The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 359 Hector Chases the Prince in the Snow
On the day of the interview, the atmosphere at the Xuebang Border test center was even more tense than during the written test.

Dozens of soundproof tents, enhanced by magic, stood like small white hills, neatly arranged on the snowfield.

The thousand candidates who passed the written exam are queuing in a long line outside the tent, anxiously awaiting the moment that will determine their final fate.

Just when everyone thought that today's interviews would be conducted routinely by Xuebang's ordinary tutors, a powerful and suffocating magical fluctuation suddenly descended from the sky.

The apprentices and teaching assistants standing in the camp stared wide-eyed, almost unable to believe their eyes!
"H-Professor Hector?!"

"Why is he here?!"

Professor Hector Raine of the Tower of Great Sages actually came all the way from the heart of the Academy to the interview site!

Does this elderly person also need a boost of fresh blood?!
The apprentices and even the teaching assistants all wore expressions of envy, and while feeling humbled and apprehensive, they all bowed respectfully to this esteemed magician.

I wonder which genius could have managed to get this elusive and rarely seen figure to come in person.

Do not--

It's not that I don't know.

They heard that a perfect score was achieved on the exam, and that it was awarded perfect scores by all three teaching assistants responsible for grading the papers.

It seems this big shot came specifically for this lucky person!

Just as everyone was filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment, they soon discovered that this was only the beginning.

As soon as Professor Hector arrived, a soft white light emanated from the space behind him, and Professor Boris Crew of the Holy Power School slowly walked out from it.

At the same time, an electric arc flashed in the air on the other side, tearing a crack open out of thin air!
Professor Leo Sterling of the Elementalist School also arrived at the scene with a playful smile, via the teleportation array of the Mage Tower.

Three top professors, who are usually only known through legend, have gathered together in a small border interview venue!
All the teaching assistants were so shocked they were speechless.

Normally, these big shots only show up when the exam starts, and the "minor" interviews are always handled by the short-staffed professors. Today, it's like the sun has risen in the west!
The three professors exchanged a knowing glance, as if invisible lightning was flashing in the air.

Professor Leo broke the silence first, smiling as he said to Hector, "Hector, what a coincidence! I thought you were busy researching your 'Virtual Realm.' What brings you here?"

"It must be some devout soul yearning for the Holy Light that has attracted everyone's attention," Professor Boris said with a smile, his words carrying a deeper meaning.

Hector snorted and, too lazy to beat around the bush, said bluntly, “We’re all here for the same person. That perfect apprentice named Marco Gage, whose theories perfectly align with the principles of the Tower of Great Sages, must be trained by us.”

Professor Leo's smile remained unchanged as he spoke softly.

"Then it's all up to you."

Although that's what he said, he couldn't help but have some doubts in his heart.

In terms of resources in the virtual realm, the Tower of Elements cannot compare to the Tower of the Great Sage. He only has one card in his hand, which is to promise that candidate a good way out.

The Os Empire values ​​the Elemental Towers most, since they have the highest "damage" and the most stable output.

I hope that young man comes from a poor family.

Leo prayed silently in his heart, while looking at the teaching assistant who was standing there dumbfounded and giving him instructions.

"Where is Marco Gage? I... and an old friend of mine would like to talk to him."

Upon seeing this, a teaching assistant named Giselle quickly stepped forward obsequiously, bowed, and said, "Professors, please wait a moment, I will send someone to fetch the examinee immediately!"

Meanwhile, in the crowd at a distance, Milos, the magic apprentice in charge of the switch, had his mind go blank the moment he heard Hector say the name "Marco Gage," and was terrified.

He was probably the only one among all the magicians present who truly understood the "value" of that name.

A perfect score? Marco Gage? That guy?!

This...how is this possible!

It's true that he chose the exam paper, but he just couldn't believe that he was so lucky to draw that perfect score paper!
Milos's face was deathly pale, and his lips trembled.

