Chapter 28: CH28
"Hello, I'm Lilian Stuart," Lilian said with a smile, lifting her skirt slightly and bowing gracefully, a typical noble greeting.
Helag returned the gesture with a slight bow. "Hello, Miss Lilian. I'm Helag Merlin. If I'm not mistaken, you must be from the Seville Empire in the east of the Carlson Continent."
"That's correct. It seems you know about the Stuart family history," Lilian said, looking at Helag with a hint of admiration.
"Yes, I've read some books on the subject. The Stuart family is remarkable. Without you, the Seville Empire wouldn't be as powerful as it is today," Helag said sincerely.
The Seville Empire was far from the Norton Kingdom, so far that most people in Norton had never heard of it.
During his time in the library, Helag learned that the Seville Empire was highly developed in military, political, and economic aspects. The Stuart family had produced several capable kings who governed the country well.
The fact that Lilian bore the Stuart name indicated her high status.
Lilian seemed to understand Helag's thoughts and smiled sweetly. "My father is the current King Louis."
"So, you're Princess Lilian," Helag said with a smile.
Lilian quickly waved her hand. "In the world of wizards, there's no such thing as a princess. I came to see if we could form an alliance. We're both from the Carlson Continent. The others upstairs look down on us, thinking we're savages from the wilderness."
"An alliance would allow us to look out for each other. What do you think?" Lilian's eyes were full of expectation.
"We can exchange information, but an alliance isn't necessary," Helag said, unsure of her intentions and directly refusing.
"Alright, exchanging information it is," Lilian said, not surprised by Helag's refusal.
"Deep Blue, activate magic monitoring. Notify me immediately if Lilian shows any abnormality.
[Magic monitoring activated.]
Helag gave the command and then sat on the edge of his bed.
Lilian smiled lightly, adjusted her skirt, and sat beside him.
A pleasant fragrance filled the small room, not overpowering but soothing.
Lilian asked, "Which wizard organization are you planning to join?"
"Moonlight Woodland," Helag replied.
"I know Moonlight Woodland. It's a powerful wizard organization. I'm joining Augustus Academy. This is my token." Lilian pressed a brooch on her chest.
Lilian looked about sixteen or seventeen but already had the charm of a mature woman.
Helag's gaze was first drawn to the white expanse of her chest before quickly shifting to the brooch.
The brooch emitted a magical aura, clearly an enchanted item, likely Augustus Academy's token.
Helag suspected Lilian was testing him but had no interest in the brooch.
"Do you always wear your token so openly?" Helag asked.
Lilian laughed, "Forgive my test. You showed no greed."
"No greed? Is she reading my expressions or using a special spell…"
Helag waved his hand. "That's not important. Let's exchange information. I need to know about wizard organizations."
"Wait a moment," Lilian said, running to her room with small, unladylike steps.
She returned shortly with a map.
Lilian casually lowered the wooden board on the opposite wall and spread the map on it.
"Look, these are the general locations of several wizard organizations."
Helag recognized it as a map of the Karag Continent, more detailed than what he'd seen before.
Though incomplete, it marked the locations of several wizard organizations.
He first saw Moonlight Woodland, located inland, some distance from the coast. Without a scale, it was hard to estimate the distance.
Above Moonlight Woodland was Green Cottage, and to the right was Augustus Academy.
Helag hadn't heard of the other organizations.
Lilian pointed to Moonlight Woodland. "I don't know much about Moonlight Woodland, but it's an ancient and powerful organization. You should be aware that they have conflicts with Green Cottage, often resulting in skirmishes. Be careful."
"Green Cottage…" Helag recalled that Malcolm was from Green Cottage.
He looked at the map again. Moonlight Woodland and Green Cottage were north and south of each other, close enough for frequent clashes.
Lilian moved her finger to Augustus Academy. "Augustus Academy is the only academic wizard organization. Most of its wizards come from pure-blood wizard families. Augustus is strong and influential, with few conflicts because others avoid them."
"Pure-blood wizard families?"
"Families where both parents and even several generations back were wizards. Pure-blood wizards usually have high potential and receive systematic training from a young age, making them more likely to become official wizards," Lilian explained.
"But Augustus also has ordinary apprentices like us, admitted through tokens. You called me a princess, but in the academy, I'll likely face discrimination. They value bloodlines, and my royal status might make me a target for some."
Helag was speechless. Lilian had a clear understanding of her situation.
"Thank you for the information. Do you need to know anything? I might not have much valuable information for you," Helag said.
Lilian seemed well-informed, while Helag had limited knowledge, making information exchange difficult.
Lilian smiled, "That's fine. This is my gesture of goodwill. The journey is long, and I want a trustworthy ally. My token can sense people's intentions. You've shown no malice, which is why I'm willing to share information."
"I see. Do the others upstairs have ill intentions towards you?" Helag asked.
"More than just ill intentions… I'll head back now," Lilian said with a bitter smile.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone