Chapter 28: His Attitude Doesn’t Matter
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Chapter 28: His Attitude Doesn’t Matter
Doman narrowed his eyes and confirmed, "You mean... a Wood Spirit Magic experiment?"
Dorothea nodded eagerly.
Doman’s expression turned grave.
As a towering figure in Wood Spirit Magic within the Keville Empire, bearing the title of "Forest Child," Doman’s magical expertise, though only at the Archmage realm, held more weight than some Grand Archmages.
Many Wood Spirit Magic techniques in the Keville Empire were researched and created by him alone.
Some even boldly speculated that if Doman could advance to the rank of Grand Archmage, he might elevate Wood Spirit Magic from the Specialized Elements to the Conventional Elements!
This alone spoke volumes about his profound mastery of Wood Spirit Magic.
As his most beloved granddaughter, Dorothea, having grown up under his influence, might not boast extraordinary skill in Wood Spirit Magic, but her discernment was undeniable.
For her to be so shocked and excited, it was clear how deeply Ajef’s magic experiment had impacted her.
Her reaction now was unmistakable—she was risking offending Ajef to convey the significance of this experiment to him.
If he could participate, with his expertise in Wood Spirit Magic, even stealing a few insights might yield breakthroughs, perhaps even propelling him to the Grand Archmage realm!
No one knew that Doman’s research in Wood Spirit Magic had long stagnated.
Were it not for the bonds of family, empire, and kinship, he would have long since ventured afar in search of a breakthrough.
Now, a possible opportunity had emerged.
Doman stood up and began pacing his study, his expression flickering.
It was almost unbelievable—he still hadn’t uncovered Ajef’s identity.
Given his extensive connections in the empire, nurtured through Wood Spirit Magic, he was a master of networking and diplomacy.
Even the God of Magic treated him with respect.
In the Keville Empire, his status was unshakable.
Yet, despite this, he had failed to uncover Ajef’s background, leaving him uneasy.
Especially after seeing his own granddaughter forced to participate in Ajef’s experiment, he had gritted his teeth and sent over that dead egg.
Now, witnessing Dorothea’s reaction, Doman felt overwhelming relief.
He hadn’t misstepped!
He suspected that Ajef might be a Wood Spirit Magic practitioner of even greater mastery than himself!
If not, he likely possessed magical knowledge vastly different from that of the Keville Empire.
That was why the God of Magic, Dandell, held him in such high regard while keeping his identity secret.
At this thought, Doman trembled slightly—both apprehensive and exhilarated.
Apprehensive that this man’s emergence might usurp his position in the empire’s Wood Spirit Magic domain.
Exhilarated that his stagnant Wood Spirit Magic might finally advance further.
"I understand. You may go," Doman said, taking a deep breath and waving his hand.
"Yes."
Dorothea didn’t press further. Her grandfather’s prolonged contemplation clearly meant he had already made a decision.
After his granddaughter left, Doman pondered briefly before summoning his personal butler and whispering a few instructions.
The butler nodded and departed to carry out his orders.
He instructed the butler to inquire about the attitudes of the other magic apprentices participating in Ajef's magic experiment. Although the Confidentiality Contract would prevent them from leaking secrets, emotions couldn't be so easily restrained.
His own granddaughter, Dorothea, was after all just a magic apprentice—misjudgments were entirely possible.
Thus, he had to gather and synthesize all the information before making a final decision.
...
Meanwhile, at Felix Magic Academy—no, across the entire magical community of Willis City—people were deliberately or inadvertently probing into Ajef's magic experiment.
The experiment was simply too high-profile to avoid attention.
However, as the magic apprentices returned from participating in the experiment, countless inquiries were made, only for everyone to curse in frustration!
Ajef had actually made all the magic apprentices sign a Confidentiality Contract?!
Damn it—this move left countless people stunned.
Yet, despite the cursing, the flames of gossip in everyone's hearts burned even fiercer.
Because whenever the magic apprentices who participated in the experiment mentioned it, their expressions would shift dramatically, their eyes filled with disbelief and shock.
According to some privately disclosed accounts, this was an experiment involving divine authority.
Once this news spread, it immediately caused an uproar in Willis City's magical circles.
Some finally understood why the God of Magic, Dandell, had gone to such lengths to support Ajef's experiment.
Of course, there were also those who scoffed at the idea!
"Divine authority, my ass! A bunch of inexperienced brats spouting nonsense!"
"I’ve had people probe indirectly—no new species were created, no unknown plants appeared, no flesh-and-blood magic was involved, and certainly no Divine Techniques. This was probably just a routine Wood Spirit Magic experiment."
In the hall of a villa, members of the Willis Magic Plantation Association gathered to discuss the matter.
For high-level mages like them, breaking a Confidentiality Contract might not be effortless, but deducing the experiment's purpose and general content through process of elimination was still relatively easy.
Because of this, they dismissed the apprentices' claims about "divine authority" with contempt.
This was normal—magic apprentices fortunate enough to participate in a Grand Archmage's experiments often returned in a state of mental disarray.
People, after all, tend to overestimate the unknown.
