Claire looked at the excited Swan and shook her head firmly. “No, Swan. Your body has only just begun to recover, and your mana circuits are still unstable. Staying at the academy to rest is the most important thing.”
“Master, I really can! ” Swan took an urgent step forward. As if to prove himself, he took a deep breath. With the secret assistance of Igneel inside his body, he began to actively channel the surrounding elemental energy.
In an instant, a majestic and active elemental force gathered around him, even causing a faint mana ripple to resonate throughout the office.
This scene sent a jolt through Dio, who was standing to the side.
‘What is going on? In my memory, my junior, Swan, should still be in a weakened state and unable to use mana at this point in time!’
The development had deviated once again…
Sensing the pure elemental fluctuations, a look of pleasant surprise immediately appeared on Claire’s face. “Swan, you…”
Swan steadied his breath and nodded, his tone carrying a perfect blend of relief and uncertainty.
“Just a short while ago, I suddenly realized I could clearly perceive and channel elements again. So, Master, please let me go! I cannot sit idly by when it comes to the blood feud of the Raymond family!”
Seeing the flames of revenge and the firm will burning in Swan’s eyes, Claire fell into hesitation once more. Although her disciple’s recovery was a good thing, this journey was exceptionally dangerous —
Just then, Sarah’s clear and firm voice rang out, “Master, I also request to go with Senior Dio.”
“… Are you truly recovered?”
She took a step forward, her emerald eyes flickering with unquestionable determination.
Having experienced the crushing defeat and flight from the Raymond territory, that sense of powerlessness had stung her deeply.
Over the past month, aside from occasionally visiting the children at the old church, she had poured all her time into even more rigorous cultivation. It was all so that she would have the strength to fight back when she faced those bloodthirsty monsters again.
“Me too!”
Emma also raised her hand. Her gaze was no longer as simple and ignorant as before; it now held a touch of resilience gained from weathering the storm.
“Staying at the academy to research potions all the time made me realize I relied too much on the greenhouse in the past. My experience in the Raymond territory taught me a lot. I think… I should undergo more trials so that I can continue to grow…”
As she spoke, she thought of Master Isha and realized that her former mental block seemed to have mostly unraveled without her noticing.
Looking at this group of disciples who stood up for one another and supported each other in times of crisis, an indescribable sense of gratification welled up in Claire’s heart.
“Fine! Since that is the case, the rest of you shall accompany Dio to support the Betty family!”
Her gaze swept over them and finally landed habitually on Ize, who was trying to minimize his presence. “Ize, you go too.”
“That’s not a good idea.”
“That’s not a good idea.”
Ize and Dio blurted out almost in unison.
Ize’s heart sank, and he was momentarily speechless. He hadn’t even expressed his opinion! How was he just assigned like that?
As for Dio, he was completely stunned.
In his memory, Sarah at this point in time should have been despondent due to her failed ideals, and Emma should have been in a state of self-isolation because of the fraud incident.
In the end, he had returned to his family to face the disaster alone.
But now… the development of the plot was deviating further and further from the history he knew!
Claire ignored Dio and looked at Ize. “Your second senior brother’s home is in trouble. Your senior sister and junior are both willing to go and help. Are you unwilling?”
Instantly, everyone’s eyes focused on Ize.
He could clearly see the expectation in Sarah’s and Emma’s eyes, and even Swan was looking over.
In this dilemma, the cold and familiar system prompt sounded right on time:
**[God-Level Choice System at your service. Please make a choice as soon as possible.]**
**[Choice 1: Accompany Dio. Difficulty: B. Reward: Protagonist Value +10]**
**[Choice 2: Fly into a rage on the spot and snap back at Claire: ‘Old woman, is it any of your business whether I go or not?’. Difficulty: A. Reward: Villain Value +10]**
**[Choice 3: State that your strength is insufficient and you wish to stay by Claire’s side to train, refusing to go. Difficulty: S. Reward: NPC Value +10]**
Ize’s heart jolted.
An NPC option actually appeared with S-rank difficulty?
This was a first in six years! Was the difficulty of choosing not to go higher than directly insulting Claire? Could the consequences of refusal be more serious than he imagined?
It wasn’t possible that Claire would beat him to death just because he didn’t go, right?
Though he didn’t understand why, his long-standing experience “dealing” with the system made him choose to trust this danger rating.
In a flash, the reluctance on Ize’s face faded, replaced by an almost exaggerated positivity and determination. He said loudly:
“We are all Master Claire’s direct disciples. We should help each other and overcome difficulties together! Senior Dio’s family is in trouble; it is my duty, Ize, to go. Of course I’m going!”
His sudden change in attitude caused a hint of suspicion to flash in Claire’s eyes. ‘Why did this kid agree so readily?’
But Emma obviously didn’t think that much. She said happily, “I knew you would definitely come along, Junior Ize!”
Her experience at Still Moon Pier had led her to believe that Ize was a person who was low-key on the outside but passionate on the inside.
After all, when she was in trouble back then, Ize had also taken the initiative to help her!
