Scarlett, Ready to Start Courting Disaster

In the central square of Broken Gold Town, the air seemed to be ignited by some invisible flame.

If Bishop Lalavina of the Church was an unattainable flower on a high peak, to be admired from afar, inspiring awe but forbidding desecration;

then Professor Scarlett from the Lucaria Magic Academy standing before them was like a dark purple rose blooming at midnight, exuding a fatal fragrance that left people utterly infatuated.

She stood at the end of the starlit red carpet. Her deep purple mage robe was not tightly wrapped like traditional styles; instead, it boldly adopted a form-fitting design that perfectly outlined her mature, graceful curves.

The patch of snow-white skin exposed at her neckline didn't shrink back in the cold wind; rather, bolstered by magic, it glowed with a jade-like luster.

"E-everyone..."

The eyes of the young men standing in the front row went straight. The huffing sounds originally used to ward off the cold had now turned into synchronized gulps.

Even Asik, who always prided himself on being a "theoretical gentleman," couldn't help but push the monocle up the bridge of his nose. His face was as red as a monkey's rear as he muttered softly, "I-is this the style of the royal capital? It's really... so open! So full of academic atmosphere!"

In the crowd, Felsy narrowed her eyes slightly.

As a witch who was used to the blatant allure of succubi in the Demon Realm, she had to admit that this human woman in front of her indeed had some skills.

That confidence, flamboyance, and the mature charm exuding from her every movement was simply a devastating blow to these ignorant country men.

"Hmph."

Felsy let out a soft snort, her gaze turning almost instinctively and with a bit of scrutiny toward Lynch beside her.

"Well? Are you mesmerized?"

"This is the troublesome woman you were just talking about. Now that you've seen her in person, do you regret speaking so confidently earlier?"

However, when her eyes fell on Lynch's face, the sarcasm she had prepared instantly caught in her throat.

Lynch was indeed looking at something.

But he wasn't looking at the amorous and beautiful professor on stage. Instead, he was looking at the small booklet in his hand, the Admissions Examination Regulations just distributed by the staff.

"Tsk, this exam is actually divided into a preliminary and a second round?"

Lynch muttered under his breath while flipping through the booklet, frowning slightly as if studying some profound academic problem. "And this 'winner's reward' written here... why is it only ten gold coins? For a grand academy from the royal capital, isn't this too stingy? I'd be better off going out and killing two more wind wolves."

He didn't even lift his head, treating Scarlett, who was radiating charm on stage, completely like air.

Seeing this scene, the originally tense corners of Felsy's mouth instantly melted like ice and snow, curving into an extremely delighted smile.

She reached out and pretended to casually adjust Lynch's collar, her tone light and brisk:

"If you think it's too little, then don't participate. Shall we go home?"

"We're already here, might as well join the fun." Lynch closed the booklet and finally looked up at the stage. "Besides, isn't that kid Asik counting on me to back him up? I have to keep an eye on him."

Although he looked up, his eyes were as clear as pool water. When his gaze swept over Scarlett, it was like sweeping over a wooden stump or a rock, without the slightest ripple.

Felsy was very satisfied with this.

"Hmph, I'll let you pass this time~"

...

Meanwhile, up on the high stage.

Although Scarlett Stewart wore a charming professional smile on her face, she was actually yawning madly on the inside.

"Boring. It's really too boring."

Her azure eyes seemed to be scanning the audience, but in reality, they were full of criticism and disappointment.

"Is this the diocese governed by that woman Lalavina? At a glance, it's nothing but a sorry-looking bunch of misfits."

In her perceptive vision, among the hundreds of people below the stage, the magic reactions of the vast majority were as weak as candles in the wind, and many were simply talentless muggles.

As for their looks...

Scarlett sighed. Having grown accustomed to the well-groomed, elegant noble young masters of the royal capital, looking at these rough-skinned, rustically dressed country youths really didn't spark any interest in her.

"Let alone a genius, I can't even find a handsome guy to cleanse my eyes a little..."

