The one who boarded was none other than Aaron. Apart from him, there wasn’t a second person in the academy who would dare—or even bother—to do something like this.
He looked like he was heading out for a leisurely outing, exuding an air of relaxation from head to toe, and cheerfully nodded at the group of students.
Of course, this was the clean, tidy version of Aaron. If they’d seen him in the lab, no one would ever associate him with the word “relaxed.”
“What were you all talking about just now? Go on—don’t mind me.”
The five tower challengers stared at Aaron with stiff expressions, inwardly complaining: Your presence is so overwhelming, how can we possibly just ignore you?
The embarrassing sight of the instructor getting nudged aside just now—they’d managed not to laugh out loud, which was already a success in facial expression management.
They’d been about to shout some rousing slogans along with the instructor, but forget it—the mood was gone now.
“A—RON!”
The instructor had already steadied himself—he’d only stumbled a little, really. But this was mainly about face! His face flushed red as he gritted out the name.
“What’s the matter? Need me to help you stand?” Aaron acted like nothing had happened.
The lead instructor took a deep breath to calm himself. “What are you doing here? This is the special carriage for the Magic Discourse Tower challenge—it’s not a playground for you to mess around in.”
“I know. I’m here to see my student off. Wouldn’t want her to get ostracized for being too exceptional.” Aaron sat down calmly in the seat next to Lily.
The lead instructor and the five students all wore strange expressions: Ostracized for being too exceptional? Are you serious?
“Fine. Suit yourself.” The lead instructor coldly tossed out those words, found a seat at random, and didn’t continue arguing with Aaron.
He was actually a member of the Magic Research Association and had a grudge against Aaron, which was why he’d shown obvious disregard for Lily from the very start.
If Aaron wanted to back Lily up, let him. The one who’d end up losing the most face would be Aaron himself.
The core purpose of giving Lily the spot in the first place was to humiliate Aaron! Aaron tagging along would only make the effect better!
What’s more, with Aaron coming along, if First Academy’s tower results ended up disappointing, he could pin the blame for “poor leadership” on Aaron. After all, Aaron was more famous than him, right?
Let him have his moment of smugness for now!
The carriage wheels, driven by wind magic, accelerated silently and rose into the air, speeding toward the center of the Holy City.
But the atmosphere inside the carriage was somewhat strange.
Lily didn’t care what the others were thinking. She spoke softly, “Professor, why are you here?”
She hadn’t expected Aaron to show up!
Aaron had always taken a hands-off approach with Lily. If she had questions or trouble, she could come to him—but he wasn’t her babysitter, and he wouldn’t manage every little thing.
Judging by how he was in the lab, he often wouldn’t even say a word to her—just a “do whatever you want” attitude.
And for Lily, this minor ostracism was nothing! Even if they went a bit further, Lily was confident she could handle it on her own. She hadn’t planned to tattle at all.
But Aaron had come on his own without warning. And he wasn’t naturally that smug and cheeky—he’d just noticed the lead instructor’s attitude toward Lily and deliberately “shoved back” in return.
Honestly, Lily was a little touched. Aaron seemed to be saying: Whether you need it or not, this is where I stand.
“It’s not like I have money, and my experiments are stalled anyway. I came out to look for some opportunities.” Aaron also answered quietly.
The few credits Lily had invested hadn’t made a single ripple. The tiny bit of materials they’d bought were burned through in no time.
With that, Aaron even winked at Lily, conveying a “you know what I mean” look.
Lily’s expression went flat. The little flicker of gratitude she’d just felt vanished in an instant.
She definitely understood what that wink meant: I’ve got your back—now you earn credits and support me!
If Lily performed well in the tower, the credit rewards she’d get would definitely exceed what she’d earned from publishing an article! Aaron could then skim a little off the top from her.
Lily couldn’t help thinking: With this high a price tag, maybe I’d be better off without the backup. Can I take it back? Hey, lead instructor—believe me! I’m not that close to this sly old geezer! Feel free to kick him off the carriage!
Holy City Center.
The wind carriage descended slowly and came to a smooth stop.
Waves of noise nearly drowned Lily.
This wasn’t an arena with spectator stands, but the area around the Magic Discourse Tower was a massive square—large enough to cover nearly half of First Academy.
The ever-standing Magic Tower never lacked pilgrims. Today was a weekend and the annual tower challenge day—of course the scene was bustling.
Lily saw all sorts of wind carriages and horse-drawn carriages weaving through, vendors hawking their wares, and a few familiar faces.
Avril, Ray, Chris, and others were all there. They hadn’t earned tower challenge spots this time, but for such a grand mage gathering, they had to come and broaden their horizons.
Especially for Avril—this was a prime opportunity to expand her business. Whether it was students from the other two academies or just ordinary passersby, they were all her targets!
Too bad that outside the academy, Avril didn’t have much of an advantage.
