Surviving The Fourth Calamity

Hilbert was confident in his defensive magic array. If there was something he didn’t want others to hear, there was absolutely no way it would get out.

However, Aislin had no need to perform this act in front of him since he could definitely figure it out.

He concentrated his gaze on Aislin... Could there be something wrong with those jingling accessories?

Aislin gave him a teasing smile, ”What, suddenly realizing that older sister is also a beauty?”

”Carpenter is a good girl,” Hilbert wasn’t planning to answer such a foolish question... Why do people like to use flirtations to divert attention? He coldly changed the topic, ”She also has good talents. I don’t want anything unnecessary to affect her future.”

”The illusion arts are something the teacher is quite focused on,” Aislin adjusted her posture on the comfortable sofa, crossing her legs and speaking seriously, ”He thinks that if our Tower of Dark Enigma could use an illusion array to mask the aura that once harmed a visitor from the Stellar Realm and was marked, then perhaps summoning meteors wouldn’t always fail~”

”Isn’t that supposed to be a joke?” Under those bright eyes’ threat, Hilbert quietly played along with a line.

”How could it be a joke?” Aislin’s squinting smile made Hill a bit dazed... Clearly, she looked like a black cat, but did leopard spots suddenly appear on her?

Then he suddenly shuddered: What kind of absurd combination is this?

As if drenched in cold water, Hill lost all interest and lazily leaned back in his recliner. ”Just remember not to cross my bottom line when doing things.

If Ulrich doesn’t feel it, then neither do I.”

Ulrich was easily soft-hearted and responsible. Although he disliked some people in the family, he wouldn’t watch family members die... But this child wasn’t that sensitive.

So Hill thought using him as the bottom line would suffice.

If something targeted at the Hainarson Clan could be so clear that even Ulrich could see it, then it meant that attacking the Hainarson Clan had been made clear and visible, and there would be no grievances in facing Gilbert’s retaliation.

This was originally a direct provocation against Gilbert, who clearly stood behind Hainarson.

But if some people within the Hainarson Clan were themselves willing to betray the family for some interests, or even split the family, then even if Gilbert himself were here, he wouldn’t bother with such trivial matters.

Moreover, the most crucial point is, with Gilbert’s chance of recovery now obviously increasing, who would still feel that leaving the family would yield greater benefits?

It must be those who had strongly refused when Gilbert’s brother had earnestly petitioned the family to share some of Gilbert’s burdens back then.

Only those who know what they’ve done would feel guilty to such an extent.

Aislin, of course, understood this, but she always hoped that the matter could be handled more perfectly... If some family members of Gilbert’s two apprentices chose to split away, the false information she tried to pass would seem more genuine.

But if Gilbert didn’t agree, there was nothing she could do, considering this junior was really daring... He definitely would retaliate against Aislin in the future without saying anything else, and she could still weigh what was more appropriate, but Gilbert was the type to flip the table on the spot! Announcing her schemes loudly to the world, blasting them through speakers for days on end.

Aislin would not make things difficult for herself in such a way.

Of course, she sneakily sought Gilbert’s opinion... If the families of those two apprentices still chose to succumb to outside temptations after being warned, then whatever Aislin wanted to do after that, Gilbert wouldn’t bother intervening.

As for whether the two apprentices would bear any grudge against Gilbert because of this... No matter how talented an apprentice, they’re only promising for the future.

Anyone reckless enough not to cherish having a teacher like Gilbert, well~ what kind of future could they have?

-----------------

Having received a satisfactory response, Aislin promptly took her leave, of course, she made sure to ask Hilbert when exactly he planned to repair his mental sea before departing.

Compared to those conspiracies and schemes, having another swiftly escalating force within the faction was the most crucial matter... Everyone understood that as soon as a mental sea heals, with Gilbert’s accumulated experience over the years, advancing to a Seventh Circle Mage wouldn’t take more than a few years.

Hill thought for a moment and still gave her a satisfactory answer: ”Russell should be able to advance to an official mage within three months.

