After Ron acquired the title [Chosen of the Goddess of Harvest], all his wood-element spells began to carry a trace of divinity.
So when he used the Seed Acceleration Spell to grow a Nether Orchid, that flower also inherited a faint divine aura—and its effects were enhanced as a result.
It could absorb elemental energy faster and had an increased capacity for it. Its ability to boost a mage's meditation efficiency also improved significantly...
But for Legendary Mage Vosbites, those effects weren't the most important.
The trace of divinity—that was what Vosbites valued above all.
Once a mage reaches the Legendary tier, their personal power has essentially reached its limit.
There's still room for growth, but it's mostly a matter of marginal improvements.
For people like Vosbites, the ultimate goal is no longer strength—but divinity.
Even becoming a false god who wields only a sliver of true divine power is vastly superior to remaining at Legendary forever.
And now, Vosbites saw a perfect opportunity to regularly come into contact with divinity.
Sure, he already had one divine Nether Orchid…
But no one knew whether studying it might consume that divine essence in the process.
So, could he have a stable supply of divine items?
Of course, he wouldn't say no.
However—
"You want to trade these divine Nether Orchids for protection from assassination?" Vosbites tapped his fingers rhythmically on the sofa arm. "That's bound to involve internal imperial power struggles. I won't get involved."
Chaos City Magic Academy had always upheld strict neutrality, and as Headmaster, Vosbites took that rule very seriously.
The previous Headmaster—his teacher's teacher—had long since passed away, but Vosbites still honored the legacy passed down through generations.
No matter how tempting the divine flower was, he wouldn't let personal interest override the academy's stance.
"It's just a private deal," Ron insisted. "As a private individual, you'd be helping me—it has nothing to do with the academy."
"And whether I say I'm acting privately or not… depends on whether people believe me," Vosbites huffed.
"At most, I can notify the city patrol and have them escort you back."
"But based on your earlier guess, if the Church of War or Church of Healing is involved, how can I be sure the patrols aren't compromised?" Ron replied, shaking his head.
Vosbites paused.
That… was actually a valid concern.
The Churches of War and Healing did have some influence in Chaos City.
Local affairs were mostly handled by the humans and dwarves, and it wouldn't be surprising if both churches had agents embedded in the patrol forces.
"Then how about having the Church of Harvest send someone to escort you?" Vosbites frowned.
"Uhh..." Ron made a helpless face. "The Church of Harvest here in Chaos City… its bishop is just a Tier 5 mage named Morris."
The Church of Harvest primarily served farmers. Chaos City didn't produce crops—it imported food from the Empire's borderlands—so local followers were few and far between.
As such, the church had only sent a low-tier bishop—an old man named Morris who'd been stuck at Tier Five for over twenty years.
Morris's magical potential was all but exhausted. He'd been posted here to essentially retire.
Even though the divine miracle yesterday had helped loosen his bottleneck a little, it would take time—he wasn't going to reach Tier 6 overnight.
And the assassins? One was Tier 6, and two were Tier 5.
Ron didn't think Bishop Morris could handle that.
Now Vosbites found himself in a tight spot.
Technically, this whole situation was Ron's personal problem. Vosbites could simply not get involved.
But clearly, Ron had no intention of leaving unless the academy helped him.
If they refused and Ron was killed inside the academy?
Then what?
Would Vosbites just sit there doing nothing?
If he intervened, it would look like he was taking sides in the three-way conflict between the major religious factions.
If he didn't intervene and Ron died on academy grounds, it'd be a scandal and a half.
What was he supposed to do—throw Ron out?
Ron, meanwhile, was just as frustrated.
He'd assumed asking the academy for help would be easy.
Who could've guessed they were so strict about neutrality?
And who knew this whole Chosen One thing would bring him so much trouble?
The system had really scammed him this time.
All he'd wanted was to trigger a miracle—and instead, he'd been branded as a Chosen One.
And for what?
So far, all he'd gotten out of it was a glowing forehead mark and a fancy title badge.
That's it.
Now look at the mess he was in.
Ron looked at the Headmaster, gears turning in his mind. Just as he was about to try again—
Crash—!
The window suddenly swung open.
A large, muscular figure stepped through from outside, landing by the sofa.
"Webster?" Vosbites raised a brow. "Weren't you back in the capital? And can't you use the door like a normal person?"
Commander Webster just grinned and ignored him. Turning to Ron, he said:
"Your Highness Ron, the assassins tracking you have been handled. You're safe for now."
Ron looked at him in surprise, thanking him while opening his system panel discreetly.
Huh?
He frowned.
The mission hadn't updated.
[Temporary Mission] — [Evade Assassination] (Incomplete)
Progress: 2/3
There had originally been three assassins. Now only two were dead?
Had Webster only spotted two?
Or… had he left one on purpose?
Ron's mind went into overdrive.
Vosbites didn't seem suspicious at all.
After all, Webster might be a follower of the God of War, but he wasn't part of the Church—he was a direct subordinate of Emperor André III.
So it was logical to assume that Webster was here to protect Ron, not harm him.
But no one could've expected that Ron had a system panel capable of tracking the exact number of assassins in real time.
"Commander Webster," Ron asked, "did someone post a bounty on me through Wild Rose?"
Up to now, that had only been Vosbites's theory. Ron wanted a solid confirmation.
"Yes." Webster nodded.
"The Headmaster mentioned that a mission can be accepted by up to ten people. Is that true?"
"Correct." Webster continued, "I've already arranged for the remaining slots to be taken by mercenaries under our control. Aside from the two assassins, the rest are now neutralized."
"Those two have already been dealt with. There's no longer any danger."
Bingo. Something's off.
Ron smiled politely, but his internal alert level went through the roof.
There had been three assassins before.
Now, Webster said two?
"How strong were they?" Ron pressed.
Webster met Ron's gaze, expression steady.
"One was Tier 5. The other was Tier 6."
And just like that… Ron's heart sank.
He couldn't be sure if Webster was lying or telling the truth.
Did he really kill a Tier 5 and a Tier 6?
Or… were two Tier 5 eliminated, and the Tier 6 left alive?
Why would Webster leave one?
Unfortunately, Vosbites didn't know the exact number of assassins.
All he'd sensed was the Shadow Mark—which only confirmed the existence of one Tier Six.
That was why Webster specifically said that one of the killed assassins was Tier Six—if he'd said both were Tier Five, his lie would have fallen apart immediately.
But now the question was:
Why would Webster lie?