Chapter4-You Are Not Allowed to Receive Rewards!

"John is a real bastard. His obsession with Emily isn't just because she's beautiful. More importantly, she supposedly carries the bloodline of an ancient god. This bloodline is why Emily is ruthlessly sacrificed by John later in the story, and he even sacrifices his mentor. He's a scumbag among scumbags."

Owen implied that his actions had nothing to do with Emily; he simply wanted to mess with John.

But upon further reflection, while indirectly revealing John's true motives to Emily might not have much impact, it doesn't seem like it will change much.

The protagonist is the protagonist, after all. His destiny is undoubtedly resilient. If Owen remembered correctly, John's mentor is a newly promoted sage-tier powerhouse in the academy, and his strength should not be underestimated.

In the original story, it was Owen's constant suppression of John that led him to various opportunities. What Owen has done so far is sufficient.

"As for what's next, let's just enjoy taking it easy."

[Host is even more stubborn than I thought. I knew you were the right choice.]

You've given so many reasons, but it's really just to help Emily, isn't it?

"Hmm? What did you say? I was thinking and didn't catch that."

[Nothing, let's head back.]

...

Watching Owen's figure gradually recede, a trace of confusion flickered in Emily's eyes.

Owen seemed to have become a completely different person, growing cold and no longer as enthusiastic as before. More importantly, the words she heard—Owen's inner thoughts—made her both angry and worried.

The reason for her anger was simple. That jerk Owen dared to be so sharp-tongued, never missing a chance to call her stupid!

Although Emily admitted she wasn't particularly bright, as when learning magic with her mentor, others could quickly grasp his teachings, yet she was always a step behind.

But calling her a brainless idiot with zero intelligence was just too much!

However, beyond anger, Emily felt even more puzzled.

Why would Owen say such things? And how did he know about the dungeon she had discovered by chance and never told anyone about?

Could it be that she really would fall in love with the son of her father's murderer, as Owen said?

Recalling the flash of disappointment and relief in Owen's eyes as he left, Emily felt an inexplicable pang of heartache.

Since entering the academy, her attitude toward Owen had been nothing short of hostile, never showing him any kindness.

If Owen wasn't her father's murderer, did she owe him an apology?

Owen's recent words left Emily feeling a bit lost in thought.

After all, Emily had never spoken about her past, not even her mentor knew what had happened to her, so how could Owen possibly know so much?

And then there was John—was he really the descendant of her enemy?

How could she possibly develop feelings for the child of her sworn enemy?

"Tomorrow… the Forbidden Forest?" Emily bit her lip, hesitating for a moment before finally making up her mind. 

Owen badmouthing her behind her back could be overlooked for now, but no matter what, tomorrow she had to go to the Forbidden Forest and see for herself!

If she really did encounter John there, she would make sure he paid the price!

Meanwhile, Owen left the student dormitory area and returned to the Chief Mansion.

The Chief Mansion, assigned to Owen as a student residence, was more like a villa estate than a dormitory.

Covering an area of no less than 600 square meters, the mansion featured a pool, pavilions, and water pavilions.

The villa had three floors with a practical area of over a thousand square meters, a place only the chief disciple could reside in.

Originally, it belonged to John's father, but now it was Owen's.

However, despite its size, the mansion housed only Owen and Fiona. To prevent the place from feeling too empty, Fiona raised many pets, including cats and dogs, which lazily basked in the sun in the courtyard.

Owen squatted down, petted the fat cat, and said, "Fiona, I really think we should cut back on their food. Look at this one—does it even look like a cat anymore?"

"It's cute and chubby."

Fiona came over, pressed the fat cat's little paw pads, and then took a letter from her pocket, handing it to Owen.

Owen glanced sideways at the letter and asked, "Who is it from?"

"Elaine, the head student from Fox Academy."

"Did you open it?"

"No, I would never read your mail without permission."

"There's nothing much to it..."

Owen brushed the cat hair off his hands and took the envelope.

Looking at the red lips on the seal, Owen leaned in and sniffed it.

To be honest, it smelled quite nice.

The next moment, Owen noticed Fiona's complex gaze, as if she were looking at a pervert. His face turned red, and he explained, "I just wanted to know if this was kissed or drawn on. It seems it's the former."

"Master Owen doesn't need to explain anything to me. I'll go tidy up the room and prepare dinner."

Fiona walked away without looking back, clearly upset. But for now, Owen was more curious about what Elaine had written to him.

As for Fiona, he could smooth things over with her at dinner.

With that thought, Owen opened the letter and smiled as soon as he read the first line.

"To my dearest, dearest, dearest Owen!

How have you been recently? I think about you every day. I wonder if you miss me just as much?

It's been a long time since we last met. I heard that in a month, the seal on the tower in the far east will loosen, and academies and prodigies from all over the continent will gather there to compete for opportunities. Elaine would like to join you—what do you think?

I'm sure you'll participate, right? If you're there, the opportunity won't go to anyone else, because in my heart, you're the only one worthy of being called a prodigy.

...

Lastly, Owen, I miss you very much here at Fox Academy.

