Stevenson's arrival only caused a small splash in the deep blue sea, which soon disappeared into the rolling waves. Helen Su's return ten days later was just as grand, but again it did not attract much attention. This was because every time the legendary mage returned, it was just as grand, even if it was just an outing to the White Deer Forest, which was only a hundred kilometers away. As for the outcome of the duel between the two legends, no one knows, and even Stevenson himself has not received any definite news from his family channels.

  Deep Blue, as always, is running in a tense but orderly manner, driven by a torrent of gold coins.

  Only Richard Jr. noticed that Helen Su's joy had suddenly increased a lot this month, reaching a record high of 800,000 gold coins. This is a huge amount of money, anywhere but in Deep Blue. After receiving an unusually large amount of joy, Richard Jr. immediately noticed that his course load had increased as well, especially one of them, “Fundamentals of Composite Magic Circuits,” which was taught by the Grand Magus alone. Naturally, the materials used to construct composite magic circuits were all high-level raw materials. As a result, in the price system of Deep Blue Abnormalities, Richard's “huge” income melted away like a snowball in the sun. It was expected that the additional income would be completely depleted by the summer, and by then, he would have to worry about maintaining a balance of income and expenditure.

  Erin still delivers food every day. Richard is eating more and more, in increasingly strange ways, and is becoming more and more demanding about the timing and frequency. What's even more painful is that the food has a distinctly strange taste, and some of it is even hard to bear. But with Erin's company and explanations, the whole process miraculously stops being hard.

  Every time Richard finished eating, Irene would show affection towards him in different ways. Sometimes it was a kiss, sometimes a caress, and sometimes just a hug. And under the guidance of the young girl, young Richard had gained a general understanding of the structure of a woman's body. However, the affection would occasionally trigger the blood boiling in Richard's body, which required him to suppress it in a way that bordered on meditation. But in his ignorance, Richard already sensed that something would happen soon. The fruit was still green, but his instincts were driving him to explore the depths of the young girl's body. However, the young girl didn't stay long after a meal, just five minutes at most. Every time the time was up, she would leave immediately, as precise as a magic pendulum.

  And on this day at the end of the month, it was time for the usual dessert after dinner.

  This time, the young girl took Richard's hand and gently felt for a huge mother-of-pearl button on the front, the surface of which was slightly rough with an embossed pattern. Her senses, which had been sharpened by the food, were extra clear. So the contrast between the touch of her fingers sliding past it and the touch of the other, huge, plump mound was even more pronounced.

  Richard suddenly felt his body's restlessness become extremely obvious. In a hurry, he glanced and saw that the buttons had come undone, and there was nothing in the way. The attraction of a young girl's body was almost fatal at this moment. He suddenly pulled the girl's last clothes off with all his strength, and the girl was only slightly flustered at first, but then she held Richard's hand down, let him stand upright, and slid herself down against Richard's body, then bowed her head.

  It was a fierce shower, and the fruit was almost ripe at once!

  Just as Richard was looking forward to another shower, Irene suddenly jumped up, saying anxiously, “Oh, look, it's almost time!” She hurriedly pulled her clothes together, grabbed the cutlery and dashed off.

  “Will something happen tomorrow...” Richard wondered blankly, his heart still beating close to the limit, so fast that it made him feel a little breathless.

  The next day, the hoped-for event did not take place. Irene seemed to be preoccupied, and her small face was suffused with an unconcealable gloom. When Richard asked about it, she refused to say anything. After the meal, Irene grabbed Richard's hand and placed it on her chest, pressing it gently before hurrying off.

  Affection comes at a price. For any level of contact, Irene charges a gold coin. Richard, who is now familiar with the prices in Deep Blue, naturally knows that a gold coin is nothing at all, and it may not even be enough to feed a young girl. So he always asks the young girl a lot of questions and pays for them. However, the young girl also enforces her own strict standards, charging exactly the value of the information itself, and is not willing to take any more.

  In fact, most of the information she can obtain is not worth much. The most expensive piece of information is that after the magical duel, all of Papen's followers disappeared from the deep blue, and some of them never seemed to return to their families. In addition, the entire duel is said to be related to Randolph, another student of Helen Su. Eileen set the price for this piece of information at one hundred and twenty gold coins. Apart from this, there is no information that costs more than fifty gold coins. So Richard knew that all the gold coins he had paid since January were not enough to support the young girl's magical studies for a single day. Of course, this was calculated according to his own standards.

