“So, you’re going back to your family soon?” Lizbeth questioned from the side, perching herself on Victor’s shoulder.

  “Indeed. But I need to develop some spell models first before heading out… So, around a week from now should be doable,” Victor replied, calculating the preparations he needed to make.

  Lizbeth tilted her head. “How long will you be gone?”

  “At least a week. Maybe two or more. It shouldn’t be for too long since I’ll be going full speed.”

  As an Elemental Adept Magus, Victor could fly and reach the other side of the kingdom in just a few days. However, traveling at such speeds consumed a lot of infused mana, and he wasn’t about to exhaust himself unnecessarily. Some developed cities operated dirigibles, and he was considering taking one midway — it would be an opportunity to conserve energy while observing the state of the kingdom firsthand.

  “Hmm.” Lizbeth hummed, swaying her legs. “Fine, you can go. I’ll make sure that this place doesn’t fall apart while you’re gone.”

  Victor smirked. “That would be appreciated.”

  Academy Name: Sanctum of Interdimensional Magi

  Headmaster: Victor Asteriscus

  Academy Points: 6920

  Academy Grade: Level 4

  Total Acolytes: 1562/2000

  Total Professors: 1/2

  Total Assistant Professors: 4/8

  Progression Value: 1465/2000

  Looking at the System’s main page, Victor was quite satisfied. A week had passed, and everything was in order. The total assistant professors hadn’t increased, though, because the selected players had to first achieve the third stage of Initiate Attunement, and it shouldn’t have taken them too long now that they got better treatment and subsidy from him.

  Victor then stood in his study, finalizing his preparations before setting out on his journey. Everything he needed had been packed into his interspatial rings, and he had ensured that the academy would function smoothly in his absence — or at least, as smoothly as it could with Lizbeth keeping an eye on things. Over this period, he had also used some AP to purchase alchemical recipes and some other important things, like certain gimmick items to rile up the players in the auction.

  Now, it was time to set out for his family’s territory. But before that, there was one last thing he needed to do.

  Sitting back at his desk, Victor opened the Spell Generator program through his Shadowlink Mark. A familiar holographic screen materialized before him, displaying a notification that the spell he had been generating was finally complete.

  “{Eyes of Space-Time},” Victor read the name aloud.

  It was a dual-elemental Bet-tier spell, harnessing the power of the two rarest and most enigmatic elements: Cosmo and Chrono. Generating this spell, even with more than two hundred high-end computers working nonstop, had taken two weeks.

  Victor couldn’t begin to fathom the sheer computational power required to generate Gimmel-tier spell models, especially ones that incorporated such rare elements. If a Bet-tier spell had already taken this long, then anything higher would likely require months, if not longer. Maybe I should request Auralise to set up a research facility on Earth with the most cutting-edge computers… Otherwise, generating higher-tier spell models will be a nightmare, and my progress will slow to a crawl!

  Shaking the thought aside, Victor refocused his attention on the completed spell. He had carefully input the parameters after extensive calculations and experimentation. Even if the players had access to the same resources, they wouldn’t be able to generate this spell — not without the deep comprehension that Victor possessed.

  To begin with, {Eyes of Space-Time} was a vision spell designed to perceive spatial distortions, anomalies, and even dreamforce. More impressively, it could grant glimpses into the past, present, and minor fluctuations in future timelines within a limited range. Of course, as a mere Bet-tier spell, its capabilities were restricted; it could at most only foresee a few seconds into the future.

  Still, even with its limitations, this spell would be invaluable for his upcoming journey. With it, Victor could anticipate schemes, hidden dangers, and life-threatening situations before they fully unfolded. Although the System had a danger-detection function, it could only sense dangerous beings when they were nearby and did little to uncover subtle tricks or unseen threats lurking in the background.

  That was where this spell came in.

  Satisfied, Victor closed the holographic screen and stood up. With everything prepared, it was finally time to set off. As he stepped into the hallway, he wasn’t surprised to find Lizbeth and Lillie waiting for him. Lillie stood quietly by the staircase with her ever-curious gaze, and Lizbeth hovered close by.

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  “So, you’re really leaving now, Master?” Lizbeth said in concern.

  Victor nodded. “It’s time. I’ve delayed long enough.”

  Even without the mission, he had the intention of someday coming back to his family to take it over, as this was the only way for the academy to gain lots of capable professors. There were also several private matters that he wanted to settle there.

  Lillie blinked, tilting her head. “Mentor is going away?”

  “Yes,” Victor confirmed, reaching out to gently pat her head. “I need to return to my family’s manor. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, but it shouldn’t take more than a month… Hopefully, I’ll be back in two weeks.”