His gaze drifted to his senior, only to find that the senior was completely unaware of the seriousness of the situation, and was only envying the guy named Marco Gage.

Changing scrolls for apprentices is a well-defined industry. Each person in this industry chain has a limited role. For example, his senior is only responsible for providing cover, while he is responsible for the actual work of changing scrolls and collecting money.

No one would ask him how much money he received, and he would never know how much he took, or which mage master owned the storage ring used to collect the money.

This also means that if something happens to him, at most he can implicate his senior, but as long as he or his senior dies, the matter will disappear without a trace, like a cut thread sinking into the sea.

Milos realized that things were completely out of control, and he couldn't even imagine what terrible consequences he would face when the lie was exposed.

Disheartened and disoriented, he no longer cared about anything else. He retreated little by little into the crowd, not even daring to pack his belongings from the camp. Without looking back, he fled with all his might towards the Kingdom of Rhodes.

If you manage to avoid the limelight, you'll have a chance to make a low-key comeback. But if you get caught red-handed, you're really doomed!

Meanwhile, the teaching assistant named Giselle was still shouting at the top of her lungs in the camp, searching for the candidate named Marco Gage.

"Candidate Marco Gage! Number 1034! Proceed to the main tent for your interview immediately! Damn it! Where did that guy go?!"

This perfect opportunity didn't come!

What are you thinking!

Giselle was frantic, running around the camp, asking everyone she met if they had seen a guy named Marco. But names aren't written on your face, and everyone she caught looked completely clueless.

With three bigwigs personally overseeing the interview, the pressure in the entire interview room instantly reached its peak.

The candidates waiting for their interviews were as nervous as prisoners about to be sent to trial. Their legs trembled as they entered the interview tent, and they often failed to perform well due to excessive nervousness after only a few words.

The professors conducting the interviews were also on tenterhooks, afraid of not appearing professional enough in front of these academic giants, and they even became very cautious when asking questions.

Time slipped away bit by bit in this tense and eerie atmosphere.

The interview queue grew shorter and shorter, and one candidate after another emerged from the tents, either overjoyed or dejected, embarking on futures that led in different directions.

Including Phoenix and others.

Unfortunately, both he and Illara failed the interview, while Barrett, the seemingly least intelligent "blacksmith's son," actually passed the test.

Upon learning that he might possess the potential to reach Bronze level, he was so excited he went crazy, as if a broad road had been laid out before him.

He swore—

He will certainly live up to everyone's expectations of him and become a truly powerful magician!
Although Illala was disappointed, there was also a hint of relief on her face.

If she hadn't read about Hecagelin's experience, she would probably have been filled with regret for failing the exam, but now she feels more at peace and relieved.

Magic is not the only thing worth pursuing in this world; perhaps the window Saint Sith prepared for her is not here.

“Speaking of which… where is Mr. Colin?” She suddenly noticed that the carriage in the camp was missing and couldn’t help but ask her distraught companion.

“I don’t know…maybe he got into Xuebang through some other means, or maybe he’s already left. I didn’t see him yesterday.” Phoenix shook his head, feeling troubled.

From afternoon to dusk, the sun slowly slanted westward, painting the snow-covered ground with a golden-red hue.

However, the "Marco Gage" who should have been the most anticipated, and even the one that the three professors were personally waiting for, never appeared.

As the sun was about to set and the last candidate finished his interview, Hector Raine, who had been sitting in his tent meditating, finally couldn't hold back any longer.

His usually calm and composed face was now as somber as the sky before a storm.

He brought back Giselle, the teaching assistant whose back was already soaked with cold sweat.

Giselle walked into the tent with trepidation, not even daring to look up at the professor's face.

"Where is he?" Hector's voice wasn't loud, but it was filled with an undeniable air of authority.

Professor Leo of the Elementalist School and Professor Boris of the Holy Power School remained silent, but their faces were equally etched with displeasure.

Even geniuses.

We shouldn't have stood them up.

