From Leonard's attitude toward him as a nominal Headquarters Inspector, Leilin could confirm that the other party had developed certain unsavory intentions toward him.
Even if it wasn't the black wizard matter being exposed, at the very least, his rapid progress had drawn the other party's wariness.
Under these circumstances, no amount of playing it safe would help.
Since that was the case, why not use the last scrap of authority he had to secure some benefits for himself?
After all, before Leonard officially issued the formal notice, the skin of a Headquarters Inspector could still intimidate quite a few people—such as the esteemed director of the Merit Exchange Office standing right in front of him!
"Are you slandering me?"
Upon hearing those words, the phantom of the man called Bill turned grim, and a blood-red gleam flickered in his eyes.
"No… not slander, just a routine inspection procedure!" Leilin said with a faint smile.
The instant the words left his lips, a ring of energy particle fluctuations erupted violently between them.
Boom!
Though both did their best to suppress the aftershocks of the clash, it still drew the attention of quite a few wizards outside.
Bill's phantom staggered back several steps before steadying himself, his face filled with shock: "Peak First-rank Wizard! It seems 'Metal Maniac' Marb really did die at your hands!"
The facts were laid bare before him—there was no room for denial.
From that brief exchange alone, Leilin had already revealed strength rivaling a peak First-rank Wizard!
Combined with the intelligence he had received, Bill could almost conclusively determine that the Lilisite Family's Metal Maniac, Marb, had definitely been killed by this man!
Good heavens! Even Bill himself was only a peak First-rank.
And Marb, who had likewise been a peak First-rank, had already fallen at Leilin's hands. With no Second-rank Wizard stationed at headquarters willing to venture out, peak First-rank Wizards were the highest combat force commonly seen on the South Coast! Such a casualty was extremely rare—Marb's death, had enough time passed, would have been enough to cause a massive earthquake across the South Coast.
And Bill, who knew the truth, felt several times more wariness toward Leilin.
"What do you want?" Bill's expression was ugly.
"Nothing really, I just want to…" Leilin's voice dropped very low, and in the end he simply fell silent, switching to telepathic transmission.
After hearing Leilin's message, Bill's expression shifted repeatedly—first flushing red as though he had been deeply insulted, then quickly subsiding into a look of deep contemplation.
After a moment, Bill glanced at the surrounding wizards.
Their little commotion had already attracted the eyes of many wizards and apprentices present, which prompted him to make his final decision.
"This matter… isn't necessarily impossible to discuss. Come with me!"
Bill's phantom dissipated in an instant, leaving behind only a ring of red energy particles that formed various directional symbols.
Seeing this, Leilin smiled faintly.
He had long known that even among White Wizards, there was no shortage of those less than perfectly incorruptible.
And the merit point exchange was the single most profitable operation among them—certainly not clean. But if Leilin had insisted on pressing the matter, his tenure as Inspector would have ended that very day.
However, he hadn't cornered the man. He had merely made a few demands, and it was easy enough to secure the other party's concession.
Ignoring the somewhat surprised looks from the Four Seasons Garden wizards behind him, Leilin followed the markers straight to a room behind the exchange hall.
Before the grand entrance stood a wizard identical in appearance to the phantom from earlier, already waiting. This time, it was his actual body, not some projection.
"You're here." Bill's expression was unsightly.
Naturally, no one's temper would be good after being shown up and extorted.
"Mm." Leilin nodded calmly and said nothing more.
Bill fixed Leilin with a long, deep look, as though committing this appearance firmly to memory. "Follow me."
Without another word, he turned and began walking. Leilin smiled faintly, touched his nose, and followed.
Along the way, all manner of seals and magical defenses appeared one after another, but with Bill as the insider, they passed through everything without obstruction.
Click.
Bill produced a black copper key of his own and opened a door covered entirely in runes.
Whoosh! In an instant, the radiance of countless treasures, the gleam of crystal spheres, and the scent of rare herbs flooded Leilin's senses.
Before his eyes stood an enormous reserve warehouse, packed with all manner of rare resources stacked as though they cost nothing.
"My authority only grants you access to the secondary vault! And the maximum discount I can offer is sixty percent—that's my absolute limit!"
Bill's expression was resolute. From his face and body language, Leilin could tell this was genuinely his ceiling, so he didn't push any further.
"Fine, fine. I won't make things difficult for you…"
Leilin said with zero sincerity, then strode leisurely into the resource vault.