Vivian Yang, the stammering female magician, had turned her bag inside out. She gazed at Du Wei with pitiful eyes, her hands nervously twisting the now-empty cloth sack, clearly devoid of any remaining treasures.
"T-t-this is a-a-all I h-have," she stuttered, her voice trembling. She truly had nothing left to offer.
Beside her, Solskjaer was practically itching to grab Du Wei by the collar and force him to accept the deal!
A mid-grade aquamarine gem, a hefty stash of mana-replenishing potions, a handful of premium magical beast cores, and over a dozen scrolls inscribed with mid-level spells!
Such a haul would make any high-ranking magician on the continent green with envy. Even among the famously wealthy magical community, this was a rare fortune.
If Du Wei didn't agree now, what if something went wrong? An eighth-level magician was not someone to trifle with!
Sure, this girl seemed naive, almost docile, but if she were provoked, her eighth-level prowess could likely wipe out their entire group without breaking a sweat.
Oddly, this girl seemed utterly unaware of her own strength. If she had even a hint of ruthlessness, a single high-level spell could crush their ragtag band of battered soldiers.
Even if she was a bit simple-minded, bullying a grand magician like this could spell trouble down the line.
Thank the heavens, just as Solskjaer was about to lose his mind, Du Wei finally nodded. With an air of calm composure, he said, "Honored Magician, I can sense your sincerity. The terms you've offered, I believe, satisfy my men completely."
With a subtle glance from Du Wei, Solskjaer exhaled in relief. He darted forward, practically snatching the "compensation" from Vivian's hands. His eyes gleamed with greed as he stuffed the magical materials into a large sack he carried, clutching it tightly with a miserly expression. If anyone so much as glanced at his prize, Solskjaer looked ready to fight to the death!
"C-c-can y-you n-now r-r-release C-cheche…" Vivian's pleading eyes locked onto Du Wei. Her innocent, wide gaze, paired with her angelic, flawless face, made it hard to keep pressing such a girl.
"Oh, while my men are pleased with your terms," Du Wei continued smoothly, "I, personally, have one small additional condition."
"B-b-but I h-have n-n-nothing l-left…" Vivian's voice rose in panic. She frantically turned her bag upside down again, shaking it to prove her poverty.
"No, no, I'm not asking for material compensation," Du Wei said, his true intentions finally surfacing with a sly glint. "You're an eighth-level magician, correct? Grand magicians are exceedingly rare in the empire, especially someone as young as you, bearing such a prestigious badge. I've never heard of a lady like you before. Oh, please don't misunderstand—I'm simply saying that I have a deep fascination with magic, a burning passion for it. I've long admired the radiant and profound culture of magic, devoting much effort to studying its mysteries. Why, I've even hired a magician as my personal advisor in the arcane arts."
He gestured toward Solskjaer, who stood clutching his sack with a greedy, almost comical scowl.
Du Wei sighed theatrically, shaking his head. "Sadly, as you can see, my advisor, though dedicated, is limited in his expertise. I can only learn so much from him. Meeting you today—a grand magician of the eighth level—is an unparalleled honor for me. Oh, yes, your pet startled me, but in light of your remarkable talent, I'm willing to overlook such a trifling matter."
Poor, guileless Vivian felt her mind spinning. To her, this young noble had been terrifying moments ago, extorting her entire fortune. But she was at fault, wasn't she? She'd briefly considered using magic to reclaim Cheche, but her upbringing had instilled a strict code of fairness and kindness. For a sheltered girl like her, who rarely left her teacher's side, conjuring malicious thoughts was nearly impossible.
So, she'd handed over everything she owned, unaware that a single spell could have settled the matter.
This noble had seemed so fearsome. Yet now, his words painted a different picture—a sincere yearning for magic, a tireless pursuit of knowledge. His tone was earnest, his gaze warm and genuine.
