not a single farming land was to be seen.

They already almost went asunder if not for Duke Taevas' wealthy family from Scirocco. Which Ronin had still never met after existing for 13 years in this world.

But Duke Taevas did not care about rumors about his background or his current status anymore.

Duke Taevas had just cared less about reputation and appearance in general. There was no need to put on fancy clothes and fancy decorations for celebrations anymore when no one was attending anyway.

"Duke Taevas Zafeiri." Professor Vyrill still wore that cloak that covered him from head to toe, but it was obvious from his voice that he had aged.

"Vyrill and Jasny Krustal." He nodded lightly. "Thank you for attending."

"Our condolences." Jasny's usual jolly tone was more somber now. "Maellan has been a very good student, one of the best from the Spire of Scholars and even his whole batch of students."

Duke Taevas just made a small, lazy smile at this flattery. "You don't say."

"Why have you not told us sooner?" Professor Vyrill said with his usual cold and grave tone.

Duke Taevas snorted. "The funeral ends with a burial either way, does it not? I do not see the point, there was no body to put in the casket anyway for the guests to mourn over."

"And you did not report your son's death to the King?" Professir Vyrill said with suspicion.

"Why should I? It was a very simple matter. The carriage fell to the Edge on accident. There was nothing more to say."

"But you could have had a search party of Griffons to go down to see if he could have still been alive---

" Vyrill." Jasny placed a hand on his shoulder. "We are here to mourn, not argue. And you know very well as a man of science that no one could survive that fall."

Vyrill insisted, pushing the hand away with his that was wrapped in bandages. "But our research could have resurrected him if the death was not more than 48 hours."

"Be respectful to the father of the child, Vyrill. He could not have possibly known that." Jasny said. "You're making it seem like it was his fault."

'It really is.' Ronin said on his head as he approached the bickering men.

"Ahem." He cleared his throat to gain their attention. "That is correct. It says so here too on the papers, even with the worst scenarios like broken bodies can be repaired with the lightning treatment as long as it was done at the right time and the right amount."

The three men turned at this voice, and Duke Taevas' eyes widened when he saw what was on the boy's hands. "Ronin---"

"Ronin Willowe. Brother of Cholie Willowe, Maellan Zafeiri's lover who he died with on the Abyss." He stretched out his hand in introduction. "He had handed me out copies of your research."

"A Commoner boy was entrusted by documents as important as this?" Jasny said out of pure curiosity, not mockingly.

But even when Ronin knew that, he still felt offended. "I am not just some ordinary Commoner boy, Inspector Krustal. You can ask everyone in this household."

"No need." Professor Vyrill shook Ronin's hand. "Maellan had told me about you several times. Claimed that you were a natural born scholar, able to read advanced scientific books at the age of three."

"Even earlier than that, in fact." Ronin's ego was being fed by having this mysterious professor that had learned the secret of revival know his name and even praise him.

"Good heavens... that really is promising!" Inspector Jasny chuckled with his jolly white beard shaking as he did. "A born genuis!"

"I would like to continue what Maellan had started. I can understand that all these efforts must not come to waste. I may not look much, but I am sure I can come to your aide." He acted like some goody-two-shoes smart student that just want to help the world with his intelligence.

Duke Taevas gripped his shoulders. "Ronin!"

Ronin ignored him, and said what he truly wanted. "I would like to work with you on this project in the illustrious Academy. That would be my greatest dream, my aspiration that reaches through the stars. "

It was actually a famous tagline on Earth that is usually in Latin as Per Aspera ad Astra, though Ronin can't recall how he learned that little fact.

The two brothers looked at each other. Ronin waited patiently for their response to his well-performed speech. He even used the Academy's motto....

Jasny Krustal rubbed his bearded chin. "You truly are exceptional compared to any Commoner."

"But we could not let you in the Academy even if we wanted to." Professor Vyrill sighed in disappointment. "We apologize. The Council does not allow anyone that did not pass the Triannum test to go inside."

Ronin gritted his teeth at this. Right, the Council and their policies.....

But then again, there's nothing wrong with this policy at all. In fact---

"Then I would like to have a Triannum test. Right here, right now. If I pass, allow me to work with you on the Academy grounds."