Professor Kazel took one last look at the now-calm Forbidden Love, then turned and continued walking.
"Keep copying the notes!"
It was probably the first time he had gotten angry since the start of the school year.
As the most popular professor among the first-years, Professor Kazel always presented himself as kind and approachable. His lessons were also very interesting, never dull.
The students immediately assumed that the Son of the Hero had committed some unforgivable offense!
The Knight Academy students looked at him with a trace of pity.
Most of the Noble House students wore mocking, gleeful expressions.
Even Dark stood there with his mouth half open, unsure whether he should feel sorry for him or laugh.
[Punishment -1]
In any case, the anger had subsided quite a bit.
Dark turned his attention back to his notebook.
As for what had happened, he could guess it with his eyes closed: Victor had used that Forbidden Love to peek at Professor Kazel's thoughts.
Did he think it was that easy to peek into the professor's mind?
Professor Kazel was a legendary Alchemy master who had been around since Merlin's time—and one of the few still alive!
Although he had since changed careers to become a Magic Guidance mage, that had only broadened his expertise and made him even more powerful.
Victor had actually used a Flower Card to pry into the thoughts of a mage of that caliber. Was he trying to get himself killed?
It was lucky Professor Kazel had a good temper.
If it had been Professor Jones, with his Giant bloodline, he might have slapped Victor across the room!
Tsk.
What a reckless hand!
After Dark finished copying the notes, he kept glancing over in that direction.
Victor looked very nervous, but at least he and Robert were diligently copying the notes.
Time passed, drop by drop.
At last, class was over.
Professor Kazel glanced toward Victor, gathered his teaching materials, and left the classroom.
Victor lowered his head and slowly packed up his books.
Robert couldn't help asking, "What should we do?"
Victor replied dolefully, "What else? Go to his office."
Robert racked his brain and finally came up with something reassuring to say. "Relax, Victor. The professor already took fifty points off you, didn't he? He probably won't give you any other kind of punishment."
"Any other kind of punishment?"
At that reminder, Victor abruptly raised his head. "He won't expel me, will he?"
The thought filled Victor with dread.
As for having his credits reduced to a negative number, that didn't matter at all!
He had received his Saint Marian Academy admission letter while living in an orphanage, and the principal himself had brought him to the academy.
If he were expelled, he would have nowhere to go!
Saint Marian Academy was the only place he could call home.
No matter how Robert tried to reassure him on the way, Victor couldn't hear a word.
He arrived at Professor Kazel's office in a daze and knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Victor turned the handle and pushed the door open a crack, cautiously peeking inside.
But the first person he saw wasn't an angry Professor Kazel.
It was Dark Dimon, leaning on the sofa and sipping tea.
When Dark saw Victor peeking in, he gave him a friendly smile and pointed at the door with his teacup.
Victor realized what he meant, hurried into the office, and closed the door behind him.
Only then did he see Professor Kazel sitting behind his desk.
Professor Kazel's expression was calm, nowhere near as angry as Victor had imagined.
And with Dark, another first-year, there, Victor's nervousness eased a little.
He lowered his head and took a few steps toward the desk, managing to squeeze out, "Professor."
"Thud."
Victor jumped.
Dark had set his teacup back on the coffee table.
Of course, Dark hadn't teleported there. Victor had simply walked so slowly that Dark had reached the office first.
Since the Flower Card had caused the trouble, it had been easy for Dark to get involved.
But he and Professor Kazel had barely exchanged a few words before Victor arrived. So Dark had simply sat down to enjoy the show—or rather, have some tea!
He knew his way around this office, anyway.
Professor Kazel looked up and tapped the desk with his fingertip. "Hand me that Magitech Card. I want to take a look."
Victor didn't want to, but under Professor Kazel's imposing presence, he handed over Forbidden Love.
Professor Kazel took the card and frowned. "A Flower Card? You turned this Flower Card into a Magitech Card?"
Victor braced himself and replied, "Yes, Professor."
Professor Kazel took a Magitech Card from his drawer and swiped it over the desk. A cubic barrier immediately sprang up around Forbidden Love.
Then he raised his Magic Pen and pointed at Forbidden Love from a distance.
The magic gathered into a beam, passed through the barrier, and entered Forbidden Love.
Victor watched tensely.
Dark couldn't help widening his eyes, curious to see what would happen.
But after coming into contact with Professor Kazel's magic, Forbidden Love only trembled and released a thin mist.
