"That was fifty years ago—"
Vay began with a recollection-laden opening, and from the tone, Kaier thought it would be a long, tumultuous, and emotionally stirring story.
But in fact, the time this story took place was very brief, only a few months. Even if Vay described all the details, the story was quickly finished.
To put it bluntly, it’s a story of a trickster and a fool.
The trickster is Yuna, and the fool is Dox... Of course, there was also a spectator, Vay.
Back then, Dox discovered an ancient laboratory through a friend’s information and his own speculation. According to the intel, the laboratory was left by an Alchemist.
Generally speaking, a laboratory left by an Alchemist is the most valuable among the legacies and is the first choice for Wandering Wizards on adventures.
Upon receiving this information, Dox immediately invited Vay to explore it together. However, upon reaching the destination, they found that the so-called laboratory owner—the Alchemist—was actually just an Alchemy Apprentice, and it was within the sub-branch of Potionology, Fragrance Studies.
Although a bit disappointed, they still held some expectations. During their search, they really found a secret room, but outside the secret room was filled with strange aromas that couldn’t be dispersed by the wind or washed away by water, penetrating without obstruction, even invading fully armored individuals.
Once affected by the aroma, one would fall into a deep sleep.
To solve this puzzle, they found a self-proclaimed female Apprentice claiming to have researched scents, and that person was Yuna.
After traveling with Yuna, they returned to the ruins, and upon arriving, Yuna innocently stated that her research was limited to mortal scents. This was beyond her scope of study.
Vay and Dox were not fools, quickly realizing that Yuna’s sole reason for joining was to find out the location of the ruins. And Yuna had a secret wind technique, which made her very capable of escape, evading capture, and then finding people to seize the treasure from the ruins.
Nevertheless, knowing Yuna’s intentions, Dox, as the leader, still forgave her. He even directly allowed Yuna to join the team, exploring and sharing the profits together.
Dox acted this way because at the time he was still innocent, influenced by his mother, showing great tolerance and respect for women. He even told Vay that no matter what women did to him, he would never lay a hand on them.
Then, Yuna discovered Dox’s "gentlemanly" trait, starting a series of actions that left Vay speechless.
In just a few short months together, she had already conned half of Dox’s fortune.
Yet Dox maintained his demeanor.
Later, they managed to crack the fragrant magic array outside the ruins and found inside a box enveloped in aroma, which was speculated to contain the Alchemy Apprentice’s manuscript.
Yuna immediately expressed her need for it, but Dox intended for them to find someone to decipher the aroma once outside, then open the box, each writing a copy.
Yuna agreed at the time, but what happened subsequently was entirely unexpected.
They were surrounded by a group, who turned out to be Yuna’s accomplices. From the start, Yuna had companions; she followed them merely waiting for the ruins to be unlocked, then called her partners to ambush them.
At that moment, Vay’s combat instincts were strong, and upon realizing they were surrounded, he quickly assessed the situation and immediately called forth the Earth Prison to trap Yuna.
However, Yuna’s accomplices seemed completely unconcerned about Yuna’s life, even attacking Yuna alongside.
Seeing Yuna about to be killed by her own companions, Dox, at the cost of serious injuries, shielded her from the attack, and released her from the prison.
But Yuna did not show gratitude to Dox, directly stabbing him in the back and stealing the box.
Then she said a line to the dying Dox: "Remember today’s lesson I taught you, women and men alike are not worth trusting."
Accompanied by laughter, Yuna and her accomplices left.
As for Vay, those individuals dared not overly target him, presumably because Yuna secretly informed them of Vay’s connection to the Noah Clan. Thus, the only one truly injured was Dox.
Perhaps Dox’s survival was due to his relationship with Vay.
"The end result was that I took Dox to the Wizard Market to find someone to save him." By this point, the story was basically over. The subsequent development was easily predictable.
Kaier’s face was full of emotion: "So Red Sword has such a past."
Vay nodded, speaking in a reflective tone: "Thinking back now, I don’t particularly dislike Yuna. At least, Yuna truly taught Dox a lesson. Since that day, although Dox occasionally has gentlemanly manners, when it comes to interest matters, he no longer remains as rigid as before."
Angel silently remarked in his heart: It’s evident... if he were still as gentlemanly as before, he surely wouldn’t have directly ambushed the evil woman.
"But, speaking of coincidences, who would’ve thought the evil woman actually met Yuna and learned about Dox’s past from her." Vay touched his chin, finding it a bit incredible.
"What coincidence is there? At tea parties, the witches’ favorite topics are nothing but those few. ’Men’ topics are definitely in the top ten." The speaker was Black Earl, who mentioned this with a hint of disdain.
"Have you attended a tea party, my lord?" Kaier asked in surprise.
Black Earl’s nostrils flared slightly but quickly returned to their normal state: "I myself have never attended, but among the Noah offspring, there is no shortage of women."
Kaier nodded in understanding; Noah offspring typically possess a part of Black Earl, tagging along with their kin to tea parties may seem odd, but understandable.
Though Angel perceived the sudden change in Black Earl’s emotions, he slightly raised an eyebrow.
There was no real need for Black Earl to specifically mention he had not attended.
Moreover, tea parties forbid males. And for men to enter, there’s only one way.
Angel silently mused: Seems like I’ve uncovered some astonishing secrets...
Black Earl, unwilling to dwell on the matter, hurriedly said: "At tea parties, evaluating men is something many witches enjoy doing. So, if the evil woman met Yuna, it’s hardly unusual for them to discuss this topic at tea parties."
At this point, Black Earl seemed to have the intent to stir trouble, turning the slate to Angel: "Soon, the new tea party will begin. You’ll undoubtedly become the center of their focus. If certain mischievous witches drag you into the eye of a storm, you’ll be in for it."
Angel remained indifferent; the main venue for this tea party was in the Wilderness of Dreams. Anyone daring to provoke him would face restrictions!
Thinking this internally, Angel said aloud, "It shouldn’t happen. In truth, I haven’t interacted with many Official Wizards, even fewer witches. I barely know any witches."
Black Earl: "That’s true, but you’re certain to become the focus. It all depends on which way the opinion sways in the end."
"However, speaking of which, in this aspect, you might want to consult your Mentor." Black Earl’s tone took on a peculiar shade: "Even though he’s positioned as a Black Wizard, showing no mercy to witches, ironically, his reputation at tea parties is quite high. Not sure how he manages it, probably secretly using Mirror Lady and Evan to influence opinions."
Whenever Mirror Lady participates in a tea party, she’s a bigwig. Evan, as a resident witch of the City of Truth from Barbarian Cave, wields substantial influence, equally at the top tier.