Chapter 24: An Awkward Outcome
Translator: Nyoi_Bo_Studio Editor: Tennesh
Outside of his room, Anfey saw Ernest lazily laying against the door with his arms crossed, watching Saul and his crew walk upstairs. Anfey hurried over to Ernest , "Uncle Ernest, from the look on Professor’s face, something must be going on."
Ernest glanced at Anfey and laughed. "It’s not me. You have no one but yourself to blame."
"Blame myself?"
"Yes." Ernest nodded. "You must have assumed that Saul would use his telepathy to look for the crystal, that’s why you asked me to hide it, right? "
"Yes, was there a problem with that?"
"Not only a problem, but a big problem." Ernest smiled. "Your understanding of magic is too shallow. Saul’s magic array did not start, which meant the Chasm Dragon Crystal had not left this house. But if he couldn’t find it with his telepathy, guess what? That meant someone hid the Chasm Dragon Crystal intentionally! If anyone had the ability to hide anything from Saul in his house, it would be me. Therefore, as soon as Saul found out the crystal was lost, he approached me."
Anfey’s face froze up. He was so upset that he hit his forehead with his hands. He was not acting this time—it really was how he felt after Ernest’s explanation. Anfey suddenly realized the plan he had thought to be cunning had turned out to be a joke. What happened to him? Was it because he lived alone on an island for so long that he lost his intelligence? How could he overlook such a huge blind spot! Not long ago, he had laughed at Maris’ stupidity. Well, he wasn’t that much smarter than Maris after all.
Realistically, it was not all Anfey’s fault. A painter needed to deeply understand the colors before he could turn them into art, and a tactician needed to be fully aware of the pros and cons of the different branches of his army before he could win a battle. Ernest was right about Anfey. He didn’t understand magic well enough to correctly predict Saul’s reactions. This result was not surprising.
Anfey would probably not have made such a mistake if he was in a world where he had comprehensive knowledge of everything. Many things that no one else would even pay attention to, such as a circuit breaker, a tea cup, an iron wire, even a toothpick, could be turned into a fatal weapon by Anfey. However, this world was still too foreign to him.
"Uncle Ernest, did you tell the professor about me?" Anfey asked Ernest with a bitter smile. He chose Ernest over Saul because Ernest was a straightforward person, while he had some reservations about Saul.
"No, it’s your problem. You should tell Saul the truth yourself," Ernest responded mildly.
"So… what did you tell him?" Anfey asked with a sigh of relief. He still wanted to be fully informed of what Ernest spoke to Saul about. It was necessary to know, otherwise his lies could give him away.
"I said you discovered that someone secretly left the magic crystal in your room. You handed it to me and asked me about it. I discussed your plan with Saul as well, but I told him it was my idea."
"Uh…" Anfey sighed. He didn’t have much confidence that Saul would believe it was Ernest’s idea. Ernest was a blunt person and would not normally be able to come up with such a scheme. "Let’s play it by ear," Anfey thought. "Worst case, I can just leave the Maho Empire if things don’t work out."
"Yes?" Ernest was confused.
"Nothing." Anfey shook his head. "Let’s find out what Saul will do first," he thought.
It did not take long before loud noises and the sound of crying reached them. Anfey and Ernest exchanged a look, and they moved upstairs together.
In a room on the fourth floor, Saul was playing with the Chasm Dragon Crystal in his hands. He sneered at Maris while Maris and Melinda argued back and forth. One was saying the other one had asked him to steal the magic crystal and leave it in Anfey’s room to set Anfey up, while the other one quarreled that it was all the other person’s idea. They blamed each other and tried to defend themselves.
Anfey could not tell who started this argument. The quarrel would have turned into a fight if Saul was not there. They looked at each other with hatred, like they wanted to suck each other’s blood and eat each other’s flesh.
Anfey looked at the Chasm Dragon Crystal in Saul’s hand. He could not help getting worried. Ernest said the magic crystal was returned to Saul. "Obviously, Saul set them up… I never thought the usually kind Saul would do things like this," Anfey marveled. Had Maris and Melinda stayed calm and pretended to know nothing after seeing the crystal in front of them, Saul might have suspected that there were proper explanations for what had happened. However, they lost their calm at the sight of the magic crystal. They thought Anfey already knew their plan and snuck the magic crystal back into their room. To save themselves, they were quick to sell out their partner. What they did not know was they had lost their last chance by doing so.
"Still no answer?" Saul asked coldly.
"Professor, it’s all his idea. I am innocent! Maris did not see eye to eye with Anfey and wanted to teach him a lesson. He even asked Miss Niya to make some trouble for Anfey yesterday! Professor, you can check with Miss Niya!" Melinda yelled. She threw out another bomb for Maris.
"Professor, don’t listen to him. She asked me to get Miss Niya involved. It was all her. Bastard! Son of a bitch!" Maris cried out.
