My older sister is a villainous rich girl

Elliott laughed.

"This matter still needs time to prepare, and as the president of the Lily Society of Qingxi Academy, you have a huge advantage in winning over alumni. They are the most outstanding talents cultivated by the kingdom. Why not talk to those who are interested in making contributions in the southwest first, and I will try to arrange them in suitable positions."

This means we're going to build up his team.

"Father, aren't you...aren't you afraid of becoming the enemy of the entire social class, and arousing the King's suspicion?" Wayne finally couldn't help but ask.

"So what if you're afraid? You won't win by constantly backing down." His words were powerful and resolute: "Wayne, you must remember this truth: if you are strong enough, then everyone will fear you."

Chapter 683 Wayne's New Plan

Perhaps the world could operate in a different way.

Wayne thought.

Just as the Vatican's Secretary of State had told him, since even gods were once mortals, there must be some way to ascend to godhood, it's just that we haven't found it yet.

Before ending the conversation, Elliott made a point of asking whether he had found the answers he sought from the Vatican during his trip.

Without hesitation, Wayne shifted the responsibility to Diabat.

"Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, I was unable to obtain the opportunity to meet His Holiness the former Pope. The Chief Cardinal told me that he was afraid he could not answer my questions, and not even God could."

Upon hearing this, Elliott looked somewhat surprised.

"Perhaps the real answer lies in what you observe from your own life and with your own heart." He naturally analyzed the deeper meaning behind this statement.

"...Perhaps."

Day two.

With a grand welcoming ceremony, Wayne finally returned to Seiki Academy, which he had been away from for a month.

"boom--"

Inside the Lily Club's exclusive event room, Lawrence and Gavin excitedly sprayed confetti everywhere, yelling "Oh oh oh oh!" as they pushed Wayne to the center of the room.

"Welcome! Welcome back to school, President Wayne! Everyone, please welcome our president to give us an important speech!"

After a brief moment of surprise, the others who had been drawn to the sudden turn of events quickly realized what was happening and most of them gave Wayne knowing smiles.

“Hey, you guys…” Wayne felt both touched and a little embarrassed.

Especially when being watched by a gaze that is not without resentment from another direction.

However, some things might just be appropriate to say in this situation.

He suppressed his other thoughts.

"Fellow students," he said, glancing around the activity room. Seeing that most of them were listening attentively to what he had to say, he continued in a sincere tone, "I have just returned from the Holy See and have some profound feelings about it."

"Taking this opportunity, I would like to share some heartfelt words with you all."

Seeing his sudden serious demeanor, Lawrence and Gavin were taken aback at first, but then they cooperated by immediately stopping their playful behavior and listening attentively to what he had to say.

"As you all know, Qingxi Academy is the highest-level magic academy in the kingdom, and those of you here are the kingdom's most outstanding talents. This has always made me, and I believe it makes you all equally proud."

People are always happy to receive affirmation and appreciation, and the members of the Lily Society all showed expressions of agreement.

However, Wayne quickly changed his tone.

“But the future of the academy should not be limited to this,” he said firmly.

"Our future lies not only in Lornes, but in the entire continent and the seas, in every long step on the path to the heights of magic and to the heavens to meet the gods."

His impassioned speech was quite infectious. The people next to him seemed to realize what he wanted to say, and even their originally casual sitting postures subconsciously straightened up a bit and leaned forward slightly.

"I have systematically compiled the magical theories and several spells I learned from the Holy See and handed them over to Chairman Harold. Subsequently, the academy will launch two special magic courses based on these contents, with open and voluntary enrollment. I hope that those in the Lily Society who have lofty ideals for the future development of magical theory in the kingdom will participate enthusiastically." He then revealed a major piece of news, "Because the academy will select some talents from the outstanding graduates of these two courses to form a special magical theory research team, specializing in the evolution, combination and improvement of different types of magic."

"At the same time, we will build a mage tower specifically for this team. Among the research materials we can provide are not only some secret magics that the academy has not previously made public, but also many rare magics that the academy has continuously collected from other kingdoms, other schools, and other magic academies through various means. It will definitely not disappoint those who are interested in this."

This was proposed by Wayne and approved by Harold.

Harold was initially hesitant, but after Wayne offered to fully sponsor the construction of the magic tower and even offered to find several important archmages with their signature techniques for the academy, Harold immediately agreed, fearing that Wayne might change his mind.

