Gwen and Liya sat inside the room, looking at each other without speaking.
Gwen still had that expressionless face. She stared straight at Liya, and there was not even the slightest emotion moving in her eyes.
Liya, however, kept looking at Gwen again and again.
Her gaze was also on Gwen, but there was clear scrutiny in her eyes.
After all… how could Gwen possibly sleep in the same room as Viktor?
Such an absurd request, not to mention Viktor… at least Liya would never agree to it.
But Gwen's current state made Liya unable to clearly describe how she felt.
Anyone who was familiar with Gwen could see it.
It was something almost anyone could notice at a glance.
The old Gwen, although quiet, was definitely not like this.
The current her was like a block of freezing ice.
Forget about warming her up. Just staying with her for a while might make someone feel frozen to death.
At this moment, Gwen sat stiffly on the bed. She had already moved her gaze away from Liya.
Her two eyes stared straight at the crack under the door. Both hands rested on her pale white thighs, and her body was tense.
She had already taken off her armor and changed into a light and refreshing outfit. It was very beautiful.
Only, her face was cold and stiff, almost even surpassing Viktor's usual poker face.
Anyone who looked at her would feel a strange sense of discomfort.
Exactly when did Gwen start to change like this?
She still remembered.
Back then, almost everyone had lost their memory of Viktor because of that mirror.
After their memories returned, Gwen immediately rushed overnight from the royal capital to Braeston.
She did not stop for a single moment, traveling from night until day, just to see Viktor as soon as possible.
'However… what exactly happened halfway through?'
Liya only knew that Gwen fainted.
She had naively thought that Gwen had just been too tired from traveling overnight.
But she did not stay unconscious for just one day.
After Gwen woke up, Liya had been worried and planned to visit her.
But she truly could not make time.
Viktor had not returned, which meant she had to take care of more things at home.
Liya fell silent and took a deep breath. She looked seriously at Gwen, who was sitting upright on the bed, and slowly spoke, "Gwen, you…"
Hearing Liya's voice, Gwen slowly raised her head. Her gaze fell once more onto Liya's eyes, which carried a bit of worry.
But she was still calm like ice, without any ripples.
The more Liya looked at Gwen like this, the worse she felt inside.
The words that had reached her throat were about to come out, but she swallowed them back down.
Seeing Gwen like this made her, as a friend, feel some pain in her heart.
At that moment, Gwen finally spoke.
She looked at Liya blankly and said in a mechanical tone, "Liya."
"Yes?"
Liya looked at Gwen very seriously.
Being willing to speak on her own was a good thing.
So she was willing to listen to anything Gwen wanted to say.
Gwen looked at Liya and blinked innocently as she said, "When can I go find Viktor?"
"…"
Liya's forehead instantly filled with black lines. She suppressed the anger in her heart and warned in a low voice, "Today you are sleeping in my room. You are not allowed to move anywhere!"
"Oh."
Gwen nodded obediently, her body still stiff.
At least in front of Liya, she could still behave.
———
Viktor sat in the study, leaning back against the chair.
A letter lay quietly on the desk in front of him.
The envelope had already been opened by Viktor. Inside was a completely blank sheet of paper.
He only glanced at it before placing the blank letter back on the desk.
Soon after, a powerful surge of magic began to rise from the blank paper.
The drifting figure of Haim Horn appeared in front of him.
Just like before, it had no face, only a shape that clearly looked like a mage.
As soon as it appeared, a voice came from the letter.
"Councilor Clavenna, Councilor Azure has already informed us of your request."
Raschel took Viktor's request very seriously. So after Viktor left, he used a natural sparrow to send a message to the Council.
After Haim Horn received the message, he chose to deliver a letter and speak to Viktor face to face.
For the Council, although the staff Viktor wanted to make had extremely demanding requirements, considering Viktor's contributions to the entire Mage Council and his own powerful personal ability, the Council was fully capable of meeting his demands.
The astonishing calamity battle over the Padarenbu Sea caused a huge impact, making mages all over the world consider joining the Mage Council.
As a result, in these past few days, the Council had received many new membership applications.
They came because of reputation.
Whose reputation?
Naturally, Viktor's.
For many battle-oriented mages, it was the first time they realized through Viktor that mages could fight like that.
Violent magic perfectly combined with elegant posture.
In the eyes of those mages, Viktor during that terrifying battle was like a dancer moving on the tip of a blade, like a bard singing even as the world collapsed.
At this time, Haim Horn's flickering phantom continued, "Councilor Ryan Kent has received the notice. Within two days at the latest, he will arrive at the Mage Council from Miti City in the Ximinis Mountains."
