My System Just Exploded, And You Ask Me to Become a God?-Chapter 54 --Vanessa’s Letter

"You’re too kind, sir. I don’t believe I deserve such praise just yet. I will continue to work hard and hone my skills, striving never to disgrace the name of Ilan."

Leit’s response was flawless, almost excessively humble.

Everyone from House Rima looked upon the young man—who showed no signs of arrogance despite his accomplishments—with high regard.

While they chatted idly, the group gradually made their way deeper into the villa.

Because the airship was incredibly fast, they had arrived in the Luminous Pearl Kingdom far ahead of schedule.

Howard, thinking it would be a waste to just sit around, decided to open up the villa as a temporary resting place for those from the Royal Academy. That way, he could also save them the cost of renting out an inn.

To the average person, the wealthy often appeared indifferent to money. Their daily expenses were staggering, and they spent lavishly, as though currency held no meaning for them.

But the truth was the opposite—

The wealthier a person was, the more meticulous they became with their calculations.

Simar initially tried to decline a few times, but in the realm of negotiation and rhetoric, he was no match for Howard, who had been immersed in the world of business for decades.

In the end, he had no choice but to accept the proposal.

With a snap of his fingers, Howard summoned several maids dressed in long black-and-white dresses, who greeted them respectfully.

They guided Joad and the other students from the academy into the villa to choose their rooms.

Simar and Leit, meanwhile, stayed behind in the main hall with Howard and his two brothers, continuing their "business-flavored compliments."

Along the way, as they passed familiar scenery, Harvey couldn’t help but remark,

"This villa has truly stood the test of time. The decor is just as it was back then—unchanged. House Rima must have taken meticulous care of this place."

Joad blinked in surprise and quickly asked,

"Big brother, you’ve been here before?"

Harvey nodded.

"Father brought me here once. I still remember those days vividly—it was one of the most relaxing times of my life."

"Father, huh..."

Joad’s head throbbed at the mention.

In his memory, their father’s image had already become so fuzzy, it was barely recognizable.

What he did remember, however, were the foolish things the man had done.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got.

He and his brother had both worked so hard, poured everything into upholding the honor of House Whide. So why did that drunkard of a father have to be such a shameless, womanizing scoundrel?

It was hard to tell whether the son was taking after the father, or the father after the son.

As he sighed and reflected on this, several maids led them to the rear garden of the villa.

Before the students could even set down their luggage, a refined-looking man wearing a monocle walked toward them.

The monocled man stopped in front of Harvey, bowed slightly with one hand on his chest, and then produced a letter from within his coat, which he handed to Harvey.

Harvey took the letter with some confusion and, standing right beside Joad, opened it.

The both of them read the elegant calligraphy on the envelope: 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"Nova Banquet?"

Joad glanced curiously at his brother.

From the ornate envelope alone, it was obvious that whoever had sent this letter held a high status—if not a duke, then at least someone closely connected to the Luminous Pearl royal family.

The letter’s contents were simple.

It was an invitation for the two most brilliant stars of Ilan Royal Academy—Leit and Harvey—to attend the so-called Nova Banquet.

But they weren’t the only ones invited.

According to the letter, even the heir personally nurtured by the Crimsonflame Marquis would be present!

Although the event was presented as a mere banquet, the implications were clear—

Anyone who knew the whereabouts of so many prodigies at once was likely the organizer of the upcoming Trial of the Luminous Pearl.

And the real purpose of the banquet?

To meet the candidates face-to-face before the trial began.

After finishing the letter, Harvey didn’t say much. He waved goodbye to the monocled messenger and set off to find Senior Leit to discuss the matter.

Joad, on the other hand, secretly felt relieved.

One less hassle to deal with.

After getting off the airship, he’d had no plans of doing anything strenuous. He just wanted to find a quiet place to sleep.

Even the most luxurious airships could get bumpy while flying through clouds—

But more importantly, the wooden beds were simply unbearable.

Just as Joad was about to turn and leave, the monocled man called out to him.

To his surprise, the man handed him a completely different envelope.

The seal at the bottom bore a single name: Vanessa...

Joad frowned slightly, caught in hesitation.

Should he go?

It would mean giving up rest.

But if he refused, he might risk offending Vanessa.

After pondering for a while, he finally decided to go have a look.

Because even from just the tone and subtext of the letter, he could faintly sense a truth—

Vanessa seemed to be the very heir chosen by the Crimsonflame Marquis.

No wonder she always had an archmage by her side.

So her background... wasn’t ordinary at all.

Joad rolled up the letter and tucked it close to his body, then followed in Harvey’s footsteps to find Senior Leit.

But when he arrived at their meeting spot, he only found Harvey—Leit was nowhere to be seen.

"Where’s Senior Leit?"

Joad asked his brother directly.

Harvey’s face was grim.

"He... already left the villa."

"?"

"This place has good food, drink, and even maids to serve him tea—why would he leave?"

"It’s not like that!"

Harvey grew a bit anxious—

From the way Joad put it, it sounded like Leit was some pampered playboy lounging around in luxury.

"Here’s what actually happened..."

Harvey then explained in detail—

Not long ago, just as he and Joad had received the letters from the monocled man, Howard and Simar were catching up in the main hall.

At some point, the conversation shifted to Leit’s profession as an array mage.

Apparently, Howard had somehow dug up an ancient manuscript—

A personal notebook written in his early years by the renowned array mage, John.

Upon flipping through it, Leit had a moment of sudden clarity.

Without a word, he dashed out of the villa—

As if he’d found a new opportunity to advance in his magical path.

"A notebook by a renowned array mage? Really that impressive?"

Joad’s interest was piqued.

A renowned array mage would definitely have deeper insights into spell formation theory.

If he could just take a peek, maybe he could grasp new patterns and mechanisms of array operation.

That way, he could better assist Leit in the future—

Maybe even guide him more effectively!

Joad shared his thoughts with Harvey.

Coincidentally, Harvey was also worried about Leit, being in a foreign place and possibly running into danger.

So the brothers decided to go look for him together.

At that moment, behind the villa, Leit wiped the sweat from his brow and sat down on a nearby stone.

Seven magic arrays of varying colors revolved silently around him.

From a bird’s eye view, one might even mistake him for sitting at the center of a seven-colored eye.

Behind a nearby tree, Harvey sighed in relief upon seeing Leit safe and sound.

But he didn’t step forward—

He could tell that Leit was in the middle of something important.

Any interruption now might cause him to lose all his progress.