Quinn's astonishment didn't last long—she had gradually become accustomed to her younger brother making unexpected decisions.
But this time, absolutely not.
Perhaps her attitude had made Linen underestimate the seriousness of the situation.
"Linen, little brother, do you remember the forbidden-art incident iat the south of the Empire eight years ago?"
Linen shook his head. At that time, he'd only just transmigrated and was too young—of course, he wouldn't know.
But beneath the table, Teresia unconsciously pressed her lips tightly together, her fists slowly clenching.
Because the disaster that had changed her fate was also eight years ago—and the southern part of the Zijinghua Empire was exactly her hometown.
"A charlatan conjurer somehow got hold of an incomplete forbidden art manual. Unable to resist its temptation, he became an Arcana-maddened lunatic. Almost everyone in the village became subjects of his twisted experiments. Eventually, his frenzied magic destroyed him. Only a little girl survived by hiding away and was later rescued by the Shadow Knights."
"She got lucky," Linen said casually.
Hearing this, Linen already realized something—yet his dear elder sister would never know that the lucky girl from her story was present at this very moment.
Teresia shot Linen an annoyed glare, her face burning slightly with embarrassment. Even she was surprised that Quinn would bring up her insignificant self. Compared to the Silver Dragon Princess, she was nothing but a lowly assassin.
However, Quinn's next words made her heart twist sharply.
"Lucky?" Quinn scoffed. "Do you know this story became the Shadow Knights' favorite dark joke?"
"That little brat who was rescued loudly declared she'd be an ally against forbidden magic, swore she'd create a world free from forbidden spells—but guess when her name next appeared among the Shadow Knights' files?"
A disdainful smile curled Quinn's lips.
"On a wanted list. She aided the Tower of Chronomancy in assassinating an imperial official and ended up on the Empire's blacklist."
"It's ironic, isn't it, little brother? The person who wanted to eradicate forbidden magic ended up serving the Tower, the largest den of forbidden arts. She became a complete joke. The Shadow Knights who once rescued her wished they could go back in time and strangle that brat themselves. And from this incident, I learned one thing: never desire more than what your abilities permit. Being muddled and ignorant isn't necessarily a bad thing."
Quinn slowly leaned forward, her silver eyes staring directly at Linen, glowing brighter and brighter:
"I came to you—to stop you—because I don't want you to become that kind of joke. Do you understand?"
"My dear little brother, you want to oppose our mother—that's interesting. I'm even looking forward to it, and I might help you. But participating in the Spring Cup, something clearly beyond your capabilities right now—that's no good."
Under the desk, Teresia's expression became complicated.
She understood better than anyone that her own path wasn't glamorous. Vast ambitions paired with weak personal strength had forced her into extreme methods—using her enemies' power to defeat her enemies.
She remembered clearly that the imperial official Quinn mentioned was himself a practitioner of forbidden arts. The only difference between that man and her own father was that he was smarter—so smart, no suspicion fell on him until she assassinated him.
But none of that mattered. Teresia's only goal was to eliminate those extreme forbidden mages and make this world what it should be.
As for how others saw her, she didn't care.
Protecting all of you—what has that got to do with your opinions?
Even if they thought of her as a clown, so what?
She didn't need anyone to understand her.
However, the next moment, Linen's voice made Teresia's heart suddenly skip a beat:
"My eldest sister, I can't agree with you."
Of course, he couldn't agree!
Quinn and the Empire might be unaware, but Linen was perfectly clear. The Tower of Chronomancy's original targets weren't the academy or himself—but Elena and Princess Hysteria!
Now those two stubborn fools insisted on joining the Spring Cup. If it were just an ordinary event, no problem. But if the Tower was involved, who knew what might happen?
Linen had neither true Arcana talent nor dragon blood—his entire livelihood depended on farming experience points from those two girls.
Failing his mother's test wouldn't instantly kill him. But if Elena or Hysteria suffered harm, half of his EXP would vanish immediately.
Linen's mind began spinning rapidly.
Quinn's pupils had already shifted to dazzling silver—a sign that her dragon blood was stirring. Its meaning was obvious: if Linen insisted on joining the Spring Cup, this Illusion Master would forcibly trap him right here.