And he'd said he wouldn't hold her pet's mischief against her! By the gods, what a merciful soul! The overly naive magician quickly forgot she'd just been fleeced of her possessions. Stammering, she said, "T-t-thank… t-thank y-you f-for y-your f-f-forgiveness."
"No, no, I haven't finished," Du Wei said with another sigh. "All my life, I've prayed to meet a powerful magician who could guide a lost lamb like me on the path of magic. Now, I've found you. Kind and honorable Magician, would you be willing to offer just a touch of guidance to someone so devoted to learning your craft?"
"…W-what?" Vivian sensed something amiss, but Du Wei's earnest gaze left her unable to pinpoint it.
Oh, what a kind, admirable person! And her teacher's pet had frightened him—that was her fault, too.
But…
"Y-y-you w-want to l-learn m-magic, b-but I h-have t-to t-take C-cheche b-back…" she said, her voice tinged with difficulty.
"No, you misunderstand," Du Wei replied, his smile growing warmer, his eyes alight with enthusiasm. "I know a grand magician's time is more precious than gold, meant for unraveling the mysteries of magic. How could I ask you to waste it on a mundane noble like me? I only seek a bit of guidance, nothing more. I already have an advisor, limited though he is, who can answer most of my questions. What I need now is… higher knowledge." His eyes gleamed as he paused, then added with a gentle smile, "Say, a few advanced magical incantations."
Solskjaer's jaw dropped.
He hadn't expected Du Wei's ambition to be this bold!
If magical materials were a magician's wealth, incantations were their lifeblood!
Every magician spent their life refining spells, guarding their incantations fiercely, never sharing them lightly.
No imperial tome on magic contained even a single syllable of an incantation—such knowledge was passed solely from master to disciple.
A grand magician's strength, beyond mana and sensitivity, lay in their mastery of advanced incantations. The same spell, cast by a novice versus a master, could differ subtly but critically. A master could streamline a chant, trimming unnecessary syllables to cast faster, gaining the upper hand in battle.
Then there were spells only high-level magicians knew.
Solskjaer, a lowly first-level magician, knew only the simplest chants. To learn advanced magic, he'd need to apprentice under a master.
Yet here was Du Wei, daring to ask this girl for incantations—secrets magicians never divulged!
She might be overly trusting, but she wasn't a fool. No idiot could reach the eighth level. At Du Wei's request, Vivian's face clouded, and she shook her head vigorously. "N-n-no! A-a-absolutely n-not! T-teacher s-said n-never t-tell a-anyone i-incantations!"
"But this Terror Illusion Goblin is your teacher's pet, isn't it? Didn't your teacher also tell you not to let it loose?" Du Wei's tone turned coaxing, like a trickster luring a child into mischief.
Vivian fell silent, at a loss for words.
"I'm right, aren't I? Your teacher told you to care for it, yet you failed. He told you not to let it escape, and you broke that rule, too. All I'm asking is for a small favor, especially since we caught your pet for you. Look, my men and I went through quite an ordeal to capture it. I, personally, was terribly frightened. Shouldn't you make amends for your mistake?"
Vivian, a genius in magic but little else, felt her head spin under Du Wei's logic. She wrestled with her teacher's commands—protect the pet versus guard the incantations—until tears welled up.
Sobbing, she relented. "F-f-fine… b-but I c-can o-only t-teach y-you o-o-one."
"Oh, you said one," Du Wei echoed, swiftly raising fingers as he spoke. "Let's see, that's four, right?"
"N-n-no! W-w-wrong!" Vivian panicked, her voice rising. "N-not f-f-four! O-o-one, o-o-o—"
The more she stuttered "one," the faster Du Wei raised fingers, counting aloud with each syllable. By the time she was frantic, tongue-tied, and nearly biting her lip, he'd raised all ten fingers and was grinning as if ready to count toes next.
"S-s-stop!" she finally shouted, face flushed with exasperation.
Chuckling, Du Wei eased off, not wanting to push her too far. After some back-and-forth, they settled on six incantations.
