Chapter 63: Academy Investigation

In the First Circle Wizard area of Lilith's Cottage, within the advisory office.

The witch Sophia calmly entered the office and seated herself before the academy's senior advisor, Francis Zoe.

Francis Zoe was an elderly man with a white beard and white hair, wearing a black wizard hat. Though he appeared aged and frail, shrewd glints occasionally flashed in his eyes. His chest was adorned with numerous medals of honor, including awards for several significant Magic Potion discoveries in the southeastern region.

Advisor Francis smiled at Sophia. "Sophia, in the blink of an eye, that stubborn little girl from back then has now become a Formal Wizard and even a Wizard Mentor to others."

"How many years has it really been?"

"Time is truly wondrous. It feels like just yesterday you were a clueless little girl newly enrolled, and now you're already a Formal Wizard standing equal with us."

The flower on the vine adorning Sophia's wizard hat had turned a pale yellow—a color that struck the perfect balance between solemnity and youthful vibrancy.

Francis Zoe wasn't as benevolent as he appeared. Having devoted half his life to the academy, he would sometimes employ any means necessary to achieve his goals. Sophia had always kept him at arm's length.

The witch Sophia gave a slight nod. "Supervisor Francis, I thank you for your past guidance."

Advisor Francis smiled. "I apologize for disturbing you this time, but as Lilith's Cottage's senior advisor and concurrent supervisor, it's necessary for me to make some inquiries."

He placed a file on Locke Augustine before Sophia. "This student only had third-grade aptitude during enrollment, yet within a year and a half, he became a Second-Class Wizard Apprentice and obtained a Breeder Assistant Certificate."

"His advancement speed is highly unusual."

"The academy wishes me to confirm..."

Sophia understood his implication. "Yes, I'm aware of all this."

"My student has a simple background—he came from the mortal world overseas and hasn't signed contracts with any local wizard families. He merely possesses special talents in Mana stability and medicinal absorption."

"Moreover, he shows remarkable aptitude in breeding. Most of the work on the Super Mandrake Vine, including its conceptualization, was completed by him alone."

A glint flashed in Francis Zoe's eyes as they fell upon Locke Augustine's file on the table. So that was it—he had miscalculated.

Strictly speaking, Sophia wasn't yet a formal member of Lilith's Cottage. Assigning an apprentice of such caliber to her had been his oversight as the one responsible for student allocations.

At this moment, Advisor Francis felt a faint pang of regret.

Had he known of Locke's talents earlier, he should have prioritized assigning Locke to one of the academy's core members—a First Circle Breeder.

Francis Zoe smiled faintly and said, "That's good. The academy naturally trusts your judgment, Sophia."

"I just needed to rule out the possibility that this student might be a spy for the Black Wizards or that some Black Wizard had invested substantial resources in him to maliciously compete for magical resources and disrupt order—such things."

"However, this student's background is very simple, as are his social connections, so I didn't consider that possibility."

"Moreover, in the field of Breeding, even with sufficient resources, achieving results is extremely difficult. It's a field where money alone can't create genius."

The Witch Sophia nodded. "Advisor, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."

"The academy has assigned me quite a few tasks recently."

Lilith's Cottage, seeing that Sophia had gone two years without signing a contract, was growing increasingly impatient. Sensing something amiss, they began assigning her task after task.

The Witch Sophia did not refuse.

She was a wizard who had risen from Lilith's Cottage—a fact no one could change.

To gain something, one must give something in return.

Otherwise, Lilith's Cottage wouldn't let her leave so easily.

In fact, Lilith's Cottage, as her wizard academy, would remain highly significant for a long time to come.

Until she achieved substantial results, any other wizard organization evaluating her for a teaching position would first scrutinize the caliber of the organization she came from.

Advisor Francis smiled and said, "Sophia, the academy has already approved your student's request to establish a small botanical garden in advance and has reassigned him from patrol duty to a new task—Magical Plant Investigation."

"Sophia, Locke is a student with excellent potential. It's fortunate you have such a student."

"I hope Locke can flourish under your guidance and become an outstanding Breeder. You know how important Breeders are to the academy. More than half of the wizards in Lilith's Cottage have some proficiency in plant magic."

The prerequisite for studying Potionology is a basic affinity for Wood Elemental Particles, so wizards skilled in plant magic generally have some knowledge of Potionology.

Wizards with no affinity for Wood Elemental Particles can, at best, grasp only the basics of Potionology after reaching higher levels.

Thus, there are many wizards in Lilith's Cottage who practice plant magic, and the presence of exceptional Breeders can elevate the overall skill level of these wizards by leaps and bounds.

For this reason, Breeders hold even higher status in Lilith's Cottage than they do elsewhere.

Advisor Francis chuckled. "Sophia, are you really not going to sign? Not even for the sake of these outstanding students?"

"You know that Formal Wizards, by mentoring students, can form small factions of their own, building resource networks, gathering magical materials, and delegating tasks to their students."

"Even better, when your students advance to become Formal Wizards—or even high-level Breeders and Potion Masters—you can expand your influence through them and brew magic of your own making."

"The strength of a Formal Wizard lies not only in themselves but also in their students."

Sophia knew that Francis's intention was simply to keep her at Lilith's Cottage.

Now, he was merely using students like Locke as an excuse to bring it up again.

Sophia said, "I still need some time to consider."

Advisor Francis maintained his smile. "Of course."

"Regardless of your decision, you are always welcome here."

After the witch Sophia left, Advisor Francis glanced at Locke's file on the table, a trace of doubt flickering in his eyes.

He was puzzled, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the desk. "His rapid advancement could be explained—perhaps some innate talent was missed during the initial assessment. Such things have happened before."

"But how could a Wizard Seedling from the mortal world achieve such significant progress in the field of breeding in such a short time? It's still possible that the witch Sophia provided him with resources, leading to this outcome."

"Yet that doesn't make sense either. Sophia has no reason to do so. Maybe I'm overthinking it."

Advisor Francis snapped out of his thoughts and muttered, "Never mind. He's just an insignificant Second-Class Wizard Apprentice anyway."

"Perhaps I misjudged. But if I did, so be it. At this level, it's not enough to draw the attention of the academy's higher-ups."

"The priority is finding a way to keep Sophia—a Formal Wizard who is both a high-level Breeder and Potion Master—at Lilith's Cottage."

Today's matter was merely him seizing an opportunity to probe while indulging his curiosity.

If it had been any other Formal Wizard, he wouldn't have bothered, as they would have handled it themselves.

A mere Second-Class Wizard Apprentice wasn't worth his notice.