”What should I do, teacher? My father will never accept Ricky” her eyes watered behind the round glasses. Usually, Michael would avoid poking his nose into the love lives of others because ninety-nine percent of the time, it would backfire. However, since both Ricky and Olivia were an important part of his future plans, he had to intervene because they messed up as Katherine and Andrews did.
”First, you can drop calling me teacher in private. It feels weird. We are discussing your love life, so I’d say we are long past mentor disciple relationship,” Michael said, leaning on the wall. Looking at his calm demeanor gave Okvia some strength to face her father.
”This explains why Ricky was acting so weird, weirder than usual,” Michael recalled Ricky avoiding eye contact and talking way less than usual after he returned from MAzeroth. Now he realized Ricky was afraid of him loving Olivia who was Michael’s student.
”He was freaking out to talk to you more than me. He was afraid you would kill him,”
”What?” Michael frowned,
”You do have a pretty violent history of dealing things Ghost,” she bitterly grinned, feeling weird calling him by his name for the first time.
”Still, I’m not a freakin psychopath,” Michael sighed,
”Is there any other reason your father doesn’t want you to marry Ricky apart from him being a commoner?”
Olivia nodded, and what she said next completely stunned Michael.
”He wants me to marry…marry,” She stuttered, struggling to say the next words,
”Speak”
Olivia took a deep breath and mustered enough courage,
”He wants me to marry Noah Winston,”
As soon as she said that, Michael stopped leaning on the wall. His body tensed. The last thing he wanted was to have one of his subordinates marry his future arch enemy.
”Is he crazy?”
Olivia noticed the sudden change in Ghost’s face,
”If he marries you to Noah, you will just be a plus one in his packs of wives,”
Despite his hatred for Noah’s harem, Michael really cared for Olivia. He didn’t want her to become another member of Noah’s harem. However, Ricky was a better choice than Noah.
Besides, Ricky had all the qualities a man should have. He was hardworking, loyal, and honest.
”What did you tell him?”
”I said no obviously. He said Ricky is not noble and not strong enough to protect me. Ghost, what should I do? I can’t make Ricky strong like Noah. As far as I know, only you can stand head to head with him in your generation,”
Michael leaned closer to Olivia,
”Unless he’s already at Soul Refining stage, he can’t stand head to head with me” the moment Olivia heard his words, her body went rigid and her eyes opened as wide as they could.
”you…you…Soul…”
”Yes”
Michael heard the system awarding him with 5000 badass points for impressing Olivia.
Ignoring the notification, Michael focused on the topic at hand,
”What if I vouched for Ricky? I can make him stronger and give him a minister position in Bradford. That would make him sort of a noble,”
Olivia immediately grabbed Michael’s hands and squeezed them,
”You would do that for us? Really?” her eyes sparkled, filled with hope and joy.
”Why not? Anything to save my favorite disciple from joining a harem” Michael ruffled Olivia’s head as though she was a kid.
”But Ghost…there’s a problem” her smile disappeared. In a flash, the gloomy look she had before resurfaced on her pretty face,
”My father said Noah said yes to marry me. So he’s planning an engagement next month. I just heard this three days ago,”
Michael furrowed his brows. He couldn’t believe Noah’s audacity to marry another one when he already had so many girls to marry. Yet, deep down, Michael knew that if Olivia told Noah she was in love with someone else, Noah wouldn’t force her. After all, Noah was a good guy.
”Talk to Noah and tell him you’re in love with Ricky. He’s a nice guy. He will understand. Hell, if you ask him, he might even tell your dad he doesn’t want to marry you,”
Seeing Olivia’s forehead forming beads of sweat, Michael gently patted her on the back and led her outside. After joining the crowd on the street, Michael looked over the heads to see a building with the board saying ‘Horith Inn’ hanging above a wooden door.
”I have to find a way to get into their compound. Currently, the Winstons aren’t seeing anyone, thanks to the freakin war going on there,”
”Why didn’t you attend the engagement ceremony then? All the Winstons would be there,”
Olivia punched Michael on the shoulder while walking towards the inn,
”Are you serious? You just messed up King Bredia. I don’t think they would ever meet someone close to you,”
”But you’re different. Just go and talk to them. They are nice people. I will talk to your dad after we go back,”
”Thank you, Ghost. You’re the best” She wrapped her arms around his shoulder and squeezed him. She felt like something heavy was being lifted off of her shoulder. His reassurance gave her confidence. Nothing eventful happened during Michael’s visit to the inn. The two ordered salads and hot water and spent some time chatting. Michael gave her some pointers in alchemy. By the time they stepped out of the Inn, the streets had become almost unwalkable.
