Chapter 120: Betty

“Incredible! Donna actually has a faint white glow! I can confirm she absolutely had no contact with Magic in Cimali or on the cargo ship. All this must be related to the Wizard Apprentices in the fortress, possibly even Ace!”

Bayen did not rush to act. His age and the pursuit by the Merfolk had taught him the importance of patience. Donna’s residence was fixed, so tracking her would not be difficult.

…

The timeline returns to shortly after Borg entered the city. In a sunny, large bedroom on the second floor of the Fortress Chief Magistrate’s villa. Betty, the Chief Magistrate’s only daughter, lived here.

She had bright blonde hair styled in twin tails, a delicate face, a petite figure, and a matching lady’s outfit.

Her room was covered in dense rune arrays. Many of the layouts were unique. Everything looked normal when the arrays were not activated. As the only naturally Overdriven individual Ace had found in the entire fortress, Betty’s magical talent was exceptional.

“I finally took first place in this exam! I wonder which Wizard Apprentice keeps competing with me for the monthly exam’s top spot, making me only just manage to scrape together a thousand points now.”

“The world of Magic is so mysterious and so fascinating. Won’t I be too lonely exploring alone? I must bring my best friend Donna into the world of Magic too!”

She shouted this loudly in her room, completely ignoring whether anyone outside could hear.

With her shouting, one of the rune arrays in the room suddenly lit up, isolating the sound.

“A tiny little single-sided soundproofing rune array? How could that possibly stump a genius like Betty, hahaha!”

She seemed to have completely forgotten who spent nearly two weeks tearing out hundreds of hairs before successfully adapting the soundproofing rune array from the Grimoire’s template.

Betty’s room had two sections. The outer room was a typical lady’s room, spotless.

However, passing through a secret door hidden in the wardrobe led into a dark, inner room. It was utterly chaotic, filled with a strong smell of steel and animal grease.

Gears, pulleys, levers—none of these contraptions looked like something the current civilization could have developed. They were all inscribed with rune arrays that had clearly been modified multiple times. Everything was so unusual.

“The gigantic machinery described in the books of the former civilization will one day be recreated by my hands! When that happens, even the formidable Torch-Bearer will surely favor me, perhaps even taking me as a direct disciple!”

Betty stood amidst a pile of broken parts and scraps, letting out a laugh that sounded like a cry of defeat. Then, she dedicated herself to assembling her enchanted machinery.

According to the covenant, Wizard Apprentices are prohibited from casually revealing the secret of the pact. Violation can result in the ultimate penalty: being stripped of power and wisdom, turning them into an idiot.

Furthermore, unless under special circumstances, they are forbidden from using spells in public. Violation, depending on the severity, will result in penalties ranging from point deduction to the revocation of spell exchange privileges and study/examination privileges.

Therefore, the Wizard Apprentices in the fortress are generally very secretive. Although a few unlucky ones were discovered, the vast majority quietly study and research.

Due to the Grimoire’s notification function, the Wizard Apprentices in the fortress gradually became acquainted. Many apprentices with shared hobbies or research preferences formed regular gatherings.

Betty’s circle called itself the Enchantment Enthusiasts Research Group. Most of the apprentices in the group researched how to enchant weapons and items, with some also moonlighting in Enchanted Martial Arts research, attempting to combine it with enchanted weapons.

Only Betty’s research direction was unique: she aimed to recreate the machinery of the former civilization and create enchanted machinery. So far, she had not succeeded, only creating a pile of broken parts.

Ace’s research on enchantment was actually minimal. He had only created one Magic Weapon—the burning short sword “Emberlight.”

He had only created one enchanted item—the box used to store the mysterious light orb.

He wrote his rough philosophy on enchantment in the Grimoire, making it public on the fifth page (Magic Diary), hoping that some apprentice would research and achieve some results.

The process of enchantment Ace provided was very simple, divided into four steps.

First is Forging the Blank, which means preparing Mana-adaptive material, preferably Monster material, and conditioning it.

Second is Mana Cleansing, using a specific frequency to infect the magical material with one’s own Mana, then purifying it to remove the magical material’s inherent imprint.

Third is Elementalization, which is optional, limited to creating specific elemental items.

Fourth is the Enchantment itself: shaping the prepared magical blank and then inscribing the corresponding rune array onto it.

The most complex and fascinating part of this entire process is developing unique rune arrays. Every apprentice who develops a new, effective rune array receives a generous point reward.

This is why Betty can earn a large number of points just by studying, taking exams, and developing rune arrays without leaving her residence.

This situation is also Ace’s ideal scenario: Research Wizards can achieve sustainable growth purely through research, without engaging in combat. Combat Wizards rely on discovering new runes and sacrificing magical materials to earn points and purchase the research achievements of Research Wizards, forming a virtuous cycle.

Of course, this situation has been disrupted by the city-state’s actions. Ace already has a new plan: he will put the Wizard Apprentices through a trial.

All those who pass the trial will be admitted to the Wizard Academy he establishes and will call him Mentor.

Our gaze returns to Betty. She has used 1,000 points, combined with a reversed sacrifice ritual, to exchange for a brand new Grimoire.

“Donna is coming back soon. I must give her a huge surprise! There’s no need to envy the Noble Divine Descendants. We are the supernatural ones ourselves!”

Betty stomped on her bed, put her hands on her hips, and laughed loudly in her room, completely lacking any semblance of a lady.

Meanwhile, Borg brought the caravan to the marketplace. After settling things, he took Donna to the Chief Magistrate’s villa.

Borg thought about the past as he walked.

He and the Chief Magistrate were childhood friends. When they were young, their houses were next door to each other in the First District of the Royal City. They skipped classes and caused trouble together, forging a deep friendship.

The two families even made a pact: if they had a son and a daughter, they would arrange a marriage. Who knew both families would have only daughters? The two girls grew up to be sisters.

Later, the Chief Magistrate was promoted and sent to the Northern March Fortress, and their communication decreased. However, it was precisely because the Chief Magistrate was in the Northern March Fortress that Borg dared to transport salted fish from Cimali to the north.

Unknowingly, the two had reached the Chief Magistrate’s villa. Borg handed the prepared gifts to the servant and shared a tight hug with the Chief Magistrate.

“Good brother! You are in the Northern March now. Why bring gifts?” the Chief Magistrate said happily. Betty, wearing a floral lady’s skirt, held the hem of her dress and performed a very proper curtsy to Borg and Donna.

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