Next morning.
Leo struggled to pull off Lucrezia, who was clinging to him like an octopus and smearing drool on his pajamas. Amidst a flurry of sleepy grumbles, a new day began.
After a simple breakfast, the team split into two groups.
Vespa and A-Ling were responsible for gathering intelligence.
Meanwhile, Leo took Lucrezia to the Mage Association in Worcester City, preparing for his mage rank certification.
The Mage Association was located in the wealthy district of the city.
Compared to the Adventurer's Guild, which was filled with the smell of sweat, alcohol, and low-grade tobacco, this place was clearly much more "noble" and much quieter.
The pointed Gothic building was constructed entirely of white magic stone, shimmering faintly under the sun.
There were no fierce guards at the entrance; instead, two gargoyles stood there. Although they didn't move, their crimson stone eyes followed the passersby.
A faint scent of incense and expensive magical ink filled the air.
Most of the people coming and going wore high-quality robes and walked with hurried steps, their faces carrying the specific reservedness—or rather, arrogance—of intellectuals.
"Keep your head down, and don't look around,"
Leo reminded her in a low voice.
At this time, Lucrezia was wearing a slightly oversized gray apprentice robe—a disguise Leo had specially bought for her.
She had carefully tucked her conspicuous silver hair into the hood, revealing only half of her exquisite face. She even held a few thick magic books for show, looking exactly like a little sidekick.
"I know, I know... So naggy!"
Lucrezia muttered dissatisfiedly, tightening her grip on the books. She still couldn't help complaining:
"But... why do I have to play your sidekick? I am... cough, anyway, why do I have to serve you like a laborer?"
"Not willing? Alright then."
Leo stopped, rubbed his chin, and looked regretful:
"Tsk, I should have asked A-Ling instead. At least she's eye candy. Should I go back and swap now?"
"Don't you dare!!!"
Lucrezia instantly bristled, her cheeks puffing up like a pufferfish. Her red eyes went wide as she hissed like a cat whose tail had been stepped on:
"What does that cow demoness know about magic! Her buttons would just burst if she wore a mage robe! That's a desecration of the occult! It's shameless! It's scandalous!!"
She grabbed Leo's sleeve and hugged the books tightly, as if afraid they would be taken away:
"You're not allowed to go! I'll carry them! I'll be your most loyal, cutest, and most knowledgeable apprentice, okay? Shut up! Don't mention that woman again!"
Looking at the instantly obedient Lucrezia, an "all according to plan" smile curled on Leo's lips.
"Fine, fine, you're the cutest."
Lucrezia's puffed-up face turned red. She huffed angrily, then obediently lowered her head and followed behind Leo. However, under the thick hood, she was still constantly mumbling curses against a certain "cow demoness."
Just then.
"Hyah—!!"
A sudden and arrogant sound of galloping hooves rang out!
A luxuriously decorated, wildly styled black carriage completely ignored the "No Speeding" signs on the street, charging toward Leo and Lucrezia like an out-of-control beast!
The carriage was clearly doing this on purpose, crashing through without any intention of yielding!
"Watch out!"
Leo was quick-witted. He grabbed Lucrezia by the waist and used 【Blink】 to jump to the side.
"Whoosh!"
The carriage roared past, almost brushing their clothes. The gust of wind even blew off Lucrezia's hood.
"Hey! Are you blind?! Do you know how to drive—mph!"
Lucrezia steadied herself, her princess temper instantly flaring. She opened her mouth to curse.
But the next second, when she saw the gold-embossed double-headed eagle-lion crest on the carriage, her cursing stopped abruptly.
Her expression changed. She quickly pulled Leo's sleeve and lowered her voice, analyzing at high speed:
"Wait! Don't be impulsive. That's the Felton family crest!"
"One of the top noble houses in the Solan Empire. However..."
Lucrezia narrowed her eyes, looking at the carriage's specifications:
"Judging by the style, though they are Feltons, it shouldn't be one of the core direct heirs. This carriage model is three years old, and there's only one maid as an attendant... Probably a marginal figure from a side branch."
Leo gave her a surprised look.
Not bad. As expected of someone from the royal family, her observational skills and information reservoir were indeed top-notch.
However, the person in the carriage had no intention of apologizing.
The cold and elegant maid acting as the driver pulled the reins and glanced down at them.
That gaze was as indifferent as if she were looking at two stones by the road.
Clearly, Lucrezia's quiet analysis hadn't escaped her ears.
"Heh, for a mere apprentice, you certainly know a lot."
