Ascension from Dual Professions

Chapter 217: Chapter 212: Demon-Eyed Raven, the Behind-the-Scenes Watcher

Jon rose to open the door. Dolores instantly burst into the room like a whirlwind and slammed a struggling shadow she was holding onto the small round table in the center.

The "good thing" she had mentioned was clearly a living creature.

Jon’s gaze fell upon the struggling shadow, and his eyebrows raised in surprise.

Tough leather cords were cleverly tied around its slender legs and folded wings. Only its neck and head could twist slightly. Its long, sharp beak was bound shut, allowing it to only emit low, angry GURGLES.

It was a raven.

But it was no ordinary raven.

It was a size larger than its ordinary counterparts. Its feathers were not pure black, but a dark gray that shimmered with a metallic sheen, as if absorbing the faint light from its surroundings.

Most striking were its eyes. They weren’t the typical black or brownish-yellow of a normal bird, but two vortexes swirling with a strange luster. Even now, constricted in anger and fear, the unusual blue light within them was still soul-stirring.

These distinct features allowed Jon to recognize its true identity with almost no difficulty.

"A Demon-Eyed Raven..."

A rare, semi-demonic beast. Its innate ability, [Demon Eye], could see through illusions and discover hidden traps or treasures. Coupled with its good looks, it was quite popular among Mages, who often formed contracts with them as Magic Pets.

However, they usually lived in dangerous, uninhabited lands, were extremely vigilant, and incredibly difficult to capture.

Jon withdrew his gaze from it and looked at Dolores.

"Where did you get this thing?"

The purple-haired girl smugly flicked her bangs away. She casually propped one foot on a nearby low stool and gave herself a boastful thumbs-up.

"Just now! I went up to the roof to watch the commotion, and this raven actually landed right next to me and started staring at me!"

"Such a beautiful bird, and it was foolish enough to get so close to a person. It was practically a gift! So I just went ahead and nabbed it!"

She made a lightning-fast grabbing motion, clearly very pleased with her own skills.

But things weren’t that simple.

After learning the origin of this Demon-Eyed Raven, Jon’s gaze returned to the bird. Seeing the terror and resentment deep within its Demon Eyes, he sighed helplessly.

"Dolores, I’m afraid you’ve caused some trouble... This thing is most likely another Mage’s Magic Pet."

"And there’s a contractual bond between a Magic Pet and its master."

Dolores’s boastful posture froze.

Although she wasn’t a Mage, she knew that a "Magic Pet" was extremely important to a Mage. Since she had casually snatched this bird, its master would certainly not let the matter rest.

So, she shrank back and suggested in a small voice.

"How about... we let it go? Let it return to its master?"

Jon pondered for a moment. He was about to agree, but changed his mind at the last second. Instead, he reached out and sealed the Demon-Eyed Raven with [Seal of Light].

"No, let’s wait and see first."

Now it was Dolores’s turn to get anxious.

"Boss! As a Mage, even if you’re desperate for a Magic Pet, we can’t just keep this bird for ourselves."

"If its owner comes looking for it, we won’t have a leg to stand on!"

Her words, both spoken and unspoken, painted Jon as an unscrupulous person who would pocket anything he found.

Faced with the girl’s nonsense, Jon couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

"What are you thinking? Am I that kind of person?"

Dolores fell silent, but her bright, amber eyes clearly seemed to say, ’Aren’t you?’

In response, Jon could only begin to explain.

"A moment ago, you said you were on the roof watching the commotion of the touring procession."

"So, what do you think this Demon-Eyed Raven was doing landing there?"

The purple-haired girl blinked.

"It wanted to watch the commotion too?"

Faced with his thoughtless teammate, the corner of Jon’s mouth twitched. Unable to hold back any longer, he raised his hand, curled his finger, and pretended he was going to flick Dolores on her smooth forehead—

However, who did he think Dolores was?

With a lithe bend of her waist, like a willow branch, her body arched backward, easily dodging Jon’s finger. She then fluidly spun and steadied herself, landing like a gymnast.

"Boss! What are you doing..."

Seeing Jon’s annoyed expression, she finally realized something and rubbed her hands together sheepishly.

"Ah... I get it now... It wasn’t some dumb bird here to watch the show! It was sent to spy on that princess!"

’Sigh... at least she’s not completely hopeless...’

Jon sighed softly and nodded, acknowledging her deduction.

He then walked to the table. With a slight movement of his fingertip, he adjusted the brightness of the [Seal of Light], making the Light Cocoon less conspicuous.

"At this particular time, anyone who would send a Demon-Eyed Raven to circle over the touring procession and spy from the shadows is definitely not some well-intentioned ’upstanding citizen’."

"They’re either a rival with malicious intent, or a shadowy faction coveting the Royal Selection Ceremony."

After dealing with the raven, he sat down and tapped his knuckles on the tabletop twice.

"If we let this bird go, its master won’t necessarily be grateful. In fact, they’ll immediately know we detected their surveillance and might even come to retaliate."

"But keeping it sends a silent warning. The other party will be wary, they’ll speculate, they’ll grow anxious. They don’t know who we are, how much we saw, or whether this Raven has exposed any key information."

"This uncertainty is our cover. It will make them hesitate to act rashly."

Jon retracted his gaze and looked out the window toward the brightly lit center of Roco Town—where the Lord’s Mansion was located. A grand welcome banquet was likely being held there.

He flicked his fingers lightly, as if brushing away invisible dust.

"So, we’ll let it be our ’guest’ here for a while."

"We’ll continue with our own business—entering the Demon Forest Ruins tomorrow morning as planned. Once this storm blows over and the dust settles, we’ll naturally find out who the mastermind is. It won’t be too late to decide what to do with it then."

Listening to this clear analysis of the pros and cons, the anxiety Dolores felt for causing trouble vanished completely, replaced by unconcealed admiration.

She grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, and chuckled.

"Boss! You’re the best! I knew I didn’t follow the wrong person! Sticking with you, there’s bound to be fun stuff happening!"

"I, on the other hand, am starting to think I hired the wrong person."

Jon gave her an annoyed glance and then ordered her out.

"Go get some rest. I need to continue my Meditation."

"Hehe... I’m going then~"

Dolores exited the room with a sheepish smile, lightly pulling the door closed behind her as she headed for her own room.

Just before pushing her own door open, however, she couldn’t help but glance back at Jon’s door. She gently placed a hand on her chest and muttered to herself in confusion.

"That Magic Boss used earlier... something about it felt... off."

"Was that really Magic?"