Keira tried to use such things as bargaining chips to make a deal with him, but she could only say that she had completely underestimated the progress of his affairs.
"Recognition? I need the king's and the law's approval, not a transaction."
"As for Orens and magical items... Miss Metz, aren't my winnings today generous enough?"
Karl leaned forward slightly, his voice not loud but with clear sarcasm: "Moreover, some things cannot be exchanged for money or a few good words."
"Especially when you aren't even willing to offer a simple apology to a lady long gone for your previous rudeness, your arrogance makes you unworthy of this knowledge."
This sentence was like a slap—hitting Keira hard across the face.
Keira's smile instantly froze, her face cycling from white to red, then from red to blue, and her fingers on her waist turned white from the pressure.
She was so sharply humiliated by a bastard son, a reckless man she had always looked down upon,
and exposing what she didn't want to acknowledge, immense anger and embarrassment nearly made her lose control.
She wanted to cast a spell immediately, making Karl kneel in pain and beg for mercy.
But Triss was right there beside Karl, looking at her with confusion.
So Keira forcefully suppressed her anger and squeezed out a few words from between her teeth: "Very well, Karl El, you will regret your rudeness!"
"Triss, you're letting him do this, to your best friend?"
"Keira, you were the one who initiated an untimely transaction."
"This is Karl's personal matter, and he has the right to make any decision! Now, please leave." Triss's tone also cooled.
Keira glared viciously at the two of them, especially Karl, as if she wanted to devour him alive.
She spun sharply, her skirt tracing an angry arc, and slammed the door shut with a bang.
The conflict between the three subsided for the time being, but both Karl and Triss understood that Keira would never give up.
......
Over the next two days, Karl studied the Elder Speech under Triss's guidance, while she compared the characters and ancient books Karl had given her,
trying to cast Arzu's two spells, which were extremely complex and mentally demanding.
One day, Triss needed to go to another database in the Temple District to check a reliable manuscript, leaving Karl alone in the house.
He was quietly reading the ancient characters he had written down when Keira, like a ghost, snuck back into the house.
This time, her face wore a feigned concern.
"Sir Karl, are you still studying those dangerous things?"
She approached slowly, her voice becoming extremely soft, and a faint magical aura flickered in her eyes.
She secretly used extremely subtle psychic energy, trying to soothe and influence Karl's emotions.
"I'm just worried about you and Triss dabbling in ancient spells, afraid of the consequences."
"Perhaps you just need to recall those characters, let me help assess the risk. I only want to help..."
A hypnotic magic laced her voice as she attempted to breach the defenses of Karl's consciousness.
And Karl did feel a slight trance; the letters in his head seemed to automatically...
At that moment, the rune on the back of his right hand, which was almost invisible on normal days—the one Hen had engraved with magic—suddenly emitted a faint but sharp burning sensation.
This feeling was like being awakened by ice water, and Karl instantly snapped awake.
"Reading my mind? Or is it some stronger psychic energy?"
He was shocked and immediately gathered his thoughts to clear the clutter, preventing Keira from reading him.
At the same time, his face remained calm, and he even deliberately showed a slight hesitation, as if moved by Keira.
"You really... can you assess the risk?"
Karl's tone slowed, as if he were being influenced, and he simultaneously approached Keira, seemingly unintentionally.
Keira noticed Karl's attitude softening, was pleased inside, and focused more on maintaining her psychic energy.
She said quietly: "Of course, I have a lot of research on ancient magic... you just need to focus and remember..."
At this moment, the distance between them had shrunk to less than an arm's length.
Now! Karl's eyes flashed, and all the feigned hesitation vanished instantly, replaced by cheetah-like speed.
His left hand shot out like lightning and gripped Keira's slender neck.
The immense force instantly choked her, and her spell was violently interrupted!
"Ugh! You...!" Keira was terrified, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, pain emanating from her internal organs—a backlash from the forced interruption of her spell.
She hadn't expected Karl to see through her and attack.
She struggled desperately, but Karl's fingers were like iron pincers.
However, Keira had no strength to fight back.
She instinctively released another spell she had already prepared in her hand in terror—Telekinesis!
An invisible, brutal force slammed into Karl's chest, pushing his entire body back and crashing him into a shelf filled with alchemical bottles and jars.
The sound of shattering glass filled the air, and colorful medicinal liquids and powders splattered everywhere.
"Damn it, you rude, reckless man! How dare you touch me!"
Keira screamed, rubbing her red, hand-printed neck, her face full of rage and fear.
She raised her hand to gather a more aggressive spell, her eyes gleaming dangerously.
Karl endured the pain in his chest, quickly got up, grabbed a long metal stirring spoon, and assumed a defensive stance, his eyes cold as he stared at Keira.
Just as the energy sphere in Keira's hand was about to be released, the laboratory door crashed open with a bang!
"Stop! Keira!" Triss had returned from the Temple District and stood in the doorway.
She saw the disheveled laboratory, Karl covered in stains and holding a makeshift weapon,
and Keira with a red neck, her hand clenched around a dangerous energy sphere—she instantly understood most of it.
Without hesitation, Triss suddenly raised her hands, and hot, orange-red flames immediately appeared in her palms.
The flames roared and condensed into two falling fireballs, and the temperature in the room suddenly soared.
Her red hair moved without wind, and her eyes burned with anger.
"Keira Metz! Cease your spell immediately! Otherwise, don't blame me for disregarding our past!" Triss's voice was sharper than ever.
"How dare you use telekinesis against my partner, bypass me, and try to make him hand over the spell?!"
"Do you have any sense of quality or dignity left?! Do you still consider me your friend?!"
They had known each other since their days at Aretuza Academy.
Now Triss was calling Keira by her full name, which showed how angry she was.
Keira was startled by the two fireballs radiating intense heat in Triss's hands.
She had no doubt that if she dared to shoot the energy sphere in her hand at Karl, Triss's fireballs would engulf her in the next second.