  “Mm…” Lillie lowered her head slightly. “Lillie will wait for Mentor Victor to come back.”

  Victor gave her a small smile. “Good. In the meantime, I expect you to continue practicing your abilities. Lizbeth will keep an eye on things while I’m gone.”

  Lizbeth huffed, puffing out her tiny chest. “Hmph. You’re putting a lot of responsibility on this poor, adorable fairy.”

  Victor shrugged. “I trust you can handle it.” Then, with a dry tone, he added, “Just make sure the academy doesn’t burn down while I’m away.”

  Lizbeth pouted but didn’t argue further. “Don’t go jinxing things, Master. Just make sure you don’t get yourself killed out there, alright?”

  Victor chuckled. “I’ll try.”

  As he said that, he strode past them, descending the staircase and passing several floors before finally reaching the academy’s entrance. The crisp morning air greeted him as he stepped outside, but he paid it no mind. Since he didn’t want the players to be aware of his departure, he cast a simple concealment spell, shrouding himself in a veil that distorted light around him. In an instant, his presence faded like a mirage, making it impossible for ordinary eyes to perceive him.

  However, instead of soaring directly toward the horizon, Victor strode toward the Teleportation Waypoint stationed in the newly built plaza right before the Headmaster’s Building. The area had seen significant development recently, with the framework of a new teaching building standing tall, though still half-finished.

  When he was only a step away from the device, he glanced around one last time before placing his hand on the activation rune.

  “See you later. I will be back.”

  The moment the words left his mouth, the teleportation formation flared to life, enveloping him in a brilliant cascade of light. In the blink of an eye, Victor’s figure vanished, leaving only the faint trace of lingering mana in his wake.

  At the edge of Thornwood Village, Brown awaited the figure who had become his new master. Standing with his hands folded behind his back, he observed the Teleportation Waypoint with quiet patience. Though the villagers bustled about their daily routines, few paid much attention to the runed platform. To them, it was yet another strange device brought forth by the academy’s enigmatic headmaster and his acolytes.

  Soon, there was a flicker of light that materialized into a familiar silhouette. The young Magus stepped forward with the same air of confidence and authority he always carried, with his eyes immediately locking onto Brown’s.

  “Welcome, milord. I’ve been waiting for you.” Brown gave a slight bow.

  Victor merely nodded. “Straight to the point, Brown. How are the therianthropes settling in?”

  Brown adjusted his gloves before responding. “It is as I have reported. There were some initial difficulties. Many were wary of the villagers, and the villagers, in turn, were hesitant to accept them. However, with time and careful mediation, they have begun to integrate. The village head has assigned them work — some assist in construction, while others contribute through hunting and gathering. But I believe that some among them have the potential to be trained as elites.”

  Brown was an expert assassin and had been holding the blade ever since he was a child. While he might not match the battlefield prowess of Ki Master generals, he was more than confident in his ability to eliminate them through other means. Though he had yet to reach the realm of a true Ki Master, his techniques and precision allowed him to stand on par with some of the deadliest Ki Warriors.

  “If properly trained, these therianthropes could become a force worth investing in,” Brown continued. “With their natural instincts and physical prowess, they are far from ordinary fighters. Furthermore, many of them do not wish to remain powerless any longer. It seems that their time as captives has given them a deep-seated hatred of their former captors; they would do anything to gain power.”

  Brown studied Victor’s expression carefully. This was a delicate matter — training the therianthropes would grant them power, and if handled improperly, it could lead to rebellion. And yet, from what he had observed of Victor, such concerns seemed trivial to him.

  Instead, Victor just raised an eyebrow and said, “Good. Select those with potential and train them. Make them loyal to me and the academy.”

  Brown gave a curt nod. “Understood. After you cured their illness, they have placed great trust in you, milord. I will ensure their loyalty.”

  Having pledged his service to this man, Brown would see to it that his orders were carried out flawlessly. He had been given a significant responsibility, and he would not fail. As long as Victor kept his promise of protecting Lillie and trying to restore the Brightmoon House, Brown would continue to wield his blade in his name.

  “All right. If there are no other matters, I’ll be going now. Anything else can wait until I return from my trip.”

  “As you wish, milord.” Brown bowed slightly.

  With his report given, he stepped aside, silently watching as Victor ascended into the sky. The young Magus soared effortlessly, his figure cutting through the air with ease. Within moments, he had become nothing more than a tiny dot against the vast horizon before vanishing entirely.

  Brown remained still for a moment. Then, with a quiet breath, he turned back toward the village. There was still much to do to prove his worth.

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