  From that day on, Irene's attitude suddenly changed. Her contact with Richard became very restrained, and no matter how intimate they became, they would never actually pluck the fruit.

  Although, the fruit was already beginning to ripen.

  Richard also sensed Irene's change, but no matter how hard he pursued the matter or tried to find out indirectly, he could not get an answer. However, when he focused on eating carefully, his peripheral vision occasionally swept past, and behind the girl's bright smile, he saw another Irene sobbing. So Richard's world also became dark. Apart from the daily study and practice that was a given, Richard could not muster any enthusiasm for anything else. And indeed, nothing special happened in the following month. The only exception was that at a public lecture attended by a few hundred people, a man named Stevenson came over to say hello and introduced himself as a student of Helen Su's as well.

  Time passed as usual, and summer arrived without a sound.

  Erin became increasingly hurried, and she clearly began to distance herself from Richard. Eventually, she stopped accepting the daily gold coin. As a result, the special meals became increasingly difficult to stomach, while the portions continued to grow over time. Richard had obviously grown taller and stronger. He had added basic physical fitness to his curriculum, exercising in the manner of a professional soldier. Over time, Richard's magical training speed gradually accelerated, which he found incredible himself, because most of his time was still taken up by his heavy workload.

  With the arrival of summer, the floating ice bay also entered its most beautiful season. The sea was calm like satin, the glaciers were a mysterious blue, the sky was washed blue, the air was clear and pure, and all the vegetation was showing the most vibrant colors of the year, colorful and splendid. The number of tourists has increased significantly, and the beautiful people sunbathing on the beach have become a beautiful sight. However, Richard is in no mood to appreciate the view; his heart remains gloomy.

  That night, as usual, Irene left Richard's living area. The moment the heavy metal door closed, a magical symbol on the corner of her garment flashed once, sending a message wave far away. In the shadows in the distance stood a mage, wrapped head to toe in a dark magician's robe. His sharp gaze was always on the young girl, pricking her and causing her to involuntarily quicken her pace. It wasn't until the girl had gone far away that the mage glanced at the magical timer in his hand. The message he received indicated that Erin had left Richard's residential area within the specified time. He then nodded, wrapped his magical robe tighter, and disappeared into the depths of darkness.

  Erin walked quickly towards the passage to the upper levels. The teleportation spell was convenient, but it was also expensive. Only magicians with official positions in the navy could afford to use it frequently. The passage was just a bit more time-consuming, and anyone with a basic knowledge of martial arts could climb from the bottom to the top in one go, so the passage was the preferred choice for most people. The young girl hurriedly walked around the corner, but suddenly noticed that there was someone standing in front of her. She was so unprepared that she almost bumped into the person's arms!

  The young girl let out a startled cry, but fortunately her young body reacted quickly and she did not actually bump into the other person. She said sorry and then brushed past the other person, but her hand was tightly grasped by the other person. It was a very strong hand, and Irene was completely unable to break free, and even her wrist hurt so much that it felt like her bones were about to crack.

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  “Your name is Irene?“ This was a tall young mage with a soft voice, but the steady force coming from the hand, which showed no sign of letting go, made the sensitive Irene know that this person's temper was actually not good.

  “I am Irene. How should I address you?” Irene politely asked, and without saying a word, tried to pull back the seized hand, but her efforts were fruitless.

  “My name is Stevenson. Since you also make a small fortune selling information, you should know who I am,” the young mage said with a smile.

  Under his sharp, cold gaze, Irene felt like a frog that had been stared at by a snake. Her body suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, and her wet clothes stuck to her body, which was incredibly uncomfortable. When the young mage announced his name, her heart immediately and completely turned cold. Of course she knew who Stevenson was. Deep blue belongs to Helen Su, and every student that His Highness takes on is headline news in the deep blue. Although she could already sense Stevenson's malice clearly, the other party's identity left her powerless to resist. In addition to her horror, a sense of despair welled up within her.

  “Honourable Mr. Stevenson, I have always left on time, absolutely never delayed, and I have never done anything out of line! Do you still have any requests of me?” Irene cried out in some alarm in her panic.

