There is no true utopia in this world, and the Silver Moon Manor of the Grand Sorcerer Dayue is no exception.

On his way back to the South Market, Rosen kept thinking back on the events of the past two weeks, sighing to himself in his heart.

"I had hoped to turn a deaf ear to the affairs outside my window, and concentrate solely on the study of sorcery. But when a tree wishes to be still, the wind will not cease," he murmured.

Just like in my past life, I had hoped to focus on scientific research, but changes at home forced me to abandon what I loved and go into business instead.

In this life, I will never give up the pursuit of sorcery, but I must still make some changes.

"While study is study, one cannot forget the mortal world."

"As for the matter of my master...there is something strange about the whole affair. I must examine it closely."

This time, his thoughts moved away from sorcery, focusing entirely on the South Market murder case.

On the return trip, his mind turned over and over on this matter.

At 10 o'clock at night, Rosen returned to the South Market.

The turmoil in the market had mostly calmed down, but some residual passion still lingered.

Around the edges of the market square, many shops had their doors open, the shopkeepers standing in their own doorways, chatting in groups of two or three.

"It's getting harder and harder to make a living these days, with more and more taxes to pay. I've been operating at a loss for three months now!"

"Who isn't saying that? They keep talking about going to war, going to war, but we haven't heard a whisper of war news in over a year."

"It seems to me those scoundrels at the municipal hall are just figuring out ways to get money from our pockets!"

"Ah, stop that kind of talk, in case some suck-up overhears."

As Rosen walked by, he noticed most of the shopkeepers were discussing their businesses, not the murderer.

In the days he had spent in South Market, drawing portraits and making large purchases, he had become familiar with many of the shopkeepers.

He thought to himself, perhaps he could glean some information about Selendis from these neighbors.

With this thought, he looked left and right, and quickly noticed a tall, sturdy man wearing an emerald green round cap and green robes - the owner of the "Silver Shining" cutlery shop, named Raspring.

I heard this guy is a love expert, with countless illicit relationships among the married women of the market, most of whom have husbands.

Young and beautiful as she was, Selendis would surely draw extra attention from any man.

Raspring must have paid close attention to her, and likely investigated her background in secret.

With these thoughts flashing through his mind, Rosen was already walking over to Raspring's side, a look of "anxiety" on his face.

"By the grace of the Golden God, Mr. Raspring, it's so good to see you here."

Raspring looked Rosen over for a moment, recognizing his identity. This boy had come to his shop last week to buy a whole set of fine silver cutlery, and he remembered it clearly.

"Ah~~~you're that...that An...oh no, Miss Selendis' new apprentice, right?"

"Yes, I am."

"Alas~ I've heard about what happened to your master, what a pity."

"I really didn't expect she would lust after men so. If I had known earlier, I should have...ahem...child, did you need something?"

Ignoring the man's fantasies, Rosen gained two pieces of information from his words.

First, in the past, his master had been chaste and innocent in male-female relations. So much so that even Raspring the love expert hadn't found a gap.

Second, the matter of his master being the murderer had already spread through the entire market.

The speed of the information spreading was beyond expectations.

Rosen's expression of "anxiety" grew stronger. "Mr. Raspring, how did you know my master is the murderer?"

"You haven't heard yet? Just now Officer Lafar brought a large group of people to Miss Selendis' residence, saying they went to search for evidence."

"I heard it's because Chauborne saw the killer's face clearly, and it was Miss Selendis!"

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

It wasn't Raspring who answered, but the owner of the "Levieth Clothing Shop", Mr. Levieth, next to him.

He looked gleeful at another's misfortune.

Rosen understood now. His face was the epitome of "shock".

"I've only been Miss Selendis' apprentice for a short time, and know almost nothing of her character. But still, I find it hard to believe such a young and beautiful woman could be a cruel murderer."

The round, pig-butt like face of Mr. Levieth, with its garlic nose tightly wrinkled, was usually quite expressive, but now showed only sourness.

"What's so surprising about that? A reclusive female sorceress living alone, no matter what evil she commits, it's only to be expected."

Before Rosen could speak, Raspring was already rebutting.

"Levieth, your words are too harsh. From what I know, though Miss Selendis is somewhat reclusive, she is kind and courteous, modest and graceful in how she treats others."

"In my opinion, this is very likely a misunderstanding."

Mr. Levieth's cold laughter only grew stronger.

"Oh come on, Raspring. I know your character well. As soon as you see a pretty girl you can't take your eyes off her."

"You can't control your own promiscuous wives, so you go making trouble for other men's wives. If I may say so, it's purely by the Golden God's mercy you're still alive, and haven't died on top of some woman."

Raspring was furious now too.

"Levieth, do you think you're such a good fellow? Last month when Selendis came to you to buy clothes, you tried to take advantage of her. In the end you couldn't speak for ten days, claiming only to have a sore throat, when in fact you were hit by a Silence spell!"

"Nonsense!" Levieth was instantly enraged.

Seeing the two about to really tear into each other, Rosen hurriedly smoothed things over.

"Gentlemen, yelling at each other in the street is most unseemly."