"Are you serious? You really can get high-level magic from Lady Exos?" Harold asked repeatedly to confirm.

"Yes, and I've already made the deal. This has cost the Wincher family a great deal of favors." Wayne no longer feels ashamed to lie.

"That's wonderful!" Harold was overjoyed. He sincerely hoped to eliminate the barriers between different schools of magicians and allow the ocean of knowledge to flow freely. He had been secretly studying the technology of the Holy See, but progress had been very slow. Now, the solution proposed by Wayne was undoubtedly much more mature than his own secret research.

So, with Harold's approval and expectations, Wayne leaked the news of this preparation to the Lily Society, and began to build momentum for the subsequent plan.

Although the Lily Society is seen by outsiders as a gathering place for spoiled brats, it actually includes a group of the most powerful nobles in the kingdom. The families behind these young men have the most abundant resources and magical heritage, and their average magical level is not low.

“But if you’re not interested, you don’t have to force yourself,” Wayne said. “This magic tower will only recognize the best magicians on the continent and rate their strength. It will become a magic temple for all mankind, in no way inferior to the Holy See.”

The purpose of Qingxi Academy from its inception was to serve as a reserve talent base for training magicians in the Kingdom of Lornes. As a result, the kingdom has set up various management and restrictions on its teaching content, the students of each class, and their destinations after graduation.

The magic tower, which operates on a contract basis, is different; it's more like a job.

The results of the work will naturally be distributed to Seiki Academy.

After hearing Wayne's brief introduction, everyone in the Lily Society displayed a range of expressions: surprise, doubt, and confusion. Prince Richard astutely grasped the key point: "So, this magician's tower is also membership-based?"

"Pretty much, but even if they are not hired by the Mage Tower as members of the research team, all mages who come for certification, and the magic they are willing to make public, will receive a public rating."

At this point, he smiled meaningfully. "Refer to the records provided by Lady Aikos."

Chapter 684 is all true.

"Lady Aikos? Did she agree?"

After Wayne finished mobilizing, Richard immediately stepped forward to ask about the details, expressing extreme surprise at Echo's involvement.

She wasn't someone who was interested in formalities; she always kept to herself. Many people had tried to invite her to appear for various reasons, but they were all coldly rejected by Aikos, including Richard.

"How could I force such a powerful mage without his consent?"

Wayne didn't want to discuss the matter further with him, so he gave a somewhat perfunctory answer, glossing over the details.

However, Richard was completely oblivious to his perfunctory manner, instead displaying an air of pride as he nodded repeatedly, seemingly delighted by the praise from his friend.

"Yes! You're right!"

Wayne couldn't help but roll his eyes at him.

Damn it, even though Aikos's reputation and influence are a useful endorsement tool, there are still some things that are not so satisfactory.

"A mage's tower... that's certainly Wayne's style," Lawrence remarked. "So, has a name been chosen for this mage's tower?"

"not yet."

"How about we call it the Wayne Mage Tower?" Lawrence suggested enthusiastically.

"Huh?" Wayne was taken aback.

"Don't many famous great magicians name new magic spells and buildings after themselves?"

“But I’m not that famous yet…” Wayne said this with a hint of guilt.

If Aikos, who is widely regarded as the kingdom's greatest mage, were to reveal her true identity, she would likely go down in history, becoming a unique and unparalleled figure throughout the ages.

"Don't worry, Wayne will be famous one day!" Lawrence patted him on the shoulder with great confidence.

Wayne was both amused and exasperated. Before he could even force a grateful expression, Lawrence's next words revealed his true intentions: "After all, you are my dearest friend! I, Lawrence, will definitely spread my resounding fame far and wide! So that everyone on the entire continent will know of me!"

"Is it like how you now boast to everyone you meet that you are a close friend of the new Pope Tasia Louis, whose fame has spread throughout the entire continent?" Richard couldn't help but expose him.

Lawrence choked, then turned to glare angrily at Richard, who had shattered his illusions: "Richard! I've put up with you for so long, and you've gotten too cocky since I haven't bothered you lately?"

"Oh, really?" Richard didn't seem to care, and his smiling face suggested he was in a good mood. He even looked a bit smug, like he was deliberately trying to provoke a fight.

