Chapter 73: Chapter 71: A Woman’s Damned Desire to Win (Part 1)
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As Annabella burst out of the closet, two more girls—one with purple hair and one with silver—tumbled out with a THUD, THUD.
They sprawled on the floor, their eyes dazed.
The bizarre scene made Lynch facepalm.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the small living room froze, thick with awkwardness.
Fortunately, Annabella was consumed by the worry of her student being poached. She quickly came to her senses and used her Spiritual Power to help Avril and Amadis to their feet. Then, she darted in front of Lynch and glared fiercely at the dean.
"Dean," she snarled, as fierce as a mother leopard protecting her cub. "The Undead System is already in such dire straits. We finally get one promising student, and you’re already trying to poach him?"
"Ah, well..." An awkward expression appeared on the old dean’s face.
Although his outwardly projected Spiritual Power had unintentionally discovered three women hiding in the small closet, he had just assumed it was some little secret between young Lynch and his female classmates. He never expected Annabella to be mixed in with them.
"Mentor, please don’t get worked up. I’m completely loyal to the Undead System; I won’t be transferring," Lynch quickly reassured his mentor.
’He’s figured it out now. The dean might be a man of high status, but it seems... he has a rather mischievous streak for an old man.’
"Hmph!" Annabella’s expression softened slightly, but she remained vigilant, still watching the dean warily.
"Ahem, please, don’t just stand there. Everyone, have a seat, have a seat." Trying to diffuse the tension, Lynch enthusiastically gestured for everyone to sit down. He took out more cups and poured hot tea for each of them.
The atmosphere finally relaxed a bit.
The dean took a sip of tea and winked at Lynch. "Since your ’activities’ for this evening seem quite... eventful, I’ll make this quick so I don’t get in the way of you young people."
The corner of Lynch’s mouth twitched, but he could only maintain a polite smile.
"Ahem." The dean’s tone became a bit more formal. "You’ve been quite busy lately, young man. Though you’ve been discreet, your methods... were certainly creative."
"But you can’t keep it a secret forever. The Holy Light System has suffered a major setback. Catherine’s family, the Hollis family of Leon Hollis, and a few others—none of them are to be trifled with."
Annabella’s expression was also serious. "The dean is right. To protect you, and to prevent you from turning the academy upside down, you should find a quiet place for an internship for a while and lay low. You can come back next semester, after things have died down."
Lynch thought for a moment before agreeing. "I’ll leave it to you and the dean to arrange, Mentor."
He had plenty of credits and resources on hand, so he really did need some uninterrupted time to process everything.
Seeing Lynch agree so readily, both the dean and Annabella looked pleased.
"Very good."
The dean took out a Magic Map.
The map unrolled automatically and floated in the air before them. Several locations on it were circled with a quill pen.
"I have a few options here. Pick one for yourself."
"For example, there’s this outpost here, at the foot of the Winterfrost Mountains in the Northern Territory. Its main duty is to stand guard against stray snow monsters and goblins. And over here, a forward post in the Desolate Stone Hills to the west, near the border of the Dwarf Kingdom. It’s also quite peaceful."
Just as the dean was introducing the options, Amadis, who had been listening quietly, suddenly interrupted him.
"Dean, I think those places are either too cold or too desolate. They aren’t very suitable for my junior’s training."
A cunning glint flashed in her purple eyes as she suggested, "Why not send him to guard the Silver Sand Bay Fishing Port, under the jurisdiction of Moon Sail Port?"
"It’s a small town by the sea, backed by the edge of a forest. The scenery is nice, and it has a decent amount of resources. Most importantly, it’s so remote that not even established trade routes pass through it. It’s perfectly quiet."
"Silver Sand Bay?" Upon hearing this, Avril’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. In a low voice, she said, "Senior Amadis, if I recall correctly, isn’t that Fishing Port one of the territories your family plans to grant you in the future?"
As a young lady from the same noble circles, Avril had heard a thing or two about the Hayes family’s asset distribution.
Her plan exposed, Amadis retorted irritably, "So what if it is?"
"I don’t think it’s appropriate." Avril’s small face grew taught, her tone suddenly serious. "Silver Sand Bay is just a poor little Fishing Port with limited potential for development. Since our senior is going for an internship, he should go to Shining Town in Elvin Forest instead."
"Transportation is relatively convenient there, the environment is beautiful, and most importantly, there are a few small gold mines in operation. The income is stable, and it would be a better place for him to practice his management skills."
"Shining Town?"
Amadis’s purple eyes narrowed, and her gaze toward Avril turned hostile.
"If I’m not mistaken, that’s part of the dowry the Grant Clan is preparing for you, isn’t it? Your family is mostly aligned with the Holy Light System, and their attitude toward Necromancers is hardly friendly. If our junior goes there, I’m afraid he’ll be constrained at every turn."
"I can grant our senior supreme authority over Shining Town! I’ll speak with my family!" Avril straightened her back, meeting Amadis’s gaze without flinching.
"I can also give our junior direct control of the Fishing Port. I can even transfer the deed over to him first." Amadis was getting fired up too, her voice rising.
Their gazes clashed in mid-air, and it was as if invisible sparks were crackling between them.
Lynch watched, dumbfounded.
’Wait... how did the mood suddenly shift to this?’
’Is this...’
’...a woman’s damnable competitive spirit?’
Even the dean was stroking his beard, watching with great interest, a look on his face like he was enjoying a good show.
Mentor Annabella finally couldn’t watch anymore. She coughed once and made the final decision. "Alright, that’s enough arguing. He’ll go to the Silver Sand Bay Fishing Port. It’s indeed more remote and quiet, suitable for secluded training. As for the management rights..."
She looked at Amadis. "Just as you said, we’ll temporarily give Lynch full authority. You two can discuss the division of profits privately."
She knew that her precious student, Lynch, came from a minor merchant family, so she wanted to secure more training resources for him.
However, Shining Town involved too many interested parties. A Necromancer like Lynch going there would certainly stir up trouble. At this stage, Lynch’s stable and peaceful training was more important.
"I’ll follow your decision, Mentor," Lynch immediately stated.
In his heart, he also preferred the Fishing Port.
Shining Town was nice, but it was the territory of nobles from the Holy Light System. The waters there ran too deep, and he had no intention of wading into them just yet.
"Yay!" Amadis made a victory sign, her purple eyes curving into crescents as she shot a triumphant glance at Avril.
Avril’s face fell. She let out a soft "Oh," then lowered her head and said no more.
Seeing the matter settled, the dean stood up with a cheerful laugh. "Alright, the place has been chosen. Annabella, you’ll be in charge of handling the specific procedures and arrangements for Lynch. I won’t disturb your... er, continued ’activities’ any longer."
With a shimmer, the dean vanished on the spot, without leaving even a ripple in space.
With the dean gone, Annabella suddenly felt the awkwardness return and quickly made an excuse to flee as well.
Amadis and Avril couldn’t stay either and took their leave at the same time.
All at once, Lynch was left in peace.
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