Chapter 167:

Chapter 167: Chapter 167:

Chapter 167:

One of the security guards at the gate escorted him all the way to the front of the mansion, leading him through the carefully maintained courtyard and towards the large entrance.

There he saw Albert’s signature Azure Knight waiting for him atop the stairs.

The knight stood with her usual straight posture, her azure armour reflecting the light.

"I wasn’t expecting such a warm welcome."

Osborne joked after climbing the stairs.

"Seems his lordship must think really highly of me."

The Azure Knight said nothing, instead turning around and escorting Osborne into the mansion.

Osborne followed behind him without saying much, passing through several corridors before arriving at a grand hall.

The hall was spacious, with polished floors and several decorations placed along the walls, while a wide staircase stood at the far end, leading towards the upper floor.

It was the sort of place that reminded him just how wealthy Albert really was, although he had already grown accustomed to seeing such displays of wealth.

As they entered the hall, Osborne noticed someone standing above the staircase.

"Mr Dokebai, I must say, I wasn’t expecting to meet you today."

Osborne looked up and saw Albert descending the stairway at the top of the hall leading to the next floor.

The merchant wore a pleasant smile, appearing just as welcoming as he had during their previous meetings, although there was something about his expression that made Osborne feel he already knew the reason behind his visit.

"Your expertise once again, never ceases to amaze me."

Osborne frowned beneath his helm.

’So he’s the reason the old man was lying in wait.’

It didn’t take Osborne much to put two and two together.

The old man must’ve realised his herbs had been stolen, and naturally, the best course of action would be to investigate the market for any sudden flow of Moonlight Grass, knowing someone like Albert, such information was easy to obtain.

After all, Albert was one of the most influential merchants in the area, and keeping track of unusual goods entering the market was practically part of his business.

Even if the old man hadn’t known who had stolen the herbs, it wouldn’t have been difficult for him to find someone capable of tracing their movement, especially when the Moonlight Grass was a valuable herb that wasn’t commonly traded in large quantities.

Osborne couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed.

He had gone through the trouble of finding a buyer for the herbs, only for the information to eventually lead the owner straight to him.

Although he couldn’t exactly blame Albert for doing his job, it was still rather unpleasant to discover that the merchant had indirectly led him into such a troublesome encounter.

Sensing the faint hostility from the armoured man, Albert chuckled a bit.

"Please do forgive me, but I’m afraid I had no choice in the matter."

He continued descending the stairs, his expression remaining calm as he addressed Osborne.

"I didn’t expect your secret spot to have been related to that man of all people."

Albert shook his head slightly, seemingly finding the whole situation rather amusing.

"The fact that you’re still standing here is honestly not short of a miracle, knowing that man’s temper of course."

Osborne remained silent for a moment, allowing the merchant to finish speaking before asking the question that had been bothering him.

"Who exactly is that man if I may ask?"

He held back his negative urges and asked, making sure his voice didn’t reveal too much of his irritation.

"Oh? You don’t know?"

Albert raised his eyebrows slightly, seemingly surprised by the question.

"Why, he’s one of the Grand Elders of the Azure Magic Tower, or as some of us have known him, Lord Ludwig."

’You’re kidding...’

Osborne was expecting someone incredible but not that incredible.

He might not know much about mages, but he knew that a Grand Elder of a Magic Tower was a very powerful existence.

The Magic Towers weren’t ordinary organizations, and their influence extended far beyond the world of magic itself, with powerful mages gathering under their banners and serving as important figures in the various affairs of the kingdom.

Even among nobles, the name of a Magic Tower carried considerable weight, and those who held positions as Grand Elders were certainly not people one could afford to offend casually.

Osborne recalled the old man’s overwhelming mana, the ease with which he had stopped his attacks, and the strange sense of pressure he had felt whenever the man stood nearby.

It honestly made sense.

Someone capable of reaching such a position naturally wouldn’t be an ordinary mage, and the old man’s abilities were probably only a small part of what he was capable of showing.

’So that old man is actually a Grand Elder...’

Osborne couldn’t help but feel a little complicated.

He had somehow managed to steal a large portion of a Grand Elder’s precious herbs, get caught, and then walk away with an invitation to become his disciple.

It was certainly not how he had expected his day to go.

More importantly, he had now gained a connection to one of the most powerful organizations in the kingdom, although he wasn’t sure just how much he could benefit from it yet.

’At least I didn’t end up getting killed.’

Osborne glanced at Albert, who was still looking at him with an amused expression.

The merchant seemed to be enjoying his reaction, probably because he had expected Osborne to be surprised after learning the old man’s identity.

"Well, it seems you’ve finally understood the situation."

Albert chuckled, placing his hands behind his back.

"Lord Ludwig isn’t someone who usually tolerates people causing trouble for him, so I must say, you’re rather fortunate to have walked away from that encounter."

To obtain such a position, it wasn’t an understatement to say that their strength must rival that of the tower master themselves, sometimes it was even rumoured that grand elders were the true strength behind a tower.

After all, while the tower master might be the highest authority within a Magic Tower, it didn’t necessarily mean they were the strongest mage in the organization, especially when considering how many powerful individuals could gather under a single banner.