Chapter 30: Misdirected Anger

Aileen, who woke up on time, instinctively looked toward the flowerpot on her windowsill.

Inside the black clay pot, a lush green mallow plant stood tall and graceful in the warm sunlight.

Occasionally, a playful ray of sunlight would sneak out from behind the curtains, making the soft hairs on the mallow stem sparkle, giving it a gentle and adorable appearance.

‘Well done. If it’s confirmed to be non-toxic, it could possibly transition from being a wild plant to a common vegetable. Aileen, you’ve made history.’

Remembering Mr. Ajef’s message, a flush of excitement lit up Aileen’s gaunt cheeks.

She had never expected that the wild plant she whimsically cultivated would receive such high praise from Mr. Ajef.

“Mom, did you see that? I’ve met a mentor who truly knows his stuff. Under his guidance, I’ve finally found a direction to strive for. I’ll keep working hard so that more people can be spared from hunger.”

Aileen whispered a prayer to her mother before energetically jumping off the soft bed.

She slipped into her wooly white robe, carefully and meticulously attached the Purple Snow Wood Magic Wand that Mr. Ajef had given her to her waist, and then conjured a ‘Clean Water Spring’ spell to wash her face.

Afterward, she quickly ripened a low fruit tree on the balcony, plucked a fruit, stuffed it into her mouth, and grabbed the flowerpot with the mallow plant before rushing out of her private dormitory.

She couldn’t wait to see Mr. Ajef and show him her research results.

She had a hunch that it was certainly non-toxic.

Along the way, several magic apprentices pointed and whispered about her.

This made Aileen, who always had a low presence, feel a bit uneasy. From the fragments of words like ‘Purple Snow Wood Magic Wand’ that she overheard, she realized why she had suddenly become the center of attention.

While she maintained a calm expression, deep down she couldn’t help but feel a bit shy and also a little proud.

After all, being acknowledged by someone as significant as Ajef is something to be proud of, isn’t it?

The wind brushed past her ears, lifting her hair, and the sunlight was so beautiful.

Her steps became even lighter as she began to skip and bounce with joy.

However, when she rounded a corner, she instinctively slowed her pace and moved to the side of the road.

That’s because a fifty-year-old Red-robed Mage was walking towards her.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be March, a member of the [Willis Magic Plantation Association].

She originally intended to let Mage March pass first, only to find that he had stopped and was now glaring at her with an eagle-like, grim expression. “Purple Snow Wood Magic Wand? Are you Ajef’s assistant, Aileen?”

“Yes, Master March.” Aileen hurriedly placed her right hand on her chest and nodded in greeting.

“As a magic apprentice, running around and being so flustered—where’s your decorum?” March reprimanded.

Aileen bowed her head, not daring to speak.

She didn’t understand why she had angered March, but the hardships of her early life had long taught her one lesson: when someone holds absolute power, they may not need a reason to be angry.

It’s just like how a child can crush a bug at will, without anyone blaming them.

Aileen’s silent demeanor reminded March of Ajef’s cold expression, making him even more furious.

He sneered, “You don’t look like a noble magician at all. You look more like a filthy farmer!”

Aileen continued to hang her head in silence, her thin and dark face as calm as a rock.

Aileen’s indifference only enraged March further!

If Aileen had retorted, shown a bit of anger, or even just clenched her fists, it might have improved his mood.

But instead, she remained too calm!

Appearing so submissive and indifferent to his abuse only made his insults feel as though they were landing on air, leaving him feeling equally frustrated, irritable, and furious!

Just like when faced with that detestable Ajef.

Just a while ago, he had visited Ajef on behalf of the [Willis Magic Plantation Association] to offer a share of the Plantation’s profits in exchange for a few magic apprentices that Ajef had recruited.

To his surprise, Ajef outright rejected the offer without a second thought.

No matter how much March tried to persuade with honeyed words or threats, all he got in return was the response: ‘Go ask Dundar. If he agrees, then I’ll agree.’

Ajef’s words left March extremely frustrated. He even began to wonder if Ajef was actually Dundar’s spokesperson.

Or perhaps, Dundar wasn’t satisfied with their offer?

