Chapter 169: Anthony's Demand

Inside the hospital room, Mahler and Gebaz stood with their fists clenched, ready to attack Anthony at any moment. Simone, too, eyed him with hostility. Teacher Monroe’s expression was grim, and a trace of anger showed in Victoria’s eyes.

Anthony paid no heed to Mahler and the others. He had already reached the sixth rank as a mage, and the other two were only third- and fourth-rank mages—hardly worth worrying about. Even Simone, standing nearby, was only a fifth-rank mage and posed no threat to him.

But Teacher Monroe, who had remained silent, exerted an invisible pressure that kept him from acting rashly. And the anger in the eyes of Victoria, the woman he loved, made him deeply uncomfortable. So he chose not to strike.

“Mahler, you say I did this. Do you have any proof?” With Victoria present, Anthony did not want to tarnish his image, so he decided to explain himself.

Mahler was at a loss for words. It was true: he had no proof. He had simply heard Simone’s account and flown into a rage, ready to attack. But he quickly recovered. “Anthony, with so many coincidences piling up, who’s going to believe you didn’t do it?”

Anthony gave a scornful laugh. “Hmph. That’s an awfully hasty conclusion. Nancy is Nancy, and I’m me. She invited Bill to dinner—that was her business. What does it have to do with me? Besides, yesterday several of my friends happened to be sitting beside you and saw Bill collapse. They heard you say you were taking him to the academy infirmary. I happened to hear about it while chatting with them after the exam, so I hurried over.”

“As for the three-colored snake venom in Bill’s system, I’ve studied potion alchemy under my master for many years. I know a thing or two, so it’s hardly strange that I recognized it at a glance.”

Anthony’s words left Mahler speechless. Gebaz, standing nearby, also began to lose heart. Simone’s claims had only been speculation; there was no hard evidence. Now that Anthony had turned their accusations back on them, they had nothing to say.

In truth, the reason Rollin had not shared his suspicions with Mahler, Gebaz, and Victoria the day before was that he had no proof. If he had told them, he knew their tempers would have sent them straight to Anthony’s place to make a scene—and that would have done their side no good at all.

Seeing that he had silenced them, Anthony could not help letting a hint of smugness show in his eyes. He did not press the matter, knowing that doing so would only turn Victoria against him. To leave a good impression on her, he chose not to dwell on the accusation and instead looked toward Bill, who lay in the hospital bed. Anthony knew that Bill was the true weakness in Victoria’s heart.

“Bill is still lying here. There’s no point in arguing about this. What matters now is figuring out how to wake him as soon as possible,” he said calmly, his eyes glinting.

As expected, the moment he finished speaking, Victoria nodded repeatedly. The hostility in her gaze softened, and the expressions of everyone else in the room eased a little, too.

Anthony paid no attention to what anyone else thought of him. His eyes were fixed on Victoria alone. When he saw her looking at him more gently, his heart stirred. He loved her deeply, but after pursuing her for so many years, he had made no headway. He could not let such a rare opportunity slip by.

“Victoria, how about this? Tomorrow, we’ll take Bill to the alchemy competition. Once I win the championship and get the ingredients for the three-colored antidote, I’ll ask my master to brew it and save Bill. What do you think?” Anthony seized the moment and made his proposal.

Not only Victoria, but everyone else present—and even Rollin, listening outside the door—could not help nodding inwardly. Anthony had certainly thought things through.

“Anthony, thank you so much. If Bill wakes up, I’ll make sure to repay you generously,” Victoria said gratefully. She had never imagined he would go to such lengths for her brother. But his next words made her face change.

Anthony drew a deep breath, then said, “Victoria, I’d planned to ask you out today and speak with you privately, but it looks like I’ll have to say it here. Don’t worry—the whole matter of saving Bill is in my hands. I’m sure I can bring him around. But I hope you’ll agree to one thing in return: leave Rollin and start seeing me.”

Anthony knew that making such a demand now would likely stir up resistance in Victoria. But Rollin posed too great a threat. He could see that Rollin and Victoria both cared for each other. If he did not seize this moment to make his demand, he might never get another chance.

He knew Victoria was a woman who kept her promises. If she agreed to his request now, she would never go back on her word. He weighed it only briefly before stating what he wanted without hesitation.

The little goodwill his proposal had earned him vanished at once.

“Damn it, Anthony! You’re using our brother’s life to threaten Victoria. You’re a bastard!” Mahler snarled.

“Hmph. So the fox’s tail has finally shown. You were talking so prettily just now, but this is what you really wanted all along!” Gebaz was so furious that his hair stood on end.

Simone was not as close to Bill and Victoria as Mahler and Gebaz were, but even he was outraged that Anthony would make such a demand at a time like this.

“Anthony, taking advantage of someone when they’re vulnerable to make such an outrageous demand is hardly appropriate. And even if you have the edge in tomorrow’s competition, you can’t say you’re guaranteed to win,” Teacher Monroe said at last.

Anthony was always polite to Monroe, who was both highly accomplished and exceptionally beautiful. He nodded to her and flashed a handsome smile. “Thank you for the advice, Teacher Monroe. But this is a matter between us younger folks, so I hope you won’t interfere. And as for tomorrow’s competition, I honestly don’t consider the other three contenders a threat. The championship is mine.”

But as soon as he finished speaking, a voice rang out from beyond the door.

“I wouldn’t be so sure. I’m planning to compete for that championship tomorrow, too!”