“Professor…we’ve searched the entire examination hall and asked the apprentices at the registration desk, but we haven’t been able to find this Mr. Marco Gage…” Giselle’s voice trembled as he gradually realized that things might not be as simple as he thought.

Hector's gaze turned cold, and he vaguely sensed something.

"Bring me his original answer sheet! Now!"

"Yes!!!"

Giselle screamed and rushed out of the tent.

Although all the exam papers that failed have been destroyed, the papers that passed are still well preserved in the archives as important files, and each paper has a serial number.

The scroll, as if knowing he would come, lay peacefully on top of the box.

Without a second thought, Giselle practically scrambled to retrieve the legendary "perfect score scroll" from the archives, not even daring to look up at the increasingly gloomy faces of the three professors.

In front of the three professors, Giselle, with trembling hands, slowly unfurled the scroll.

However, the moment the scroll was fully unfurled, he was stunned.

The scroll contained no lofty discussions about the illusory realm or source power, only a doggerel with crooked handwriting.

Seeing the look of utter disbelief on his face, Hector had a very ominous premonition, but he still gave the order in a cold voice.

"read."

“I…” Giselle’s lips trembled, and she was on the verge of crying.

"I'll make you read it!" Hector's voice rose a few decibels, his pupils turning a faint gold, radiating boundless majesty.

Giselle dared not hesitate any longer, and could only steel herself and, in a trembling voice choked with sobs, recite the unrhymed limerick in front of everyone:
Ah, the cage of knowledge cannot imprison my soul that yearns for freedom—

"My heart is a hungry wolf in the wilderness, howling under the starry sky. Foolish mortals, how can you know the blood, tears, and sublimity of art?"

The tent fell silent.

It was a deathly silence, as if even the wind and snow outside the curtain had stopped groaning.

"Pfft-"

Professor Leo Sterling of the Elementalists was the first to burst out laughing.

But the next second, he forced himself to swallow back under Hector's murderous gaze, his face turning pale and red.

Professor Boris of the Holy Power School simply closed his eyes, shook his head helplessly, and sighed deeply.

scandal!

This is a blatant and the biggest student recruitment scandal in Xuebang's nearly 100-year history!

Hector's face turned from red to white, and finally to ashen.

Even if he were completely naive, he instantly understood what had happened—someone had replaced the genius's answer sheet with an idiot's, and right under his nose, staged a stunning deception, manipulating everyone present.

How dare this shameful mortal deceive his noble self!

Especially not long ago, at the very beginning of the exam, he arrogantly said, "Protecting your work from being copied is also part of the assessment."

Now, those words felt like a boomerang stuck in his chest.

This was practically a resounding slap in the face to him in front of all his colleagues!

"boom!"

Hector suddenly stood up, and powerful magic emanated from his body. His strength as a high-level transcendent made the entire reception tent buzz!
He roared like thunder at all the teaching assistants and apprentices outside the tent.

"Check it for me!"

"I will investigate this thoroughly!!!"

……

Ah, the cage of knowledge cannot imprison my soul that yearns for freedom—

On the mountain road leading to Longshi City, a smooth and comfortable horse-drawn carriage was swaying along.

Inside the carriage, a young "poet" was sitting opposite Luo Yan, reciting his masterpiece in a melodious and rhythmic tone.

This poet is none other than Marco Gage, the legendary student who was elusive and never appeared in the examination hall—a student who achieved a perfect score.

As for why the young poet was so excited that he burst into song, it all started the day before when they met at a tavern near Eagle Rock Territory.

Marco Gage, the "legendary poet," was dissatisfied with the strict discipline of his father Dorian and his butler Yankov, and even more dissatisfied with the fact that they sent him to the Academy to learn some boring magic. So, while the butler was busy bribing his way through the crowd, he secretly slipped out of the traveler's camp.

This young master, who had never experienced a day of hardship, naively believed that with his "talent," he could make a living simply by talking. Therefore, he neither brought any luggage nor took a single penny of travel expenses.

He wanted to start from scratch and become a great poet admired by thousands.

