Goddess of Music · Aphnora

"So... I passed?"

Pous stared blankly at Erin, the national goddess, his voice stammering and his manner exceedingly apprehensive.

The anticipated interrogation and cross-examination never came.

Nor did he need to use the "life-offering test noble masters use to test servants" that his mother had secretly taught him.

The entire interview consisted of simple questions such as where he lived, why he wanted to become a research assistant, and what he thought of crops.

Pous hardly dared to lie and answered everything truthfully.

He regretted some of his answers as soon as he gave them.

For example, when Erin asked why he had taken the assessment—

He honestly answered that he wanted to rise in the world and let his mother live a better life.

Who would have thought that such an utterly terrible answer would actually get him through the interview?

It was simply unbelievable.

Could it be that the God of the Internet was truly protecting him in secret?

"Is there a problem? Are you dissatisfied with the pay, or do you think the Contract term is too long?" Erin asked calmly from the interviewer's seat, though she was actually feeling a little nervous herself.

After all, this was her first time serving as the chief interviewer.

More importantly, the interview itself had been rather... difficult to describe.

She still remembered asking Lord Asheff what the interview needed to assess.

Yet Lord Asheff had said something that deeply moved her.

"Just ask them whatever you like. As long as they look agreeable to you, that's enough. They'll all be your assistants from now on. If you can't stand the sight of them, everything else is meaningless."

Those words left Erin feeling both absurd and profoundly touched.

A devotion willing to die for one who understood her took root in her heart and flourished.

Lord Asheff was a once-in-a-millennium genius. Not only had his attainments in Wood Spirit Magic shocked the Empire, but he had recently proven the historical theory that Lightning Magic could be converted into Light Magic, causing a sensation throughout the magic world.

A figure like him was destined not to immerse himself in the tedious cultivation of crops.

His creative mind would make its greatest contribution to the world of magic only when applied to unknown fields.

That was why Erin was willing to remain in the Magic Forest for Lord Asheff. She was even delighted by it, because this had been the very reason she had first begun studying magic.

"No... no problem. Lady Erin, wh-when should I come to work?"

Pous hurriedly waved his hands and asked, both excited and nervous.

"You can come tomorrow. Someone will explain the specifics to you later. All right, go out! Send in the next person."

"Yes, Lady Erin."

Pous respectfully withdrew from the interview room. The moment he stepped out the door, irrepressible joy blossomed across his face.

The sight made the applicants waiting outside both envious and anxious.

On his way back, Pous practically floated along. When he passed the Hall of Fame, he finally had the mood to admire the bronze statues there.

He had long heard that Felix possessed a famous landmark—the Hall of Fame.

It stood on the main road that everyone entering or leaving Felix had to pass through.

Built in the form of an arcade, it was lofty and majestic. Walking through it felt like visiting a hall of gods!

A bronze statue stood at regular intervals along both sides of the arcade. They depicted mages who had made outstanding contributions to Felix and even the magic world throughout history.

At present, only seventeen statues stood in the Hall of Fame, showing just how stringent the selection criteria were!

It was said that not even the Empire's three Magic Gods had been selected.

Pous examined the statues with both curiosity and solemnity. Seeing unfamiliar names and phrases on their plaques such as "founder of Psychic Magic" and "founder of Curse Magic," his eyes filled with awe and respect!

Although he had only taught himself magic through the Internet and had barely learned Burning Hand so far, he could still understand the immense contributions these people had made.

Perhaps they had not been powerful.

Perhaps the branches of magic they had founded only contained first- or second-tier spells, but they were still the pride of the magic world.

"Asheff?"

As he walked, a newly erected bronze statue at the end of the Hall of Fame suddenly made Pous stop in his tracks.

The statue was enormous, standing a full two zhang tall. The bluestone beneath its feet bore the following inscription:

Asheff, a graduate of Felix Magic Academy, proved the theory that Lightning Magic could be converted into Light Magic, pioneered Life Gene Theory, and set foot in the realm of divine authority.

Those brief words made Pous's pupils contract sharply. His heart pounded wildly, and his eyes shone with excitement!

Starting tomorrow, he would be able to serve under such a legendary figure. How could he not be thrilled?

He subconsciously raised his head to look at the statue's face.

Boom!