The maid's voice was cold, carrying a hint of warning:
"Keep your apprentice in check. If she dares to be disrespectful again, don't blame me for being unkind."
"You...!"
Lucrezia was fuming. She was about to retort, "Who is this guy's apprentice! I'm ten thousand times more noble than your master," but Leo pressed down on her shoulder.
"Apologies."
Leo glanced indifferently at the maid, his face showing no emotion. He pulled Lucrezia and proactively retreated into the shadows of the roadside.
The maid looked with some surprise at this sensible man. She didn't say more and drove the carriage to stop directly at the association's main entrance.
"..."
Lucrezia's body stiffened.
She looked up at Leo, then touched her hood, suddenly clearing her head.
'Right... I'm a wanted criminal now...'
'In the past, even nobles of this level would have to bow when they saw me... Now I'm being humiliated by a maid...'
She bit her lip hard, swallowing her grievances and curses. However, in those red eyes hidden under the hood, a trace of resentment flashed.
At this moment, the carriage door opened.
"They didn't make a scene with us?"
A voice, somewhat jarringly coarse, came from the carriage.
"No, Young Master. They stepped aside," Helena answered flatly.
"Tsk! How boring!"
With a complaint, a thick leg wearing a white sock stepped out, its muscle lines almost bursting the fabric.
Then, a burly man with a buzz cut, a round face, a bushy beard, and a neck thicker than Lucrezia's waist squeezed out of the carriage.
He wore an extremely exquisite mage robe and held a staff embedded with a massive gemstone.
But this outfit looked awkward on him no matter how you looked at it.
Rather than a mage, he looked more like a berserker who had just come off a wrestling mat and happened to grab a mage robe to throw on.
Kevin Felton.
"If it weren't to find that bookworm Alexei, who would come to such a rural suburb? No fun at all."
Kevin waved his staff impatiently, creating a whistling sound of wind:
"If I'd known, I would've gone to the Barrens to wrestle demi-humans, or to the Elven Kingdom to try something new. Anywhere would be better than here."
"We're already here, so stop complaining. Let's go, Master Kevin." Helena was clearly used to her master's behavior.
The two of them arrogantly blocked the association's main entrance with the carriage and turned to walk inside.
"Hey! You can't park here! You..."
A low-level association clerk ran over aggressively, intending to scold them.
Slap!
A crisp sound.
That Young Master Kevin, who looked more like a berserker than a mage, backhanded him. The slap sent the clerk spinning three times in place.
"Shut up! You're too noisy!"
Kevin didn't even look at the man. He casually pulled a gold coin from his robe and flicked it at the man's face like trash.
"Take it to buy medicine. Keep the change as a tip. Keep an eye on my carriage. If a single bit of paint chips off, I'll tear your bones apart."
Having said that, he swaggered into the main gate.
As for the clerk who had been furious a moment ago, the instant he saw the gold coin on the ground, he covered his swollen face and his back bent instantly. He picked up the coin with a fawning expression:
"Understood! Please go ahead, sir! I'll definitely keep a good eye on your carriage! Even if my own father came, he wouldn't be allowed to touch it!"
...
Watching this scene, Lucrezia's brows furrowed tightly.
"Small fry, how about... we go in later?"
Lucrezia looked at Leo. Although she wouldn't admit defeat, her words were genuinely considering Leo's safety:
"That guy looks like a troublemaker. It'll definitely be chaotic inside."
"Why don't we... come back later? Or another day? There's no need to run into trouble now."
If this had been in the past, she would have rushed up to teach that muscle-bound brute a lesson.
It had to be said that this period of life on the run had indeed changed this princess quite a bit.
"It's fine."
Leo watched Kevin's departing back, which looked like a mountain of meat. Instead of being angry, a meaningful smile curled on his lips.
"Come on, let's go in too."
"Hey, hey, hey! Didn't you hear what I said? That guy..." Lucrezia grew anxious and tried to pull him back.
"Use that little pig brain of yours and think about it. If you figure it out, there's a reward."
Leo ignored her, grabbed Lucrezia's wrist, and walked in with large strides.
Are you kidding?
Go in later?
He was just worrying about how to pull off some covert maneuvers under everyone's watchful eyes.
Then this arrogant muscle-bound bro shows up. Once he's inside, he'll definitely cause a ruckus and draw everyone's attention.
This was simply a god-sent smoke screen!
If he didn't go in now to fish in troubled waters, when would he?
"You guy! Honestly..."
Lucrezia stamped her foot in anger but could only follow helplessly.
Rate on N.U.