However, reality soon gave him a resounding slap in the face.

When Sarah found him in a corner of the tavern, the “great poet” was worrying about his lunch and trying to exchange a poorly written impromptu poem for a piece of black bread from the landlady.

The proprietress probably took a liking to him, but unfortunately, she probably didn't like his poetry or his talent; she just liked his delicate, pretty face.

Out of pure curiosity, Luo Yan approached as "Mr. Colin".

He said he was also a traveler who loved art, and expressed great appreciation for Marco's "talent," and generously ordered him a barbecue and ale.

Perhaps driven by hunger, Marco didn't fuss and wolfed down his meal, revealing his itinerary during the meal—

He planned to go to the Holy City. Everyone else was heading to the Academy, regarding that desolate and indifferent hall as a sacred place, but he was different; he wanted to make a pilgrimage to the true holy land!
Naturally, Luo Yan said the next sentence, "What a coincidence," and then said that he was also going to the south and might pass through Longshi City.

Out of appreciation for talent, he warmly invited the down-on-his-luck poet to ride in his carriage, offering him a ride.

At this moment, sitting in the warm and comfortable carriage, Marco Gage was completely impressed by Mr. Colin, who was generous and had an appreciation for "art".

Greatly encouraged, he not only regarded Mr. Colin as a kindred spirit, but also shared his "glorious deeds" with the latter in a boastful tone.

"Sir, you have no idea how hypocritical that school is! Those guys who call themselves great masters wave their hands, and with a 'boom,' a stone tablet as tall as a mountain pops out of the ground! But they would rather let tens of thousands of us poor wretches freeze like dogs in the wind and snow, fighting like dogs on the snowfield, than wave their hands again and carve out a cave for us to take shelter from the snow!"

"You mean they don't have the ability? No! They have plenty! They could even build ten thousand mage towers, letting everyone who aspires to be one test whether they're cut out for it. But they deliberately don't do that. They force us to write that utter nonsense in the freezing cold! To pass that so-called obedience test."

"And those exam questions! They're utterly ridiculous! They treat human souls like gold coins, weighing them on a scale. A bunch of idiots who don't care about souls at all dare to talk about what shape a soul is? I advise them to hurry up and close that so-called 'virtual realm' gate, lest the thing on the other side sees what a hideous bunch of creatures are spying on them. Seriously, I'm ashamed for them!"

He took a breath, then changed the subject and began to mock his hometown again.

"Of course, Xuebang is no good, and neither is the Kingdom of Rhodes! Every knight curses Xuebang for stealing young men from their territory, but not a single knight is willing to look in the mirror and see what kind of person they are. Are the peasants too cunning? Are the citizens too greedy? No! It's those nobles! Those hypocritical people with the most despicable desires!"

"They turned the kingdom's women into prostitutes, some selling their asses in sheep's clothing, others dressed impeccably pretending they weren't. Nobody wants to listen to my poetry, except you; those prostitutes just want to reach into my pockets and grab my gold coins! And the kingdom's men, they've turned them into spiritual dwarfs, sheep under the stick, turtles in the pond, either licking the nobleman's shoes, or the sorcerer's wand, or chasing after gold coins bearing the emperor's image, not only utterly insecure but also arrogantly believing that humans are born to be like maggots—like my father!"

"I admit I'm not capable of dealing with any of them, but I do have some other skills. So, I've decided to teach them a lesson!"

Marco's eyes gleamed with confidence as he continued rambling on, "I saw the stone tablet, but I didn't answer those foolish questions. I picked up a pen, and at that moment, my soul was burning, my inspiration was flowing! I wrote a poem, a true battle song from my heart, a rebellion against authoritarianism!"

He boasted animatedly, completely unaware that the other "protagonist" in his story was sitting opposite him with a smile, listening to his speech with great interest.

"I bet those mages are furious," Luo Yan said with a smile.

“That’s for sure! But what does it have to do with me? I never wanted to go to that awful place!” Marco said smugly, seemingly unaware that his family had switched his test paper.

