I can optimize spell code

Chapter 40 Considering the Overall Situation

Upon hearing this, Luo Mu was secretly surprised.

Surprisingly, those tattered books that old Hamelin used to prop up table legs weren't just for show; the old man had actually developed advanced technology from them.

Cassius looked at Rom with an innocent expression and shook his head slightly:

"Sigh... Rom, I did nothing wrong in this matter."

I did that for our shared benefit. He was just too stubborn and gave up the honor on his own initiative.

He'd been hiding for over a decade, only to find himself still a down-on-his-luck first-tier mage. The mage guild in Red Dragon City had almost completely forgotten about him, and might even... be expelled!

"Wow!"

Jack, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

"The smelting and purification method is one of the advanced techniques that is included in college textbooks!"

Those bottles of [Holy Light Meditation Potion] I saw in the mage's attic in Silver Town, they must have been extracted using this method!

So, it seems Master Hamelin is quite low-key!

Elena, however, was not very interested in this past event, and secretly felt worried for Hamelin.

She said somewhat anxiously, "I told the teacher everything as soon as he returned yesterday. He didn't dare to delay for a moment and drove here overnight to treat Master Hamelin. He really has a lot of good intentions..."

However, after hearing Cassius's speech, Rom's face darkened.

Haha, no wonder Mr. Hamelin was so stubborn in trying to get rid of her.

For the greater good?

…That sounds nice.

Others might not understand, but these high-sounding words were all too familiar to Rom.

He recalled that when he was a junior programmer, he stayed up all night for more than half a month to meet deadlines.

After the project went live and became a huge hit, the team leader, who never worked overtime, was toasting the leaders at the celebration banquet, flattering them and taking all the credit for himself, without mentioning Luo Mu, who had contributed the most behind the scenes.

He was also awarded "Outstanding Contribution of the Year" at the annual meeting. At the celebration banquet, he simply said "Thank you for your hard work" and then comfortably pocketed all the bonuses distributed by the company.

Not only did he not receive a bonus, but the next day Luo Mu wanted to take leave because he was feeling unwell, but the team leader refused on the grounds of "considering the overall situation of the project".

What kind of bullshit "big picture" is this?

Every line of code I stayed up all night writing—isn't that what you call the big picture?

Why should you get all the benefits of the overall situation, while I don't even have the right to be credited?

Rom looked at Cassius, who had such a compassionate appearance, and couldn't help but sneer.

"That sounds nice, Archmage Cassius."

Rom's voice was not loud, but Cassius's expression changed.

"You said the process was complicated, that Professor Hamelin was stubborn, and that you were doing it for everyone's good."

Since it's the culmination of your shared efforts, and since you've always felt indebted... then please tell me, during these past ten years or so, while you were enjoying the fame and fortune brought by these patents in Red Dragon City, and using vast resources to advance to the third-tier archmage, why did you never mention Master Hamelin at those high-ranking mage conferences?

Cassius's face froze instantly.

"If you had even a shred of genuine respect, if you had actually mentioned Professor Hamelin's name on any major occasion, he wouldn't have fallen to the point of being completely forgotten by the entire Mage Guild, would he?"

Cassius fell silent.

Rom continued his relentless questioning: "Obviously, you haven't done it even once."

You enjoy the thrill of taking all the credit for yourself, don't you?

Cassius frowned slightly as he sized up Rom.

She had assumed that with her noble status as a third-tier archmage, personally driving to such a place to treat Hamerlin, her student Rom would surely be flattered and grateful, standing by her side to help persuade him.

Unexpectedly, this nineteen-year-old apprentice dared to criticize him?

...

Seeing the atmosphere, Jack's survival instinct kicked in, and he instinctively retreated several meters, wishing he could hide as soon as possible.

Elena, standing to the side, was sweating profusely with anxiety.

She knew her teacher's temperament all too well. Although Cassius appeared gentle, he was extremely concerned with his reputation and authority.

Once upon a time in Silver Town, there was a drunken nobleman who, out of lust, uttered a few frivolous words that were not in accordance with etiquette. As a result, the teacher burned him in front of everyone with holy light, leaving him bedridden for more than half a year!

Luo Mu actually dared to talk back to me like that... If the teacher were to unleash divine punishment in a fit of anger, I wouldn't be able to stop him.

Sure enough, Cassius's eyes turned cold, his face began to twitch slightly, and his whole body began to emit a faint silver light.

"Oh? You, a mere apprentice, actually think I'm a selfish person?"

"Then tell me, why did I abandon my heavy defensive duties in Silver Town today, travel hundreds of miles overnight to this desolate wilderness? Was it just to get a lecture from you?"

Despite the overwhelming magical pressure from the third-tier archmage, Romu did not flinch.

Instead, he smiled and casually offered his final conclusion:

"You've come today not to make amends for what you owe."

Romuel stared into Cassius's eyes and said, enunciating each word clearly:

You've only heard about what happened that night.

I heard there's a useless apprentice in Blackrock Town who actually has some tricks up his sleeve.

So you're curious, and even more worried—worried that Hamelin, the old man whose work you stole, might have secretly developed some new technology during his ten years of seclusion.

This time, Cassius's shoulders trembled slightly.

She fell completely silent.

If what I said earlier was still in defense of Hamelin, then these words are now a complete barb.

Elena froze, her eyes tightly shut, as if she could already see Rom being blasted to ashes by her enraged teacher's holy light.

Jack, already hidden behind a tree, was mentally screaming, "Boss is awesome!! He actually went toe-to-toe with a third-tier archmage! But bro, I hope this doesn't drag me into this..."

Romú's idea was not based on mere conjecture.

He remembered that his teacher Hamelin had said that Cassius was a very pragmatic woman, which was why she became a member of the Mage's Association in just over a decade.

Moreover, from the moment Rom entered the room, he noticed that Cassius's attention was not on his teacher Hamelin, but on him.

So he immediately understood…

"Cassius came here specifically for me."

Although I don't know what she wants to do to me, since I'm here, I shouldn't play dumb. I should make her realize that I'm not someone to be trifled with!

Cassius looked at Rom before him, then slowly closed his eyes, and the light element around him dissipated.

She reopened her green eyes, and the peace returned to them.

"You are very smart, young man."

He's much smarter and more perceptive than your teacher who only knows how to obsessively pursue research.

Cassius was not angered by being exposed; instead, he calmly straightened his cuffs and spoke in a composed tone:

"However, you underestimate the friendship between me and Hamelin."

"One of the reasons I came here was for you, but the other half was that I genuinely wanted to save his life."

Hearing the other party admit it so openly, Luo Mu felt much more at ease.

"Since the monk is also trying to save people, then things will be easier."

Luo Mu put away his previous aggressive attitude and performed a proper monk's salute.

"Whatever you want to know, or whatever you want to confirm with me, we can sit down and talk about it slowly."

But the prerequisite is that the teacher receives treatment first.

Cassius smiled gently, nodded, and agreed.

It's a deal.

Once his poison is neutralized, we can have a proper chat later. I have a lot of questions I want to ask you.