The air grew quiet once more.
The black tea had grown cold, its fragrance faded, and even the music outside the window seemed to have frozen, swallowed by the night.
Luo Lan adjusted his breathing a few times, slowly forcing himself to calm down.
“What is it you really want to say?”
No matter what, he was now at an absolute disadvantage. If this old man truly intended to do something, there was nothing he could do to resist.
Since that was the case, he might as well steady himself and see just what the other wanted.
The Headmaster noticed the change in Luo Lan’s expression and breathing, the corners of his mouth curling into a sly, secretive smile.
“Not a bad way of thinking—keeping calm and observing the situation when facing a power you can’t match… Still, it would sound better if you could change the way you address me a bit. Maybe use ‘Your Excellency Headmaster’ or ‘Mr. William’ instead.”
Luo Lan narrowed his eyes slightly.
“The Headmaster of Altlas Academy really lives up to his name.”
The Headmaster seemed to enjoy Luo Lan’s look of shock, pouring himself another leisurely glass of wine.
“No, no, no.” He took a large swig before setting down the glass. “I’m not as impressive as you imagine, at least not to just anyone. The only reason I can hear your thoughts right now is simply because you’re still too weak.”
“Is that so? With your abilities, isn’t reading anyone’s mind just a matter of wanting to? What’s the difference between weak and strong, really? None of us can match you anyway.”
“First of all, this isn’t called peeping. I don’t like that word. Second…” The Headmaster looked Luo Lan up and down, “You don’t seem to remember what I just told you: don’t take things for granted.”
Luo Lan snorted in annoyance, reaching out for the cup of black tea that had long since gone cold.
Snap.
The Headmaster snapped his fingers, and Luo Lan felt the teacup in his hand tremble ever so slightly, a wave of warmth spreading from the cup’s wall to his fingertips.
“Let’s get back to what we were discussing.” The Headmaster nodded at Luo Lan. “Although you’ve managed to train that little girl from the Lufinias family all the way to the Celestial Class, Mr. Luo Lan, when it comes to being a mage, you’re still just a rookie.”
“Don’t rush to deny it… Take, for instance, this mind-reading business just now.” The Headmaster tapped his temple. “A competent mage doesn’t just focus on the spells the opponent casts; they also need to guard their own mind. More precisely, they must protect their thoughts and consciousness. For a mage, having your mind read or even disrupted in battle is extremely deadly.”
“Because the other side can use this information to counter you specifically—silencing, interference, or even guiding you deliberately. That’s why experienced mages habitually maintain certain protective magic to shield their thoughts.”
“And clearly, Mr. Luo Lan, you haven’t done that. Or perhaps, from the moment we met, you weren’t even aware you should be doing it at all. Your mind is like a room with the door left wide open.”
Luo Lan moved his lips and said, “But even if I shut my mind, what good would it do? Would it matter in front of you?”
“Whether it helps is one thing. Whether you realize it’s necessary, and actively do it, is another.”
The Headmaster’s tone grew a bit more solemn.
Luo Lan fell silent. Though he didn’t want to admit it, the old man’s words made perfect sense.
Seeing the resistance and defiance in the youth’s eyes fade, the Headmaster continued.
“All right, back to the original question. I didn’t lie to you about why I came to see you in person. It’s because I genuinely find you interesting.”
“You’re a contradiction—clearly not the product of a traditional, by-the-book mage’s education, lacking awareness of many basic details, yet in some aspects, you display talents that truly surprise me. There were even moments when I was tempted to take you as a disciple.”
Talent.
Luo Lan instinctively thought of his recently chosen Seer profession and that mysterious little iron book, of the powers of conceptual fantasy.
Yet as soon as the thought arose, he remembered how the old man could shamelessly peek into his thoughts, making Luo Lan tense up at once.
But the Headmaster simply frowned a little, his gaze resting on Luo Lan for longer than ever before. After a moment, his frown smoothed out, replaced by a look of genuine surprise.
“You seem even more impressive than I thought. To grasp the concept of mind-shielding so quickly.”
At first, Luo Lan was confused, but the Headmaster’s reaction made him realize that perhaps it was because these matters touched upon the little iron book that didn’t belong to this world, which caused the Headmaster to respond like that.
“We’ve been talking for ages, but I still don’t understand why you brought me here.”
Luo Lan brought the topic back on track.
The Headmaster smacked his lips, sighing helplessly. “Fine, since I’ve bored you, I won’t waste more time. Let’s get to something practical.”
As he spoke, he reached into the inner pocket of his robe, took out an item, and gently placed it on the table between them, sliding it toward Luo Lan.
It was a badge.
“What does this mean?”
“Pick it up and see.” The Headmaster didn’t answer directly, just nodded with his chin.
Skeptically, Luo Lan picked up the badge and examined it. Sure enough, it bore two clear characters engraved in mithril.
— Radiance.
Luo Lan quietly put the badge back on the table.
“If you recognize the inscription, you should understand what it means. Mr. Luo Lan, I’m officially asking: Are you willing to accept this badge and become a member of the Radiance Class at Altlas Academy?”
The young man barely hesitated. He shook his head, lightly placing the badge back on the table and pushing it toward the Headmaster.
“When something is out of the ordinary, there must be a reason. No one offers favors for nothing; only villains or thieves do that.”
“¿”
“I don’t accept rewards for no merit. The things given for free are usually the most expensive… Besides, I know full well what I’m worth. Of course I can’t accept it.”
The Headmaster gave him a helpless smile, then asked with interest.
“All these sayings in your mouth—how come I’ve never heard any of them before?”
“They’re proverbs from my hometown, native to Celis. It’s normal you’ve never heard them.”
The Headmaster nodded, then his smile faded as he straightened up and said solemnly, “Mr. Luo Lan, don’t be too quick to refuse. I suggest you think this opportunity through.”
“And if I still refuse? What happens then?”
The Headmaster stared at him in silence for a few seconds before speaking slowly.
“If you won’t accept the invitation… then I’m afraid I’ll have to kill you here.”
The cold smile froze on Luo Lan’s face. “Isn’t that a threat?”
The Headmaster blinked at him, looking rather innocent.
“You’re right. It is a threat. The choice couldn’t be clearer: join Altlas Academy or die here. Even a fool would know which to pick.”
Luo Lan wiped the expression from his face and asked again, “If I refuse, will you really kill me here?”
The Headmaster met his eyes and nodded seriously.
“I’m not joking. The only reason we’ve talked this long is because you piqued my interest.”