novelraw Chapter 69: So… Who’s Bullying My Little Veya?
Chapter 69: So… Who’s Bullying My Little Veya?
Chapter 69: So… Who’s Bullying My Little Veya?
Afuduo took over all the remaining rental arrangements.
That included chores like making the beds and tidying up—well within the purview of a housemaid. As for getting reimbursed for the rent, Lin Wei wasn’t in any rush.
He’d be traveling to and from the Imperial Capital’s Magic Academy plenty in the coming days; he could file for reimbursement whenever he felt like it.
“This place is just as lively as ever, huh?”
Following the familiar path from memory, Lin Wei stepped into the Alchemy Department’s office. The chaos that greeted him brought a wry smile to his lips.
Assistants bustled to and fro, hands never resting as potion after potion took shape beneath their practiced fingers. The entire office felt more like a bustling potion factory than an academic workplace.
At the center of it all sat Nerinette, the department head, planted firmly at her desk, her face twisted in barely contained frustration as she worked through yet another batch.
“Pick up the pace, all of you! We have over ten thousand potions due in ten days. But don’t just rush—keep the quality up! If standards drop, you’ll be redoing them all!”
“And the Holy Light! Don’t forget to add the Holy Light, do you hear me? That’s the most important part. If you forget and the demons manage to steal these… Well, let’s just say we’ll all be in trouble!”Her voice rang out, sharp and restless, echoing off the walls. Judging by the deepening shadows under her eyes, Lin Wei figured she’d collapse from exhaustion in a few days if this kept up.
“Right, they did say something about adding Holy Light to the potions, didn’t they?”
He’d been so absorbed in his errands that he’d nearly forgotten. Nerinette’s frantic reminders jogged his memory. Using Holy Light Stones would take too long. Instead, Lin Wei simply traced a rune, channeling Holy Light directly into each potion bottle.
He double-checked to make sure it wouldn’t affect the potion’s efficacy, then slipped over to Nerinette, acting as though nothing was out of the ordinary.
“Director Nerinette.”
“Hm?”
Nerinette, who’d been radiating irritation a moment ago, looked up at the sound of his familiar voice. The moment her eyes landed on Lin Wei, her entire expression brightened.
“You’re here, Lin Wei! So, how’s the work going? Are all the samples ready?”
Compared to this pack of bumbling fools, Lin Wei was clearly the favorite. Nerinette’s shifting expressions were practically a performance—she barely bothered to hide her blatant preference.
“Everything went pretty smoothly.”
Lin Wei handed over five potion samples, grumbling inwardly at how over-the-top she was being. If he hadn’t shown off his skills early on, he doubted he’d have any standing here at all. Reality check: Director Nerinette played favorites, and she didn’t even try to hide it.
Still… it worked in his favor. Lin “Special Privileges” Wei couldn’t really complain.
“Let me see…”
She’d already witnessed his potion-making skills firsthand, but producing five samples in such a short time was still a tall order.
But when Nerinette saw the five bottles, each radiating a brilliant Holy Light, her eyes seemed to shine even brighter. At this point, there was hardly any need to check the quality.
“As expected of a top-grade healing potion—and the Holy Light you infused is so potent… You’ve got quite an affinity for Holy Light, don’t you?”
The effectiveness of Holy Light Stones depended heavily on the user’s affinity. Even so, it was rare to see potions infused with Holy Light this pure and intense—almost on par with what the Holy Church’s clergy could produce!
“And not only is the Holy Light dense, it doesn’t interfere with the potion’s efficacy at all. How did you even manage that…? You really are a genius!”
Well, it made sense. Lin Wei was, after all, a talent specially sent by the Holy Church, personally vouched for by Saintess Yalis herself.
He was probably a member of the Holy Church to begin with; having such a high affinity for Holy Light was only natural.
“Ah… I just used Holy Light Stones, that’s all. Maybe I really do have a decent affinity—after all, I am pretty devoted to the goddess Alicia.”
