At this point, Augusta suddenly dropped a bombshell. "For this reason, I once sent two First-Rank Wizard Apprentices to become his students. You should know both of them too—Phylia and Frandi. I arranged for them to study under Stofen."
Leo had not expected Augusta to lay his cards on the table so directly regarding the matter of planting students.
"Lord Augusta, was this arrangement meant to hinder Instructor Stofen from becoming a Second-Circle Wizard?"
"That's right." Augusta answered firmly. "I don't know what the others think, but at my core, I am a Human Supremacist. At the Tower of Dawn, I will appropriately hinder the growth of any Wizard who does not follow this principle."
"Or, to put it more precisely, I will not allow Wizards with systems founded upon non-human supremacy to become Second-Circle Wizards."
"Unfortunately, of the two students I arranged for Stofen, one is already dead, while the other failed to become Stofen's student."
"Fortunately, I still have you now, Leo!"
"Leo, I hope you can help me hinder Stofen's research."
"This is not born from any malicious intention. I simply hope humanity's future will not end with us trampled beneath the feet of other races."
Augusta looked at Leo.
His words were upright and dignified, as though they contained not the slightest trace of selfishness.
Yet Leo did not believe for a moment that Augusta had no selfish motives at all.
Although Stofen's world system might truly be detrimental to Leo, as Augusta and the Instructor had guessed, that did not mean Leo could trust Augusta or the Instructor.
Leo also harbored some doubts about Stofen. He, too, believed that there might be some kind of problem with the man.
But compared to Augusta and the Instructor, Leo was still more willing to trust Stofen.
Leo