The Lord Demon King is Unfathomable!

Chapter 1217 361: The Web of Desire (Part 4)

Of course.

By that time, this young lad should officially transition to my tutelage as an assistant.

After all, seeing my apprentice suddenly break through the bottleneck, even that fool Hector should finally realize what's going on.

For valuable talent, Arist not only won't exploit them but will also retain them, all while holding leverage over them and helping them rise to a position no less than Hector's.

This is a tacit understanding.

It's one of the reasons why he maintains the old business of "destiny adjustment"—the benefits it brings extend far beyond mere gold coins.

He and Skein are both seasoned, savvy men tested by the profound complexities of the Academic State, and smart individuals always have an understanding of the cards each other holds.

"...Lastly, Professor Hector promised to secure access to the 'Void Realm' for Prince Colin as a settlement for this incident."

After reporting the last word, Skein stood with hands down and did not speak further.

Arist patiently listened to the report, a cold sneer quietly curling at the corner of his mouth, before he spoke casually.

"It seems that fool Hector is a bit shrewd, realizing that if he couldn't convince Prince Colin, he'd be next in line."

Although this was said nonchalantly, it caused Skein to involuntarily hold his breath, subconsciously tensing his body.

Noticing Skein's nervousness, Arist smiled and reassured the young man.

"Don't be nervous, I don't need to sacrifice you to deal with him."

Skein let out a bitter smile, lowered his head, and whispered.

"Professor, you don't have to test me. You are the one who discovered my talents, and if you need me to die for you, all you need to do is say the word; I would have no complaints. Only, please hand over my belongings to my parents. They may be things you wouldn't look twice at, but perhaps they could aid my younger siblings."

Arist gave him a meaningful glance, not exposing the young man's sentimental ploy, but after pondering for a moment, he muttered to himself and shook his thin lips in a sigh.

"This Prince Colin is sharper than I imagined, not just an empty-headed fool, not easy to deceive."

However—

In terms of scheming, the nobles of the Holy City are still a bit weaker compared to the cunning strategists of the Academic State, especially given that their naked desires are exposed too early.

This is a common fault among those born into nobility; these nobles don't regard commoners and disdain resorting to wit.

Hence, this prince arrogantly displays his greed openly, without even a thought to disguise it—

He brazenly pressures Hector, cornering the old stubborn into a trembling mess, and the ultimate goal is merely to extort and meddle in the 'Void Realm'.

Having seen the opponent's hand, Arist more or less grasped Prince Colin's subsequent "card play".

He's a greedy yet simple man, fond of the limelight and rest in people's worship, but largely "harmless".

"...This aligns well with my impression of those Holy City nobles. They regard the Academic State as their personal playground, treating the taboos we dedicate our lives to exploring as just another splendid collectible in their wine cabinet. Their so-called 'curiosity' is merely an attempt to flaunt their inherent privilege before us scholars, while conveniently pocketing some benefits from this harsh land to boast their credentials."

Arist chuckled softly and then directed his gaze towards his "beloved student" awaiting orders, issuing his command.

"Skein, this newly arrived mentor Prince requires a gentle 'guide'. Since he gets along well with Professor Hector, you can approach him under the pretense of being Professor Hector's apprentice."

"Remember, you have to lower your stance, attend his every lecture, ask the questions he loves to hear, and wear admiration in your eyes, just like you do with me."

"Your primary task is to ascertain his 'preferences'. Find out if he likes rare casting materials, is interested in a certain female apprentice, or is merely infatuated with the wonders in the Void Realm. In short, use all means to find his desires, and report every detail to me truthfully."

"Additionally, you can help him with some trivial matters and even fulfill some innocuous requests... If you can't resolve them, feel free to ask me directly."

At this moment, the old professor paused, a sharp light flashing through his muddy eyes like a sudden spark.

"But remember, you must be cautious in your actions. Under no circumstances should you reveal the existence of the 'association', nor should you mention me. In his eyes, you are merely a regular apprentice admiring a mentor's talent—don't do anything unnecessary, understood?"

"Yes, Professor."

Skein accepted the command respectfully, without a hint of hesitation and even felt relieved at this simple task.

This task was not too challenging for him; after all, pleasing a showy mentor is much easier than managing a runaway magic apprentice.

Especially now when the entire Academic State is filled with the prince's "admirers", a mere "mage" like himself wouldn't stand out in the crowd at all.

Perhaps starting with a few questions in class would be good, yet it was a pity this prince hadn't published any papers yet; otherwise, he could have prepared in advance...

Skein's figure melded into the shadows of the Meditation Room, silently retreating until he disappeared outside the door.

The Meditation Room returned to its usual silence.

Arist put on his impeccably clean monocle again, beyond revealing a sharp gaze perfectly hidden in an instant.

In less than half a second, he resumed his role as the elegant and respected professor of the Source Magic School, in front of students and colleagues.

He was certain, even standing openly before Prince Colin, the prince would never suspect that this old gentleman was the mastermind behind the "slight unpleasantness" and had already woven a web of desire around it.

He resembled an Earth Cave Spider, lurking in shadows no one knew of...