Beside Leon, Raphael glanced at the dizzying data, then broke into a delighted smile, laughing and looking at Lafayette.
Lord Lafayette, I've only deciphered a little over a hundred Runes of Truth and can't make sense of this at all. You must have mastered far more—could you explain it to me?
Archmage has already laid out such detailed steps—I trust you wouldn't mind explaining them to me.
Lafayette stood there with a dark expression, saying nothing, completely ignoring Raphael.
Even the dullest onlookers now understood exactly what had happened.
Lafayette had wanted to use the Runes of Truth to humiliate Leon, but instead, Leon had humiliated him—and with no mercy.
As a Worldshaper, having the other party lay out detailed steps you can't understand—nothing could be more humiliating.
Even if most Worldshapers here couldn't understand the solutions, the shame was Lafayette's alone. Some even looked at him unfavorably. Luckily, no one said it aloud, or everyone would have been embarrassed.
The farce ended. Cyrus looked at Leon with an odd expression, then led the group to the teleportation site to await the transition.
Lafayette had been humiliated in front of so many Worldshapers. After this gathering, he'd likely become a laughingstock among alchemists, and no one would want to work with him again—for fear of lowering their own intelligence.
Upon seeing Leon, Lafayette's lips curled into a sneer as he slowly walked toward him.
"Archmage Leon Merlin, I didn't expect you'd have the nerve to show your face. After all this time, have you even deciphered a hundred Runes of Truth? Before it's even over, you were already hiding in your room, sulking.
If your research results are so pathetic, say something! Beg me, and maybe I'll be merciful enough to share a little of my discoveries with you."
Lafayette looked smug. This was his first time here; previously, when Astral Academy held gatherings, other Jackson Family Worldshapers attended instead—he was rarely in Northend.
More importantly, it's only during the first research session on the Runes of Truth that one can reap the greatest rewards. As long as a family has enough Worldshapers, they almost never send the same Worldshaper twice.
After all, the first time yields the most Runes of Truth, and the greatest benefits. On a second visit, even discovering a few dozen Runes would be considered excellent.
Lafayette held a crystal disk in his hand, runes swirling across its surface, with a flood of data flashing wildly.
Leon glanced indifferently at Lafayette, not bothering to respond. In this space, Astral Academy would never allow anyone to fight. Half a year ago, even before he broke through to Sky Rank, Leon could hold his own against Lafayette, that dark warlock, for a long time.
Now that he'd reached Sky Rank Level Two, Leon was absolutely confident he could defeat Lafayette. But since fighting was forbidden, he couldn't be bothered to engage.
Seeing Leon remain silent, Lafayette became even more aggressive.