Chapter 48: The School Has a New Young Assistant, and His Magic Soars in the Sky
Chapter 48: The School Has a New Young Assistant, and His Magic Soars in the Sky
What is the most despairing thing in life?
It’s when the very thing you’re most confident in is crushed, effortlessly, by someone else.
It’s when the dignity you’ve always held dear is trampled underfoot—and you don’t even have the strength to fight back.
Afuduo slumped to the ground, utterly lost. She couldn’t comprehend what had just happened.
She was one of the few apothecaries within a hundred-mile radius. Admittedly, her Potion Crafting couldn’t compare to those so-called experts, scholars, or true masters of the craft, but in the human imperial capital, she could certainly make a living from her skills—there was no doubt about that.
Yet, because she was a demi-human, she still hadn’t managed to secure anything resembling a decent job.
Now, on the verge of starvation, she had finally worked up the courage to try her luck at the Imperial Capital’s Magic Academy.
It had taken tremendous effort just to find an opening for a general assistant in the potion studies department—a position that matched her abilities.
But… she was just one step away! Why did she have to run into someone like him—a man who clearly had the ability, yet insisted on pretending to be a nepotism hire, applying for a mere assistant’s position?
Did he get some kind of thrill from crushing others’ hopes?
Or was competition in the capital so fierce that even an assistant role required someone of his caliber?
“There’s just… no hope left…”
Honestly, her look of utter defeat was almost comical.
Lin Wei stood nearby, quietly observing, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
The pride that had once colored her features had vanished without a trace. Even her slightly green-tinted eyes now reflected only despair.
It was like watching a mighty dam collapse, leaving behind nothing but ruins and a deep, inescapable sense of hopelessness.
Only then did Lin Wei finally recall who she was.
…If memory served, there really was a tribe of demi-humans living in the Fallen Lands near the demon’s core territory.
They were renowned for their lithe, powerful bodies—capable of sudden, astonishing bursts of strength. Their emerald-green eyes were said to possess an innate gift: the ability to see through anything. Yet, this blessing from the God of Assassins hadn’t led them to become scouts or spies.
Instead, they used that unique talent to roam the wilds, gathering and refining herbs—eventually walking the path of the apothecary.
“If you’re going to apologize, you’d better bare your stomach first,” Lin Wei remarked suddenly, his tone deadpan.
“Right away…huh?”
The woman, who’d been drowning in despair, jolted in surprise.
Her body, which had instinctively begun to move, froze mid-motion—stiff as a board.
She stared at the adventurer before her, utterly dumbfounded. She hadn’t expected him to say something like that.
Wait—how did he know that, back in her homeland, baring one’s stomach was the proper way to apologize?
Had she given herself away?
So, her true identity really had been exposed!
“Heh.”
It seemed his guess had been spot on.
A faint aura of magic shimmered around Lin Wei, cloaking him in a subtle veil of concealment.
At first, he hadn’t noticed. But now, piecing together the telltale signs, Lin Wei finally remembered what race this woman belonged to.
She had almost no talent for Potion Crafting, yet her people, desperate to survive, would do anything to avoid the front lines—insisting on staying at the rear, no matter what.
This woman… she was from the Catkin Tribe, wasn’t she?
Because of their unique personalities, Catkin were said to fetch a high price in the human world.
“Now then, Miss Applicant, do you understand the gap in your abilities?”
Just then, Paxson—who had been silent for quite some time—finally spoke up.
Facing Lin Wei, who was still teasing the defeated Afuduo, Paxson’s eyes shone with excitement.
Originally, he’d thought this was just a routine targeted recruitment—a mere formality to fulfill Lady Rennie’s request and bring in this particular adventurer.
He never expected to witness such a scene.
So, all those achievements on Lin Wei’s record… they were real, not just some gilded résumé!
Especially that Potion Crafting demonstration—it was so extraordinary that even a layman could sense its power. With talent like this, who needed connections? He could walk right in!
“Mr. Lin Wei, you’re exactly the kind of talent we need.”
Paxson stepped forward, face earnest, and extended his hand.
This wasn’t some backroom hire. This was the Holy Church sending gifted individuals straight to the Imperial Capital’s Magic Academy.
But then again… it made sense. After all, the current Pope, Selena, was one of the Academy’s most distinguished alumni. A little special treatment was only natural.
“If there’s nothing else, Miss Afuduo, please see yourself out.”
After a brief handshake, Paxson noticed the Catkin woman still sitting there in shock, unable to move.
Lin Wei smiled and gently urged her to leave, careful not to expose her any further.
After all, while this demi-human tribe had remained neutral during the war, the constant slave raids by human nobles had left them naturally sympathetic to the demon side.
Even if their Potion Crafting skills were mediocre, their passion still allowed them to produce a few decent brews.
For that alone, Lin Wei would never consider harming her.
“Uh… I—I—I’ll leave right away!”
I’m doomed—I’m totally exposed, I’m finished!
Afuduo, now fully alert, had no idea what Lin Wei was actually thinking. Her mind was consumed with a single thought: get out. She scrambled to her feet and hurried out without a backward glance.
The proud, aloof look she’d worn was gone, replaced by frantic anxiety. She was so afraid of being detained that she practically ran out the door—but no one stopped her, not even for a moment.
“Well, that settles it.”
With the matter resolved, Lin Wei let out a quiet breath of relief. Then he turned with a smile and asked, “So, does this mean I’ve got the job?”
“Of course! On behalf of the Imperial Capital Magic Academy, I am honored to officially welcome you aboard, Mr. Lin Wei!”
Paxson replied with utmost formality, the air of a chief recruiter returning to his expression.
“Now then, here’s a list of documents you’ll need to bring tomorrow,” he continued briskly. “Since you’re still under Imperial citizen review, we’ll also need a written statement from your guarantor…”
After a flurry of instructions and explanations—
Paxson saw Lin Wei out, and then, his work complete, hurried back to his office, barely able to contain his excitement.
At that moment, countless Academy recruiters were still hard at work in their offices, busy with paperwork and interviews.
Noticing Paxson’s unusually bright mood, a colleague couldn’t help but ask,
“Chief Recruiter, you seem to be in excellent spirits. Did you finish that task assigned by the Holy Church’s envoy?”
“Of course I did! Let me tell you, this recruitment wasn’t about pulling strings for the Holy Church at all—it was simply the Academy gaining a truly exceptional talent.”
Paxson nodded enthusiastically, his eyes alight as he recounted the events to his coworkers.
“Just now, I witnessed a truly terrifying apothecary at work—his magic literally lifted the ingredients and sent them soaring through the air…”
◇
Lin Wei made his way back to the recruitment hall where he’d been earlier.
The cobblestone road was still crowded with hopeful applicants, the atmosphere unchanged from before—though one thing struck him as odd: there was no sign of Yalis anywhere.
Just as he was about to look around for her, a faint commotion in the distance caught his attention.
“Mr. Lin Wei, over here~”