She walked over to Ize and patted his shoulder, her tone carrying a senior sister’s care. “Don’t worry. This time, I will definitely protect you…”
The corner of Ize’s mouth twitched slightly. He couldn’t help but recall that before they set off for the Raymond territory, Emma seemed to have said something similar. The result was…
Rose watched this scene, a look of sincere emotion in her eyes as she whispered to Dio, “Dio, I didn’t expect you to have such a group of fellow disciples at the academy who are willing to stand up for you…”
Dio’s current mood, however, was incredibly complex.
According to common sense, he had spent these six years cultivating alone, neglecting sleep and food. His relationship with his fellow disciples was nowhere near as harmonious as in his “previous life.” Why were they helping him so regardless of the danger in this life?
He knew that at this stage, the vast majority of people had not yet realized the true horror of the blood kin.
He didn’t want to involve these people who cared about him in a deadly danger.
“I appreciate everyone’s kindness…” Dio tried one last effort, his voice low and sincere. “But this journey is too dangerous. I really… should just go alone.”
Sarah took a step forward, her sense of justice unquestionable. “Defending the Empire’s territory and citizens is not the sole responsibility of your Betty family. It is the common mission of all Imperial nobles and the strong!”
Swan also clenched his fists, hatred and determination intertwined in his eyes. “Brother Dio, the blood kin destroyed my family. This enmity is irreconcilable! How could I possibly not go?”
Dio was momentarily speechless, not knowing how to persuade them.
Claire spoke up at the right time, settling the matter. “Dio, with Sarah and the others accompanying you, the pressure on you will be much smaller. Don’t forget, Sarah has mastered space magic, which can work wonders at critical moments. The matter is settled.”
Seeing his master speak, Dio knew he could no longer refuse. He could only secretly resolve in his heart to prevent them from engaging in head-on confrontations with the blood kin.
The departure time was set for two hours later.
Using this interval, Ize immediately rushed to the old church.
“Linke,” he said, gently stroking Linke’s hair. “Brother has to go out on an academy mission to deal with those blood kin. During this time, you must properly consolidate the magic I taught you before. I’ll be checking on it when I return.”
Linke’s small face immediately crumpled, and she pulled on Ize’s sleeve with reluctance. “Brother Ize, how long will you be gone…”
“The exact time isn’t certain. Once the trouble is resolved, I’ll be back.”
Ize explained gently, then took out the last Desert Eagle and handed it to Linke. “Keep this for self-defense. It’s called a Desert Eagle. It can store mana in advance and release multiple spells in quick succession within a very short time.”
He demonstrated how to use it as he spoke. Linke was exceptionally bright and could see at a glance that this uniquely shaped magic tool was no ordinary item and was quite valuable.
She immediately shook her head vigorously, her face full of worry. “No, Brother Ize, this is too precious! You’re going to deal with the dangerous blood kin; you need it more than I do!”
Seeing how she was truly thinking of him, a warm current welled up in Ize’s heart. He said softly, “Don’t worry. Your Brother Ize is very strong; I don’t need this. Besides, this was made specifically for you.”
He really didn’t need it. After all, his own spellcasting efficiency was much higher than this magic tool’s.
Linke clearly didn’t believe him. How could a Tier-Two Mage not need such a powerful magic tool?
But seeing Ize’s firm attitude, she stopped refusing. Instead, she carefully took out an ancient-looking necklace carved from some unknown wood from her bosom and pressed it into Ize’s hand.
“Brother Ize, then you must wear this.” Linke looked up at him, her gaze incredibly serious. “This was left to me by my mother. She said… it brings good luck. You must come back safely.”
As she finished speaking, a doubt rose in her heart: ‘Why can’t I change the elemental affinity around Brother Ize?’
‘But with this, I should still be able to help Brother Ize…’
Seeing Linke’s “I’m going to cry if you don’t take it” expression, Ize had no choice but to accept the necklace. Linke immediately stood on her tiptoes and personally put the necklace on him.
After bidding farewell to Linke, Ize found Luke and gave him the next half-year’s worth of manuscripts for *After the Princess Broke the Engagement, I Became the Empire’s Strongest Mage* and *As a Failing Student at the Academy, I Can Level Up My Magic by Spending Points*.
“Deliver these manuscripts to the Wonderful Bookstore on a regular basis. Don’t be late.”
Luke took the thick stack of manuscripts, his eyes lighting up instantly. He patted his chest and promised, “Don’t worry, Senior! Mission guaranteed to be completed!”
He was Ize’s most loyal reader.
Having done all this, Ize finally rushed toward the meeting point agreed upon with Dio and the others.
However, just as he was passing through the academy’s tree-lined path, the system’s prompt rang out in his mind again without warning —
**[Ding! It has been detected that the host’s behavior has substantially changed the plot direction of a key character. Unlocking real-time favorability detection for the key character: ‘Elf Princess’.]**
Ize’s footsteps halted, and his face was instantly filled with confusion and speechlessness. “…”
Elf Princess?
Where did this one come from?