The Magic Holy City had been established for years—what mature industry chain didn’t it have? Betting pools on wins and losses were no exception.
Every year during the tower challenge, the other schools already had a clear read on which academies had which seeded players and which ones had a shot at better results—their betting pools were far larger than Avril’s.
This only made Avril grit her teeth in determination: My Gold Coin Club will take their place sooner or later!
“The First Academy challengers are here!”
As Lily and the others stepped off the carriage, a shout went up from the crowd.
As each person descended, someone in the know would introduce the corresponding challenger’s info.
“Carter, recently advanced to high-tier mage, a gifted talent First Academy has been cultivating heavily, strong combat ability… but I don’t think he has an advantage in the tower.”
“Phyllis, vice president of the Magic Research Association, recently advanced to high-tier, a talent earmarked by the New Federation—she’ll likely achieve the best result for First Academy this year, but I don’t think she can beat Holy Academy’s contestants…”
“This one? This one looks like a new face—haven’t heard of her before. A secret weapon First Academy arranged?”
Only when it came to Lily did most people draw a blank: Who’s this?
Many scoffed at the “secret weapon” talk. If she were really that exceptional, how could she have no reputation at all?
“Heh, First Academy isn’t scraping the bottom of the barrel just to fill spots, are they?”
But soon, no one cared about Lily anymore. Aaron behind her had stolen everyone’s attention.
“Isn’t that… Aaron? Aaron Lewis—the genius who was supposed to become the youngest legendary mage! Why’s he here?”
“Alright, alright—that was ages ago. How many years has it been since that ‘genius’ made any name for himself? Even if he’s here, he can’t participate in the challenge—he’s an instructor, and the spots are for students.”
“I heard he took on a student this year, and that student made a big splash—published an article in Elementary Magic Theory right after enrolling. Could his student be that blonde girl in front?”
“That’s her. But don’t get your hopes up—she just enrolled and never had a formal magical education before. So what if she’s got a little talent?”
“Then how’d she get the spot?”
“Simple. First Academy’s been going downhill these past two years. If everyone else is too mediocre, might as well throw in a freshman—get lucky and maybe create a miracle. If the results end up bad, it’s not as embarrassing either.”
“Sigh, First Academy’s culture is terrible—all they care about is raking in money. How can they nurture any talent? Might as well rename it ‘Money-Grubber Academy.’ Look at that Avril—all she thinks about is business. The higher-ups set the example…”
There were also people from First Academy in the crowd—how could they tolerate outsiders slandering their school like this? A verbal brawl broke out immediately!
“Oh, look who’s talking—a lackey from Holy Academy? Still standing up straight to speak? I thought over there you’d all be used to bowing and scraping by now.”
“Poor sods from United Academy, keep your distance. Money-grubbing is still better than being broke and resourceless. When was the last time your dorms got renovated? Your robes are still so tacky…”
No one held back—they went straight for each other’s sore spots.
Of course, the war of words didn’t escalate into actual combat.
Within the Holy City, attacking others was forbidden without special circumstances—magical attacks carried even harsher penalties. Everyone knew the rules.
At this moment, Lily had no mind to pay attention to the onlookers. Because almost as soon as they got off the carriage, they came face-to-face with the delegations from the other two academies—and the tense atmosphere was no less intense than the crowd’s.
First Academy’s challengers stood scattered, without forming a “core.” They were familiar with each other, sure, but neither Carter nor Phyllis had enough leadership to rally everyone.
The other two academies, however, had clear captain-like figures leading their teams.
Leading Holy Academy was a young man with fiery red hair, his features somewhat resembling Chris’s, but built more ruggedly.
This was the second prince of the Kingdom of Ryan—about to graduate, already a high-tier mage, and a hot favorite to achieve the best tower results this year.
United Academy’s five challengers, meanwhile, clustered around a determined-looking female student named Rita—also about to graduate and already a reserve member of the Holy City Guard.
The group carried themselves with high morale. It was no surprise that United Academy always seemed more united than the other two.
First Academy wasn’t necessarily weaker in reality. But when their auras clashed, the fragmented First Academy team came up slightly short.
The First Academy lead instructor’s expression soured.
Even though he’d planned to shift the blame to Aaron if things went wrong, there was a saying: don’t lose the battle before it’s even fought. He didn’t want his academy to start at a disadvantage from the get-go! That could affect the challengers’ performance!
The lead instructor shot Aaron a meaningful glance: Your student’s here too—figure out a way to save the situation!
He and Aaron didn’t get along, but he had to admit—Aaron had the chops to handle this kind of scene. If nothing else, Aaron’s talent for stirring things up was second to none! If the atmosphere got completely muddled, there’d be no room for a momentum play.
Aaron covertly held up a five-fingered hand toward him.
The lead instructor’s face darkened even further. Aaron, you absolute scoundrel!
He held up two fingers.
Aaron didn’t bother haggling further—after all, he was part of First Academy too. He poked Lily from behind.