At these words, the two who had been about to go at it restrained themselves, only glaring angrily at each other.

Since Levieth hated Selendis, he surely wouldn't reveal anything.

So Rosen looked towards Raspring.

"Let's go somewhere else to talk, alright?"

"It would be my pleasure!"

Raspring contemptuously glanced at Levieth, then turned and walked to the other end of the courtyard.

Once in position, Rosen asked, "Mr. Raspring, I'd like to know, how long has my master lived in this market? Have there been any abnormal behaviors?"

After saying this, seeing Raspring's confused expression, he hurriedly explained, "Although I've only been Miss Selendis' apprentice for a short time, she is still my master. As an apprentice, I feel this may be a case of false accusation. So...."

Raspring immediately understood. "My boy, I can understand how you feel. In fact, I have similar thoughts, and believe Miss Selendis is innocent."

He started seriously recalling.

"Miss Selendis has probably lived in the market for about 2 years...no, 2 years and 1 month and 18 days. Most of the time she stays at home, rarely going out."

"But a person can't completely cut themselves off from the outside world, so every few days she leaves her cottage and comes to the market for a trip. To fetch water, buy food and daily necessities."

As he spoke, the lines on Raspring's face grew gentler and gentler.

"Miss Selendis is so beautiful, whenever she comes to the market, she immediately becomes the focus of everyone's gaze."

"Her every frown and smile tugs at the heartstrings of all. I believe if she were to beckon to a man, for example myself, I would surely exert my utmost efforts to serve her...."

"Ahem...ahem..."

Rosen lightly coughed a few times to interrupt the man's fantasies. "Then, did my master have any abnormal behaviors?"

"Abnormal? Let me think..."

Raspring thought for a moment. "She usually comes to the market in the mornings to buy supplies, modest and courteous, rarely smiling. Oh yes!"

He suddenly slapped his forehead, and revealed a bit of news.

"Twenty days ago, a very handsome man came to the market, called...called Orelick or something. He had a conflict with Miss Selendis."

"A conflict?"

"Yes. That pretty boy tried to go up and chat with Miss Selendis. Any man could tell, he had impure intentions."

"Miss Selendis of course saw through his schemes at a glance, and decisively rejected him."

"Yet that wretched pretty boy kept pestering her, and even tried to grab Miss Selendis' arm."

"Oh, he really had some nerve, but he paid the price for his audacity.

"Our beautiful Miss Selendis is no delicate maiden, she is a powerful sorceress.

"In but a flash, Orelick was blasted back several meters, smack into the muddy filth of the market square. Hahaha, it was so satisfying!"

It was clear Raspring was a chatterbox whose words, once started, became an unstoppable flood.

Rosen had gotten what he wanted.

Seeing Raspring about to slip back into fantasy, he hurriedly said, "Thank you very much for the information. Goodbye Mr. Raspring."

He turned and fled as if flying, rushing towards the entrance of Alley 1.

As he ran, all kinds of thoughts still tumbled through his mind.

Suddenly, a flash of insight stopped him firmly in place.

'My master is reclusive, with almost no friends. I am her only apprentice.'

'I can feel she values me greatly!'

'But we haven't been together long, I don't truly understand her. Similarly, she doesn't truly understand me!'

'My master is indeed powerful, but she is not a god. She is just an Intermediate sorceress in her early 20s, still a young girl.'

With these thoughts coming together, the next step was a logical conclusion.

'My Bullet spell has reached Intermediate level, and it's an extraordinary silent flying version. Coming unexpectedly, it must have greatly exceeded her expectations.'

'Feeling extremely surprised, subconsciously looking back is only human nature.'

'My master values me. Discovering it was me, she must have worried I would misunderstand and think her the murderer.'

'So she said those words, which actually have no deeper meaning. She was just defending herself, hoping I would believe in her innocence.'

Thinking this, Rosen couldn't help lightly tapping his forehead.

'Oh Master, I knew you were innocent all along!'

Following this line of thought, he continued pondering.

'My master values me, and doesn't want me to misunderstand her.'

'But simply avoiding misunderstanding does nothing to resolve the situation. Only finding the true culprit can truly help acquit my master of injustice.'

'So, this matter can actually be considered a covert apprentice test. A test to truly step into my master's heart.'

For these kinds of things, sometimes you have to awaken on your own, like when Patriarch Bodhi tapped his disciple Monkey on the head with his ruler.

If you don't awaken, then you'll just be a guardian disciple your whole life, learning some unimportant, ordinary skills anyone can pick up.

But if you do awaken, and pass subsequent tests, then you may obtain the true legacy!

What is Selendis' true legacy?

Rosen didn't know, but that Intermediate level non-human spellcasting, that alone was enough to make one yearn endlessly.

The book said high-level sorcerers generally had 12 Leylines, grand sorcerers around 18, yet his Intermediate sorceress master had above 20 Leylines, clearly hinting at profound mysteries!

Standing in the foul, stench-filled streets of South Market late at night, Rosen's heart was free from confusion.

"Master, next I will do my utmost to acquit you of injustice. I also hope my performance can satisfy you."