Chapter 3051 - 64: A Generous Gift Delivered to the Door

Chapter 3051: Chapter 64: A Generous Gift Delivered to the Door

When the Crowley Family’s envoy appeared at the door of Jini Cottage, Korma was in the middle of lecturing the North District Wizards who’d won commendations this month on several special applications of Baffi’s Brain Awakening Potion—since North District Wizards require external aids to cast magic, this powerful stimulant that boosts mental capacity is extremely useful to them.

When Katherine informed her of the guest’s identity, she didn’t bother to hide her surprise.

As a famously hardline family in the Wizard Council, the name Crowley doesn’t have a great reputation in the North District of Beta Town. They’re the kind of Traditional Wizards who are cold to the extreme, and in order to keep some experiment running smoothly, don’t hesitate to force North District Mages to hand over blood-stained Magic Materials.

Ever since North District Wizards emerged, this Family has been the most hostile representative among the sort of Wizards who despise them. On the surface, it’s due to the entrenched Magic Power discrimination among Old-school wizards; in reality, it’s because once North District Wizards master Magic to a certain degree, they seriously encroach on the "Crowleys’" interests.

The simplest example: because there aren’t enough cheap Mages to do gathering work, in recent years the price of Hao Ma Grass from the Silent Forest has more than doubled. This Magic plant, which enhances Wizards’ ability to communicate with nature, is widely used in potion-making, incense, and many Magic experiments. This single item alone costs the Crowley Family tens of jade coins in losses every year.

"—What are they here for?"

The North District Grand-Wizard narrowed her eyes, left arm folded across her chest, right hand lifting as she unconsciously rubbed her chin—and then she immediately realized that, in face-reading divination, this gesture signifies ambiguity. Applied to the matter of the Crowley Family sending an envoy to visit, it means: seeing him is fine, not seeing him is also fine.

Granted, conclusions drawn from face-reading divination are always famous for being vague and imprecise.

But Korma had a strong feeling that today’s face-reading result was right. That only piqued her interest further, making her all the more curious about this Crowley envoy’s purpose.

"—Let him in."

As she spoke, she waved her hand, signaling the few North District Wizards beside her to put away the notes on the table and stand off to the side to listen. Katherine also obeyed, bowed her head, and withdrew. Before long, she returned, bringing with her a middle-aged Warlock with a gaunt face.

"—Oz Crowley, representing Lord Alistair, pays his respects to the Vice Dean of Edge College at First University, the North District Great Wise Person."

The Crowley envoy placed a hand to his chest in salute, his expression and tone equally stiff.

Korma had every reason to suspect that before coming to Gu Diao Street he smeared gargoyle corpse ointment on his face, so he wouldn’t accidentally show any contempt or sarcastic expression in front of her—only to be slapped to death by her on the spot.

As for this Alistair he mentioned, that’s the Crowley Family’s patriarch, a member of the Magic Alliance Conference, a top-level Great Witch who has lived for several centuries—he is better known as the president of the Golden Dawn Society, an ancient and dangerous organization devoted to studying occult Magic and Evil Gods.

"I’m fine."

Korma accepted the greeting in an unabashedly casual way, which made the envoy’s expression grow even stiffer. She had no intention of continuing the small talk and went straight to the point: "—What does Alistair want you here for?"

Oz Crowley lowered his head, slightly slowed his speech, and said in a sincere tone, "—The Crowley Family wishes to cooperate with Edge College in establishing a Magic Laboratory focused on Ritual Magic and occult studies. All related expenses will be covered entirely by the Crowley Family, with a guaranteed annual lab funding of no less than three hundred jade coins... At the same time, we hope outstanding graduates from Edge College will actively participate in maintaining and managing this laboratory."

As he spoke, he respectfully handed over a project cooperation agreement with both hands. On the very first page was a highly binding Magic Contract, with terms identical to what he’d just described. It even included a blank supplemental clause, meaning that if Edge College had other requests, they could simply fill them in. At the end of the contract were the Crowley Family’s official seal and Alistair’s personal seal, which meant that as long as anyone from the Crowley Family was still alive, this contract would remain in force.

Staring at the Magic Contract in front of her, Korma’s expression turned serious.

She immediately knew this wasn’t going to be simple.

She wasn’t some clueless little greenhorn.

Edge College has only been established for a few years. Never mind research strength—even much of the faculty is borrowed from other colleges. The college simply doesn’t have any heavyweight figures in occult or Ritual Magic.

In contrast, the Crowley Family’s strength in these two research fields is renowned across the entire Wizard Alliance. In other words, this proposal that sounds "perfectly ordinary"—just a Family and a college jointly founding a Magic Laboratory—is in fact a support plan in which the Crowley Family pays, provides personnel, and supplies research materials to help Edge College build a key Magic Laboratory from scratch.

As the North District Grand-Wizard and Vice Dean of Edge College, Korma knows exactly how zealously these Wizarding Families guard Magic knowledge. Forget sharing Magic knowledge with Edge College—even First University finds it extremely difficult to pry anything out of these conservative, die-hard Wizards.

Moreover, as far as she knows, the Crowley Family already has a school-level key lab in the Institute of Applied Magic. Its research focus is also on occult studies and Ritual Magic. In other words, this cooperation agreement amounts to the Crowley Family voluntarily downgrading, relocating their own key lab from First University to Edge College.

Will the school even allow them to do that?

Did some North District Wizard seize Alistair’s body?

The Sun definitely did not rise in the west today!

Those few scattered, out-of-tune thoughts flashed through her mind, but the seriousness on Korma’s face did not diminish in the slightest, and her stance grew even more cautious: "—Did Lord Alistair give any reason?"

Since the other side was indeed here bearing a major gift, her wording became a touch more polite and she used the term "Lord." As she questioned him, the fingers hidden inside her sleeve were already flying through divination calculations, trying to find the cause behind this utterly abnormal turn of events.

Oz Crowley lifted his head and answered with a very earnest expression: "—The patriarch said this is the Crowley Family, guided by the Wizard’s Code, conscientiously implementing First University’s fundamental policy of unity and friendship, thoroughly internalizing the founding philosophy of First University, voluntarily practicing the important ideals of equality and mutual assistance, and making a small contribution to the realization of lasting peace and stability in The Magical World."

I don’t believe a damn word of that!

That decrepit old man doesn’t have anywhere near that level of awareness or moral high ground!

Korma’s divination, which had been proceeding smoothly, was completely derailed by this answer. Her small hand balled into a fist inside her sleeve, and it took considerable effort to suppress the urge to unleash a stream of snark.