Mist Empire’s Rise: Fake Noble to Fog Queen

Chapter 359 Mist Empire’s Rise- 357: Thanks to Six-Year-Old's Bowl of Cold Noodles' Divine Certification

Mist Empire's Rise-Chapter 357: Thanks to Six-Year-Old's Bowl of Cold Noodles' Divine Certification

Bella always worried she couldn't keep the baby alive. Every time she fed her, she hoped she'd eat more—the fatter she got, the better her chances of survival.

After raising her for over five months, Luo Lin had finally grown plump and white, her cries growing louder each day.

Listening to the baby's babbling, Bella's heart melted.

Look at that—what an adorable little treasure!

She kissed Luo Lin's tender little face, lifted her up high, and the room filled with bell-like laughter.

...

Luo Wei returned to the academy and ran into Hessel in the garden below Rose Castle.

"You're back really late today." Hessel approached.

She'd waited in the garden all evening for her.

Luo Wei: "Had some things tonight. Why didn't you come to Star Luo Residence to find me?"

"Didn't want to," Hessel said. "I'm just passing along a message. I'm not in a hurry."

Luo Wei turned to look at her. "For who? The undead senior?"

"Yeah," Hessel nodded. "He thought it through and decided to go check out Demon Island. He asked me to thank you for him."

Luo Wei: "No thanks needed. Does he know how to get there?"

Hessel said, "After the end-of-year assessment, Headmaster Morrison will take him."

Luo Wei was shocked. "He went to the headmaster?"

"The headmaster saved him. Of course he has to tell him about going to Demon Island," Hessel looked toward the clock tower. "Besides, without the headmaster's permission, he can't leave the academy anyway."

Ten years ago, to protect Wordsworth, Headmaster Morrison had cast magic on him, confining him to the academy.

As long as Wordsworth didn't leave the academy, no one could hurt him.

But this was also house arrest in disguise. If Headmaster Morrison didn't agree to let him out, he'd be trapped here forever.

Hessel looked down at Luo Wei. "Don't worry. The headmaster doesn't know you said those things. Wordsworth didn't tell him."

Luo Wei's mouth twitched. Telling or not made no difference. Someone as smart as the headmaster—how could he not guess who'd put those ideas in Wordsworth's head?

In this academy, besides the headmaster, only she and Hessel knew about Wordsworth.

Hessel was indifferent to the outside world and wouldn't say such things to Wordsworth. That left only her, right?

Luo Wei wasn't afraid of Headmaster Morrison knowing this was her idea. She was afraid he'd follow Wordsworth to Demon Island!

If he really went, he'd definitely deduce from clues on the island that she was Demon Island's master and discover the truth about the "God of Death and Time."

Though Headmaster Morrison opposed the Church and the Sun and Moon Gods, that didn't mean he'd support an "evil god." Luo Wei didn't want her cover blown now.

Her brain spun rapidly. Luo Wei looked at Hessel and spoke carefully: "Senior, I heard Demon Island has strict rules. People who don't meet the admission requirements can't enter. The headmaster probably couldn't even get into the Demon Sea."

"Besides, Headmaster Morrison is so busy. Troubling him wouldn't be good."

"The timber merchant I know—he has ways to get people into the Demon Sea. I can help the undead senior contact him."

Hessel recalled: "The timber merchant friend you mentioned before?"

"Yes," Luo Wei nodded. "He can draw teleportation runes and often uses teleportation arrays to transport lumber. Because his delivery is fast, his business is huge. Siria has teleportation arrays he left for transporting wood."

"He just came to Siria recently for business and hasn't left yet. If the undead senior wants to go to Demon Island, he can take the teleportation array with him."

After speaking, Luo Wei patched up her earlier words: "If I hadn't run into him in Siria, I wouldn't have thought to suggest the undead senior go to Demon Island."

She urged Hessel: "Senior, go ask the undead senior again tonight. See if he's willing to go with my friend."

"My friend is leaving for the Northlands tomorrow afternoon. If he misses this chance, he'll really have to trouble the headmaster!"

Luo Wei deliberately emphasized "trouble the headmaster," hoping the undead senior would understand that Headmaster Morrison was elderly and unsuited for traveling around—better to stay home and rest.

"Alright, I'll tell him. I'll give you an answer tomorrow at noon." Hessel answered in a daze.