But it makes no difference.

If the exam papers hadn't been switched, his poem probably wouldn't have had the chance to infuriate the esteemed mage; at most, it would have been burned as trash by the apprentice.

"What's next? Will you go home after you've had your fun?" Luo Yan asked curiously.

“Go home? Play? Sir, I must reiterate, I am serious!” Marco said solemnly. “My soul belongs to the Holy City, but that temple of art truly belongs to me. I will never return; I have escaped that cage. Perhaps you think I will eventually die outside, but if this is the fate Saint Sith has ordained for me, then let it be! The Holy Light will ultimately take my soul to its rightful place, whether it be hell or heaven!”

"As for my father—if he thinks that as long as he earns enough money or has enough magic, he can change the fate of the family, then let him drown in the vault with that ridiculous idea! I'll put it this way: no passenger can safely disembark from a rickety ship, even if he himself becomes a great sage, he cannot escape his fate!"

This person is very aggressive; when they bite, they don't discriminate between friends and family.

Although the poem is just so-so.

Luo Yan suddenly looked at this "hungry wolf" with new respect.

“Mr. Marco, I have a newfound respect for you… Your poetry is full of rebellious spirit and is very powerful, which is a rare quality, even in a place like the Holy City. I have no doubt that you will become a legend there… a poet.”

These words greatly encouraged Marco, who straightened his back slightly and couldn't suppress his excitement as he smiled.

"You've been to the Holy City?!"

“Of course, everyone who aspires to art has been there,” Luo Yan said with a smile, then suddenly changed the subject and continued, “By the way, regarding your poem, I think the only shortcoming is that it doesn’t rhyme well enough, and the theme is slightly off.”

"Deviation?" Marco asked, puzzled.

Instead of answering directly, Luo Yan gently prompted him with a counter-question: "Is it really the cage of 'knowledge' that binds you? Why not try changing 'knowledge' in poetry to 'class'?"

He looked at Marco's bewildered face, his voice seemingly possessing a penetrating, almost magical quality.

"You were born into a wealthy merchant family and live a life of luxury, yet you are despised by those declining hereditary nobles. You yearn for the freedom of art, yet your family forces you to study at a prestigious institution in exchange for a magic wand. Isn't this cage, which you cannot overcome or escape, the one that truly binds your soul?"

“We all know this has nothing to do with knowledge. In fact… it is precisely because of class barriers that true knowledge cannot be freely transmitted,” Luo Yan’s gaze was profound. “And most importantly, you should not push those who pursue knowledge to the opposite side. You should unite those who yearn for change and stand with the last remaining soft spot in their hearts.”

These words struck Marco like a thunderclap, or a beam of holy light piercing the darkness, instantly hitting the softest spot in his heart.

"Sir!" Marco exclaimed excitedly, grabbing Mr. Colin's hand. His voice trembled with emotion. "You...you've really touched my heart!"

Luo Yan smiled, subtly withdrawing his hand and waving it gently to indicate that he didn't need to worry about it. Then, he took out a pre-prepared letter from his pocket.

“Since you are going to the Holy City, please deliver a letter for me.” He handed the letter to Marco and said softly, “Give it to a lord named Dantès. He will introduce you to the places you should go, sponsor your dreams, and help you become a true poet.”

"Thank you, sir! You're such a kind person!"

Marco carefully kept the letter close to his body.

He looked at the warm and intelligent "Mr. Colin" in front of him, his heart filled with gratitude, but he still couldn't help but ask in confusion.

"Sir, aren't you going south? Won't you pass through the Holy City?"

Luo Yan smiled and shook his head, finding a perfect excuse for their parting: "No, actually I won't go that far. I just admire your talent, so I gave you a ride and took you away from that troublesome place... As for me, the person who's coming to pick me up will be here soon."

A dozen or so griffins were speeding toward him. Although Xuebang and the Kingdom of Rhodes were both part of the empire, there was still a nominal border between them.

