More Star Magic

Originally, Freyr planned to spend the night in the study, and the blanket had been prepared for him by the servants. Natalie, with a flicker, dodged the blanket and emerged from under it, taunting maliciously, "Oh, young man, why are you blushing? Don't you find me beautiful?"

"No, it's just that I feel embarrassed..." Freyr replied with a stern face. "You are beautiful, but I can't help but think of you as my Forebears."

"Hahahaha..." Natalie laughed heartily, then suddenly winked. "That might actually be interesting!"

Freyr started to feel a headache coming on. This Natalie wasn't just a thoughtless tool; she was almost a living person. Created by the real Natalie as a mere memory replica, she had been sealed for nearly two hundred years. By now, she had probably developed a personality of her own.

"You know, my dear, handsome young master," Natalie finally jumped off the table, floating ghost-like towards Freyr, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "I've spent these two hundred years in this study, witnessing countless events firsthand!"

Freyr's interest piqued. "What kind of events?"

Throughout the generations, the ancestors of the Russell family made significant decisions here. Many crucial matters that influenced the family's prosperity were decided in this very room. Of course, there were also family secrets. But to Freyr's disappointment, Natalie wasn't talking about secrets or major family events. Instead, it was... gossip!

Yes, standard gossip! Like how a certain young master once had an affair with a pretty maid in this study. Or how a family head wrote love letters to his mistress on this desk. Freyr even heard from Natalie about his own "grandfather," the father of the current earl, a man known to be stern and rigid, who once hosted an orgy with two noble girls in this very study after a castle banquet.

"All these things, I witnessed with my own eyes!" Natalie's eyes gleamed with curiosity and excitement as she spoke. "I also know that hidden on one of the bookshelves are some 'forbidden' books. Would you like to see your ancestors' private collection, my dear, handsome young master?"

Freyr forced an awkward smile, looking at the mischievous Natalie, and sighed. "I'm not interested... Listen carefully! Your dear, handsome young master is only interested in one thing right now... star magic. I want to learn the star magic Natalie left behind, understand?"

"Star magic... star magic again..." Natalie's face suddenly darkened. "Why does everyone want to learn magic? Is magic really that much fun?"

The playful smile vanished from her face, replaced by a heavy expression. "Do you really want to learn star magic? Then I must warn you, don't regret it in the future! Let me tell you, if it weren't for star magic... Natalie wouldn't have died so early!"

Freyr's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean? Didn't Natalie commit suicide out of grief after her husband died?"

"Sorry, that's the one secret I can't tell you." Natalie blinked. "I was instructed: unless you learn the final, most difficult spell of star magic, I can't reveal this to you."

Freyr was growing impatient. "Alright, I'm not that interested. Can we start learning now?"

"Sorry, not tonight." Natalie shook her head. "Star magic is different from regular magic. We can't practice it here... Natalie left a white tower in this castle, the best place for observing the stars, perfect for training... This study is too dark, without a view of the sky, unsuitable for learning star magic."

"The white tower..." Freyr frowned. "Is the white tower necessary?"

Natalie pondered. "If not the white tower, then it should be a spacious, quiet place with a clear view of the stars... The most crucial aspect is that you must be able to see the sky."

Freyr checked the time. "Then we'll start tomorrow night... see you then."

Freyr didn't want to say anything more to this "Natalie." After all, watching your Forebears lift her robe and expose her legs in front of you wasn't exactly enjoyable.

The next morning, as the sun rose brightly—pardon the cliché, but it's necessary for context—someone came to see Freyr while he was enjoying his breakfast in the sunlight. It was that... swindler wizard, Ryan.

After everyone thought Freyr had been kidnapped, Ryan faced enormous pressure. He was the only wizard around Freyr, yet had no signs of having fought. Everyone else was injured except him! Ryan bore the brunt of his companions' frustration. Truth be told, he was also embarrassed about fainting out of fear of an opponent's eighth-level wizard title before the fight even started. But then again, how could you expect a first-level wizard (with a fraudulent qualification at that) to duel an eighth-level wizard? That wasn't a duel... it was a murder!

"Oh, my dear master, seeing you return safely brings me such joy..." Ryan immediately plastered on a smile as he entered the study.