Chapter 57 The Second Academic Year: A Honeycomb Green with a Golden Surface and a Dark Interior...

Ancia sat in the auditorium again and experienced the opening ceremony from the perspective of an upperclassman. Only then did she realize how complicated the speeches inside the auditorium were when the freshmen were waiting outside.

The King spoke, the Abbot spoke, the Vatican spoke, the Abbot spoke again...

Previously, the Vatican would send a cardinal to represent the pope, but after Heligalo came of age, the authority of the Vatican was gradually transferred to him, and now Heligalo speaks on behalf of the Vatican.

Ancia took out a piece of paper, placed it on the armrest, and turned directly to Princess Eve, who was sitting elegantly next to her. "Eve, I have a question for you."

Princess Eve unfolded her folding fan and held it in front of her face. She turned her head slightly and lowered her voice, "What do you want to ask?"

Ancia: "What foods do you hate to eat?"

Eve: "The likes and dislikes of royalty must not be revealed to the outside world; they must remain a mystery..."

Ancia: "Speak."

Princess Eve paused, her cheeks flushed slightly behind the folding fan, and she blushed inexplicably. "I hate strong-smelling food and prefer soft bread."

Anciya quickly jotted it down, then continued asking without looking up, "Do you have any aversions to clothes or jewelry?"

Eve: "I hate fancy but uncomfortable things."

Ancia: "Hmm, so how did you manage to stay in the Monster Mountain Range?"

Eve: "Isn't that...two mattresses...next question!"

Ansia: "What type of man do you dislike?"

Once this was mentioned, Eve launched into a long explanation: "Arrogant, lacking manners, cunning, a green tea bitch..."

Ancia took notes incredibly fast, almost too fast to keep up with Eve's pace; the princess simply disliked far too many types of people.

When Heligalo returned to the area where the second-year students sat, Ancia had already filled an entire page with notes.

Ancia put away her pen and paper. "Okay, thanks for your cooperation. I'll treat you to dinner next time."

Eve put down her folding fan. "When is the next time?"

Ancia was about to casually reply that she would definitely do it next time, but when she saw Eve's jaw tighten with nervousness, she changed her answer, "It's up to you. Whenever you want to have dinner together, just call me."

Heligalo smiled: "And what about me? If I'd like to invite you to dinner, is that alright too?"

Eve narrowed her eyes, so that's why she hates green tea!

Ancia was confused. "Of course you can, but Heli, please don't invite me to Holy Communion. I really can't stand it."

Eve chuckled softly, glancing smugly at Heligaluo. When it came to appreciating fine food, what could those ascetics of the Holy See possibly have to compare with the royal family?

Heligalo: "Of course, I remember that of all the meals you ordered during the summer at the Mage Tower, the one you ordered most often was Old Man John's Stewed Beef. You ordered it twenty-one times in two months."

Ansia: "..."

Mentor, you're right. We really should have Heri remove the white doves near the mage tower.

Eve shivered and, even with Ancia in between, tried her best to move to the right.

This is terrifying! Heligaluo is no longer just a cunning green tea; he's now a honeycomb green tea with a golden exterior but a black interior. How could anyone say such terrifying things in such a calm tone?

Eve fanned herself rapidly with her folding fan, changing the subject, "The Dean has begun to speak, let's listen to what the Dean has to say."

The talent test was about to begin, and the mysterious dean stood on the stage. Anxiya felt as if he had glanced in their direction.

The dean didn't say much this time and directly read out the list. The freshmen of this year came forward in order of talent from low to high, but until the second to last, there was no one whose elemental affinity exceeded 88 points.

"There's one last freshman left," the dean read aloud. "Connor Sanchez."

A well-dressed noble freshman stepped forward and channeled his magic into the crystal ball. The numbers on the magic screen slowly rose and eventually stopped at 90.

"Dark element affinity, 90".

This is the most approachable freshman of this year, but given his noble status, he should become a dark mage rather than an assassin.

Ancia was observing Connor when, unexpectedly, the haughty Eve was also watching him intently.

His gaze wasn't very friendly; Ancia even saw a hint of murderous intent in it.

Interesting, besides Aurora, does Eve also want this family to die?

But as she watched Connor walk from the freshman seating area to the sophomore seating area, Eve concealed her murderous intent very well.

Connor stood to the right front of Princess Eve's seat, maintaining a safe social distance, and gave her a bright and cheerful smile. "Good day, Princess Eve, my fiancée."

The last three words clearly hit Eve's sore spot. Ancia even sensed that the wind element beside Eve showed a tendency to surge violently for a moment, and then vanished without a trace.

Eve said coldly, "This matter is not yet settled, so it's probably inappropriate for you to call me that."