Niya had woken up a long time ago. When she heard their argument, she got so mad that her teeth clenched. She looked back and forth at Maris and Melinda, wishing to beat them up right now to let out some of her anger. Miss Niya was so arrogant that she had been thinking of herself as a very smart person. She didn’t realize she had been used until now. How could she not be mad about it? Yesterday, she had stopped suspecting Anfey after Ernest offered to be his witness. She still disliked Anfey, however, because Ernest had lost his fondness for her as a result. Her hope to learn sword skills from Ernest was shattered. But now… it turned out to all be her fault. Niya didn’t dare to look at Anfey. She was ashamed to do so.
"Did Niya bother you?" Saul glanced over Anfey, seeming to blame Anfey for not bringing it up.
Anfey looked down. He was not sure how Saul felt about him. If Saul had already sensed something, it would be too risky to play dumb, as it would very likely cause Saul to dislike him. Better to just let it go.
Just then, Saul and Ernest both frowned. Anfey also subsequently felt a strong combat power approaching Saul’s house.
"Be quiet, guests are here," Saul said coldly.
Maris and Melinda already had a dry mouth after their bickering, so they shut up immediately at Saul’s words. They also saw Anfey, who was supposed to be kicked out by now, standing there indifferently. No one knew how Maris and Melinda felt about it.
Quiet and fast footsteps were heard downstairs. Soon came Miorich, followed by two men in knight suits. They were confused for a second by the situation, but then smiled. "Sir, I come here too often to deserve such a prestigious welcome."
"It’s late… Miorich, how can I help you?" Saul asked directly. Being in a bad mood, Saul did not appreciate Miorich’s humor.
"The king wants to see you now," Miorich put away his smile and said seriously.
"Huh? Is it …" Saul glanced towards the north.
"Yes." Miorich nodded.
"Alright, I will be there, but I need a little time to settle things here."
"I see. Sir, please excuse me now. I need to take care of a couple errands too." Miorich left without delay. A person in a high position like Miorich was able to control his curiosity very well. It was obvious that something had happened at Saul’s home. It would only bring him trouble if he wanted to invade Saul’s privacy!
At Miorich’s absence, Saul laid his eyes back on Maris and Melinda. "You two have to leave. I am not qualified to be your teacher anymore," Saul said firmly in a cold tone.
Maris and Melinda’s faces turned pale. If Saul were a little softer to them and allowed them to stay, there would still be hope for them. Being kicked out would end their future. No one would welcome any mage, even an archmage, if they were expelled by their teacher. The magic level one could reach was tightly related to talent, opportunity, and commitment. However, being thrown out by their teacher indicated an unbearable fault in their morality. Going forward, even being a magic apprentice would have a better position than them. Regardless of their low level in magic, magic apprentices were at least trustworthy. Who would trust Maris or Melinda again? They would have no opportunity to study further, not to mention the respect of others. He would be mocked by his peers in the Mage Union! In other words, there was only darkness in their futures from the moment Saul made his decision!
"Professor…" Melinda said with a trembling voice. He was already an entry-level mage and one of Saul’s two best students. He could not accept this dooming fate.
"Get out! Get out now!" Saul said without any pity.
Melinda looked around desperately, hoping someone could help him out and say something nice about him. But who could tolerate what he had done? Disliking Anfey was one thing, and even jealousy could be forgiven, but circumvention was another story entirely. Other students would not want to guess when the same thing would happen to them.
Melinda received aloof and disdain looks and his heart was sunken. He turned around silently, walked to his bed, and started to pack up.
How come did it end like this? Anfey felt awkward. He could sense the hatred from Maris and Melinda, especially from the look as Melinda left. It was full of malice and spite. Anfey’s personality would not normally allow Melinda and Maris to leave here alive. He heard one of them was a high-level mage, and the other one was an entry-level mage, such a great way to make enemies for himself! In the field of kung fu, students’ martial capabilities would be destroyed if they were kicked out. Wouldn’t Saul wipe out Melinda and Maris’ magic capabilities? He would feel a lot better if they became ordinary people.
Unfortunately, Anfey did not dare to take any action, not even to talk Saul, let alone execute his plan of killing Melinda and Maris. He would do nothing before he could figure out how Saul saw him.
"Anfey, were you frightened?" Saul looked at Anfey.
Anfey looked down again. He did not dare to say anything. Was Saul testing him?
"It’s ok. Don’t act like a little kid. This is a gift for you." Saul opened his hand. There was a sparkling ring in his hand.
Saul’s students gasped. Even Niya opened her eyes wide. Anyone with basic knowledge of magic could tell it was a supreme-level dimensional ring!
"Thank you, Professor." Anfey took the ring calmly. He was the only person who did not know how precious the ring was.
"I have taught you how to use the dimensional rings. You need to practice more. Ask Uncle Ernest if you have any questions." Saul smiled.