Completely Overwhelmed

At this point, one of the stewards suddenly seemed to remember something.

"By the way, Steward Andrew, there’s something we’ve been too afraid to tell you..."

"What is it?" Andrew raised an eyebrow slightly.

The stewards exchanged glances, and then one of them whispered:

"Your senior brother, Andre the Archmage, has returned from the Endless Sea. He’s expected to arrive at our Winter Spring Valley in a few days."

In an instant, they noticed a subtle change in Andrew’s expression. His eyes narrowed, glinting with a chilling light.

"Oh?" he said, squinting. "Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?"

The steward wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and stammered, "Well... uh..."

It was precisely because they knew the relationship between the two that they had hesitated to speak up.

These stewards were well aware of the deep-seated animosity between Andrew and his senior brother. Back in the day, they had nearly come to blows over the position of the First Steward.

During their time in Winter Spring Valley, the stewards had witnessed firsthand what it meant for two titans to clash. It was a rivalry that had lasted since childhood.

If your mage tower was an inch taller than mine, I’d make sure mine was a foot taller by tomorrow!

If you mastered one forbidden spell, I’d master two!

If you had one son, I’d have two just to outdo you!

There was even that one time in the bathhouse when they accidentally caught a glimpse of each other and noticed a difference of a few micrometers... and that was enough to spark another round of competition.

In the end, they overused magic potions, which led to... well, let’s just say they both suffered a backlash.

Everything shrank!

They thought that would be the end of it.

But then, just because one of them accidentally noticed that the other was a few micrometers smaller...

They started competing over who could be smaller!

O(╥﹏╥)o.

Just recalling those days made all the stewards feel a wave of phantom pain.

"Steward Andrew, we all know there’s some tension between you and your senior brother, but..."

The surrounding stewards wiped their sweat and continued:

"Now your senior brother holds a different status. He’s the First Bishop of the Sea God’s Temple. This time, he’s surely returning for important discussions with Winter Spring Valley. You really need to tread carefully!"

[The Sea God’s Temple?]

Andrew snorted coldly and said indifferently, "What? Do you think a First Bishop is more prestigious than a First Steward? Do you expect me to kneel and call him ‘Father’?"

"Not at all! Not at all!" The stewards widened their eyes in panic. "Please don’t misinterpret our words! We’re just trying to give you a friendly reminder!"

Andrew flicked his sleeve and turned away, saying calmly, "Enough. I understand what you’re trying to say. Although we’ve never gotten along, that was a hundred years ago. Do you really think I, Andrew the Archmage, am that petty?"

The others trembled.

No!

We definitely don’t think you’re that petty...

But do you really have no self-awareness about your own pettiness?

Their eyes instinctively drifted to the floor in front of his chair, where the marble had slightly sunk from years of being stepped on.

And faintly visible in the depression was what appeared to be a name carved into the stone.

Then, their gazes wandered through the crack in the door to the training dummies outside in the square.

The face of one of the dummies looked eerily familiar.

Whoosh—

A magic arrow struck the dummy right in the forehead.

The stewards shuddered, snapping back to reality, their eyes wide and their throats dry.

Is this what you call being petty, Steward Andrew?

"Enough!" Andrew waved his hand grandly, his beard fluttering as he declared, "This meeting is adjourned. Dismissed!"

...

Several hours later.

In Nanako’s mage tower.

"It’s over, it’s over, it’s over!"

Nanako, dressed in a blue mage robe with her hair tied into two ponytails, paced back and forth, her small hands cupping her chin as she thought deeply. With each step, her long ponytails swished like ribbons.

On a nearby recliner, Lynn’s eyes followed the swaying ponytails, left and right, until his eyelids drooped with boredom.

"Master..." Lynn yawned, his voice drowsy.

"You’ve been pacing for two hours now. I’ve calculated that you’ve walked back and forth twelve thousand one hundred times, covering hundreds of kilometers. Aren’t you bored? In this time, you could’ve run several marathons."

Indeed.

Ever since the stewards’ meeting ended, Nanako had returned home and seemed to be stuck in an endless loop of pacing.

[Is she having a hyperactivity episode→_→? Otherwise, why has she been so restless lately?]

[Master, we’re almost out of gold coins. If your salary doesn’t come in this month, I’ll have to sell your jewelry and clothes!]

[Nanako’s Mage Brand Cloth Armor, petite size, two gold coins each, fair price, no scams~]

[Hahahaha—]

Nanako suddenly turned her head, her gaze locking onto Lynn.

In the reflection of Lynn’s eyes, the petite mage floated over like a ghost and slammed her hands on his shoulders.

Her blue eyes (￣^￣) glared down at him.

Lynn gulped, his eyes wide.

Since he was lying on the recliner, Nanako’s position created a somewhat domineering posture.

Lynn coughed awkwardly and said, "Uh... Master, it’s still noon. There are several hours until nightfall. Maybe..."

"Stupid disciple, stupid disciple, stupid disciple!!!!"

Nanako (〃＞皿＜) shook her head vigorously, her long ponytails whipping Lynn’s face at an unimaginable speed.

Slap, slap, slap, slap, slap—

The rhythmic slapping sounds echoed through the room.

Lynn: "!!!!"

"Stop! Stop! Master, please stop! This really hurts!"

Suddenly, Nanako grabbed his shoulders and pulled him close, her face o(≧口≦)o as she cried:

"Disciple, help me think of something! Andre the Archmage is coming back, and he’s definitely bringing Juejuezi with him. She’s going to come after me, she’s going to bully me!"

Lynn stared in horror at her ponytails.

[No, I have to find a way to cut these ponytails off. They’re too dangerous.]

[This crazy loli has clearly found a new weapon to torment me. I need to nip this habit in the bud!]

[Otherwise, my life will be miserable!]

"Juejuezi?" Lynn asked, startled. "Who’s that?"

Nanako glared, pulling Lynn closer and gritting her teeth. "Someone who’s always picking fights with me!!"

Lynn: "Huh?"

...