"He has agreed to craft the staff for you. However, he also has some requests and hopes you can agree to them."
Viktor thought for a moment.
The Ximinis Mountains.
This was a high-level area in the mid to late stage. The most noteworthy thing about it was that many different races lived there.
Among them, the rare dwarf race lived there.
They lived in a place called Miti City.
In the game's setting, it was a kingdom where dwarves gathered.
Dwarves possessed the most advanced technical skill. Therefore, the Miti City they built was also the place with the most advanced craftsmanship in the world.
Magic and machinery were perfectly combined there, forming almost a full system of technology.
The Lesser family's territory, Tiepoh, was called the City of Advancement in the Empire.
But compared to Miti City, its development was not even half as good.
Because Councilor Ryan Kent was there.
As a fourth-tier mage, and an outstanding one among them, Ryan Kent was the most famous magical craftsman of the dwarf race.
The magic trains that could travel to places all over the world were one of his proudest masterpieces.
Viktor carefully considered it.
If he could build a good relationship with such a councilor, there would be many benefits.
Viktor nodded.
"If the requests are reasonable, I can agree."
Haim Horn let out a sigh of relief. The pressure on his shoulders instantly eased.
As long as Viktor agreed, there would be no conflict between the two.
After all, Viktor had only recently joined the Council and naturally did not understand the other councilors or their temperaments.
Haim Horn was afraid Viktor might refuse but still force the dwarf councilor to craft a staff for him.
After all, judging from Viktor's past reputation, he was indeed someone who could do such a thing.
His morals could not withstand close examination.
However, that dwarf councilor admired Viktor quite a bit.
Because he really liked Viktor's large-scale explosive area magic.
At this time, Viktor looked at Haim Horn and continued, "However, that day, I will probably bring two people with me."
Hearing this, Haim Horn was a little puzzled.
"One of them is Cocotte. You are already familiar with her."
"The other one has recently become a third-tier mage. I plan to let her join the Council."
Hearing this, Haim Horn understood.
Viktor wanted to place someone into the Council?
That was not a problem.
After all, to join the Council, one had to be at least a third-tier mage.
Because only third-tier mages could remain in Endymion's chaotic magic environment.
Otherwise, lower-tier mages in that chaotic environment would have their internal magic thrown into disorder, and casting spells would be hindered.
Over time, the magic stored inside their bodies would become violent, rampaging within them.
In the end, with nowhere to go, the massive magic would burst their bodies apart.
Thinking about someone close to Viktor who was also a third-tier mage, a flash of realization crossed Haim Horn's mind, and one person appeared in his thoughts.
The daughter of an imperial duke.
She was one of Viktor's students, and the blonde girl who appeared in the calamity battle.
Erica du Croy.
Because Erica had shown third-tier magic strength in the academy, the news quickly spread among the nobles in the imperial capital.
Raschel, as the academy's principal, received the news immediately.
After all, it was truly shocking.
A seventeen-year-old third-tier mage had broken Viktor's record as the youngest third-tier mage.
Haim Horn had long wanted to send an invitation to Erica.
But Erica was different from Viktor.
She was the daughter of Duke Levi. In terms of stance, she should belong to the Empire's mages.
Unless the duke agreed, it would be impossible for Erica to join the Council.
Viktor was different. He was an adult.
Adults could act independently.
Of course, in reality, it was also because Viktor had become a councilor.
An imperial count who held the identity of a councilor.
And a duke's daughter joining the Council.
The status and meaning between the two were still different.
However, hearing Viktor say this still made him somewhat happy.
After all, she was the youngest third-tier mage.
But before Haim Horn could finish thinking, Viktor spoke again, "She is my retainer, and also my former teaching assistant."
'Teaching assistant?'
Haim Horn froze for a moment. A trace of disappointment appeared, and his tone hesitated,
"Ah… ah… I see."
Still, it was acceptable.
At least she was a third-tier mage.
Haim Horn nodded and agreed, "No problem, Councilor Clavenna. I can accept this request on behalf of the Council."
Viktor nodded and continued, "However, she is a bit special."
Haim Horn did not think much of it.
'Special?'
'How special could she be?'
'Could she possibly surpass that duke's daughter?'
Thinking of this, Haim Horn felt a bit helpless.
'How could the level of talent between people differ so much?'
Then Viktor's calm voice sounded again.
Like a heavy hammer, it struck Haim Horn's heart.
"My teaching assistant has only been an official mage for just three months."
"How much?!"