  Stevenson leaned slightly forward, bringing his face close to Irene's, and with his right hand first stroked the girl's waist and then worked his way up, fully exploring the supple breasts, which were not very large but full and firm. Only then did he lift the girl's chin and forcefully tilt her face up. The two faces were so close together that their noses almost touched.

  “I heard that you receive a gold coin from Richard every day. Now, you will tell me the whole story of how you obtained this gold coin.” Stevenson's voice became lower and lower, and it carried a strange rustling sound, like a snake spitting out its bloody tongue. And as he spoke, he really did spit out a long tongue like a lizard, licking past the girl's lips.

  Irene felt cold all over. Stevenson gradually exuded an aura that made her feel extreme fear. Even her body began to stiffen gradually, similar to the feeling of being under a weak fear technique. This should be some kind of bloodline ability, but it made her feel even more desperate. It was rare even in the Dark Blue to be able to manifest a bloodline ability at such a young age.

  However, Stevenson's words made the young girl's eyes light up. She found the strength to push Stevenson away with a sudden movement and shouted, “You're not from the Law Enforcement Mage Guild!”

  Stevenson was taken aback, then laughed playfully, saying, ”I really didn't expect that. You're very clever! It's true that I'm not a member of the Law Enforcement Mage Guild, but...”

  “No buts! Don't you ever try to touch me again! If you want to force your way in, you can, but I'll scream.” The girl's voice was getting louder and louder. This was a very remote area, and each area had very good effects for controlling the direction and cumulative amount of sound waves transmitted, in order to avoid excessive noise echoes. Therefore, the girl's voice could not actually travel very far, and it was useless to scream louder. The point was that every public area in Deep Blue was equipped with magical recording equipment, and the girl's scream was just to make the magical recording equipment record it. Deep Blue was the realm of the legendary mage. If Stevenson used violence to obtain the Maiden's body, it would not be long before Helen Su found out. Given the legendary mage's temper, the best that Stevenson could hope for would be to be beaten up like Randolph and then stripped of his status as an apprentice and expelled from Deep Blue.

  Everyone in Deep Blue had a corresponding price, and the Maiden knew her own value well. She believed that no sane person would give up their status as an apprentice to the legendary mage in order to obtain her body.

  Stevenson did stop, and there was no sign of further aggression. The girl did not dare to provoke him either, for there was something about the man that made her shiver. So Erin did not linger any longer, but turned and ran in the direction of the teleportation array. Even if it meant paying a lot more, she did not want to get any closer to Stevenson.

  “Perhaps you could reconsider,” came Stevenson's voice from behind Erin, along with another sound that made her hesitate – the crisp sound of gold coins clinking together.

  “At least two hundred gold coins!“ The delicate sound of the impact made the girl instinctively judge the approximate number of gold coins. So she slowly stopped and looked back.

  “It's safe anyway...” the girl thought, but her heart was beating faster and faster.

  Stevenson was still standing in the same place, looking at her like a wolf staring at its prey, smiling calmly and confidently. A beautifully crafted leather purse was bouncing up and down in his right hand, making a seductive clinking sound as it did so. The purse was not large, but it was bulging enough that at first glance, Irene was even more certain of her initial assessment: at least two hundred gold coins. Moreover, her extensive experience, keen senses, and the dim environment led the young girl to discover that the purse was radiating a faint magical glow. This is a purse made of enchanted leather!

  Enchanted leather is very expensive, and it is even more rare to use enchanted leather to make a money bag. Unless you are a direct descendant of a real noble family, you simply cannot afford such a luxury. A money bag enchanted with exquisite craftsmanship can either increase the actual storage capacity of the bag, or make the bag itself and its contents lighter. Next in importance is durability, and even the worst purely decorative glitter can make a money bag worth far more than the gold coins it can hold.

  Stevenson's smile was growing more and more like a viper's, while the frog felt powerless to escape. “I just touched you, so these are your dues. Come, come, take it!”

  Erin could only feel a dryness in her throat and could not say a word. She wanted to turn around and run immediately, but her feet moved little by little in the direction of Stevenson, while all kinds of chaotic thoughts kept colliding with each other in her mind.

