ALL NOVEL Chapter 44: What a pain in the ass
"I know, and I didn’t come empty-handed. I’ve confirmed that the new disciple is her weak point. If we manage to get him under our control, she’ll do whatever we say." Ragnar spoke in a grave tone, feeling somewhat uncomfortable under William’s gaze.
"And how exactly do you plan to do that? Are you seriously suggesting that we make enemies of the Arcane Order? Think before you spout such nonsense, Ragnar." Li Wei retorted dismissively, looking at Ragnar with disdain.
"Li Wei is right. That’s not even a viable idea. We’re already going to have a complicated relationship with the Arcane Order once we take their most talented member. If we dare touch one of their own, they won’t hesitate to unleash their full military power on us. And at that point, not even Lord Solaris could save us." William commented in a serious tone while looking at Ragnar with accusing and disappointed eyes.
"Calm down. I have it all planned out. I’ve already sent a mole to keep an eye on him. The idea is to use the student life-and-death duels. Since my daughter is now at the Zephyria Border, she won’t be able to protect him. We just need to arrange a duel with him and send the most talented of the young generation to face him. That way, we can threaten her to meet our demands."
Feeling the sting of the other two men’s stares, Ragnar quickly responded with a serious expression, trying to hide his irritation at the obvious disdain he was receiving—all because of that ungrateful wretch.
"That won’t work. For starters, life-and-death duels are incredibly rare in the Arcane Order these days. It’s been centuries since one was held. Moreover, both parties have to agree to the duel, and in the case of someone under 300 years old, their tutor also has to consent.
So, it’s still a stupid idea. You really did come empty-handed, Ragnar. Even if your foolish plan somehow succeeded, all we’d achieve is painting a massive target on ourselves, and without a doubt, the Arcane Order would tear us apart." Li Wei said, looking at Ragnar as if he were an idiot, explaining with an obviously superior, annoyed tone.
"You bastard, Li Wei! Do you think I’m so stupid that I wouldn’t know something so basic? What I’m proposing is—" Ragnar, seething with rage, spoke through gritted teeth, but Li Wei cut him off, replying with a sarcastic and aggressive tone.
"Yes, you’re stupid. Because doing it privately or using it as an excuse to get him off the planet is absolute stupidity. Do you think Master Eldurdóttir is so foolish as to leave her disciple unprotected? Do you think the Arcane Order is that easy to play with?!"
"IT'S SIGRÚN LEIFSDOTTIR!!"
Ragnar exploded with fury, standing up and slamming the table hard enough to cause a small tremor, ready to start a deadly fight. But at that moment, William unleashed his mana, simultaneously releasing a crazed killing intent, creating great pressure in the room as he spoke in a grave tone filled with authority.
"This is the last time I’ll tolerate such an outburst."
At William’s words, the two men bowed their heads respectfully, then sat back down in their respective seats in silence, not daring to even look at each other. William nodded in satisfaction before continuing.
"Although Ragnar's methodology is indeed unworkable, the idea itself is not without merit. Getting rid of her disciple could create an emotional impact on her strong enough to make her cling to my son if we handle things right."
After a brief pause, William observed the two men beside him, quickly noticing their serious, focused expressions, so he promptly continued.
"Although the boy has no special achievements so far, there’s no doubt he must have great talent for Master Sigrún to have taken him on as her first disciple, especially after rejecting so many other extraordinary geniuses.
But even so, I’m sure my son’s talents are at least on par, if not superior. Not only does he rival his older sister, who was accepted as a disciple by Lord Solaris, but he’s also had access to the best resources from my Blackthorn family and those provided by my eldest daughter since his childhood.
Therefore, if we eliminate him, there’s a chance that Master Sigrún might turn her attention to my son to cope with the loss of her disciple. And once she acknowledges his talents, it’ll only be a matter of time before my son can forge a connection with her that leads to the expected marriage."
After William’s brief speech, Ragnar and Li Wei nodded seriously before starting to discuss the details of the plan and their next steps. After all, with the protection of the fifth legendary-level and the inclusion of the most talented Master in history, forming their own power capable of extending their influence across the galaxy was no longer just a dream.
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In an alchemy workshop within Sigrún's mansion, Erik found himself surrounded by piles of ingredients, books, tools, journals, and scrolls, apparently experimenting with different things—boiling ingredients, drawing magical circles and runes all over the place, all while diligently taking notes in his journal.
As Erik seriously examined what was happening in a volumetric flask he had ordered from a specialized workshop some time ago, he suddenly felt his identification card vibrate inside his storage ring. He quickly took it out, causing a holographic call display to appear over it, showing the name “Chen Ming.”
