Chapter 39: Barthomeloi is Here to 'Read the Meter'!
As an ancient family lineage, one of the twelve Lords of the Clock Tower, the El-Melloi family manor was not that spacious or luxurious. But when he was led in by the young maid who had opened the door, Lu Kang could feel a thick ancient aura. Every brick and tile here was an 'ancient piece' with a long history. Placed outside, they would be antique treasures that would cause collectors to scramble over each other. But here, the owner of the mansion had connected their ancient historical heritage, naturally outlining a vast and complex mystic formula...
A 'magic workshop'. A workshop nested within another, layered one upon another. It seemed Lu Kang had only walked through the courtyard outside the house, crossed the threshold, and then passed through the long corridor connecting to the great hall. But from a mystical perspective, he had already walked through many different, divided 'blocks'. Each of those blocks contained a different mystery, just in a dormant, ready-to-be-activated state. He could even see the spiritual bodies of 'hellhounds' resting with their eyes closed among the grass and trees in the courtyard...
As expected of Lord El-Melloi. What an ultimate rich bastard! Lu Kang thought to himself.
The long corridor reached its end. He finally saw the person himself, Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, who had stood up to welcome him in the great hall...
The moment Kayneth stood up with a solemn expression, the originally dim hall instantly brightened! The single candle with its serene blue flame, which had an effect of calming the mind and sharpening the senses, was extinguished. A wisp of black smoke rose and swirled around the glass chandelier hanging above. Like a rising moon illuminating the four corners, in the suddenly brightened space, the voice of the head of the Department of Mineralogy and first-class lecturer of the Department of Spiritual Evocation slowly drifted over.
He said, "Speaking of which, I was a little confused before, why the pronunciation of your name would be so similar to that of the author of The Book of the Law... It was also for this reason that I gave you a little extra attention."
"—Mr. Luvest, who likes to sleep in my class."
"Have a seat!"
Kayneth waved his hand. In the bright hall, a red carpet adorned the floor, and light gauze curtains hung on the four high walls, enveloping the entire space in a soft and quiet atmosphere. Between them, tables and chairs were arranged neatly, with sofas and round tables spaced apart. Lu Kang sat down opposite where Kayneth had pointed. He looked at the young man who was leisurely having a maid serve coffee, his every move full of elegance. He thought to himself, you definitely didn't pay attention to me just for that... because before yesterday, there was no 'Lu Kang Luvest' in this world.
He suddenly thought that if Waver knew he had turned around and sought the protection of the Lemon-Head lecturer he found so annoying, the delicate-looking youth would surely be very displeased.
As his thoughts wandered, Kayneth sat down again. The young maid brought freshly ground coffee. As the fragrance gradually spread, Lu Kang finally spoke slowly. He said, "Actually, I am also very surprised, Teacher Kayneth."
"Oh?" Kayneth, who was lifting his coffee cup to take a slow sip, raised an eyebrow. The man sitting upright under the light had a confident and serious gaze—yet it also inevitably carried a hint of curiosity.
"As you can see," Lu Kang said without reservation, "a day ago, I was not the successor of 'Luvest' at all. I had a 'second awakening' overnight."
"A second awakening?" A trace of surprise flashed in Kayneth's eyes. This was something even Waver could explain in detail. As a lecturer, he of course couldn't be unaware. But after the surprise, he instantly understood. No wonder. He also remembered that the previous Lu Kang was just a second or third-generation magus with a little talent, without a single trace of Luvest's lineage. If there had been, as a lecturer, he couldn't possibly have failed to recognize it.
So he gently put down his porcelain cup and said, "Should I say you are fortunate, or unfortunate, Mr. Lu Kang? A second awakening is a one-in-a-million event. However, for you, it is a curse, not a blessing. The surname 'Luvest' is not one that can be borne so easily. He had too many enemies!"
"I know," Lu Kang said with equal honesty. "So, isn't that why I've come to find you?"
Hearing this, the confident and proud Kayneth's lips twitched. His words just now had, to some extent, been an attempt to 'haggle'. He held no ill will towards the youth before him, and even thought highly of him. But he also had the standard personality of a magus—never acting without profit. But unfortunately, this youth didn't seem to get it. He didn't understand that a contract was a contract. To get genuine help, one still needed to pay a little something...
"With my ability, I can indeed protect you—do you really think our El-Melloi family will protect you unconditionally?" Kayneth said thus.
But Lu Kang just blinked. "Won't you? According to the information on the bloodline crest I inherited, El-Melloi must give me a certain degree of protection!" The youth spread his hands.
Kayneth finally couldn't take it anymore. He was about to speak frankly...
"Of course," Lu Kang interrupted just as the words were at his throat, "if Teacher Kayneth wants some benefit, I'm sorry to say, there is none. My Magic Crest was just awakened. My only assets were blown to smithereens this morning. I am now penniless—I didn't even have lunch before rushing over here!"
Kayneth was instantly speechless. He finally confirmed that this youth had just come to freeload... but he couldn't refuse him because of the contract. His lifelong noble demeanor also prevented him from doing anything rude. Especially with what Lu Kang said next...
"Is Teacher Kayneth thinking of refusing me? Refusing the contract of your ancestors? Or perhaps—" Lu Kang squinted slightly, a smile on his lips, "are you worried that you won't be able to protect my existence from outsiders?"
And so Kayneth laughed. He grinned, his lips curling up, a mocking laugh. "A provocation? What a childish method!" But though he said this, he had still fallen for the bait. "Fine. Seeing as you have some talent and are barely worthy of my protection, I'll give you a little help!" This was also an investment. It was both because his pride would not allow him to refuse, and also because of what was recorded in his grandfather's diary.
He thought of his grandfather's admiration for the Magecraft of the Mind in that diary. Then, making a small investment in a successor of that magecraft was not a bad choice... Everything was going according to plan. Very smoothly.
Seeing Kayneth finally nod, Lu Kang also smiled. He was full of confidence the whole time. Victory was in his grasp.
Kayneth huffed, about to say something—perhaps arrangements for Lu Kang's protection, or some other instruction. Since he had agreed, the proud Kayneth would naturally not be lax in the slightest. If he was going to do it, he would do it perfectly.
But in the next second, the words he was about to speak were interrupted again. Because of the sound coming from Lu Kang's body. It was the sound of an electronic communication device.
Lu Kang took out a 90s-era brick phone and glanced at it. It was a 'call' from Waver... he pressed answer. The voice that followed was exceptionally flustered. "Lu Kang, where are you now?! I'm downstairs from your dorm! Don't come back, those guys... those monsters from the Department of Policies, have already found out about your second-awakened bloodline crest!!!"
"Don't stay where you are either, run—run!"
Lu Kang was stunned. He subconsciously pictured a shiba inu shouting... Opposite him, Kayneth's face changed. The Department of Policies... the Barthomeloi family? That magus lord family that has a 'deep grudge' with Luvest?!
At that exact moment, a loud bang came from the foundation of the manor. The previously quiet courtyard suddenly became agitated. The magic workshop's defenses had been activated—there was an intruder!
Kayneth shot to his feet. They came so fast...
Having come back to his senses, Lu Kang also thought the same. And he suddenly felt a sense of a long-lost reunion—an eagerness to try!
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