Suddenly, her gaze paused.

At the back of the crowd, a young man wearing black leather armor caught her attention.

He had neat, short black hair. Although his facial features couldn't be called stunningly delicate, they were sharply defined, exuding a unique sense of calmness and heroism.

Especially those black eyes; in this square generally filled with awe or greed, they appeared exceptionally profound and calm.

That was... a gaze that completely disregarded her.

"Oh? How interesting."

Scarlett raised an eyebrow slightly, her old habit instantly kicking in.

This woman just wanted to flirt whenever she saw an outstanding man.

However, the next second, her gaze was drawn to the woman beside the man.

Silver hair, purple eyes.

Even though she was wearing a not-so-gorgeous pale purple dress, and even though she was just standing there quietly, the cold and detached temperament exuding from that woman actually made Scarlett, a "social queen," feel a trace of inexplicable pressure.

The two looked very intimate; they were probably a couple or husband and wife.

As if sensing Scarlett's gaze, the silver-haired woman slowly raised her head. Those purple eyes swept lightly over Scarlett across the noisy crowd.

Hiss...

In that instant, Scarlett felt her heart clench fiercely.

An unprovoked chill, as if being stared at by a natural predator, shot straight up her spine to the top of her skull, causing her originally elegant posture to stiffen for a moment.

If she hadn't held it together in time, she might have even leaked a few drops.

"What... was that?"

Scarlett subconsciously gripped the staff in her hand tighter, almost instantly casting a defensive magic.

But this feeling came and went quickly.

When she looked closely again, the silver-haired woman had already withdrawn her gaze and was gently helping the man beside her adjust his collar, looking just like a normal small-town girl.

"An illusion?"

Scarlett quickly mobilized her magic and scanned that direction with the Eye of Perception.

The feedback results showed that the silver-haired woman had almost no magic fluctuations on her body; she was purely an ordinary person with somewhat poor health.

"...It seems I've been infected by that woman Lalavina; I've become paranoid too."

Scarlett shook her head in self-mockery, readjusted her state, and waved at the staff below the stage.

"Let the registration begin."

...

At the registration desk.

The examinees formed a long queue, each nervously and excitedly writing their names on the roster.

When it was Lynch's turn, he picked up the quill and smoothly signed his name on the parchment.

Lynch Graywhite

Scarlett, who had been sitting to the side, seemingly careless but actually observing every examinee, had her pupils shrink suddenly the moment she saw this name.

Deep in her memory, Lalavina's terrified voice echoed in her ears once again:

"Scarlett! When you're recruiting students, you must be careful of a villager named Lynch! Absolutely! Absolutely do not provoke him!"

"Lynch..."

Scarlett raised her head, her gaze firmly locked onto the black-haired man in front of her who was putting the pen back.

Is this the terrifying existence Lalavina spoke of?

Her lips moved, silently chanting, and she quietly activated [High-Tier Mana Perception] once again.

Nothing.

There was absolutely nothing.

On this man, she couldn't feel any aura belonging to a high-tier mage, nor could she sense the battle aura fluctuations of a warrior.

"This is strange..."

Scarlett pushed up her gold-rimmed glasses, the confusion in her eyes growing deeper.

"Although Lalavina is usually a bit cowardly and her rank is a bit inflated, she is still a sixth-tier priest. She wouldn't be scared out of her wits by a weak second-tier chicken, right?"

"Could it be... this guy is a master of disguise? Or was Lalavina purely joking with me?"

"Other than the fact that he is indeed quite handsome, there's nothing special about him."

"Heh, Lalavina, it seems that after staying in the countryside for too long, even your judgment has degraded."

A playful smile curled at the corner of Scarlett's mouth.

"Since that's the case, let me personally test what kind of ability this man named Lynch has to make you so wary of him."

"Hmm... It seems his wife is very protective of her food. Let's start from this aspect and tease him a bit~ It will also add a little fun to this boring recruitment work, hehe!"