Though he knew Quinn was only helping, Linen wished fervently that his second elder sister, who had suddenly gone from a playful trickster to a responsible sibling, would just stop helping him.
Helping me is hurting me!
"Stubborn, aren't you, little brother?"
Quinn lost patience arguing and began preparing to trap Linen in an illusion.
"Wait!"
Linen abruptly interrupted her:
"My eldest sister, do you really think that assassin girl is a joke?"
Linen spoke slowly and deliberately.
"Isn't she?" Quinn shook her head dismissively, thinking Linen was still fixated on the Spring Cup.
"A girl who wanted to eradicate forbidden magic became a slave to forbidden magic. Could there be anything more laughable?"
Yet hearing this, Linen smiled genuinely for the first time.
"My eldest sister, I indeed don't know much about that village massacre eight years ago—but that imperial official you mentioned, I've heard something about him."
"Count Coles of Frostmarch. After his death, the heretical cult activities that plagued his territory gradually disappeared."
"And that assassin girl you mock—I happen to know a little about her too. She seems to bear a nickname: Arcana Slayer, because she exclusively kills Arcana mages. Most of those she killed were secretly on the Shadow Knights' blacklist for suspected forbidden arts."
Quinn fell silent for a moment.
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
"What I want to say is—have you ever considered that the 'laughable girl' you mentioned never deviated from her original path? She only changed her methods."
"Everyone she hunted was a secret practitioner of forbidden arts—that's fact."
"But becoming the Tower's servant—that's also fact." Quinn refused to budge.
"Because if she didn't become the Tower's ally, the Shadow Knights wouldn't allow a rogue assassin like her to run free, would they?"
Linen shook his head gently.
"It just so happens that I've heard rumors from Lady Sorgana about this Arcana Slayer. According to her, that girl is no mere joke. Perhaps the Shadow Knights who mock her are actually jealous."
"Ridiculous," Quinn sneered. "Why would imperial Shadow Knights envy an assassin forced to hide and run?"
Teresia was similarly puzzled—what could she possibly have to make the Shadow Knights jealous?
"You, me, the Shadow Knights—we're all just tiny characters in the Empire's massive Arcana array. With one word from our mother, our fate changes completely. But that girl is genuinely walking her own chosen path."
"And rather than laughable—" Linen tilted his head, meeting Quinn's eyes directly.
"Don't you think a person who knowingly does something impossible is actually very cool, very entertaining?"
"Knowingly doing the impossible—is that how you see her?"
Quinn's eyes narrowed, the silver glow slowly dimming from her pupils.
Beneath the table, Teresia quietly lowered her head.
In an angle unseen by herself, her slender white neck and cheeks, pale from a long absence of sunlight, were now suffused with an enticing shade of pink.
A person knowingly attempting the impossible... Is that how he sees me?
This guy...
Linen's hidden hand beneath the desk unconsciously tightened into a fist.
He had done his very best.
Quinn was unlike any enemy he'd faced before.
She had never been weakened by others; every step of her growth came naturally, without the artificial boosting of magic potions. Even her physical strength was impeccable, enhanced perfectly by dragon blood.
If Quinn truly decided to stop him from participating in the Spring Cup, whether or not Linen chose to resist wouldn't matter in the slightest.
After a nerve-wracking silence, Quinn slowly spoke:
"What a shame, little brother..."
Still no good?!
Linen clenched his teeth tightly.
Yet Quinn continued, saying:
"I actually failed to hold my stance and was persuaded by you."
This bastard absolutely paused deliberately!
As Linen let out a breath of relief, he couldn't help but think this helplessly.
Under the desk, Teresia also felt quietly happy.
Strangely, even though she and Linen should have been enemies, when Linen successfully convinced Quinn, Teresia unexpectedly felt genuine happiness too.
Maybe later, I'll indulge this guy just a little bit, let him be happy for once, the girl thought secretly to herself.
"But, to be safe, I still have to do something."
Behind the desk, Quinn thought for a moment, then suddenly curled a finger at Linen.
