Chapter 19: A Probe from the Mastermind Behind the Scenes?

“You…” Camille’s face darkened, utterly taken aback by Lise’s blunt words that left him no room to maneuver.

Helpless, Camille assessed the situation. Under the suppression of Welf, the golden warrior, all chances of recovery had vanished.

For now, he feigned concern for Yor’s injuries and, along with others, carried Yor toward the academy’s infirmary.

Before leaving, he cast a pained glance at the celadon gem spinning in Lise’s hand. Watching Lise toss the gem up and down with a showy air, he gritted his teeth, turned away, and left the scene without uttering a harsh word.

Lise made no move to stop them, quietly watching their departure, seemingly lost in thought.

The onlookers, disappointed that the spectacle ended abruptly, gradually dispersed.

Seeing Camille and his group vanish from sight, Lise led Welf onward toward the Fifth Magic Workshop. It was getting late.

“Damn! Damn! Damn!”

Camille, finding an excuse to leave the crowd, returned to his dormitory at the academy. As an outstanding student, he had been assigned a single room, safe from sudden intrusions.

The ever-smiling Camille finally lost control of his expression, violently sweeping everything off the desk with a clatter, his face brooding and terrifying.

After venting, Camille calmed down and considered the consequences of this failed probe.

Their covert guidance of Yor and the others probably remained undiscovered, but what if the mission failed? There wouldn’t be another such opportunity.

As for the assistant qualification, Camille didn’t care at all!

He had secretly learned that Lise had been invited to the Fifth Magic Workshop today and deliberately brought Yor and the others to “chance upon” Lise.

According to plan, Yor, a bronze-level senior mage, was meant to probe Lise’s true strength, even if it meant losing.

It was just a normal magical duel; even if the academy found out, it wouldn’t matter.

But who knew Lise wouldn’t play by the rules?

It shouldn’t be this way. From memory, Lise was taciturn, focused solely on magical research, never behaving like a noble viscount.

After some time apart, why did it seem as if he had suddenly become a different person?

This was trouble!

His lord had asked him to test Lise’s current power and hidden trump cards, but Lise hadn’t even cast a spell during the duel. What options did Camille have?

Though Camille didn’t understand why his lord had assigned this task, Lise was just a novice mage, with the only notable thing being his noble viscount title.

Camille was confident he was far stronger than Lise under similar conditions.

Given his lord’s lofty status, he should have no concern for a mere noble like Lise.

And to probe Lise’s hidden cards?

Could it be...

A chill ran through Camille, halting his dangerous thoughts.

Whatever his lord assigned, the high-level political games were beyond the reach of small fry like himself.

He was merely one of those secretly nurtured talents; without this assignment, he wouldn’t have had the chance to meet that person even once.

Thinking of this, Camille recalled the celadon gem given to him, his heart stabbing with pain.

This precious magical gem was meant for the mission. If he had succeeded, the gem would have been his.

But now, not only had the mission failed, but the gem had been snatched by that detestable Lise!

If nothing else worked, he might have to resort to desperate measures!

Camille’s dark face twisted into a hint of madness.

---------------

Welf, sword in hand, followed Lise down the quiet academy avenue.

Having just disciplined those people and obtained a high-level magical gem, Lise should have been pleased. Why then was his expression so grave?

Welf was puzzled, unaware of Lise’s thoughts.

Lise, however, paid no attention to him, idly spinning the newly acquired celadon gem as his mind dwelled on the earlier events.

That Camille was suspicious!

He had been invited back to the Royal Physis Magic Academy, and these people just “happened” to encounter him, then “on a whim” challenged him to a duel, even producing a costly high-grade magical gem!

Lise’s own staff bore an emerald gem roughly equal in value to the celadon gem, worth over ten thousand gold coins.

These commoner mage students, with no background or accomplishments, Lise couldn’t believe they could produce such treasures on their own.

Could it have been a gift sent directly from the Dawn God?

Really? He didn’t believe it!

Lise didn’t see himself as some prodigy who could have treasures fall on his head while sleeping.

So these people had to be up to something! And Camille was the most suspicious.

Why did they seek to duel him?

It definitely wasn’t about that so-called assistant qualification.

The chance to study at the academy’s Fifth Magic Workshop was rare, but for a commoner to openly challenge a royal viscount was absurd.

Especially Camille!

The way he had swallowed his pride and turned to walk away after being refuted proved he wasn’t the sort to hothead challenge a noble just for a qualification.

So if it wasn’t for the qualification, and they had no other connection to him...

Their purpose was simply to duel him!

To face him in combat?

To probe his strength and uncover his weaknesses?

Lise pieced together the events bit by bit, increasingly convinced this incident was no simple matter—especially knowing he faced an assassination attempt in three months.

Perhaps this was a test by the unseen mastermind?

Lise smiled confidently. If that was the case, all the better!

He feared no test; what worried him was an opponent lurking in the shadows without revealing a single flaw.

If their ultimate goal was to assassinate him at the Festival of Sacrifice, they certainly wouldn’t send elite professionals in advance and risk alerting him.

Or rather, they wouldn’t want him to be harmed before the festival!

Knowing the future’s course was his greatest advantage.

Having sorted his thoughts, Lise glanced at the golden warrior Welf beside him, feeling a surge of security. Gravely, he said:

“Welf, my safety depends on you from now on. Work hard!”

Welf, puzzled by Lise’s sudden serious tone, seemed to have question marks floating above his not-so-bright head.

Has the young master developed paranoid delusions?

Of course, Welf wouldn’t say that aloud. He merely nodded steadily, giving Lise a look that said, “Trust me.”

Protecting the young master was his duty. He dared not imagine what Butler Joyce’s “care” would be like if anything happened to Lise.

Just the thought made Welf shudder, his gaze growing even more determined.

Lise looked curiously at his captain of the guard, who had changed expression thrice after a single sentence.

But there was no time to chat further.

Ahead stood the Fifth Magic Workshop.

The workshop resembled a mage’s tower; in a sense, the royal academy’s magical workshops were “public” mage towers, passed down among academy mages.

Its deep black walls were reinforced with multiple magic runes, impervious even to gunpowder artillery.

Silver-white light shimmered over the multi-layered tower. To maintain a stable research environment inside, the tower had almost no windows.

No sign marked it as the “Fifth Magic Workshop.” Without years of study there, no one would recognize this as one of the kingdom’s core magical workshops.

Before Lise could reach the door, the heavy walls parted like automatic doors. A clear, familiar voice sounded beside him:

“Lise, why are you so slow getting here?”