Chapter 310 - 278: Magic Consultant 2

Chapter 310: Chapter 278: Magic Consultant 2

"No, you can’t help. That’s no ordinary book. It’s one that should have been sealed away by the Four Great Churches."

"Sealed? You’re looking for an evil object, a sealed artifact?" the Clerk exclaimed.

"Yes, an Evil Book," Cunningham paused what he was doing, looked up, and sighed softly. "It escaped from me a long time ago. I need it for my subsequent experiments."

"An Evil Book? Is it a name I might have heard? If there are any clues, I can keep an eye out for you." The Second Prince continued his show of goodwill; it was clear he still wanted to keep the old Mage around.

"Mushroom Spores and Life Form Variants," Cunningham said the title coldly, not hiding anything. "Your Highness would not want to know about this book. It is too evil, not something a noble like yourself would want to be involved with."

"Very well," the Second Prince had to give up for now. "This secret room will be kept for you. And my previous offer still stands."

After speaking, he left the secret room with the Clerk and the two new female Magic Consultants who had been standing behind him. The two female consultants hadn’t said a single word from start to finish.

GRIND... RUMBLE... A faint mechanical sound echoed as the wall sealed shut again, concealing the hidden meeting room. Cunningham continued to wipe his tools. He placed the polished ones neatly to the side, arranging them in a perfectly straight row.

A few minutes passed. The old Mage raised his head slightly. ’Trying to pull me into your little shadow government? How naive.’

’And you want a High Tier Great Mage as a Magic Consultant? Those two half-baked ones should be enough for you.’

’Heh, how interesting. He recruits two Magic Consultants, and one carries the stench of a Demon, while the other used Magic Items to change her face.’

He shook his head after muttering to himself. ’I should leave this place of conflict as soon as possible and find that book. Damn it, where could it have run off to?’

’I also need to find out who killed my apprentice.’

......

In a luxurious drawing-room on the first floor of Benier Palace, Second Prince Grover gestured for the two Magic Consultants to sit. "Please, make yourselves comfortable. No need to be so formal."

He then instructed the Clerk to summon a servant to attend to the guests in the room.

"Master Cunningham was just a minor interlude. It has nothing to do with you. I was just stopping by to see him," Grover said, finding a sofa for himself. His tone was tinged with regret. "I didn’t expect him to refuse me so adamantly. From now on, I will have to rely on you two for all matters concerning Magic."

He extended a hand toward the two female Mages on the sofa. They hadn’t spoken a single word the entire time, nor had they even glanced at each other. Now that they were seated, they had deliberately sat far apart, with several empty sofas between them.

"My apologies, I haven’t properly introduced you yet. That is my mistake," the Second Prince said with an apologetic smile. For a Prince, his expression and gestures were surprisingly unaffected. "This is a top student from the Royal Grammar School, a specially-appointed Assessment Officer for the Adventurer Association, and a genius Bloodline Warlock who possesses a unique bloodline, Miss Agatha Sebastian."

Grover smiled at the young woman on the sofa, whose face was calm and expressionless. "I’m very grateful that you’re willing to be my consultant. To be honest, I was quite surprised when you approached me. I never expected to earn your favor. From what I know, you were in the same class as my younger brother, Theodore, at the Grammar School. It seems he also frequently invited you to become his Magic Consultant."

"Agatha" nodded calmly and said succinctly, "I don’t think much of him."

"Hahaha," the Second Prince let out a hearty laugh, slapping the armrest of the sofa with a THUMP THUMP. "My brother may seem a bit foolish at times, but he’s not a bad person."

"Agatha" glanced up at Grover but didn’t reply, remaining silent.

"Alright, and this," the Second Prince reined in his smile, though the corners of his mouth still twitched upwards, "is Miss ’White Shell’. I’m delighted that you’ve agreed to be my Magic Consultant. Frankly, I was quite taken aback when you told me that Affif sent you to assist me."

"It’s nothing. My master considered it for a long time after he gave you your prophecy," Miss "White Shell" said with a nod. Her voice was crisp and clear, not cold like "Agatha’s." Her posture also seemed less standoffish. "He later decided that now would be an excellent time for me to come and assist you, Your Highness."

"Then I must truly thank Great Mage Affif," Grover said with a smile. "When I went to see him some time ago, I asked him to make a prophecy for the Fran Kingdom. I didn’t expect the outcome to be so favorable—no major changes for the Kingdom as a whole."

"No changes, favorable?" Agatha said, frowning slightly.

"That’s right, Miss Sebastian. In the current situation, no change is the best kind of change," Grover said with a smiling nod. "I have no desire for the Fran Kingdom to fall into turmoil."

"That has nothing to do with me," Agatha said curtly before standing up. "Since Your Highness has already agreed to have me as a consultant, you can have someone find me at my residence when you need me, or you can find me directly at the Adventurer Association in Plantagenet City. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be leaving."

"Won’t you stay a little longer? The servants have already gone to brew some Golden Flower Tea—it’s the finest tea, served with honey and milk," Grover said, quickly rising to his feet in an attempt to persuade her to stay.

"No, that won’t be necessary." With a stern expression, Agatha walked to the door of the drawing-room. She stopped, however, as if she had just remembered something. Turning back, she said seriously, "Your Highness, if you are planning to do anything, you must inform me. Even if you don’t require my direct assistance, I can still help you strategize. Do you understand?"

"Ah?" Grover was stunned for a moment before he understood what she meant. "Oh, right. I will certainly call on you if anything comes up."

"Good. I’m leaving then." Agatha pulled open the heavy, lacquered door and walked out.

"Sigh, she just left like that. I didn’t even have time to call a guard to show her the way," the Second Prince said with some regret. Then he saw Miss "White Shell" stand up as well.

"You too?"

"Yes, Your Highness. Since there is nothing else, I will also take my leave. I trust you know where my master Affif resides." Miss "White Shell" smiled, her green pupils twinkling. "And I feel the same way. Whatever you plan to do, Your Highness, please be sure to notify me. Even if my help isn’t needed, I can still offer you advice."

"Ah, yes, of course." The Second Prince nodded mechanically, a bit slow to react to the two Magic Consultants making the exact same request.

"Are you sure you won’t try the Golden Flower Tea? It’s the best," he offered, but saw Miss "White Shell" just shake her head with a smile and walk out of the drawing-room.

"Do they both have such good memories? Neither of them needs a guard to show them the way?" he grumbled to himself before sinking back into the velvet sofa. A few seconds later, a servant entered the drawing-room carrying a tray.

The Second Prince glanced at the bewildered servant holding the teapot and cups. "The guests have left. You’re not needed."

"Yes, Your Highness." The servant bowed slightly and immediately turned to leave.

"My tea," the Second Prince muttered. He didn’t blame the servant, though. It was strange for guests to leave so quickly, and the servant was just trying to protect himself.

He extended his fingers and began to slowly tap the armrest of the sofa, then propped one leg up on the coffee table.

’Two decent Magic Consultants. Now that I think about it, it doesn’t matter much that old Cunningham refused.’

’After all, one is a genius girl backed by one of the Twelve Bloodline Clans. The other is backed by an Arcane Grandmaster, who might have ties to the Magic Federation. So, that wanted Dark Grandmaster doesn’t seem so important anymore.’

’Soon. Very soon. Once I become King, I can have my revenge.’ A sinister smile spread across his face, a complete departure from the persona he usually cultivated. His gaze swept to the side, landing on an oil painting hanging on the wall. The painting depicted a scene in the Royal Palace: a young prince playing with several servants.