Rocky bid farewell to the two members of the Celine clan at the entrance of the Mercyia Academy and walked straight to his residence.

Moonlight spilled onto the tree-lined path like flowing mercury as Alice followed Rocky, occasionally leaping lightly between the patches of light with interest.

It wasn't until they returned to the house that Rocky relaxed. He carefully checked every corner of the room and the magic array he had set up here... Yes, Rocky had set up a magic array directly beneath his living quarters. This was an automatic and offensive array that could loop continuously. Rocky didn't have too much knowledge about magic arrays, so its offensive capabilities were very limited, but it was sufficient as an early warning system.

"What do you plan to do next, Rocky Dolaville Oxias?" Alice smiled and reached out to grab an orange from the table. With her sharp nails, she cut open the peel and said, "The Celine clan is indeed not easy to deal with."

"Have you figured it out?" Rocky asked.

"I'm not that smart, but we have a contract, and I can feel your suspicion towards the Celine clan..." Alice pointed to her head. "I'm quite clear about it."

"It's not suspicion, I am certain that the assassin was sent by the Celine family." Rocky said. "Do you remember what Eric said when he got off the car?"

"Let me think..." Alice recalled. "Hmm... It should be 'This guy is so powerful, he single-handedly took down sixty members of the clan guard unit,' right? But isn't it strange for him to know the composition of their clan guard unit?"

"Yes, it's not strange... But he also said 'there wasn't even a single survivor'," Rocky sneered. "How did he know that without counting the bodies?"

"Good point," Alice said, holding a slice of orange. "But there were sixty people. I don't believe humans would die without any resistance."

"The clan guard unit itself was arranged for the purpose of reception. They probably didn't know the truth. Military personnel only need to execute orders, don't they?" Rocky said. "In an era where magicians are prevalent, it's very unreasonable for a sixty-person team to not have a single person equipped with anti-magic bullets. There is only one reason for this - it was also the Celine clan's request, just to prevent the assassin from consuming too much magic power while dealing with them, so as to not be powerless when facing me."

"But what's the point of them arranging for an assassin to massacre their own clan guard unit?" Alice asked.

"It's for the sake of the complete act. The clan guard unit is just a prop for the performance," Rocky sat down on the edge of the bed. "Tonight was just a test. The real assassination will happen when the inheritor magician appears next time."

"Assassination? But doesn't the Celine clan still want to get something from you?" Alice tilted her head. "If you die, won't all their plans be ruined?"

"What can they get from me?" Rocky shook his head. "Although I don't know the reason, the Celine clan probably already knows that Oxias' so-called treasure is just empty talk. What they need is not the treasure itself, but the information that 'the treasure is in the hands of the Celine clan'. This is also a profitable statement for them... As long as I, who has been to Black Prison tonight, die, there will be no one to confirm this statement."

"Their thoughts coincidentally align with yours, Rocky," Alice said, eating another slice of orange. "So what do we do?"

"Just don't die," Rocky said. "For the Celine clan to achieve their goals, they will actually help me cover up. As long as I don't die, everyone will still believe that the secret of the treasure is in my hands."

"I really don't understand you," Alice pouted and approached Rocky, her face close to his. "Sometimes cautious, sometimes so crazy."

Rocky looked at her. "This is a gamble. Many people have a mountain of chips in front of them, but I have nothing. They can afford to lose, but I must win... So caution and madness are both necessary."

"But right now, what you need most is to sit here and let me bandage your wound," Alice poked Rocky's rib. There was a wound there, obviously left from the battle with the assassin. Blood had soaked through the lining and was slowly seeping out. But Rocky remained silent throughout the journey, as if he was accustomed to the pain."The magician who passed on the magic must be a student of Messiah Holy Academy," Rocky said as he took off his shirt, revealing his lean body and a ten-centimeter-long wound below his ribs.

"Why do you say that?" Alice asked as she brought over the first-aid kit and used alcohol to disinfect Rocky's wound.

"His attacks were specifically targeting me, so it's likely that he knew I would use dual-handed spellcasting beforehand," Rocky said, slightly frowning due to the pain. "And the only time I've used dual-handed spellcasting recently was in the duel against Michian at the academy. He must have noticed it then."

After applying medicine and bandaging Rocky's wound, Alice asked, "So are we in danger at any time?"

"Yes," Rocky said as he put on a bloodstained shirt, "but on the other hand, we can also find a way to track him down."

"Hmph," Alice laughed. "I love hunting."

"Alice, do you regret it?" Rocky suddenly asked. "Leaving your tribe and coming to the human world with me, where conspiracies and killings are endless."

"It's too late to regret now, isn't it? After all, the contract has been formed, and no one can terminate it. I will accompany you to death," Alice said, spreading her hands and walking to the table to turn off the gas lamp.

