Chapter 746: Twin Towers of Iselma

Taking the West Coast Main Line from London, after about a four-hour journey, you'll arrive at the Lake District of Windermere.

This place is renowned as one of England's finest holiday destinations, boasting beautiful scenery. It's also well-known as the home of Peter Rabbit.

Walking in such a place everywhere you look is filled with picturesque mountains and clear waters. You can occasionally see adorable Peter Rabbits frolicking about as if you've stepped into a fairy tale world where everything is wonderful. It's no wonder that the famous artist Beatrix Potter loved this place so much and immortalized it in her illustrated books.

Unfortunately, Waver was in no mood to appreciate the beautiful scenery. His expression looked terrible. His two thin but dense eyebrows were tightly furrowed, and he occasionally pressed his lower abdomen with his hand. Those who knew him well understood this was a sign of stomach pain.

The only thing that could cause him such stomach pain was those troublesome students.

For instance, Flat, who couldn't wait to rush out of the train doors as soon as it stopped, shouted excitedly in the station.

Or Svin, who kept circling Gray, frightening her so much that she was hiding everywhere.

And of course, there was his foster sister and student Reines, who enjoyed stirring up trouble and teasing others on the side.

None of these three were experts at causing trouble individually, but with the three of them together, and having to stay here for one or two nights, Waver felt his life was turning bleak just thinking about it. He looked up and saw the young man who was the catalyst for all this, engrossed in playing his handheld game. Waver glared at him in annoyance.

"This is all you're doing!"

Sensing the gaze, Shinji looked up and shrugged innocently: "I'm not the one who brought them here."

As the head of the Department of Modern Magecraft and the master of the El-Melloi classroom, Waver received many invitations every day. At first, he would handle them personally, but later, as his homebody nature took over, he simply handed all such matters to Reines to deal with.

Unlike him, a third-rate magus from humble origins, Reines had been accustomed to such social interactions since birth, having grown up in London. She handled these matters effortlessly, which is how titles like The Woman Behind Waver began to circulate, as she often attended functions in Waver's place.

This invitation originally didn't require Waver's attendance. As usual, having Reines attend would suffice, at most bringing along a few attendants. Although Kayneth had taken back the Self-Discipline Mystic Code Maid, Kurumi, for Waver's development, today's El-Melloi classroom was no longer that small, destitute organization with just a few people. It was now fully staffed in all aspects, including bodyguards and servants.

Reines also enjoyed the feeling of attending banquets with bodyguards and servants. When she first rebelled against her family, countless people said she was too young to understand and mocked her for being foolish. But now? Her position as the de facto second-in-command of the El-Melloi classroom was several times more prestigious than the Archisorte family. Who would dare mock her now? Who would question her judgment?

However, when Reines routinely reported the invitation to Waver, and Waver was about to decline as usual, Shinji, who was helping grade papers in the office, interjected. He argued that it would be a shame to miss seeing the most beautiful person in the Clock Tower. If not for the beauty, then for the scenery. If not for the scenery, then for the drama. At worst, it could be a short trip to relax. It would be beneficial in multiple ways.

Hearing this, Waver was indeed quite tempted. But when Shinji mentioned the drama, he hesitated again. Finally, after Shinji repeatedly promises there will be no danger and agrees to go along as a bodyguard, Waver agrees to attend a social banquet after a long absence.

Up to this point, everything was normal, and Waver was in a good mood. However, on the day of departure, when he saw Flat and Svin standing on either side of Reines, Waver's expression immediately fell.

"Reines, what's going on here?"

"Dear brother, I'm only thinking of you. You haven't attended a social banquet in such a long time, and suddenly appearing at Valualeta's dinner party could easily be seen as a signal by the outside world. A signal that the Department of Modern Magecraft, which has always remained neutral and uninvolved in factional struggles, is leaning towards democracy. So, we need a legitimate reason, and the most suitable one I could think of was bringing outstanding students along for practical experience, using this opportunity to broaden their horizons."

Reines explained with a grin.

It was a perfect reason, and very much in line with this star teacher's character. The choice of student representatives was also logical. Svin and Flat were the most senior and outstanding among the current students in the classroom. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, they would soon be applying for their 'Pride' rank, which wouldn't cause any negative impact.

But Waver also knew there were surely other options, even if he couldn't think of them at the moment. Reines had other ideas, but she deliberately chose the most troublesome method just to tease him.

This 14-year-old child was just that kind of person. She openly admitted her true nature — she would smile at the sight of others in pain, and if the person was serious, it made her even happier. Moreover, seeing someone who should be walking a glorious path become depressed over trivial matters and go astray was even more delightful to her.

What's worse is that this personality wasn't influenced by her family environment or any psychological trauma, but was innate. So when she first laid eyes on Waver, she believed it was fate's arrangement, a treasure bestowed upon her by the gods.

Of course, for Waver, Reines was the predestined disaster in his life, an inescapable curse.

Now, this curse was standing in front of a carriage, smiling and waving at Waver.

"Hurry up, dear brother, our carriage has arrived."

"Listen, why don't you just give in to Reines? That way, your future life will never be boring," Shinji whispered, following behind Waver.

"Absolutely not!"

Waver composed himself and approached the carriage.

The man who appeared to be the coachman beside the carriage took off his hat and bowed.

"We've been waiting for you. You must be Department Head Waver Velvet. Lord Byron instructed me to come. Please, get in."

"Thank you for your trouble."

Waver nodded and entered the carriage first.

The carriage was specially made, and very spacious inside. Even with six people, it didn't feel cramped at all. Although it was being pulled by horses, there was hardly any sense of bumping, whether on smooth asphalt roads or rugged mountain paths. Undoubtedly, some kind of magecraft had been applied.

After traveling like this for about ten minutes, Flat's excited voice rang out in the carriage.

"Wow, look at that!"

Following the direction of his finger, two strange towers could be seen standing on the shores of Lake Windermere.

By modern standards, these two buildings weren't particularly large. They were about the height of a four-story office building. However, both towers were leaning at an odd angle.

"The Twin Towers. The east side is the Tower of the Sun, and the west side is the Tower of the Moon. They are the residents of the Iselma family who manage this area. Sometimes they're referred to together with the family name, commonly called the Twin Towers of Iselmaa. That's our destination for this trip."

With Waver's well-timed introduction, a story about magic and beauty began to unfold.