Free Web NovelChapter 40: Chapter 38: The Noble Lady Who Presents Herself
Thanks to his excellent memory, Mo Ning recognized the "uninvited guest"—serial number 238, Anya.
Like him, Anya was also from the Holy Spear Kingdom.
But their family backgrounds were worlds apart.
Mo Ning was merely a young son of a fur merchant’s family, and an unfavored one at that.
His "predecessor" had a troublesome and unlikable personality. Plus, the merchant had two wives and a total of five sons and six daughters.
Anya, on the other hand, was a bona fide Noble Lady of the Holy Spear Kingdom. Although her family wasn’t as prominent as the Princess’s, she was a true member of the upper crust.
Among this batch of newcomers, women made up slightly over forty percent, and this Noble Lady’s looks easily ranked in the top five.
Although her talent was lacking, her outstanding appearance still made her memorable to many.
After all, nobles were wealthy and powerful, able to acquire many Spiritual Items that enhanced one’s appearance, and even genuine Witchcraft Items.
Back in the Holy Spear Kingdom, Mo Ning had heard a rumor: the Kingdom’s queen was already a "ripe old" one hundred and twenty years of age, yet she still looked as beautiful and captivating as a sixteen-year-old girl.
Mo Ning couldn’t understand why Anya would seek him out.
At that moment, Mo Ning remained outwardly composed, merely nodding lightly. "Miss Anya."
Anya smiled faintly, a smile like sunlight filtering through leaves on a spring afternoon—gentle, yet just right.
The Noble Lady took a step closer, intentionally or not, puffing out her chest slightly.
The movement was minuscule.
If Mo Ning hadn’t been facing her directly, if he hadn’t caught the subtle change in its curve at that exact moment, he might not have even registered it as a "movement."
But he had indeed caught it.
And so, his gaze involuntarily drifted downward for a moment, lingering for less than half a second.
A moment later, Mo Ning averted his eyes as quickly as he could, his expression unchanging.
But the image was already seared into his mind.
Bountiful!
That was the most fitting, and also the most reserved, adjective he could think of.
Like two large, ripe apples—the kind that weigh a pound each—hanging perfectly from an autumn branch, heavy and bending it into a breathtaking curve.
And below these "apples" was a shockingly slender waist, which only made that curve all the more breathtaking.
"You’ve left a very deep impression on me."
Anya’s words instantly put Mo Ning on high alert.
’A very deep impression?’
Without a moment’s hesitation, he ran a full, rapid self-assessment in his mind.
’Where did I slip up? If Anya noticed something unusual, doesn’t that mean others might have noticed too?’
’This is terrible news.’
Anya’s next sentence drifted over, blowing away the wariness he had just gathered:
"You spent over five months in the capital of the Holy Spear Kingdom—168 days, to be exact. And for 152 of those days, you spent the entire time in the Royal Library."
Mo Ning froze for a second.
’So that’s what she meant.’
He breathed a sigh of relief, though he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
He had no idea how to respond to this kind of "deep impression."
Anya continued with a smile, tossing out even more precise data. "I made a special effort to ask around. For 128 of those 152 days, you not only ate all three of your meals in the library, but you even slept there."
Her tone was filled with sincere admiration. "All Wizards say that knowledge is power. With your attitude toward knowledge, I believe you will go far on the path of a Wizard."
Mo Ning had a faint inkling of her intentions.
He lowered his gaze slightly and replied in the flattest tone he could manage, "My Spiritual Talent is poor. I can only make up for it with diligence."
But Anya gently shook her head. "Everyone knows that diligence can make up for a lack of talent, but pitifully few are actually willing to practice it. Knowing and doing have always been two different things."
She paused, then added, "The Holy Spear Kingdom sends a batch of new recruits to the Black Tower Academy every year. Sir Rent of the Royal Library has seen many, many people, but you are the only one who made Sir Rent believe..."
She stared straight into Mo Ning’s eyes, as if trying to see into his very soul, and said, word by word:
"...you were a true believer in endless knowledge."
Mo Ning didn’t want to beat around the bush anymore. "Miss Anya, thank you for the praise. But I need to know why you’re here."
Anya suddenly took two more steps forward.
The distance between them shrank to less than half a meter.
For members of the opposite sex, this was far too close—one could even call it the verge of intimacy.
One step closer would cross the line; one step back would return to polite distance.
Stopping right here was a silent test.
Mo Ning could clearly see the pores on her delicate, elegant nose.
Although the cosmetics infused with Spiritual Power kept her skin exquisitely smooth, at this distance, he could still see the faintest of traces.
He could also smell the faint fragrance wafting from her—not the strong, deliberately sprayed scent of perfume, but a lighter, more natural aroma that was exceptionally pleasant.
Mo Ning was tempted to take a step back and widen the overly intimate distance.
But the moment that thought appeared, it was suppressed by another, more subtle one: ’Wouldn’t stepping back be a sign of weakness?’
For that indescribable, subtle male pride, it seemed a rather disgraceful thing to do.
So he stood his ground, unmoving.
The curve of Anya’s red lips deepened. Then, as if taking a mile after being given an inch, she leaned her head in.
Her perfect head tilted slightly, her red lips now only a fist’s distance from Mo Ning’s left ear.
In an extremely low voice, she spoke three words: "The Rose Council."
As she spoke, her orchid-like breath gently brushed against Mo Ning’s earlobe.
