Chapter 58: Hughes

The moment the mouse appeared, Panini felt a shiver down his spine.

It wasn't because he feared any harm from this powerful mouse. Souls, to some extent, shared a connection, enabling each side to perceive the other's intentions clearly. Currently, the mouse exhibited clear discontent towards Panini, leaping onto the mage's head, claws and tail flailing, further dishevelling his already untidy hair.

"Get down quickly! We're under surveillance! Don't make a scene," Panini grimaced, trying to shoo the troublesome mouse away while continuously sending messages through the mental link, reminding the mouse that this was not a place for its mischief.

This was the sanctum of prophecy.

Aware of the nature of prophetic spells, Panini understood that any rash action here could lead to dire consequences.

Accurate prediction of the future, theoretically, wasn't complex—gather enough information and deduce through causality. This was the essence of prophecy spells, often applied in reality through gathering intelligence.

Most adept seers were well-versed in various matters, as they frequently used spells to monitor subjects of interest, such as "Eye of Insight" or "Arcane Surveillance." Within the domain of prophetic spells, there were numerous spells related to eavesdropping and surveillance.

Panini had no idea how many such spells were observing him at the moment—although his perceptual domain couldn't detect them, he understood that his perception abilities were not very effective against higher-level forces, especially after experiencing certain events.

He also realized that he was currently under the scrutiny of Hughes, the second in command of the prophecy department, and Osiria, a senior tutor. Hence, caution was imperative.

The appearance of this mouse wasn't anything significant; summoning familiars was no cause for alarm among mages. Panini's fear stemmed from the potential mischief this remarkably gifted creature might cause, arousing the attention of observers, which would be disastrous.

Aware of Panini's concerns, Belen, after a romp of erratic behavior atop Panini's head, finally leapt down. Panini, vexed, tidied his hair and inwardly cursed the creature for not staying put in the Abyss and instead frolicking in the material world. Then, he watched as the mouse glanced at the pile of relics on the ground. Suddenly, its tail and ears perked up as if invigorated. With a swift movement, it darted into the crevices of the relic pile. Panini, observing the mouse's peculiar habit of metal consumption, hesitated before approaching to inspect.

Although the relics were considered junk, damaging them would still be ill-advised. Moreover, a familiar with a penchant for consuming metal was already quite bizarre.

As Panini rummaged through the relics, he continued sending telepathic messages, urging the mouse to return to the Abyss to play. However, Belen paid no attention to Panini's harassment. It burrowed into the clutter and was drawn to a small device on a rusty bronze column. The device resembled a copper octahedron with a small hole at the tip, like a hollow container. Yet, no one knew the purpose of such a small container. Its appearance was more reminiscent of an oil lamp, albeit too small.

It was this "lamp" that captured the mouse's attention, prompting it to scrutinize it closely with its blue eyes, squinting intermittently. After a while, irritated by Panini's rummaging sounds above and the incessant telepathic messages, it opened its mouth and swallowed the object whole, then jumped out in annoyance.

Panini heaved a sigh of relief as Belen appeared, almost dropping to his knees. "Brother, you must hasten back," he urged.

The mouse's eyes flickered for a moment, disdainfully stroking its whiskers. It turned to teleport away, and just as Panini was about to exhale in relief, he saw the mouse turn back, causing his heart to leap again.

Suddenly, the mouse leapt into Panini's chest, diving into the magical pouch hidden there. It spat out two items before opening a spatial portal and vanishing.

Panini examined the items left by the mouse and discovered they were two magical artifacts. After a brief inspection, his expression turned to one of astonishment.

Ever since acquiring the miraculous artificer's golden finger, equipped with its innate arcane decryption function, combined with Panini's innate perceptual abilities, his sensitivity to arcane power had reached astonishing heights.

Carefully placing the modified golden finger on the artifacts, a wealth of arcane information flowed into his brain through the magical touch. After a brief analysis, he discerned their purposes.

The necklace seemed to carry a triggered "sanctuary spell," able to recharge automatically once a day. The other eye-shaped artifact contained two each of "evil eye spells," "confusion spells," and "feeblemind spells." Though Panini didn't yet know the names of these two items, he could judge their value.

The value of ordinary spells is considerable; even a first-level spell transcribed onto a scroll can fetch upwards of a dozen gold coins when sold. Advanced magical instruments are valued in the hundreds or thousands, and those that can autonomously recharge are even more precious.

Not to mention the utility of spells like Sanctuary and potent psychic attack instruments during combat.

Panini didn't know whether to be happy or bemused; he could only pray that Belen wouldn't choose such inopportune times to visit again.

"Mr. Sean, we have arrived." Belen had barely left when the female mage entered with a moderately built male robed figure. Panini turned to see the male mage yawning, expressing dissatisfaction with the female mage: "Since you've found help, why disturb my sleep?"