"you!"

Wayne was in a real bind, but managed to stop Lawrence before the situation spiraled out of control: "Hey, hey, hey—I just got back, don't let me get dragged to the office for a scolding on my first day of class because of the two of you fighting."

"...Hmph, for Wayne's sake, I won't hold it against you." He glared at Richard again, then turned his head away dramatically to show that he refused to continue communicating with Richard.

“Your Highness Richard?” Wayne asked, his voice tinged with displeasure.

He wasn't stupid; he could tell that Richard was deliberately trying to provoke Lawrence.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I was just happy to see you finally back at the academy today, and then I suddenly heard some new news about Lady Exos." He realized he had gone a bit too far.

Lawrence was always exceptionally competitive and had a high sense of self-esteem in front of him, so he naturally couldn't stand being ridiculed by his older brother.

At that moment, his eyes were exceptionally bright. He held a glass of juice in his hand, his thumb and forefinger constantly rubbing the handle. It was as if he was sincerely apologizing, but there was also a hint of absent-mindedness and wandering.

Wayne observed his expression thoughtfully.

Could it be that Richard was actually so excited that he couldn't help but want to share his "joy" with others?

This is hardly like the prince who was so perfect that he had no flaws.

He shuddered at the thought of a certain possibility.

"Ahem... Oh right, I have some other urgent matters to discuss with the chairman, so I'll take my leave now."

“Wait a minute, about Exos—” Richard wanted to say something more, but Wayne, seeing the situation was getting out of hand, quickly declined: “Ah, we’ll talk about it next time, next time.”

He slipped away without looking back.

……

Wayne finally breathed a sigh of relief after he had left the Lily Society activity room far away.

"You seem very nervous?"

He turned around and found Miss Ge Li standing not far behind him, looking at him with a slightly suspicious, inquiring gaze.

"Uh, a little." He glanced instinctively behind Ge Li, but didn't see anyone else. "How about we find somewhere else to talk?"

“No, didn’t you say you had something urgent to attend to?” Ge Li refused.

"..."

When she rejected him without a second thought with an excuse she made up on the spot, Wayne was stunned. He wanted to argue but didn't know where to begin, and he didn't know how long Goth had been silently watching him and Richard in the activity room.

"Well, how about we go together on the way? I also have something I want to tell you."

"No, it's not on my way." Her reply was without the slightest hesitation.

Tsk, why are you so stubborn?

She just stood there coldly facing him, not saying anything else, which put Wayne in a dilemma.

Sunlight streamed through the school building's corridors, casting diagonally divided shadows on the other side of Wayne.

"What if someone comes out of the activity room later and sees the two of us talking?" he whispered a reminder.

"So what?" Ge Li's tone seemed completely indifferent. She crossed her arms and leaned lightly against the wall. "So what if others saw it? But Young Master Wayne, it seems you have a lot of things you're hiding..."

“You should know better than I do,” Wayne said, sounding somewhat deflated.

He had considered how to deal with his feelings for Ge Li.

He could offer her advice and help her acquire wealth, do his best to protect her interests through various means, and even offer her emotional support with sweet words in private... But all of this would vanish in front of Chris.

He knew what he should do to be the most responsible to Ge Li, but he couldn't do it.

"Ha." Ge Li laughed in exasperation. "You're wrong. I've never understood you."

"Perhaps you are a very talented magician, or perhaps you are a capable person who can easily gain the trust of others, or perhaps you are just a despicable person who simply likes to deceive and manipulate others... I can only ever see the version of you that you are willing to show, and I can never see your heart."

Her voice was faint and lost.

Is it possible that everything you saw was real?

Chapter 685 Unconventional

“Listen, beautiful and curious Miss Gothic,” Wayne said earnestly without looking her in the eye, “You can think I’m despicable or hypocritical, it doesn’t matter, but I will not go against my heart.”

“It’s not that I wanted to start this way, but now that we’ve come this far, we can’t end it, we can never end it.”

He turned and left.

But after taking only half a step, he paused for a moment. "By the way, I will be visiting His Excellency Franz at his residence in the next couple of days to discuss plans for the future of the southwest region. If you don't have any other commitments recently, please be sure to attend the meeting as well."

As soon as he finished speaking, he strode into the shadows.

This time, he's really gone.