The instant he saw the bronze statue's face, Pous felt as though he had been struck by lightning. His eyes widened, and his soul shook to its core!

"It's him?!!!"

Pous had never forgotten the mysterious young man who had controlled a swarm of Devils and exposed the scam that night.

He had tried to find traces of him on the Internet, but had found nothing to this day.

He never imagined that he would encounter a statue that looked so much like him today.

That mysterious young man was Asheff?

In the end, Pous left Felix with his heart in turmoil. He was not sure whether the Lord Asheff who had shaken the Empire was the mysterious man he had met that night.

But he had a powerful feeling that they were the same person.

Because the mysterious young man had once said, "God loves all people, and my Lord is merciful. Whoever spreads my Lord's radiance is my Lord's believer!"

Thinking carefully, wasn't Lord Asheff constantly putting the God of the Internet's mercy into practice?

"Whether he is Lord Asheff or not, I'll know tomorrow." Pous thought excitedly, growing ever more eager for tomorrow!

Yu Sheng'an had no idea that a young man had set his sights on him.

At that moment, he was carrying out the final adjustments and optimizations on the Internet's "flashlight" function.

Inspired by the Research Council, he had spent nearly all his time recently obsessing over the Lighting Function.

The facts proved that releasing magic without engraving Magic Runes—something so utterly unmagical—could indeed only be accomplished through the authority of a Godhead.

Ding-dong!

A notification chime echoing within his soul interrupted Yu Sheng'an's work.

With a thought, the Internet Phantom Scroll appeared. Dendall had sent him a message: "Come to the Ring Magic Tower immediately. This concerns the Goddess of Music, Aphnora."

Yu Sheng'an raised an eyebrow. Though the Lighting Function was nearly finished, he immediately stopped the testing, rose to his feet, and headed for the short-range teleportation magic engraved within the Magic Forest, teleporting directly to the Ring Magic Tower.

The next second, he appeared in the Forbidden God Conference Room.

Three figures were already seated in the otherwise empty conference room.

However, aside from Dendall himself, the other two figures, Zimor and Bethany, were magical projections. They were not currently in Willis City.

The three nodded to Yu Sheng'an in greeting, and Dendall went straight to the point.

"The Goddess of Music, Aphnora, has sent a delegation to purchase seeds. Whether Non-Toxic Winter Mallow or Cold-Resistant Black Grain, both were created by you, so you should understand their importance. The Empire intends to refuse them, but Aphnora is a long-established neutral god. Refusing her now may cause the two nations to become hostile. What do you suggest?"

"If I remember correctly, wasn't there a clause in our Contract forbidding me from participating in your nation's political affairs?"

Yu Sheng'an sneered. They had already decided to refuse her, so why call him here? To use him as a shield?

Dendall and the two Magic Gods exchanged glances, helplessness flashing through their eyes.

You've stirred up such a huge commotion in the Empire that your status and influence are almost on par with ours. Do you really think you can simply opt out by saying you won't participate?

A casual remark from you could change Imperial policy!

Dendall said, "You jest. This concerns the Empire's future, as well as the interests of your Missionary Zone. It is only right that you participate."

Yu Sheng'an had merely been needling him. When they signed the Contract, both sides had known that the first clause was the important one. The other two had merely been added in passing.

Just like among the three conditions Yu Sheng'an had proposed, the third had been the most important.

"My suggestion is simple. Giving them seeds is out of the question, but license plates... ah, grain can be sold to them."

Yu Sheng'an and the others were not worried that Aphnora would steal some seeds and cultivate high-yield crops herself.

The reason was simple. The seeds Yu Sheng'an cultivated were all homozygous. Even the mutagenized plants had not mutated into entirely new species with complete reproductive isolation.

Thus, even if they stole some seeds, after two or three generations of cultivation, they would hybridize into heterozygotes, causing trait segregation and a sharp drop in yield.

Dendall and the other two exchanged looks, delight appearing in their eyes. That had been their thought as well.

The reason they had called Yu Sheng'an over was merely to use his status as a god to negotiate on their behalf.

After all, letting such a great god sit unused would be rather wasteful.

Unexpectedly, Yu Sheng'an's next sentence left them staring in utter shock.

"...And we can sell it to them below market price!"