The Herb King

58 Rejecting the Big Slice of Cake

This guy was actually exuding more danger than the emperor who was a late Level 4 Esper! If not for his [Danger Perception] skill, he wouldn’t have noticed the peculiarity of this man.

‘Could this guy be the secret protector of His Majesty?’ Leric thought to himself as he scanned Dimitri from head to foot.

Meanwhile, Dimitri was also observing Leric through his peripheral vision. However, he was stunned when he realized that he couldn’t see through him at all! It was as if he was looking at an ordinary person! There was only one time that he failed to assess someone’s strength. The first one was when he tried to discern Julie Irish Urgel’s power. Now, this Aethelwolf was the second person! It seems like this man was not someone to be trifled with.

Aethelwolf’s image was elevated in Dimitri’s heart and he no longer stared at the other party in disdain.

Emperor Ragnar had a dignified look. He smiled as he gestured for them to stay at ease. “Get up! I’ve come to your home without notice, Julius. I hope you don’t mind my sudden intrusion.”

Lord Julius immediately shook his head when he heard the emperor’s words. “You’re not intruding at all, Your Majesty. You are welcome to visit our mansion any time you want.”

Emperor Ragnar chuckled when he heard that. “Alright. I won’t beat around the bush. I came specifically came here to get to know Aethelwolf.” He turned his gaze towards Leric as he said those words.

The others also turned their attention to Leric.

Leric immediately felt that a headache was coming his way, but he didn’t show an ounce of discomfort as he smiled at the emperor. “Your Majesty, I’m honored that you’ve come here for me. Why don’t we chat inside the mansion? You must be tired from your journey.”

.....

Emperor Ragnar nodded his head. He then sized up Leric from top to bottom. This man looked very young and was probably as old as his second son. If he was truly a Level 4 Alchemist, then his talent was definitely beyond the level of his most highly-prided heir, Christopher Leone.

The others tactfully gave the two of them some space and left. Since the emperor came for Leric, they didn’t have the guts to go with them to the guest hall. They would only incur the emperor’s displeasure if they do that.

Dimitri followed behind the emperor like a loyal servant. He didn’t want to leave him alone with Aethelwolf since he believed that the man was as strong as him.

“Your Majesty, please take a seat.” Leric sat opposite the emperor, while Dimitri remained standing in silence.

The atmosphere inside the guest hall suddenly changed when the two of them sat down. The smile on the emperor’s face vanished and was replaced with a calm and different expression. On the other hand, Leric also showed extreme tranquility as if no one could cause a ripple in his emotion.

“Are you really a Level 4 Alchemist?” Emperor Ragnar broke the silence as he looked at Leric with a pair of cold piercing eyes.

Leric wasn’t flustered by his aura and remained unruffled. Since the whole world already believed that he was a Level 4 Alchemist, he could only continue this charade. He just hoped that the emperor wouldn’t use any underhanded tricks and suddenly attack him to test his power.

While maintaining his silence, Leric extended his right arm and opened his hand. A brilliantly glowing golden flame flickered at the top of his palm, giving off an intense wave of heat.

Seeing the flickering golden flames, the eyes of the emperor and Dimitri narrowed into slits.

“Good! I never thought that there was actually a young Level 4 Alchemist hiding in my Leone Empire! Aethelwolf, tell me the truth... Who are you?” Emperor Ragnar’s eyes seemed to have the ability to see through all deceit, but he was met with Leric’s pair of profoundly deep globes that never showed any undulations.

“It seems like Your Majesty is also curious about my background. I’ve also told the others about this. I’m simply a wandering Alchemist with no permanent home. Due to some twists of fate, I ended up befriending the Reynolds Household so I’ve decided to build a clinic in their territory to settle down.” Leric answered in a calm voice.

Emperor Ragnar inwardly praised him for his calmness. He was also becoming more satisfied with Leric, but he still wanted to see more of what he can do so he didn’t mention anything about the headmaster position or the academy. “I see.”

Leric suddenly smiled as he looked at the emperor. “I believe Your Majesty didn’t come here just to let me show you my Golden Pill Fire. If I may be so blunt, could it be related to the suggestion that I brought up about the academy?”

Emperor Ragnar could not help but laugh as he looked at Leric in appreciation. “You are truly a genius, Aethelwolf. That’s right! Since you’ve already mentioned it, I won’t hide it from you anymore. I came here because of that. What do you think about becoming the headmaster of the academy?”

Leric was dumbfounded by the emperor’s boldness. He actually sent a huge slice of cake to Leric despite his background being almost suspicious. Even Dimitri was stunned by the sudden turn of events. However, he trust the emperor’s foresight so he remained silent and just listened to them with rapt attention.

Leric furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at the emperor with confusion. “Are you not afraid that I might be a spy from another empire?”

Hearing this, the emperor smiled widely, showing two rows of pearly white teeth. “Of course, I’m afraid! Just that my instinct is telling me that you are the perfect person for this position. You see, I trust my instinct since it has made me into the expert that I am today. Aethelwolf, you haven’t answered my question yet....”

This time, Leric remained silent. Becoming a headmaster of the top academy in the empire was a great honor to anyone, but Leric thought that it also carried various downsides. He would face the constant scrutiny of the three top factions and many eyes would be monitoring him from the shadows. However, there was also a lot to be earned if he accept the offer. He would receive the respect of the nobility and he would wield authority that was on par with the three top factions.

The only question is, is his appetite big enough to swallow this big slice of cake? Definitely not. He had no plans to be on a lookout all day long and he certainly didn’t want to be burdened by politics.

After a moment of silence, Leric answered. “Unfortunately, I don’t want to be the headmaster of the academy. To tell Your Majesty the truth, I only want to live an ignoble life, away from disputes and battles.”

Emperor Ragnar’s eyes flashed with a strange glow upon hearing his response. He actually rejected his offer?