---Love, Elaine."

After reading the letter, Owen couldn't help but smile.

The letter was filled with affection, clearly conveying Elaine's feelings to Owen.

Fox Academy, a renowned institution in the eastern countries, differed from Crossbridge Academy by admitting only female students. Elaine, the head student at Fox Academy, was a particularly unique presence.

Her uniqueness lay in her succubus bloodline, which made her naturally exude an intense allure with every movement, igniting desire in some people.

Because of this, Elaine often found herself entangled in unsavory rumors, though she didn't seem to care.

Daniel vaguely remembered that in the original story, Elaine was infatuated with Owen and pursued him relentlessly. Unfortunately, Owen only had Emily on his mind, leaving Elaine neglected.

After Owen was killed by Emily and John, Elaine sought revenge but was captivated by John's lustful gaze. He forced her into submission, making her part of his harem.

Despite her succubus lineage, Elaine was one of the few genuinely devoted individuals. Even when John forced her to stay by his side, she never let him have his way, repeatedly threatening to end her life to keep John at bay.

"What a fool..."

Ignoring someone as wonderful as Fiona and Elaine to chase after Emily?

An utter fool!

If it were up to me, he and Elaine would already have children running around!

Speaking of which, according to the original story, the box retrieved from Emily contained treasures that could only be fully utilized with Elaine's help.

Since he planned to win over Elaine eventually, why not give her this treasure now?

With this thought, Owen took a deep breath and gestured with his fingers, causing paper and pen to hover before him. As he spoke, the pen transcribed his words onto the page.

"I stumbled upon a treasure that might contain clues to the Tower's treasures once opened. I have written the method to open the box below.

...

---Owen."

After finishing, Owen glanced over the letter to ensure there were no errors before placing it back in the original envelope and handing it to Fiona along with the box.

"Fifi, I have two tasks for you."

"Two?"

Fiona looked up, taking the envelope from Owen's hand, and asked in confusion, "Please tell me, Lord Owen."

"This letter—you need to find a time to deliver it to Fox Academy. Along with this box, you must personally hand it to Elaine. This task is very important; there must be no mistakes. Only you can be trusted with it."

Hearing this, Fiona couldn't help but feel a bit conflicted.

She was happy that she clearly held a special place in Lord Owen's eyes, but at the same time, she was unhappy that this letter was meant for another woman!

"I understand... What about the second task?"

"No rush, come with me first."

With that, Owen grabbed Fiona's wrist, the sudden physical contact leaving her stunned, her mind going blank as she let Owen lead her.

When they reached the study, Owen closed the door, and Fiona's cheeks immediately turned red.

Although she had been prepared for this day to come, the suddenness of it still made her heart race.

"Lord Owen, are you…"

"Hold on, let me take off my clothes first."

"Now? Here?"

"Where else?"

Owen glanced at Fiona with confusion, then removed his chief robe and inner shirt, revealing a well-toned, muscular upper body that made Fiona even more bashful.

However, the scenario she had imagined didn't unfold.

Fiona quietly closed her eyes, waiting for a passionate embrace, but instead, she heard a series of crisp sounds.

Opening her eyes, she saw that Owen had moved one of the bookcases in the study and was reaching behind it, feeling around, getting covered in dust.

"Aha! Found it!"

Owen exclaimed as he struggled to stand, holding a key in his hand, his eyes filled with triumph.

"Lord Owen, this is…?"

"Fiona, listen to me carefully. Don't interrupt for now; I'll explain everything to you later.

Tomorrow, follow the map I've prepared and head to the Forbidden Forest. When you reach the marked point on the map, you should find a sealed library. This key is the key to unlocking it.

What you need to do is open the library with the key, take everything inside, except for a dark red diary!

You must leave that diary in the library and place it in the most visible spot, understand?"

Facing Owen's intense gaze, Fiona couldn't help but steal glances at his abs.

"Fiona?"

"Y-Yes, I understand. Open the library, take everything, and leave the diary in a prominent spot."

"Exactly. Oh, and one more thing—don't close the library door. Leave it open."

Fiona felt a bit disappointed, but she didn't say anything more, just nodded and took the key.

"I'm counting on you, Fifi. You're the only one I can rely on!"

"Don't say such strange things!"

Fiona, flustered and blushing, couldn't bear to look Owen in the eyes and hurriedly left. Watching Fiona's departing figure, Owen finally let out a sigh of relief.

As they say, mercy towards the enemy is cruelty towards oneself. The inheritance left by John's father includes treasures from the gnome tribe—leaving them for John would be tantamount to aiding the enemy.

Besides, Owen couldn't be blamed for this. It's not his fault John's father left two keys behind, with one in the Chief Mansion. You could say it was all predestined.

As for the other key, the original story explained that it was initially lost to a gnome tribe's wandering merchant. Later, somehow, John found out about it, plotted against the merchant, and got the key.

John used the scrolls in the library to greatly increase his power and gained Emily's trust with the diary. It was ill-gotten wealth, after all—anyone could take it!

What's that saying again?

If the enemies can take it, so can I!