Then, a crisp "smack" echoed through the air...
The hall fell silent in an instant, as if time itself had frozen. Ryan, gripping his staff tightly, stared blankly at the young mage before him, his eyes wide with disbelief...
Was that... really a slap just now?
As if to prove it wasn't an illusion, just as the thought formed in Ryan's mind, another crisp smack rang out in the hall.
Another slap. The group of new employees stared in shock—seriously...?
"If you're not awake, go home and sleep. Don't come to the Gilded Rose spouting nonsense—can you afford to pay for the business you're ruining?" Leon finished delivering two slaps before grumbling.
The gap between a mage and a grand mage truly was insurmountable—even Leon couldn't cross it. But spells were a different matter; Leon had at least a dozen ways to counter the Bloodthorn Spell.
In the world of Northend thirty thousand years later, Leon had even fought real Abyssal Bloodvines. So what was a mere imitation spell compared to that?
Leon didn't even need to expend mana—he could simply toss out a burst of Infernal Fire and burn those evil vines from the Abyss to ashes. Infernal Fire was the natural nemesis of Abyssal Bloodvines; just a spark could turn an ocean of them into dust.
That particular Infernal Fire had been extracted from a Hellstone just a few days ago, originally meant for brewing a Soulfire Elixir. But thanks to Ryan's Bloodthorn Spell, Leon had to use it ahead of schedule...
But the strange atmosphere didn’t last long, because someone else walked in.
"Mage Merlin, congratulations..." This time, the visitor was none other than Solon, Salomon’s only apprentice.
Given Solon's status, the reopening of the Gilded Rose shouldn't warrant a personal visit. Solon wasn't just Salomon's only apprentice—he was also the chosen successor to Sage's Spire, set to become president of the Mage Guild one day. He represented not just himself, but Salomon and the reputation of Sage's Spire.
Even if he wanted to come, he had to consider how others would react.
But today was a special case...
After talking with Salomon in the lounge yesterday, Solon decided he had to speak with the young mage no matter what. So this morning, Solon waited in the library, but after waiting all morning, the young mage never showed up.
Finally, unable to wait any longer, he sent someone to inquire and learned that today was the Gilded Rose’s reopening, so the young mage wouldn’t be coming.
Solon was not having it—he still had so many unanswered questions. How could the young mage just not show up?
Forget it, I’ll just go myself.
So Solon grabbed two scrolls from Sage’s Spire as a congratulatory gift and rushed over to the Gilded Rose.
The moment he stepped inside, Solon felt his mind short-circuit...
What... what is going on here?
That young mage with both cheeks swollen—could he be the eldest son of the Monty family, Grand Mage Ryan from the Gray Tower?
How did he end up in such a sorry state, with both cheeks bruised and swollen? Was he slapped?
That’s impossible. In all of Seaview City, only the top three could pull something like that off. No, no, this must be some kind of spellcasting ritual I don’t know about!
But why does Grand Mage Ryan look so strange? Was he really slapped twice?
And that young mage, Matthew Merlin, standing so casually in front of a Grand Mage—wasn’t that a bit too arrogant?
Seeing such a bizarre scene right after walking in, Solon instantly regretted coming. Why did I bother? The tense atmosphere here was nothing like the harmony I’d hoped for...
'Uh...' Solon swallowed hard, then forced himself to break the silence: 'Grand Mage Ryan, what a coincidence. Long time no see—you’re as impressive as ever.'
...Solon's words were meant to be polite, but to Ryan, they sounded all wrong. Right now, Ryan really wanted to curse—Are you kidding me? I just got slapped twice and my face is swollen. What kind of "impressive" are you talking about?
Ah, Mage Ryan, I didn’t mean it like that...' Solon realized his mistake as soon as he spoke, and in his panic, tried to fix it but didn’t know what to say.
It’s nothing.' Ryan took a deep breath and, with Solon's arrival, finally regained some of his lost composure.
As he gradually calmed down, the confusion and bewilderment on Ryan’s face faded. Earlier, everything had happened so suddenly—his Bloodthorn Spell broken by a mage, then slapped twice—that he’d lost control.
But Ryan was a genius who became a Grand Mage before thirty. As he calmed down, it wasn’t hard to realize the other just exploited a flaw in Bloodthorn Spell—not that he was strong enough to ignore the gap between mage and Grand Mage.
With that realization, Ryan finally felt at ease. As long as the gap remained, he’d get his payback sooner or later.
Just not today...
Because Solon was here.
Solon was a Grand Mage and Salomon’s personal apprentice. His arrival represented Sage’s Spire itself. This realization unsettled Ryan again—why would Sage’s Spire suddenly show such friendliness to a young mage from a declining family? What did it mean?
No, I need to discuss this with my father.
Mage Merlin, I hope your luck holds out next time.
With that, Ryan left without looking back, not even bothering to say goodbye to Solon.
'No way...' Ryan's parting words left Solon frozen, and his gaze toward Leon became blank.
Ryan’s words couldn’t have been clearer. If Solon had only suspected before, now he was certain—Ryan’s bruised, swollen face had everything to do with Mage Merlin.
Good heavens...
Just thinking about it made Solon shudder. Ryan was a bona fide Grand Mage—he could kill several mages with just his words, even if his hands and feet were tied. How could he possibly get slapped twice by a mage, his face left swollen?
This defies all logic...
Just how many secrets does Matthew Merlin have?
No, I need to report this to Master Salomon at once.
Mage Merlin, congratulations! I wish you prosperity and wealth. Here’s a small gift—hope you like it. Goodbye!
Solon blurted out the long congratulatory message in one breath, handed Leon the two scrolls, and dashed off.