Chapter 122: Andrew’s Audience

Chapter 122: Andrew’s Audience

And so, the battle was more or less concluded.

Airael took full advantage of the middle-aged Mage’s initial nonchalance, consistently overpowering him with her abundant magic power.

One wrong step led to another.

That early mistake left the middle-aged Mage without any chance to turn the tide.

Airael was cautious, avoiding any wild moves and focusing on steady performance.

Thus, the conclusion of this battle was naturally Airael’s victory.

After the fight ended, the middle-aged Mage bore numerous frostbite marks and collapsed in a daze.

Meanwhile, some bits of ice debris still clung to him.

Such a pathetic sight truly elicited a sigh of pity.

After her battle with the middle-aged Mage, Airael lost all desire to continue exchanging magical techniques.

If it went on, an older opponent would surely step in.

Besides, they had already gained a good understanding of her strength.

She couldn’t afford to experience a fight like that a second time.

However, just as Airael was about to leave the Tower of the Archmage, she received word that Andrew wanted to see her.

Upon hearing that Andrew wished to meet, Airael had some reservations.

Could it be that he was looking for trouble?

Not to mention Phil, the earlier assistant.

The middle-aged Mage, while not in mortal danger, had been thoroughly trounced by her, losing face in the process.

“Miss Ailia, are you going to meet Lord Andrew?”

Phil asked Airael.

Andrew hadn’t specifically demanded to see Airael; he simply sent the message for her to be brought over.

And after witnessing Airael’s strength in the earlier battle, he had developed a healthy respect for her.

“Of course, why wouldn’t I? It would be my honor to meet Lord Andrew. If he could offer me some guidance on my magic, that would be even better!”

Airael’s earlier concerns faded as she responded.

She had realized something important.

If Andrew truly wanted to confront her about what had just happened, this would be a very foolish move.

With that in mind, she decided to meet Andrew and see what he was plotting.

“Please follow me.”

Phil smiled slightly at Airael’s words, showing no sign of disagreement.

He thought that Airael didn’t really need guidance. Her words were merely polite niceties to accommodate the invitation from his mentor.

Airael had achieved so much; no one would believe she didn’t have a good teacher.

Although it’s often said that the teacher shows the door and individual cultivation relies on oneself, one must know: without a teacher guiding you onto a competitive path, would your cultivation experience be so smooth?

While a teacher isn’t the most critical part of one’s path, they are definitely an important piece of the puzzle.

Of course, his mentor, Andrew, was impressive in his own right.

If Andrew ever wanted to offer Airael some pointers, he was indeed qualified.

Under Phil’s guidance, Airael once again met the master of the Tower of the Archmage, Andrew.

Unlike their previous meeting in the reception hall, this time they were in Andrew’s office, where Phil directly escorted Airael.

When Airael arrived, Andrew was already seated on the sofa, waiting for her.

“Good morning, Lord Andrew.”

“Good morning! Please, have a seat.”

Andrew gestured for Airael to take a seat across from him.

At the same time, he signaled to Phil that he could leave.

Phil, catching the signal, looked at Airael and said, “Miss Ailia, you and the Master can talk first. I have some matters to attend to and will take my leave.”

“Alright.”

Airael gently nodded in response before calmly sitting down directly across from Andrew.

During this whole exchange, Phil had stepped out and closed the door behind them.

Once the door was shut, the entire office transformed into an almost completely enclosed space.

No one outside could eavesdrop on their conversation.

As the door closed, Andrew looked at Airael with a smile and said, “Miss Ailia, I’m very glad you accepted my invitation.”

Faced with Andrew’s enthusiasm, Airael felt a little apprehensive.

What was this old guy up to?

After all, no one offers kindness without ulterior motives.

Recalling their last encounter, Airael chimed in with her own smile:

“I should be thanking you for the invitation. It’s not every day I get to meet someone of your caliber.”

While that sounded innocuous, a deeper inspection revealed a sarcastic undertone.

Especially considering Airael’s previous experience at the Tower of the Archmage.

Although the outcome had been satisfactory, the beginning was anything but pleasant.

Of course, Airael dared to say this because she believed Andrew wouldn’t take too much offense, or else he would be too petty.

“The affairs of the Tower of the Archmage are truly overwhelming, making it difficult for me to carve out time for personal matters.”

Andrew replied, still maintaining a smile.

Although he caught the hints in Airael’s words, he appeared unfazed.

This left Airael feeling somewhat embarrassed, as if she were the one being unreasonable.

Even though there was indeed a hint of sarcasm, she was speaking the truth.

Feeling a bit irked, Airael asked Andrew, “So, is this meeting about business or personal matters?”

“What do you think, Miss Ailia?”

Andrew appeared unbothered and tossed the question back at her.

“It seems it’s about business, but I don’t believe there’s any connection between us on that front.”

Airael looked around their current environment, reflecting on their earlier conversation before responding.

As for the earlier battle, it could only be considered personal, as they had fought fairly.

At this moment, she had already pondered leaving.

She felt that conversing with this old man was quite pointless.

It seemed like no matter how the dialogue progressed, it all led to the same dead end, leaving her feeling utterly powerless.

“Do you truly feel that way, Miss Ailia?”

Andrew questioned her once more.

“Is there any other possibility?”

“Naturally, there is. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have extended an invitation to you.”

“Then please clarify, as I have matters to attend to and my time isn’t particularly abundant.”

That was obviously an excuse.

At present, Airael had nothing pressing to do.

In all matters concerning Arthur, it was clear that they did not intend to involve her.

Although they kept insisting on making her the queen, they excluded her from every significant decision, not even sharing information.

They treated her as if she were an outsider.

Thinking of this only deepened Airael’s dissatisfaction.

It also dampened her desire to continue the conversation.

“While what I’m going to discuss may not concern you directly, it does have an indirect relation.”

Andrew said, looking at Airael without revealing what he was going to discuss, building suspense.