Passerby Villain In A Wizard World

"Hello, Ladies!" 

Ian smiled, sat on the chair opposite them, and began to brew tea from the teapot. 

"Mhm," Lyra nodded, while Sylvia didn't answer him. 

After Ian took a sip from his cup of tea, he looked at the sisters, tilted his head, and couldn't help but joke. 

"I didn't expect you two to come to meet me. I thought I could only see you at the academy." 

"Hmph, I came just for my sister. Who wants to meet you?" 

Before Lyra could answer, Sylvia didn't forget to point at him. 

'This tsundere!'

"Cough... Cough... I have something to say to you. Can we talk alone?" 

Lyra was embarrassed by her sister. 

"Oh? Okay. Let's talk in the library then."

Ian was intrigued and didn't argue with Sylvia. He had plenty of time to deal with this girl later. 

Sylvia understood their thoughts but could only sulk in her chair as if she didn't care. 

So, Ian walked with Lyra toward the library at the side of the hall. It was a long room filled with bookcases containing all kinds of books, the majority of which dealt with knightly conduct and various laws. 

After entering the room, he didn't forget to close the door. 

"So, what happened?" 

He asked while looking at the tall figure of the girl in front of him, tightly wrapped in a long blue dress adorned with jewelry. Although the dress was very conservative, it looked exotic on her voluptuous figure. 

"Um... Uhh... are you going to the academy tomorrow?" 

Lyra didn't know how to start the conversation and asked awkwardly, fiddling with her blonde hair. 

"Yes. I told you I have something to do at the academy." 

"But what about the military order?" 

"I'll just attend the academy for a week or two and leave after that." 

Ian thought about the plot and figured he should be done in a week. 

"Oh? I thought you wouldn't come." 

Lyra spoke softly and reached into the pocket of her long garment, pulling out a gem. 

"This is for you." 

Ian accepted the gem subconsciously and was stunned for a moment. The gem Lyra gave him was about half the size of a fist, lavender in color, with intricate red patterns that seemed chaotic. Overall, although it looked beautiful and expensive, it wasn't something extraordinary at first glance. 

However, there was a storm brewing in his heart as he recognized this gem clearly—it was mentioned in the Arcane Passage. 

'Runeheart!'

'Didn't she get it after entering the Calvora?'

Ian was completely confused. The place where he was now was the Gravethorn continent, where no mana remained after thousands of years of exploitation and war. Even finding anything related to wizards was impossible, except in the Ignisia Tower. 

However, the Runeheart was a Wizard Artifact that could shield and protect the wearer from mental and physical attacks. Of course, it required mana to operate, just like any other artifact. 

"Umm... Don't think of it as just a normal gem. It can protect you in critical moments," Lyra explained quickly, thinking Ian was bewildered by her gift. 

"Where did you get it?" he couldn't help but ask. 

"Don't ask. I'm not lying—it can really save you." 

She didn't want to explain but anxiously reassured him. 

Seeing that she wasn't ready to elaborate, Ian didn't press her. He wasn't omniscient, as he hadn't read the Arcane Passage completely. 

However, he knew that this gem was very important to Lyra. In fact, it saved her life multiple times in the Calvora continent. It didn't feel right for him to accept such an artifact. 

Just as Ian was about to return the gem to Lyra, the long-lost system voice appeared in his mind again. 

[Ding!] 

[You accepted the Runeheart crystal.] 

[You have slightly changed the plot.] 

[A new quest has been activated.] 

[Intermediate Quest 1: Whispers of the Runeheart Stone] 

[Content Target: ??] 

[Reward: ??] 

[Note: Not eligible yet.] 

Ian looked at the sudden prompt in surprise. 

'Not eligible?' 

He wasn't surprised about receiving a new quest; rather, he was surprised that he wasn't eligible for it. 

'It seems I need to be a wizard or at least be an apprentice.' 

Looking at the Runeheart stone in his hand, he thought plausibly. After all, this artifact was connected to wizards, and he wasn't even an apprentice yet. 

Ian thought for a while but still chose to return the gem to Lyra. After all, she was his own, and he didn't want her to face danger because of his selfishness. 

Moreover, since he was already in the High Knight realm, he didn't think he needed protection on the battlefield. 

"You keep it." He placed the gem in Lyra's hand and said, 

"I don't need it. Instead, you should always keep it with you wherever you go," he warned. 

Lyra looked at his action in surprise, became confused but then smiled beautifully, her smile sweeping away all the awkwardness. 

She laughed softly and placed the gem back in Ian's hand, much to his surprise. 

"You don't need to worry about me. I have another one here." 

She suddenly took out another Runeheart Stone from her other pocket and showed it to him with a mischievous smile. 

'What the? Since when did Wizard Artifacts become so worthless?'

Ian looked at the identical gem in bewilderment. This wasn't even mentioned in the novel, and she never gave Carl such a gem for protection. 

Looking at Lyra's smiling eyes, Ian asked suspiciously, 

"Lyra, tell me. Did you rob a wizard's nest?" 

He couldn't think of another explanation. As mediocre as these Runeheart stones seemed, any artifact was an extremely precious commodity, even in the Carlos continent. How could she have two in this godforsaken place? 

"Hehe... Don't worry about that. Just keep it close to your body."

Her beautiful eyes blinked mischievously and she said, 

"Umm... I might tell you if you pass the Ignisia trial." 

Lyra smiled as her winning look, squinting eyes with long eyelashes, and pearly white teeth brightened the entire shabby library. 

Just as Ian was about to argue, he heard another system prompt.