Andre appeared at the restaurant entrance without anyone noticing. He still maintained his elegant noble demeanor, but there was an undeniable authority in his eyes.
The candidate apprentices exchanged glances and quickly dispersed.
Although noble status is not worth much here, as the Thirteenth Prince of the Faruk Kingdom, Andre’s influence is still considerable, at least to these candidate apprentices.
"These guys..." Andre walked over to Ron, chuckling, and said:
"Yesterday, when Darrend mutated, they all hid in their rooms and didn’t even dare to open the door. Now they’re all eager to show off."
Ron nodded slightly: "I really have no interest in interacting with these people, thank you for helping me out, Andre."
"Then let’s go, let’s find a quieter place." Andre invited with a smile:
"I just happen to have some freshly baked scones over there, much better than those black bread."
The two went to Andre’s room, where the setup was noticeably better than other candidate apprentices’.
On a small table were several steaming scones, with a pot of fragrant flower tea beside them.
"Speaking of which," Andre said with a laugh while pouring tea for Ron:
"I didn’t expect you to handle the mutated Darrend with a wooden sword, it’s a pity I wasn’t in the dorm area at the time, otherwise I should have come to lend a hand."
Ron took a sip from his teacup: "Just lucky."
"Lucky?" Andre looked at him playfully:
"You’ve become quite humble now. In the Royal Capital, if you had such achievements, you’d probably be boasting all over the city, wouldn’t you?"
Upon hearing this tease, Ron shook his head helplessly: "Those are things of the past."
"True enough." Andre took a bite of a scone, with a hint of exploration in his eyes:
"But honestly, your changes over this period are quite surprising. Training with the ’Crown Breathing Technique’ daily, soaking in the herb store to learn, and now you’ve conceived Sound Wave Magic..."
He paused, smirking faintly as he looked at Ron:
"If I hadn’t watched you step by step to where you are now, I’d suspect you’d been possessed by some powerful being."
"Possession?" Ron’s heart stirred, recalling his talent for "Dual Soul," but outwardly he remained calm:
"I just don’t want to wait here to die."
"Indeed." Andre’s expression suddenly grew serious: "But recently, you should be careful, especially with that Marcus."
Ron put down his teacup: "Why do you say that?"
"Although he’s just an ordinary elementary apprentice, his brother, close to becoming an Official Wizard, stands behind him—Oliver."
The blond boy’s voice became very low:
"In the school, Oliver is on the same level as Lord Holt, a seasoned advanced apprentice, and he’s made significant progress in Curse Witchcraft research."
He paused, seemingly choosing his words:
"With such a powerful support, Marcus dares to act without restraint. Most candidate apprentices he takes as servants end up as materials for his brother’s magic experiments."
Ron fell into contemplation; no wonder Emily met such a tragic end after turning to Marcus. Perhaps the outcome was already set when she chose that path.
"So..." Andre’s tone carried a warning:
"You’ve been too conspicuous lately. Although Marcus himself is merely an elementary apprentice, his brother Oliver is studying some incredibly bizarre special magic, seemingly related to spiritual power extraction."
"With the talent and potential you’ve shown now, you might very well catch their attention. Although Lady Allen and Lord Holt are here, it’s better to be cautious."
Ron nodded. He had long noticed that apprentice who liked collecting "beautiful servant" often casting a cold glance at him.
"But don’t worry too much." Andre resumed his elegant smile:
"With those two acquaintances of yours, he probably wouldn’t dare be too blatant. Besides..."
He looked at Ron probingly: "With the strength you’re showing now, even if he does make a move, he likely won’t gain much."
Ron smiled but didn’t continue the topic. Instead, he asked about something else: "By the way, any new news from the market?"
"You mean those black market merchants?" Andre shook his head: "Since Darrend’s incident, they’ve been more restrained. But..."
He gazed deeply out the window: "This calm probably won’t last long. As the assessment deadline approaches, those with nowhere left to go will surely take desperate measures."
"You’re right." Ron looked at the gradually darkening sky outside, calculating inwardly.
Darrend’s incident deeply affected him. Although his progress is quite smooth now, time is still pressing.
He needs to quickly grasp the conception of Sound Wave Magic and continue to enhance abilities in other areas.
"It’s getting late." Andre stood up: "I guess you have your matters to attend to?"
Ron nodded, tidying up his things to leave.
The next plan is to thoroughly study the notes Darrend left behind and attempt to advance this unfinished prototype of Sound Wave Magic to a new level.
At the door, Andre suddenly called his name: "Ron."
"Do you know?" Andre’s face showed a playful smile: "I’m a bit grateful now that back in the Royal Capital, I never had any conflict with you."
Ron was momentarily stunned before understanding his meaning.
"Don’t worry, that playboy has already died on the way to the Black Mist Jungle." He half-turned, answering calmly.
"Indeed." Andre gave him a meaningful look: "In his place is a terrifying, unpredictable monster."
Ron couldn’t help but laugh at this description: "A monster, huh..."
In this world, it’s survival of the fittest. If one wishes to survive, perhaps turning into a monster is indeed necessary.
He turned and left Andre’s room, the hallway outside already shrouded in twilight.
The chaotic shadows alongside were like ghostly claws under the dim sky.
Still, curious glances were cast at him now and then, but Ron no longer cared.
What he has to do now is to continue getting stronger until he’s powerful enough to fully control his fate in this harsh world.
Any coveting and scheming will all turn to nothing in the face of power.