Chapter Four: The Answer Chair in Prague

“Smack!” With a casual wave of his hand, Andy slapped the grotesque-faced cat to the ground as it lunged at him. The original soul had experienced similar incidents more than once within the Wizard’s Tower, so Andy remained utterly composed.

Zero-level spell “Mimicry” and zero-level spell “Ghastly Visage” contained not a trace of offensive power; they were nothing more than scare tactics, childish pranks.

“Villain! How dare you hit Angel?” A little girl, rear end in the air as she scrubbed the floor upstairs, glared fiercely at Andy. Scooping up the black cat, she cradled it gently, murmuring comfort, “Don’t be afraid, Angel, Mama’s here.” Angel, now restored to the appearance of an ordinary kitten, mewled and nuzzled affectionately.

Witnessing this, Andy could only sigh in exasperation. The little girl was Catherine, Stein’s youngest apprentice, only thirteen and already a novice wizard apprentice.

With her adorable twin ponytails, Andy found it hard to believe that she was the one who had just cast those two prank spells. The spiritual strength of a novice wizard apprentice could sustain learning at most three zero-level spells. Judging from the half-cleaned floor, it was obvious she hadn’t learned “Cleanliness.”

Wizards, even at their lowest rank, harbored a subconscious sense of superiority from the moment they mastered magic.

“Cleanliness” was almost a required spell for apprentices, allowing them to maintain a pristine image at all times. That Catherine had forgone it in favor of two prank spells piqued Andy’s curiosity about her third spell.

But Andy certainly couldn’t ask. Among wizards, probing another’s secrets was a grave taboo—only those with ill intent would do so. Even family and spouses were highly cautious in this regard.

“Catherine, why are you cleaning here? Where are the tower’s maids?” Andy asked in surprise.

“Hmph.” Catherine first snorted to express her displeasure, then replied indignantly, “Aunt Kelly took them to Lisa’s funeral. I’m left to do the cleaning.”

“What?” Andy was startled. “Lisa is dead?”

“Yes. She took leave to visit her family in the countryside two days ago but ran into some vile bandits on the road. I wanted to attend Lisa’s funeral, but Aunt Kelly refused to take me.”

“Bandits, huh? As if I haven’t watched enough Detective Di Renjie,” Andy thought to himself. Then he tried to comfort Catherine: “Bringing a noble wizard apprentice to a rural funeral? Better not. Besides, your presence would only unsettle everyone there. And if you ran into bandits again, it would be even worse.”

“Hmph. With Sir John as escort, what’s there to fear? I’m really sad about Lisa’s passing. I’m not heartless like some people who don’t care at all.”

“What nonsense are you spouting?” Andy rapped her on the head. “Who’s heartless here?”

Catherine brushed his hand away with distaste, then whispered conspiratorially, “I’m not telling you that Senior Brother Compson and Sister Sally are having an affair! Hmph!” With that, she ignored Andy and resumed wiping the floor with gusto, Angel the cat trailing closely behind.

Shaking his head, Andy walked down the corridor to a room marked “Prague’s Quiz Chair” and stepped inside. As soon as Andy left, Catherine paused her cleaning, suddenly grinning as if recalling something amusing.

“There’s nothing in the Wizard’s Tower that escapes the notice of the clever and adorable Queen Catherine. Now, let’s see what blunder the useless Andy will make next.”

A lengthy incantation followed. Catherine’s body froze, but the little black cat’s eyes gleamed with cunning. In a flash, the cat darted after Andy.

“Catherine’s Possession Spell.”

This was not a typical zero-level spell, but a unique magic derived from her awakened soul talent.

Inside the Quiz Chair room, Andy paid no attention to Angel the cat, who had slipped in behind him; the creature was known to roam the tower at will.

All his attention was drawn to the luxurious chair in the center of the room—a golden throne encrusted with gemstones, save for the incongruous silver owl statue perched atop the backrest.

“Good day, Mr. Prague,” Andy greeted politely. “I’d like to go to the seventeenth floor.”

“Caw-caw, access confirmed… Authorization valid. Prepare yourself!” As the owl’s beak moved, a nightmarish voice echoed through the room.

“I’m ready,” Andy replied.

“Listen… to… the… question!” The voice was halting and eerie, prompting Andy to mutter inwardly, “A monkey in the tree, a monkey on the ground—how many monkeys? Two!” But instead, the owl intoned, “Two bronze monsters start from towns 272 kilometers apart and head toward each other at the same time. Three hours later, they are 17 kilometers apart. Monster A travels 45 kilometers per hour. What is Monster B’s speed?”

