In the dead of night, the underground dormitory of the Mage Tower was not only damp and chilly but even reeked slightly of a foul stench it was completely contrary to the elegant aesthetic of a typical Sun Clan Arcanist.

In truth, that’s how it was. Although nominally all were Mage Tower trainees, the status of a menial trainee was only a hair’s breadth away from that of a true servant. Naturally, their ancestry was not of noble Sun Clan lineage; they were mostly Moon Clan, and not even of the pure-blooded, family-legacy Moon Clan like Lynn’s steward.

“Hah...”

Exhaling a puff of cold air, Lynn gazed down the end of the narrow corridor at the figure advancing unhurriedly with confident strides. “Ivan, you’re late.”

With a cold sneer, Lynn sized up the so-called “Savior” with ill intent.

At this moment, clad in an old and tattered menial robe, with bruises still lingering on his face from his duel with Louise, Ivan had absolutely no heroic bearing left. His wretched appearance was hardly different from that of a truly destitute Dust Clan member starving on the streets.

Facing his “servant,” Lynn parted his lips slightly and asked with a condescending air, “As a servant, how dare you be tardy when your master summons you? For that alone, I can discipline you on the spot.”

This wasn’t just something Lynn made up.

Though the Neutral City-States were renowned across the continent for their “freedom and equality,” that was relative. The difference in status between the Sun Clan and other races was simply that, unlike other nations, there was no default rule that “all other races are the property of the Sun Clan.”

Yet even legal protections, however imperfect, were enough to earn the Neutral City-States, along with the Golden Oak Confederation, the shared title of the continent’s “coveted earthly paradises.”

“Oh?”

Glaring fiercely at the seemingly eternal disdain in Lynn’s soul-deep expression, Ivan’s unremarkable, merely average face immediately darkened. The one feature worth mentioning in his entire being his pair of bright, spirited eyes now ignited with a blazing fire.

“Since I am but a mere servant, why waste your breath on me? Why not punish me directly or simply expel me?”

Having long prepared this strategy under his master’s guidance, Ivan retorted boldly, “After all, you are the lofty young master of House Morsol, a descendant of Royal Blood. Why would you have trouble finding a suitable servant?”

‘Here it comes!’

Hearing Ivan’s counterattack, Lynn’s face showed a sullen expression, yet deep inside, he was deeply thrilled by Ivan’s retort.

Because right now, he was counting on Ivan to put on a show of “desperate comeback” tomorrow for everyone, so he could make a hefty profit off that black cat. What he feared most was Ivan falling into low spirits and depression after today’s setback.

But from the looks of it? The protagonist truly lived up to the title, seeing that unyielding will, that powerful spirit even in utter despair?

Lynn’s future was bright~

Heh heh heh, since that’s the case, his next plan would be easy.

Thinking of this, Lynn immediately put on a brilliant acting display, deliberately letting a flash of irritation cross his arrogant expression. Unable to “keep his cool,” he picked up Ivan’s ancestral medallion.

“You slick-tongued lowlife.” Lynn viciously widened his eyes and pointed unceremoniously at Ivan, “Hand over the method for activating this secret treasure, and this young master might just spare your life. Otherwise... heh heh heh.”

Waving the medallion in his hand, Lynn pressed his coercion aggressively.

“Kill me?” Seeing Lynn’s growing fluster before his own mountain-firm resolve, Ivan’s heart settled completely. With even greater certainty, he sneered disdainfully and spread his hands, “Indeed, Young Master Lynn, you are a dignified Sun Clan Arcanist. Killing a mere lowlife counts for nothing. You can kill me directly, of course. Only... there’s a price.”

Ivan shook his head, “I daresay, I am the only person in the whole world who can activate that secret treasure. Kill me, and you’ll never be able to activate it!”

Step, step.

With that, Ivan strode directly before Lynn, raising his neck as if inviting Lynn to strike him down.

“You—you!” Seeing this, Lynn immediately played along without hesitation, acting both “enraged and humiliated” yet fearful, stomping his foot—exactly like a villain from those no-brainer web novels before he transmigrated, whose schemes had failed and could only rage impotently.