"I disturbed your sleep to ensure you could rest more peacefully," Lijita said calmly, then turned and left the room again. "I'll go get the documents."

So Panini remained in the room with the mage.

"Forget it. Even if I wake up, I'll still be busy running around at your command," the mage muttered, pulling out a chair and slumping onto the long desk, looking rather lethargic.

Panini observed the mage, of similar age to himself. His slightly plump, round face boasted smooth, delicate skin, with features just transitioning from youthfulness. Between his handsome brows lingered an air of nonchalance, overall presenting no sense of danger. Like an ordinary youth who loves to sleep in.

He dared not relax his vigilance. Coming from the Scarlet Robe Academy, how could one be harmless? Even he himself, having experienced those years, had transformed from a law-abiding youth to one who could kill without hesitation, let alone an official Scarlet Robe.

The young mage rested his head on the table for a few seconds, then awkwardly sat up when he noticed Panini. "Oh... pardon my lapse. I am Huestrofeedi, of the Transmutation school. May I inquire your name?"

"Enchantment school, Panini Sean. Pleasure to meet you," Panini nodded, offering a brief introduction.

"Panini Sean?" Huestrofeedi, the young mage, scratched his bald head, his face showing a pensive expression. "An apprentice?... No, only an aspiring Scarlet Robe would be found in a place like this. Were you brought here by that woman to do her bidding? What conditions did she promise you?"

"No conditions," Panini shook his head. He could sense that the relationship between this mage and Lijita seemed peculiar, but he wasn't interested in delving into it. He simply tried to explain, "I'm just here to help."

"To help?" Huestrofeedi chuckled, his expression turning odd as he looked at Panini. "That woman never readily accepts help from others."

"Is that so? Um..." Panini paused for a moment, realizing the truth of the statement. There wasn't much to say.

"But if what you say is true, then you should be careful," Huestrofeedi shook his head slowly, appearing quite knowledgeable. "Don't easily owe her favors, nor attempt to make her owe you any. The consequences could be dire. This is advice from an elder to you."

"Senior?" Stripped of this inexplicable pretentiousness, Panini's face twitched at the self-proclaimed status of this young man, Huestrofeedi, who seemed no more than fifteen or sixteen years old.

To assert seniority with such confidence.

Of course, logically speaking, it made sense—

"I joined before you did, so naturally, I'm your senior," Huestrofeedi lifted his chin, speaking with even more self-assurance.

"Alright, this... um... Senior Trofeedi."

"Just call me Huest." Trofeedi waved his hand. "We're colleagues now, using that title feels too formal."

Not knowing whether they would be foes or friends in the future, this guy's role-switching was a bit too quick...

Panini silently scoffed to himself, but he also sensed that this young Scarlet Robe seemed easy to approach. Whether it was genuine or artificially crafted amiability, building a closer relationship would certainly be beneficial:

"So, Huest, you mentioned about Lijita, neither owing her favors nor expecting her to owe you favors..."

"Isn't that right?" Huest shrugged, gritting his teeth, wearing a look of regret: "I ended up owing her a rather substantial favor, then spent a year running around like a dog, at her beck and call, unable to sleep soundly, unable to eat my fill..."

As Huest spoke, Panini discreetly observed his every move. Seeing him openly disclose these matters, it seemed his facade wasn't too deep, and his temperament didn't appear feigned. Panini's defenses lowered slightly.

With no conflicting interests at the moment, Panini felt there was no need to be overly cautious. Since the other party was seeking closeness, it was best to go along with it.

"I merely had her attend to chores like a slave, which, comparatively, was rather fortunate; at least it was better than dealing with her numerous creditors," Huestrofeedi recounted his plight, then sighed deeply, casting a peculiar gaze at Panini. "It's said that some of her major creditors from before..."

Panini's attention sharpened at this point, only to see a mischievous smile spread across the round-faced youth's lips. "Were all disposed of by her."

Panini was taken aback, looking at Huestrofeedi in disbelief.

"Don't be too surprised; everything I say is true," Huestrofeedi said calmly, as if to assert his credibility.

Panini swallowed hard, a cold sweat breaking out as he chuckled dryly. "But Miss Lijita..."

"She doesn't seem like that kind of person, does she? Indeed, she appears quite honest, and her looks are rather pleasing, with a demeanor akin to a serene nun..." Huestrofeedi muttered, then suddenly seemed defeated, slapping his forehead. "But seriously, we're Scarlet Robes, aren't we? How can you be so sure about her character matching her appearance? Just like how you wouldn't dare to easily judge whether my character, a laid-back fellow who seems like he's not worth a hundred deaths at a low-level academy, is really as foolish as he appears, wouldn't you?"

He then watched Panini's stunned expression, twitching mouth, and sweaty face, a smile creeping onto his lips, seemingly satisfied with Panini's reaction.

At that moment, a voice came from outside the door, the female Scarlet Robe panting slightly. "There's a lot of data, which one of you wants to come and take it?"