Section 6, a straightforward and blunt slap in the face

If Brother Lance still cannot write it this time, what should be done? The girl thought with some worry

Everyone's gaze towards Lance turned to pity. What a desolate fate it is for a noble descendant to be sent to the austere camp of the church's ascetics

Brother Lance! Brother Lance!

The Viscountess revealed a hint of a mocking smile; however, she was a clever woman who understood the Viscount's fondness for Lance. Therefore, she resolutely refrained from speaking ill of Lance in front of the Viscount, lest she provoke his displeasure. Instead, she gently suggested, "My dear, Lance has only just arrived now, surely he must be exhausted from something. Why not have the kitchen send up some food to fill his stomach first?"

Langston broke out in a cold sweat. He said little more, thanked Erin briefly, and then the two of them headed directly to the lobby on the first floor

The atmosphere instantly became tense

The viscount remained seated there coldly, while to his right sat the wizard of Amman. Lance raised his eyes to take a look; besides his few sisters and the lady of the house, there were several unfamiliar faces present, as well as the captain of the castle patrol.

"Lance, you have three minutes left." After a while, the old wizard reminded.

Lance nodded, took the black swan feather quill dipped in magical ink from the old wizard's hand, and stood before the animal hide.

Lance suddenly shook his head, the intense pain in his mind still unrelieved. The only thing that brought him a sense of peace was that the runes of the secondary meditation technique were still clearly imprinted in his mind. He felt both unfamiliar and familiar with this rune; he remembered every stroke and every detail of it distinctly.

Lance shrugged and said, "Father, I think I am a bit hungry"

After Lance finished speaking, he suddenly picked up his pen and began to write on the animal skin

The Viscountess held Beatrice's hand, signaling her to remain silent; at this moment, it was necessary to act obediently. The Viscount was no fool; if the two of them spoke too much, it would only provoke resentment. Moreover, it was entirely unnecessary to add insult to injury at this time.

Eileen's words instantly jolted Lance awake from his dazed state

Everyone was momentarily taken aback, and the face of the fastest-reacting Viscountess immediately turned the color of pig liver

The old wizard nodded, and everyone knew what would happen next—because such a thing had already occurred once the previous night

He suddenly stood up and looked out the window: "Damn, why is it dark outside?!"

"Silence!" The viscount's words abruptly interrupted Lance's attempt to explain. His eyes were filled with anger and fatigue as he waved his hand: "Wizard Amman, begin."

Everyone was staring at Lance, yet who would have thought that this fellow, holding a pen, remained motionless for a long time

The viscount remained silent, stood up, and prepared to leave

How could you fall asleep? Do you not know that Father is almost beside himself with anger?" Seeing Lance looking half-asleep, Erin said anxiously, "If you don't go over soon, I'm afraid you will be kicked out of the castle tomorrow

The Viscountess revealed a hint of joy on her face. Although her son performed exceptionally well, he had never received the favor that Lance did. In her heart, she regarded Lance as a calamity; if he were to remain in the castle, what if one day the Viscount, in a moment of folly, decided to pass the title to him? That would be utterly disastrous

Lance curled his lip and cursed, "Damn it, no one can take my things away from me"

Lance had a long dream

Fifteen minutes later, personally verified by Amman, if you cannot write that entry rune, then I will send you to the church. Pack your bags to return tonight

The viscount did not speak, but from his expression, it was evident that he had no hope for this unworthy son

In his dream, he stood atop the pinnacle, with a densely packed crowd below him, resembling ants. Countless people were prostrating on the ground, shouting something, while the cloaked wizards, with serious expressions, looked down coldly from above him

Aileen said in silence: "Everyone has finished dinner and is just waiting for you. The Amman wizard has already arrived, along with others. When I went to the garden today, I heard the lady mention that tonight, my father and the tax officer and patrol captain from the territory have an important meeting. If you don't hurry over, my father might not wait for you and will go directly to the meeting with them."

