The territory of the Aulai Empire was vast. Although Starshine Academy was located in the imperial capital, there was still quite a distance from the bustling commercial district.
If one were to take an ordinary carriage, the swaying ride would consume the better part of the day.
Fortunately, Ize understood well that “time is life, and efficiency is safety.”
Over the years, relying on his “bit of” understanding and improvements of magic arrays (thanks mainly to random system stat points and his fear of death fueling his research), he had long since secretly engraved small, concealed, and extremely energy-efficient personal teleportation anchor points at critical locations across the Empire.
In a deserted, silent dead-end alley near Miaomiao Book House, space twisted slightly, and the figures of Ize and Luke quietly emerged.
“Hiss—” Even though Luke was already used to Ize’s various “little inventions,” he still couldn’t help but suck in a breath of cold air. Glancing around, he lowered his voice (using his peculiar pinched tone) and exclaimed, “Senior… just how many of these teleport points have you buried across the Empire?! If the Empire’s Space Magic Administration finds out about this…”
“Shh!” Ize (in a girlish voice) immediately cut him off, alertly sensing their surroundings. “Keep your voice down! This is called being prepared—establishing a strategic through-network. As for the Administration… their public teleportation arrays are inefficient and absurdly expensive. They should’ve been replaced ages ago.”
Most importantly, using the public arrays would leave teleportation records, which did not suit Ize’s cautious nature or his philosophy of survival.
He gave a brief explanation: “This is my own improved version. The materials cost less than a tenth of a standard teleportation array. The only downside is that the energy output is unstable, so at most it can teleport two or three people at a time, and it can’t be used too frequently.”
Luke’s mouth twitched. What shocked him most was that Ize could create so many teleportation anchors—after all, the materials for such arrays were exorbitantly expensive, and setting them up was extremely complex. It wasn’t something that could simply be “improved” at will.
Still, Luke had long grown accustomed to Ize’s capabilities.
Once his shock passed, he quickly regained composure, copying Ize and hiding his blurred figure even deeper in the shadows at the corner of the wall.
Night had deepened. The commercial street had shed its daytime hustle and bustle; most shops were closed, with only a few magical street lamps casting dim yellow halos.
Nevertheless, Ize didn’t dare let down his guard.
He moved like a top-class scout infiltrating enemy territory, using the effect of the [Veil Shadow Cloak] to lead Luke through various narrow, shadowy alleys and side lanes, perfectly avoiding main roads and any possible surveillance arrays.
After winding their way through several twists and turns, the two finally arrived at the back door of “Miaomiao Book House.” The bookstore’s facade was quaint, its main entrance tightly shut, and the windows were pitch black.
Ize didn’t act immediately. Like a statue, he stood motionless in the shadows by the door, his sharp gaze (even through the mask) sweeping slowly across every corner of the street. His ears twitched as he listened closely to every sound within a hundred meters—the distant clamor of taverns, the shrill cry of a stray cat, even the faint creaking as the wind brushed a signboard.
Once he confirmed absolute safety, he stepped forward and knocked on the wooden door in a particular rhythm, varying in pace and weight—a distinct, melodic pattern.
“Knock—knock knock—knock—knock knock—”
The knocking sounded like some kind of code.
Moments later, soft footsteps sounded from inside. With a creak, the door opened a crack, and a young girl timidly poked out half her head.
She looked to be about twelve or thirteen, with twin pigtails and cute dimples on her cheeks. But right now, her big eyes were filled with tension and vigilance.
She quickly sized up the two blurry, masked figures at the door, then cautiously asked in a voice as faint as a mosquito’s, “Let him be strong, let him be fierce?”
Ize instantly responded in his sweet, girlish voice, just as softly, “I just lead my sheep.”
The code matched! The little girl, Lily—the bookstore owner’s younger sister, and Ize’s exclusive contact—immediately relaxed and broke into a bright smile.
She swiftly pulled the door open just enough for one person to slip through, motioned the two inside, then quickly and deftly closed and locked the door behind them, her movements practiced yet heartbreaking.
After leading them to a hidden reception room at the back of the bookstore, a space piled high with books and scrolls, Lily looked at the two nearly identically dressed figures before her, her small face showing a puzzled expression. Tilting her head, she softly asked, “Excuse me… which one is Teacher Background Board?”
Ize stepped forward and replied in his girlish voice, “I am.”
At the same time, he retrieved from his storage ring a special writer’s credential badge imbued with a unique magical imprint, and handed it over. Not only did this badge serve as proof of identity, but it also carried a tiny anti-counterfeiting magic array.
Lily accepted the badge, carefully sensing the magic fluctuations on it. Once she confirmed it was genuine, she finally relaxed completely and asked curiously, “Teacher Background Board, coming here so late… do you have some urgent matter? Did you finish your new manuscript?”
“The draft’s still in progress.” Ize (girlish voice) waved his hand, cutting straight to the point. “I’m here this time to ask about some intelligence.”
He laid out his requests clearly:
“First, in the recent advanced magic assessment held at Limoon Academy, were there any unusual happenings or rumors that the authorities tried to suppress?”
“Second, I need as much detailed information as possible on Limoon Academy’s genius, Lien—from enrollment to present, as detailed as you can get.”
“Third, regarding the unknown monster species that attacked the Raymond family—do you have any updated, more internal intelligence on them?”
On the surface, Miaomiao Book House appeared to be a successful chain bookstore and publisher. In truth, it was the center of an intelligence network that spanned most of the Empire.
Many of the Empire’s daily news bulletins originated from here.
The major magic academies and noble houses were deeply intertwined; the academies themselves existed to cultivate the future core of the noble class for the Empire.