‘Haha, as expected, Master’s plan was spot-on. Lynn had taken the bait completely! Hmph, just as I thought, a spoiled playboy is a spoiled playboy. They put on airs as talented young elites day in and day out, but when it really counts, they reveal themselves as useless blockheads. Next, all I have to do is…’

“However.”

Ivan deliberately waited for quite a while, and only when Lynn’s expression grew increasingly anxious did he say flatly, “It’s not that I can’t offer up the method to activate this treasure. But... Young Master Lynn, shouldn’t you show me something in return?”

“Something?” Lynn pretended to ponder briefly before letting out a “reluctant” snort and asking offhandedly, “Daring to demand favors from your master what an insolent lowlife. Fine, state what you want. Maybe if I’m in a good mood, I could even grant you your freedom~”

“Freedom?” Ivan sneered inwardly at that.

‘Heh heh, this rich young master, thinking he can completely control me just by slapping the servant label on me? Come tomorrow, at the Saintess’s reception, when I prove that I am the prophesied Savior, you’ll be finished.’

It took Ivan great effort not to show his scornful smile. In a calm tone, he said, “That won’t be necessary, Young Master Lynn. I only need you to arrange for my participation in tomorrow’s reception for the envoy delegation from the Holy Cross Kingdom visiting the Neutral City-States.”

‘Ohhh?! So it actually coincides with the script I arranged? Looks like the mysterious master behind the protagonist is pulling the strings? Heh heh heh, as expected of a Legendary Arcanist above the Master Rank and one of a handful across the entire continent? So the heroes truly think alike?’

Though in the previous life’s plot, Ivan hadn’t rushed to participate in the reception...

‘Oh, I guess it’s because the butterfly wings I’ve been flapping stirred things up so much that the plot got scrambled, so the protagonist’s master arranged it in advance? Great, great, just what I wanted!’

So, despite having long since put Ivan on the guest list, Lynn now deliberately wore a puzzled and mocking expression, “The Holy Cross Kingdom envoy delegation reception? Ivan, oh Ivan, have you ever looked in a mirror to see what a sorry state you’re in? A Dust Clan servant like you has the gall to attend the reception?”

“...”

Ivan’s face flushed red again. Fortunately, with his master’s warning, he quickly adjusted his mindset and said expressionlessly and coldly, “So, Young Master Lynn, what’s your answer?”

“Fine.” Lynn narrowed his eyes, as if thinking of something, and casually picked up the medallion, “So... the method to activate this secret treasure?”

Ivan didn’t react, merely staring at him coldly. “You add my name to the invitation list first. Then I’ll hand over the method.”

“Shameless wretch! Do you think I, the heir of House Morsol, would renege on a deal?”

Lynn clamored “frantically.”

Ivan remained utterly unmoved.

‘Heh heh, as expected of the protagonist. Truly watertight.’

Pretending to be vexed that his “plot had been seen through,” Lynn, seeing the act was about done, took out the invitation list with Ivan’s name already added and tossed it to Ivan.

Whoosh!

Ivan caught the list steadily and had the master in his mind confirm it.

“No problem, this list already bears an Arcane Mark and a valid Word Spirit Contract.”

Ivan tossed the list back to Lynn, then extended his hand, “Young Master Lynn, give me the medallion. I’ll activate it for you right now.”

“What? You—you want the medallion back? Who knows what trick you’ll pull?” Lynn shook his head vigorously.

“Oh? Could it be that a dignified Sun Clan Arcanist is afraid he can’t see through a mere Dust Clan scheme?” Seeing this, Ivan smiled slightly and used the provocation his master had instructed.

“Wh-who’s afraid!”

Whoosh!

Lynn tossed the medallion to Ivan, but his eyes were wide, fixed intently on Ivan’s movements.

‘Taken the bait!’

Ivan was ecstatic in his heart.

‘Master, do it!’

In a flash—

The mysterious Legendary powerhouse in Ivan’s mind immediately cast a top-tier Arcane Art capable of altering the very laws of reality, completing a “Stealing the Sky, Swapping the Sun” in an instant, replacing the genuine medallion with a meticulously prepared counterfeit.

“Alright, Young Master Lynn, simply infuse your Arcane magic into it, and it will activate.”

Ivan tossed the medallion back to Lynn.

“Hmph!”

Lynn immediately and “eagerly” infused his magic, completely oblivious to the fact that the medallion in his hand had been swapped for an identical counterfeit.