Several unfamiliar faces stood respectfully beside the hall, curiously observing Lance. Most people in the viscount's territory had already heard of this useless second young master. However, for them, the affairs within the castle were not their concern; they only needed to pledge their loyalty to the powerful Lord Viscount.

Everyone is utterly speechless; in such a situation, you can still be in a daze? This can no longer be described as mere incompetence

Lance glanced at the cunning woman, remaining silent. He understood that whatever he said at this moment would be inappropriate, so it was better to remain silent

Lance, did you actually write it out?!

Everyone was looking at Lance, their gazes filled with various meanings: some expressed disdain, others jealousy, some were dismissive, while others held hope.

For a moment, the hall was as quiet as a dense forest in the early morning, with only the sound of Lance's writing.

Then he woke up

Eileen rested her chin on her hand, looking at Lance with some concern

Fortunately, although the castle is quite secluded, the place where Lance resides is not far from the dining room. By the time Lance arrived, the dining table had already been tidied up thoroughly

At that moment, the Aman wizard, who had taken the animal skin handed over by Lance, suddenly exclaimed in disbelief:

"I certainly do not have the time to wait for him to dawdle over his meal for another hour, only to achieve nothing in the end." The Viscount stared at Lance and said impatiently, "Anman, we are starting with the *illustration* now. Lance, this is your last chance; remember, you only have fifteen minutes."

A faint smile flickered across the face of the lady. She turned her head and said to the viscount: "My dear, after all, Lance is still young. How about I have Mind accompany him to the monk's camp tomorrow? It would be good to have someone to escort him along the way"

Everyone looked on coldly as he struggled

The captain of the castle patrol sighed inwardly and turned his face away, for he had witnessed Lance faint while writing that rune last night, and today he did not wish to relive that harrowing scene.

... ...

At that moment, a rift suddenly opened in the sky, and a cold voice echoed: "I will take back everything that belongs to you..."

Time passed by second by second. After five minutes, Bichi, sitting beside her mother, couldn't help but mutter, "What is going on? If you can't write, then don't write."

Upon hearing these words, the viscount's expression of disgust deepened. In this castle, it had always been others waiting for him; he had never waited for anyone else. The lady of the house appeared to be kindly assisting Lance, but in reality, she was subtly reminding the viscount of the fact that Lance was already quite late.

It seems that Erin was right; my dear father is indeed going to a meeting shortly. Lance felt a wave of apprehension in his heart, and he hurried over to say, "Father, esteemed teacher, I..."

Even the viscount could not help but let out a hum.

It now appears that my actions were indeed wise. This fellow is nothing but a waste, and he is to be sent to the *图*书 Society tomorrow. The Viscountess and Beatrice exchanged glances, both mother and daughter were beaming with joy, almost ready to start celebrating

Lance nodded as if awakening from a dream, and everyone looked at him in this state, shaking their heads in disbelief. Instead, the Viscountess continued to feign concern, asking, "Lance, are you alright? If you're not feeling well, we can postpone writing for a while."

daydreaming

"Alright, Lance, don't be nervous, just relax and write it down." The wizard of Amman took out a clean piece of animal skin; after all, these animal skins were all supplied to him by the viscount, and he felt no regret in using them for his son.

However, Lance's consistently poor performance provided her with some comfort, and coupled with the viscount's usual assertive demeanor, she had been restraining herself from taking action against Lance

However, he knew that this was merely a dream. This feeling was quite strange; although you were deeply immersed in the dream, the sensation felt so real that your subconscious could clearly inform you that it was just a dream.

Three minutes later, the time was up, and Lance's pen also came to a stop

He felt an overwhelming sense of power, as if all the chips had been activated

In an instant, all the chips on Lance were stripped away, and he shouted in terror: "No!"

Opening his eyes, Lance saw a worried face. Erin held a candle in her hand, and under the light of the flame, the girl's fair face appeared particularly delicate.

Lance smiled and replied, "Thank you for your concern, madam. I am fine; I was just lost in thought."