Lucien was led to the guest area where he waited for clearance to enter the academy compound.
The atmosphere around him shifted.
The academy guards subtly straightened. Their posture tense yet they remained respectful and courteous. Clearly, they were trained to deal with nobles and high-ranking visitors.
Still, Lucien noticed sothing peculiar.
The mont he arrived, the security level subtly increased.
More eyes on him.
More guards nearby.
As if soone important had stepped onto the grounds.
’They must think I’m soone important because of my aura.’ Lucien mused with a quiet smirk.
Despite their caution, the guards stayed composed and professional.
They were well-mannered and polished like they’d done this a thousand tis.
Before long, the guard who had gone ahead to report returned.
Lucien rose from his seat, expecting to be ushered inside.
But then... he noticed the guard’s expression.
Remorseful and hesitant. In his hand was a parchnt.
Lucien’s eyes narrowed slightly.
The guard bowed low, speaking in the most apologetic tone he could muster.
"Young master... I deeply apologize but you can’t enter just yet. The Headmaster is... in a bad mood."
Lucien stilled. Not a word escaped his lips.
The silence stretched. The surrounding guards felt it. The sudden shift in atmosphere.
They swallowed hard as if tiptoeing over broken glass in the presence of soone far beyond their rank.
But nothing happened.
Lucien remained perfectly still. Calm and composed.
The guards subtly exhaled. A quiet sigh of relief passed through the group.
They had braced themselves for complaints, indignation, or even an outburst...
Just like the arrogant young nobles they often dealt with.
But Lucien wasn’t like them.
He didn’t throw a tantrum or demand answers. He simply observed in silence. His presence alone was enough to keep them wary.
Then, the guard gently extended the parchnt with both hands and spoke. His voice was laced with respect.
"However... the Headmaster said that if the young master can provide the items listed here, you will be granted entry."
Lucien hadn’t even read the note yet but the length of the list alone made his brow twitch.
He stared at it in silence, utterly speechless.
’Uncle Max... this definitely wasn’t part of the plan. The Headmaster’s being unreasonable!’ he thought with mild exasperation.
But then... as his eyes scanned the contents, sothing changed.
They lit up with interest.
He leaned in, reading the list more carefully this ti.
— Materials for Talisman Making:
Magic Quills, Monster Blood Ink, Base Materials...
— For Potion Brewing:
Sunleaf Herb, Sli Gel, Nectar, Potion Vials...
— For Magic Circle Enchantnts & Rituals:
Monster Threads, Silver Dust, Glowstone Powder...
— For Magic Research & Experintation:
Light and Dark Magic components, Runes, Magic Incense for Focus...
— Feeds for Tad Monsters
Star Hay, Glow Grass, Ash Resin...
— Repair Materials for Light-Based Tools
Sun crystal, Brighcore Ore, Halofern...
...
The list just kept going.
Lucien was speechless once again.
He stared at the list with his thoughts whirling.
And then, it hit him.
He did have everything listed.
Not the exact materials... but sothing even better.
Superior alternatives!
Talisman Making?
He had an Uncommon Drop from the Shadow Sli... Permanent Marker.
No need for Magic Quills or Monster Blood Ink.
As for the base material? Their recent harvest yielded a surplus drops like the Radish Peel Wraps. Thin. Durable. Perfect for binding runes.
Potion Brewing?
Sunleaf Herb? A common drop from Solar Slis.
Sli Gel? He had multiple variants, each with different properties.
Potion vials? He’d been hoarding empty honey containers. Flexible. Lightweight. Clear.
Magic Circles & Rituals?
Only Chalk is needed. It was another Solar Sli drop. No need for the other materials at all.
He even had Sun and Night Thread, which could be woven into magic circles.
Light and Dark Magic Research?
Light and Shadow Fragnts are both common in his inventory.
He also has a few notes regarding runes for both attributes from the MAGIC BOOK.
As for magic incense for focus? He had Sli Candles.
Feeds for Tad Monsters?
He didn’t even need to think about it. His vegetable-based drops were their absolute favorites.
Lucien let out a sigh. Not a frustrated one but the kind that said, "Well, this turned out better than expected."
He turned to the guard and spoke casually.
"Uhm... I think I might have everything on this list. Please wait. I’ll fetch them from the carriage."
The guard froze.
What he said shouldn’t have been possible.
The list was long, varied, specialized. No single carriage could possibly carry it all.
Doubt flickered across his expression.
But then... he looked at Lucien again.
His calm deanor. The weight of his presence...
And suddenly, it didn’t seem so impossible after all.
The Silvermine guards followed Lucien toward the carriage. They exchanged uncertain glances.
Lucien hadn’t brought anything with him.
They couldn’t help but wonder if he was bluffing... trying to save face after receiving such an unreasonable demand.
In their minds, they were already preparing for a polite retreat.
But then...
Lucien stepped into the carriage.
And barely monts later, he stepped back out.
Now holding...
Five Spatial Bags.
The guards stared in disbelief.
How?!
When?!
He had entered and exited in one fluid motion and yet Spatial Bags had magically appeared in his hands.
They hadn’t even seen the movent. It happened so fast that their eyes simply couldn’t follow.
Each guard quickly stepped forward to help, instinctively reaching for a bag.
Lucien handed them over and calmly walked back to the guest area where the academy guards were now watching him in thinly veiled curiosity.
He approached the sa guard who had delivered the list and spoke evenly.
"I have the materials with now. Where should I bring them?"
