Section 7, Meeting

The viscount, who usually places great importance on etiquette, rarely tolerated Lance's rudeness; instead, he smiled and said, "Are you full? If not, I can have Hogg prepare some more."

The hall was eerily silent, with no sounds emanating, save for the sounds of Lance devouring his food.

... ...

If it can be said that previously Rance was merely following Amman to learn magic, then Amman's statement has completely established Rance's position in the viscount's territory. He will become Amman's apprentice—student and apprentice are inherently two different relationships. The latter is clearly more intimate.

A steaming bowl of meat soup, a small basin of fresh seasonal vegetables and fruits, three slices of buttered bread, and other dessert items were immediately served. In front of everyone, Lance began to eat voraciously without any regard for his image.

Upon hearing these words, everyone was taken aback, and the Lord Viscount displayed a look of delight.

Lance bid farewell to his sisters and then entered the viscount's study with those unfamiliar faces and Amman. Once they left the dining room, the atmosphere immediately became serious

"My Lord Viscount, allow me to begin!" A middle-aged man stepped forward, offering a slight smile to Lance as he handed the ledger in his hand to Viscount Ryan: "This is the tax revenue situation for the five major territories this month, please take a look, my Lord"

Amman nodded with some relief and said: "Regarding the costs of learning, my old friend, you can rest assured. Besides the money you provided at https://www.hetushucom.com, I will also supply a certain amount of magical materials for Lance."

The viscount and the others exchanged glances, as they were all ordinary people and could not discern the contours of the runes. Due to the presence of the wizard Amman, everyone was cautious and refrained from deliberately interpreting the runes on the animal skin; otherwise, the power of the spell could render them, these ordinary individuals, into fools.

After quite a while, Lance finally filled his stomach and let out a big burp

Lance could only obey the command. The expression on the viscountess's face grew even more unpleasant.

Lance glanced at everyone, nodded and smiled at the joy-filled Erin, and continued to deal with the food on the table

"Now is not the time; let this kid enjoy himself for a while," Nancy thought to herself as she firmly held down the defiant Bicky, while forcing a smile and saying, "Then congratulations to you, Lance. I didn't expect that over the past six months, you have indeed learned quite a bit."

The wizard from Amman responded with unwavering certainty: "Without a doubt, this is the standard rune for secondary meditation... I cannot find a single flaw; Master Lance's drawing is impeccable. I can hardly believe that he managed to draw such a rune in three minutes, something many second-level wizards cannot achieve. I can only say that if this level of talent can be maintained, he will be a spellcasting genius at www.hetushu.com.com"

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the castle became lively as the news that the second young master, Lance, had passed the first threshold to become a wizard spread with astonishing speed. From the members of the castle's patrol team to the stable hands and the gardeners, everyone was discussing this remarkable news

Nancy let out a sigh; although she felt quite unhappy inside, she had to put on a facade of happiness for Lance.

Could it be that Amman received some benefit from Lance and is deliberately helping him to fabricate? After thinking for a long time, Nancy could only come up with this one explanation for the current situation. If Amman had not secretly manipulated things, how could Lance possibly transform from a worthless failure into a genius in magic?

The Viscountess Nancy clearly could not accept this; she looked suspiciously at the gluttonous Lance, then glanced at the equally shocked yet delighted Amman, and concluded that there must be some trickery involved.

Lance shook his head: "Thank you, my father, but I am already full."

This is the reason he was able to serve as the head chef at the Viscount's castle for nine years

The viscount let out a sigh, his expression becoming exceptionally complex. He handed the beast skin to Anman and said thoughtfully: "Since you are able to inscribe this rune, it signifies that you can proceed to the next step in your wizarding studies. As for the matters of the Church, let us leave them aside."

The regular meeting of the Viscount's study, known as the "Picture-Book Session," is held once a month, where various individuals in charge of different aspects within the territory report to the Viscount.

"Regarding the situation this month, who shall we begin with?" The Viscount cleared his throat and sat behind the desk

A good memory is not as reliable as a poor pen, and a poor pen is not as reliable as a gene chip

Amman shook his head with a smile and said, "This is what you deserve"

... ...

