Keira's anger quickly morphed into resentment and a hint of fear.
"Triss! He attacked me first! He almost choked me to death!" Keira tried to argue, her voice shrill.
"That's because you used despicable means to try and steal his memories!" Triss stood her ground, a fireball humming in her hand.
"I should have known! Your greed for powerful magic would make you lose your mind."
"Now, immediately dispel the spell and get out of my house!"
Keira looked at Triss's resolute gaze, then at Karl, who stood ready, his eyes cold.
She knew she wouldn't achieve her goal today, no matter what. Continuing to stalemate would only completely break their ties, and even lead to more severe consequences.
So, with extreme reluctance, she dispersed the energy orb in her hand, her face ashen, and straightened her slightly disheveled clothes.
"Good... very good! Triss Merigold! For a man! A small noble's bastard, you treat me like this?"
"Our years of friendship are not worth a few spells in his hand!?"
"This has nothing to do with spells, Keira! This is about respect and boundaries, and you crossed the line!" Triss snapped.
"Hmph! We'll see about that!"
Keira had nothing more to say. She glared fiercely at Karl, her eyes filled with extreme venom.
With that, she spun around abruptly, filled with anger and humiliation, and stormed out of the laboratory without a backward glance, her bare feet making slapping sounds on the floor.
Triss slowly dispersed the fireball in her hand only after Keira's footsteps completely disappeared outside the door.
The laboratory was a mess, filled with a strange mixture of potion smells and the silence left after the tension.
She hurried to Karl's side, checking anxiously if he was hurt: "Karl, are you alright? Did she hurt you?"
"I'm fine." Karl shook his head, put down the ridiculous metal spoon, and took Triss's hand.
"Luckily you came back in time, and... the runes Master left before reminded me at the critical moment."
He showed her the gradually fading rune marks on the back of his hand.
Triss breathed a sigh of relief, then weariness and sadness welled up on her face.
She and Keira had known each other for years. Although they occasionally argued, she never thought it would come to this.
"I don't understand how she could have become like this..." Triss murmured.
"Triss, perhaps she has always been this way, it's just that the powerful temptation made her stop hiding it."
Karl said calmly, gently pulling Triss into his embrace.
"Don't be angry for such a person, we need to be more careful."
"And... you must master these two spells as soon as possible; they will become necessary means for you to deal with certain threats."
Triss leaned against Karl's firm chest and nodded.
Keira's betrayal had cast a heavy atmosphere, but it also made her realize how important the power she wielded was.
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...The clamor of Vizima gradually subsided, but the aftermath of the Martial Arts Tournament was far from over.
One of the most practical gains was the gambling den jointly run by the major nobles.
Triss, with a hint of sly amusement, found the settlement office for the gambling.
The attendant clearly recognized the King's advisor and maintained a deferential attitude throughout.
Triss gave Karl's name and the betting amount—one hundred twenty oren, with odds locked at one to eight.
"This is the nine hundred sixty oren Mr. El won, madam." The attendant counted out a heavy money bag.
Next, Triss gave her own name.
The attendant flipped through the ledger, a deeper respect, even a hint of apprehension, appearing on his face: "Ms. Merigold, you bet three hundred oren on Mr. El..."
"Because your stake was substantial, the odds were later reduced to one to four."
"This is your rightful twelve hundred oren." He skillfully counted out another large bag of coins, then hesitated.
He very naturally pushed back the portion of coins that should have been collected as a ten percent service fee, placing them in front of Triss.
"It is our honor to serve you, the service fee is waived."
Triss knew perfectly well that this was the convenience her status afforded her.
She smiled slightly, did not delay, and calmly accepted the grand total of two thousand one hundred sixty oren.
Before leaving, she casually asked: "By the way, can you help me check who Ms. Keira Metz bet on, and how much?"
"Certainly, please wait a moment." The attendant quickly flipped through the ledger, performing the irregular operation without a change in expression.
"Ms. Metz bet two hundred fifty oren on White Rose captain Horace, and then... she lost it all."
Triss raised an eyebrow, a look of vindication on her face.
Upon returning to their residence, she handed Karl his nine hundred sixty oren.
"Heh heh, it seems my hero has brought us a considerable harvest," Triss said with a laugh.
Karl weighed the money bag; it was almost an enormous sum he had never possessed.
He pondered for a moment, then took out the obsidian pearl necklace from his embrace.
"Triss, this artifact is almost useless to me, but in your hands, it can truly be effective."
"It's more valuable with you than with me, I want to give it to you," Karl said earnestly.
Triss looked at the ancient obsidian necklace, a flicker of emotion in her eyes, but she firmly shook her head.
"No, Karl, this is too precious. This is a spoils of war you obtained by risking your life."
"Moreover, its inherent value cannot be measured by money, so I cannot accept it."
Triss saw that Karl still wanted to insist, so she rolled her eyes and made a clever suggestion.
"How about this... since we now have this unexpected fortune, and I do need time to study it."
"Why don't you sell it to me, and let me pay you a research fee."
She carefully sensed the faint, almost dissipating magical fluctuations on the necklace.
"While its material is special, its magic is almost depleted, making it more like a medium for carrying knowledge."
"Four hundred thirty oren, that's a very fair price. It neither undervalues its potential past worth nor makes your finances tighter."
Karl understood that this was Triss's considerate insistence, unwilling to take his things for free, yet wanting to support him financially.
So, he no longer delayed, accepted the oren, and solemnly placed the necklace in Triss's palm: "Alright, I'll listen to you."
"But it will always belong to you; there's no need to return it to me."
With the necklace's ownership resolved, their focus completely shifted to dealing with Princess Adda's curse.
Foltest seemed somewhat impatient, having sent someone early to deliver long-sealed dossiers.
Inside, they recorded fragmented information about Princess Adda, cursed within the old palace.
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