Chapter 296

The three days passed without anything notable. I had hired a lot of apprentices who worked day and night to process the raw materials while I forged weapons without stopping in my private forge. In those three days, I stayed focused on the operations of the forge.

Naturally, there were some attempts to block me. For example, no supplier in the whole capital was willing to sell anything to me ... and more interestingly, the guards suddenly became far more proactive in searching the carts, stopping and confiscating any forging material that didn’t belong to official suppliers.

I was able to bypass that blockade using teleportation, which probably left the guild members scratching their heads about their apparent failure.

However, I ignored all of it as I faced a young enchanter who was trying to solve the problem I had given to her. She was the first one who had managed to solve the unofficial test I had given her, making her a good candidate for my plan.

Now, she was trying to solve a deceptively simple Arcana ward structure and turn it into an enchantment. She was nowhere near solving it, but she still made good progress ... most importantly, she was willing to understand and solve it despite her skills being useless, which meant she was a good candidate as a magical assistant.

Was she perfect, no. But I had to start from somewhere; and under the circumstances, speed was far more useful than the alternative.

So, I approached her when she was alone. She tensed when she noticed me, which was understandable as I used a disguise. I ignored it as I spoke. “You have true potential in magic,” I declared as I let my voice gain an incredible cadence. “Tell me, girl. Are you willing to learn the secrets of true magic?” I said.Fôll0w current novÊls on n/o/(v)/3l/b((in).(co/m)

“Who are you. And, w-what do you mean?” she asked, looking suspicious, but I raised my hand, and a useless ball of mana appeared on my hand. Useless, but nearly impossible to create without an average stat distribution over thirty, along with a good understanding of Arcana mana.

She gasped in shock. “B-but, why here...” she said as she watched the rotating ball.

“Because this place is such a distraction, one of the many places we recruit our true students. People capable of understanding the truth about the magic,” I said, exaggerating slightly.

A bit rude, but it was a recruitment pitch. Hardy an avenue of accuracy.

“May I think about it?” she asked.

“No,” I answered. “Either accept or leave.”

She looked at me in disbelief. “I can leave. What if I tell others?”

“And people will believe you?” I countered with a smirk. Of course, I wouldn’t actually let her leave, but instead put her into some kind of sleep for a few weeks, which should be enough for my trick here to turn useless.

She looked confused, while I tapped into my Light node slightly, and the Arcana mana turned into light mana, still dancing elegantly...

“I accept,” she admitted. It was a bit hurried, of course, but understandable. She was a mere six-level mage, and already at her limit, which put her slightly above a common worker even with her surprisingly decent precision stat. And, I had already researched her. No family, no close friends. Perfect target for our organization.

Which was certainly not a cult. Right?

All of those factors made her easy to accept my abrupt suggestion. Not to mention, with my display of power, I had about a thousand different ways of harming her if I wished. Ironically, it made it easier for her to believe me.

“Good.”

“What do I need to do?” she asked.

I certainly didn’t want another year acting as some kind of servant.

It took almost half an hour for us to arrive at the mansion of the prince, though even if I didn’t know about the owner, it wouldn’t have been hard to guess. The first reason was the lavish nature of the place, as who else would have walls covered with gold and gems.

I would have understood if they were a part of the wards, but I could sense that it was not the case. There was no mana connection, just opulence.

Of course, that didn’t mean there was no magical protection. I could sense several wards, layered on top of each other, though they prioritized defense over counterattack, all under a central point of control. Clearly, they assumed that, for any attack, they would receive reinforcements in quick order.

The wards were strong yet simple ... and certainly not resource-efficient. Clearly, the royal family was not lacking in money or other resources... Curious, I dug deeper into the structure, trying to see if there was a nasty surprise, like a surprise addition by the Eternals that would trap me ... but it seemed clean.

“We’re here,” the servant said, and I stepped out as I arrived at the inner court.

—

{Strength: 45 Charisma: 45

Precision: 45 Perception: 45

Agility: 45 Manipulation: 45

Speed: 45 Intelligence: 49

Endurance: 60 Wisdom: 45}

{Purified Divine Spark: 33280}

{Pseudo-HP: 15000 Mana: 20000}

{ADDITIONAL SPARKS

Light - Chosen 7.4

Nature - Chosen 10}

{MINIONS

GODDESSES

Elven Goddess

Goddess of Knowledge}