Warlock Apprentice

Angel: ”Lydia will also attend the tea party?”

Greya nodded, a cold smile curling at the corner of her mouth: ”Naturally, but her schemes this time might not materialize.”

”Schemes?” Angel wondered aloud: ”Is Lydia planning something at this tea party?”

Greya: ”I don’t know about that, but at the end of the last tea party, she made quite a show of herself in front of many witches, hoping to be the star of this one.”

A star? What exactly do you witches do at a tea party? Perform a play?

Angel silently retorted in his heart, though his face remained serious.

”Back then, we all knew Lydia did it because her relationship with your Barbarian Cave’s Lady Mirror was excellent. This time, with the tea party coincidentally held at Barbarian Cave, she likely wanted to leverage Lady Mirror’s influence.” Greya said, then sneered: ”Unfortunately, her calculations were sound but ignored changes in reality.”

Hearing this, Angel understood Greya’s meaning.

Lady Mirror had fallen asleep, with no knowledge of when she might awaken. In such circumstances, Lydia couldn’t capitalize on Lady Mirror’s influence, which is why Greya said her schemes couldn’t be realized.

Regarding this, Angel didn’t engage further in conversation with Greya, as he didn’t know what else to say. Yet, perceiving the atmosphere of intrigue and deception at the tea party through Greya’s account, he could only think to utter one phrase: ”Hard work for the Tree Spirit Master.”

After bidding farewell to Greya, Angel headed towards the manor.

He initially planned to fly straight back to his study, retrieve the mini signal tower, and then leave Barbarian Cave to move to the ruins outside.

However, from afar, he saw Good the butler pruning branches in the garden, prompting him to approach.

Angel visited Good the butler not only to inform him of his departure but also to inquire about something.

”Where is Sumishe?” Good the butler repeated Angel’s question softly before answering without much thought: ”About a month ago, Sumishe and Miss Flora left Barbarian Cave together.”

Angel: ”Where did they go? When will they return?”

”They didn’t say where, so I’m unsure.” Good the butler puzzledly asked: ”Does Young Master need something from them?”

Angel nodded, indeed requiring Sumishe for several matters.

Sanders had told him that Sumishe’s Nightmare Realm had been damaged, making it impossible to use any illusion technique related to the Nightmare Realm. He hoped Angel could use the Principal Body of the Nightmare Domain from the Wilderness of Dreams to help Sumishe heal.

Besides, Angel also needed Sumishe regarding Jon’s rescue plan using the Tri-State Equilibrium, as Sanders said Sumishe’s cooperation was essential.

Thus, Angel inquired with Good the butler about Sumishe’s whereabouts. Unfortunately, it seemed Sumishe wasn’t on Illusion Demon Island, nor even in Barbarian Cave.

”Regarding when they’ll return...” Good the butler pondered briefly: ”I’m uncertain. However, as far as I know, when the tea party is held, Miss Flora should return, and perhaps Sumishe will accompany her.”

Angel nodded, realizing his endeavors to inform Sumishe would need to wait a little longer.

...

Under the lush Eternal Tree, a witch enveloped in a rose fragrance briskly stepped out from the Task Hall.

She appeared rushed and gloomy. Observers around her refrained from greeting, dispersing in fear, creating a pathway for her.

As she descended the hall’s stairs, a woman dressed in fiery-red attire covered in flame patterns approached.

”Lianna, are you still issuing tasks? ...Hmm, judging by your expression, you don’t seem satisfied?”

The one emerging from the Task Hall was indeed ’Rose Crown’ Lianna.

Facing her friend Fire Charm’s inquiry, Lianna abandoned the earlier cold demeanor and sighed deeply: ”I acquired the design drawing, and personally, I favor this drawing more, yet it still has some shortcomings...”

”What shortcomings?” Fire Charm asked curiously.

Fire Charm knew Lianna had issued a series of tasks in the Task Hall recently concerning the tea party, including venue design, site arrangement, food preparation... and so forth.

Each task wasn’t easy, as the tea party addressed the entire Wizards’ Realm, implying any slight mistake wouldn’t be inconsequential. Among these tasks, the venue design was considered relatively less troublesome, yet Lianna had rejected many venue design sketches for the tea party without finding one satisfactory.

Now, unexpectedly she found one satisfactory, yet claimed it had shortcomings? Where could the shortcomings be?

”See for yourself.” Lianna handed the drawing directly to Fire Charm.

Fire Charm took the drawing and opened it.

Although the drawing’s strokes were simple, the three-dimensional effect was incredibly realistic. One could easily understand the author’s intent: a maiden, a round table, an illusion dream, murmurs, and communication.

The entire drawing was steeped in Gothic style, dazzling yet not garish. Its theme was suitably executed too.

This was a drawing that fit witch aesthetics, yet wasn’t considered mainstream.

Even Fire Charm couldn’t resist praising it.

Despite the drawing’s merits, Fire Charm identified Lianna’s described shortcoming: The drawing depicted one tea party venue with a clear background in the inner court space of the Eternal Tree.

”Tree Spirit Master still doesn’t agree?”

Lianna sighed: ”Indeed, he only agreed to hold the tea party outside, without planning to open a specific space internally. Just now, he even hesitated about hosting it outside, suggesting moving the tea party to exterior ruins.”

While the drawing was superb, lacking Tree Spirit’s assistance, the design missed half of its spirituality.

”Then what will you do? Do you still plan to adopt this design?” Fire Charm asked.

Lianna nodded firmly: ”Certainly, I intend to negotiate further with him. I refuse to believe I can’t persuade him.”

Having said that, Lianna was ready to fly to Spirit Tree Hall. Yet, Fire Charm seized her: ”If you go now, the answer may be the same. Maybe you could try, have Yserlia talk to Tree Spirit Master.”

Lianna’s eyes lit up; Tree Spirit held Yserlia in high regard, a fact widely known! If Yserlia spoke, Tree Spirit might reconsider.

Considering this, Lianna promptly turned towards the direction of Yserlia’s Mu Ye-bush.

Fire Charm followed suit.

She accompanied because she too wished to know whether this design drawing would finally be accepted. Besides, Fire Charm had another matter to discuss with Lianna.