Academy Investigation

Inside the advisor's office in the First-Ring Wizard area of Lilith's Cottage.

Wizard Sophia calmly entered the office and sat down before Francis Zoe, the Academy's senior advisor.

Francis Zoe was an old man with a white beard and white hair. He wore a black wizard hat and appeared frail with age, though sharp glints of shrewdness occasionally flashed through his eyes.

His chest bore numerous medals of honor, including awards granted for his many important new discoveries in Potions across the Southeastern Corner Region.

Advisor Francis smiled at Wizard Sophia. "Sophia, in the blink of an eye, that stubborn little girl from back then has become a Formal Wizard—and even someone else's wizard mentor."

"It hasn't even been that many years."

"Time is truly wondrous. It feels like just a second ago, you were a little girl standing before me, newly enrolled and knowing nothing. Then, in the next second, you had already become a Formal Wizard standing on equal footing with us."

The flower on the vine atop Witch Sophia's wizard hat had turned pale yellow. The color looked solemn without seeming overly aged—just right.

Francis Zoe was nowhere near as kind as he appeared.

He had worked for the Academy for half his life, with all his heart devoted to it.

At times, to achieve his goals, he would not even care what methods he used. Sophia had always kept a respectful distance from him.

Wizard Sophia nodded slightly. "Dean Francis, thank you for your guidance in the past."

Advisor Francis smiled. "I truly am troubling you by calling you here this time, but as Lilith's Cottage's senior advisor and acting dean, I still need to ask a few questions."

He placed Locke Augustine's file before Wizard Sophia. "This student had only third-grade aptitude when he enrolled,