Conflict

"Your Highness, this is..."

"A friend!"

The silver-haired witch Emily walked up from behind in confusion. Before she could finish speaking, Jiniya quickly answered.

Her voice was clear, carrying undisguised protectiveness.

"An old friend I haven't seen in a long time."

Jiniya emphasized earnestly, then glanced at Dago with slight embarrassment.

She did not know whether Dago considered her a friend as well.

After all, the path of a wizard was destined to be lonely.

The so-called "truth walks alone."

Time and distance were enough to wash away most worldly emotional bonds.

But judging from how he had saved her earlier, he probably did, right?

Seeing Jiniya as innocent and pure as he remembered, Dago's mood inexplicably improved as well.

In those emerald-green eyes, he saw none of the detestable scheming.

Nor did he see greedy covetousness for power.

There was only pure joy.

In the Wizarding World, full of deception and intrigue, such emotions were as rare as a pristine Magic Stone untouched by contamination.

Though by rational judgment, such innocence often meant a short life.

Or it meant that behind it stood an immensely powerful protector, enough to shield her from the world's malice.

Dago smiled and nodded, then calmly said to the silver-haired witch, "I am from the Thorn Ring. You are..."

His gaze swept over the white ring and tender-leaf crown insignia on the silver-haired witch's chest. The meaning was obvious.

Mental force tendrils silently extended outward.

From that badge, he sensed a concealed yet immense fluctuation of life energy.

It was the aura of rules that only a large wizard organization could imprint upon a token.

"The Thorn Ring?"

The silver-haired witch pondered briefly, a glimmer of data retrieval flashing in her eyes.

Then she solemnly bowed to Dago and said, "We are from the