Ronald was left speechless and dumbfounded. He was just about to make a snide remark towards Anderson's mother when he suddenly heard Hathaway's cold voice beside him.
"And who do you think you are? An apprentice mage who forcibly advanced your rank with a mana conductor? Just because you barely managed to reach a high rank doesn't make you impressive. You should know the consequences of forced advancement - you will be stuck at this rank for life and have no hope of further progression. If I were you, I would use my connections right now to get myself a cushy back office job at the city hall or mage guild, otherwise you're going to have a miserable future ahead of you."
The rest of the team was shocked to hear this. Anderson had always claimed he was an academy student who left to travel and seek a breakthrough. No one had doubted this too much since Anderson had all the credentials and badges of a student and often talked about his glorious academy days...
Lagren and the others had originally doubted Hathaway's words, but seeing the look of sheer horror and despair on Anderson's face, they realized she was probably telling the truth and Anderson's talk of "seeking a breakthrough" was likely a lie to deceive them.
After all, someone who forcibly advanced their rank with a mana conductor would have no possibility of further progression.
Anderson lost his earlier arrogance and looked as if he had seen a ghost. "W-What are you talking about? How could I have possibly done something like that? I was one of the top ten star pupils at Teneis Academy of Magic..."
Anderson stammered denials, not realizing his pale, frightened face had already exposed his true nature.
"Whether you did it or not, you know clearly in your heart," Hathaway said coldly. "Also, let me remind you again, don't provoke me. I'm not some human girl who will fall for your slick moves and tired pick-up lines. If you don't want to embarrass yourself further, stop bothering me."
Hearing this, the rest of the team had complex expressions. The female members who had been pestered by Anderson started reflecting and realized his behavior did seem to match Hathaway's description.
In an instant, the halo around Anderson dimmed greatly and his image was no longer as noble as when they first met.
Of course, not all the women were so clear-headed.
To put it another way, even the shadiest playboy (or girl) will always have one or two blind followers obsessively devoted to them.
Seeing her crush Anderson's miserable face, Mia couldn't help but say: "How can you speak of Sir Anderson that way? He's always so kind to you, thinking of you first whenever there's something tasty to eat. You don't appreciate his feelings at all, and even slander him. Don't you elves have any shame, treating your benefactor this way?"
Hathaway wasn't the type to take insults lying down and immediately fired back:
"I don't need his kindness. Also, keep your boy toy in check and stop him from acting like a dog in heat."
Furious at having her feelings exposed, Mia raised her knight lance towards Hathaway, looking ready to attack over the slightest provocation.
In response, Hathaway drew out a magically glowing sword from thin air that was covered in intricate elven script. One glance was enough to see it was no ordinary weapon.
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Seeing the two sides about to clash, Lagren and the others quickly stepped forward to defuse the situation.
Under the urging of the big sister figure, the conflict was temporarily resolved.
Ronald silently watched all this unfold. He knew that while the two sides didn't exchange blows, the resentment would linger.
...
After being directly exposed, Anderson became much more docile.
Forcibly advancing his rank with a mana conductor didn't just mean losing hope of further progression, it also represented a decline in status.
Before this dead end, Anderson was a star that countless minor nobles competed to take as their son-in-law. But now that further advancement was impossible, how many nobles would still be willing to marry their daughters to him? The answer was definitely none.
Anderson clearly also understood this point. That was why he had left his academy city to come to the unfamiliar city of Dragonspire to make his way.
Anderson planned to find and marry a female noble in Dragonspire, thereby obtaining a noble title and living a life of privilege.
His original target in the team was the priest Carlotta.
Although Carlotta concealed it well, Anderson's sharp eyes still caught signs of her noble upbringing in her daily habits and behavior.
Anderson went all out pursuing Carlotta, and in order to get more chances to interact with her, he joined the Blazing Rose team.
He thought with his handsome looks he could quickly win her over, but unexpectedly the results were not that great. Carlotta treated him no different than any other member, neither overly friendly nor too distant.
This made Anderson somewhat disappointed. Just as he was considering switching targets, things took a turn.
A never-before-seen advanced magic appeared before his eyes, wielded by an elven mage no less.
Elves were extremely popular in human kingdoms!
Their long lifespans meant they could serve humans for generations, so having an elf was a status symbol for the top figures in the capital.
The moment he confirmed Hathaway was an elven mage, Anderson immediately discarded Carlotta whom he had pursued for so long.
How could some no-name minor noble possibly compare to a prestigious elven mage?
Just being associated with Hathaway would not only get him a noble title, Anderson figured he could even freely enter the royal palace.
Therefore, Anderson embarked on his pursuit of Hathaway without hesitation.
However, things did not go as smoothly as he imagined. His previously foolproof Casanova techniques from his academy days met with repeated failures in this small frontier town.
Anderson was very troubled. It seemed like ever since he got that academy girl pregnant and got kicked out of school, misfortune had been plaguing him.
Not only were things icy with the elf now, but the attitudes of his other teammates had changed too.
Of course, since the team still needed a mage, they didn't act too overtly. But the respect in their eyes when they looked at him was gone.
The team stayed at the original spot for another week to let Agatha recover from her injuries. Once Lagren judged she was well enough, the captain made the decision to continue exploring the labyrinth.
When making this decision, Lagren did not consult Anderson at all. In the past, Anderson would surely have refused to give Lagren a pleasant expression and may have even flounced off on the spot. But after having his old scandal exposed to his face, Anderson could no longer act as unscrupulously as before.
After all, he was just an advanced mage apprentice with no hope of further progression.
So even though he knew Lagren was getting back at him for his earlier arrogance, Anderson did not show any displeasure. He simply pretended not to notice.
Of course, whether Anderson was as compliant inwardly as his outward behavior showed was hard to say.
After putting out the campfire, the team made their way to the labyrinth entrance, entering the vortex tunnel one by one.
After the last person stepped into the vortex, some faint rustling sounds came from a nearby bush.
The now familiar feeling of weightlessness occurred, and the group reappeared on the transit platform of the labyrinth's first level.
Following the passage deeper in, they entered the silver vortex at the end, once again returning to the gigantic warped world.
After clearing some small fry monsters, the team arrived at the boss room entrance of the first level.
Pushing open the imposing bronze doors covered in disturbing carvings, they were met with the sight of a massive circular hall.
After the last member entered the hall, the bronze doors slammed shut with a boom.
A magical circle lit up on the ivory-tiled floor, then a white tiger slowly emerged from it.
The colossal tiger looked similar to a normal white tiger but was extremely huge, easily two stories tall - much larger than an African elephant. Humans seemed like mere ants before this giant beast.