A hint of determination flashed in Connor's eyes. "Once Father is promoted to Duke, the Sanchez family mansion will welcome its most suitable mistress. But for now, we can only be neighbors for the time being, Your Highness. I will be waiting for your visit at Villa No. 14."

After he left, Eve was still angry, almost furious. When the little fairy came with the payment device to ask her, she swiped her card and paid the annual fee for the villa for all three people.

Yes, even Heligalo's portion.

Heligaluo's hand holding the crystal card froze in mid-air. The little goblins didn't care who paid the money; they just wanted to receive the corresponding fee.

The little fairy beamed with joy, "What a wonderful princess! What a generous princess!"

Eve's face was horribly dark. "Ancia, I'm going to have dinner with you tonight."

Ancia gave a no-questions-asked gesture. "I'll deliver the braised beef set meal for two from Old Man John's, plus some cooling herbal tea, to your villa tonight."

We can definitely get a lot of information about Marquis Moreno from Eve. The royal family and the Dark Night Guild have different sources of information, so this will fill in the gaps in the Dark Night Guild's intelligence network.

That evening, Ancia arrived at Villa No. 13 as promised. She carried a lunchbox and went straight in. Eve was already sitting on the sofa, having calmed down a bit.

Ancia laid out all the food and considerately pulled out a chair for Eve, asking knowingly, "Who made our Princess Eve angry?"

Eve kept picking at the meat on her plate with her fork, as if that piece of meat was Connor himself. "Who else could it be but Connor over there!"

Ancia: "Why does he call you his fiancée?"

Eve bit her lower lip. "All last year, I didn't express my feelings to those noble families who were trying to curry favor with me. Instead, I signed up to go to the Monster Mountain Range for training in the winter. As a result, my grandfather took back my right to choose my own spouse. This Connor should be the marriage partner he chose for me."

Although the current king of the Augustinian Empire is Eve's father, everyone knows that the real power still rests with the old king. Rumors have long circulated that the old king was severely wounded in the war twenty years ago and was nearing his end, yet he has not only survived to this day, but his control over the royal family remains as strong as ever.

Ancia: "Why his family of all? There are other marquis families in the academy besides them."

Eve was taken aback by the question. After thinking for a moment, she said uncertainly, "By the way... I remember that Marquis Moreno recently broke through suddenly, going directly from a four-star mage to a six-star mage. He must have had some kind of extraordinary encounter, right? After hearing about this, my grandfather often summoned Marquis Moreno. He probably saw this and thought their family's genes were better. Moreover, Connor's elemental affinity is even higher than the Marquis's, so his future achievements will not be lower than his father's, and he may even become a mage."

Ancia: "No matter how high his talent is, it's only on par with yours. Your grandfather didn't even believe you could become a mage, so how could he trust him? I think the reason must lie with his father. Marquis Moreno must have offered something that attracted your grandfather to gain the favor of the highest level."

Eve's eyes lit up. "You're right. I'll go find my brother and ask him to help me look into it."

Ancia laughed as if she'd heard a joke. "Villien? With his self-serving nature, would he really help you investigate this?"

Eve shook her head. "Most of the time, my brother is like that, but... in his heart, there's still a slight difference in the bond of kinship."

Ancia left Eve's villa, but instead of rushing back to her own villa, number 11, she quietly left Gracia under the cover of night, boarded an ordinary carriage at the side gate, and the carriage slowly drove towards the nameless tavern.

Aurora: "How was it, little Ancia? I came right away as soon as you sent the message."

Ancia: "Help me with my makeup. I'm going to the Dark Night Guild again tonight. After submitting a request, I'll be able to access the intelligence network."

As Aurora applied the cream to Ancia's face, she asked, "Did you find out anything interesting?"

Ancia closed her eyes and felt something brushing across her face. "The old king wants to form a marriage alliance with the Marquis Moreno's family."

Aurora sighed softly, "Oh dear, once Moreno becomes the princess's father-in-law, I really won't be able to beat him then."

Ancia: "Unfortunately, the princess is not happy. I am very curious about how Marquis Moreno gained the old king's favor, and I plan to start my investigation from that point."

Aurora laughed. "Since Her Highness the Princess is unwilling, I have to help her. Alright, Miss Vine, please get out of the carriage."

Three-star wood-wielding adventurer, Vine, once again enters the tavern.

This time, after Ancia quietly revealed her badge, the bartender opened the underground passage for her, just like before.

Ancia first submitted the information for Request No. 35454 to the woman in the hall, Franka.

Franka took the intelligence. "I'll pay you half first. If the client doesn't complain, the other half will be paid to you after deducting the handling fee in thirty days."

Ancia: "So, my request is complete, right? Can I now access the intelligence network?"

Franka looked at her quietly for a while, then looked away before Ancia noticed. "Of course, please come with me."