Comminicate

Collins sat in the department head’s office.

Inside the office, an elderly man dressed in a steward’s uniform, with white hair and beard, was sizing Collins up from head to toe.

For a first-time meeting, the old man’s gaze was far too rude.

Collins looked visibly displeased, even tapping his fingers on the tea table beside him, producing a faint but rapid tapping sound.

The head of the Rune Department coughed lightly, drawing both men’s attention, and first gave the old man a friendly smile.

“Well, Mr. Gelfen, this is Mr. Collins, the top student of our department. I can personally vouch for his abilities—he absolutely deserves the title of chief. He also has great passion for his field. Choosing him as your experimental partner is a very wise decision. His professionalism will certainly satisfy you.”

Not every student had enough funds to support their own magical experiments.

For students with financial difficulties, finding a wealthy sponsor could be a great opportunity.

The school not only didn’t hold a mage’s arrogance toward outside financial aid, but instead welcomed it warmly.

Of course, while the school welcomed it, there were strict regulations concerning outside funding.

Win-win cooperation with students was acceptable.

Making money using the students’ abilities was also understandable.

But treating students as free money-making tools, or engaging in shady schemes, would not be tolerated by the school’s leadership.

The department head gave Collins a glance.

Collins muttered an “ah” reluctantly, then stood and walked over to Gelfen, extending his hand.

The department head shook his head.

Collins was a good student in every way, except he was still young.

He didn’t know how to mask his emotions, nor did he have the performance skills every adult needed.

“Collins, current chief of both the Rune and Magic Circle Departments.”

Gelfen took Collins’s hand, and the small size of his palm deepened Gelfen’s doubt.

“If I may ask a bold question—how old are you?”

“Sixteen.”

Gelfen’s grip on Collins’s hand tightened.

Gelfen knew for sure that Victoria was nineteen now, and the person in front of him was actually three years younger than her.

Becoming the dual-department chief of a prestigious school at just sixteen—such talent was beyond comprehension.

Gelfen had seen prodigies before.

His own lady had skipped grades, graduated early, and become second-in-command in her department.

But compared to the boy before him, his own lady seemed… clearly outmatched.

He slowly released Collins’s hand and gave him a meaningful look.

“I was referred here by young master Sphinx. As for my credibility, I believe you don’t need to question it.”

“Yes, I know. So, what do you need me to do?”

Collins returned to his seat, his eyes fixed on Gelfen.

He could tell Gelfen was a mage, but not a very powerful one.

His mental strength was solid, but lacked endurance.

“I brought magical materials. Please have a look.”

He handed Collins a sealed file.

As soon as Collins’s fingers touched the sealed material, a faint light flashed.

Collins’s finger twitched slightly.

He looked up.

Gelfen was watching him with a challenging expression.

According to the information, Collins was a mid-tier mage.

Gelfen didn’t believe that.

He simply couldn’t accept that a sixteen-year-old not only held the chief title Victoria never managed to earn, but also surpassed her in mage rank.

So Gelfen needed to test him.

As an investor, he had every right to issue a few small tests.

Even if that test was partly to see if Collins would embarrass himself.

Collins rubbed the surface of the envelope.

Without Gelfen noticing, the protective magic over the envelope vanished instantly.

Gelfen’s expression froze.

The department head smiled at him.

“Collins is a mid-tier mage. Simple magical defenses don’t even need brute force—he can just dismantle the structure.”

Gelfen held back the urge to scoff.

Collins pulled the letter from the envelope and began carefully reviewing the internal data.

Within ten minutes, Collins suddenly looked up.

His eyes were full of confusion, staring directly at Gelfen.

“You?”

“I’m just the intermediary. The one who truly wants to work with you is my lady.”

Collins pressed his lips together.

“Hm? What do you mean?”

The department head also turned his attention to Gelfen.

He felt something off in the old man’s tone.

“My lady has taken an interest in Mr. Collins’s talent and wishes to conduct magical experiments with him. That’s all.”

The department head didn’t hear anything unusual.

Collins returned the data to the envelope.

“I agree.”

Gelfen didn’t quite understand why Collins agreed so quickly.

“But… we haven’t even discussed the terms of the partnership.”

“Just go with whatever your lady wants. I’m not that interested in your experimental results anyway. If you feel guilty, just include my name in the list of contributors.”

“Really?”

Gelfen hadn’t expected Collins to be this agreeable.

“As real as it gets.”