Chapter 33: She Wants to Learn Magic

In reality, a man who marries into a family as a son-in-law will never, in the face of a family crisis, turn the tide amidst endless mockery and derision, stunning everyone with peerless martial prowess, an supreme background, or overwhelming power.

A son-in-law is, after all, just a son-in-law. There is a reason for his lower status.

Usually, he would just act like Barbarov.

When someone has already sacrificed their surname and dignity, do you really expect them to give their all, bleeding and sweating for your family?

That is asking too much.

In truth, the Ordos family still placed some importance on Barbarov. Otherwise, they would not have placed him in the position of mayor. Even if they considered him a puppet, that was only relative to the true power-brokers of the family. In the eyes of the ordinary residents, he was still the Mayor, a man to be cautiously flattered.

Nina, moreover, was the cousin of the Master of Ordos and had once even had the chance to become Lady Ordos. Even with such a history, the current Lady Ordos, Irene, still maintained a good relationship with her. After all, in such a small town, it was rare to find someone of a similar age and status who could actually hold a conversation.

At the very least, Nina did not only talk about trivial household matters. She could keep up with Lady Ordos’s pursuits—the elegant lifestyle, romantic fantasies, and the popular serialized novels of the day.

When Nina became utterly disillusioned with Barbarov, Lady Ordos had a thought and brought her to see Zohan. In the eyes of Lady Ordos, wasn’t Nina, at this moment, just another resource? The resources Lady Ordos needed were not minerals or land, but the kind that could further rope in and please Zohan.

"You sent Nina to the Dire Wolf? Is that beast as lustful as a human? Can it... no, I mean, does it still retain enough humanity to be swayed by a woman?" Zohan remarked with a cynical click of his tongue. This behavior was surely evidence that the Dire Wolf, Sese, was indeed a product of human magical modification, still harboring remnants of human nature. Otherwise, a common monster would never develop desire for a human female—unless it was for food.

Lady Ordos giggled, wanting to throw herself into his arms to "sway" him as well.

"Yes—it felt very strange." Nina had no understanding of monsters; in her eyes, it was just a talking beast. If not for the wolf’s terrifying appearance and massive size, it would have been as ridiculous and shameful as a stray dog in town going into heat and trying to hump a woman’s leg.

Facing the Dire Wolf Sese, however, there was only terror. Nina’s eyes welled with tears. "The wolf snuck into the house and caught him in the study. He called me over and told the wolf to take me as a hostage, so long as it let him go."

"He is hardly a man!" Lady Ordos said indignantly. If it were Mr. Zohan, he would surely have seized the moment, shouted "Gale Severing Strike," and slain the wolf. She had just witnessed his power, and it made her heart race; she couldn't help but want to experience that strength in a different way.

Zohan nodded. Human nature was just like that; there was nothing strange about it. Ordinary couples often fly apart when disaster strikes, let alone a son-in-law whose loyalties are hard to gauge. It could only be said that Barbarov never had much affection for his wife to begin with.

"Then the wolf exposed its 'wolf-tooth club' and drooled at me," Nina said, filled with shame and anger. "Barbarov actually said, 'Nina, serve Lord Sese well'—Sese is the wolf. He called a wolf 'Lord,' cowering in the corner like a quail!"

Zohan let out a derisive snort. No wonder Nina had abandoned Barbarov without a second glance when he fell with a head injury in the council hall earlier. So, it was Barbarov who had wanted Nina to die first.

Zohan had just dissected the Dire Wolf Sese; its "member" was covered in barbs. The name lived up to reality—it was truly a "wolf-tooth club." Given its structure, those barbs would become sharp and rigid during the act, and with a size like that of a beast, Nina would truly have been killed by it. The fact that she was still alive only meant that Sese had not yet used its club on her.

"Falling for the wrong person is a helpless fate; he simply doesn't love you," Zohan said with detachment. There was clearly no love between this couple. Zohan believed in the beauty of love, but he didn't think he would ever encounter it—most people don't, do they? Zohan was a realist; he felt it didn't matter if he never found love. Making a transaction with a woman like Lady Ordos was even more comfortable than love.

"But, what is it you want from me?" Zohan thought, glancing sideways at the tall Nina. Was she, too, looking to make a deal? Nina was slightly older than Lady Ordos, her features less delicate, but her figure was taller and more athletic. In particular, the basin-shaped structure connecting her spine to her lower limbs was filled with more fat and muscle than Lady Ordos, suggesting greater fertility and leg strength.

"I want to learn magic." Nina wiped her tear-streaked eyes. The woman, still possessing a lingering charm, looked shy and hesitant, yet her tone was firm.

Huh?

Zohan looked in surprise at the mature woman with hips wider than her shoulders. The moment she proposed this, she seemed somewhat naive, much like Yeye. When he was a doctor, he had once met an elderly man who had been paralyzed for years, who told Zohan he hoped to learn a 720-degree aerial spin followed by a backflip.

The difficulty and probability were about the same.

Magic, like medicine, is a serious endeavor requiring long, tedious, repetitive accumulation of time and highly focused attention. Most importantly, it requires talent. His teacher, Jormungandr, had three criteria for accepting students: first, those with more talent than her; second, those with similar talent; and third, those with just a little less. Jormungandr had never met the first or the third, only the second—Zohan. And the better Zohan understood his teacher, the more he felt he was unworthy of being classified as the second type.

Zohan could take on students now, but he would continue his teacher's standards. Nina likely fell too far short. This was evident from her "easy-birth" physique; such women often lacked the capacity to endure the long, thankless years of growth and stagnation required for the craft.

"What do you want to learn magic for?" Zohan did not reject her outright, glancing at Lady Ordos on the side. This woman had much more self-awareness; she had experienced the power of magic firsthand, yet only thought of becoming a subject for magical research.

Nina muttered, unable to answer. But Zohan understood her mindset. Women are drawn to strength. Her husband was cowardly and fearful in the face of the wolf, a total waste, while Zohan had easily slain the beast. The contrast was too sharp; it made it easy for a woman to look down on her husband and worship Zohan instead.

Women are the same in every world. They rarely choose to help their husbands grow or become stronger. Once they realize their men are useless, they simply turn to the embrace of the strong—men who are wealthier, more powerful, and can provide them with a greater sense of security.

He raised an eyebrow. This was why he always kept a casual, playful attitude. As long as he didn't harbor hopes for love, his state of mind wouldn't be damaged. An indifferent attitude was the healthiest.

"When he hits me again, I will use magic to cut off his 'club,'" Nina said, summoning her courage. She felt the oppressive weight of Zohan’s gaze and knew she had to speak the truth.

Huh?

Zohan was surprised once more. Is the breadth of a woman's thinking directly proportional to her hip circumference? Does that really require magic? Sharpening a knife would be far more practical!