Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe
chapter-456

From that day onward, a strange rumor started to float around the nooks and crannies of Ravenfell - the criminal organization known as Umbra Thieves had tried to assassinate the Patriarch of the Flynn Family and had miserably failed.

The one behind spreading this rumor was naturally Elysande Flynn.

Given the resources at her hand and the influence she wielded, this was the best way she knew to cast a light on her enemies who were hiding in the shadows.

Manipulating public opinion!

She understood the landscape of the city very well and knew that the ones that held sway over public opinion were none other than influential nobles, respected Magi, popular bards, and powerful merchants.

Elysande also deeply understood the society's cultural values, beliefs, and superstitions. This allowed her to tailor a message to resonate with the public.

If the Umbra Thieves had dared to go after a prominent noble house such as the Flynn Family, then what's stopping this heinous organization from coming after the rest of the aristocrats?

This statement was further given credibility when the Patriarch of the Flynn Family, Brigham Flynn, made a public appearance and spoke about the cruelty and the audacity of this clandestine organization to come after him and covet everything he owned.

In but less than a week, the spark of rumor had now grown into the size of a prairie fire. Almost every man, woman, and child in Ravenfell was talking about the criminal organization known as the Umbra Thieves.

Although this caused a bit of public unrest, seeing the increase in city guards constantly patrolling the streets couldn't help but bring faith and confidence into the hearts of the residents.

Their fear turned to courage as they started verbally opposing the organization's evil deeds. It also helped that the Flynn Family had a good reputation within the city, causing the majority of the residents to support the family's stand against this criminal enterprise.

Another week later, the Flynn Family was able to gain public endorsements from influential figures who further led to the credibility of their cause.

Following that, the local authorities, the city council, and even guilds started to gradually denounce the Umbra Thieves, further shifting the public perception in the Flynn Family's favor.

At this point, Elysande had started spreading even more rumors and disinformation, revealing the crimes and atrocities committed by the members of this criminal organization.

Of course, all the evidence she provided to the public was false.

It was a secret organization, after all. They rarely left any clues behind. So Elysande could only make them up.

She planted false information, exposing their underhanded methods of assassination. According to her, the more people that knew about their deceit and ruthlessness, the more they will turn against them.

And that was exactly what was happening.

...

In a dark cavern, a few hooded figures stood around a stone altar, conversing with each other in a grim tone. The air was thick with tension as the figures argued with one another.

"I did not expect the eldest daughter of the Flynn Family to go to such lengths."

"Brigham Flynn's assassination was a failure, but I didn't think that the aftermath would be this great."

"Because of public awareness, our men are finding it difficult to carry out certain operations openly."

"Sigh, this is more troublesome than I had imagined..."

These figures, their faces were covered in the shadows of their hood, making it difficult to properly see their appearances.

The Umbra Thieves were led by the small group that was present here in this cavern. These people were the overlords of Ravenfell's underworld.

They had gone after the Patriarch of the Flynn Family because they wanted to acquire his wealth and possessions.

More importantly, they would have gained access to his shipping company's secret trade routes which would allow them to increase the money generated from their smuggling operations.

Alas, they had never imagined Adam to suddenly appear out of nowehere and cure Brigham Flynn, foiling the plans that they had painstakingly orchestrated for years.

One of the hooded figures present spat through gritted teeth, "It's all because of that boy, Adam Constantine. If not for him, none of this would have happened."

"Speaking of that young Magus, where is he these days?"

"Hmph, hiding inside Saratoga Castle, where else? He hasn't shown his face in almost a month."

"I thought sending two of our men to deal with him would be more than enough, but I've severely underestimated him."

"Indeed, if he can kill two of our trained assassins at the same time, then he is no ordinary Mana Liquefaction Magus."

A long period of silence ensued before a certain member spoke up, "How do we deal with him? We can't let him go after he's killed two of our people. He must die!"

"Indeed. After what he's done, he needs to be dealt with immediately."

"Immediately?" A hooded figure sneered. "And how do we do that? The city council has increased their patrols, especially during nighttime. The authorities are cracking down on crime at a never-before-seen intensity. It's highly difficult for us to move now."

"That's just within the city. We can always deal with him outside the city walls."

"But what if that coward never leaves the castle grounds?"

Another long period of silence descended over the cavern before a person shook his head and sighed, "This setback is momentary. Let me speak to a few city officials and bribe them in our favor. I'm sure this whole fiasco will die down in a short time."

"I agree. Then I will go speak to a few merchants and see what I can do."

"Very well, I will go meet some aristocratic Magi."

One by one, the hooded figures soon disappeared from the cavern before it descended into complete silence.

...

East Wing, Saratoga Castle.

Adam intensely scratched the inside of his ear with his pinky finger. "Hmm? Who's talking

shit about me?"

He glanced at the ritual formation on the ground, inspecting it thoroughly. In the last month, he hadn't been sitting idly.

Knowing that, he was in deep trouble, he couldn't just rely on Elysande. He also had to strengthen his own skills. Since advancing to the next rank was impossible, he was left with

only one option.

His lips curled up into a devious grin as he thought about what he was about to attempt.

"If quality doesn't work, I'll beat you bastards with quantity!"