The room fell into darkness and silence. Rocky did not say anything more and leaned back against the headboard, closing his eyes. Alice, on the other hand, didn't need to sleep. Standing in the darkness, her fiery eyes shone brightly as she kept vigil for Rocky.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Golden sunlight danced through the shade of trees, and the leaves appeared even brighter green. The air carried a lazy and leisurely atmosphere, and the thin morning mist that had risen earlier had already dissipated.

This was a large garden, indicating that it belonged to a prestigious family. Otherwise, it would be impossible to own such a huge mansion in the imperial capital, Nomenge. In fact, the area north of this garden, up to the North County, belonged to the Oxias, a prominent clan. Various flowers adorned the garden, with splendid roses, proud tulips, enchanting mandrakes, pure lilies, and even intoxicating poppies... All kinds of flowers with entirely different growth habits could be found here, demonstrating the master's profound magic skills.

The petite flowers swayed in the breeze, always clean and free from specks of dust, as their caretaker meticulously washed away any dirt that accumulated on their petals and leaves. On this tranquil and beautiful afternoon, a noble girl with a wide-brimmed hat woven from soft straw sat on a swing in the garden. She swayed back and forth with the occasional breeze, her bare toes lightly tapping the lavender plants, and the wind chime hanging on the swing emitted a crisp sound.

She had chestnut-colored hair, inherited from her mother, and eyes as blue as the sea, a gift from her father.

Surrounded by countless flowers, she did not overshadow the scenery. On the contrary, the beautiful landscape became even more exquisite because of her presence.

The girl spread open a beautifully bound book on her lap, her beautiful eyes unwaveringly focused on the pages, fully absorbed in its content. Thus, she did not notice the three unwelcome guests who had trespassed into her garden.

Leading the way was a boy with azure blue hair, symbolizing the pure bloodline of Oxias. Under the sunlight, his hair gleamed with dazzling brilliance, just like his eyes, which had a lustrous blue color. Following him on the left was a sister who looked strikingly similar to him, and on his right was a girl with golden hair and purple eyes, displaying the distinct features of the Aldanoa family.

All three children were wearing the standard uniforms of a prestigious etiquette private school in Nomenge. However, it was school time, and it was obvious that they had skipped class to be here. The teachers must have a headache dealing with their students, right? These young nobles all came from major families in the Reles Empire, and no school rules could truly restrain them. Even using the trump card of meeting their parents was often ineffective, as those influential figures seldom had time to deal with trivial matters compared to national affairs, often sending their household stewards instead.The boy sneaked into the garden with two girls, mischievously fulfilling a long-held wish. Taking advantage of the girl focused on reading, he plucked a dandelion, the only one of its kind in the garden, and its fluffy parachute scattered in the wind as the three children blew air at it. Slowly, the dandelion floated down and landed on the girl's book. She finally realized that her treasure had fallen victim to the mischievous hands of the children.

"Rocky!" Laylie turned to look at the boy with a helpless expression on her face. "There are dandelions all over Nomenge's countryside. Why are you so fixated on this one?"

"There are dandelions everywhere, but would my parents allow me to leave Nomenge?" Rocky held the dandelion stem in his hand, his eyes filled with determination. "Laylie, why are you so fixated on this one? You're a magician, why don't you fly over and collect a bunch to plant here?"

The audacity of this flower thief left Laylie speechless. "I cast a spell on that dandelion. It can stay fresh for six months. The wild dandelions outside can't do that."

"Then cast the spell again." Rocky tilted his head, crossing his arms in an "It's no big deal" manner.

But the expectant looks on the faces of the two girls behind him betrayed him completely. It turned out that these three children wanted to witness her magic. Laylie secretly mourned the demise of her dandelion.

"No, I can't do that. Magic is not meant for showing off." Laylie shook her head. "If my teacher finds out, he'll be angry."

"He won't find out, so what's the harm?" Rocky exclaimed. "We'll keep it a secret, right? Michian? Lilia?"

The two girls behind him immediately nodded their heads vigorously, as if pecking at grains like baby chicks. There was no doubt that they followed Rocky's lead. The ringleader of today's truancy was evident.

"The magic teacher knows everything." Laylie said. "My teacher will return to the Magic Tower in the Uler Mountains next year. I can perform for you then, okay?"

"No, we want to see it now!" Rocky persisted. Laylie had no idea that he had boasted to the two little followers about his sister's magic, making it seem like she was capable of anything. If he came back empty-handed, how could he, as their leader, preserve his dignity?

Laylie frowned, torn between conflicting desires, but ultimately her indulgence for her intelligent and willful younger brother won out. She reached out her hand. "Fine, but this is an exception... Pay close attention."

A faint light gathered in her palm, and the elements in the garden came alive under her guidance. The wind chimes on the swing tinkled softly.