Cold

Sphinx waggled his finger.

“This wasn’t my doing, but I know who did it, I know the whole backstory, and I can help you resolve all of it.”

“Of course, you should know it won’t be free—just leave a spot for me on the contributor list of your future magical research results, and then…”

Collins took a deep breath.

“I don’t remember offending anyone.”

Sphinx snorted coldly.

“In this world, not offending others doesn’t mean they won’t offend you.”

“A gentleman may be guiltless, but harboring treasure brings trouble—you can’t tell me you’ve never heard that one.”

Collins spread his hands.

Even the magical experiment materials had been tampered with.

Whoever was behind this had pulled strings far beyond what Collins could have imagined.

At this point, he had no choice but to give in.

“Fine. It’s just a name. I’ll agree.”

“Tell me the whole story.”

“I want to see which bunch of bastards dared to pull this on me.”

Sphinx nodded in satisfaction, the joy of victory lighting up his handsome face.

“Hmm. You made a wise choice.”

“As expected of one of only three mid-tier mages in the entire school.”

“You know what it means to go with the flow.”

“Cut the crap.”

“Alright then. The one you offended isn’t just anyone—it’s the headmaster’s grandson, Landon Creek, a fellow mid-tier mage like you.”

Collins let out a confused snort.

A refined young man’s face flashed through his mind.

“You’re not messing with me, are you? I’ve only seen Creek-senpai maybe three times.”

“We’ve never even exchanged a word.”

Collins had looked into Landon before.

This well-raised young man was the epitome of a model student.

Not only did he willingly help struggling students, but he was also always ready to support those from poor families.

It was no exaggeration to say that Landon’s abilities matched his strong moral character.

How could someone with such impeccable values be plotting against him?

“You don’t believe it?”

“I’m the top student in rune and magic array theory. He’s the top of the casting department.”

“We barely interact. Our disciplines don’t overlap.”

“From any angle, there’s no conflict of interest between us.”

Most conflicts stem from overlapping interests.

But Collins could swear—even if his experiment was groundbreaking, it wouldn’t harm Landon’s standing in the slightest.

Sphinx shook his head.

He knew Collins never paid attention to anything outside magical research.

But he hadn’t expected someone younger than him to be so clueless about school gossip that even background NPCs knew.

“Do you know Leng Qing?”

Collins nodded.

“Student council president. The most beautiful girl in school.”

She had even outshone the proud and elegant Elena, now ranked only the second-most beautiful girl.

Clearly, Leng Qing’s allure was more than skin-deep.

Collins had seen her during his first days at the academy and had heard the stories.

If Collins’s dual-legendary lineage was considered top-tier, then Leng Qing’s bloodline sat at the very top of the food chain.

She was a genius whose natural talent vastly surpassed Collins’s.

Paired with the classic beauty of an elven noble, she held both power and elegance in equal measure.

Naturally, she became the dream girl of most students.

Of course, “most” did not include Collins—who buried himself in magical research.

To him, even the most perfect beauty was fleeting, while magical advancement was eternal.

“A few months ago, Landon confessed to Leng Qing.”

“He said he hoped to get engaged to her.”

“Landon’s family isn’t bad—not as powerful as hers, but still respectable.”

“And he’s also a famously talented mage—his strength and potential are fully on par with Leng Qing.”

“But Leng Qing rejected him.”

“When Landon asked why, Leng Qing said he wasn’t good enough.”

“Our senior, who’s used to being idolized, couldn’t accept being told he wasn’t outstanding.”

“So he claimed he was already the best student in the school—an equal match for Leng Qing, even.”

“Leng Qing then tossed a set of magical experiment schematics in front of him.”

“She said she couldn’t complete that experiment—but if Landon could, she’d consider his proposal.”

“And that experimental blueprint… was from the rune department’s general track.”

Collins swallowed hard.

He realized what this meant.

“So you’ve figured it out.”

“Leng Qing is meticulous.”

“With Landon’s ability, a simple magical experiment wouldn’t pose a challenge.”

“But by giving him a rune-based design—something he barely has footing in—even if he finishes it, how could his version ever surpass the work of a real rune student?”

“When the time comes, Leng Qing can easily pull out a more refined version by another rune student.”

“Then she’ll tell Landon he still hasn’t tried hard enough.”

“That he needs to improve his skills more—just another reason to turn him down.”