Chapter 277: Youth
“Lord Torch-Bearer, what do you mean?”
Caruso, with an eager impulse in his eyes, asked tentatively.
“We can give it a try. Use Milne as a pilot. In the heart of the most dangerous enemy’s rule, instigate their cornerstone of rule. Do you dare?”
Ace stared at Warren and Caruso, speaking each word clearly.
Caruso, who came from a background as a gladiator slave, loathed the rule of Divine Descendants. Coupled with being hunted like a stray dog by Divine Descendants in the monster hunter wilderness, he hated Divine Descendants to the bone.
Regarding the matter of undermining the Divine Descendants’ rule, he couldn’t wait to say, “What is there not to dare?”
Warren appeared slightly cautious. After thinking for a while, he replied:
“Currently, we operate on a two-headed model in the entire Milne. Caruso and I each hold half of the personnel roster, conducting isolated top-down single-line management. Even if one of us is wiped out, the other won’t be affected.
“I propose using one of the lines under my control for the experiment. Let’s start by distributing a few grimore on a small scale to test the waters.”
In Milne City, to conceal themselves, every Wizard Apprentice gave themselves a code name. Apart from the senior who recruited them, theoretically, no one knew their real name and identity.
If exposed, the most likely scenario was that their senior had also been exposed.
In the Ninth District of Milne City, hooligans, prostitutes, drunkards, fugitives, and gamblers all gathered here. This was the most chaotic place in Milne’s public security, known as Milne’s sewer. Even the wisest magistrate would respectfully decline to manage this place.
In a low, dark house in the southwest corner of the Ninth District, a large cellar had been corroded out by acid. Two people were speaking in low voices inside.
“Witte, this is an opportunity that only comes once every three years. You must seize it.”
A somewhat hoarse, magnetic middle-aged male voice said.
A moment of silence.
“Witte, what are you hesitating for? Can’t bear to leave that pretty Noble girl? You can have a fling with her, but you can never be together. You are a Wizard Apprentice; you can only hide in this filthy sewer, researching magic cautiously. Once discovered by the Punishers, you will be hanged on a withered tree outside the city.”
The hoarse voice sounded somewhat tired and angry. He panted heavily, trying hard to suppress his emotions, and continued speaking to the silent Witte in as gentle a tone as possible.
“You are the most talented Wizard Apprentice I have ever seen. You are a natural overdrive. In less than a year, you advanced from Lesser Apprentice to Mid-level Apprentice. Moreover, your thinking is agile. Brain-burning logic and dazzling mathematics are as simple to you as adding wood to a fire.
“You are my pride, Witte. The luckiest thing in my life was discovering you.
“Go to the High Tower. That is the true magical society. There, we are not rats in the gutter, but respected Wizard Apprentices. Bloodline will no longer be noble there; only knowledge and magic are respected.”
A very clear voice rang out in the cellar: “I also yearn for the High Tower. I also yearn to live under the sun. But I cannot leave here; I cannot leave Misha. Misha is different from those high-and-mighty Nobles. She is a simple and kind good girl. I want to be with her. Misha’s parents have already said that as long as I can become a Citizen, they are willing to marry Misha to me.”
The hoarse voice seemed angered by Witte. He panted heavily, taking deep breaths to keep himself calm instead of roaring.
“Consider it yourself. Miss this chance, and it’s another three years. But young people are like this; they don’t know to turn back until they hit a wall.”
Just then, the grimore of the hoarse voice suddenly became scalding hot. He transformed the grimore, which had been shaped into a pendant, back to its original form and looked at the text on the last page in silence.
“What happened, Mr. Turtledove?”
Witte asked somewhat doubtfully.
“Your chance has come, Witte.”
The hoarse voice showed the last page of the grimore to Witte and said with mixed feelings.
In the evening, the middle-aged Wizard Apprentice codenamed “Turtledove” guided Witte to use the existing grimore to exchange for a new grimore through the Equivalent Exchange Ritual.
Witte exchanged for the new grimore. It was engraved with dense straight lines, forming a complex and dizzying unknown pattern, which then flashed and disappeared. The cover only retained a six-pointed star pattern.
The cool touch, the smooth paper surface—Witte touched the grimore fondly, unable to put it down. This book would make him and Misha inseparable intersecting lines.
Mr. “Turtledove” looked at Witte and said seriously:
“Witte, I must tell you a fundamental principle. You must absolutely never expose your identity. No matter who you want to recruit as your junior, you cannot reveal your true identity. This is a principle summarized by countless Wizard Apprentices at the cost of their lives.
“You must choose a code name for yourself and learn the Lesser Facial Transformation Spell and Lesser Body Transformation Spell to shape a brand-new image for yourself. In two months, our sub-district will have an underground gathering. I hope you can make yourself unrecognizable to me.”
After finishing speaking, Mr. “Turtledove” wrapped his gray cloth robe around him, walked into the deep alley under the evening sunset, and quickly disappeared.
Three days later, Witte exchanged for and learned the Lesser Facial Transformation Spell and Lesser Body Transformation Spell from the grimore. He obtained a set of Citizen attire, a green robe with a red ribbon. His figure became robust and burly, with a full beard, as he walked towards Misha’s house as if no one else was around.
At night, Witte quietly threw the grimore into Misha’s boudoir and attached a temptation spell. Misha, who had just finished bathing, draped in a white gauze robe, walked back into the boudoir barefoot on the wooden floor.
“Annoying Witte, he hasn’t come to see me for three days. If he doesn’t come find me again, I… I will ignore him for a day.”
Misha pouted her rosy little mouth, her face full of unhappiness. Her expression was hesitant and conflicted. After a while, she seemed to make some huge concession and whispered coquettishly:
“If Witte dares to come tonight, I will ignore him for half a day.”
She was completely immersed in her little emotions, in no mood to pay attention to anything else.
Outside the window, Witte hid the green robe and red ribbon, transformed into a gray cat, and cast the Lesser Airiness Spell on himself. He stood nimbly on the branch outside, looking at Misha.
‘Misha is angry. She’s really too cute.’
The gray cat looked at his lover intoxicatedly, thinking in his heart.
Misha climbed to the head of the bed and took out a small conch from under the pillow. That was the birthday gift Witte gave her. Witte told her that if she had anything she wanted to say to him, she could say it directly to the conch, and Witte would hear it all.
She lay on the bed holding the small conch and whispered, “I miss my Witte so, so much. My Witte must become a Citizen quickly and then marry me.”
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