Confrontation

“From the prestigious local academy, Rotias.

Specialist in runes and magic arrays, ranked first in the department.

A mid-level fourth-rank mage.

In his fourth-rank exam, he used a fourth-rank hybrid magic formula as well as a fourth-rank magic circuit.”

At this, Sean finally turned his head.

Then he glanced at his granddaughter, Diana.

This little mage, who specialized in magic arrays, could still only use and construct third-rank magic circuits up until now.

It wasn’t that Diana lacked ability.

Even ordinary mid-level mages could not necessarily decipher a third-rank magic circuit.

As for a fourth-rank magic circuit, only powerful mid-level mages would even begin to touch it.

As for a fourth-rank hybrid formula—Sean met his grandson Mitt’s steady gaze.

“I heard you’ve also been trying to analyze fourth-rank formulas recently.”

Mitt’s cheek twitched.

“I’ve only been studying simple, single-type fourth-rank formulas.”

Sean nodded, then asked his student:

“How many techniques did he combine?”

“According to the Mage Association’s report, that child used five different rune techniques.”

Sean’s lips tightened, his expression looking increasingly grim.

“Impossible.

No one could so easily, at such a young age, master so many rune techniques.

He must have cheated, relying on his grandfather.”

Diana stood up, but her younger brother Mitt quickly pressed her back down into her seat.

Though younger, Mitt was far calmer and more steady-handed than his sister.

Even after hearing that Collins might be far stronger than them, he did not grow angry.

Instead, he calmly said to Sean:

“Grandfather, it seems this time the other side has found us an opponent we cannot defeat.”

“But finding outside help is against the rules.”

“Yet this so-called outsider is indeed the great mage’s direct blood descendant.”

Mitt’s rebuttal left Diana at a loss for words.

Sean was silent for a moment, then asked his grandson:

“Do you have a plan?”

“It’s simple.

If we can’t win head-on, then we attack from the side.”

“What do you mean?”

“That boy is still only a few years old.

Even if he’s an unparalleled genius, reaching this current level probably already pushes his natural talent to its limit.

So tell me—would he really have the time and energy to pursue both orthodox runes and orthodox arrays, and still dabble in their sub-branches?”

Sean stroked his beard.

He had always been proud of his grandson, but now he was even more convinced that he must cultivate him carefully in the future.

“I don’t think they should compare themselves with me in orthodox magic.”

Collins spoke as he noticed the wary looks beginning to show in the eyes of the two children opposite him.

Entis asked with a smile, “Why do you say that?”

“They’re just low-rank mages.

I am a mid-rank mage.

This isn’t just a simple increase in level—it’s a whole advancement in tier.

They don’t even understand what it truly means to become a mid-rank mage.

Moreover, even among mid-rank mages, I believe my strength is considered outstanding.”

“So then?”

Entis looked at Collins.

Collins fell silent, his expression grave.

“Of course, it means they’ll surrender once the duel begins.

I’ve already heard from my father: the magic research those two are attempting is nowhere near the level that my brother Collins has already achieved.”

The youngest cousin, Rock, spoke with a face full of arrogance, showing no respect at all for the so-called genius mages on the other side.

Entis secretly shook his head.

Slok cast his son a stern glare, scaring the boy back into his seat.

Then he spoke:

“Collins’s identity is not hard to trace.

Even if he’s withdrawn and doesn’t socialize much, his records and preferences are no secret.”

Collins added to the thought:

“They won’t dare to fight me directly.

This isn’t about pride—it’s simple reason.

They may look down on me, but they are not fools.”

The enemy may not be able to defeat him head-on, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t strike from the flanks.

Entis himself had judged Collins strong enough to guarantee victory against the two young mages.

A great mage’s opinion rarely proved wrong.

But that judgment only applied within the orthodox magical system.

Just as Collins couldn’t match lower-ranked mages in disciplines outside his specialty, his dominance was not absolute.

He could crush the two children eighty percent of the time—but that didn’t mean he could secure victory in the other twenty percent.

If the opponents managed to force the confrontation into Collins’s weaker areas, winning against the strong with the weak would not be an impossible miracle.

Entis nodded, then turned back to ask his son:

“Since they’ve investigated my grandson, what about you?”

Slok produced the information on Mitt and Diana.

But instead of paper, he presented it as clusters of unencrypted spiritual data.

After a short delay, the information was transmitted directly into Collins’s mind.