Nearly two years had passed since the class with Professor Sunflare, which had only lasted six months. During this time, Erik had been enrolling in various classes on topics like alchemy, artificery, and other interesting subjects such as blacksmithing and the development of artifacts focused on daily life.
But even though they hadn’t crossed paths in any other classes, Chen would occasionally seek him out for help with geometry and the calculations required for different tasks, as he was really terrible at those. Now, every time Erik helped him, Chen would give him interesting books and scrolls on Zazen Discipline—nothing too advanced, but still very useful for Erik, since his masters' libraries had a noticeable lack of information on this magical system.
"And what part can’t you understand now?" Erik answered the call with a sarcastic tone, which made Chen laugh on the other end, though he quickly adopted a more serious tone.
"Haha, this time it’s not that. I’m actually calling to tell you some news that’s going to spread like wildfire in the coming days. It’s said that the heir of the Blackthorn family is coming back to the university after completing his military service."
"And what does that have to do with me?" Erik rolled his eyes, holding the card in the air with a ghostly hand while continuing to work on his small project. But Chen quickly explained in a serious tone.
"I knew you’d say that, but it really does have a lot to do with you. According to reliable sources, the Blackthorn heir wants to test the skills that made Master Eldurdóttir choose her first disciple. The problem is that the guy is very talented and wealthy, so he has a legion of idiots who will constantly try to challenge you to win his favor."
"Aren’t duels supposed to be agreed upon by both parties?" Erik asked, not giving much importance to the matter, clearly more interested in what was happening inside the volumetric flask.
"Yes, both parties have to agree to a duel, but that doesn’t stop people from parading around you, trying to get under your skin, so you’ll accept. I can assure you that from now on, you won’t have a single moment of peace in public spaces. So get ready; it’s going to be a real pain in the ass for you," Chen quickly explained, catching Erik’s attention.
"Is it possible to cancel the classes I’m enrolled in?" Erik stopped what he was doing, rubbing his chin as he considered the implications.
"Yes, you can, but you have to leave at least one. They won’t let you cancel more, and you know that more than two absences will get you kicked out of the class. Although direct disciples like you don’t lose their student status, they do have to go through a very annoying disciplinary process where they force you to take ethics and faction history classes. I’ve heard they’re a real nightmare." Chen quickly explained, already used to Erik's lack of interest in certain topics.
"What a pain in the ass. What level is that bastard?" Erik asked, a bit annoyed by the problems falling into his lap just as he was making interesting progress on his project. Chen responded in a grave tone.
"He’s a peak Revealed."
"So I can’t even kick his ass..."
Erik commented, somewhat frustrated because although his rise in power levels was considered meteoric by his masters, he was only a 4th-rank Ascended, also known as a Skilled Ascended, which put him at an absolute disadvantage against a Revealed. If he was, for example, a conventional explosive warhead, a peak Revealed was an atomic bomb.
"Do I have to go to the tower to cancel the classes?" Erik asked as he stored his notes and organized the workshop, ready to take action before being forced to delay his project.
"Yes, you have to go. Ask at the reception; they’ll tell you where you can do it," Chen quickly responded seriously, to which Erik replied in a more serious tone.
"Alright, and thanks for the info. I owe you one."
After ending the call, Erik quickly finished organizing everything and left his workshop, only to find Seraphina seemingly waiting for him at the door with a professional smile on her face.
"Heading out, young master?" Seraphina asked with a slight smile, to which Erik quickly nodded as he hurriedly said goodbye.
"Yes, Seraphina. Something came up, and I need to take care of it as soon as possible."
"Do you need any help, young master?" Seraphina inquired in a polite tone, but Erik shook his head as he exited the mansion.
"No need. Although it’s annoying, I know how to handle it. But you could make me some good cookies, hehe."
"Of course, young master. I hope you manage to resolve the issue, and when you return, I’ll have a special tea and a nice batch of cookies ready for you." Seraphina replied with a small smile, visibly improving Erik's mood, as he quickly thanked her with a grin.
"Hehe, thanks, Seraphina. I’ll be back soon."
"I’ll be waiting for your return."
As Erik walked out onto the street, Seraphina bowed respectfully, concealing the sharp look in her eyes that no one could see. She quickly hid it as she straightened up and returned inside the house, where she picked up a beautiful crystal tablet and made a call.
"Investigate the Blackthorn heir," Seraphina ordered in a cold, emotionless tone once the call connected. She then ended the call and headed to the kitchen to prepare a good batch of cookies for her young master.