It tickled a little.
Mo Ning was a hot-blooded young man.
He was well-nourished and had developed quite well.
For such a beautiful woman to lean in and speak to him in a manner bordering on "teasing"...
The warm breath, the barely-there touch, the faint fragrance so close—how could his heart not stir, even a little?
But before that ripple could spread, it was ruthlessly suppressed by another thought:
’The Rose Council?!’
’This woman was actually sent by the Rose Council?’
Mo Ning’s brow twitched slightly.
This answer was far beyond his expectations.
His gaze sharpened, and he cut straight to the point. "So you’re the teammate the Rose Council arranged for me?"
Anya didn’t answer immediately.
She raised a fair, slender hand, her fingertips gently brushing aside a stray lock of hair at her temple and slowly tucking it behind her ear.
The movement was extremely slow, extremely gentle, carrying a feminine charm that was impossible to ignore.
The Noble Lady tilted her head slightly, a smile spreading from the corners of her lips. "The Rose Council believes you are a genius in the domain of Secret Divination.
"Therefore, I received an order: to partner with you as a teammate and provide you with every convenience."
Mo Ning’s pupils constricted slightly.
’A Divination genius?’
He glanced at the Noble Lady, suddenly realizing she most likely had connections within the Rose Council; otherwise, it would be impossible for her to know so much.
A stunningly beautiful Noble Lady offering herself up like this... any other seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy would have likely lost his head and eagerly agreed on the spot.
But Mo Ning was no ordinary seventeen-year-old boy.
He was a Transmigrator.
Having lived two lives, he had seen far too many cases where a moment of impulse led to disaster.
What’s more, this was the Black Tower Academy.
A place where even a "Top Student" like Gavin, serial number 024, could die mysteriously at the edge of the forest. A place full of tests, traps, and the need for constant vigilance.
’In an environment like this, casually entrusting your back to a stranger... isn’t that just asking for death?’
"I’m sorry." Mo Ning shook his head slightly, his tone as calm as still water. "I’m used to being alone."
Anya’s eyes, as clear as lake water, widened slightly, as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
"Am I not pretty enough?"
Her voice carried a trace of grievance and unwillingness.
Mo Ning shook his head again, but this time his tone held a hint of sincerity. "No, your beauty is as breathtaking as the stars."
She truly was beautiful, gentle as water, but beauty wasn’t a free pass.
Anya’s brow furrowed slightly as she tried to read more from Mo Ning’s placid face.
But she read nothing—his face was too calm, like an ancient well so deep it was bottomless.
The last few figures in the dining hall were heading for the exit.
Someone glanced back at them, but their gazes mostly focused on Anya.
She was too beautiful, and people are naturally drawn to beautiful things, so it was inevitable that she would attract attention.
But these people didn’t stare for long. They quickly looked away and hurriedly left the dining hall.
After all, only the "poor students" were left here, and no one paid much attention to what other poor students were doing.
The newcomers’ attention was mostly focused on "Top Students" like Sitt and Princess Phoebe.
Anya blinked her beautiful eyes, her tone growing more serious. "Do you think I’m too weak? Or do you not trust me?"
Before Mo Ning could answer, the Noble Lady began to speak eloquently. "My Spiritual Talent may not be high, but I possess a bloodline of ’Qi and Blood Fullness.’ I am already a Black Iron Knight."
Mo Ning raised an eyebrow, a little surprised.
When ordinary people cultivate a Body Refining Technique and stimulate their Qi and Blood, they become able to integrate their body’s strength with Qi and Blood Power. If they can shatter a stone with a single punch, they can be called a "Warrior."
But once they step into the Black Iron Tier, they can release their Qi and Blood Power externally, and their defense, offense, and recovery abilities far surpass those of a Warrior.
A single Black Iron Knight, relying on various Qi and Blood Secret Skills, can easily kill ten elite Warriors.
As long as one has some talent, it’s not difficult to become a Warrior after eight or ten years of training.
But a Black Iron Knight is different.
In addition to more arduous training, one also needs to experience life-and-death battles.
Back in the Holy Spear Kingdom, Mo Ning had seen a few Black Iron Knights. Most of them only reached that rank around the age of forty.
The mid-level officers in the various kingdom armies are almost all Black Iron Knights.
Yet this Noble Lady before him, who looked so gentle and delicate and was at most seventeen years old, had already reached this level?
In the eyes of an ordinary person, this was enough to be called genius.
Anya seemed quite pleased with Mo Ning’s momentary surprise. She continued, "Whether in the novice stage or the Apprentice stage, there are many trials.
"You should know that many of these trials require dealing with dangerous monsters, like Ogres."
She once again puffed out the curve of her chest. "And I am a Black Iron Knight. I am absolutely capable of protecting you."
Mo Ning fell silent.
To be honest, he was a little tempted.
Inside the Mysterious Secret Hall of the Quiet Forest, the Secret Gate that required two people to open had already demonstrated the importance of teammates.
The second general assessment would be an extremely severe challenge.
What happened earlier in the Meditation Technique class, where the unlucky ones punished by the Tree Spirit Wizard were all lone wolves, also illustrated the benefits of having teammates.
But the question was—was this Noble Lady truly reliable?
’What if I end up with a brain-dead pig of a teammate? She could get me killed at a critical moment.’
An intense internal struggle raged in Mo Ning’s mind.