Although I have been suppressing his advancement speed, his spiritual power is extremely pure and solid.”

Aislin paused for a moment before seriously asking, ”His defensive talents?”

”Russell has learned all the zero-circle spells, except necromancy, I don’t like that thing,” Hilbert replied, seemingly answering a different question.

Aislin blinked, ”He knows transformation spells entirely?”

Obviously, she didn’t care about necromancy, as hardly any proper teacher would let their students study necromancy when they’re just beginning to approach magic.

Unless the child grew up in a graveyard and depended on the wild fruits there for sustenance, already unable to learn anything else.

But transformation spells... if it is a talent inherited from the Defense Tower, then indeed those transformation spells are the ones they are least adept at.

The biggest trouble with people from the Defense Tower is that they insist on their individuality too much.

That’s a nature and disposition that can’t be hidden no matter what, otherwise, they wouldn’t be so easily caught by the Sia Tower... Leaving those who wanted to help them unresponsive—no, they were just surprised to blink, and the flaw was already revealed.

So back then, it was very normal that every magic tower on the continent was cursing the Defense Tower, regardless of the standpoint, it was a breaking point... Either a purely naive ally or an enemy with pure and dangerous force.

”Of course, and learned quite well,” Hilbert answered without batting an eye.

Russell had been ruthlessly studying transformation spells, even grasping a bit of the theory... Anyone observing him would think the child had a lot of talent.

”Ah~ that’s truly wonderful.” Aislin felt relieved: Since Gilber dared to say that, it meant that regardless of Russell’s inherent talent, it wouldn’t attract external attention.

That’s enough; their teacher wouldn’t really delve into details, as long as there’s an explanation for outsiders.

Gilbert indeed belonged to the type of student teachers favored; he handled things thoroughly.

”Once you settle the business with the Hainarson Clan, will you completely seclude the side tower?” Aislin smiled gently, ”You can leave the remaining issues to me.

Don’t worry, I absolutely won’t do anything that would displease you, I know how crazy you can be.”

Upon seeing Hilbert’s silent nod, Aislin left contentedly... If Gilbert was in seclusion, some things would be more conveniently arranged: there would always be those who see an opportunity.

-----------------

Hilbert stood by the window, watching Aislin’s departing figure with a furrowed brow... The Tower of Dark Enigma was more complicated than he had imagined.

He quickly scanned the various arrays of the Magic Tower to ensure that Aislin hadn’t done anything underhanded before nodding in satisfaction.

That woman’s way of doing things was a bit reckless; he couldn’t fully trust her words... even if she spoke sincerely.

As for the illusion magic array that Ruth wanted, from that little trace accidentally seen in Gilbert’s memory, Hilbert speculated he was striving to integrate the illusion magic array with the array for binding visitors from the Stellar Realm.

But doing it too obviously seemed like it was for show.

But when it came to illusions, the elder was still studying it seriously... Hill didn’t even need to think to know he was preparing to enter the Sia Tower.

After all, ever since the Defense Tower was completely wiped out by the Sia Tower, the foundational ideas of defensive formations popular in this world were undoubtedly mastered by the Sia Tower.

However, since this world’s defensive spells were too deeply influenced by the Defense Tower’s ideas, instead of slowly figuring out how to find new concepts... or possibly those hidden by the Defense Tower... it would be better to start from another angle.

Illusion techniques were indeed the most suitable.

They had subtle destructive power, yet the runes were complex enough and easily integrated into other formations.

Hill was considered proficient in this area; after all, he was highly skilled at making illusions real and even the reverse, making the real illusory.

So even with just a bit of a clue, he could deduce Ruth’s true aim... even those illusion runes already embedded into binding spells for visitors from the Stellar Realm could actually be applied to some defensive formations.

They seemed unrelated, but with a minor exchange, the property of the runes could rapidly change.

But without Hill’s level of understanding of magic arrays, no, you’d have to be at least stronger than Adrian to even vaguely perceive a little.