Lily did the same, covertly holding up one finger.
Aaron nodded.
Lily stepped forward calmly, her smile radiant. “Oh? A special welcome for me? You guys are too polite. We at First Academy don’t stand on such ceremony.”
She walked right through the lines of United Academy and Holy Academy, nodding to each side in turn. Anyone watching would have thought she was some big-shot leader inspecting her subordinates.
The members of both academies wore strange expressions.
A beginner mage—what does she take us for? Subordinates? You’ve got some nerve!
They could barely suppress the urge to throw a punch!
But Lily remained completely unfazed.
Suppress it or not, you still have to hold back! Never mind the city guards who could show up at any moment—with Aaron standing behind her, did she really have to worry about them making a move?
If she wanted to be really petty, the moment they threw a punch, she’d just collapse to the ground and refuse to get up without at least a thousand credits in compensation.
This kind of pressure didn’t faze Lily at all. It wasn’t even as intense as the pressure from the instructors during her practical assessment when she’d beaten Chris—back then, they’d suspected her of using dark magic.
Lily casually waved at Carter and the others behind her. “What are you all standing around for? Hurry up and follow! If they’re lining up to welcome us, we should at least show them some courtesy. First Academy isn’t that arrogant.”
Yes—it wasn’t just the other two academies that had been stunned speechless by Lily’s move; First Academy’s own challengers were also dazed.
Who would’ve thought the weakest one here would step up? You’re that bold—aren’t you afraid of getting beaten up?
But Lily’s reminder snapped Carter and the others back to reality: The instructors are all here—what’s there to be afraid of? Let’s just steal the spotlight first!
The other five quickly fell in line.
At first glance, it looked as if Lily had become the core of First Academy.
First Academy’s first member entered the tower.
Seeing this, Holy Academy and United Academy couldn’t be bothered with the momentum game anymore—they swiftly slipped inside as well.
Outside the Magic Tower.
The Holy Academy instructor let out a light laugh. “First Academy really has no one left? Putting a freshman—a beginner mage—in the lead.”
“Holy Academy has no one left? Putting you in charge when you haven’t even figured out basic magic? Spend less time playing hierarchical power games and more time on actual magical research.” Aaron shot back without missing a beat.
The Holy Academy instructor’s smile vanished.
First Academy’s lead instructor simply pretended he didn’t exist.
Aaron really was insufferable—but when he was making someone else’s life miserable, it felt great!
The United Academy instructor glanced at Aaron. “Aaron, talk is cheap. In the end, what matters for a mage is real strength. If you let your student act this flashy without the skills to back it up, you’re doing her a disservice! Some people would love nothing more than to use you both as pawns.”
Aaron smiled. “You make a fair point. But the thing is—my student really does have talent. She’s got a touch of my own glory from back in the day.”
Everyone could only scoff at his unshakable confidence.
“Don’t believe me? Let’s make a bet.”
“Not betting with a pauper.” The Holy Academy instructor shut Aaron down with one line.
Who doesn’t know you’ve got no research results to show and are on the verge of bankruptcy?
Aaron was momentarily stumped, but quickly regained his nonchalant demeanor. “I’m out of money, sure—but I have my lab.”
“That’s the academy’s property!” First Academy’s instructor, forgetting his grudge with Aaron for a moment, quickly pulled him back.
Are you crazy? You’d stake your lab on a bet?!
“Relax. I made an agreement with Lady Emma—all my research materials and results belong to me personally. I have the right to decide their fate. And those are the most valuable things in the lab, aren’t they?”
Aaron had consumed so much that there wasn’t much useful material left in his lab anyway—so aside from the space itself, the most valuable assets were the records themselves.
Sure, Aaron had failed countless times and wasted years, but that didn’t mean his failed research was worthless. They all knew what he’d been studying—time magic, something that would shake the world if he ever got results!
If they could follow his path…
The instructors from United Academy and Holy Academy exchanged glances, their eyes flickering with interest.
“How do you want to bet? On average scores?”
“No. I bet my student Lily will outshine everyone! Of course, my research records are hard to put a price on—you’ll have to offer up something equally good in return.”
“Ha. Just a bunch of failed attempts. How much value could they possibly have? Don’t try to pull one over on us.”
“Take it or leave it.” Aaron kept that same attitude.
The instructors from United Academy and Holy Academy exchanged another look, both thinking the same thing: Deal.
Meanwhile, First Academy’s instructor was frantically messaging his colleagues and the dean: Aaron has completely lost his mind!
Aaron gazed at the tower ahead, a knowing smile on his lips.
My foolish student—I didn’t come all this way just to skim a little off your earnings. A few words, and the other academies’ instructors are practically throwing money and resources at me. What is true strength? This is true strength.
But Lily—you’d better come through! Your dear instructor’s entire livelihood is riding on you now!
Inside the Magic Tower, Lily suddenly let out a massive sneeze.