She hadn't noticed Luo Wei's tone at all. Her mind was full of that timber merchant—he was "genius" enough to use teleportation runes to transport lumber!

If he could draw teleportation runes, what couldn't he do? Yet he went and sold timber!

Were mages so worthless now? Was magic so useless?

Putting herself in his shoes, Hessel felt terrible. Would she have to use her alchemy skills to roast potatoes for money in the future?

Wait, she didn't need to make money. The mountains of gold coins in her cave were endless—she had nowhere to put more money anyway.

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Clouds gathered like stars, moonlight bright and clear.

Evening wind rippled the lake's surface. Rose Castle fell asleep with the night bells.

The night passed quickly. The sun rose to a new day.

Luo Wei hammered iron all morning. By the end of class, her clothes were soaked with sweat.

Students in the class supported each other out of the classroom, tumbling down the stairs in a heap. Their screams echoed throughout the church.

Luo Wei steadied herself on the railing, thinking with relief that she was lucky she habitually walked last to save face. Otherwise she'd be one of those piled up at the bottom right now.

"What happened to you all...?"

Hessel's hesitant voice sounded nearby.

Luo Wei turned her head and saw Hessel approaching from the intermediate department. She said weakly, "Hammering iron. We swung the hammer fifteen hundred times today."

Last class they only had to swing a thousand times. This class it jumped to fifteen hundred. They weren't hammering iron—the iron was playing with their lives!

Hessel couldn't relate to Luo Wei's pain at all. "Only fifteen hundred times? Can that forge refined iron?"

Luo Wei said numbly, "No. Professor Temple says three thousand strikes counts as passing. Three thousand—I'd rather die."

Hessel offered advice: "If you don't want to hammer that many times, you can switch forging hammers."

Luo Wei asked hopefully, "Switching hammers saves effort?"

"It can save time," Hessel said seriously. "I'll lend you my forging hammer. You'll pass after eight hundred strikes."

Luo Wei was confused. "Huh? Why?"

Was her forging hammer some divine weapon where one strike counted as three?

Hessel explained: "My forging hammer is enchanted. One strike completely deforms the iron block. Much better than the academy-issued hammers."

"What rune is that useful?" Luo Wei asked humbly. "Can you teach me? I want to draw one on my hammer too."

"Just ordinary weight-increasing runes. You know how to draw them too. But using weight-increasing runes drains a lot of magic. Better to use magic for smelting metal. Otherwise if you run out of magic later, the iron gets softer as you hammer and turns into scrap." Hessel spoke at length.

The more Luo Wei listened, the colder her heart grew. After Hessel finished, she asked tremulously, "Senior, may I ask—how heavy is your forging hammer?"

"Over a hundred kilograms. With enchantment, a thousand kilograms. Want to use it?"

Luo Wei smiled. "No, thank you for the kind offer. I don't need it."

The academy-issued thirty-pound hammer already killed her arms. She'd have to be suicidal to swing a thousand-kilogram hammer!

Rejected by Luo Wei, Hessel felt somewhat regretful. She accompanied Luo Wei slowly outside. Reaching a less crowded area, she said quietly, "I asked Wordsworth last night. He's willing to go with your friend."

Luo Wei: "Headmaster Morrison agreed too?"

Hessel: "Yes, but Headmaster Morrison wants to meet your friend."

Luo Wei: ...

She asked with a headache, "Is Headmaster Morrison in his office? I'll go find him."

Hessel shook her head. "No, he's at the academy gate."

"You said the timber merchant was leaving today. Wordsworth was afraid he'd miss him, so Headmaster Morrison took him to wait outside for you."

Luo Wei nearly coughed up blood. This time she'd really shot herself in the foot with nowhere to complain.

Great. Now where was she supposed to find someone to play her timber merchant friend?

Forget it. When she lied, she'd anticipated this scenario. She'd just been hoping for luck and now faced the consequences.

Luo Wei took a deep breath. The only option now was to pick someone from Star Luo Residence to guest-star as the timber merchant.

Not Troy—he was too honest.

Not the dark elf either. He'd be by her side often in the future. If he played the timber merchant, she couldn't give him another identity later.

Zachary... he was a guest. Automatically excluded.

Patrick it was. He often transported lumber to the Ross Court lumber mill. Why wouldn't that count as being a timber merchant?

