Surviving The Fourth Calamity

Nanali tilted her head a little, but she still understood what Aislin was warning her about: even though there were only the two of them in this underground passage, there were still people on Gilbert’s side watching.

That naturally could only be those two students... from the Hainarson Clan.

Nanali really hadn’t expected that even though Aislin clearly knew her conversation would be overheard by those two kids, she actually didn’t use any coercive means at all!

It definitely wasn’t a sudden attack of conscience; that woman didn’t have one.

Nor could it be because Archmage Ruth had said anything... that man had too much on his plate, there was absolutely no way he would pay attention to such a small problem.

”Didn’t expect Gilbert’s position in your heart to be so important.” She still wasn’t planning on getting straight to the point.

”You don’t need to test me. I can tell you, I am truly, seriously intimidated by that junior. I would absolutely not lightly do anything that might upset him.

So I hope you understand this as well: if Gilbert is someone who can scare me to the point I don’t even dare think about crossing him, what makes you think you can afford to?” Aislin, however, had no intention of playing any intrigue games with her: once you know kids are eavesdropping, any halfway decent elder would never let them see just how sinister they really are.

Besides, there’s a big difference between strategic planning and just running your mouth.

”Then rest assured, I don’t even plan on provoking the Hainarson Clan... aren’t your people the ones providing the manpower?” Nanali thought it over and still chose to cooperate with Aislin’s ”proper” style.

She really wasn’t very used to this Miss Aislin who seemed almost like a different person from the last time they met, but after all, she herself was the mother of two children; even if she usually looked indifferent, in the dark she still couldn’t help feeling that tug to take care of them a little, so she could more or less understand Aislin’s desire to maintain a radiant, glorious image in front of the juniors.

What truly shocked Nanali was that the ones Aislin so naturally regarded as juniors were Gilbert’s students.

As Archmage Ruth’s most beloved student, Aislin always looked down on the rest of her teacher’s students, let alone their students... most of the time she simply pretended they didn’t exist.

But when it came to Gilbert’s students, she so naturally treated them as ”her own people.”

That could only prove one thing: Archmage Ruth’s regard for Gilbert was several levels higher than even the rumors in the Tower of Dark Enigma claimed!

In that case, there were indeed some things she needed to be more cautious about.

”Rolando got a kind of Mental Power Potion from Prutt.” After pondering a moment, she spoke decisively. ”And there’s also a weakened apprentice version of it. He gave it to Felis... you should know that child; after all, some things, the moment I see them, I can tell your hand has been stirring the pot inside.”

”Oh? That special Apprentice Potion from Sia Tower?” Aislin straightened her back. ”The one that’s said to be from the same lineage as that miraculous Potion, and can slowly digest the backlash over time, that good stuff?

How did it work?”

”Felis said, very badly.” Nanali gave the obviously-asking-what-she-already-knew Aislin a cold smile. ”He did indeed become a High-level Apprentice very quickly, but... he doesn’t dare to continue meditation at all anymore.”

”What do you mean? Wasn’t it said that...”

”People from Sia Tower introduced this Potion as something where, after taking it, you must keep meditating, using spiritual power to crush and fuse any possible Crystallized Substances that appear into your Mental Sea, so that it will not affect your future progression at all, right?”

”Right, and it’s even endorsed by some Archmages who have taken the Potion.” Aislin nodded without hesitation.

”But Felis says he feels that doing that would be extremely dangerous.” Nanali said softly. ”I don’t know if it’s because he harbors some resentment toward Rolando that makes him feel this way, but... since he does, I feel it’s worth testing.”

”Hm?” Aislin suddenly stood up. ”So apprentices are actually more sensitive to this Potion?”

”Makes sense... an apprentice’s spiritual power is originally the freshest, the most active, something that can change with a flick of the wrist.” She couldn’t help pacing back and forth. ”How did I never think of that?”

”Probably because this kind of Potion isn’t something just anyone can get their hands on?” Nanali couldn’t help reminding her. ”Special Potions from Sia Tower, used on apprentices—who could bear to?”

Even if that Potion was originally tailored specifically for apprentices, no one would want to spend money on it, right?

