Logan Smith immediately said, “Then let me bear those dangers and pains. I’ll protect you, and you just need to live happily and do whatever you want.”

He had thought these words in his heart many times.

Audrey Miller was silent for two seconds, then suddenly broke into a smile:

“Are you discriminating against women?”

Not giving Logan Smith a chance to rephrase, she said seriously, “It’s useless. Once you’ve chosen this path, there’s no turning back.

“All right, all right, I’m going to wash up. You stay home and study hard today, and get ready for the unified college entrance exam in June!”

“You keep saying the world is getting more and more dangerous, so why bother with exams?” Logan Smith muttered.

He felt that the most important thing right now was to gain power, not to do practice papers.

Audrey Miller smiled:

“Knowledge is power, my illiterate little brother.”

Logan Smith had nothing to say and could only watch as Audrey Miller walked into the washroom.

……

In the afternoon, at the square of Kordu Village.

Raymond Craig saw from afar that Logan Thompson was squatting under an elm tree, lost in thought.

“Aren’t you supposed to be studying at home?” Raymond Craig walked over, his tone tinged with obvious envy.

He was Logan Smith’s friend, just under 1.7 meters tall, with brown hair and hazel eyes, an ordinary face, and a bit of a flush on his cheeks.

Logan Smith lifted his head and said with a smile, “Didn’t Audrey Miller tell you all? Even when hanging yourself, you need to catch your breath! I’ve been studying for so long, I have to take a break.”

All morning, he had been thinking about whether it was possible to gain extraordinary power without going through Audrey Miller.

That would require searching, clues, and taking the initiative to investigate.

In the end, he thought that the stories circulating in the village about magical powers might hide some truth, some clues, so he came here specifically to wait for Raymond Craig.

“If I were you, I’d rest for at most fifteen minutes.” Raymond Craig leaned against the elm tree and said, “We don’t have a well-read sister to teach us. I’ll be learning to herd sheep next year.”

Logan Smith ignored this comment and said thoughtfully, “Tell me that legend about the wizard again.”

Raymond Craig didn’t quite understand what Logan Smith was getting at, and recalled with some confusion, “The wizard one?

“There used to be a wizard in the village, but he died later. On the day of his burial, an owl flew in from outside, landed on top of the bed, and didn’t leave until the body was carried away.

“Then, the coffin became so heavy that it took nine oxen to pull it.”

“How long ago was ‘used to be’?” Logan Smith pressed.

Raymond Craig looked even more puzzled:

“How would I know? I heard it from my dad.”

Chapter 4 Shepherd

“Then let’s go find your dad.” Logan Smith stood up abruptly.

He had always been action-oriented, and he knew very well that investigating the village legends couldn’t be delayed—if he waited too long, his sister would find out, and Audrey Miller would definitely not allow him to continue.

That was because, in Audrey Miller’s eyes, seeking extraordinary power was extremely dangerous.

Of course I know it’s dangerous. Audrey Miller wouldn’t lie to me about that, but even if there’s a mountain of knives and a sea of fire ahead, I have to keep going. I can’t let Audrey Miller face it alone… As he stood up, this thought flashed through Logan Smith’s mind.

Whenever the world’s growing danger was mentioned, the seriousness and worry on Audrey Miller’s face were impossible to fake!

Raymond Craig was even more confused:

“Why are we looking for him?”

“To ask when that wizard legend happened.” Logan Smith glanced at Raymond Craig.

Why can’t this guy understand plain language? Looks like I need to find a chance to test his IQ.

Raymond Craig’s face was full of confusion as he looked at Logan Smith and said, “Why do you need to know so precisely?”

Uh… should I just make up an excuse to fool him, or tell the truth? Logan Smith fell into deep thought.

Considering that his investigation couldn’t be completely hidden from his friends, and that the reason of seeking the truth behind legends sounded like a lie anyway—no villager would believe it if it spread—Logan Smith quickly came up with an idea.

He instantly put on the smile he used when he was about to trick someone.

“……” Raymond Craig suddenly took two steps back. “Speak properly!”

Logan Smith straightened his dark short jacket and the linen shirt underneath, smiling as he said, “I think that wizard legend is worth thinking about.”

“What’s worth thinking about?” Raymond Craig thought for a while before asking.

“The sentence ‘There used to be a wizard in the village.’” Logan Smith said seriously, “Think about it. When I make up stories to trick people, I’d never mention a time, place, and background that everyone could immediately verify. But that legend clearly says that in our village, Kordu, there used to be a wizard. If that’s a lie, wouldn’t it be easy for everyone to expose it?”

“But that was a long time ago.” Raymond Craig retorted.