Surviving The Fourth Calamity

Ruth glanced at Aislin and couldn’t help but sigh, ”If you don’t change your greedy habits of wanting everything, what will you do in the future!”

He shook his head in frustration, ”You always say you’ll behave when you reach Sia Tower... Look at your performance during this period, is there any convincing evidence?

If you were truly going to behave, why did you deal with Gilbert?

When he poses a threat to you... we’re definitely heading to Sia Tower.”

Aislin clenched her fist, ”I know Gilbert is eager to recover, even risking himself before you return, to prepare for the move to Sia Tower.

But, teacher, Gilbert has become too smart and overly decisive.

The old him wouldn’t have easily allowed outsiders to make moves against the Hainarson clan; he couldn’t completely harden his heart.

Even though not every family member deserves his attention, he still shows reluctance to part.

But this time... he really didn’t care.

I never cared about Gilbert before because his weaknesses were too obvious, but this time, I cannot grasp any at all.”

Ruth was a bit exasperated, ”Why do you need to grasp his weakness? He’s your junior, not your enemy!

As long as you don’t attack him, would he have nothing else to do but to go against you?

Gilbert’s academic background as a mage, where exactly do you find threatening?”

”I don’t know...” Aislin said a bit wistfully, ”I really don’t know, but my intuition keeps reminding me...”

”Ah... Aislin, come on...” Norm Oliva, who had been silent at the sidelines, couldn’t hold back this time, ”Your intuition has always been trash, hasn’t it?”

”What did you say?” Aislin turned angrily to stare at him.

”Do you want me to recap your love declaration for you?” Oliva snorted coldly, ”By the way, it’s more than one passage.”

Aislin was speechless... In her naive and foolish phase, she indeed claimed that she believed the men she liked were heaven-sent true love or something... Nevertheless, they all turned out to be utterly worthless, not even a middle ground of true rubbish.

Oliva, as the only remaining senior older than her... had truly witnessed too much. The first ’true love’ was dealt with on the teacher’s orders.

Although Aislin is more grateful to her perceptive teacher for this matter, she’s not truly ungrateful, so the competition between her and Oliva has stayed somewhat benign.

Even occasionally hindering each other, their mouths won’t spare anyone, but absolutely not touching the other’s real vulnerabilities.

”So your intuitions are always the opposite, huh?” Oliva said unreservedly, ”Maybe it’s telling you that you’d have to count on Gilbert to save your life one day.

But, saying this now holds little meaning.

In my understanding of Gilbert, unless you’re lying at his feet before the teacher, he wouldn’t help you at all.

Not stepping on you directly is just because he still habitually maintains noble manners.

Haha~

How does that feel?

Think about it and rejoice~ Finally, a junior that will stand opposing you, just as you wished!

Aislin rolled her eyes at him, ”If I have to count on him to save my life, I’d rather die!

I’m Eighth Ring!

No matter how talented he is, it’s impossible for him to be on par with me within 50 years.

Moreover, won’t I progress?

Once at Eighth Ring, it’s about the accumulation of spells.”

”If both of you are Eighth Ring, you truly may not know more spells than him,” Ruth, who had been enjoying watching his two disciples bicker, suddenly chimed in with a smile.

”Teacher?” Oliva’s reaction to this comment was even more pronounced... The long-standing rivalry allowed him to know Aislin very well.

Although this lady’s progression speed has always been slow, and Ninth Ring seems distant, she is quite good at learning spells.

Quite the opposite from him.

Oliva’s advancement speed has always been pretty smooth, but learning spells has been somewhat challenging.

”The reason Aislin learns spells quickly is that her learning is too superficial.” Ruth pointed a finger at his disappointing female disciple, ”Eighth Ring, just managing to cast the spells, what’s the point?

Many Seventh Circle spells, once thoroughly researched, are definitely not inferior to Eighth Ring spells used without understanding.

Oliva does well in this regard; although he learns slowly, each spell is mastered thoroughly.

But... your biggest problem is always using spells according to your logic, not feeling the flavor of the Magic Rune itself... tut, you are by far the one who should be learning those standard runes Gilbert acquired!”

Oliva couldn’t help but scratch his head, ”I’m already learning them.

I was even thinking, that when Gilbert comes out, to ask him to write a large enough one for me to hang in the hall and look at every day.”

Aislin’s mouth involuntarily turned downward... That damn Oliva, he’s saying this deliberately to annoy her.

Just to irritate her, Gilbert would certainly help with this favor.

Ruth couldn’t be bothered to deal with them, since it’s just a small squabble.

There’s no way they would push each other to the extreme like those neighboring families... It’s pretty normal to trip your own people a bit, after all, everyone has selfish motives.

But to play your own people to death, that’s a real brain problem.

He always believed Tower Master Nicholson had quite good control over his students... People not completely trustworthy have their uses too, especially when heading to places like Sia Tower, these students who could be swayed as minions are the best source of information... Who would’ve thought they could send their own people to a dead end for mere interests!

So, subsequently, when Nicholson simply let those few end together, Ruth, although slightly regretful, could understand... Once they were accustomed to trading their own people’s blood for benefits, they wouldn’t stop, they even have their own truly valued children!

Tut~

Just to get accurate and quick news, there’s no need to take such a big risk.

It’s just a bit regretful: So many years cultivating, so many mage resources, with just barely adequate talent turned into Seventh Ring mages, still short-sighted.

You know, generally speaking, mages capable of overcoming the high-level barrier, usually have good foresight; no matter how selfish and malicious, they know what’s best for themselves... Those advancing without foresight, on the other hand, are harder to find.

However, though Seventh Circle Mages are precious, losing several doesn’t hurt Shady Tower’s core; rather, it makes their flawed decision-making image more plausible.

It’s not too much of a loss... Of course, this is mainly because it wasn’t his students who died, nor his resources lost.

Ruth raised his eyebrows slightly, ”Aislin, don’t clash with Gilbert anymore.

I promise Nicholson, not to compete for apprentices in the next 10 years, and Gilbert’s Russell is probably the most valuable among our batch of apprentices, cherish him.”

Aislin froze for a few seconds... but she actually knew that there have always been under-the-surface exchanges between her teacher and Nicholson... yet she really didn’t expect, Ruth, who always places importance on backup force, would be willing to give up apprentices.

Then, Oliva’s words interrupted her thoughts.

”Are you overthinking lately, burned out your brain?” Oliva laughed slyly twice, ”Gilbert’s Russell is already an official mage.

Tower Master Nicholson would surely wish to exchange a decade worth of apprentices for a Russell!”

Though he refrained from speaking too harshly in front of the teacher, both Ruth and Aislin understood what he’s implying... Their faction, in the past decade, had taken in over 50 apprentices, but only 1 became an official mage.

Two more might present chances... but in the mage world, possibilities sometimes verge on impossibilities.

Aislin managed a grin at Oliva that could only be described as a forced smile: ”He also has a Carpenter, reportedly with quite a talent for illusions.”

Ruth, who had been bored listening to his disciples bickering, softly said, ”Hmm? That girl?

Wasn’t she just a filler?”

”Only good at illusions,” Aislin promptly answered, ”Gilbert said her other talents are even worse than outskirts mages.

She hasn’t even mastered General Magic; she probably never tried illusions before.”

”Then, why did Gilbert let her start with illusions?” Oliva quickly seized the point, ”Isn’t the Hainarson supposed to start with Protection Spells?”

”Probably, when Russell was learning illusions, that girl tried it?” Ruth asked with a mischievous smile, ”The Hainarson clan is quite accustomed to the learning method of older kids leading younger ones.

Gilbert himself was raised by his elder brother.”