The guard blinked, stunned.
His gaze dropped to the Spatial Bags.
He hesitated.
Then... snapping out of it, he straightened up.
"P-please wait a mont! I’ll go report to the Headmaster right away!"
And just like that, he turned on his heel and sprinted toward the Headmaster’s office. His footsteps echoed down the corridor in a rush of urgency.
Lucien had to wait again.
He let out a light sigh.
"So much for eting my sister," he muttered—but there was no real frustration in his voice.
If anything, he was relieved.
His inventory was overflowing. This was a perfect excuse to lighten the load.
In fact, he’d already distributed tons of materials in the Lootwell territory as quest rewards. The Craftsman Division’s vaults were filled to the brim thanks to him.
And still... the drops kept coming.
His tad monsters were too efficient. Their yields were relentless. Even his INVENTORY could barely keep up.
Lucien’s eyes glead with quiet amusent.
’Ti to declutter.’
He took a seat once more, fingers drumming idly against the Spatial Bag beside him.
But then... sothing shifted.
A wave of pressure filled the air.
It was sudden and intense. The Silvermine guards around him instantly went on high alert. Their hands drifted to their weapons.
Their eyes locked on the source.
A woman.
Elegant.
Authoritative.
Likely in her thirties.
She stood at the edge of the guest area, staring at Lucien with thinly veiled resentnt.
The atmosphere grew heavy, pressing down like invisible weights.
The Silvermine guards instinctively stepped forward, weapons at the ready, shielding Lucien.
But then the woman looked at them.
Just one glance... and panic swept through the guards. They staggered under the sheer weight of her presence.
Oppressive...
Crushing...
Formidable.
But when her gaze returned to Lucien...
Her expression shifted.
Surprise.
Confusion.
Lucien... wasn’t affected.
Not even slightly.
Her aura crashed against him like a tidal wave but his own presence pushed back with equal force.
Unyielding.
Calm.
Unbothered.
Lucien could see it clearly. His Aura of Sovereign clashed silently with hers.
Neither one backing down.
’Interesting,’ he thought.
He activated DIVINE SENSE.
To his surprise... the woman wasn’t evil.
Her essence was warm, steady, even pure.
But there, coiled deep within her was sothing else.
A thread of bitterness. A flicker of resentnt. Sothing unresolved.
’Like a single tear in otherwise pristine silk,’ Lucien thought.
Curious, he followed it up with INSPECT.
His eyes narrowed.
Her identity stunned him.
But even more shocking was her status.
[Status: Bitter / Sullen / Resentful]
Lucien fell silent, trying to piece together what it ant.
’Why would soone like her feel this way?’
But then... rapid footsteps echoed from the hall.
A whole group was approaching fast.
The door burst open with a bang.
"Headmaster! What are you doing to the innocent boy?!" the History Departnt Head exclaid, storming into the room.
"Headmaster, really? Using Ti Magic just to get here first?" the Magic Departnt Head added, panting slightly.
Others arrived seconds later, breathless from trying to keep up. So had clearly used magic themselves just to close the distance.
But then... they all froze.
The oppressive aura of the Headmaster filled the room like a rising tide yet the boy at the center of it all, Lucien, remained completely unaffected.
In fact... the more they looked at him, the more they realized sothing unsettling.
His aura was stronger.
Lucien simply tilted his head, calm and curious.
He wasn’t sure why any of this was happening.
’Did Uncle Max... perhaps made a mistake?’ he wondered silently.
Then the woman... the Headmaster... finally spoke, her voice low and tense.
"What are you to Maxim?"
Lucien blinked.
The question caught him off guard.
"Headmaster? You an Uncle Max? He’s a friend of my parents. I’ve always called him ’Uncle.’"
There was a pause.
Then...
"Eh?" the Headmaster blurted, almost too quickly.
Her oppressive aura vanished completely like a storm being cut off mid-roar.
"You’re... not his child?"
That was all Lucien needed to hear.
He didn’t even need to guess anymore.
It was all clear now how she knew Maxim, why she reacted so strongly and what she must have believed at first.
The heavy tension in the room lted away.
Everyone exhaled, so audibly... finally able to breathe again.
But now, all eyes were on Lucien.
And their curiosity only grew deeper.
"HAHAHA! I knew Maxim didn’t betray !" the Headmaster suddenly laughed, the sharpness in her earlier deanor lting away. "Young man, it seems Maxim and Edric trust you a great deal. Tell ... Do you truly have everything on that list?"
Lucien nodded calmly. "I do, Headmaster. But... you’ll honor my conditions, right?"
"Good, good! I’ll agree to anything." She waved a hand dismissively, beaming now. "Since Maxim trusts you so much, you don’t need to be formal with . You call him Uncle, yes? Then you can call Aunt too."
A stunned silence fell over the room.
Everyone...including the departnt heads... was speechless.
The Headmaster... let soone call her Aunt?
This was the sa woman who strictly enforced what even her closest allies called her.
The heads of each departnt... people who had worked with her for decades... still addressed her only as Headmaster. Even those who knew her since youth dared to go no further than Elder Sister.
The one ti soone jokingly called her Aunt, she nearly hit them with a chair.
And now...
She had given Lucien the privilege freely, even warmly.
It made sense now.
The others exchanged knowing looks.
They all sighed in unison.
Maxim of the Silvermine...
There was only one na for this rare, baffling shift in the Headmaster’s behavior.
They called it:
The Maxim Effect.
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