All-around teacher at the magic academy

The three stared silently at the ashes scattered on the ground, unable to immediately detach themselves from the battle they had just witnessed.

"What's going on?" Philip finally broke the silence, his gaze turning to Leon, a hint of inquiry in his question. "Did you do this, Leon?"

Leon slowly shook his head, his eyes revealing confusion. Clearly, he had no intention of killing the other party, and he was also puzzled by the other party's sudden spontaneous combustion.

“It wasn’t me,” Leon turned to Max and explained, “I was going to remove the magic, but I didn’t expect this to happen.”

Max waved his hand slightly, interrupting Leon's explanation. His tone was serious and deep. "I know this is probably the work of someone behind the scenes."

"Holy crap, that's brutal. It's burned to ashes." Philip stared in shock at the ashes scattered on the ground by the wind, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Oh no, not even ashes are left."

“Clearly, the person behind this doesn’t want us to interrogate him,” Leon said with a hint of helplessness. Their lead had just made a major breakthrough, but it came to an abrupt end in this way. “We might have been able to get some valuable clues from him, but now everything has gone cold.”

"It seems the power behind this is not to be underestimated; they don't want their existence to be exposed." Leon pondered to himself, a sense of unease rising within him. He felt he might have been drawn into an event far more complex than he had imagined.

"What do we do next?" Leon asked Max for his opinion on the next steps: should they close the case here or continue the investigation?

"Given the current situation, let's close the case for now," Max replied after a moment's thought. "Since the leads have run dry, continuing the investigation may not yield any results and could even lead to more unnecessary trouble."

Upon hearing this, Leon let out a soft sigh, seemingly relieved by the decision. Continuing the investigation would undoubtedly increase the risks exponentially, placing immense pressure on law enforcement.

"Are we just going to give up like this?" Philip asked somewhat unwillingly, his intuition telling him that there was a deeper danger hidden behind this matter.

“What else can we do? How can we continue the investigation? The person has already turned to ashes,” Leon replied, clearly having no intention of pursuing the matter further.

"Alright then, what about the bounty?" Philip asked at the opportune moment, raising a question that Leon was also concerned about.

“I will apply to Duke Adams, and I believe there will be a reasonable reward.” Max noticed the change in their expressions and decided to offer them some support on this matter.

Hearing Max's words, both of them couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. The bounty issue was resolved, and at least the hard work of this operation wouldn't be in vain.

Leon's gaze swept over the destruction caused by his magic; the streets were a mess, and a sense of unease welled up in his heart.

These losses might mean he not only misses out on the reward but also loses his savings. He doesn't have that much money; even if he sold himself, he couldn't afford to pay it back.

Max seemed to sense Leon's worries and reassured him, "The law enforcement will compensate for any damage caused during the mission, so you don't need to worry."

Hearing his captain's words, Leon's brows finally relaxed, and a huge weight was lifted from his heart.

"So what's our plan next?" Leon felt that their mission was complete and he just wanted to go back and get some rest.

“You can go back and rest now,” Max replied. “The rest will be handled by the staff, who will do their best to restore the streets to their original state.”

“Alright, then we’ll take our leave.” Leon replied, noticing that the captain’s weapon had disappeared at some point, and he couldn’t help but wonder where the captain had hidden it.

"Captain, what about you?" Philip asked, puzzled.

“I need to go to Duke Adams’s residence to report this and ask for the Duke’s opinion on the matter,” Max replied.

"Understood." The two nodded, then turned around and prepared to leave the scene.

.....

On the way back, Leon, his mind racing, couldn't help but ask Philip, "What are your plans after you get this bounty? The last bounty was 25 pounds, and this one will probably be much higher because of this incident. If we split it with the captain, we might each get 10 pounds."

Upon hearing this, Philip gave a wry smile and replied, "I'm planning to buy Ilya a gift. You know, she was so happy with the bouquet of flowers you gave her last time; she kept it in her room and showed it off to me every day."

Leon sensed a hint of jealousy in Philip's words and gave an awkward laugh. This guy really spoils his sister rotten; no wonder he'd complain a little about him.

"You haven't bought Ilya a gift in all your life, have you?" Leon asked cautiously, with a hint of teasing.

"Ah, uh," he said, seeing Philip's hesitant manner, and he already understood.

This straight-laced guy is truly both funny and exasperating, no wonder Ilya cherishes the bouquet of flowers he gave him so much. He couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Ilya, having such a blunt older brother.

However, Leon thought again that Philip had spent most of his earnings on his sister's medical treatment, and even the clothes he wore were cheap, so it was no wonder he couldn't think of buying her a gift.

“Well, I really hadn’t thought about these things before,” Philip tried to justify his previous oversight.

"So what gift are you planning to buy for her? Do you have any ideas?" Leon reminded her.

“I have absolutely no clue what to do. Do you have any good suggestions?” Philip said frankly.

This question stumped Leon. He realized he wasn't much better at it than Philip; he was equally clueless when it came to choosing gifts for girls.

"How about this, let's go for a walk around the streets first and see if there's anything suitable. We'll make a decision once the bounty is paid out."

Leon, feigning composure, suggested that he didn't want to admit to Philip that he was equally clueless about girls' feelings. At least in this respect, he had to appear more knowledgeable than Philip.

"That's fine too." Philip sighed helplessly. He thought buying gifts was such a hassle, and that it would be better to buy some beef and have a nice meal at home.

Having reached an agreement, the two headed towards the bustling streets of the city, searching for possible gift options.

...

The two strolled along the street for a long time, but still couldn't find a gift they thought was suitable. This was undoubtedly a torment for two people who were not good at shopping.

"It's exhausting. After wandering around for so long, I feel like something's missing. All I see are impractical things," Philip complained. He felt that the process of searching for gifts was more tiring than his usual job.

"Should we ask someone for advice?" Leon was also confused; none of the items they had looked at seemed to suit their tastes.

"Hmm?" Suddenly, Philip seemed to notice something and quickly walked to the other side of the street, with Leon following closely behind.

They arrived at a clothing store, and through the bright glass window, they could see a mannequin inside wearing an exquisite garment. Leon's gaze was immediately drawn to the dress.

It was an amazingly elegant long dress, the color of which was a deep sapphire blue, shimmering with a subtle pearlescent luster in the sunlight, like the most dazzling star in the night sky.

The upper part of the dress fits snugly against the body, showcasing the woman's elegant curves. The neckline is decorated with delicate lace, subtly revealing the delicate collarbone and adding a touch of sexiness.

The dress features loose, flared sleeves that flow smoothly from the shoulders, with lace embellishments at the cuffs that gently cover the wrists, giving it a gentle and graceful feel. A matching silk belt cinches the waist, subtly accentuating the woman's slender figure.

The skirt cascades down from the waist like a waterfall, with layers of pleats creating a rich sense of depth. The edges of the skirt are decorated with delicate lace, and the hand-embroidered patterns are lifelike, some are blooming roses, and some are winding vines. Every detail shows the craftsman's ingenuity.

Philip gazed at the garment, imagining Ilya wearing it, and a slight smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.

Leon noticed Philip's expression and immediately understood what the guy was thinking.

However, when his gaze fell upon the price tag next to him—6 pounds—he couldn't help but gasp. This price was simply unacceptable to Leon; he found it hard to comprehend the value of such a luxury item.