As for his undead identity, that wasn't a big deal. "Undead mage with heaven-defying abilities who insists on selling wood to get rich through honest work"—what a great character setup. It left an impression of strength and reliability while reducing his perceived danger.

Most importantly, he couldn't speak and had no expressions. She could make up whatever she wanted and he wouldn't give anything away.

Plus she could communicate with him mentally to coordinate their performance.

Having selected her candidate, Luo Wei felt slightly calmer.

She used the travel time to organize the script she'd need shortly, then walked briskly toward the academy gate.

Two unfamiliar faces stood outside—one old, one young. The old one had white hair and beard, the young one had black hair. Standing together, they looked like grandfather and grandson.

Luo Wei had barely glanced at them when the old man looked over and showed her a kindly smile.

Hessel whispered in her ear: "That's Headmaster Morrison. Go on, I need to eat first."

"I know." Luo Wei nodded and walked toward them.

She'd recognized him immediately. Headmaster Morrison had cast a transformation spell on himself to avoid attention. The black-haired youth beside him must be Wordsworth.

Reaching the old man, Luo Wei lowered her voice: "Headmaster, Senior, please come with me."

She led them to her carriage. Yves drove away from the academy gate. Headmaster Morrison changed back to his original appearance.

He didn't change Wordsworth back, probably afraid his appearance would frighten people outside.

"Good child, sorry to trouble you and your friend." Headmaster Morrison looked apologetic.

"No trouble at all. This is nothing," Luo Wei said modestly, then showed a trace of worry. "However, my friend... his identity is somewhat special. I don't know if you can accept it."

Headmaster Morrison's expression was gentle. "I don't judge people by their origins. Speak, child. There's nothing I can't accept."

Luo Wei hesitated. "How about... when we get there, you see for yourself? If I tell you in advance, I'm afraid you won't want to meet him."

Hearing this, Headmaster Morrison grew curious.

What identity could be so mysterious? Didn't Wordsworth say he was a timber merchant?

What was wrong with meeting a timber merchant—unless he was from the Church.

Arriving at Star Luo Residence, Luo Wei led Headmaster Morrison and Wordsworth up the steps, through the gate, into the front courtyard garden.

Passing the apple tree, she didn't look up. Her voice calm, she called Troy's name.

With a whoosh, the black-robed knight jumped down from the apple tree and bowed to her. "At your service!"

Luo Wei told him, "Please ask Mr. Sandek to come to the main hall. I have important matters to discuss with him."

Troy kept his head down. A flash of confusion passed through his eyes before he answered, "Yes, Your Highness."

Her Highness usually called him Patrick. Why the different form of address today?

Troy turned and strode toward the guest rooms to fetch the undead mage who still hadn't gotten up at midday.

Luo Wei turned around and invited Headmaster Morrison and Wordsworth into the parlor to sit.

"Chris, Belial, serve tea."

"Yes, Master."

The two maids withdrew to prepare tea. Luo Wei looked at Headmaster Morrison. "Headmaster... you're meeting him like this?"

The Church was always looking for dirt on the headmaster. If they knew an undead was by his side, leading to the secrets from ten years ago, things would look bad for him.

Headmaster Morrison's expression was gentle. "Since I'm meeting your friend, what do I have to hide?"

Luo Wei smiled slightly. "Thank you for your trust, Headmaster. My friend and I won't reveal anything about today."

Headmaster Morrison nodded, but his curiosity about her friend only grew.

He dared come here without disguise for two reasons: confidence in his own abilities, and respect for Luo Wei and the person he was about to meet.

But he only trusted Luo Wei, not her friend.

If this person's identity was truly special as Luo Wei said, he had even less need to hide his own identity.

A special identity was a weakness. He'd already discovered the other party's greatest weakness—what was there to worry about?

After a while, Chris and Belial entered carrying flower tea. A fragrant aroma spread through the air, filling the room with floral scent.

"Honored guest, please enjoy your tea."

Chris gently placed the tea on the side table next to Headmaster Morrison. He thanked her, picked up the ceramic tea bowl, smelled it, and asked Luo Wei, "Different from what you sent before. Is this dried gardenia?"

"Yes, gardenia," Luo Wei said. "This is new flower tea my maid made. It relieves heat and worry. Why don't you try it, Headmaster?"

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