Chapter 62: Rumors and Gossip (Please Recommend and Bookmark)

For those who paid attention, it was easy to notice that the president of the Arcane Society, Lisper, had come to Bohn Iolum for help; after all, they made little effort to conceal it. Yet, after the two disappeared for a day and then returned without taking any action, suspicion arose.

Meanwhile, rumors began to run rampant. In the long history of Giles Academy, nothing like this had ever happened: the distinguished head of the Arcane Society was allegedly involved in spreading heretical corruption. It was akin to students on Earth being caught with drugs—a scandal that implicated many, with the president of the Arcane Society bearing the brunt.

Rumors began to swirl: “Did the president really take part?” “Is Cook just a scapegoat?” Such talk spread rapidly among the students. As the saying goes, a lie repeated often enough becomes the truth. At first, no one believed it, but with everyone discussing it, disbelief slowly gave way to conviction. The credibility of the Arcane Society within the academy plummeted.

Spellcasters are highly sensitive to the moods around them. Members of the Arcane Society began to notice that their peers were casting strange glances their way. Yet, faced with such accusations, neither the president nor any of the ministers stepped forward to clarify matters, and the malicious wind only blew harder.

Some even began to question whether Lisper was still fit to lead the Arcane Society. The current president, however, made no response at all; instead, she was often seen in Bohn's underground laboratory.

A few days later, someone started to push the narrative that Anderson, the captain of the enforcement squad, was far more suitable to be the president than Lisper.

Bohn, upon hearing this, nearly spat out his drink in shock. Could it be any more obvious?

“Who gave him the courage?”

Bohn was baffled. By Anderson’s previous moves, the plan was nearly flawless; even if it failed, he could have distanced himself and no one could have proven it was his doing. Why had he suddenly lost his wits? Now, once Cook returned, everyone would know Anderson was behind it all.

Lisper was equally puzzled. Their original plan was simply to wait and see if Anderson would play any further tricks, hoping to catch him in the act. They never expected Anderson to expose himself so rashly; now, there was no need to look for evidence.

“Could it be that we’ve done nothing these past few days, nor offered any explanation, and he’s convinced himself he’s already won?”

“Hmph! What trash! A character like this wouldn’t survive three episodes in a drama.”

Bohn was indignant. He had prepared more than a dozen countermeasures, eager for a contest with Anderson, only for this fool to blunder into the open.

Now, it was Bohn’s turn to be frustrated. He felt as though he had just been about to unsheath his forty-meter saber, only for his opponent to drop to his knees in surrender.

“By my calculations, Cook should have been taken back by the DuPont family by now.”

“Yes, he should return tomorrow. This whole affair can finally be settled,” Lisper said, breathing a gentle sigh of relief. Fortunately, the reputation of the Arcane Society had not been tarnished by her own hand.

This incident taught her a profound lesson: even those hailed as paragons of composure and reason—the very embodiment of wisdom among spellcasters—were not immune to the tides of public opinion.

“Here.”

Lisper set a stack of documents on the table, pushing them toward Bohn.

“Hm? For me? What is this?”

Bohn did not move, his expression curious.

“Haven’t you been searching for bloodline records these past two days?”

Indeed, to prepare lessons for the two young ones, Bohn had scoured the academy for bloodline information, making little effort to hide his quest.

“But why?”

Bohn asked solemnly.

Lisper had been seen with Bohn frequently of late, and Bohn was gathering information on exotic bloodlines. To outsiders, it looked as if he was seeking to uncover the secrets of the president’s lineage. Adding to this, Lisper ignored the swirling rumors and offered no defense, making everyone believe she had fallen in love and had no time for her official duties.

Others might misunderstand, but Bohn knew Lisper would not. She was aware of the two god-demon descendants. Bohn himself had considered seeking the president’s help, but dismissed the idea almost immediately. Lisper herself was of elemental descent; her family possessed even more detailed records of extraplanar bloodlines, but these were the most closely guarded secrets, the legacy of generations.

Such information was the most hidden inheritance of every family. If leaked, it could provide enemies with fatal weaknesses, endangering the entire family—a situation not uncommon in Faerûn’s history.

“Rest assured, this is my repayment for your help. I haven’t reported the young ones to my family, and this version of the data has been edited. It’s perfectly suitable as an introductory course for sorcerers.”

Bohn looked deeply at Lisper, then accepted the documents without further fuss.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Gerard had just emerged from the laboratory, only to be stunned by the belated news.

The rumor that Anderson was to serve as acting president of the Arcane Society needed no investigation; any student on the street could tell you. For mages living in their ivory towers, nothing aroused more interest than rumors and gossip, and this was the hottest topic of the day, discussed with relish.

Gerard hurried to the lakeside villa, where a lively banquet was underway, attended by many members of the enforcement squad, who openly addressed Anderson as “President.”

Though Anderson had not yet officially assumed the role, he already carried himself as such, drinking merrily and making no effort to hide his ambition.

Seeing Anderson in such high spirits, Gerard refrained from interrupting and instead found Kelly to inquire about the details.

According to the plan, after Cook was taken away, all that was left was to spread rumors to undermine the Arcane Society’s reputation and wait patiently for events to unfold.

At this stage, the plan was essentially complete. Whether Lisper was accused of negligence or poor judgment in selecting her staff, the academy’s upper echelons would step in, appoint an interim president, and prepare for the transition to a permanent successor—Anderson being the ideal candidate.

Even if the plan failed, aside from some loss of reputation, the Arcane Society would suffer no real harm, and there would be no evidence against them.

Success or failure, Anderson would remain unscathed.

But no one anticipated that Lisper, instead of reassuring the students, would spend so much time at Bohn’s side, fueling rumors of an affair. Bohn’s public search for bloodline records only made things worse.

Anderson was furious. In his mind, after Lisper was removed for negligence, he would succeed her and gallantly defend her honor, clearing her name—a hero’s gesture. In his mind, Lisper was already his, his woman. But now, at this crucial moment, she was consorting with another man.

In a fit of rage, Anderson changed tactics. He resolved to step over her to seize power, to humiliate her publicly. In his mind, Lisper would undoubtedly be removed, and to secure his own succession, he immediately ordered his followers to start promoting him.

“Ah, women!”

Gerard shook his head and smiled wryly.

As for Anderson’s rashness, Gerard could only hope the plan succeeded; otherwise, Anderson would pay dearly for his impulsiveness.

(They are nobles, after all. Enjoying the privileges of their class means abiding by its rules. If they were commoners, a mere motive would have been enough to get them killed—no need for evidence. As long as Bohn remains in this circle, he must play by its rules; otherwise, if others don’t kill him, the count himself might do it. Of course, if Bohn becomes a major player later, that would be another matter entirely.)

…