Alice never expected Lucien to actually mistake William as her father, even going so far as to address him as ‘Mr. Turner.’
William raised an eyebrow, “My surname is Johnson. You can call me Mr. Johnson.”
“Mr. Johnson, earlier…” Lucien began, but upon realizing his mistake, his face turned a blend of red and white. Outraged, he pointed at William and spat out, “You’re not Alice’s father!”
William chuckled, “I never said I was her biological father.”
“You!” In a fit of anger, Lucien conjured a ball of intense fire and hurled it at William.
William didn’t even bat an eye. The flame vanished into thin air a meter away from him.
Lucien assumed that it was Alice who deflected the fireball with some invisible sword technique, casting a slightly frustrated glance at her.
He just couldn’t understand why Alice would be attracted to the seemingly useless man before him.
“Who exactly are you, and what do you want?” Alice was clearly irritated. She had only met this guy once before, and he had boldly asked about her relationship status. Now, he even had the nerve to pick a fight with William.
“I…” Lucien suddenly realized he hadn’t properly introduced himself. “Miss Turner, my name is Lucien Nostradamus.”
“I don’t care who you are. You’re not welcome here. Please leave.” Alice had initially tried to be courteous to Lucien, but the moment he acted against William, any remaining positive impression of him vanished. She made it clear she wanted him out.
Seeing Alice’s fury, Lucien hurriedly said, “Alice, please calm down. I’ll take my leave now. Hope to see you again.”
“I’d rather not!” Alice rolled her eyes, wanting nothing to do with this oddly old-fashioned guy.
After Lucien left, Alice was still clinging onto William’s arm, pouting as she looked up at him. “Master, why didn’t you give that nutcase a good talking-to?”
William slowly withdrew his arm and said, “The guy was just trying to pursue you. Why should I have given him a hard time?”
“I don’t like him.” As Alice’s hand was pulled away, she thought for a moment and then said with a quirky expression, “I’m wondering if he might actually have a crush on you.”
“Hmm?” William, though having a broad mind and having encountered people with same-sex preferences before, was caught off guard by Alice’s sudden comment.
Alice narrowed her eyes and giggled, “I only met him yesterday, and you were the one helping me out in that fight. I think he might have been captivated by the way you handle your sword, or maybe he got flustered when you told him to get lost.”
William gave her a light flick on the forehead, speaking sternly, “What are you thinking? So young and already having such wild thoughts.” 𝙚𝙙𝙣𝒐𝙫𝙚𝙡.𝙤𝙧𝒈
“Ouch!” Alice exclaimed, almost tearing up from the flick to her forehead. She rubbed the spot, looking up at William with a hint of mischief, “Come on, I was just joking. You have to admit you look pretty cool when you’re wielding that sword.”
“He’s just infatuated,” William responded, starting to walk away, “Try to avoid him in the future. It’s about time we head back.”
“Alright, I’ll book the flights then!” Alice said cheerfully, following closely behind William. Her mood shifted quickly, going from nearly crying to being all smiles in a matter of seconds.
Did her mentor just show a hint of jealousy?
That seems to be the case.
Alice’s eyes wandered mischievously. Perhaps she should openly flirt with other men in front of William. That might just rile him up.
Soon, William and his companions set out again, making their way back to New York City.
Astonishingly, half of the plane’s passengers were Soulmancers, all of whom were headed to New York City.
During the martial contest in Ravenwood, some Soulmancers had managed to secure mystical realms for themselves. Yet, the demand greatly exceeded the supply, and many were left without any territories.
However, for them, there was a silver lining. The 13th Bureau had secured a mystical realm near Hudson University.
Taking advantage of the situation, they had discussed matters with Steven, who announced that any law-abiding Soulmancer was welcome in the vicinity of Hudson University.
Originally, Hudson University was a territory that many Soulmancers wanted to claim. Now, it had effectively become an open area.
As long as they coexisted peacefully, venturing to the mystical realms near Hudson University to enhance their powers was a viable option. Who knows, they might even stumble upon some treasures.
Alice felt a tad uncomfortable when she realized that Lucien and Tristan were on the same flight to New York. Even more so when Lucien managed to switch seats to sit closer to her.
“Alice, what a coincidence, you’re headed to New York too?” Lucien remarked with an obvious smirk.
She merely glanced at him, then nestled into William’s shoulder and promptly drifted off.
William cast a brief side glance at Alice, not pushing her away. After all, what harm could a young girl do?
Ignoring Lucien didn’t seem to deter him. He seemed to be adopting a strategy of relentless pursuit.
There’s a saying that persistence can win over even the toughest hearts, and as long as Alice wasn’t married, Lucien believed he still had a chance.
Having read a fair number of contemporary books lately, William had some insight into the modern-day antics of young love. In his opinion, someone like Lucien stood no chance with Alice.
Confessing feelings right upon meeting? Isn’t that just asking for an immediate rejection?
In today’s age, with gender equality, women’s status isn’t as suppressed as in ancient times when they were often treated as commodities up for trade.
Starting off with a confession only removes the element of mystery. Moreover, creating such an unfavorable first impression with Alice and being overly persistent will only invoke disdain.
This young man is out of luck.
Upon William’s return to New York, he discovered an influx of several hundred Soulmancers in the city. It seemed that Soulmancers from all over the country were converging on New York.
“It seems all this is caused by the AuraField,” William realized. The AuraField he’d casually created had significantly impacted the world.
After getting back to the bookstore, William hesitated momentarily but eventually decided to erase the magic circle.
Alice had made a significant impression in Ravenwood, catching the attention of many Soulmancers. This would inevitably draw more attention to the Cozy Book Haven.
After all, the bookstore was the origin of the AuraField. Any person with a decent amount of power could sense the more abundant energy near the bookstore, which would only attract more visitors.
“Mr. Johnson, did you all go to Ravenwood?” Nelson, who had been overseeing the store in their absence, greeted them upon their return.
William nodded and said, “Don’t worry. No one should bother you for items from Mount San Juan Teotihuaca anymore.”
Nelson quickly expressed his gratitude. Even though William had made him the scapegoat, everything had come to a satisfactory conclusion, saving Nelson from living like a fugitive.
William approached the main table in the bookstore, placing his palm on it. With a firm swipe, the AuraField vanished.
Nelson immediately felt the surrounding energy thinning out.
Not particularly sensitive to the energy’s intensity, William asked Nelson, “How does the energy around here feel to you now?”
“Not good. I feel that the energy around is slowly dissipating,” Nelson said hurriedly. “Before, it felt like abundant energy was continuously gathering towards the store, but now I don’t feel that way.”
“Good, that’s enough.” William nodded slightly, content with the outcome.
The changes the AuraField triggered in the Earth’s energy field even awakened ancient energy sources on the planet. Within just a few days, the world’s energy grew much more potent. Considering Alice’s enhanced abilities, William believed it was best for the AuraField not to continue existing, lest it risk altering the world’s order once again.