Chapter 151: Chapter 151: Widow Evelyn! Are you interested in this kind of thing? You're such a shameless woman! All thanks to the teacher!

The soldiers outside quickly opened the gate to allow them entry.

Luca and his group were able to enter the royal palace without any hindrance.

After the carriage was parked, Luca realized that the palace was far larger than he had imagined.

Inside, in addition to maids and soldiers, there were many nobles coming and going, most of them high-ranking officials and aristocrats from Clinton.

When these people saw Fratis, they were a little surprised but not overly shocked. They all knew that the king was currently preparing a wedding for the Sixth Princess.

The group followed Fratis as she led them to her living quarters.

Before them stood an elegant, ancient-style white jade palace, with maids waiting at the entrance.

Upon seeing Fratis and the others, the maids quickly bowed and respectfully greeted, "Welcome back, Your Highness."

"Please arrange accommodations for my friends, and prepare some food." Fratis instructed the elderly butler, Lawson.

Then, with a slightly apologetic look, she turned to the group and said, "I'm sorry, everyone, but I need to visit the king and queen in the palace. I won't be able to stay here with you."

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of them!" Lucia said, patting her chest with a smile.

Sophia also smiled in agreement.

After Fratis left, the maids and Butler Lawson quickly arranged the accommodations and food.

The group had intended to wait for Fratis, but after she went to the palace, she did not return. So, they were left to dine without her.

Once the meal was over, Lucia turned to Luca and suggested, "The king will probably not summon us until tomorrow. We still have some time today. How about we visit my father? He's very curious about you."

With nothing else to do in the palace, Luca readily agreed.

Sophia decided to join them as well.

Luna, on the other hand, wanted to visit some of Bronte's acquaintances and elders, so she bade the others farewell.

...

Dawn City, Mages' Association.

It was the familiar mage-hat-shaped building.

In fact, even the interior was similar to the ones in Southwind City and Luofeng City.

This made Luca wonder if the architects of the Mages' Association had taken the easy route and simply copied the design from Dawn City.

"Miss Lucia, what brings you here?" A middle-aged man with a monocle walked up, bowing slightly. He then looked at Luca, surprised, and asked, "I don't believe I've met this gentleman before?"

"This is my student, Luca." Lucia casually introduced him, then turned to Luca and added, "This is Viktor Kent, the Vice President of the Association, and also my father's assistant."

Upon hearing this, Viktor's expression immediately became more serious. "Hello, I am Viktor Kent, the personal assistant to Miss Lucia's father."

"Hello," Luca said, extending his hand. He could feel Viktor's rough, calloused skin, which was like that of an older person, hinting at the years of hard work he had likely put in.

Luca knew that the roughness of Viktor's hands wasn't due to martial training, but rather the result of years spent working with alchemical potions, the toxins from which had slowly corroded his skin.

This man was likely a high-level alchemist.

"Is my father here?" Lucia asked.

Viktor nodded. "The president is on the top floor, talking with Lady Evelyn. Would you like me to inform them?"

"Evelyn? That damn widow, what is she doing here again..." Lucia muttered under her breath, waving her hand dismissively. "No need, I'll go find him myself. I want to see what those two are up to."

The three of them made their way directly to the top floor of the association.

As they walked away, Viktor's gaze grew deep, and the silver gleam from his monocle reflected a momentary flash of thought.

He then turned and walked out of the Mages' Association, disappearing into the crowd.

"Senior Sister, who is this Evelyn?" Luca, who had fallen behind, asked Sophia softly.

Sophia glanced at him with a strange look in her eyes and replied, "You're interested in this kind of thing?"

Luca almost choked on his own spit and quickly clarified, "No, I'm just curious."

Ahead of them, Lucia explained, "That woman's name is Evelyn Milton. She used to be a merchant, and she founded the Four Seasons Trading Association. Her husband, Duke Jones from the Southwest Islands, mysteriously died at the hands of a cult a few years ago. seaʀᴄh thё Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"Somehow, this woman managed to inherit Duke Jones' title, and she's been walking a fine line between politicians and businessmen ever since. A lot of people think she's just a socialite, living a dissolute life with a tangled web of relationships.

"Over the past few years, she's frequently been meeting with that old man to chat. No one knows what she wants, but one thing's for sure—someone who can reach this position can't be simple. When we see her later, remember—don't speak."

Luca nodded slightly.

Indeed, as Lucia said.

For a woman to sit in the Duke's position for so many years, she must be either incredibly clever and ruthless, or she must have immense backing. Either way, she wasn't someone to be taken lightly.

Soon, the three arrived at the office on the top floor of the Mages' Association.

Before they could knock, Luca could already hear a seductive voice coming from inside.

"Oh, come on, old man, slow down, I can't take it anymore..." The voice was flirtatious and teasing.