Unless it was a buy-one-get-one-free.

But an ordinary Mage, even if they got that free one, wouldn’t bear to give it away to anyone for nothing, including their own children.

Yet it was, after all, only a Potion that could turn a Mid-level Apprentice into a High-level Apprentice; trying to sell it at full price would be a bit difficult too.

This kind of chicken-rib item would, from time to time, end up as a keepsake gathering dust in a warehouse—too reluctant to use, too reluctant to give away, but still useless.

So Nanali absolutely wasn’t worried about Aislin being unable to obtain similar Potions; she only hesitated a little before asking, ”Do you have your own stock?”

Aislin cast a light glance at the beautiful woman sitting with textbook-perfect posture: Nanali was indeed a wise woman. After hearing from her how hard Gilbert was to handle, she immediately grasped the importance of Hainarson.

And she could instantly understand that Felis, as he was now, must not have anything happen to him... that child didn’t receive better treatment in his clan, so his decision to come out and follow his birth father was actually quite common in this world. At the very least, even though everyone knew what their relationship was, Felis still addressed Rolando as ”teacher.”

Moreover, his covert cooperation with them proved that he still preferred to make himself into a Hainarson.

And although the Hainarson Clan had, under pressure from all sides, allowed Felis to act as he wished, they had not actually expelled him from the clan yet!

But what was most important was the attitude Aislin had shown toward Gilbert’s two students... especially when she had personally used the term ”two little friends,” which included the overlooked Carpenter as well.

Felis’s current situation was indeed quite awkward, but being ruined by Rolando was one thing. Ending up in a miserable state because he cooperated with them, however, was something else entirely.

Nanali only wanted to deal with Kamente Tower; her own life was also weighed on the Scales. But she still had scruples: when her two children, after discovering her secret, had unhesitatingly chosen to stand on her side, Nanali had never again been able to suppress her motherly love for them.

If she truly were someone without feelings, she wouldn’t be staking her life on revenge.

Nanali would definitely not leave such a huge hidden danger for her children.

So she almost immediately began to worry that Aislin’s obvious intention to start an Apprentice Potion experiment would expose Felis’s role in all this.

As of now, he was the only one in the Tower of Dark Enigma who had taken this Potion.

”I’m not stupid.” Once Aislin understood where the concern in Nanali’s voice came from, she immediately answered irritably, ”For the sake of all these years of reasonably decent cooperation between us, I’ll give you one reminder.

Gilbert is indeed a bit mad, but he’s the kind of mad that’s extremely rational.

Once he finds something that displeases him, he’ll investigate the entire cause and effect, clarify everyone’s role in it, and only then start his layered payback.

Don’t think you can just shove the blame onto Rolando, or even Kamente Tower.

Once Gilbert is sure you did something in it... he doesn’t even need any evidence; as long as he feels you did it, then as far as he’s concerned, you did it, and he will definitely make you pay back principal plus interest.

Don’t expect me to help you. When the time comes, I, the one who cooperated with you and even sent Felis into the Wolf’s Den, won’t be able to protect myself either.

Don’t look at me like that.

You don’t seriously believe the rumors outside, that I’m Archmage Ruth’s most cherished student or some such bullshit, do you?

Our teacher has only ever truly valued one thing: Magic. The ones he appreciates are always and only those students who can carve out their own path on the road of Magic, who can even bring him a flash of Aura.

It’s true I hold a lot of real power, and even someone as wise as Gilbert will give me face and follow my directions... but that’s only because they feel they have no objections to what I’m asking.

If they truly don’t want to do something, if they refuse to give me face, all I can do is swallow it myself.

My authority comes from my teacher, not from myself, and that is my biggest problem.

It’s just that, since I see no future on the Mage’s path, I can only use this method to maintain my power.”

A glimmer of moisture suddenly flashed at the corner of Nanali’s eye. ”But Archmage Ruth is willing to shield you, willing to trust you, as long as you really act for the good of your faction, isn’t that so?”

Aislin cut off her own long tirade. ”So you do, in fact, hate Nicholson quite a bit.”

”Otherwise why would I cooperate with you?” Nanali sneered.