Professor Kazel frowned. "It's already been deeply bound."
Then he looked up at Victor. "Do you have anything to say?"
Victor gritted his teeth and said nothing.
Professor Kazel continued, "According to academy rules, even we professors have no right to pry too deeply into a student's secrets, especially those related to making Magitech Cards. But if you're willing to let me—well, it looks like you aren't."
Professor Kazel waved his hand and dispelled the barrier.
Then he pushed Forbidden Love back toward Victor and said sternly, "Remember what I said at the start of the school year. Magitech Cards themselves aren't good or evil; it's their users who are. Peeking into someone else's thoughts without their consent is a grave taboo. I'm only taking fifty points off because this is your first offense. I hope you'll learn from this and behave yourself."
Victor took Forbidden Love back, sweat already dampening his back.
Under Professor Kazel's gaze, he managed to summon enough courage to say, "Professor, I'll remember your words."
As Victor left the office, Robert hurried over to him.
Victor closed the door and stumbled, leaning against Robert.
Talking with Professor Kazel had felt like being crushed over and over by an invisible weight pressing down on his will.
There was only one thought in his mind now: he would never do it again!
After Victor had left, Dark finally asked Professor Kazel, "Professor, did you discover anything?"
Professor Kazel shook his head. "The technology behind Magitech Cards has become very mature. Even taking one apart by force makes it difficult to get at its essence. That's why many Magic Guidance mages can safely sell new Magitech Cards they've developed."
Dark couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.
At the same time, though, he gained some insight.
It was precisely because Magitech Cards came with anti-theft measures that people devoted themselves to studying them and kept pushing forward, allowing Magic Guidance technology to advance so rapidly.
Professor Kazel continued, "However, I sensed a very ancient aura from that Flower Card. It may involve powers I'm unfamiliar with. But since Victor Gaude is the Son of the Hero, he must have received a gift from the Hero. It's only natural that I can't see through it."
Dark's thoughts turned, and he stated the real reason he had come. "Then, Professor, how can I protect myself from this kind of Magitech Card that can pry into people's thoughts?"
Professor Kazel spun his Magic Pen between his fingers, then smiled again. "Dimon, that won't be easy."
Dark smiled too. "That's why I came to ask you, Professor."
Professor Kazel beckoned. "Come here."
Dark stood and walked around behind the desk to face Professor Kazel.
The professor looked him up and down, then said, "You have a lot of talent, but sometimes you can't afford to rush ahead. Any Magic Guidance technology involving the brain is extremely dangerous. Our understanding of the brain is still based solely on experience. Still, if you really want to learn, I can teach you a kind of mental magic."
Dark asked, "Mental magic?"
Professor Kazel nodded. "That's right. Now that Magic Guidance technology is widespread, ancient magic has gradually been forgotten in the dust of history. But we must understand that an outdated technique isn't necessarily a bad one."
Dark said, "That's true. History can always teach us something."
Professor Kazel looked pleased. "You have no foundation in magic, so we'll leave the more profound mental spells aside for now. I do know one spell that can help you resist intrusions into your thoughts by concentrating your mental energy. Would you like to learn it?"
Dark naturally nodded.
Professor Kazel's spell was very basic. It was called the Meditation Art. It was said to have been a technique used by mental mages of old to refine their mental energy.
Once he had mastered it, he wouldn't be able to defend against intrusions into his thoughts at all times, as Professor Kazel could. But if he cast it in advance, it would provide temporary protection.
However, this technique wasn't easy to master. It required patient, steady practice.
After teaching him how to learn it, Professor Kazel said, "I can help you experience the Meditation State once, before you learn to cast the Meditation Art yourself."
Dark knew this was an opportunity, and immediately replied with a serious expression, "What do I need to do?"
Professor Kazel nodded in satisfaction. "Just close your eyes."
Dark immediately closed his eyes.
Professor Kazel raised his hand, a glimmer of light gathering at his fingertip. Then he suddenly pointed, touching the space between Dark's brows.
The glimmer spread out, sending ripples through the air like a breath.
Dark suddenly felt his mind empty completely. There was nothing, nothing at all—only an extremely tiny black dot at the center.
The moment he focused his attention on that dot, it felt as if his entire soul were being drawn toward it.
"Whoa!"
He suddenly cried out and opened his eyes.
The professor asked with concern, "How was it?"
Dark said, "It felt like all my thoughts were concentrated in one point, and nothing else remained."
Before you continue