Speaking of which, Austin raised three fingers.
Thirty percent, he would never shortchange himself.
The investigation report would be sensational; the more Wayne earned, the more he would skim off.
This was also a lesson, thirty percent was not a tuition fee, but a necessary cost, referred to as an investment in business terms.
Wayne acknowledged the lesson and proceeded to his purpose for visiting tonight, "Which Legendary Mage is targeting me, creating such chaos? This will only reveal the discord within the Magic Department and, in the end, it will hurt their own interests. What on earth are they thinking?"
Wayne could not understand; he just thought the Magic Department was foolish.
"They are Legendary Mages; at this level, national interests no longer bind them. They are planning their own exit strategies..." Austin began slowly.
Liberty Mages had this drawback; they lacked a clear path to advancement, unlike Mages from The Church, who had a clear future path. Even if there were power struggles, they were confined to the internal affairs of The Church.
"From what you’re saying, there have been traitors within the Magic Department before?"
"There have been a few instances, all covered up."
Austin’s tone was full of insinuation; rather than saying it was covered up, it was more like competition between peers, stabbing a traitorous "brother" or friend in the back before they could defect, all to maximize one’s own benefits.
The recent attack on the Moonlight Church was no exception, the script had existed long before, but this time, there was no passerby to rip off the veil of decency and expose the truth to the world.
When betrayal becomes expected, the person who points it out becomes very annoying.
Wayne sighed, "It’s too hard being the good guy; I really don’t have it easy."
Austin, feeling uncomfortable all over, waved his hand and sent Wayne away, wanting to sleep well that night.
"Then, I won’t disturb your rest." Wayne left the study.
Seeing him not borrowing any gauze, Austin knew Wayne would not go to Philomena to garner sympathy, and so he did not remind him to be wary of the scent of perfume on him.
Wayne certainly didn’t have the intention to seek trouble that night; the previous evening, after applying Dragon Blood to Veronica, she was deeply moved, setting aside her shame and uttering a plethora of love words.
Words like chasing to the ends of the world, unyielding until death, never letting go even in death...
The genuine emotions packed between the lines made Wayne feel embarrassed on the spot; he had no idea Veronica could be so forthcoming.
By comparison, Chris was far too passive.
Hearing footsteps in the corridor, Chris opened the door and peeked out, beckoning to Wayne to hurry in and speak.
Just as Wayne was complaining about Chris’s lack of enthusiasm a moment ago, he now found her impatient, thinking he had entered the wrong door.
He looked around; it was Wayne Manor, that was certain, and the person opposite was not Philomena.
One issue had not been resolved before another had arisen; what on earth had happened?
"Wayne, come quickly," Chris called softly.
"No need to whisper, Welly isn’t here tonight," Wayne said nonchalantly.
Chris blushed, grabbed Wayne’s hand, and dragged him into the bedroom. Welly was indeed not there, but the butler and the maids were at home; they would surely misunderstand if they saw them.
"What’s the urgency?"
Wayne set down his briefcase, and asked with confusion, "Senior teacher, I thought you took the day off; why are you staying over again?"
"That’s not important. What’s important is that you’re in big trouble now," Chris said sternly.
"Tell me your itinerary today, don’t leave anything out, spill it all."
Without understanding why, Wayne replied truthfully, "I played tour guide today, accompanied the High Priest from your side to the museum, had dinner, then went to Lando Manor, ran around busy as could be, and your bedroom is the last stop."
All true, aside from glossing over some details.
"You went to see Veronica?" Chris raised her voice, nearly breaking.
Wayne dug at his ear, "Is there something wrong with that?"
Chris grabbed Wayne’s hand, hesitating and faltering, not daring to reveal the truth, said instead, "Veronica isn’t right for you, Welly is much better. Trust me, you two cannot be together."
Question marks drifted across Wayne’s forehead; this wasn’t something he knew Chris would say.
"Anyway, you two can’t be together!"
Chris, considering the feelings of both friends, stopped at that hoping Wayne would understand on his own, then continued, "And the High Priest, she has ill intentions, stay far away from her."
"She certainly has ill intentions!"
Wayne nodded solemnly, opening his collar and fanning the air, "Smell that? It’s all her perfume. She sprayed it on me like crazy, and even touched my hand at dinner."
Chris was not pleased, internally scorning the act; truly befitting of the High Priest, playing it so innocently, without the slightest bit of flirtation.
You won’t attract Wayne !
"I wanted to resist, but I had a mission from the Magic Department and had to bear with it for now."
Wayne sighed; life wasn’t just about poetry and distant places, but also about the immediate strifes. With no special talent and a slow mind, to make money to Keep reading on NovelHub - where stories come alive!
"Speaking of which, where did you get the information about the High Priest?"
Wayne pressed Chris, backing her into a corner and executed a "wall slam": "Look up, tell me, we have a traitor among us. Who is it?"