Although Moria had already anticipated this outcome, when he saw Lynn succeed in repairing the array, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.
He stepped forward, patted Lynn on the shoulder, and said:
"Congratulations, Lynn. From today onward, you are a Second-Tier Member of the Golden Shadow Society."
As if suddenly remembering something, Moria waved his hand lightly.
The vines binding Faruga for half a day finally loosened.
His legs gave way, and he stumbled to the ground. Without thinking twice, he staggered toward Moria, speaking in a hurried tone:
"Lord Moria, I understand my mistakes now. I am willing to bear all of the Society's losses and accept its punishment."
Moria turned his head, giving him an amused look.
"Are you certain you're willing to accept the Society's punishment?"
Faruga's heart sank. He realized the punishment this time might not be so simple.
His mind raced, and he quickly added:
"Lord Moria, I also know how foolish I've been. From now on, I'm willing to work together with Lord Lynn to maintain the Society's arrays.
"With two apprentices capable of handling array work, our Society will no longer fall behind the Bloodmarks or the Serpents in this field. It's a great blessing!"
Moria gave no response.
Faruga anxiously turned to Lynn, speaking earnestly:
"Lord Lynn, could I have a private word with you?"
Lynn only stared at him in silence.
He hadn't forgotten that if the Society had not seen through Faruga's ploy, Adeline would certainly be dead, and he would be facing enormous reparations or even expulsion.
Such a grudge could not simply be brushed aside.
"That's enough, Faruga. Stop struggling in vain," Moria spoke at just the right moment.
From the perspective of the Society, it was indeed a boon to have two apprentices versed in arrays.
But Moria was not only a man of the Society, he was also a loyal servant to the master behind it.
And that master had little fondness for Faruga's past behavior.
Faruga tried once more, turning pleading eyes on Lynn:
"Lord Lynn, may we not speak alone? There are many benefits to array maintenance you may not yet be aware of…"
Clink.
Before he could finish, a crisp sound echoed from beneath his feet.
A Society badge lay on the ground, trembling slightly.
The voice of the young man Ide followed:
"Lord Moria, I request a duel with Second-Tier Member Faruga. I ask that you bear witness."
Throwing down one's badge to issue a duel challenge was an ancient tradition of wizarding civilization.
It usually took place among members of the same faction, and the rules were much the same everywhere.
For example, a stronger party had to preside to ensure fairness.
And once accepted, the duel could only end with the death of one party…
In short, when Faruga saw the badge at his feet, shock filled his face.
He glared at Ide, lowering his voice in confusion:
"What do you think you're doing, Ide?"
"Thirteen times. Since the Red Moon Pavilion's array was damaged, I've begged you thirteen times, each time with magic stones offered. And every time, no matter how I pleaded, all you gave me was the same answer: wait."
Ide looked at Faruga's disheveled figure with deep satisfaction, then turned to Moria and said:
"Lord Moria, would you act as our witness?"
Moria arched a brow and nodded:
"Of course."
Faruga finally realized Ide was serious. His expression shifted instantly, and he quickly backed down:
"I refuse this duel. I'm willing to compensate Ide instead."
According to tradition, when the challenger is weaker in rank or strength than the one being challenged, the latter must either accept the duel or pay a certain price.
For example, Faruga chose to offer compensation.
Only in special circumstances could one refuse without consequence.
And though both Faruga and Ide were third-rank apprentice wizards, Faruga's identity as a Second-Tier Member made the rule binding in his case as well.
Lynn felt a faint twinge of regret. If Faruga had accepted Ide's duel and died here, it would have been nothing but good news for him.
Moria smacked his lips, also feeling it was a pity.
In any case, this farce had finally come to an end.
Lynn had originally thought Faruga would merely be demoted to Third-Tier Member and reassigned elsewhere.
But under the Society's investigation, more crimes were unearthed, embezzling the Society's supplies and the like.
As a result, with multiple charges stacked against him, Faruga not only had all his assets confiscated but was ultimately expelled from the Society, forced to sign a debt contract, and reduced to a wandering hedge-wizard.
It is worth mentioning that Bano, one of the array maintenance personnel, was also reassigned elsewhere by Moria, officially for "insufficient professional competence."
As for Lynn, he successfully rose to the position of a Second-Tier Member of the Golden Shadow Society.
He was also exempted from this year's compulsory autumn hunt.
In addition, his monthly salary was increased by five primary magic stones, bringing it to ten in total.
Beyond that, however, little else had changed.
For instance, his residence remained the same after all, he had chosen from properties only available to Second-Tier Members from the beginning.
Time passed, and a week went by.
One morning, Lynn received a visit to his study from Ide, now a Third-Tier Member.
"Good morning, Lord Ide. Have you run into more problems with the arrays?" Lynn asked.
In these recent days, he has kept his promise to the Society, devoting an hour or two each day to teaching the other two maintenance apprentices array knowledge.
The old man, Furan, struggled greatly despite Lynn's patient instruction, his age making learning difficult.
Ide, though no prodigy, still managed far better in comparison.
Ide shook his head gently, cradling the teacup before him, his gaze fixed on Lynn.
After a long silence, he suddenly spoke:
"I've acquired a book on array knowledge from someone. I'd like to gift it to you, and hope that after you've mastered it, you might share a few pointers with me."
With that, he drew a small brown box from his satchel. Egg-sized, stained faintly with blood, its material indiscernible, he pushed it across to Lynn.
For some reason, as he looked at the bloodstained box, Lynn suddenly thought of Faruga, who had been expelled from the Society.
As he accepted the box, he casually probed:
"Speaking of which, it's been some time since I've heard anything about Faruga… Do you know where he is now?"
Ide glanced at him and smiled:
"Who can say? But I have a feeling we may never hear of Faruga again."
Lynn immediately understood and chuckled.
"That would indeed be for the best."
As though reminded of something, Ide produced another, larger wooden box and handed it to Lynn.
He flipped the lid open, revealing a silver-white bracelet inside.
"This is a cheap trinket I happened to find yesterday in the market, a magical device called the Silver Arm Sword.
"It's made from a certain malleable metal, and with a thought, it transforms into a longsword imbued with both Fortification and Sharpening enchantments."
Lynn froze, then quickly declined:
"This is far too valuable, Ide."
In truth, ever since Lynn had begun teaching without reservation, both Ide and old Furan often presented him with small gifts as tokens of gratitude.
In terms of expense, their offerings were not much less than what Faruga had once spent.
But the essence behind them was entirely different.
"Please accept it, Lord Lynn. After all, it's merely a sword-shaped device, not particularly costly," Ide insisted.
After refusing several times and finding Ide unrelenting, Lynn finally accepted it.
I wonder what Faruga would think, seeing this…
Shaking his head, Lynn tried the Silver Arm Sword at Ide's urging.
Channeling his spiritual power into the device
With a faint metallic hum, the bracelet transformed instantly into a straight longsword!
Lynn gave it a swing, and his eyes lit up.
This was leagues better than the ordinary steel sword he had been using! Ide's gift truly hit the mark.
The old blade was heavy, cumbersome, and of mediocre material. All those flaws vanished with the Silver Arm Sword in hand.
Putting the sword away, Lynn turned his attention back to the bloodstained brown box.
Now, he noticed the neatly carved inscription in Old Enscripted Tongue upon its surface:
"Black Moon Wizard Tower, Second Module: Veil of the Moon, Shroud of Darkness - Construction Details (Part I)."
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