Chapter 1344: Claiming the Title of King Slowly

Lost in thought for a long time, the night grew deeper and deeper.

Considering that he was to head to Seventon the next day, Xia Duo simply tidied up the traces left by his upgrade and prepared to return to his bedroom to rest.

But when he opened the door to the Laboratory, what he saw was not the calm, empty Reception Room, but Niya, who was quietly reading a book on a chair with a late-night snack.

Seeing this scene, Xia Duo's heart suddenly warmed. At the same time, Niya also noticed Xia Duo's appearance; she immediately slapped the book in her hand onto the small table beside her, stood up, came before Xia Duo, and asked with a nervous face:

"How did it go? Did you succeed?"

"Rest assured, how could I possibly fail!"

Xia Duo pulled Niya's hand over to gently soothe her, then said jokingly: "You are now the woman of a Great Arcanist! When will you let me become the man of a Great Arcanist?"

"You succeeded?!"

Niya let out an excited exclamation, her eyes filled with agitation. She seemed to have even forgotten the joke Xia Duo had just made, throwing out questions one after another:

"What is the experience of becoming a Great Arcanist like? Is there any difference from before? Do you need to announce it to the public or hold a celebration? Are you still going to Seventon tomorrow?"

"Take it slow, no need to rush, I am right here."

Xia Duo helped Niya to a seat nearby before he began to answer the questions she had just raised one by one:

"Becoming a Great Arcanist has been one of my goals all along, and it is also one of the goals I was very certain I could reach. Now that I have reached it, besides feeling happy, I also feel the pressure."

"Compared to before, other than the Arcane Fire becoming mature and the maximum Spellcasting ring level rising from the 9th Circle to the 10th Circle, there is nothing else to it. There is no need to deify this stage; I believe you will definitely be able to reach it as well."

"As for whether to announce it to the public—"

Speaking to this point, Xia Duo paused.

Actually, he had thought of this question while inside the Spell Laboratory just now. Now that Niya asked him again, he did not feel surprised, but his answer might surprise Niya—

"Let's not announce it to the public for now. In my hometown, there is a very famous proverb: 'Build high walls, store grain widely, and claim the title of king slowly.'"

Xia Duo translated this proverb simply and explained: "Currently, whether it is the Tower of Time or our Territory, we need time to develop. At this stage, stability is greater than everything."

"If I announce the fact that I have become a Great Arcanist to the outside world, it might attract unnecessary attention, especially from the Elf."

"I feel that if the disadvantages of announcing it to the public outweigh the benefits, then there is no need to announce it. The status of Senior Arcanist is enough for me to gain everyone's respect in Netheril, including those Great Arcanists."

Niya was silent for a moment, then nodded, "If you feel it is better not to announce it to the public, then let's not announce it."

Even without the contrast of her previous excitement and agitation, Xia Duo could not have failed to notice such obvious dejection.

He knew that Niya was not a vain person; the reason she said that was likely more because she hoped he could obtain a status and glory befitting the identity of a Great Arcanist.

But Xia Duo was not a person who valued empty fame either; he cared more about practical benefits. If empty fame could bring more practical benefits, he naturally would not give it up, just like when he went to the Arcane Union to register after becoming a Senior Arcanist previously.

But if empty fame could not bring more practical benefits, as in this case, then there was no need to be burdened by it.

Regarding Niya's concern, Xia Duo felt very warmed. After comforting her for a while, the relaxed and cheerful sounds of the two appeared in the Reception Room once again.

……

After finishing the late-night snack, the two returned to the bedroom in Niya's residence to rest.

At noon the next day, Niya saw Xia Duo off to the Teleportation Room. At the moment of parting, she was still lingeringly holding Xia Duo's arm, and Xia Duo's heart was also shrouded in a faint layer of sorrow at the parting.

At the edge of the Teleportation Array, Xia Duo quietly embraced Niya, carefully experiencing the incredibly Reality of this emotional release at this moment. For a fleeting second, he even wanted to stay behind for another day.

However, affection is ultimately not about being together day and night; there is also the price paid to protect the stability of this togetherness. Being alone is certainly free and unfettered, but at this moment, Xia Duo would rather have his heart tethered.

After some tenderness, Niya finally pushed Xia Duo away, sent him onto the Teleportation Array, and said: "Take care, I will wait for you at the Tower of Time."

"Mm."

Xia Duo nodded, and then the Teleportation Array activated. The Magic Net vibrated violently, leaving behind only a lingering shadow of Xia Duo waving goodbye at the very end.

……

Seventon, Arcane Union.

Having just walked out of the Teleportation Array, a second ago Xia Duo was still savoring Niya's tender affection, but the next moment, he had to face the relatively cold Reality world all by himself.

This contrast made him somewhat unable to adapt for a moment. He stood blankly in the Teleportation Room for a few seconds before coming back to his senses, putting on a delicate "persona mask" for himself.

Leaving the Teleportation Room, Xia Duo declined the enthusiastic escort service of the Sorcerer Deacon, walked straight through the Trade District, and arrived in front of the Library.

Hesitating for a moment, he still walked into the Library. Passing through the Library, one reaches the office area for the main administrative personnel of the Arcane Union.

Xia Duo recognized the location of Iolum's office and also had the Permission Level for this place; he hurried along without stopping.

Not until he saw the office door did a young Deacon run toward him from another corridor.

That person bowed as soon as he reached Xia Duo, then quickly said:

"Lord Xia Duo, apologies for being late, please follow me!"

While speaking, he quickly turned back to lead the way. Xia Duo's pace never stopped throughout, and he only paused slightly when he reached the door of Iolum's office.

Waiting for the door to open from the inside, Xia Duo was about to enter when he seemed to think of something. He turned back to nod at the young Deacon who looked about his age and said "Go get busy," before walking inside.

Behind him, Xia Duo seemed to hear a long sigh of relief, which made him sigh with emotion, followed by the dull sound of the door closing again.

"I thought you would have come over in the morning!"

Before Xia Duo could get close, Iolum said exactly this. From this sentence, Xia Duo seemed to sense Iolum's anxious mood.

This made him more confident in his plan. He walked unhurriedly to Iolum's desk, gave a slight bow, and said: "Good afternoon, Teacher Iolum!"

"No need for formalities, take a look at the document on the table first."

"Document?"

Xia Duo looked in the direction Iolum pointed. Sure enough, there was a thick book placed on the edge of the desk. He had originally thought it was one of Iolum's private collections or Spell Notes; he did not expect it to be prepared for him.

Immediately following, that book flew in front of Xia Duo.

"Could it be information related to the Mythallar?" Xia Duo's heart stirred; he hurriedly grabbed the book and began to flip through it impatiently.