Chapter 197: Teammates Like Pigs
Unfortunately, Kev had no idea at all.
There was nothing he could do—Leon wrote formulas at a speed that was simply too fast. Kev only got distracted for a moment, and he missed a total of six brand-new magical formulas. Even now, Kev still thought that the young Archmage was writing the first formula.
Kev was brimming with confidence, thinking to himself: It's just one formula. With my decades of credibility and prestige, I can easily turn the situation around.
He might even be able to gain something out of it...
For example, claiming the formula as his own.
Kev had already taken a look earlier. Although the crucial parts of the formula were written in special magical script, Kev believed this wasn’t a big problem. A fifth-rank Archmage versus a ninth-rank Title Archmage—the gap in magical knowledge was enough to crush the competition. As long as he put in a little effort, cracking those special magical scripts wouldn’t be difficult at all.
So, when Kev said those words, he felt absolutely no psychological burden...
"Lord Kev, you can eat whatever you like, but you can’t just say whatever you want..." At this moment, Leon had already finished writing the seventh magical formula. Under the anxious gazes of the gathered Title Archmages, he finally put down Joey’s goose feather quill...
"Whew..."
The moment Leon put down the goose feather quill, everyone simultaneously let out a sigh of relief.
It was terrifying...
Leon’s earlier frenzied performance had made everyone feel as if he would just keep writing forever. Thankfully, after seven brand-new magical formulas, he finally stopped...
If this had happened in the past, someone so generous with magical knowledge would have been begged by all these Title Archmages to keep going. But now, all they wanted to say was: 'Archmage Merlin, please, enough already...'
There was nothing they could do—they were truly terrified.
Seven brand-new magical formulas spilled out in a rush. Even the most composed Title Archmages were nearly driven mad on the spot. This kind of behavior was beyond madness—they were genuinely afraid there’d be an eighth, then a ninth...
So when Leon finally put down the quill, the group of Title Archmages discreetly wiped the cold sweat from their brows, secretly relieved that it was finally over...
Unfortunately, Kev once again missed these details.
The ninth-rank Title Archmage was already safely lost in his own world. He hadn’t had time to crack those special magical scripts yet, but he felt absolutely confident about the confrontation ahead.
For one reason only—he was a ninth-rank Title Archmage, and that Matthew Merlin was just a fifth-rank Archmage.
A gap of over twenty levels was enough to turn this confrontation into a complete rout.
Kev didn’t even hesitate as he put on his ninth-rank Title Archmage airs: "Matthew Merlin, I’ll give you one last chance. Leave the Ashen Tower now, and I’ll pretend none of this ever happened…"
"How gracious of you, Lord Kev…" Leon replied, tidying up the papers on the desk and glancing up with a smile.
"So, you really intend to resist to the end…" Kev sneered, stepping to the center of the banquet hall. "In that case, don’t blame me for exposing you. Matthew Merlin, do you dare tell everyone where you were last night between one and three?"
"What does that have to do with plagiarism?" Leon’s heart skipped a beat—had the sub-plane been exposed? But after twenty years in the apocalypse, his nerves were tough as steel. Though surprised, his face showed no sign of it.
"Heh, afraid to answer?" Kev’s smile faded. "Let me say it for you. Last night, between one and three, you snuck into the Ashen Tower’s confidential research lab and stole this crucial magical formula. Did you really think you could fool everyone?"
"Lord Kev, I’ll say it again: you can eat whatever you like, but you can’t just say whatever you want…" Leon almost cursed aloud—damn, this frame-up was top notch; he was nearly scared into blurting out the truth…
"Enough, Matthew Merlin, give up your pathetic hope. Ask any of these Title Archmages what kind of person Kev is—my reputation, my integrity, would I ever falsely accuse a mere fifth-rank Archmage?" Kev finished confidently, sweeping his gaze over the gathered mages.
Kev expected that the next moment would be a chorus of support from the dozen Title Archmages present…
But to his surprise, as he looked around, not a single Title Archmage spoke up for him. Instead, each one lowered their head, as if they’d coordinated it beforehand—none would even meet his eyes…
What was going on?
