Chapter 465, Who Is the Black-Haired, Black-Eyed Person
The head rotated its shriveled eyes to glance at her and rasped, "How could you fail?"
Viola immediately replied, "Bishop, I did my utmost to stall 'Imiro.' Even though he nearly killed me, I didn't let him leave. It was those incompetent pirates who couldn't take the island."
"Hmph!" The head snorted coldly. "Are you planning to blame the dead for this?"
"It's the truth. I have no intention of making excuses for myself," Viola added.
The head continued, "Who is that black-haired, black-eyed person?"
Viola frowned. "Do you mean the guild's Deputy Steward? He was just assigned to Gold-Silver Island."
The head asked, "A necromancer?"
"Yes, a necromancer. But Imiro seems to value him highly. I heard the guild allowed him to transform the pirate corpses on the island," Viola explained, then hesitantly asked, "Do you mean he's the reason the pirates failed?"
"He killed 'Occam.'"
"No, that can't be. I heard the guild developed a new magical device that stopped the pirates from landing on the island," Viola emphasized.
"I saw it with my own eyes," the head insisted. "Don't return yet. Another guardian is heading your way. Before that boy's new appointment is finalized, kill him."
"But… my injuries…"
Viola wanted to continue, but the head's eyes had already closed.
It reverted to being a lifeless corpse.
Viola carefully placed the head back, summoned staff to re-store it, and replaced the receipt.
Once the head was taken away...
Viola cursed angrily, "You godforsaken abomination, trying to ruin me! If I get the chance, I'll drag you all to hell with me!"
...…
The next day, Wu Heng rode a bicycle, carrying Andviel, heading to the guild.
Upon reaching the entrance...
They saw an old wizard resembling "Gandalf" returning from outside.
According to Imiro, the members supporting Gold-Silver Island would stay for a while.
They would leave one after another once it was confirmed safe.
Wu Heng didn't concern himself with how long they stayed.
The guild provided accommodations, and such situations were rare.
"Deputy Steward Wu Heng," the old wizard greeted with a smile.
"Dean," Wu Heng replied with a smile of his own.
Wu Heng hadn't remembered the wizard's name.
Last time he asked "Sheila Grey," she didn't remember either. So he simply called him "Dean" as a sign of respect.
Following the old wizard were his attendants, while Wu Heng was accompanied by skeleton attendants and Andviel.
They walked together into the guild.
The old wizard suddenly spoke, "I heard that the Deputy Steward became a Professional less than a year ago and has already risen to this rank. That's rare talent among humans."
Wu Heng glanced at him.
He was quite old. Hopefully, he didn't need a younger body, too.
Maintaining a polite smile, Wu Heng replied, "It's just a record. Not everything written is true."
The old wizard nodded, seemingly agreeing with this answer.
"The recent Gold-Silver Island battle used a new magical device with great power. Did you develop it?"
Wu Heng shook his head again. "I know nothing about etched runes. Those are tools from my homeland. I just brought a few along for self-preservation."
The old wizard didn't press further on the matter.
Instead, he said, "Would the Deputy Steward be interested in joining the Magic Research Society? It's a personal organization established by us old folks. It operates independently of external forces and is a place for discussing magic knowledge or sharing experiences occasionally."
Magic Research Society?
A self-organized group of wizards.
This world had countless organizations like these.
Local artisan guilds, worker unions, or circles for bards and writers were common.
But a research society mentioned by the dean was likely of higher quality.
Joining might even provide access to free magic knowledge.
However, Wu Heng knew his own limits. If he had to share insights, he'd expose himself as a fraud.
Facing a group of intelligence-focused wizards, he might accidentally reveal his shortcomings.
"I lack the knowledge and am still exploring spells. When I gain some understanding and achievements in the future, I'll trouble the Dean for a recommendation to join," Wu Heng replied courteously.
"Haha!" The old wizard laughed, clearly pleased with the response. "You're indeed young. When you reach Level 15, write me anytime, and I'll let you join the research society."
"Thank you, Dean."
The two exchanged a few more words.
In the main hall, they went their separate ways—Wu Heng to his office and the old wizard to his lodging.
...…
Back in his study...
Wu Heng sat at his desk, sipping tea for a while.
The guild had been busy recently—counting the wounded and calculating losses.
After staff compiled the data, Andviel needed to review and approve it with a seal.
Knock knock knock~!
The door opened, and Sheila Grey walked in.
She nodded at "Andviel" before looking at Wu Heng and saying, "The Steward has assigned us tasks. You'll lead patrols near Lighthouse Street."
"What about you?"
Sheila Grey rolled her eyes. "Of course, I have tasks, too. I'll lead patrols in the central and residential areas."
"The island should be safe now, right?" Wu Heng asked, somewhat reluctant to move.
Sheila Grey explained, "I think the Steward arranged patrols to reassure the island's residents and merchants. The port is still full of trash, and enemy activity records are minimal."
"Makes sense," Wu Heng agreed, then asked, "Occam was an 18th-level Professional and recently pardoned. There wasn't a bounty on him. Can his death count toward our merits?"
The guild calculated merits based on bounties.
If someone wasn't on a bounty list, even if they committed crimes, local guards would handle them.
Occam had just been pardoned, with his identity recognized by various kingdoms.
Wu Heng wasn't sure if it would count as merit.
Sheila Grey thought for a moment. "Being pardoned and then immediately caught and killed by you—this is rare. But I think it'll count. Trying to destroy the entire guild and kidnapping so many merchant guilds is significant."
"Exactly. Not counting it would be unreasonable."
"The pirates you've killed are already enough to exchange for merits," Sheila Grey said with a smile before standing up. "Let's finish patrolling and talk later. Let's handle our tasks first."
Wu Heng nodded and followed her out.
Summoning two squads, they began patrolling Lighthouse Street together.
Security on Lighthouse Street had greatly improved.
After all, the guild had recently gone on a killing spree. With skeletons filling the city, no one dared cause trouble.
They encountered no issues along the way.
At the port, however, a few people argued over salvaged loot.
Seeing Wu Heng approaching with his team...
They immediately dispersed, returning to their tasks.
Wu Heng led the squad around the city.
Near noon, he let everyone go for lunch.
Wu Heng himself headed to the Nautilus Tavern.
...…
Entering the tavern...
Wu Heng went straight upstairs.
The two tables of diners paid him no attention, continuing to eat, drink, and chat about past battles.
Wu Heng waited in a room.
Milisen entered. "Sir!"
"Everything okay since your return?"
"No problems. Everything's been normal," Milisen replied.
Wu Heng poured himself tea and said, "I'm patrolling nearby and decided to have lunch here."
"I'll have something prepared immediately," Milisen said before leaving the room.
Two minutes later...
The door creaked open slightly.
Philipa peeked in. "I knew it was you!"
She walked in directly.
Unlike her usual wild demeanor, today she wore a beige strapless dress with a fitted waist and two braids.
"Do I look good? My mom picked this for me," Philipa said, twirling in the center of the room.
"Yes, you look great."
"Hehe!" Philipa smiled, confidently sitting on Wu Heng's lap. "Now that most of the pirates are dead, what should I do next? And let me be clear—I'm not running this boring tavern with her. I'd die of boredom."