It's clear they're really anxious.

At this point, Luo Yan changed the subject, took out a small but heavy money bag from beside him, and handed it to Ma Ke.

"In addition, here are thirty silver coins. Consider it payment for keeping me company and keeping me entertained for so long."

"No, no, no! Sir, I absolutely cannot accept this!" Marco waved his hands repeatedly as if he had been burned. "It is my honor to speak with a gentleman like you! How could I possibly accept your money?"

In his view, Mr. Colin was his soulmate and his mentor. Their exchanges were a collision of souls and a pure artistic exploration that should never be tainted by money.

What he hates most in his life is money!

However, Luo Yan still insisted on stuffing the money bag containing thirty silver coins into his hand.

The money bag contained all the rewards he received from Phoenix after defeating "Green Fang" Hecagelin.

Using the pension of one "poor person" to fund the dreams of another "poor person" is the fairest of trades.

“Take it,” Luo Yan said in a tone that left no room for doubt, yet carried a hint of gentle encouragement. “A true poet should not be troubled by expenses on the path of pursuing art. Consider it my sponsorship of your dream.”

The carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the next inn.

Marco clutched the heavy bag of silver coins and the significant letter tightly. As he got off the train, he solemnly bowed deeply to Luo Yan.

"Sir, rest assured! From today onwards, I will hone my art on the journey and earn the rest of my travel expenses with my own abilities! I will never let you down!"

"Go."

Luo Yan smiled and nodded to him, watching the hopeful young "poet" disappear on the road to the holy city, before turning back to his carriage.

The carriage was back on the road.

Watching Marco's figure disappear into the hotel entrance, Sarah, who had been silent all along, finally couldn't help but speak.

“Your Highness,” her voice held a hint of confusion, “why didn’t you kill him? He was the one who caused your failure in the exam.”

In her simple understanding, offending the Demon King should naturally be repaid with death, and that's why she sought out this guy.

Luo Yan smiled, opened the book he hadn't finished reading, and casually asked, "Sarah, do you think I need that paper?"

He never thought about killing anyone; at most, he only pondered whether or not to hand the young man over to Xuebang.

Sarah paused for a moment, then gently shook her head.

Obviously, scores are meaningless to a demon king; a monarch does not need to be scored by anyone.

"Let's keep watching. Anyway, we'll be going back to the Holy City. I actually think that young man could be a pawn that brings me surprises."

He was a human from hell, and had no obligation to prune the empire's trunk of unnecessary branches.

Instead, he wanted to let this promising soul drift to where it belonged, and there it would shine, take root, and flourish.

This is what a demon king should do.

The carriage continued along the mountain road for a while, when suddenly the cries of griffins echoed from the sky.

Then, several griffins swooped down from the clouds, their wings whipping up strong winds, and landed steadily on the mountain road ahead.

Sitting on the griffin's back was assistant teacher Giselle.

He recognized the magnificent carriage that stood out from its surroundings at a glance; an apprentice had seen it in the camp before!

Giselle, who had jumped off the griffin, practically tumbled and crawled up, ignoring the mud and snow covering the ground, and knelt directly in front of Luo Yan's carriage, confessing in a voice filled with extreme fear.

“Mr. Roxie Collin… I am Giselle, a teaching assistant at Xuebang! I’m so sorry, so very sorry! There was a serious oversight in our work that caused your scroll… accidentally… not to enter the correct procedure! Your esteemed name should have appeared on the stone tablet!”

He confessed and begged for forgiveness, his forehead pressed against the cold ground, not daring to lift it even slightly.

The carriage curtain was gently lifted, and Luo Yan stepped down from the carriage.

He stepped forward and personally helped the terrified teaching assistant up from the snow, his face bearing his usual gentle smile.

“Please rise, teaching assistant.” His voice was as calm as a mountain spring, soothing Giselle’s anxiety. “It seems there has been some unpleasant misunderstanding between us. Can you tell me what happened?”

He was asking a question he already knew the answer to.

Giselle stammered, looking at this distinguished gentleman, unsure of where to begin, or whether she should tell him about Xuebang's scandal.

Xuebang has worked through the night to find out the real number of the swapped scroll, and has also found out the real owner of the "perfect answer sheet" through the registration information - but no one expected that the answerer would be Prince Colin from the Holy City!
There are many princes in the empire, but I've heard that this prince is no ordinary prince. He has good relations with many prominent families and is said to have a vast fiefdom in a distant world.

Although it's unclear why he would choose to participate in the apprentice assessment instead of using the designated recruitment channel, he clearly carries Earl Sylphine's letter of recommendation.

Inside the carriage, Tauf, who was dozing off, finally couldn't help but let out a "pfft" laugh like a little pig.

Even though the laughter was hidden by the wind and snow, it could still be heard clearly.

She didn't laugh at the young man chasing his dream. In her opinion, he was naive but not bad, and he was someone who could be led by the nose.

However, upon seeing the cunning demon king and the sorcerer begging for forgiveness, she couldn't help herself—how could these knowledgeable fellows be so cowardly and bully the weak?

Just as Gisele was stammering, unsure how to explain this colossal scandal, a new commotion arose in the air.

That was not the cry of a griffin, but a more ethereal neighing of a horse.

Everyone looked up and saw a carriage pulled by four white winged horses descending slowly from the clouds and landing on the snow not far away.

The car door opened, and Professor Hector Raine stepped out of the car himself.

He had long lost the authority and irritability he displayed in the examination hall, and his face now carried a perfectly appropriate hint of apology and respect.

He strode up to Luo Yan, first shaking off the snowflakes clinging to his clothes, then nodded slightly, conveying Xuebang's apologies on behalf of the "unqualified" teaching assistant, Gisele.

"Your Highness, I am Professor Hector of the Tower of Great Sages. On behalf of the Academy and my Mage Tower, I welcome you... Please forgive me for not greeting you properly."

Luo Yan looked at the professor whose attitude had completely changed, smiled gently, and didn't blame him at all.

"Not at all, Professor, you flatter me. I just didn't pass the exam. You don't need to be so polite. I'm someone who can accept defeat."

The phrase "able to afford to lose" felt like three invisible slaps to Hector's face, leaving it burning.

He was so embarrassed that he wanted to explain that things weren't like that, but he didn't know how to explain the ins and outs. He could only look at Luo Yan with an almost pleading gaze.

"We made a mistake, and we ask that you... give us a chance to explain, correct, and compensate you. There are many misunderstandings involved, and I will personally explain the whole story to you when I get back."

Seeing the professor's embarrassed state, Luo Yan did not continue to make things difficult for him.

I suppose his face is already hurt enough; if I keep harping on it, I'll just make myself look like I'm being unreasonable.

but--

There are some things he still has to do.

“Professor Hector, I hope there’s some explanation for this, not just regarding my scroll… What do you think?”

Hector's expression stiffened slightly, but considering the potential embarrassment if the news reached the Holy City, he finally nodded.

"Okay, I promise you!"

Choose the lesser of two evils; family scandals should not be aired in public.

Anyway, it's the result the prince wants, so offending anyone won't be a problem for me.

Luo Yan nodded with a smile.

"Then I look forward to your results... Also, I missed the interview, and I don't know if it's too late now."

Hector gave a wry smile.

"Your Highness, you're joking again. With your knowledge, making you an apprentice would be an insult to you and your knowledge..."

He paused, then continued earnestly.

“I would like to hire you as a tutor at Xuebang. You will not only have your own meditation room, laboratory and lecture hall, but you will also be able to freely borrow Xuebang’s library and exchange academic results with other magicians.”

"I don't think you came here to listen to lectures by teaching assistants whose level is far inferior to yours... What do you think?"

indeed.

This is the purpose of Luo Yan's trip.

He pondered for a moment, then nodded with a smile.

"Then I would rather obey your orders than be respectful."

(End of this chapter)