Chapter 703: Invited Mission, Striving for Self-Improvement

Xia Duo's readiness made Greta feel very satisfied, and at the same time, she thought even more highly of this young man. Niya, who was sitting to the side, appeared somewhat dissatisfied, but after the previous little episode, she did not flare up in front of Greta, looking as if she were sulking by herself.

At this moment, Archmage Greta finally stated what the so-called mission actually was—

"Lord Xia Duo, what Her Highness the Princess wants you to do is not difficult; one could even say it is extremely simple, and there will be almost no danger at all."

"Hmm?" Xia Duo was somewhat surprised.

"Before long, Rodney Lord will invite you to visit Rodney Territory. Her Highness the Princess wants you to accept it and go there in person."

Just that—

The heart that had been somewhat hanging in Xia Duo's chest immediately dropped; going to Rodney Territory was better than going to explore some unknown secret realm.

Combined with Greta's previous words, since Rodney Lord was seeking protection from the Seven Towers, it was highly probable that he would not harbor any crooked intentions toward him.

"No problem, as soon as Rodney Lord sends the invitation, I will set off immediately!"

After finishing the serious business, Greta stood up and left her seat. She was preparing to leave; there were still many things in Seventon waiting for her to return and handle!

"Lady Greta, wait a moment!"

Seeing that Greta was about to leave, Niya suddenly spoke up to stop her, asking that previous question once again, "What exactly is going on with Rodney Lord's invitation? Why must it be Xia Duo who goes?"

Even though there was a clear tone of questioning in Niya's words, the smile on Greta's face did not diminish. She stopped in her tracks and looked at Niya, while Niya stared back at her without the slightest fear.

Seeing this, Xia Duo hurriedly stepped forward and tugged on Niya. Although he was somewhat touched that Niya was standing up for him, this kind of behavior of directly questioning an Archmage was still not worth encouraging.

Even if Archmage Greta was not angry to her face, there was no guarantee she wouldn't cause trouble behind his back. Xia Duo did not want to think of people so badly, but sometimes being cautious was more in line with the logic of survival.

Pulled by Xia Duo like this, Niya immediately calmed down, knowing that her approach was somewhat inappropriate, but she was also unwilling to let Xia Duo go to some unclear appointment.

Thus, the scene remained at a stalemate.

In the end, it was Greta who took the initiative to break the deadlock. Looking at the young Niya before her, it was as if she saw her younger self, also so full of vitality!

"Niya, didn't I just say it? This is just a normal invitation, there will be no mission danger. This is what Her Highness the Princess said herself. If you don't believe me, surely you don't doubt your teacher?"

"Then why must it be Xia Duo who goes?"

"Because Rodney Lord invited Lord Xia Duo!" At this, Greta even made a small joke.

However, Niya also reacted quickly; this was undoubtedly her teacher's arrangement. Thinking of this, her mood suddenly became a bit uncomfortable, and she said in a flat tone:

"I understand!"

Having said that, Niya silently cleared the way, signaling for Greta to leave.

Greta smiled, not taking the little girl's slight emotional outburst to heart, and continued very kindly: "In that case, I will be leaving. There are quite a few things in Seventon! When the Drow War ends and you return to Seventon, we shall chat again."

Niya nodded with a stiff expression and accompanied Xia Duo to send Greta to the Teleportation Room.

Just before stepping onto the Teleportation Array, Greta turned back to say one more thing to Xia Duo, "Don't worry about Rodney Lord's invitation in a while; it really is just a simple invitation. Just treat it as a trip!"

After speaking, she walked into the range of the Teleportation Array without looking back, skillfully triggered and activated it, and with a flash of white light, Greta was no longer in the Tower of Time.

"Xia Duo—"

"Niya—"

After Greta left, Xia Duo and Niya called out each other's names simultaneously.

"Let me speak first. Xia Duo, why did you agree to that mission? Didn't Archmage Greta just say it? Rodney Lord offended a certain Great Arcanist. Getting involved in this kind of thing carries great risk! Even if they can guarantee your safety in Rodney Territory, if the price is being targeted by a Great Arcanist, then I would rather let Rodney Territory develop in the Green Pearl Forest! You should have refused!"

Niya's gaze was very serious, making Xia Duo swallow back the words he had originally wanted to say. He looked at Niya just as seriously and spoke his true thoughts:

"If I refuse, will I have to stay in the Tower of Time for the rest of my life?"

"How could that be? Teacher couldn't possibly punish you for something like this!" Niya retorted subconsciously.

But she soon realized what Xia Duo meant by that sentence. It wasn't about staying in the Tower of Time in the literal sense, but that Xia Duo had his own ideals and did not want to always be attached to the Tower of Time or the relationship of being the Princess's student.

And if he wanted to achieve something else, he naturally couldn't narrow his path within the Seven Towers.

Thinking of this, Niya's mood suddenly became somewhat complicated. She looked at Xia Duo as if she were seeing someone who might disappear at any moment.

And this person happened to be Xia Duo. If it were a year ago, Niya wouldn't have been so moved; after all, the transition from apprentice and mentor to husband and wife was indeed a bit stiff.

But after more than a year of getting along, Niya had become accustomed to the existence of such a person by her side, and their relationship had gone from initial mutual probing to a degree close to family.

Having experienced the sadness of her father leaving once, Niya really did not want to experience the departure of a loved one again. She stared blankly at Xia Duo, her voice beginning to tremble, "Are, are you going to leave the Tower of Time?"

Xia Duo was stunned; he didn't know how much Niya had imagined in the span of a single sentence. "How could I leave the Tower of Time! This is also my home in Netheril, but I can't let you support me for the rest of my life. A man has hands and feet; he must carve out a world of his own!"

Hearing that Xia Duo was not going to leave the Tower of Time, nor was he going to distance himself from the Tower of Time or from her, Niya's mood immediately improved. Thinking of what Xia Duo had just said, she couldn't help but ask curiously:

"Is this also a custom from your hometown?"

"You could say that! Then what is the custom in Netheril?"

"In Netheril, among a married couple, the weaker party will very naturally choose to rely on the strong!"

"Uh—"

Xia Duo suddenly didn't know what to say. This was practically a naked hint that it would be fine for him to be a kept man. However, Xia Duo also knew that if he really chose to be a kept man from the start of their marriage and didn't put any effort into himself, then his best ending in the future would probably be becoming one of Niya's many male favorites!

He didn't believe that he could tie down a Great Arcanist Lord with a bright future for a lifetime just by being an Intermediate Mage.

Even on Earth, the same principle applied; how could a pure gigolo attract the long-term attention of a wealthy woman? One had to establish a persona, tell some stories, and have more tricks up one's sleeve.

Of course, Xia Duo was not comparing himself to a gigolo, but whether from a rational or emotional perspective, he had no need to be completely kept; investing in oneself was never a loss.

Was this being a bit of a scumbag? But perhaps it was precisely because of this way of thinking and acting that Niya was gradually attracted to him.