Lin Wei glanced aside, a little guilty. He’d never even used a Holy Light Stone before, so he had no idea what effect it was supposed to have. If he’d known, he might’ve held back a bit just now.
But it was only a touch of Holy Light—there’s no way anyone would notice anything off. He was sure of it. Absolutely sure!
“Hahaha! Well, since there’s no problem with the samples, why don’t you start work here tomorrow, Lin Wei?”
Of course, Nerinette didn’t care about the details. She clapped Lin Wei on the shoulder, all smiles now that the troublesome task had finally been assigned to someone competent.
“The deadline is ten days, and we’ll need a total of two hundred top-grade healing potions. Think you can manage that?”
“Of course.”
Honestly, even if you gave me only ten minutes, I could blast through the whole batch—but that would probably scare everyone senseless. Better to take it slow and make them at a normal pace.
“Then let me wish you good luck in advance for tomorrow!”
“Thanks, Director Nerinette. See you tomorrow.”
With a wave, Lin Wei turned and headed out.
By evening, the Imperial Capital’s Magic Academy was buzzing with lively energy. Now and then, uniformed students passed by, and Lin Wei couldn’t help but think of Yalis.
“The little Saintess should be getting out of class about now.”
A faint trace of Holy Light drifted from an open window—not a surprise, given the time. If he went to look for her now, he’d probably catch her just as she finished.
But with Afuduo waiting on a reply from the demons, Lin Wei figured it was wiser to hold off for now. If he found any extra clues, he could always share them with Yalis later—that’d be a good way to get closer to her. Shameless as always, aren’t you, Lin Wei?
“Hm?”
Lost in thought, he glanced toward his new place—only to catch, out of the corner of his eye, a familiar flash of gray hair.
That silhouette was unmistakable—a woman in a long coat, quietly crouched at his doorstep. Even from the side, Lin Wei could tell she was beautiful.
Dusk was settling over the city, the last light painting her in hues of melancholy. There was a certain vulnerability about her, a quietness that made the moment unexpectedly moving.
Wait… Veya!?
Lin Wei froze on the spot. The last thing he’d expected was to see her here, and at this hour—let alone waiting in front of his new home.
What’s going on? Did something happen? Is this about to turn into a scene of jealousy?
A wave of guilt washed over him. After all, Afuduo had handled everything for the new place—the cleaning, the bedding, the whole lot.
The air was filled with traces of Afuduo’s scent. Had the two of them already crossed paths? Was Veya waiting here to settle the score?
“That… wouldn’t be good…”
Lin Wei hesitated instinctively, but there was no use running. Veya’s possessiveness was legendary—she’d hunt him down wherever he went.
Might as well face her head-on. At worst, she’d just give him the cold shoulder and a couple of icy threats. Let’s see how the mighty Demon Lord handles a mere mortal woman.
“Miss Veya? What brings you here?”
He took a deep breath and strolled over, greeting her as casually as he could. He even reached out to gently pat her head, hoping to appease her in advance.
But the moment her face came into view, Lin Wei’s smile faltered, fading little by little.
It was a side of Veya he’d rarely seen—gone was her usual cool composure. Her eyes were rimmed red, a fragile look softening her features, all traces of aloofness lost.
The moment she saw Lin Wei, it was as if her last defenses crumbled. Unable to hold back, she threw her arms around him and buried herself in his embrace, her voice trembling with an unfamiliar vulnerability.
“Wu… I missed you, Lin Wei.”
Lin Wei’s expression softened. He gently wrapped his arms around Veya, softly patting her back in silent comfort.
In that instant, Lin Wei’s eyes turned a deep, blood-red—murderous intent flaring so fiercely it was almost tangible. Yet even as he struggled to suppress it, he forced himself to speak in the gentle, soothing tone that always made her feel safe.
“Don’t be afraid. I’m here.”
“My little Veya—did someone bully you? Tell me who it was.”