Lance did not mind the flattery of these servants, as he was quite pleased to enjoy better food. Meanwhile, the viscount, holding the animal skin, still asked in disbelief: "Anman, is this true?"

She had a grim expression on her face, and several times she wanted to speak, but upon seeing the viscount's overjoyed demeanor, she forced herself to swallow the words that had risen to her throat. The viscount had considerable trust in Anman, and coupled with his affection for Lance, if she were to speak carelessly, it might provoke the viscount's anger

Thank you, Father. Lancelot was not overly excited; learning magic indeed consumes a significant amount of wealth. He certainly could not manage it alone, and only with the support of the entire territory would there be a glimmer of hope.

This statement appears to be in defense of Lance, but in reality, it stems from a fear that the Viscount, in a moment of good cheer, might further increase his investment in Lance. The fact that Lance is capable of writing secondary meditation runes proves that he is not far from becoming a wizard. Under these circumstances, it is already fortunate that the Viscount has not increased his investment in Lance; the Lady cannot expect the Viscount to reduce this expenditure.

The head chef and *Book* Hogg are indeed remarkable individuals. While eating, Lance thought to himself. Anyone who can survive in the Viscount's castle is not to be underestimated; at the very least, their ability to read people is at a considerably high level. For instance, Chef Hogg, who is responsible for the meals of the Viscount and his children, usually makes it quite difficult for Lance to obtain such food after mealtime. However, tonight, Hogg managed to arrange for the kitchen to deliver such a sumptuous dinner to Lance within three minutes. For instance, Chef Hogg, who is responsible for the meals of the Viscount and his children, usually makes it quite difficult for Lance to obtain such food after mealtime. However, tonight, Hogg managed to arrange for the kitchen to deliver such a sumptuous dinner to Lance within three minutes.

No one knew that Lance had not taken the words of the Countess, who had reprimanded him, to heart. He was simply too hungry. After gulping down a piece of bread, he took a hearty sip of hot soup. Only then did he look blankly at the Viscountess and, with slurred speech, said: "Madam, what did you just say? I apologize, I am truly too hungry..."

In the days to come, you will study alongside Anman. Regarding the costs of education..." The viscount frowned; studying magic is extremely costly. The expenses incurred by Lance during his six months of following Anman are still a significant expenditure for him, despite possessing a vast territory along the West Coast.

Everyone exchanged glances, while the wizard of Amman and the lord viscount both wore smiles. The viscount Ryan, who had just been anxious to convene a meeting, now seemed to have suddenly relaxed, simply sitting there in wait. With the viscount present, the others dared not utter a word.

Nancy was trembling all over, nearly out of breath. This time, she couldn't even be bothered to put on a forced smile for the picture book; she merely huffed and turned her face away.

In the hall, Viscount Ryan concluded his examination of Lance, signaling the patrol captain and others to proceed to his study, while the rest were free to leave at their discretion

The lady suddenly interjected, sensing that things were not going well: "My dear, although Lance's monthly expenses have been quite substantial, it is essential to maintain the necessary investments for the study of magic. I suggest we keep the previous level unchanged."

After all, he has been hungry for an entire day

Lance gratefully said, "Thank you, teacher"

Just as Lance was about to leave, the viscount suddenly called out: "Wait, Lance, you should come to the study as well. Even if you don't understand these matters, it is still good to listen."

Lance struggled to search his memory and after a long time finally recalled that the middle-aged man before him was the tax officer of the territory, the second lady's cousin, named Terry

The viscount had Lance listen in as well, intending to cultivate his various qualities. Thus, he focused intently on the listening, while also enabling the main chip, Fox, to enter recording mode

Viscount Ryan glanced at the Dowager and nodded: "Alright, we will maintain the status quo for now, with three hundred gold coins each month."

Eileen and Sabina looked at Lance with envy, as they each had only 10 gold coins in pocket money every month, while Lance had thirty times that amount; meanwhile, the gaze of Beatrice towards Lance was filled with considerable jealousy and resentment, as she could hardly tolerate such unfair treatment