Another, much older voice chuckled in response, "I told you to surrender earlier, now you see my skill, don't you?"

Lucia's hand froze mid-air, and for a brief moment, the air in the hallway became still and heavy.

"These two filthy lovers!" Lucia's face turned bright red. Without hesitation, she kicked open the door to the office.

The door crashed open with a loud bang.

Revealing the scene inside.

An elderly man wearing a mage's robe, his head bald and a bushy, graying beard that hung down to his chest, was sitting at a desk. Across from him sat a young woman in a black dress, her face still holding onto youthful beauty and charm. They were engaged in a game of chess.

Lucia's kick startled both of them.

"What's going on here...?" The two of them looked at Lucia and her companions, confusion written all over their faces.

"Uh…" Lucia's expression froze. She slowly retracted her long leg, paused for a moment, and then awkwardly smiled. "I think this door has been used for too long. It's probably time to get a new one."

"I think you're just asking for a beating!" The old man was so angry that his beard nearly stood on end. He pointed at the door and, with a pained look, said, "This is the cold mountain wood I had specially shipped in from the Northern Territory. It cost me over a hundred thousand gold coins!

"You—! I've told you so many times—if there's something, you should knock first! How come you're still so reckless..."

The old man was Augustine Welrick, the president of the Mages' Association of the Clinton Empire, a top-tier Superclass expert, and Lucia's father—though she took her mother's surname.

Evelyn, on the other hand, lit a cigarette and rolled her eyes with a playful smile. "So what if the kid breaks something? It's just a hundred thousand, isn't it? I'll have someone bring you more, no problem."

Hundreds of thousands of gold coins just like that? Her generosity made Luca gasp.

Good heavens, no wonder she controls the Four Seasons Trading Association!

"Who's this?" Evelyn seemed to notice Luca's gaze and looked at him with some curiosity.

"This is my student," Lucia answered simply.

Hearing this, both Augustine and Evelyn looked surprised. "You're Luca?" they asked in unison.

It seemed they had both heard of Luca before. It made sense—given their status and the massive events in Southwind City, they would have gotten the news immediately.

Luca bowed politely and smiled. "It's an honor that you've heard of me."

"You really killed a King-level monster magic rune?" Evelyn stepped forward, sizing him up with a suspicious look. "You look like you're only at Platinum Grade. How did you manage that?"

As she spoke, she extended her bright red fingernails, attempting to pinch Luca's cheek.

Luca instinctively tried to pull away, only to be shocked to find that he couldn't move at all.

This woman… she's actually a Superclass expert?!

"Why are you pulling away? I'm not going to bite you," Evelyn rolled her eyes, before reaching out and pinching Luca's face. Her eyes narrowed as she observed him closely, clicking her tongue in admiration. "Interesting. I didn't believe it before, but now… it really seems possible."

Lucia immediately became unhappy. "Hey! What kind of person goes around touching others without permission?"

"This woman… you're utterly shameless."

Sophia glanced at Lucia with a look that said it all. You're one to talk.

"It looks like Lucia was right," Augustine said with a slight squint, examining Luca closely. "At such a young age, to have such a profound aura, your future is limitless!"

Given Luca's age, someone with this level of power was a rare sight, even in Dawn City.

"It's all thanks to my teacher," Luca replied with a stiff smile.

"That's right!" Lucia lifted her chin, a proud smile on her face.

The four of them, aware of Lucia's teaching methods, couldn't help but twitch at the corners of their mouths.

"Let's not talk about your teaching skills, but your luck is truly enviable," Augustine said, shaking his head in amazement. He then turned his attention to Sophia and Luca. "This young girl already achieved something unprecedented by clearing the Celestial Academy's God Ruins."

"And now this boy—he managed to get that spear in Southwind City."

"These two students of yours, if nothing goes wrong, in a few years, they'll probably shock the entire Eternal Continent."

Evelyn nodded in agreement, her expression thoughtful.

It's true that good teachers are rare, but students with extraordinary talent are even rarer.

Lucia, however, had managed to find two such students, which made even someone like her, who didn't normally take on pupils, feel a sense of genuine envy.

"Well, of course. Just look at who their teacher is," Lucia boasted, practically lifting her chin to the sky.

Augustine let out an exasperated sigh. He couldn't understand how he ended up with such a teacher.

After a moment, he thought for a second, then a brief flash of light appeared in his hand. He tossed Luca a storage ring. "It's our first meeting, so I should give you a gift. You're currently at Platinum Grade, and I just happen to have something that might be of use to you."

Luca expertly caught the ring and thanked him sincerely, "Thank you, President Augustine!"

Though he had anticipated something like this.

When his gaze fell on the storage ring, surprise still flickered in his eyes.