Dark Wizard: Rise! My undead army!

Inside the cabin, Sarah stroked Anri's hair, comforting her with her own story.

"Later, she found out she was pregnant, and she went to the man and made him take responsibility."

"That man didn't want to take responsibility and made a lot of excuses, such as not being ready yet, the academy not allowing it, and we'll talk about it later."

Sarah's fingers gently combed through Anri's hair.

"She told him that if he didn't take responsibility, she would handle it her own way."

"She didn't say what she was going to resolve, but the man could tell from her eyes that he was afraid."

Anli's voice was very soft.

"Was your father forced to marry you?"

Sarah smiled.

"He was forced into it, but he didn't run away or shirk responsibility."

"He found his mentor and went to great lengths to help me escape the academy and bring me to this small town."

"He gave up everything at the academy, gave up the opportunity for promotion, gave up that frivolous life, and stayed by my side for more than ten years."

Anli lowered her head and looked at her fingers.

"I was lucky to meet a soft-hearted jerk." Sarah lifted Anri's chin, making her look into her eyes.

"But you can't pin your hopes on other people's soft hearts. There aren't many people like your father in this world."

"Most men, once they're no longer of any use to you, will turn around and leave without looking back."

Anli's eyes reddened again.

"Mother, what can I do? I have no talent as a wizard, no talent as a mage, I can't do anything."

Sarah picked up the book from the windowsill, turned to a certain page, and pointed it out to Anri.

"It says here: You must take control of your own destiny; you cannot entrust it to others."

Anli stared at the words, her lips trembling softly as she remained silent.

"Your father promised to help you find a way. He has been looking for many years and will continue to do so." Sarah closed the book and placed it on the windowsill.

"But you must remember, whether or not you can cultivate in the end, you cannot entrust your fate to others; you can only trust yourself."

Anli remained silent for a long time before nodding.

Sarah stood up, took Anri's hand, and walked out of the bedroom.

Field was sitting in a chair in the living room, holding a cup of tea that had gone cold.

He coughed lightly, his gaze darting away, not daring to look at Sarah or Anri.

He had just overheard Sarah's story at the door, and her words made him feel ashamed.

"Field," Sarah's voice was calm.

Field put down his teacup and stood up.

"Anli wants to cultivate, can you help her think of a way?" Sarah placed Anli's hand in Field's.

"Whether it works out or not, don't let Anli have any regrets."

Field held Anri's hand and looked at his daughter's face. Her eyes were bright, filled with expectation, resentment, and stubbornness.

He took a deep breath and nodded.

"I'll figure something out."

An Li looked at her father, her lips moving slightly. "Father, were you really a scumbag back then?"

Field's lips twitched. "Who told you that?"

Anli turned and glanced at her mother.

Sarah picked up the glass of iced tea that Field had drunk from and took a sip. "I said it."

Field scratched his head and sighed.

"Yes, I used to be a scoundrel, but after meeting your mother, I turned over a new leaf."

Looking at her father's mature and steady face, Anli couldn't imagine what he had been like back then.

"You've reformed because you're afraid of your mother?"

Field coughed. "It's not fear, it's love."

Sarah put down her teacup, her lips twitching slightly. "Your father was very charming when he was young, but now that he's old, his tongue has become dull."

Field did not refute, but pondered how to guide Anri onto the path of cultivation.

Wizards and mages won't work, and we can't exactly send Anli to the Knight Academy to become a female knight, can we?

Knights have a low barrier to entry and are easy to get started with, but their skill ceiling is too low.

In this kind of melee class, physically weak girls are already at a disadvantage, and with Anli's thin arms and legs, can she withstand hundreds of sword swings every day? It's unlikely she'll ever become a formal knight.

Even with exceptional talent, spending hundreds or thousands of years to reach the level of a legendary knight, one would only be a bodyguard for a formal wizard.

That's not appropriate.

Let's go find the mentor. He should have a solution. He's lived so long and has seen more strange things than Anli has ever known. Maybe he can help.

And... there's also that monstrous junior brother.

Thinking of this, Field took Annie's hand and walked out of the house.

Anli followed behind him, took a few steps, and then looked back at her mother.

Sarah stood in the doorway and waved to her.

Anli turned around and followed her father out of the yard.

The houses on both sides of the stone-paved road were low and old, and occasionally someone would walk by and look at the man and woman with curiosity.

An old woman selling vegetables recognized Field and called out, "Lord Field."

Field nodded without stopping.

After leaving Graystone City, the two rode their skeletal warhorses toward the nearest major city, where there was a "public transport" to and from the academy.

Although Graystone City also has small teleportation arrays, teleportation requires a lot of magic stones, so it's better to take the cheaper option.

After several days, once he arrived at the college, Field took out the communication tablet and sent a message to Gregor.

I waited for fifteen minutes, but there was no reply.

He posted another message.

Another fifteen minutes passed, but there was still no reply.

Field put the slate away.

I heard my mentor mention at the last dinner that I should be comprehending the rules in Lynn's Stigmata Domain during this period, and I should be there now.

That place belongs to Lynn's inner world, not in the main world, and is isolated from external communication, so messages from the stone tablet cannot get in.

Field found Lynn's frequency in the address book.

"Lord Lynn, I'm in the academy's teleportation hall and wish to see Instructor Gregor. Would you be able to come out for me?"

Since Lynn had been promoted to a Saintly Wizard, even more powerful than his own mentor, Field no longer dared to call him "Junior Brother".

The stone slab trembled quickly, and Lynn replied with a single word: "Okay, see you at the entrance of the ossuary."

Field pulled Anri to the entrance of the ossuary.

Lynn emerged from inside, wearing a dark purple robe with his stigmata imprinted on his right chest.

When Anri saw Lynn, her eyes lit up. She peeked out from behind Field and waved to Lynn.

"Greetings, Uncle-Master!"

Lynn glanced at her, and the corner of her mouth twitched slightly. "Little Annie's here again."

Anli nodded, her braids swinging twice behind her.

"Uncle-Master, I'm not young anymore. Some of my childhood friends are already married and have kids."

Field glared at her. "Don't talk nonsense."

Anli pursed her lips but did not refute.

Lynn chuckled, feeling a long-lost warmth of human kindness.