Just as commoners might see magic apprentices as significant figures.
Some apprentices sent on missions were even worshipped as deities by ignorant villages.
But were magic apprentices truly powerful?
Obviously not.
In the eyes of magic instructors, they were nothing more than free labor.
The members of the Willis Magic Plantation Association had gathered once again to plot how to reclaim their free labor.
"Dandell is clearly favoring Ajef—are we just supposed to give up?" one member brought the discussion back to reality.
The others' expressions darkened at the words.
Yesterday, they had collectively approached the God of Magic, Dandell, ready to apply pressure.
Unexpectedly, Dandell had said, "You’ve come at the right time—I actually have something to discuss with you too."
Then he opened the Empire's official website, pulled up the complaints page, and pointed at a long list of anonymous complaints, demanding answers.
Upon closer inspection, nearly half of the complaints accused them of forcibly seizing fertile land.
The faces of the gathered plantation owners darkened at the sight.
Magic Plants demanded extremely fertile soil, especially those accelerated by magic, which drained the land's fertility at an alarming rate.
A plot of fertile land could typically sustain Magic Plants for only three to five years before becoming unusable.
Because of this, the magic plantation owners needed a constant supply of fertile land or had to swap out depleted inferior land.
In this process, it was impossible to claim that no coercion or exploitation had occurred.
Faced with the God of Magic's questioning, the plantation owners could only shift the blame to their subordinates, promising to address the issue immediately upon their return.
With this disruption, any remaining courage to apply pressure evaporated.
They could only retreat in disarray, humiliated.
After returning, they gradually pieced things together.
Dandell had deliberately withheld the civilian complaints until that very moment—clearly holding this leverage to favor Ajef and intimidate them.
Realizing this, they seethed with frustration.
"By the way, where’s Anthony?" someone suddenly asked.
"Him? He claimed something came up at home and couldn’t make it," another replied.
At this, their eyes flickered with suspicion.
Anthony had always been closely aligned with Dandell’s faction. His excuse to skip the meeting now was obviously out of fear—or worse, a complete shift in loyalty, no longer opposing Dandell’s orders even if they harmed his own interests.
"I suggest we negotiate with Ajef. Four hundred magic apprentices are too many—he could spare half for us without much impact," someone proposed.
"What if he refuses?"
"Hmph, I doubt he’d dare offend all of us."
"His stance doesn’t matter—it’s Dandell’s attitude that counts. Haven’t you realized? Dandell has his eyes on our plantations!"
"This…"
"We’ll have to concede some profits. Otherwise, this will drag on, and our losses will only grow."
"Sigh… I suppose that’s our only choice."
Doman narrowed his eyes and confirmed, "You mean... a Wood Spirit Magic experiment?"
Dorothea nodded eagerly.
Doman’s expression turned grave.
As a towering figure in Wood Spirit Magic within the Keville Empire, bearing the title of "Forest Child," Doman’s magical expertise, though only at the Archmage realm, held more weight than some Grand Archmages.
Many Wood Spirit Magic techniques in the Keville Empire were researched and created by him alone.
Some even boldly speculated that if Doman could advance to the rank of Grand Archmage, he might elevate Wood Spirit Magic from the Specialized Elements to the Conventional Elements!
This alone spoke volumes about his profound mastery of Wood Spirit Magic.
As his most beloved granddaughter, Dorothea, having grown up under his influence, might not boast extraordinary skill in Wood Spirit Magic, but her discernment was undeniable.
For her to be so shocked and excited, it was clear how deeply Ajef’s magic experiment had impacted her.
Her reaction now was unmistakable—she was risking offending Ajef to convey the significance of this experiment to him.
If he could participate, with his expertise in Wood Spirit Magic, even stealing a few insights might yield breakthroughs, perhaps even propelling him to the Grand Archmage realm!
No one knew that Doman’s research in Wood Spirit Magic had long stagnated.
Were it not for the bonds of family, empire, and kinship, he would have long since ventured afar in search of a breakthrough.
Now, a possible opportunity had emerged.
Doman stood up and began pacing his study, his expression flickering.
It was almost unbelievable—he still hadn’t uncovered Ajef’s identity.
Given his extensive connections in the empire, nurtured through Wood Spirit Magic, he was a master of networking and diplomacy.
Even the God of Magic treated him with respect.
In the Keville Empire, his status was unshakable.
Yet, despite this, he had failed to uncover Ajef’s background, leaving him uneasy.
Especially after seeing his own granddaughter forced to participate in Ajef’s experiment, he had gritted his teeth and sent over that dead egg.
Now, witnessing Dorothea’s reaction, Doman felt overwhelming relief.
He hadn’t misstepped!
He suspected that Ajef might be a Wood Spirit Magic practitioner of even greater mastery than himself!
If not, he likely possessed magical knowledge vastly different from that of the Keville Empire.
That was why the God of Magic, Dandell, held him in such high regard while keeping his identity secret.
At this thought, Doman trembled slightly—both apprehensive and exhilarated.
Apprehensive that this man’s emergence might usurp his position in the empire’s Wood Spirit Magic domain.
