"Just now, that uncle's broom..."

"Cough, um, Chirp, you must remember that this kind of behavior is not good, don't learn from daddy." In front of the elevator door, Tiran tried to manage his expression to appear a bit more trustworthy.

It had only been a short while since they entered the elevator, and it had already gone to another floor, so they had to wait a moment longer.

The Mage Guild personnel were not that many, so the elevator wasn't too busy. But in the current situation, even waiting an extra second felt agonizing—after all, Director Lynn might rush out of the door behind them at any moment to start a fight.

Tiran anxiously watched as the light on the control panel to his right jumped from one number to another, finally reaching "3."

The elevator door opened slowly to the left and right, and a gust of air rushed out from the cracks between the circular platform and the surrounding pillars.

Inside stood a man around the same age as Lynn, but unlike the image that hovered between a mad scientist and an overworked engineer, this man looked more like a middle-aged professional, except for the white mage robes and the gold badge on his chest.

Hmm... his brown hair was somewhat sparse.

An Eighth-level Grand Mage. His identity was self-evident.

"President Kolen, what a coincidence." Tiran smiled and raised his hand in greeting.

The President of the Mage Guild, a Grand Mage—these two identities were enough to make Kolen look down on most nobles, even some of the nobles in Milania, such as Barryvria's father, the general who commanded the Cross Guard and was the second most important person in the army, would bow respectfully upon meeting Kolen.

As for higher ranks, due to the scarce intersection between national power and the world of magic, there had never been a consensus... In the end, Tiran himself had never figured out those intricate formalities, so he decided to be more casual.

"Not at all a coincidence. If I didn't come to pick you up, I might as well have the whole White Tower demolished." Kolen sighed with his palms open.

Uh... Tiran awkwardly scratched his head, feeling a bit crestfallen. "I'm sorry, it's my fault for not asking for directions clearly. Please forgive me, President."

"Haha, don't worry, I'm not petty, and the maintenance of the Mage Guild relies on the financial support from Beacon City. As long as Your Highness Tiran can understand the hardships of magical research during the next quarter's budget allocation, this matter isn't a big deal—of course, Lynn's personal issues will be something you have to handle yourself."

Was it about funding and expenses? Tiran did remember that guild organizations in major cities usually received financial support from the city, but the way Kolen spoke...

"I will do my best to help, but although theoretically Beacon City falls under my territory, the actual authority rests with Mr. Alex. If I can persuade him, I will do so without hesitation."

Tussling around, who doesn't know how to do that, right?

"Then I'll have to trouble you."

The circular platform beneath their feet shuddered and slowly came to a stop.

The guild tower had a structure where it widened at the bottom and narrowed at the top. By the time they reached the floor with the meeting room, there was no need for an elevated walkway. Upon opening the door, they were greeted by a spacious hall with a view through the completely open glass walls, offering a panoramic view of the guild's surroundings, momentarily giving Tiran a sense of being transported to modern times.

"Although it's called a meeting room, it's actually where guild members relax. Most people are busy, so they usually don't come here."

There was no bartender behind the bar counter, and Kolen skillfully took out a few jars from the shelf, brewing tea, mixing, and preparing drinks effortlessly, and soon brought two cups of beverages to Tiran and Chirp.

"It's honey tea made from candela berries, quite popular in the guild recently."

Kolen observed Chirp's pleasantly surprised expression after taking a sip and couldn't help but chuckle. "Is she the girl you brought back from the magitech capital?"

"What are you trying to say?" Tiran raised an eyebrow.

Chirp's relevant information was supposed to be confidential, but given Chirp's uniqueness as a humanoid self-walking magical charger, it was normal for a powerful Grand Mage to pick up some clues.

"Though this girl looks like an Orc, her magical talent and reserves are completely abnormal for a typical Orc... Perhaps even a deity wouldn't possess such an exaggerated magical reserve. If she were to cultivate magic, she could easily become an unparalleled powerhouse. And if we could study the sea of her mind and grasp the secrets of her massive magical reserves, the development of magical civilization might experience a monumental leap."

Kolen sighed, noticing Tiran's narrowed eyes, and chuckled lightly. "Of course, as a magic researcher stating a fact, I wouldn't do anything out of line. After all, I don't have the strength of Mr. Hermes, nor do I intend to antagonize a Holy Rank powerhouse capable of controlling dragons."

"I hope that's the case," Tiran nodded solemnly for once. "Chirp is like family to me. I care for her a lot, so even as a joke, I don't want to hear such things."

"Chirp also likes daddy a lot."

Sitting on the bench next to them with the cup in her hands, Chirp's ears twitched and she raised her head to reveal a cute smile.

"My apologies." Kolen seemed a bit taken aback but then understandingly smiled, apologized to Tiran with a nod.

"So, besides that?" After accepting Kolen's apology, the two sat face to face at a table in the empty meeting room. Tiran was scrutinizing Kolen and asked skeptically, "You're not going to tell me you invited me up here just to talk about Chirp, right?"

"That is indeed a significant part of the reason."

Kolen still seemed apologetic and decided to be open, "In fact, the gentleman Mr. Raether from your country's Magic Academy had some exchanges with me initially—of course, this was private. Other than me, no one in the guild knows about Chirp, and meeting you today sparked some curiosity."

"That guy, Li..."

Tiran clicked his tongue. They said that beyond combat strength, what was more important to mages was their research curiosity. Sometimes, the exchange and discussion among themselves were uncontrollable, and now he finally understood that completely.

"However, I invited you here also for another important matter." Kolen paused, then changed the subject, "If I remember correctly, in your past accomplishments, you were an adventurer, right?"

"....Huh?"