Chapter 171: The Art of Provocation

Ever since Victoria took over the heavy burden from her younger brother, she had never imagined that the arduous path of her cultivation would ever be graced by the legendary, beautiful romance that people spoke of. She had never dared to harbor such extravagant hopes, and neither the demanding trials of her craft nor her family's crushing responsibilities allowed her any time to waste on matters of the heart.

Yet—

A few years ago, by the bonfire at Potter Academy, as clusters of brilliant fireworks soared into the night sky, her heart, frozen for so many years, began to thaw.

Then came the subsequent journey into the Maya Mountains. Beneath that cluster of verdant hills sheltered by redwoods, inside a pitch-dark cave, he had pulled her back from the very edge of death. The exquisite misunderstanding between them melted the remaining ice within her heart even further.

Their time spent traveling back together gave her—someone always accustomed to walking alone—her very first feeling that human companionship might not be so bad after all. Upon returning to the academy, she even found herself instinctively joining the weekly gatherings of Room 2015.

Throughout an entire year, she discovered that she had grown accustomed to the days spent with him. Aside from her prolonged hours of cultivation, the weekly gatherings with him became the moments she cherished most.

However, good times never last. As the following year turned, he grew closer and closer to another woman named Karina, eventually leading to their betrothal. When she heard this news, she felt the entire world turn pale. From that moment on, she never attended the Room 2015 gatherings again, slipping back into her solitary, solitary existence.

During that period, her heart was filled with an endless yearning for him, but since he was already engaged, she had to force herself not to think of him. Yet, to her torment, the harder she forced herself, the more frequently his figure surfaced in her mind.

To escape this inner agony, she traveled to the Maya Mountains several times in succession. Only in that perilous realm, locked in mortal combat with magical beasts, could she manage to keep him out of her thoughts.

Gradually, her heart, which had already melted for the most part, slowly froze over once more. By the time she advanced to the sixth year, when a young man named Anthony pursued her relentlessly, she did not pay him the slightest heed.

Yet, just when she thought she was destined to be alone for the rest of her life, she learned from her brother that he and Karina had broken off their engagement. Hearing this news, she could scarcely believe it. After a lapse of several years, she attended a Room 2015 gathering once again. That day, when she saw him again, she was happy—truly, deeply happy.

In the nearly a year of being together that followed, she found that the thick ice in her heart seemed to have been completely melted by him. Just a few days ago, on the evening when the alchemists of the Dark Alliance issued their challenge, her group happened to cross paths with Anthony. In a stroke of pure, unthinking impulse, her brother had pulled him forward to act as her "shield." At that very moment, her heart had fluttered wildly like a startled fawn.

On the day of the Alchemy Convention, after his fierce and grueling battle against Treishy, she somehow found herself gently wiping the sweat from his brow in front of so many people...

All those past scenes surfaced in her mind. Previously, she had felt somewhat hazy about them, unsure of the exact nature of the emotion between her and him.

But now, when Anthony demanded that she sever ties with Rowling and date him instead, and when she realized that doing so would mean losing Rowling forever, a sharp pain struck her heart. She finally understood: she had truly fallen for Rowling, with the romantic love meant for a man and a woman!

"Victoria, have you made up your mind? Your brother cannot hold on much longer. Promise me, leave Rowling and be with me, and Bill will be able to stand before you once more. You surely don't have the heart to watch your brother leave you like this!" Seeing the tenderness in Victoria's eyes as she looked at Rowling, a surge of fury rose within Anthony, and he urged her once again.

At that moment, Mahler, Gerbaz, Simone, and Teacher Monroe, standing behind them, spoke up one after another.

"Don't agree to him, Victoria! A despicable villain taking advantage of someone's misfortune like this has no right to court you!"

"Indeed! I never imagined that the grand president's own personal disciple would stoop to such contemptible tactics!"

"Rowling, you idiot, hurry up and persuade her! If a fine girl like this ends up with someone else, where on earth will you find another? It's infuriating!"

"Victoria, you must be prudent."

Listening to the chorus of dissuasion, tears welled up in Victoria's eyes. "I—of course I am unwilling, but my brother..."

"Hahahaha..." Suddenly, a burst of loud laughter rang out. Everyone in the room turned in astonishment toward the source of the laughter, only to see it was Rowling, standing right beside Victoria!

Anthony was also thrown off by this sudden outburst of laughter and demanded, "Hmph, Rowling, what are you laughing at?"

The laughter continued for a long time before slowly fading away. "Heh, you ask me what I'm laughing at? Ha, do I even need to ask? I'm laughing at you, of course!"

Anthony flew into a rage. "What are you laughing at about me?"

Rowling pointed lightly at Anthony. "What am I laughing at? Naturally, I'm laughing at the fact that you've pursued Victoria for so many years without making a shred of progress. Naturally, I'm laughing at the fact that you have to resort to such despicable methods to force her into submission. I'm laughing at the pathetic excuse for a man that you are!"

His words struck straight at Anthony's sore spot. With his status, standing, alchemical skill, temperament, and appearance, he could have any beauty he desired. Yet, he had fallen solely for Victoria, and all his years of bitter pursuit had yielded not the slightest response. Now, exposed publicly by his romantic rival, it felt as though a scar had been brutally torn open. His body trembled slightly as he glared at Rowling with bloodshot eyes.

Rowling showed not a trace of surprise at Anthony's impending explosion. Instead, a hint of gratification flashed in the depths of his eyes. Sensing that the moment had arrived, he delivered the words he truly wanted to say:

"Hmph, you don't need to look at me like that. A true man would never use such base tactics to coerce a woman. Didn't you boast of your supreme mastery in alchemy and claim you could defeat me? Then why are you too cowardly to even face me in a duel, and instead rush to bully Victoria into fulfilling your demands?"

"If you're a real man, face me in a proper match tomorrow! If you defeat me fairly and squarely and win the championship, that would surely be far more effective than standing here intimidating Victoria!"

This was the plan Rowling had devised. Although his time interacting with Anthony had been brief, he could tell that despite Anthony's exceptional talent in appearance and alchemy, these very traits had made him excessively arrogant, especially regarding his alchemical prowess. Thus, Rowling used this as a breakthrough to challenge him and defuse the immediate crisis.

"Victoria, I hope that tomorrow, once I win the materials for the Three-Colored Detoxification Potion, you will agree to be with me in front of all thirty thousand spectators. Otherwise, your brother Bill will be beyond saving!" With that, Anthony turned and strode out of the infirmary.

In truth, he knew Rowling had just used a provocative tactic. The reason he took a step back and did not force Victoria to give her answer immediately was twofold: first, Rowling's words had indeed pierced his formidable pride; and second, he did not want to push Victoria too far. If she truly gave up on Bill's life, all his previous efforts would be completely wasted!

Although Anthony had left, the people in the room could not feel entirely relieved. After all, in tomorrow's championship match, if Rowling were to fail and the materials fell into Anthony's hands, today's predicament would simply repeat itself—and dealing with it in front of tens of thousands of people would be infinitely harder!

After finishing dinner, Rowling and the others did not return to their own dormitories as they had the previous day, but instead came back to the infirmary. To make caring for Bill easier, they had rented out a suite of rooms here. Rowling chatted with the others for a short while before retiring early to his own room.

"Uncle Kust, tomorrow depends entirely on you. If you can stabilize my mage rank at the fifth level, then I will have a fighting chance to claim the championship tomorrow!" As soon as Rowling closed the bedroom door, he muttered these words as if speaking to himself!