  “He won't force me anymore, and he already touched me just now, so this money is just compensation for what has already happened, isn't it...” As her thoughts became increasingly confused, Irene suddenly found that she had unknowingly walked up to Stevenson. And as if he knew what she was thinking, Stevenson simply grabbed her hand, placed the money bag in the palm of her hand, and then said with a devilish smile, ”The money bag is also yours.”

  “But, I...” Irene felt her throat dry up and she couldn't say a complete sentence. She felt that something was wrong, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

  “I know you need money badly right now, and the tradition of Deep Blue is to emphasize fair and voluntary transactions. So I'll give you some advice. If...” Stevenson paused for a moment, and his gaze swept from top to bottom over the young girl's body, immediately causing her to shiver, before he continued, ”if you can maintain your current physical condition and go to bed with me, you will definitely get a satisfactory reward. For example, I can repay all your debts for you...”

  “No, I can't...” Irene shook her head vigorously, her face pale, taking a step back with each step, her hands clutching the money bag so tightly that her knuckles turned blue from the force.

  Stevenson stood with his arms crossed, not in the least bit intent on forcing her hand, but saying, ”No rush, you can take your time to think it over. My offer is valid for one month.”

  Irene suddenly turned around and sprinted away.

  Behind Stevenson, Minnie appeared like a ghost. Her pale eyes stared at the figure of the fleeing girl and said coldly, “People who live on the margins of society will do anything for money. Is this the kind of person you like? If so, then don't even think about touching me.”

  Stevenson suddenly laughed, saying in a low voice, ”Our marriage contract is already in place, and according to the rules, I can touch you however I like now!”

  He pulled Minnie close to him and inserted his right hand directly into her mage's robe, rubbing it vigorously. Minnie's face had turned pale with anger, but her struggles and resistance were futile. Seventeen-year-old Stevenson was strong and completely suppressed Minnie, who was still a young girl.

  “The teacher won't let you go!” Minnie cried out hysterically. She waved her hands and kicked, resisting in vain, as if she had completely forgotten that she was a magician and a young girl who had just come of age.

  “Teacher?” Stevenson sneered, ”If it weren't for the Solam's financial support, could you even afford to pay for Deep Blue's tuition? A lot has changed in a month. Without our Solam's assistance, the Marquis of Neo might not even be able to keep his own territory. He would hate to exchange every gold coin for enchanted arrows, and still have the energy to support a talented daughter studying in Deep Blue? Don't be naive. If he really had the ability, why would he sell you to the Thorams?”

  Hearing the word “sell,” Minnie's face immediately paled a little. In terms of the deal behind this marriage contract, the nakedness and urgency of the exchange of interests is actually not much different from buying and selling.

  “Without me, dear Minnie, your carefree life in Deep Blue, the dazzling aura of a direct disciple of the legendary wizard, could all be gone tomorrow! Have you really thought this through?” Stevenson's words were as cold as the wind of a frozen hell, blowing Minnie's whole body stiff, her struggles growing increasingly weak and feeble. And his hand was just as cold as his voice, slowly sliding downward. “My dear Minnie, if you've thought it over, then please spread your legs.”

  Minnie suddenly shuddered violently, and tears welled up in her tightly shut eyes.

  Stevenson, on the other hand, resumed his elegant aristocratic tone of voice, even smiling, and said, “As for Irene, there's only one reason I'm interested in her: our young Richard obviously has some kind of a crush on her, so I need to make her mine first. And you will definitely help me with this matter of Richard.”

  “My dear Minnie, you have been so focused on your studies of magic that you have not paid attention to the outside world for a long time, not even to the news from the family, have you? You probably don't know who attacked the Marquis of Neo. But it's okay, I can tell you, she is the Viscountess Elize Akmond. And our young Richard's full name is Richard Akmond. My dear, do you see the connection now? Oh, you should actually feel lucky. If it had been young Richard's father, Lord Akmond, who had attacked Neo, your father would not have survived to see the arrival of our Solam forces! Do you really think you deserve a Solam marriage contract if that had happened? If that had happened, you would not have been fundamentally different from Irene from the Lower Edge. The daughter of a marquis who has lost his lands can be bought back with gold, and even if she costs more than Irene, she can still be valued in gold.”

  “Well, having said all that, you should know that Richard is our common enemy. So help me, my dear.”

  Stevenson patted Minnie on the face, and then looked satisfied as she gazed at Richard's settlement with undisguised hatred in her eyes.