Chapter 111: The Idol’s Arrival

The banquet concluded, leaving both host and guests thoroughly satisfied.

Roton Farrien personally escorted Master Maas to the mansion’s entrance, his face, wreathed in a deferential smile, only slowly reverting to its natural state after the carriage had vanished at the street’s end.

Turning, he strode back into the brightly lit banquet hall, an air of triumph about him.

He then commanded his servants, “Go and prepare the young lady’s room. Use the finest incense, change to new sheets and bedding—everything must be of the highest quality.”

The butler bowed in acknowledgment, preparing to withdraw.

Roton added, his voice imbued with undeniable authority, “After all, she is my niece, a member of the Farrien family. Even if she’s grown accustomed to the capital, we mustn’t let her feel neglected here at home.”

His words were spoken loudly enough for all the surrounding servants to hear distinctly.

With the butler departing to carry out the order, the other servants swiftly began clearing away the remnants of the feast.

Roton, meanwhile, returned alone to his study.

He closed the heavy door, completely sealing off the outside world’s clamor.

He settled into the soft leather chair at his desk, sinking deep into its embrace.

The only sound in the room was the gentle crackle of charcoal burning in the fireplace.

Now that he was alone, there was no longer any need to maintain the facade of the benevolent, generous uncle.

Master Maas’s promise was his greatest gain this evening.

With a simple memory alteration spell, that troublesome niece could be transformed into nothing more than an inconsequential ornament.

By then, all the Farrien family’s assets would belong entirely to him, Roton Farrien.

Yet, this was merely the first step.

His ambitions stretched far beyond this.

The magic materials industry in Leao City had long been firmly controlled by a few established merchant guilds.

Their foundations were deep, their connections intricate, and a single merchant’s wealth alone could never hope to dislodge their position.

He needed power.

He needed a force capable of shattering the existing order, transforming him from a passive recipient of profits into the one who dictated Leao City’s commercial landscape.

And Master Maas was precisely that force.

A five-ring mage, in a border city like Leao, possessed an influence comparable to a small army, a reason he was willing to remain.

Even the entrenched merchant guilds and nobles would have to weigh their options carefully when confronted by a five-ring mage capable of unleashing area-of-effect spells at will.

By firmly binding Master Maas to his own chariot, Roton would gain the confidence to absorb his rivals.

He would begin with the smaller guilds, gradually devouring them, and ultimately bring down even the largest titans.

Monopolizing the entire supply of magic materials in Leao City.

This thought sent a thrilling warmth through Roton’s veins.

By then, he would no longer be merely a wealthy merchant; he would be the one holding all of Leao City’s mages by the throat.

Controlling the most fundamental needs of spellcasters, his wealth and standing would swell to an unprecedented degree.

The key to all of this lay with Master Maas.

Therefore, at this stage, he had to satisfy Maas’s every demand—money, materials, luxuries. Anything he could provide, he would offer without hesitation.

The appearance of the maid was merely a minor interlude, an opportune moment to present his request to Master Maas.

He even felt a touch of gratitude that Lia was returning.

Had it not been for her return, he wouldn’t have had such a compelling reason to seek such a personal favor from Master Maas, nor would he have been able to draw their relationship closer.

***

When Maas returned to the residence he had purchased in Leao City, he was still pleasantly tipsy.

Roton was a merchant adept at catering to others’ desires; not only was the wine he offered of the finest quality, but his flattery was also perfectly pitched, making it quite agreeable.

He shed his outer robe, tossing it casually onto a chair, intending to retire immediately.

The matter he had agreed to with Roton was not something he dwelled on.

Using memory magic on an ordinary person was, for him, a trivial effort.

He hadn’t even bothered to note the name of the merchant’s maid.

The information presented by a servant was given a cursory glance before being cast into the fireplace’s flames.

Just an ignorant girl, unworthy of his considerable attention.

His reason for staying in Leao City—besides its sufficient tranquility—was Roton’s promise to spare no expense in procuring various magical materials, including even the body parts of high-tier magical beasts, which were notoriously difficult to acquire on the market.

These materials were all intended to aid his research into calculus and the electromagnetic theories pioneered by his ‘great idol, Miss Lia Farrien.’

Those theories were immensely profound, and many experiments required specialized materials for support.

Just as he was about to enter his bedroom, an alchemical device in his study suddenly glowed with a soft white light.

It was a magical message.

He instantly sobered, his tipsiness dissipating by more than half.

This communication device was directional, connected to only one place.

The capital, his teacher Horace’s mage tower.

Maas quickly entered the study and activated the device.

Light converged, and a sheet of parchment, formed from pure magic, materialized and hovered in mid-air.

Upon it was Horace’s flamboyant, scrawled handwriting, tinged with a hint of exasperation.

–Maas! You good-for-nothing lout!–

The letter began with an unceremonious curse, to which Maas was long accustomed.

–What are you loafing about in a backwater like Leao City for all day? Claiming you’re ‘seeking inspiration’! I swear, your brain must be clogged with country dust! Don’t think I don’t know—you’re just trying to be lazy!–

–Let me tell you, that little girl you idolize, your great idol Miss Lia Farrien, is heading your way right now! She’s coming back to Leao City for the New Year!–

Maas’s breath hitched.

‘My idol… Miss Lia Farrien… coming to Leao City?’

His heart began to pound violently, an overwhelming surge of euphoria washing over his entire being.

He continued reading.

–Don’t you constantly praise her calculus as the language of the gods? Didn’t you declare her electromagnetic induction a groundbreaking discovery? Well, now, the very pioneer of those theories is coming to your territory!–

–I’m warning you, you will greet her with the highest honors! If she suffers even the slightest grievance, or if she thinks the students taught at my mage tower are all imbeciles like you, I’ll come to your house myself and break your legs with a stool!–

–Also, I’ve just received a new paper co-authored by her and Master Klein. I’ve been poring over it for hours, and I’m at a loss for words to describe it! All your previous research pales in comparison to her work! You had better make a good impression! Even learning a tiny fraction from her would benefit you for a lifetime! But if you dare to slight her, you’ll regret it forever!–

At the letter’s end, Horace’s handwriting was even distorted, a testament to his agitation.

The magical parchment slowly dissolved into the air.

Maas stood rooted to the spot, utterly motionless, as if turned to stone.

After a long moment, he sharply drew in a breath, his face erupting in a fervent mix of delirium and excitement.

‘Miss Lia Farrien is coming to Leao City!’

‘His idol, the legendary young woman who single-handedly propelled two major factions within the mage world forward, was actually coming to this remote border town!’

‘Roton’s request? That merchant’s trivial domestic affair?’

‘All of it was utterly forgotten.’

‘While a merchant’s offerings were certainly important, what was a mere sum of money compared to personally meeting his idol, and perhaps even having the chance to seek her guidance?’

‘He had to prepare meticulously!’

Maas paced back and forth in his study, a whirlwind of thoughts swirling in his mind.

He rushed to a wardrobe, pulled open its doors, and gazed at the several mage robes hanging within, his brow furrowed in concentration.

‘What should he wear? A magnificent robe befitting his status as a five-ring mage, or a simple, humble attire that would better convey a scholar’s modesty?’

He then hurried to the window, peering towards the city gates.

‘Where should he greet her? Should he wait respectfully at the city entrance? Or ought he to go beyond the city walls in advance, waiting on the road to demonstrate his sincerity?’

‘Did he need to prepare a welcoming gift? What kind of gift could possibly be worthy of her stature? A rare magical gem, or perhaps a manuscript of his latest research findings?’

‘No, absolutely not. His research would be utterly embarrassing in front of his idol!’

Maas felt his head was about to explode.