"Are you sure the visitor's name is Elena Rose, with golden hair and light green eyes?"
"I'm sure," Carter replied.
"And you're sure she's wearing the Hossens School badge that marks her as a Second-Rank apprentice?"
"Certain, Master." Carter nodded. "The badge is a downward-pointing triangle with a vine motif. A dull copper one means Third-Rank, a shining silver is Second-Rank, a dazzling gold is First-Rank, and if there's a circle of thorns around it, that represents a formal wizard…"
As a competent maid, Carter would of course recognize the insignia of the Hossens School.
Lynn also knew it was highly unlikely Carter had mistaken it.
Still, the news left him astonished.
Elena had already advanced to a Second-Rank wizard apprentice!
That pace wasn't exactly unheard of, but it was certainly enough to call her gifted.
Lynn suddenly recalled that when they'd been captured aboard the giant arachnid airship by Hossen's wizards, Elena had suffered some mental disturbance that left her spiritual strength weaker than average.
Could it be that after reaching the Third-Rank apprentice level, she gradually compensated for that weakness, allowing her true talent to show?
Lynn speculated inwardly.
But it was only speculation.
After all, many factors could affect a wizard's cultivation speed.
There were even plenty of cases where someone took years, sometimes decades, as a mortal just to establish their first meditation rune, only to breeze past the Third-Rank stage soon after and advance to Second-Rank.
But for most of those people, their progress would stall again when trying to reach First-Rank apprentice or the rank of full wizard.
Lynn set the thought aside. After a moment of consideration, he headed for the door.
A Second-Rank apprentice had come to visit one from the Hossens School, no less…
There was no reason for him not to greet her personally.
As he left the house and walked along the front garden path, he spotted Elena already waiting at the door.
She stood calmly, dressed in the standard gray robes of the Hossens School. Her smooth golden hair was unadorned, left to hang loosely just to her shoulders.
Likewise, she wore no ornamentation, only the silver badge of her School pinned to her chest just as she had for the past nine years.
Ever since being brought here by the Hossens wizards, this had always been her way.
Reserved by nature, her face forever calm, she never cared for flowers, nor played with her hair like other girls did.
The image most associated with her was of a girl sitting quietly with a book in her hand.
As Lynn rifled through the original owner's memories, he realized with some surprise that from an outside perspective, the original Lynn had never truly understood Elena at all.
Though he had thought of her as a close friend, he had never known what she liked. He had never seen her angry, or crying, or laughing.
Even in their final days together, when they clung to each other for support, what he remembered was only Elena's calm voice as she laid out her plans for life after they were cast down the mountain.
But that was the original Lynn, not me…
Lynn gathered his thoughts, put on a polite smile, and approached Elena.
To him, she carried no past sentiment or filtered those that belonged to the memories of another.
Now, he would treat her simply as what she was: a Second-Rank apprentice of the Hossens School.
"Good morning, Lady Rose," Lynn greeted with a smile.
"Good morning, Lynn." Elena's pale green eyes swept over him, pausing before she added,
"Congratulations on becoming a Second-Tier member of the Golden Shadow Society."
As she spoke, she extended a gift toward him.
"A Spell Crystal of Iron Armor. I hope you'll like it."
"…Thank you, my lady." Lynn paused for a moment. He didn't immediately take the gift, but first expressed his gratitude, then smiled and asked,
"If there's anything you need my help with, Lady Rose, please don't hesitate as long as it's within my power…"
"I was right that day," Elena interrupted, her gaze sharp, scrutinizing him. "You are different now, Lynn."
Lynn's expression didn't change. After a short silence, he replied calmly,
"This isn't the mountain anymore, Lady Rose. Emeraldwood City is far crueler than we ever imagined."
Elena seemed to recall something at those words. She fell quiet for a moment, then admitted softly, "That's true…"
"Lady Rose, I appreciate your gift. But if there's nothing else"
"Russo Mace…" Elena interrupted him again.
"Do you know how Russo Mace of the Bloodmark Society died that night?"
Lynn frowned slightly, glancing at Elena.
The blonde girl, however, was looking past him at the house. Without waiting for his reply, she held the gift out again and said,
"Since I've brought you a gift, won't you at least invite me in for a while?"
After a brief pause, Lynn accepted it.
The two of them went up to the study on the second floor.
Elena looked around the room. Her eyes fell on the cabinet in the corner, where tools and materials for creating magical arrays were stored.
"I heard about what happened at the Green Vine Restaurant," she said. "I didn't expect you to have such talent in magical arrays."
Lynn didn't respond to that. Instead, he asked,
"So how did Russo Mace die?"
Ever since Somlai, a Second-Tier member of the Bloodmark Society, had threatened him over the matter, Lynn had been trying to investigate what had happened that night.
But he had found nothing.
Elena gave him a sidelong look as she sat down on the sofa. She shook her head slightly.
"There wasn't anything particularly remarkable. If you hear it, you'll probably find it boring."
Lynn sat opposite her, saying nothing, simply waiting patiently.
When she saw he wasn't going to prod her further, Elena's expression didn't change. She continued,
"Russo Mace was a wizard who specialized in human modification.
"His favorite thing was turning people into 'human dogs' not just for combat, but for his amusement. Over time, this twisted his mind, and he ended up offending Lord Kaharman.
"So he, and all those men and women he had mutilated into grotesque creatures, disappeared from this world together…"
The wizarding civilization did not forbid human experimentation, but only when it wasn't for mere entertainment.
Abusive, sadistic modifications purely for pleasure were always rejected by mainstream thought.
Not only for moral reasons, but because subjecting one's kind to cruelty for amusement could cause genuine, lasting damage to the mind.
For all the gulf between wizards and mortals, the truth was that almost every wizard had started as an ordinary human.
"That's all?" Lynn frowned.
"That's all," Elena replied calmly. She understood what Lynn was doubting and added,
"As for the rumor that you orchestrated Russo's death, at first it was just speculation from a handful of people. But when our Watch office gave no response, and the Bloodmark Society never clarified, the rumor was left to spread unchecked… perhaps even fueled in secret."
Elena shook her head. Her voice was as thin and cool as air itself.
"No one cared what kind of disaster you might have to endure, Lynn."
She lifted her cup of black tea, took a sip, and frowned faintly at the taste. Then she went on,
"I know you managed to avoid this year's Autumn Hunt, Lynn.
"But don't forget next year, there will still be the Spring Hunt."
Lynn's expression remained calm, but inwardly his brows tightened. He knew she was right.
Without further preamble, Elena said evenly,
"I can help you resolve this problem completely."
Lynn held his cup of tea. After a moment, he shook his head lightly.
"Lady Rose, I appreciate the offer.
"But I believe the only true way to resolve it completely… is to become stronger."
Hearing this, a faint glimmer flashed through Elena's pale green eyes.
She fixed her gaze on the boy before her and suddenly smiled.
Her lips curved, showing a trace of white teeth. Her cold, still features lit up all at once, as if a black-and-white photograph had been transformed into vivid color!
Lynn had never seen such a smile from her, not in his memories, nor even anything close.
The golden-haired girl set down her teacup. The smile faded gradually, and in a tone almost like a dream, she said,
"There is only one road that leads to truth in this world… I'm glad you've come to understand that, Lynn.
"In that case, we can keep talking."
She took another sip of tea, quietly organizing her words.
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