Without thinking too much, Linen leaned forward—but suddenly felt a slightly damp sensation on his forehead.
Under the desk, Teresia's eyes widened in disbelief. She had never imagined these two would actually do something like this—in front of her, no less?!
No, Quinn probably didn't know she was here, but Linen definitely knew!
Well, he seemed to have been forced…
But she didn't see Linen showing the slightest bit of resistance. On the contrary, he appeared to be enjoying it thoroughly!
Quinn suddenly held Linen's chin with one hand and directly kissed his forehead. By the time Linen realized something was wrong, Quinn had already retreated to her seat with a smile, gently licking her lips as though savoring the lingering taste.
Meanwhile, Linen subconsciously touched his forehead, which still felt a bit damp, and asked in surprise:
"This is your prepared manifestation of [Weave Meditation]?"
Pre-prepared [Weave Meditation] allowed an Arcana Mage to instant-cast magic. Gust Franki's manifestation was stars circling around him, Linen's was magical cards—and Quinn's was actually...her own kiss-mark?
Now Linen wasn't sure whether to describe her choice as mischievous or creatively original.
"Since you're aiming to pull off something that requires creating miracles, you'll need something your enemies won't anticipate. This is a Fifth-Ring Illusion Arcana; it might just save you when you really need it."
A Fifth-Ring Arcana completely at my disposal!
It was truly an extravagant gift.
Linen stared blankly for a moment, covering his forehead, then suddenly raised his head and asked seriously:
"Thank you, Quinn. But could you possibly kiss me a couple more times?"
Quinn responded with a charmingly flirtatious eye-roll.
She honestly wouldn't mind kissing her handsome little brother a few more times, but with Linen's body lacking dragon-blood reinforcement, engraving too many high-ring Arcana upon him would probably make him collapse first.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be returning to see our dear mother. Is there anything you'd like me to pass along?"
Quinn elegantly crossed her legs as she spoke.
"There actually is one thing," Linen nodded seriously.
"Our dear mother mentioned that the Academy will no longer receive extra protection. If I can win the Spring Cup, she won't refuse me anymore, correct?"
"Yes. Until then, all your requests will be rejected," Quinn affirmed with a nod. This was indisputable—even if Linen begged her personally, she could do nothing.
"I'd like to change the reward slightly. Even if she still refuses me after I win the Spring Cup, that's fine—but as my reward, please ask Her Majesty to continue providing additional protection for the Academy."
Quinn's silver pupils shrank slightly again.
"My dear little brother, just when I think I finally understand you, you always manage to surprise me."
"I'll relay your request to mother for consideration. Well then, farewell for now."
As soon as her words faded, Quinn's figure gradually blurred, vanishing entirely from the room.
Linen, finally relieved, leaned back in his chair and glanced beneath the desk:
"Miss Teresia, you can come out now. My performance just now wasn't bad, right?"
Yet Linen never expected that Teresia would stare at him with utter disdain and slowly spit out two words:
"Absolute scum!"
"To do that with your own sister..."
"…"
Once again, Linen found himself marveling at the bizarre way women chose their focus.
"Please don't misunderstand. With Quinn's personality, doing that sort of thing is pretty normal for her—"
The moment Linen finished speaking, he realized he'd made a critical mistake. As expected, Teresia's gaze evolved from looking at a pervert to looking at a disgusting insect.
"Wait, wait! Actually, we're the type of siblings without any blood relation!"
"No blood relation?"
Teresia froze in confusion.
"Aren't you all descendants of the Norton imperial bloodline?"
"Haha, now that's a family secret. But if Miss Teresia would offer me a lap pillow, I wouldn't mind telling you a little something~"
Linen smiled playfully, thinking he had finally found a good opportunity to farm some experience points.
However, contrary to his expectations, Teresia didn't immediately reject him with lightning speed like she normally would when faced with something repulsive. Instead, she fell into conflicted silence, her elegant neck and cheeks gradually flushing a faint pink as if torn between choices.
This time, it was Linen who panicked a bit instead.
Wait a second, I was just messing around—you'll refuse me, won't you?