Exhilarated that his stagnant Wood Spirit Magic might finally advance further.
"I understand. You may go," Doman said, taking a deep breath and waving his hand.
"Yes."
Dorothea didn’t press further. Her grandfather’s prolonged contemplation clearly meant he had already made a decision.
After his granddaughter left, Doman pondered briefly before summoning his personal butler and whispering a few instructions.
The butler nodded and departed to carry out his orders.
He instructed the butler to inquire about the attitudes of the other magic apprentices participating in Ajef's magic experiment. Although the Confidentiality Contract would prevent them from leaking secrets, emotions couldn't be so easily restrained.
His own granddaughter, Dorothea, was after all just a magic apprentice—misjudgments were entirely possible.
Thus, he had to gather and synthesize all the information before making a final decision.
...
Meanwhile, at Felix Magic Academy—no, across the entire magical community of Willis City—people were deliberately or inadvertently probing into Ajef's magic experiment.
The experiment was simply too high-profile to avoid attention.
However, as the magic apprentices returned from participating in the experiment, countless inquiries were made, only for everyone to curse in frustration!
Ajef had actually made all the magic apprentices sign a Confidentiality Contract?!
Damn it—this move left countless people stunned.
Yet, despite the cursing, the flames of gossip in everyone's hearts burned even fiercer.
Because whenever the magic apprentices who participated in the experiment mentioned it, their expressions would shift dramatically, their eyes filled with disbelief and shock.
According to some privately disclosed accounts, this was an experiment involving divine authority.
Once this news spread, it immediately caused an uproar in Willis City's magical circles.
Some finally understood why the God of Magic, Dandell, had gone to such lengths to support Ajef's experiment.
Of course, there were also those who scoffed at the idea!
"Divine authority, my ass! A bunch of inexperienced brats spouting nonsense!"
"I’ve had people probe indirectly—no new species were created, no unknown plants appeared, no flesh-and-blood magic was involved, and certainly no Divine Techniques. This was probably just a routine Wood Spirit Magic experiment."
In the hall of a villa, members of the Willis Magic Plantation Association gathered to discuss the matter.
For high-level mages like them, breaking a Confidentiality Contract might not be effortless, but deducing the experiment's purpose and general content through process of elimination was still relatively easy.
Because of this, they dismissed the apprentices' claims about "divine authority" with contempt.
This was normal—magic apprentices fortunate enough to participate in a Grand Archmage's experiments often returned in a state of mental disarray.
People, after all, tend to overestimate the unknown.
Just as commoners might see magic apprentices as significant figures.
Some apprentices sent on missions were even worshipped as deities by ignorant villages.
But were magic apprentices truly powerful?
Obviously not.
In the eyes of magic instructors, they were nothing more than free labor.
The members of the Willis Magic Plantation Association had gathered once again to plot how to reclaim their free labor.
"Dandell is clearly favoring Ajef—are we just supposed to give up?" one member brought the discussion back to reality.
The others' expressions darkened at the words.
Yesterday, they had collectively approached the God of Magic, Dandell, ready to apply pressure.
Unexpectedly, Dandell had said, "You’ve come at the right time—I actually have something to discuss with you too."
Then he opened the Empire's official website, pulled up the complaints page, and pointed at a long list of anonymous complaints, demanding answers.
Upon closer inspection, nearly half of the complaints accused them of forcibly seizing fertile land.
The faces of the gathered plantation owners darkened at the sight.
Magic Plants demanded extremely fertile soil, especially those accelerated by magic, which drained the land's fertility at an alarming rate.
A plot of fertile land could typically sustain Magic Plants for only three to five years before becoming unusable.
Because of this, the magic plantation owners needed a constant supply of fertile land or had to swap out depleted inferior land.
In this process, it was impossible to claim that no coercion or exploitation had occurred.
Faced with the God of Magic's questioning, the plantation owners could only shift the blame to their subordinates, promising to address the issue immediately upon their return.
With this disruption, any remaining courage to apply pressure evaporated.
They could only retreat in disarray, humiliated.
After returning, they gradually pieced things together.
Dandell had deliberately withheld the civilian complaints until that very moment—clearly holding this leverage to favor Ajef and intimidate them.
Realizing this, they seethed with frustration.
"By the way, where’s Anthony?" someone suddenly asked.
"Him? He claimed something came up at home and couldn’t make it," another replied.
At this, their eyes flickered with suspicion.
Anthony had always been closely aligned with Dandell’s faction. His excuse to skip the meeting now was obviously out of fear—or worse, a complete shift in loyalty, no longer opposing Dandell’s orders even if they harmed his own interests.
"I suggest we negotiate with Ajef. Four hundred magic apprentices are too many—he could spare half for us without much impact," someone proposed.
"What if he refuses?"
"Hmph, I doubt he’d dare offend all of us."
"His stance doesn’t matter—it’s Dandell’s attitude that counts. Haven’t you realized? Dandell has his eyes on our plantations!"
"This…"
"We’ll have to concede some profits. Otherwise, this will drag on, and our losses will only grow."
"Sigh… I suppose that’s our only choice."
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