March didn’t know.

Faced with Ajef, who was impervious to both threats and temptations, he could only stomp away in a rage.

On his way back, the more he thought about it, the angrier he became, to the point where he wanted to turn around and smash down the Forest of Magic!

Unexpectedly, when he turned a corner, he ran into Ajef’s assistant, Aileen.

“Mallow? Why are you carrying mallow?” March’s eyes were drawn to the flowerpot in Aileen’s arms.

Aileen bit her lip and softly said, “This is Mr. Ajef’s experiment. He asked me to take care of it.”

Aileen deliberately mentioned Mr. Ajef, hoping to escape this unexpected trouble.

But to her dismay, her words only piqued March’s curiosity.

His eyes narrowed, and in the next moment, Aileen felt the weight of the flowerpot lighten as it floated over to March, gripped by an invisible Mage’s Hand.

After a brief inspection, March’s face twisted into a sinister smile.

“You’re lying?”

“I… I’m not.”

“This is just an ordinary mallow plant! And you’re still claiming it’s an experiment? Do you think a magic apprentice would be allowed to carry an experimental plant out of the lab? Do you think I don’t understand Wood Spirit magic?”

March sneered coldly.

“Crash!”

The clay flowerpot was violently smashed to the ground, shattering into countless pieces, with soil and mallow fragments scattering everywhere!

Aileen’s pupils constricted. Ignoring the broken shards, she immediately knelt and frantically tried to save the mallow.

But before she could, March gestured, and the mallow was crushed to a pulp by an invisible force.

The desperate Aileen froze!

She looked at March with disbelief, completely unable to understand why he would do such a thing.

“Hmph! As a magic apprentice, you behave so improperly. What a disgrace to magic!” March scolded her and, still not satisfied, added sarcastically, “A crooked tree casts a twisted shadow!”

After his outburst, he stormed off leaving Aileen standing there.

In the distance, several magic apprentices had stopped to watch, their expressions mixed—with some showing schadenfreude and others looking nervous.

Some were even excitedly posting about the incident anonymously on the school’s Forum.

Aileen stood there, stunned.

Dazedly, she stared at the pile of mashed vegetation for a long while before quietly standing up. She used Earth magic to gather the scattered soil and debris back into the garden and then, with a calm expression, she left.

When she reached the Forest of Magic, Mr. Ajef was busy organizing seeds—clearly from yesterday’s harvest.

He greeted Aileen warmly when he saw her and asked about the progress of the mallow’s cultivation.

His gentle demeanor significantly alleviated Aileen’s gloomy mood. She gave him a sincere smile and then explained the status of the mallow’s cultivation in detail before handing over the homozygous seeds she had carefully preserved from the previous night.

“Well done. I’ll let Doman check for toxicity first and perhaps induce some mutations later. If we can improve its taste, it could become our first experiment success in the lab!”

Yu Sheng’an’s words made Aileen feel even better, and she excitedly proposed, “Sir, should I encourage the growth of another batch to save more seeds?”

“No need. Let Doman handle that. He has plenty of magic power, so we might as well use it. Save your magic power for today. We have an important task ahead.”

The seriousness in Yu Sheng’an’s tone left Aileen slightly stunned and unexpectedly moved. Holding back her tears, she replied, “Yes!”

Not long after, magic apprentices began to arrive one after another. Many of them glanced at Aileen with a peculiar look in their eyes.

However, because Mr. Ajef was present, no one dared to gossip.

A while later, Doman arrived with his granddaughter, Dorothy.

Unsurprisingly, the magic apprentices were shocked upon discovering that Doman was also participating in the magic experiment. They were increasingly convinced that Mr. Ajef possessed profound knowledge of Wood Spirit magic.

After assigning the tasks, Doman suddenly approached Yu Sheng’an and whispered, “Mr. Ajef, I heard March troubled Aileen. Do you need my help with that?”

His granddaughter had informed him of this, and when he heard it, he was overjoyed. It was the perfect opportunity to curry favor with Ajef.

Yu Sheng’an was surprised, “March troubled Aileen?”

Doman was puzzled: “You didn’t know?”