Ize’s senior Emma and senior Dio both hailed from prominent marquis families.
So, investigating a genius commoner like Lien—someone without a powerful background—was hardly difficult for Miaomiao Book House.
Lily nodded, her face adopting a calm and capable expression that seemed far beyond her years.
She walked to the corner of the room, where a heavy tome embedded with blue magic crystal sat—“Empire Information Index (Real-Time Updated Edition).”
She pressed her small hand to the crystal, channeling a faint bit of magic power. The book automatically began to flip its own pages, countless tiny glowing words flowing and reshaping themselves across the paper.
Soon, Lily had sorted out the information. She cleared her throat and began her report:
“First, regarding the advanced magic assessment.” She explained, “Advancement in magic rank isn’t just about mastering spells of the appropriate tier. Empire regulations require that from Tier Three upward, each promotion must be passed through rigorous assessments jointly held by all the academies, evaluating magic control, power, stability, and real combat application. This time, the Tier Five assessment was held at Limoon Academy. In addition to promotion, they also use the results to rank mages of the same tier, which is closely tied to personal and academy honor.”
“Currently, the most watched participants are naturally Limoon Academy’s Rhea and your academy’s Senior Sara. Their rankings at Tier Four were neck and neck—third and fourth, respectively. Among the nobility, gambling pools have sprung up, with Senior Sara’s odds currently a bit lower.” Lily paused, lowering her voice to add a tidbit, “It’s said Rhea hit a cultivation bottleneck this year due to family pressures, so she might not be at her peak. If Teacher Background Board is interested…”
“I have no interest in gambling.” Ize (girlish voice) interrupted her directly, his tone utterly calm. “Is there anything else unusual? For example… any dark horses appearing? Or any unexpected incidents or conflict during the assessment?”
Lily was momentarily taken aback. Clearly, this “Teacher Background Board” was very different from the nobles who loved gossip and betting. She thought carefully and shook her head. “Nothing special has been mentioned in any circulating reports. The assessment went rather smoothly.”
Ize considered this for a moment, then shifted focus to the second question: “Then let’s talk about Lien. During the assessment period, or recently, has there been any notable behavior or rumor about him?”
Lily again placed her hand on the magic book, the glowing letters reflowing.
“Lien’s talent is unquestionable: his affinity for all five basic elements is above sixty percent, and he also has exceptional martial arts talent. In terms of raw potential, he may even surpass Rhea and Senior Sara. Because he’s a commoner with no family backing, Limoon Academy is pouring resources into cultivating him, hoping to make him their next poster child.
Unless something unexpected happens, he’s likely to become the academy’s future core figure. However, he’s still a Tier Three mage and didn’t participate in this round of advanced assessments. There are few authoritative records of his true strength; most talk is vague praise like ‘incredible talent’ and ‘rapid progress.’”
Ize felt a bit disappointed. While this confirmed Lien’s “protagonist” status, it offered little help with the concrete dangers he was about to face.
He asked the last, and in his view most critical, question: “What about the monster species that attacked the Raymond family? Do you have any more in-depth intelligence?”
At this, Lily’s expression turned grave. Even though there were only three people in the room, she instinctively glanced around, then lowered her voice almost to a whisper:
“Teacher Background Board, regarding those monsters… the situation is rather bizarre. According to the scant information our adventurer contacts risked their lives to bring back, the monsters were extremely bloodthirsty. The Raymond family members who died… almost all had their blood drained, their deaths were horrific. And…”
She hesitated, weighing the reliability of what she was about to say. “And, in the half-year leading up to the attack, the Raymond family had escalating disputes with their neighbors, the Marquis Siss family, over a mine and… an engagement. The tension was nearly at the breaking point. There are unconfirmed clues indicating that the monsters first appeared… in the direction of the Siss family’s territory.”
“An engagement?” Ize (girlish voice) keenly picked up on the keyword.
Lily nodded, speaking softly. “Yes. When the Raymonds still held a marquis title, their young master Swan was betrothed as a child to Rose, the eldest daughter of the Marquis Betty family. Later, the Raymonds declined to count status and lost their marquisate, dropping to a count. At that point, Rose from the Betty family caught the eye of the more powerful Siss family’s young master. The Siss family then pressured the Raymonds to dissolve the engagement…”
“The Raymonds, of course, refused. They saw it as an intolerable disgrace. Afterward, the Siss family used their influence to suppress and isolate the Raymonds in every possible way. The Betty family, once supposed to be their in-laws, remained silent throughout, tacitly approving or even condoning the treatment.”
Lily’s voice was tinged with sympathy. “Until… until after the Raymond family was almost wiped out in the monster attack, only then did the Betty family step forward—announcing unilaterally and immediately that the engagement with the Raymonds was dissolved.”
Abandoned engagement! Entire family wiped out!
Ize’s (girlish voice) pupils shrank sharply beneath his mask, alarms blaring in his mind!
How terrifying! Truly terrifying!
This newly arrived junior, Swan, actually carried such a classic “protagonist template” background! Those buffs are stacking to the heavens! He just knew that anyone who caught the attention of Claire, and got involved in such major events, couldn’t possibly be a mere background character!
Danger! Extreme danger! He must be placed at the very top of the “maintain a safe distance” list!
However, when it came to the Betty family… Ize recalled that his elusive senior Dio seemed to be from the Betty family as well—and was, in fact, the half-brother of Rose. However, Senior Dio seemed to have an extremely distant relationship with his family, almost never mentioning them or having contact with this sister.
Of course, Ize himself wasn’t close to Dio either. He had no interest in digging into these noble family entanglements—he only wanted to keep a respectful distance.