“Uh, it’s 40 kilometers per hour,” Andy answered after a quick calculation, feeling a shiver of disgust.

“Correct answer. Please secure your pet and fasten your seatbelt!”

Andy quickly sat down, buckled up, and held Angel tightly, recalling how he’d once been electrocuted into a frizzy-haired mess for answering incorrectly.

With a hiss, the ceiling panels slid apart, and the chair shot upward, accelerating rapidly. The rush of air forced Andy to squeeze his eyes shut and clutch the struggling kitten even tighter.

With a chime, they reached the seventeenth floor. Andy felt a sharp pain—he’d been bitten by the cat. His grip loosened, and the cat bolted away, looking rather flustered.

After bidding farewell to Prague, Andy found his mentor in Stein’s laboratory. Stein was speaking quietly to another apprentice.

Stein was a handsome middle-aged man, clad in a robe of purest white, though his face was tinged with pallor.

Beside him stood an apprentice with radiant blond hair, sharply defined features, and a physique that seemed sculpted by a master. His mere presence was impossible to ignore—Edward Collin.

“You’re here, Andy,” Stein greeted him simply, then added with a hint of reproach, “I’ve heard about your situation. Training your body is fine, but when it comes to the spiritual realm, you must be rigorous!”

“Yes, Master, I understand,” Andy replied with little conviction.

Stein, oblivious to Andy’s attitude, sighed, “So many brilliant talents have ruined their lives by taking a single misstep, condemned to live the rest of their days like worms, never able to progress again.

“That’s why you must be meticulous, cautious, and consider every possibility. You must… cough, cough…” Stein’s speech grew more impassioned until a fit of coughing silenced him.

“Master!” “Are you all right, sir?” Andy and Edward rushed to his side.

“It’s nothing. I inhaled some irritating gas during an experiment,” Stein replied, wiping his mouth. “But let this be a lesson—always be… cough… careful!”

Stein then fell silent. After a long pause, he waved them away. “Enough, I’m tired. You may both go.” The two apprentices quickly made their farewells.

“Wait!” Stein called after them. He handed Andy a crystal vial filled with a luminous blue liquid. “This might be useful to you,” he said softly.

Edward’s eye twitched, but he immediately composed himself, smiling with serene grace.

“This is Nobeiisu Elixir—it works wonders for spiritual injuries. Fortunately, I can brew it myself, so you benefit,” Stein commented, turning his back.

Long after Andy and Edward had left, a soft sigh echoed through Stein’s laboratory. He opened his hand, the one he’d used to wipe his mouth—stained with bright crimson.

“Alas! Time is running out…” Stein murmured.

Suddenly his expression changed. “That damned cat has messed up my experiment records again. Come back here, Angel! Stop running… cough, cough…”

“Edward.” “Senior Andy.” Leaving Stein’s laboratory, the two addressed each other at once.

Edward smiled gently. “You first, brother.”

“Alright. I received two pink letters outside—both addressed to you, Edward,” Andy said, squinting. “From beautiful, noble young ladies.”

“Oh?” Edward shrugged, unconcerned. “Then you can handle them as you see fit, brother.”

“Uh, alright.” Andy forced a stiff smile. “Was there something you wanted?”

“I was wondering if you’d be interested in selling that vial of Nobeiisu Elixir. I’m willing to offer a thousand gold coins,” Edward said earnestly.

“A thousand gold coins, heh.” Andy appeared unmoved. Though he’d inherited memories, he hadn’t fully integrated them and had little concept of local currency.

“A thousand gold is merely a token for your recovery, brother. I’d also exchange my family’s Combe Manor outside the city—thirty years ago, it belonged to the Charles family, your ancestors.”

Andy smiled, equally indifferent.

“And, of course, the friendship of House Collin.”

Still, Andy only smiled.

“In truth, for a low-level apprentice, such backlash can be healed within three months of rest. The elixir is far too precious for that purpose. Restoring spirit is only one of its effects; it’s also a vital aid for breaking through to wizard rank. It’s crucial to me, to my family,” Edward’s tone grew stern.

Andy laughed softly.

“What do you mean by this, brother?” Edward demanded.

“I mean three months is far too long—I don’t intend to waste a single day!” With that, Andy strode to the Prague Chair, where the owl’s nightmarish voice intoned, “Listen to the question!”

Behind him, Edward’s face twisted with rage…