After exiting the inn, Michael walked towards the uniquely architectured building in the distance. One thing was obvious to Michael. Whoever built that building took the Alchemy guild concept too far as the building looked literally like a giant cauldron built with emeralds. The windows in the building resembled the fire outlets of an alchemy cauldron. At the top of the building was an enormous cover that creeped downwards, covering all the rooms below it.
During the walk towards the building, they noticed the main roads in the city already had completely armed knight units patrolling in the streets and mages patrolling the skies above. Clearly, this was due to the Alchemist Competition, which was about to begin. After all, if a commotion were to occur at such a large grand meeting, it would have many different large impacts on the kingdom. Therefore, the guild and the king needed to prevent any such possibilities.
”Next time, we are flying” Michael twisted Olivia’s ears. She was the one who suggested they should walk instead of flying. Because of her suggestion, he almost got squeezed by the crowd. Fortunately, after enduring such a painful walk, they finally reached the guild.
”I could have such a grand welcome,” Michael sighed inside. Then, with both his hands inside his pockets, he slowly climbed the marble steps leading into the building. Michael had just followed the human flow and entered the association when a disturbance occurred not far behind him. Like everyone else, he turned around to see what was happening.
The source of the commotion was a carriage made of gold and several engravings of a strange beast on the gold being pulled by four snow white pegasi.
The strange-looking beast, with a blue-colored flame rising from its body, was drawn on the golden carriage. The strange beast was large and had a ferocious appearance, emitting a feeling that would faintly frighten the hearts of those who looked at it.
”The imperial crest…” several people near him softly muttered.
Surrounding the horse carriage, over ten people wrapped entirely in blue robes accompanying it. Michael’s gaze swept across these blue-robed people and his eyes shrunk. They were Soul Refining level 4 warriors.
”Who is this empress of Awor?” Michael asked himself in surprise as his gaze scanned the carriage.
A few moments later, one of the guards slowly opened the door while the other blackguards swiftly formed a steady circle around the carriage. At the same time, numerous gazes that were as sharp as an eagle shot out from the guards, scanning the crowd for threats.
Under the protective circle of several Soul Refining stage guards, someone extended their smooth delicate hand from within. The hand gracefully held the handle of the carriage door. Afterward, a beautiful figure slowly walked out and appeared in everyone’s sight.
Just like most girls in his life, she was damn beautiful. She was wearing a sparkling blue long skirt with golden lines. Under the influence of the imperial family, her exquisite appearance faintly seeped out a noble imposing presence that was her birthright. A golden belt was worn on her narrow and delicate waist, displaying the small waist vividly and incisively.
To his eyes, she appeared to be sixteen or seventeen years old.
She had a perfect hourglass structure, jaw structure, and bubbly eyes with baby fat cheeks to make any man drool over her. Still, she wasn’t pretty enough to rival Gaya or Lailah. But given time, she might rival them in terms of beauty. Her pretty face contained a smile fit for a girl from the royal family. However, each time her gaze swept across the surroundings, he had a feeling she might not be as ladylike as she seemed.
”Do you know who she is?” Michael asked Olivia. Unlike many, Michael did not drool at her. He was mature enough to remain calm.
”Tsk tsk, what a beautiful girl…” A wave of cheers immediately erupted from the surrounding crowd watching the young lady. The people swiftly threw over several heated gazes. Although the girl belonged to the royal daily of Awor, it did not stop the crowd from drooling at her beauty.
”My guess would be Jennifer Voldigard. I heard that her teacher is the deputy chairman Alred. I think that she must have come here for the competition,”
”No shit genius,” Michael laughed bitterly,
While climbing the stairs with her guards, Michael shifted his focus to the nearby conversations. Some well-informed individuals within the crowd identified the young lady.
”She seems a little too young to compete, don’t you think?”
”She is young, but her alchemy talent is something that even the chairman had praised nonstop. I have heard that half a year ago, she had already reached a three-star level,”
”Still not at the level of Alchemist Ghost,”
The guy who just said these words put a smile on Michael’s face. He had learned his name had started to spread. Soon, he would be renowned in the Ozer continent too.