Dale’s large golden eyes flashed with curiosity, her silver hair floating in the water like a blooming water flower.
"Master, is someone visiting?" she asked innocently, her voice filled with childlike curiosity: "Is it the blond human from the Communication Crystal?"
"Yes."
Ron answered briefly, his gaze scanning the indicators on the Crystal Vat to confirm everything was functioning normally:
"A Wizard I met at the Bloodline Altar, now working at the Crystal Tower."
He didn’t elaborate further, nor did he need to.
"Will he stay long? Can I play in the yard for a while?" Dale blinked her big eyes.
Ron pondered for a moment and shook his head: "Not this time. We need to discuss some private matters. After he leaves, I’ll let Ailan take you for a walk nearby."
Dale pouted slightly but merely flicked her tail and sank back into the water to continue her frolicking.
About half an hour later, a unique Energy Fluctuation was heard outside the villa.
Ron walked to the window and saw a silver bird-shaped aircraft slowly landing on the open ground in front of the villa.
The aircraft was covered in complex Runes, its wings composed of some sort of semi-transparent Magic construct, shimmering with rainbow-like light in the sunlight.
The hatch on the bird’s back opened, revealing a young blond man in an Official Wizard Robe.
The collar and cuffs were embroidered with star pattern designs, the Star Ring emblem on his chest glistened in the sunlight, and his presence exuded a noble sense of refinement.
He silently assessed the value of this aircraft.
A Magic Tool of this caliber was worth at least dozens of complete Magic Stones, a luxury unattainable for most ordinary Wizards in their lifetime.
The doorbell rang, and Ron adjusted his expression, personally going to greet this special guest.
"Ron Ralph."
Eliot slightly bowed, performing a standard Wizard salute, drawing the shape of a Star Ring with his palm in front of his chest:
"Very pleased to meet you again, congratulations on your promotion to Official Wizard."
"Eliot Wandell."
Ron returned the standard Wizard salute, poised but natural:
"Thank you for visiting, please come in."
The two passed through a meticulously arranged courtyard, and proceeded via a corridor to the guest room on the second floor.
This room was centrally located in the villa, with walls covered in soundproof and anti-surveillance Runes, making it an ideal place for private conversations.
"Please wait a moment." Ron said before closing the door, then quickly walked to the third floor to fetch a small Crystal Ball from the laboratory.
This was a security device he had painstakingly improved while at the Black Mist School.
Though outwardly simple, the internal structure was extremely intricate, containing multiple anti-snooping and energy isolation functions.
Upon returning to the guest room, he placed the Crystal Ball in the center of the table and infused it with a strand of Magic Power at a special frequency.
The Crystal Ball immediately emitted a soft blue light, forming a semi-transparent Energy Shield that enveloped the entire room.
"Additional protective measures."
Ron explained briefly, his eyes sweeping over the young man’s face to observe his reaction:
"To isolate external energy detection and sound transmission."
Eliot raised an eyebrow, a slight smile appearing at the corner of his mouth:
"It seems your reputation for caution is well-deserved. This multi-frequency isolation field is very finely crafted."
He reached out to lightly touch the Energy Shield, feeling the flow of Magic Power within: "Did you design it yourself?"
"Improved from a basic model circulating in the market."
Ron responded evenly, neither boastfully nor modestly:
"The original prototype had uneven energy bands. I added a four-tier progressive stabilization ring to make the isolation effect more comprehensive."
Ailan silently served tea and snacks, vines elegantly pouring a fragrant cup of herbal tea for each of them before quietly withdrawing.
"First off, congratulations on your promotion."
Ron picked up his teacup, watching the young Wizard across from him:
"In terms of time, your promotion was quite swift as well."
Eliot sipped a bit of tea, revealing a somewhat self-deprecating smile:
"Hardly, compared to you, who ascended directly via the Path of Truth. My regular route seems rather ordinary."
He put down the teacup, his expression becoming subtle:
"To be honest, if not for my family’s special arrangements, I might still be queuing for the Key Potion."
"Special arrangements?"
Ron raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone devoid of judgment, containing only pure curiosity.
Eliot shrugged somewhat helplessly:
"The setback at the Bloodline Altar caused my sequence ranking to drop considerably. According to the normal process, it would have taken several more months before it would be my turn to receive the Key Potion."
His pale gold curls glistened softly in the light:
"But after the clan saw inheritors from several other competing families had already been promoted, they immediately leveraged some... favors and resources to secure me an early promotion opportunity."
Pausing slightly, Eliot’s blue eyes brimmed with complexity:
"I do envy your freedom, not having to bear the expectations and shackles of a family. Every decision can be made entirely based on your own wishes, rather than being guided by invisible strings."
Ron simply nodded at this, neither agreeing nor rejecting, just mentally noting the information.
The tactics of major Wizard Clans, internal rules, and their control over external resources are all valuable intelligence.
"Of course, early promotion has greater benefits."
Eliot’s tone suddenly turned bright:
"My Special Talent ’Wind of Listening’ has seen a significant improvement due to acquiring Meditation Technique Traits, which is one of the reasons why the family pushed for my promotion so urgently."
Ron’s gaze slightly sharpened, as this casually mentioned "Special Talent" immediately caught his attention.
"’Wind of Listening’?"
While he’d already deduced some aspects, he still inquired calmly, his tone carrying just the right amount of interest:
"Sounds like a talent associated with information gathering?"
Eliot nodded: "To put it simply, I can hear sounds that ordinary people cannot... hear."
He paused for a moment, seemingly considering how to explain this abstract ability:
"Not only in the physical sense, but also including Energy Fluctuations, information flow, and even echoes of certain events that have yet to transpire but are already settled."
Ron’s gaze shifted subtly; such skills that can foresee or perceive future events are top-tier in at least the second echelon, their value immeasurable.
"That sounds like an extremely rare talent."
He casually commented, while internally reassessing Eliot’s potential value.
Such a being akin to a "Six-Eared Macaque" has undeniable strategic significance, whether as a partner or information source.