"No matter what, having someone of Lord Leylin's accomplishments is Black Bone Forest Academy's greatest fortune!"
The President of the Night Lighthouse glanced at Nis, his words clearly carrying an underlying meaning.
And no matter how hard Nis tried to conceal it, a flicker of delight still passed through the depths of her eyes.
The greater Leylin's fame, the greater the benefit to Black Bone Forest Academy. Riding on his prestige, the Academy's influence was bound to expand enormously under her tenure—even surpassing all previous headmasters.
That was the real reason Nis had worked so hard to cultivate Leylin's favor, even humbling herself to serve him.
And if she could, through this good relationship, recruit him as a honorary professor of Black Bone Forest Academy… just thinking about it made Nis tremble with excitement, enough to smile even in her dreams.
"Also… I seem to have spotted some 'old friends' from the white wizard camp here as well!"
The green-eyed wizard fixed Nis with a half-smile.
"Yes, and quite a number of them. The Nine-Ring White Tower, the Four Seasons Garden… practically every major white wizard power has secretly sent people to make contact with us!"
Nis nodded in confirmation—there was simply no point trying to hide it from him.
"Heh heh… it seems that person's reputation has given them quite the scare…" The President let out an eerie laugh, like a night owl in the darkness.
On the South Coast, the situation had previously been one of coexistence between white and black wizards, but the white wizards had been overwhelmingly stronger—not only had they seized most of the prime territories, forcing black wizards to eke out a miserable existence in the margins, but their leader had firmly held dominance over the black wizards as well.
The appearance of Gegewu had created a three-way balance of power on the South Coast. Though white and black wizards had temporarily ceased hostilities, the hatred between them had not disappeared—it had merely been suppressed by the presence of a greater external threat.
Now, the emergence of a Morning Star Wizard—one who had even risen from the ranks of black wizards—was certain to leave those old white wizard patriarchs scratching and writhing like ants on a hot griddle.
At the thought, a mocking smile crept onto the corner of the President's lips.
"Headmaster Nis! And my lord as well!"
Just then, Krupp appeared before Nis. What seemed like snake shadows flickered through his eyes, and the aura of his bloodline—despite the President already being a third-tier wizard—still made his heart clench with alarm.
"The Ancestor has agreed to see you. Please follow me!"
Krupp's hair and pupils had turned nearly pitch-black, and dense dark-attribute energy particles swarmed around him, practically fighting each other to burrow into his very pores.
This phenomenon left both Nis and the President visibly shaken.
After speaking, Krupp took the lead, while Nis and the President continued to exchange secret voice transmissions.
"This wizard—he is that person's descendant? An heir of the Farell family?" Curiosity gleamed in the President's eyes. After all, a second-tier wizard was already exceedingly rare on the South Coast. Any one of them could lord over an entire region, wielding tremendous power and status.
"Judging by his appearance, he has clearly just broken through not long ago. While it's true that throughout history, descendants of high-tier wizards have experienced similar surges…"
A note of hesitation crept into the black-robed President's voice.
"That's right! This Wizard is not Lord Lei Lin's direct descendant at all, but merely a collateral branch from one of his brothers back then!" Nisi knew what the other wanted to ask, so she just gave the answer outright.
"A collateral bloodline?" The President's eyes went wide, then he chuckled softly. "Now I find myself even more intrigued by that Lord Lei Lin!"
"We've arrived!"
Krupp ushered Nisi and the President into a grand auditorium where a great many Wizards had already gathered, cleanly split into two opposing camps.
The Wizards on one side mostly wore black robes, their auras cold and sinister. Upon seeing the President of the Night Lighthouse approach, they crowded over one after another to pay their respects, like stars gathering around the moon.
The Wizards on the other side watched the scene unfold and mostly let out cold snorts, their expressions turning rather unpleasant.
They wore white robes, most adorned with plant motifs symbolizing life, and a radiant, holy aura radiated from their bodies.
"He actually called them all here at once? I know I've been hosting the President of the Night Lighthouse the whole time, but for something like this…"
Nisi gritted her teeth, then gave a bitter smile.
In the face of Lei Lin's absolute authority, her former prestige as Head of the Academy was probably lighter than a feather among the current Black Bone Forest professors, wasn't it?
So when Lei Lin's orders came, they carried them out without hesitation — it even gave her the illusion that she herself had been abandoned.
No! It wasn't actually an illusion. Nisi knew full well that if that man simply said he intended to serve as Head of the Black Bone Forest Academy, she would almost certainly be immediately replaced!
Still, thankfully, that Lord had never been someone particularly keen on power and status. Moreover, the current Black Bone Forest Academy was far too small for him — to the point where it was beneath his notice.
Thinking this, Nisi finally relaxed completely, and the last traces of worry vanished into thin air.