Kev was instantly stumped…
Could it be that Joey’s influence in the Order of the Arcane Hand had grown this much? Not a single Title Archmage dared to speak up for him—this was just too bizarre!
No, no, even if Joey’s influence was huge, surely Lord Heron wouldn’t be afraid of him, right?
Why did even Lord Heron lower his head?
Kev couldn’t have imagined, at that moment, Heron was bowing his head while cursing Kev’s ancestors eighteen generations back…
Damn it, what a pig-headed teammate—how could I have been so naïve just now…
Of all the Title Archmages in the banquet hall, why did they have to pick Kev, the most pig-headed teammate of all?
Damn, the guy just dumped seven brand-new magical formulas out in a rush. At a time like this, why not just admit defeat and toss off a few light compliments—say the young man has a bright future, I have high hopes for you, or something. Would that really cost Kev a piece of his flesh?
This wasn’t even Kev’s fault—seven brand-new magical formulas, that’s a natural disaster, not something anyone could stop. Heron wasn’t unreasonable; he wouldn’t blame Kev for a natural disaster.
But Kev just had to make things worse…
At this stage, he still wanted to fight back. What was he trying to do—was he upset that Leon dumped out seven formulas all at once, and wanted him to slap him with each formula one by one instead?
Heron felt he was truly, utterly innocent!
Kev also felt he was innocent…
Wasn’t everyone supposed to support me? Why is everyone lowering their heads now—especially you, Heron, the behind-the-scenes manipulator? What does it mean for you to bow your head now?
Unfortunately, by now Kev was like an arrow on a drawn bow—he had no choice but to go forward. After scanning the banquet hall and finding no support, he could only grit his teeth and press on alone.
"Matthew Merlin, let me give you some advice: resisting to the end won’t do you any good. Your only choice is to confess your crime immediately. For Joey’s sake, I won’t be too harsh with you…"
"Kev, shut up!" Joey had been provoked several times today and was already fuming. Now, even though he’d gained the upper hand, Kev insisted it was only for Joey’s sake—one could imagine how Joey must have felt…
Joey was so angry his eyebrows were trembling. He snatched up the seven sheets of draft paper from Leon’s desk and strode over to Kev, full of fury: "Kev, tell me now—which magical formula was stolen from your Ashen Tower?"
"Which one?" Kev was stunned for a moment—this wasn’t how he’d imagined things would go.
Wait, why are there so many sheets of draft paper?
As Kev realized this, a chill ran through his body—he suddenly sensed a bizarre possibility…
Could it be…
As Kev thought about it, his face turned pale. If that was really the case, then it was all over—his lifelong reputation, completely ruined…
Impossible, impossible…
At this point, Kev no longer dared to think about claiming that brand-new magical formula for himself. He could only hope things weren’t as bad as he feared…
Unfortunately, even that tiny hope was instantly shattered by Joey.
Because, in the next moment, Joey was already slapping the sheets of draft paper onto Kev’s face, one after another, asking, "Is it this one? Is it this one? Is it this one…?"
Seven light sheets of draft paper landed like seven heavy slaps—each time they hit Kev’s face, everyone could almost hear a crisp "smack."
The entire banquet hall was utterly silent. Aside from Joey’s furious roar, all that could be heard was Kev’s desperate, helpless breathing…
Everyone couldn’t help but lower their heads; at this point, nobody could bear to watch any longer, because they all knew Kev’s lifelong reputation had just been wiped clean in that moment…
A dignified ninth-rank Title Archmage, falsely accusing a fifth-rank Archmage, and even trying to claim the fifth-rank’s magical knowledge as his own—this was beyond shameless. The kicker was, in the end, the ninth-rank Title Archmage actually failed…
If word got out, it would instantly become the kingdom’s biggest scandal.
At this point, even Heron, the behind-the-scenes manipulator, just wanted to say: I honestly don’t know Kev…
"You don’t even know what these seven formulas are, yet you dare claim they’re the Ashen Tower’s research. Kev, you really are something…" Joey finished, then pointed at the seven sheets of draft paper on the floor. "Pick them up and take a good look—see what these seven formulas actually are!"