‘Master, he’s infused his magic!’

‘Heh heh, the kid didn’t notice a thing. Alright, Ivan, now you just have to follow the secret technique I’ve taught you to usurp Lynn’s Arcane magic. By tomorrow at the Holy Cross Kingdom’s reception, you’ll have cultivated the Indestructible Body to completion.’

‘Usurping magic!’

Indeed, this was the scheme arranged by Ivan’s master.

Replacing the genuine medallion in Lynn’s hand with a counterfeit created by the master’s legendary Arcane Art—though the appearance, material, and even the internal contents were identical, its effect was completely opposite.

One could deploy an Absolute Barrier to isolate the enemy’s Arcane Art, while the other would secretly siphon magic, gradually transferring the user’s painstakingly accumulated magic from meditation to another person, without the user ever noticing.

But first, he needed to give him a taste of sweetness.

Ivan focused his mind.

Buzz—

Lynn’s body immediately radiated a barrier identical to the one Ivan had previously manifested.

“Wahahaha!”

Seeing that he had mastered the Indestructible Body, Lynn burst into laughter on the spot.

‘Kid, looks like you’re not completely hopeless.’

Lynn clapped Ivan’s shoulder forcefully and proclaimed smugly, “Don’t blame me for being overbearing. Treasures naturally ought to match their master’s status. Keeping a secret treasure like this on you would only bring you harm.”

With that, Lynn happily took the counterfeit medallion and left without looking back.

‘What a fool.’

Confirming that Lynn had gone far away, Ivan quietly took out the medallion he’d been yearning for from his pocket.

‘Now you can steal the show tomorrow and give Lynn and the others a thing or two.’

His master’s hearty laughter echoed in Ivan’s mind.

‘Exactly!’

After thinking for a moment, Ivan reluctantly took out a crystal clear communication crystal.

Tap, tap, tap.

The crystal reflected the image of a graceful figure bent over sheepskin scrolls and alchemical equipment steaming with rising heat.

Sophie—Ivan’s former master and the benefactor who had guided him into the Mage Tower.

“Ivan? It’s so late, what’s the matter?”

Putting aside the busy work in her hands, Sophie looked at Ivan with confusion.

“Young Miss, look~” Ivan waved the parchment scroll in his hand as if to show off the invitation list bearing his name.

“Oh? So it’s that?”

Recalling not long ago when she’d learned from Louise that she too had been “included” in Lynn’s invitation list, Sophie’s expression became somewhat subtle.

“It was Lynn...”

“Haha, Miss Sophie, what a pity you weren’t there just now.” Ivan cut her off excitedly before she could finish. “Otherwise, you could have seen how I wrangled this opportunity from that fool Lynn.”

Embellishing the story, Ivan chuckled proudly, “By the way, Miss Sophie, would you like to attend tomorrow’s reception? I can help you...”

“No need.”

Bzzz.

The communication was cut off.

Ivan stared in confusion for a moment, his face turning grim.

‘Why did Miss... just terminate the communication directly? Could it be? Could it be that she, like the others, is just a shallow woman who judges people by their appearance? No, no, Miss Sophie isn’t that kind of person. She’s probably just tired from the late hour and wants to rest? That’s normal for a girl, right?’

Ivan consoled himself.

‘Forget it. After I make a name for myself tomorrow, Miss Sophie will surely be astonished.’

Thinking of Sophie’s unique temperament though her looks alone couldn’t match Louise's, a fire of passion burned in Ivan’s heart.

He wondered, what was Miss Sophie doing right now?

* * *

On the other side of the communication crystal.

‘That Ivan…’

Inside the lab, Sophie could hardly hide her disappointment as she tossed the communication crystal onto the table.

‘To think he’d lie through his teeth? Louise clearly told me that both my name and Ivan’s being added to that list was just a whim of Lynn’s! How did it become, in Ivan’s mouth, as if he’d used some clever scheme to make Lynn obediently add his name?’

Recalling Ivan’s exaggerated expression, Sophie felt a wave of nausea.

She didn’t dislike people who strove upwards, and she didn’t care about one’s origins.

But... lying, twisting the truth, stealing credit?

Perhaps, she had truly misjudged him.