Chapter 193: Slap
Honestly, if he could, Leon really wanted to fire off another Frost Spear. That way, Darren would look ten times more miserable than he does now.
Unfortunately, it was already too late...
By this time, several mages had already walked over—Oswald, Joey, and Ashen Shadow Keith, Darren's teacher, among them. Five or six in total, all standing at the pinnacle of the kingdom's magical hierarchy.
"What happened here?" The Title Archmage of the ninth rank strode over, his expression clearly sour. Although Keith had stepped down as Speaker of the Ashen Tower, tonight he was, for all intents and purposes, half the host. With this kind of trouble brewing in the banquet hall, there was no way his face could look pleasant.
"Teacher..." Darren quickly bowed respectfully as soon as he saw Keith approach.
Keith shot Darren a fierce glare. He didn't say a word, but that look alone was enough to show just how displeased this Title Archmage truly was.
This was, after all, a gathering of the Arcane Hand...
Nearly all of the kingdom's top mages were present, and yet his only disciple managed to cause such a blunder—making a scene in public, attacking a fifth-rank Archmage, and almost losing!
Even a Title Archmage of the ninth rank has his pride...
"That's about it." Normally, if a ninth-rank Title Archmage wanted me dead, I'd be running for my life—no chance, just total annihilation.
But today... I don't need to.
"Teacher, look, you see..." Darren clung to his lifeline, unwilling to let go. Seeing Leon admit it, his face brightened with relief: "It's his attitude—so arrogant, so disrespectful. I couldn't stand it, that's why I attacked him!"
...If it weren't for so many people watching, Keith would have slapped him already. Right now, Keith really wanted to ask Darren—don't you get it? The problem isn't why you attacked, it's that you failed.
If you can't say anything useful, just shut up. No one's going to think you're mute.
"I must remind you, this is the Order of the Arcane Hand gathering. Entering uninvited is like provoking the entire Order. Do you know the consequences?" Keith, tired of Darren, pretended not to hear him and kept his eyes locked on Leon.
"Honestly, the consequences aren't something you—or your family or your faction—can bear..." At this, Keith glanced at his disappointing disciple. "By the way, which faction is this young Archmage from?"
"His name is Matthew Merlin, from the Gilded Rose in Seaview City!"
"Very well, Matthew Merlin..." Keith smiled, about to speak, then suddenly paused. "Wait—Matthew Merlin?"
"Yes, Teacher, his name is Matthew..." Darren nodded and grinned, glancing at Leon with schadenfreude. How does it feel to be targeted by a ninth-rank Title Archmage?
"Matthew Merlin!" When Keith looked at Darren, his eyes were practically spitting fire—especially seeing Darren's confused face. Keith was so angry he almost slapped him again, but just as his hand rose, he remembered all the people watching...
So, the raised hand slowly dropped back down...
Even so, when Keith looked at Darren again, his face was as ugly as ever. He stared at Darren for a full minute before finally snapping: "Get out. Check the guest list!"
"Y-yes, yes..." Darren didn't dare lift his head, slinking away in total embarrassment.
Even long after Darren left, Keith stood there, face still iron-gray. This disciple was good for nothing but making trouble—a ninth-rank Archmage who can't even beat a fifth-rank, and doesn't even know who he's fighting. He'd embarrassed not just himself, but Keith as well...
Who is Matthew Merlin?
He's the new candidate for the Order of the Arcane Hand, jointly recommended by Joey and Oswald. One of the main points of this gathering is to vote on whether this young Archmage is qualified to join. His name's been on the guest list from the start! Darren, as one of the event organizers, made such a rookie mistake—unforgivable!
Normally, Keith wouldn't be this angry...
But as luck would have it, Keith was the most vocal opponent of Joey and Oswald's joint recommendation this time.
In Keith's eyes, Matthew Merlin was just a fifth-rank Archmage. No matter how profound his magical knowledge, no matter what he'd contributed to Vanrison's Formulas, his rank was what mattered. How could he possibly sit among so many Title Archmages?
"Pa!"
Before Darren could finish gloating, a crisp slap echoed through the banquet hall...
"Teacher..." Darren was stunned, clutching his swollen cheek, staring at Keith in confusion. "Teacher, wh-why?"
"Matthew Merlin!" When Keith looked at Darren, his eyes were practically spitting fire—especially seeing Darren's confused face. Keith was so angry he almost slapped him again, but just as his hand rose, he remembered all the people watching...
So, the raised hand slowly dropped back down...
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Even so, when Keith looked at Darren again, his face was as ugly as ever. He stared at Darren for a full minute before finally snapping: "Get out. Check the guest list!"
"Y-yes, yes..." Darren didn't dare lift his head, slinking away in total embarrassment.
Even long after Darren left, Keith stood there, face still iron-gray. This disciple was good for nothing but making trouble—a ninth-rank Archmage who can't even beat a fifth-rank, and doesn't even know who he's fighting. He'd embarrassed not just himself, but Keith as well...
Who is Matthew Merlin?
He's the new candidate for the Order of the Arcane Hand, jointly recommended by Joey and Oswald. One of the main points of this gathering is to vote on whether this young Archmage is qualified to join. His name's been on the guest list from the start! Darren, as one of the event organizers, made such a rookie mistake—unforgivable!
Normally, Keith wouldn't be this angry...
But as luck would have it, Keith was the most vocal opponent of Joey and Oswald's joint recommendation this time.
In Keith's eyes, Matthew Merlin was just a fifth-rank Archmage. No matter how profound his magical knowledge, no matter what he'd contributed to Vanrison's Formulas, his rank was what mattered. How could he possibly sit among so many Title Archmages?
At the time, Keith even brought up Darren and Salomon as examples.
Look at Darren and Salomon—both ninth-rank Archmages. If it's just magical knowledge, they're qualified to join the Order of the Arcane Hand. But without reaching the Title Archmage realm, they've never become full members.
"Impossible!" Joey had just finished speaking when the banquet hall erupted. Many had heard rumors that this Archmage Merlin had played a major role in cracking Vanrison's Formulas, but honestly, most dismissed it as gossip...
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Second update of the day! I'm still writing, promise the third chapter will be up before 4 o'clock!!!!