As he walked out, Lucy emerged, carrying a large bag that she dragged across the floor.
"Young Master Aur," a blush appeared on her face as she shyly looked at Aur.
"Hmm," Aur could discern Lucy's intentions and immediately took out a random storage bag from his collection, placing all the items inside.
Aur didn't show her the storage ring; after all, he hadn't forgotten that she was an informant for the village.
Naturally, if she saw it and reported it, an investigation would easily uncover the proof that the second elder had given him resources.
It was against the rules for the elders to provide resources to any of the students in the academy!
Although Aur had already broken through to the tier one wizard realm, he wouldn't be punished harshly. However, it would still give others leverage over him.
It would be fine as long as Aur wasn't caught. However, if he was caught, he would be in some slight trouble.
Once Lucy reported it, Noah would have leverage over him.
One thing Aur couldn't shake off was the feeling of being suppressed for trivial reasons, and Noah didn't strike him as a benevolent figure either.
From Aur's perspective, the only reason Noah generously offered him the elder's position was because he deemed him an asset to the village.
Regardless of the faction one belonged to, ultimately, no one could defy Noah's authority, as all factions were part of the same village.
Aur sighed, pushing aside these troubling thoughts.
"Thank you, young master," Lucy's melodious voice broke through Aur's reverie.
"Let's go now," Aur said, his gaze fixed forward as he exited the dorm, not even sparing a glance at the place he had called home for almost three years.
Obediently, Lucy followed Aur's lead.
"Elder Aur," Cameron greeted respectfully, still waiting outside.
Aur looked up at the grand mansion in front of him, a sigh escaping his lips.
"Elder, please," Cameron said, gesturing towards the entrance.
"Hmm," Aur glanced at the signboard, where the names of the eight elders were written in bold letters.
"I am sorry, Elder Aur. I will remove these," Cameron apologized, noticing Aur's gaze fixed on the signboard hanging from the mansion.
"It's fine, you don't have to make a move," Aur replied calmly. He then tapped into the drops of light blue mana in his mental space, painstakingly refined by him over time.
His eyes glowed as the wind around him suddenly gathered, swiftly grabbing hold of the signboards and throwing them to the ground with a thud.
With the obstacle removed, Aur pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Immediately, a spacious courtyard greeted him, but what caught his attention the most was the density of mana in the air. It was at least 10% denser than in the outside world.
Aur's gaze drifted towards the garden, but he was disappointed with what he saw at a glance.
It was a desert, with not a single herb in sight, and clear signs of soil disturbance indicating that all the herbs that had once grown in the garden were destroyed.
"Who dared to do this?" Aur's anger flared. For the elders, their garden was a vital resource where they could cultivate herbs and other materials used for refining spells or for selling, and it was common for them to have such gardens.
"I don't know, Elder," Cameron replied, his expression troubled.
Aur's face became expressionless as he narrowed his eyes, silently contemplating the situation for a long moment.
"Forget it," he eventually said with a shake of his head, turning his attention to the Japanese-styled house with bamboo rooftops.
"I will be going out after a short seclusion. Don't disturb me for now," Aur instructed Cameron before turning away.
"Yes, Elder."
With that, Aur entered the largest room, only to find it completely ransacked.