Vivian fought hard against the unfair deal, but her halting speech and simple mind were no match for Du Wei's silver tongue. Defeated, she could only wipe away silent tears.
Oh, revered Teacher, forgive poor Vivian for breaking your command… I only did it to save your beloved pet. To keep one rule, I broke another—is that right or wrong?
"As a noble, and you a magician, we're people of honor. Promises must be kept. I suggest we seal this with an oath, binding us until the deal is done."
Before Vivian could object, Du Wei loudly swore a solemn vow to the God of Light.
Resigned, Vivian followed suit. To Du Wei's surprise, she even cast a binding contract spell, ensuring their agreement was magically enforced.
Remarkably, though her speech faltered, her spellcasting was lightning-fast! A string of arcane syllables flowed from her lips like crackling beans, swift yet crystal-clear.
How could a girl who chanted so flawlessly stumble over ordinary words?
Notably, even at the end, Vivian showed no hint of using force against Du Wei.
What kind of teacher raised such an impossibly pure girl?
The Rowling guards stayed silent about their young master's swindling of this pitiful girl. Having suffered at the paws of her pet, they felt little sympathy, despite her innocent demeanor. Only Knight Robert, bound by chivalric ideals, quietly disapproved of extorting a young lady. Yet, as a loyal retainer, he held his tongue.
Still, he wondered—didn't the master fear trouble from trifling with an eighth-level magician?
His concerns proved prophetic.
Bound to teach Du Wei six incantations, Vivian had no choice but to follow him back to Half Horn City.
Having signed this lopsided pact, she racked her brain, pondering which six spells to share—ideally, the least significant ones.
One couldn't blame the guileless girl for scheming a bit. After being fleeced by a devil like Du Wei, even an angel might learn a touch of cunning!
She mulled it over the whole journey, unable to decide, and thus stayed by Du Wei's side to keep thinking.
Thankfully, Teacher won't return for days. I just need to settle this soon… Oh, please, don't let Sister find me!
If she could resolve this, she'd retreat to her teacher's sanctuary. The outside world was too terrifying—were all people as frightening as this noble?
Oh, merciful gods, poor Vivian means no slander, but that noble is truly dreadful. Forgive me!
Once I'm back, I'll never leave again!
Please, Sister… don't find me too soon.
The magical beast incident in Half Horn City was resolved, much to Sir Spann's relief. The crisis was over, and the Rowling heir was unharmed.
True, the ordeal was humiliating—dozens of armed soldiers nearly annihilated by a single creature—but it was a grand magician's pet! That softened the shame.
In high spirits, Spann warmly invited Du Wei's party to stay at the garrison commander's residence outside the city. The conditions there far surpassed any inn.
Du Wei accepted, eager for a quiet place to press Vivian about fulfilling their deal.
Thus, the group bypassed the city and settled into the permanent military fortress housing the local garrison's headquarters. That evening, eager to curry favor with the Rowling heir, Spann hosted a lavish feast, even raiding the commander's private cellar for fine wine. (Surely the commander won't mind, knowing it's for a Rowling guest.)
The soldiers and Rowling guards, exhausted from the day's trials, reveled in the food and drink, venting their frustrations.
Du Wei, after politely engaging Spann's pleasantries, excused himself to "rest"—in truth, to seek out Vivian.
Spann, flattered that a noble like Du Wei had dined with him at all, didn't dare detain him and rose to see him off…
When suddenly, a deafening roar shook the hall!
Under a clear night sky, a colossal bolt of lightning tore through the air! The thunderclap jolted everyone, sobering them instantly!
In a flash, the courtyard outside blazed with light! A streak of fire lanced from the heavens, striking the flagpole at the camp's gate. With a boom, it erupted into flames, reduced to ashes!
As the crowd stood stunned, a chilling voice echoed from all directions!
It seemed to come from afar yet whispered in their ears—a woman's voice, cold as frost.
"Vivian! My dear sister, where will you run next? Hand over the Terror Illusion Goblin—now!"